Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 74

At a certain MCN company, a streamer who had signed only a few months prior was stopped by the boss’s secretary the moment she stepped through the front door.

“President Lu wants to see you in her office!” The secretary dropped the message and walked away.

The streamer’s heart skipped a beat. She hurried toward Lu Qing’s office, her anxiety mounting with every step. When she knocked and entered, Lu Qing was reviewing attendance reports, a terrifying smile playing on her lips.

“Yuanyuan, why didn’t your broadcast hours meet the target last month?”

“President Lu…” Yuanyuan wore a miserable expression. “I broadcasted for over a dozen hours every day last month. My body really couldn’t take it anymore… I even went to see a doctor a few days ago.”

“I see. I can understand your physical condition.” Lu Qing put on an empathetic face. She stood up, walked slowly to Yuanyuan, and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You are one of our top-trending streamers right now. The company is very interested in grooming you, so your health should be a priority.”

Before Yuanyuan could feel a sense of relief, Lu Qing’s next words made her heart sink.

“But the contract states clearly that if the attendance targets are not met, you must reimburse the promotion expenses the company invested in you.”

“But when I signed the contract, no one said the attendance requirement was 500 hours a month! When I first joined, I broadcasted eight hours a day at most. The hours only started increasing two months ago…”

Lu Qing’s grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. “The more you broadcast, the more you earn, don’t you? The company is grooming you. When you become a big star, you can buy whatever you want or even start your own business. Isn’t that great? The price is just gritting your teeth and working a little harder now.”

A sweatshop.

Before signing, everything sounded wonderful. Once the contract was inked, everything changed. Yuanyuan later discovered that most people in the company shared her fate. Trapped by their contracts and unable to afford the astronomical liquidated damages, they could only endure endless exploitation while swallowing the “big dreams” their boss fed them.

After Yuanyuan left, Lu Qing marked an ‘X’ on the attendance sheet. This meant Yuanyuan’s salary for last month would be halved, and after deducting promotion fees, she would only take home four thousand yuan.

Just as Lu Qing was about to call in the next person, her phone rang. It was her father.

“Where are you?” he asked sternly.

“Dad, I’m at the office organizing last month’s financial reports,” Lu Qing said eagerly. “My company turned a profit last month—”

Her father didn’t let her finish, cutting her off sharply. “Come home right now. Immediately.”

He hung up. Looking at the blank lock screen, Lu Qing felt a wave of resentment. She was the eldest in the family, but she had a younger brother born to her stepmother. Ever since her brother was born and stole their father’s attention, she had vowed to make a name for herself. She had used the money her father invested to start this company. It had profited in its first year, yet her conservative father still viewed new media as a “crooked path.”

Lu Qing drove home with a dark expression, but the moment she entered the house, she forced a bright smile onto her face.

“Dad—” She barely got the word out before she saw a guest sitting on the sofa.

A guest she knew all too well: Chi Yi.

The smile on Lu Qing’s face vanished instantly. Her father called her into the living room, making her stand by the sofa without offering her a seat.

“I wonder what was so urgent that you needed me home, Father?”

“You don’t know?” her father huffed. His eyes held the same contempt and disdain she had seen for over a decade.

Lu Qing turned to Chi Yi, her tone accusatory. “What did you say to my father?”

Sitting on the sofa, Chi Yi remained composed. Even though the man opposite her was old enough to be her elder, she showed no sign of restraint. She sat with her legs crossed, watching Lu Qing with an unhurried gaze.

“Xinhui Trading—that name sounds familiar to you, doesn’t it?” Chi Yi asked.

Hearing that name, Lu Qing’s heart skipped a beat. By the name, it sounded like a trading company, but in reality, it was a “sheep’s head selling dog meat”—a hidden studio for “internet services.” In common terms, they were a “Water Army.” They provided services like inflating comment counts, spreading rumors, and coordinated harassment. For the right price, they could lock onto any target for an attack.

The scandal surrounding Cheng Yixin had originally been confined to a small circle. Its massive expansion was largely due to this studio pushing the narrative behind the scenes. It could even be said that without them manipulating public opinion, Cheng Yixin would never have been cyberbullied to such an extent.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Lu Qing denied flatly.

