CHAPTER 207

The sky outside the window still had a lingering deep blue from the remnants of the night. Tang Ruoyao woke up inexplicably and reached out to touch, finding no one beside her in bed.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and, in the dim light, saw someone sitting on the single sofa near the small coffee table.

"Qin Yinong?" she tentatively called out.

"Why are you awake?" came the slightly surprised response.

"Why are you up so early?" Tang Ruoyao asked. At the same time, Qin Yinong put down the fluffy blanket/pink felt mouse she had been holding and got up from the sofa. She walked over and nestled back into the bed. She had probably been awake for a while, with a hint of morning chill in her body. Tang Ruoyao held her tighter, using her body warmth to warm Qin Yinong's cold hands and feet.

"When did you wake up?"

"Just now."

Tang Ruoyao playfully bit her cheek.

"Not long ago," Qin Yinong corrected herself, telling the truth when she saw the smile reappear on Tang Ruoyao's face. "I've been up for an hour."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No."

Qin Yinong said that she suddenly woke up too. The room was extremely quiet, and she could hear her own heartbeat pounding, as well as Tang Ruoyao's breathing, but there was nothing else.

She felt unreal, even the present moment felt like a dream. So she got up to check the birthday gifts she received yesterday. Afraid of waking Tang Ruoyao, she used the flashlight on her phone to inspect each gift.

Tang Ruoyao chuckled when she heard this and said, "Fortunately, I didn't wake up when you were using the flashlight, otherwise I would have been scared to death."

Qin Yinong made a soft hum in response.

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Do you often wake up in the middle of the night?"

Lately, they had less time to spend together. Tang Ruoyao's film shooting schedule was more than halfway through, and Qin Yinong spent most of her time in the capital, occasionally going on business trips.

Qin Yinong didn't attempt to come up with a clever excuse this time and honestly said, "Maybe every other day?" After a pause, she added, "When you're not here."

When Tang Ruoyao was around, she generally didn't have the energy to wake up in the middle of the night again. Last night was an exception.

Tang Ruoyao sighed half-jokingly and half-seriously, saying, "I just cured your insomnia caused by nightmares, and now there's a new one. Sigh."

Qin Yinong's uneasiness hadn't completely dissipated, and upon hearing this, she instinctively asked, "Do you find me troublesome?"

Tang Ruoyao was slightly taken aback, but quickly said, "I was just joking, don't take it to heart." She cursed herself inwardly for being too sarcastic. Despite Qin Yinong's increasingly lively and carefree demeanor in front of her, her inherent cautiousness was deeply ingrained.

Qin Yinong hummed softly in response.

Tang Ruoyao sensed her subtle melancholy and said, "I have two more months until filming wraps up."

Qin Yinong's voice slightly lifted, "I know."

Tang Ruoyao clung to her and playfully said, "By then, I'll be with you every day, okay?"

Qin Yinong couldn't help but laugh, "Not focusing on your career?"

"You are my career." Tang Ruoyao replied.

Qin Yinong's heart fluttered slightly, but she still felt it wasn't quite right. She advised, "Young people should prioritize their careers."

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Do you really think so?"

Qin Yinong nodded earnestly, "Yes." Emotions were emotions, and reason was reason. She didn't want Tang Ruoyao to regret spending her prime years on love and romance.

But Tang Ruoyao said, "Then why didn't you take on a new film?" It had been a year since they finished filming "True Colors," and she hadn't shown any intention of taking on another project. Considering Qin Yinong's career, it was almost unbelievable.

Qin Yinong replied, "There are no suitable scripts or roles."

Tang Ruoyao didn't believe it and said, "As long as you want to act, these are not problems. Even if there are none, your company has professional screenwriters who can tailor scripts for you."

Qin Yinong fell silent for a moment and came up with another reason, "I want to focus my main energy on managing the company."

Tang Ruoyao asked, "How were you able to balance both before?"

Qin Yinong said, "I..."

Tang Ruoyao interrupted her, "I know why. It's for me."

Qin Yinong remained silent for a moment and said, "It's not just for you, it's also for myself."

