**Chapter 38: A Virtuous Husband and a Good Father**

That night, Qin Mang slept soundly.

Every time she stirred awake, the familiar, faint scent of coolness that lingered in the air would lull her back to sleep.

After so many nights of insomnia, it seemed her body was making up for it—she slept for over a dozen hours straight.

**10 AM.**

He Lingji was leaning lazily against the headboard, attending a meeting on his laptop.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and only a dim wall lamp cast a soft glow across the room. The man’s features were as handsome as ever. Known for his self-discipline and strict professionalism, he always appeared in a suit and tie, never careless—whether at the office or during a video meeting in his home study.

But today—

He wore a black silk robe loosely draped over his well-defined shoulders. His damp, tousled hair clung slightly to his forehead, as if he had just come out of the shower. He looked relaxed and nonchalant. If not for the Bluetooth earpiece on his ear, no one would guess he was in an important meeting.

He Lingji listened quietly, occasionally typing brief responses on his keyboard.

He hadn’t spoken a word.

All the attendees were seasoned veterans—old foxes, really. They pretended not to notice the very clear red handprint on the back of President He’s pale hand.

They didn’t dare to guess who had hit him.

That is, until—right as the meeting was wrapping up—

Everyone saw it clearly on President He’s screen.

A slender, fair female arm slowly crept into view, brushing against the back of his hand, fingers gliding over his knuckles and the dark silk of his robe.

Her soft fingertips overlapped perfectly with the red imprint.

Everyone: *Case closed.*

The “culprit” was right next to President He.

The next second—

He Lingji gave a cold glance at the screen and finally spoke: “Enjoying the view?”

Everyone: *!!*

They all shut their eyes at once.

“President He, I swear I didn’t see anything!”

“Me neither!”

“I—I—”

They scrambled to show their loyalty.

Inwardly: *Was President He embarrassed because we saw the ‘domestic abuse’? Or because we accidentally caught a glimpse of his wife’s hand?*

Qin Mang had no idea He Lingji was in a meeting. She only vaguely heard his voice and, with a frown on her beautiful face, rubbed her flushed cheek against his cold fingers. Her soft, sleepy voice stretched out lazily: “What are you doing? So noisy…”

“It’s nothing.”

He Lingji let her cuddle his hand like a cooling pad. With the other hand, he casually closed the laptop. “Go back to sleep.”

“Stay with me.”

“He Lingji, could you please act more like a cuddle pet?”

Qin Mang, still groggy, clearly saw him as a cuddly companion. Naturally, she voiced her distaste with a hint of complaint.

As He Lingji’s screen went black, everyone sighed in relief—only to tense again the next moment.

*Wait…*

*Did she just call President He… a pet?*

*What the—?!*

Everyone exchanged stunned glances through the video call.

Then one VP raised his hand weakly: “Did President He just… *grunt*?”

“I didn’t imagine that, right?”

Everyone: “…”

Secretary Cong typed slowly: “President He’s mic is still on.”

VP Zhou: *!!*

“Vice President Zhou, do you have an issue with me?”

The familiar cool voice cut in.

VP Zhou’s mind screamed: *I’m dead meat.*

And then—

Qin Mang’s drowsy, commanding voice came through again: “Lie down.”

He Lingji responded mildly: “Meeting’s over.”

Then the screen went dark for real.

VP Zhou finally let out a huge sigh: *Madam is truly a lifesaver!*

*Beautiful, kind, a living Bodhisattva who rescues the suffering.*

…

Qin Mang dragged He Lingji to stay in bed with her for another two hours.

When she finally fluttered her eyelashes open—

The first thing she saw was a pair of calm, ocean-deep eyes.

Clear and rational.

His voice was a little hoarse. “Awake?”

Qin Mang had completely forgotten what had just happened. Realizing she was practically draped over him like a snake, she quickly pretended nothing happened and dashed past him into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later—

She came out with wet hair clinging to her cheeks, looking fresh and clean. Holding her stomach, her expression was a bit serious.

“I’m starving.”

He Lingji got up and pulled the curtains open, his tall figure exuding an intimidating presence.

The corners of his thin lips curved into a faint smile. “You slept twelve hours straight.”

