**Chapter 36: Blurring the Lines Between Public and Private**

“Wait a second—‘My wife only likes jewelry,’ what does that even mean?”

“It means—if Mrs. He liked anything else, he was ready to buy out the entire charity auction by himself!”

“Ahhhh, what kind of god-tier husband is this?! A god-tier man?! It’s one thing to be good-looking, but he also spends money on his wife? Yet another day of envy and jealousy toward Mrs. He.”

“Wasn’t he supposed to be an icy figure from abroad? Why is he suddenly this sweet?!”

“Actually… there were signs last time already.”

“@AllMedia, what’s going on with you guys? It’s been over half a year and not a single piece of news about Mrs. He? Useless bunch! Hand me a camera—I’ll go follow her myself!”

Netizens, with their ever-curious minds, quickly shifted from shock over the god-like figure stepping down from his pedestal to berating the media for being useless—for failing to get even a hint of news about Mrs. He.

A well-known industry insider broke some news:

> “There’s a media gag order in place. Anyone who tries to dig up info on Mrs. He will be out of a job the next day. And not just them—their whole company will be held accountable.”

> “So tell me—who would dare?!”

This only got the netizens more excited—

“Holy crap, a gag order! So cool! What kind of over-the-top rich-and-powerful love story is this?!”

“President He is so alpha it’s blowing my mind.”

“What do I do… I’m getting more and more curious about this woman who melted the ice god.”

“I’m dying to know!”

“Isn’t there anyone brave enough to spill the tea?!”

“@RuanQizhuo, President Ruan—your turn!”

“Oh yeah, President Ruan has the connections. Ahhh! @RuanQizhuo, you’re my only inside source in the industry, I beg you, just give us a tiny bit of info!”

“@RuanQizhuo, if you dare to leak something, I’ll uninstall every other short video app and only keep yours!”

“Hahaha—this is how you hit President Ruan right in the weakness—”

Sure enough, he actually showed up.

**Ruan Qizhuo V:** *Folks, I wouldn’t dare say too much! But I can reveal this: our Mrs. He is drop-dead gorgeous—totally worthy of our celestial god. That’s all. Meeting adjourned.*

“Hearing you talk is like listening to nothing at all.”

“@RuanQizhuo Is she as beautiful as Qin Mang?”

“Whoa! You up there… bold!”

“I’m not a Qin Mang fan, but… is there really a face more beautiful than hers in this world?”

“I haven’t seen it. @RuanQizhuo, care to answer?”

**Ruan Qizhuo V:** *I haven’t seen it either… But Mrs. He’s face and Beauty Qin’s are on par.*

!

Netizens were now fully hyped.

To be fair, even Qin Mang’s haters couldn’t find fault with her looks.

Since her debut, not a single unflattering photo existed!

Soon, “Qin Mang” and “Mrs. He” were trending on Weibo.

Some haters dug up a photo of the icy and noble Qin Mang walking past He Lingji and mocked the whole “same face, different fates” thing—sour grapes and all.

The gossip had A-Tong (Qin Mang’s assistant) nearly in stitches.

**Backstage in the dressing room.**

Qin Mang sat with her eyes half-closed as her makeup artist gently removed her makeup. Her expression was relaxed and a bit lazy, as if she couldn’t care less about the buzz online.

The charity banquet was massive, attended by the rich and powerful. As expected, the auction featured priceless jewelry, antiques, and rare collectibles. Though it was for charity, it was on par with any high-end auction.

After splurging nine figures on gems abroad, Qin Mang’s account balance was now down to just a few tens of thousands.

So, she had little interest in the auction.

She had donated a set of diamond jewelry suitable for her status and left it at that.

A-Tong cleared her throat and quietly said, “President He bought you so much jewelry… that’s pretty thoughtful, no?”

The next moment—

Qin Mang slowly lifted her lashes, her soft, alluring lips parting with a sarcastic chuckle: “You’ve never been in love, have you?”

