Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 10

That scheming woman, Lu Qing! No wonder she had suddenly leaned in; she did it on purpose so Chi Yi would see them in such an “intimate” position.

Realizing the precariousness of the situation, Cheng Yixin felt a surge of unease. Her heart hammered against her ribs. In Chi Yi’s eyes, would she be seen as a “scumbag” who was dating her while still being entangled with an ex?

But she really wasn’t!

Her throat tightened, leaving her speechless. Her mind raced through countless melodramatic scenarios—in an idol drama, this would be the moment where Chi Yi would rush over to question her, leading to a loud argument and an inevitable breakup.

However, Chi Yi only paused for two seconds before walking straight toward her.

Cheng Yixin felt as if she had only blinked, and in that split second of distraction, Chi Yi was already standing before her. She still hadn’t figured out how to explain the situation.

“I’m here to pick you up from work,” Chi Yi said, reaching out her hand. Her expression was as calm as ever, devoid of any anger or negativity.

“Oh… okay.” Coming back to her senses, Cheng Yixin took the offered hand without a second thought.

Then, Chi Yi led her outside, treating everyone else as if they were invisible.

“Dammit.” Chi Yi’s indifferent reaction made Lu Qing slam the sofa cushion in frustration. She watched their retreating backs through gritted teeth. “Well played, Cheng Yixin.”

She muttered venomously, “If I can’t have you, nobody can.”

The car waiting for her was a white Volvo. There was no driver this time, so Cheng Yixin naturally took the passenger seat.

The cabin was quiet. For the nth time, she stole a glance at Chi Yi through the rearview mirror, and this time, their eyes met in the reflection. Still feeling a bit guilty about the incident at the TV station, Cheng Yixin quickly looked away.

Chi Yi assumed she found the silence awkward and asked, “Want to listen to some music?”

“Sure.”

Chi Yi turned on the car’s audio system and played a random track. It was a Cantonese song; Cheng Yixin couldn’t understand the lyrics, but the melody and the vocals were beautiful.

“Yixin.”

“Yeah?” Cheng Yixin responded reflexively.

“What were you talking to Lu Qing about just now?”

She asked! She finally asked! Cheng Yixin felt as if she had finally been exonerated.

“She sent flowers to the company this morning, meaning she wants to get back together,” she said, feigning nonchalance while peeking at the mirror to see if Chi Yi’s expression changed.

Chi Yi merely gave a soft “Mm,” and said nothing else.

“Aren’t you going to ask anything more?” Just an ‘mm’ and that’s it? You should at least ask about my attitude! Are you even taking this relationship seriously!

“I don’t think you’re stupid enough to want a reconciliation,” Chi Yi said, glancing at her in the mirror with a certain tone of conviction.

“Oh?” Cheng Yixin’s interest was piqued. She arched an eyebrow. “You know me that well?”

The light turned red, and as Chi Yi brought the car to a smooth stop, she leaned her head toward her. There was a clear hint of playfulness in her eyes. “Mm-hmm.”

That smile made Cheng Yixin feel like something was slightly off. After thinking for a moment, she retorted, “Wait, I was never stupid to begin with.”

The smile in Chi Yi’s eyes deepened, and she could barely suppress the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Cheng Yixin reached out, pinched Chi Yi’s cheek, and warned, “Don’t tease your jie-jie (older sister).”

“Oh? Then can I tease other jie-jies?”

The initial warning had been a joke, but hearing that, Cheng Yixin’s eyebrows shot up.

“You dare!” She pinched Chi Yi’s cheek again. The face looked thin, but it actually had some soft, tender give to it.

Chi Yi laughed, her eyes crinkling into crescents at Cheng Yixin’s “bristling” reaction. Cheng Yixin couldn’t help but stare for a moment longer, realizing that President Chi was actually quite cute.

During dinner, the conversation turned back to Lu Qing. Cheng Yixin was curious about their history.

“Do you really dislike Lu Qing?” Cheng Yixin asked.

Chi Yi’s movements paused. “Why do you ask?”

“Just… curious.”

Chi Yi set down her utensils and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “I wouldn’t say I dislike her. To be precise, I have no feelings about her at all.”

“But she seems to have a huge problem with you,” Cheng Yixin said, trying to be tactful.

Chi Yi thought for a moment. “It seems so, but what does that have to do with me?”

She then briefly explained the situation. “We went to the same high school; she was two years ahead of me. I only knew of her because she was friends with a friend of mine. Later, that friend went abroad, we lost touch, and it became like this.”

“…It couldn’t be because of your friend, could it?”

“I’m not sure,” Chi Yi shook her head. “That’s their business. It has nothing to do with me.”

