**Chapter 75 – Public Confession of Love**

Since it wasn’t a live broadcast, only photos from the scene were released by media at the award ceremony:

A man in a luxurious dark suit, adorned with an exquisite glacier-blue sapphire brooch, and a female celebrity in a long, gradient ink-blue gown with a black Manjusaka silk flower wrapped around her wrist—both possessed a level of beauty that could unify global aesthetics. Even without interacting, just standing together, they looked like the protagonists of a million-word aristocratic romance novel.

“Holy crap, holy crap!!! Are they a couple?!!”

“I’m shipping this so hard!!! Just their faces alone—I could ship them for a lifetime!”

“They’ve gone public, right? Right? RIGHT?!”

“They’re even wearing matching couple outfits. It *must* be official. Damn, I never expected them to be a thing!!!”

“Ahhhh, it’s the top seductress of the entertainment world and a divine, untouchable deity—what kind of combo is this?!”

“But wait, isn’t the He family’s one already married? So… if… Damn, does this mean Qin Mang is already married at such a young age?!”

“Is *that* really the point?”

“Wait… isn’t this just a routine congratulatory hug between the award presenter and the winning actress? Here, 9 jpgs.”
Nine photos—all of presenters hugging awardees.

“It must be a coincidence. And the matching outfit argument? Please. There were plenty of guests in black and blue on stage. By that logic, anyone could be paired up.”

Netizens went quiet.

That… kind of made sense?

Were they just imagining things?

**He Lingji fans:** “Can’t our male god just be polite?”

**Qin Mang fans:** “Please focus on Film Queen Qin’s work!”

Both fanbases reached an agreement: “Stop speculating. Let them live in peace.”

And just like that, the spark of hope lit by CP fans was snuffed out with a *poof*.

Inside a stretched Pullman limousine—

In the dimly lit carriage, the girl’s legs—slender and flawless—were neatly crossed. The slit of her flowing gown revealed large swathes of snow-white skin, currently pressed up casually against the man’s tailored trousers. The scene exuded a lazy, seductive charm.

She was scrolling through Weibo.

Qin Mang frowned slightly and muttered, “We’ve made it so obvious, and they’re still trying to deny it!”

Other celebrity couples whispering in photos could be called evidence of romance. Yet *they* had presented an award and hugged in public! Not only were people not shipping it, they were digging for proof they *weren’t* involved?!

Unbelievable.

And to make things worse, the award show’s chief director had such a strong sense of professionalism that he reflexively turned off both their mics the moment He Lingji hugged Qin Mang—

Otherwise, what He Lingji whispered in her ear was *far* from innocent!!!

On the other end of the line, monitoring public opinion, Meng Ting explained: “It’s because you two were voted the most *mismatched* CP in the largest fan forum.”

“Even if you kissed in public, netizens would probably say it was just an accident.”

Qin Mang:
She turned slowly to look at He Lingji, who was still working nearby. “Then why didn’t you kiss me on stage just now?”

The man, elegant and handsome, glanced down at her and casually asked, “How should I kiss you?”

Qin Mang replied matter-of-factly, “Obviously a kiss full of lightning and fire! Let’s see how they try to deny that!”

He Lingji smiled faintly. “Oh?”

She got flustered just hugging in front of their families, and she dared talk about public kissing? All bark and no bite.

He Lingji stayed calm. “I don’t have much experience. Want to practice outside the car?”

Qin Mang lifted her lashes and looked out the window—her gaze froze.

Even at night, the city of Shencheng bustled with life. The street outside, especially near the mall they just passed, was packed with people.

Practice here? No way!

A goddess needs dignity!

Qin Mang righteously ignored him and continued discussing next steps with Meng Ting.

After all, she was now a box office queen approaching the 10-billion mark, and a newly crowned film queen. Publicly revealing her marital status was no trivial matter.

Fu Yuan thoughtfully added, “That husband-and-wife reality show that’s been a hit for the past two years? The director is my college classmate. Maybe talk to President He and see if he can free up time to join?”

“Right now, people think you’re incompatible, so they doubt your relationship. But you can’t just drop the news randomly. What if fans revolt? But you two are both so good-looking—who knows? You might gain a whole new crop of CP fans.”

Still, Fu Yuan didn’t really believe President He would join.

Even for finance magazine shoots, he barely puts in effort. If not for his looks carrying the session, his indifference would be obvious even to outsiders.