Just Tang Ruoyao being alone on set made her feel restless and uncomfortable. If she also acted, both of them wouldn't have the freedom to manage their time. They might not see each other for months or even half a year, and Qin Yinong would go crazy.

Tang Ruoyao said, "I know, you don't consider it a sacrifice. So, in the same way, don't think that I'm sacrificing by staying at home with you and not focusing on my career."

Qin Yinong disagreed, "How is it the same? I've already given my all, but you're still young."

Tang Ruoyao calmly said, "Oh, so you're not young anymore. Then how come you always leave me half-dead every time?"

Qin Yinong's ears turned red, "..."

Even though they were alone in the room, Qin Yinong couldn't help but lower her voice and say, "That's a different matter."

Tang Ruoyao playfully teased, "It's the same thing. Anyway, you're still very young, much younger than me."

Qin Yinong replied, "..." Is there anything to be proud of in this aspect of not being able to compare to myself?

But no woman, especially a woman who has just turned thirty-one, doesn't want to hear her lover praise her for being young. Qin Yinong's eyes curved slightly, and she reached out to pinch Tang Ruoyao's nose, scolding, "Nonsense."

Tang Ruoyao hugged her and rubbed against her, like a big dog coaxing its owner, "I don't care, you are young, you can still have another seventy or eighty years."

Qin Yinong couldn't help but chuckle and laughed out loud.

At a certain moment, Tang Ruoyao stopped moving, and Qin Yinong's throat gently rolled.

Tang Ruoyao leaned in consciously, tempting Qin Yinong to kiss her.

The deep blue color in the sky completely faded away, revealing the unique transparency under the morning sunlight, accompanied by the rising morning glow, splendid and boundless.

Once again, Tang Ruoyao felt half-dead as she nestled in Qin Yinong's arms, softly saying, "Wife."

Qin Yinong lowered her head and used her slender white fingertips to brush away the sweat-dampened hair on Tang Ruoyao's forehead, "Hmm."

Tang Ruoyao looked up, gazing directly at Qin Yinong, her amber eyes bright and clear like seawater, "I don't want you to give up movies completely for me. In the future, we can take on separate acting projects, and when I'm filming, you can accompany me, and when you're filming, I'll be there with you. What do you think about that?"

Qin Yinong covered her eyes with her hand, curled her lips, and said, "Sounds good."

Tang Ruoyao blinked her eyelashes in the palm of Qin Yinong's hand, feeling a delicate itch.

Everything before her turned dark, and she asked, "If you've agreed, why did you cover my eyes?"

Qin Yinong said, "To teach you something new."

The first time Tang Ruoyao was blindfolded like this, the whole process was unforgettable.

As a responsible teacher, Qin Yinong would ask her from time to time, "Do you remember?"

Tang Ruoyao's consciousness was hazy, and she didn't have the leisure to answer her questions. After struggling, she finally managed to say, "I remember." Qin Yinong would then ask on the spot, "What were the key points?"

Tang Ruoyao: "..."

She couldn't come up with an answer, so Qin Yinong would punish her, and as a result, she would be even more unable to answer. It was a vicious cycle that seemed endless.

Don't ask, the answer is that it was too difficult for her.

Tang Ruoyao was on the verge of tears and had no choice but to play her trump card, "I still have to film at night!"

She barely managed to find a way out.

June 1st was not only Qin Yinong's birthday but also Children's Day. Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao went downstairs after washing up. Ningning finished practicing the piano and sat on the sofa in the living room watching the morning news, swinging her short legs. She looked up and said loudly, "Happy birthday, Mom."

Qin Yinong's eyes curved with a smile as she replied, "Happy holiday."

Both the adults and the child were very happy.

They woke up a bit late, and Tang Fei had already gone to school. Qin Yinong handed two gifts to Qin Jianing and instructed her to give the other one to her uncle in the evening. Qin Jianing readily agreed.

Tang Ruoyao rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen to make longevity noodles for Qin Yinong. Qin Yinong sat at the dining table, waiting, while scrolling through the WeChat Moments from last night on her phone.