“Do you need me to show you the bank transfer records between you two?” Chi Yi asked.

Lu Qing tried to seize the initiative, her anger masking her guilt as she pointed at Chi Yi’s nose. “I said I don’t know! What are you doing coming to my house? Is it fun to come here and slander me to my father?!”

Before Chi Yi could speak, Lu Qing’s father barked, “Lu Qing! You open one little company and suddenly you think you’re a big shot? What kind of tone is that to use with President Chi!”

Lu Qing was stunned. She hadn’t expected her father to scold her in front of Chi Yi, especially after she had denied the accusation. Her father turned to Chi Yi, who was reaching for her phone to pull up the evidence. “President Chi, there’s no need for the evidence. Lu Qing is definitely in the wrong. I apologize to you on her behalf.”

Chi Yi placed her phone face-down on her lap and looked at him. “Normally, an adult’s business shouldn’t involve their parents. But… it seems my generosity was mistaken for the naivety of a fool who can be trifled with.”

“I will certainly discipline her! We were in the wrong this time!” her father insisted. A veteran of the business world, he was capable of bowing and scraping even while sitting on his own sofa.

“This apology feels a bit lacking in sincerity,” Chi Yi said with a faint smile. “Mr. Lu, strictly speaking, you are my elder. I won’t make things difficult for you. A bow and an apology—can you do that?”

Lu Qing was so angry her mouth nearly twisted. To make her father bow and apologize in her presence—Chi Yi clearly just wanted to humiliate her!

“Chi Yi! If you have a problem, take it out on me! What does this have to do with my father? It’s just an apology, right? I’ll do it!”

“You?” Chi Yi looked at her, a mocking curve to her lips. “You aren’t qualified to just bow to me.” She paused. “You need to kneel and apologize.”

Both the father and daughter froze.

The father was naturally unwilling to bow to a young girl, but the business world was realistic. The Lu family could not afford to offend the booming Yixin Trading, let alone the Feng Group backing them. Knowing his daughter’s fiery temper would normally prevent an apology, he had initially stepped in to “lower” his own status. Now that Lu Qing had spoken, he actually felt a sense of relief and signaled his daughter to comply.

Lu Qing never expected Chi Yi to demand she kneel. She was already unwilling to bow; a humiliating kneel was out of the question. Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

The atmosphere reached a stalemate. Chi Yi wasn’t in a hurry. She took a sip of the black tea on the table and said calmly, “Either a kneel or a bow. You two decide; I only care about the result. But you’d better decide quickly. I might change my mind at any moment.” She offered a perfect, standard smile.

One would almost think she was the villain.

Lu Qing’s refusal to budge infuriated her father, who ultimately had to bow and apologize himself. This bow not only threw his dignity into the dirt but also crushed his final expectations for his daughter.

After Chi Yi left, the father looked at his stunned daughter with a cold heart. “I remember you said you wanted to study music when you were little. Perfect. Go abroad for further studies.”

Lu Qing’s pupils shrank. Her father was essentially exiling her. She shook her head frantically. “No! Father! I want to stay. I have my company—”

“That pathetic company of yours! It spends all day on crooked paths. It’s better off closed!” his father shouted. “I gave you the money to start that company, and I have the right to take it back. Now, go upstairs and pack your bags! Get out of my sight, now!”

Shortly after, a news report appeared online. The Jingning police had successfully captured a gang that disrupted social and economic order as well as internet security management. The group consisted of over twenty members and hundreds of seized mobile phones. They had taken dozens of “orders,” meaning dozens of public figures had been targeted by them.

In the police video leaked online, every desk was covered with fifteen to twenty phones—an overwhelming sight.

@NoOneEatsBreakfast: My mom is gonna be shocked for a hundred years… so this is the legendary Water Army…

@FriedMeatWithBeans: Serve them right!! These Water Armies are the ones making the internet environment so toxic! I suggest a heavy sentence!! Don’t let the buyers off either!!

“Wow…” Even “Teacher Cheng,” who had seen much of the world, was shocked by the video. “So many phones. Can one person even operate them all?”

