Chapter 29

Chi Wanzhao's face had been dark all day. During the morning meeting, her brows were cold and her gaze sharp, as if she wanted to bore holes into people to scrutinize them.

The managers went in shaking and came out trembling.

That suffocating atmosphere spread through the entire company like a virus.

Only one person stayed calm.

Near the end of the workday, Assistant Zhou walked in with a stack of documents. He set them on the desk and, seeing Chi Wanzhao put down her pen, asked, "CEO Chi, not working late tonight?"

"Mm."

Chi Wanzhao replied lightly, then looked up. "Is the car ready?"

Assistant Zhou nodded. "Everything's ready. I also confirmed with your wife last night—we leave the day after tomorrow in the morning."

At the thought of Kong Xiyan, the tension in Chi Wanzhao's face eased slightly. She stood. "Let's call it a day."

Assistant Zhou followed behind her, hesitant, then said, "CEO Chi, about the set..."

Chi Wanzhao's phone buzzed. She paused mid-step and answered, "Hello."

"Sis..."

Chi Xuan's sobbing voice came through, and Chi Wanzhao's heart tightened. "What's wrong? Don't cry. Is it Dad..."

"Mm, Dad had another episode and just came out of surgery. I'm scared."

Chi Wanzhao breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't be scared. Xiaoxuan, take good care of Mom, and remember what I told you—don't worry, Dad won't go."

Chi Xuan was stunned by her firm tone. "Sis, why won't Dad go?"

"Is he still waiting for that person..."

Although Chi Xuan was the youngest in the family, she was smart and sensible. When Chi Chao had called a family meeting, he hadn't shielded her from it, which Chi Wanzhao had resented—Chi Xuan was too young to be exposed to such dirty matters.

Resentful as she was, Chi Xuan had found out anyway.

Young and impulsive, she had once sought out Wang Haining, sneering at her and even trying to hit her, only stopped by Chi Wanzhao's timely arrival.

So Chi Xuan harbored deep hostility toward Wang Haining.

Now, hearing Chi Wanzhao's words, she gritted her teeth. "Sis, tell me the truth—is Dad still waiting for that person?"

Chi Wanzhao stood by the window, listening to the wind howling outside. Her voice was hoarse. "And if he is?"

Chi Xuan said angrily, "Then it'd be better if Dad just died like this."

"Xiaoxuan!"

Chi Xuan exploded like a little universe. "Did I say something wrong? Sis, I know you've never truly forgiven Dad in your heart. None of us in the family ever have. Mom didn't divorce him only because of his illness—but why?"

"Why should we bear the burden?"

"Let him wait if he wants! I'm never seeing him again!"

The line went dead with a click. Chi Wanzhao stared at her phone, knitted brows, helplessness written all over her face. She stood at the window lost in thought for a while, then still called Chi Yifan. Assistant Zhou, standing four or five meters away, caught only occasional "Mm" and "Okay" responses.

Before long, Chi Wanzhao hung up and walked over.

Assistant Zhou didn't resume the previous topic, silently following her down the stairs.

Once in the car, Chi Wanzhao leaned back against the seat, eyes closed, looking exhausted. As the car passed under a series of streetlights, she slowly opened her eyes. "Zhou Sheng, if someone closest to you did something wrong, would you forgive them?"

Zhou Sheng, who knew something about Old Master Chi's situation, found it hard to answer. After thinking for a long moment, he said, "Maybe I would forgive them."

"After all, he doesn't have much time left, and hatred serves no purpose."

Chi Wanzhao curled her lips into a bitter smile. "Is that so."

But how could she forgive?

Even knowing the man had one foot in the grave, she still couldn't let go of the grudge in her heart. Chi Xuan was right—it wasn't their fault, yet they were the ones bearing the consequences.

But then again, that child was innocent too.

Chi Wanzhao's face darkened as she gazed out the window. Countless scenes whisked past, and she remained silent, holding the same position.

As they neared home, Chi Wanzhao finally turned her gaze away, shedding the fierce aura to resume her calm demeanor. Though her face was still expressionless, it was softer than it had been at the office.

After getting out of the car, she surveyed the surroundings of the apartment building before stepping inside.

As Chi Wanzhao pushed open the door, she saw Kong Xiyan sitting on the rug by the coffee table holding a bowl of noodles, with Yanyan crouched in front of her laptop. Both human and cat had their heads fixed on the screen.

Kong Xiyan was watching a video intently and didn't hear the door open.

The barrage of comments was flying by: —Damn, Chu Qian is so handsome, I'm swooning!

—Tsk tsk, truly beautiful—graceful, grand, and stunningly gorgeous. Amazing, absolutely amazing!

—Are you talking about Chu Qian? Her acting is explosive!

—You bet! She's the acting and looks champion in Breaking the Cocoon. My favorite scenes are with the Crown Prince—they're perfect together!

—Pfft, some people will fawn over anyone, even a homewrecker. Probably never seen a real woman.

—Heh, is that joke getting old? Everyone makes mistakes.