Qin Mang also thought it was unlikely. She was just about to decline: “He…”

**CP fans?**

He Lingji casually stroked the edge of his phone, thinking about the *Aurora Super Topic*.

The next moment, his cool, clear voice rang out. “I do.”

“What?”

Qin Mang didn’t catch it.

“I have time.”

“!!!”

Fu Yuan and Meng Ting thought they’d misheard. President He actually agreed?! To a *reality show*!?

Beside them, Ah Tong clutched her cheeks, eyes sparkling: “Ahhh this is the power of love!!!”
Most importantly—she could finally find open CP shippers to fangirl with.

Ah Tong had a feeling her future shipping buddies would multiply like crazy.

Seizing the opportunity, she registered a new ID: *Did Little White Lion and Her Manjusaka Go Public Today?!*

And posted her first Weibo: “They went public! But no one believes it!”

Then she started brainstorming the CP tag. He Lingji. Qin Mang.

She muttered, “Urgent CP? Royal CP? Oh wait… Aurora CP!”
Aurora… the more she said it, the more she felt like a genius!

However, when she tried to apply—she froze. *What the hell?!*

Why is it already taken?!

And when Ah Tong clicked on it—her pupils dilated. Her mind screamed *WTF?!*

The pinned posts were all fan-made art. Stunningly high quality. Beautiful to the point of madness.

Ah Tong opened them one by one: *Is this… heaven?*
She was completely sucked into the “heaven” of CP content when—

*

A black luxury car stopped at the foot of a mountain in Shencheng. At the center of the mountain stood **Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple**.

Before Qin Han stepped foot here, the temple was already in ruins, maintained only by an old monk and a young novice. It held little historical value in the eyes of the world.

Later, Qin Yan couldn’t stand to see his elder brother suffer, and had the temple rebuilt, the Buddha statue re-gilded—

Only then was its current peace and elegance restored.

Qin Mang didn’t get out of the car immediately.

She was holding the golden trophy she had just won tonight, staring at the temple from afar, through the trees.

This *Golden Decision* Best Actress trophy… was the exact one her mother had drawn on the first page of her diary.

Even before entering showbiz, Qin Mang had vowed that once she won the award, she’d show it to her mother first. And she had one more important mission: to bring He Lingji to see her.

But now that she was here, she hesitated.

By the time they arrived, the sky was already turning light. Pale shadows stretched through the chilly grey dawn. He Lingji personally opened her door and reached out his hand.

His long fingers extended toward the girl’s lowered lashes as he spoke softly: “I’ll go with you.”

Qin Mang’s thin eyelids flushed with a soft blush. The anxiety in her eyes slowly dissolved into calm.
With He Lingji by her side—what was there to be afraid of?

Normally, Qin Mang was a walking furnace, always warm to the touch. But today, when she reached out, her fingers were colder than his.

Her fingers curled subconsciously—but were immediately wrapped tightly in his familiar palm.

He Lingji guided her gently out of the car.

Qin Mang had never been a fragile flower needing shelter from life’s storms. She was born to shine bright, bold, and brilliant—
Standing beneath the most dazzling spotlight.

And here.
Undoubtedly, it was her greatest shadow. He Lingji lifted his gaze toward the temple hidden in the dense forest.

The stone steps leading up the mountain were brand new, and the grass on both sides seemed moist with dew. The pale golden sunlight gradually broke through the gray-white clouds, spilling down inch by inch.

He Lingji held Qin Mang’s hand.
Step by step.
They walked toward the quiet, ancient temple.

Just as He Lingji was about to knock on the large door,
Qin Mang closed her eyes.
Her red lips pressed together, “I’ll do it myself.”
This door should be knocked by her.

A few minutes later,
A man dressed in a simple blue robe, still unable to hide his extraordinary charm, appeared at the door. Even though it had been over a decade since they last met, Qin Mang recognized him at once.

He hadn’t changed at all. Just like the time years ago, when he had self-immolated in the yard of the Qin residence’s tulip garden.

Qin Mang instinctively wanted to step back. But she was stopped by a pair of strong arms that gently held her shoulders.
The fear that had been entwining her heart dissipated like smoke.

It was the first time Qin Mang had seen Qin Han in over a decade.
But it wasn’t the first time he had seen her.

