Chapter 53

The buzz over Kong Xiyan and Ling Yu being a couple lasted all of one night. The next day, Ling Yu posted a clarification on Weibo, and Kong Xiyan reposted it with the caption, "Good friends."

Fans of the YuYan ship were left confused, but they clung to the hope that the two might eventually get together. After all, just because they were friends now didn't mean they'd be friends forever.

Still, they kept a lower profile this time.

But Kong Xiyan's haters seized their chance, posing as Ling Yu's fans and flooding his Weibo with vicious comments.

His clarification post was soon buried under messages like:

—Can't wait for YuYan to get together!

—Raising the YuYan banner high!

—Friends can turn into lovers too—stay strong!

—I always knew it. Why would our Yu Baby fall for a woman like her? Love Yu Baby forever!

Meanwhile, Kong Xiyan's comment section turned into a battlefield between fans and haters.

—Tsk, think you're too good for Ling Yu? Look in the mirror. You chased after Wei Yan back then, and he didn't want you!

—That's harsh. Why don't you go lick Ling Yu's boots? You're not welcome here!

—Who do you think you are? I'll say what I want! None of your business! I'll say it again: Kong the homewrecker, Kong the homewrecker, Kong the homewrecker! Keep lying, you paid trolls!

—Get lost! Jeez, all sorts of birds in the forest. Ling Yu must've been cursed to have fans like you!

—Don't pay attention to that person. They're just attention-seeking. Not a real Ling Yu fan. We don't claim them. Also, we do ship YuYan.

—Exactly. It's not like Wei Yan's a big deal. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as they apologize, it's fine. Support YuYan!

Kong Xiyan had reposted the clarification because Tong Yue had told her to. She hadn't even been aware of the online pairing until her own Weibo page got swamped, prompting her to take a look.

What she found was a full-blown fan war.

She found it oddly amusing.

She wasn't filming that day. Since she had a show the next day, Tong Yue had given her the day off to rest. So she was curled up on the sofa in her pajamas, Yanyan nestled in her arms, the heating on full blast.

When Chi Wanzhao came downstairs, her gaze softened at the sight of such a lazy figure. Sensing movement behind her, Kong Xiyan turned and blinked in surprise. "Why are you home?"

She hadn't slept in the same room as her, so she'd assumed Chi Wanzhao had already left for work.

Chi Wanzhao took in her slender back and said simply, "Day off."

Kong Xiyan nodded. "Oh."

The presence of another person made the atmosphere awkward. Kong Xiyan kept her arms around Yanyan but occasionally darted glances at Chi Wanzhao. She watched her walk into the bathroom with an elegant stride, then emerge and ask, "What do you want for lunch?"

Kong Xiyan tilted her head toward the window, observing the biting wind and dark sky that hinted at rain. She pressed her lips together. "Hotpot."

Chi Wanzhao glanced at her. "Okay."

She went back to her room to change. Kong Xiyan stayed sprawled on the sofa, then announced, "I don't want to eat out!" as Chi Wanzhao emerged fully dressed.

Chi Wanzhao walked over, picked up Yanyan, and gently pulled Kong Xiyan to her feet. "Go get changed. We'll buy some groceries. We don't have hotpot base at home."

The reluctant Kong Xiyan shuffled off to her room. Half an hour later, the two headed out, both carrying Yanyan.

The supermarket wasn't far, but the cold wind outside was biting, and rain seemed imminent. So Kong Xiyan bundled up tightly, leaving only her eyes exposed.

Chi Wanzhao, on the other hand, wore just a knit top and jeans under a long gray wool coat that fell past her knees. Her figure was striking, and the ensemble accentuated her innate elegance, making Kong Xiyan look like a puffball by contrast.

Kong Xiyan stared at her straight, graceful back for a long moment, then straightened her own spine and unconsciously pinched her waist.

Was she really wearing too much?

Not noticing her movements, Chi Wanzhao walked into the supermarket and placed Yanyan in the shopping cart. She glanced back at Kong Xiyan. "Let's go."

Kong Xiyan quick-stepped to catch up.

The supermarket was nearly empty—a cold winter weekend naturally drew few shoppers.

The two strolled through the aisles for a while, picking up fresh ingredients, until they finally stood in front of the hotpot bases. Mindful of Kong Xiyan's stomach, Chi Wanzhao grabbed a mushroom broth base and dropped it in the cart.

Behind her, Kong Xiyan eyed the Chongqing spicy hotpot seasoning, hesitated, then silently put it back.

The store was quiet, and a large TV was playing *Breaking the Cocoon*. Not far away, two store employees chatted. One glanced at the screen and said, "Hey, you think Kong Xiyan will end up with Ling Yu?"

