Chapter 84

Netizens had a hard time imagining that a man like He Lingji, who practiced abstinence and cultivated his character, who had gentlemanly rites engraved in his bones, would one day rub cheeks with a woman so stunning she verged on bewitching, clinging to her like glue.

After all, until now they had only read words to feel He Lingji’s love for Qin Mang.

But just now, in the form of a video, so explosive and so sudden, it appeared before them!

How could they not be curious.

Moreover, the more something is hidden, the more people want to keep peeking.

Like a livestream that suddenly cuts off.

The viewers almost blew up the show’s official Weibo.

Please continue the live stream.

Later the official account stepped in personally and announced—

“The Aurora couple are unable to stream; everyone can go watch the other guest couples.”

“Ahhh, inconvenient? In what way is it inconvenient? Don’t go! Explain it clearly!”

“Damn, you know exactly how to pique my curiosity!”

“Director, you have no heart!”

“I want to see how a god pretends at being real ‘doing’ it!”

“Show me now!”

“So what if it’s inappropriate, I’m being presumptuous and rude! I just want to see what’s not meant to be seen! Hands on hips.jpg”

“Hehehe, don’t you have a recording tomorrow? Can little Lion get out of bed?”

“This is what I’m supposed to be looking at late at night and not sleeping! @MarriedToday”

“@DidYouGetMarriedToday go live, don’t force me to throw a tantrum!”

“……”

The audience was “throwing tantrums” online.

Qin Mang was sulking in bed.

Just now she had caught sight of the ajar bedroom door out of the corner of her eye and finally remembered she’d forgotten something.

The livestream — the livestream!

There was going to be a surprise livestream today!

Qin Mang didn’t even dare check Weibo, let alone go to Ji…

It depends on the Aurora fandom thread.

Every time she opens the Aurora CP thread she needs a lot of courage.

Because—

This thread is so twisted that its avatar uses the very first picture posted by GarbledText-kun.

Vase arranged with flowers.

Normally she wouldn’t dare look, let alone now.

Qin Mang kicked the culprit beside her with the tip of her pale foot, “I can’t go on living…”

By now the doors and windows were all shut tight, with only a wall lamp left on.

Because of the earlier scene, He Lingji still wore gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high nose; in the dim light, the man standing at the bedside had a perfectly sculpted waist and abdomen, an extreme ascetic aura mixed with a decadent, languid unruliness that created a haunting, irresistible mysterious tension.

Mm.

He Lingji understood Qin Mang.

This was her favorite spot.

Qin Mang casually moved her hand, trying to tug at the man’s hanging shirt tail.

He Lingji grabbed her wrist with one hand.

That dog of a man did it on purpose!

..

*

The next morning.

The production crew and the black-clad bodyguards standing outside the water pavilion looked at one another in bewilderment.

The director in charge of filming the Aurora couple swallowed and said, “Um… there’s ten minutes left until recording time.”

Dared not look directly into the bodiesguards’ eyes.

Oh my god.

All expressionless and so terrifying!

As if the next second they’d snap their necks and throw them into the sea.

Even Mr. He’s bodyguard has such an imposing presence!

Secretary Cong explained just in time, “President He and Teacher Qin left for the recording site on schedule.”

“Don’t go live this morning for now.”

“Is that okay?”

The on-site director: “……”

Facing the bodyguards eyeing them like predators.

Could they possibly say no?

The director caused a major incident last night, so today whatever President He says goes, even if there’s a delay

They didn’t hesitate to record.

In response, Secretary Cong said: “Our Teacher Qin has mentioned more than once that there must be no special treatment, so we appreciate the director’s good intentions.”

“They will arrive on time.”

The follow-up director went up the same way he had come, and led the group back down.

What a pity.

Thought we’d get a morning-after shot!

If not, at least catch her smooching on camera—give us some sweet content live!

As Secretary Cong said, Qin Mang and He Lingji timed it and stepped out of the water villa.

The sunlight lay over the gently rolling waves like golden silk, edging them with delicate trim.

The young woman wore mint-green shorts paired with a simple, clean white tee and a sunproof coat that reached her ankles; her curled hair was casually pinned up in a leisurely, effortless way, and her radiant beauty could not conceal the lush, intoxicating charm she exuded.

As if all the light were focused on her.

Nothing else could be seen.

