CHAPTER 160

Qin Yinong picked up her phone and replied to Tang Ruoyao, saying, "Okay."

Seeing the screen of her phone lighting up, Lin Ruohan, with a smile in her eyes, commented from the side, "Tang Ruoyao messaged you again?"

Qin Yinong felt somewhat embarrassed for no apparent reason. She made a soft sound of agreement and said, "Just finished walking the red carpet."

"She's quite clingy to you." Lin Ruohan remarked.

Qin Yinong responded casually, "It's not that bad."

In her heart, she thought, 'It's me who's clingy to her.'

And Tang Ruoyao must have noticed that she was particularly clingy, which is why she kept messaging her so frequently. Qin Yinong herself had attended similar brand events before, and usually, she rarely touched her phone. There were meetings with the brand representatives, mingling with valuable connections, dealing with various people trying to please her, and maybe even catching up with long-lost friends. It was a busy affair.

As expected, Tang Ruoyao didn't reply again after that. Qin Yinong waited for a while before putting her phone down.

Lin Ruohan thought Qin Yinong was trying to act cute after benefiting from the situation. She expressed dissatisfaction with a couple of tsk sounds but ended up laughing.

Suddenly, Lin Ruohan remembered when she visited the set of a drama and Qin Yinong asked her whether it's better for two complementary people to be together or for people with similar personalities. At that time, Lin Ruohan was quite puzzled but honestly answered that complementary people might have a better chance of lasting. Until now, she still couldn't figure out what kind of pairing these two were. It was interesting.

Qin Yinong, at first glance, seemed cold on the outside but was actually quite passionate once you got to know her, although she didn't like to talk much. Tang Ruoyao, on the other hand, was genuinely cold on the outside, and only Qin Yinong knew if she was warm on the inside.

After the movie ended, Qin Yinong looked tired, resting her head on the bed, pretending to doze off but never actually falling asleep.

Lin Ruohan came out of the shower and saw Qin Yinong struggling to keep her eyes open. She scolded, "You're a patient, why are you staying up late like a normal person?"

Qin Yinong replied, "It's only nine o'clock."

Lin Ruohan emphasized, "It's already nine o'clock!" She said, "Go to sleep."

Qin Yinong fell silent for a moment and said, "Tang Ruoyao hasn't messaged me yet."

Lin Ruohan sighed, "...," lifted the covers, and climbed into bed, saying, "I can't be bothered with you."

Qin Yinong smiled.

It was probably around half-past nine, almost ten o'clock when Tang Ruoyao asked her, [Baby, are you asleep?]

Qin Yinong replied, [No, have you finished over there?]

Tang Ruoyao said, [Just finished, but the brand representative invited me for supper. I might play a little longer.]

Qin Yinong immediately asked nervously, [It's so late, are you going alone?]

Tang Ruoyao chuckled and replied, "How is that possible? I'm a married woman." After a moment of thought, she lightly bit her lip and removed the second half of the sentence. The message Qin Yinong received was:

[How is that possible? There are others with me, all from the entertainment industry. Sister Mu will also accompany me, so it's safe.]

Qin Yinong asked, [What about your bodyguards?]

Tang Ruoyao replied, [They're also with me.]

Qin Yinong felt relieved.

She glanced to the side and saw Lin Ruohan lying on her back, playing with her phone. The hospital room was particularly quiet, and longing felt like the pervasive air, surrounding the empty room closely. With every breath, the longing grew deeper, etching into her bones.

Qin Yinong's heart was filled with a sour and swollen emotion. She typed, [Is it convenient to talk on the phone?]

Tang Ruoyao was about to leave soon, and there were others a few steps away, so she replied, [Not convenient.]

Qin Yinong asked, [How about sending a voice message?]

She wanted to hear her voice.

Tang Ruoyao pulled Xin Qian over as cover, using her hand to cover her mouth, and sent a voice message.

