Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Shi Mu had come to visit Shi Yin this time to have a serious talk with her about the previous matchmaking attempt.
The matchmaker had originally been very satisfied with the arranged date. It was through an acquaintance, so they knew the family well—the man’s background was good, he was handsome, and his job was respectable.
Moreover, the intermediary later told Shi Mu that the man’s side seemed particularly interested and even mentioned forgetting to exchange contact information, urging them to add each other quickly to stay in touch.
Shi Yin had just turned twenty-four after her birthday, and it wasn’t as if she was at an age where marriage was urgent. However, Shi Mu’s anxiety stemmed from her daughter’s line of work.
Every day, Shi Yin stayed cooped up at home, interacting only with married editors who already had children or young assistants still in school. Her social circle was practically nonexistent. At this rate, even five or seven years later, she might not find a boyfriend.
Shi Mu was deeply troubled. By the time she was twenty-four, Shi Yin had already been born. Here her daughter was now, without a single decent male figure in her life.
Watching another year pass and her daughter grow a year older, Shi Mu had brought up the topic many times during phone calls and video chats, but Shi Yin had skillfully brushed it off every time, clearly unwilling to discuss it further.
Shi Mu had initially thought, Let things take their natural course.
But earlier today, while chatting with the intermediary in the neighborhood square, she learned something shocking—on the day of the blind date, the banker hadn’t shown up. Instead, it was his cousin who attended, and it was this cousin who liked Shi Yin.
Furious, Shi Mu called Shi Yin immediately to ask about the matter.
But Shi Yin’s phone was turned off.
Unwilling to wait even a minute, Shi Mu went straight to her daughter’s apartment.
And then—
Shi Mu stood frozen at the door, confirming that this was indeed the correct unit, and looked up at the person standing before her.
A man.
Tall.
At first glance, quite handsome.
Upon closer inspection, not just handsome—his beauty could rival the legends of ancient times.
But what was this young man doing standing at her daughter’s doorstep? And why did he look like he had just finished showering?
Shi Mu was momentarily stunned by his calm demeanor. “Who are you?”
Gu Congli pulled the towel off his head. “Gu Congli.”
Shi Mu suddenly understood, and they exchanged introductions. “I’m Shi Yin’s mother.”
Gu Congli politely greeted her. “Hello, Auntie.”
Shi Mu nodded. “Ah.”
“…”
Something about this situation didn’t sit right with Shi Mu.
Before she could say anything, the man stepped aside and handed her a pair of slippers. “Please come in.”
Shi Mu nodded absently, entering the house still somewhat dazed. “You’re Shi Yin’s boyfriend, right?”
Shi Mu was a trendy person, often chatting with her square-dancing friends and browsing the internet. She was well aware of how casual relationships were among young people these days.
However, she trusted her own daughter—she just feared she might be deceived.
Shi Mu carefully scrutinized the young man before her. He was undeniably handsome, with high cheekbones, double eyelids, and a model-like physique.
This strikingly handsome young man nodded quietly.
At least he wasn’t loud or obnoxious.
To be honest, Shi Mu was pleased—but only for two seconds before her mood soured again.
It was early morning. Even if he was her boyfriend, things seemed to be progressing far too quickly.
She didn’t even know when her daughter had gotten a boyfriend.
Shi Mu walked to the bedroom door, opened it, and peered inside. The dimly lit room was warm, with Shi Yin wrapped tightly in blankets, sleeping soundly.
Shi Mu tapped her forehead. “Yin Yin.”
Shi Yin frowned, pulling the blanket higher to cover her face.
Shi Mu tugged on her hair, raising her voice. “Shi Yin!”
Startled, Shi Yin poked her head out groggily, squinting her eyes. Upon seeing who it was, she instantly woke up. “Mom?”
Shi Mu narrowed her eyes. “Awake? Go back to sleep.”
Shi Yin’s soul nearly fled her body. Stammering, she asked, “W-what are you doing here…?”
“How dare you bring a man home like this?” Shi Mu glanced toward the door, not seeing anyone, and turned back coldly.
Shi Yin cleared her throat, weakly defending herself. “He’s my boyfriend…”
“And because he’s your boyfriend, he can spend the night whenever he wants?” Shi Mu glared.
Shi Yin blinked, earnestly responding, “Mom, this is the first time he’s spent the night at my place, and I asked him to stay.”
Shi Mu glared at her, pausing for a moment before reluctantly adding, “Though that boy is quite good-looking.”
Shi Yin eagerly nodded.
Shi Mu continued, “He’s only slightly less attractive than your father was at his age.”
“…”
Shi Yin gave her a look that spoke volumes.
