CHAPTER 181

After the Golden Magnolia Awards ceremony, there were countless programs and interviews with Qin Yinong. Everyone wanted to get firsthand news, and An Ling carefully selected one and sent her for the announcement.

Netizens were forgetful by nature. Logically speaking, stars in the midst of controversy should remain quiet and wait for the situation to calm down. That would be the best way to handle things. However, An Ling and Qin Yinong reached a new consensus. Instead of letting the entertainment media fabricate stories about her, they decided it would be better for An Ling to speak for herself.

Whether others believed her or not was one thing, but it was another thing for her to speak out.

Originally, An Ling was worried that she wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of public opinion, thinking back to the unpleasant memories of the past. However, she was surprised to find that Qin Yinong was in surprisingly good spirits. She was immersed in the sweetness of love every day and couldn't extricate herself from it. She even started looking at properties and wanted to buy a house for marriage. An Ling was completely relieved.

Her only concern now was whether Qin Yinong would lose interest in pursuing her career in the entertainment industry. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. She temporarily stopped filming movies and became diligent at the company. Other than occasionally getting distracted during their conversations and laughing for no reason, everything else was the same as before.

On a certain morning at 9 o'clock, at Qin Yinong's studio.

Ding -

The door of the direct elevator opened, and Qin Yinong, wearing a windbreaker and pants, walked out.

An employee passing by with a cup of Starbucks greeted her, "Good morning, President Qin."

Qin Yinong raised her eyelids and gently curved her peach blossom eyes, her voice soft, "Good morning."

The employee was momentarily dazed by her smile, and then greeted her again, "Good morning." She suddenly felt that something was off about this scene. Her gaze shifted down to the girl walking out with Qin Yinong, holding her hand.

The girl appeared to be around four years old, wearing a white princess dress, long stockings, and small leather shoes. Her long hair flowed behind her, except for a light pink hairband, she had no other accessories.

Her face was porcelain-white, clean and transparent, exuding an indescribable elegance and tranquility. Looking at her features, her thin and beautiful eyebrows, straight and delicate nose, rosy lips, and especially her distinctly black and white eyes, even at such a young age, she was a budding beauty.

Hmm, these features seemed somewhat familiar.

The employee, as if frozen, suddenly stiffened and slowly raised her gaze, fixing it on Qin Yinong's face.

Her eyes widened suddenly, and the Starbucks cup in her hand fell to the ground.

........

The employee who had an encounter with Qin Yinong and Ningning cleaned up the coffee-stained floor and floated back to the office like a lost soul. Even when her colleagues called her, she ignored them. After two minutes, she swallowed her saliva, lowered her head, and opened the company's gossip group chat. Her fingers trembled as she typed a line and sent it.

[President Qin brought her daughter to the company!]

This news spread like wildfire and became the biggest news of the year for Qin Yinong's studio. In various instant messaging windows, this shocking news dominated the discussions.

[Is it true or fake?]

[Let me check the calendar, it's not April Fool's Day, right?]

[Are you dreaming or something?]

A colleague who witnessed the scene exclaimed emphatically, [Absolutely true! I just saw them in the elevator. The princess looks exactly like President Qin! Her features are like a carved mold, perfectly proportioned. It's unbelievable!]

[Tsk, that's exaggerated. We all know you're a fan of President Qin.]

The witness colleague replied, [I'm abandoning my fan filter! Besides, who isn't a fan of President Qin? You'll see for yourself when you see them in person. I should have taken a photo of the princess earlier.]

[You can't take photos. What if it accidentally leaks out? Don't we know what it's like in our industry? Just use your eyes to see.]

The witness colleague couldn't help but chuckle, [Actually... the princess called me 'auntie.' She's so polite and well-behaved. She's a bit shy too, her face turned red after calling me that.]

[Oh my! How dare you!]

[I haven't even met the princess yet! And you're already taking advantage of our little princess!]

The witness colleague proudly said, [How can you call it taking advantage? It's just that you guys had bad luck and didn't encounter her.]

[Can we crowdfund to beat someone up? Any volunteers?]

Instantly, the chat was filled with "+1"s.

