Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 82

Zhenzhou was not exactly a tourist city. Since the weekday lunch rush had just passed, there weren’t many diners in the restaurant, which made it convenient for them to eat.

The restaurant had private rooms, but Cheng Yixin felt they were too large and lacked a cozy dining atmosphere. Instead, she found a secluded spot tucked away from other patrons. Their conversation naturally revolved around the current filming project.

“The Lunar New Year is in February. If things go smoothly, the director expects to wrap up by the end of January to make it in time for the Spring Festival release window.”

“That fast?” As a layperson to the industry, Chi Yi was surprised. “After filming, don’t things like editing and dubbing take several months before the official release?”

“That’s the normal process,” Cheng Yixin said, rubbing her chin. “But I heard the investor this time is quite generous. Nowadays, anything that can be solved with money isn’t an issue.”

Indeed.

Chi Yi observed Cheng Yixin’s expression and asked tentatively, “Do you… know who the investor is this time?”

“…” Cheng Yixin stared at her, unsure. “You’re not going to tell me it’s you, are you?” Even as she spoke, she was already imagining a “Dominant CEO falls for me” plotline in her head.

“It’s not.”

Cheng Yixin breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could fully relax, Chi Yi’s next sentence made her gasp—she nearly choked on the tea she had just sipped.

“It’s my grandfather.”

“Grand— Grand— Grandfather?!!” Cheng Yixin was stunned. “Wait, your grandfather? Doesn’t your family do industrial business? Why are they investing in the film industry?”

“They do focus on industry. Investing in film is a recent hobby of my grandfather’s. Like that public service short film you did—Grandfather was actually the one who first proposed it.”

“Then your grandfather… I… uh?” Cheng Yixin’s mind was in a muddle. Did Chi Yi’s grandfather already know about them? Was the reason he invested in this drama…

“It’s not what you think,” Chi Yi said. “I haven’t told him about us yet.” She paused and then asked tentatively, “Can I tell him?”

Cheng Yixin’s instinctive reaction was to wave her hands and shake her head vigorously, her head swinging like a rattle. She noticed Chi Yi’s brow furrow slightly for a fleeting moment.

She hurried to explain, “It’s not that I don’t want your family to know. It’s just… I’m not mentally prepared yet. Think about it, your family members are all…” Cheng Yixin choked up slightly, unconsciously wringing her fingers. “They are from a completely different social class than my family. You’ve seen how those… uh… wealthy families are portrayed on TV…”

Lu Qing’s previous words about “mismatched social status” suddenly popped into her head, and her anxiety spiked. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Chi Yi, but if she couldn’t get the approval of Chi Yi’s family, Chi Yi would be caught in the middle. She wasn’t ready to face them or figure out how to interact with them once they went public.

“Yeah, I know.” Chi Yi nodded. She reached out and slowly covered the back of Cheng Yixin’s hand with her own. “I was just asking. I was actually quite scared when I spent time with your parents, so I don’t want you to have that much pressure. We can take it slow. No rush.”

Chi Yi’s thoughtfulness settled Cheng Yixin’s heart a little.

“Then… as for Siqi…” Cheng Yixin looked at her. “You should tell her first.” She rubbed her nose awkwardly. “I feel like it might be easier to communicate with someone our age…”

Ever since she was a child, Cheng Yixin had been afraid of meeting parents and teachers. Even though she was popular and social with her peers, she rarely visited friends’ houses because the stern faces of parents made her feel intimidated.

Thinking about Chi Yi’s grandfather and uncle—men who were anything but ordinary and had seen every kind of person in the business world—she feared that just by standing in front of them, her inner thoughts would be seen right through. The mere thought was more terrifying than auditioning for an international director.

Chi Yi squeezed her hand firmly and broke into a smile. “Alright. Siqi will probably be shocked.”

“Why shocked?”

“She has always believed I was ‘straight.'”

“Huh? You’re as ‘bent’ as a coil of mosquito incense. Is it really that hard to tell?” Cheng Yixin thought back to their first meeting at Feng Siqi’s birthday party. She had spotted Chi Yi in the crowd instantly. It was like a telepathic connection—what people nowadays call “Gaydar.”

“I’m only ‘bent’ for you. For everyone else, I’m very ‘straight,'” President Chi said with an air of righteousness.

Cheng Yixin froze for a second, then burst out laughing.

“Is what I said that funny?”

“No, no.” Cheng Yixin waved her hand while covering her mouth. “I just suddenly felt very happy.”

Chi Yi looked at her and slowly started to laugh as well.

The waiter began serving the dishes. Cheng Yixin arranged them neatly, letting her “phone eat first.” Once she finished taking photos, she looked at Chi Yi across from her, slid over to make room, and patted the seat beside her. “Come sit over here.”