After a night passed, she didn't mention the number of likes, but there were over twenty comments. The number of people who could see her posts was set to be about this much.

Lin Ruohan unusually didn't squeeze her: [You're a winner in life! 👍]

Bai Xue: [Envious]

Tang Ruoyao's roommate also joined in the fun.

Wen Shuxian: [The kid's drawing skills are quite good. Both the sister-in-law and Tang Tang shown a lot of charm in the drawings.]

Han Yuping, on the other hand, seemed a bit down because he wasn't included in the drawing, so he sent a crying emoji.

Other friends expressed their congratulations, and those who couldn't attend the party yesterday made up for it by wishing her a belated happy birthday.

Qin Yinong's nostrils flared, and she put down her phone.

Tang Ruoyao brought the steaming hot longevity noodles to the table. Inside was a tea-colored egg, and on top was a "Happy Birthday" carved from carrots, blanched and cooked, with a sprinkle of finely chopped green onions. The colors were bright, and the aroma was enticing.

Qin Yinong had a small appetite. She went to the kitchen and brought an empty bowl, and they split the noodles, each eating half.

Ji Shulan dyed a red egg, but Qin Yinong only ate half, giving the other half to Tang Ruoyao.

Ningning ate one and a half eggs, giving the other half to Ji Shulan.

Tang Ruoyao took a day off and, along with the night scene specially arranged for her by the production team, she had a total of two days and one night off. She stayed in Beijing until the afternoon before taking a plane back to City W.

Qin Yinong had some official business to attend to and couldn't accompany her back.

As mentioned earlier, there are no impenetrable walls in the world. Qin Yinong frequently traveled between City W and the capital, and there were several instances where she was spotted in full disguise at City W Airport or shopping in a commercial district. Many people speculated about the reasons, and some even guessed that she was having secret meetings with her "husband."

The news of Qin Yinong's marriage was vague and uncertain. Although she wore a wedding ring, she never revealed her partner's true identity, and the sudden public announcement in the current misty situation raised many doubts. After months of speculation, the prevailing opinion leaned toward her not being married, but her recent changes were evident to everyone, confirming that her love life was indeed real.

In the past, netizens analyzed that Qin Yinong's love interest was someone from the entertainment industry, almost a certainty. People began investigating the artists in W City, especially those involved in filming, regardless of gender, all had suspicions!

Incidentally, Lin Ruohan and Ren Xingyue were photographed by the entertainment media entering and leaving a couple's restaurant together. They were described as intimate and were even caught holding hands while shopping in Country J. There were also photos of them kissing in a certain parking lot. Their relationship was basically confirmed.

They got back together, and it was a high-profile reconciliation.

Ren Xingyue expressed her love on Weibo again, and Lin Ruohan commented with a heart emoji.

Lin Ruohan and Qin Yinong are good close friends. Lin Ruohan's evidence of being gay is solid, and it doesn't seem to be a problem?

W City, to say it's not big is not accurate, and to say it's not small is also not accurate. It's a famous city in the central region and has a film and television city. When roughly calculating the number of celebrities filming there, there are quite a few. But in terms of fame, Tang Ruoyao definitely ranks in the top three.

Following the principle of "better to wrongfully accuse than to let it go," Tang Ruoyao was linked to Qin Yinong for the first time as a "rumored couple" rather than just being rival.

Netizens initially casually speculated, but it turned out to be more than they expected. They realized that there might be something between them.

Netizens: "!!!"

Previously, everyone's train of thought was led by the "rival," and nobody suspected that they would have an overly intimate relationship. It would have been good enough if they didn't scratch each other's faces in private. But now, upon careful consideration: Didn't they have dating rumors when they were filming the same movie?

First, there were photos of them hugging in a hotel late at night, then a video on set that appeared to show them kissing, causing a huge uproar. But then suddenly, everything stopped. Why? Those who were determined to find out discovered that Han Yuping came out to defend them and reposted a clarification statement from the production team. Netizens' attention shifted to the rumors between Han Yuping and Qin Yinong, naturally forgetting about Tang Ruoyao, who was innocently dragged into it for three seconds.