A chill ran down the witness colleague's spine as she realized it was her office mate who had an evil smirk on his face, slowly approaching with a menacing gesture.

The witness colleague fled in panic.

.......

Qin Yinong brought Ningning to the front of An Ling's office. She gestured to An Ling's secretary, signaling her to stay quiet. Then she bent down and spoke to Ningning in a conspiratorial tone, "Baby, should we knock on the door?"

Ningning mustered up her courage and nodded.

Being shorter, she knocked on the door at the middle height.

Knock, knock, knock --

Three times.

An Ling didn't even raise her head and asked, "Who is it?"

Qin Yinong looked down at Ningning. Since Ningning was shy, she pursed her lips and didn't make a sound, instead snuggling into Qin Yinong's embrace. Qin Yinong then spoke up, "It's me."

An Ling said, "Come in."

The door creaked open, slowly widening the gap from the outside to the inside.

An Ling didn't think much of it, setting aside the documents in her hand and lifting her head. She said, "Why did you knock on the door if you're coming in? It's unnecessary." The door was still moving, but there was no sign of anyone. An Ling smiled and said, "How old are you? Playing hide-and-seek?"

As she spoke, she stood up, walked around from behind her desk, and as her perspective changed, she finally saw the little girl standing at the door.

An Ling's mouth opened slightly, the sharp tongue that had dealt with the media and scolded executives suddenly went silent, and not a word came out.

The little girl appeared timid, but she maintained good manners. Her hands were clasped in front of her, slightly bowing, and she politely called out, "Grandma An Ling."

Five seconds passed before An Ling finally greeted, "This is Ningning, right?"

She made an effort to adjust herself to put on a gentle smile, but to Qin Yinong, who was used to her unchanging demeanor, it looked extremely stiff. The corners of Yue Qin Yinong's lips curved up, almost unable to hold back her laughter.

Ningning replied softly, "Yes, I came to see Grandma."

An Ling was too overwhelmed with emotion to pay attention to the "Grandma" address. Tears welled up in her eyes. She stood there at a loss for a moment, then suddenly walked towards her desk, rummaging through boxes and drawers, and pulled out two pieces of chocolate, stuffing them into Ningning's hands. "Have this."

Ningning accepted them and politely said, "Thank you, Grandma."

An Ling asked, "What else do you want to eat? Grandma can have someone buy it for you! Do you like candy? Do you prefer hard candy or gummies? Can it be fruit-flavored?"

She raised her voice and called her secretary, who immediately came in.

Ningning was startled by her enthusiasm and hid behind Yue Qin Yinong.

Qin Yinong finally spoke up and put an end to this "comedy."

She waved her hand to dismiss the secretary, pressed An Ling onto the sofa, and both of them sat down, with Ningning sandwiched between them.

An Ling took a few sips from her water glass and finally calmed down. She looked at the quiet and well-behaved girl and asked, "How did you bring her out?" Wasn't she always kept hidden like a precious baby?

Qin Yinong caressed the child's head and said, "She wanted to come out herself. Didn't she just say she came to see you?"

An Ling smiled happily and said, "Don't fool me."

"It's true." Qin Yinong saw her doubtful expression and said, "Let her tell you herself."

Ningning looked up, her bright eyes staring at An Ling, and said softly and tenderly, "I came to see Grandma."

An Ling covered her heart with her hand, her eyes filled with overwhelming affection for the little girl.

Qin Yinong chuckled and said, "Is it really that necessary?"

An Ling, still not fully recovered, said, "You wouldn't understand."

Qin Yinong clicked her tongue.

If she didn't understand, then she didn't understand.

Here's how it happened: Ningning's private tutor had something come up and took a day off. Today, both Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao had work. Tang Ruoyao had left early in the morning to catch a flight, and Qin Yinong changed her clothes and came down the stairs around 8:30.

Ningning was alone in the living room and asked her, "Mom, where are you going?"

Qin Yinong told her the truth, "Mom is going to the company."

Ningning continued, "Is it a place with lots and lots of people?"

Qin Yinong nodded and told her that there were many uncles and aunties in the company, including Grandma An Ling, who were all very nice people.

