When everyone heard Xie Qichen’s words:
“Mrs. Xie?!”
Still confused, they watched as Xie Qichen took Tan Mo’s hand and pulled her beside him. He looked down at her affectionately before addressing everyone without any hesitation, “Yes, this is my wife.”
The director and other production staff: ???!!!
Everyone was instantly stunned: “Xiao Molili is your wife?! We had absolutely no idea…”
No one expected Tan Mo’s powerful backer to be Xie Qichen. No wonder a major investor had suddenly shown up a couple of days ago—it must have been because of Tan Mo. Now, he had specially come up the mountain to visit her, clearly showing how much he cherished her…
Surprisingly, Tan Mo was especially kind-hearted and never acted spoiled or put on airs during the past two days of filming despite her status.
The director sighed, “Teacher Molili, you’re just too modest.”
“No, we’re all here to film the show anyway…”
Tan Mo blushed as she replied. Xie Qichen gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “Mainly, she didn’t know beforehand and didn’t want to cause anyone trouble.”
After a brief conversation, the director looked hesitantly at Tan Mo, who was still in Xie Qichen’s embrace, “Then, should we proceed with the nine o’clock program later?”
“Just film normally, don’t delay the schedule,” Xie replied.
The director smiled and nodded, then turned to everyone, “Alright, we’ll start filming at nine. Everyone, go have breakfast first—the dining hall is ready. Oh, and Molili, why don’t you invite Mr. Xie to join us? He must have skipped breakfast coming up here so early.”
Tan Mo looked up at the man beside her for confirmation and saw him nod.
So Tan Mo led him to the dining hall, feeling her heart race as he held her hand tightly, his presence feeling intensely real.
Entering the dining hall, since it was a simple mountain guesthouse, the environment was quite basic, with only seven or eight small round tables. Some staff members were already coming in for breakfast.
Tan Mo led him to an empty small round table, had him sit down, and asked, “What do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you.”
He gazed into her eyes without looking away, his gaze burning, but his tone was calm:
“Anything is fine.”
Tan Mo couldn’t bear his loving stare, her heart pounding. Embarrassed, she quickly turned around, “Then I’ll just grab something random.”
Tan Mo went to get two trays and started piling on the breakfast from the buffet.
The guesthouse had limited facilities, so breakfast was simple—just enough to fill their stomachs. Tan Mo got some dim sum, soy milk, a few side dishes, and some fruit for both herself and Xie Qichen.
As she was getting the food, MIMI walked into the dining hall.
“Morning, MIMI jiejie.”
“Morning.”
MIMI teased Tan Mo, “Hey, is that your husband?”
Tan Mo turned around and saw MIMI looking at Xie Qichen. She hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly, and her ears turned slightly red. “Yeah…”
“Momo, I didn’t know you got married so early! Not bad, not bad. He’s tall and handsome. If I had a boyfriend like that, I’d marry him as soon as possible and lock him down,” MIMI laughed.
Tan Mo’s face flushed warmly, “MIMI jiejie, stop teasing me…”
MIMI kept laughing. After a while, Tan Mo said her goodbyes and quickly returned with the tray.
She placed the food in front of Xie Qichen, “Not much for breakfast, hope it’s okay.”
“It’s fine.”
He said, then reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to sit beside him, his arm casually draped behind her.
Tan Mo’s heart raced. She turned to meet his deep, intense gaze. Thinking it was the first time they’d been face to face soberly since that night, her cheeks turned softly pink.
She was both shocked and curious, softly asking:
“Why did you suddenly come? Did you come all the way here last night…”
Xie Qichen nodded slightly, his calm voice turning into a question: “You said you missed me, so I came.”
When he heard her faintly tearful voice say, “I miss you,” last night, he immediately sensed something was wrong. After learning more, he rushed over.
She hadn’t expected that one simple sentence from her would weigh so heavily on him. Touched yet slightly guilty, she asked, “Does this affect your company affairs? I was going to come back in a few days anyway.”
“I was planning to come see you these two days anyway, so I finished up a lot of work in advance. Plus, I came to discuss some business deals.”
He smiled gently, looking at her: “Besides, I just got my wife back. Making her wait for days without seeing me must have been hard on both of us, right?”
Hearing this, Tan Mo’s heart melted like cotton candy, “Who said I’m back?”
He curled his lips, whispering coaxingly, “Not fully won back yet?”
She gave a soft hum without answering, thinking about the first part of his sentence: “What business deal did you mention earlier?”
