Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 21

[Cheng Yixin]: Mom, her name is Chi Yi. [Mom]: You should thank her. She seems to care about you very much.

Seeing her mother’s reply, Cheng Yixin paused for a moment before replying with a simple “Mm.” She thought about it but decided not to tell her mother about her current relationship with Chi Yi. She had been too impulsive last time, and the heartbreak had come far too quickly.

Afterward, Cheng Yixin rewatched the video several times. No matter how many times she saw it, she was moved by how Chi Yi had stepped forward to protect her. Before she realized what she was doing, she had already tapped the voice call button for Chi Yi.

It was nearly 10:30 PM. Knowing President Chi usually went to bed at 9:00 PM, she must be asleep by now. Cheng Yixin hurried to hit the end call button. But a second before her finger hit the red icon, the call connected. The screen flickered and jumped back to the chat interface.

Call duration: 00:01

“Uh?” Cheng Yixin blinked. Before she could react, Chi Yi’s voice call request popped up.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Cheng Yixin asked reflexively as soon as the call connected.

“I’m watching TV,” Chi Yi replied. “Are you finished with work?”

“Yes.” Cheng Yixin paused, then teased, “I didn’t know you watched TV. Did you know the program we recorded at the station is airing tonight?”

“I know,” Chi Yi said, throwing the question back at her. “Are you watching it?”

“No.” Cheng Yixin rarely watched her own shows. Sometimes she felt like the person on screen wasn’t her at all, just an actress playing a scripted role.

There was a brief silence on the other end before Chi Yi spoke. “By the time I turned it on, the show was wrapping up. I didn’t see it either.”

“Ah, I see.” Cheng Yixin thought for a moment. “Then let’s watch it together when I get back.” She wanted Chi Yi to see how “cool” she looked on TV; she expected that after tonight, even a non-celebrity like President Chi would gain a crowd of mini-fangirls.

“Sure.”

Cheng Yixin didn’t really know why she had made this call. She couldn’t think of a specific topic; perhaps she just wanted to hear Chi Yi’s voice. She stood up and sat on the sofa, glancing at the local specialties her assistant, Xiao Yu, had helped her buy as gifts.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning after work. Do you want any local specialties?” Asking was mostly a formality; Chi Yi’s portion was already packed. Whenever Cheng Yixin bought gifts while working out of town, she always made sure there was enough to go around.

The voice on the other end gave a soft “Mm” and then asked, “Did you buy them just for me, or does everyone get some?”

Professor Cheng, clearly lacking in romantic experience, failed to realize this was a trap. She answered honestly without thinking, “I bought a lot, so everyone has a share.”

Silence followed on the other end. Then: “…Alright.”

“…” Cheng Yixin felt a bit bewildered. Did the other person’s mood just… drop?

However, the thick-headed Cheng Yixin didn’t realize the problem until after they hung up. It wasn’t until she finished her shower and began sorting the gifts that it clicked.

Cheng Yixin always bought a portion for her parents. Even if they weren’t in the capital, she would mail them. The portion for her parents was carefully selected, and the quantity was always twice as much as the other gift bags.

She stared at the large bag for her parents, then at the smaller, identical bags for everyone else. In that instant, she understood why Chi Yi’s mood had soured.

Everyone has a scale in their heart. When facing someone close, one naturally shows favoritism, and this was reflected in giving them more than others.

“…” Cheng Yixin rubbed her nose guiltily.

Even though her relationship with Chi Yi was “official” only in name, Chi Yi was still her “girlfriend.” Giving her the same thing as everyone else seemed a bit too dismissive. No wonder Chi Yi seemed a little moody.

Thinking back to her “zero-mark” answer earlier—she truly was the definition of a “straight girl.”

The local specialties were mostly dried fruits, egg rolls, and jerky. She wasn’t sure if Chi Yi even liked snacks. After thinking it over, she remembered she had Chi Yi’s assistant’s WeChat. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?

Once the call connected, she asked hurriedly, “Siwen, does your President Chi like jerky or egg rolls?”

Siwen thought for a moment. “She’ll eat them, but President Chi isn’t keen on snacks. Professor Cheng, are you buying them for her?”

Cheng Yixin looked at the pile of pre-packed bags and ignored the question. “Then what does she like?”

“As long as it’s from you, President Chi will like it.”

Cheng Yixin assumed Siwen was just being complimentary and muttered, “That’s as good as saying nothing.”

“I’m serious,” Siwen insisted.

“Alright… thanks. Get some rest.”

After hanging up, Cheng Yixin peeled the name label off the bag intended for Chi Yi. She would give this one to Siwen instead. Checking tomorrow’s schedule, she realized she had to go straight to the high-speed rail station after work—no time to linger. She opened her ticket app and saw the next train was an hour later.

After a few seconds of deliberation, she told Xiao Yu to push their return trip back by one hour. The price was that she would have to rush to the minute for her work tomorrow afternoon.

“Xinhui, I can go buy whatever you want for you. The pedestrian street is quite crowded,” Xiao Yu said, shocked that Cheng Yixin would delay her trip just for gifts, and worried she’d be recognized.

“I don’t know what to buy yet, I just want to browse,” Cheng Yixin said truthfully.