“Mrs. He must’ve been a koala in her past life.”

A double entendre.

At that moment, the golden rays of sunset spilled into the room. Qin Mang squinted slightly from the brightness. The small red mole on the bridge of her pale nose looked even more vivid after being bathed in water.

The weariness from yesterday had completely vanished.

She looked like she’d been thoroughly nourished.

Remembering her earlier position, Qin Mang caught his hidden meaning and gave a soft snort. “…”

“What koala?!”

“I was clearly a Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince to save her. Too bad—no prince came, so I had to wake up myself.”

“How would a prince save you?”

He Lingji stepped closer, brushing her lips with his fingers. First a light kiss, then a deep one. “Like this?”

“Or this.”

The cool taste of mint quickly took over.

That familiar flavor…

Qin Mang was momentarily dazed, but soon regained clarity. She narrowed her eyes flirtatiously. “President He, using my toothpaste, are we?”

He Lingji chuckled softly:

“Whose is whose?”

Qin Mang’s lashes trembled.

Wait a minute.

She recently switched to orange-flavored toothpaste… and the one in the bathroom was mint.

She’d been in a daze lately and just assumed it was hers.

But she wasn’t about to admit it now. She changed the topic. “No more kissing—food!”

He Lingji rarely kissed her.

What was with him these past couple days?

Qin Mang, hungry and sluggish, clung to him again. Koala or not, Sleeping Beauty or not, it didn’t matter now. “If I don’t eat soon, I might become the first celebrity to starve to death from oversleeping.”

Imagine that trending on social media.

What a tragedy.

He Lingji effortlessly picked her up and walked out of the bedroom—

There was already a meal cart waiting in the living room.

He seemed very busy.

As soon as Qin Mang started eating, he picked up another work call.

Qin Mang listened while chewing.

Auction.

Land.

She didn’t understand much, but it sounded important.

Tilting her head, she said considerately after he hung up, “If you’ve got work, you should go.”

On the couch—

Qin Mang wore only a silk camisole dress, the delicate straps highlighting her elegant collarbone and shoulders. The long hem almost touched the floor, the edge draping over her slender ankles.

Still beautiful, but thinner.

He Lingji didn’t respond. After half an hour, he noticed she’d only had a small bowl of porridge.

His eyes darkened as he looked at her increasingly thin back. “That’s all?”

Qin Mang lounged lazily on the couch, eyes half closed. “I wasn’t hungry anymore when I started eating.”

That bowl of porridge had been forced down.

The hungrier she got, the less appetite she had.

Seeing her drifting off again, He Lingji gently draped a blanket over her.

The phone rang again.

He glanced briefly at the untouched food cart before stepping out to the balcony with his phone.

After Secretary Cong finished reporting, He Lingji gave a few personal instructions.

The more Secretary Cong listened, the more shocked he became.

Was President He planning to—

When Qin Mang woke up again—

She smelled a faint fragrance in the air.

Squinting, she sat up.

The suite had a semi-open design—living room, dining room, and kitchen connected. She looked toward the dining table and saw elegant dishes already arranged.

She thought nothing of it.

Assumed He Lingji had ordered some private catering.

Outside, it was already dark again.

She rubbed her aching temples and reached under a pillow for her phone—

**8:30 PM.**

She had slept that long again!

The screen lit up with dozens of WeChat messages from Ah Tong sent two hours ago.

Qin Mang raised her brows slightly.

*Did I make the trending list again?*

She opened the messages while thinking about the possibilities.

They couldn’t let a photo taken outside the charity gala be used by Wu Yuan as a scapegoat.
That guy absolutely would’ve done it before, but — now she had a super powerful backer. Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare.
Qin Mang’s eyes curved into a smile.
When she saw the photo and message sent by A-Tong, her smile deepened.
Even brighter than the crescent moon outside the window.

**My OTP is real:** \[Ahhh sis, wake up! You’ll regret it if you miss this!]

\[19 photos]

\[I saw Secretary Cong and the others deliver a bunch of brand-new kitchenware and ingredients!]

\[Wake up!]

\[Wake up, sis\~]

\[President He even personally checked your schedule and had Sister Fu cancel a lot of items]

\[I’m dying from shipping this couple!]