"Hard to say. Could happen. But honestly, I feel like Ling Yu has a thing for her."

"I used to like Kong Xiyan, but that whole Wei Yan thing leaves a sour taste."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Thinking about it, I feel bad for Ling Yu—being the rebound guy."

"But he seems okay with it. Look how pretty Kong Xiyan is. There aren't many in the whole industry who compare. So what if he's the rebound? He's happy."

A third woman in a work uniform popped out from behind them and chimed in loudly, "All you two do is gossip! The Ling family has real power in City B—do you think they'd accept Kong Xiyan? Rebound guy, my foot. Probably just a casual fling, and then he'll dump her."

The other two huddled around her, eager for more details, all gossiping away.

Before Kong Xiyan could take it in, Chi Wanzhao pulled her away.

Her eyes, which had been lively just moments before, dimmed slightly. She followed Chi Wanzhao to the checkout, the voices of the three women fading until they could no longer be heard.

Chi Wanzhao placed Yanyan back in Kong Xiyan's arms and said softly, "Wait for me outside."

Kong Xiyan nodded with an "Oh."

Chi Wanzhao watched her leave the supermarket, then paid by card and stood at the entrance with a bag of groceries, pulling out her phone.

"Zhou Sheng."

Zhou Sheng set down what he was doing. "Yes, Chi Zong."

Chi Wanzhao's eyes turned cold, her tone flat. "Tell Miss Sun to contact Wei Yan."

Zhou Sheng frowned. "Have Miss Sun contact Wei Yan?"

Chi Wanzhao hummed in confirmation.

Zhou Sheng understood. "Alright, I'll handle it."

The supermarket was noisy, with announcements echoing over the speakers. Zhou Sheng caught the sound. "Chi Zong, are you outside?"

Chi Wanzhao: "Mm."

Zhou Sheng chuckled. "That's rare. Madam must not be filming today."

Hearing him mention Kong Xiyan, Chi Wanzhao's expression softened a fraction, the sharpness in her brow easing. She hummed in reply, brief as ever.

Zhou Sheng decided not to pry further. Just as he was about to hang up, Chi Wanzhao spoke again. "Zhou Sheng."

"Yes, Chi Zong."

Chi Wanzhao's expression turned conflicted. "How do you cheer someone up when they're in a really bad mood?"

Zhou Sheng laughed at the question. "Praise them, of course. Compliment them until they're happy. Trying to make Madam smile?"

Chi Wanzhao answered stiffly, "No."

She hung up and stepped out of the supermarket. There she saw Kong Xiyan standing by the entrance, head down, stroking Yanyan's white fur. Occasionally, she'd lift Yanyan's head up to her mask and murmur something.

Her gaze was tender.

Gone was any hint of the earlier dimness.

Chi Wanzhao walked up to her and said softly, "Let's go home."

Kong Xiyan turned, her eyes crinkling in a smile. "Mm."

Just a few moments after they left the supermarket, a light drizzle began to fall—not heavy, but mixed with the cold wind, it stung any exposed skin.

Kong Xiyan unzipped her down jacket, slipped Yanyan inside, and supported her with both hands.

But Yanyan was too big, making the jacket bulge out oddly. With no other choice, Kong Xiyan stuck her hands in her coat pockets to hold Yanyan up and asked Chi Wanzhao to zip her up.

Chi Wanzhao set down the bag, stood in front of Kong Xiyan, and reached out with slender fingers to pull the zipper up. Nearby, a few people whispered.

"—Look how sweet. His wife's pregnant, and he's still zipping her coat."

"—How do you know it's his wife?"

"—Who else would it be? If she's pregnant, she's the wife."

Their voices weren't loud, but the wind carried them. Kong Xiyan looked stunned. She frowned and asked, "Chi Zong, did you hear what they said?"

Chi Wanzhao's expression was calm. "No."

Kong Xiyan narrowed her eyes. "You definitely heard."

Chi Wanzhao chuckled. "I truly didn't."

Kong Xiyan looked down at herself. "Then what do you think I look like?"

Chi Wanzhao lifted her gaze. With her heavy winter clothes and Yanyan inside the jacket, the small bulge at her belly was noticeable. Kong Xiyan had her hands in the coat pockets to keep Yanyan from slipping.

Outsiders wouldn't know there was a cat tucked inside.

It really did look like a pregnant woman cradling her belly as she walked.

Perhaps, in the future, they might also...

At that thought, her eyes inexplicably grew hot, and her throat felt dry. But when Kong Xiyan didn't get an answer, she looked up. Chi Wanzhao averted her gaze. "You look like nothing at all."

