The next day, Ling Qianhe and Lin Mucui found themselves trending on social media.
Fans of the "Qianmu CP" were ecstatic, celebrating with virtual firecrackers in their super-topic. The reason? Yang Weiyang, during an event, had accidentally let slip some significant information.
When a reporter asked why she was attending instead of the originally announced Lin Mucui, Yang Weiyang, without thinking, replied, "She took leave from her agent—reportedly, she’s with Qianhe, and it’s not convenient for her to attend… *cough*."
"Uh, I didn't say anything…"
Too late. The screenshots were already captured and circulating, accompanied by a chorus of laughter and wishes for real fireworks.
"Did I just hear some amazing news from Yang Weiyang?"
"She was with Ling Qianhe last night? Hahaha, what did they do to make such a dedicated Xiao Ci take leave? Is this the decline of morality or someone's beastly desires running wild? Hahaha!" Da Feng Novel Network.
"Let's all understand without saying it out loud, okay? Those who know, know!"
"Qianhe is quite capable. With him, *tsk tsk tsk*, the stage GIFs are proof, it's truly magnificent!"
Everyone chimed in with their amused comments, brimming with excitement.
"I knew they must have been together long ago, hehe. Xiao Ci is such a sweet and beautiful stunner, who could resist? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to either!"
The fans’ speculations grew wilder, fueling their excitement until their eyes reddened.
"Wuwuwu, I need to create a new super-topic for my CP!"
"Did Xiao Ci and Qianhe sleep together today?"
"I was the one who created the 'Did Xiao Ci and Qianhe announce their relationship today?' super-topic. I've leveled up, hahaha!"
The fans all had smiles like doting aunts.
"Insane! No, to be precise, it should be—well done! We can totally handle a dozen more super-topics like this!"
"Did Xiao Ci get pregnant with Qianhe's child today?"
"Did Xiao Ci conceive with Qianhe today!"
The super-topics were becoming increasingly outlandish, but since the fans were rarely this enthusiastic, the fan club members didn't stop them.
Ling Qianhe himself was mingling within the CP fan club. As he watched the fans spamming the feed, his gaze lingered on the line, "Did Xiao Ci get pregnant with Qianhe's child today?" A faint ripple stirred in the depths of his eyes. He thought it was an excellent suggestion.
He turned to look at Lin Mucui. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were still a bit dazed as she looked at him.
He had indeed worn her out considerably—because he was so desperate to prove, in this way, that Xiao Ci was his woman.
With this thought, a subtle wave passed through Ling Qianhe's eyes. He then gently stroked her hair, his voice soft.
"Xiao Ci?"
Lin Mucui heard him say,
"I bought some ointment."
"I'm worried that area might swell. Be good, let me apply it."
Lin Mucui's eyes widened. Ling Qianhe held her, and she coughed frantically, her body instinctively starting to struggle. But Ling Qianhe held her, and one sentence made her both intensely shy and quiet.
"Where on Xiao Ci's body haven't I touched?"
"Don't be afraid, I know."
"I'm just worried you're uncomfortable."
"I'll be quick."
He gently applied the ointment. Lin Mucui's face was flushed with shame. The man held her, washed his hands, and then slowly began to comb her long hair.
"I've inquired about your work schedule. 'Fatal Woman' is also set to be released soon. This film is intended for awards, so it seems this year also belongs to Xiao Ci."
"Your agent said you wanted to film TV series next?"
Lin Mucui hummed in response.
Ling Qianhe held her, his eyes moist as he looked at her. He was a handsome young man, almost burning with attractiveness, but when he looked at her, he resembled a large dog afraid of being abandoned by its owner.
"So Xiao Ci will be very busy… and I won't get to see you."
His tone was so dejected that Lin Mucui felt as if she had committed some grave sin. She felt his body pressing against her, and he slowly nudged her, not continuing further.
She felt—guilty.
Especially guilty, as if she had wronged him. Having regained the memories of Ling Qianhe and Si Mucui, Lin Mucui felt a bit uneasy, after all, she had directly faked her death back then, leaving him to bear the pain alone.
