Chapter 38

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In the depths of the bamboo forest, the two shared a slow, lingering kiss. Qiao Ziman’s tongue gently guided Chi Yin’s, leading her with deliberate patience—taking her role as a teacher to heart.

After the kiss, Qiao Ziman’s chest rose and fell slightly, her eyes lingering on Chi Yin’s slightly flushed lips. She asked, “Did you learn it?”

Chi Yin shook her head. “No.”

“Ugh, so slow.”

A flicker of strong desire flashed through Chi Yin’s eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, responding softly, “Then should the teacher teach me again?”

Qiao Ziman’s throat tightened. The next second, she awkwardly averted her gaze. No more kissing—my legs are starting to feel weak again.

“Tomorrow. Progress needs to be gradual.”

Chi Yin responded softly, “Okay.”

The two started walking back. Qiao Ziman had a nagging feeling that something was off, as though she’d forgotten something important. When they reached the door to their room, a loud, furious roar echoed from room 204:

“Drink! Drink! Drink! Why is my life so hard?!”

“Jiang Zaozao, are there any single teachers at your school?”

“I’ll even take a counselor!”

“But she’s gotta be a woman—beautiful and tall!”

“It’s just a teacher! It’s not like I can’t find one! I’m so pissed off!”

Qiao Ziman froze. Oh no… I forgot about Ji Yun.

She felt a small pang of guilt—though not too much. After all, this was a serious lesson I was giving. Definitely not a case of abandoning friends for romance. Okay, maybe a little bit.

Just then, Chi Yin slid her hand into Qiao Ziman’s, interlacing their fingers. Her index finger gently brushed the back of Qiao Ziman’s hand as she leaned in close, whispering softly in her ear, “Teacher, I’m tired. I want to sleep with you.”

Chi Yin’s voice was seductive, alluring, making Qiao Ziman’s heart itch with desire. Any lingering guilt or hesitation she felt disappeared in an instant. Her legs moved on their own, carrying her toward their room.

“Okay!” she agreed, almost too eagerly.

Back in the room, the two embraced, quickly drifting into a deep, sweet sleep. It was the kind of rest that left them completely at peace.

***

When Qiao Ziman woke up, the moon was high in the sky, and the night was at its darkest. She glanced at the person beside her, breathing steadily, lost in peaceful slumber. Not wanting to disturb her, Qiao Ziman quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the corner of the room to call the front desk.

Before long, the front desk delivered the items she requested—scissors, a marker, kraft paper, and transparent tape. Qiao Ziman carefully took the flowers she had given Chi Yin out of the vase, selecting the best-looking ones, and gently dried them. She set to work making bookmarks.

When Chi Yin woke up, this was the scene she saw:

Qiao Ziman sat by the window, holding a paintbrush in her hand, deeply focused on her task. Outside, the full moon hung like a silver disc, its gentle light spilling in through the window. The soft glow illuminated Qiao Ziman, making her appear even more tender and captivating.

Chi Yin stood there, quietly watching her, not wanting to disrupt the beautiful moment. It seemed as though Qiao Ziman sensed her gaze, as she turned around and, upon seeing her, broke into a warm smile.

“Awake? Hungry? I can order something for you,” Qiao Ziman offered, her tone soft and full of warmth.

Chi Yin was momentarily moved, staring at her in a daze, forgetting to respond. Qiao Ziman set down the pen she was holding, walked over, and gently cupped Chi Yin’s face. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you want to keep sleeping?”

Chi Yin suppressed the swirl of emotions rising in her heart and quietly said, “I’ve had enough sleep.” Then, she asked, “What were you doing?”

Qiao Ziman pointed to the desk. “Making bookmarks.”

With excitement, she took Chi Yin’s hand and led her over to the desk. “Look, aren’t they pretty?”

On the table were several palm-sized, delicate bookmarks. One was in the shape of a transparent wishing bottle, with a pure white flower sealed inside. At the bottle’s neck was a colorful label with a few elegant words written on it:

—Little white flower for my little white flower.

Chi Yin: “…”

Another bookmark was made of brown kraft paper, with a large smiley face drawn on it in white marker. It, too, had a colorful label attached, reading:

—Little white flower should be happy every day.

Chi Yin: “…”

“They’re beautiful,” she said softly, and then, as if to emphasize her feelings, she repeated, “Really beautiful.”

She picked up one of the bookmarks, caressing it with care. “Are all of these for me?”

Qiao Ziman nodded, her expression turning more serious. “I wanted to give you flowers, but I didn’t want them to wither so quickly. I wanted to preserve them for as long as possible. If I could add a time limit, I’d wish for forever.”

Chi Yin’s eyes filled with warmth and affection as she clutched the bookmarks to her chest like a treasure. “Thank you.”

Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Thank you for the promise hidden between your words.

“Why are you thanking me?” Qiao Ziman handed her a pen along with the white bookmark. “Do you want to write something? This one’s for you.”