Ningning said she understood and told her, "Mom, come back early."

Qin Yinong kissed her face, then walked to the entrance to change her shoes. Nowadays, she didn't always wear dresses when she went out. She preferred something more comfortable and casual. Today, she was wearing a long windbreaker, well-fitted trousers, black Martin boots, looking sharp and neat.

She crouched down to tie her shoelaces, and when she lifted her head, there was a child in front of her.

Qin Yinong: "???"

The child looked at her as she stood up, reaching out to grab the hem of her clothes. Timidly and in a small voice, she asked for her opinion, "Can you take me with you?"

Qin Yinong didn't immediately refuse but asked her seriously, "Do you want to come with Mom?"

The child nodded and said, "I want to go see Grandma An Ling."

Qin Yinong looked at her steadily for a few seconds. The child became nervous under her gaze, lowering her long eyelashes, but she didn't step back. She persisted silently.

Qin Yinong relaxed and said, "Okay."

She had thought it through. That night, when she and Tang Ruoyao discussed the reason why Ningning didn't like going to school, it was because she often missed out on occasions where she needed external affirmation. With her introverted nature, there might be reasons related to that.

Qin Yinong didn't think being introverted was a bad thing, but if Ningning had a longing to connect with the outside world, she should be her guide.

The studio was her territory and could serve as the first step for her to enter the outside world, to meet different people, which would be beneficial for her growth.

......

An Ling was not yet forty this year. After she recovered, she initially had reservations about being called "Grandma," but when she heard that Qin Yinong referred to any female as "Auntie," she immediately let go of her concerns.

In some families, it was not uncommon to be a grandmother before the age of forty.

An Ling and Qin Yinong were discussing work in the office, while Guan Han accompanied Ningning as they wandered around the company. It was Ning Ning's first time in such a bright and spacious place, and also her first time seeing so many working adults bustling about in an organized manner. It was an overwhelming sight.

"This!" She pointed at the fully transparent glass conference room.

"Wow!" Guan Han went along with her, and when she saw two passing employees staring at Ningning with dropped jaws, she felt like her own image had collapsed.

The conference room was empty at the moment, temporarily unoccupied. Ningning asked, "Can I go in and take a look?"

Guan Han said, "Of course."

Ningning entered the conference room and sat in her mother's seat. Being petite, when she sat in the spacious leather chair, she slid down, giggling. Her laughter echoed far away.

Outside the conference room, there were several young female employees standing by the glass, constantly smiling.

After coming out of the conference room, Ningning asked, "Can I go anywhere?"

Guan Han reiterated, "Of course." She added, "Qin Jie is the boss here."

Ning Ning tilted her little head back, her eyes shining brightly. "Is my mom amazing?"

Guan Han smiled and said, "Of course."

Ningning wandered around the company until noon. When she returned, she was sweating profusely and carrying a bunch of snacks. Guan Han had even taken off her suit jacket and wrapped it around the food for her.

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow.

Ningning emptied all the snacks onto the coffee table, excitedly reporting, "Mom, Mom, these were all given to me by the uncles and aunties."

Qin Yinong glanced over, her gaze darkening, and said, "Didn't I tell you not to accept things from strangers, especially food?"

She had psychological trauma, and it was important to be cautious of others. There were no bad people in the studio at the moment, but what if there were in the future?

Ningning's smile gradually disappeared, and she hung her little face down, saying sadly, "I understand."

Guan Han explained from the side, "Qin Jie, it's not like that. She refused, but those employees were just too enthusiastic." The snacks were almost overwhelming Ningning, and Guan Han said, "It was me who allowed her to accept them."

She had a remorseful expression as if saying, "If you want to scold someone, scold me." Ningning quietly grabbed Guan Han's finger, giving each other strength.

Qin Yinong said, "...Forget it." It wouldn't be too late to teach her later. She didn't want to ruin the child's mood.

She hugged Ningning and comforted her with a few words before asking her what she wanted to eat for lunch.

