Chapter 42

Her head full of rings, Yan Qingqiu stepped outside to take the call.

"Buying a ring is way too early." She spoke with the gravity of an elder trying to talk sense into someone. "You haven't even met your wife yet. What if her looks aren't to your liking, or—or her height and weight don't match your aesthetic?"

"I trust your judgment. You wouldn't pick someone totally unsuitable for me and just pass them off." Song Qingre was serious, a light smile threading her words. When it came to finding a wife, she trusted Yan Qingqiu wholeheartedly.

Sometimes she shouldn't trust her that much. She didn't even trust herself.

Yan Qingqiu's eyes grew hot, her breathing heavy, as if she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" Song Qingre asked. "Did my eagerness scare you?"

"No, it's just… I deserve this."

Yan Qingqiu wanted to explain. She could grit her teeth and work hard to pay Song Qingre back—what was one hundred million? She, Yan Qingqiu, could pay it off.

"Having a wife for all 365 days is making me a bit happy, so I keep wanting to talk to you. You don't mind, do you?" Song Qingre's voice softened, a genuine laugh behind it—different from the smiles Yan Qingqiu usually saw.

Song Qingre was like the protective film on a photograph, guarding the frozen image within. Fingers couldn't touch the inside, and once torn away, the protection was lost—a little light would blur and distort it.

Yan Qingqiu didn't want to break that happiness. She was also immersed in the enjoyment of it.

"I don't mind…"

Having a wife for 365 days was indeed a wonderful thing.

"Wait, what time are you going to see your wife?" Yan Qingqiu asked hurriedly. "No, no." She was getting confused. "What time are you buying the ring?"

"I'm going now." There was a hint of reluctance in Song Qingre's tone, as if she really wanted Yan Qingqiu to come along, but she didn't have that kind of ability.

She was scared to death herself.

"No." Yan Qingqiu stopped her.

"Why?" Song Qingre was utterly baffled.

"It's just… your wife doesn't like it when you buy rings at 11 AM…" Even as she said it, she felt how ridiculous she sounded. Yan Qingqiu continued, "You definitely wouldn't be able to stand her. She has a weird temper, you know, you might not even like her…"

Song Qingre listened quietly, noticing her voice fading. She said, "That's fine. I think my wife, even if she's fussy, is the most, most, most adorable. If I can't accept that, how could I dare call her my wife?"

Yan Qingqiu was stunned. She wanted to say, you're so good, being your wife must be so happy.

Wuwuwu.

If your wife rejected you, she'd be truly ungrateful.

"So, please ask my wife—what time does she want me to buy the ring?" Song Qingre pressed on.

"I…" Yan Qingqiu thought it over, her gaze falling on the wall across. What time…

"Go after work."

"Okay, then tell my wife…" Song Qingre paused, seeming shy. "Never mind, some things I need to say to her in person. Just pass on one message: tell her to remember to miss me. I miss her so much."

Yan Qingqiu hummed an acknowledgment, her face warm. "I will."

"Then can you come with me to pick the ring? This is my first time buying one, and I can't gauge my wife's tastes. I'll pick you up after work?"

Yan Qingqiu swallowed. "I'll… see. Gotta go."

But after saying that, neither hung up.

Their breaths mingled through the line until Yan Qingqiu heard voices nearby, like someone approaching. "Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up.

Fu Sang walked past her, no exchange between them. Maybe the other woman didn't even deign to say something nasty or pull petty tricks to annoy her.

"Xingjie." Fu Sang pushed the door open with a bit more force.

Su Xingjie was eating, her voice muffled. "Hmm? What's up?"

"Why did I lose my endorsement? Didn't we agree I'd sign with Wilderness?" Fu Sang demanded.

Su Xingjie said, "Wilderness changed their spokesperson—they chose someone else. I already had your agent show you other endorsements."

Fu Sang frowned, looking at the spoon in Su Xingjie's hand and the ice cream she was lifting to her lips. Qiang Wei was also eating. Her tone turned odd. "How can you still eat that?"

Qiang Wei was startled, about to set down her dish. She glanced at Su Xingjie. "President Su, should I take yours away…"

Su Xingjie shook her head, her hand resting on her chin, the golden spoon held between her fingers, long hair pooling on her shoulders, her red lips glistening from the ice cream—she looked exquisitely cold and alluring. She said, displeased, "Do you know who you're talking to? Making such a fuss?"

Fu Sang said sourly, "Wait until the resources in your hands get taken away—then you'll know how it feels."

She clearly meant it for Yan Qingqiu, who had come in and sat on the sofa, chatting with Song Qingre on her phone, trying to persuade her not to rush, that they could wait a bit.

Now that she was mentioned, she put her phone aside for a moment.

"So, why? Is my fame not as good as hers?"

Fu Sang's tone was accusatory, showing no respect for Su Xingjie.

Su Xingjie was deeply uncomfortable. "Be respectful when you speak to me. Any model under ER survives because of me. I haven't seen anyone else like you, questioning who I choose to promote."

