CHAPTER 272: Qin & Tang Extra 46
Tang Ruoyao tugged at Qin Yinong's sleeve, snapping her out of her daze as she realized the shocking word she had just blurted out. Her lips parted as she hastily explained, "That's... that's how we respectfully address elders back home. Hello, Uncle."
Finally correcting her address, she felt bl0od rush to her face while her limbs turned icy. Nervously, she glanced at Tang Hanzhang.
Tang Hanzhang could only manage simple words, and his speech was still unclear, so he didn't respond verbally. Instead, he simply nodded at her.
Qin Yinong scrutinized her future father-in-law's expression—there was no anger, but no joy either. After she greeted him, his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, just as it had the day he woke up, before he turned away.
Tang Ruoyao steadied Qin Yinong, whose legs had gone weak, and helped her sit down nearby.
Jiang Xuezhen, who was also in the hospital room, had heard Qin Yinong's slip of the tongue—"father-in-law." Watching the woman walk over, she frowned slightly and lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
No one noticed the glint in Guan Han's eyes behind her glasses.
'No wonder Qin Jie was so nervous. So that's how it is.'
Tang Hanzhang had already spoken with Tang Ruoyao for a while before Qin Yinong arrived, and now he was tired again, needing rest. Tang Ruoyao took the opportunity to bring Qin Yinong back to the hotel. Once they entered the room to talk, Guan Han stayed in the living room, pulling out her phone to play a game.
During the New Year period, aside from filming the reality show, Qin Yinong hadn't taken on any other work, so Guan Han had some free time.
A mobile shooting game called PUBG Mobile came out this month and was very popular. When she went home for the New Year, during the few hours she spent visiting relatives, she saw many kids playing it. Her younger sister was also playing and said it was boring to play alone, so she dragged Guan Han into it.
In each game, 100 players would be dropped from the sky into different corners of the map. They had to find weapons and equipment, defeat their opponents, and win the final victory. Guan Han's skills were so bad that her games would end in a few minutes, which was perfect for her fragmented free time.
With Bluetooth earbuds in, she watched the scenery from above before jumping out of the plane, only to land and die instantly. Her serious expression and steady finger movements might have fooled someone into thinking she was a pro carrying teammates.
......
Qin Yinong had embarrassed herself beyond redemption and was now past caring. If Tang Ruoyao dared tease her even once, she'd explode on the spot.
Fortunately, Tang Ruoyao knew her temper well—she never pushed when it wasn't the right time. Instead, she comforted Qin Yinong, assuring her it was a natural slip-up.
Utterly deflated, Qin Yinong sighed, "I don't know if your dad noticed."
Seeing her dejected expression, Tang Ruoyao used her own words to motivate her: "Who was it that said they'd earn enough goodwill from my dad to make him agree to give his daughter to you?"
"That was me!" Qin Yinong's fighting spirit returned, and the dark clouds in her heart disappeared.
Who had she ever been afraid of in her life?
'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger! ' Wait—maybe that phrase didn't quite fit here.
Still, she was a little nervous. Qin Yinong lightly patted her cheeks and said, "I'm fine. I just need to adjust. You don't have to worry about me."
Tang Ruoyao took her hands, gazing at her firmly. "No matter how my father treats you, it won't change how much I love you."
Qin Yinong squeezed her hands in return. "I know."
Perhaps because they had been much more independent than their peers from a young age, in their minds, they were their own individuals, and family was family. No matter how important their loved ones were, they couldn't interfere with their choices.
Tang Hanzhang's matter was temporarily set aside. Tang Ruoyao lowered her head, playing with Qin Yinong's slender, jade-like fingers, and asked, "Are you only staying for three days this time too?"
"Mm."
"Didn't your sister say anything to you?"
"How could she not?" Qin Yinong said. "She nearly scolded my phone into shutting down."
"Really?" Tang Ruoyao immediately believed her, widening her eyes as she turned to look at her.
"No." Qin Yinong smiled and pinched the soft skin on her chin. "Baby, why are you so easy to fool?"