Qin Mang finally understood where the enticing aroma lingering around her came from.
Her lashes lifted as she stealthily leaned over to peek into the kitchen — but saw nothing.

**Little Lion Roar Meow:** \[Is he cooking Tang Monk meat or something?]

Then, still holding her phone, She tiptoed her way toward the kitchen, following the scent.

The man who always seemed like a god on a pedestal, aloof and unapproachable,
Was now in a refined and cool shirt, sleeves rolled up to his wrists, revealing well-shaped, muscular arms. He stood calmly and elegantly, like a proud mythical beast in slumber.
He stood in the kitchen, head slightly bowed, quietly watching the milky-white broth bubbling in the pot.
The steam blurred his features.

Qin Mang froze for a second.
Even though she had mentally prepared, seeing this scene still felt surreal.

“Our dear President He\~ what delicious thing are you cooking?” she leaned on the glass door, her tone playful and lilting.

The kitchen was a bit noisy.
He Lingji turned his head at her voice.
His gaze calm, “Go wait.”

Qin Mang wasn’t the least bit intimidated by his cold face. She beamed and snapped a picture of him.
“First time cooking, gotta commemorate it.”

He Lingji, seeing her bright and bold expression, turned his attention back to the soup.

A few minutes later—
All the dishes were served.
Aside from a few light but colorful and aromatic side dishes,
He had also made a nourishing chicken soup with yam, red dates, and chestnuts.
The surface was skimmed clean of oil, the soup looked creamy white and smelled faintly fragrant — very appetizing.

Qin Mang quickly took her phone, snapped a photo of He Lingji in the kitchen, then another of the table.
She sipped the chicken soup—
Her eyes lit up.

It was *delicious*!
She drank the soup while drafting a social post:

**Little Lion Roar Meow:** \[What kind of perfect man is this who can handle the boardroom and the kitchen? Photos x2]

The always cold and elegant man stood in a hotel kitchen.
Even through the mist, his features were still distinct — it was clearly He Lingji.

She rarely posted to her feed.
After setting it to “friends and family only,” she posted.

Unexpectedly, the first comment came from her father-in-law—
**“Still room for improvement. Tell him not to get arrogant. Humble.jpg”**

Qin Mang almost laughed herself to death.

**He Xucheng:** \[Oh my god? Did I open the app wrong? Is this really my brother?]
**Wu Yuxi:** \[My ideal man — who can stir the winds outside and dominate a yacht inside!]

“Pfft.”
Qin Mang nearly spit out her soup at Wu Yuxi’s comment.
The next second,
Her phone was taken from her.

The man’s tone brooked no argument: “Focus on eating.”

If this were before, Qin Mang would’ve thrown a fit.
But seeing that He Lingji didn’t seem interested in actually checking her phone, she breathed a sigh of relief.
If he saw that “dominate a yacht” comment, she’d die of embarrassment.
A fairy still has some shame, after all.

She glanced at the table full of dishes and the chicken soup in front of her, took a big sip, licked her lips, and changed the topic: “Hubby\~
Your cooking is amazing!”

It wasn’t even flattery.
The meals delivered by the hotel were fancy but never sparked her appetite.
But now, after a bowl of this soup,
She wasn’t full — she was *hungrier*!
She had several more bites.
Once her hunger subsided, she continued chatting:
“With skills like this, it’s a waste not to stay home and be a perfect househusband\~”

He Lingji, calm as ever, served her another bowl.
Unhurried: “Sure.”

“Really?”
Qin Mang was suspicious.

He gently pushed the small porcelain bowl toward her, speaking slowly: “Then you support me.”
“What’s wrong with that?”

Qin Mang froze, spoon in hand.
Wait, *she* supports *him*?
She thought of her pathetic five-digit bank balance.
She couldn’t even afford one of his cars.
Let alone support him.

More importantly…
She glanced at the pile of jewelry boxes stacked like a small mountain on the floor between the dining and living rooms.
Her brain quickly calculated: would she rather have him cook or earn money?
The answer came fast — earn money, of course.

Under the sparkling chandelier, her expression was tangled and cautious — emotions clearly written on her face.
He Lingji waited serenely, as if he would really let her decide.

