Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 24

Only after receiving Li Wenjing’s promise could Cheng Yixin finally get a decent night’s sleep. If it had been anyone else in the entertainment industry, she wouldn’t have been so anxious. But for Chi Yi, an outsider, being suddenly subjected to such a massive wave of online abuse would be taxing, no matter how mentally strong she was. Cheng Yixin remembered her own debut; seeing anti-fan comments back then would leave her fuming for days, and those hateful words would haunt her even in her dreams.

Across the city, Li Huang was curled up on his sofa playing video games when his door was suddenly kicked open. He looked up to see the PR manager of his agency storming in, followed closely by his agent.

“You brat, you’re still sitting here playing games!” The manager marched over and slapped the phone out of his hand. “Who gave you permission to post that Weibo? Do you have any idea how much money the company spent covering up your ‘fan-hookup’ scandal? Do you know how many endorsements were canceled for the second half of the year? And yet you’re still out here stirring up trouble! My head is spinning from cleaning up after you every single day!”

“Dammit! She came to me voluntarily, and now she’s trying to set me up with a ‘honey trap’!” Interrupted from his game, Li Huang spat on the ground and stood up, matching the manager’s aggression. “If the endorsements are canceled, so be it. It’s not like I can’t get more. Those brands are lined up waiting for me. If this batch doesn’t work, I’ll just get the next. I just posted a single Weibo—what are you barking for? How does it affect you?”

“Dammit, then don’t ask me to wipe your ass!” The PR manager grew more enraged the more he thought about it. He gave Li Huang a shove, which finally stunned the young man into silence.

Li Huang’s confidence wavered slightly. “You dare hit me… Let me tell you, my contract expires next year. I’m going to tell Old Liu. There are plenty of companies out there dying to sign me!”

“To hell with you! A bunch of brainless fans worship you, and you actually think you’re someone special,” the PR manager sneered. “What did I tell you before? Never, ever provoke a business person! You don’t even know who your ‘daddies’ or ‘grandfathers’ are in this world.”

“I just insulted some mall developer, what’s the big deal? Isn’t the fan sentiment moving in a reasonable direction? I’ll let her go once I’ve vented my frustrations. Who told that bitch to insult me in front of so many people?”

The agent couldn’t listen to their conversation any longer and quietly slipped out of the room. He felt cursed to be assigned such a repulsive artist. It was a tragedy that so many people were blinded by his fake persona. When is this scumbag going to fall?

The next day, Chi Yi—who had originally planned to spend the weekend away—was called back to the family estate for lunch. This “home” referred to the Feng residence, the Feng Mansion.

The Maybach came to a brief halt before the magnificent gates. After the license plate was verified, the gates slowly swung open. Driving past the central fountain, the car stopped in front of one of the white villas.

Though called a mansion, it was more like an estate, containing everything one could imagine—and things the average person couldn’t. The butler informed her that the Old Master was out fishing. After his retirement, Feng Nian had become obsessed with the hobby and had even built a pond on the grounds specifically for it.

From a distance, Chi Yi saw a figure sitting by the pond, wearing a thin white shirt and a straw hat. Hearing footsteps, Feng Nian turned around, and his face instantly lit up with a smile. Even at nearly seventy, the old man’s eyes were sharp and bright. He wore simple clothes that looked unremarkable, yet this “unremarkable” old man had remained at the top of the wealth rankings for decades.

“Our Yiyi is back!” Feng Nian pulled over a small stool beside him. “Come sit, come sit. Let Grandfather see if you’ve lost weight.”

“I’m doing well, Grandfather,” Chi Yi walked over quickly. “How has your health been lately?”

“Quite good. I had a check-up last month. Aside from the typical minor issues that come with age, everything is normal.” Feng Nian looked closely at Chi Yi’s face. Seeing her reminded him of his daughter, and his eyes softened with emotion. Even after all these years, the pain of losing his child remained.

For years, he had poured the love he had for his daughter into his granddaughter, doting on her and giving her every preference. When Chi Yi was in school, he had told her repeatedly: If anyone tries to bully you, tell them your grandfather’s surname is ‘Feng’—of the Feng Group. It was a testament to her character that such an upbringing hadn’t made her arrogant.

Feng Nian handed her a rod, wanting her to accompany him. The clever fish weren’t biting; he mostly wanted to chat.