“Aihuishan is currently on the path to poverty alleviation, right? Aochuang can use professional drones to help local agriculture—for example, sowing seeds, spraying pesticides, precision management of farmland, etc. This can save manpower and resources, promote our drone technology, and create mutual benefits. There’s potential for cooperation.”
Tan Mo nodded in understanding, “Mr. Xie, you’re great at both love and business negotiations.”
Xie Qichen laughed, “Don’t be cheeky. Eat your breakfast quickly.”
Tan Mo obediently started eating, but her eyes kept sneaking glances at Xie Qichen, like a child afraid their candy might disappear.
Unbeknownst to her, the man had already noticed her childish yet adorable behavior. After a while, a deep male voice dropped by her ear:
“Tan Mo, if you keep sneaking peeks at me, I won’t let you go to the filming today.”
Caught red-handed, the young girl’s face turned instantly red, “Fine, I won’t look…”
Hmph, he had been staring at her the whole time too.
Xie Qichen’s lips curved silently.
After breakfast, the two walked out of the dining hall. Tan Mo asked where he planned to put his luggage, but Xie Qichen didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Are you staying alone in a room?”
Meeting his gaze, she instantly understood his meaning, her cheeks turning crimson. A few seconds later, she took the room card from her pocket and handed it to him:
“You can put your luggage up there.”
His smile deepened, teasing her on purpose: “Two people, one room—is that enough for sleeping?”
He was doing this on purpose, wasn’t he…
She puffed her cheeks angrily, “Not enough. Go book another room yourself.”
As she tried to pull her hand back, the man reached out and held her wrist, the touch sending tingles of sensation through her fingers, accompanied by his deep, seductive voice:
“Then let’s test it tonight.”
Tan Mo turned bright red at his suggestive words. Then she heard Weng Tian calling her from ahead, probably to discuss today’s filming. She looked at Xie Qichen, “Then I’ll go take care of things first?”
Though reluctant to let her go, he didn’t want to interfere with her work, “Go ahead.”
She walked a few steps forward, suddenly turned around, ran back to him, her eyes shining like stars:
“There, done.”
He looked puzzled, “Done with what?”
Her cheeks flushed slightly, she lifted her head to look at him, her eyes curving into a gentle smile, whispering softly:
“All better.”
He had finally won her over.
From the moment she saw him appear before her this morning, having traveled far and wide with dust on his feet, her heart and mind were completely filled with him.
Xie Qichen’s lips curled into a smile, and he reached out to ruffle her hair, “Alright, go to the filming now.”
“Okay…”
Tan Mo left.
Not far away, Yu Qiran, who had just come downstairs, saw the intimate scene between the two and was momentarily stunned.
After Tan Mo left, the director quickly approached Xie Qichen with a big smile, saying something. It seemed that the man’s identity was extremely prestigious, exuding an air of authority.
Yu Qiran’s brows slightly furrowed, and he asked the staff beside him in confusion, “Who is that man?”
The staff looked and explained, “That Mr. Xie is a major investor in our program. He came here this morning to check things out. Oh, and he’s also Teacher Molili’s husband.”
Her husband?!?!
Yu Qiran’s face stiffened slightly, “That Molili… is married?”
“Yeah, I just saw Teacher Molili and her husband being very affectionate. They seem to have a great relationship.”
Yu Qiran’s expression turned colorful.
The female agent beside him was also stunned, recalling the mention of “Mr. Xie” from a few nights ago, her mind in an uproar.
Molili’s husband was a major investor in the show? She actually had such a powerful background?!
Meanwhile, Xie Qichen stood with one hand in his pocket, chatting with the director.
They first discussed a few work-related matters. Then Xie Qichen mentioned Tan Mo, his tone turning gentle, “Please keep an eye on my wife’s safety during filming. Contact me if anything happens, but she doesn’t like being treated specially, so just treat her normally.”
“Sure, no problem…”
With Xie Qichen’s resources and connections, he could easily make Tan Mo a big star. But he knew the girl had no interest in becoming a celebrity. She didn’t want that kind of exposure, and he didn’t want her actions scrutinized and criticized by the public either.
Thinking of something, his expression turned slightly cold, “I also found out yesterday that there were people online trying to create a scandal between my wife and another male celebrity in the program named Yu. This seriously affects her reputation.”
After learning what happened yesterday, he immediately used his influence to have the malicious marketing accounts delete their posts and quell the situation.
Later investigation revealed that these rumors were tacitly approved by Yu Qiran’s studio, aiming to gain popularity by dragging Tan Mo’s name.
