Chapter 45.1

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“So, how are you preparing for it?”

Qiao Ziman slammed her hand down on the table, irritated. “Prepare for what? Do you think I’ve had time to prepare these past few days?”

Ji Yun couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. See? The truth’s coming out now.

Qiao Ziman took a bite of porridge, savoring the fresh, savory flavor. She couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction. “Delicious.”

She added, “Go grab the fruit from the fridge. I can’t reach it.”

Ji Yun silently clicked her tongue. I know you can’t. Looks like you’re in the ‘sitting the month’ phase.

Qiao Ziman quickly added a rather weak excuse. “Well, I’m sick, so my body’s weak.”

You mean your kidney’s weak, right? Ji Yun rolled her eyes, but of course, Qiao Ziman couldn’t see it.

Qiao Ziman took another sip of porridge before returning to the topic at hand. “You’re right. The deed’s already done, so I can’t just drag this out. What would I become? A scumbag who doesn’t own up to her actions?”

Ji Yun’s expression dimmed for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Well, you’re quite self-aware.”

Qiao Ziman spoke up again, “Today, no matter what, I’m going to give Chi Yin an official status. Maybe a romantic scene? No, there’s no time to set that up, but I can at least get flowers. A confession always starts with a bouquet.”

She opened her phone and began searching for nearby flower shops.

Ji Yun placed the fruit in front of her and started clearing the dishes.

Qiao Ziman pressed her hand down. “Leave it. What kind of guest clears the table? Chi Yin said to leave it, she’ll clean up when she gets back.”

Chi Yin really has her wrapped around her finger, Ji Yun thought, but said nothing. Sounds like you’re truly happy now.

She sincerely added, “Congratulations, you’ve finally escaped singlehood.”

Qiao Ziman didn’t even glance up from her phone, absorbed in her search for flowers. “You’re not exactly young anymore either. When you meet the right person, you should settle down too. Money can’t be earned forever—working with your eyes open and your eyes closed, is that really not wasting your prime years?”

She didn’t notice the fleeting look of distraction that crossed Ji Yun’s face after her words.

Ji Yun chuckled, her tone teasing. “Oh, now you’re giving me advice? The one who worked herself to death saying ‘earn for money, live for money, never betray, let’s create a future together,’ and now look at you—you’ve got a wife, and you’re ready to fly solo. Don’t you have any conscience left, you little rascal?”

Qiao Ziman looked up from her screen, giving Ji Yun a large, exaggerated eye-roll. “Stop. Get serious. What’s with that? Do you think we’re the same?”

Ji Yun dramatically wiped away a fake tear, raising her voice. “What, now you want to distance yourself from me? You don’t love me anymore, do you?”

“Enough!” Qiao Ziman made a chopping motion with her hand. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you.”

Ji Yun immediately dropped the act, resting her chin on her hand. “Fine, let’s go with the flow. You know me. After I came out, things got tense with my family. If I don’t make more money, I won’t have any freedom. And I can’t let a girl suffer just because of me, right?”

Sigh… Life’s not easy for anyone.

“Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask, what’s going on with you and Yu Shuyan?”

Ji Yun pursed her lips, a flicker of complicated emotion passing through her eyes.

For a brief moment, the tension was visible, but then she snapped back to her usual self, hands on her hips, scowling. “Damn it. That flower peacock, she had her fun and then disappeared. She was gone before the sun even came up. She ran faster than a rabbit. What do I look like to her? A tool? Seriously. Damn it.”

“Damn it, just wait. I’m going to drag her out and deal with her,” Ji Yun muttered as she walked toward the window, her voice growing fainter. “I’ll make sure to teach her a lesson.”

Qiao Ziman sensed the shift in Ji Yun’s emotions and couldn’t help but wonder. Could it be that she’s getting serious about this? A faint sense of worry crept into Qiao Ziman’s heart. Is my sister getting emotionally involved?

At that moment, a message notification popped up on her phone, snapping her back to reality. It was from her colleague, Tang Xiaoxiao.

[Qiao Qiao, did Boss Chi leave because of the recent rumors at the company?]

Qiao Ziman tightened her grip on her phone. Leave? What do you mean, “leave”?

Her fingers quickly typed a reply.

[What rumors?]

Tang Xiaoxiao responded almost immediately.

[There’s been talk that you and Boss Chi are having an affair, that your office relationship is the reason you got promoted.]

Qiao Ziman’s expression darkened. So, Chi Yin left because of these rumors? Was it because she didn’t want to affect Qiao Ziman?

If that’s the case…

Qiao Ziman didn’t want that. She wouldn’t accept Chi Yin’s sacrifice if it meant giving up her career. It would make her feel indebted. 

She had to get to the bottom of this.

Just as Qiao Ziman was about to call Chi Yin, her phone rang with an unexpected call from the police station. Her eyelids twitched, and a sense of unease immediately rose within her. She quickly swiped to answer the call.

“Hello, is this Ms. Qiao Ziman? Are He Cuizhen and Chi Yin your family members?”

Qiao Ziman pressed her hand to her chest, her voice tense. “Yes, what happened?”

On the other end, the officer explained the situation. As Qiao Ziman listened, her frown deepened with every word. When the call ended, her face darkened to the point where it seemed like it might rain.

Ji Yun noticed her change in demeanor and hurried over, asking, “What happened?”

Qiao Ziman stood up, her voice cold. “The police want me to go sign something. My mom and Chi Yin got into a fight.”

Ji Yun’s eyes widened. “What? Your mom and Chi Yin fought?”

Qiao Ziman shot her a glance. “No, it’s my mom and Chi Yin beating someone else up.”

Ji Yun: … Two-on-one, huh? That’s pretty united.

“Okay, okay, don’t panic,” Ji Yun said, walking closer. “You know how you get when you’re angry, right? Don’t blow up. We’ll talk it out calmly.”

Ji Yun couldn’t shake her worry. What if Qiao Ziman lost her temper and joined the fray? That would turn into a three-on-one!

“I’m coming with you,” Ji Yun declared. The more people, the more power!

She got the car, and the two of them headed straight for the police station near Qiao Ziman’s family home.

On the way, Qiao Ziman explained the situation.

“Do you remember that shady agent I told you about?”

Ji Yun raised an eyebrow. “The one from your blind date? The greasy guy?”

Qiao Ziman nodded. “Yeah, well, there’s more. Once, he brought a client and badmouthed me, saying I was being kept by a rich woman. He said I lived in her house, drove her BMW, and went on about it like he knew everything.”

“Of course, a bunch of the neighbors started gossiping to my mom. My mom has such a hot temper—she couldn’t let it slide. So, she grabbed a broom and went after that bastard. Chi Yin happened to run into her and, worried my mom might get hurt, she stepped in.”

“Word is, Chi Yin knocked out five of that guy’s teeth, and that’s what brought us here to the police station.”

“Damn, what a jerk. Serves him right for getting his teeth knocked out,” Ji Yun fumed.

Qiao Ziman sighed, shaking her head. “That’s why you can’t lose your temper today.”

She thought to herself, Angry? I’m more worried about her; I need to check if Chi Yin got her hands dirty.

Forty minutes later, they arrived at the police station. Qiao Ziman signed a form, and the police released He Cuizhen and Chi Yin—oh, and also her grandmother, who had been cheering them on with “Go, go!”

The four of them, along with Ji Yun, made their way to the exit in a grand procession.