Shi Mu snorted, pointing at her nose. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m very disappointed in how you’ve handled this. If I tell your father about this, you two won’t last another day—he’ll grab a knife and chop off that boy’s legs.”
Shi Yin turned pale with fright, nearly jumping up. A sharp pain shot through her legs, and she gasped, trying to hide her discomfort from her mother.
Pitifully, she clung to Shi Mu. “Mom, please don’t tell Dad! Isn’t this the boyfriend you’ve been nagging me to find every day?”
Shi Mu tapped her forehead, pushing her away gently. “You’re old enough now. I won’t meddle too much, but you need to have some sense.”
Shi Yin nodded frantically, like a chicken pecking at grain.
Shi Mu peeked her head out, hearing sounds from the kitchen, and whispered, “Does he cook too?”
Shi Yin hurried to praise Gu Congli. “Yes, he cooks very well—even Spanish dishes!”
She went on and on about how amazing Gu Congli was—how he could do all household chores, was gentle and considerate, never lost his temper, and treated her exceptionally well.
In the middle of her praise, Shi Fu called, asking Shi Mu what she was doing and why she hadn’t returned home yet.
Shi Yin froze, holding her breath, shaking her head wildly.
Shi Mu glanced at her, casually making up an excuse, then got up to leave.
As she exited, Gu Congli came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of golden-brown bacon and potato pancakes. Shi Mu smiled warmly at him. “Xiao Gu, right? I’ll head out now. Let’s chat another time.”
Gu Congli nodded. “Goodbye, Auntie.”
Shi Yin leaned against the bedroom doorway in her long robe, watching her mother leave. Turning back, she saw Gu Congli, sleeves rolled up, holding a plate wearing a Doraemon apron—a very domesticated look.
Shi Yin let out a long sigh, still shaken. “That scared me to death.”
Compared to her, Gu Congli remained composed. He set the plate down and glanced up. “If you’re awake, come eat breakfast.”
Shi Yin glared at him. “My mom came, and you didn’t wake me up?”
“You told me not to call you and to let you sleep until you woke up naturally,” Gu Congli calmly replied. “I didn’t dare disobey the queen’s orders.”
Shi Yin: “….”
Gu Congli, thoroughly sated, was extremely gentle and obedient to her for several days afterward.
Shi Yin forbade him from all “entering” activities, probably because she knew in her heart that she had been too rough with him the first time, and Gu Congli very obediently agreed.
Even, after getting off work, he took on the role of an assistant, painting the backgrounds for the storyboard panels where she had finished the main characters, and even applied screentones.
Shi Yin hadn’t seen him paint for many years, and his skill was still astonishing. His grasp of the storyboard and pacing was terrifying. He only slightly modified a few compositions, and with a few simple strokes, the entire scene instantly looked more harmonious and impactful.
Only then did Shi Yin remember that this person also had another name: Qi’an.
The circulation of one of his standalone volumes was more copies than all of her works combined would probably ever reach in her lifetime.
These days had been peaceful, and coupled with the busyness of drawing the manuscript, Shi Yin had almost forgotten about Li Nian.
But thinking about it, she had already slept with the person, so there was really no need to be petty with a poor thing who was still racking her brains trying to invite him to have a meal with her.
After all, the starting points were different, and the fighting power was vastly different.
Teacher Shi Yi thought arrogantly.
The following week, Yaoguang Publishing House’s annual meeting was held as scheduled.
Yaoguang’s annual meeting had always been an extremely grand affair. Yaoguang had changed its boss the year before last, and it was said that the new boss was very wealthy, having bought the company as a plaything. His favorite thing to do was to show off, so generally, any activity that could demonstrate the company’s prestige would absolutely not be missed. Countless guests were invited, along with industry partners and competitors, allowing Yaoguang to gain ample face.
Shi Yin had never actually gone in previous years for various reasons. This year, she received the invitation early as usual, and after thinking about it, she agreed.
The evening gown was still prepared by Gu Congli. Shi Yin was silent for a long time the moment she unfolded it.
It was an almost floor-length dress. Although it was a strapless design, it came with a matching shawl, as if determined to cover every exposed part of her body.
Shi Yin held up the dress and the shawl, one in each hand, and raised them in front of him. “Is this annual dinner outdoors?”
“Indoors.”
Shi Yin nodded, the long dress was fine, but she held up the shawl in her hand. “Then what’s the meaning of this?”
Gu Congli was sitting on the sofa looking at his computer. Hearing this, he raised his eyes and glanced at her neck.
He hadn’t touched her for several days, and there were no marks on her skin, just a porcelain white.
