In the past, Meng She had only ever heard of idols giving fans perks by posting ab photos.
Back when Bu Hongfang first transformed himself from a pretty-boy idol into a rugged macho man, that was exactly what he did. Meng She had accidentally caught a glimpse once before—those pecs, those abs—enough to make fans howl. The comments section had been filled with thirsty perverts losing their minds and posting shameless flirtations.
But a fan giving welfare to their idol like Ming Qi did…
Rare. Which made it even weirder.
Meng She’s interest in the eight-pack slowly died away. His gaze shifted to Ming Qi’s face, his expression gradually turning serious.
He called out, “Little Ming Qi.”
Ming Qi: “Hm?”
Meng She narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a torch. “You haven’t been secretly messing around behind my back, right? You saw what happened to Lu Yongning after he slept with fans, didn’t you?”
Ming Qi seriously considered the difference in strength between himself and Yu Qinzhou.
Yu Qinzhou had terrifying self-control. Every morning, rain or shine, he went running, and every few days he hit the gym too. Ming Qi had seen the muscles on his arms before. They weren’t exaggerated like a bodybuilder’s, but the lines were smooth and beautiful, and he could absolutely pin Ming Qi down so completely that he wouldn’t be able to move.
So, the possibility of “sleeping with fans” clearly didn’t hold up.
“Did you really sleep with one?” Meng She’s voice shot up uncontrollably, nearly twice as loud.
“No,” Ming Qi answered honestly. “Not even a little possible.”
There was only the possibility of being slept with instead.
Maybe Ming Qi’s eyes were too clear and sincere, because Meng She’s heart, which had already been dangling over a cliff edge, slowly descended back to stable ground and settled into place again. He stared at him and added one more sentence, “Stay farther away from your fans’ personal lives.”
That might be a little difficult. After all, he and Yu Qinzhou already had a marriage certificate, and there was a very high chance they’d end up at negative distance sooner or later. But seeing Meng She frowning so seriously in concern, Ming Qi still comforted him a little. “I’ll do my best.”
“You’d better.”
After ending the conversation about sleeping with fans, Ming Qi opened his phone screen again and let his gaze fall back onto the photo. Afraid his face would redden again and get noticed by Meng She, he hurriedly sent a few random messages to push the picture upward.
77.: It’s already really bright on my side.
77.: Haven’t you had dinner yet?
77.: Remember to order food.
Y: You’re finally acting a little like a legal spouse.
77.: [making face.jpg]
Y: Mind doing a video call?
Ming Qi subconsciously glanced at Meng She. Meng She was currently looking down at a private group chat secretly created by Qichuang Media employees. Before he could notice anything, Ming Qi tossed out a quick, “I’m going to the bathroom.”
By the time Meng She looked up, the young man had already run hurriedly toward the second floor on his long legs. The floppy bunny ears on his pajama hood swayed all the way to the bedroom door.
Bang. The door shut.
Meng She thought he was in a hurry and didn’t think much of it. But the very next second, amid the extreme silence, his sharp ears caught the distinct click of the door locking.
Meng She: “…”
The nerves he had just relaxed instantly tightened again.
Something was off. Things were starting to become very off.
Ming Qi had no idea that Meng She downstairs was already spiraling with restless thoughts. He was the complete opposite. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, his pant legs rode up slightly, revealing slender ankles and a stretch of calf. Under the light, his pale skin glowed with the warm luster of jade.
Ming Qi felt his ankles were a little cold, so he curled them inward and lowered his head to type: Don’t mind.
The moment the message was sent, Yu Qinzhou’s video call came through.
Unexpectedly, the man was wearing pajamas. But separated by half the globe, Country C’s climate was far less cold than back home. Cool air drifted softly from the central air conditioner vents, blowing open Yu Qinzhou’s silk shirt, of which only a few buttons had been casually fastened. His elegant neck and collarbone lines were completely exposed beneath the camera.
Compared to Yu Qinzhou, Ming Qi suddenly felt way too covered up.
“Not ordering food?” Ming Qi proactively started the conversation.
“I already did. It’ll take a while to arrive.” Yu Qinzhou carried his phone toward the bathroom.
The moment Ming Qi noticed his movement, his heartbeat suddenly skipped. He immediately started guessing what Yu Qinzhou was planning to do… surely he wasn’t going to shower, right?
As he was thinking, the phone was placed onto the bathroom counter rack. Facing the wide mirror, Yu Qinzhou leaned down. Water streamed across his fingers and jawline, then trickled into the opening of his clothes.
Because of the posture, the already loose shirt sagged even farther downward under gravity. Ming Qi’s eyes were instantly drawn toward that patch of cold white skin, and immediately afterward landed on the vivid red hidden amid snowy pale flesh.
The tips of his ears began turning red uncontrollably. Somehow, this version of Yu Qinzhou seemed even more seductive than when he had been bare-chested earlier.
“Looks good?”
A palm suddenly covered the camera, leaving Ming Qi staring into darkness. He snapped back to himself and absolutely refused to admit anything. “Looks good how?”
Yu Qinzhou clearly hadn’t expected him to struggle this much and chuckled softly.
Even though he said nothing, the meaning was obvious—
Ming Qi’s act of playing dumb shattered at a single poke.