“How can it have nothing to do with you?” Cheng Yixin almost blurted out the complaints Lu Qing had made, but luckily, she swallowed them back down.

“Have you ever dealt with ‘anti-fans’?” Chi Yi asked a completely unrelated question.

“Yes. There are plenty of people cursing me on Weibo. You can find ‘antis’ pretending to be fans under almost every video of me.”

“But the people who hate you are a minority compared to the fans who love you, right?”

“Yes.” Cheng Yixin nodded. Whenever she saw hateful comments, she would think of the fans who gave her so much warmth and support.

“We can’t be loved by everyone. If someone likes you, someone is bound to hate you. Who they choose to hate is their choice; we can’t interfere. As long as we have a clear conscience, it’s fine.”

Cheng Yixin fell silent for a moment, savoring Chi Yi’s words, and then suddenly burst into laughter.

“You’re so open-minded. I thought only people in the entertainment industry developed that kind of mindset.”

Chi Yi smiled as well. “So, how do you feel when anti-fans attack you?”

“I use a burner account to like all the comments that support me!” Cheng Yixin said passionately. “I’ll have you know, I used to argue with elementary schoolers online for a whole month! …Cough, but that was over ten years ago. I was young and ignorant.”

“Is that so? How cute.”

The atmosphere at the table was excellent. Before they knew it, they had finished a bottle of sparkling wine. The slight buzz made the conversation flow even more easily.

Cheng Yixin shared some work stories, though she carefully avoided celebrity gossip to prevent any “slips of the tongue.” Besides, Chi Yi wasn’t in the industry; it was better she didn’t know too much.

For the most part, Chi Yi listened, nodding in response to the rhythm of her speech, her gaze fixed on Cheng Yixin the entire time. Her eyes were clear—unlike some people whose gazes became uncomfortably predatory after a few drinks.

It was exactly nine o’clock when they stepped out of the restaurant.

Cheng Yixin hadn’t forgotten Chi Yi’s nine-o’clock bedtime. She tucked her hands behind her back and teased, “It’s nine o’clock.”

“Yes, I’ve called a designated driver.” Chi Yi looked down at her phone. “He’s about a hundred meters away.”

“If we had ended earlier, you would be asleep by now.”

“When I’m with you, it doesn’t matter how late it is,” Chi Yi said naturally, without even thinking.

This caught Cheng Yixin off guard, and her vanity felt a small, pleasant surge of satisfaction.

The driver soon arrived on his small folding bike, expertly stowed it in the trunk, and started the trip after confirming the destination.

The two sat in the back. The interior lights were off, and the only illumination came from the flickering lights of the buildings they passed.

Having finished two bottles of sparkling wine, Cheng Yixin felt drowsy now that things were quiet. She blinked lazily and turned to look at the person beside her.

Chi Yi sat perfectly upright, looking straight ahead, the lines of her profile sharp and smooth.

Noticing her gaze, Chi Yi turned her head. “Are you sleepy? You can sleep for a bit; I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Cheng Yixin hummed in agreement and closed her eyes to drift off. Suddenly, the car—which had been traveling at a steady speed—slammed on the brakes. If not for her seatbelt, she would have been thrown forward.

“I’m so sorry!” The driver turned back with a sincere tone. “The car in front just braked suddenly. Are you two okay?”

“…We’re fine. Just be careful.” Cheng Yixin’s head was buzzing. she touched her seatbelt, glad for her good habit of always wearing one.

When she didn’t hear a response from Chi Yi, she turned and saw that Chi Yi was no longer sitting upright. Her shoulders had slumped, and she was tightly clutching her own arms.

“Chi Yi? Are you okay?”

There was no answer. Cheng Yixin hurriedly switched on the dome light, filling the back seat with warm yellow light.

Chi Yi looked terrible. Her face was deathly pale, and her dilated pupils were filled with sheer terror. The veins on her hands stood out as she gripped her arms. When Cheng Yixin touched her, her body was incredibly stiff.

“Are you okay?” Cheng Yixin had never seen her like this. Her heart sank. She lightly patted her shoulder. “Do you feel sick somewhere?”

Chi Yi slowly raised her head, her pupils unfocused.

After a long while, the emotion in her eyes gradually returned to normal. Her grip on her arms loosened, and her hands fell back to her lap. She forced a smile. “I’m fine… I’m fine.”

She looked as if she had been scared out of her wits.

But… was it really that scary?

Cheng Yixin was puzzled, but seeing Chi Yi looking so pitiful and vulnerable made her feel protective. She stroked Chi Yi’s shoulder to help her calm down.

Looking closely, she saw fine beads of sweat breaking out on Chi Yi’s forehead.

How strange.