CHAPTER 186

For Qin Yinong, aside from being an engaged woman and a celebrity, she was also the boss managing both a company and a studio. Beyond wedding preparations, she had year-end company reports, endless meetings, an office desk piled with financial statements, and next year's plans stretching endlessly ahead. She lived like a true office worker, keeping regular nine-to-five hours at the company—receiving clients or listening to subordinates' reports.

As her personal assistant, Guan Han now took on the role of her secretary.

Qin Yinong had just seen off a potential client after two hours of negotiations. Leaning back on the sofa, she massaged her sore shoulders and watched Guan Han tidy the coffee table. Suddenly, she asked, "Guan Han, how old are you again?"

Expressionless, Guan Han lowered her gaze. "I just turned twenty-seven."

Twenty-seven—no longer young.

Qin Yinong narrowed her eyes, as if contemplating something. "What are your plans for the future?"

They both knew an assistant couldn't stay in that role forever. Qin Yinong wasn't hinting at firing her but genuinely wanted to help pave her way forward.

Understanding her kindness, Guan Han answered bluntly, "I might switch to being an artist manager."

Qin Yinong nodded with a smile. "That's good."

Most celebrity assistants—aside from those barely scraping by as low-tier personal aides—aimed for this career path. Artists had their own ladder to climb, and the same went for managers. No field was easy.

Qin Yinong pressed further, "Would you like to stay with the company? You're familiar here, and I'll have the management team mentor you."

Guan Han agreed immediately. "I'd like that."

Tapping her knee with a finger, Qin Yinong said, "Once we get through this year-end rush, next year... find me a new capable assistant."

Guan Han looked up, hurt. "Qin Jie..."

Qin Yinong softened her gaze. "I'm very fond of you. I just don't want to hold you back."

Guan Han insisted, "I want to stay by your side a little longer."

Compromising, Qin Yinong said, "Fine. Next year, when I have downtime, you can start training as an executive manager at the company."

Only then did Guan Han nod.

After finishing with the coffee table, Guan Han stepped out briefly before returning with a tall man in a black leather jacket.

Seated in her executive chair behind the desk, Qin Yinong recognized the visitor and pinched the bridge of her nose with a resigned chuckle.

Shi Xiao, the head of Maple Red, grinned. "President Qin."

His busy schedule had left him even more tanned, making his teeth appear whiter when he smiled.

Qin Yinong stood and gestured toward the sofa. "Have a seat."

Guan Han served tea.

Shi Xiao set down his folder, cradling the hot cup as he blew on the steam before taking small sips. Qin Yinong didn't touch hers—after hosting back-to-back meetings, she'd had her fill of tea.

Once warmed up, Shi Xiao shed his jacket, revealing a thin sweater underneath.

Qin Yinong was already flipping through the documents he'd brought.

As the year drew to a close, Maple Red was preparing to report on their anti-domestic violence work. The Maple Red Anti-Domestic Violence Foundation had grown significantly, attracting numerous volunteers. Through their efforts, they had come to deeply understand that combating domestic violence wasn't just about social assistance—that was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Therefore, their focus for this year and the coming years was actively promoting a multi-department collaborative model: "Women's Federation + Public Security + Social Organizations + X." The Women's Federation would collect and report cases to the police, coordinating with relevant departments; the police would respond promptly, handle cases according to the law, and provide injury assessments; social organizations like Maple Red would conduct follow-ups, offering legal aid and psychological counseling; and X could represent the courts. [Note] Due to the immense difficulty in implementation, this was currently only being piloted in a limited scope, but the good news was that it had already shown remarkable results.

Qin Yinong reviewed the report meticulously, raising questions directly whenever she had them, and Shi Xiao answered with equal seriousness.

After talking until her lips felt dry, Qin Yinong finally took a sip of her now-cold tea and asked, "Do you still need funding?"

Shi Xiao laughed heartily. "Not for the time being."

