Chapter 46.1

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“You can get up now. I accept.”

Qiao Ziman wavered, her vision going blank. She had succeeded in confessing… so why did she suddenly feel like dying?

Chi Yin took the flowers from her hands and reached out to pull her up. “Qiao Qiao?”

Qiao Ziman remained frozen, her knees feeling as if they had taken root in the ground. She couldn’t move—not even an inch. If possible, she wanted to stay kneeling forever. Until the end of time. Until the seas dried up. Until she became a statue.

The world around them fell into a terrifying silence.

Until a sanitation worker suddenly shouted, “Hey, miss! Give me back my broom! I still have work to do!”

He Cuizhen snapped out of her daze. Awkwardly laughing, she hurriedly returned the broom and then grabbed both Qiao Ziman’s squinting, nosy grandmother and the utterly bewildered Ji Yun. Together, they half-lifted, half-dragged the struggling Grandma away.

“Let me go! I haven’t seen enough yet! There’s still one more step! I want to see them kiss!” She squinted at Qiao Ziman again and suddenly blurted out, “Oh, right! What’s that on my granddaughter’s neck?”

He Cuizhen’s hands shot up to cover her mouth. Too late.

Qiao Ziman heard it. Her heart clenched. Her body wobbled again.

Thankfully, Ji Yun knew her well. She ran back, picked up Qiao Ziman’s fallen dignity from the ground, dusted it off, and wrapped it snugly around her neck.

Qiao Ziman blinked, a beat too slow. “Uh… thanks.”

Ji Yun patted her on the shoulder, giving her a look that clearly said, Stay strong. Then, like a gust of wind, she vanished.

Now, only two people remained.

Chi Yin suddenly reached out, lifted Qiao Ziman off the ground, and carried her on her back. Qiao Ziman didn’t struggle. She simply lay there, resting against Chi Yin’s back, allowing silent tears to stream down her face. Drop by drop, they seeped into the fabric of Chi Yin’s clothes.

Feeling the warmth of her tears, Chi Yin tensed. Her steps slowed as she carefully chose her words. “Actually… I’m really happy today.”

Happy? What was there to be happy about? Leaving aside the sheer humiliation, all Qiao Ziman felt was regret. This was her first-ever confession, and not only had it been completely unplanned, but why did it have to be so dramatic?

Who in their right mind confesses at a police station? What if anyone asked in the future how they got together, what was she supposed to say? Oh, I kneeled at the police station and knocked my head on the ground for her. Then she agreed.

Just picturing that conversation made Qiao Ziman’s vision go dark.

Chi Yin’s voice came again, soft yet firm. “I’ll remember this day forever.”

That was the final straw. Qiao Ziman broke down, sobbing aloud.

Panicked, Chi Yin stopped walking and carefully set her down. Looking into her eyes with quiet seriousness, she said, “What I mean is… the way it happened doesn’t matter. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

She smiled, gaze unwavering. “My girlfriend.”

Girlfriend.

Qiao Ziman repeated those three syllables in her heart, over and over again, letting them sink in. A soft, sweet warmth slowly spread through her chest. Blinking away her tears, she looked into Chi Yin’s deep, affectionate gaze and whispered, “Say it again.”

Chi Yin enunciated each word clearly. “Girlfriend.” 

As she spoke, she leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss against the tear-streaked lashes of Qiao Ziman’s eyes.

Qiao Ziman’s lips curled into a slow smile. Then, just as lightly, she pushed Chi Yin away. “Some things still need to be done properly. I missed a line earlier, so I’m making up for it now.”

She slid her fingers between Chi Yin’s, intertwining them tightly, her grip firm and unwavering. Then, with absolute sincerity, she said, “I like you.”

Chi Yin’s eyes flickered with emotion, her heartbeat completely losing control at those simple yet earth-shattering words. Qiao Ziman inched closer, meeting Chi Yin’s burning gaze before pressing a kiss to her lips. “Grandma said… after a confession, you have to kiss.”

Sunlight filtered through the trees, shadows swaying gently with the wind. Beneath the blazing sky, two figures clung to each other, locked in a deep, breathless kiss—passionate and all-consuming.

On the way home, Chi Yin drove while they chatted idly, their relaxed conversation filling the space between them. At one point, curiosity got the better of Qiao Ziman. “Why didn’t you press charges against that guy? He was beaten so badly.”

Chi Yin chuckled, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Well, I have to give credit to Auntie’s outstanding acting skills.”

Qiao Ziman crossed her legs, resting her chin on her palm as she studied Chi Yin’s gentle side profile. “Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Auntie clutched her chest and collapsed onto the ground. Oh, and Grandma too! The two of them fell to the floor together, clutching their chests as if they were on the brink of death. The guy turned pale on the spot, terrified something serious had happened. Press charges? He ran faster than a rabbit!”

