Friday night, after saying three consecutive “I’m sorry,” He Lindi confessed something to Chi Shuo.
Before they got together, the night she went home, a relative was indeed close to death, but something else kept her at the He family residence.
It was precisely the matter concerning Chi Shuo.
Because her affection for Chi Shuo had become uncontrollable, and their relationship was getting increasingly close, He Lindi was called back home on Chi Shuo’s birthday. For the next two months, she didn’t see Chi Shuo again.
He Wenkang only had sisters, no brothers. In He Lindi’s generation, only she carried the “He” surname.
When He Lindi was young, her mother passed away in an accident. He Wenkang was a devoted man. Though young and handsome, and the He family wealthy, he could have easily found a new wife. Yet, he refused, choosing to raise his daughter alone.
That’s when Old Master He started to dislike He Lindi—because she was a girl. Being a girl wasn’t the main issue; a man could marry into the family, and future children could still carry the He surname, He family blood.
Their relationship worsened when he learned He Lindi was dating a girl. Previously, when He Lindi made mistakes, she would be made to kneel in the study to reflect. This time, she angered Old Master He, who forced her to kneel outside in the winter snow, to admit her mistake and learn her lesson.
Thankfully, He Lindi broke up with the girl and only dated boys afterward.
Old Master He was relieved and began searching for a suitable grandson-in-law. He didn’t expect the same problem to resurface so long afterward.
Someone monitoring He Lindi reported that she was close with another girl, often seen leaving work with her. This alerted Old Master He.
And He Lindi seemed to be getting increasingly bold.
She took the girl for afternoon tea, had her teach her roller skating, and even appeared at the girl’s apartment in the early hours of her birthday, not leaving until the next day.
That day, their interactions finally crossed Old Master He’s bottom line. He called He Lindi home.
Older generations are harder to change. Even if He Lindi were a boy who liked boys, Old Master He would still be this angry.
He confined He Lindi, confiscated her phone, and clinging to the belief that homosexuality was a disease, he arranged for her to be taken to a private hospital for “treatment.”
If it weren’t for He Wenkang intervening, he would have made He Lindi kneel again at night.
They didn’t meet often. Old Master He, in his sixties, was sharp and never confused. Regarding this matter, he even told He Lindi she was violating the laws of nature.
He was just stubborn, not ignorant of the changing times.
He Lindi, flipping through a book in her hospital bed, replied calmly, “Does nature have that much free time? Does it see itself as the center of the universe?”
Old Master He was so angry he stormed out, while He Lindi leisurely enjoyed her afternoon tea.
The hospital food was quite good. She stayed there for a while and didn’t lose any weight.
People grow up. After realizing her grandfather couldn’t do much to her, He Lindi became bolder, negotiating with Old Master He.
Hearing this, Chi Shuo was stunned. “So, behind our relationship, there’s an agreement?”
He Lindi, tears still lingering in her eyes, nodded. “Yes.”
The agreement was a signed document brought by He Wenkang. Chi Shuo looked at the date—three months, starting from the day He Lindi returned, November 19, 2018. Today was February 22, 2019.
Three days past the agreed date.
Chi Shuo frowned. “Why not start from the day we got together?”
“Maybe Grandpa was afraid that day would never come.”
“…”
Chi Shuo was momentarily speechless, then asked, “We got together on January 13th. Why so late?”
“I didn’t know if you liked me.” He Lindi sniffled, giving her answer. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have tested you for so long.”
Chi Shuo also didn’t know how to reply. She felt that having a harmonious relationship with someone from a complicated family was difficult. But her own family was also complicated. She didn’t think her mother could rationally handle the news of her liking girls.
The agreement stated that after three months of separation, they would have another three months apart to assess the situation. If He Lindi still had feelings for Chi Shuo, they could continue.
During this period, they couldn’t have any contact, especially He Lindi, whose phone would be monitored. Even He Lindi’s photographer Weibo account was handed over to her family, let alone other social media like WeChat.
If they were discovered contacting each other, the separation period would be extended, three months after three months, until eventually, no one could endure it.
Old Master He was always assertive and kept his word. He had initially intended to remind them personally three days ago, but in the end, he let He Wenkang handle it.
Being constantly monitored like this was terrifying. It meant every intimate moment was witnessed.
He Lindi felt incredibly guilty towards Chi Shuo. She hadn’t given Chi Shuo the ideal, beautiful relationship and now had to face this complicated situation. But for their future, they had to make a decision.
Going head-to-head with Old Master He would likely end in their defeat. They had no choice but to enter a fake breakup, real love phase.
More trials would surely come, but for now, they had to overcome this hurdle. Besides, they were young; they could afford to wait.
He Lindi’s main Weibo account was confiscated, but not her secret account. Currently, that was their only way to communicate. After chatting, they had to delete the messages. Otherwise, if discovered, the separation period would be extended.
The fake breakup was their secret. It absolutely couldn’t be revealed to others. This severely tested their acting skills. Over the weekend, Chi Shuo truly immersed herself in the role of a heartbroken woman, making her mental state seem incredibly poor. In reality, she had just stayed up late watching movies.
As for the crying… it was intentional.
How crowded was the cafeteria? Her heartfelt crying there was bound to be noticed by the He family. And she achieved her goal. Lin Xinyue even heard about it from his staff.
Chi Shuo didn’t like crying. Pretending to be heartbroken was torturous. But whenever she thought about breaking up with He Lindi, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, tears flowing uncontrollably.