Qin Yinong put on her headphones and clicked to open it.

Tang Ruoyao: "Baby."

Her voice was gentle and soft, pleasantly deep, with a lingering resonance.

She sent another message.

[Go to sleep early, good night.]

Reluctantly, Qin Yinong held down the button to reply, [Good night.]

Lin Ruohan turned around with a whoosh and saw Qin Yinong looking downhearted. She was instantly surprised. Looking at how much she had learned about their love affair today, Qin Yinong, who dominated the business world and was cold and sarcastic in front of her, was completely like a young wife in front of her lover, so lovable.

Lin Ruohan sighed again, regretting her own hesitation when she was in her twenties. Now, someone else had taken what could have been hers.

......

Tang Ruoyao put away her phone and walked into the crowd. The representative from the brand was a female executive in her forties, and she got along well with Tang Ruoyao. As she saw the woman approaching, there was a teasing look in her eyes, and they both understood each other.

Tang Ruoyao met her gaze confidently and smiled.

Her relationship had previously been semi-public, and tonight during the interview, reporters happened to ask about it. Tang Ruoyao decided to admit that she had a lover.

She hadn't told Qin Yinong yet, but she could predict that tomorrow she would definitely dominate the top trending list again. By then, she would already be by Qin Yinong's side in the hospital, giving her a surprise.

It was already past 2 am when Tang Ruoyao finished her part.

The celebrities in the private room had all had some drinks to varying degrees, and Tang Ruoyao naturally had as well. Her fair skin had a slight flush, and her cheeks had a hint of rosy color.

No matter how cold Tang Ruoyao appeared, people continued to come over to toast and chat with her. She politely took a sip and exchanged a few words.

Her tolerance for alcohol wasn't exceptional, but it wasn't too bad either. She hadn't reached her limit with the drinks she had consumed so far. 

Pretending to be quite drunk, she leaned on Mu Qingwu's arm and bid farewell to the host.

The host escorted her to the car and waved goodbye.

After closing the car door, Tang Ruoyao's drunken appearance immediately disappeared without a trace, and her gaze became clear. Instead of going to the planned hotel, she went directly to the airport. The earliest flight back to Beijing was at 5:20 am. Tang Ruoyao rested on her arm in the waiting area, squinting her eyes. Amidst the flickering lights of the airport, she boarded the flight back to Beijing.

After a two-hour flight, she headed straight to the hospital.

The sun was rising from the horizon, and sunlight seeped through the cracks in the leaves, casting scattered patches of light on the window sill.

Qin Yinong had just finished breakfast and was sitting in a wheelchair with a book on her lap.

Footsteps sounded at the door.

She turned her head at the sound.

Tang Ruoyao pushed the door open and entered.

The young woman looked a bit disheveled, but she was more radiant and dazzling than the sun outside the window.

Qin Yinong looked at her, and a smile gradually appeared on her lips. She opened her arms.

Tang Ruoyao rushed towards her in three steps, embracing her tightly.

She hugged too tightly and eagerly, directly lifting Qin Yinong out of the wheelchair. With Tang Ruoyao's support, Qin Yinong's feet stood on the ground, and she tightly hugged her back.

Tang Ruoyao held her for a while, and her violently beating heart gradually calmed down. She whispered softly in the woman's ear, "I'm back."

Qin Yinong made a sound of agreement and affectionately rubbed her cheek against Tang Ruoyao's, clearly sharing the same joy.

Tang Ruoyao loosened her grip slightly, moved her chin away from Qin Yinong's shoulder, creating some distance between them, and their eyes met.

Naturally, they began to kiss.

Just as Tang Ruoyao wanted to deepen the kiss, she suddenly stopped, while Qin Yinong continued with the momentum, her face lightly supported by Tang Ruoyao's hand.

Qin Yinong looked puzzled.

Tang Ruoyao furrowed her brows and said, "I didn't brush my teeth."