The movie "True Colors" dealt with same-sex themes and was very low-key. The publicity department was practically nonexistent and only issued a statement, which seemed particularly abrupt. Before this, Qin Yinong had never clarified any of her rumors, but Tang Ruoyao was her first.

Qin Yinong once said that all the rumors circulating online about her were fake. She couldn't clarify them and didn't bother to do so. In that case, could Tang Ruoyao, who was the only one clarified, be the only true one among the countless fakes?

That's one possibility.

A month after the completion of "True Colors," Tang Ruoyao claimed on a talk show that she had someone she liked. Let's take a screenshot of what she said at that time. Due to the homophonic nature of "he" and "she" in Chinese, it caused a great misunderstanding, which was also a clever move on her part, but it still revealed a lot of information.

"I really like THEM, and THEY like me too, but we are not together."

The host asked why, and she said, "Because... I'm still saving up my dowry."

"Just kidding, actually, I've had a crush on THEM for a long time. I only confessed recently, and we agreed to take some time to cool off, so..." The emphasis was on "recently," which will be important later.

"We will definitely be together."

Host: "As the woman in a relationship, you have the courage to confess publicly, what do you think his reaction would be?"

Tang Ruoyao: "I hope my courage can give her (TA) some strength."

Based on the context, would "TA" be more appropriate as "he" or "she"?

Two months later, during an interview at a brand event, Tang Ruoyao publicly announced that she was no longer single. When asked if the person was from the entertainment industry, Tang Ruoyao didn't answer and said, "She (TA) 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." At that time, everyone speculated that her partner was also from the industry, but it was only after the exposure of a young male actor that the "rumors" gradually subsided.

But were they really just rumors? Speaking as an outsider, isn't it easy? There are so many people outside the industry, would it increase the risk of exposure? This is clearly a cover-up.

Here's the second point.

After the completion of the film "True Colors," Tang Ruoyao has been actively engaged in commercial activities, brand events, and film promotions. There was a period of time when she suddenly reduced her public appearances and frequency of engagements. When was it? It was when Qin Yinong's illegitimate daughter was exposed, and both of them disappeared from the public eye for a long time. They appeared together again at the Golden Magnolia Awards ceremony.

Do you remember what happened at the awards ceremony?

Qin Yinong wore a wedding ring, claimed to have been married for four years, openly confronted the media, and cleared up all the rumors.

Another thing that people might have missed is that Tang Ruoyao openly showed affection and mentioned the word "partner." Tang Ruoyao has been public for so long, either it's the ambiguous "TA" or the gender-neutral "partner," but she has never mentioned words like "boyfriend." Is it just a coincidence, or does she not have a boyfriend at all, and the only thing she has is a girlfriend?

Here's the third point.

Since Tang Ruoyao announced her marriage news and shared the joy on set, why didn't she show her marriage certificate? While Qin Yinong claims to be married and repeatedly refers to her beloved, why hasn't she shown her marriage certificate either? She has never mentioned "husband" or "spouse."

Here's the fourth point.

Not long ago, there was a memorable incident that made a deep impression on everyone—the interview with Qin Yinong, which was widely ridiculed on the internet. Tang Ruoyao's famous line, "Those who hold the firewood for the masses should not let them freeze to death in the wind and snow," was clearly spoken in defense of Qin Yinong.

Here's the fifth point.

Why did Qin Yinong undergo such a dramatic change and completely change her previous style? Tang Ruoyao also reduced her public engagements, even during the New Year. All these changes, rooted from the film "True Colors"... and so on and so forth.

Now back to the present, ever since Tang Ruoyao went to W City to film "Xiao Hong," the figures of our Qin Yinong, the behind-the-scenes supporter of Qin, appeared at the W City airport. Her dressing style also started to resemble Tang Ruoyao's, it was incredible. At first glance, they even mistook her for someone else.