Every year on her birthday, Qin Yan would bring a large stack of photos.
Qin Han had watched her grow, becoming more and more like the lover from his memories—just as passionate, just as obsessed with acting. Fortunately, she had a healthy body.

Qin Han saw the golden trophy in Qin Mang’s hands, and remembering what Qin Yan had once said, he understood her intentions.
His daughter wanted to see her mother.
Her mother should also wish to see her daughter.

Qin Han lowered his eyelids, his voice calm and undisturbed, “Go inside.”
Uncle hadn’t lied to her. Her mother’s ashes were indeed still here with him.

Unlike the cold, gloomy atmosphere Qin Mang had imagined, Qin Han’s meditation room was warm and dry, with a faint scent of flowers and burning candles, clean and serene. It seemed as though Qin Han was living his life very seriously.

Qin Mang looked around. For some reason, despite the air being filled with the essence of life, she couldn’t feel any living presence.
On the desk, several tulips were placed, and a delicate wooden box was resting on top of the tulips.

Qin Mang slowly approached and gently placed the golden trophy in front of the beautiful wooden box.
“Mom, I saw your diary. Didn’t you want to know how heavy the Golden Globe trophy is? Didn’t you want to know if it’s made of real gold? Well, here it is for you to admire…”

Qin Mang rarely spoke so much.
He Lingji had patiently and calmly accompanied her the whole time.

Outside the door,
He Lingji saw that Qin Han was about to leave.
He finally spoke the first words since they arrived:
“She cares about you.”

Qin Han suddenly stopped.
For the first time, he locked eyes with He Lingji.

Although he hadn’t asked about the world for over a decade, the nobility that was deeply embedded in his bones hadn’t been dulled by the passing years. Instead, it had deepened.
He could tell immediately.
This young man deeply loved his daughter, just as he once deeply loved his wife.

Qin Han’s expression, as cold as moonlight, held a faint ethereal quality.
“You both should… cherish each other.”

In their youth, they longed to grow old together in a single night. Unfortunately, now only he had white hair.
So, cherish what you have now.

He Lingji watched him walk away.
He didn’t stop him.
Perhaps Qin Mang couldn’t fully empathize, but in this moment, He Lingji resonated with Qin Han.

They spoke for over two hours. Only then did Qin Mang remember there was someone beside her.
She introduced him to her mother.
“This is your son-in-law! Uncle has a great eye.”
“Of course, I also have a great eye.”
“Say hi to mom!”

Calling out to mom in front of a wooden box was something He Lingji would never have done in the past.
But now, he seriously and sincerely said, “Mom.”
Thank you for bringing Qin Mang into this world.

Qin Mang was satisfied with his tone.
It wasn’t perfunctory.

As they were about to leave, Qin Mang’s eyes swept over the empty meditation room, a trace of disappointment flickering in her gaze.
Thinking of what Uncle had said, that wherever he went, he brought the wooden box with him, Qin Mang hesitated for two seconds before, with both hands, she gently lifted the box and walked outside.

With the guidance of a young monk, Qin Mang walked toward the back mountain.
No one knew.
The back mountain of the temple was filled with tulips. Whenever Qin Han wanted to miss his wife, whenever he wanted to… be with her, he would plant a tulip.
These were the tulips that belonged solely to Guan Yueyan.

Thus, the mountain was filled with tulips, like butterflies of bright colors fluttering in the wind.
But in Qin Han’s eyes, there was only black and white.
He lost his lover, and in that moment, he lost all color.

So, he could never look back.
Qin Mang, holding the delicate wooden box with the tulip pattern, found the man in the blue robe standing amidst the blooming tulips, his charm still unyielding.
Not far from him, there was a dark sandalwood table, also carved with a tulip pattern.

Qin Mang didn’t disturb him, placing her mother’s ashes back in the original spot, facing the vast tulip fields.
Rather than in a dark graveyard, her romantic and passionate nature would probably prefer to stay here.

Qin Han understood her. That’s why, despite the judgment of the world, he insisted on keeping ‘her’ close.
Qin Han looked at the child born from his and his wife’s expectations. She had grown up and had her own lover.
That was enough.

The man in the blue robe joined his hands in prayer and murmured, “Go back.”
Then, he gently stroked the tulip-patterned wooden box, his eyes filled with lingering affection that hadn’t dissipated over the years.
“I’m alive, but I died long ago.”
The moment his lover died,
He had lost everything.
And so, he would never return.