She lowered her head and sniffed herself, smelling the scent of alcohol on her body. She felt a bit unpleasant, having spent the night like this. Didn't Qin Yinong notice it when she hugged her?

Tang Ruoyao put Qin Yinong back in the wheelchair, then bent down to pick up the book she accidentally swept to the ground and handed it back to her, saying, "I'll take a shower first."

Qin Yinong nodded.

Tang Ruoyao closed the door, and Qin Yinong listened to the sound of the shower. She pushed the wheelchair closer to the door, then pulled back, lowering her head to read the book.

The sound of water stopped.

Qin Yinong closed the book pages that she hadn't turned.

Tang Ruoyao finished showering and washing her hair. She only wore a cool nightgown, which was short, revealing her fair and straight legs.

Qin Yinong didn't dare to look too much and looked up at the leaves on the tree outside the window.

Tang Ruoyao first kissed Qin Yinong on the lips before finding a hairdryer to blow-dry her hair. During that time, she kept staring at Qin Yinong. Sometimes Qin Yinong looked at her, and sometimes she didn't. Whenever Qin Yinong looked at her, Tang Ruoyao would smile and reveal a set of white teeth.

Qin Yinong couldn't help but smile too.

She no longer tried to conceal anything and focused on watching Tang Ruoyao busy herself, her fingers skillfully weaving through her dark hair.

Tang Ruoyao turned off the hairdryer and neatly put away the cord.

Qin Yinong asked her, "Did you not sleep last night?"

When Tang Ruoyao arrived, she didn't even change her clothes. She had already reported everything she did last night to Qin Yinong, so there was no need to hide anything. She replied, "Mmm."

"Next time, you don't have to rush back like this," Qin Yinong pursed her lips and said.

Tang Ruoyao smiled and said, "Don't you miss me?"

Qin Yinong: "..."

Tang Ruoyao's smile deepened, and she changed her words, saying, "It's me who misses you. I miss you so much..." She suddenly became shy and couldn't say it anymore.

Qin Yinong, sitting in the wheelchair, lowered her long eyelashes and said, "Hold me and take me to bed."

Tang Ruoyao did as she was told.

Both of them lay on their sides, facing each other, with an arm resting on the side of their faces, and neither of them spoke.

Qin Yinong's eyes grew darker, and Tang Ruoyao vaguely felt that something was about to happen as her heartbeat slowly accelerated.

Time seemed to slow down.

Before she could react, everything went dark in front of her, and Qin Yinong kissed her.

At first, it was just a gentle peck, then she lightly bit Tang Ruoyao's lip. After receiving Tang Ruoyao's enthusiastic response, she removed the hand supporting her and cupped Tang Ruoyao's face, lifting her chin to bring her closer.

Her other hand found Tang Ruoyao's free hand and entwined their fingers, pressing them tightly against the pillow. The breath on top of their heads became heavy, quiet, and restrained.

Tang Ruoyao felt a hint of panic, not the fear-induced panic, but the nervousness of anticipation.

From gentle to urgent, as if it happened in an instant.

They kissed for a long time before Qin Yinong let go. Tang Ruoyao's heart was pounding heavily, and she couldn't stop breathing heavily. Qin Yinong affectionately kissed her cheeks and corners of her lips, leaving a trail of delicate kisses.

Tang Ruoyao hugged her and her voice sounded slightly hoarse, "Senior Qin."

Qin Yinong: "Hmm?" Her voice was even huskier than Tang Ruoyao's.

Tang Ruoyao suddenly laughed.

"Do you miss me a lot?"

"..."

"I know even if you don't say anything." Tang Ruoyao tilted her head slightly, smiling brightly at her, "You almost devoured me just now."

Qin Yinong lowered her eyelids, took a tissue, and wiped the corner of Tang Ruoyao's mouth, avoiding the question. "Go to sleep."

