CHAPTER 266: Qin & Tang Extra 40

Tang Ruoyao lightly kissed the golden trophy, then bowed to the audience before stepping off the stage, cradling the award in her hands.

The way she occasionally switched hands while holding the trophy during her speech betrayed a hint of nervousness. Qin Yinong watched as she descended the steps on the left side of the stage. Tang Ruoyao kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, not sparing even half a second to meet the woman's eyes, as if determined to avoid any accidental contact.

Qin Yinong pressed her lips together and turned her attention forward again.

Only after settling into her seat did Tang Ruoyao exhale softly.

Earlier, it had felt like an intense gaze from the front row had been fixed on her. Afraid of revealing her unease, she hadn't dared to look back—though she suspected it was Qin Yinong. Now, she searched through the sea of heads until she found the most striking one. Qin Yinong's pearl earrings shimmered softly with every slight movement of her head.

Tang Ruoyao found herself staring at the back of that elegant head, an unconscious smile tugging at her lips.

Suddenly, the silhouette rose above the usual sightline—Qin Yinong had lifted the hem of her dress and left her seat. Tang Ruoyao's eyes followed her retreating figure until she disappeared behind the heavy stage curtains.

The host glanced down at the script and announced, "Next up is a big one—we'll be presenting the Best Actress award, the final crowning glory of tonight's Golden Rose Awards. Please welcome our presenters, Qin Yinong and Best Actor Qiao, to the stage!"

Qin Yinong walked up arm-in-arm with Best Actor Qiao, a man in his thirties dressed in a perfectly tailored dark gray suit. With broad shoulders, a narrow waist, slicked-back hair, and gold-rimmed glasses, he exuded an effortless charm that captivated countless admirers. Qin Yinong, meanwhile, wore a custom-made blue strapless gown adorned with intricate embroidery, radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.

They looked like a match made in heaven!

The entertainment industry knew how to have fun, especially when stars gathered in one place—no different from enthusiastic fans in the crowd.

The audience instantly transformed into a mix of starstruck admirers and fervent shippers.

A veteran actor in the front row even whistled loudly, while others erupted into rowdy applause.

The livestream chat went wild.

[I'm shipping this so hard! I'm shipping this so hard!]

[God-tier pairing, this is too much!]

[I could watch them stand on stage together all night without blinking!]

[QiaoQin is real!]

[Get married! Get married! Get married!]

Tang Ruoyao felt a sour bubble rise in her chest.

Especially when the newly crowned Best Actress excitedly declared herself a fan of Qin Yinong—and Qin Yinong actually hugged her in encouragement. The jealousy nearly overwhelmed her.

'Why does she attract admirers everywhere she goes?'

What if one day, when her own beauty faded, Qin Yinong's affection waned...

Tang Ruoyao bit her lower lip with her teeth.

After the Best Actress award was presented, the Golden Rose Awards came to a successful end. As one of the night's standout newcomers, Tang Ruoyao was swarmed by reporters, fielding question after question.

"Yes, I'm currently a junior at Capital Drama Academy."

"I'm very excited. Thank you to the judging committee for their recognition. I'll continue to work hard in the future."

"For now, I'd like to focus on my studies, but I'll certainly consider any suitable opportunities that come my way."

"A word to describe myself? I can't think of one for the present, but looking back in the future, I hope it'll be 'perseverance.'"

.....

After finishing her interview, Tang Ruoyao found that Qin Yinong was nowhere to be seen in the hall. Unable to openly ask anyone about her whereabouts, she waited until she got into the company car before sending a message:

Tang Ruoyao: [Are you done?]

Qin Yinong: [Yeah, on my way home.]

Tang Ruoyao: [I'm heading back too.]

Though Tang Ruoyao had left later, she arrived home first.

Qin Yinong had to take a detour to shake off any followers and didn't walk through the door until half an hour later. The living room was dimly lit, with two candles flickering on the dining table and a bottle of red wine opened. A vintage record player filled the air with smooth jazz, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.

