Chapter 39.1

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Qiao Ziman pushed open the door and stormed out, her small high heels clicking loudly as they nearly flew off her feet. Chi Yin followed behind, calm and composed, occasionally brushing her fingers over her slightly reddened lips, savoring the taste of the recent kiss.

“Good afternoon, Qiao Jie,” a coworker greeted.

“Good afternoon, President Chi,” another added.

“Qiao Jie, what happened to your lips?”

Qiao Ziman froze mid-step, her body stiffening. She threw an accusing glare at Chi Yin, her eyes filled with resentment. “Hurry up!”

Chi Yin stifled a laugh and quickly caught up to her. “Alright.”

The two walked out of the company side by side. Their colleagues, watching from behind, couldn’t help but huddle together and whisper.

“Have you noticed something off between those two lately?”

“Yeah, they come to work and leave together every day. I even saw them coming out of the same apartment complex once. Pretty sure they were holding hands…”

“Exactly! Qiao Jie is always running to President Chi’s office, and sometimes the door gets locked. Does an assistant really need to lock the door?”

“Qiao Jie’s lips… do you think President Chi kissed her?”

“I just saw Qiao Jie’s ears turn red, and why was President Chi smiling at her so fondly?”

“Alright, alright, stop gossiping. Remember what happened to Lu Yu and the others last time they spread rumors…” someone warned.

At that reminder, the gossiping group quickly scattered. But though the chatter stopped, a seed of suspicion had been planted in some hearts.

After leaving the office, Qiao Ziman and Chi Yin drove to the city’s most popular Sichuan restaurant. Qiao Ziman, still fuming, plopped down in the private room with a huff. She shot a sideways glance at Chi Yin. “You’re not allowed to eat anything spicy later!” she declared, turning her head toward the door to avoid looking at her.

Chi Yin, calm and unbothered, carefully sterilized the tableware with hot water and placed it in front of Qiao Ziman. “Whatever you say, Teacher,” she replied with a soft smile.

Teacher, teacher, teacher… Qiao Ziman thought, her smirk growing. She was kissing me so fiercely earlier, and now she suddenly remembers I’m her teacher?

Just then, the phone on the table vibrated. Chi Yin glanced at the screen and said to Qiao Ziman, who was still sulking, “Shi Qiansui is at the door.”

Qiao Ziman immediately jumped up, her expression turning serious, her hands clenching tightly. Chi Yin gently took her hand and squeezed her palm, her touch warm and reassuring. “Relax, I’ve got this.”

Her words were like a calming pill, instantly easing Qiao Ziman’s tension and anxiety.

“Okay,” Qiao Ziman nodded.

The two of them went out to greet their guest. From a distance, they saw two girls approaching.

The one walking in front had a chic princess-cut hairstyle, half of her face obscured by oversized sunglasses, giving her an air of aloofness. She wore a crop top and ultra-short shorts, her pale skin practically glowing. With each step her long legs took, her presence was undeniable.

That must be Shi Qiansui.

The girl walking behind her was tall and stoic, following a meter behind at all times. A bodyguard?

Qiao Ziman squeezed Chi Yin’s hand again and whispered, “Are all web novel authors this flashy nowadays? Look at her—now that’s someone who knows the real world.”

“I don’t know about you, but this feels like I’ve walked straight into some high-society novel about a wealthy heiress,” Qiao Ziman muttered, half-jokingly.

Chi Yin couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

Shi Qiansui approached them and stopped in front, her bright eyes peeking out from beneath her sunglasses. She scrutinized them carefully for a moment before finally speaking.

“Dashun.”

The girl behind Shi Qiansui responded in a low voice, “Here, Qiansui-jie,” and, without needing further instruction, stepped forward to open the private room door for her. Once her task was complete, she quietly returned to her position a meter behind Shi Qiansui.

Without paying much attention to the two women, Shi Qiansui strode confidently into the room. Qiao Ziman, still nervous, followed closely behind. The door creaked shut behind them with a soft click.

Inside, Shi Qiansui collapsed onto the chair, twisting herself into an oddly relaxed, pretzel-like shape. She pushed her sunglasses down to reveal a stunning face, radiating charm. When she smiled, two small tiger teeth peeked out.

