Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 16

Chi Yi couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing, earning a few playful, harmless swats from Cheng Yixin.

She cleared her throat, struggling to suppress her smile. “These words appear frequently in the lyrics. Once you master them, you’ve basically won half the battle.”

Cheng Yixin reluctantly took her word for it.

Over the next few hours, Chi Yi corrected her pronunciation word by word, line by line. While she wasn’t perfectly fluent yet and certain words still needed more practice, she had at least successfully ditched the “curry” accent.

In the blink of an eye, it was nearly midnight. Cheng Yixin was startled to realize how late it had become; she had been so focused on practicing that she hadn’t noticed the time slipping away.

Knowing that Chi Yi usually rested by this hour, Cheng Yixin felt a bit guilty and went to warm a glass of milk for her.

“Sorry for the trouble tonight. Have some milk; it’ll help you sleep better.”

“As long as it was helpful to you.”

Chi Yi sat on the sofa and took a small sip of the milk. It was a bit hot, so she drank slowly.

The villa’s air conditioning was set to a comfortable cool. Cheng Yixin decided to open a window for some fresh air, but as soon as she pulled back the blackout curtains, she saw slanted rain streaks blurring the glass.

She had been so immersed in singing that she hadn’t noticed it had started raining outside.

“It’s raining,” Cheng Yixin noted. “Finish your milk slowly while I go find an umbrella.”

She searched the house for a while, checking the entryway shoe rack, storage shelves, and every other spot where an umbrella might be kept, but found nothing.

“Strange, where did they go…” Cheng Yixin scratched her head. “Maybe I should call and ask.”

“It’s too late; don’t bother them.” Having finished her milk, Chi Yi set the glass down. “We’re close by anyway. I can just run back in a few seconds.”

Cheng Yixin turned around and stared at her. Chi Yi looked back, puzzled. “Is there something on my face?”

“Yes.” Cheng Yixin walked over, pulled out a tissue, and gently wiped a small milk stain from the corner of Chi Yi’s mouth.

Up close, she noticed Chi Yi’s earrings—small, silver crescents connected by delicate chains to two tiny, diamond-shaped studs that shimmered under the white light.

Her movements faltered for a moment. As if possessed, she reached out and touched Chi Yi’s ear. It was small, and the lobe was soft and slightly cool to the touch.

“Your earrings are quite pretty,” she remarked, her gaze fixed on them.

Chi Yi gave a muffled hum and pointedly avoided her eyes. This piqued Cheng Yixin’s interest. She rubbed the earlobe with her thumb and asked with a smile, “Are your ears sensitive?”

“…Not really,” Chi Yi replied. “I’m just not used to being touched.”

Chi Yi looked up at her. Since she was sitting on the sofa and Cheng Yixin was standing, the height difference gave Cheng Yixin a sudden sense of dominance.

Chi Yi said she didn’t like being touched, yet she made no move to push her away.

Cheng Yixin found this “stubborn” side of President Chi quite adorable. She intentionally increased the pressure of her rub and asked, “Then why are your ears turning so red?”

“…” Chi Yi stared back at her. Their eyes locked in a stalemate for two seconds before she suddenly reached out, hooked her arm around Cheng Yixin’s neck, and pulled her down toward her.

Caught off guard, Cheng Yixin stumbled forward. She had to brace one hand against the sofa cushion to keep from collapsing entirely onto Chi Yi.

Before she could say a word, Chi Yi’s palm cupped the back of her neck. She tilted her head and blew a soft breath into Cheng Yixin’s ear.

It was warm and light, like the brush of a feather. It tickled intensely.

Cheng Yixin’s body gave an involuntary, reflexive shiver.

The corners of Chi Yi’s lips curled up. Using Cheng Yixin’s own logic against her, she asked, “Teacher Cheng, why are you shaking?”

Cheng Yixin leaned her head back slightly to create some space, her eyes widening as she looked at Chi Yi.

At such close proximity, she could see that Chi Yi’s eyelashes were long and thick. Her brown eyes were like deep, bottomless whirlpools.

Feeling the warmth of Chi Yi’s palm still on her neck, Cheng Yixin blinked. She had actually just been teased.

She raised an eyebrow, spread her fingers, and pressed her right hand against the side of Chi Yi’s neck, her thumb resting right over the hollow of her throat.

Chi Yi clearly hadn’t expected this move. She stared blankly at her and swallowed unconsciously.

Beneath the pad of her thumb, Cheng Yixin felt the slight slide of the delicate throat.

A small mole on the side of Chi Yi’s neck was hidden in the shadow of the overhead light; against her fair skin, that mole added a touch of sexiness.

Chi Yi opened her lips. “You…”

The word cut off abruptly.

Cheng Yixin had suddenly leaned down and pressed a kiss against the side of her neck, right on that mole.

The contact was brief—just a touch before pulling away—but Cheng Yixin didn’t fully retreat. Her lips hovered barely a centimeter or two away, her warm breath fanning across the delicate skin.

She looked up, her phoenix-like eyes now resembling those of a seductive fox, full of flirtatious intent as she gazed at Chi Yi.

The smile on Chi Yi’s face froze. Her habitually calm eyes were wide with shock. She could even hear President Chi’s heart thumping wildly, like a drum.

“Your heart is beating so fast,” she teased, moving her face even closer and staring straight into her eyes. “Could this be your… sensitive spot?”

The younger woman’s face flushed a deep crimson under her teasing, her earlier composure completely vanished.

Cheng Yixin burst out laughing. She hadn’t expected President Chi to be so innocent.