A-Tong: “…”

Meeting those cold yet seductive eyes, A-Tong gulped and shook her head honestly.

Qin Mang toyed with the diamond earrings she had just taken off, her voice soft and pleasant, but tinged with casual indifference:
“No wonder.”

“Let me give you some advice from someone more experienced.”

“When a man suddenly acts sweet, it usually means one of two things—he’s either already done something to betray you, or he’s about to.”

“This isn’t called being thoughtful.”

Under the bright white lights, her breathtakingly beautiful face curled into a smile—one that somehow felt icy cold.

Her final murmur:
“This is… hush money.”

Even after they got in the car, A-Tong didn’t dare say a word.

Her mind was filled with Qin Mang’s beautiful but dangerous smile.

Just like a man-eating flower.

It wasn’t until Qin Mang fell asleep that A-Tong finally let out a breath.

Meng Ting glanced at her. “What’s up with you?”

A-Tong whispered, “Didn’t you feel the pressure coming off Miss Qin? I was so scared I almost peed—”
She cut herself off when she looked down. “Peed… my dress!”

Meng Ting: “…”

“You’re a young lady—can you please be a bit more refined?”

He flipped through the schedule.

The end of the year was packed, with back-to-back events until the holidays.

He remembered earlier when he reported the busy schedule to Miss Qin—she hadn’t even complained or joked about going on strike. That was unusual.

His eyes accidentally drifted to her lying against the leather seat.

With her makeup removed, she had tied her hair into a messy bun, revealing a slender, snow-white neck. And just then, he caught sight of a fresh hickey behind her ear.

Before he could react—

A-Tong, scrolling on her phone, suddenly sat up straight. “Oh my god…”

“A reporter accidentally caught a female celebrity hooking up with someone in the flower garden outside the banquet!”

Meng Ting’s pupils dilated—

Cold sweat broke out.

“M-Meng-ge, you okay?”

Still gossiping, A-Tong noticed Meng Ting breaking into a cold sweat and looking seriously ill.

Meng Ting stammered, “Did… Miss Qin sneak out earlier?”

A-Tong wasn’t sure—she hadn’t been allowed inside.

But Qin Mang wasn’t actually asleep. She rubbed her brow, glancing lazily at him:
“Relax. Wasn’t me.”

Meng Ting let out a huge sigh.

“Scared me to death!”

“Then… the mark on your neck…”

Qin Mang’s long lashes lifted slightly, and her slender fingers brushed the back of her neck. A scene flashed in her mind—by the poolside, with a man holding her from behind, his hot breath contrasting with the cold wind.

She closed her eyes, her gorgeous face now tinged with frost.

Calmly: “Got bitten by a dog.”

What kind of dog would dare bite her?

Suddenly, a person came to Meng Ting’s mind.

Of course—it would be that crazy man.

He gasped. “But… you two didn’t get caught on camera, right?”

Qin Mang gave him a look like he was an idiot.
“If we did, your phone would be blowing up by now.”

Instinctively, Meng Ting glanced at his phone—quiet as ever.

He finally relaxed.

But Qin Mang—

As she pulled the blanket over herself and lay back down, a thought struck her—

Flower garden… hookup…

Wait a second.

Why did that sound so familiar?

She asked A-Tong for her phone and opened WeChat.

She ignored Secretary Cong’s location message and went straight to ask Qi Rong about it.

No response yet.

So she grabbed her tablet and started scrolling.

Everyone was obsessed with the scandalous rumors. People were begging for videos.

The buzz was so high, it almost overtook the news about He Lingji buying all the jewelry for love.

It had climbed to #2 on the trending list.

Luckily, the leaked video was extremely blurry—filmed through frosted glass. You couldn’t see any faces.

However—

Qin Mang recognized the hem of Qi Rong’s dress. There was a large bow at the waist.

Several actresses wore big-bow dresses tonight—the theme of the event was “Wings.”