At the end of every meeting, Qin Yinong worried they might lack the resources to continue their work. He added, "In October, a philanthropist who admired our work donated two million yuan in one go. We even held an award ceremony for him."

"Is that so? That's wonderful." Qin Yinong smiled as well, but then tapped her index finger on the table as a reminder. "Every penny of the donations must be accounted for. Don't give anyone the chance to exploit loopholes, and don't let donors down. Once trust is lost, all of Maple Red's years of hard work could be undone in an instant."

Power breeds corruption, and so does money.

Shi Xiao replied solemnly, "I'll oversee it personally. There won't be any issues."

Qin Yinong took another sip of tea and said calmly, "Compile Maple Red's financial statements for me, including every transaction that passed through your hands. I'm not doubting you—I just can't take any risks."

She met Shi Xiao's gaze steadily.

Understanding her intent, Shi Xiao nodded with newfound respect. "I'll submit them to you."

Noticing Shi Xiao's empty teacup, Qin Yinong waved off Guan Han, who had been about to refill it, and poured the tea herself. With genuine sincerity, she said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Shi Xiao fidgeted awkwardly before replying, "It's nothing."

Qin Yinong raised her voice slightly. "Guan Han."

Guan Han stepped into the adjoining lounge and returned with a gift box tied with a satin ribbon. Qin Yinong handed it to Shi Xiao, smiling. "A New Year's gift for you. Would you like to open it?"

Shi Xiao accepted it with both hands.

He wiped his right hand on his thin sweater before opening the box—inside was a Rolex watch. He recognized the model, its retail price exceeded six figures. He had admired it for a long time but could never justify the purchase. Once, during a casual conversation with Qin Yinong about watches, he had mentioned his fondness for this particular design.

Thinking back, it seemed Qin Yinong had steered the topic toward watches deliberately. Had she been planning to give him this gift all along?

Overwhelmed by the gesture, Shi Xiao felt a wave of silent gratitude.

He didn't refuse but carefully put it away.

As it was getting late, Qin Yinong invited Shi Xiao to stay for lunch.

Shi Xiao accepted graciously.

Maple Red was dedicated to combating domestic violence, with women and children being the primary victims. As such, they paid close attention to news concerning women and children, and their volunteer base overlapped significantly with other nonprofit organizations focused on protecting women and children.

During the gathering, Shi Xiao brought up recent news about an organization called the "Okra Project," which aimed to help out-of-school girls but had suddenly been exposed for misconduct. Originally claiming to use funds specifically for their stated purpose, it was discovered that they had diverted donations to support boys instead, sparking public outrage. Further digging by netizens revealed that some funds were unaccounted for, and the explanations provided were riddled with inconsistencies.

Shi Xiao sighed, deeply disheartened.

Incidents like these kept cropping up, exploiting people's goodwill. The ultimate result was that people grew wary of charitable organizations altogether, leaving those in desperate need to suffer. Even those genuinely trying to make a difference were tainted by association.

Yet, an individual's power was limited, as was that of a single nonprofit. Shi Xiao couldn't help everyone—he could only do his best within his capacity, shining where he could. His intention was to use this as a cautionary tale, assuring everyone that Maple Red would enforce strict oversight to prevent similar incidents.

But Qin Yinong took the matter to heart.

During her lunch break, she looked up the details online and pondered for a long time before knocking on An Ling's office door.

An Ling had just woken up, hugging a pillow on the sofa as she shook off her drowsiness.

"Who is it?"

"Me."

"Come in."

An Ling was a pure businesswoman—talk of "Okra Projects" or "Watermelon Plans" meant nothing to her, and if she hadn't just eaten lunch, she might've gotten hungry just listening. Only at the end did she grasp the key point. Crossing one arm over the other, she tapped her finger thoughtfully and asked, "You want to follow up on this? How?"

Qin Yinong replied, "First, have the legal department look into whether any laws were violated. Then I'll assess further."

After a moment's thought, An Ling nodded. "Fine."

