Chapter 35.2

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Two hours later, Chi Yin and the others returned. Hearing the commotion, Qiao Ziman quickly got out of bed. She tiptoed to the door and pressed her ear against it. The door next door creaked open, and she could faintly hear Jiang Zaizao’s voice. “I’m all sweaty and dirty. Let’s take a shower, sis.”

We!!! Shower???

Without thinking twice, Qiao Ziman burst through her door and knocked loudly on the one next door.

Bang, bang, bang!

Jiang Zaizao opened the door.

Qiao Ziman squeezed half of her body through the door.

“Who are you looking for, sis?”

“Where’s Chi Yin?” Qiao Ziman peeked inside.

“She’s taking a shower. Is there something you need?”

Qiao Ziman pressed her hand against the door. “Yes! I need to discuss something important with her for work!”

“Come on, it’s a holiday! Can’t you let her have some peace? I’ll let her know you’re here; you should just go back for now.” Jiang Zaizao gestured for her to let go.

Qiao Ziman stubbornly refused to be blocked by the girl. “How about we switch rooms?”

“Why?”

Thinking quickly, Qiao Ziman replied, “I’m her assistant, so of course I need to be with her.”

Jiang Zaizao frowned. “Doesn’t an assistant have to be with her 24/7?”

Qiao Ziman was momentarily at a loss for words. “Besides, my sister hasn’t even mentioned you to me.”

Qiao Ziman’s heart sank, and her expression dimmed slightly. It seemed she was being shut out. Deciding to clear her mind, she resolved to step outside.

Outside, the sky had darkened, and a charcoal grill was set up in the yard. Colleagues were busy: some were starting the fire, others were threading skewers, while a group was unloading beer. A few people had brought out speakers and microphones, launching into an outdoor karaoke session.

It was lively and festive.

“Qiao Qiao, we haven’t seen you all afternoon! Where have you been?”

“I came for the barbecue.”

“Qiao Jie, do you drink?”

Qiao Ziman simply smiled and waved her hand to decline. She walked ahead, her mind still circling around Jiang Zaizao’s words.

“My sister hasn’t even mentioned you.”

She hasn’t mentioned me.

Qiao Ziman kicked a small stone at her feet in frustration. The little stone rolled away with a “thud.” Snapping back to reality, she realized she had unknowingly wandered to the edge of a stream.

Qiao Ziman had been here with her parents when she was younger. Back then, the moon had been a warm orange, and the water was crystal clear, allowing one to see the bottom. The pebbles at the bottom of the stream glowed softly in the night. The croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects filled the air, while playful little fish darted about.

How many years had it been?

This place had changed, at least a little.

Qiao Ziman gazed into the distance, and suddenly, something caught her eye—a pure white flower blooming between the rocks, swaying gently in the breeze.

Memories flooded back to her childhood. In the height of summer, the forest would always burst into a sea of pure white flowers, releasing an enchanting fragrance. Her father would gather a bouquet and place it on the windowsill, then set up his easel to teach her how to paint in the warm afternoon light, guiding her hand as they created art together. The next day, he would dry the flowers to make bookmarks, slipping them into her textbooks of all sizes.

Qiao Ziman turned on her phone’s flashlight and followed the direction of her memories into the woods. Behind her, the lights gradually dimmed.

The deeper she walked, the more lost in thought she became. After an unknown amount of time, she finally stumbled upon a patch of flowers near a few towering stones, each nearly as tall as a person.

Qiao Ziman’s heart leaped with joy as she ran toward the flowers. However, her foot suddenly slipped, and she fell heavily to the ground. Her phone hit a rock, extinguishing its light.

After a long moment, Qiao Ziman leaned against the stone and sat up, the first thing she did was assess her situation. It was pitch dark, surrounded by overgrown weeds. Occasionally, the wind rustled the leaves, accompanied by a few strange calls from wild birds.

Qiao Ziman shivered, her heart racing. She quickly looked down to check her phone, only to find the screen unresponsive. Cold sweat drenched her clothes instantly.