Bows, a timeless fashion symbol, also represented “spreading wings” and “breaking cocoons,” so naturally, most people chose similar elements.

Even Qin Mang wore a half-wing diamond necklace.

So with just this fuzzy video, it was nearly impossible to identify anyone.

Fortunately, Qi Rong soon called her.

First thing she said:
“This is such a huge misunderstanding.”

“If we’d actually slept together, fine. But we didn’t even get that far!”

She genuinely sounded disappointed.

Qin Mang scrolled through the increasingly explicit comments online. “Aren’t you worried you’ll get exposed?”

That would be a major scandal.

Qi Rong didn’t care. “Wu Yuan said he’d take care of it.”

Wu Yuan?

Qin Mang narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You really trust him that much?”

“Why wouldn’t I trust him? He’s the one who took off his pants, not me.”

“He’s probably more worried about exposure than I am.”

Pfft.

Qin Mang had originally thought her trust came from the sense of security Wu Yuan gave her. She never expected—

It came from the fact that *she* didn’t take off her skirt.

She felt a bit sorry for Wu Yuan, but also found it amusing.

This guy had always acted all high and mighty since childhood. Even as an adult, he never got into serious relationships. He had many lovers, but not a single one he acknowledged as a girlfriend. Yet he looked down on her and Little Watermelon, calling them childish for believing in pure love.

Now he finally met Qi Rong.

She treated him like a top-tier gigolo—great in bed, not too talkative.

A playboy meeting his match.

Hmm—

Once Qin Mang was sure that Qi Rong couldn’t possibly fall for Wu Yuan, she relaxed a bit.

After all, in this game, Qi Rong was at a disadvantage. Her only edge was not being in love. If she ever fell for him…

Qin Mang felt reassured and smiled lightly. “Anyway, men are just for fun. Don’t take it seriously.”

“Agreed.”

Qi Rong wholeheartedly agreed.

Meng Ting and Ah Tong, who had been listening in the whole time, exchanged a glance.

Then silently lit a candle for Mr. He in their hearts.

It was one thing for Ms. Qi to play around.

But Miss Qin…

Do you even remember you’re a married woman?

And your husband is Mr. He.

Would Mr. He allow himself to be just a fling?

After the call ended—

Meng Ting cautiously asked, “You were just comforting Ms. Qi, right?”

Qin Mang wrapped herself in a little blanket and lay down comfortably:

“You guess.”

Meng Ting: “…”

…

At that moment—

In the underground parking lot of the charity gala.

A low-key silver Rolls-Royce and several black bodyguard cars were parked in the VIP section. Most of the other guests’ cars had already left.

In the empty lot, the atmosphere felt especially desolate.

After waiting two full hours—

Secretary Cong whispered, “Madam is probably… still removing her makeup.”

After all, she’s a woman.

Through the rearview mirror—

He Lingji sat in the back seat, his expression lazy and indifferent. Even there, he gave off an untouchable, distant aura.

Secretary Cong rarely saw his boss show much emotion—except occasionally when Madam was around.

Seeing that Madam didn’t respond to his earlier message, he hesitated for a few seconds and sent another.

Then it showed—

**Blocked.**

Secretary Cong: “!”

He finally realized what was going on. “M-M-Mr. He… Madam…”

“She blocked me.”

He immediately raised his hand like swearing in court: “I absolutely didn’t do anything to offend Madam!”

Afraid of being misunderstood.

The last time he chatted with Madam was just to report Mr. He’s schedule.

And then today’s location message.

Then—blocked.

So wronged.

He Lingji’s profile was cold and perfect like a sculpture. He lifted his gaze lightly.

Secretary Cong didn’t dare make a sound.

The car fell into a short silence.

He mustered the courage to glance at Mr. He’s personal phone. “Mr. He, maybe… try with yours?”

Seeing that He Lingji didn’t object—

Cong Zhen quickly picked up the phone and sent a message, saying:

“Madam couldn’t possibly block… *you*, right?”