A few seconds later,
Qin Mang picked up her chopsticks, gave him some greens, and smiled sweetly: “Cooking is a romantic gesture — I’d never make my hubby do it every day\~
Never!”

“Really?”
He Lingji didn’t eat. He leaned back, smiling faintly: “So Madam He is sure she doesn’t want me to quit?”
“No way!”
Someone in the family had to make money!

Her little uncle had cut off her allowance long ago.
Qin Mang ladled another bowl of soup for him: “Hubby, you need to keep your strength up!”
Stay healthy and make money for a few more years — fill up her jewelry room and piggy bank!

He Lingji’s normally cold voice was now a bit warmer: “You need to nourish yourself too.”

A harmonious scene of a loving couple — they could be the poster pair for “model marriage.”

Qin Mang didn’t stay in North City long.
She flew overseas for an important ad shoot.

Strangely enough—
Ever since He Lingji had stayed with her for two nights,
The lingering trauma from that movie shoot miraculously disappeared.

To this, A-Tong said: That’s probably the power of love!

Love?
Between her and He Lingji?
Qin Mang’s beautiful eyes sparkled for a moment.

Then she recalled his eternally indifferent expression — and chuckled softly:
“What kind of love looks like that?”

Her voice was quiet, like a murmur.
But A-Tong had already started listing all the ways He Lingji treated her differently.

Yet Qin Mang knew better than anyone—
That was only because she was *Madam He*.
If she didn’t have that title…

She realized she was getting a little resentful?
Because of He Lingji?
Her dark, clear eyes turned annoyed.

She leaned back into her seat, chuckled coldly:
“Love? As if. It’s just a game. I’m not falling for him.”
“And he’d better not fall for me either. There’s no future.”

A-Tong, looking at her delicate and proud profile, covered her mouth and whispered: “Just wait, karma’s coming.”

Qin Mang stared out the window at the passing street scenes.
She pulled a little blanket over herself and quietly unlocked her phone.
Her wallpaper was a blurry photo taken through the kitchen glass — the tall man with aloof features looked like a divine statue on a distant altar.

While Qin Mang was busy with work, the He Group was also quite lively.

Someone anonymously posted on the He Group’s employee gossip forum about Lou Tingdai.
Lou Tingdai, who had returned from overseas with prestige, had always maintained an elegant, competent image — with good family background too.

There were rumors that she had a close relationship with the Chairman’s wife.
Whenever the wife visited the company, she would sometimes send things specifically for Lou Tingdai.
So even in a company full of elites and rich second gens, Lou still had many admirers.


However, this post directly exposed Lou Tingdai’s background.

Previously, everyone had assumed that her family had some kind of relationship with the He family—at the very least, an old family friendship—which was why the chairman’s wife treated her specially. That’s how she managed to enter the core of the company, and after a period of training, was promoted to Director of the Technical Department, becoming one of the most central figures.

But according to the revelations in the post, she came from poverty, lost her parents early, and was only able to climb out of a remote mountain village thanks to the chairman’s wife’s support. It was also because of the madam’s kindness that she could stand out in He Group—a company filled with elites—and become a goddess-level figure within the organization.

An inspirational girl who rose from poverty could be worthy of praise, too. But the problem was, this truth completely shattered Lou Tingdai’s long-standing image as a privileged, noble goddess.

It was practically fraud!

Occasionally, a few male employees who had once liked her tried to defend her.

Saying things like: it’s not easy for a girl, maybe she was just protecting herself.

Until the original poster dropped another bomb.

Lou Tingdai had never cared about their affections—what she coveted was the position of Madam He.

She would always find excuses to visit the CEO’s office frequently, hoping to “bump into” President He, and often liked to skip ranks to report directly to him—

Previously, no one thought much of it. They just assumed Lou Tingdai had some family connection with President He and didn’t dig deeper. But now that it was pointed out, people finally understood.

No wonder.

Those rich second-generation heirs and elite executives who used to treat her like a goddess—and were even rejected by her—finally broke down.

So it turns out her ambitions were that lofty!

She was trying to steal the Madam He’s position!

The post quickly went viral.

> “What is she even? Does she deserve it?”