Until a tall, long-legged, handsome and cool-looking man stepped out from behind her, his long knuckles gripping a cup lid as he squatted down with a chubby, adorable little white lion-shaped water bottle: “Have some water.”

Qin Mang pouted haughtily, lifting her delicate, fair hand to block him. “I won’t.”

Today we were recording a show, and Qin Mang couldn’t let He Lingji sit idle.

Yesterday was the competition, so today was more of a normal day.

Guests are to prepare their own lunches.

The other three pairs of guests all had female chefs.

The male guests helped on the side, which made for a rather heartwarming scene.

When the viewers switched over to the Aurora couple’s live room—

the tone changed dramatically.

Qin Mang was in the second-floor lounge, lazily sinking into the wide sofa, flipping through a script while directing, “He Lingji, go make dinner.”

“He Lingji, come massage my legs.”

“He Lingji, carry me downstairs.”

“He Lingji…”

The audience

Staring in complete disbelief.

The key point is.

Although He Lingji still wore his usual cool, inscrutable handsome face, he somehow did everything she said.

The most shocking thing was.

He Lingji, a big shot whose time was literally measured in seconds, had actually prepared a whole table of dishes that pleased the eye and the palate— and he did it even while Qin Mang was disrupting him.

“That’s not… Qin Mang really didn’t lie at all. I thought ‘capable in the study and the kitchen’ was just a figure of speech, but I didn’t expect it to be… actually true?”

“God, this cooking is just too much, right?”

“Isn’t Qin Mang the one who’s too much?! Just insanely lucky, right?!”

“Hahahahahaha even through the screen you can feel the little lion’s resentment”

“Take a wild guess — later He Shenqi will feed his wife.”

A few minutes later.

“Ahhhh, seriously, stop it!!”

“Finally saw with my own eyes what it means to be spoiled until you can’t take care of yourself!”

“Mr. He… are you raising a wife or raising a daughter?”

“Is it still possible to be reborn now?”

“Hurry up and tell us when you plan to start trying to conceive, I need to prepare for rebirth too.”

“Hahahaha, your abacus beads all shattered live on camera!”

“I’m different from them — I directly—push for childbirth, push for childbirth, push for childbirth! Such good genes, you must have several! Contribute to raising our country’s average attractiveness!”

“They probably won’t have a baby in the short term. Qin Mang is still on the rise in his career.”

“Ah, true, but Qin Mang doesn’t seem like someone with much career ambition, does he?”

“……”

Perhaps it was Qin Mang’s earlier lack of ambition that had left too deep an impression; even though his schedule has been quite full these past two years, once an image takes hold it’s hard to change it quickly.

However.

Before long, people really did revise their view of Qin Mang!

*

Once “Did You Marry Today” aired, it pulled in tens of millions of followers for the Jiguang super-topic, vaulting it to the top spot in activity among all CP super-topics online.

The super-topic didn’t even need new content to keep its heat.

After all, just on this variety show alone, the two of them could stand anywhere and fans would easily imagine an entire atmospheric drama.

Moreover, there was a whole bunch of real PDA!

Still, fans continued their routine of tagging Gibberish-kun and Little Watermelon to produce more content.

As regular as the daily check-ins.

Both of them are people who can get “firsthand real content”!

As for Qin Mang.

After the reality show filming ended, she went straight into the crew without missing a beat.

After filming wrapped, during her free time she took on business events, appearing frequently before audiences and keeping a very high level of visibility.

For half a year, there were new posts on the fanboard every day; everyone was so happy it felt like celebrating the New Year every day.

A bystander joked: she’s done more work in the past six months than she has since her debut.

Not just the fans felt that way—even Qin Mang’s future little aunt, Teacher Xigua, had to make an appointment in advance.

That day, Qin Mang went to North City for an event and had half a day free.

Wu Yuxi finally managed to get the big star to meet him.

Inside the restaurant’s private room.

Wu Yuxi looked at Qin Mang’s face, another shade thinner, and peeled a shrimp for her with his own hands. “Why have you been pushing yourself so hard lately?”

“You actually attended some of the brand’s offline events?”

“Weren’t you always not attending them before?”

Qin Mang wore a loose knitted sweater, looking languid and casual. Her arm rested on the table, revealing a slender, pale wrist, like a willow branch—delicately frail and thin.