Had it not been for the live broadcast already aired, Xie Qichen feared causing unnecessary trouble for the girl. Otherwise, he would have directly used his power to remove Yu Qiran from the show and have him expelled.
“Mr. Xie, we’re really sorry…”
The director assured him that in the upcoming live broadcasts, they would strengthen guidance on public opinion to prevent similar incidents.
“Also, about my relationship with Tan Mo.”
Meeting his deep gaze, the director immediately understood, “Mr. Xie, rest assured, this matter will not be widely publicized.”
In fact, most people focused on the filming of the show. The team’s atmosphere was quite genuine, and Tan Mo was very likable.
After finishing his instructions, the director left for something. Xie Qichen turned his face, suddenly lifting his eyelids, directing his gaze into the distance.
Yu Qiran happened to meet his icy gaze, momentarily stunned, inexplicably feeling a chill down his spine. He quickly turned and left.
The production team gradually prepared for the filming. As nine o’clock approached, all the guests gathered outside.
Tan Mo was chatting with MIMI and a few other bloggers at the entrance when Yu Qiran also came down, accompanied by his assistant.
Yu Qiran glanced at Tan Mo, his expression complex, before quickly shifting his gaze away.
Tan Mo noticed his look but chose to ignore it.
There was a live broadcast this morning. After a brief introduction to the ecology of Aihuishan, there was a bamboo raft drifting activity, with pairs formed by rock-paper-scissors to determine the order of choosing partners. Tan Mo was the second to last to choose. When it was her turn, only Yu Qiran and Chen Hang’s boats had no one.
Seeing this, some trolls in the live chat started to act up:
[No need to look, she’ll definitely stick with Yu Qiran. How romantic for the two of them to drift together, hmpf.]
[Stop riding on my brother’s popularity. How annoying.]
Some fans thought Tan Mo would choose Yu Qiran, but to their surprise, she immediately chose Chen Hang without hesitation.
The comments instantly turned around:
[LOL, fans really slapped themselves. Do you think everyone is dying to be with your brother?]
[Can Yu Qiran’s fans stop giving their idol more hate? Why are you attacking someone before they even choose? Why don’t you come apologize?]
[It’s their choice who to pick. Why do you fans have to meddle? Even if you keep jumping, you won’t get to sit on the same boat as your brother.]
[Anyone who watched the live stream knows that Molili is kind to everyone. How come she’s clinging to Yu Qiran.]
The trolls in the live chat were instantly overwhelmed by Tan Mo’s fans and regular viewers, left speechless. Then Tan Mo and Chen Hang went on the bamboo raft. Everyone thought since one was a food vlogger and the other a tech vlogger, they would have nothing to talk about, and the forty minutes would be awkward and boring. But to their surprise, they started talking about drones and hit it off.
Chen Hang happened to have a drone with him, and Tan Mo handled it skillfully, taking many beautiful photos. They even discussed the latest drone models from several brands recently. Their in-depth conversation even left many viewers confused, and Chen Hang was clearly surprised by Tan Mo’s knowledge, showing his admiration.
The live chat was filled with amazement:
[Never thought the wife was a hidden tech blogger in the food section!]
[I heard Molili is a computer science major. She’s really impressive when it comes to her professional field.]
[Molili is a recognized top student at F University. Does anyone still doubt that?]
[Let’s be honest, she used all her brains in computer science, which explains why she’s not talented in cooking [dog face]]
To be fair, watching these two chat is really comfortable. It’s like a collision of top students’ minds. And Molili is truly beautiful. Her smile is so pleasant to look at. I’m a fan now, hehe.
After the bamboo raft drifting activity, online negative comments about Tan Mo became rare. People focused more on the local culture of Aihuishan and the bloggers’ interactions.
Tan Mo got along well with everyone, but on the other side, Yu Qiran wasn’t having such a pleasant time.
At lunchtime, the female agent received a call and was scolded severely for allowing those rumors to spread the day before.
The voice on the phone said that Tan Mo had powerful backing they couldn’t possibly challenge. If they wanted to keep working in this industry, they’d better behave themselves, or else they’d face serious consequences.
Only then did the agent realize he had kicked a steel plate. He broke out in a cold sweat, quickly warning Yu Qiran to stay far away from Tan Mo. Although Yu Qiran was unhappy, he could only reluctantly comply.
In the afternoon, after everyone had toured the local historical and cultural sites, it was time to prepare dinner.
Since they took turns cooking dinner, today it was Tan Mo and two others who were responsible for the main preparations.
