This chapter is brought to you by ^_^, thanks for the ko-fi! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･
The private chat group of wealthy socialite friends never got a response from Shen Wanwan. Instead, they drifted into chatting about other topics—until someone suddenly sent a long string of exclamation marks.
“Wow, Shen Wanwan responded!!!”
“Well? Who’s the fiancé? Probably some pretty boy nobody’s ever heard of?”
“LMAO, people outside our circle might just be here for the drama and not know the guy’s name, but we all know every family’s background in this circle, kkkkk!”
The person who sent that message waited for a while but got no reply, so they couldn’t help sending another one.
“Where’d everyone go?”
A moment later, someone finally answered.
“…Quite the opposite.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Unable to wait for someone else to spill the tea, she hurried onto Weibo herself. To her surprise, the man who was usually inactive on the platform had also made his first post of the year.
@Qi Luozhou : [My heart remains devoted, as if seeing you for the very first time. (photo.jpg)]
The line was taken directly from their marriage certificate.
Besides the certificate itself, he also posted a photo of Shen Wanwan.
It was the very picture Shen Wanwan had once sent him, telling him he could use it as his phone wallpaper.
With her long hair cascading over her shoulders, she looked breathtakingly beautiful.
The evening breeze brushed past her as fireworks lit up the night behind her.
The group chat fell into complete silence.
Shen Wanwan’s fiancé…
…was none other than superstar Qi Luozhou.
The entertainment industry’s two biggest stars—Shao Yuye and Qi Luozhou—had both become the two men closest to her.
Just what kind of incredible luck did Shen Wanwan have?
The ‘WanZhou’ shippers, who had just been devastated by what they thought was a doomed pairing, were equally dumbfounded.
Just one second ago, they had been mourning the death of their ship.
Now they were completely knocked senseless by this unexpected blessing.
The couple themselves just fed them sugar!
Why don’t you two ever follow the usual script?
Normally, people would first notice little hints, then paparazzi would repeatedly catch the two appearing together. Everyone would gradually discover they had more and more interactions while the parties involved steadfastly refused to comment. Finally, one day, a hidden camera on some variety show would expose them, sending the entire internet into shock!
[Because she’s Wanwan.]
[Wanwan always spoils her fans the most!]
[AHHHHHH I’M DEAD! I’M ACTUALLY DEAD!!]
[So they’re really together?! This is way too shocking!!]
[So all those sweet moments on the show were REAL?! I knew it! God Zhou has worked with so many actresses before, but never has a real-life CP become this convincing!! Turns out it was real all along!!]
[This is so touching! Today finally feels like New Year’s!]
[We can finally ship them openly!!! I’m so happy!!]
The servers crashed almost instantly.
Soon afterward, one social media platform after another began suffering from lag and white screens.
When Shen Wanwan opened the comments section, it was still filled with stunned reactions.
[So… the man kissing Wanwan on the street…]
[…was God Zhou…]
[I can’t imagine God Zhou doing something like that…]
[How could you two be so bold?! You were completely crazy! Didn’t you think people would catch you?!]
Looking at the sea of disbelief, Shen Wanwan let out a smug little laugh.
That’s right.
Keep thinking of him that way.
The untouchable, worldly-detached God Zhou everyone admired…
…was actually wild and daring underneath.
“Satisfied now?”
Qi Luozhou’s gaze had also fallen on her phone screen. Seeing the triumphant curve of her lips, he spoke in a slightly hoarse voice tinged with amusement.
“Mm.”
Seeing that refreshing the page now only produced a blank screen, Shen Wanwan locked her phone.
“They’re all saying you were the one who corrupted me.”
She looked at him as she said it.
Her glossy red lips were irresistibly alluring.
Unable to help himself, Qi Luozhou leaned down and captured her lips. Between kisses, he murmured softly,
“Want to be a little worse?”
In response, Shen Wanwan simply wrapped her arms around his neck.
When it came to intimacy, she was always enthusiastic and wholehearted.
The veins at Qi Luozhou’s temple throbbed. The air seemed filled with her sweet fragrance. His hand tightened around her waist before effortlessly lifting her upward, carrying her the few steps to the sofa.
With her arms looped around his neck, she straddled him on her knees. The hem of her dress had become rumpled into messy folds.
It was the same position they’d been in last time on the sofa in her brother’s living room.
But unlike that time…
…he was far bolder now.
This kiss was fierce and chaotic. His warm tongue tangled powerfully with hers before his kisses gradually trailed downward.
His warm breath brushed against her neck, damp enough to make her shiver.
The room seemed several degrees hotter. At some point, his hand had slipped beneath the hem of her sweater.
Qi Luozhou paused.
When he looked up again, his captivating peach blossom eyes seemed clouded with a hazy mist.
He didn’t move any further.
Nor did he withdraw.
He simply looked up at her silently, asking for permission.
The moment Shen Wanwan met his gaze, her heart trembled, sending tingling waves through her body.
Just then—
Her phone rang at the worst possible moment.
She had no idea where she’d tossed it in the heat of the moment, but now it loudly announced its presence. The screen lit up from the crack between the sofa cushions.