She tossed the pillow aside, poured two glasses of water, and asked, "Do you want to post about it on Weibo? Show that you're paying attention."

Qin Yinong blinked. "Why?"

An Ling shrugged. "Leverage your influence as a public figure. Otherwise, this might just fade away quietly."

Her suggestion wasn't baseless—Qin Yinong had quietly supported numerous charitable causes, and it was only a matter of time before it came to light. This was a chance to lay the groundwork. She could already imagine netizens accusing Qin Yinong of virtue signaling, but facts would speak for themselves. Eventually, those critics would be proven wrong.

With the New Year approaching, An Ling had initially planned to let the PR team rest and enjoy the holidays. But when opportunity knocked, as a top-tier agent, she couldn't resist seizing it.

Qin Yinong, however, was preoccupied with thoughts of the out-of-school girls and had no mind for anything else. "You handle it," she said hurriedly. "You have access to my Weibo anyway."

With that, she left.

At five that afternoon, Qin Yinong's Weibo account reposted an official media thread exposing the Okra Project's misuse of donations, betraying donors' intentions and exploiting goodwill. Her caption read:

Qin Yinong V: [Following this closely.]

Within an hour, it skyrocketed to the top of the trending list.

Just as An Ling had predicted, the backlash was immediate and overwhelming.

Qin Yinong's reputation had recently taken a sharp downturn due to the "marriage publicity stunt" controversy—no matter what she did now, it was deemed wrong.

[Have you no conscience? Profiting from others' suffering!]

[I've never seen someone so shameless. Qin Yinong makes me sick enough to puke up last night's dinner.]

[Here she comes again, bringing her whitewashing campaign!]

[Can this superstar please spare charity work from her schemes?]

Qin Yinong's loyal fans, self-styled as "Empress's Consorts," immediately fired back—

[If you don't need your eyes, donate them. Empress Qin's annual charity galas have verifiable records of donations—ambulances purchased, funds contributed. She's been doing this for years! Show us your donation certificates before throwing stones.]

[Here come the fans to clean up their idol's mess. Too bad all that money can't wash her clean, lol.]

[Whitewash this, whitewash that—learn one phrase and repeat it like a broken record. How about I throw your whole family in bleach for some real whitening?]

[Regardless of her motives, she did bring more attention to this cause. Look at the engagement numbers before and after. Why aren't other celebrities speaking up? Credit where it's due—this was objectively good.]

This comment thread gained massive traction with countless "+1" replies, pushing it to the top trending spot.

Too occupied with work to monitor online drama, Qin Yinong remained oblivious until Guan Han briefly summarized the situation after scrolling through Weibo. Without even glancing at her phone, Qin Yinong dismissed it with, "Let them be."

How many pearls were supposed to be on the phoenix crown again?

Tang Ruoyao noticed the online storm too. That evening, she questioned Qin Yinong, who was reviewing documents in her home office—laptop open, anti-radiation glasses perched on her nose. "An Ling sent those," came the distracted reply.

Tang Ruoyao murmured an acknowledgment.

Neither pursued the topic further—such matters seemed trivial now.

Circling behind the desk, Tang Ruoyao braced one hand on its surface, leaning down to semi-encircle the woman's shoulders. "What are you reading?"

"Company reports," Qin Yinong answered.

Tang Ruoyao skimmed the documents before returning her gaze to Qin Yinong's focused profile. "Why these?"

Adjusting her glasses, Qin Yinong explained, "The company's growth looks promising. We're planning a funding round next year to expand." Hence her search for reliable investors.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Tang Ruoyao's face. "I don't understand any of this."

"You don't need to," Qin Yinong reflexively replied.

The atmosphere chilled.

Sensing the misstep, Qin Yinong turned with amended words: "I'll teach you."

Joy threatened to burst across Tang Ruoyao's features before she restrained it, asking softly, "Wouldn't that trouble you?"

Qin Yinong deliberately narrowed her eyes in mock severity. "Are you seriously talking about trouble with me?"