> “Everyone in the core management team grew up with elite education. Even the worst among them are Ivy League graduates. With her background and education, if not for the chairman’s wife’s kindness, she wouldn’t even get past the front gate of He Group! And now she dares to covet the divine!”

> “God, how fake can one be? A little sparrow pretending to be a noble phoenix, afraid to even acknowledge her real family.”

> “Who knows what kind of blood runs in her veins—choosing to be a mistress instead of living like a decent person.”

> “…”

The post continued to gain traction.

Everyone in He Group started looking at Lou Tingdai differently.

Lou Tingdai only found out several days later.

She rarely visited forums like that.

Most of her free time was spent studying. Her position as Director of the Technical Department placed her on a high pedestal—so high that she feared the fall would be fatal.

She always had to appear calm and capable in front of others.

Just as the post said, the core departments of He Group were never short of geniuses.

Lou Tingdai, who was usually emotionally steady, found her breathing ragged after reading the post.

Who?

Who did this?

Through the glass wall, she could almost hear the whispers of her subordinates outside.

They were gossiping about her background, about her shame.

Her knuckles clenched around her phone tighter and tighter. Suddenly, she stood up and threw open the office door.

Everyone in the open office turned to look.

The assistant closest to her nervously asked, “Director Lou, is there something you need?”

Lou Tingdai’s gaze swept across each face.

They were all calling her “Director Lou” to her face, but who knew how they were mocking her behind her back?

She forced herself to stay calm. The rage that had reached a boiling point was forcibly suppressed, hidden beneath a mask of indifference. Her fingers slowly loosened their grip on the door handle.

Her voice, as always, was gentle and courteous: “Please get me a cup of coffee.”

Then she retreated back into the office.

Closed the door again.

She no longer paid attention to the mocking stares outside.

The entire office fell silent.

Lou Tingdai sat back down, tilting her head to look at the dazzling sun outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She narrowed her eyes—it felt blinding.

At the same time, Qin Mang had just wrapped up all her schedules for the year. It was already the end of the lunar calendar.

The weather in Shen City this year had been unusually erratic.

It even started snowing.

A thick layer had settled outside.

“Where is he?”

After finally shaking off the paparazzi, Qin Mang returned to the lakeside manor. Her voice, though pleasant, sounded lazy and tired.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, both the He and Qin families—being long-established aristocratic clans—were expected to host large gatherings. Relatives from both families could show up at any time.

Staying at the apartment stalked by paparazzi was no longer an option.

Even though she hadn’t been back in half a year, it didn’t feel unfamiliar at all.

Seeing only the servants in the house, she casually asked.

The butler took her suitcase respectfully and said, “President He is at the indoor pool.”

Qin Mang thought she’d misheard.

Swimming? In this freezing weather?

She had planned to go upstairs, but suddenly changed direction and headed to the indoor pool on the lowest floor.

A few minutes later.

Qin Mang stood at the edge of the spacious pool, watching a perfectly sculpted, muscular figure swim toward her from the distance. His movements were smooth and effortless—like a lazy predator of the deep sea.

Her eyes landed on the mysterious, intricate spider lily tattoo across his pale back. Then they followed the black pattern down to that lean, soul-stirring waist.

She couldn’t look away.

She watched helplessly as He Lingji approached.

Since she was standing at the edge of the pool, it was a rare moment where she could look down on him.

Suddenly, a mischievous impulse struck.

Qin Mang kicked off her high heels.

Her snow-white toes dipped playfully into the water, splashing it casually onto He Lingji’s sculpted shoulders. The girl, looking down from above, had a teasing smile in her eyes: “Oh dear, President He’s swimming in my foot-washing water\~”

Like a little fox that had gotten away with something naughty.

But her smugness lasted only two seconds.

Her delicate ankle was suddenly grabbed by a cool hand.

*Splash—*

She was pulled straight into the pool, sending up a huge splash.

Her tight-fitting knit dress instantly became soaked and heavy, clinging to her curves and outlining her seductive figure even more.

Qin Mang nearly choked on the water.

A moment later.

A strong, possessive male body pressed up against her back.

He Lingji’s deep, magnetic voice was laced with laughter: “Did it taste good?”