Chapter 111: Qin Yichi Driven Mad with Jealousy

After tidying up a few things at home, Qiao Zhen quickly ran to Qin Yichi’s bedroom.

But her mood had been somewhat sour throughout the journey.

Qin Yichi had just finished showering and changed into dark pajamas. He stared at her for a few seconds, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.

Qiao Zhen’s emotional shifts were subtle, yet Qin Yichi could always keenly sense them—like now:

She was feeling a bit down.

Surely, she wasn’t upset over Ji Xian, was she?

The thought irritated Qin Yichi. That wretched mistress had acted fragile and pitiful in the pouring rain, showered him with gifts, and fawned over him so meekly and lowly...

But after a moment’s serious reflection, Qin Yichi dismissed the idea.

She wouldn’t be upset because of Ji Xian.

Yet inexplicably, a wave of jealousy welled up in his chest, sour and prickling, stirring every nerve.

He took a deep breath, regained his composure, and nonchalantly stepped forward, pinching Qiao Zhen’s cheek and soothing her gently:

“Little birthday girl, feeling unhappy?”

Suddenly, Qiao Zhen opened her arms and hugged his waist tightly, burying her face in his embrace.

Warmth blossomed in Qin Yichi’s chest as he affectionately ruffled her hair. “What’s wrong?”

The girl in his arms remained silent for a long while. Then, with a muffled voice tinged with worry, she said:

“He hit you.”

Qin Yichi laughed off the remark casually, raising an eyebrow with a hint of pride:

“He only hit me once, but I punched him countless times. I definitely came out ahead.”

Qiao Zhen listened silently, clutching him even tighter.

She had just thought it over, trying to put herself in his shoes: if Qin Yichi had a girl who had pursued him for two or three years, and suddenly one day that girl regretted her decision and begged him to be together right in front of his official girlfriend…

God, it was terrifying.

Qiao Zhen’s face crumpled, her eyes instantly moist, her breathing slightly labored.

If that were the case, she would feel angry, jealous, and terribly insecure!

So now, could Qin Yichi also be angry and upset...?

After wrestling with her feelings for a long time, Qiao Zhen lifted her head and called his name earnestly:

“Qin Yichi.”

“Hm?”

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she softly asked, “Do you... get jealous?”

Qin Yichi’s body stiffened abruptly. After a pause, he evaded the question, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips:

“Why ask that all of a sudden?”

Qiao Zhen lowered her head again and nudged him with her head, deciding to clarify, speaking slowly and clearly:

“Don’t worry, I truly don’t have a single ounce of feeling for Ji Xian anymore.”

Neither fondness nor hatred remained—she had completely erased him from her small world.

Her sweet and gentle voice fell softly into Qin Yichi’s ear.

He was stunned, suddenly feeling enlightened.

Qiao Zhen’s little disappointment was because she feared he might get jealous.

At that moment, the girl in his arms tipped onto her toes and secretly kissed his lips, then raised her hand to swear:

“Qin Yichi, I’ve chosen you. From now on, I’ll only like you. No one can steal me away!”

After clearing the air, Qiao Zhen’s mood visibly lifted.

Her eyes were clear and sincere, sparkling as if adorned with fresh winter snow—pure and clean, giving him ample reassurance.

The bedroom was spacious and bright, the air fresh with a faint scent of grass.

Qiao Zhen was about to say more when suddenly, the man bent down and kissed her lips, holding her firmly and pressing her against the corner of the wall.

Qin Yichi’s hand cradled the back of her head, the other grasping her waist, eagerly kissing her.

Tender yet passionate.

After a moment, Qin Yichi slowly parted his lips, his dark eyes swirling with emotion, his voice deepening:

“I will.”

“Hm?” Qiao Zhen looked up in confusion.

He stared at her tender, luscious lips and couldn’t resist pinching them, speaking seriously:

“I will get jealous.”

“Really?” Qiao Zhen tilted her head, staring at him with curiosity.

In that instant, Qin Yichi wanted to confide the feelings buried deep inside, to share all his bittersweet experiences with her.

His eyes reddened slightly; he closed them briefly as a dry sensation rose in his throat:

“Qiao Zhen, you don’t know…”

She didn’t know that when she secretly looked at Ji Xian before, he was secretly watching her too; she didn’t know that while she silently chased after Ji Xian, he was quietly harboring a crush on her.

“Hm?” Qiao Zhen lightly punched his abs, a little aggrieved as she accused, “Why do you always stop halfway when you talk?”

The next moment, Qin Yichi tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her deep into his embrace, closing the distance sharply.

Qiao Zhen buried herself in his arms again, wrapping her hands around his waist, nuzzling his chest like a little kitten: “Go on.”

In the quiet, confined space, desire spread freely.

After a moment, Qin Yichi leaned close to her ear, his Adam’s apple rolling as he spoke deliberately, word by word:

“Qiao Zhen, you don’t know. Every time I saw you smile at Ji Xian—”

“I went crazy with jealousy.”

“So crazy that I wanted to snatch you away, hold you tight in my arms, kiss you fiercely, and threaten you not to like anyone else.”

His low, rich voice whispered next to her ear, filled with wildness and possessiveness.

Qiao Zhen was stunned, her mind blank.

Suddenly, Qin Yichi tightened his arms around her waist and abruptly lifted her onto the soft bed, pinning her down.

Without hesitation, he bent down and bit her glistening red lips, easily prying them open.

This kiss was fiercer and more intense than before, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

Qin Yichi only wanted to be closer, intimately closer, craving her more and more.

“Mm…” Qiao Zhen lay pinned on the bed, unable to move, a mist of tears clouding her eyes.

She suddenly recalled that when Qin Yichi confessed, he had given her a pile of gifts, including a bottle filled with paper stars.

A few days ago, while packing, she had tentatively opened the bottle to look inside.

They were stars Qin Yichi had folded when he was a child, wanting to give them to her—ninety-nine in total, each containing a handwritten love note:

“I like you.”

“But I was afraid you wouldn’t like me, so I never dared tell you.”

“If there’s ever a chance, I will personally give you this bottle of stars.”

“I hope you’re always happy, always joyful, and always score top marks.”

“I swear, I will always be by your side.”

The handwriting was not as bold and flowing as it was now—it was crooked, even somewhat ugly.

But each stroke was earnest, every word heartfelt.

Qin Yichi had liked her from such a young age, so deeply.

But when high school came, and she developed feelings for Ji Xian, she was so afraid of misunderstanding that she deliberately distanced herself from him.

What was on his mind then?

When she sent gifts to Ji Xian and chased after him, he pretended to be indifferent on the surface, but what was he really thinking?

Unrequited love was so painful, so bitter.

A tear silently slipped from the corner of Qiao Zhen’s eye. She reached up to wrap her arms around Qin Yichi’s neck, gradually and warmly returning his affection…