But Chi Yin didn’t take it. Instead, she leaned in closer and called softly, “Teacher.”

Qiao Ziman’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you want to kiss again?” she asked, her voice teasing.

Chi Yin shook her head. “No, that’s not it.”

Qiao Ziman felt a tiny pang of disappointment. “Then what is it?”

“Today, I want the teacher to teach me how to make a bookmark.”

Qiao Ziman’s interest was immediately piqued. “You want to learn?”

“I want to make one for you, too.”

Qiao Ziman’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Alright!”

“First, you cut the paper into the shape you like, then lay the flower petals flat inside and secure them with transparent tape. The key is to make sure there are no air bubbles left under the tape.”

Chi Yin grabbed a white piece of paper and used a marker to draw a flower, a sun, and two children holding hands in the middle. Carefully, she added both her and Qiao Ziman’s names in neat block letters.

Of course, she didn’t let Qiao Ziman see any of this.

Qiao Ziman, noticing her secretive behavior, grew curious. “What are you drawing?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Oh, so now you’re keeping secrets from me, huh?”

Chi Yin folded the paper, turning it into a delicate little paper airplane, and handed it over to Qiao Ziman.

“You’ll find out later,” Chi Yin said softly. Now isn’t the time.

“Here, this is for you. The little white flower is giving another little white flower.”

“Chi Yin, you’re pretty crafty! You’re already better at this than me, and—wait… who’s the little white flower? I’m your teacher!”

“You’re the best,” Chi Yin said, smiling deeply, finding Qiao Ziman’s reaction utterly adorable. “Yes, teacher is the best.”

“Hmph,” Qiao Ziman playfully pouted.

Leisurely days passed quickly, and after returning from the resort, Qiao Ziman found herself once again immersed in the busy rhythm of work.

One day, Chi Yin brought her good news—she had managed to secure a meeting with Shi Qianjin, the author of Master White Fox. Qiao Ziman, who had been struggling to make progress on the project, was ecstatic. This was a big breakthrough. Wanting to make the best impression, she carefully selected a dress and applied meticulous makeup.

Two hours before the meeting, she was already at Chi Yin’s office, urging her along. “Chi Yin, how much longer are you going to take?”

Chi Yin remained focused on her paperwork, not even looking up. “It’ll be a little while longer.”

Qiao Ziman paced back and forth, clearly anxious. “Hurry up! It won’t look good if we’re late.”

“It’s fine. She doesn’t care about that,” Chi Yin responded calmly.

As Qiao Ziman continued pacing, her thoughts spiraled. “What kind of person is Shi Qianjin? Do you think she’ll be difficult to get along with? I mean, aren’t web novel authors usually pretty introverted? What if she’s socially anxious?”

“Does Shi Qianjin like spicy Sichuan food? What if she doesn’t like what we order?”

“What if she doesn’t like me? What if I mess up the project because of that?”

Shi Qianjin, Shi Qianjin, Shi Qianjin…

Chi Yin’s face suddenly darkened, and she set down her pen, looking at Qiao Ziman with undisguised desire in her eyes. Her voice was firm and commanding as she said, “Lock the door.”

Qiao Ziman blinked, startled. “What???”

Chi Yin’s gaze swept over her, no longer hiding the longing she felt. “You look beautiful today.”

It dawned on Qiao Ziman what Chi Yin meant—she wanted to kiss. But Qiao Ziman hesitated. “Isn’t this a bad idea? We don’t have much time left.”

Chi Yin removed her glasses and beckoned with a single finger, her voice low and magnetic. “Come here.”

She wore a black shirt tucked into high-waisted suit pants, her long hair neatly tucked behind her ears. So cool, thought Qiao Ziman, her heart skipping a beat.

Without hesitation, she locked the door and rushed over. “Your teacher is here,” she teased.

But before she could react further, her wrist was seized, and she found herself pressed against something soft.

Just as she was about to gasp, Chi Yin’s tongue slipped in, forcefully taking control—exploring, claiming every inch. It was as though she was stealing all the air from Qiao Ziman’s lungs.

Her mind went blank, completely dazed. The kiss went on and on until her lips began to ache slightly. Only then did Chi Yin reluctantly let her go.

Qiao Ziman opened her eyes, misty and hazy with emotion. Chi Yin gently caressed the corner of her reddened eyes. “Your makeup’s smudged,” she whispered. “Go clean it off.”

Chi Yin lightly tapped Qiao Ziman’s lips. “You don’t need to look this good just to meet her.”

“Alright, get off me. We should be heading out,” Chi Yin added calmly.

Qiao Ziman: “!!!!”

How did I end up sitting in her lap again?!

Her face flushed with heat as she quickly tried to stand up. But as she did, her legs gave out, leaving her with no control as she collapsed right back into Chi Yin’s lap.

Qiao Ziman: “!!!”