The calls to both Jiang Mian and Fan Qing immediately exploded.
And in the midst of this chaos, Fan Qing’s own day wasn’t exactly calm. Climbing off Nie Luo’s chest—yes, he’d just been lying there on top of Nie Luo—he stretched, revealing the marks and bites across his back, the evidence of their own recent… activities.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at the wildness of it all. The hickeys and scratches were unmistakably Nie Luo’s handiwork.
Just as Fan Qing was about to get out of bed, an iron-strong arm pulled him back into the warmth of Nie Luo’s embrace.
“Hmm, Ah Qing? Where are you going?”
Half-dazed, Nie Luo easily carried him back and pressed him gently into his chest. This was exactly where Fan Qing was meant to be.
He realized, perhaps his earlier narrow-mindedness about their relationship had limited the fun. There were new, fresher ways to explore their happiness.
With a mental list of playful possibilities running through his mind, he patted Nie Luo’s arm reassuringly:
“I’ll go handle Yao Ge’s matters now.”
Even in the middle of chaos, responsibility called—and so did the games of intimacy waiting just behind the bedroom door.
“Yao Ge?”
Ah, so this was the matter Fan Qing had mentioned earlier.
Nie Luo, still half-asleep, recalled it faintly. His arms relaxed slightly.
“Mm, then go ahead, Ah Qing.”
With that, his arms loosened fully, and he sank into a deep sleep. Last night had been exhausting for him—he deserved the rest.
Fan Qing leaned in to kiss Nie Luo softly on the lips before getting out of bed. Jiang Mian was waiting for him!
As soon as he appeared, she hurried to report:
“Fan Ge, what should we do about this now?”
She held a pile of contacts in her hands—all from the socialite ladies at the banquet. The problem was, what she said didn’t count for much!
“I’ll handle Yao Ge’s side first. I’ll take care of this,” Fan Qing reassured her, then headed out with his two bodyguards.
It wasn’t that he was tired from last night’s… activities. Rather, he had just received a message from Yao Ge’s assistant: someone suspected paparazzi were nearby, tracking them.
Fan Qing’s expression hardened.
No matter what anyone tried, he would not allow it—especially after seeing last night’s new designs firsthand. He quickly made his way there.
Upon arrival, Yao Ge clutched his assistant’s sleeve, looking utterly distraught.
“So many calls!” he wailed. Though he hadn’t answered a single one himself, the sheer volume through his assistant was overwhelming.
“I thought this was just a part-time thing?” QAQ
Fan Qing was momentarily speechless. Who could have predicted this unexpected complication? But it wasn’t too serious.
He swiftly thought of a solution.
“No worries. I’ll have a new card issued for you.”
Then he glanced at the assistant: “Are you sure someone was following?”
The assistant froze.
Fan Qing noticed Yao Ge’s shocked expression and realized the assistant hadn’t told him the full story—understandably. If Yao Ge knew, he might insist on sleeping next to the assistant out of fear.
And considering Yao Ge’s size, sleeping arrangements would be… cramped, to say the least. The assistant sighed, fully aware of the implications.
Yao Ge’s face was pale, eyes wide in QAQ disbelief—someone was tracking him! And he didn’t even know!
Realizing he couldn’t leave the security unhandled, Fan Qing offered a comforting gesture: he extended a single finger into Yao Ge’s hand.
Instinctively, Yao Ge clasped it, and the familiar sense of safety returned immediately.
Fan Qing glanced down. One finger—just one—was enough to calm him? He wondered if it was Yao Ge’s tiny hands or his own large finger that made it so effective.
With Yao Ge reassured, Fan Qing confirmed the tracking issue and decisively moved him to a new location—a luxury residential complex. The rent was high, but with the current surge in attention, Yao Ge would likely earn enough soon to purchase a place outright.
Yao Ge was perfectly fine with it. The new location was closer to his grandfather, safer, and had a large park for his assistant to take him for walks.
Satisfied, Fan Qing worked out the rest of the arrangements. The online chatter continued, but people began to notice—Yao Ge’s talent was undeniable.
Fan Qing even took to Weibo, making a simple, clear post on Yao Ge’s behalf: due to the intricacies of custom work and the creative process, Yao Ge could only accept one personalized order every three months.
This handled both the admirers and the potential chaos—efficient and precise, just like Fan Qing.
He said that, and nobody really doubted him.
After all, it sounded reasonable.
Custom-made, hand-crafted, and requiring inspiration to bring out the wearer’s charisma—it made perfect sense that it would take three months.
But… three months?
The socialite ladies immediately spotted the blind spot.
Three months was a long time—so the earlier you booked, the sooner you’d shine in public.
Before they could scramble to compete, Fan Qing intervened.
“Everyone here is a valued client. It wouldn’t be fair to distinguish who came first or last. Instead, we’ll simplify things: we’ll hold a lottery on Weibo, and the winner will be scheduled first.”
The socialite ladies were left speechless.
…A lottery?
Even the online onlookers were stunned.
“Whoa! This feels like being back in a gacha game!”
“I laughed so hard in the dorm, haha. So the manager’s basically letting the ladies rely on luck?”
“Honestly, this is clever and fair. But luck is luck… My roommate and I—one is extremely lucky, always getting the rare drops, the other is extremely unlucky, nothing comes until the guaranteed rate. Life’s cruel, but at least in this, we’re on the same level as the rich ladies!”
“Don’t get your hopes up, everyone. They’re only drawing for a chance to book. After that, there’s still the price to negotiate. And that price? Not something ordinary people can pay, so… we’re still fundamentally different.”
“Hmm… can anyone participate? What if I win, then resell the slot to one of the ladies? Could make a little profit!”
This comment sparked an idea among other netizens. Many rushed to Fan Qing’s Weibo, hoping to get a chance.
But Fan Qing had already restricted the lottery. Only those who had prior contact with them were eligible.
Outrage ensued.
“Unfair! Everyone should have a chance!”
Fan Qing ignored the comments calmly. Of course he had anticipated this. The point was to avoid offending anyone, and he certainly wouldn’t leave loopholes for troublemakers.
Meanwhile, Yao Ge learned of the outcome and quietly exhaled in relief.
Fan Qing shot him a glance.
“What? You thought I wouldn’t keep my word? Or that I’d turn your part-time work into a full-time job for money?”
Yao Ge paused, then shook his head.
“No.”
He scratched his head, glanced at his assistant, who stood silently.
After a few seconds, the assistant hesitated.
“Should I step out for a bit?”
Apparently, this was something Yao Ge didn’t want the assistant to hear.
Yao Ge, slightly embarrassed, nodded.
“I’m just worried that if I make too many outfits now, it might affect my inspiration for proper designs later.”
Ah—male-female differences.