"Okay." Tang Ruoyao yawned and didn't pursue the question further. After all, her actions had already told her everything.

She had been drinking and staying up all night. Closing her eyes, she quickly felt drowsy.

In a drowsy state, she heard a faint voice by her ear saying, "I didn't sleep last night either."

Tang Ruoyao moved her fingers hanging by her side, struggling to open her eyes, but she was defeated by drowsiness and sank into a sweet and dark dreamland.

Qin Yinong had shallow sleep and woke up several times during the night, and every time Tang Ruoyao was asleep. She watched Tang Ruoyao for a while, then slept for a while, spending most of the day in a dazed state.

When Tang Ruoyao woke up, the sun was setting, and the room was dim. She rubbed her eyes and naturally placed a gentle kiss on the forehead of the person next to her, then reached out to grab her phone from the cabinet.

It was 5:15.

Tang Ruoyao got out of bed quietly but sensed something unusual behind her. She turned back suddenly, and Qin Yinong's smile at the corner of her lips hadn't completely concealed yet.

Tang Ruoyao turned on the light.

Qin Yinong pulled the blanket higher and quickly covered her face.

It was a new move she had recently learned, and she found it quite handy. No matter what, she would cover her face first.

Tang Ruoyao asked her through the blanket, "When did you wake up?"

Qin Yinong replied from under the blanket, "About an hour ago."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I saw you sleeping so soundly."

Tang Ruoyao smiled and said, "Did you steal a kiss from me?"

The blanket couldn't hide the heat rising on Qin Yinong's cheeks.

Well... she did steal a kiss, and she kissed her several times. Tang Ruoyao was sound asleep, and no matter how she kissed her, she didn't react. Qin Yinong became a bit bolder, but how did she know? Was she pretending to sleep?

Tang Ruoyao seemed to be able to read minds and said, "I guessed it."

When she woke up, Qin Yinong almost suffocated her with kisses, and she didn't make a sound while sleeping. Moreover, putting herself in Qin Yinong's shoes, if she wasn't a light sleeper and prone to waking up easily, she wouldn't have just kissed her on the forehead lightly.

"... " Qin Yinong felt embarrassed to face her girlfriend.

Tang Ruoyao pulled open the curtains, letting the sunset stream in. She stretched lazily in front of the window, did a simple set of stretching exercises, and loosened her muscles and bones. When she turned back, Qin Yinong had already crawled out of the blanket and was leaning against the headboard with a calm expression.

Tang Ruoyao couldn't help but hold back her laughter, afraid that Qin Yinong would become embarrassed and angry. So she cleared her throat, changed the subject, and asked her, "When did Teacher Lin leave?"

"Around six or seven. She had something to do."

"You woke up so early?"

"She's quite noisy, making a lot of clattering sounds."

"Were you happy yesterday?"

"It was alright."

"What did you talk about?"

"Her ex-girlfriend, Ningning, and you, and some gossip."

......

With their back-and-forth questions, Tang Ruoyao felt like her mother and laughed again.

Qin Yinong covered her face with one hand and also chuckled softly.

.....

Tang Ruoyao got so caught up in the conversation that she forgot about the surprise she had for Qin Yinong. It was only when she looked at her phone and saw a message from Mu Qingwu that she remembered she had just announced their relationship last night.

"Oh, by the way, I have something to show you." Tang Ruoyao opened Weibo, and the hot search was still trending, currently at number three.

"What is it?"

"Just take a look. I'll go change clothes. Guan Han should be here soon."

Qin Yinong took the phone from her.Hot search title: Tang Ruoyao's Relationship Exposed

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow. What's this about again? She clicked on the hot search, and there was a video interview inside. Judging by Tang Ruoyao's outfit, it was from the event they attended last night.

The reporter asked, "Two months ago, Ruoyao mentioned on a program that she had someone she liked. I wonder what the current status of your relationship is. Are you still in the ambiguous stage?"

