Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 6

Upon learning this information, Cheng Yixin only spent half a second thinking before heading toward the supermarket entrance.

She had never been to this mall before. Her impressions of it had only been formed by word of mouth; since she was already here, she figured she should experience it for herself to see if it was truly as “despicable” as Lu Qing had claimed.

Several types of shopping carts were lined up at the entrance. Cheng Yixin glanced at them, but since she only planned to buy a little fruit, she decided she didn’t need one.

Despite it being a workday, the supermarket was surprisingly busy. Most of the shoppers were elderly folks picking out groceries.

She suddenly paused. After a moment’s thought, she took a photo of the supermarket entrance and sent it directly to Chi Yi.

[Cheng Yixin]: I’ve arrived at your mall. Is there a discount, President Chi?

Her tone was playful. They had never chatted online before, and she wasn’t actually sure if the other woman would reply.

If she did, the outcome was predictable: President Chi would wave her hand, and the store manager would instantly transform into a personal shopper providing SVIP service, eager to flaunt the company’s wealth.

She didn’t know Chi Yi well, so she wasn’t sure how she would react, but if it were Lu Qing, that is exactly what would happen.

Sending the message wasn’t about getting a freebie; she just needed to find a conversation starter so their “relationship” wouldn’t feel so hollow.

Chi Yi didn’t reply immediately, but Cheng Yixin wasn’t in a hurry. She began browsing the aisles.

The supermarket was vast, the goods were neatly organized, and the layout was logically divided according to customer flow.

When she reached the fruit section, she stopped at a counter. There were beautiful watermelons, sliced open to reveal plump, juicy red flesh. Watermelon season was coming to an end, and she was craving some.

She wanted to buy pre-cut cubes, but they seemed to be sold out; none were visible on the shelf. A whole watermelon was too big, and even half was a bit much.

Seeing her linger, a sales assistant walked over. “Miss, are you looking for watermelon?”

“Yes,” Cheng Yixin said. “I wanted to buy some peeled and cubed, but are they sold out?”

“We process our watermelons on-site. It keeps them fresher and the texture better,” the assistant said warmly. “How much would you like? I can cut some for you right now.”

“I only want a quarter. Is that okay?” she asked tentatively. At her usual supermarkets, they only sold whole or half melons; asking for an extra cut would usually earn an eye-roll from the staff. Seeing how friendly this assistant was, she decided to push her luck.

“Of course!”

Cheng Yixin picked out a small watermelon. It wasn’t the prettiest, but its size was perfect. Watermelons are high in sugar, so she couldn’t afford to eat too much at once.

“Do you want the ‘sandy’ textured kind? I suggest you take that one,” the assistant said, pointing to a much larger melon.

Cheng Yixin shook her head. “I don’t want one that’s too big. I can’t finish it.”

“No problem, I can just cut a smaller portion of that one for you.”

Impressed by the assistant’s enthusiasm, Cheng Yixin agreed. Internally, however, she didn’t have high expectations for the portion size. In her experience with market tricks, “cutting a smaller portion” usually meant being forced into a 60/40 split.

She followed the assistant to the weighing station. She watched as the woman put on disposable gloves and held up a medium-sized container. “Is this enough?”

“Let’s use this one,” she said, pointing to the smallest container. If her manager, Li Wenjing, saw her eating a large tub, she’d get an earful.

The assistant halved the watermelon, then halved the half. She took the portion that was clearly much smaller and began carving away the rind.

“Don’t you need to weigh it first?” Cheng Yixin reminded her.

“We weigh it after processing.” Fearing a misunderstanding, the assistant added, “The price is the same even after the rind is removed.”

“…” Cheng Yixin was stunned.

Using her expert knife skills, the assistant sliced away the rind until not a speck of white remained. “If I cut away all the white parts, it won’t taste bitter,” she explained.

“Oh~” Cheng Yixin nodded, then joked, “At other supermarkets, they weigh it with the rind before peeling. If you peel first and then weigh, aren’t you losing a lot of profit?”

“It’s fine, as long as the customer is satisfied,” the assistant said as she finished packing the cubes into the box—a perfect fit. “To ensure the best taste, please finish these fresh-cut pieces within two hours.”

Cheng Yixin checked the label. The unit price was exactly the same as the advertised price for the whole fruit, and the price per pound wasn’t more expensive than at other stores.

Noticing she didn’t have a cart, the assistant asked a colleague to bring one over from the entrance so Cheng Yixin wouldn’t have to carry the box by hand.

She had to admit, the service was impeccable.

Planning to kill time with a movie at home, Cheng Yixin picked out two more types of fruit to snack on. While waiting in the checkout line, she checked her phone. Chi Yi had replied a few minutes ago.

[Chi Yi]: You might like the shop at the far end of the third-floor escalator.

The reply was completely unrelated to her question, but it successfully piqued her interest.

After checking out, she followed Chi Yi’s lead to the third floor and walked straight to the end of the hall. It was a private cinema.

When Cheng Yixin had free time, she usually watched old films or new series—partly to study the acting of the greats and partly to keep up with industry trends.

The exterior decor suited her aesthetic perfectly. She went inside to inquire; the price was reasonable, so she booked a private suite.

The room was clean and carried a faint, pleasant scent of incense. The retro atmosphere was perfect for watching classics.

The staff even arranged her recently purchased fruit neatly on the table for her. The prices for drinks and snacks were standard, and they didn’t prohibit outside food or overcharge just because it was a theater.