He really has lost several pounds.

She slowly propped her cheek with her hand and took a bite of the shrimp Wuyi Xi passed over.

“To make money.”

Make money?

Wuyi Xi still thought she was joking.

When had Qin Mang ever worried about money since childhood.

Qin Mang lazily added, “He Lingji’s birthday is next month.”

“I want to give him a gift he likes.”

“Oh~~~”

Wu Yuxi lengthened her tone: “Preparing a gift for President He, does it need this much money? Isn’t your current fee pretty high?”

Qin Mang hummed softly, “Who told him all his hobbies are money-burning.”

“My pay isn’t even enough to buy a wing for a plane…”

Wu Yuxi teased her on purpose: “How about you go sell a few gemstones?”

“Which is more important, the gemstones or your Mr. He?”

If it were before, Qin Mang wouldn’t have even considered it.

Who could be more important—wasn’t that obvious?

It had to be the jewels she personally brought home!

And now, Qin Mang was actually hesitating—

She hesitated!

Wu Yuxi tutted, “You’re done for.”

“This time he’s really fallen in.”

“You haven’t?”

“Going on a blind date and making such a scene, then drowning your sorrows in booze.”

Qin Mang’s long lashes lifted as she shot back, refusing to be outdone.

Wu Yuxi: “…”

Fine.

None of the sisters would snitch on each other.

Qin Mang took a sip of juice. “What about you—how have things been with my little uncle lately?”

She didn’t dare inquire into her young uncle’s private affairs.

But you can ask Wu Yuxi directly.

Wu Yuxi was a little troubled too, murmuring softly, “I feel like your uncle doesn’t want to marry me.”

They had all met each other’s parents.

By rights, given Qin Yan’s age, it was time to arrange a wedding.

But there was nothing.

Nothing at all.

Every time Wu Yuxi saw his Buddha-like face, her heart would flutter and she dared not profane it a second time.

Qin Mang’s pretty face took on a stern expression: “Wu Yuxi.”

Wu Yuxi looked at Qin Mang

Her eyes, strikingly similar to Qin Yan’s, inexplicably made her feel as if she were facing him, and she suddenly grew nervous, “Ah…?”

“You need to be clear about who you are now.”

“You are his fiancée!”

Qin Mang thought his little uncle was being overly dramatic. Little Watermelon was such a young, pretty girl who’d liked him since childhood—now that the marriage was arranged, what was there to fuss about?

Wu Yuxi nodded drowsily.

She felt Qin Mang knew what he was doing.

Listening to him shouldn’t be wrong.

After all, now Mr. He could be said to be a devoted, filial husband.

Before parting.

Wu Yuxi stuffed the little savings he’d kept over the years into Qin Mang’s hands. “Weren’t you short on cash? Take this and use it for now.”

Qin Mang hugged Wu Yuxi, moved, then pushed her back: “Although I really want to accept my aunt-in-law’s treats, my husband’s gift—I have to earn the money to buy it myself.”

Wu Yuxi lowered his head, looking at the black card Qin Mang had stuffed into the collar of his shirt.

Completely baffled.

Why does this scene feel a bit strange?

*

It wasn’t that Qin Mang was being formal with Wu Yuxi, but rather…

She truly wanted to use the money she had earned herself to prepare the gift.

The meaning is different.

Fortunately.

Before He Lingji’s birthday, she had scraped together the full payment for the private jet they had agreed on earlier.

Meng Ting watched as years of income were spent in minutes by Qin Mang:

“Young miss, you’re really generous.”

Qin Mang was discussing with the other party how to modify the design she wanted.

At that moment she heard Meng Ting say, “This is the first time I’m properly giving him a birthday present, so it has to be formal.”

That lock from last time—

Not really.

Qin Mang returned to Deep City two days early—determined to deliver the gift in person on He Lingji’s birthday.

I’ve never put this much effort into anything in my life!

November 18.

On He Lingji’s birthday.

Early in the morning,

After finishing breakfast, Qin Mang immediately pulled He Lingji to change clothes and head out.

Inside the carriage, Qin Mang found a clean dark green hair ribbon and tied it over He Lingji’s eyes.

“A birthday surprise.”

He let her fuss with him.

The dark green satin ribbon made his already cool-toned skin appear even paler, like flawless white porcelain; even his indifferent brows and eyes lost some of their austerity and gained a touch of mysterious beauty.