Tang Ruoyao darted in for a quick kiss.

Qin Yinong's face blossomed into a smile.

Removing her glasses, she wheeled back from the desk and pulled Tang Ruoyao onto her lap. Indicating the scattered paperwork, Tang Ruoyao asked, "No more work?"

"Need to recharge first," Qin Yinong murmured, arms encircling her. Burying her face in Tang Ruoyao's neck, she went completely still, as if utterly drained.

Heart aching, Tang Ruoyao gently stroked her hair.

After charging for ten minutes, the woman lifted her head, full of energy, and said, "Alright, I'll probably need another half hour. Will you stay here with me or go back to the room?"

Tang Ruoyao thought for a moment and asked, "Will me sitting here like this disturb your work?"

Qin Yinong playfully replied, "Guess."

Unwilling to leave her side, Tang Ruoyao said, "I guess not."

Qin Yinong responded, "Then it won't." She added, "But don't move around."

Tang Ruoyao nodded obediently.

In the end, it was Qin Yinong who couldn't stay still. With a fragrant and soft body in her arms, her nostrils flaring as she breathed in the young woman's light natural scent, she had completely overestimated her self-control.

She walked to the door, locked the study from inside, then returned to carry the weak and limp Tang Ruoyao to the sofa.

When Tang Ruoyao truly couldn't control herself, she brought her own hand to her lips, leaving several bite marks of varying depths on the webbing between thumb and forefinger.

Logically speaking, this precaution was completely unnecessary—no one would come up to the second floor anyway. Apart from the two of them, everyone in the Qin residence stayed on the first floor. Qin Yinong held Tang Ruoyao for a long time until she completely calmed down, then opened the door intending to return to the bedroom to wash her hands.

Ningning stood at the door, looking up with innocent eyes: "Mommy."

Qin Yinong immediately slammed the door shut.

The gust from the closing door nearly knocked Ningning backward.

Tang Ruoyao naturally heard the child's voice too. She threw off the blanket in a panic and began hurriedly putting on her clothes. Qin Yinong froze for a moment before her gaze fell on the trash can beside the sofa—it now contained two pink wrappers and several used tissues.

Her mind raced. Even if she disposed of the trash, the scent in the room wouldn't dissipate quickly enough. So she opened the door again and, deciding to go all the way, picked up her daughter and carried her downstairs.

Tang Ruoyao was now completely safe.

Ningning, having experienced this human rollercoaster ride, was set down feeling dizzy and seeing double: "Mommy?"

Qin Yinong steadied her by holding her small arm and asked, "What is it?"

Ningning said, "...Nothing." After a pause, she added, "Is Mama in the study?"

Qin Yinong replied, "Yes."

Tilting her head, Ningning said, "I thought I heard Mama crying just now."

Qin Yinong nearly broke into a cold sweat but maintained a straight face: "You heard wrong."

Half-convinced, Ningning kept looking back as Qin Yinong escorted her to her room, finally saying seriously, "You mustn't bu|ly Mama, okay?"

Qin Yinong raised her hand in oath: "I promise."

After putting Ningning to bed and closing the door, Qin Yinong stood in the living room and let out a long breath. Looking up, she saw Tang Ruoyao—the very same woman she had just "bu|lied" to tears—now fully dressed and standing at the stair landing.

Qin Yinong quickly walked over and asked with concern, "Why did you come down?"

Tang Ruoyao replied, "I wanted to see what Ningning needed from you."

Qin Yinong said, "Oh, she wanted to sleep with both of us, but I refused." She chuckled after saying this.

Tang Ruoyao gave her an inscrutable look.

Meeting her gaze, Qin Yinong laughed again.

Tang Ruoyao: "..."

She turned and went upstairs, heading straight to the bedroom.

Qin Yinong returned to the study to focus on finishing her remaining work before going back to find Tang Ruoyao.

