You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Yan Yiyun heard Qi Zhen call her “Softie,” and completely unguarded, her heart melted a little, and even her eyes softened.
Her voice was soft and low, a faint blush rising on her ears.
“Who told you I was being bullied?”
A flash of ruthlessness passed through Yan Yiyun’s heart. If anyone dared to speak nonsense in front of Qi Zhen, she would absolutely make sure they’d regret it.
But her face was still smiling, eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Qi Zhen, waiting for her answer.
“No one said anything…”
Qi Zhen looked at her. Did she guess wrong? Qi Zhen lifted her head, resting her chin on her hand to hide the awkwardness in her expression. Had she overthought it?
“I guessed. You didn’t look too happy earlier.”
“Oh~ Oh~”
Yan Yiyun’s tone lifted playfully. If there hadn’t been people coming and going around them, she would’ve rushed over and grabbed Qi Zhen’s arm to act cute.
So Qi Zhen had noticed that she’d been upset—and even thought she might have been bullied.
She had thought Qi Zhen hadn’t noticed and had been feeling down about it.
Now her heart softened even more. She picked up a small yellow croaker fish from her own bowl and placed it into Qi Zhen’s bowl, saying, “No one bullied me.”
Qi Zhen still didn’t feel assured and asked, “Really?”
“Really,” Yan Yiyun smiled with crescent eyes. “Who would dare bully me?”
Qi Zhen thought for a moment—indeed.
In the company, Yan Yiyun was the future CEO. Even if someone wanted to cause trouble, no one would dare mess with her—unless, as she suspected, the board had brought someone in to gang up on Yan Yiyun.
Her expression grew serious. “What if someone from the board tries to bully you?”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
Yan Yiyun revealed a confident smile.
“Don’t worry about how I do things. As long as I hold the controlling shares, no one can make trouble for me. If anyone dares try, I’ll just fire them.”
Qi Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. Looks like the little girl from back then really didn’t need her protection anymore.
She looked at Yan Yiyun in a different light. Yan Yiyun was smiling at her, having tied her long hair up with a small elastic for easier noodle eating. A few stubborn strands had slipped out and now framed her fair, delicate face. Her eyes sparkled as if full of words unsaid, her rosy lips slightly parted, curving up into a sly smile.
Qi Zhen suddenly felt thirsty.
She picked up her lemon water and took a big sip, but her throat still felt parched and dry, unable to speak.
Then it hit her—Yan Yiyun was a woman.
Not a little girl who needed her care, not a crybaby needing her protection. She had grown up. Now she stood in front of her, smiling like that, making Qi Zhen blush just from a look.
Qi Zhen lowered her head and started eating noodles. “Okay then.”
Just moments ago, this bowl of small yellow croaker noodles had been brimming with temptation. But now, it seemed to have lost its charm. The soup was still rich, the fish tender—but as she ate, it just didn’t taste the same anymore.
Earlier she could fully enjoy the food, but now all she could think about was that look in Yan Yiyun’s eyes—and her confident “Who would dare bully me?”
Yan Yiyun had truly grown up.
The last trace of that little crybaby in Qi Zhen’s heart had completely vanished.
She realized more clearly than ever that Yan Yiyun was someone like her—perhaps even more confident and captivating.
Qi Zhen’s heart was pounding, heat rising. She stopped eating, her fingers fumbling at the top button of her shirt, trying to loosen it. Her fingertips were slightly damp with sweat, making her movements awkward and slow.
Yan Yiyun stared at her intently. The small noodle shop was poorly ventilated with no air conditioning, hot and stuffy. Qi Zhen’s cheeks were flushed as she fiddled with her button, seemingly about to undo it.
Such a small movement.
But Yan Yiyun’s mouth went dry, her heartbeat racing, nerves all over the place. She instinctively grabbed the glass on the table and took a sip of the lemon water.
She put the glass down and looked up—only to meet Qi Zhen’s complicated gaze.
There was so much in that look—some blame, some indulgence, even a hint of expectation—all tangled together, impossible to decipher.
Qi Zhen felt even hotter. Her voice hoarse, she said, “That was my water.”
Yan Yiyun’s face instantly burned bright red. She mumbled, “…I grabbed the wrong one by accident.”
Qi Zhen looked at her with a teasing half-smile. Her face had been flushed before, but seeing Yan Yiyun embarrassed made her want to tease her more.
“You’ve mixed up our glasses plenty of times before. Why’s your face so red today?”
Yan Yiyun instantly snapped.
“Who’s blushing!”
She refused to admit it. “You’re not looking much better either!”
“That’s true. I’m not much better,” Qi Zhen suddenly sighed, then picked up a piece of yellow croaker and placed it in Yan Yiyun’s bowl. “Eat up before it gets cold.”
Yeah. How much better was she, really?
She clearly knew she liked Yan Yiyun, and was drowning in her smile, blushing from a simple gesture—but couldn’t bring herself to say a single word. Compared to the naive, clueless Yan Yiyun, she was the one who lacked courage.
Qi Zhen ate her fish noodles like chewing wax, sighing inwardly. Poor bowl of noodles—completely wasted on her mood.
Yan Yiyun, meanwhile, had finished eating and was in much better spirits.
Right in front of Qi Zhen, she deliberately stood up, went to the sterilizer cabinet, grabbed a clean glass, and poured herself a new cup of water.