To make her crying more convincing, Chi Shuo covered her face, not daring to look at her two friends. She was afraid she’d burst out laughing, ruining the act. So, she desperately held back her laughter.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai; she was just worried about the He family’s deep infiltration.
Being alone wasn’t pleasant. Chi Shuo chatted with He Lindi on their secret Weibo accounts, then after a while, both deleted the messages and went offline.
This relationship couldn’t be called tiring, just frustrating. Even though she knew they might face many obstacles, she hadn’t expected it to reach the point where they had to communicate secretly.
Three months…
Chi Shuo drank some water, finding it tasted bitter, just like the next three months wouldn’t be easy.
She didn’t know exactly who from the He family was monitoring them. This feeling of being watched was incredibly unpleasant.
They could only communicate through Weibo like this. He Lindi hadn’t updated her secret account, but Chi Shuo continued drawing. Sometimes she drew herself reaching for distant stars, sometimes herself gazing at a rippling lake, seeing nothing.
Many people guessed they had broken up after seeing they unfollowed each other. Now, seeing Chi Shuo’s drawings, they were 100% certain.
To fool everyone, you had to fool yourself first. Chi Shuo constantly suppressed her urge to go upstairs to Xiyu, to see He Lindi.
Her life was calm again, commuting punctually every day. But she had to find opportunities to appear heartbroken, maintaining that facade for a month until finally appearing indifferent, as if she no longer cared about the breakup.
But few people knew about the relationship to begin with. Those unaware just assumed Chi Shuo had gone through something and didn’t pry.
March 22nd, Friday. A month had passed since their fake breakup. During this period, they relied on their secret Weibo accounts for daily contact, expressing their growing longing for each other.
Before work ended, Chi Shuo pursed her lips, tidying her desk for the weekend.
It wasn’t Xia Zhou or Zeng Guai who approached first, but He Xiuqi, whom she hadn’t spoken to in a long time. His mood seemed good, a smile on his face as he leaned against something nearby. “Xiao Chi Jie,” he said, “Do you think my mouth is blessed? Otherwise, why did you and Teacher He break up so quickly?”
Chi Shuo glanced at him, offering no reply.
He Xiuqi’s smile remained brilliant. “What was it I said? Wasn’t it ‘Hope you break up soon’?”
Chi Shuo still didn’t reply. Just then, Zeng Guai walked over. Chi Shuo turned and left with her.
He Xiuqi followed them down. Chi Shuo finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “I don’t have cough drops.”
“I’m not a leopard.” He Xiuqi had his hands in his pockets. “I’m just watching the show.”
“…”
Chi Shuo didn’t give him a good look, quickening her pace. Thankfully, He Xiuqi didn’t keep up this time.
On the way, Chi Shuo’s lips curved upwards. He Lindi had already messaged her, telling her to go ahead.
Go where? It was their secret.
Well, Han Yu also knew.
Chi Shuo hadn’t expected to need Han Yu’s help for this relationship, and it was very practical help—renting an apartment.
Using Han Yu’s ID, they rented a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment in a good location, crowded enough that it wouldn’t be easily discovered.
Chi Shuo first went to her own apartment complex, then to the underground parking lot, and drove Han Yu’s other car. Half an hour later, she reached her destination.
Exiting the elevator, Chi Shuo called Han Yu.
Han Yu answered quickly. “Chi Shuo, you owe me a big meal later. What did I do wrong? Years later, I still have to help my dream girl and her love rival, I’m so miserable.”
Chi Shuo entered the passcode, a smile on her face. “You’re wrong because you know me.” She opened the door. “Too late to regret it.”
Meeting up felt like a covert operation. Chi Shuo was speechless, but for their future, gritting her teeth and enduring it seemed acceptable.
The apartment was fully furnished. Chi Shuo was here for the first time. Han Yu had worried Chi Shuo might not be satisfied, but now it seemed Chi Shuo was only unhappy that she could only stay here once a month.
Chi Shuo looked at the time; it was already past 8 PM. She licked her lips, opened the fridge, took out a can of Sprite, and took a few gulps.
She was a bit hungry but wanted to wait for He Lindi to arrive and order takeout together. It had been a while since they’d done this; she really wanted to recreate that scene.
Time ticked by. Around 8:40 PM, she heard the sound of the door code being entered.
Chi Shuo’s throat tightened. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was He Lindi. Wearing slippers, she slowly walked towards the door. Before she even reached it, the door opened.
Spring had arrived, but He Lindi was bundled up, wearing a hat and mask.
Chi Shuo stood frozen, momentarily speechless, unsure what to say. He Lindi closed the door, joining her in silence.
Finally, after ten seconds, neither knew who initiated it, but they hugged tightly.
He Lindi’s perfume was the same as hers. This calmed Chi Shuo’s still-wavering heart. He Lindi hadn’t taken off her mask and hat yet. Chi Shuo tilted her head slightly, using her mouth to pull down one corner of the mask, then continued turning her head, pulling the mask completely off one side.
Half of He Lindi’s face was revealed, her lips curved upwards, her eyes also smiling. She said, “Shuo Shuo Jie Jie, long time no see.”
It truly had been a long time. Their work schedules didn’t align, and He Lindi had gone on two business trips. There was no chance for them to meet. He Lindi had posted selfies, though, which Chi Shuo saved and used as references for her drawings.
Chi Shuo chuckled softly and reached up to take off He Lindi’s hat. “In the way.”
He Lindi grinned and leaned closer, their breaths mingling.
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