Chi Yi moved over. The booth wasn’t particularly spacious; it was comfortable for two but would be a squeeze for three. Cheng Yixin picked up a piece of white fish and held it to Chi Yi’s lips. She couldn’t help herself and asked, “Your birthday is coming up. Is there anything special you want?”

Chi Yi’s movements froze momentarily. She took a bite of the fish before smiling. “I want you to be especially happy.”

“That’s a non-answer,” Cheng Yixin pouted.

The waiter brought the final dish, interrupting the topic.

“I’m going to the restroom. You start eating,” Chi Yi said as she stood up. Cheng Yixin didn’t think much of it and nodded.

In the restroom, the sound of rushing water filled the air. Chi Yi stared at the column of water overflowing from the sink, lost in thought for several seconds before hurriedly turning off the faucet. She grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands, tossed it in the bin, and timed her exit.

Walking down the hallway, a closed private room door suddenly opened. She was stunned to see who came out.

“Secretary Zhang?” she asked, her voice trailing off. “Is my grandfather here too?”

“Yes, the Old Master is having lunch.” Secretary Zhang was also surprised, but quickly hid it.

Chi Yi wanted to ask why he was there, but then remembered that as the producer, it was normal for him to be in Zhenzhou for the opening ceremony. Eating at the same restaurant was just a huge coincidence.

The secretary knocked twice and pushed the door open. Chi Yi saw Feng Nian sitting in the center of the private room, several dishes laid out on a large round table. He was eating alone.

“Yiyi?” The old man was very surprised. “What are you doing here? I didn’t hear anything about you being on a business trip.”

“I’m here for a set visit.” Chi Yi rubbed her nose and walked in. “Grandfather, are you eating lunch alone?”

“Yes, yes. I was just worrying that I ordered too much. Perfect timing—come and eat with me.”

“Grandfather, I have a date.” Chi Yi gave a sheepish smile. “She’s waiting for me…”

“Who is it?” the old man asked instinctively. “A boyfriend?”

“No.” Chi Yi quickly changed the subject. “Grandfather, why are you here?”

“The TV drama I told you I invested in started filming today. I had nothing else to do, so I strolled over to take a look.” Feng Nian thought for a moment. “Oh, I also saw that Cheng Yixin you told me about. Hiss… are you eating with her?”

“Yes. Grandfather, now that you’ve met Yixin, what do you think of her?” Chi Yi didn’t dare invite her grandfather to join their table.

Feng Nian looked at his granddaughter’s expression and sensed her trying to gauge his opinion. His smile took on a deeper meaning as he replied evasively, “I’ve only seen her once. It’s hard to give an evaluation.”

Once before, plus this time—it was clear his granddaughter was intentionally speaking well of someone in front of him. This was a first.

Chi Yi didn’t know how to respond. She feared that if she said too much, it would draw too much attention. Having her grandfather focus too closely on Cheng Yixin wasn’t necessarily a good thing. After all, Teacher Cheng had plenty of old gossip involving “CP-shipping” from her past work. If the older generation found out, they might think she was “fickle.”

“Since you have a date, go on then. Don’t keep them waiting,” the old man said cheerfully. “I enjoy the peace of eating alone.”

As Chi Yi reached the door, Feng Nian called out to her. “By the way, Yiyi.”

“Yes?” Chi Yi turned around. “Do you have any instructions, Grandfather?”

“I just wanted to ask what you want for your birthday?” the old man asked.

In previous years, the old man would simply gift her a luxury car or a house with a wave of his hand. He never saw her live in the houses, and he rarely saw her drive the cars.

Chi Yi smiled. “A car then. Thank you, Grandfather.”

“Then can Grandfather spend your birthday with you?” the old man asked tentatively. “Your grandmother, your uncle, and the rest—the whole family can eat together and have a birthday banquet.”

Chi Yi’s birthday was a happy day, but it had also been a heartbreaking one. To ensure she only remembered the joy of her birthday, the old man always prepared lavish gifts. She would accept them all, but she was never willing to have a grand banquet like the ones they threw for Siqi.

Chi Yi walked back to Feng Nian’s side, leaned down slightly to hug his arm, and said affectionately, “Grandfather, hosting a banquet and dealing with so many people is exhausting. Why don’t we donate the banquet money to charity for the mountain regions?” She continued, “That way, people in need get more help. I’ll be happy, and everyone else will be happy too.”

It was the same excuse as always.

The old man’s eyes were full of pride. He patted her head and sighed softly. “Ah, my granddaughter just thinks more deeply than others. Then Grandfather will listen to you. Your parents in heaven would be proud of you.”

“Thank you, Grandfather~”

After Chi Yi left, the secretary entered the room.

The old man stroked the stubble on his chin and asked, “Do you think Chi Yi and Cheng Yixin are hiding something from me?”

“This…” The secretary said awkwardly. “I’m not sure. I don’t have much contact with Miss Chi Yi.”

“Go look into it.” Feng Nian paused, then waved his hand. “Forget it. Nothing is more real than experiencing it for yourself. I really can’t understand young people these days.”

