Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 100

Amidst the high expectations of the audience, the first season of Is It Only Me Whose Heart Is Fluttering? was officially scheduled and broadcast.

The first episode went live at the end of the year. People who had been busy all year were beginning to enjoy their annual leave and had time to surf the internet, making the show’s popularity much higher than expected.

Work offers flooded in continuously. After much persuasion, Cheng Yixin finally managed to beg her manager for a Chinese New Year break; this year, she would fulfill her wish to have New Year’s Eve dinner with her family.

“Control your weight during the New Year, do you hear me?” Li Wenjing reminded her. “I don’t want to see you return after the holidays a whole circle rounder.”

“I know, I know!” Cheng Yixin waved her hand, a typical case of it going in one ear and out the other. “I’m heading back first. If anything happens, contact me on WeChat—of course, it’s best if nothing happens to contact me about!”

Li Wenjing stared at the exhaust fumes left by the van and shook her head helplessly. For the past few years, various local TV stations had invited Cheng Yixin to their New Year Galas, and every year, she had missed out on a proper reunion dinner with her family because of them. If Chi Yi hadn’t pleaded on her behalf, Cheng Yixin truly would have found it difficult to get this holiday.

As for President Chi, being a member of the working class, she always took her break alongside the company and had already been resting at home for a week.

Returning to the Junshan residential area, Cheng Yixin was like a moth flying free, running quickly into the villa.

“Chi Yi!!!”

She glanced around; the living room was empty, but she could vaguely smell the scent of ink.

“Oh? You’re back.” Chi Yi appeared at the top of the first-floor stairs, still holding a calligraphy brush.

Having been forced to agree to write the New Year couplets, President Chi was using her free time to catch up on learning the specific fonts for them. It wasn’t that Chi Yi’s calligraphy wasn’t up to par, but rather that Father Cheng felt her “Slender Gold” style wasn’t rounded enough; it looked dry and lacked the festive cheer of the New Year. Thus, President Chi began to copy couplet fonts to improve her style.

“Are you practicing calligraphy again?” Cheng Yixin walked upstairs. The scent of ink was coming from the study.

“I tried another font. Tell me what you think.” Chi Yi picked up a piece of red paper cut into a square. On it was a rounded character for “Fortune” (Fu), written in a “Child Round” font that was quite popular lately.

“…” Cheng Yixin’s face twisted. “I don’t like this font; it’s like a kindergartener learning to write. Let’s stick to some conventional fonts.”

“Alright then.” Chi Yi put down the red paper. During this time, she had even tried fancy, flamboyant scripts, only to be rejected as well.

Seeing her looking a bit defeated, Cheng Yixin thought for a moment and said, “However, this font is actually quite suitable for a couplet on Dahuang’s doghouse.”

Half the table was covered in couplets Chi Yi had written in a conventional style. The ink was mostly dry. Cheng Yixin pinched the top of a couplet and held it up to inspect it closely. Chi Yi had only practiced for a few days, but the couplets she wrote looked better than the ones sold outside; she truly had solid foundational skills.

“I just wrote these for fun; I wasn’t planning on keeping them.”

“Why not?” Cheng Yixin said. “They’re written very well.”

The perfectionist President Chi shook her head. “Not good enough.”

Cheng Yixin thought for a bit and said, “The company gave me my annual leave! Let’s go back tomorrow! We can just put this pair on the front door; it won’t go to waste.”

President Chi only caught the first half of the sentence: “I thought you wouldn’t get off until New Year’s Eve.”

“Entertainment industry workers need holidays too. I’m not going to the New Year Gala this year.” Cheng Yixin linked her arm with Chi Yi’s and said proudly, “I’m spending the New Year with my Baby Chi Yi!”

“Mmm… there’s something I want to tell you.”

Since it was a festival for reunions, Feng Nian naturally wanted his granddaughter to come home for the New Year. Previously, she had declined by saying she was going on a trip, but this year she was going to her girlfriend’s house. Feng Nian seemed a little bit unhappy about it. Therefore, Chi Yi was thinking of taking Cheng Yixin back to visit and pay New Year greetings after the holidays to soothe her grandfather’s feelings.

“Sure, let’s go after we get back,” Cheng Yixin said. “You’re already coming to my house for the New Year. If I didn’t go to pay my respects to Grandfather and Grandmother, it would be too impolite.”