Tang Ruoyao looked calm and composed. "No, we're already together."

The reporter clearly didn't expect her to be so straightforward, and exclamations filled the air, followed by a flurry of camera flashes.

Tang Ruoyao had exquisite makeup and a constant gentle smile.

Reporter: "Can you reveal who it is?"

Tang Ruoyao: "I can't."

Reporter: "Is it someone from the industry?"

Tang Ruoyao pressed the microphone in front of her and politely said, "She prefers to keep a low profile and doesn't want our relationship to receive too much attention. Please don't ask any more questions. Thank you, everyone."

Marketing accounts quickly posted sensational headlines: "Tang Ruoyao Off the Market? Confirms Relationship Status!" "Tang Ruoyao's Relationship Exposed, Could It Be Someone from the Industry?"

Who is Tang Ruoyao's mysterious partner? Netizens eagerly expressed their opinions, starting an intense guessing game.

[First of all, regarding the question of whether the reporter is someone from the industry, Tang Ruoyao didn't directly answer, but it's highly likely that they are.]

[Agree with the comment above. The keywords are "someone from the industry" and "low profile."]

[Am I the only one who thinks Tang Ruoyao is just seeking publicity? If she doesn't plan to reveal it, why did she openly admit it? 🤔]

[Just because she admitted it doesn't mean she has to reveal everything. Can't she simply share her joy with everyone?]

[I'm Team Tang, and I'm not happy. I'm heartbroken. Why did she have to make it public? Can't I indulge in my own fantasies? 😭 That guy better be a good person and treat our Tang Tang well. If he dares to mistreat her even a little, we won't let him get away as fans.]

[Why do all of you assume it's a man? I feel like it might be a woman. In Chinese, "he" and "she" have the same pronunciation. 🤔]

[Hahaha, +1 to the comment above! I always thought Tang Ruoyao had a tomboyish charm. She should be with the beautiful sister.]

The beautiful sister herself stared at the interview video, unable to regain her composure for a long time.

"Why?" She looked up and asked Tang Ruoyao, who had changed her clothes and come out of the restroom.

"Why what?"

Qin Yinong raised her phone.

Observing her expression, Tang Ruoyao saw no signs of anger, just pure confusion. She was just genuinely puzzled about why she had made the announcement.

Tang Ruoyao pulled a chair over and sat beside her, thinking for a moment before saying, "There's no particular reason. The reporter asked, and I answered. I didn't want to lie."

Qin Yinong, as if searching for something to say, commented, "Your fans might not be happy."

Tang Ruoyao chuckled, "I don't rely on fans to make a living. Besides, they're just talk. They won't abandon me. The fans I have are fans of my work."

Qin Yinong fell silent for a moment and then said, "What if they guess it's me?"

Understanding her concerns, Tang Ruoyao didn't want to publicly acknowledge any relationship between them. She reassured her, "They won't guess. I just said that much. If anyone asks me in the future, I won't say anything." 'But it would be better if they guessed correctly', Tang Ruoyao thought to herself.

Qin Yinong made a meaningless sound, unable to express her current mood.

Tang Ruoyao announced that she is not single, and she is happy about it, but the ensuing series of controversies and speculations are not what she wanted to see. She thought to herself, "Why create unnecessary complications?"

There was no such step in the plan Tang Ruoyao had prepared for Qin Yinong.

The "surprise" Tang Ruoyao had prepared only brought surprise, not joy. She felt uneasy and gently confirmed to Qin Yinong, "Are you really not unhappy? Should I not have spoken without thinking?"

"No," Qin Yinong lightly patted her hand and said gently, "I just need some time to process it."

Tang Ruoyao didn't leave her alone.

She moved to face Qin Yinong, crouched down, and held her hands, looking up into her eyes. "Baby."

Qin Yinong looked at her with a soft gaze. "Hmm?"