After leaving the private room, Chi Yi settled the bill for her grandfather’s table before returning to the booth. Cheng Yixin was looking down at her phone, and the food on the table was almost untouched, exactly as it had been before the restroom break.

“Why didn’t you eat?”

“Waiting for you! Eating alone doesn’t taste as good.” Cheng Yixin put down her phone. “Why were you gone so long?”

“I ran into an acquaintance and chatted for a bit.” If she told Cheng Yixin that her grandfather was in the same restaurant, she feared the actress wouldn’t be able to finish her meal.

While Chi Yi was away, Cheng Yixin had decided on a birthday gift. A jar of wine bought with money felt a bit too “cheap” for someone like Chi Yi. So, Teacher Cheng decided to make something by hand. Cooking wasn’t an option given her circumstances, but she had just seen an ad for needle felting.

She bought a kit for a little deer. The final product wasn’t a mini keychain but a palm-sized ornament nearly 20 centimeters tall. It would be enough for her to stab away at frantically for a month. If filming went poorly, she could vent her stress while felting—killing two birds with one stone.

After lunch, it was still early. Chi Yi had taken a nap and wasn’t sleepy yet, and Cheng Yixin didn’t want to go back to the hotel just to stare at each other. She suggested a date.

Although Zhenzhou wasn’t a tourist city, there were plenty of recreational activities nearby, most notably an amusement park famous for its glass walkway.

“Should we go to the amusement park?” Cheng Yixin said excitedly. “It’s only a 40-minute drive. Not far.”

“By the time we get there, we’ll only get to do a few things before it gets dark,” Chi Yi politely declined.

“True. It’s not as fun once it’s dark.”

They ended up at a nearby pottery studio to experience DIY pottery starting from kneading the clay. The table was full of various pottery samples for reference. Under the teacher’s guidance, Cheng Yixin made a cup with a little deer design for Chi Yi.

“In the future, when you drink water, even if I’m away working and not by your side, you’ll think of me.”

As she spoke, Cheng Yixin carefully picked up the raw, grey clay cup. It wasn’t exactly ugly, but the deer’s antlers looked like two twigs. The top half was painted yellow, the bottom was natural clay, and the rim was uneven. There were two “little ear” handles on the sides—according to Teacher Cheng, these were “angel wings” she designed for the deer.

Chi Yi couldn’t hold it in and laughed.

“What, is it ugly? Fine, I’ll go.”

“It’s not ugly, not at all.” Chi Yi didn’t dare discourage her girlfriend. She hurried to say, “I like it, I really like it.”

Well, Cheng Yixin also felt it was a bit ugly, but she had tried her best. “Let me see what you made. You look so confident, show it to me so I can laugh at you.”

Chi Yi knew that when Cheng Yixin was working, she didn’t really pay attention to what cup she used, and it wasn’t convenient to carry a specific cup on business trips, so she made an ornament instead. It was a long-eared rabbit. It wasn’t big, about the size of a hand. The body was pear-shaped with a cute kaomoji face painted on it. Its most distinctive feature was a pair of long, thin rabbit ears on its head. The glaze was orange—Cheng Yixin’s support color.

Chi Yi was skillful; the rabbit was indeed much cuter than the deer cup.

“Rabbits are easier to make,” Chi Yi comforted her indirectly. “I made an ornament so you can keep it at home.”

Cheng Yixin placed the two pieces together. The gap in quality was obvious at a glance, but thinking about the fact that Chi Yi’s was a gift for her made her feel better. She took a photo of them as a souvenir. The pieces still had to go through a final firing and wouldn’t be ready for pickup for a week.

“Then let’s come back next time.” They would be in Zhenzhou for a while, so there was no rush.

When they left the pottery studio, it was completely dark. The hotel was a ten-minute walk away, so they decided to walk back and order room service later.

As they walked through the night breeze, paparazzi who had been staking them out failed to get any “explosive” scoops, but they did snap a few photos of the two walking back hand-in-hand. Even scraps count as news.

The headline was: Cheng Yixin and Chi Yi Late-Night Date, Returning to Hotel Hand-in-Hand in Intimate Manner.

Since their relationship had already been “clarified” publicly, even with such an “explosive” headline, the view count was low.

…Until the person involved came forward to clarify.

@ChengYixin: Let me explain. It wasn’t a late-night date. It started during the day.

Not only that, she followed up with several photos: pictures of her and Chi Yi eating, and the photos from the pottery studio of the ugly cup and the cute rabbit ornament.

Solo Fans: The rabbit our Yixin made is so pretty!

CP Fans: My ship is giving out candy again!!!

Passersby: Are they media-playing again? Is a new drama coming out?

It seemed this generation of netizens understood the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” logic very well. No matter how “ambiguous” their behavior was, people just saw it as “industrial sisterhood” intended for publicity!