Chapter 46.2

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She ended up taking a much-needed nap. When she woke up, the scent of home-cooked food filled the air, instantly lifting her mood. The embarrassment and secondhand social death she had suffered earlier? Almost completely forgotten.

Stretching lazily, she slid into her slippers and stepped out of the bedroom. What greeted her was a scene straight out of a family drama—Chi Yin, her mom, and Grandma chatting and laughing at the table, the atmosphere warm and inviting.

Something in Qiao Ziman’s chest softened. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Chi Yin’s neck, murmuring, “Yin Yin.”

Chi Yin took her hand and looked up at her, eyes filled with warmth. “Did you sleep well?”

Before Qiao Ziman could answer, He Cuizhen’s excited voice interrupted, “Qiao Qiao! Do you know? Yin Yin just called me Mom!”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I have another daughter now.”

Qiao Ziman had never been good at handling her mom’s sudden bursts of sentimentality. Now, she felt her own throat tighten.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” she said, forcing a smile. “Now the two of us can take care of you and Grandma together.”

He Cuizhen sniffled, nodding rapidly. “Yes, yes, yes!” Her voice wobbled, but the happiness in it was undeniable.

“What delicious food did you make, Mom?” Qiao Ziman turned her head, blinking away the warmth in her eyes. “You wouldn’t have the heart to let your two daughters starve, would you?”

He Cuizhen slapped her thigh. “Oh, right! Let’s eat first.” She quickly stood up and headed toward the kitchen. “Come and see if my cooking has improved!”

Just as Qiao Ziman was about to follow, a thought hit her. “Wait, where’s Ji Yun? Where did she run off to?”

He Cuizhen turned back to glare at her. “You just now remembered her?”

Qiao Ziman laughed guiltily. 

“She had something to do, so she left early.”

Really? It was a holiday—what could she possibly have to do? Suspicious, Qiao Ziman grabbed her phone and sent Ji Yun a message.

[Where are you?]

A few minutes later, Ji Yun replied.

[Catching birds.]

Qiao Ziman frowned, trying to make sense of it. Before she could ask more, He Cuizhen started setting dishes on the table.

“Time to eat! Put your phone down.”

Qiao Ziman had no choice but to let it go—at least for now.

The four of them took their seats. Then, with a dramatic flourish, He Cuizhen placed two small soup bowls in front of Qiao Ziman and Chi Yin, her expression smug and mysterious. “Go on, try it! This is the highlight of tonight’s meal. I made it especially for the two of you.”

Qiao Ziman lifted the lid and peered inside. The soup had a murky color, and a faint earthy smell wafted up. Instantly, her brows furrowed in suspicion. “What the heck is this? Don’t tell me it’s another one of your ‘brilliant’ culinary experiments. Is this even drinkable?”

He Cuizhen shot her a glare. “Watch your mouth. Feeling bold again, huh?”

Qiao Ziman shrank back slightly and turned to peek at Chi Yin’s soup instead. “Let me see what you got.”

Chi Yin lifted the lid. Inside was a rich, fragrant pork trotter and soybean soup. The broth was golden, the aroma mouthwatering.

Qiao Ziman’s eyes lit up with envy. “Yin Yin, let me have a sip? Or better yet, how about we trade?”

“No way!” He Cuizhen immediately objected. “This is Chi Yin’s! You’re not allowed to drink it!”

Tch. Stingy. 

Fine, she wouldn’t drink it.

Resigned, Qiao Ziman scooped up a big spoonful of her own soup and gulped it down.

…Not bad. It wasn’t as terrible as she had expected.

Surprised, she praised, “Mom, your cooking’s actually improving.”

She grabbed some vegetables with her chopsticks. A little salty, but compared to the questionable, neon-colored disasters she used to make, this was a massive improvement. To balance out the saltiness, Qiao Ziman kept drinking her soup. Bit by bit, she finished the entire bowl.

The four of them continued eating and chatting, laughter filling the room.

Then, Qiao Ziman suddenly felt… strange.

She frowned. “Why is it so hot in here? Do you guys feel hot? I think we should turn the AC down.”

The others shook their heads.

Still feeling overheated, Qiao Ziman got up and lowered the AC by a few degrees. Cold air started blowing, but instead of cooling down, she felt even hotter. 

Her entire body was burning up. Even her nose felt warm—a very familiar sensation.

Qiao Ziman hastily grabbed a handful of tissues, pressing them against her now freely bleeding nose. “What the hell is going on?!”

He Cuizhen muttered under her breath, frowning. “That shouldn’t have happened… Did I put in too much?”

Qiao Ziman’s alarm levels skyrocketed. Her gaze snapped to the empty soup bowl in front of her. “Mom, what did you make me drink?!”

He Cuizhen waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing strange! I just thought, you know, you eat what you need, right?”

“Chi Yin’s soup was pork trotter—good for the skin. But you’re weak, so I made you a nice ginseng tonic… to boost your kidneys!”

Qiao Ziman pointed at her own face, furious. “Does it look like I need that kind of boost?! Who the hell does this to their own daughter?!”

