Chapter 65.4

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He Cuizhen let out a sharp huff before picking up her chopsticks again, signaling the end of the conversation.

Surprisingly, Chi Qilan remained silent. Midway through the meal, she suddenly set down her utensils and stood up. Without looking back, she made her way upstairs. “Jiang Shu, come to my room after dinner.”

Jiang Shu stiffened immediately. “I’m not going!”

Chi Qilan paused at the base of the stairs, her tone softening. “I just want to talk. That’s all.”

Jiang Shu hesitated but didn’t protest further. After dinner, she reluctantly made her way upstairs, leaving Qiao Ziman and Chi Yin to clear the table.

“Yin Yin, I’m a little worried,” Qiao Ziman murmured as she stacked the plates. “What if Auntie and your sister end up fighting again?”

Chi Yin picked up the dishes and walked toward the kitchen. “Don’t worry. They won’t.”

Qiao Ziman quickly caught up to her, frowning. “How can you be so sure?”

Chi Yin smiled faintly, glancing over her shoulder. “Because she actually listened to what Mom said.” She lifted an empty bowl as proof. “After Mom finished talking, she ate every last bite of her food.”

Qiao Ziman blinked. “My Yin Yin is so smart,” she said, grinning as she quickly pressed a kiss to Chi Yin’s cheek. “But I feel like your attitude toward Auntie has changed a little, hasn’t it?”

Since the fire—when Chi Qilan had risked her life to protect her—Chi Yin had felt something shift. In the moments before she lost consciousness, she had thought to herself, If I make it out alive, I’ll give her a chance.

She let out a quiet hum. “People should move forward.”

Jiang Shu came bounding down the stairs, beaming with excitement. “Mom apologized to me!” she announced, practically bouncing on her feet.

Then, turning to Qiao Ziman, she added, “Oh, and Sister-in-law, my mom wants to see you. She has something to say.”

Qiao Ziman: “!!!”

Her entire body stiffened. She grabbed onto Chi Yin’s sleeve, eyes wide with panic. “What do I do?! What do I do?!”

Chi Yin patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Just go. It’s fine.”

“How is it fine?!” Qiao Ziman clung to her desperately. “Weren’t we supposed to face things together? What if she starts making things hard for me again? I feel so anxious right now—Yin Yin, what do I do?”

Chi Yin bit back a laugh. “You weren’t this scared when you scammed her out of five million.”

Qiao Ziman glared at her. “That’s completely different! I don’t care—you’re not abandoning me in my time of need!”

Chi Yin’s smile was soft, reassuring. “Relax. She’s a very smart woman.”

“What do you mean?”

Chi Yin met her eyes, voice calm. “She’s been in the business world for years. Do you really think she’d be that easy to scam?”

That had been Chi Yin’s realization, too. At first, she had thought Qiao Ziman had somehow miraculously pulled off the impossible. But later, she had understood—the five million wasn’t lost on a whim. Chi Qilan had been testing Qiao Qiao.

She liked her, but her pride wouldn’t let her say it out loud.

Qiao Ziman stared at her in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Chi Yin gave her a look of quiet reassurance. “Go on.”

Qiao Ziman made her way upstairs hesitantly, glancing back every few steps as though heading toward her doom. Chi Yin watched her go, a faint smile of encouragement on her lips, waiting patiently in the living room for her return.

Half an hour later, Qiao Ziman finally reappeared, descending the stairs slowly with a complicated look on her face.

Chi Yin stood up immediately, her brows slightly furrowed in concern as she approached. “What did she say? Did something happen?”

At first, Qiao Ziman pressed her lips tightly, offering no explanation.

Chi Yin reached out to gently grasp her hand, worry apparent in her voice. “Qiao Qiao, talk to me. What exactly did she say to you?”

After a long pause, Qiao Ziman finally spoke. “Auntie… thanked me for saving her.”

Chi Yin blinked, slightly confused. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“There’s more,” Qiao Ziman muttered, her expression turning more complicated by the second.

Chi Yin stared at her intently, anticipation mingling with uncertainty. “What else?”

“She also said she hopes we’ll stay together and take good care of each other,” Qiao Ziman continued slowly.

Chi Yin nodded carefully. “And?”

“And…” Qiao Ziman took a deep breath, lifting her gaze to meet Chi Yin’s eyes. “She said she wants to give me her company.”

Chi Yin went completely still, momentarily stunned into silence.

“But—I refused,” Qiao Ziman quickly added, gripping her head with exaggerated regret. “Oh, Yin Yin, I hate myself! Why didn’t I learn how to manage a business? I was this close—this close—to becoming a rich woman!”

Chi Yin’s tense expression relaxed, giving way to amusement. She raised an eyebrow teasingly. “If you genuinely want the company, I could always teach you everything you need to know.”

Qiao Ziman waved her hands frantically, dismissing the idea. “No, no, no, I was just venting! I could never actually manage a whole company. I mean, look at me—I can’t even outwit you! If I really took over, people would start calling me ‘President Qiao,’ and I’d probably float up into the clouds and end up completely scammed!”

Chi Yin chuckled softly, stepping closer. Her voice lowered to a gentle, affectionate murmur. “Are you absolutely sure you don’t want it?”

Qiao Ziman’s response was firm, unwavering. “No way!”

“Alright,” Chi Yin said calmly. “Then I’ll go talk to her.”

She turned and made her way upstairs.

Inside the bedroom, mother and daughter sat across from each other.

Chi Yin was the first to break the silence. “Qiao Qiao doesn’t want to take over your company.”

Chi Qilan lowered her gaze slightly. “I see.”

“And I won’t, either,” Chi Yin added. “You know I’ve never been interested.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Chi Qilan’s face before she nodded faintly. “I understand.”

Chi Yin reached into her pocket and pulled out a document, placing it on the table between them. “I took your pathology reports to a panel of specialists overseas. They reviewed your case.”

Chi Qilan stiffened, her breath caught in her throat.

“They said it’s in the early stages, highly differentiated, and has an excellent prognosis. The cancer cells were removed cleanly, and the chance of recurrence is extremely low.”

Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched the edges of the paper. “Is that… really true?”

Chi Yin rose from her seat, heading toward the door. “Yes, it’s true.”

She glanced back, her voice steady yet gentle. “So, focus on taking care of yourself. Keep the company. It’s yours to manage.”

She paused, hesitated for just a second, then added, “Mom.”

Mom?

Chi Qilan’s breath hitched. Her vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. Her fingers twisted together anxiously, her voice trembling as she looked at Chi Yin with desperate hope. “Yin Yin… can you say that again?”

Chi Yin bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable. “If you didn’t hear it, then forget it.”

She didn’t wait for a response. She turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.