He hadn’t even finished the last two words when—

*Red exclamation mark: message rejected.*

Cong Zhen froze for half a second. “You too… offended Madam?”

Then suddenly realized what he’d just said.

Crap. He must be out of his mind. What nonsense was he spouting?

Trying to save himself: “Mr. He, I…”

At that moment—

Another secretary reminded them, “Mr. He, the flight is in two hours.”

“We should go.”

Originally, He Lingji had planned to personally deliver the items to Qin Mang.

He remained calm throughout.

He rubbed his fingers against his temple and looked at Cong Zhen, ignoring his earlier offense. “You take them to her.”

Secretary Cong let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, sir.”

Qin Mang had just returned to her hotel room when—

The doorbell rang.

Outside, the night was deep. It was the early hours, and everything was quiet.

By then, Meng Ting had already gone to open the door, thinking it was the delivery he ordered.

But—

The moment he opened the door, he was almost blinded.

There stood a line of men in black suits, each holding a delicate box marked with the emblem from the charity auction.

No need to guess what they were.

Cong Zhen, leading the group, was polite. “Good evening, Manager Meng.”

“May I ask if our Madam He is asleep?”

Before Meng Ting could respond—

Qin Mang’s lazy voice came from inside, “Asleep.”

Cong Zhen let out a small breath, keeping his composure. “Madam, these were all personally bid on by Mr. He for you.”

“Oh, your Mr. He worked hard holding that paddle.” Qin Mang, still in her gown, looked stunning. Her bold features were now makeup-free, strikingly elegant and sharp.

Her words nearly made Secretary Cong break character.

He quickly signaled the bodyguards to bring in the boxes.

“All of this represents Mr. He’s sincerity.”

“Nothing is more valuable than your happiness.”

“Mr. He only wants to make you happy.”

Qin Mang crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.

Her red lips curled in a half-smile. “He told you that personally?”

Secretary Cong: “…”

He hesitated a few seconds, afraid to lie, “Not exactly.”

Hearing this, Qin Mang’s lips flattened, her tone turning cold. “Then take it all—”

Before she could finish—

Secretary Cong panicked, afraid she’d really make them take everything back.

That would be his head on the line.

Absolutely unacceptable.

After the bodyguards left the boxes, he quickly closed the door for her and said, “Madam, if you don’t like them, feel free to contact Mr. He.”

“I’m sure he’d happily bid on whatever jewelry you *do* like.”

Then he bolted.

Qin Mang: “?”

Turning around, she saw Meng Ting squatting in front of the pile of boxes with a dreamy look.

Her gaze landed on the boxes, and her face instantly darkened. “Throw them all out!”

“What the hell—throw them to *me*, not out!”

“No way I’m letting such treasures go to waste.”

Meng Ting knew exactly what they were. He opened one box—

A top-quality jade bracelet.

Then another—

A brand-new diamond necklace.

Each box he opened made him gasp.

“So many jewels…”

“Sell just a few and I’ll be rich.”

The boxes piled up like a mountain of gift sets—except they weren’t empty.

Every single one contained real, valuable jewelry.

Even high-end pieces.

Qin Mang ignored him.

She usually loved sparkly things—especially jewelry—but this time, she wasn’t in the mood.

Instead, she was reminded of yet another sleepless night.

Her watery eyes drifted to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The glass reflected her slender, graceful figure.

The night outside was as dark as spilled ink—no trace of light.

She sighed lightly.

Then turned on all the lights as she walked to the bathroom.

Before entering—

She pursed her red lips, pulled someone from her blocklist, and with a cold face, typed out a long message and hit send.

Then blocked him again.

The whole sequence—swift and decisive.

No hesitation at all.

She couldn’t swallow this anger.

And He Lingji shouldn’t get off easy either!

If anyone’s mad, let them *both* be mad!

She glanced at the mountain of gifts one last time.

