Chapter 31.1

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After walking about twenty meters, He Cuizhen finally remembered she had a daughter and turned around, shouting, “Qiao Ziman, what are you dragging your feet for? Don’t you know to lend a hand? Look how tired Yinyin is! You’re all grown up and still don’t know how to care for others.”

Yinyin, Yinyin, Qiao Ziman thought with frustration. So affectionate, huh? I’ve never even called her that. But despite her thoughts, she plastered a bright smile on her face. “Coming!”

Qiao Ziman hurried up and tried to take the bag from Chi Yin’s hands. “Let me take it.”

Chi Yin, concerned, said, “It’s a bit heavy.”

Who do you think you’re underestimating? Qiao Ziman thought dismissively and grabbed one corner of the bag.

The next second, the weight of the bag yanked her down, catching her completely off guard. Her back gave a sharp twinge as she strained under the load. Qiao Ziman winced in pain, “Ahh,” and stood there for a good five seconds, clutching her lower back without moving.

Chi Yin, seeing this, quickly took the heavy bag back. She looked at Qiao Ziman with concern. “Are you okay?”

Qiao Ziman forced a smile, still unwilling to admit defeat. “I’m fine.”

But seriously, how is Chi Yin handling this so easily?

Qiao Ziman muttered to herself, “She barely eats, her stomach hurts from time to time, and she doesn’t even exercise much. How does she have that much strength?”

Chi Yin, thinking about something else entirely, blushed ever so slightly at the tips of her ears and casually remarked, “It’s alright, lifting you up wouldn’t be a problem.” Whatever crossed her mind at that moment must have been quite the scene.

Qiao Ziman, naturally, didn’t notice. She turned to ask He Cuizhen, “Mom, did you bring more than just cabbage and cured meat?”

He Cuizhen started counting on her fingers, “Your grandma made you a few pairs of insoles, and I brought over some jars of pickles from your aunt.”

“Mom, didn’t cousin already bring me pickles last time? I haven’t even finished them.”

“Just keep them. They won’t go bad anytime soon. Plus, I brought some homegrown tomatoes—didn’t you say you love them? So I brought extra.”

“Mom, the supermarket is full of tomatoes. You really went through all that trouble?”

“Hey, these are homegrown, no pesticides. Fresh. What do you know?”

“What else did you bring?” Qiao Ziman asked.

“And, your mom’s unique kind of love for you. You’ll find out later,” He Cuizhen replied mysteriously.

Qiao Ziman: “…”

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Qiao Ziman was chatting casually with her mom when she suddenly noticed that Chi Yin had been unusually quiet for a while. She glanced sideways and saw that Chi Yin was looking down at the floor, her lips pressed tightly together. She seemed… a bit tense.

Is it because she doesn’t know how to join the conversation? Or maybe she’s unsure how to interact with elders? Qiao Ziman felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Why did I get so caught up talking to my mom and leave Chi Yin out for so long? Even as a friend, that’s not okay.

Her fingers twitched slightly by her side, and in the next moment, she took the initiative to hook her arm around Chi Yin’s.

“Mom, didn’t Grandma make any insoles for Chi Yin?” Qiao Ziman asked. “She’s the same shoe size as me, don’t forget next time. And didn’t Uncle grow strawberries on his farm? Bring some next time.”

“Got it,” He Cuizhen replied.

The three of them returned home together. Oddly enough, once inside, He Cuizhen seemed a bit awkward herself. She sat rigidly on the sofa, while Qiao Ziman sat beside her, facing Chi Yin directly.

“Yinyin,” He Cuizhen started, clearly a bit nervous as her hands fidgeted with nowhere to rest, “how old are you this year? And, how many people are there in your family?”

Qiao Ziman quickly tugged at her mom, whispering, “Mom, are you interrogating her?”

He Cuizhen shot her a glare but then smiled, “Xiao Qiao must give you a lot of trouble, right?”

“My daughter, well, she’s got a lot of flaws, but her heart’s in the right place. You’ll have to bear with her sometimes.” She paused, lowering her voice a bit. “If she ever gets stubborn with you, don’t get physical, alright?”

Qiao Ziman quickly jumped in to defend Chi Yin, “Mom, what are you saying? She’s so gentle!”

He Cuizhen pulled Qiao Ziman aside and whispered, “Didn’t you tell me she’s a control freak? I have to make sure, right? With that mouth of yours, I’m afraid someone might really lose their temper and beat you up.”

Qiao Ziman: “…” I totally forgot I said that. Grinding her teeth, Qiao Ziman nodded, “Yeah, she does have that tendency. So, what do you think? Do we make a good pair?”

In her mind, Qiao Ziman’s inner self was desperately praying: Please reject us, please dislike each other, please end this charade already!

But He Cuizhen, completely ignoring her daughter’s hopes, sat back on the sofa. “Well, I do think my daughter needs someone to straighten her out. A good spanking here and there might just be part of the fun.”

Qiao Ziman nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. This is not going as planned. Mom, seriously!

He Cuizhen then asked, “So, how long have you two been toge—”

Before she could finish, Qiao Ziman quickly dragged her away. “Mom, let me show you around.”

Qiao Ziman led He Cuizhen on a tour from the living room to the guest room. “Mom, you’ll sleep here tonight. All the bedding is new. Or, you could sleep with me if you want.”

At that moment, He Cuizhen turned her head slowly, her eyes locking onto Qiao Ziman with an intense gaze. “Tell me the truth.”

Qiao Ziman’s heart sank. Uh oh, this doesn’t feel right.

“Is Yinyin really your girlfriend?” He Cuizhen asked, her tone more serious now. “Are you lying to me?”

Qiao Ziman began to break into a cold sweat. She wasn’t sure how her mom had figured it out, but knowing He Cuizhen, this was not the time to panic. Forcing herself to stay calm, Qiao Ziman put on a confident smile. “And why couldn’t she be my girlfriend?”

He Cuizhen suspiciously sized up Qiao Ziman, voicing her doubts. “Why did you shut me up just now?”

Qiao Ziman: “…She’s shy.”

“Why don’t you two have a single photo together?”

Qiao Ziman: “…She’s shy.”

“But you two don’t seem close or affectionate at all.”

Qiao Ziman: “…She’s shy.”

“And just now you offered to sleep with me. Does that mean you’re still sleeping in separate rooms?”

Qiao Ziman: “…She’s… shy.”

He Cuizhen stared at her intensely, her eyes practically screaming, I don’t believe you.