Fu Sang said bluntly, "Isn't it because of her? You deliberately took my resource to give to her."

Su Xingjie was about to say no—she usually took resources from competitors, not from her own people.

But Yan Qingqiu spoke first. "Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes, I took it, so what?" She admitted it, crossing her long legs with a hint of lazy arrogance. "So what if I did, so what if I didn't? You know very well whether the partner had their eye on you. I don't think you're stupid enough to come to your director without first asking the partner. If you didn't even ask and came straight to question the director, then you're a real fool—no matter how you cook it, you never get done. Or maybe you did ask, couldn't accept it, and came here to vent? Well, Xingxing gave you too much freedom, and it burned you to the point you lost yourself."

She fired back with a string of sharp retorts, and Fu Sang's expression changed completely.

Fu Sang clearly looked down on her, sneering. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have to speak here?"

In her eyes, Yan Qingqiu was just someone with connections who'd shot a few quarterly photos—not on her level, not even worth talking to.

"Who am I?" Yan Qingqiu walked over to Su Xingjie, who stood up, and she sat directly in the chair. She swiveled it arrogantly, enjoying the director's seat. "I'm your director's precious darling. So yes, I have the right to speak here. Stop yelling around here. Who in the whole company is as rude as you? People should know their place and their worth."

Su Xingjie curled her lips, watching Fu Sang get speechless with rage.

"From now on, have your agent report to me. No need to barge into my office every time."

"Xingjie!" Fu Sang called out.

"Who're you calling 'Sister Xing'? How presumptuous. Don't try to get chummy." Yan Qingqiu said, "This is my Xingxing."

"Xingxing, feed me some cake."

Su Xingjie wanted to get her a different spoon, but Yan Qingqiu shook her head—no need. Since when did sisters mind such things? Su Xingjie fed her ice cream, and Yan Qingqiu swallowed it in one bite, then glanced at Qiang Wei. Qiang Wei's lashes fluttered, and she fed her too.

Yan Qingqiu leaned back, looking thoroughly pleased. She'd long been sick of Fu Sang. If she wanted to fight, they'd fight—she'd see who could out-talk whom. Her villainess mouth wasn't to be underestimated.

"Mmm…" She licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. "So sweet."

"Xingxing, later, have all the models come and feed me, okay?"

Su Xingjie laughed. She knew Yan Qingqiu was defending her, and also joking. She gave Fu Sang a cold look. "Go back. From now on, have your agent handle reporting."

Fu Sang stared hard at Yan Qingqiu, who kept eating the ice cream fed by beautiful women right in front of her. Fu Sang said, "Director, do you really have to do this? Look at her qualifications. You'd offend me for her?"

"Did you not hear me? Fu Sang, Wilderness really didn't pick you. If you keep making a scene, I won't hesitate to cut your resources." Su Xingjie reiterated, her patience gone.

Fu Sang's gaze at Su Xingjie was strange—an indescribable emotion, hard to pin down. It just seemed like she was deeply unwilling, as if she thought Su Xingjie should do everything she wanted.

Yan Qingqiu genuinely thought she had the villainess act down perfectly—coming in through the back door, trampling on their top model, and humiliating her.

Tsk tsk.

Fu Sang ground her teeth, but no one here sided with her. She turned and left, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor to vent her fury.

Her assistant stayed close, hardly daring to breathe, head down, following tightly.

That had been a clash of titans—no one could afford to offend either side. Once outside, the assistant quietly reminded her, "Fu Sang, Sister Shishi has warned you several times to be polite to Sister Qiang Wei. She's a senior in the company."

"A senior is still in the past. Shishi only wanted to bring Qiang Wei up back then, but Xingjie got there first, and she's been stuck on that ever since." Fu Sang said coldly.

The assistant pursed her lips, wanting to say something but swallowing it back. That wasn't quite fair—Qiang Wei just had a good temper. If she wanted to throw her weight around, everyone in the company would have to call her 'Sister.'

"The way she fed cake to Yan Qingqiu, I'm disgusted…" Fu Sang frowned hard. "And Xingjie, for her… took my resources. I'm the company's ace. If I don't go to the Winter Show, what's she going to use to draw attention? She wasn't like this before—she listened to me. Is it all because of a pretty face?"

"President Su fed Miss Yan too. Miss Yan is the director's heart. You should just bear with it…"

She immediately received a glare from Fu Sang.

The moment Fu Sang left, Yan Qingqiu jumped up from the chair. "No more feeding, no more feeding. I was just putting on a show."

Beside her, Qiang Wei let out a soft laugh.

Yan Qingqiu remembered Qiang Wei's position and apologized to her as well. Qiang Wei said it was fine—she knew Yan Qingqiu was just trying to provoke Fu Sang.

Yan Qingqiu continued, "You can't let them walk all over you like that. It's infuriating. I even got angry."

She thought for a moment. "There's a saying: 'Lenient commanders breed weak troops.' You're too good to them, and now they push you around every day, acting like you can't function without them."

"Mhm, I know." Su Xingjie nodded obediently.