Tang Ruoyao said, "The current reputation you have is due to others, not your fault. Have you ever thought... about washing away the dirt thrown at you by others?"

Qin Yinong looked at her in an unusually silent manner.

Unable to get a response, Tang Ruoyao unintentionally tightened her grip on Qin Yinong's hand. Her voice became more urgent in Qin Yinong's silence as she said, "I've talked to An Ling, Guan Han, and Fang Cheng recently. You have done many good deeds and helped many people. The donation certificates from your contributions fill an entire drawer, and we can't fit any more. Don't you want others to know what kind of person you really are?"

Qin Yinong finally spoke, calmly asking her, "What kind of person do you think I am?"

Tang Ruoyao was momentarily speechless.

"A good person?" Qin Yinong smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "What's the point? I didn't do these things to be known or praised by others. Besides, do you know what people will say if these things go online?"

She looked into Tang Ruoyao's eyes, emphasizing each word, "They will say I'm showing off, seeking fame, and trying to whitewash myself. They will curse at me, and even my family will be affected."

A chilling sensation filled Tang Ruoyao's heart, and her feeble retort seemed pale, "Not everyone is like that."

Qin Yinong's gaze turned sorrowful, and she slowly said, "But many people will say those things. If one person says it out of ten, then in a hundred thousand people, there will be ten thousand saying it. In ten million people, there will be a million saying it. Do you know how that feels? Overwhelming, with no escape. Back then, not everyone in China cursed at me, maybe one percent or one-tenth of a percent? But from what I saw and heard, it was all insults. I didn't hear a single good thing said about me, no one saying they believed in me or that I hadn't done anything wrong."

People have different tolerance levels for good intentions and malice. Even if there are a hundred positive comments, if one negative comment is mixed in, it will feel like a thorn in one's throat. Malice is a weapon that harms, not just empty words. If you want to see the good side, if you want to be strong enough to ignore malice, otherwise there wouldn't be so many public figures suffering from depression due to being constantly criticized.

"And those media outlets, they will dig up all my experiences again, picking out newsworthy points from between the lines, creating eye-catching headlines, and writing similar articles. If there aren't any, they will fabricate facts out of thin air. In any case, as long as my name is involved, it generates traffic, it creates buzz. They will block me at every turn, attempting to extract some valuable news from my mouth; it will repeat over and over again."

Tang Ruoyao couldn't find words to say.

Qin Yinong lifted her face and said, "Perhaps you would say that it will get better after enduring the initial period. The things I do will eventually be seen and believed by people, and I believe that too. But how long do I have to endure? I can't bear going through it all over again. Now that I have you, I'm not afraid of them. I'm just tired."

Qin Yinong gently touched her lover's face and said softly, "It took me more than ten years to finally get used to the current situation. How long will it take to adapt to another situation?"

Tang Ruoyao slowly pressed her forehead against Qin Yinong's knee.

"I'm sorry."

She had thought too superficially, after all, she hadn't experienced it herself. "Being criticized by the masses" was just an idiom written on paper, enclosed in a dictionary. No matter how much she empathized, she couldn't reach the level of understanding Qin Yinong's experience.

"No need to apologize." Qin Yinong held her face in her hands, leaned down, and kissed the young woman's forehead. Her gaze was warm and accepting. "I will consider your suggestion."

The situation took a sudden turn, and Tang Ruoyao showed a look of astonishment.

"Why?" she asked.

Qin Yinong smiled faintly, but there was an indelible sigh in the depths of her eyes.

She suddenly remembered the interview video that Tang Ruoyao had shown her. If one day in the future, their relationship was accidentally exposed and known by everyone, she hoped that her future self would be pure and innocent. She could hold hands with Tang Ruoyao and stand in the sunlight, without subjecting her to the cold eyes and disdain of the world.

She thought, loving someone is such a magical thing. Just the thought of her, even if she had to confront the whole world, her heart would be filled with infinite courage.

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