She picked up the bag and headed straight for the apartment. Kong Xiyan quickly jogged to keep up, but Yanyan kept squirming and meowing in her arms.

Helpless, she slowed her pace.

Chi Wanzhao, who had been ahead, also slowed.

Before long, they walked side by side.

Chi Wanzhao tilted her head to look at her and asked, "Back in the supermarket..."

Kong Xiyan raised an eyebrow. "What about the supermarket? Those people? I've heard much worse. I won't dwell on it."

Chi Wanzhao exhaled in relief. "Give it a little more time. The fish is already on the hook."

Kong Xiyan met her eyes directly. "When are you going to reel it in?"

Chi Wanzhao smiled faintly. "When they've bitten down on the hook."

Kong Xiyan chose to trust her without question, her eyes shimmering, brows curved. "Mm."

Chi Wanzhao felt a stir in her heart. She stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her in a one-armed hug, patting her back comfortingly.

Kong Xiyan leaned close and whispered, "Chi Zong, don't hug me. You'll squish my child."

Chi Wanzhao: "..."

They had hotpot back at the apartment. Chi Wanzhao washed the vegetables, prepared the broth, and laid out the ingredients on plates around the table. Kong Xiyan wanted to help, but Chi Wanzhao countered with, "Miss Kong should focus on resting for the baby."

Once Chi Wanzhao got into the kitchen, Kong Xiyan muttered, "You and your sharp tongue!"

She couldn't help with the hotpot, so she could only wait to eat. Bored, she turned on the TV, but soon found it tedious and picked up her phone to browse Weibo.

Logging into her own page with her alt and seeing the chaotic comments, her eyes caught a familiar ID: 【Never Lies】.

Kong Xiyan remembered that this ID had, all along, been pushing the idea that Xiao Cheng liked her and was pursuing her—whether under the official account or in the trending topics for *Breaking the Cocoon*, this person was always there.

Really a persistent ghost.

Kong Xiyan read today's comment.

【Never Lies】: Ha! You guys want to push the YuYan pairing? Want to know why Ling Yu clarified the same night? Why Kong Xiyan immediately reposted? You don't know, do you? Because Kong Xiyan is in a relationship with a certain X-surnamed male star on the show, and Ling Yu was afraid of causing misunderstandings, so he clarified that night!

The comment section under this post was always packed—30–40k likes put it at the top, and netizens had all kinds of wild guesses.

—X-surname? Xiao Cheng? Who else?

—No other X-surnamed person besides him!

—This post is way too pointed.

—So that's it. I was wondering why they suddenly clarified. Must be because of the Xiao Cheng thing.

—But that's not right. If it's Xiao Cheng, Ling Yu would have no reason to back down. Everyone knows the Ling family's standing.

—You're clueless! That just goes to show Ling Yu doesn't give a damn about Kong Xiyan. He didn't even want to be associated with her, so he was quick to distance himself!

—Makes sense!

—Why do you all trust this person's comments so much?

Kong Xiyan stared at that last line. Yeah, why did these netizens trust this ID so blindly? They'd never offered a correct piece of info, never a single photo, yet they were convinced she was dating some X-surnamed male star.

A smile played at her lips.

Maybe they were just too bored.

That's why, wherever gossip sprang up, they were first to grab a keyboard and vent, even if they were wrong—they could hide behind the ID, no one knowing who they really were.

Kong Xiyan kept her phone in hand, frowning, then lost in thought. Chi Wanzhao, who had everything ready, turned as she was about to announce the meal and saw her expression.

She walked over to the sofa, picked up Yanyan, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kong Xiyan looked up. "Nothing. Can we eat now?"

Chi Wanzhao chuckled at her eagerness, nodding with a calm smile. "Mm."

Kong Xiyan hopped to her feet and set her phone on the coffee table. Chi Wanzhao's sharp eyes swept over the still-lit screen, catching a few lines, then followed her to the table.

Inside, the pot of mushroom broth was bubbling with steam, releasing a rich aroma. Kong Xiyan added several plates of vegetables, while Chi Wanzhao sat across from her with only an empty bowl in front of her.

Kong Xiyan smiled. "Chi Zong, don't you need any dip?"

Chi Wanzhao, seeing her enthusiasm, lifted an eyebrow. "What kind of dip?"

Kong Xiyan took the bowl in front of her. "Something special."

She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, then called out, "Chi Zong, do you eat vinegar?"

Chi Wanzhao was taken aback and turned to see her holding a bottle of vinegar. She gave a slight nod. "A little."

"Cilantro?"

"Yes."

"Garlic?"

Chi Wanzhao frowned slightly, seeing her pick up a cleaver to smash cloves of garlic. She pressed her lips together and said, "Mm."