A wave of heat surged through her body. Her skin prickled, her breath turned shallow. Her mind screamed: danger, danger, danger.

Without another word, Qiao Ziman bolted toward the bathroom.

Cold water. Splashed onto her forehead. Toilet paper. Half a roll sacrificed to stop the nosebleed.

But no matter what she did, the heat wouldn’t go away.

Screw it.

She peeled off her clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the freezing water do its job.

Just then—

A knock.

“Who is it?!”

The door creaked open just a crack. Through the sliver, Chi Yin’s figure appeared.

Qiao Ziman instinctively covered herself. “What are you doing?!”

Chi Yin raised a brow. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that, girlfriend?”

She leaned against the doorframe, smirking. “Are you really still trying to hide from me?”

Before Qiao Ziman could protest, Chi Yin walked in—completely unfazed—and began undressing. A proud chest, a toned abdomen, long, slender legs—every inch of her body was exposed under the dim bathroom light, searing itself into Qiao Ziman’s vision.

Her breath hitched. Heat surged to her face, and in a panic, she quickly looked away. “I—I’m shy, okay?! Why did you come in?”

Chi Yin’s voice was calm, unwavering. Deadly. “To fuck you.”

The bluntness sent a shock straight through Qiao Ziman’s core. Her brain short-circuited, her body weakened, and she barely stopped herself from getting another nosebleed on the spot.

Before she could react, Chi Yin had already pulled her into a tight embrace. Bare skin pressed together, heat against heat. Chi Yin leaned in, her breath warm against her ear. “You’re burning up.”

The heat seeped into Qiao Ziman’s bones, an unbearable itch spreading through her body.

Then—soft lips. Her flushed earlobe caught between them.

A whisper followed. “Need me to help you?”

Oh, fuck.

Qiao Ziman’s last thread of restraint snapped. 

She crashed her lips against Chi Yin’s, answering with action instead of words. Water ran. Breathless moans echoed.

Chi Yin lifted Qiao Ziman onto the sink counter, spreading her legs apart with ease. Lowering her head, she trailed kisses downward, collarbone, chest, stomach, until she reached her most sensitive spot.

Qiao Ziman barely had time to react before wet heat sealed over her. A gasp tore from her throat. The sudden pleasure sent a violent tremor through her body. She instinctively grabbed at Chi Yin’s hair, fingers twisting through the damp strands, tugging, releasing, tugging again.

A sinful moan slipped out as Chi Yin’s tongue pressed against her swollen bud, teasing, flicking, tasting.

“Fuck—” Qiao Ziman’s breath hitched. The combination of heat, wetness, and friction left her mind blank.

Then, just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, Chi Yin pulled away slightly and whispered against her skin—

“Your mom is still home.”

A dangerous thrill shot through her. The forbidden excitement only made her crave more.

Goddamn it.

“Shut up and don’t stop.” Qiao Ziman’s voice was hoarse, wrecked with need.

She pressed Chi Yin’s head down again, urging her back where she wanted her most.

A warm tongue slid between her folds, slow at first, then faster, relentless.

Qiao Ziman’s thighs trembled as she clenched around her, breath coming in ragged gasps.

Two hours later, completely spent, Qiao Ziman lay limp in Chi Yin’s arms as she carried her back to bed.

“Feeling better now?”

Qiao Ziman, finally regaining her senses, felt a wave of frustration. How the hell did I end up on the bottom again? Wasn’t I supposed to be the one stealing the cabbage?

This was all He Cuizhen’s fault!

Chi Yin got up and poured her a glass of water. Just as the bedroom door opened, He Cuizhen appeared in the doorway once more. All three of them froze.

Scratching her head awkwardly, He Cuizhen muttered, “I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose! Your grandma got up in the middle of the night, and I just happened to run into… this.”

This time, she was telling the truth.

“You two carry on,” she added, turning to leave.

“You stop right there!” Qiao Ziman scrambled off the bed, her legs still weak as she staggered after her mother. She shut the bedroom door behind her and dragged He Cuizhen into a corner.

Fixing her mother with a deep, meaningful stare, she asked, “Why did Yin Yin get braised pork trotter while I got kidney supplements?”

Stretching out her hand, she demanded, “Did you bring any gifts this time?”

He Cuizhen’s gaze flicked to the fresh love marks on her daughter’s neck, her expression complicated.

“Mom, why aren’t you telling me to ‘steal the cabbage’ this time?”

He Cuizhen let out a long sigh.

Qiao Ziman’s smile suddenly turned dark and ominous. “Mom, say something. Are you disappointed? Do you think I’m not good enough?”

Seeing her daughter’s increasingly unsettling expression, He Cuizhen took a cautious step back. “Qiao Qiao, don’t be like this… Mom’s a little scared.”

Qiao Ziman pressed her lips together, as if making a firm decision. Without hesitation, she spun around and rushed back into her bedroom. Pulling open a drawer, she took out her Relationship Notes notebook. Flipping to a brand-new page, she carefully wrote down a bold declaration: “I’m going to be the ultimate top!”

Wait—No, I already am!

Qiao Ziman was resolute.