Yan Qingqiu really wanted to pat her best friend's head. Without her protection, what would her poor friend do?

Qiang Wei chuckled beside them. Yan Qingqiu looked at her, puzzled, but Qiang Wei just shook her head. Yan Qingqiu didn't get it, so she went back to earnestly lecturing Su Xingjie not to let herself get bullied, not to cover for them—if a fire ever spread, you couldn't pat it out. They should bear the consequences of their own mistakes.

Qiang Wei smiled as she listened. It was because Su Xingjie was famously formidable. Models liked to cause trouble, but no one dared bully her.

Yan Qingqiu rattled on for a while, then said, "So, I'm off?"

"Wait, the contract."

Su Xingjie pulled a contract from her drawer and handed it to Yan Qingqiu. Yan Qingqiu was stunned by the partner's name—it was Wilderness. So Wilderness had chosen her?

"Wilderness approached you. They want to sign a one-year contract with a signing fee of twenty million. I negotiated it up to twenty-five million. Take it home and look it over, have your assistant analyze it." She took out another box. "And these are the perfumes they sent. Use them."

"Oh, okay."

Yan Qingqiu picked up the things and the contract, dumbfounded for a second, then quickly recovered. Not bad—Yan Qingqiu, you not only stole the top model's contract, you also gave her a piece of your mind.

Forget it, it's done. What's the use of crying over spilled milk?

As her longtime best friend, Su Xingjie could see what she was thinking at a glance, so she explained.

What Yan Qingqiu had said was true—Wilderness really hadn't set their sights on Fu Sang. Fu Sang had too many endorsements, using all kinds of products, and the company thought it wasn't worth it. They'd chosen Yan Qingqiu mainly because Su Xingjie was promoting her. Over the years, Su Xingjie had launched many models, and if they gave the endorsement to Yan Qingqiu and she later blew up, they'd hit the jackpot. Right now, they didn't care about the money.

Besides, if a suitable perfume line came up later, they could still approach Fu Sang then.

Yan Qingqiu headed back with her things. Ji Xiangsi and Xiao Die were still eating. Ji Xiangsi set hers down first and came to help with the contract. "Got the contract?"

Yan Qingqiu nodded. She glanced at the cake on the table, impressed—those two had finished it all. She told Xiao Die to clean up and set the perfume gift box on the table.

"So good." Xiao Die's mouth was stuffed, her smile showing a dimple.

Yan Qingqiu sat in the office chair and opened the perfume boxes one by one. They were all high-end.

"Wilderness?" Ji Xiangsi asked.

Yan Qingqiu asked, "You both already know?"

They nodded. The day Yan Qingqiu returned, news spread through the company that she'd gotten the Wilderness endorsement. That's why Qing Feng and Wu Yue had been giving her dirty looks. Yan Qingqiu pulled a perfume from the box, sniffing it even through the bottle. She took several deep whiffs. "So, how did the Qing Feng thing get resolved?"

"Qing Feng was fired, Wu Yue was punished, two endorsements were suspended, and she was removed from the Winter Show," Ji Xiangsi said.

"Isn't that pretty severe?" Yan Qingqiu asked.

Ji Xiangsi said, "President Su found out some other things. She was taking illegal drugs. Wu Yue is a beta—she might have been too anxious. She took one of those gender-switching drugs on the market, trying to turn into an alpha. Qing Feng exposed her."

Yan Qingqiu had gone through secondary differentiation, so she'd looked it up before—once a beta's gender is set, they can't become an alpha or omega. There were drugs on the market that made you look like an A or O, but they were extremely harmful. Addiction was the least of it; turning into some freak was the real terror. Such drugs were strictly banned by the state.

These models really had guts.

It hadn't been that long since Su Xingjie's last major crackdown.

Yan Qingqiu asked, "Did anyone say who was behind it?"

"No. Qing Feng insists Wu Yue ordered her to do it. Wu Yue denies it and threatened to kill herself, saying if President Su didn't believe her, she'd rather die. With Wu Yue like that, I don't think she was the one who ordered it. Whoever's behind it hasn't been found yet."

Yan Qingqiu thought about who it could be.

She held up the bottle—a simple, elegant square bottle, stunningly beautiful. She opened one and sprayed it on her wrist, then called the two of them over and sprayed them too. "Smell good?"

Ji Xiangsi leaned in and sniffed. "Good."

Yan Qingqiu grabbed two more bottles and sprayed them, then smelled herself. "With this much on, won't it be too strong? What if people say I stink?"

"How could that be? Sister Qiu, you're the most powerful alpha—you can carry it," Xiao Die said.

"Mhm, you sure know how to talk." Yan Qingqiu sniffed herself and sighed. "God, I smell amazing!"

"Yeah, even better than an omega," Xiao Die said. "You have class this afternoon—don't forget. I made you a schedule and stuck it on your desk."

"Mhm." Yan Qingqiu nodded. "Thanks."

Ji Xiangsi pulled out the glue stick from her drawer and noticed a few paper-folded bunnies inside. "Sister Qiu, your hands are so skilled."

