Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 25

Cheng Yixin tried to call Chi Yi, but Siwen answered; Chi Yi was in a meeting. Siwen was completely unaware of the shopping spree. Left with no other choice, Cheng Yixin had to sign for all 365 pairs of shoes. She couldn’t fathom what had gotten into Chi Yi to make her buy so many without a word of warning.

Her office was so cluttered with boxes that there was barely any floor space. When Xiao Yu walked in, she stood frozen in shock.

“Sister Xin, what is…?”

“Don’t ask. Just help me move some of these.”

It took them quite a while to clear enough space just to sit on the sofa. Cheng Yixin sat with her arms crossed, fuming as she waited for Chi Yi to finish her meeting so she could demand an explanation.

“Sister Xin, why are these all the same style?” Xiao Yu asked curiously, opening several boxes to find identical shoes.

“What???” Cheng Yixin stood up to check. Every box she opened contained the same black-and-white casual sneakers.

Wait… she suddenly realized something. These were the exact same style as the “couple shoes” she had used for promotion with Yu Siyang.

Xiao Yu caught on too and giggled. “Ah, I get it now. These were sent by President Chi, weren’t they? She saw the Weibo posts and got jealous.”

“I didn’t wear those shoes out with her on purpose…” Cheng Yixin muttered. She swore that if she had remembered those were “business” shoes, she never would have touched them.

Meanwhile, at the agency, the decision had been made: Li Huang was now an “abandoned piece.” The company’s focus was solely on how to avoid being collateral damage and how to beg the Feng family for mercy.

Liu Xu (the manager) managed to pull some strings to get a meeting at the Feng Group, only to be flatly rejected by the Chairman’s secretary at the door.

Cheng Yixin worked until nearly 9:00 PM. When she got home, she noticed Chi Yi’s lights were off, assuming she had already gone to bed. However, she spotted a white figure near the streetlamp—Chi Yi was out for a night run in a white tracksuit.

“Sister Xin?” Xiao Yu called out from the door.

“Go on in. I see Chi Yi.”

She waited for Chi Yi to run back. Regarding those 365 pairs of shoes, Cheng Yixin had felt too guilty to text her earlier. Now, she watched as the “perpetrator” approached, looking perfectly nonchalant.

“Home so late?” Chi Yi greeted her, removing her earbuds.

“And you’re out running this late?” Cheng Yixin looked her up and down. “Aren’t you afraid of the dark?”

“The neighborhood is safer than the outside world,” Chi Yi replied, opening her garden gate. “Get some rest. Goodnight.”

“Wait, don’t go!” Cheng Yixin instinctively grabbed her arm. “You’re leaving after two sentences? Are you angry?”

“I’m not.”

“Then why did you buy me all those shoes?”

Chi Yi went silent.

“Fine, I need to explain things to you.” Cheng Yixin glanced at the chilly night air and Chi Yi’s thin clothes. “Can we talk inside? It’s cold out here.”

This was her second time inside Chi Yi’s home. This time, Chi Yi didn’t offer disposable slippers. Instead, she brought out a pair of orange slippers with a cute cartoon shark on them. They were soft and comfortable—far better than the paper ones.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to shower first,” Chi Yi said.

“I don’t mind. I should go back and shower too.” Cheng Yixin still had heavy makeup on from her livestream.

After a quick shower and a generous application of scented body lotion, Cheng Yixin returned to Chi Yi’s house, using the passcode she had been given. She found Chi Yi already finished, sitting in the living room with two cups of hot cocoa.

The TV was playing Moonlit Journey—specifically, the scene where the leads confess their love under the moonlight.

“Chi Yi,” Cheng Yixin called out. Chi Yi remained fixated on the screen. Cheng Yixin sat beside her and gently took her wrist. “Chi Yi, look at me.”

Chi Yi finally turned her gaze away from the TV.

Cheng Yixin took a deep breath. “About the shoes… I sincerely apologize. You probably saw the ‘couple shoes’ comments on the Super Topic. I really didn’t notice they were the same ones when I put them on yesterday. If you don’t believe me, look in my closet—I have ten pairs of black-and-white sneakers. It was an accident. I truly didn’t mean to disrespect you.”

“Oh,” Chi Yi replied. “I believe you. You don’t need to explain so much.”

How could I not? Cheng Yixin thought. She had realized that when President Chi threw a tantrum, she didn’t nag—she just spent an exorbitant amount of money to make a point.

“I was just afraid you were unhappy. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Chi Yi stared at her thoughtfully. Just as Cheng Yixin thought she hadn’t done enough to convince her, Chi Yi reached out and poked her cheek with an index finger. It felt like a playful vent of frustration. It didn’t hurt.

Cheng Yixin caught her finger in her palm. “So, Little Chi has learned how to bully her ‘Big Sister’ when she has the upper hand?”

“Does this count as bullying?” Chi Yi’s finger curled, her fingertip lightly scratching Cheng Yixin’s palm.

“That tickles.” Despite saying it tickled, she didn’t let go. Cheng Yixin changed the subject. “Did you see the comments… those crazy people?”

“I saw them.” Chi Yi’s eyes were calm. She even smiled. “Are you worried about me?”

“You’re still smiling?” Cheng Yixin grew serious. “Don’t listen to them. They have no brains and a persecution complex. They think every woman is out to seduce ‘their’ man.”

“I know,” Chi Yi said. “My mood is actually quite good. I’m not affected.”

“That’s a relief. Li Huang deleted the post, so they’ll calm down eventually. I have to thank Wenjing for that tomorrow.”