Gu Congli pushed the computer aside, slowly and deliberately took the shawl and long dress from her hands, casually tossed them aside, and pulled her to sit on his lap.
He lowered his head and kissed her lips, his fingers nimbly unbuttoning the top two buttons of her pajamas, revealing her snowy white shoulders. He gently bit and sucked on them.
Shi Yin felt a pang of pain and let out a soft cry, hitting him twice.
He raised his head, his fingertips satisfyingly tracing the mark he had just left, and said with a straight face, “It’s to help you cover this.”
“...”
Shi Yin rolled her eyes and raised her leg to kick him.
On the day of the anniversary gala, Gu Congli came to pick her up.
The dress he had chosen was beautiful. The form-fitting design accentuated her slender and delicate figure. Although her beautiful legs were completely covered, her slender waist and shapely hips were fully displayed.
When Gu Congli came to pick her up, he stood at the door and silently looked at her for a few seconds, then suddenly said faintly, “Don’t wear evening gowns in the future, they look bad on you.”
“...”
Shi Yin looked at him warningly. “Gu Congli, don’t always make me angry about this kind of thing.”
Gu Congli was silent again for a moment, then pulled her closer. “Beautiful.”
So beautiful that he didn’t want others to see her.
He wanted her to grow her hair long, keep her locked in a high tower, and when he called out, she would let down her hair and pull him up.
Gu Congli thought aimlessly about random things, then turned his head to kiss her, only to be pushed away.
Shi Yin glared at him softly. “Lipstick.”
Gu Congli withdrew his hand and patted her head. “Let’s go.”
He was always punctual, arriving just on time. Shi Yin was a little surprised to see many familiar faces.
There were many attendees, not just limited to the manga industry. Yaoguang Publishing House was a print media company. Although print media had been in decline in recent years, Yaoguang was still doing very well. Many highly famous authors and film and television companies were present, and familiar people were chatting in small groups.
Shi Yin took a glass of sparkling wine and found a corner table. Since her signing event, her appearance had been made public, and many people recognized her. Occasionally, someone would come up to talk to her and hand her a business card.
She politely accepted each one, her gaze sweeping around. She discovered that there were quite a few internet celebrities and the like. They were beautiful, but they all looked like they came from an assembly line, making her eyes tired.
She turned her head slightly and saw another one not far away, a back view, a bright red dress, revealing a large expanse of beautiful back.
Shi Yin was a little stunned. She stared fixedly at that back view, hoping the person would turn around.
As if hearing her thoughts, the beautiful back turned around and looked in her direction.
Shi Yin felt that her eyes, which had been poisoned by various internet celebrity faces all evening, had been saved.
The beauty met her gaze, slightly raised an eyebrow, her eyes flickered, and she gracefully walked towards her.
As she got closer, Shi Yin looked carefully. It was a beauty with bright eyes and white teeth. She carried off the bright red long dress and bright red lipstick with poise. The beauty walked up to her, her voice soft and slow, “Teacher Shi Yi.”
Shi Yi didn’t know who she was, only nodded. “Hello.”
The beauty tilted her head, her gaze falling on the long table behind her, scanning it for a moment. She picked up a small cake from a nearby table and started eating.
After finishing one, she took another and continued eating.
She ate calmly and elegantly, as if no one else was around.
She ate four in a row.
Shi Yin finally couldn’t help it and turned her head to ask, “Is this delicious?”
The beauty had her mouth full of cake and didn’t speak, only gave her a very down-to-earth thumbs-up.
Shi Yin also picked up one and took a bite.
It was a cranberry cupcake with a layer of cranberry and blackcurrant jam in the middle, sweet and soft, topped with a layer of chocolate sauce with a hint of bitterness. It was indeed delicious.
The two of them huddled together, each holding a cupcake and eating happily. The beauty suddenly turned her head, her eyes looking in one direction. “Teacher Shi Yi, that girl has been secretly looking at you. Is she a friend of yours?”
Shi Yin followed her gaze and was stunned for a moment.
Li Nian was standing near the door, smiling as she talked to someone next to her. Halfway through her sentence, she glanced over seemingly unintentionally, her eyes meeting Shi Yin’s.
She didn’t look away, and neither did Shi Yin. The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds from a distance. Li Nian smiled, her smile very sweet and lovely.
Shi Yin looked at her expressionlessly and withdrew her gaze faintly. “No.”
“I also think she shouldn’t be,” the beauty chuckled softly and said lazily, “Her eyes have two words written all over them.”
Shi Yin turned her head while biting her cake and blinked curiously. “What words?”
“Love rival.”
Google Sites
Report abuse