Chapter 64.1

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“I want to cry in front of you.”

Qiao Ziman’s heart wavered, and so did she. She pressed her heel down, grounding herself firmly. With an air of pride, she lifted her chin slightly.

“Alright, then.”

Before leaving, Chi Yin and Qiao Ziman returned to the rental apartment to pack up a few things.

There wasn’t much—just a single set of bedding and a few changes of clothes. These were the only things Qiao Ziman had secretly brought from home later on.

Chi Yin scanned the cramped and rundown apartment. The narrow hallway was cluttered with random junk, making it difficult to walk. Under the dim, flickering lightbulb, mosquitoes flitted about. The old wooden bed creaked at the slightest movement. Outside, the occasional drunken shout triggered a chorus of barking dogs.

The conditions were terrible.

Chi Yin’s gaze softened with distress as she looked at Qiao Ziman, taking the simple luggage from her hands.

Qiao Ziman clicked her tongue. “What’s with that look? Didn’t I used to live here before?”

Chi Yin took her hand and led her downstairs. “Qiao Qiao, besides the villa I live in now, I own three other properties. The passcode for the doors is our birthdays. If you ever want to run away from home again, you can pick any of them. There’s no need to come back to this place and make yourself suffer.”

Qiao Ziman: “.”

Had she… forgotten?

It was the middle of the night, and in a moment of panic, she hadn’t brought her ID. This was the only place she could think of.

Besides, she stopped in her tracks and asked, “What do you mean by still wanting to run away from home?”

Chi Yin pressed her lips together. “My mistake, I worded that wrong.”

“Hmph,” Qiao Ziman wasn’t letting her off that easily. “So what you’re saying is, you still plan on making me mad in the future?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

She had already endured a week in the hospital. After finally coming home and sharing a fleeting moment of intimacy, she ended up driving Qiao Qiao away again.

People had needs, and given that they were still in the honeymoon phase, it was even harder to hold back.

Chi Yin intertwined their fingers and looked at her seriously. “I don’t want to upset you anymore, Qiao Qiao. I want to hold you, kiss you… and I want to make love to you.”

The usually reserved mute suddenly coming out with something so bold and straightforward—Qiao Ziman’s little heart couldn’t handle it.

“L-Let’s talk about this when we get home.”

They returned to the villa.

As soon as the door opened—right in the center of the living room stood a massive arrangement of 999 blooming red roses, fiery and fragrant. There were balloons, meticulously arranged decorations, and a giant red banner stretched across the wall.

[Warmly Welcoming Qiao Qiao Home]

Qiao Ziman: “.”

Why was this so tacky and outdated?

Her expression twisted slightly as she pointed at the banner. “What… is this?”

“Mom taught me. She said things need a sense of ceremony.”

Qiao Ziman: “…”

“I’ll keep the flowers, but maybe put the banner away?” she suggested. It was really ruining the mood. “And from now on, you don’t have to listen to everything she says.”

“Got it. From now on, I’ll only listen to you.”

Good answer. Satisfied, she took Chi Yin’s hand and led her inside—only to accidentally step on a balloon. A burst of colorful confetti exploded from the center, fluttering through the air before scattering all over the floor.

Qiao Ziman: “…”

She brushed the stray confetti out of her hair, then turned to Chi Yin with a serious expression.

“When we get married, under no circumstances should Mom be in charge of decorating our wedding room. Got it?”

Married?

Chi Yin’s eyes lit up instantly, nodding so fast she could have been a bobblehead. “I’ll do whatever you say.”

Qiao Ziman’s lips curved into a smile. Then she sniffed the air. “What’s cooking? Smells amazing.”

Chi Yin pulled her over to the dining table, then went to the kitchen and returned with a steaming soup tureen. “I made it just for you.”

Qiao Ziman: “???”

Chi Yin lifted the lid. Inside, a rich, velvety broth cradled tender, slow-braised pork trotters.

Qiao Ziman chuckled. “Now this is what I call thoughtful.”