Tang Ruoyao's shooting notice was also leaked, showing that she took a day off on May 31st. Tang Ruoyao isn't a popular actress who rushes through projects. She focuses on one film at a time and devotes herself to shooting, rarely taking days off. So, this day seemed particularly abrupt. Additionally, in March, it showed that she took three days off, but netizens couldn't figure out why and gave up guessing.

However, Qin Yinong's birthday falls on Children's Day, on June 1st, which everyone knows, so the purpose of Tang Ruoyao's day off became apparent: she went to celebrate Qin Yinong's birthday!

Netizens initially thought it was a sesame seed, but it instantly turned into a watermelon. The size of the melon was so huge that it couldn't be swallowed in one bite. [They thought it was just a small matter, but it has suddenly turned into a big deal - an absolutely massive revelation.]

[Damn, oh my god! I've hit the jackpot!!!]

[Ahhhhhhh what a heavenly love story, I'm crying in a storm.]

[This year's most genuine couple, I approve!]

[Damn, I didn't realize it before, but now thinking back, it's all sugar! The divine Qin Yinong and the heavenly Tang Ruoyao, I'm totally shipping them!]

[Can I boldly guess that Emperor Qin clarified the rumors suddenly because of Tang Ruoyao?]

[awsl] [Ah, I'm dead]

Casual observers are getting excited, while fans from both sides are exploding with anger.

[What's real? It's all fake! Far-fetched associations, utter nonsense! A bunch of people getting high on sugar, don't they understand what it means to respect boundaries and self-control?]

Only the dedicated fans scold the shippers, and the shippers retreat in fear in their own ship's thread, afraid of causing trouble for the two main leads, tucking their tails and behaving.

Fans from both sides start tearing into each other once again.

In the past, Qin Yinong was considered a "veteran idol' and had been in the industry for a long time. Her fans were either fans of her career or casual fans, with few die-hard supporters. Tang Ruoyao, on the other hand, is different. She is young and has many fans from the entertainment circle. When it comes to battles, her fans have stronger fighting power than those of the queen's fans. Now, it seems like the tables have turned.

During the recent online controversies surrounding Qin Yinong, her fans were being teased and bullied. But as they endured the teasing, they became more passionate and loyal. They were willing to do anything to protect their beloved Qin Yinong.

Tang Ruoyao's fans, on the other hand, couldn't handle the teasing and was almost completely overwhelmed. So they turned around and started targeting the fans who shipped Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao together.

The CP fans: "..."

It's the CP fans who are really suffering.

The "imperial consorts" (Qin Yinong's hardcore fans) are used to seeing all sorts of CP (couple pairing) involving Qin Yinong and are no longer surprised or shocked. Just look at the widely circulated rumors about the Emperor's official empress, Lin Ruohan, being involved with Ren Xingyue. It's clear that all CPs are fake except for Emperor Qin and the queen.

The "imperial consorts" remain calm and continue to admire their sister's beauty. They were a bit worried about Qin Yinong not joining any projects for so long, but they remained patient and only occasionally urged her through comments.

However, this time, things didn't die down after a while like before.

Just when the CP fervor was starting to fade, netizens dug up new evidence.

On June 15th, Qin Yinong returned from abroad and at the airport in the capital, fans took photos and shared them on Weibo. In the photos, netizens noticed a small plush mouse hanging from Qin Yinong's bag. It was pink, delicate, and cute.

In subsequent private outings, Qin Yinong always had her bag with her, even changing bags a few times, but that little pink plush mouse was always there.

Fans shipping the CP:

[This must be the legendary love token, awsl.]

[Tang Ruoyao is a Rat in the Chinese zodiac sign!]

[She didn't have it before her birthday, but she started wearing it afterward. It must be a birthday gift! Ahhh!!!]

The "imperial consorts" argued logically:

[This year is the Year of the Rat, so is it strange to wear something related to rats?]

There were also quite a few spectators who chimed in:

[Qin Yinong is already married, okay? Her child is so big now. How can two women have a child together?]

[Tang Ruoyao's boyfriend (now husband): Miserable.]