"Only because it's you fooling me," Tang Ruoyao huffed lightly. "Try someone else and see if I'd fall for it?"
Qin Yinong reached out to scratch her chin again.
She was becoming a little addicted to this gesture.
After being scratched two or three times in a row, Tang Ruoyao shrank her neck from the ticklish sensation and said, "Are you treating me like a cat?"
"Hm?" Qin Yinong hadn't realized this was a cat-petting motion—she wasn't particularly fond of animals, except for Tang Xiaogou.
Tang Ruoyao explained, "When I was in high school, I visited a classmate's house, and they had a cat. She'd hold it in her arms and scratch its chin just like this."
Suddenly, Tang Ruoyao was lifted up by Qin Yinong and seated on the woman's lap.
Qin Yinong said with satisfaction, "Now it's even more similar."
Tang Ruoyao obediently tilted her chin up.
But instead of scratching her with her fingertips again, Qin Yinong pinched it gently between two fingers, her gaze darkening as she leaned up to kiss her.
Tang Ruoyao rested her hands on the woman's shoulders, closing her eyes as she responded.
Guan Han experienced her fourth instant d3ath and returned to the game's main interface. Many people had free time during the New Year, and Guan Han had logged in using WeChat. Her work and personal accounts were the same, and her friend list was as vast as an ocean—the number of online players was too many to count at a glance.
Guan Han had a "bad reputation," so out of all her friends, only her family members dared to invite her. Occasionally, someone from work would send her an invite, but Guan Han would immediately decline. She didn't want her carefully maintained persona to crumble. Besides, going solo was much better—playing in pairs didn't make her any stronger, and she always died first anyway.
Guan Han glanced up at the tightly shut bedroom door, guessing that Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao would probably be talking for a while longer. She lowered her head, ready to start her fifth round, when a game invitation popped up.
The player's ID read: Beautiful and Wild.
Guan Han rejected it without hesitation.
Beautiful and Wild persisted and sent a second invite.
Guan Han rejected it again.
The other party seemed determined to challenge her, sending invites repeatedly. Eventually, Guan Han accepted.
In the game room, Beautiful and Wild began typing: [Assistant Guan]
Guan Han didn't reply, instead scrolling through her friend list to check the WeChat notes for Beautiful and Wild: Fu Yujun.
She searched her memory for relevant details—it seemed this was one of Tang Ruoyao's roommates. They had added each other about two months ago, exchanged a few meaningless pleasantries, and then nothing since.
Guan Han typed back: [Something wrong?]
Fu Yujun: [Wanna duo?]
Guan Han swiftly replied: [I was just about to log off. Maybe next time. Sorry.]
With that, she decisively exited the game room and closed the client.
There was no way she was going to duo with someone she barely knew!
Fu Yujun didn't even have time to send her next message before the room was empty, leaving her alone.
Fu Yujun: "..."
All the Waterloo defeats in her life had been at the hands of Guan Han.
Even the usually composed Fu Yujun couldn't remain calm anymore—she needed to vent to someone. Naturally, she turned to her roommate Tang Ruoyao. Tang Ruoyao's phone, placed on the bedside table, buzzed twice.
Tang Ruoyao blinked dazedly and turned her head slightly toward the sound, only to have Qin Yinong firmly hold her face in place.
The woman's breath melted into her lips.
Tang Ruoyao clung to her tightly, as if grasping a floating piece of driftwood.
Just a kiss, yet Tang Ruoyao was already powerless against the strange sensations coursing through her body. Qin Yinong slowly cracked her eyes open, squinting at the daylight streaming in from the balcony before releasing Tang Ruoyao.
Tang Ruoyao's face was flushed as she buried herself in Qin Yinong's arms, trying to steady her ragged breathing.
Qin Yinong gently patted her back while picking up Tang Ruoyao's phone with her other hand.
Her fingerprint was registered on Tang Ruoyao's phone, so she unlocked it effortlessly and tapped the WeChat icon in the top-right corner, which displayed a small red "4."
A soft chuckle came from above.
Tang Ruoyao tilted her head up and asked, "What is it?"
Qin Yinong handed her the phone and said, "Your roommate just got rejected by Guan Han again."
After reading the messages, Tang Ruoyao also laughed. "Is Guan Han outside right now?"
Qin Yinong: "Hmm?"
Tang Ruoyao spun the phone deftly in her palm. "What do you think the odds are that she'd tell me if I asked whether she's straight or not?"
"No idea. When I asked about her love life, I had to pay for the answer."
"Wait, what?"
"If your roommate actually manages to win her over, she'll have to pay the bill."
"If she can actually succeed, she won't care about the money. The question is whether she can." Tang Ruoyao shook her head, feeling the road ahead was long. Here she was being all lovey-dovey, while Fu Yujun was being rejected by her crush again and again during the New Year and wasn't even allowed to play a game with her. The guilt weighed on her conscience.
Tang Ruoyao stood up. "I'll go ask."
Qin Yinong rose as well. "Then I—"
Tang Ruoyao cut in, "Stay here for now. If both of us question her, it'd be weird."
Qin Yinong sat back down, a faint trace of grievance in her eyes.
Tang Ruoyao pressed a kiss to her lips, and Qin Yinong's expression softened slightly. "Go ahead. I'll take a nap," she said, yawning. Filming a reality show was exhausting, and so was flying. She had been running around nonstop, and her rest had been insufficient.
Tang Ruoyao waited until she fell asleep before tiptoeing out of the room.
Guan Han was playing "Jump Jump," a game where the length of time you held your finger down determined how far the little character would jump. She was pretty good at this game, much better than at PUBG. When she saw Tang Ruoyao, Guan Han immediately closed the mini-game and nodded in greeting from the couch.
"She's asleep." Tang Ruoyao said.
Guan Han nodded again.
Tang Ruoyao settled into the single-seater sofa to her right, interlacing her fingers. A faint smile curled at her lips as she asked casually, "How long have you been working for Qin Yinong, Assistant Guan?"
"Four years."
"You're practically inseparable from her. Do you ever get any personal time?"
"Some."
"Assistant Guan, you're twenty-four this year, right?"
"Mm."
Guan Han's gaze held a trace of puzzlement. Mentally casting herself as a nosy auntie, Tang Ruoyao pressed on despite her discomfort: "Are you seeing anyone?"
Perhaps because Tang Ruoyao was the boss's wife, Guan Han, despite her subtle expression, still answered, "No."
"Then do you like men or women?" Tang Ruoyao worried she might be too direct and arouse suspicion, so she steered the conversation toward herself, saying she had always thought she was heteros3xual until she met Qin Yinong and realized she wasn't.
After all, she was only twenty. No matter how composed and mature she seemed, her youthful face carried an innocent, almost naive charm when discussing such topics, which didn't provoke dislike—especially since she was beautiful.
Guan Han replied, "I don't know. I've never loved anyone."
Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: 'Didn't you date a junior in high school?'
But if she said that, Guan Han would know Qin Yinong had spilled the beans, which wouldn't reflect well on Qin Yinong.
Suppressing her curiosity for now, Tang Ruoyao asked, "Then do you think you'd prefer men or women?"
Guan Han thought seriously and said, "Women, probably." That junior brother of hers had cheated, leaving a bad impression of men in general.
Tang Ruoyao's expression brightened slightly.
Guan Han added, "But before meeting the right person, any preset stance is meaningless. And I don't want to date anyone." Realizing she had said too much, a flicker of discomfort crossed Guan Han's face. "Miss Yao, I have some work to attend to."
She pulled out her tablet, adopting a focused work demeanor.
Tang Ruoyao immediately said, "Go ahead."
She lingered in the living room a while longer to avoid seeming too deliberate before returning to her room to relay Guan Han's words to Fu Yujun.
Fu Yujun was practically ready to fly over and give her a bear hug.
......
Qin Yinong slept deeply and woke to find Tang Ruoyao gone, but a note was left behind:
[Call me when you wake up. I'll take you to eat. Meow~]
Qin Yinong smiled, got up to shower, and called Tang Ruoyao after getting dressed.