“This one’s mine,” Yan Yiyun declared.
“Got it,” Qi Zhen replied, deadpan. “I saw you pour it.”
Just now she thought Yan Yiyun had matured—and now here she was, acting all childish again.
Going to pour water on purpose? Just to make a show for her?
Yan Yiyun grinned smugly. Now Qi Zhen couldn’t say anything, right?
She placed the glass confidently on the table and sat back down to watch Qi Zhen finish her meal.
Qi Zhen ate with elegance—each bite small and precise, never biting noodles midway, always one whole bite at a time. A bit of noodles, a bit of yellow croaker, sipping soup with a spoon. In this humble noodle shop, she managed to eat like she was in a fine-dining restaurant, standing out among all the slurping customers around.
Yan Yiyun stared and stared—getting totally lost. How could someone look so good just eating food?
Qi Zhen finished eating and looked up—Yan Yiyun was still staring.
She wiped her lips with a tissue, then caught sight of the new glass Yan Yiyun had poured.
She had seen every move Yan Yiyun made earlier—how she stood up just to get that water, how she declared it was hers. So childish.
Qi Zhen’s lips curved slightly. She picked up Yan Yiyun’s glass.
Yan Yiyun: !!!
She immediately blurted out, “That’s my—”
Before she could finish, Qi Zhen casually turned her wrist and slowly brought the glass to her lips—
Right where Yan Yiyun had left her lip print.
Yan Yiyun’s mind went boom—it felt like she was going to explode.
She—she—she—what is she doing?!
Wasn’t that basically an indirect kiss?!
Yan Yiyun completely forgot her own past behavior. All she could do now was glare at Qi Zhen, watching as her soft pink lips touched the glass. The transparent rim pressed against her lips, forming a lovely shape as water slid into her mouth. When Qi Zhen set the glass down, she left behind a faint pink lip mark.
A bit of moisture clung to the edge of the glass—and Yan Yiyun’s heart skipped a beat.
“What’s wrong?” Qi Zhen asked with a smile, licking the water from the corner of her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I was just too lazy to pour another cup.”
Her final note rose slightly, a lazy, teasing tone as she gazed at Yan Yiyun.
Yan Yiyun abruptly stood up. “I’ll go get you water.”
She was afraid if she stayed any longer, her brain would short-circuit.
She’d just watched Qi Zhen drink water and somehow her palms had started to sweat, her breathing had quickened, and her mind had gone completely blank.
She grabbed a glass, staring at those two overlapping lip prints—her head was spinning.
What does Qi Zhen’s lipstick taste like?
That cherry blossom pink… probably something sweet, like jelly?
She slammed the glass down in front of Qi Zhen. “Drink.”
Qi Zhen obediently picked up the glass and brought her lips to the same spot again, her tongue flicking playfully at the lip mark before pulling back, as if suddenly remembering something. She asked:
“Then what are you drinking?”
Yan Yiyun was so flustered by the move that she gasped. Under the table, she was pinching her own hand to calm herself down.
She didn’t even understand what was happening to her. Qi Zhen was just drinking water—so why was her heart beating this fast? And it was only getting worse!
“Hmm?”
Qi Zhen, seeing no reply, hummed softly—a lazy nasal tone.
Yan Yiyun’s shoulder twitched slightly. Something clearly flashed through her mind. She forced herself to stay calm, looked up, grabbed the previous glass and said, “I’ll just drink this one.”
Clutching the glass, Yan Yiyun absentmindedly took a sip. The cool water soothed her burning heart—just a little.
She sneaked a look at Qi Zhen. She’d just finished eating and was sitting in the hot little noodle shop, her cheeks and eyes slightly flushed. Her lipstick had worn off a bit from the meal and water, revealing the natural pink beneath. Normally cool and aloof, she now looked especially alluring.
Yan Yiyun’s heart skipped again.
She realized what she was thinking—
In that dream, Qi Zhen had smiled at her so gently, so indulgently… and then, she kissed Qi Zhen.
And right now, Qi Zhen looked just like she had in that dream—and it made her really, really want to kiss her.
Yan Yiyun was instantly overwhelmed by embarrassment. She and Qi Zhen weren’t even dating yet! How could she have such thoughts?
She felt like she was profaning Qi Zhen just by thinking it.
Thankfully, Qi Zhen didn’t know what she was thinking, and that alone brought Yan Yiyun a bit of comfort.
Qi Zhen saw her expressions constantly shifting and felt a bit ignored. She chuckled and said:
“You’re drinking my cup now.”
She slowed her voice, a smile curling in her words, lazily seductive.
Yan Yiyun’s face turned even redder. Didn’t this make her look like she’d done it on purpose?
Face burning, she stammered, “No… that’s not…”
“Hmm?” Qi Zhen feigned confusion. “What’s not?”
Yan Yiyun finally gathered her scattered thoughts and said, “I-I didn’t mean to use your cup!”
She shoved the glass in her hand back toward Qi Zhen, snatched the one Qi Zhen was holding, and downed the water in one go.
Yan Yiyun thought, That should settle this ridiculous misunderstanding, right?
But Qi Zhen’s eyes landed on her lips, her smile sly like a little fox. She asked:
“That lipstick shade—is it chocolate-flavored?”