When the elevator doors opened, Zhao Xunyin reached out to take Shi Nanbei’s small, soft hand. Her tone was gentle, almost casual, as if she was merely bringing up an ordinary matter.
“Then tonight, don’t be shy anymore, okay?”
As soon as she heard herself say that, Zhao Xunyin—who was nearly thirty-four—couldn’t help but reflect. Gone were the days of youthful recklessness and seductive charm. She was no longer a girl who saw love and hate in black and white. Having reached the threshold of her mid-thirties, she finally understood what she had been chasing all her life—and what she truly wanted.
After all she’d experienced, all she longed for was a sincere heart.
She had lost it once before, which was precisely why she knew how rare and precious someone like Shi Nanbei was.
This time, their visit to Grandma wasn’t as uneventful as their last grocery trip. Since they were meeting an elder, Zhao Xunyin had decided it would be impolite to wear a mask and sunglasses. As they chatted on their way out, she got so caught up in the moment that she completely forgot about her celebrity status—until she noticed the crowd waiting outside the neighborhood gates. Fans and paparazzi packed the entrance like a sea of flashing lights.
The moment Zhao Xunyin appeared, the fans restrained by the security guards erupted in excitement.
“Zhao Xunyin! Zhao Xunyin!! I love you, Zhao Xunyin!”
“Ahhh! It’s really Zhao Xunyin!”
“Zhao Xunyin, I love you!”
“Wife!”
Shi Nanbei, who had never seen such a chaotic scene before, was startled out of her wits. But Zhao Xunyin reacted instantly. The moment she saw the crowd, she raised her hand to shield Shi Nanbei’s face and pulled her tightly into her arms.
“Don’t be scared,” Zhao Xunyin murmured softly. “Don’t look at them, okay?”
Pressed against Zhao Xunyin’s chest—right in front of all those people—Shi Nanbei’s pretty face turned bright red. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Zhao Xunyin’s waist, nodding obediently. Then, worried Zhao Xunyin might not see it, she mumbled in a small, muffled voice, “Okay.”
Zhao Xunyin’s lips curved faintly at that.
Her assistant hurried over, already aware of the situation. “The paparazzi are here,” she said, opening a large black umbrella to shield them both. “Rumors are already spreading that you came here to meet your girlfriend’s family.”
“Note down the outlets,” Zhao Xunyin said calmly. “Not a single photo of Nanbei can be released.”
“Got it.”
But the reporters were relentless. Cameras flashed wildly as microphones pushed through the gaps in the fence.
“Zhao Xunyin! You were supposed to be in Shanghai for an event—why are you suddenly in Chengdu?”
“The girl in your arms—your girlfriend? Is she of legal age?”
“Are you here to meet her family?”
“Please, Zhao Xunyin, could you comment? Fans are really curious about your love life!”
“Zhao Xunyin!”
“Zhao Xunyin.”
Her expression gradually cooled. Facing the first reporter who’d spoken, she said evenly, “This is my private matter. No comment.”
But entertainment reporters were like flies—they didn’t fear lies, only silence. The moment Zhao Xunyin said that, they surged forward again, shoving their microphones toward her like a swarm.
“Boss, let’s take the basement exit,” her assistant urged when she realized the main gate was impossible to get through.
Zhao Xunyin glanced toward the underground garage. There wasn’t time to think further—not with Shi Nanbei here and the reporters shouting increasingly invasive questions.
“Let’s go,” she said decisively.
The crowd outside grew chaotic. A few aggressive reporters tried to push past the guards, and the fans, not to be outdone, also surged forward. Within seconds, the entire entrance dissolved into disorder.
If they hadn’t moved quickly, they might have been trapped inside.
Zhao Xunyin hadn’t expected her supposedly confidential trip to leak. No wonder Shi Nanbei had been reluctant to make their relationship public. As she thought this, she led the younger girl into the car parked in the basement. But barely had they gotten in when her phone started ringing furiously.
“Master’s getting a call, master’s getting a call! It’s that person again.”
