You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Yan Yiyun spent the entire night having strange dreams.
In her chaotic dreams, she saw Qi Zhen smiling at her, going shopping together, then suddenly grabbing the “marriage certificate” she’d carefully preserved and ripping it to shreds—making her so angry she wanted to cry. Then, in the next moment, she dreamed they were eating yellow croaker noodles, and Qi Zhen picked out all the small fish from her bowl and gave them to her, making her feel sweet even in her dream.
As morning neared, her dreams became even sweeter and more syrupy.
In the dream, Qi Zhen was ten times gentler, no longer resistant to her closeness. They leaned against each other watching a movie, arms touching, pinkies quietly hooked together, the air full of pink bubbles.
Yan Yiyun knew it wasn’t real, but she still didn’t want to wake up.
As the movie ended, Qi Zhen smiled softly at her, those cherry-pink lips especially enticing. Yan Yiyun looked into her eyes, and before she knew it, she leaned in and kissed her.
Yan Yiyun jolted awake.
She sat up in bed, holding her head, screaming internally. How was she supposed to go to work now?!
When she saw Qi Zhen later, she was definitely going to be embarrassed!
Burying her head into the pillow, she even considered taking the day off.
What the heck was this! Dreaming about kissing her best friend?!
Even if she had a crush on her best friend, this was too much!
While she was still tangled up in whether or not to go to work, Aunt Li knocked on her door.
“Xiaoyun, time to get up! I made fried eggplant fritters and millet porridge this morning. There’s also some rice noodles and poached eggs made with fresh country eggs—all your favorites.”
Yan Yiyun had planned to pretend she was still asleep and just skip work for the day. She could make it up later. But after hearing that list, she couldn’t stay in bed anymore.
Fried eggplant fritters! Rice noodles! All her favorites. Aunt Li’s words made her instantly hungry.
Aunt Li continued, “Didn’t you say you wanted to bring sweet soup to the office today? I’ve made it for you—red bean and lotus seed. There’s also fresh milk that was just delivered. Send Qi Zhen a message to skip breakfast. You can bring it over for both of you to eat together.”
Yan Yiyun had still been dragging her feet, but after hearing that, she got up.
Aunt Li saw her coming out and smiled warmly. “That’s more like it. You said you wanted to marry her yesterday—giving up already today?”
Yan Yiyun was too embarrassed to respond. Aunt Li had watched her grow up—how could she not know what she was thinking? Of course she had intentionally prepared breakfast, so she’d have no excuse not to go.
Sitting at the table, Yan Yiyun first messaged Qi Zhen.
“Aunt Li made breakfast for you. I’ll bring it over later, so don’t eat!”
She also sent photos of the fried eggplant fritters and red bean lotus seed soup to Qi Zhen. Only after Qi Zhen replied did she start eating herself.
Aunt Li asked, “Want to start with rice noodles or the fritters?”
“Please start the noodles for me, Aunt Li. I’ll have a fritter first.”
Aunt Li had gotten up early and already eaten. Hearing that, she went to the kitchen to prepare the rice noodles.
Yan Yiyun picked up a fritter. Aunt Li’s eggplant fritters were tiny, about the size of a dumpling—crispy and golden on the outside, soft and sticky inside, filled with minced eggplant and pork. One bite, and it was full of meaty flavor.
After one fritter, her appetite opened right up. Aunt Li soon brought out the noodles and said, “Too bad rice noodles don’t pack well. Otherwise, I’d let Qi Zhen try mine too.”
She had a great impression of Qi Zhen now. A girl who always made a point to have Yan Yiyun thank her for the food she made—so thoughtful.
With a mouthful of noodles, Yan Yiyun mumbled, “Aunt Li, you’ve never even met her. Why are you so biased already?”
Aunt Li’s noodle soup was legendary. The noodles were hand-ground, soft and tender. The broth had simmered overnight with pork bones until it was creamy white and fragrant. She topped it with diced mushrooms and chicken, added some pickled long beans and radish—one bowl warmed you for the whole day.
While packing the fritters and sweet soup, Aunt Li said, “Biased? It’s because you like her.”
Yan Yiyun choked on her fritter at that, coughing a bit. “Who said I like her?!”
Papa Yan looked at her seriously. “You said yesterday you wanted to marry her. That’s not something to joke about.”
“Dad, what do you mean by that?” Yan Yiyun flared up. “You make it sound like I’m some heartless person when there’s not even anything going on yet!”
Mama Yan had gotten up late and was just rubbing her eyes as she walked past the table. “Aunt Li, I want noodles this morning.”
After washing up and returning to the table, she asked, “What were you all saying just now? Something about a heartless person?”
Papa Yan said, “Your daughter said she doesn’t like Qi Zhen—but she wants to marry her.”
Yan Yiyun felt like even if she had ten mouths, she couldn’t explain herself. She grabbed the food Aunt Li packed and stormed off, grumbling, “What nonsense! I never said I didn’t like her!”
Sitting in the car, she was still fuming. Why was her whole family teasing her now?
The company wasn’t far. Once inside, Yan Yiyun walked straight to her office. Passing the design department, she knocked on Qi Zhen’s glass partition, gestured for her to come quickly, then sashayed away.