Tan Mo and Chen Hang went to the fields to pick fresh vegetables. Yu Qiran was lazy and naturally unwilling to go, but now he dared not act recklessly and could only obediently go along to help.
Worried that her cooking might turn out terrible, Tan Mo carefully consulted with local villagers about how to prepare the area’s specialty dishes, asking about every detail.
After a while, she received a message from Xie Qichen:
[What are you doing?]
Tan Mo’s dimples deepened as she wiped her hands clean and replied: [Preparing dinner. Ugh, I’m so nervous. I mustn’t mess this up tonight.]
Xie Qichen: [It’s okay if you do mess up. Then I’ll have the chef from a local restaurant cook the exact same dishes and deliver them to you—you can just say you made them.]
Tan Mo was amused: [So you want to pull a switcheroo?]
She changed the subject: [What are you doing?]
Xie Qichen: [Just finished securing a new partnership.]
Tan Mo felt genuinely happy for him. He then asked her: [Any activities tonight?]
Tan Mo: [Not that I know of. Haven’t received any notice yet.]
Xie Qichen: [I’m free tonight. Got plenty of time.]
Tan Mo faintly sensed the implication, blushing: [Oh…]
This guy was so annoying. If he had no plans, he just had no plans—why imply something to her?
Then a voice message came through from him, his deep, calm voice chuckling softly:
“Don’t play dumb. Come back early.”
Tan Mo’s ears turned warm. After replying, she put her phone away, feeling a sweetness in her heart. Suppressing any extra thoughts, she focused again on preparing dinner.
…
Time passed quickly. As night fell, the other three who had gone to do live-streamed sales returned, and dinner was nearly ready.
Everyone happily started eating, and Tan Mo introduced the dishes of the evening with self-deprecating humor: “I hope I didn’t mess up tonight. If the food tastes good, most of the credit goes to Brother Chen Hang—he worked hard as my assistant today. If it’s bad, blame me. That was just my usual stable performance.”
Everyone laughed. After tasting the food, they found it actually quite good. Even MIMI, an experienced blogger, praised her: “The taste is really quite good. Definitely not a failure. You should be more confident in yourself.”
Tan Mo smiled: “Now that you’ve all praised me, I actually feel quite confident…”
After dinner, Tan Mo originally thought the filming for the day was over, but they still had an activity planned: watching traditional opera and viewing the city’s night scenery.
This would probably take another hour or so.
Apologetically, Tan Mo sent Xie Qichen a message explaining the situation. He replied telling her to focus on her work and not to worry.
During the opera performance in the evening, Ji Shu came over to chat with her. Learning that Xie Qichen had come to find her at Anhui Mountain, she teased:
[You two haven’t been apart for even a few days and you’re already missing each other so much! This sweet, sour smell of love is making this single girl really uncomfortable!]
Tan Mo laughed: [Some people choose to be single and wealthy—I can’t do anything about that.]
Ji Shu: [Hmph, being single is great too. Guess what—I heard something super funny today.]
[What is it?]
[Tan Zhiwan has been spreading around that you and Xie Qichen are getting a divorce. She looked so excited—it was hilarious.]
Tan Mo found it amusing: [No worries. Let her spread rumors if she wants.]
Ji Shu: [The higher she jumps, the harder she’ll fall. When that happens, you must slap her so hard in the face! I won’t be satisfied otherwise!]
Tan Mo laughed: [How about I livestream it for you then?]
Ji Shu: [Haha, as long as circumstances allow, why not? I won’t bother you anymore. I need to keep working overtime. Tonight, you and President Xie should enjoy your romantic time together.]
Thinking about the way Xie Qichen had looked at her that morning, Tan Mo’s heart raced.
Oh no—there was no escaping now…
Around eight in the evening, after the opera ended.
As they walked out the door, they arrived at the scenic platform on the mountaintop.
After viewing the night scenery, the day’s activities finally ended. Everyone began walking down the mountain path. Cold, Tan Mo tightened her coat around her, her porcelain-like face slightly flushed from the chill. Thinking about meeting Xie Qichen again, she braved the cold winds, eager to return.
She hadn’t walked far when suddenly, at another fork in the road ahead, a figure appeared.
She looked over, her gaze instantly shaken—
Under the dim streetlight, Xie Qichen stood tall in a finely tailored double-breasted coat. The warm yellow glow fell on his profile, his prominent nose and sharp jawline faintly visible. Upon hearing them, he turned his eyes toward her, gazing at her with a quiet smile.
