“Stop filming!” Song Cha called out, halting the cameraman behind her and ordering them to shut the machine off.
She had originally just planned to drop by Ni Zijing’s place to pick up some source material, never expecting to stumble upon this scene. Was this really the same Ni Zijing who had been agonizing over how to pursue Qiao Qiao last time? Are you kidding me?
Qiao Qiao had already stood up, giving Song Cha a wave. While welcoming them inside, Ni Zijing simultaneously took hold of Qiao Qiao’s hand, perfectly concealing the ring on Qiao Qiao’s finger.
Qiao Qiao turned her head to look at her, and Ni Zijing offered a faint smile, glancing past Song Cha at the camera behind her. “What brings you here?”
Song Cha was a screenwriter, and her husband was a producer. Even as friends, considering she and her husband were in a hidden marriage, Ni Zijing couldn’t just spring this news on Song Cha out of nowhere.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Song Cha; it was simply that she had seen too much of the entertainment industry. She was afraid Song Cha might deliberately pull some stunt for the show, ruining the recording experience for them both.
Now that she was already in this kind of relationship with Qiao Qiao, she would just treat participating in this show as going on a date with her.
“Hello,” Qiao Qiao said. She hadn’t seen Song Cha very often, and her tone carried a hint of unfamiliarity.
Song Cha clicked her tongue twice, walked over to greet Ni Zijing’s parents, and then led the camera crew to sit down, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them. “Not bad, you hide things way too well. The last time I saw you, you were still fretting, and now you’ve already won her over.”
“State your business if you have any, otherwise get to work.” Ni Zijing raised an eyebrow.
Song Cha tutted a few times. “Why the rush? Are you in a huge hurry?”
Ni Zijing glanced at Qiao Qiao, let out a soft hum, and smiled. “I do this afternoon.”
At that moment, Qiao Qiao was mentally beating herself over the head with a hammer a couple of times for acting so unglued. How could she? How could she?
Why was she always so easily thrown off balance whenever it came to Ni Zijing?
She felt like ever since she met Ni Zijing, there had been an extraordinary number of variables. She was someone who had made up her mind never to date, yet now she was going to marry Ni Zijing. Not only that, but it was originally supposed to be tomorrow, yet she insisted on doing it today, making it look like she was in such a rush.
Clearly, the one who wanted to get married from the very beginning was Ni Zijing.
Qiao Qiao stared at Ni Zijing, sizing her up repeatedly. What on earth was going on here? She completely forgot that her hand was still resting quietly inside Ni Zijing’s palm.
Song Cha directed the cameraman to get into position. “Since the show is about to start recording soon, there’s a dark room interview beforehand. I figured I’d come to your place to record yours, but who would have thought Qiao Qiao would be here too? Can we record together later?”
Qiao Qiao thought about it, figuring there wouldn’t be quite enough time later, and shook her head. “I’ll just go to the recording studio when the time comes. Let her do it here.”
“That works too.” Song Cha had Ni Zijing sit on the sofa, blinking at her. “I’m starting now, Big Miss Ni.”
Qiao Qiao stood by the camera to watch. Even when caught on camera, Ni Zijing’s face remained utterly flawless. She sighed; this truly was a woman favored by the heavens.
Song Cha picked up the audio microphone without stepping into the frame, and the questions came tumbling out one by one.
Voiceover: “May I ask why you wanted to join our show?”
It was the usual opening routine, presumably because an introductory profile for Ni Zijing would be edited into the broadcast later, making it unnecessary to say her name during the questioning. Ni Zijing answered quickly, “The production team asked me to come.”
Qiao Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle out loud, and Song Cha hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no, no! How can you say that? You have to say something else.”
Ni Zijing: “Isn’t it you who asked me to come?”
Song Cha rubbed her forehead in resignation. “That’s true, but this is a reality show. Can you have a bit of variety show flair, please?” She let out another huff, lifting her chin toward Qiao Qiao. “Not to mention, didn’t you come on this show specifically to pursue Qiao Qiao? You briefed me about it beforehand, so give me a proper answer!”