Shen Wanwan glanced at the caller ID.
[Brother].
The hand around her waist tightened noticeably, as though dissatisfied by her distraction.
She gently pushed him.
“It’s my Brother.”
“Do you have to answer it now?”
His voice was husky, his normally clear eyes now clouded with desire.
“Mm.”
Only then did Qi Luozhou reluctantly release her lips.
Even so, he didn’t loosen his hold around her waist. Looking slightly helpless, he buried his head against her shoulder, his cheek resting against her collarbone.
His skin was unexpectedly hot.
Bending over, Shen Wanwan reached for the phone wedged between the sofa cushions.
As she moved, their bodies brushed against each other. She distinctly heard him let out a muffled groan.
She also keenly sensed that the firmness pressing against her had become even more pronounced.
She quickly retrieved her phone and answered it with practiced composure.
“Brother? What’s wrong?”
Shao Yuye stood in the kitchen at home and asked her, “Are you coming home for dinner tonight?”
The answer would determine whether he needed to cook at all. And if so, how many dishes to make.
Originally, Shen Wanwan had already arranged to have dinner with Qi Luozhou that evening.
But faced with her Brother’s question, she changed her mind without the slightest hesitation.
“I’ll be home.”
On the other end of the call, Shao Yuye’s voice became noticeably brighter.
“Great! I’ve learned a few new recipes. I’ll show off my cooking tonight!”
Shen Wanwan was about to say “okay,” but Qi Luozhou, having been abandoned so easily, bit the tip of her finger in playful retaliation.
The damp, tingling sensation nearly made Shen Wanwan cry out.
Hearing the change in her voice over the phone, Shao Yuye immediately asked anxiously,
“What’s wrong? Are you walking down the stairs? Watch your step. Don’t fall!”
Warmth filled Shen Wanwan’s heart. At that moment, Qi Luozhou’s little act seemed utterly despicable.
Pretending nothing had happened, she reassured her Brother and ended the call. As soon as she hung up, she heard Qi Luozhou’s jealous voice.
“So… no date with me tonight?”
“Mhm.”
She showed absolutely no guilt over changing her plans so suddenly.
“We’ve got plenty of time ahead of us.”
Plenty of time ahead.
With just those words, she effortlessly handed him the promise of a future to look forward to.
He gave a slight nod.
“All right. I’ll wait.”
As Shen Wanwan climbed off his lap, she deliberately lingered for a moment.
Even through two layers of fabric, the softness of her skin was impossible to ignore. A brief look of distraction flashed across Qi Luozhou’s eyes.
The desire he had barely suppressed surged back once more.
She curled her lips into a provocative smile, lifted one hand, and slowly beckoned with her fingers.
“I’m going home now. Bye~”
It was obvious she was getting back at him for teasing her earlier.
Miss Shen always repaid every slight in kind. Her greatest flaw was that she simply could not stand letting anyone gain the upper hand over her.
Looking at her radiant, unabashed smile, Qi Luozhou couldn’t help laughing.
It reminded him of the very first time he had met Shen Wanwan.
That day was his childhood friend’s birthday banquet. Nearly everyone in their social circle had been invited.
Qi Luozhou had originally intended to simply send a monetary gift, but after repeated pleading from his friend—and since he happened to be free that day—he decided to attend.
He wasn’t fond of occasions like these.
After getting through the obligatory greetings, he wandered into the garden and found a quiet pavilion to sit in. Between the dim night and a decorative rock formation shielding the area, no one noticed he was there.
Someone nearby was on the phone.
“This is driving me crazy. Shen Wanwan wants me to go skiing with her in R City next week.
“How should I know? That spoiled princess changes her mind every single day.
“Today I went shopping with her. There was a handbag in ten different colors. She couldn’t decide which one to buy and asked me which looked best. I said white. Then she demanded to know why. So I made something up. I told her white matched her complexion and suited her, but that the final choice was hers. You know what she said?
“She said, ‘If I can’t decide… then I’ll just buy every color.’
“All ten of them! Does she think she’s collecting stamps? If her father weren’t so rich, she’d bankrupt even the wealthiest family with the way she spends money!”
Hidden inside the pavilion behind the rockery, Qi Luozhou smiled faintly at those words.
The man continued ranting.
“She’s seriously exhausting. All she does every day is eat, shop, and sleep! She’s unbelievably shallow. If it weren’t for my Dad owing her father so much, and if our families hadn’t arranged our engagement years ago, I’d have broken up with her ages ago!”
Bored out of his mind, Qi Luozhou pieced together a rough profile in his imagination of this unfortunate girl named Shen Wanwan, whose own fiancé was speaking so poorly of her.
He had no idea how much time had passed when a young woman suddenly entered his field of vision, lifting the hem of her evening gown.
The moonlight was bright, blending seamlessly with her fair, exposed skin.
Her long, slender legs ended in a pair of exquisite crystal heels. She hurried over and sat beside him with quick, light footsteps.
Apparently her shoes had been rubbing her feet. The moment she sat down, she lifted both feet and slipped her heels out of the stiff shoes, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
When she turned her head, their eyes met silently.