“Human potential is limitless,” Chi Yi said, putting her phone away. She thought for a moment and said seriously, “This proves that the people who attacked you before were mostly these Water Armies. In reality, there are more rational people in the online environment; they just can’t out-post a professional, paid Water Army. That’s why you saw mostly negative comments.”

“There are still more good people on the internet.”

Chi Yi didn’t really want to say those words, but she knew that a “white lie” was sometimes important.

“Yeah.” Cheng Yixin nodded. Thinking that those trolls were just paid mercenaries actually made her feel a little bit better.

“Let’s not talk about that,” she said. “I’m joining a film crew next week. It’ll probably take two months. The director hopes to wrap up before the New Year.”

“Ah,” Chi Yi murmured, looking dazed. “Does that mean we won’t see each other for two months?”

The last time Cheng Yixin filmed, she was on a closed set. Because of that isolation, she and Lu Qing hadn’t interacted much during their relationship, feeling more like “internet friends.” Chi Yi assumed all filming was like that.

“The filming location is quite far from Jingning. Breaks are only half a day or a day; the flight time alone would eat up the whole break.” Cheng Yixin watched Chi Yi’s expression, then smiled. “But… can’t you come visit the set?”

Chi Yi’s expression instantly brightened. “I can visit the set?”

“Of course.” Cheng Yixin hooked her arms around Chi Yi’s neck and gave her a peck on the lips. “Otherwise, I’d lose my motivation if I couldn’t see you for two months.”

“And one more thing~ I told you a few days ago I wanted to visit my parents. They just got back from their trip. How about…” Cheng Yixin raised an eyebrow suggestively. “We go back tomorrow morning?”

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“I do.” Cheng Yixin thought for a moment. “I was supposed to meet a director, but he had a sudden scheduling conflict and moved it. So I have a day off. But how is your hand?”

Cheng Yixin looked at Chi Yi’s hand. After several physical therapy sessions, the bruising was no longer as terrifying as it had been. It had mostly faded, and she could move normally, but Cheng Yixin feared Chi Yi was just being brave.

Chi Yi lifted her arm and rotated it. “It’s fine. The doctor said there’s no fracture. It’ll be okay once the bruising is gone.”

Relieved, Cheng Yixin immediately called home to announce they had booked a 7:00 AM flight. With any luck, they would arrive just as her parents were opening their shop. She specifically mentioned she was coming back with Chi Yi.

Cheng Yixin’s mother took the call. After hanging up, she sat still for nearly ten seconds. Then she shouted toward the inner room: “Old Cheng! Get out here, quick!”

“What happened?!” Wearing an apron and clutching a spatula, Cheng Yixin’s father ran out. “What’s wrong?”

“Your daughter just called. She’s coming home tomorrow morning. She sounded very happy, so she must be okay now. And she’s bringing Chi Yi with her.”

“Chi Yi? Great! She looked after us when we visited last time; it’s time we returned the hospitality.”

“Exactly! Stop cooking and order takeout! We’re cleaning the house tonight! They’re taking an early flight. We can’t let her see the place looking messy on her first visit—it would leave a bad impression!”

The Cheng parents usually did a deep clean every few days and mopped frequently, so the house wasn’t dirty. Usually, when Cheng Yixin came home, they didn’t do anything special. But this was a special occasion. Cheng Yixin’s mother was already planning to take the windows out to wash them thoroughly.

She then saw “Big Yellow” (the dog) sitting nearby, tongue out and head tilted. She paused, pointed at the sleek dog, and told her husband, “Old Cheng, take the dog for a bath first!”

Hearing the word “bath,” Big Yellow let out a whimper and scrambled under the sofa. It took the combined effort of the old couple to drag him out.

Old Cheng eventually led Big Yellow to the bathroom by his ears. The dog followed with a mournful face and his tail between his legs. If Big Yellow knew he was being bathed just because an important guest was coming, he would have bitten her pant legs.

The “emergency night-time dog bath”—the highest level of hospitality in the Cheng household—was currently a privilege enjoyed only by Chi Yi.