Changing into slippers at the entrance, Qin Yinong lifted the hem of her dress as she took a seat, smiling. "A candlelit dinner?"

Tang Ruoyao hummed in agreement, pouring her half a glass of wine. The candlelight softened her delicate features even further.

Qin Yinong asked knowingly, "Where's the dinner?"

Tang Ruoyao said, "Didn't you say not to eat anything at night?"

"You're not supposed to eat 'things'," Qin Yinong emphasized the word "things" and looked at her, licking her lips suggestively. "but we can have something else."

Tang Ruoyao blinked. "What?"

Qin Yinong took a sip of wine but deliberately let some trickle down the corner of her lips, trailing along her slender, snow-white neck.

She pointed at the spilled wine.

Tang Ruoyao's eyes darkened as she leaned in, kissing away the lingering drops one by one.

Qin Yinong didn't know how much jealousy she had bottled up tonight. The thought of not just the live audience but also everyone watching through the screen noticing her treasure drove her mad. It was as if a caged beast had broken free—she wanted nothing more than to drag Tang Ruoyao into her den, guard her, watch her, and devour her bite by bite, ensuring she'd belong to no one else.

Tang Ruoyao, on the other hand, felt the difference between them more keenly than ever, along with Qin Yinong's overwhelming allure. Anxiety gripped her heart, the fear of being abandoned at any moment clinging to her like a shadow.

Yet in that moment, they were perfectly in sync, lost in each other.

Later, wrapped in a robe Tang Ruoyao had fetched from the bedroom, Qin Yinong nestled lazily in her arms, fingertips gently tracing the younger woman's brows before finally voicing what she'd wanted to say all along.

"You were beautiful tonight."

"All thanks to your stylist."

A good stylist could work miracles, and Tang Ruoyao, already a gem, shone even brighter under their expert hands—her brilliance no surprise.

"That's only because you have a good base." Qin Yinong pinched her face and said in a teasing tone, "After you get famous, a lot of young and pretty younger sisters will like you..."

Tang Ruoyao cut her off. "I only like older sisters."

Qin Yinong chuckled and amended, "There are older sisters too. With your looks, you could have anyone you want."

Tang Ruoyao fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Do you... not like me as much as before?"

Qin Yinong: "..."

Where did that come from?

Tang Ruoyao's eyes reddened. "Or did I do something wrong? Did I not make you happy? Were you just pretending earlier?" She sniffled, spiraling further into absurdity. "When I was researching, I read that women are all performance artists in this regard..."

Qin Yinong couldn't take it anymore. "Stop!"

What kind of nonsense is that?!

Tang Ruoyao clamped her mouth shut, but her eyes grew even redder—like a pitiful little rabbit on the verge of tears.

Qin Yinong inexplicably felt guilty and explained softly, "It's not that I don't like you."

Tang Ruoyao corrected her meticulously, "I said it's not as much as before."

Qin Yinong rephrased, "It's not that I like you less than before—I like you more now."

Tang Ruoyao looked skeptical. "Then why do you keep mentioning others? One moment it's ' younger sister,' the next it's 'older sister.' I don't like sisters—I only like you."

Qin Yinong avoided her gaze, her voice tinged with guilt. "I didn't say you'd like someone else."

Tang Ruoyao stared at her, and then a sudden realization dawned on her. "Are you worried I might like someone else?"

Qin Yinong's eyes darted around even more.

"No."

Her words were so obviously insincere that even a three-year-old could see through it. Tang Ruoyao felt a surge of joy and hugged her tightly. "I barely have time to like you alone—how could I spare a glance for anyone else?"

Since the truth was out, Qin Yinong stopped hiding it. She huffed lightly, "You're still so young. Of course you'd say that now. Who knows what the future holds?"

Women often question their lover's feelings repeatedly—not necessarily because they distrust them, but because they long to hear them affirm again and again: I only love you, and I'll never leave you.

She was waiting for those words.

But Tang Ruoyao, once again, defied expectations.

Gazing at Qin Yinong seriously, she said, "Let's get married."