Seeing him appear so suddenly halfway up the path, Tan Mo’s mind went blank for a moment, then filled with surprise. Without hesitation, she ran toward him.
As she reached him, she was immediately pulled into his arms. Feeling his warmth envelop her, she smiled and leaned her face against his chest:
“Xie Qichen, why are you here? I thought you’d be waiting for me at the guesthouse…”
“I was worried you’d be cold tonight, so I came out to meet you.”
“It is a bit cold.”
Xie Qichen helped her put on a coat. Noticing how she had run toward him just now, he lowered his lashes and teased: “Looks like someone missed me a lot today.”
Tan Mo blushed: “Not really…”
She noticed the other crew members watching with amused, gossipy smiles. Feeling embarrassed, she was about to step back when Xie Qichen took her hand:
“Let’s go.”
The two walked at the back of the group, and everyone else wisely chose not to interrupt them.
Ten minutes later, Tan Mo and Xie Qichen arrived at the ancient town. Originally, Tan Mo had planned to go to the guesthouse, but Xie Qichen held her hand and led her in a different direction:
“I’ve booked a new guesthouse.”
“Eh?”
Xie Qichen explained that after visiting her room that morning, he felt it was too small, so he had Wen Cheng book a more spacious place, separate from where the crew was staying.
“I’ve already moved most of your belongings there. You have everything you need.”
“Okay…”
Walking forward, Tan Mo obediently followed beside him, suddenly feeling like they were eloping…
On the way, Xie Qichen held her hand and asked about her filming experience that day. Tan Mo answered, watching his deep, calm expression. Compared to her cheerful excitement, he seemed much calmer, as if he wasn’t particularly happy.
Maybe mature men like Xie Qichen just naturally had more restrained emotions…
Feeling shy, Tan Mo gradually quieted down, becoming more reserved. Xie Qichen quickly noticed her shift in mood and looked down to ask: “Why did you stop talking?”
“No reason. Just thinking about something.”
After a while, she couldn’t help but softly call his name: “Xie Qichen…”
“Hmm?”
“I feel like… you didn’t really miss me that much…”
Her voice was barely audible, and she felt embarrassed halfway through speaking. Fortunately, the man didn’t respond—maybe he hadn’t heard.
She changed the subject. Eventually, they reached the guesthouse and headed upstairs.
“What floor?” she asked.
“Fourth.”
“Okay…”
When they arrived at the room door, Xie Qichen swiped the key card and opened it.
They walked in and closed the door behind them. Tan Mo changed her shoes: “Is this room much bigger than the one I had before?”
Curious, she stepped further inside, when suddenly a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Xie Qichen took a step forward, pinning her against the wall.
“Xie Qichen…”
Before Tan Mo could react, a shadow suddenly loomed over her. Without warning, his hot kiss fell onto her lips.
Breathless, she was trapped between the wall and his solid body, overwhelmed by the intensity of his passion.
She instinctively tilted her face up. The arm around her waist radiated heat through her sweater, and the cold, woody scent of his cologne filled her senses. His lips were burning hot, sharply contrasting the calm and composed demeanor he had shown outside. Now, his masculine energy, like a beast breaking free from its cage, flooded all of Tan Mo’s senses.
“Mmm…”
Unprepared, Tan Mo’s mind exploded with fireworks, going completely blank.
Compared to that night when they had kissed while she was drunk, everything about Xie Qichen now was vividly amplified in her mind.
In her entire world, there was only him.
A few seconds later, Xie Qichen slightly pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, staring intently at her glistening, red lips. His fiery gaze could no longer hide the intense desire beneath:
“Not really miss you?”
“Tan Mo, do you know how long I’ve been holding back?”
From the moment he saw her that morning, to the entire way back after picking her up just now, his longing had been building up, restrained only by sheer willpower.
Her ears flushed red, her own desire stirred: “Xie Qichen…”
Shyly lowering her head, she barely had time to react before another fierce kiss landed on her lips.
Inside the dimly lit room, their breaths mingled.
Her teeth were gently parted as his tongue slipped in, deepening the kiss with varying intensity, biting and tasting every corner of her lips as if claiming a city that was always destined to be his.
After a while, he suddenly stopped. Then, Tan Mo felt herself lifted effortlessly into his arms.
Startled, she opened her wide eyes in shock, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. She met his gaze, burning with desire.
Xie Qichen carried her toward the bedroom, biting her earlobe as he whispered hoarsely:
“Let’s continue on the bed.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage