Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 54

“I know those rumors started by marketing accounts are fake—ridiculously fake—but I still care a little. Because the other person in those rumors is my girlfriend… alright, I admit, I feel a bit uncomfortable.”

“I think someone who can earn your sincere approval must be rare, so I want to see for myself what kind of person she is.”

“But… Huang Xinxi isn’t just anyone. She’s busy. Why would she have time to see me? Besides, to her, I’m just a complete stranger, a minor celebrity.”

As she spoke, Cheng Yixin felt a pang of bitterness. She suddenly detested the unspoken “status hierarchy” of the entertainment industry. She was also frustrated with herself—why didn’t she have more impressive works to her name? If she did, she wouldn’t be hesitating over whether she was high-status enough to sit at the same table as a senior, or worrying if she looked like she was trying to “climb the social ladder.”

Just as Lu Qing said, her status and Chi Yi’s didn’t match.

“You aren’t a stranger, and you aren’t a minor celebrity,” Chi Yi said. “I’ve mentioned you to her. I told her our relationship is very, very good. She likely already guessed the nature of it, so you aren’t ‘unknown’ to Huang Xinxi.”

“You want to meet her because you want to understand my social circle. I’m very happy to facilitate that. I’ll handle the communication for the meeting.”

“If she doesn’t have time… then just forget it.”

“No,” Chi Yi said earnestly. “As my friend, she will definitely have time.”

The frown on Cheng Yixin’s face softened slightly.

“Is there anything else on your mind you want to tell me?” Chi Yi asked.

“No.”

“Then I have something to say to you.” Chi Yi straightened up and pulled Cheng Yixin toward the living room. She sat her down on the sofa.

“I know you trust me, but at the very least—it should be said from my own mouth.” Chi Yi took her hand, enveloping it in her own. “Huang Xinxi and I became friends because our views on public welfare aligned. She is kind and easy to get along with; those are her strengths and the reason we became friends so quickly. I must make that clear to you.”

“Because of those baseless rumors online, you might feel insecure. We are public figures; strange news is inevitable. You need to know that the only person I like is you. It has been you from the beginning and it will be you until the end.”

“Others are just scenery along the road; only you are the one I want to watch the scenery with.”

“You don’t know Huang Xinxi because you haven’t met her, and we always feel uneasy about things we don’t know. That’s okay. I hope you two can become friends; then you’ll know she’s a trustworthy person.”

“Don’t worry about whether you, as my girlfriend, ‘should’ trust me. Don’t let that become a psychological burden. Rely on your own feelings. If you have doubts, you can absolutely question me.” Chi Yi kissed the back of her hand and gave her a gentle smile. “Okay?”

“Okay…”

At that moment, Cheng Yixin felt ashamed for having doubted Chi Yi.

“Chi Yi, why are you so good? You’re always so good that I feel like this is a dream. There are no perfect lovers in this world, and certainly none that would come to me.”

“I’m only good to you,” Chi Yi replied. “Everyone has a dark side, but when facing the person you love, you always want to be happy.” She didn’t finish the thought, but her smile contained a lot of hidden depth.

After all, Cheng Yixin would never imagine that her “Little Chi Yi” once had the wild thought of drowning someone in a pond.

“Do you ever get angry? I thought you were incapable of it,” Cheng Yixin teased.

“I’m not a paper tiger.”

“Let me see if you are.”

Cheng Yixin cupped Chi Yi’s face, squishing it back and forth before kissing her chin.

They cuddled on the sofa for a while until Chi Yi spoke up. “I have a business trip in about half a month. I’ll be gone for about a week.”

“Hmm?” Cheng Yixin tilted her head. “Where are you going for that long?”

“The mountains in Ping County,” Chi Yi told her. “It’s where our ‘Love Elementary School’ is located. I need to check on the school buildings, equipment, and do some home visits.”

“Home visits?”