Tang Ruoyao had just taken a shower, her long hair cascading loosely as she leaned against the headboard, fresh and clean. Under the soft white light, her skin appeared delicate and luminous, like a beautiful statue carved from white jade.

Hearing the bedroom door open, Tang Ruoyao paused in flipping through her book and immediately looked up, her face lighting up with joy. "Finished with work?"

"Mhm." Qin Yinong walked over, kissed her, then headed into the bathroom.

Tang Ruoyao had already prepared her pajamas. After showering, Qin Yinong changed inside and emerged, slipping under the warm covers to snuggle close, soaking in Tang Ruoyao's body heat.

Since becoming aware of Tang Ruoyao's insecurities and self-doubt, Qin Yinong had consciously adjusted their dynamic. Though she still found it hard to voice her feelings, she made an effort to show more reliance through actions—like earlier in the study, where she had leaned against Tang Ruoyao to rest, rather than waiting silently for her to notice her exhaustion and come hold her.

Wrapped in each other's arms late at night, they could forget all the trivialities of the world.

Qin Yinong's head nodded drowsily, her eyelids heavy.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you something," Tang Ruoyao said, grabbing her tablet and unlocking it to open a photo album. "The wedding invitation samples came in. Which one do you like?"

Qin Yinong's sleepiness vanished instantly. She sat up straight, carefully examining each design before narrowing it down to two equally appealing options.

In the end, Tang Ruoyao made the final decision on one of them.

As Tang Ruoyao placed the tablet back in the drawer, Qin Yinong had already slid back under the covers in the blink of an eye. Tang Ruoyao reached out to touch her slightly flushed cheek and asked softly, "Sleepy, baby?"

Qin Yinong could barely keep her eyes open but managed to lift a hand from under the blanket, pinching her thumb and forefinger together to indicate "just a little."

Tang Ruoyao chuckled and turned off the last bedside lamp.

Qin Yinong had indeed been exhausted lately. Where she might have kept Tang Ruoyao up half the night before, now she limited herself to once or twice a day—or sometimes let Tang Ruoyao take the lead. But no matter how busy she was, she never neglected this, treating it as essential as eating or drinking.

By the time Tang Ruoyao returned from washing her hands, Qin Yinong was fast asleep, her breathing slow and even.

Tang Ruoyao turned onto her side to face her and whispered, "Baby."

Though Qin Yinong's mind was deep in slumber, her body seemed to remember on its own, instinctively curling into Tang Ruoyao's embrace as she found a comfortable position and drifted off again.

Heart full, Tang Ruoyao pressed a tender kiss to the woman's forehead before closing her own eyes.

The day before Christmas arrived.

A Christmas tree was brought into the house, and the family began decorating it. Since Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao were out during the day, the main decorators were Ji Shulan, Aunt Fang, and Qin Jianing.

The branches were adorned with colorful lights that shimmered brilliantly when lit.

It wasn't just the tree—the living room, even the low shrubs and flowers in the yard, were draped with festive ribbons. The entire house was decked out in joyous decorations, brimming with holiday spirit.

When Qin Yinong returned from work, her eyes widened in shock. For a moment, she thought she'd walked into the wrong house, and it took several careful glances to confirm she hadn't.

"Mom," she called to Ji Shulan, who was still fussing with the wall decorations. "I think that's enough."

Ji Shulan turned. "Huh? Really?"

Qin Yinong nodded. "Yeah. Any more and it'll outdo Lunar New Year. What'll you do then?"

Ningning was checking the Christmas tree lights when she heard the conversation and piped up in her childish voice, "We can set off fireworks during Spring Festival, but not at Christmas."

Qin Yinong walked over and gently flicked the child's forehead with her finger, smiling, "Aren't you the clever one."

Ningning tugged at her imaginary skirt hem and curtsied like a proper young lady, "Thank you for the compliment, Madam Qin."

Qin Yinong responded in an exaggerated theatrical tone, "Oh, this beautiful young lady deserves all the praise in the world."