“I believe you now when you say you’ve never been in a relationship.”

How cute, she thought.

They sat for a while longer. As the clock struck midnight, Cheng Yixin walked Chi Yi to the door.

The moment she opened it, a howling wind carrying rain rushed toward them. It was pouring even harder than before, the rain slapping against the flooded ground with a rhythmic patter-patter.

Running back now would mean getting soaked to the bone, or worse, slipping and falling.

Cheng Yixin turned to Chi Yi. “The rain is too heavy. Why don’t you stay over tonight?”

Since the guest rooms weren’t yet prepared with bedding, Chi Yi had to sleep in Cheng Yixin’s room.

Cheng Yixin took a set of clean pajamas from her wardrobe and told Chi Yi to use the upstairs bathroom while she went downstairs to wash up.

After finishing, she stood by the window. The torrential downpour from moments ago had already begun to taper off into a light drizzle.

“What fickle weather,” Cheng Yixin muttered.

When she returned to the room, Chi Yi was still in the shower. Cheng Yixin took a hairdryer from the drawer and began drying the damp ends of her hair.

By the time she was nearly finished, the bathroom door opened and Chi Yi emerged. She turned off the hairdryer, and the whirring wind died down, returning the room to silence.

Cheng Yixin turned to Chi Yi and beckoned with her finger. “Come here.”

Chi Yi obediently walked over. Cheng Yixin reached out naturally and felt the ends of Chi Yi’s hair. Finding them slightly damp, she turned the hairdryer back on to dry them.

Fresh out of the shower, Chi Yi radiated a soft warmth, her skin flushed with a natural pink glow.

Facing her, Cheng Yixin’s gaze inevitably landed on her face. She noticed that whenever she looked Chi Yi in the eye, the other woman would reflexively look away, appearing somewhat bashful.

“Do you dislike physical contact with people?” she asked.

“No.” Chi Yi gave a tactical cough. “I’m just not used to it… with you.”

A large question mark popped into Cheng Yixin’s head. Just as she was about to demand an explanation, Chi Yi added, “You’re too beautiful.”

Hearing this, “Teacher Cheng” laughed heartily. “I like the sound of that! What a sweet talker!”

The room was dimmed to a warm, sleep-friendly glow. The 1.8-meter bed was plenty large; they could lie down without even brushing against each other.

“Should I turn up the AC a bit?”

“No need.”

Cheng Yixin turned off the main light, leaving only a small nightlight, and lay down on her side of the bed.

Feeling no sleepiness, she turned on her side to face Chi Yi. Remembering the earlier conversation, she asked, “What are your usual working hours?”

“Nine to five. Sometimes I’m a bit early, sometimes a bit late.”

“And you get weekends off?”

Chi Yi turned to face her as well and gave a soft “Mm-hmm.”

“It really feels like an office worker’s life,” Cheng Yixin sighed.

Chi Yi smiled. “Hearing the words ‘office worker’ coming from you feels so strange.”

To many, the life of a celebrity was worlds away from a 9-to-5 with weekends off. When busy, they were flying everywhere, filming overnight, and had no concept of a weekend. They might even be recording a show away from home during the Lunar New Year.

“You might not believe it,” Cheng Yixin said, “but when I first graduated, I was full of passion and wanted to do something big in my field of study.”

As she shared her past, Chi Yi showed clear interest. “Your major wasn’t film and television, was it?”

“Right. I did internships at two companies after graduation, but I didn’t even pass the probation period at either.”

“Was the pay bad?”

“Not really.” Cheng Yixin thought for a moment. “I had some acting experience during university and gained a bit of popularity, which actually caused quite a few problems in real life. I ended up giving a married boss—who was harassing me—a thorough beating, and the job went down the drain.”

“A lot of people say I became a celebrity just to make quick money. That’s not entirely wrong, but at least as a public figure, you get a modicum of respect from most people.”

As she spoke, Cheng Yixin realized she was sharing thoughts she usually kept guarded.

“I thought I’d never tell anyone about the things that happened before I debuted…” She rubbed her nose. “After all, getting into a fight isn’t exactly ‘glamorous’.”

“Legally, there might have been better ways to handle it, but morally…” Chi Yi paused, her expression turning serious, almost gritting her teeth. “He deserved a lot more than a beating.”

“Ha.”

Cheng Yixin laughed and gave a small yawn as sleepiness finally began to set in.

Suddenly, a phone on the nightstand rang. It was Chi Yi’s.

“I forgot to silence it,” Chi Yi said apologetically, sitting up halfway to grab it.

“It’s okay, go ahead and answer.”

Chi Yi took the phone and intentionally showed the caller ID to her. The name displayed was “Siqi”—Chi Yi’s cousin.

The speaker wasn’t on, but in the quiet bedroom, the voice on the other end was crystal clear.

“Wow! You actually answered my call at this hour!”

“What is it?”

“I just finished hanging out with friends. If my parents find out I was out playing this late, they’ll lecture me again. Sis, come pick me up, please?” Feng Siqi sounded pitiful. “And it’s raining outside, and I don’t have an umbrella.”

“I’m about to sleep. I’ll send a driver.”

“Nooo! I’ve used up my allowance for the month! If my parents catch me, I’m done for!! Sister, dear sister, you’re my favorite sister! Please, I beg you!”

“…” Chi Yi hesitated.

Cheng Yixin suddenly reached out and clasped Chi Yi’s wrist, her thumb pressing lightly against the pulse point.

Chi Yi pulled her attention away from the call, tilted her head, and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s too late,” Cheng Yixin said in a low voice.