“Yes. Even though our school offers free tuition, there are still some elderly guardians who are reluctant to send their children to school. Usually, an eleven or twelve-year-old child has finished elementary school, but in impoverished, backward areas, that child is seen as labor that can go out and work in two years. Their main thought is to earn money for the family, not to study. So we have to do some ideological work with the parents.”

“Oh~ Will Huang Xinxi be going?” The words slipped out, and she immediately froze. Why did she bring up a third person out of nowhere?

“She isn’t going. Besides, she should be preparing to film the public welfare short film by then.”

“Right.” Cheng Yixin’s eyes flickered. Seeing that Chi Yi hadn’t noticed her slip, she changed the subject. “What happens after they finish elementary school?”

“If they get into middle school, they can board at schools in the county seat. We cover the tuition. Public schools also have grants and poverty subsidies, so the burden is relatively small.”

They chatted more until Cheng Yixin started yawning. She was getting sleepy. “I want to sleep,” she murmured.

“Go take a bath then.” Chi Yi stood up. Cheng Yixin instinctively grabbed her hand. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going back to my place to wash up, too.” Chi Yi paused, staring at her for a few seconds before asking softly, as if seeking permission: “Can I come back after I’m done?”

“Okay.” Cheng Yixin quickly let go and waved her off. “I’m taking a soak. Come back and warm the bed for me later~~”

Inside the brightly lit bathroom, the sound of splashing water echoed. Cheng Yixin sat in the bathtub, letting the hot water soak into her body. After a while, she lay back, resting the nape of her neck on the edge of the tub, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She didn’t know what the pace of other couples was like, but she and Chi Yi were quite stable. Even though they lived across the hall and shared the same feelings, they still maintained the status of going back to their own homes every night.

They weren’t like those couples who couldn’t wait to move in together the minute they confirmed their relationship. Chi Yi was always very proper and respectful—reserved, yet not exactly restrained.

Tonight, Chi Yi’s explanation about Huang Xinxi was very mature. She used a calm tone to describe their interactions and gave Yixin enough security.

Splash—

Cheng Yixin swiped at the water, letting her body sink until half her face was submerged.

It felt surreal. Did such an excellent, perfect lover really belong to her? What had a regular, ordinary person like her done to deserve this? What would Chi Yi’s family think if they knew about her? They probably wouldn’t approve, right?

Her thoughts became a mess. She irritably splashed the water, shaking her head to drive away the negative emotions. She hated the way these thoughts would occasionally spiral out of control; she could only brainwash herself into not thinking about them.

The news that the rural assistance livestream had surpassed one million yuan in sales trended on Weibo the next day. This was despite only a three-hour notice before the stream and no major promotion.

“So annoying! Why am I on the hot search again?”

Cheng Yixin began to wonder if someone was monitoring her 24/7, eager to buy a trending spot for her even when she just sat down for a meal.

“Did the company arrange this?”

“No,” Li Wenjing replied. “If we were going to buy one, we would have done it last night. Besides, why would we use a title like ‘Million Yuan Sales Volume’? That number is too sensitive.”

“Go ask the ‘Big Eyed Boy’ (Weibo) if someone has a monthly subscription for me on their platform. I’m on the hot search every day. Forget the netizens, I’m tired of it myself.”

“Buying trends is an unspoken rule of the platform. Even if it is bought, they won’t reveal the buyer,” Li Wenjing said. “I don’t think your rivals would go this far.”

“Then what else can we do?” Cheng Yixin waved her hand. “Let it be.”

The online reviews for her million-yuan achievement were mixed.

@AccumulatingPointsMilkTea: Using public influence to help farmers sell produce—this is what stars should do! Support! [Thumbs up]

@LeekSpirit: ‘Rural assistance’ sounds nice, but I bet there’s a sales commission. Out of a million, taking half wouldn’t even be surprising. Don’t argue with me—my shop invited an influencer once for a 100-yuan group buy and their cut was 12 yuan! Imagine the commission for a star with tens of millions of fans!