Baa baa baa?
Still frazzled from the chaos outside, Shi Nanbei blinked at the childish ringtone and turned in disbelief toward Zhao Xunyin, whose face was as composed as ever. This cold, elegant woman, used that ringtone?
It was kind of weird.
Zhao Xunyin caught the look in her eyes and, while silencing her phone, offered a brief explanation. “It’s my manager. She calls a lot, so I gave her a special ringtone. Be good and fasten your seatbelt.”
“Oh” Shi Nanbei obeyed at once. The moment she clicked it into place, the assistant hit the gas. The car spun smoothly in a perfect arc and shot out of the parking space like lightning.
Shi Nanbei had never been in such a dramatic getaway. Her face turned pale green as she stared at the assistant’s calm profile. Every movement was effortless—hands, feet, timing—smooth and precise. It was like watching a race car on a track.
Shi Nanbei: “…”
She had thought the assistant was soft and gentle!
What was going on here?
“Before she became my assistant, Gao Lu was a race car driver,” Zhao Xunyin explained, just in time.
Shi Nanbei: “…”
No wonder Zhao Xunyin had insisted on bringing her assistant. With skills like this, no paparazzi could ever catch up.
Sure enough, thanks to Gao Lu’s expert driving, they shook off the pursuing cars after just two streets.
Shi Nanbei was silent for a long while before asking timidly, “Jie, can you teach me how to race like that?”
The assistant chuckled. “Sure! As long as you want to learn. Do you even have a license?”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
And just like that, she hit Shi Nanbei right in the heart.
Sob sob.
Before Shi Nanbei could reply, the possessive Zhao Xunyin tugged her back into her arms. “Sit still, don’t move around.”
“Okay.”
Then Zhao Xunyin picked up her phone and returned the call. Her manager, Xu Juan, was both her friend and employee—so Zhao Xunyin never treated her like a superior.
“Hello?”
“Do you even realize you’re being followed by paparazzi?!” Xu Juan exploded the moment the call connected. Her name sounded refined, but her temper was anything but. “Can you please be a little more careful? Do you have any idea what kind of position you’re in right now? The moment you landed, you went straight to your little wife’s school and got tailed! They’ve taken a ton of photos—half the tabloids are already preparing your front-page headlines!”
Holding Shi Nanbei in her arms, Zhao Xunyin’s tone was calm, almost lazy. “Since when haven’t they wanted to put me on the front page?”
Xu Juan: “…”
Okay, fair point.
“Don’t give me that attitude. What now? Should I pay them off or do we make it official?” Xu Juan demanded. “You’re a national-level celebrity. If you deny it now and they expose you later, it’ll tank your reputation. That’s fan deception, plain and simple. Remember that actress who secretly married an actor last month? Denied it, sent out legal threats, even when she was pregnant—look where that got her!”
“Alright, alright, stop,” Zhao Xunyin interrupted. The one thing she couldn’t stand was Xu Juan nagging like an overbearing mom.
While her manager panicked, Zhao Xunyin stayed completely composed. “Try to buy the reports. If you can’t”
She paused mid-sentence when she felt someone tug on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Shi Nanbei leaning quietly against her chest. Having overheard most of the call, the girl spoke softly, “You can make it public.”
Zhao Xunyin froze. She hadn’t expected that.
Wasn’t this the same girl who once said she wanted to become a doctor and didn’t want people to know about their relationship?
But now, Shi Nanbei’s eyes were clear and resolute, her tone sweet but firm. “It’s okay if everyone knows. We’re married—it’s nothing shameful. I don’t want you to be in a difficult position.”
It’s nothing shameful.
Perhaps she was getting old, but those simple words stirred something deep inside Zhao Xunyin. She was reminded of a time long ago, when she had once said the exact same thing to someone else.
Back then, both she and that person had been too proud—too headstrong to compromise, too self-assured to consider the other’s feelings. They thought love alone was enough to withstand the world.
They hadn’t known yet that love, when exposed to the storm, could still break.