Chi Yin moved behind her, gently kneading her shoulders with just the right amount of pressure—firm yet soothing. In that moment, all of Qiao Ziman’s exhaustion melted away.

“Have I done enough to earn your forgiveness?” Chi Yin asked softly.

Qiao Ziman took a slow sip of the soup, savoring its warmth before responding, “Not bad at all. But—” She deliberately dragged out the pause, switching her tone. “We still have unfinished business. Time for a full confession—you know the drill.”

Chi Yin’s hands stilled for a moment.

“Elvis tied you up and threatened you to break up with me. What were you thinking at that moment?”

A beat of silence. Then, in a quiet, almost fragile voice, Chi Yin murmured, “I didn’t want to.”

So soft. Qiao Ziman’s heart nearly melted, but she kept up her tough act. “Don’t try that with me. I don’t fall for cutesy tricks. If you refused, weren’t you afraid she’d actually hurt me?”

Another pause. Then, Chi Yin admitted, “I was.”

“Then what were you thinking?” Qiao Ziman refused to believe that Chi Yin would be so selfish as to put her in danger. She tapped her spoon lightly against the bowl. “Confess honestly, and I’ll be lenient. Resist, and I’ll be harsh.”

Chi Yin fell silent again.

For a long, long time.

Finally, she spoke. “Promise me you won’t get mad.”

Qiao Ziman turned around, pulling Chi Yin in front of her, and reassured her over and over again. “I won’t.”

Chi Yin lowered her gaze, hesitating before speaking. “I wanted to beg her… to trade my life for yours. Or, if I had the chance, to take her down with me.”

“What?” Qiao Ziman stared at her in shock, her mind sluggishly processing the words.

She replayed them again and again—once, twice… ten times—until the weight of them fully sank in. A mix of deep fear and overwhelming emotion slowly wrapped around her heart.

Her eyes instantly reddened, and she gritted her teeth. “Chi Yin!”

Chi Yin carefully took her hand, her voice soft. “You promised you wouldn’t get mad.”

“I’m not mad!” Qiao Ziman glared at her, but tears were already rolling down her cheeks. “Are you a child? Trading one life for another—do you think you’re in some tragic romance drama? No matter what happens in the future, you are never allowed to have such reckless thoughts again. Do you hear me?”

“Mm, I hear you.”

Chi Yin gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

“This conversation is over,” Qiao Ziman said, brushing her hand away before fixing her with a serious look. “But there’s still one more thing.”

“Go on.”

“Why did you hide your identity? Why didn’t you dare to face me?” Her voice dropped slightly. “Little Mute.”

Chi Yin hesitated, then finally answered, “At first, I didn’t want to. Then… I didn’t dare to.”

Qiao Ziman frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“If I had acknowledged you from the start, you would’ve only seen me as a friend,” Chi Yin’s voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. “And I never wanted to stand beside you as just a friend. Later… I didn’t dare to. I was afraid that if you found out I approached you on purpose, you’d hate me.”

“How could I ever hate you?” Qiao Ziman’s heart ached at the sight of her tears. “Alright, as long as you tell me the truth, I won’t be mad.”

Then, as if to lighten the mood, she added, “Besides, I wanted to see you cry in bed, not right now.”

Chi Yin: “…I know.”

Qiao Ziman studied her for a moment before asking, “Then why didn’t you tell me after we got together? You had so many chances.”

Chi Yin remained silent for a long while before turning slightly away, her tone carrying a hint of grievance. “You forgot about me. Am I not allowed to be angry?”

That was… reasonable.

So reasonable that she felt a little guilty. She couldn’t keep pressing the issue—any more and she’d be the one in the wrong.

Deciding to drop the subject, Qiao Ziman patted her thigh. “Come sit.”

Chi Yin moved closer and wrapped her arms around her neck.

“Same old rules?”

Chi Yin was one step ahead this time. “To make sure I remember?”

Their foreheads touched.

Their breaths tangled, heavy and warm.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Chi Yin whispered.