Qin Mang understood the meaning behind his words.

As they left,
The two of them, hand in hand, descended the steps, just as they had come.
Qin Mang’s eyes were filled with clarity. She somewhat understood now. Her father didn’t not love her, he just loved her mother too much.

She couldn’t imagine, if He Lingji left her that day in the sea of flames… would she have gone crazy too?
Because just thinking about it,
She began to hurt.

For her father, love was a bond of life and death. For her, it was the same.
“I don’t blame him anymore. Am I being magnanimous?”
“Yes, Miss Qin, you’re the most magnanimous fairy in the world.”
“He really is a love-struck fool, right?”
“Right.”
“Are you a love-struck fool?”
“I am.”
“You definitely are.” Qin Mang glanced at his ankle, which was neatly covered by his trousers.

Suddenly, she turned and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him toward the mountain, “Come on, let’s go dig wild vegetables.”
He Lingji: “Hm?”
Qin Mang stated firmly, “Digging wild vegetables cures love-struck fools.”

Whether wild vegetables cured love-struck fools was uncertain, but it gave He Lingji, the little artist, some creative inspiration.

Late that night,
The ‘Aurora’ fandom leader, Codebreaker, posted a new picture.
In the image,
A chaotic meadow in the mountains, the colorful greens scattered with a gorgeous black dress, upon which a black spider lily bloomed silently.

It was such an eye-catching, vibrant color that even Rong Huayan felt it was too harsh on the eyes. Yet, he couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong with it.
He could only sigh. He Lingji’s art style was naturally bizarre and flamboyant.

Just entered into the fandom, A-Tong screamed while holding his phone.
Ahhhhhhhh!
He boldly commented below—
“Wild battle play forever the god!!!”

*

Fu Yuan worked quickly. Within a couple of days, they arranged a couple’s reality show.
Recently,
Netizens had just gotten over the god-level hug between Qin Mang and He Lingji at the award ceremony.
Then, the domestic biggest couple’s reality show, “Are You Married Yet?” suddenly announced its new mysterious couple. The Aurora couple.
The god-level hug photo of He Lingji and Qin Mang was instantly used as the announcement image, sparking a frenzy online.
The Weibo server had barely survived the last award ceremony, but this time, the ‘plain and unremarkable’ reality show official account caused the server to crash, needing extensive repairs before it slowly recovered.

“Who is married to whom?!”

“Did they just make it public?!!!”

“These two, who are so unrelated, how did they just get married?”

“Ahhhhhh, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! At the award ceremony, the way he looked at Goddess Qin was so suspicious!!!”

“Who said they were innocent?! It’s absolutely impossible!? Who was it?!”

“Ahhhhhh, I’m going crazy, so does that mean Qin Mang’s boyfriend, who can cook, clean, and catch prizes from claw machines, with an incredible appearance and body, is from the He family?!”

“He from the He family catching prizes… I can’t even imagine that scene.”

“Sister, look here. Can you imagine from this photo?”

The photo is exactly the one Wu Yuxi first drew, a small colored image of the claw machine!! Qin Mang’s face + He Lingji’s face, along with the little white lion watching, and… holding a giant-sized condom.

Netizens who had been seriously discussing the relationship between these two nearly had a nosebleed.

“I swear?”

“What is this thing?”

“Is this from the Aurora Super Talk?”

“What’s Aurora Super Talk? What kind of mysterious organization is this? They even have such pictures!”

“This level of image isn’t even the most mysterious, there are even more. Everyone, follow it. #AuroraSuperTalk#”

“I swear 5000 people!? What happened to the most incompatible couple in the world, why is the Super Talk secretly nurturing 5000 followers!!!”

“I’m going crazy! What kind of insane pictures are these, why didn’t I find this earlier ahhh!”

“Wait, is the promotion for the Super Talk carrying hidden agenda? The key point is these two are going on a reality show about married couples!!! Forget about the Super Talk ‘Look upstairs, go into the Super Talk and see, you’ll regret it if you don’t’”

“I can’t anymore, I need to recover my health!”

“Let’s look back at these years of Aurora couple’s moments of showing affection.” “We’re all idiots! Why didn’t we notice this?!”

The reactions from bystanders are mostly shock, blessings, anticipation, and then—entering the Aurora Super Talk and never being able to escape.