Kong Xiyan added a few more ingredients, then turned to face Chi Wanzhao. "Can you handle spicy?"

Chi Wanzhao: "Yes."

Then she remembered Kong Xiyan's stomach couldn't handle spicy food, so she stood up and walked into the kitchen. Kong Xiyan had just finished mixing two bowls of dip—the aroma of vinegar mixed with garlic—and was savoring her work, about to turn around, when Chi Wanzhao bumped into her from behind. Startled, Kong Xiyan stumbled back.

Chi Wanzhao quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

The two small bowls wobbled but stayed steady. The proximity made Kong Xiyan's face flush. She was so close to Chi Wanzhao that she could count her eyelashes from here.

Her features were refined, her skin fair. Maybe because she'd grown used to that cold face, but at this moment, she could discern a softness in it—especially in those bright eyes, shimmering and beautiful.

She couldn't look away.

Chi Wanzhao lowered her gaze, took the bowls from her hands, and said, "You can't eat spicy food. Let me mix a new batch for you."

As she spoke, she poured the two bowls together and carried them to the table with a calm expression.

Kong Xiyan stood there for a long while before snapping out of it and rushing after her. "I can eat spicy!"

Chi Wanzhao shot her a sideways glance. "You can't. Your stomach can't handle it."

Kong Xiyan was baffled. "How do you know?"

Chi Wanzhao's heart suddenly raced, her palms damp. She looked away. "Guessed."

"That's amazing."

Kong Xiyan grumbled, returned to the kitchen to mix another bowl, and came back to find Chi Wanzhao already eating. Chi Wanzhao had added plenty of chili sauce to both bowls—combined, it was naturally extra spicy.

Yet Chi Wanzhao stayed completely composed, showing no reaction. If Kong Xiyan hadn't spotted the fine sweat on her forehead, she wouldn't have noticed anything.

The dip was mouth-puckeringly sour and spicy, topped with minced garlic and cilantro. Not the best flavor balance, but it was still quite good. Chi Wanzhao rarely ate hotpot, but now she thought maybe once a month would be all right.

No, once a week, actually.

When Kong Xiyan caught her slight frown, she asked, "Too spicy?"

Chi Wanzhao hummed and looked up with a faint smile. "No."

Then she slipped off her wool coat, leaving a knit top underneath, and rolled up her sleeves to the elbow, revealing slender, fair forearms. Kong Xiyan glanced over and quickly looked away.

Meanwhile, Yanyan had jumped onto the table during the meal. Since hotpot was off-limits for her, she could only stare wide-eyed at the steaming pot, occasionally tilting her head to inspect the meatballs swirling in the broth.

She stretched out a paw to scoop one out, but Kong Xiyan gave it a swat, and the cat retreated.

Rain pattered lightly outside, and wind howled. Kong Xiyan had a spot by the window, where she could see wet fallen leaves lifted by the wind, flying high then slowly drifting down. She let out a contented sigh. "This is really nice."

Chi Wanzhao looked up, following her gaze outside, her eyes calm. "What's up?"

Kong Xiyan pointed at the scenery outside and said with satisfaction, "It makes you feel that on a day like this, being able to stay home and eat your favorite food is just wonderful."

Chi Wanzhao set down her chopsticks and studied Kong Xiyan's profile, admiring the sculpted lines—those gentle eyebrows, those serene eyes beneath. She looked down and said, "Miss Kong is quite easily pleased."

Kong Xiyan picked up Yanyan and rubbed her. "Of course. Always was; I've never had grand ambitions."

Chi Wanzhao smirked. "Was that so? If I recall correctly, Miss Kong should have a mole right on her—"

Kong Xiyan didn't catch on at first, then a beat later realized what Chi Wanzhao meant. Her face turned bright red. She glared at Chi Wanzhao in exasperation. "You said last time you didn't see anything!"

Chi Wanzhao replied coolly, "I only said you needn't take it to heart."

Kong Xiyan clenched her fists; she wanted to strangle Chi Wanzhao right then. She took a few deep breaths before she managed, "Tell me not to take it to heart, and yet you keep bringing it up."

"I'm not bringing it up. I just think you really needn't worry. You have a great figure, fair skin, and especially—"

Kong Xiyan gritted her teeth. "Don't say another word! Just zip it!"

With that, she shot Chi Wanzhao a heated glare, scooped up Yanyan, and marched upstairs, slamming the door behind her with a bang. Sitting at the table, Chi Wanzhao was left dumbfounded, rubbing her forehead.

Wasn't she just complimenting her?

So why did Kong Xiyan react like that?

Chi Wanzhao thought crossly that Assistant Zhou's advice was a disaster.

There was probably a reason that man was single.