Of course, the majority of people still believed that these were just some fans who enjoyed shipping CP and indulging in their own fantasies. Even some die-hard shippers didn't necessarily believe it was true. They just wanted to have fun and be happy.

In July, as the heat intensified, the tall trees in front of Qin Yinong's company building drooped their leaves. The sunlight seeped through the gaps and cast mottled shadows on the building.

The cicadas chirped incessantly.

An Ling spun the ballpoint pen between her fingers, retracting her gaze from the computer in front of her, and picked up her phone to call Qin Yinong.

Qin Yinong: "Hello?"

An Ling said, "Can't you be a little more low-key?"

Qin Yinong didn't understand: "What do you mean?"

An Ling said, "That thing on your bag."

Qin Yinong's tone contained a hint of amusement: "What about it? Do you want it? My baby has a link, I can place an order for you. It won't look as good as mine, but can you settle for it?"

An Ling: "..."

It wasn't the first time An Ling had been shown off by Qin Yinong, but she still couldn't help being rendered speechless every time. After a pause, she said, "It got photographed, and online they're saying it's a birthday gift from Tang Ruoyao."

Qin Yinong was somewhat surprised: "Hmm? Are netizens that smart?"

An Ling speechlessly replied, "Am I asking you to praise them?"

Qin Yinong burst into laughter.

For the past two months, An Ling had been keeping an eye on online rumors about the two of them and curbing some negative comments. The most malicious rumors were about Tang Ruoyao using improper means to rise to fame.

Qin Yinong came from the Ji family, and when it came to her relationship with the family, the rumors of using improper means to rise quickly fell apart. But for Tang Ruoyao, it was a thorny issue. Tang Ruoyao's first film had a famous director, and she had access to top-notch commercial resources. Without a strong background, she wouldn't have been able to achieve such success at the age of 24. If it weren't for her impressive acting skills and winning awards, she would have been heavily criticized.

There was another actress in the industry who had a powerful backing but ruined the crew with her terrible acting. She couldn't be led by any famous directors and was constantly mocked online as a "relationship-dependent."

In a way, it was a fact that Tang Ruoyao rose to fame through improper means. Without Qin Yinong supporting her, she would never have achieved such success at the age of 24, surpassing her peers by a wide margin. The topic of her having a financial backer was also not new anymore. An Ling had no idea how many posts and exposés she had dealt with over the years, all of which were suppressed in their infancy.

Now, by revealing her relationship with Qin Yinong, she voluntarily dragged herself into this whirlpool.

She has the ability, but her ability is not yet sufficient to convince the public, so Qin Yinong wants her to stand on firmer ground. It would be best if she could win a couple of prestigious awards to have more confidence in facing these doubts.

Regardless, strength is the capital that speaks in the entertainment industry, just like anywhere else.

As for rumors, as long as there is no solid evidence, they will continue to circulate. Her reputation isn't that bad right now, and it's sometimes interesting to read the analysis from netizens. Lin Ruohan even recommended a ship for her, and there's someone called Lao Fu Te. Qin Yinong read a few articles that seemed to be called fan fiction but didn't find them as sweet as her and Tang Ruoyao in real life, so she stopped reading them.

An Ling said, "I'll let you know if there are any new developments. I don't need the the soft fuzzy animals anymore." She scoffed, "How childish."

Qin Yinong said, "Alright, I'm in H Province. There's a kind of dried small fish that tastes really good here. I'll bring some for you to try later."

An Ling's lips curled up, thinking: That's more like it.

Qin Yinong hung up the phone.

Neither of them thought there would be anything significant online, but an unexpected event occurred.

In August, Tang Ruoyao wrapped up filming.

Suddenly, a long article started spreading massively online, pushing Tang Ruoyao back into the hot search: [Tang Ruoyao Being Kept by a Sugar Mama]

Author's Note:

Tang Ruoyao: The news is outdated, darling. My sugar mama and I are already married. ╰(*°▽°*)╯

PS: In the previous chapter, I caught a bug. Tang Tang was born in 1996, the Year of the Rat.

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