—Ugh, I absolutely love Chu Qian, but thinking about what Kong Xiyan did feels like finding a fly in my cake—can't swallow it.

—Same here.

—Totally get you! That's exactly how I feel now—want to watch but also don't. Sigh.

Kong Xiyan ate her noodles while watching the mixed reviews in the comments, curling her lips slightly. Six episodes of Breaking the Cocoon had already aired. Although it was a weekly drama, its ratings were climbing steadily. It had to be said, the screenwriter was talented—they'd cut many plot points from the book and added new twists, ensuring every episode had a cliffhanger.

And each episode ended on a suspenseful note.

That was the real reason Breaking the Cocoon could outpace other dramas despite its weekly schedule.

Kong Xiyan finished her noodles and saw the episode had reached its end. She stretched, and her hand hit something soft. Startled, she quickly turned around and saw Chi Wanzhao sitting behind her.

"When did you get back?!"

Kong Xiyan nearly jumped out of her skin. Memories of this morning rushed back—she'd been startled by Chi Wanzhao twice in one day, and her eyes flashed with irritation.

Chi Wanzhao still sat on the sofa with her eyes closed, resting. Her voice was soft. "Just got back."

Kong Xiyan was about to snap, but she caught the dark circles under Chi Wanzhao's eyes and the weariness on her face. She swallowed her complaint and turned away. "Why didn't you make a sound?"

Chi Wanzhao slowly opened her eyes. "Did I scare you? Sorry."

Kong Xiyan softened at that—she was someone who yielded to gentleness, not force. Hearing Chi Wanzhao's apology, she waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine."

She picked up the empty bowl and walked toward the kitchen, but paused at the doorway. Chi Wanzhao usually cooked dinner, and seeing her so tired today was rare. Kong Xiyan couldn't help asking, "Have you eaten dinner? If you don't mind, I could cook you some noodles."

"Though my cooking isn't as good as yours."

Chi Wanzhao turned her head to look at her, her gaze tender. "I don't mind."

Kong Xiyan: ...

She met Chi Wanzhao's eyes and her heartbeat quickened. She snapped back to the moment, turned, and hurried into the kitchen with her head down.

Yanyan, tired of being bored, hopped from the coffee table onto Chi Wanzhao's lap. It let out two affectionate meows, curled up, and settled there.

Chi Wanzhao's right hand stroked Yanyan's forehead, and soon the cat's soft purring filled the air. She looked up and saw Kong Xiyan bustling about in the kitchen.

Kong Xiyan rarely cooked. Since moving into the apartment, apart from preparing Yanyan's meals, she hadn't touched any kitchenware.

Now she was washing the greens, chopping them with a knife, and setting them aside. The oil in the pan suddenly sizzled and popped, making her jump back a step. After a moment, she went back and poured the beaten eggs into the pan.

Chi Wanzhao watched her work the whole time.

Fry the eggs, add the noodles, toss in the greens, taste the broth, then ladle it into a bowl and set it down in front of her.

Kong Xiyan handed over the chopsticks. "Eat up."

Chi Wanzhao accepted the chopsticks. Kong Xiyan caught her elegant side profile—delicate features, long, curled lashes over bright, dark eyes, and a thin lower lip. Remembering last night, she felt restless and stood up. "You eat first. I'm going to take a shower."

"Mm."

A faint reply drifted over from behind. Kong Xiyan straightened her back and walked up to the second floor with feigned calm, only leaning against the doorframe to catch her breath as soon as she entered her room.

Chi Wanzhao's gaze followed Kong Xiyan until she disappeared into her room, then she withdrew her attention. The bowl in front of her wafted steam, and she looked down to see the fried egg had a charred black edge, and the greens were a dull yellow—the heat had been too high.

She picked up the fried egg with her chopsticks and bit into it with a composed expression. It tasted better than it looked.

Chi Wanzhao slowly finished the entire bowl of noodles. Not seeing Kong Xiyan come downstairs, she took the bowl to the kitchen and washed it. Afterward, Yanyan naturally followed her, ready to head upstairs.

The entire second floor was quiet. Yanyan trotted ahead and leapt up the stairs.

Chi Wanzhao stood outside Kong Xiyan's door, thought for a moment, and knocked.

No answer.

Chi Wanzhao frowned, pressed her hand on the door handle, and with a click, the door opened.

"Miss Kong?"

Chi Wanzhao walked in but didn't see anyone. Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom inside, her brow relaxed. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Kong Xiyan to come out.

About half an hour later, the water stopped. Kong Xiyan opened the door and saw Chi Wanzhao sitting in the room. Instinctively, she stepped back.

She was mortified. She hadn't planned to sleep with Chi Wanzhao tonight, so she hadn't bothered to bring a bra into the shower. Now she was only wrapped in a bathrobe.

Seeing Chi Wanzhao seated there, she was relieved the bathrobe was thick cotton—nothing would show.

Still, Kong Xiyan hunched her shoulders slightly as she walked into the room.

"CEO Chi, is something the matter?"

