C8 Youve Been Found Out!

"Well, you're really just letting it all go, aren't you?" Yan Zhimo sneered, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Yann Qiai's ear.

"Heh, I've survived the worst for five years now. What haven't I been through? You think I'm scared of a little 'letting it all go'?" Yann Qiai's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Yan Zhimo's eyes darkened, but Yann Qiai, busy fixing her clothes and hair in the mirror, didn't notice his change in demeanor. She took out her makeup for a quick touch-up, then turned around, giving Yan Zhimo a defiant glare before swinging open the bathroom door.

The next moment, Yann Qiai froze. Her heart raced, and she was momentarily speechless.

Qii Linyue stood right outside the bathroom, expressionless, staring at her.

"Linyue, what are you doing here?" Yann Qiai forced a smile, reaching out to grab Qii Linyue's hand. "I'm fine now, let's go."

But Qii Linyue remained impassive, pulling Yann Qiai into his arms. The spot where Yan Zhimo had hurt her throbbed painfully under Linyue's embrace. Yann Qiai bit her lip, trying not to cry out.

"Haven't you already told me everything?" Qii Linyue whispered slowly, deliberately, into her ear.

Yann Qiai shivered. Qii Linyue's gaze grew darker.

"I..." Yann Qiai stammered, unsure of what to say as she looked at him.

She didn't know how much Qii Linyue had heard. Maybe he realized Yan Zhimo had followed her into the bathroom and had been listening outside for a while before knocking to ask her.

It was almost certain that Linyue had quietly returned after leaving, though Qiai had no idea when he came back. She wasn't worried about any cracks forming in their "relationship" or how Linyue might perceive her connection with Zhimo. Her only concern was whether Linyue would continue to help her and uphold their promise after learning about this.

Before Qiai could explain, the bathroom door swung open. Zhimo stepped out. The next moment, before she could react, everything went dark as Linyue leaned in and kissed her.

Qiai was stunned, unsure of what Linyue was up to, and she stood there, frozen, as he took control of the kiss. Once he released her, she gasped for air, her face flushed, and shot him a playful glare before cautiously glancing at Zhimo.

Zhimo's gaze was fixed on her, his expression dark as he remarked with a sarcastic smile, "Miss Yann, you must be quite charming. My cousin, who's been so restrained all these years, lost control in front of you."

Qiai wanted to thank him for the compliment with a touch of sarcasm, but with Linyue beside her, she held her tongue and looked at him with a mix of panic and pleading. Linyue's gaze back at her was cold.

"You might as well start calling her 'sister-in-law,'" Linyue said slowly, staring at Zhimo.

"Oh, really?" Zhimo finally turned his attention to Linyue, the tension in his eyes startling Qiai, who feared the two might come to blows right then and there.

"I just think it's too early to jump to conclusions about things that aren't certain yet. I'll change my mind when you two actually get married," Yan Zhimo said, then turned away from the couple, brushing past Qii Linyue with a deliberate shoulder bump, like a sulking teenager.

Yann Qiai finally exhaled a brief sigh of relief. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath to calm herself, and when she opened them again, she was startled. Her focus had been entirely on Yan Zhimo, so she hadn't noticed that the restroom had two doors. One was the door she and Yan Zhimo had been arguing over, and the other was a set of double transparent doors in the corner, facing the sink.

It turned out that what she had seen next to the sink wasn't part of the restroom's interior but was actually outside! Now, standing outside, she could clearly see the sink, mirror, and everything inside the restroom from the outside. This meant that everything that had happened between her and Yan Zhimo in the restroom was visible to Qii Linyue outside.

Cold sweat broke out on Yann Qiai's back. "Ahem..." she coughed awkwardly, unsure of how to explain. Once she calmed down, she realized that although Qii Linyue's voice hadn't been loud, it was perfectly audible inside the restroom. This meant that not only had he seen everything, but he had also heard the entire conversation between her and Yan Zhimo, including when Yan Zhimo mentioned he was exercising his marital rights!

​