Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 86

Chi Yi pressed her hand firmly against her chest to steady her heart, which was thumping like a drum.

She and Xiao Yu stood off-camera, watching as a staff member brought over a bowl of ice cubes. Cheng Yixin picked one up and popped it into her mouth. The director exchanged a few brief words with her, and then the cameras started rolling.

“She’s holding ice because it’s so cold. If she doesn’t, her breath will create mist when she speaks. Keeping an ice cube in her mouth prevents that,” Xiao Yu explained in a low voice.

While those off-camera were bundled up like zongzi, Cheng Yixin looked like she was in a completely different season. Her steps were calm and elegant, showcasing her professional discipline as an actress.

This scene depicted a chance encounter with the male lead on the street. The two talked as they walked, and both actors were in top form, completing the scene in a single continuous take.

The moment the director shouted “Cut,” Xiao Yu and the second assistant immediately rushed forward with a down jacket. One draped the coat over Cheng Yixin while the other handed her a heat pack and a thermos. It was impossible to wear heat patches under a form-fitting qipao, so Cheng Yixin had to endure the cold through sheer willpower. She let out a satisfied sigh as she sipped the hot water.

Chi Yi took off her own scarf and wrapped it around Cheng Yixin’s neck. Seeing her girlfriend’s nose reddened from the frost, her heart ached with pity.

After two more sips, Cheng Yixin pouted and handed the thermos back to Xiao Yu. “Plain water has no flavor.”

“What do you want to drink? I’ll buy it for you,” Chi Yi said, tucking the scarf tighter around her. The residual warmth from Chi Yi’s body made Cheng Yixin feel cozy.

“I want something sweet.”

“Okay, I’ll go buy it.”

As they were talking, the crew’s videographer pointed a camera at them. “Yixin, we’re filming behind-the-scenes footage now!”

In addition to the official camera, others were holding up phones to take photos of them; the faint sound of their “CP name” could be heard in the background. Behind-the-scenes (BTS) clips were meant to show the audience how professional the actors were on set.

Cheng Yixin patted Chi Yi’s face. “Go on then.”

Chi Yi remembered seeing many milk tea shops and cafes near the studio on her way in. She watched as Cheng Yixin took her script to discuss the details of the next scene with the male lead.

“President Chi, let me go. What would you like to buy?” Xiao Yu offered.

“No need. I haven’t decided what to get yet; I’ll look around outside.”

Chi Yi turned toward the exit. She had only walked a few steps when someone called out to her. She turned to see a girl dressed in an extra’s costume.

“Chi Yi—Teacher Chi, could I have your autograph?”

Chi Yi stopped. This was the first time someone had ever asked for her autograph. She thought for a moment and said apologetically, “I’m not a celebrity. My signature doesn’t really carry any meaning.”

“I know you’re not a star, but I really like you,” the girl said with an admiring look. “You’re the chairwoman of a corporation at such a young age, you’re beautiful, and you’re kind enough to help others. I really look up to you; you’re my idol! I want to become someone like you.”

“I haven’t reached the level of being someone’s idol yet,” Chi Yi said seriously, then paused. “But thank you for liking me.”

Chi Yi still didn’t give her an autograph; in the business world, signing one’s name is a serious matter. Furthermore, she truly didn’t believe she was someone who should be signing things for others. In the end, she took a photo with the girl. The girl checked the photo carefully and was very satisfied.

She asked, “Can I post this on Weibo?”

“As you wish.”

“Then, about this…” The girl showed her the phone screen, pointing to a red mark on Chi Yi’s neck. With the phone’s built-in beauty filter, the hickey had turned a light pink, but it was still clearly recognizable as a hickey. She said tactfully, “Should I edit this…?”

The mark was on the side of her neck, partially obscured by her hair. From a distance, it wasn’t noticeable, but the girl had seen it up close and was certain what it was. Thinking it was a private mark, she considerately offered to Photoshop it out.

Seeing Chi Yi’s expression freeze for a moment upon seeing the mark, she further explained, “Even though you aren’t a celebrity, you are a public figure. If this gets posted, people will definitely gossip…”

“It’s alright. I am an adult,” Chi Yi gave her a faint smile.

It wasn’t until Chi Yi had completely left her sight that the girl snapped out of it. “So cool… I’m suddenly so jealous of her partner.”

Chi Yi was gone for quite a while. Cheng Yixin had finished her second scene and scanned the area during her break, but she still didn’t see Chi Yi.

