How Qiao Qiao actually fell asleep was a complete mystery to her.
Anyway, she never made it back to her own room, spending the entire night sleeping soundly and securely in Ni Zijing’s arms.
When she woke up the next morning, the pillow beside her was already empty.
Qiao Qiao wandered out to find Ni Zijing in the kitchen making sandwiches. Seeing her shuffle in, Ni Zijing tipped her chin upward: “Brush your teeth. Breakfast will be ready in a minute.”
Qiao Qiao blinked: “I need to watch my weight. I am going to be on camera tomorrow.”
Ni Zijing brandished a small spatula in the air: “Whole wheat bread. It will not make you fat. Just eat a few bites.”
Given that, Qiao Qiao had no choice but to sit at the dining table. Ni Zijing poured her a glass of honey water, prompting Qiao Qiao to sigh: “How does my house manage to have everything? I did not even know half of this was here.”
Without turning around, Ni Zijing went back to frying ham: “I had all the groceries stocked up for you in advance. You just never looked.”
Qiao Qiao hummed, continuing to sip her honey water, realizing that living with Ni Zijing felt remarkably nice.
No, wait. Not just nice. It felt exceptionally good.
Is this what it feels like to meet the right person? Life suddenly tastes sweeter than this glass of honey water.
Just as she was spacing out, Ni Zijing brought the sandwich over, casually sliding a bank card across the table along with it: “Take this.”
Qiao Qiao paused: “What is this supposed to mean?”
Before Ni Zijing could answer, Qiao Qiao waved her hands and pushed the card back: “No, no, no, Sister Can-Can, what kind of person do you take me for? We only slept together for one night, you cannot be giving me gifts this big. You cannot degrade me like that. How much is even on here?”
Amused, Ni Zijing watched Qiao Qiao suddenly launch into a dramatic performance, and graciously played along: “That is my marriage fund I have saved up. Spend whatever you want.”
Caught up in her sudden burst of inspiration, Qiao Qiao pinched the edge of the bank card and instantly pretended to burst into tears, whining: “You really think your little brain is such a shallow woman? No, I do not want this money! Unless you add another five million, I am not going to stop pestering you.”
Looking at the young woman in front of her, the tears really did appear out of nowhere. A sheen of moisture instantly veiled Qiao Qiao’s eyes as she looked up. Ni Zijing frowned slightly, sighed, and said: “Stop acting. If you actually start crying, I will feel bad.”
She placed the card back into Qiao Qiao’s hand: “The PIN is your birthday.”
Qiao Qiao froze: “When did you even get this card to set the PIN as my birthday?”
Ni Zijing: “Did I not say it is my marriage fund? You did not expect me to set it to someone else’s, did you?”
At that, Qiao Qiao finally believed that Ni Zijing had harbored feelings for her for a long time.
Ni Zijing looked at Qiao Qiao, thought for a moment, and the corners of her lips curved upward: “Qiao Qiao.”
Qiao Qiao took a bite of her food: “Hmm?”
Ni Zijing: “If you sneak into my room in the middle of the night again in the future, it is not going to be as simple as just kissing you for a little while.”
Qiao Qiao nearly spat her honey water right into the other person’s face: “You, you, you?”
Ni Zijing smiled: “Is there a problem?”
Qiao Qiao muttered under her breath: “Do you even know how? Someone who is dating for the very first time, and you are already thinking about sleeping with me? I should be the one sleeping with you.”
Hearing this, Ni Zijing narrowed her eyes: “My capacity for learning and practical application is quite good.”
Not about to back down, Qiao Qiao let out a scoff: “Talk is cheap. Whoever chickens out is a coward, and whoever chickens out gets pinned.”
Without a word, Ni Zijing pulled Qiao Qiao’s hand over and intertwined it with her own. Truth be told, Qiao Qiao’s fingers were already quite slender, but Ni Zijing’s were even longer. Ni Zijing’s fingernails were neatly clipped, whereas Qiao Qiao still had slightly longer nails left over from her previous Republic-era drama role.
“The length of your fingers and nails clearly determines the top-and-bottom dynamic. Do not bother struggling.” Ni Zijing patted Qiao Qiao’s head, smiling happily: “Rest assured, I will study hard.”
