Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 71

After watching the meteor shower, the two of them walked back along the mountain path. Thinking that they could head home tomorrow, Cheng Yixin’s footsteps became light and brisk.

Her phone wouldn’t stop chiming. It was Li Wenjing, who had seen her WeChat Moments post and was sending a flurry of inquiries.

Such an ambiguous confession was bound to lead to speculation. Furthermore, Cheng Yixin used her WeChat for both personal and professional matters; her contacts included many collaborators, media figures, and industry partners. In the entertainment world, many celebrities’ “houses collapse” or scandals break because of “internal ghosts” in their Friend Circles who leak private posts to the public, causing a social media firestorm.

Li Wenjing was considering exactly this and urged her to delete the post. She was also worried that Chi Yi’s manager, who was fiercely protective of her career, would never agree to such a public display.

Cheng Yixin had known Chi Yi wouldn’t agree, which is precisely why she had blocked her from seeing the post in the first place.

“Your phone keeps ringing. Aren’t you going to check it?” Chi Yi asked.

“It’s fine.” Cheng Yixin pulled out her phone, switched it to silent, and tucked it back into her pocket. “It’s rare to have a signal, so all the messages are just pushing through at once.”

Technically, she hadn’t officially “come out,” as per their agreement. Was there anything strange about sending a blessing to a “good friend”?

When they returned to the grandmother’s house, the building was pitch black. The grandmother had already gone to bed, and Zou Wen was already tucked away in his sleeping bag. During their days in the mountains, the physical exertion was high, and they usually fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. Only Chi Yi had it a bit easier these last few days due to her hand injury.

The quilts the grandmother brought were very thick—much heavier than the down duvets they were used to. Having two of them piled on felt quite heavy, but they were undeniably warm. Cheng Yixin rolled over to face Chi Yi.

It was too dark to see clearly, and the air held the distinct scent of blankets that had been stored for a long time.

“What time are we getting up tomorrow?” Cheng Yixin asked.

“I’ll get up a bit earlier to settle some things with Wei Qi. Once I’ve handled everything, I’ll come back and wake you up.”

“Can’t we go together?”

“I want you to sleep in a bit more.”

“But it’s so cold in the blankets by myself.” As she spoke, Cheng Yixin pressed closer. She nudged her cheek against Chi Yi’s and hooked a leg over her waist beneath the covers.

“Fine, I’ll wake you.”

Cheng Yixin had spent most of the day traveling, and she was exhausted the moment she touched the pillow. After finishing her conversation with Chi Yi about the morning plans, she drifted off into a hazy sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside was just beginning to turn grey with dawn. The bed still held the warmth of another person; Chi Yi had already returned from washing up.

“What time is it?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“So early…”

Seeing her bleary-eyed and struggling to keep them open, Chi Yi said, “Why don’t you sleep a bit longer? I’ll go by myself.”

Hearing this, Cheng Yixin’s eyes flew open. She sat up in bed as a reflex. Moving away from the warm covers, the cold air hit her, making her shudder. “Sss, it’s freezing.”

Suppressing the urge to dive back under the quilts, Cheng Yixin said, “I’m coming with you. Wait for me, let’s go together!”

“No rush.”

Waking up in winter requires courage, especially with the large temperature fluctuations in the mountains. Chi Yi took off her outer coat and handed Cheng Yixin the thin down vest she was wearing underneath.

“Put this on first; it’ll be warmer.”

The vest still carried Chi Yi’s body heat. It was very warm. Cheng Yixin took a deep breath and stepped out of bed, plunging into the morning chill.

In the bathroom, Cheng Yixin saw a hair tie hanging from a nail on the wall. She knew without thinking it was Chi Yi’s. With her hand injured, even tying her hair had become a luxury.

When she came out after washing up, Chi Yi was sitting in the hall staring blankly—a common way to pass the time in the mountains when there was no signal.

Hearing footsteps, Chi Yi snapped out of it. “You’re done?”

Learning from yesterday’s experience, Cheng Yixin tied her hair into a simple ponytail; otherwise, the mountain wind would tangle it into knots.