“Is Chi Yi not back yet?” Cheng Yixin asked impatiently as her assistant wrapped her in the down jacket.

“Not yet,” Xiao Yu thought for a moment. It had indeed been a while. “Should I call and ask?”

“I’ll do it. Give me my phone.”

Xiao Yu handed it over. Just as Cheng Yixin opened their chat window, she saw Chi Yi appearing in her line of sight carrying a paper bag from a coffee shop. Following behind her was a person pushing a cart with a large foam box on it.

“Yixin is treating everyone to milk tea!” Hearing this, those on break swarmed over to grab a drink.

“You were gone that long just to buy milk tea for everyone?” Cheng Yixin took a sip of hot cocoa, the rich chocolate flavor spreading across her tongue.

“Not just that. I also saw a nearby restaurant that does deliveries. Didn’t you say the crew’s boxed lunches are terrible? Let’s improve the food for lunch.”

“The moment President Chi arrives, we have things to eat. Please come often!” Xiao Yu said with a grin.

After the milk tea, everyone’s enthusiasm for work soared. Someone recorded the interaction between Chi Yi and Cheng Yixin on set and posted it online. It should have been a normal interaction, but someone with sharp eyes noticed the thing on Chi Yi’s neck that looked like a hickey. The video quality was blurry since it was filmed from afar, until an extra who was a regular at the studio posted the selfie with Chi Yi.

That photo showed the mark much more clearly than the video; it was almost certainly a hickey. This caused a huge stir, quickly sparking speculation among netizens.

Some saw them in the same frame and naturally assumed the person who left the mark was Cheng Yixin, while also labeling Chi Yi’s blatant display of a hickey as “indecent.”

Those who supported Chi Yi were either CP fans, who were overjoyed by the “candy,” or people who found the netizens’ wild guesses ridiculous.

@MaFeiFeiRen: What? The beauty has a boyfriend? My dream is shattered [Bye-bye]. I’m so jealous of her boyfriend [Cry].

@LittleCatMask: Heavens, Chi Yi has a boyfriend??! I just started shipping ‘Yixin Yi-yi,’ please tell me it hasn’t ended already?

@YixinYiyiSZD: Open your minds. Is it possible Chi Yi’s partner is a girlfriend?

By the time they saw the trending search, Cheng Yixin and Chi Yi had just left the set. Cheng Yixin had negotiated with the director to finish her scenes early so they could wrap up for the day, and Ma Zhou had readily agreed. Besides wanting to be a good host for a visitor, Ma Zhou had vaguely heard that President Chi was originally going to invest in this drama but had been beaten to it by the current investor. Hoping for future investment from Chi Yi, Ma Zhou was more than happy to give them a green light.

At 3:00 PM, Teacher Cheng gained her freedom. Her first task was to head to the pottery studio to pick up their finished pieces.

“Why are so many people @-ing me today?” Cheng Yixin was puzzled. She opened Weibo and saw Chi Yi’s name in the real-time trending tags. Clicking in, she saw the photo the extra had posted, with the hickey displayed without any concealment.

Cheng Yixin’s eyes widened. “When did you take a photo with someone?”

“When I went to buy milk tea.”

“Why didn’t she Photoshop it?” Cheng Yixin frowned, instinctively assuming the other person had intentionally left it in to create hype.

“She asked me,” Chi Yi paused. “I told her there was no need.”

“Huh?” Cheng Yixin had figured that with Chi Yi wearing her mark, she might at most be caught by paparazzi from a distance, where it wouldn’t be clear. she hadn’t anticipated the possibility of someone asking for a photo.

Chi Yi touched her neck and gave a light cough. “My girlfriend left it there. Why should I hide it?”

Cheng Yixin froze for a second, then lunged forward to hook her arms around Chi Yi’s neck. “Baby Chi Yi~~”

Under the circumstances, she wouldn’t have minded if Chi Yi had asked for it to be edited out. But Chi Yi had stuck to her own principles. “So good~!” She planted a loud kiss on Chi Yi’s cheek.

Sitting in the front, Xiao Yu secretly rubbed her goosebumps and silently put on headphones to become invisible. Who would have thought that her Sister Xin, who was as straight as a “romance allergy” patient when faced with advances from various male and female stars, would use such a sappy, high-pitched “baby voice” when she actually fell in love?