Qiao Qiao laughed in spite of herself and looked at Ni Zijing. “Just answer properly and give Writer Song a satisfying response.”
Ni Zijing: “Alright.”
Song Cha snorted. “You value a beauty over your friends!”
And she was actually right about that, a point Ni Zijing didn’t bother to deny. When Song Cha asked the question again, Ni Zijing replied, “To find my true love. Satisfied?”
Song Cha asked, “No problem there, we’ll edit out the first half. So, what kind of girls do you usually like?”
Qiao Qiao wanted to know what kind of person Ni Zijing actually liked, so her eyes shifted over as well.
Ni Zijing lowered her eyelashes, wearing an exceptionally gentle expression, and said softly, “Do I even need to say it? Someone like Qiao Qiao.”
“The public outcry for the two of you online is exceptionally high. Are you aware of this? Do you have any confidence that you’ll successfully match with Qiao Qiao this time?”
Ni Zijing looked directly into the camera. “I know. Of course I have confidence. Why else would I be here?”
Song Cha let out a sharp hiss, pretending to cover half her face with her hand. “So cheesy, it’s so cringe-inducing, Ni Zijing, you are so sickeningly sweet. Moving on, what will you do if Qiao Qiao doesn’t choose you? Are you that confident in your mutual chemistry?”
Ni Zijing glanced at Qiao Qiao, then turned back to the camera with a smile. “She won’t. Our chemistry… well, it should be pretty good.”
Remembering what happened last night, Qiao Qiao suddenly felt her face grow a bit warm as she stood to the side. Song Cha asked again, “Then, in your eyes, what kind of person is Qiao Qiao?”
Ni Zijing spoke softly, “She…”
Qiao Qiao’s gaze met hers in mid-air.
Ni Zijing smiled. “Normally, she’s just like any ordinary young girl. But actually, regardless of how strong she’s appeared ever since her debut—never showing any negative energy and being extremely dedicated to her work—she is actually very sensitive deep down, and very kind. Regarding some of the negative talk about her online, I want to tell everyone here: it’s truly not what you think. Let me reiterate: I was the one who pursued her first.”
“Cut this part, we need to edit this out,” Song Cha waved her hand. “How can you let the audience see such a serious confession right off the bat? You have to build anticipation, do you understand building anticipation?”
Qiao Qiao stood in a daze for a long while without speaking. Perhaps she was getting old; hearing Ni Zijing put it like that genuinely made her feel fragile enough to shed tears.
Afterwards, Song Cha asked a few more routine questions, wrapped up the shoot, and prepared to leave.
Reaching the doorway, she called out, “Don’t bother seeing me out. Go back inside and be lovey-dovey on your own.”
Once in her car, she immediately called her husband, her tone buzzing with excitement. “Holy crap, Xinchen, we have to change it! The difficulty of the first episode’s matching challenge for Ni Zijing and Qiao Qiao has to be maxed out. Yes, yes, something is going on between them—they’re actually together!”
The two of them had a meal at home. Ni Zijing’s parents maintained just the right boundaries, so Qiao Qiao didn’t feel awkward at all.
It wasn’t until Ni Zijing drove her right up to the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau that Qiao Qiao suddenly felt a wave of cowardice wash over her.
Quick to sense it, Ni Zijing stopped the car and turned to her. “Have you thought this through?”
Had she thought it through?
Qiao Qiao’s family registry document was already handed over to Ni Zijing, and up to this point, she and Ni Zijing had only known each other for a month. When she first met her, she thought Ni Zijing was part of the mafia; the second time they met, Ni Zijing was someone who arrived by her side even faster than a rescue team. The third time, Ni Zijing asked, “Do you want to marry me?”
When they met again later, Ni Zijing had been waiting quietly for her downstairs. It was at that exact moment that her heart skipped a beat.