Most importantly, Cheng Yixin found a movie in their library that she had been dying to see—one that wasn’t available on any major streaming platform due to licensing issues. This place had the exclusive authorized resource.

The movie lasted two hours. By the end, Cheng Yixin felt a bit drowsy. Since the room was booked per session with no strict time limit, she took a short nap.

When she woke up, the sun was setting outside. She let out a long, satisfied stretch. The experience had been fantastic—quiet, private, and undisturbed.

As she finished paying at the front desk and prepared to leave, she caught sight of someone sitting on the sofa in the lobby waiting area.

The person noticed her, put down her magazine, and stood up to wait for her.

“What are you doing here?” Cheng Yixin was surprised; she hadn’t told Chi Yi she was watching a movie.

“I was waiting for you.”

Cheng Yixin was taken aback. “How did you know I liked movies?”

“You said so yourself.”

Chi Yi’s answer made her think back; she must have mentioned it in an interview at some point.

The other woman pulled a membership card from her pocket and handed it over. “If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to come here often.”

Cheng Yixin had peeked at the membership prices earlier. She had been considering getting one, but seeing Chi Yi had interrupted that thought. Now, with a card right in front of her, she hesitated for only a second before taking it.

“Does this count as a free celebrity endorsement?” she teased.

Chi Yi smiled. It was a genuine, clear smile, not the polite, shallow grin from the banquet. She played along: “It would be my honor to have Ms. Cheng as our spokesperson.”

Cheng Yixin laughed. The two of them walked side-by-side toward the escalators.

On the way, Chi Yi offered to accompany her through the supermarket. Although Cheng Yixin had already bought her fruit and finished her movie, she agreed. Her experience so far had given her a good impression of the place, and she didn’t mind another look.

As they reached the entrance, she looked up at the large “Yixin” logo—a homophone for her own name. She was curious.

She had chatted with the sales assistant earlier and learned that Yixin Supermarket wasn’t a franchise but an in-house brand of the mall. She asked, “Why did you choose this name?”

“I hoped for a heart of perseverance (Yixin) that wouldn’t be swayed by outside interference,” Chi Yi explained.

Cheng Yixin nodded, and the topic ended there.

The entrance led into the lifestyle section. Since walking around aimlessly was boring, she decided to buy a tube of toothpaste.

There were many brands, all neatly displayed. She picked up her usual brand and noticed a small line of text at the bottom of the price tag: For every unit sold, 1 Yuan will be donated to impoverished mountain regions.

The text was very small and easily missed. She checked other labels; they all had the same note.

She had never seen this before. She double-checked the price; it was the same as what she paid elsewhere. They hadn’t raised the price to cover the donation.

“What does this mean?” she asked, pointing to the text.

“Exactly what it says. We donate one yuan for every item sold.”

“Does the money actually make it to the mountains?” Cheng Yixin couldn’t help the skepticism in her voice. In recent years, charity scandals were common, and many people had lost faith in “public welfare” projects.

“It does,” Chi Yi said seriously. “A consolidated public disclosure is released at the end of every year.”

Cheng Yixin looked at her. Chi Yi didn’t seem nearly as “despicable” as Lu Qing had made her out to be.

After picking out the toothpaste, they wandered into the food section. The wide array of snacks was tempting. Since she wasn’t on a strict diet currently, she could afford a little indulgence.

Cheng Yixin stood before a shelf, comparing two bags of snacks. She wasn’t comparing the price, but the calorie counts on the back.

Sensing her intent, Chi Yi asked, “Are you actors always this cautious when eating snacks?”

“Not always,” Cheng Yixin said. “Sometimes directors have requirements, and if you don’t fit the look, you have to diet. Since I’m on a break, it’s fine as long as I maintain my weight. I can eat a little.”

A hint of helplessness appeared in Chi Yi’s eyes. “But you’re already so thin…”

Sometimes, faced with delicious food, Cheng Yixin craved it intensely. But to present a better visual to the public, sacrifices had to be made. She simply offered a small smile.

Passing the bakery section, they were hit by the rich scent of milk. A promoter was offering samples of freshly baked cookies.

“Want a cookie?” Chi Yi asked suddenly.

If it were bread or cake, Cheng Yixin would have declined, but a cookie was worth a try. She tasted one, but when the assistant offered a second, she politely declined and didn’t buy any.

Once they had walked a bit further away, Chi Yi asked, “Any suggestions for improvement?”

“What makes you think I have an opinion?” Cheng Yixin had technically evaluated the cookie as “delicious.”

“If you liked it, you wouldn’t have made that face,” Chi Yi said. “At Siqi’s birthday party, you also put the cookies down after just one bite.”

The woman was incredibly observant.

“Fine,” she admitted. “The taste is good, but for my palate, it’s a bit too sweet. It overpowers the milky fragrance. It would be even better if there were vanilla or matcha flavors.”

“Understood.”

As they spoke, they reached the checkout counters. This time, there was no line. The cashier naturally recognized the boss and glanced at the masked woman beside her.

“President Chi, are we using a membership card?”

The supermarket membership didn’t require a fee or a balance; it was just for points. By asking this, the cashier was subtley asking if the items should be comped.

Chi Yi didn’t answer immediately. She looked at Cheng Yixin, seeking her opinion with her eyes.

Cheng Yixin didn’t catch the subtext between the two. Her first instinct was simply that she didn’t want Chi Yi paying for her.

“It’s my first time at your supermarket. I’ll just sign up for my own membership,” she said.

She pulled out her phone to scan the QR code, politely declining the offer.