“But next time, don’t leave it in such an obvious spot,” Chi Yi whispered. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

“Then I’ll leave it at…~~” Cheng Yixin leaned into Chi Yi’s ear and whispered the rest, her smile full of mischief.

“…” Chi Yi gave her waist a light pinch.

Regarding the online rumors, Chi Yi didn’t give a formal response, but she did repost a comment from a netizen named @IDsss.

@IDsss: This is so annoying. Can we stop dragging ‘fandom culture’ onto people outside the industry? As an adult, isn’t it normal for Chi Yi to have a sexual life? What is there to discuss? Do you all live in the Qing Dynasty? Or do you have no sexual life of your own so you can only gossip about others? [Rolls eyes]

President Chi very much agreed with this netizen. Intelligent netizens who understood her stance took the hint and stopped fueling the fire.

Meanwhile, CP fans were torn between joy and sorrow. They deluded themselves into thinking that the ship was so bold about their bedroom activities, yet logic told them that the more blatant it was, the “straighter” the subjects were. A normal public figure would be terrified of losing fans by coming out—how could they actually show it off? Who knows what Yixin thought about seeing that mark on Chi Yi’s neck. The entire CP Super Topic square was shrouded in a weird atmosphere of both happiness and sadness.

…Until nightfall.

That evening, Cheng Yixin posted on Weibo. Her previous post featured the raw clay deer cup and rabbit ornament; now, they were fired and looked brand new. In the photo, Cheng Yixin showed half her profile, holding her deer cup and posing as if to kiss it.

@ChengYixin: The little deer cup is done~ giving it to my beloved Little Deer~ <Posted in the Yixin Yi-yi Super Topic>

If it were just the caption, CP fans might have hesitated over whether the “Little Deer” she mentioned was Chi Yi, but this time, the person in question had posted directly in the CP Super Topic. It was the first time the subject had personally entered the square to force-feed them “candy.”

@YixinYiyiSZD: Aaaaaah! ‘Beloved’! My ship is definitely real!!

“Isn’t this a bit too high-profile?” Chi Yi watched as Cheng Yixin pressed the “send” button. She couldn’t stop her, and said with some helplessness, “I bet Sister Wenjing is going to call you again.”

“I just posted on Weibo; what does that prove?” Teacher Cheng acted like a “dead pig that isn’t afraid of boiling water.” “Besides, I’m filming; Sister Wenjing can’t control me right now. She’s probably busy with the newcomers.”

“Alright, alright,” Chi Yi indulged her. “Finished eating? Where to next?”

“I want to try the trampolines. There’s a place downstairs in this mall,” Cheng Yixin said excitedly.

“Let’s go then.” Chi Yi grabbed the coat draped over the chair and put it over Cheng Yixin’s shoulders as she stood up. “I’ve already settled the bill.” That look was quite like a “Dominant CEO.” Cheng Yixin smiled.

Downstairs was an indoor park. Besides trampolines, there was a ball pit and a rock-climbing experience. Since it was aimed at adults, there were no children or ear-piercing screams, making the overall experience much better. They bought a package ticket, and the first activity was the trampoline. Because of the risk, they had to wear protective suits.

The suits offered great protection but were quite bulky. After putting on the inflatable suit, she looked two sizes rounder. Cheng Yixin looked at herself in the mirror and burst out laughing. “So round!”

“Cute,” Chi Yi laughed from the side. She wasn’t wearing a suit; she wasn’t very keen on trampolines and didn’t plan to play. She stood nearby taking videos, while also keeping an eye on Cheng Yixin’s safety to prevent her from being crowded or recognized.

While playing, some people nearby recognized her. Cheng Yixin greeted them enthusiastically. Everyone was focused on playing and their phones were mostly locked in lockers, so only Chi Yi’s lens was pointed at her.

“Are you two on a date?” a girl jumping nearby chatted with her, even teaching her how to jump higher with less effort.

“Yes, we are,” Cheng Yixin answered without any hesitation. A second of doubt would be a disrespect to her relationship.

“What kind of date?” The girl was having so much fun that she blurred the boundaries.

“Whatever kind of date you want it to be.”

“Huh? For real? I used to ship your CP!”

The surroundings were a bit noisy, so Cheng Yixin had to shout at the top of her lungs: “Why do you say ‘used to’?”

The girl also shouted back: “You look like the kind of straight girl who’s just very good at flirting! You don’t look ‘bent’ at all!”

The person in question fell into silence. What exactly have I done to give people such a stereotype?