My Paranoid Girlfriend Asks Me to Be Her Kept Woman (Rebirth) - Chapter 16

Sangzhu Apartment

Zhao Qi held a financial magazine in her hands and leaned against the living room sofa, casually glancing toward the front door.

What time was it already? Why had Lin Yi still not come back?

She picked up her phone again and checked the time. 8:40 p.m.

Then she picked the magazine back up and pretended to read it seriously.

After a while, she spread the magazine over her thighs, leaned back against the sofa, propped up her head, and stared blankly.

Had she been too obvious at the company this afternoon and frightened Lin Yi?

Remembering the taste of Lin Yi from that afternoon, Zhao Qi narrowed her eyes. The tip of her tongue still hurt a little.

No matter how obedient a little dog looked, when pushed too far, it would still show its claws.

She ground the tip of her tongue between her teeth. A sharp, tingling pain traveled into her brain.

Beep, beep—

A sound came from the entryway. She subconsciously straightened her body, rested her hand on the magazine, and looked as though she were flipping through it. But the corner of her eye was already glancing toward the entrance.

Lin Yi hummed a song in a very good mood. She placed the bouquet in her hands on the floor, took off her shoes, and neatly placed them beside Zhao Qi’s high heels.

Only then did she carry the bouquet into the living room.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zhao Qi saw Lin Yi enter the hall. She kept her gaze on the magazine and waited for Lin Yi to notice her.

As soon as Lin Yi entered the living room, she saw Zhao Qi leaning against the sofa, her hair falling loose, reading with focus under the soft glow of a floor lamp.

Lin Yi immediately became flustered and tried to hide the flowers.

Oh no! The surprise she had wanted to give Zhao Qi tomorrow morning seemed to have been discovered today!

With a mournful face, she called softly, “I’m back.”

Zhao Qi raised a brow. She had not even asked why Lin Yi was only coming back now, so why did Lin Yi already look so dejected?

But when Zhao Qi lifted her head, she happened to meet the bouquet in Lin Yi’s arms head-on.

Someone had confessed to her sincerely during the day. She came home so late at night, and now someone had even given her flowers.

Zhao Qi sneered inwardly. Did Lin Yi really think she would not mind?

Seeing Lin Yi’s small face hidden behind the bouquet, peeking at her cautiously with startled eyes, made her seem even more suspicious.

It was as if something had overturned in Zhao Qi’s heart, sour and sharp.

Zhao Qi’s gaze turned cold, and she replied indifferently, “Oh. Got it.”

Lin Yi did not notice the change in Zhao Qi. She was fully immersed in disappointment over her ruined surprise plan.

But she quickly cheered herself up again. Giving them now was fine too! These were flowers she and the director had personally wrapped together. Wasn’t that more precious than anything else?

She raised her smiling face again and walked a few steps to Zhao Qi, wanting to hand the flowers to the woman.

But Zhao Qi did not even lift her head. She picked up the magazine from her lap, slipped on her house slippers, turned around, and left.

Lin Yi stretched out both hands holding the bouquet. After a long while, no one took it.

Her vision was blocked by the bouquet, so she thought the woman was hesitating.

With reddened cheeks, she said, “They’re for you.”

Still, no one took them. Her arms began to ache from holding them up.

The smile froze on her face. She did not know why the woman would not accept them.

“These are for you,” she repeated again, silently confessing.

“I like you.”

The sweet confession drifted through the air. Lin Yi’s arms, which were holding the flowers, finally could not bear it anymore.

She lowered the bouquet. With nothing blocking her view, the unrestrained cold air bared its teeth and claws before her.

Where was Zhao Qi? Lin Yi wondered.

Within her line of sight, the dim yellow light fell over the sofa.

There was no one there.

Lin Yi stood blankly in front of the sofa, holding the flowers. Only then did she finally realize Zhao Qi’s coldness from the moment she entered.

She hugged the bouquet tightly, at a loss, not knowing what she had done wrong.

After thinking for a long time, she finally recalled that she had rejected the woman’s kiss that afternoon. Her face instantly turned pale.

Dejected, she casually placed the flowers on the small coffee table beside her. Her steps were weak. The beautiful days they had spent together had made her forget her doubts about Zhao Qi.

Was Zhao Qi really with her because she liked her?

The heart that had only just been soothed by the director began to stir uneasily again.

Lin Yi’s nose stung, and tears fell in large drops.