“A few days ago, your grandmother saw you on TV.”

Chi Yi had been wondering why her grandfather had suddenly called her back for lunch. Hearing this, she immediately understood. “Um… that day I went to visit a friend on set. She was recording a program, and I didn’t expect to be caught on camera.”

“It’s good,” Feng Nian said cheerfully. “I hear people on TV saying the camera makes you look fat, but my precious granddaughter is still so beautiful.” He paused. The float on the water’s surface began to ripple. He didn’t rush to pull the rod. Instead, he said, “However—why did I see people saying such nasty things on Weibo?”

Chi Yi laughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject. “Grandfather, I thought you didn’t go online much. Why are you looking at Weibo?”

“An old man has to keep up with new things, or he’ll be left behind by the era.” Feng Nian stroked his stubbly beard. The float began to shake violently. “The fish is biting. Yiyi, pull the rod for Grandfather.”

Chi Yi nodded and grabbed the rod. Her timing was perfect. A plump silver carp broke the surface, its tail thrashing wildly in the air.

“Not bad, a big one,” Feng Nian nodded in approval. “We’ll have this for lunch.”

As Chi Yi unhooked the fish and placed it in the bucket, she saw a black Bentley approaching from a distance. She thought it was her uncle, but then she saw the license plate—9999. It was the Old Master’s personal vehicle.

The Bentley stopped a few meters away. Several bodyguards in black suits stepped out, and from the back seat, they hauled out a man with a sack over his head as if they were carrying a sack of grain.

“Dammit! Do you know who I am? You dare kidnap me? You must have a death wish!” The person inside the sack shouted noisily. Chi Yi recognized that obnoxious voice instantly.

Annoyed by the noise, a bodyguard kicked the sack and dragged the man to the edge of the pond. The smile on Feng Nian’s face vanished, replaced by a look of sheer ruthlessness as he stared at the bundle on the ground.

“Yiyi,” the old man said earnestly. “It’s fine to pass the time playing with these little shrimps and minnows. But you must know—I cannot bear to see my precious granddaughter slandered.”

“How about we just drown him?” Feng Nian turned to her with a sweet smile. His nonchalant tone made it sound as if he were talking about an insignificant ant rather than a human being.

“Grandfather, we live in a society ruled by law. Let’s not do that.”

Feng Nian was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. He stood up slowly and brushed off his trousers. “Fine, I’ll listen to my granddaughter. I’ll leave the man to you. You can vent your anger however you like. Even if the sky falls, your grandfather will hold it up for you.”

Feng Nian waved his hand and walked toward the main house with a light step. A bodyguard followed closely, carrying the bucket of fish.

Watching his retreat, Chi Yi sighed. She hadn’t expected her grandfather to be “5G surfing” the internet now. Even though she was an adult, the old man’s protective nature remained unchanged. He couldn’t stand to see her suffer even a little bit of grievance.

She turned her gaze back to the man across the pond who was struggling to stand. His hands were tied behind his back, and he was writhing, trying to loosen the rope.

“Grandma’s heels! You cowards, take this bag off! Attacking from behind isn’t honorable! You sons of bitches… I’ll…!” Li Huang’s stream of curses was cut short when someone grabbed his hair.

The sack was pulled back, taking a few strands of hair with it. Li Huang winced but was blinded by the sudden sunlight. He opened his mouth to curse again but froze when he saw a burly man in black with his hand raised, ready to slap him.

Then, he saw the person walking slowly toward him. He choked on his words. “You…”

Li Huang never expected to see Chi Yi here, in this situation. Kidnappings were things he only saw in dramas; he never thought a “darling of heaven” like himself would experience it.

“You shouldn’t be surprised to see me,” Chi Yi said.

Realizing this was likely retaliation, Li Huang felt a surge of guilt, but he tried to deflect. “What do you want? Are you the mafia? Kidnapping me in broad daylight—do you have no respect for the law?”

Hearing this, Chi Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. “The law? Of course there is the law. I wonder, according to the law, how many years does one get for statutory rape?”

Li Huang’s eyes flickered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your CEO would know. After all, he just spent a fortune suppressing that scandal of yours.” Chi Yi paused. “Of course, I could easily make that money go to waste.”