Tang Ruoyao was chatting with Tang Hanzhang when her phone buzzed. Glancing at the caller ID, she stepped outside to answer. Before the door closed behind her, Tang Hanzhang heard his daughter's voice, soft and tender.
"You're awake?"
The closing door cut off the sound.
With Tang Ruoyao gone, Jiang Xuezhen finally seized her chance. The moment she approached Tang Hanzhang's bedside, he closed his eyes. This had been his reaction ever since he woke up, so Jiang Xuezhen wasn't surprised. But today, she had something crucial to say.
Standing over him, she said coldly, "Do you know what kind of relationship Tang Ruoyao has with that woman who came this morning?"
She saw Tang Hanzhang's eyelids twitch.
Gritting her teeth, she pressed on, "Let me be blunt. She came over on New Year's Eve. Tang Ruoyao claimed she was here on business and just staying with us. Who travels for work on New Year's Eve? And then follows her around, even sharing a bed?"
Jiang Xuezhen continued, "Did you hear that 'father-in-law' remark this morning? What kind of respectful title is that? Do they think we're fools? Your precious daughter is dating a woman—she's become a p3rvert. You know how stubborn she is—once she decides something, nothing can change her mind. But at least we still have Xiaofei. We—"
Tang Hanzhang's eyes snapped open, his dark gaze fixed heavily on her.
Jiang Xuezhen instinctively took a step back.
Tang Hanzhang's warning glare held for a few seconds before he closed his eyes again.
At that moment, Tang Ruoyao ended her call and walked back in. She immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere in the hospital room. Her gaze swept between the two of them, her brow slightly furrowed as she said, "Dad."
Tang Hanzhang looked up at her again, his eyes warm and gentle.
Tang Ruoyao said, "I'm taking a friend out for dinner."
Tang Hanzhang smiled faintly. "Go ahead."
Tang Ruoyao picked up the scarf draped over the sofa, put on her mask, and said, "I'm leaving now." She made a phone gesture with her hand. "Call me if anything comes up. I left the phone on the bedside table for you—speed dial 1 is me."
Tang Hanzhang nodded again.
The area near the hospital was much livelier than around Tang Ruoyao's home. Even during the Spring Festival, many shops remained open. After dinner, the two of them strolled around for a while. Along the street, snack stalls dotted the sidewalks, and Qin Yinong found herself staring intently at one of them.
Tang Ruoyao followed her gaze—it was a stall selling takoyaki. The vendor skillfully shaped the fluffy balls, the air faintly fragrant with their aroma.
Tang Ruoyao asked, "Want some?"
Qin Yinong hummed softly.
She had never been interested in these kinds of street snacks popular with young girls before—not just because of her diet, but because she genuinely had no desire for them. Her assistants, like A'xiao, loved them and would occasionally offer her some, but Qin Yinong always waved them away.
Today, for some reason, she couldn't tear herself away.
Tang Ruoyao held her hand and led her over.
A couple, a man and a woman, were standing in front of the stall. The man had the woman's bag on his back. In his other hand, he held a cup of a drink and would occasionally bring it to the woman's lips. The woman was on her phone. She would open her mouth, bite on the straw, and take a sip of the drink. The man was watching the woman the whole time, a smile on his lips and love in his eyes.
A fresh batch of takoyaki was ready. The vendor drizzled them with Thousand Island dressing, and the girl took the box. Using a skewer, she picked one up, blew on it, and held it to the man's mouth. The man took a small bite, smiled, and breathed out, "It's hot."
Chatting and laughing, the couple walked off down the street.
Watching their retreating figures, Qin Yinong suddenly understood why she had wanted the takoyaki. It wasn't the food itself—she just wanted to share the experience with Tang Ruoyao.
They were now first in line. The next order was theirs.
Tang Ruoyao stood in the front, and Qin Yinong, to avoid being recognized, waited to the side with her head down. To hide her identity, she even put on a pair of black-rimmed glasses, which completely changed her demeanor.
The streetlights stretched into the distance, their glow illuminating the night. Tang Ruoyao wasn't wearing a mask, just her soft yellow scarf pulled up to cover the lower half of her jade-like face. Her profile, bathed in the shimmering lights, was so focused and tender it made Qin Yinong's heart skip.