Indignant, Qiao Qiao yanked her hand back: “What on earth goes through your brain every single day?”
“Eat up.” Ni Zijing could barely suppress her amusement: “We are heading home after this. I called them this morning, and they are waiting for us to come back for lunch.”
After a quick breakfast, Qiao Qiao changed her clothes while Ni Zijing went to the neighboring apartment to move all her belongings over to Qiao Qiao’s place.
Once they finished packing up, they set off. After a moment of thought, Qiao Qiao made sure to grab her household registration booklet on her way out.
In the car, Ni Zijing reassured her: “Just think of this as going back for a normal family dinner. I have already talked to my parents, and they are completely on board. Even keeping our marriage a secret is fine. They told you not to stress.”
Remembering her own father’s phone call from yesterday, Qiao Qiao asked: “They are not going to look down on me because of my family background, are they?”
“No,” Ni Zijing interrupted. “Just like me, they only feel sorry for what you have been through. As for your parents, we can go see them whenever you feel it is convenient. On my family’s side, my parents have already said that once you enter the Ni household, you are their very own daughter.”
This was Qiao Qiao’s second time visiting the Ni family home, yet she never expected her status to transition so rapidly. She could not help but feel nervous, prompting Ni Zijing to take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.
Just like last time, before the car had even come to a complete stop, Ni Zijing’s parents were already waiting at the entrance of the villa.
Qiao Qiao rushed to greet them: “Uncle, Auntie, why did you come out in such cold weather? We could have just walked in ourselves.”
Ni’s mother chuckled warmly, grabbing Qiao Qiao’s hand: “Little Qiao, once you and Zijing get your marriage certificate, you will not be able to call me Auntie anymore.”
Chatting and laughing with Ni’s mother, Qiao Qiao felt her initial positive impression of the Ni family resurface, making her feel much more at ease.
Meanwhile, Ni Zijing walked alongside her father, laughing as he muttered in her ear: “We have a slight situation. A guest arrived at the house. They happened to show up just before you two got here.”
Judging by her father’s tone, this did not sound like someone who would be very pleasant to deal with. Ni Zijing’s heart skipped a beat: “Who is here?”
Qiao Qiao and Ni’s mother pushed open the door and stepped inside first. Qiao Qiao immediately spotted a woman sitting rigidly straight on the sofa. With long brown hair draped over her shoulders and dressed head-to-toe in the absolute latest runway fashion, the woman turned her head at the sound of the door opening.
She was certainly pretty, carrying a refined, bookish aura. However, without even sparing Qiao Qiao a single glance, she headed straight toward Ni Zijing, lighting up: “Zijing, you are finally back! I have been waiting for you forever.”
Instinctively, Qiao Qiao felt a wave of hostility.
Who was she trying to intimidate here?
Without missing a beat, Ni Zijing pulled Qiao Qiao directly into her embrace: “Fang Xi, mind your manners. Come say hello. This is my wife, Qiao Qiao.”
Ni Zijing also understood why her parents had found this situation so troublesome. Even she found Fang Xi a headache to deal with. Fang Xi was two years younger than Ni Zijing, but the two had essentially grown up together. Fang Xi’s parents had always been extremely busy, leaving her in the care of nannies most of the time. Because the Ni and Fang families had a good relationship and used to live close by, Fang Xi spent a lot of time at the Ni household.
Throughout it all, Ni Zijing had always viewed Fang Xi simply as a younger sister.
However, right before Ni Zijing left to study abroad for college, the younger girl had unexpectedly confessed her feelings. That was when Ni Zijing realized something had gone awry, turning sisterly affection into something entirely different.
Since they were girls watched over by their respective parents, she could not exactly give Fang Xi the cold shoulder. Initially, Ni’s parents had actually considered trying to play matchmaker between the two, but after realizing Ni Zijing had zero interest, they decisively dropped the idea.
Later, while Ni Zijing was pursuing her master’s and doctorate degrees abroad, Fang Xi had followed her by testing into the same university. After graduation, when an opportunity arose for Fang Xi to teach abroad, Ni Zijing was preparing to return home to take over the entertainment agency. Fang Xi had harbored strong opinions about that at the time.
