Chapter 28.1

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In the midst of the chaos, Qiao Ziman grasped a sliver of rationality and looked up, meeting the pure gaze of the person in front of her.

She pointed at herself, “Me? Sincere?”

Chi Yin gave a slight smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and nodded earnestly. “Didn’t you say from the start that you wanted to hit on me? You’ve followed through too. During the day, you care about my heart, and at night, you care about my body.”

“For example,” Chi Yin started counting on her fingers, “you wouldn’t let me drink iced coffee. Out of concern, you secretly switched it to hot water in my thermos. You ditched your friends to spend my birthday with me. After stealing a kiss, you made up all kinds of excuses to take care of my feelings.”

Qiao Ziman shut her eyes and yelled, “Stop talking!!” If she kept going, even she might start believing it!

“And you were jealous of my friend.”

“Shut up!”

Chi Yin obediently mimicked a gesture, pinching her fingers together and making a zipping motion across her lips.

Qiao Ziman decided to try a different approach and gently guide her. She softened her tone. “You see, the truth is, we’re not really a good match.”

“I think we’re a great match.”

“Shut—” Qiao Ziman took a deep breath. “You’re so outstanding and so kind. Meanwhile, I have tons of flaws. For starters, I don’t know how to dress up.”

Chi Yin: “Simplicity is good! It shows you’re frugal and know how to manage a household.”

“I also like to argue with you.”

Chi Yin: “That makes it exciting!”

“I’m bad-tempered and sharp-tongued.”

Chi Yin thought for a moment, then looked up seriously and said, “That’s exactly what I like—when you’re so fierce you even scold yourself.”

“You, you, you!!!”

Qiao Ziman was utterly flabbergasted, completely at a loss for words. Her usual quick wit failed her entirely, so she defaulted to her typical strategy.

—Avoidance may be shameful, but it’s effective!

After work, Qiao Ziman went to the flower shop again and bought a bouquet of roses. The shop owner recognized her by now and gave her a 10% discount, even throwing in a little card that said, “May you be together forever.”

As if the day wasn’t already hard enough, now it was unbearable.

Holding the roses, Qiao Ziman headed home, and as soon as she opened the door, she was met with Chi Yin’s eager, expectant gaze. Chi Yin looked at the flowers, then at the card on top, and her eyes lit up with joy. “For me?”

Qiao Ziman’s grip on the flowers tightened, and she almost reflexively blurted out, “No.”

With that, she bolted to her room and locked the door behind her.

She threw herself onto the bed, repeating yesterday’s confused ramblings. This time, she had only one question.

—Is it too late to come clean now?

Five minutes later, Qiao Ziman stared at the pile of rose petals in front of her, feeling so hopeless she almost wanted to cry. Ten minutes later, still refusing to give in, Qiao Ziman once again turned to the wisdom of the vast online community for help.

She picked up her phone and typed out a post.

[I confessed to my female boss, and she said yes. What do I do? Urgently awaiting answers online.]

It didn’t take long for her phone to start buzzing non-stop. Netizens flooded in with congratulations: [Congrats! A mutual love story, how wonderful! Such a happy occasion!]

“One of us was bold enough to confess, and the other was bold enough to accept. It’s more like a mutual case of delusion,” Qiao Ziman muttered bitterly as she furiously typed a reply: [But I’m straight.]

Netizen: [??? Your post is too niche. Hang on, I’m thinking this through.]

[So why did you confess in the first place?]

[Damn, a straight girl hitting on a lesbian, you’re begging for lightning to strike.]

Qiao Ziman replied: [Well deserved! Call me out on it!]

The netizens fell silent for a moment: […]

Qiao Ziman then proceeded to explain the whole situation from start to finish. Then, she waited quietly.

Netizen: [You’re not testing out a plot idea for a novel on us, are you?]

[If the other person is attractive, has a great body, and is rich, why not give it a shot?]

[Wait, are you just trying to avoid responsibility, you player?! (The person above is also a player!) Can you both take your antics elsewhere?]

Qiao Ziman seriously typed out her response:

[Attractive? She’s absolutely gorgeous, with a killer figure and plenty of money. But if I get involved with her without being sure of my own feelings, that would be the real irresponsibility—not just to myself, but to her future as well.]

Netizens: […]

[I think the original poster seems pretty sincere and has good values. Let’s stop the insults, everyone.]

Qiao Ziman’s expression softened, her eyes downcast.

[Go ahead, criticize me! After all, I deceived, used, and trampled on a pure, innocent little flower. I’m guilty! I deserve to die!]

A sharp-eyed netizen, channeling their inner Sherlock Holmes, spotted a clue and raised a reasonable doubt.

[A powerful woman who’s been navigating the tough world for years, and you’re calling her an innocent flower? Who are you kidding? She agreed so easily because she probably liked you for a while. The best hunters often pose as prey!]

Seeing this comment, Qiao Ziman’s frustration flared up.

[Nonsense! She’s pure, I tell you. She’s like a blank sheet of paper. (smile.jpg)]

Netizen: [You really don’t know how to appreciate good advice, huh?]

And so, Qiao Ziman engaged in a heated debate with the netizen that lasted a full half hour. After venting, she felt much better. With her spirits lifted, she decided it was time to check in on her little white flower.

If Qiao Ziman wasn’t mistaken, the moment she said the flowers weren’t for Chi Yin, she noticed the light in Chi Yin’s eyes dim. It was the look of disappointment, of unfulfilled expectation.

Qiao Ziman felt a pang of guilt in her heart. Am I really such a jerk? Slipping into her slippers, she left her little hideout and knocked on Chi Yin’s door. Inside, she heard footsteps approaching, growing closer. For some reason, Qiao Ziman felt a bit nervous.

The next second, the door opened.

Chi Yin stood there, wrapped in a bathrobe, the belt hanging loosely, revealing a glimpse of smooth, pale skin beneath her neckline. She stood bathed in soft light, her gaze gentle. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Qiao Ziman’s heartbeat inexplicably skipped a beat.

Without drawing attention to her sudden fluster, she shifted her gaze away from the exposed skin and pulled out a plastic bag from behind her back, filled with flower petals. She mumbled, “I bought these for a bath… for you. If you really like fresh flowers, I’ll, uh, next time… next time, I’ll get you some. And there’s something else I need to tell you.”

Qiao Ziman had already made up her mind. Before things spiraled out of control, she would tell the truth. At worst, she’d apologize on her knees and beg for forgiveness.

Before Qiao Ziman could even open her mouth, Chi Yin interrupted her.

“It’s late. You should rest.” Then, with a soft smile, she asked, “Want to sleep together?”

Sleep together?

The room was filled with Chi Yin’s alluring fragrance, tempting Qiao Ziman to step further inside, but reason told her otherwise. Their relationship was unclear, undefined—definitely not the right time to be sharing a bed.

Qiao Ziman hesitated for a full minute, torn, before ultimately deciding it was better to go back and stare at her ceiling instead. With that, she swiftly made her exit, sticking once again to her life motto:

—Avoidance may be shameful, but it’s useful!

And so, her first attempt at coming clean was… a failure.