Standing on the steps, Qiao Qiao raised her head and smiled. “Actually, I’m someone with zero willpower. When you ask me like that, I really start to hesitate.”
The weather was cold, and there were very few people outside the Civil Affairs Bureau—an uncharacteristic desolation. Every time Qiao Qiao spoke, a puff of white vapor escaped her lips. Ni Zijing stood two steps above her, making her neck ache slightly as she looked up.
Ni Zijing didn’t speak. She was dressed in a brown long wool coat and straight-leg trousers, looking simple and aloof.
After waiting for a long time without getting a response, Qiao Qiao could only sigh. “Did you think I was regretting it?”
Suddenly, Ni Zijing leaned forward, sliding her hands under Qiao Qiao’s shoulders, lifted her straight up, and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Your chance to back out ran out a long time ago. I’m not going to let you get cold feet right at the door.”
Qiao Qiao pushed her away with a trace of displeasure. “I didn’t say I was running away.”
She smoothed down her slightly disheveled hair and raised her gaze. “I said I was hesitating, and you just stopped right there—why are you so clueless about women? How can you be so bad at refusing me? Couldn’t you have cried, made a fuss, held onto me, and insisted that we had to get married? I’m soft-hearted toward you, so I probably would have listened. Don’t you know that sometimes telling you to leave just means you should stay, and telling you not to come look for me is merely driven by fear inside? I lack a sense of security, and I tend to overthink things. It’s entirely possible I could get triggered by something, panic, and feel like we couldn’t make it work anymore. If I ever really get like that in the future, you have to do what I’m telling you today: you can’t leave, and you can’t give in to my unreasonable demands. If you give in, the two of us might really be finished.”
Listening to this long speech, Ni Zijing belatedly realized that this was the first time Qiao Qiao had truly bared her inner self to her, and with such genuine vulnerability. A sudden ache squeezed her heart as she thought about how trivial her own earlier concerns seemed by comparison.
She pulled Qiao Qiao closer, opening her coat to wrap her directly inside it, resting her chin against Qiao Qiao’s forehead as she lowered her head to press a gentle kiss there. “Don’t worry, I will never let go.”
Qiao Qiao looked up as well. Ni Zijing gazed back, searching Qiao Qiao’s eyes for a long time without finding a trace of cowardice or uncertainty—only firmness.
Qiao Qiao smiled. “Ni Zijing, I didn’t plan for something like marriage to be sloppy, as if we could just divorce if it didn’t work out. Since I’ve made up my mind, I won’t regret it. This is probably the biggest gamble I’ll ever take in my life, so you better…”
Lowering her voice, Ni Zijing took Qiao Qiao’s hand, brought a finger up, and pressed it against Qiao Qiao’s lips. “You’re just talking nonsense. Let’s go.”
Qiao Qiao didn’t say anything more and went inside together with Ni Zijing. The two of them filled out forms, took photos, got their documents stamped, and by the time two small booklets were placed in their hands, the whole process felt unassably smooth. Looking at that red-background photograph and the wedding ring on her finger, Qiao Qiao experienced a sense of unreality. It was really that simple—her entire second half of life was now bound to the person beside her.
She had completed this major life milestone without even notifying her parents.
Staring at the marriage certificate, a wave of inexplicable satisfaction welled up in her heart. Turning her head, she caught the profile of Ni Zijing’s face as she focused on driving. After picking up the certificates, both of them were apparently experiencing such turbulent emotions that they clammed up and didn’t speak a word for a long time. They quietly returned home, ate dinner together, and then…
They wished each other good night and retreated to their respective rooms.
Qiao Qiao suddenly felt like she had entered into a fake marriage.
Was Ni Zijing not excited at all? Not a single gesture or expression?!
Pacing back and forth in her room with her phone, Qiao Qiao stared at the clothes in her wardrobe and frowned. To be honest, the two of them got married today—at the very least, they should celebrate. Otherwise, wouldn’t it completely lack any sense of ritual?