***

Meanwhile, Chi Yin stepped out of her room and found Ji Yun. “Where’s Qiao Ziman?”

Ji Yun took a sip of her drink. “I don’t know; she probably went out to clear her mind.”

Chi Yin glanced at her phone to check the time. “It’s nine o’clock. She still hasn’t come back.” With that, she dialed Qiao Ziman’s number.

“Hello, the number you have dialed is not reachable. Please try again later.”

After several attempts with no answer, an ominous feeling rose within Chi Yin. She exclaimed, “Which way did she go?”

“Don’t worry, Chi. Qiao Qiao has been here before when she was younger,” Ji Yun replied. However, upon seeing Chi Yin’s serious expression, she quickly set down her drink and pointed in the direction of the stream. “That way.”

“I’ll go find her. You look for the staff and keep your phone on.”

Without waiting for a response, Chi Yin sprinted toward the stream, searching along its banks. She couldn’t find Qiao Ziman anywhere. The urgency within her grew. Just as she was about to call Ji Yun to initiate a search, she spotted a familiar set of footprints leading into the woods.

Without a second thought, Chi Yin dashed into the trees.

“Qiao Ziman!”

“Qiao Ziman!”

As Chi Yin walked deeper into the woods, she called out her name.

Time passed, and her voice grew hoarse. Finally, she heard a trembling, disbelieving response, laced with a cry.

“Chi Yin?”

Chi Yin’s heart raced as she pushed through the brush and found Qiao Ziman curled up beside a rock, her face pale. Chi Yin hurried over and enveloped the frightened Qiao Ziman in her arms. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

At last, Qiao Ziman broke down in tears. “Chi Yin, why is it always you? Why do you always seem to be the first one by my side?”

Warm tears soaked into Chi Yin’s neck, a damp and itchy sensation that made her heart melt. She gently stroked Qiao Ziman’s head, feeling a deep sense of compassion. “Why did you run so far? What if I couldn’t find you?”

Qiao Ziman pulled a bouquet of flowers from her side and shoved it into Chi Yin’s hands. “Last time, I promised to give you flowers.”

So, she had gone into the woods just to pick these? How foolish.

Chi Yin felt a mix of emotion and relief wash over her. The person in her arms finally stopped trembling and ceased her sobbing. “What are you doing? Don’t they look nice?”

Chi Yin replied earnestly, “They’re beautiful.”

“Then why do you look like that? I just twisted my ankle a little. As if this tiny forest could hold me back!”

Chi Yin was at a loss for words. It seemed that Qiao Ziman was indeed fine.

She squatted down to check her ankle.

“Hey, that hurts!” Qiao Ziman exclaimed, gently tapping Chi Yin’s head with her fingers. “My ankle is fine; there’s no need to make a big deal out of it. If we don’t head back soon, everyone will come looking for us.”

Chi Yin picked up on the underlying tone in her words. Sister Qiao cares about her image.

With a resigned smile, Chi Yin then lifted Qiao Ziman onto her back.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Qiao Ziman protested, struggling. “Just support me; I can walk by myself!”

Chi Yin threatened playfully, “Behave yourself! I’m holding flowers, and if you dare to mess them up, I’ll just drop you.”

“Do you dare?”

Though Qiao Ziman said this, she obediently nestled against Chi Yin’s back.

The two of them slowly made their way out of the woods. After a long moment of hesitation, Qiao Ziman finally asked the question that had been weighing on her heart, “Do you know everything?”

Chi Yin paused, caught off guard. “Know what?”

Qiao Ziman thought to herself, That I lied to you, that I don’t like you at all. But just that one thought made her heart feel like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, causing a dull ache that made it hard to breathe.

After taking a few deep breaths, Qiao Ziman suddenly tightened her hold around Chi Yin. Pressing her head against Chi Yin’s neck, she asked softly, “Can you give me some time?”

This time, she needed to ask her heart.