Qiao Ziman: “…”

Alright. Respect.

“And you? Did you ‘collapse’ too?” The thought of Chi Yin dramatically throwing herself onto the ground was almost too ridiculous to imagine. It would completely shatter her cool and composed image.

Chi Yin remained perfectly calm. “Of course. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Qiao Ziman suddenly sat up straight, staring at her in disbelief.

Chi Yin chuckled. “Just kidding.”

Qiao Ziman’s girlfriend was way too adorable.

“You! Wow, getting bold, huh? Daring to mess with me now?” She glanced at the traffic light, noting there was still time before it turned green. Without hesitation, she reached over—her fingers aiming straight for Chi Yin’s waist.

She went for the tickle attack. “Admit your mistake!”

Chi Yin immediately surrendered, raising her hands. “I was wrong, I was wrong!”

The light turned green. Qiao Ziman huffed, withdrawing her hand and turning her face toward the window, as if sparing her—for now. After a brief silence, she casually said, “Auntie. Auntie… You’re still calling my mom Auntie?”

Chi Yin paused for a moment, then smirked knowingly. “Oh? Then what should I call her?”

“When we weren’t together, didn’t you keep calling her mother-in-law so enthusiastically?”

Chi Yin’s smirk deepened. “Got it. I’ll change it as soon as we get home.”

“Good girl,” Qiao Ziman couldn’t help but smile, her eyes crinkling.

“By the way, I wanted to discuss something with you,” Chi Yin said, her tone turning serious. “I really think we should have Mom and Grandma move in with us. Just take today as an example—if I hadn’t shown up in time, what if Mom had been taken advantage of?”

Those nosy neighbors did nothing but gossip all day or come up with terrible ideas. Chi Yin had wanted to move them out of there for a while.

Qiao Ziman agreed immediately. “Sure, but I have to pay you rent.”

“Fair. Just because we’re dating doesn’t mean you should be at a disadvantage.” Chi Yin glanced at her, expression unreadable. “Weren’t you just insisting I start calling her Mom? And now you’re suddenly drawing such clear boundaries?”

Qiao Ziman: “That’s… different…”

“Or,” Chi Yin leaned in slightly, studying her reaction, “are you saying you never really planned for a future with me?”

What? That was impossible! Qiao Ziman was already thinking about marriage!

Seeing her tangled expression, Chi Yin decided to show some mercy. She straightened up and explained seriously, “I know how you are, but listen—I have three properties just sitting empty. If no one lives in them, I have to spend a few thousand a month just to hire someone to check on them.”

“Mom and Grandma moving in would—”

“—basically cover the rent?” Qiao Ziman finished the thought, realizing the logic.

Chi Yin smirked knowingly. “Exactly. Yunding Villas, for example—hiring someone to manage an empty unit there costs ten grand a month.”

Qiao Ziman choked. “Excuse me, what costs ten grand a month?!”

Panic set in. “No way, that’s way too expensive. My heart hurts just thinking about it. How about… we move in instead?”

Chi Yin barely held back her laughter. “Alright, then it’s settled.”

The two of them returned home. As soon as the door opened, Qiao Ziman lifted her chin and strode in with exaggerated confidence. On the way back, she had given herself a pep talk. She had already embarrassed herself beyond redemption today, so there was no way she’d lose her momentum now. More importantly—there was still hope!

Today, she would prove that she, Qiao Ziman, could also be the one stealing someone else’s precious “cabbage.”

Hmph.

He Cuizhen and Grandma exchanged glances, whispering between themselves.

“See? I told you, Yin Yin would have her soothed in no time,” He Cuizhen muttered.

Noticing their hushed conversation, Qiao Ziman’s fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. She marched straight up to them, grabbing He Cuizhen’s arm with one hand and Grandma’s leg with the other. Eyes bloodshot, voice hoarse, she demanded, “What are you two saying about me?”

He Cuizhen froze. Shit. Her daughter looked deranged, like she had just walked out of a zombie apocalypse movie. She quickly tugged at Grandma. “We weren’t talking about you! We were just discussing what to cook for dinner!”

“Really?”

Grandma nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, that’s right!”

He Cuizhen gave Qiao Ziman a little shove. “Go rest for a bit. We’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

“Yin Yin, take her away already.” She waved a hand, as if shooing off bad luck. “She’s scaring people.”

Chi Yin gently led Qiao Ziman toward the bedroom. “Get some rest. I’ll talk to Mom about moving later.”

Qiao Ziman took three reluctant steps, glancing suspiciously over her shoulder at He Cuizhen. “…Alright.”