“Let me tie your hair for you.” She naturally stepped behind Chi Yi. Her fingers gathered Chi Yi’s long hair, her fingertips lightly brushing against her scalp as she tied a beautiful high ponytail.

She then moved to stand in front of Chi Yi, looking at her closely.

With her hair tied up, Chi Yi looked less sharp and stern than her usual composed self. She looked bright and vibrant, appearing like a fresh university graduate even without makeup.

The more Cheng Yixin looked, the more delighted she became. She suddenly understood the phrase: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

She glanced at Zou Wen, who was snoring loudly in his sleeping bag, and then toward the grandmother’s room. She felt a bit guilty being a guest in someone’s home. Finally, she tapped her forefinger against her cheek and leaned in—her meaning was obvious.

Chi Yi let out a light laugh. She gently pinched Cheng Yixin’s chin, tilted her head, and placed a brief kiss on her lips. It was gone in an instant, leaving one’s heart itching for more.

“I really want to go home soon,” Cheng Yixin said, her words laden with subtext.

Thinking the grandmother hadn’t woken up yet, the two were about to leave when the grandmother returned, holding a bunch of green vegetables she had just picked from the garden.

“You’re up so early,” the grandmother said. “Perfect. There are steamed buns and congee in the kitchen. Eat before you go.”

Waking up early had indeed made them hungry. Although the grandmother’s stir-fry skills were average, her steamed buns were delicious. The traditional sourdough buns had a special, fragrant taste.

After eating one large bun, Cheng Yixin was full. She watched Chi Yi slowly eat the remaining half of her bun. Chi Yi hadn’t touched her half-bowl of porridge yet because she didn’t have a free hand.

Hot white porridge paired with pickled mustard greens was a divine combination in this cold weather.

Cheng Yixin swallowed her last bite of bun, took Chi Yi’s porridge, and stirred it with a spoon. The temperature was just right. She poured the last small bag of pickled greens into the porridge, took a taste herself, and then spooned a mouthful to feed Chi Yi.

“I usually don’t like white porridge, but today it tastes quite good.”

“The pickled greens are good too,” Chi Yi added.

Cheng Yixin scooped more greens into the porridge and fed another mouthful to Chi Yi.

The grandmother watched this feeding scene and smiled. “You two have a very good relationship.”

“Of course,” Cheng Yixin said with a smile. “She is Chi Yi, after all.”

After breakfast, they set off for the house where Wei Qi was staying. When he heard they were heading back, he was both surprised and not surprised. He readily agreed to handle the follow-up matters, telling them to return home with peace of mind.

However, wanting to leave suddenly without prior arrangement was difficult. They needed to see which team member had the time to drive them back to the town area.

“Wei Qi probably won’t find someone that quickly.”

Conditions in the mountains weren’t like the outside world where a phone call could solve everything. Signals were poor, and calls didn’t always go through, so he had to ask door-to-door. It would take at least an hour.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Cheng Yixin suggested.

It was just after seven, and the light was just breaking. A heavy mist floated through the woods, and every breath they took was accompanied by a plume of white vapor. They wandered near the village and found a bamboo forest. While many trees had yellowing, falling leaves, the bamboo remained a healthy green.

On a whim, Cheng Yixin asked, “Do you think this kind of bamboo would make good bamboo-tube rice?”

“Bamboo-tube rice?” Chi Yi tilted her head, looking a bit confused. “Like cooking rice inside the bamboo?”

“Yes. You can make it savory by adding peas, sausage, corn, and mushrooms. Or sweet with red dates and sugar. They used to sell it at the school gate, but I don’t see it much anymore.”

“It sounds delicious,” Chi Yi said, sounding interested.

Cheng Yixin paused and locked eyes with Chi Yi. An idea formed. She borrowed tools from a nearby family and cut a section of bamboo to bring back.

Chi Yi watched this in stunned silence. “Uh… are we really going to carry this bamboo all the way back?”

“The length fits in the suitcase anyway. It’s wild bamboo, so cutting a bit is fine,” Cheng Yixin said matter-of-factly. “Besides, you said you wanted to eat it. I have to make it for you.”