......

Qin Lunong smacked the back of Qin Yinong's hand. "Stop biting your nails. When did you pick up such a bad habit?"

Qin Yinong pulled her fingers away from her teeth, her mind clearly elsewhere—so distracted she even forgot her usual banter with Qin Lunong.

Qin Lunong's sharp intuition told her something was off.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Qin Yinong hugged a nearby pillow, resting her chin on it, her expression flickering between joy and worry—her face was a drama in itself.

"Am I not your favorite sister anymore?" Qin Lunong pouted, feigning tears.

"Stop it." Qin Yinong gently pushed her face away.

Qin Lunong sighed.

'Little sisters grow up and keep their own secrets now.'

She looked down at Ningning, who was sprawled on her lap, and poked the baby's cheek. "And you—you'll probably grow up to be just as ungrateful, you little rascal."

Ningning blinked innocently, her tiny mouth slightly open.

'I'm just a baby, not even a year old yet.'

The phone on the coffee table buzzed. Qin Lunong barely caught a glimpse of the lit-up screen before Qin Yinong snatched it away at lightning speed, her expression torn between eagerness and hesitation.

Qin Lunong wanted to smack her, but since she couldn't win in a fight or outrun her, she settled for a light slap on Qin Yinong's arm before taking Ningning away to play—out of sight, out of mind.

Qin Yinong covered the screen with her fingers, peeking through the gaps to read Tang Ruoyao's message:

[Class is over. Heading to the library to study. Mwah.]

Qin Yinong let out a sigh of relief.

Ever since Tang Ruoyao had dropped the marriage bombshell, Qin Yinong had been in this state for days. Of course, she wanted to spend her life with Tang Ruoyao—but a twenty-year-old suddenly proposing out of nowhere? It felt impulsive, impossible to take seriously.

After that, Tang Ruoyao never brought up the topic again, and Qin Yinong certainly didn't ask. But Qin Yinong was constantly afraid the other might revisit the subject. Her stance was that marriage should at least wait until Tang Ruoyao graduated from university and became an independent adult.

But how had things developed so far? Ever since they started dating, nothing had gone according to her plans.

Qin Yinong lightly patted her own cheeks.

She was seven or eight years older than Tang Ruoyao—wasn't it embarrassing to be led around by the nose every day? She absolutely had to regain the upper hand!

......

Dormitory 405.

Wen Shuxian passed behind Tang Ruoyao and happened to glance at her computer screen—what she saw nearly blinded her.

A diamond ring!

"You're not planning to propose, are you?" Wen Shuxian asked, incredulous.

Tang Ruoyao swiveled her chair around to face her, puzzled by her shock. "Is that strange?"

"Strange? Of course it's strange! You're only twenty!"

"If I remember correctly, the legal marriage age for women is twenty, isn't it?"

"But you're still a student!"

Tang Ruoyao smiled faintly and nodded. "Mhm."

'Mhm? Mhm my butt!'

Wen Shuxian paced back and forth in front of her, at a complete loss for words. Just then, Fu Yujun and Cui Jiaran, who had just finished their elective class, pushed the door open to enter. Wen Shuxian darted ahead of them, slammed the door shut, and pointed at Tang Ruoyao. "She's planning to propose! You two need to talk her out of it!"

Cui Jiaran gasped. "Teacher Qin is proposing already? That's so fast!"

Wen Shuxian grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "How are you already going deaf at such a young age?!"

Only then did Cui Jiaran realize her mistake. Her eyes widened as she pointed at Tang Ruoyao. "You're the one proposing?"

Tang Ruoyao raised an eyebrow. "Mhm-hmm."

'Mhm-hmm?!' Wen Shuxian nearly fainted on the spot.

Dormitory 405 was temporarily converted into a courtroom.

The defendant: Tang Ruoyao.

The three-judge panel: Fu Yujun, Cui Jiaran, and Wen Shuxian.

Fu Yujun, presiding, spoke first. "We don't mean to interfere with your marriage or criticize your love life. But marriage is a major life decision—we just hope you'll consider it carefully."