@SmallPlaneWar: Exactly! She’s starting to build a ‘charitable person’ persona! Just wait for the crash!

@DailyDespairXX: Some people are so bitter. Isn’t it normal to take a commission for sales? Do you work for your boss for free? You all talk big, but if asked to do something charitable, you’d run faster than a dog. Keyboards sure are easy to use! At least she took real action. You bitter chicks!

Seeing the trolls, Cheng Yixin was immensely relieved she hadn’t disclosed the real reason for the livestream. People were already spinning conspiracy theories; if she had told the truth, they would have accused her of exploiting someone else’s misfortune for self-promotion.

Truly, those in front of the camera are destined to be criticized.

“Liu Min will need a lot of help with over 30,000 orders. If he’s overwhelmed, tell him to hire more help for these few days so shipping isn’t delayed. We don’t want buyers waiting too long and asking for refunds.”

“I told him this morning. He said he’ll stick to the plan and finish shipping within ten days,” Li Wenjing said, then let out a confused “Hmm?” “I see the product link now says ‘ships within ten days.’ He must have just changed it. Buyers can coordinate with him for after-sales. Our work is basically done.”

As Li Wenjing spoke, she refreshed her screen. A minute ago her status was “pending,” but now a tracking number had appeared.

“Oh, the shipping efficiency is quite fast! Mine has shipped.” Li Wenjing waved her phone. “If it’s picked up today, it should arrive in three or four days. Honestly, I want to taste those oranges again. They were good.”

Cheng Yixin smiled. “My mom bought some too. She said she’ll buy more if they’re good. If he works hard these few days, he’ll have repeat customers next year and it will be easier for him. How is his father?”

“Better. He told me yesterday his father is off the ventilator. After a few days of observation, he should be moved to a general ward next week.”

“That’s great.” Cheng Yixin smiled, feeling a weight lift. “A double blessing. When his father moves to the general ward, help me order some fruit to send over. Cherries should be in season soon.”

“Not yet, probably December. Another month.”

“By then, his father should be out of the hospital. Perfect timing.”

During their conversation, Cheng Yixin received a message from Chi Yi.

“What are you looking at that’s making you smile so happily?” Li Wenjing teased. “From President Chi?”

“Mhm~”

“I knew it.”

“She helped me set up a meeting with Huang Xinxi. I’m having dinner with her next week.” Cheng Yixin looked hesitant. “Should I bring a small gift for the first meeting?”

“How did you get hooked up with Huang Xinxi? Oh, right, President Chi is close with her.” Li Wenjing thought for a moment. “If you want to give her a gift, there’s honestly nothing you can give. Her fashion resources are top-tier—she’s a global ambassador for brands like Grace. Luxury brands send her stuff by the truckload. Anything we can buy, she probably wouldn’t care for.”

“Better not to send anything then.”

“Is that okay?” Cheng Yixin hesitated.

Li Wenjing looked her up and down. “What’s the occasion for this dinner? In what capacity are you going?”

Cheng Yixin thought seriously. “No specific capacity… I just told Chi Yi I wanted to meet her, she told Huang Xinxi, and she agreed to dinner.”

“Oh~ So, you’re attending as President Chi’s girlfriend, and she is President Chi’s friend. It’s a private social gathering.”

“Yes.”

“Then you definitely don’t need a gift. It’s not a business meeting with a senior. Just relax.”

“How can I not be nervous?”

“True! That is Huang Xinxi, after all. Despite the gossip online, her reputation in the industry is great. She’s very nice. So many actors want to meet her but can’t. Did you see the Weibo posts from that auction President Chi held? Every artist there went to find her for a photo.”

Cheng Yixin pondered for a moment, staring at Li Wenjing.

After a long silence, she asked: “In your opinion… do I have any advantage at all compared to Huang Xinxi?”

The answer was obvious, but she still hoped Li Wenjing would comfort her with talk of being a rising star or a popular actress.

“You do!”

“You’re younger than her.”