Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 26

The late-night snack lasted until Cheng Yixin began to feel drowsy. After her third yawn, President Chi finally started ushering the guests out.

“It’s getting late,” Chi Yi said. “Yixin is tired.”

“Oh, alright. We’ll head out then.” Feng Siqi was sensible enough to take the hint; seeing her cousin in a good mood was enough to put her mind at ease.

After seeing the guests off, Cheng Yixin felt the familiar exhaustion that comes with social obligations. Young people were simply too energetic. She let out a massive yawn. Looking at the clock—it was already past 10:00 PM—no wonder she was sleepy.

“Tired?” Chi Yi asked naturally. “Then let’s go upstairs and sleep.”

“Eh?” Cheng Yixin’s brain lagged for a second.

“Didn’t you say you were staying the night?”

Since she had put it that way, it would be impolite not to stay.

“Well… I suppose staying over is fine then~”

Chi Yi couldn’t help but smile, giving her a playful, chiding look. “You make it sound so forced.”

Turning off the TV, Chi Yi took her hand and led her upstairs. Cheng Yixin had never been to the second floor and was curious about Chi Yi’s bedroom. Following behind, she noticed that since they were both in flat slippers, Chi Yi appeared slightly taller due to the perspective.

“You seem quite tall.”

Chi Yi suddenly stopped and turned around. Unable to brake in time, Cheng Yixin walked straight into her.

“Whoa.” She nearly bumped heads with Chi Yi. Just as she was about to step back and apologize, Chi Yi’s arms wrapped around her waist.

The atmosphere froze. Under the warm yellow light of the hallway, Cheng Yixin looked at the face inches away from her and blinked. Chi Yi’s gaze was fixed, falling on Cheng Yixin’s lips. After two seconds, Chi Yi consciously licked her dry lips.

She wanted to kiss her.

But with Lu Qing’s warning in mind, she feared Cheng Yixin would find her too forward, causing the goodwill they had built to collapse.

Seeing through her, Cheng Yixin’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk. She asked teasingly, “Do you want to kiss me?”

The hand around her waist unconsciously gripped the soft fabric of her shirt. Chi Yi gave a tiny, soft “Mm.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yixin took a step back, easily slipping out of the embrace as if nothing had happened. “Which one is your bedroom?”

“…The one at the very end.”

Chi Yi’s bedroom was spacious, featuring a wall of bookshelves and a large, soft-looking bed. Chi Yi handed her a new toothbrush from the cabinet. “I only have one rinse cup. Wait here while I go down and get another.”

“No need. I’ll just use yours.”

Chi Yi had assumed she would mind sharing personal items. Hearing this, a small spark of joy flared in her heart.

After washing up, the two prepared to get into bed.

“Which side do you want?” Chi Yi asked.

“Either way.” Cheng Yixin glanced at her and suddenly asked, “How tall are you, exactly?” Standing side-by-side, the height difference seemed negligible.

“172 cm,” Chi Yi replied.

“Really??”

Cheng Yixin, who was 171 cm, felt her competitive streak flare up. Standing barefoot on the floor, she said, “Let me see.”

They stood face-to-face. Cheng Yixin refused to believe she was a full centimeter shorter. She stealthily stood on her tiptoes. Without cracking a smile, she claimed, “Hmm, we’re about the same. I’m actually a tiny bit taller.”

Chi Yi, who knew Cheng Yixin’s official height perfectly well, almost burst out laughing but played along. “Mm. You’re taller.”

“Why are you suppressing a laugh?” Cheng Yixin called her out immediately.

“I’m not,” Chi Yi said with a smile. “I completely agree.”

Ugh, that knowing look is so arrogant, Cheng Yixin thought. Her eyes darted around before she grabbed Chi Yi’s collar, leaned in, and gave her a quick kiss.

As expected, the other woman froze.

Cheng Yixin paused, then leaned in again. This time, it wasn’t a light peck; she used her lips to press against Chi Yi’s in a lingering, teasing way. Just as Chi Yi was about to respond, Cheng Yixin pulled away and brushed her hair back as if nothing had happened. “Alright, let’s sleep.”

Chi Yi: Internal screaming.

The next morning, Cheng Yixin had a schedule before 8:00 AM. Her phone buzzed, and she immediately silenced it to avoid waking Chi Yi. She watched her for a moment; Chi Yi was sleeping like a fairy-tale beauty. Softened by the sight, she almost reached out to touch her cheek but stopped herself.

Cheng Yixin slipped out quietly and headed to her animal zoo shoot. While there, she visited the “Deer Park.” Seeing the gentle deer, she couldn’t help but think of Chi Yi. She posted a photo of a deer almost kissing her on Weibo with the caption: Deer are so cute. I like them.

To her surprise, President Chi, despite her busy schedule, replied instantly:

「I am a deer」

Cheng Yixin laughed. She could almost see Chi Yi’s expression. She replied: 「Next time, let’s go together.」

Chi Yi replied: 「Not ‘next time.’」

「Then I’ll take you this weekend.」

Meanwhile, the situation with Li Huang reached its breaking point. Abandoned by his agency and plagued by nightmares of Chi Yi drowning him, his mental state collapsed. He posted a video screaming at his fans to stop following him, which led to a massive industry-wide scandal.

Eventually, Liu Xu brought a trembling Li Huang to see Chi Yi at Yixin Trade. Li Huang literally fell to his knees, begging for mercy.

“I was wrong! Please let me go! I dream of you killing me every night!”

Chi Yi looked at him with indifference. “I’m not interested in your life. But looking at you now, I don’t feel a shred of pity. Think of the actresses whose lives you ruined with your fan harassment.”

After they left, Siwen confirmed that Li Huang’s career was officially over. “Heaven’s cycle is just. The industry is a little cleaner today.”

The weekend arrived. Because she had promised to take Chi Yi to the zoo, Cheng Yixin worked like a madwoman, starting at 6:00 AM to finish her three separate schedules by noon.

When Chi Yi’s car picked her up, Chi Yi noticed her exhaustion. “I bought lunch for you to eat on the way. There’s a blanket and pillow in the storage box if you want to sleep.”

“Isn’t it a 90-minute drive?” Cheng Yixin asked, already drifting off.

“I’ll drive steadily.”

Cheng Yixin fell into a deep sleep. At one point, she woke up in a daze and saw through the windshield that the car was pulled over. Ahead, an elderly woman was struggling to push a bicycle loaded with goods up a steep hill. Chi Yi was outside, helping the woman push the bike all the way to the top. The woman gave Chi Yi an orange in thanks, and Chi Yi smiled brightly.

Cheng Yixin closed her eyes and went back to sleep, a smile on her face.

When she finally woke up for real, they were almost there. She checked the time—it had been over two hours.

“I thought it was a 90-minute drive? Why aren’t we there yet?”

“I didn’t take the highway,” Chi Yi replied. “More traffic lights on the local roads, so it’s slower.”

Cheng Yixin realized Chi Yi had taken the long route just so she could sleep more.

“Want an orange?” Chi Yi offered, taking one out of the console.

“Ah, so that wasn’t a dream.”

“What dream?”

“Nothing.” Cheng Yixin took the fruit. “Where did it come from?”

“Someone gave it to me,” Chi Yi said simply, not mentioning her good deed.

Cheng Yixin smiled warmly.

“What are you laughing at?” Chi Yi asked through the rearview mirror.

“I’m laughing because you’re so cute.”