When they got out of the car.

A gust of wind blew.

Qin Mang glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw the end of the ribbon fluttering, embroidered with a little white lion—the exclusive emblem belonging to Qin Mang.

It was as if He Lingji had also been branded by her.

Their fingers naturally interlaced.

He Lingji trusted Qin Mang completely.

Wherever she said to go, he stepped forward without hesitation.

If Qin Mang hadn’t tried this ribbon and found that it completely blocked his vision, he might have thought he could still see.

When he stepped into the cabin, Qin Mang hooked his fingertip through the palm of his hand. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll purposely pull you into the ditch?”

He Lingshi was composed and calm, “Miss Qin.”

“I’m visually impaired, not intellectually impaired.”

Qin Mang didn’t understand: “Hm?”

He Lingshi: “We’re moving upward, not downward.”

And besides, the plane’s engines are so loud when it takes off.

He pretty much guessed.

Qin Mang: “…”

It felt like an insult to my intelligence!

“Hmph, even if you guessed, you mustn’t say it!”

终于进入机舱内。

Qin Mang was the one who made him bend over.

He personally took off that ribbon.

“Ding ding ding~”

“Do you like this gift?!”

“I prepared it for so long, it was so hard to get!”

This private plane is certainly no less impressive than those He Lingji has collected over the years.

It was clear that Qin Mang was truly earnest.

Especially to avoid He Lingji.

His eyeliner—Qin Mang handled many things personally, not delegating them to others.

The silky ribbon slid along the man’s perfectly sculpted profile.

He Lingji clearly saw— the interior of a luxurious, highly futuristic private jet.

Qin Mang tilted her head and asked, “Do you like it?”

Her sharply contrasting eyes were clear to the bottom, completely unable to hide her feelings, now tinged with a little pride.

He Lingji met her gaze, his thin lips forming a faint curve, “I like it very much.”

Her gaze inadvertently fell on the girl’s sharp, delicate little chin.

Thinking of Qin Mang working hard and taking on so much to buy this plane.

Lately she had been diligently taking on jobs, her schedule packed full.

He Lingji’s lip curled into a fixed expression for a moment.

Qin Mang didn’t notice and pulled him inside to take a look.

The interior of the large plane was almost semi-open in design and very spacious.

At this moment, in the reception room, on the luxurious carpet, there stood a scale model of an airplane identical to this one, positioned right in the center.

“I put this together with my own hands.”

“My fingers are all blistered.”

Qin Mang didn’t forget to act coquettish.

He Lingji held her pristine, unblemished fingertips and, lowering his gaze, planted a light kiss.

Under the shifting lights.

The majestic, noble man now kept his lashes lowered, his expression strangely reverent.

Qin Mang was trembling all over.

Why is he suddenly like this? She’s not used to it.

The next second.

Then He Lingji’s magnetic voice sounded: “I’ve given up the hobby of collecting private jets.”

What he meant was, he wouldn’t let Qin Mang buy any more.

Qin Mang didn’t catch that; her mind was full of the light, reverent kiss he had just given.

She asked instinctively, “What about the yacht?”

“And the sports car?”

He pinched her fingertips and they walked together toward that

half-height model plane: “Not interested in any of it anymore.”

“This is great, but don’t assemble it yourself.”

“I’ll put it together.”

After all these years of hobby, can he just lose interest like that?

Qin Mang thought of herself.

If she were forced to give up her hobby of collecting gems, it would feel worse than killing her.

How can anyone just quit a collecting hobby on a whim?

She was a little incredulous: “Why?”

He Lingji lifted a long finger, stroking the wings of the plane model, calm and composed: “Because I have a new hobby.”

Qin Mang: “What new hobby?”

He Lingji half-smiled, half-not: “Raising a wife.”

Meeting the man’s gray-blue eyes.

Qin Mang knew.

He was serious.

What to do,

All that overflowing fondness threatened to spill out.

Her slender fingers couldn’t help but clench the man’s knuckles; her red lips parted, and she was about to say that line—

“I…” like you.

The syllable “xi” hadn’t even finished.

But He Lingji kissed her.

The man’s voice was muffled, yet Qin Mang heard it clearly.

He said, “Wait a little longer.”

Qin Mang’s eyes grew hazy.

Waiting for what?