Ningning was so delighted she nearly toppled into the Christmas tree from laughter.

Qin Yinong pulled her aside and stopped teasing her, turning to Ji Shulan to ask, "Did we send a car to pick up Xiaofei?"

Ji Shulan replied, "Yes, the driver called me twenty minutes ago saying they've already picked her up. They should be home soon."

Qin Yinong nodded in approval.

Ji Shulan asked, "When will Xiaotang arrive?"

Qin Yinong replied, "Her flight was delayed. She probably won't be back until seven or eight."

Ji Shulan immediately looked distressed. "That's too exhausting." She glanced at Qin Yinong again, her lips trembling slightly before she added, "Dudu, you've worked hard too."

Qin Yinong smiled. She wanted to say something, but her chest felt as if a heavy stone were pressing down on it, her throat tight. Not a single word came out.

She turned her face away, biting her lower lip, and exhaled softly, forcing back the tears welling in her eyes.

With her back to her mother, her spine straight as bamboo, Qin Yinong said with a smile, "I'll go outside to pick up Xiao Fei."

Ji Shulan hesitated before replying, "Alright." Then she added, "Don't wait at the door—it's windy out there."

But Qin Yinong still went out. The biting north wind chilled her cheeks and turned her nose red.

If Tang Ruoyao were here, she'd surely cur$e her in her heart—this d@mn woman—before wrapping her sleeves around Qin Yinong's head and face and dragging her inside without another word.

As for how Qin Yinong knew Tang Ruoyao often cur$ed her in her mind—well, she had coaxed it out of her when Tang Ruoyao was completely out of it. After learning this, Qin Yinong had even brainstormed nicknames to give Tang Ruoyao in return.

After much deliberation, she could only think of things like little treasure, sweetheart, or cutie, but she could never say them to Tang Ruoyao's face.

Her heart full of thoughts of Tang Ruoyao, she grinned so wide her eyes nearly disappeared. When a car approached, it took her a moment to remember why she had come outside. She quickly schooled her expression into one befitting an elder.

As soon as the car stopped, Tang Fei jumped out from the back seat, waving at her from a distance. "Brother-in-law!"

The lanky teenager covered the ground in just a few strides.

Qin Yinong patted his shoulder, noting that he felt even sturdier than the last time. Pleased, she said, "Let's go inside. It's windy at the door."

Tang Fei: "Got it!"

Following behind him, Qin Yinong heard the boy greet everyone energetically: "Aunt Lan, Aunt Fang, Ningning."

Once they all sat together, there was naturally a lively round of catching up.

Qin Yinong watched quietly for a while before pressing her lips together.

Even though she knew Tang Ruoyao was still on the plane, Qin Yinong sent her a message:

[Miss you.]

When Tang Ruoyao saw the message after landing, she immediately shed her thick coat, flung it over her arm, and sprinted down the VIP corridor.

In the blink of an eye, she was already meters ahead.

Xin Qian: "!!!"

"Tangtang!"

"Wait for me!"

She had no choice but to break into a run as well.

At 7:42, Tang Ruoyao stepped out of the car and saw Qin Yinong standing in the freezing wind—no scarf, no gloves, no hat. The moment their eyes met, Qin Yinong grinned at her, revealing pearly white teeth, looking utterly childlike.

'D@mn woman!'

Furious, Tang Ruoyao closed the distance in three strides, cupping Qin Yinong's ears with her hands before unzipping her down jacket and pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Aren't you cold?!" Tang Ruoyao wanted to bite her in frustration.

"I am," Qin Yinong laughed against her chest. "I did it on purpose."

"Why?"

Qin Yinong tilted her head up, blinking mischievously. "I just wanted you to fuss over me."

Author's Note:

Qin Yi [1] nong: Gradually becoming more zero

P.S.: Okra's reputation has suffered—apologies to okra in advance.

P.P.S.: Wrapping things up soon, almost done, don't rush me~

[Note]: Information sourced online.

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