Lin Mucui sighed. She reached out and ruffled his short hair. The young man's eyes were always fixed on her face. Then Lin Mucui said,
"I swear! I will never abandon you again…"
"You also know, I had no choice back then…"
She was soothing his emotions.
"You know I was doing missions before… Of course, I wouldn't want to leave you. You're so well-behaved, who could bear to leave you."
It's just saying a few nice words, she could do that.
Lin Mucui just wanted to soothe Qianhe's emotions. Honestly, seeing his breakdown and pain later, her heart ached. The more Qianhe broke down, the more she felt she had acted wrongly back then.
She just packed up and left.
The boy who bore the pain, who went mad and broke down, was Ling Qianhe after all.
She would feel for him.
"We'll also attend promotional events together later…"
The young man held her and suddenly asked in a muffled voice,
"So—when are we getting married?"
"Married, get the license, and let the whole world know we are a legal couple."
Lin Mucui froze.
"But… my mother…"
Ling Qianhe's eyes were starting to redden.
"I'll handle it. I'll make her believe I can take good care of you. Whatever she asks, I'll go through fire and water. I just want to be with you."
The young man's voice, like falling rain, struck her heart heavily. His words dazed her, and then, looking into his eyes, she felt herself unconsciously nod.
She agreed to marry him as soon as the civil affairs bureau opened.
No…
Had her current body reached the legal age to get married?
Ling Qianhe was too eager to tie her down—but then again, she felt his actions were understandable. She now felt nothing but affection for Ling Qianhe.
Right, she still hadn't asked him.
"So, how did you discover this… discover the main system and the secrets of different worlds?"
She felt she hadn't shown any flaws back then.
Ling Qianhe paused and said,
"My power surpassed the world's limitations. When I touched the boundary, I knew… that I could destroy the world, and I could reshape it. The world consciousness and the existence you call the system appeared to negotiate with me, and that's when I knew I could find you again."
He was a demon.
But he had promised Xiao Ci never to become a demon.
So he restrained his demonic energy, threw himself into countless small worlds, followed her traces, and found her.
He fell in love with her.
He had to hold her tightly in his palm—this was his instinct!
…
Recently, the CP fans felt like it was Chinese New Year every day. First, Yang Weiyang revealed that Xiao Ci was living with Qianhe, causing Xiao Ci to miss an event, and no one knew how intense the "battle" was to lead to such a result. Then, Qianhe's agent hinted that the two might have decided to get their marriage license.
The fans were stunned and overjoyed.
【Can the CP I ship really come true?】
Apparently, it could.
Ling Qianhe had disappeared for a while. When he reappeared at an event, a jewelry exhibition, he not only attended as a spokesperson but also auctioned a diamond necklace worth hundreds of millions at the subsequent charity auction, shocking all his fans.
However, thinking of his other identity, everyone understood.
He was indeed outrageously wealthy.
Meanwhile, Lin Mucui was dragged by her agent to complete all the activities she had missed. After finally finishing the promotions for Wu Minlong's film, another movie was about to be released, and the art film 'Fatal Woman' was already starting its pre-heating.
She was swamped with work.
However, these two films did not conflict.
One was a sci-fi film, a collective of ensemble movies.
The other was an art film where she played the leading female role, reportedly focusing on rural abductions and arranged marriages. Everyone was quite looking forward to it.
The fans were also discussing these two films on the forum!
"I heard Xiao Ci has broken new ground again? As expected of my precious daughter! *Yingyingying*, she's just amazing!"
"Who says not? Have you seen the trailer? Her styling in that sci-fi movie is going to kill me. I just want to shout 'husband' at her with all my might!"
"Wuwuwu, my precious Xiao Ci, don't be with Ling Qianhe anymore, come be with me. Husband Xiao Ci is super handsome!"
The fans were simping online. In the released trailer, Lin Mucui's styling was indeed stunning. There were two looks: one was a futuristic female warrior with an androgynous aura, exuding a cool, wild killer vibe. In the fans' words, just one look was enough to make someone pregnant.