He Lingji’s fans, now over 100 million—some are not very rational.

“**Speak up! As long as you don’t respond, I’ll pretend you don’t exist!**”

“**This must be fake, it’s a variety show using your photos to create hype.**”

“Can the person upstairs be rational? Who would dare to use my male god’s image for hype? They must be out of their minds!”

“Ahhhhhh, Qin Mang’s little devilish face doesn’t deserve you, ahhh! I disagree! I represent the one hundred million fans who disagree with this marriage!”

“Top little devil and a celestial being, such a combination, it doesn’t look like a legitimate, formal marriage!”

“Both sides haven’t posted anything on Weibo, it should be… a contract marriage?”

“Highly possible! Doesn’t this variety show always mix real and fake couples to make the audience guess who the real couple is?”

“Internal sources say He’s Group invested in the new season!”

“Case solved, it’s definitely a business tie-up! After all, that god-level hug from before went viral!”

“In any case, I absolutely don’t believe that Qin Mang’s Weibo boyfriend, the one who loves to be jealous, send yachts to the fire scene, and is a celestial being, is He Lingji from the He family!”

“This is He Lingji! Jealous? A single glance could kill all his rivals, what jealousy does he feel?”

“The real issue is… how could any man be confident enough to try and steal this one’s heart?”

While eating melon seeds, Tan Guannan saw this post and was slightly provoked. What’s wrong with confidence?

A graceful lady is a gentleman’s good match. Of course, the main reason was that when he was digging walls, he didn’t know the other person was… He Lingji.

With over 100 million fans, some of Qin Mang’s anti-fans naturally didn’t want to believe this was true.

“It’s impossible, fake!”

“Unless @HeLingji publicly confesses, I’ll never believe it!”

“Hahahaha, asking the foreign glaciers to publicly confess, how is that possible!!!”

“Qin Mang could never publicly confess, he hasn’t posted on Weibo for years, probably forgot his password!”

“Impossible, absolutely impossible!”

Not just the fans, even regular netizens felt that at this critical moment, He Lingji wouldn’t publicly confess. That’s why the fans dared to say this.

Two years passed. Even though He Lingji’s Weibo started being active again, the filtered words from years ago were still in place.

**Husband.** ***He’s Mrs. He.*** These two words are blocked under He Lingji’s Weibo.

Because he had said that Mrs. He is one of a kind. So, no one is allowed to call themselves Mrs. He, and fans are not allowed to call him husband.

When the program was officially announced, He Lingji had just finished a meeting. When leaving the meeting room, he noticed many employees daring to sneak glances at him.

He casually glanced at the phone screen that Cong Zhen handed over.

Cong Zhen explained, “The announcement about you and your wife joining the show just went public, and some of your Weibo fans are expressing doubts about it.”

He Lingji took the phone and looked at the hot comments. His gray-blue eyes, under the bright white light, still exuded a mysterious, cold, and glamorous feeling.

His gaze was like a deep sea abyss, making it impossible to distinguish his emotions at the moment. He didn’t hurry to address this issue, instead, he changed the subject and asked indifferently, “How are the gemstones coming along?”

Cong Zhen immediately responded, “Still being sourced globally. There are too many, we’re still short a portion. However… the funds are a bit tight.”

When the funds were mentioned, Cong Zhen’s voice lacked confidence. Mainly because—gemstones are really expensive! Especially the top-tier ones that President He wants.

Because only top-tier ones are worthy of Mrs. He.

Sourcing them requires a huge network and funds, not to mention the high price to buy them.

He Lingji’s voice was as cold and calm as ever, without thinking, he directly said, “Auction my private jet and yacht.”

“Ah?”

Cong Zhen was caught off guard, “It’s not like we have to sell everything…”

He Lingji’s gaze was sharp, and his words were unexpectedly full of human warmth: “Save money.” The maintenance cost for these items each month could buy more gemstones for Mrs. He.

Cong Zhen swallowed and didn’t dare to ask more. “Then online…”

He Lingji’s expression turned cool again, and he opened Weibo. His cold white fingers tapped out a sentence on the screen.

A few seconds later.

He Lingji’s Weibo, which had been dormant for two years, posted a new update:

He Lingji V: “Dead wood meets spring, dark clouds meet light, He Lingji meets Qin Mang.”