Wen Shuxian nodded vigorously. "If you want to get married, you can always wait until after graduation. Look at that girl from the design school next door—she got pregnant in her sophomore year, had a shotgun wedding, took a year off, and when she came back, she was completely out of it. She looked haggard, like life had beaten her down."

Cui Jiaran added, "Even though you can't get pregnant, I still believe everyone has things they should do at each stage of life. While you're a student, your focus should be on studying. Dating is fine, but marriage should wait until you're capable of supporting yourself and another person's future."

Wen Shuxian eagerly chimed in, "Exactly!"

After the three had made their cases, Tang Ruoyao met their earnest gazes, warmth flooding her heart. But she didn't change her mind. "I still want to propose."

Wen Shuxian was practically steaming with frustration, but Fu Yujun held her back and said to Tang Ruoyao, "Tell us your thoughts."

Tang Ruoyao took half a minute to gather her words. "You all know there's a huge gap between her and me. I've always been afraid she might leave me one day. After all, aside from being young, I don't have any other advantages—and it's not like I'm the only young person out there."

Wen Shuxian protested indignantly on her behalf, "What do you mean no other merits? I think you're full of merits from head to toe—you're Tang You!"

Tang Ruoyao smiled gently and said, "You've never been in love, so you wouldn't understand."

Wen Shuxian: "...D@mn it."

Was this the thanks she got for trying to comfort her—a critical hit straight to the heart?

She glared at Cui Jiaran, who nodded sympathetically, indicating she understood.

Wen Shuxian swallowed a mouthful of metaphorical bl0od and clutched her chest.

Fu Yujun said, "So you want to use this method to tie her down? But even legally recognized heteros3xual marriages can dissolve in an instant, let alone unrecognized same-s3x unions. The issues between you two can't be solved just by getting married."

Tang Ruoyao replied, "I know, but at least it's effective. Before, I thought I was the only one with these worries, but a few days ago, I realized she feels the same. She's afraid that as I grow more famous, I'll get lost in the glitz and glamour and eventually grow tired of her.

"The entertainment industry is a place where people lose sight of both others and themselves. None of us can predict what tomorrow will bring. Whether my future is bright with stardom or fades into obscurity, I want this ring to tell her that my home will always be with her. As long as she doesn't give up on me, I'll never leave her."

Fu Yujun fell silent.

After a long pause, she sighed helplessly and said, "I really don't know whether to call you mature or naive."

Tang Ruoyao smiled. "When it comes to love, shouldn't we always keep a little bit of naivety?"

Cui Jiaran seemed lost in thought.

Wen Shuxian, utterly baffled, looked back and forth between them before tugging at her hair in frustration. "What the hell are you guys even talking about?"

Tang Ruoyao laughed and said, "Come help me pick out a ring. Tell me which one looks best."

Wen Shuxian: "Huh?"

Fu and Cui had already moved behind her to examine the ring designs on the screen.

"I think this one's too plain."

"Yeah, kinda. What about this one?"

"Better than the last, but still missing something. Let's look at others?"

Wen Shuxian hurriedly squeezed in.

"Let me see!"

In the end, Tang Ruoyao shortlisted a few designs and decided to try them on in person at a physical store.

......

The impact of the Golden Rose Awards ceremony lingered strongly. Tang Ruoyao's stunning appearance made her the darling of entertainment media overnight, with outlets clamoring to cover her. Her Weibo followers skyrocketed from tens of thousands to a million.

Her Weibo featured snippets of her daily life, mostly mundane campus moments. Though sparse, each post was treasured by her new fans, who gushed over them until their screens were practically dripping with admiration. In an era where beauty filters often distorted reality, Tang Ruoyao's unfiltered photos stood out as strikingly genuine.

Fans digging through her Weibo history also took a liking to her roommates.

Cool and sweet, elegant and adorable—what kind of heavenly dorm was this? Instant follow!