What a waste.

*Bang…*

The bathroom door slammed shut.
Meng Ting realized the young miss was having another tantrum.
He moved even more quietly.
He carefully noted down the designs and origins of the jewelry, as well as who they originally belonged to.
He couldn’t let the stylist accidentally use those pieces on Qin Mang.
That would be—
A total giveaway.

When A-Tong walked in carrying the late-night snack, he saw Brother Meng looking exactly like the head eunuch registering gifts into the imperial storeroom.

In the VIP lounge at Beicheng Airport,
An airport staff member personally poured him tea.
The fragrance curled through the air.
It was this year’s new tea.
But He Lingji didn’t touch it.
He was in the middle of a remote video conference with his elite team.

When working, he was always focused and never distracted.
His expression was calm and indifferent—so much so that, to others, he seemed like a glacial frost that had stood for centuries, distant and unapproachable.

Suddenly—
His private phone, which had been silent all night, vibrated once.
He Lingji turned his head instinctively.
His gaze paused.
Half a second later,
He calmly picked up his private phone right in front of everyone in the meeting.
He made a ‘pause’ gesture.

“Handling a personal matter.”

Just five words—but they shocked the high-level executives on the screen who knew his usual work ethic.

President He… is handling a personal matter *during a meeting*?!
That’s not like him at all—he’s always strictly professional and never mixes business with personal affairs!

But He Lingji wasn’t interested in their reactions.
Doing things his own way—that was *his* principle.

He unlocked the screen—
The first thing he saw was a WeChat message from Mrs. He.

**Little Lion Awoo Meow:**
**“President He was really impressive today, spending so lavishly to buy all the jewelry. Such sincerity—it’s overwhelming. I, your humble concubine, am both flattered and undeserving. After all, we’re just a very ordinary, standard, business-arranged plastic couple. I’m just a tool in this marriage alliance, how could I possibly accept such precious gifts?”**
**“A tool should know its place. President He, you should give those things to someone who truly deserves them.”**

Talk about passive-aggressive.

He Lingji had an extremely sharp sense, especially when it came to Qin Mang, and instantly noticed something was off in her mood.

He lightly tapped the screen:
**“Mrs. He can accept anything.”**

The next second—
A familiar exclamation mark popped up on the screen.
He’d been blocked again.

He Lingji’s refined eyes darkened, his gaze resting on the message Qin Mang had sent.
She might be spoiled and temperamental, but she wasn’t the type to cause drama for no reason.
Today, her mood was unusually off.

Logically, Qin Mang loved sparkly gems. No matter how upset she was, seeing them should’ve cheered her up.
But this time, she only got angrier.
It didn’t feel like the childish jealousy of someone upset about not getting their toys.

It felt more like—
Hurt?

When that word surfaced in his mind, the calm in He Lingji’s eyes finally stirred.

His long fingers absentmindedly rubbed the wedding ring on his ring finger.
Slowly.
One turn at a time.

A few minutes later,
He looked back at the screen.
Everyone was still waiting for him to resume the meeting.

He Lingji coolly ended the meeting and said calmly, “Postponed.”
Then he got up and left the VIP lounge, his tall, elegant figure as composed as ever.

His secretary was startled and reflexively reminded him:
“President He, your flight is about to board.”

“Cancel it.”

He turned slightly. When he looked at someone calmly, his grey-blue eyes held a chilling, stunning depth—an almost jarring kind of visual impact. He said the two words without leaving room for argument.

The secretary didn’t dare object.
But if they missed this flight, wouldn’t tomorrow’s land auction be lost to someone else?

There were so many competitors watching closely.
Even a one-hour delay could change everything.
President He wouldn’t have come to the airport right after the charity gala otherwise.

Actually, attending the Beicheng charity gala hadn’t even been on the schedule.
It was originally going to be canceled.

After all, President He had been extremely busy lately. Who had time for some charity auction?

But then again—
It was just to see his wife.