Qi Zhen noticed curious colleagues watching her and smiled politely. “I’m going to eat breakfast.”
Coworkers: “!!!”
They watched Qi Zhen calmly get up, carrying a convenience store bag out of the office.
And the design department exploded.
Everyone already knew that Qi Zhen and Yan Yiyun ate lunch together—not exactly a secret. But now, breakfast too?!
The company gossip group lit up again. People frantically tagged Yu Xiaotao.
“@Tao Tao Tao, Qi Zhen’s gone to eat with Xiao Yan again! Did you see?!”
“@Tao Tao Tao, now breakfast too? Are you about to lose your job?!”
“Upstairs has brain damage. Qi Zhen and Xiaotao aren’t even in the same role!”
“So what?! Qi Zhen can cross departments and do Xiaotao’s work. Xiaotao can’t do hers!”
Yu Xiaotao was being spam-tagged early in the morning—and now people were speculating she’d lose her job. She was not in a good mood.
Still chewing on a meat bun, she saw Yan Yiyun come in and say, “I’m eating breakfast. See you in a bit.”
Yu Xiaotao: “……”
She slowly opened the gossip group and typed:
“Which office has a free seat? I’m going to sit somewhere else.”
When Qi Zhen knocked on the door, she happened to see Yu Xiaotao coming out with a gloomy face. She stopped her and handed her a bottle of yogurt.
“Thanks for the trouble.”
Yu Xiaotao accepted the yogurt and felt that maybe being kicked out this early wasn’t so bad after all.
By the time Qi Zhen entered the break room, Yan Yiyun had already set up breakfast.
Aunt Li had packed a very generous spread—enough for two or three people. A big thermos of red bean and lotus seed soup, cooked to soft perfection, dark red with a thick top layer, clearly nourishing and gentle on the stomach. Two food boxes—one with the eggplant fritters, and another with pickled long beans and radish as sides. Plus, two bottles of fresh milk.
Qi Zhen placed her convenience store bag down and took out some fresh milk, yogurt, and snacks, smiling sheepishly.
“You’re always taking care of me. These are for the office—just a little something.”
She knew Yan Yiyun didn’t lack snacks. But since she was too busy to cook often, she could only offer some store-bought treats to show she cared.
Then, she handed over a cashmere scarf. “This is for Aunt Li. Please thank her for me.”
Yan Yiyun was stunned by how thoughtful she was—making herself look like a childish amateur in comparison.
They sat down to eat. After Qi Zhen finished one eggplant fritter, Yan Yiyun asked, “Is it good?”
Qi Zhen nodded. “Delicious. Super crispy outside, soft inside. Amazing.”
“Can you make them?” Yan Yiyun asked.
“Hmm… barely,” Qi Zhen replied.
She loved eating these kinds of fritters—eggplant, lotus root, chive—but knew they were harder to make than they looked.
Yan Yiyun didn’t mind and said, “I want to try yours sometime.”
Qi Zhen nodded. “Okay. I’m a bit busy lately, but I’ll make them for you when I can.”
“Because of the internal job competition?”
Qi Zhen felt a little awkward at first. She wasn’t used to people directly asking about her business—it made her feel like her space was being invaded. It triggered a deep-seated resistance.
But hearing it from Yan Yiyun didn’t make her uncomfortable. In fact, it felt kind of warm.
“Yeah. There’s a lot of prep work to do. This week’s going to be really hectic.”
“Oh… it’s okay. Things will calm down after this.”
Yan Yiyun had looked at the applicant list for the internal promotion. Qi Zhen’s resume was the most impressive by far. With that award list, as long as she didn’t come off mute in the interview, the position was basically hers.
Just as she began to say that, Qi Zhen gently glanced at her, cutting her off: “Why aren’t you eating?”
Yan Yiyun blinked, then realized—Qi Zhen was preventing her from talking too much about the internal competition.
Clearly, Qi Zhen wanted the process to remain completely fair. Even the tiniest bit of inside information—she didn’t want it.
Yan Yiyun’s heart fluttered. Once again, she saw the kindness and integrity radiating from this person—like a warm light that drew her in deeper.
She took a sip of milk and lowered her head. “I already ate at home.”
“Did you bring this just for me?”
Qi Zhen was surprised. Judging by the portion, she’d assumed Yan Yiyun hadn’t eaten either and had just brought extra.
Yan Yiyun tilted her chin. “It wasn’t me who insisted. Aunt Li wanted you to try her sweet soup.”
Yeah, right.
Qi Zhen chuckled knowingly. “Got it. So Aunt Li is this nice to me, huh?”
That annoyed Yan Yiyun.
What do you mean Aunt Li’s nice to her? No she isn’t!
She was the one who clung to Aunt Li and whined until she made soup for Qi Zhen!
Irritated, Yan Yiyun grumbled, “Yeah, Aunt Li likes you so much—why don’t you go be with her then?”
Qi Zhen set down her chopsticks, scooped a spoonful of the sweet soup, and held it to Yan Yiyun’s lips. The warm, sweet aroma tempted her—she opened her mouth and took a bite.
Only after drinking it did her mood lift. She looked up at Qi Zhen.
Qi Zhen tilted her head slightly, gave her a charming smile, and said—
“But I like you the most. Don’t you know that already?”