Wen Shuxian watched her own follower count rise by association and cheered, "This is what they mean by 'one man's rise lifts all his dogs to heaven'! Time to celebrate with a round of hat-tossing!"

Cui Jiaran looked like she wanted to die on the spot before sternly lecturing her never to use idioms on Weibo again.

Wen Shuxian burst out laughing. "I did it on purpose! I know 'hat-tossing celebration' is a derogatory term!"

Tang Ruoyao and Fu Yujun exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.

Wen Shuxian's Weibo had a candid photo of Tang Ruoyao studying in a classroom. Tang Ruoyao was dressed in a blue-and-white casual tracksuit, her sleeves rolled up to reveal slender wrists, her bony fingers gripping a pen while her other hand rested on a notebook on the desk.

Her skin was strikingly fair, making her delicate eyebrows and dark eyes stand out. Her hair was loosely tied into a ponytail, with a few stray strands casually falling by her ears, glowing faintly golden-red in the sunlight streaming through the window.

With red lips and white teeth, she was so beautiful it was almost dazzling.

Wen Shuxian's Weibo post was quickly reposted beyond its original circle, and Tang Ruoyao was hailed as the "Nation's Campus Belle." The photo went viral across the internet, becoming countless netizens' social media profile pictures.

Tang Ruoyao's rise to fame was faster than anyone could have imagined.

.....

StarSharp [Xingrui] Media.

Ruan Qin had been riding high lately, swaggering through the company like a crab.

She must have done good deeds in her past life to have Tang Ruoyao signed under her in this one. Just thinking about the flood of business collaborations coming her way recently made Ruan Qin grin from ear to ear.

Even if agents only took a 10% cut, it was more than enough to fill her pockets to the brim.

As Ruan Qin passed the office of Gao Hai, a senior executive, she spotted Mu Qingwu through the partially open blinds. Mu Qingwu was saying something to Gao Hai, who sat with his chin resting on his hands, deep in thought.

Ruan Qin scoffed and looked away.

Mu Qingwu, the company's top agent, relied on her extensive connections and the one or two briefly popular starlets she had groomed to act high and mighty, never giving Ruan Qin the time of day.

But now that she had Tang Ruoyao, what right did Mu Qingwu have to act so smug in front of her?

Ruan Qin sneered inwardly.

Speak of the devil—Ruan Qin spotted the approaching figure ahead and instinctively put on a warm smile, calling out affectionately, "Ruoyao."

Tang Ruoyao nodded at her.

Ruan Qin took two steps forward and said with a smile, "Perfect timing. I have some business proposals to discuss with you. Come to my office, and we'll go over which ones to take."

Tang Ruoyao replied politely, "Sorry, Sister Qin. I have something to attend to."

A flicker of displeasure flashed in Ruan Qin's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. "Alright, go ahead then."

Tang Ruoyao walked past her. Ruan Qin watched her retreating back, her smile gradually freezing.

Tang Ruoyao knocked on Gao Hai's office door and entered.

Ruan Qin pressed herself against the blinds, straining to see inside.

Gao Hai stood up, pointing at Tang Ruoyao with a smile as he said something to Mu Qingwu. Tang Ruoyao stood with her hands clasped in front of her, like an obedient student, and gave a slight bow.

Mu Qingwu studied Tang Ruoyao carefully, seemingly asking her a few questions, to which Tang Ruoyao responded.

Then Gao Hai and Mu Qingwu resumed their conversation, appearing to reach some agreement as they chatted happily.

Ruan Qin's pupils constricted. Without another thought, she marched to the door and knocked loudly.

Gao Hai frowned. "Come in."

Ruan Qin stormed in, yanking Tang Ruoyao behind her, and pointed furiously at Mu Qingwu. "Have you no shame? You're trying to snatch someone I worked so hard to cultivate?"

Mu Qingwu remained unruffled, speaking slowly, "You worked so hard?"

Ruan Qin retorted defiantly, "Yes! I did! What about it?"