Hearing this, Chi Yi visibly relaxed. She had been a bit worried that Cheng Yixin wasn’t prepared.

“The first episode of Heart came out yesterday. I saw the feedback online today and it’s quite good. Let’s watch it together after dinner.”

“…” Chi Yi put down the brush. “Then should we get ready to cook now?”

Regarding the content of the dates with male guests in the first episode, they had only heard each other’s brief accounts. However, that couldn’t compare to seeing the recordings with their own eyes. Both were curious about the first episode.

They finished an early dinner and sat before the TV just as evening fell. The sunset glow hit the floor like a faint layer of gold. The first episode was nearly two hours long, roughly the length of a movie. Cheng Yixin brought out a fruit platter from the kitchen, rubbing her hands with anticipation written all over her face.

The program began. It started with the familiar opening sequence, followed by the guests entering one by one.

For Chi Yi’s entrance, the editing used slow motion. First to emerge from the van was a pair of silver high heels encrusted with crystals. The heels stepped lightly onto the ground, and Chi Yi slowly descended from the vehicle. Her white suit was elegant and crisp, radiating the aura of a sophisticated career professional. Her hair was draped casually over her shoulders, every curve perfectly placed. Her exquisite features and flawless makeup sent the bullet comments into a frenzy: “So pretty,” “Goddess,” “Wife!”

“Look, the bullet comments are all praising you!” Seeing people praise her girlfriend made her happier than being praised herself. “But I think the camera only captured half of your beauty.”

“It’s not that exaggerated,” Chi Yi chuckled. Her fingers found Cheng Yixin’s, lightly squeezing her palm in a relaxed manner.

In the footage, Chi Yi entered the venue, and the next scene was her meeting Cheng Yixin inside. This was followed by the delightful scene of the two friends recognizing each other, hugging, and cheering. Under the high-definition lens, the spark that instantly lit up in Chi Yi’s eyes was captured with incredible clarity.

A bullet comment floated by: It’s so strange; Cheng Yixin’s micro-expression changes look exactly like my roommate’s when she meets her long-distance boyfriend.

It was a colorful, highlighted comment; it was hard to miss. Cheng Yixin scratched her chin and gave a light cough. “Is that an exaggeration? We see each other every day; how are we long-distance?”

Chi Yi bit her lip and smiled. “To be honest, that was already considered restrained.”

“Ah…” Only a few minutes into the show, Cheng Yixin already felt like her “closet door” was wobbling.

“However, I like seeing the change in your expression when you look at me. Knowing that your eyes only have me makes me feel very happy instinctively.”

Cheng Yixin curled her fingers, fully grasping Chi Yi’s palm. “Me too. It’s because seeing you makes me happy; it’s a genuine revelation of feeling.”

The program progressed along the timeline. After the guests met up, they returned to the dorms at night. The ending sequence showed Cheng Yixin and Chi Yi going out for a walk, strolling along the light-lined path until their silhouettes vanished into the night.

“I told you there were many cameras,” Cheng Yixin said with lingering fear. “It’s a good thing I held back and didn’t kiss you then.”

When it came to drawing lots for the dates, the first edit was of Chi Yi and the athlete. The athlete was exactly as his appearance suggested: a bit of a “straight man,” somewhat dull, and he would always scratch his head and smile sheepishly in front of Chi Yi. Fortunately, there was no physical contact. Cheng Yixin, who was ready to be jealous at any moment, expressed her satisfaction.

During the male guest’s post-interview, the athlete said: “I’m definitely not the type Chi Yi likes. I feel pressure in front of her; I think we’re more suited to be friends.”

“Not bad; this guy has some self-awareness.”

Chi Yi smiled. After all, she sat behind a massive corporation; if she didn’t have a bit of presence, she would have been eaten alive by the wolves of the business world long ago.

At this moment, a colorful bullet comment floated by: I think this pair is perfect for a female Alpha and a male Omega (A/O).

“…What does ‘female Alpha and male Omega’ mean?” Chi Yi asked.

“Children shouldn’t know so much.”

The final date pair was Cheng Yixin and Zhou Zheng. Cheng Yixin thought that her performance during the date—her “lying flat” attitude—had been very obvious. Yet in his interview, Zhou Zheng said: “I think she was just shy, and she was very authentic in front of me. I think we will have a next date.”

Big brother! Was my rejection not obvious enough?!