“If you enjoy looking that much, I suggest coming directly to my room next time. I’d be very willing.”
Yu Qinzhou returned to the bedroom, but just as he set the phone down, the doorbell rang. He walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was a young blond man with blue eyes enthusiastically greeting him.
“Hey, Yu, long time no see.”
Yu Qinzhou was visibly surprised to see him. “Why are you here?”
The man shrugged. “I heard you came over, so I specifically came to see you. Last time I said I’d treat you to dinner. I’m here to cash in on that promise today.”
“Give me a moment. You can sit in the living room first while I change clothes,” Yu Qinzhou replied politely before turning back toward the phone.
Ming Qi had heard their conversation clearly. Seeing Yu Qinzhou reappear, he didn’t say much, only, “Your friend came to take you out for dinner? Then I won’t interrupt. Go ahead first.”
Yu Qinzhou proactively explained, “He was my university classmate. I owed him a meal before returning home.”
Ming Qi remembered Yu Qinzhou’s profile mentioning that he had attended a top-tier overseas university. His classmates were probably outstanding professionals in their fields too.
Which made it even more inappropriate to disturb them.
Their first video call ended hastily because of Hansen’s sudden arrival.
After changing into a more casual shirt and trousers, Yu Qinzhou walked beside Hansen. The latter sharply noticed the ring on Yu Qinzhou’s ring finger and said, “Xi told me you got married. I didn’t believe it at first, but after seeing the ring, I finally do. Why didn’t you bring him along?”
“He has his own things to handle,” Yu Qinzhou explained. “You’ll be invited to the wedding.”
“Then it’s a deal.”
“I booked a western restaurant, the one you used to like. Want to grab a drink afterward? You’re probably not sleeping anyway with the jet lag.”
“Sure.”
…
When Ming Qi came downstairs, Meng She glanced at the time on his phone.
Only five minutes had passed since he locked the door.
At first glance, that did seem pretty consistent with a bathroom trip. But Meng She’s gaze slowly landed on Ming Qi’s clothes. The collar of his fluffy pajamas had clearly been tugged loose, and without the hood tightly wrapped around him, the red cord around his neck became especially conspicuous.
“What are you wearing around your neck?” Meng She suddenly asked.
Ming Qi subconsciously lowered his head.
After seeing that scene earlier, he’d felt hot and thirsty, so he had loosened his collar a little. But he’d forgotten about the wedding ring that had practically become one with him.
After a brief instant of panic, he calmly and steadily fixed his clothes again, tucking the wedding ring carefully back into place.
“An accessory.”
Then, with practiced ease, he changed the subject. “By the way, ge, are you coming with me when I join the production team? Or am I going by myself?”
Under normal circumstances, Meng She usually accompanied him. After all, Ming Qi didn’t have many scenes, and filming generally lasted only a day or two at most. But this time, joining the production would take at least several months. Ming Qi felt it would be a bit of a waste of Meng She’s time to have him stay the whole period.
Originally, Meng She had also considered just letting Ming Qi go alone. But after today’s discussion about sleeping with fans, he no longer felt at ease.
“Anyway, you’re the only artist under me. Staying here alone is pointless. I’ll go with you—you can just treat me like your assistant.”
Ming Qi had no objections.
At noon, Meng She stayed at Xijing Bay for a lunch generously gifted from next door, then drove home in complete satisfaction.
Ming Qi watched him leave before lowering his head to glance at his phone.
During lunch, WeChat notifications had been ringing nonstop. Every single chime made Meng She glance over. Ming Qi had been so unnerved by that completely undisguised probing look that he finally said, “The undercover group chat’s discussing online gossip.”
Then he pretended to be uninterested and turned off the screen.
Until now.
Sitting on the living room sofa with Xiao Ba sprawled across the bend of his legs, he carefully read through each message Yu Qinzhou had sent.
The first message was a photo. A long dining table was covered with beautifully plated dishes.
At the edge of the photo, part of someone sitting nearby could vaguely be seen. Men’s clothing. Several Chinese characters tattooed on the arm.
Ming Qi studied it carefully for a while before realizing the tattoo read: Screw your grandpa.
His gaze moved downward.
The second message was still a photo, but it had been sent an hour after the previous one. It showed the entrance to a bar. Just from the angle of the picture, Ming Qi could already imagine Yu Qinzhou casually lifting his phone like he was photographing the night scenery. The darkness blurred the clarity of the image, but the bar’s name was still visible.
Below it, Yu Qinzhou added:
A lounge bar. Not chaotic.
Further down were photos of the bar’s interior decorations and booth seating.
Ming Qi poked him with a message: Are you reporting your whereabouts?
Y: I thought I was being pretty obvious.
Y: Giving your partner enough security is the key to maintaining a husband-husband relationship. This is also an important lesson in becoming a qualified spouse.
So Ming Qi very cooperatively snapped a picture of his own solitary shadow: Baby.
He typed too quickly. The moment the two mistaken characters were sent, his eyes widened and he hurried to fix it: Reporting in!!!
Then decisively withdrew the words [Baby].
Yu Qinzhou crossed his long legs, obvious amusement coloring his tired brows and eyes. Holding down the voice-message button, he spoke:
“Saw it, baby.”