Ningning was tired after playing for the whole morning, so the group went to a Cantonese restaurant. When they got off the car, Qin Yinong felt a prying gaze. She paused for a moment, held Ningning's hand, and calmly walked into the restaurant.

The sound of camera shutters kept echoing, like hungry wolves biting into meat. The eye behind the camera stared intently at the figure until it disappeared at the entrance. Then, it finally breathed a sigh of relief, released its unconsciously clenched teeth, and carefully examined the photos it had just taken, its eyes filled with fanaticism.

The next day, these photos were leaked, including the video.

The paparazzi had a good position, and the photos were clear. Both Qin Yinong and the little girl were only wearing masks, but their body shapes and the visible facial features proved that it was them.

It's worth mentioning that the paparazzo who leaked the photos had contacted Yue Qin Yinong's studio, wanting to sell the photos and videos at a high price, but An Ling refused.

[Qin Yinong Appears with Daughter for the First Time]

Netizens had something new to gossip about, and they were extremely excited.

[Qin Yinong is a treasure sister, always bringing us new material. I feel like I can survive for a year]

[It's almost 2020, and I'm still crazy about Qin Yinong's gossip]

[So it's confirmed that she's her own daughter, they really look like mother and daughter]

[But we can't rule out the possibility of it being a publicity stunt. I mean, she has so many projects recently]

[This was leaked by a marketing account. Can we blame her? Can't she just take her daughter out for a meal? The demands of netizens these days are so high]

[So here's the unsolved mystery of the century: Where is her husband? Does she really have a husband?]

Tang Ruoyao closed the hot search interface and logged out of Weibo.

When she was with Qin Yinong, she didn't think about checking Weibo. It was only when she was alone on set that she would use the internet to get the latest news about Yue Qin Yinong, browse fan discussions, and collect pictures.

Yesterday, she had heard Qin Yinong mention taking Ningning to the company. Her thoughts were the same as Qin Yinong's - she believed that children should indeed have more exposure to different people and things. As long as she was willing, she could explore the world and even appear on television if she wanted to.

Today, she came across hot search topics about Qin Yinong on Weibo again. An Ling's PR team was effective, gradually steering the focus of netizens in the direction they desired. However, the matter of whether Qin Yinong was married or not remained a one-sided statement.

She only had one same-sex partner, but their relationship couldn't be public. Therefore, the only ones who would appear in the camera were the two of them, mother and daughter.

This made Tang Ruoyao feel uneasy. She was an invisible person, unable to contribute anything in this regard to support Qin Yinong. Moreover, she was a weapon that could be used by others to attack Qin Yinong at any time.

After finishing her scenes for the day, they returned to their small home in the evening. It should have been a night of tenderness, but Tang Ruoyao was burdened with worries and couldn't get into the right state of mind.

Qin Yinong was sensitive to her emotional changes, so she got up and casually picked up the hair tie from the bedside table and tied her hair into a loose ponytail. Tang Ruoyao stared at the ceiling, and after a few seconds, she noticed that Qin Yinong had sat down beside her.

Tang Ruoyao's pupils slightly contracted, her face turned pale, and her lips moved, "I'm sorry..."

Qin Yinong raised her hand to stop her apology and asked worriedly, "What's wrong with you?"

Tang Ruoyao stammered, "Nothing."

Qin Yinong calmly looked into her eyes.

Tang Ruoyao remained silent for a while before explaining the reason for her bad mood.

Qin Yinong raised her finger and tidied up Tang Ruoyao's disheveled hair, speaking gently and softly, "You know I don't care."

Tang Ruoyao lowered her gaze and said, "But I do."

Qin Yinong pondered for a moment, made a thoughtful expression, and said, "So what should we do? There seems to be a problem between us." Her tone was a bit strange, not serious, but not casual either. After she finished speaking, Tang Ruoyao lifted her face, gazing at her without blinking, and her heart slightly fluctuated twice as she corrected, "There is no problem."

The word "problem" sounded serious.

Qin Yinong said, "Okay." She let it go so easily.

Tang Ruoyao blinked her eyes, seemingly confused.

Qin Yinong asked her, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Tang Ruoyao didn't say anything, but something flickered deep in her eyes, as if she was forcefully suppressing something.