Chi Yi’s expression clearly changed.

“No, let me explain,” Cheng Yixin said hurriedly.

“Go ahead.”

“I… Wait! I don’t have a cent’s worth of relationship with him; why do I need to explain? As for him, he’s certainly confident.”

“Then why are you explaining it to me?” Chi Yi chuckled. “There was never a need to explain.”

“Exactly! As expected, my Yiyi is the clever one!” Cheng Yixin rested her head on Chi Yi’s shoulder, playing with her hand as they continued watching.

The four in the living room were chatting when Cheng Yixin’s scream pierced the microphone. The person in question flinched, suddenly becoming alert. “Did I scream that loudly then?”

“Yes.”

Of course, Cheng Yixin also got her wish to see the situation outside the room. Chi Yi reacted much faster than anyone else, putting down her cup and rushing into the bedroom. Cheng Yixin was shivering behind Chi Yi, while Chi Yi reached out to protect her.

She hadn’t thought much of it then, but now, seeing it from an omniscient perspective, she wondered why she had been so cowardly that she needed Chi Yi’s protection. Especially since she kept calling Chi Yi’s name—no wonder it trended on social media and netizens teased her.

Next was President Chi calmly and coolly driving away the bat. That dashing look made even Cheng Yixin’s heart flutter wildly, let alone the audience’s. Cool and heroic; no wonder she gained hundreds of thousands of followers in a single day.

“Were you not scared then?” Cheng Yixin asked. At the time, Chi Yi had kept her and the others behind her the entire time, walking in front.

“I was.”

It was an unexpected answer.

“But if I was scared, I couldn’t protect you. So I couldn’t be scared,” Chi Yi said very seriously.

“Yiyi…” Cheng Yixin was moved. Even though she didn’t want to admit the cowardly person on TV was herself, she was even more touched by Chi Yi, who protected her regardless of everything.

The TV was still playing, but Cheng Yixin’s gaze had moved from the screen to Chi Yi’s face. She hooked her arms around Chi Yi’s neck, her fingertips gently stroking the back of her neck, tracing her vertebrae inch by inch. Chi Yi’s body shivered uncontrollably; this touch made her feel sensitive, and the hair on her arms stood up.

The sound of the television became background music; the focus was no longer on the screen… They didn’t finish the rest of the episode.

Despite spending quite a bit of time and energy the night before, Cheng Yixin still got up early the next day. Because she could go home today—and with her girlfriend in tow—she felt the excitement of a primary schooler going on a spring trip.

Before they left, a pair of New Year couplets was pasted on the front door of the white villa. Even though the New Year hadn’t arrived yet, the atmosphere was already there. Chi Yi stared at the neatly pasted couplets and smiled. “It’s my first time seeing couplets on a door; it feels quite magical.”

“We’ll paste them every year from now on; it’s quite festive.”

With a distance of several hundred kilometers, a plane was the best way to travel, saving much more time than driving. The disadvantage was that after landing, not having a car made traveling inconvenient.

“My family has cars: a van for buying groceries and a small car we just bought the year before last,” Cheng Yixin said. “We can just drive my dad’s car.”

But Chi Yi felt that wasn’t right and insisted on renting a car. Cheng Yixin couldn’t sway her, so they rented a vehicle at a car rental agency near the airport.

It was still an hour and a half from the airport to her home. Cheng Yixin hadn’t told her parents before they set out, so she remembered now to call and report.

“What? You’ve already landed?” Mother Cheng’s voice instantly rose two octaves. In the background was the noisy sound of chatter; it wasn’t hard to tell she was at the shop.

“Yes, we rented a car and are heading back now. Is there anything you want to eat? We can stop by the market on the way.”

“Just do as you see fit. Buy whatever you want to eat and let your dad cook it.” Mother Cheng hurriedly said a few words and hung up. She grabbed Father Cheng, who was bragging and chatting with an old regular, and said, “Yixin and the others are back!”

“What?? What time do they arrive?”

“They’re already here; they’re heading back from the airport now! Quick, hurry back and clean up!”

The old couple gave instructions at the shop and hurried home. Dahuang, sleeping in his doghouse, was quite happy to see his owners return early, panting and jumping around with his tail wagging like a propeller.

“Woof woof woof!!”

Mother Cheng and her husband looked at each other.

“Catch him and give him a bath!”