“What do you want?! Even if… even if I slept with a minor, so what? She was willing! I didn’t force her! Don’t you dare try to blackmail me with that!” His guilt manifested as shouting, his voice loud enough to scare the fish away.

The bodyguard, annoyed by the noise and disgusted by the man’s actions, delivered a sharp slap to his face. “Speak quietly to President Chi! If you shout again, I’ll cut your tongue out and feed it to the fish!”

Standing before the 1.9-meter-tall bodyguard, Li Huang immediately became submissive. Seeing the situation, he realized he was no match for four bodyguards. He decided to play the “grandson” to save his life.

“What do you want…”

“Nothing much. Just inviting you for some tea,” Chi Yi said lightly. “Since you’re here, why don’t we talk about what happened between you and Teacher Cheng?”

“Teacher Cheng… you mean Cheng Yixin?” Li Huang hesitated. “Nothing happened between us.”

Seeing the spite in his eyes, Chi Yi didn’t believe him for a second. She signaled the bodyguard.

The bodyguard flexed his fist. “It seems he hasn’t been hit enough!”

“Don’t hit me! I’ll talk! I’ll talk! We really had nothing. During the filming of Moonlit Journey, it was our first time working together. One night, I went to her room and knocked, but she didn’t open the door. That was it.”

“She didn’t open the door. And then?”

“Then I went to a different room.”

“Why were you knocking?”

“What else would a man and a woman do alone? There are plenty of ‘temporary couples’ on film sets. We’re all adults. Do I really need to spell out the Birds and the Bees?” Li Huang spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Chi Yi suppressed the urge to throw him into the pond. She took out her phone, opened her Weibo comment section, and held it in front of him. “Last question. Explain why your fans are going crazy in my comments.”

Li Huang had felt smug seeing those comments before, but now they made his skin crawl, as if each one was a countdown to the end of his life. He was terrified, but he forced himself to stay defiant. “What does their craziness have to do with me? I’m just a star. Can I control what fans say? Go find them! Why are you looking for me? Let me go, and we can pretend today never happened.”

Theoretically, a star cannot control fan speech. But as a public figure, Li Huang had an obligation to guide them. Given that every actress he worked with ended up being harassed, it was clear he used his rabid fanbase to create buzz for himself. In the eyes of a business person, this was “burning the bridge after crossing it”—a treacherous, two-faced behavior.

“You have a point. You seem quite ‘innocent’ in that light.” Chi Yi gave a cold smile. “But since you’re here, it would be rude of me not to offer you a drink.”

“I’m glad you see reason. Since it’s a misunderstanding, I’ll skip the tea. Untie me, and we’re even. I have a schedule to keep…” Before he could finish, a bodyguard pinned him to the ground.

The pond water reflected his pathetic state. The surface glittered under the sunlight just centimeters from his face. Li Huang pulled his head back frantically. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Chi Yi knelt beside him and grabbed a handful of his hair. She pulled back, forcing his head up. “I told you, I’m inviting you for a drink.” She smiled cruelly. “It seems we’re out of tea. You’ll have to make do with this.”

With that, she shoved his head directly into the water.

Li Huang struggled violently, but the more he thrashed, the more water rushed into his nose and mouth. The bodyguards held him down firmly. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear. He felt like he was dying.

Just as he reached his limit, Chi Yi pulled him up by his hair. Li Huang choked and gasped for air, his body trembling uncontrollably. The fear of near-death was something he would never forget.

Before he could recover, she gripped his hair again. Thinking he was going back under, he immediately begged: “I was wrong! I was wrong! Please don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! I’ll never do it again! I don’t want to die! Please!”

This time, she didn’t submerge him. She forced him to look at his reflection—the pathetic, tear-streaked, snot-covered mess he had become. Chi Yi’s expression was calm, but the coldness in her eyes was sharper than winter snow.

“Mr. Li, I hope you understand one fact.”

“The public opinion you worked so hard to guide cannot hurt me. But right now, you are the one crawling on the ground like a piece of trash, begging for your life.”

She tightened her grip on his hair, forcing him to look her in the eye. She flashed a perfect smile. “From now on, show Teacher Cheng some respect. Can you do that?”

She let go, and Li Huang collapsed like a dead dog, too paralyzed by fear to move.

“Alright, please escort my guest back.”