“So that’s why he deleted it? You were working behind the scenes,” Chi Yi said, playing along like a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “You truly are my lucky goddess.”

“What goddess…” Cheng Yixin muttered, feeling a bit bashful. “Anyway, since it’s settled, I’m going home.”

“To sleep?”

“Wasn’t it you who had the strict 9:00 PM bedtime?”

“I want to stay with you a bit longer.”

The “straight ball” confession caught Cheng Yixin off guard. She sat back down. “Then… pick an activity.”

“Let’s watch TV. Your drama.”

“Actually, let’s not.” Cheng Yixin didn’t want Chi Yi getting worked up over more romantic scenes with a co-star. “Didn’t you say you wanted to learn Cantonese? Is there a local sitcom on?”

They settled on a long-running Cantonese family sitcom. Halfway through, a phone rang.

“It’s Siqi,” Chi Yi said, answering in front of Cheng Yixin.

“Sis!~” Feng Siqi’s voice chirped through the phone. “I brought you late-night snacks! I’m at your door. I saw the lights are on—open up!”

“Wait—”

The two women shared a look of mutual panic. Cheng Yixin looked down at her pajamas. Two women alone in pajamas at night—there was no way this looked platonic.

“Should I climb over the back wall?” Cheng Yixin blurted out.

“She saw us at the supermarket,” Chi Yi said, regaining her composure. “She knows we know each other. I told her we were just friends because I wasn’t sure if she could keep a secret.”

Cheng Yixin felt a brief pang at the word “friends,” but it vanished when she heard the explanation about the secret.

When the door opened, Feng Siqi ambushed Chi Yi with a hug. “Sis!—Wait…” She froze, her eyes widening. “Cheng… Cheng Yixin?!”

“Hello,” Cheng Yixin said with her best professional smile. “We meet again.”

Inside, Feng Siqi pulled Chi Yi aside. “Sis, why is Cheng Yixin at your house?!”

“We’re ‘friends.’ Isn’t it normal for her to be here?” Chi Yi said, completely ignoring the fact that they were both in loungewear.

Cheng Yixin smoothed over the lie. “Yes, I’m staying the night.”

“Ohhh!” Feng Siqi didn’t press further. She turned to Cheng Yixin. “Sister Yixin, I love your dramas! I’ve seen every single one! This is my friend, Tian Yike. We brought barbecue—let’s eat together!”

As Chi Yi went to the kitchen to get drinks, Tian Yike jumped up. “Sister Chi, let me help you!”

In the kitchen, the atmosphere was slightly stiff. “I’ll help you wash the cups,” Tian Yike offered.

“No need. There’s milk, Coke, and juice in the fridge. Pick what you like.”

Tian Yike opened the fridge. Everything was organized perfectly. She noticed two matching white mugs with cartoon cats. She had been here several times and had only ever been given disposable cups. A small wave of disappointment hit her. “I’ll have milk.”

Chi Yi poured four glasses of milk—two in the cat mugs and two in disposable ones. Tian Yike noticed the distinction immediately.

“Sister, don’t worry about the comments online,” Yike said softly.

“I don’t,” Chi Yi replied simply. The conversation hit a dead end.

After a few minutes, Cheng Yixin walked into the kitchen. She found Chi Yi leaning against the counter, staring at the wall.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming out?”

“Heating milk,” Chi Yi said. “Three more minutes.”

Cheng Yixin leaned against the counter next to her. “Why aren’t you out there chatting?” Chi Yi asked with a smile.

“We aren’t that close,” Cheng Yixin admitted. “Besides, I was afraid you’d been kidnapped by a monster since you were taking so long.”

Chi Yi played along. “If a monster took me, would you save me?”

“Of course,” Cheng Yixin teased. “I’d ride a legendary horse to your rescue, only to find you enjoying yourself in the monster’s cave.”

They laughed together. Then Cheng Yixin asked, “Are you close with them? Specifically, Tian Yike?”

“Yike? She’s Siqi’s friend. We’ve met a few times.”

“The way she calls you ‘Sister’ is so sweet.”

“Do you want to hear it? I can call you that too.” Chi Yi stood up and stepped closer, trapping Cheng Yixin against the counter with her arms. “Sister (Jiejie).”

Cheng Yixin had never cared for the term until Chi Yi said it while looking directly into her eyes. For the first time, she felt shy. She tried to look away, but Chi Yi followed her gaze, repeating the word playfully.

I can’t let this ‘innocent deer’ tease me like this, Cheng Yixin thought. She wrapped her arms around Chi Yi’s waist and stepped closer, closing the distance.

“Instead of hearing you call me ‘Sister’ here…” she whispered into Chi Yi’s ear, “I’d much rather hear you say it in bed.”

The effect was instantaneous. Chi Yi’s smile froze.

“What, shy now?” Cheng Yixin teased. She took a step forward, and Chi Yi instinctively backed up until her back hit the wall.

She looked at Chi Yi’s pink, full lips. They looked very kissable. Cheng Yixin leaned in and gave her a light peck. Then another, more lingering one. On the third time, Chi Yi didn’t just stand there—she actively kissed back.

Ding!

The microwave finished. The sound snapped them out of the moment, reminding them of the two “lightbulbs” waiting in the living room.

Chi Yi took the milk out and asked Cheng Yixin to test the temperature. It was warm.

“This brand is very sweet,” Cheng Yixin noted.

“Not as sweet as you,” Chi Yi blurted out.

Cheng Yixin looked at her in shock. That didn’t sound like Chi Yi’s usual style at all. But Chi Yi just took a sip of her milk, clearly trying to hide her blushing face.