Qin Yinong's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She thought to herself, there might be more than just this one thing.

"Sister..." Tang Ruoyao spoke up.

Qin Yinong felt a bit uncomfortable for some reason and said, "Call me by my name."

"Qin Yinong," the young woman changed her address, her expression gentle and obedient.

Qin Yinong made a sound of agreement and couldn't help but feel a sense of pity and love. She reached out and touched Tang Ruoyao's face, but Tang Ruoyao grabbed her hand tightly, holding it firmly. In her amber eyes, a hint of stubbornness suddenly emerged.

Tang Ruoyao's eyes were slightly red, barely noticeable, and she held Qin Yinong's hand tightly, gazing deeply into her eyes.

Although Qin Yinong felt a slight pain from being held so tightly, she didn't furrow her brows. Her vague intuition was growing stronger. She must have overlooked something during this period.

"Qin Yinong," she called the woman's name, her voice slightly hoarse.

"I'm here," Qin Yinong replied, reversing their hand positions and firmly holding Tang Ruoyao's fingers.

"I've been having this... lately," Tang Ruoyao's throat felt dry as she struggled to speak, "wrong idea. I can't help it." After saying this, she almost dared not look into Qin Yinong's eyes.

Qin Yinong, who already had a sense of insecurity, saw Tang Ruoyao's guilty and hesitant expression. Her face turned pale, devoid of color.

She imagined a melodramatic scenario where Tang Ruoyao had an affair with someone else, but no, she believed in Tang Ruoyao's character. Maybe she just developed a fondness for someone else. Then what should she do?

Her mind went blank, feeling a chilling sensation throughout her limbs, a bone-deep coldness.

Tang Ruoyao lowered her head, hesitatingly saying, "During this period..."

Qin Yinong wiped her eyes with her hand.

Tang Ruoyao thought for a moment. Being so secretive wasn't her usual character, so she lifted her head again, only to see tears streaming down Qin Yinong's face.

Tang Ruoyao: "!!!"

"Baby," she immediately panicked, at a loss, and grabbed a tissue from the side to wipe away her tears.

Qin Yinong cried silently, without making a sound, making it even harder to bear than wailing. Two tears rolled down her watery eyes and fell uncontrollably along her chin, feeling like small knives cutting at Tang Ruoyao's heart.

"What's wrong? Tell me." Tang Ruoyao couldn't dry her tears, so she held the woman's face in her hands, kissing away the tears bit by bit. The sour, bitter, and salty sensation also entered her heart along with the taste buds.

Tang Ruoyao wanted to cry with her, but she held back her tears, though her eyes turned red.

Qin Yinong pushed her shoulder, wiped away her own tears expressionlessly, and coldly said, "You wanted to confess, right? Go on."

Seeing her like this, Tang Ruoyao couldn't bring herself to confess... Wait, why did she use the word "confess"?

Tang Ruoyao's mind began to rewind, finding the crux of the matter.

She couldn't help but laugh and feel heartache at the same time. She quickly clarified, "You misunderstood me. I haven't fallen for someone else."

Qin Yinong replied coldly, "Did I say you fell for someone else?"

Tang Ruoyao asked back, "Then why are you crying?"

Qin Yinong was at a loss for words.

After a series of misunderstandings, Tang Ruoyao found it easier to express her difficult thoughts.

Since Qin Yinong recovered from her illness, or perhaps even earlier, starting from their trip to Disneyland, Qin Yinong's adeptness at dealing with Tang Ruoyao's unpredictable moods planted a seed of unease in Tang Ruoyao's heart.

Qin Yinong was too powerful. She had authority and influence, and she could find ways to connect with the more cunning Ji Yunyao in order to protect Tang Ruoyao. Throughout it all, Tang Ruoyao had no role to play, and Qin Yinong even warned her not to provoke Ji Yunyao to avoid trouble.

After Qin Yinong recovered, she made a high-profile appearance at the Golden Magnolia Awards, publicly announced their marriage, clarified rumors, posed for magazines, and gave interviews. No matter how many people criticized her, she remained indifferent. Now she even brought Ningning to the company, ready to respond to the media once the exposure happened.