Kong Xiyan sat at the vanity, deliberately keeping a good distance from Chi Wanzhao.

Chi Wanzhao looked at her cheeks, flushed from the steam, her hair tied up with water droplets at the roots, each occasionally slipping into the bathrobe. Suddenly, her mouth felt dry, and her palms grew sweaty. She forced herself to look away and said, "Nothing much—the shower in my room is broken, so I wanted to borrow yours. Is that all right?"

Kong Xiyan blinked, looked at her earnest expression, and said, "Sure."

After Chi Wanzhao took her bathrobe and went into the bathroom, Kong Xiyan suddenly remembered—if the shower upstairs was broken, there was still the bathroom on the ground floor. Why did she have to borrow hers?

Too bad she couldn't ask Chi Wanzhao that now.

Kong Xiyan sat at the vanity, applied some facial cream, loosened the towel wrapped around her head, and brushed out her long hair. Before long, she saw Yanyan nimbly jump onto the bed. She walked over, scooped up the cat, and said, "You're sleeping in the next room tonight."

Yanyan: "Meow!"

Kong Xiyan: "Wait... not just tonight—from now on, you sleep in the next room."

Yanyan: "Meow!"

Kong Xiyan: "Stop being cute! Cuteness is a crime!"

Yanyan: "Meow meow!"

Kong Xiyan relented. "Alright, alright—just a little nap, then when Chi Wanzhao comes out, you leave with her, got it?"

Yanyan, as if understanding, rubbed its head against her palm. Kong Xiyan set it beside her, one hand stroking its head, the other picking up her phone to browse Weibo.

On Weibo, the incident with He Lao slapping her had died down, leaving only a few stray posts. Kong Xiyan logged onto the official account with her alt and saw that tonight's two episodes had already spawned countless screenshots, many accompanied by captions.

—The most beautiful Chu Qian and Crown Prince! A match made in heaven!

—Chu Qian is majestic! Crown Prince is gentle! They're perfect together!

—Any fanfic writers here? I want to ship this CP!

—Feel free to ship the TV characters, but don't ship the real-life actors—it'll make you sick!

—Exactly, I'm already feeling queasy. Thinking about my brother Xiao being in a drama with that homewrecker makes me furious!

—But her acting is a hundred times better than your brother Xiao's, heh.

—Screw off, paid shill. Get lost!

—Boost me!!! Exclusive report: Xiao Cheng is apparently pursuing Kong Xiyan!!!

This comment quickly shot to the top. Kong Xiyan clicked into the account of the so-called leaker—a newly created account with nothing on it, not even a single post, only following the official account and several Breaking the Cocoon cast members.

The account was named 【Never Lies】.

The comment section under this post exploded instantly.

—What the heck? Xiao Cheng pursuing Kong Xiyan? Did you spell that wrong?

—You're probably a shill for Kong Xiyan. How shameless, leeching off my brother Xiao's fame!

—Pfft, he's just a pretty boy—what fame? Some fans just love their own delusions.

—Wait, shouldn't the focus be that Xiao Cheng is pursuing Kong Xiyan? Is that real or not?

—I suspect someone in the comments is trying to change the subject. Someone, please spill the truth!!!

But the account never responded after that one post. No matter how many people called out for it, it stayed silent. When Chi Wanzhao came out of the bathroom, she saw Kong Xiyan still glued to her phone, brows deeply furrowed, displeasure clear on her face.

"What are you looking at?"

Chi Wanzhao asked in a calm voice. Kong Xiyan quickly looked up and stashed her phone away. "Nothing."

As she stood up, Yanyan, lying beside her, happened to be on the sash of her bathrobe. Freed from the sash, the robe loosened. Kong Xiyan felt a chill on her chest.

"I..."

"This..."

All the blood rushed to Kong Xiyan's head. Her face turned crimson, and her body trembled. Seeing this, Chi Wanzhao took a quick step forward and swiftly pulled the sash from under Yanyan, tying Kong Xiyan's robe back up for her.

She was half a head taller than Kong Xiyan. As she leaned down, she glimpsed Kong Xiyan's flushed face and the fine sweat on her forehead. Kong Xiyan wished she could burrow her head into the ground, her hair falling to hide her face completely.

"It's okay now."

Chi Wanzhao patted her shoulder. Kong Xiyan's voice came out muffled: "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Yanyan tried to come closer again, but a glare from Chi Wanzhao made it freeze on the bed. Kong Xiyan stood rigid on the spot. Chi Wanzhao walked past her to the bed, scooped up Yanyan, and turned to Kong Xiyan. "I'll head back to my room now."

Kong Xiyan kept her head down and managed, "Okay."

Chi Wanzhao walked to the door as if nothing had happened, then paused before closing it behind her. "Miss Kong, don't think too much of it."

Kong Xiyan remained silent, head down, looking disheveled.

Chi Wanzhao sighed, set Yanyan down, took a couple steps back inside, and said seriously, "If you're really bothered, I could take mine off and let you look—equal exchange."

Kong Xiyan: ...