Qin Yinong was so entranced she didn't even notice Tang Ruoyao returning with a steaming box of takoyaki.
Until Tang Ruoyao called out, "Baby?"
Qin Yinong snapped out of her daze, blinking. "Hmm?"
Tang Ruoyao lifted the box with a bright smile. "Didn't you want some?"
Looking at the fluffy takoyaki, Qin Yinong actually felt a flicker of appetite. But covered up as she was, eating now would be inconvenient. They found a quieter spot with fewer people and took turns finishing the box, bite by bite.
Qin Yinong said, "I want a drink too." Recalling the one the man had been holding earlier, she added, "A cold one."
Tang Ruoyao replied, "How about we go for dessert instead?"
The dessert shop had booth seats that provided privacy. The two of them chose a secluded corner. Only after the server had brought their desserts did Qin Yinong finally remove her mask and look up.
Click—
The sound of a phone camera shutter suddenly went off.
Qin Yinong was startled at first, then relaxed when she saw it was Tang Ruoyao's phone camera pointed at her.
Qin Yinong reached out her hand, "Let me see how it turned out."
Tang Ruoyao quietly sent the photo to "My Computer" and "My iPad" as backups before handing the phone over. Sure enough, Qin Yinong frowned as soon as she saw it. "It looks so silly. I wasn't even ready when you took it."
"I think it's quite cute."
"Delete it."
Obediently, Tang Ruoyao deleted the photo and then cleared it from the "Recently Deleted" folder as well.
"Done." she said.
Qin Yinong eyed her suspiciously. "Why are you so happy about deleting a photo?"
Tang Ruoyao's lips curled slightly. "I'm not." Afraid Qin Yinong might catch on, she quickly added, "Let's take a photo together."
Qin Yinong's lips curved into a smile. "Okay."
The table wasn't wide, so they leaned forward, their heads close together, with a plate of mango shaved ice between them. After adjusting their expressions and discussing poses for a while, they still ended up grinning widely, flashing their pearly white teeth, and giving a goofy peace sign.
Qin Yinong muttered, "This is so dumb, I can't even look," while setting the post to be visible to a select group of friends and secretly flaunting their affection on social media.
She didn't hide it—most of her close friends already knew she was in a relationship.
Friend 1 sent congratulations: [Congrats!]
Friend 2 sent well-wishes: [When's the wedding banquet?]
Friend 3: [Never thought someone as serious as you would start showing off like Lin Ruohan!]
Friend 5: [Now I'm craving shaved ice. Gonna ask my husband to make some.]
Lin Ruohan: [If I were you, I wouldn't post such a silly photo.]
Qin Lunong: [The cold wind drifts, scattering across my face, my rebellious sister breaks my heart.]
Guan Han liked the post.
Qin Yinong laughed as she read the comments, her spoon held in her mouth for a long time. Tang Ruoyao peeked at her phone and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Qin Yinong tilted her phone away, locked the screen, and set it down calmly. "Nothing, just scrolling through Weibo."
"Was there something funny?"
"No."
"Then why are you laughing so much?"
"Hahaha."
Tang Ruoyao chuckled along, not pressing further. If Qin Yinong had her little secrets, there was no need to pry—as long as she was happy.
They wandered around until nearly 9 p.m. before heading back. Jiang Xuezhen had to return to take care of Tang Fei, leaving the hospital's accompanying bed free. Tang Ruoyao wanted Qin Yinong to stay with her in the ward like last time.
But under the gaze of her father-in-law, Qin Yinong's legs nearly gave way. She declined softly, "No need, I'll stay at a hotel."
Putting herself in Qin Yinong's shoes, Tang Ruoyao realized she wouldn't dare share the accompanying bed with her if Qin Lunong were hospitalized either.
"Okay, then." Tang Ruoyao said, her eyes dimming slightly.
Qin Yinong patted the back of her hand. "I'll bring breakfast tomorrow morning. Wait for me here."
Tang Ruoyao: "Mm."