She currently had no idea whether she should invite Ni Zijing to officially move into her master bedroom or…
The master bedroom was directly across from the guest room. When Qiao Qiao opened her door, she vaguely heard some noise—Ni Zijing was taking a shower. Qiao Qiao leaned against the doorframe listening for a good while, and then heard the bathroom door open. Ah, she was done washing.
She was probably lying down by now, wondering what to do.
Qiao Qiao had work commitments tomorrow, and since it was already 10:30 PM, she should have been asleep long ago.
Deciding to go out for a glass of water, she noticed the door to the guest room was left slightly ajar, not fully closed, as if it were beckoning to her: Come in, come in.
Qiao Qiao couldn’t give in to temptation; she would just take a peek. As she glided past the crack in the door with her cup of water, she glanced inside and discovered that Ni Zijing was actually playing on her phone.
Qiao Qiao: “???”
She was staring at her phone so intently that she didn’t even bother to say a word to her!
She couldn’t maintain her composure anymore, took a gulp of water, and rushed right in. “What are you doing?!”
Only upon entering did she realize Ni Zijing wasn’t just casually playing on her phone—there was audio playing. So she was watching a video?
But this—this sound…
Even though Qiao Qiao had burst in abruptly, it didn’t startle Ni Zijing at all. With her long legs crossed, she leaned back lazily and watched Qiao Qiao, who was caught in a moment of awkwardness, with an amused expression.
From the phone—
“Mm…”
“Ah…”
Such sounds echoed continuously.
Could Qiao Qiao have imagined that Ni Zijing was watching adult videos in there? Absolutely not.
And she certainly couldn’t have imagined Ni Zijing watching adult videos with such a serious, ascetic expression.
“What are you doing?” Qiao Qiao asked, instantly realizing it was a stupid question.
The action on the phone seemed to grow a bit more intense, accompanied by flirtatious gasps rising one after another, making even Qiao Qiao’s face burn hot. If not for the unusual circumstances, she might have even wanted to ask Ni Zijing where she found such high-quality adult films and if she could share a copy.
Ni Zijing raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth curling with playful intrigue. “Can’t you tell?”
She shifted slightly, looking as though she meant to stand up.
Almost instinctively, Qiao Qiao took a step back.
Her voice lost its momentum. “What’s the point of watching dirty movies like this by yourself? If you have needs, you can…”
Ni Zijing straightened up on the bed, tossed her phone aside, reached out to grab Qiao Qiao’s wrist with one hand, and gave a gentle tug, pulling her right onto the bed. Her other hand cupped the back of Qiao Qiao’s head, her breath brushing against Qiao Qiao’s ear. “Did I say why I was watching it?”
Qiao Qiao didn’t dare make a sound as she heard, “I’m studying.”
A sense of impending doom washed over her. The phone nearby was still playing, but those sounds couldn’t compete with the blaring alarm bells in Qiao Qiao’s head. Up close, she noticed Ni Zijing’s eyes looked as though they had been dipped in dark ink, so deep they were unfathomable. The palm of her hand felt slightly damp, clearly indicating she hadn’t been entirely unaffected just now.
Damn, I can’t move!
Qiao Qiao blurted out, “Don’t you dare mess around!”
Ni Zijing chuckled lowly. “I don’t have any experience, and the first time has to give you the best possible experience, don’t I need to study up? Or can you teach me?”
Her hand tightened around Qiao Qiao’s lower back, pulling the two of them together so closely that there wasn’t a millimeter of space left between them. Ni Zijing was wearing short sleeves and trousers, looking completely normal. But Qiao Qiao… she was wearing a bathrobe, which had now completely fallen open, revealing a silk slip dress underneath. One of the thin straps had slipped down, exposing a smooth, pearlescent white shoulder.
Ni Zijing’s gaze dropped, darkening slightly. “What did I tell you yesterday? If you walked in here again, it wouldn’t just be a matter of kissing you.”