Yan Qingqiu felt embarrassed—she'd just folded them casually. She was clumsy with her hands; this was about the only hobby she had.

Her class was at three in the afternoon, so she decided to reinforce what she'd learned yesterday. She stood up and had the two of them watch her walk, following the teacher's instructions from the day before. "How is it? Be honest. Don't flatter me."

"Honestly? A bit like a zombie."

At their assessment, Yan Qingqiu's face flushed. Oh no—she'd deliberately walked like that in front of Song Qingre before. Was Song Qingre laughing at her? She had Xiao Die film her.

Her assistant comforted her, "It's okay, take it slow. Sister Qiu, don't be so stiff. Relax your shoulders a bit… Yeah. Don't stick your chest out too much."

"Mm-hmm."

Yan Qingqiu followed seriously. "Teach me more."

At lunch, the two assistants ate in her office, while Yan Qingqiu practiced her walk nearby. If she couldn't get it the first time, she'd do it over and over, and soon she had the basic posture down.

—

At five in the afternoon, Yan Qingqiu got off work. This morning, Song Qingre had driven her to the office. She stood outside the door, hands in her pockets, waiting for a while, but Song Qingre didn't show up. She remembered the phone call.

Yan Qingqiu grew worried. She didn't actually go to buy a ring, did she?

She pulled out her phone, and her head bowed as she typed. She sent a message first: 【Are you off work yet?】

Song Qingre didn't reply. After a long wait, Yan Qingqiu was burning with anxiety. Finally, Song Qingre sent a voice message: "I'm buying the ring right now. What's up?"

Yan Qingqiu felt dizzy. She typed: 【Buying a ring?! How am I supposed to get home? Did you forget about me?】

Song Qingre replied: "I didn't forget. I just couldn't wait, so I came to look first."

"Oh." Yan Qingqiu's tone was heavy.

"Then…wait for me there. I'll come pick you up right away. You can help me look too."

"No need!" Yan Qingqiu immediately stopped her. "I'll catch a ride with Xingxing."

Song Qingre was silent for a moment. Yan Qingqiu said, "This is the punishment for your impulsiveness. You've lost the privilege of picking me up."

With that, she hailed a passing taxi. She messaged Song Qingre: 【Which store are you at? Send me the address. I'll show your wife and ask if she likes it.】

Song Qingre shared her location: 【LU Bigstrong】

Yan Qingqiu looked at the address and showed it to the driver. The driver was chatty. "Oh, this place—getting married, are we?"

"No, no… a friend is getting married. I'm just going to look."

"Ah, I see." The driver headed there.

It was only a few minutes. When they arrived, Yan Qingqiu scanned the QR code to pay and got out. She stood at the entrance, not daring to go inside.

It was a big brand, selling all kinds of jewelry. She'd been there a few times with Su Xingjie, usually buying brooches or cufflinks.

Once or twice, she'd seen rings she fancied, but she'd never had enough money and couldn't bear to splurge. She peered through the glass window.

She was so absorbed that she didn't notice someone standing beside her.

"Miss Yan?" a sales clerk called.

"Ah?"

Yan Qingqiu snapped back, startled. She straightened up and looked at the clerk. "What is it?"

The clerk said warmly, "Would you like to come in and take a look? I've saved a brooch for you. We also just got some pearl bracelets. Maybe I can show you those too?"

"No, no."

I'm broke now—I owe someone money, and I owe her a wife. I can't afford such luxuries. If things ever got that bad, I'd pawn my belongings first.

"By the way, is that Miss Yan still in there? I mean, is Miss Song in there?" Yan Qingqiu asked.

"She's inside looking at rings. Should I call her?"

"No, no. Just point out where she is," Yan Qingqiu said in a very low voice. "Don't disturb her."

The clerk directed her to another angle. From the left door to the right door, Song Qingre sat on a unihorn chair, carefully picking out rings, squinting slightly. She kept trying different ones, one after another, until she settled on a pearl ring—a white oval pearl surrounded by a ring of tiny blue diamonds.

Yan Qingqiu craned her neck. Pretty.

She really knows my taste. Yan Qingqiu kept staring, her lips pressed together, biting them with her teeth.

Song Qingre picked up another ring—a purple diamond, at least ten carats. Yan Qingqiu stared, then looked away.

Back and forth, she was nearly pressed against the glass door.

The clerk whispered to her, "That ring just arrived—natural pearls and violet diamonds. Truly one of a kind, a world-class unique piece."

That must be expensive.

Yan Qingqiu thought.

"Miss Song seems to like it a lot."

"Mm."

"Hey, isn't that Yan Qingqiu? Why aren't you going in to buy?" Someone passed by, glancing at Yan Qingqiu, her tone dripping with condescension.

Yan Qingqiu didn't really know her, but from her voice, she could tell which side she was on.

"Can't afford it, right? Just here to window-shop." The woman's tone was snide.

Yan Qingqiu couldn't be bothered to respond, only worrying that Song Qingre might hear. If Song Qingre found out she was here, it would be awkward.