Xiao Yu wasn’t reassured and insisted on coming along. Cheng Yixin put on a mask and a simple black baseball cap, blending perfectly into the crowd.

The shops at the entrance of the pedestrian street mostly sold food. Since it was a weekday, the crowd was thinner.

“Xinhui,” Xiao Yu asked curiously, “Are you buying a gift for President Chi?”

“Yes.” Passing a jewelry store, Cheng Yixin stopped briefly to look at some hats but put them back down. “What do you think would be a good gift for her?”

“The nougat I bought yesterday comes in several flavors and is quite good. Maybe President Chi would like to try some?”

“Giving her the same thing as everyone else is boring. Besides, her malls sell those too; she shouldn’t be short on candy,” Cheng Yixin noted.

Xiao Yu smiled at her with a knowing, “shipping” expression.

“…Why that look? What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing, I just think you’ve changed a bit,” Xiao Yu said. “When President Lu asked you for gifts before, you never went out of your way to buy her something separate.”

Cheng Yixin thought about it and realized she was right. Back then, Lu Qing would actively ask if there was a gift for her, and Cheng Yixin would simply tell Xiao Yu to add her name to the list. She never intended to shop specifically for her. In the end, she had been cheated on, and the gifts were never even given.

“That’s the difference between ‘you want it’ and ‘I want to give it,'” Cheng Yixin regained her composure, finding an excuse for herself. “Mainly, she helped me practice my singing before. I haven’t thanked her properly, so I’m doing it now.”

“…Sure, sure, sure.”

Passing a shop, they caught a faint, pleasant aroma. Cheng Yixin turned to look. The decor was minimalist, looking fresh and clean—much like the first impression Future City had given her. The sign indicated it was a tea shop.

The owner was a woman arranging stock. Seeing customers, she warmly invited them to try the tea. The shop specialized in floral teas. The rose tea with honey had a faint sweetness and a beautiful color.

“This rose tea can be served hot or cold. It tastes better with honey. Adding dates and goji berries is good for health and beauty; adding milk makes it a rose milk tea.”

Cheng Yixin tried both the hot and cold versions. She savored the aftertaste and turned to Xiao Yu. “Do you think Chi Yi would like this?”

“She’ll like anything you give her,” Xiao Yu said.

The owner chimed in, bringing out a gift box. “It’s perfect as a gift. Our boxes are very pretty, and we have assortments too.”

After chatting with the owner and learning some brewing methods, they stepped out to find they only had thirty minutes left.

“!!!” Cheng Yixin checked the time and panicked. “Quick, to the station!!”

She had intended to buy one or two gifts, but just buying one had taken so much time. They sprinted toward their business van at the end of the street. They made it through the gate two minutes before boarding closed, sitting down on the train gasping for air.

In the business class cabin with only the two of them, Cheng Yixin removed her mask and took a deep breath. The scent of freedom.

“That was close. We almost missed it.”

“Luckily the train was delayed,” Xiao Yu said, patting her chest to calm her breath. This was the first time a work trip had been so chaotic. If not for the gift, they would have been on the train long ago, sipping afternoon tea.

“Xinhui, should I have the tea delivered to President Chi’s office?”

“No need, I’ll give it to her myself.” She had a date with Chi Yi to watch Happy Saturday tonight anyway.

After work that afternoon, there was still time to buy tableware. Cheng Yixin had the driver take her to Future City.

Looking at the giant outdoor screen on the exterior wall, she still felt it was a waste. According to her observations, Future City’s foot traffic was much higher than other malls. In this situation, brands should be fighting for that ad space, yet there was nothing but the words “Future City.”

President Chi doesn’t seem very business-savvy, she thought.

She walked into the mall, heading toward the supermarket entrance. Passing the bakery section, she saw a promoter offering free samples of cookies. She took an original flavored one. The sample she had last time was too sweet, so she wanted to see if they had changed it to the flavor Chi Yi had given her.

“Hm?” But the taste was exactly the same as before.

“Is something wrong, Ma’am? Don’t like the original? we have a new vanilla flavor.”

Cheng Yixin tried the vanilla one. It was new, but still very sweet. It was similar to the cookie Chi Yi gave her, but the sweetness level was noticeably different.

“Do you have a low-sugar or low-calorie version?”

“No, only this sweetness,” the promoter said. “Most customers find it just right. Perhaps you prefer a lighter taste?”

“Maybe I remembered wrong,” Cheng Yixin smiled and left.

She picked out a beautiful blue-and-white tableware set for two and went to the checkout.

“Please provide your member phone number.”

Cheng Yixin provided her number for the points. As she walked out of Future City, her phone buzzed with a text about her supermarket points. She tapped the message, and as she went to exit, she glimpsed a read text from a certain phone number.

It was the anonymous person who had tipped her off about Lu Qing’s cheating. The last message was her asking who they were—unanswered.

This phone number suffix…

Cheng Yixin frowned. It looked increasingly familiar. After thinking for a split second, she switched back to her WeChat interface.

Cheng Yixin froze on the spot, the accidental discovery leaving her reeling.

The anonymous number and the phone number Chi Yi had sent her were exactly the same.