Mu Qingwu shrugged and turned to Gao Hai. "See, Director Gao? It's not that I'm unwilling to follow company arrangements, but stealing someone else's hard-earned success just isn't right."

Gao Hai was amused by her remark and said, "What are you talking about? Don't talk nonsense." With that, he turned to Ruan Qin, his expression darkening. "You know very well how hard you've worked or not. The decision to change Tang Ruoyao's agent was made after a company meeting. It's not your place to oppose it."

Ruan Qin retorted, "On what grounds?!"

Gao Hai stated firmly, "On the grounds that I'm the company's vice president, and on the grounds that her contract is with our company, not with you personally!" He waved his hand dismissively. "Go back and organize her files and business negotiations. Hand them over to Qingwu. From now on, Tang Ruoyao will be Qingwu's artist."

This was literally digging up the money tree she had planted in her own yard. Of course, Ruan Qin refused to comply and had a heated argument with Gao Hai.

Tang Ruoyao stood indifferently to the side, as if the events unfolding had nothing to do with her.

Mu Qingwu watched her with an amused gaze.

Gao Hai, his head throbbing from Ruan Qin's shouting, pointed at the door and said, "Get out."

Tang Ruoyao swayed slightly but was suddenly yanked in front of Ruan Qin, who clutched her like a lifeline, her eyes bloodshot. "Who are you going with? Just say you're staying with me, and I swear I won't let her take you away, even if it costs me my life!"

Tang Ruoyao thought to herself, 'Oh? And who exactly are you to me? Talking so amb!guously—even Qin Yinong hasn't spoken to me like this.'

Her mind wandered for half a second before she lowered her gaze and said coolly, "I'm going with Miss Mu."

Ruan Qin: "You—!"

With the matter settled, Mu Qingwu lazily pulled Tang Ruoyao behind her, adopting a protective stance.

Ruan Qin glared at Mu Qingwu, her eyes bulging with fury. "You just wait!"

Mu Qingwu flashed her a fake smile.

Ruan Qin stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Gao Hai pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at the pair he had high hopes for, speaking gently, "I hope you'll work together sincerely and create a bright future."

Mu Qingwu: "Now that you've dumped her on me, how could I not give it my all?"

Gao Hai laughed heartily and patted her shoulder. "I appreciate your hard work."

Tang Ruoyao remained silent throughout, not speaking unless addressed, minimizing her presence as much as possible.

After leaving Gao Hai's office, Mu Qingwu led her to her own. Unlike Ruan Qin's smoke-filled space, Mu Qingwu's office was refreshingly clean and tidy.

Leaning against her desk with arms crossed, Mu Qingwu smirked. "How does it feel to achieve your goal after all that scheming?"

Tang Ruoyao, no longer the silent figure from Gao Hai's office, lifted her gaze, sharp and unyielding. "I thought this was a partnership of equals."

Mu Qingwu pointed at her disdainfully. "You? Really?"

Tang Ruoyao replied firmly, "Me."

"You?" Mu Qingwu pressed.

Tang Ruoyao smiled. "Yes, me."

Mu Qingwu didn't let her admiration show. She straightened up and scoffed lightly. "I'll be watching."

Having removed a major obstacle in her career, Tang Ruoyao kept her composure at the company, revealing none of her true emotions. But the moment she stepped outside, she immediately dialed Qin Yinong's number.

No one answered. Assuming Qin Yinong was busy, she started typing a message but then decided to share the good news in person instead, deleting the words one by one.

Tang Ruoyao put on a mask and hailed a cab back to school. She had gained some fame recently—having been recognized once on the street—so she'd started wearing masks as a habit.

On the way, she received a message in her dorm group chat.

Wen Shuxian: [Emergency! Check the trending list!]

Puzzled, Tang Ruoyao blinked and opened Weibo's trending page. Instantly, her grip on the phone tightened.

At the top of the list, marked with a glaring "Explosive" tag:

[Qin Yinong's Sister Exposed]

Author's Note: 

High-energy ahead—just enjoy the ride! Did I get the "ahhhhhh" reaction from you today?

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