Luckily, after saying her piece, the woman hurried off to share with her friend, going inside to call Luo Xi.

Luo Xi asked, "She's alone? What about Song Qingre?"

"Didn't see… Oh, I see her now." Her friend said, "She's buying a ring. Those are tens of millions each. What's she doing with that? Getting married to your Brother Fu? No way—Yan Qingqiu doesn't like Fu Ye anymore. Is she about to make her move? Your situation is really tough."

Luo Xi felt her friend was utterly stupid. "Of course it's for her to marry Yan Qingqiu! How can you be so dumb?"

"…Damn, no wonder Yan Qingqiu kept smiling and then plastering herself against the glass. I thought she was broke. Who would've thought rivals would end up together."

She looked at Yan Qingqiu again. At the entrance, Yan Qingqiu's lips kept curling up, but then they'd fall just as quickly. No matter what, her gaze was fixed on Song Qingre, utterly hungry and desperate—clearly she wanted it badly.

She quickly snapped a photo and sent it to Luo Xi.

Luo Xi looked through the pictures one by one. Soon, her phone rang—it was Fu Ye. She stared at it, dazed.

"What, want to answer? Should I stop for a moment?" Ye Sichun paused, asking.

"No, keep going."

Luo Xi put the phone down. Fu Ye definitely would ask if they were getting married—not because he cared about her.

She closed her eyes, then opened them quickly. What had she just said?!

It was just a hairstyle. Why did it sound so suggestive?

All because of Yan Qingqiu—she'd been corrupted by her lately.

Luo Xi snuck a look in the mirror. Ye Sichun was working on her hair carefully, and when she noticed the glance, she returned it with a gentle smile.

Yan Qingqiu kept standing at the door, and Song Qingre kept looking at rings, practically going through all of them.

By the time Yan Qingqiu's eyes were tired and her legs ached, she clenched her fist and thumped her thigh.

The clerk kindly said, "Why don't you come sit inside? I'll find you a hidden spot where she won't see you."

"Mm…" Yan Qingqiu nodded, and the clerk led her in, seating her at the very back. She brought tea and a magazine. Yan Qingqiu hid her face behind the magazine, peeking out now and then, and texted Song Qingre: 【Are you not done yet?】

Song Qingre had set a separate alert for her, so her phone vibrated with the message. Yan Qingqiu saw the vibration with surprise and sent a few more.

Song Qingre set the ring down and picked up her phone to reply: 【I'm a bit torn. Don't know what kind to get.】

Yan Qingqiu: 【If you really can't decide, you can come back later. No rush.】

Song Qingre didn't reply to that. She said something to the clerk, who nodded, then started wrapping up something. Song Qingre handed a card to the clerk, then turned her head and looked back. Yan Qingqiu quickly raised the magazine to hide her face. Song Qingre stared for a few seconds, then turned away. Yan Qingqiu's heart pounded erratically in her chest.

What did she buy? Which one did she get?

Yan Qingqiu desperately wanted to see. She waited and waited until Song Qingre had finished and was about to leave. The clerks said warmly, "Take care, Miss Song."

Clearly, she'd spent a fortune.

Yan Qingqiu stood up immediately and walked to the counter to ask the sales clerk.

The clerk said apologetically, "Miss Song asked us not to say. She said those rings are for her wife—only her wife can know."

Yan Qingqiu nodded, disappointed. She didn't blame the clerk. She looked outside and saw Song Qingre get into her car and drive off. Yan Qingqiu hurried to hail another taxi, planning to get home before Song Qingre.

—

Forty minutes later,

Yan Qingqiu arrived home first, beating Song Qingre. She reached the door moments before Song Qingre walked in carrying something. Yan Qingqiu quickly sat on the sofa, crossing her legs, pretending she'd been there a while.

Song Qingre came in with her things. Yan Qingqiu deliberately looked at her. "Oh, you're back so late."

Song Qingre smiled lightly, her suit jacket draped over her arm, the black turtleneck covering half her neck, her bangs slanting across her forehead.

She was smiling. "Doesn't Qiuqiu already know?"

"I—I know what?"

Yan Qingqiu hadn't even caught her breath. Did she know I went to spy on her? That can't be, right?

"I told you on the phone." Song Qingre laughed softly. "Don't tease me."

She looked a little shy, and she walked up the stairs step by step, the bag in her hand hidden by her clothes. Yan Qingqiu couldn't see it at all. She kicked the coffee table with her leg. Damn it, why wouldn't she show her?

That evening, they had little interaction. Song Qingre ate quietly, lost in her own happiness. Every time Yan Qingqiu looked at her, she'd smile back, then wink.

This is killing me…

She barely made it through until evening, when she went back upstairs. Song Qingre passed by her room but suddenly stopped. Yan Qingqiu thought, finally she's going to talk—can't hold it in anymore, huh?

Song Qingre walked over to her. "One favor: tomorrow, bring my wife out. I really want to see her."

Those words warmed her ears. Song Qingre passed behind her and opened her own door.