Having dealt with the matter, Chi Yi strolled back to the main house. At the door, she ran into her aunt, Feng Xinlan, who was just parking her car.

“Aunt.”

Feng Xinlan jumped out of the car, looking worried. “Why did the Old Master call you back so suddenly? Was it because…”

“Yes,” Chi Yi said helplessly. “Grandfather kidnapped someone. I just finished handling it.”

“I knew we shouldn’t have let him find out…” Feng Xinlan rubbed her temples. “Did you cause any major problems?”

“No, I sent him back.”

“That’s good. It seems your grandfather’s temper has softened over the years.” Feng Xinlan paused. “Though, I’ve heard about that guy’s filth. People like him are a menace. The dirt on him is enough to force him out of the industry for good.”

“Scandals that can be suppressed with money don’t mean much when they come out,” Chi Yi said. “At most, he’d be scolded into retirement. But he’s already made enough money. He’d live a comfortable life even if he isn’t a star. He wouldn’t learn a real lesson.”

Feng Xinlan stopped in her tracks. “You just tortured him, didn’t you?”

Chi Yi smiled. “No, we just had a friendly chat.”

“… ” That smile is warm, but why is it so terrifying?

The two walked inside to find Feng Tianyuan (Chi Yi’s uncle) sitting in the living room. “The busy woman is back,” he teased. “I heard from the Old Master that my niece was in trouble?”

“It’s nothing, Grandfather was just being overprotective.”

“Who told your grandfather to love you most?” Feng Tianyuan’s smile faded slightly. “But remember, if you run into trouble, tell the family first. We are your family; don’t carry it all alone.”

“I know, Uncle.”

“Where’s my sister-in-law? And Siqi?” Feng Xinlan asked.

“It’s the first of the month. They went to the temple with Mother this morning to burn incense. They should be back soon.”

After a short while, the three women of the house returned. Feng Siqi (Chi Yi’s cousin) practically had the word “GOSSIP” written across her face. After lunch, Chi Yi had to head back to work.

“I’ll see her out!” Feng Siqi chirped, following Chi Yi. She hooked her arm into Chi Yi’s once they were out of earshot of the elders. “Sis! I’ve been too busy to ask—who were you with that night?! I can’t believe my sister finally crossed that red line and became a real adult! Is my future brother-in-law handsome?!”

“I already told you, it’s not what you think.”

“Liar, I clearly heard someone there! Just tell me, I promise not to tell!”

“There was someone,” Chi Yi paused. “But it’s not a ‘brother-in-law.’ And we just talked under the covers; it wasn’t what you’re imagining. Lastly… it wasn’t a man, it was a woman.”

“Huh?” Feng Siqi froze. “Sis, do you like women?”

Chi Yi was momentarily speechless at her cousin’s bluntness. She considered whether to reveal her relationship with Cheng Yixin. On one hand, she had to consider Cheng Yixin’s career sensitivity; on the other, she wanted to wait until things were more stable before discussing it with her family.

“How did you reach that conclusion?” Chi Yi asked.

“Oh, right.” Feng Siqi’s gossip fire cooled slightly. “Maybe I just have too many gay friends; I’m a bit hypersensitive.”

“Put that aside. I have another question—” Feng Siqi’s eyes sparkled. “Sis, since when did you and Cheng Yixin get so close?!”

“Don’t lie to me! I saw photos on the Super Topic of you two grocery shopping together. I’ve been so busy, I only just found out you were on a variety show together! Heavens! My two goddesses on the same stage—I never dreamed of it!”

Chi Yi used the same excuse she gave her aunt. “We met at your birthday party.”

“WHAT??!” Feng Siqi’s eyes widened. “I was too shy to even talk to her on my birthday, and you managed to hook up with her?!”

“That’s because you didn’t take the initiative.”

“I was shy!” Feng Siqi fidgeted. “Then Sis, as an insider, help me dig—is she really dating Yu Siyang? I saw the edits for Moonlit Journey; they look so good together, oh my god!”

“…” Chi Yi stopped walking and looked at her cousin. “Feng Siqi, have those videos rotted your brain?”

“I’m serious! I have evidence!” Feng Siqi started selling her ‘ship.’ “Wait, let me find the three major proofs that ‘Yimen Xin Siyang’ is real!”

Chi Yi was in a hurry to get back to work, but she stayed just to see what nonsense her cousin would come up with.