Tang Ruoyao was the person who pulled Qin Yinong out of the abyss before. At that time, Qin Yinong had to hold her hand tightly to avoid sinking. Tang Ruoyao felt that she was needed, and needed intensely. She was almost everything to Qin Yinong. But now Qin Yinong had become an incredibly formidable person, both physically and mentally, and there was hardly anything in the world that could defeat her.

With each passing day, Qin Yinong grew more confident and radiant.

Tang Ruoyao was merely a solar power bank, and she had always heard that power banks needed the sun, not the other way around.

She knew this thought was wrong because Qin Yinong loved her, and Qin Yinong couldn't live without her, just like she couldn't live without Qin Yinong. But reason was one thing, and emotions were another.

There was less and less Tang Ruoyao could do for Qin Yinong. Previously, she had time to accompany her, but now both of them were focused on their work, and they spent less time together. What else could she give to Qin Yinong?

The engagement ring she bought had been lying in her bag for nearly half a month. When she was alone, she would take it out and imagine how it would look on Qin Yinong's ring finger. Her fingers were slender and beautiful, and it would definitely look good on her.

But she also knew that if she proposed to Qin Yinong, she would definitely agree. And then? She would enter Qin Yinong's prepared marital home empty-handed?

Her savings were now being managed by Qin Yinong, who said she could multiply them and return them to her next year.

Qin Yinong was so smart, taking care of her life in an orderly manner.

In the quiet hours of every night, Tang Ruoyao reflected: What was it about her that made Qin Yinong love her so much?

Was it her interesting soul? She didn't consider herself particularly interesting, she was just sweet-tongued and attentive. She was able to be by Qin Yinong's side because Qin Yinong had fallen in love with her first. Even if she did more things, Qin Yinong wouldn't look at her if she didn't love herself.

Was it her youthful and beautiful appearance? Qin Yinong did have a strong desire in that regard, and Tang Ruoyao could feel her heart pounding and her mind becoming infatuated like never before.

The more dominant and invincible Qin Yinong became, the harder it was for Tang Ruoyao to find her own value. If one day her appearance no longer attracted Qin Yinong, what should she do?

Tang Ruoyao spoke for a long time, going wherever her thoughts led her, which didn't match her usual organized style, showing just how anxious and fearful she was deep inside.

She sat there, motionless, with her eyes lowered and her eyelids slightly red.

After a long while, she heard the woman beside her get up and leave.

Tang Ruoyao lowered her head and quickly blinked away a tear.

Qin Yinong came back, holding a small red velvet box in her hand. She opened the box and put the ring on her finger.

The diamond refracted a gleam of light that caught Tang Ruoyao's eyes.

She raised her head and said in astonishment, "I bought this. How did you know...?"

"You told me yourself. You said you bought it and kept it in your bag."

"I... did I say that?" Tang Ruoyao tilted her head, feeling a step behind in the conversation.

Was she spacing out even when she didn't do anything? Was there something wrong with her? Her mind wasn't functioning properly, and Qin Yinong would eventually despise her. She was on the verge of tears.

"You did." Seeing Tang Ruoyao's adorable reaction, Qin Yinong couldn't help but smile. In a cheerful tone, she said, "Since you haven't used it for so long, it's mine now."

Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: It's yours, and I'm yours too. I'll give you anything you want, as long as I have it and as long as you still want it.

She was immersed in her own melancholic emotions and didn't anticipate what would happen next in this situation.

So much so that when Qin Yinong knelt down in front of her, she was greatly shocked and stood frozen in place.

Qin Yinong didn't smile, her expression serious. She asked, word by word, "Miss Tang Ruoyao, would you be willing to marry me and become my wife?"

Tears suddenly filled Tang Ruoyao's face.

Her lips trembled as she said, "I'm willing."

Qin Yinong smiled and said, "Put the ring on me."

Tang Ruoyao carefully put the ring on her finger and lightly kissed the base of her ring finger.

Qin Yinong held her hand tightly, gazing into her eyes, and earnestly asked, "Are you willing to spend our wedding night with me?"

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