"Wait!" Yan Qingqiu called out.

Song Qingre turned. "What's up?"

Yan Qingqiu pulled a perfume bottle from her pocket, not looking at it, and shoved it toward her. "Here!"

Song Qingre's eyes arched in surprise. She walked over, took it, and sniffed the fragrance. "Is it from my wife?"

Yan Qingqiu's face turned bright red. She put on a fierce look and stammered, "Wha—what do you mean your wife gave it? I gave it! My first endorsement! I'm shooting a commercial in a few days!"

With that, she dashed into her room first, her face burning hot.

Song Qingre held the bottle. It was from his wife, after all.

Yan Qingqiu went into the room, from the bathtub to the bed, from the bed to the balcony, from the balcony to the window, and finally sat on the floor by the wall. She lay there for a while, one leg slowly lifting, knee bent, arm behind her head, breathing heavily.

Before long, she felt tears streaming down her face—hot tears.

Where was she supposed to find a wife? She didn't have one. If she had a wife, she'd make her kneel at her feet and kiss her…

Song Qingre sent her a voice message: "Spraying your perfume, I miss my wife so much I can't sleep. Ugh, this is so twisted and immoral."

Yan Qingqiu groaned. She couldn't take it.

That phrase again.

Yan Qingqiu was numb. Stop it, just stop. I'm about to go behind your wife's back and have an affair with you.

Song Qingre sent another: 【Want to kiss her. Want to hug her.】

She cursed back: 【Stop being so wanton, you little slut! Talk tomorrow!】

Yan Qingqiu rolled over, and soon curled up, groaning softly. The feeling still wouldn't fade. She turned and slapped herself hard on the butt.

"Shameless. Behave."

Soon, a numbing sensation spread.

It felt better when Song Qingre hit her.

Mm… I'm the shameless one.

—

As late autumn arrived, the temperature dropped. Everyone in the family got up early. Yan Qingqiu wore a beige knit dress with a cardigan over it.

"Why's Xiaore eating so fast today?" Yan Fu remarked, watching Song Qingre, who was eating quicker than usual.

Usually, Yan Qingqiu ate fastest in the house. Now it was Song Qingre.

But no matter who ate quickly, it meant they had urgent business—and not exactly proper business.

Song Qingre wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Going on a date with my wife."

"Cough, cough!" Yan Qingqiu nearly choked to death from the surprise. She set down her soy milk.

"What… wife?" Yan Fu's face turned red at the comment. As a man who'd once had a wife, he was shocked by such bold talk from the younger generation. Was this a bit too audacious?

He glanced at his daughter, who was coughing so hard her face was red, frantically searching for a napkin to wipe her mouth.

Song Qingre set down her chopsticks and said politely, "Uncle, sorry, I can't explain now—I have to go." But as she stood, her first look was at Yan Qingqiu, the implication clear—she was practically saying: don't forget the date.

Song Qingre drove off, leaving Yan Qingqiu alone. Yan Fu looked at his daughter. Yan Qingqiu wished she could crawl into a crack in the floor. Yan Fu pushed up his glasses, looking serious, and said, "Qiuqiu, this relationship of yours—how does it keep changing every day? I can barely keep up."

"Dad, this… it's really hard to explain, you know?"

"If Xiaore won't explain, then you explain," Yan Fu said.

Yan Qingqiu was speechless. "That's not what I meant."

The butler pulled up a chair and sat down, looking like he was all ears. "Miss, this indeed needs explaining. A wife is no small matter."

"She asked me to find her a wife…" That didn't sound right either. Her head was spinning. "I said I'd find her one…"

The two were getting confused too. "And then? You ended up as her wife?"

The butler asked seriously, "Are you her wife now?"

Yan Qingqiu felt like she was being interrogated. If she kept talking, she'd confess everything. She really was losing her mind. She jumped up and dashed out. "I'm off to work now. Lots to do."

The butler had been about to offer to drive her, but she ran off so fast. The butler thought—well, she was busy too. She had work, and she also had to squeeze in time for dates… How could she manage?

The two men at home stared at each other. Yan Fu also got up for work, sighing. "Tomorrow, I'll ask around. With those two going back and forth like this, they might just elope and get married, and I'd be the last to know."

The butler escorted him, nodding respectfully. "Very well."

Then he muttered, "But isn't the household register still with you… Ah, we should be careful—the miss might try to steal it."

Yan Qingqiu couldn't stop thinking about marriage. She was distracted, going straight to the classroom at ER, arriving first. The teacher was surprised.

Yan Qingqiu worked hard and attentively, but when class ended, she sat staring into space.

The teacher noticed something was off and handed her a bottle of water. "Why so listless?"

In class, the teacher was strict, but in private, she was gentle.

Yan Qingqiu took the water and sighed, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window. She didn't know how to say it. "I have this friend—she promised to introduce a wife to someone, but the intro failed. Now the other person is ecstatic, thinking she really has a wife. She even bought a diamond ring and wants to meet the wife today."

