Chapter 44.2

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Over the next day and night, Chi Yin diligently woke her up a few times, coaxing her to drink some water and eat a little food. Each time, however, Qiao Ziman would fall back into a deep sleep, completely drained.

It wasn’t until a full day and night had passed that Qiao Ziman finally woke up, groggy but feeling a bit more like herself. Her hand automatically reached for her phone.

As the screen lit up, her bleary eyes focused on the notifications. Dozens of missed calls filled the display—all of them from Ji Yun.

This doesn’t feel promising, she thought, hesitating as her thumb hovered over the call log. Deciding to trust her gut, she ignored the missed calls entirely and swiped over to WeChat instead.

The moment she opened the app, her phone began vibrating wildly in her hand. “Bzz, bzz, bzz!” Messages flooded in so quickly the device felt like it might leap out of her palm.

At the very top of her chat list was Ji Yun’s profile picture, ominously marked with a 99+ unread messages badge.

Qiao Ziman hesitated briefly, then sighed and tapped into the conversation, bracing herself for whatever chaos Ji Yun had unleashed this time.

Ji Yun: [Are you there? Are you online?]
Ji Yun: [Did you finish yet?]
Ji Yun: [Where are you?]
Ji Yun: [It’s been three hours!]
Ji Yun: [What the heck, sis? Are you okay? Say something! It’s been a whole day and night!]
Ji Yun: [Is it really that intense?]
Ji Yun: [Who’s the top and who’s the bottom between you and Boss Chi??? Respond when you see this.]

Qiao Ziman pressed her lips tightly together. She hesitated for a long moment before finally typing back.

Qiao Ziman: [I’m like you.]

Ji Yun’s reply came almost immediately. [???]

Qiao Ziman felt a flicker of guilt, but it was brief. She hadn’t fully unleashed her potential yet. After all, teachers were supposed to be the ones on top, right? All that “leading by example” nonsense could go to hell. She almost let Chi Yin wrap her around her finger.
Hmph, just thinking about it makes me angry.

She didn’t reply to Ji Yun again. Instead, she opened the chat window with Chi Yin.

As soon as she saw the two messages at the top, all her frustration disappeared. A contented smile slowly spread across her face.

Chi Yin: [I’m going to pick up your mom and grandma. Should be back in about two hours.]
Chi Yin: [I made seafood porridge, and there are steamed eggs and shumai in the pot. I’ve also cut up some watermelon and washed strawberries. When you wake up, make sure to eat a little. You don’t need to clean up; just leave it for me when I get back.]

Chi Yin is so thoughtful. She woke up so early to cook for her, then went all the way to pick up her mom. Wait… she’s picking up both Grandma and her mom?

Qiao Ziman glanced at the time. Two hours? Isn’t she almost here?

She turned toward the full-length mirror, and the sight of the lingering kiss and bite marks made her wince. She sat up abruptly, but her waist gave out, and she collapsed back onto the bed. How can my body feel like this after all that sleep?

She struggled to sit up again, but as soon as her feet hit the floor, her legs wobbled beneath her. Leaning against the wall, she slowly shuffled toward the wardrobe, her movements sluggish and unsteady.

After rummaging through her clothes, she pulled out a long shirt and pants, but even with the collar pulled high, the marks were still visible. With a sigh, she grabbed a silk scarf and wrapped it tightly around her neck to cover the evidence.

Before leaving the room, she grabbed a pair of sunglasses to hide her swollen eyes. She glanced at herself in the mirror. Perfect.

Leaning on the wall for support, she shuffled toward the living room.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Qiao Ziman jumped in surprise. So soon?

Her voice hoarse, she called out, “I’ll be right there.”

Qiao Ziman quickened her pace toward the door. Five minutes later, she finally opened it.

Ji Yun stood there, her arms crossed. “What took you so long?”

Before she could finish speaking, her eyes locked onto Qiao Ziman’s outfit. She blinked in surprise. What is this look? Her gaze dropped to the silk scarf around Ziman’s neck, clearly trying to find any telltale signs. Maybe some strawberries?

Qiao Ziman raised a hand to adjust the scarf, meeting Ji Yun’s eyes with the same intensity. How come she’s got no marks? Ziman couldn’t help but feel a twinge of frustration. Is she really that good?

Both of them spoke at the same time.

Ji Yun: “It’s thirty degrees outside, are you trying to survive winter in here?”

Qiao Ziman: “Did you and Yu Shuyan really go all the way? You’re the top, right?”

They froze for a second, then answered simultaneously.

Ji Yun, matter-of-fact: “Yeah.”

Qiao Ziman, her expression unchanged: “I’ve got a cold.”

Ji Yun shot her a skeptical look. A cold? And you’re wearing sunglasses inside?

As they walked into the room, Ji Yun observed Ziman’s unsteady gait, her legs wobbling. She couldn’t help but mentally give a thumbs-up to Chi Yin. Impressive.

Suddenly, Qiao Ziman stopped and turned around, emphasizing with a dry tone, “I’m just like you.”

“What do you mean, ‘just like you’?” Ji Yun raised an eyebrow.

“Also the top.”

Ji Yun froze. Chi Yin is impressive, but she still hasn’t fixed her sister’s stubborn attitude. She sighed inwardly. Well, I’ll just give her some face this time.

Qiao Ziman swayed into the kitchen and served two bowls of porridge. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Try a taste of Chi Yin’s cooking.”

Ji Yun rushed to help her bring the bowls to the table. “Alright, alright. You go sit down and rest. I’ll take care of this. Do you want me to help you sit?” 

This time, Qiao Ziman didn’t put up a fight. “Sure.”

Ji Yun raised an eyebrow but didn’t push it. Looks like you’re finally letting me help.

After Ji Yun helped her sit down, she picked up her own bowl and began eating.

Qiao Ziman glanced at her, still a little curious. “So, what are you really here for?”

Ji Yun paused, an amused look crossing her face. What else? She hasn’t replied to my messages for days. Of course, I’m here to see the mess for myself! How bad is it? She’s been stuck in bed for days? God knows how long I’ve been waiting for this moment!

But Ji Yun didn’t say any of that out loud. Instead, she quickly thought up a more diplomatic answer.

“It’s because you asked me to witness your confession last time.” She shrugged, as if the answer were obvious. “Since you’ve already done it, why not make it official, right? The sooner the better.”