“First, the Happy Saturday episode. The host asked for her ideal type, and she said she likes someone who is good at cooking. In the whole industry, Yu Siyang is known as ‘Chef Yu’!”

“Second, they wore matching outfits on a show! People in my group found out their clothes were from a niche foreign brand, a previous couple-style collection. Their shoes were also the same brand’s couple-style.”

“… That’s hardly evidence. Stylists pick clothes for shows; it’s just marketing.”

“I thought so too, until last night!” Feng Siqi got more excited. “Sis, if it’s marketing, couple items would only appear on camera, right?”

Chi Yi nodded reluctantly.

“Then look at this!” Feng Siqi showed her the photo of Chi Yi and Cheng Yixin at the supermarket. It looked normal. Then, she zoomed in on Cheng Yixin’s shoes. “These shoes! They’re the couple-style shoes she shares with Yu Siyang! She’s wearing them in private. What does that mean? It means they’re real! They’re secretly feeding us ‘sugar’!”

“… There are many similar types of shoes. How do you know they’re the same?”

“The Super Topic fans analyzed the details after zooming in. They are definitely the matching pair with Yu Siyang!”

Chi Yi gave a stiff smile. “So, you’re saying she was wearing ‘couple shoes’ with someone else while shopping with me.”

“Exactly! That’s why I wanted to ask you! Sis, how does it feel to have a front-row seat to the gossip?”

“Great. Just great.”

“Hey, hey… Sis, don’t leave…”

Chi Yi got into her car, slammed the door, and sped off. Feng Siqi shouted after her, “So are they real or not?!”

Cheng Yixin, who had just finished a magazine shoot, let out a loud sneeze. “Who’s plotting against me now?”

“Maybe someone is missing you,” her assistant, Xiao Yu, teased.

“I hope so.”

Once in the van, Cheng Yixin checked her phone. The hate comments on Chi Yi’s page were slowing down, but Li Huang’s post was still up. She muttered about Li Wenjing’s inefficiency. Before closing Weibo, she accidentally tapped on the “Yixin Yiyi” (Chi Yi & Cheng Yixin) Super Topic. Fans were going wild over the supermarket “sugar.”

@SisterHungryForRice: “Darlings! I just realized—they’re wearing matching colors! One in black, one in white. A perfect match!”

@YixinYiyiIsReal: “I’m stanning Chi Yi as the ‘Top’! Yixin is definitely the ‘Bottom’ here! Who doesn’t like a sexy older ‘0’ (sub)?”

“???” Me? The bottom? Are you okay? Cheng Yixin thought. She really wanted these fans to see President Chi’s “innocent little deer” act.

Since she had a livestream tonight, she decided to check the “Yimen Xin Siyang” (Her and Yu Siyang) Super Topic as well, just in case the host brought it up. She immediately saw the post about the “couple shoes” she wore while shopping with Chi Yi.

“???” Fans, you are being too ridiculous! She had just grabbed a random pair of shoes from her closet. Oh well, she’d treat it as free promotion for the drama.

On the way back to the office, Xiao Yu took a call. “Sister Xin, there’s a package for you at the company. It’s quite large. Should I have it sent to your office?”

“What is it?”

“The delivery person said they’re the manager of the MZ Future City branch. Probably shoes.”

MZ? That was the brand of the “couple shoes” from the photo. “Probably promotion for the new drama. Just put them in my office.”

When Cheng Yixin arrived at the company, she didn’t find a pair of shoes. She found a mountain of orange shoeboxes stacked higher than a person. There was nowhere to step; the coffee table and desk were covered. It looked like a warehouse.

“What is this? Are you using my office for storage?” she asked, stunned.

The store manager emerged from behind the boxes. “Hello, Teacher Cheng. I’m Michael, the manager of the Future City branch. Here is the receipt. These are 365 pairs of shoes. Please sign here once you’ve confirmed.”

“???! How many? 365 pairs??!” Her professional poise nearly crumbled. “When did I buy this many shoes? I’m not a centipede!”

“Oh, you didn’t buy them,” Michael said with a professional smile. “President Chi placed the order at our store. She said she was worried you’d be heartbroken if your shoes wore out, so she sent 365 pairs—one for every day of the year.”

“………………???”

Help. My girlfriend has lost her mind.