"And then?" the teacher asked. "What are you conflicted about? Do you like your friend?"

"No…"

"Do you like the person who wants a wife?"

"That's not it either!"

"Then you're this friend?"

Yan Qingqiu pressed her lips together, unable to speak.

Teacher, you're too sharp.

The teacher saw right through her. "If you want to go, just go. Class ends at 3:30 today—should be enough time, right? You want to go, don't you?"

Yan Qingqiu nearly crushed the water bottle in her hand.

Then her phone rang, and the teacher stood up and left. Yan Qingqiu wiped the water from her fingers while looking at the teacher.

Why did Song Qingre call and hang up so fast?

After a moment, she realized—it was a text, not a call.

Song Qingre: 【Here's the address. I'll wait here for my wife to show up.】

What should I do, what should I do.

After reading it, Yan Qingqiu chose to go to class, to numb herself. She started walking stiffly again, even the system noticed something was off.

The system asked in confusion, 【What happened between you two? I was only blocked for a moment, and now you're talking about marriage? Who's getting married?】

Yan Qingqiu replied gloomily, 【Don't know.】

The system asked, 【You're unhappy? Is Song Qingre getting married?】

Yan Qingqiu snapped back, 【And what reason do I have to be happy?】

The system probed. 【You're upset?】

Yeah, yeah, I'm dying of sadness.

Yan Qingqiu wanted to cry, pressing her lips together in silence, her heart racing. The system scanned her body and then fell silent.

But it quickly noticed something off. Song Qingre was getting married, and Yan Qingqiu was extremely nervous. After class, she went back to the office and started tidying herself up—not only changing into a sexy dress in the office, but also spraying perfume, looking like she was going into battle.

The system said, 【You're going to compete with Song Qingre's fiancée?】

Yan Qingqiu: 【I'm not. Can you stop jumping to conclusions?】 This was getting more ridiculous by the minute. The system had only been offline for a day—how did it guess something so absurd? What plot did it think this was?

Song Qingre was heartbroken and found a new lover?

What kind of person did it think Song Qingre was! Honestly!

The system: 【Host, don't mess up the plot. Don't go overboard, don't fight with Song Qingre either. If she wants to get married, let her. Let her progress first. I'm already fixing bugs, and soon I can help you monitor the plot.】

Yan Qingqiu didn't respond, and it added enthusiastically, 【This way, we can also collect plot points.】

But it wouldn't say what bug—it didn't want to bring up the jellyfish. Yan Qingqiu was in no mood to figure out whether it had deleted her memories about the jellyfish.

Anyway, she'd just pretend not to know… in case the system messed with her memories again.

She wanted to tell the system, "You idiot! She might want to marry me! Who do you think it is?"

System, are you really that eager for Song Qingre to marry someone else? What are you even thinking?! Even I think Song Qingre wouldn't marry anyone else! She really likes Miss Yan!

After changing, Yan Qingqiu didn't go out. She slumped over her desk. Ji Xiangsi brought in a bouquet of roses. Yan Qingqiu made her bring it over, plucked one, and started tearing off petals.

"Go, don't go, go, don't go…"

The last petal fell, her fingertips stained with the red juice of the rose. All the roses were bald. "Don't go."

Yan Qingqiu took a deep breath, inhaling the rich scent of roses. She looked at the stems: "This is fate's decision, not mine."

—

At 6 PM.

On the 18th floor of the hotel, moonlight was bright and clear. A layer of rose petals covered the floor, and a glass of red wine sat on the table. Song Qingre sat quietly, her gaze drifting past the floor-to-ceiling window to the moon outside.

Chin resting on her hand, she'd chosen the Chateau Garden Hotel—a continuous stretch of green, light falling on the leaves like fireflies flitting by.

As night deepened, a few stars were faintly visible.

The door pushed open. The newcomer stared blankly at the decorations inside, breathing hard, the V-neck of her dress rising and falling with her chest. She was so embarrassed she started stepping back. "Um… that is… what are you doing here? I just came to check."

Her gaze swept inside, for her sudden appearance had caught the person within off guard, who still held the posture of gazing at the moon.

Song Qingre turned her head and broke into a smile, a smile that warmed everything, even the moonlight that rippled at the corners of her lips.

Song Qingre rose to greet the newcomer, drawing her gently into the room, walking slowly, stepping on the rose petals. "Ah, I'm waiting here for my wife to come for our date."

"Oh…" Yan Qingqiu didn't know what to do; she just stared blankly.

Song Qingre said, "Has my wife arrived?"

Her voice was full of anticipation. Yan Qingqiu said, "She might have. I texted her, but she just hasn't found the right place."

Song Qingre picked up the wine bottle and poured grape juice into the glass opposite. "Then I'll pour some for my wife."

She filled it a third of the way, then began to wait, tapping the table with long, slender fingers. Just about half a minute—patient, as if she were waiting for her lover to arrive.

Yan Qingqiu's heart clenched painfully, her throat tight with difficulty. She pinched her fingertips hard to gather strength. "Actually, I came today to say…"

"You're wearing heels. Doesn't it hurt to stand?" Song Qingre asked. Then she rose and, very gently, pulled out the chair opposite her—an invitation to sit.