As she moved to hug Qin Yinong, the latter stiffened like facing a great enemy, quickly pressing a hand against her shoulder to stop her. Turning to Tang Hanzhang, she said respectfully, "Uncle, I'll head back now and visit you again tomorrow."
Tang Hanzhang nodded, his expression unreadable.
Tang Ruoyao picked up Qin Yinong's bag and coat. "I'll see you out."
Tang Ruoyao wanted to escort her to the hotel, but Qin Yinong refused. With Guan Han accompanying her, Tang Ruoyao would have to return alone after seeing her off, which Qin Yinong couldn't bear. The two lingered at the hospital entrance, reluctant to part, whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Guan Han stood like a tree in her black trench coat, hands tucked in her pockets.
"I'm heading back now."
"See you tomorrow."
Tang Ruoyao watched as the two crossed the street and disappeared into the dense shadows of the trees before turning back to the hospital room.
Tang Hanzhang could only move his upper limbs at the moment. His hospital bed had been adjusted higher, and a small table was set up in front of him with a book spread open. He struggled to turn the pages.
Tang Ruoyao sat down on the stool beside his bed and got straight to the point.
"Dad, you already know, don't you?"
Tang Hanzhang's fingers paused mid-turn. The paper brushed against his fingertips before falling back to the original page.
He let out a breath he had been holding. His chest heaved heavily.
Then he looked up, his gaze gentle.
Tang Ruoyao asked, "Do you approve of me and her?"
Tang Hanzhang looked at her, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes.
He had just woken up, and here his daughter was, pressing him about this—her heart completely tied to someone else. What father would be happy about that?
Tang Ruoyao didn't understand his thoughts. All she saw was him closing his eyes, refusing to speak to her.
Tang Ruoyao: "..."
"Dad?"
"Daddy?"
"Pops?"
She switched to a fawning tone: "Oh, great scholar Tang?"
The great scholar Tang lifted his wrist and pointed downward at the bed adjustment switch, signaling for her to lower the head of the bed—he wanted to sleep.
Tang Ruoyao dragged out her words in a whine: "Daddy~"
Father Tang remained unmoved.
Frustrated, Tang Ruoyao went to wash up in the bathroom, then lay down on the adjacent bed. After turning off the lights, she started texting Qin Yinong. The glow of her phone screen illuminated her face, beaming with joy, as if she might sprout flowers any second.
Tang Hanzhang turned his head to look, exhaling heavily—a sound that was especially clear in the quiet of the night.
Tang Ruoyao immediately put away her phone and scrambled to turn the light back on.
"Dad, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Tang Hanzhang's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. He said in a weak voice, "I want... some water."
Tang Ruoyao hurriedly brought him water, her face unable to hide her concern.
Tang Hanzhang wasn't actually thirsty. He symbolically took two sips and said in a broken voice, "You... and her... how... did..."
He had wanted to ask for a while, but he hadn't been able to speak earlier. His daughter had been completely lovestruck—how could he, as her father, not worry? Especially since the person in question was Qin Yinong, a superstar who had already been a household name before he fell into a coma.
Qin Yinong had been right about one thing: Tang Hanzhang had indeed been jolted awake by her.
The daughter he cherished most had not only fallen in love but was also about to get married. And that fiancée had shamelessly grabbed his hand, boldly calling him "father-in-law" outright, promising to take good care of his daughter and assuring him not to worry.
How could he not worry?!
'Who the hell are you? Did I agree to this? And you just think you can marry my daughter?!'
He wasn't dead yet!
Furious and anxious, Tang Hanzhang's unprecedented determination finally broke through his restraints, waking him up.
Even though Tang Hanzhang's words were incomplete, Tang Ruoyao understood. Her face lit up with joy as she began recounting her story with Qin Yinong in detail.
Tang Hanzhang snorted inwardly: 'Let's see just how this shameless woman managed to steal my daughter away.'
Author's Note:
Qin Yinong: Father-in-law!
Father Tang: Pah! Shameless!
Qin Yinong: ???
Tang Ruoyao: We still need some face—I'm saving it for later ♀ use.
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