Fang Xi was usually quite pleasant with others, except for one glaring flaw: she held a deep prejudice against the entertainment industry. Needless to say, discovering that her long-term crush had taken a female celebrity as a wife nearly made her lungs explode with rage.
Hearing that they had not even officially registered their marriage yet, she had rushed right over.
Qiao Qiao smiled and extended her hand, proudly displaying her wedding ring: “Hello.”
Fang Xi finally cast her gaze down at Qiao Qiao’s hand, letting out a cold hmph. She did not bother extending her own hand in return, choosing instead to address Ni Zijing with intense familiarity: “Zijing, I am back in China and teaching at University A. Why did you not even bother asking about me?”
Ask about your head, Qiao Qiao thought, maintaining her polite smile while rolling her eyes internally. She had seen plenty of people like this in the industry. Did she really think she was someone special trying to assert dominance?
Ni Zijing frowned: “Fang Xi, do not be rude to my wife.”
Ah, right there. That made Qiao Qiao feel infinitely better.
Once Ni’s parents excused themselves to busy away in the kitchen, Fang Xi finally grabbed Ni Zijing’s hand, her face darkening: “How could you possibly marry a female celebrity from the entertainment industry? That is completely lacking in consideration.”
Qiao Qiao turned her head: “What did you just say?” She had thought the girl might be one of those delicate, weeping lotus flowers, but she turned out to be quite direct.
Continuing to treat Qiao Qiao with absolute disregard, Fang Xi let out a cold laugh: “Have you even looked at how much negative press she has? She is clearly just using you, Zijing. You cannot be this foolish! Did she not have a scandal with some male celebrity before, what was his name, Cheng Qian? And now you are even going on a show with her. You must have lost your mind! How could you throw your dignity away for a woman like this?”
Instead of getting angry, Qiao Qiao chuckled: “Thank you for your hard work. You keep track of these things even better than I do.”
Ni Zijing was genuinely furious now. She could not stand hearing anyone badmouth Qiao Qiao, even if the accusations were completely baseless.
Her brows lowered, and her voice dropped to a cold register: “Fang Xi! Shut your mouth.”
Reaching out, Qiao Qiao gently patted Ni Zijing’s hair, shaking her head to signal that she was not bothered. Meeting Qiao Qiao’s gaze, Ni Zijing’s expression instantly softened. Seeing this exchange snapped something inside Fang Xi, who suddenly stood up and pointed a finger right at Qiao Qiao.
“What gives you the right? I am the one who grew up alongside Zijing, I am the one who met Zijing first, and I am the one who has stayed by her side for all these years! What do you have? You are just relying on a few decent looks to hook up with our Zijing. Let me tell you, do not even dream about it! Everyone in your entertainment industry is fickle. Who is to say you will not just dump Zijing later on?”
Qiao Qiao stood up as well. Her tall, slender figure carried an elegant grace as she crossed her arms, tilted her chin up, and looked down at Fang Xi: “She grew up with you. What does that have to do with me?”
Lifting her wrist higher, she arched an eyebrow and thrust her hand right under Fang Xi’s nose: “You see the ring, right? You are not legally blind, are you? She belongs to me now. What are you going to do about it?”
Before Fang Xi’s explosive fury could erupt into words, Qiao Qiao reached into her bag, pulled out her household registration booklet, and placed it right into the palm of Ni Zijing’s hand with a radiant smile: “You are just too popular. There is no time like the present. Let us go register our marriage this afternoon, shall we? Otherwise, I am afraid someone might try to snatch you away from me.”
Ni Zijing smiled softly: “We will do whatever my wife says.”
Fang Xi was so infuriated by Qiao Qiao that she stormed out of the house without even touching dinner. The moment she wrenched the door open, she nearly collided with Song Cha, who was just about to knock. Glaring through tear-rimmed eyes, Fang Xi shot her a vicious look before stomping off.
With a cameraman trailing right behind her, Song Cha immediately sensed a juicy story. She pushed the door open and stepped inside: “Zijing, we have a surprise interview segment to record with you today. I knew you were at home, so I came straight over.”
Her voice cut off abruptly the moment she caught sight of Ni Zijing holding Qiao Qiao in her arms. The camera behind her was still rolling.
Oh, holy crap.
Song Cha stood frozen in utter shock: “You two are…?”
What a massive headline!