Yan Qingqiu couldn't decide whether to sit or not.

She felt her head aching. She could no longer think about anything complicated.

But standing hurt her feet even more. Running over in heels was exhausting. Why, when fate had made the choice for her, did she still come running?

Right, she had to stop Song Qingre, stop…

That chair seemed to have some kind of magic—one look and she wanted to sink into it. Song Qingre didn't urge her, the ambient light didn't shift, and the room was bathed in an utterly intimate warm tone. Yan Qingqiu glanced at the light outside the window—bright and shimmering, like a plane flying overhead, its red lights blinking like shooting stars.

Song Qingre walked up to her, the candle flames trembling on the table.

"Hungry?"

Song Qingre asked.

"A little."

She hadn't eaten much since breakfast. Her mind was full of Song Qingre's talk of a wife, so food had lost all flavor.

Song Qingre asked, "Qiuqiu, anything you want to eat?"

Yan Qingqiu kept her eyes down. "I'm not sure. You decide."

Song Qingre ordered desserts and steak. A waiter soon arrived with a cart, along with roses, which were placed by the window.

It was the first time in her life someone had treated her this romantically, like being held in the palm of a hand. She said she wanted stars, and the other person plucked them from the sky. If she was being unreasonable, the other person would gently tell her it was adorable.

Yan Qingqiu moved aside to give the waiter room to set up.

The waiter came and went quickly, not speaking or disturbing them.

Song Qingre looked at her, her eyes full of affection.

"Do you think… my wife would like this place?" Song Qingre asked softly, as light as a feather, and that feather drifted toward Yan Qingqiu, making her ears burn.

"I'm not in a hurry for her answer. She can take her time. When she's thought it over, she just needs to tell me first." Song Qingre said gently.

Yan Qingqiu struggled to keep her heart from racing, forgetting completely why she'd come. Both the food and the person were tempting her.

She felt no different from the previous transmigrator—taking over someone else's body, acting on her own, making choices for this body.

One second passed, then two.

Yan Qingqiu's fingers seemed to hesitate, crawling forward one by one, about to pinch Song Qingre's waist, then finally pointing at the table. She looked at the grape juice. "I'm a bit thirsty. I'll… enjoy it on behalf of your wife first."

"Let me feed you, as a thanks for giving me a wife."

Yan Qingqiu watched her tilt her head slightly. Song Qingre picked up the dark juice from the table, the triangle glass already barely holding any. She took a sip first, then walked step by step in front of her, lowered her head, and kissed her lips.

She fed her the drink—the grape juice.

The juice spilled, wetting her chin, and she kissed her chin, then fed it into her mouth.

"Mm… ha…"

Yan Qingqiu let her kiss her, without any resistance—even enjoying it. She tasted the tangy sweetness of grape juice. Her body felt like it was about to explode. She didn't know what to do; she wanted Song Qingre to tear her apart. She couldn't stop the soft moans.

The juice wasn't that sweet, but her mouth was tingling.

When Song Qingre's lips parted from hers, she was panting, her throat catching as she swallowed. She lowered her head to wipe her mouth, then lifted her chin again, wiping the wetness from her jaw as she looked at the woman before her. At that moment, she saw a moon.

Even though Song Qingre had her back to the floor-to-ceiling window, she couldn't help reaching out to scoop up this crescent moon. She extended her finger and touched the outline of Song Qingre's cheek. I've touched the moon, a voice in her heart said.

The moon hung high, but she had already been struck by desire, wanting another sip of that juice.

She traced the outline, her fingers trembling—she was never meant to be a painter.

Song Qingre rested a hand on the table, also breathing hard, letting out soft sighs… then lowered her head, her lips a delicate red, like drops of water, moist and glossy. She gently bit her own lip.

Song Qingre sat on the table, the candlelight flickering against her side. She extended a hand, her fingertips dancing lightly, and pulled the woman closer until they were inches apart.

Yan Qingqiu's fingers lingered on her face, on her water-moist lips. Song Qingre sucked on her finger…

Yan Qingqiu's breath trembled; she couldn't breathe through her nose anymore.

"How's my kissing? I've never tried a long kiss before. Can you judge for my wife first? Taste it and see how it feels?" Song Qingre asked, holding her wet finger, tracing her lips, letting her touch her tongue.

Then she pressed Yan Qingqiu's other hand to her chest—an unexpectedly strong heartbeat thrummed beneath. Yan Qingqiu's fingers lightly covered it.

Yan Qingqiu swallowed, unable to react, following instinct and that heartbeat. "Let me taste…"

Song Qingre drew her toward the chair, as if to sit and kiss there. She leaned close to Yan Qingqiu, whispering by her ear, "I'll give you my wife's seat. Sit and rest a while?"

Why did those words sound so enticing? Yan Qingqiu's heart softened. What was going on? How should I respond?

It was like she was saying: come sit in my wife's place. Be my wife.