She clearly hadn’t expected anyone else to be there.
A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes before her expression immediately returned to normal. Quietly, she slipped the foot she’d already taken halfway out back into the high heel.
Qi Luozhou smiled without speaking.
Before he could say anything, she beat him to it.
“Hey—
“I’ll pay you. Forget everything you just saw.”
Apparently unable to accept someone witnessing such an imperfect moment, she spoke with slight embarrassment yet complete confidence, as though the proposal were perfectly reasonable.
Qi Luozhou chuckled softly, leaning casually against one of the pavilion pillars.
“No need.”
Because he wouldn’t have remembered it anyway.
But she clearly didn’t trust a mere verbal promise.
“Then let’s each have something on the other.”
She blinked at him.
Under the moonlight, her cool, detached features became unexpectedly lively.
With practiced ease, she took out a checkbook and pen from her handbag, wrote down a number she believed would satisfy him by the moon’s light, and lightly tossed the check into his hand.
“That way, meeting again won’t be so awkward.”
She seemed exceptionally good at solving problems with money.
And she firmly believed that mutual benefit was the most enduring kind of relationship.
At the time, Qi Luozhou had just won the Best Actor award. His posters covered both the internet and the real world.
He didn’t know whether she had recognized him.
He only realized that because of his presence, the pavilion where he had hoped to enjoy some peace was no longer a place he could remain.
After finishing what she wanted to do, she gracefully walked away.
That was the first day he met Shen Wanwan—
A proud, self-centered, perfectly composed young lady who always knew exactly what she wanted.
Half an hour later, Weibo’s servers were finally restored.
The trending searches had already been completely dominated by Shen Wanwan.
#Shen Wanwan Qi Luozhou#
#Shen Wanwan’s Fiancé#
#Shen Wanwan Is Winning at Life#
#What Does Shao Yuye Think?#
Besides their shock and congratulations, countless netizens had also begun wondering about one person—
Shao Yuye.
As the ultimate siscon, Shao Yuye—who had always insisted that no man in the world was good enough for his little sister—would definitely be bawling his eyes out after hearing this news, right?!
Seeing that malicious trending topic, Shao Yuye was so annoyed he almost laughed.
—What did he think?
He was looking at it with his own eyes, of course!
But the netizens just wouldn’t let him off. They flooded his Weibo with gleeful comments:
[Brother Ye! Wanwan and God Zhou are together! Say something already!]
[Brother Ye! What are we going to do?! Your little sister’s been stolen!!!]
[And by your rival, no less! He flirted your sister away, Brother Ye!!]
[Why hasn’t Brother Ye shown up yet? Don’t tell me he’s crying his eyes out at home?]
[Your rival turned into your brother-in-law… Brother Ye, how can you stand this? Go fight him! Fight him! (just kidding… maybe)]
[Brother Ye, I support you! Go challenge God Zhou! You only just got your sister back, and now she’s really been snatched away by him!]
[Talk about a prophecy coming true! Back then Brother Ye called Qi Luozhou a pig, and now the pig really has rooted up his family’s precious cabbage! What an unbelievable home invasion!]
[Brother! Ye! Why haven’t you appeared yet? Stop crying already! Go fight God Zhou God!]
Shao Yuye: “…” Damn it.
He’d already been furious enough, and after being egged on like this, the frustration lodged even deeper in his chest.
—Qi Luozhou… since you’ve stolen my little sister, don’t blame me for showing you no mercy.
With a cold snort, Shao Yuye expertly dug out a photo from his phone, opened Weibo, attached the image, typed a caption, and hit [Post].
Meanwhile, ‘Yu Yu’s had spontaneously formed a ‘Protect Brother Ye Squad’. Ignoring all the troublemakers stirring the pot, they filled his comments with comforting messages.
[It’s okay, Brother Ye! Even if Wanwan is dating God Zhou, you still have us!]
[Fly high without worries, Brother Ye! Your ‘Yu Yu’s will always be by your side!]
[We’ll always be your strongest support!]
Then, just as everyone on the internet was predicting that the protective older brother would be crying the loudest, Shao Yuye finally posted:
@ShaoYuye : [What else can I do? He already believes in the Light! (photo.jpg)]
Confused, everyone opened the image.
It showed two forearms crossed into a giant X.
Someone unfamiliar with the joke might not have understood.
But this was Shao Yuye.
This had long since become one of his signature gags, something every fan immediately recognized.
The comments instantly exploded.
[??????]
[HAHAHAHAHA???]
[Wait… isn’t that God Zhou’s arm?]
[I’m sorry—I laughed way too hard!!]
[Help—who knew God Zhou was actually like this?!]
[How do you win over a siscon older brother? You! Must! Believe! In! The! Light!]
[I’m seriously crying… Even at a time like this, Brother Ye is still preaching Ultraman! HAHAHAHAHA!]
[@Director of <Extreme Challenge>, hurry up with Episode 6 already! I need to see the three of them on screen together!! ]
[Seriously! I can’t wait anymore! I want to watch in real time and see how God Zhou and Brother Ye interact!!]