Besides this look, there was another where she, dressed in black battle armor, moved through underground caves in a futuristic city. Seeing the densely packed skyscrapers, the young woman effortlessly navigated them, truly impressing everyone.
"I heard this scene was filmed on location… Xiao Ci is too amazing. This wasn't created with special effects. Wuwuwu, if it were me, I'd probably faint."
It was indeed difficult for actors to have acrophobia.
Watching her leap across rooftops, one might suspect she had practiced martial arts since childhood.
"As expected of a film directed by Wu Minlong, everyone is so cool. This combination of futuristic sci-fi and Eastern kung fu's violent aesthetic has truly shocked me."
"The beauty of kung fu can only be captured by Chinese people."
"Who says martial arts and kung fu are declining? As long as there are Chinese people, our kung fu will flourish and never disappear!"
This was something everyone firmly believed.
The hashtag #LinMucuiKungFu topped global hot searches for three consecutive days, showing how captivated the world was by Lin Mucui.
Then, when the trailer for 'Fatal Woman' was released.
The fans went wild once again!
【Qianhe and Xiao Ci collaborating, wuwuwu, what a divine pairing! The silly boy and his child bride older sister, my heart aches, people go crazy! It's rumored to be a sad ending, but can these two lock it down for all eternity?】
【How can a single shot make me cry? Ling Qianhe, you've done it. You're truly remarkable. And Xiao Ci—I can't even recognize her true self; she's just a beautiful, tired, world-weary girl, but every glance at her breaks my heart.】
【My heart is in knots, I'm on the verge of tears. These two are just too amazing, go go go, get them the Best Actress award!】
This film, compared to the previous "satisfying" ones,
had a much heavier color palette.
The sky was overcast and hazy, with continuous rain, as if suffocating. Lin Mucui's close-ups allowed immediate immersion into the situation. Standing there, with barren fields in the distance, her face streaked with tears mixed with rain, she slowly collapsed into the muddy field.
In the distance, the young man, dressed in a grey cloth shirt, ran towards her.
His eyes were so pure they evoked pity.
He held her. The muddy rainwater, the dim light—they were like two people with nowhere to go. Lin Mucui pushed him away, seeing him cry uncontrollably, her heart felt like a shattered porcelain vase, drawing blood from her.
No dialogue was needed; a glance into each other's eyes conveyed the heart-wrenching pain that swept over them endlessly.
The audience was already in tears.
The plot was rapidly edited to showcase the most heartbreaking scenes.
It could only be said that a powerful collaboration had devastated the audience.
Even before watching the film, the audience was weeping uncontrollably, unable to speak. Seeing Ling Qianhe, like a foolish child, stumbling towards his sister, even if he only smiled.
But seeing that childlike innocence.
Everyone would shed tears.
They were such good actors.
How could they act so well—their hearts felt like they were being brutally squeezed.
Knowing the distance between them, yet still involuntarily shedding tears and sighing.
【This is soul-destroying! If I committed a crime, please arrest me, even kill me with one blow, why torture my heart like this? Wuwuwu, Xiao Ci and brother Qianhe are too good at acting, they're too tragic, I won't be okay!】
【The one above, are you going to give up and not watch it?】
Of course, that was impossible.
【I'll definitely watch it. At most, I'll bring three packs of tissues! Hmph, I'm prepared. Even if I cry like a dog in the cinema, in reality, Xiao Ci and Qianhe will surely give us sweet moments!】
【If they don't give us generous sweet moments, I'll refuse to get up from the floor!】
【They've hurt our hearts, so they must compensate us properly. Otherwise, we'll cry to them!】
The fans had already figured out how to throw a tantrum to achieve their goals. Hearing that the fans were so proactive about wanting sweet moments.
Ling Qianhe directly posted a photo.
It wasn't a still from the film.
It was in their room, where he and she were kissing in the dim light. Their profiles under the curtains were as beautiful as a fashion spread. The diamond necklace was on Lin Mucui's neck, exuding an incomparable beauty.
No advertisement photo could compare to this enchanting and seductive image.
Ling Qianhe captioned it:
【The necklace is hers.】
【I am also hers.】