Wei Qi soon found someone to drive them down the mountain. Learning they were leaving, the grandmother was reluctant to see them go. she wanted to pick more vegetables for them, but they declined; instead, they took a few of her large steamed buns. The journey out of the mountains was rugged and bumpy. By the time the SUV smoothly entered the town district, it was nearly noon.

To catch their afternoon flight, they didn’t have time for a proper meal. They gnawed on the steamed buns to tide them over until they reached the airport.

It was a small city with a small airport, but compared to the mountains, it was luxury. Once connected to the Wi-Fi, Cheng Yixin glanced at her Friend Circle post from last night. There were over 200 new notifications.

Underneath the post, some people really thought she was coming out and were asking if it was true. Others suspected she had simply lost a game of Truth or Dare. Cheng Yixin didn’t reply to any of them.

A moment later, Chi Yi, who was beside her, discovered via a Weibo trending topic that she had appeared in Cheng Yixin’s Friend Circle—with such an ambiguous caption.

Chi Yi refreshed her feed N times, confirming she couldn’t see the post. She pointed to a screenshot of the post on her screen and asked, “Why can’t I see this post in your Friend Circle?”

“Where did you see that?”

Cheng Yixin was a bit surprised, but it made sense. Someone on her list had probably screenshotted it to gain attention.

“On Weibo. It’s at the tail end of the hot search list.”

“Oh~” she said nonchalantly. “I did post it. I blocked you, so you couldn’t see it.”

“???” Chi Yi blinked. “Using a caption like that… it’s easy for people to misunderstand…”

“I don’t mind if they misunderstand. Besides, it’s not exactly a misunderstanding,” Cheng Yixin said.

“But having same-sex rumors isn’t good for your future development. Last time… it got so bad we had to hold a press conference.”

“Last time… I was wrong. My mindset was the problem.” Cheng Yixin’s attitude was honest and sincere.

However, the words that followed described a completely different stance: “I’m not an idol. Is it a crime for me to be in a relationship? Even if my partner is a woman, what business is it of theirs? How does it hinder them?”

“My biggest mistake was not blasting those meddling trolls at that press conference.”

Chi Yi was momentarily speechless. Was this bold person really the Cheng Yixin she knew?

“No, no, no.” Chi Yi waved her hands. “The previous incident just passed. At this juncture, it’s better to keep a low profile.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not trying to officially come out yet.”

“What’s wrong with a good friend sending a blessing? There are plenty of straight best friends who call each other ‘wife’ and kiss. Does that make them gay?”

Chi Yi thought about it and found she couldn’t refute that logic.

“Relax~~” Cheng Yixin winked at her. “Big sister has your back.”

Before boarding the plane, Cheng Yixin only told Li Wenjing their arrival time to put her mind at ease. Since it was an entirely private trip, she figured that even if they didn’t take the VIP channel, they likely wouldn’t be recognized wearing masks and no makeup.

At least, that’s what Cheng Yixin thought.

But fate had other plans. After they landed and arranged for their luggage to be delivered home, they walked out of the terminal feeling relaxed.

She was just asking Chi Yi: “Did you make an appointment with the orthopedic specialist?”

“I got one for tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM.”

“Then we can sleep in tomorrow, have breakfast, and then go to the hospital.”

Suddenly, reporters hidden in the crowd swarmed out, snapping photos of them and shouting questions: “Yixin, this is your first public appearance since the scandal. Do you have anything to say about recent events?”

“???” Who on earth leaked the itinerary!

The reporters crowded around them. Fortunately, Chi Yi had been prudent enough to arrange for backup; bodyguards waiting at the exit immediately ran in to separate the reporters from them.

“Yixin, what have you been busy with during your absence?”

“Is the person next to you Chi Yi? Are you back from a trip? Where did you go?”

The more the reporters asked, the further the bodyguards pushed them back. They could only watch as the two walked toward the exit.

As they neared the door, Cheng Yixin turned back toward the reporters being held by the guards. She suddenly smiled.

She grabbed Chi Yi’s wrist, then slid her hand down to catch her fingers. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she interlaced her fingers with Chi Yi’s in a firm, ten-finger lock.

Then, she led Chi Yi away without looking back.