“Aiyaya, I’m dying here! It’s all my dad’s fault—he insisted I keep my mouth shut and act like some proper lady from a prestigious family. Just because he won a lottery and made a billion flipping land deals, suddenly he thinks we’re aristocrats. Really, can we even claim to be high society?” Shi Qiansui exclaimed, then quickly added, “Oh, right, I should introduce myself. I’m Shi Qiansui, and I have a sister named Shi Qianjin.”

Qiao Ziman: “…” Well, now I get why they told her to keep quiet—she’d reveal all the family secrets if she kept talking.

From behind her, Dashun timely interjected, “Qiansui-jie.”

Shi Qiansui immediately clammed up, sitting up straight. “Ah, sorry, sorry.” She blinked her big, lively eyes and flashed a bright smile. “Wow, two beautiful ladies here! You’re both stunning. Do I have your contact info? How about we add each other on WeChat?”

Dashun chimed in again, “Qiansui-jie.”

Shi Qiansui quickly shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Ahem, never mind, we won’t add WeChat. After all, I have a girlfriend, so I need to maintain some distance from other women and give her enough security.”

Then, turning to Dashun, she asked, “I’m definitely not under my girlfriend’s thumb, right, Dashun?”

Dashun replied in a flat tone, “Right.”

Qiao Ziman: “…” No wonder she’s so hard to get a hold of.

Unable to resist, Qiao Ziman asked, “But do you really need to keep your distance from others just because you have a girlfriend?”

“Of course!” Shi Qiansui replied enthusiastically. “By the way, what’s your name, beautiful?”

“Qiao Ziman,” she replied, regaining her composure.

Shi Qiansui pointed at Chi Yin. “President Chi mentioned you before. You’re the project lead and the art director, right?”

Qiao Ziman straightened up, now fully serious. “Yes, that’s right.”

“I wanted to meet with you today to ask your thoughts on the game adaptation of Master White Fox,” Qiao Ziman explained.

Shi Qiansui waved her hand dismissively, clearly annoyed. “Please don’t be so formal with the ‘you’ this, ‘you’ that. It feels weird—just call me Qiansui.”

She leaned back in her chair, appearing completely at ease. “As for the project, I have no real opinions. Go ahead and use your creativity. My girlfriend, Yanyan, says that for creators, the desire to express oneself and follow inspiration is the most important thing. You shouldn’t be restricted—follow your heart.”

“Oh, by the way, Yanyan is my girlfriend. Isn’t she amazing?” Shi Qiansui added with a blink, clearly expecting some praise.

Qiao Ziman: “…” Alright then.

“She’s amazing,” Qiao Ziman finally said.

Shi Qiansui beamed. “To answer your previous question, of course you have to keep your distance from others when you have a girlfriend. Can you really stand seeing your girlfriend get upset or cry because of you?”

As soon as Shi Qiansui mentioned girlfriend, the image of Chi Yin immediately popped into Qiao Ziman’s mind. Would I make my little white flower upset? Make her cry? No way. The thought alone made her heart ache.

“I’ve learned something important,” Qiao Ziman said earnestly.

Learned what? Chi Yin set her cup down with a little more force than necessary, her voice noticeably cooler. “Let’s order, shall we?”

Qiao Ziman squinted at the menu, her irritation bubbling up. “Why is everything spicy? Didn’t I tell you to order a couple of lighter dishes? Did you just ignore me?”

Snatching the menu, she carefully selected a few dishes and marked off stir-fried mushrooms and bamboo shoots. “Braised pork ribs sound good, too. You’ve been looking a bit thin lately. Can you eat a bit more?” She added a soup to the order as well, her tone softening slightly.

Shi Qiansui glanced back and forth between the two, clearly observing the dynamic with keen interest.

Suddenly, Shi Qiansui slapped the table with excitement, her voice ringing out, “Are you two a couple?”

Qiao Ziman froze, the pen in her hand pausing mid-air. Her heart raced, unsure of how to respond to the unexpected question.

Before she could stammer out a reply, Chi Yin stepped in smoothly, her tone calm but firm. “For now, she’s my teacher.”