She really did remember.
She remembered that person—someone whose face had already grown hazy in her memory. She never mentioned her in public. Even when entertainment reporters photographed them wearing matching outfits and leaving together, she refused to admit their relationship. Everyone, both openly and behind her back, laughed at her—laughed that Zhao Xunyin was overreaching, that she was dreaming of marrying into a wealthy family that would never accept her.
At the time, Zhao Xunyin thought she could pretend not to care. But as she heard those words again and again, the arrogance of youth eventually crumbled. One day, unable to hold it in, she finally asked that person:
“We’re not doing anything shameful by being together, so why do you make me lie to the reporters?”
That person didn’t even look at her—just kept her head down, busy with work.
She always seemed to be that way—always working, always busy. Even when Zhao Xunyin spoke, she didn’t lift her head, merely said in a soft but distant voice:
“Don’t make trouble, okay? Xunyin, I’m doing this for your own good.”
For your own good.
She had heard those words too many times before.
Words that hurt the most often came wrapped in the excuse of for your own good.
She’d heard them so often that she came to understand what it felt like—to be the one standing in the weaker position, to be dismissed, silenced, made to endure.
It had taken her years—years of traveling, working, growing—to walk out from that shadow. She had no wish to relive it, nor to let Shi Nanbei experience it for herself.
So, when Shi Nanbei brought it up, Zhao Xunyin only froze for a moment before smiling and nodding.
“Alright. We’ll do it your way.”
“Let’s make it public,” she said.
Her words were answered by the brightest, most radiant smile of youth.
Who said young people aren’t brave?
She herself had once been young—once been reckless, passionate, and had given all her love to one person. So, she understood Shi Nanbei’s concern, her protective instinct.
She understood it all too well because a long time ago, she too had wanted to protect someone that way.
So many years had passed, and she had finally become the kind of person that woman once hoped she’d become.
But time had changed them both; they were no longer who they once were.
When Zhao Xunyin agreed to Shi Nanbei’s request, she later spoke to her manager with a clear instruction:
“Just announce my marriage. Nothing else. Don’t release any information about Nanbei. Have the company pressure the tabloids to keep it quiet.”
Shi Nanbei grew nervous when she heard that. She grabbed Zhao Xunyin’s hand and looked up at her, but Zhao Xunyin only smiled and mouthed, ‘Don’t worry. Leave it to me.’
For some reason, that was all it took for Shi Nanbei’s anxiety to settle.
She trusted Zhao Xunyin—trusted her the same way she trusted her own grandmother.
News that Zhao Xunyin had accompanied her girlfriend to meet the parents in Chengdu hit Weibo’s trending list within minutes.
The hashtag #ZhaoXunyinMeetsTheParents skyrocketed, reaching the number-one spot in less than half an hour.
On the way back to the villa, Shi Nanbei trembled as she opened her phone and clicked on the trending post.
The first thing she saw were paparazzi photos of Zhao Xunyin leaving her grandmother’s residential complex.
Even in a blurry, pixelated shot, Zhao Xunyin’s beauty was impossible to hide.
As for herself—standing beside Zhao Xunyin—though they were about the same height, Zhao’s high heels made her look taller by several centimeters. Next to Zhao Xunyin, she looked like a little wife.
The thought made her ears burn red.
Zhao Xunyin was still on the phone, likely speaking to her company about how to handle the leaked photos. Shi Nanbei scrolled through the trending posts. Thanks to Zhao Xunyin’s quick reflexes—shielding her the instant she noticed the reporters—there were only two blurry shots where Shi Nanbei’s face wasn’t even visible.
It was, in a way, a blessing in disguise.
She let out a subtle sigh of relief.
Zhao Xunyin turned her head, catching the startled-rabbit look in Shi Nanbei’s eyes, and couldn’t help but smile. She reached out to gently rub Shi Nanbei’s ear, comforting her.
“Mm. Right. Don’t let any of Nanbei’s photos leak.”
“No need to explain too much to them. I want her personal information completely sealed.”
Whatever was said on the other end of the line seemed to irritate Zhao Xunyin, because her tone suddenly turned cold.
“My marriage is my business. Do I need to file a report with someone first?”
Then silence.
She frowned slightly.
“In that case, there’s nothing more to discuss.”
She hung up, visibly frustrated. Shi Nanbei hesitated, then asked timidly,
“Did I cause you trouble?”
“No.”
Hearing her wife’s soft, nervous tone, Zhao Xunyin’s irritation melted instantly. She lowered her head and kissed Shi Nanbei’s forehead, her voice tender.
“You’ve been so good. You didn’t cause any trouble. It’s my fault for not handling this better and scaring you. Forgive me, okay? Next time when we visit Grandma, I’ll make sure everything’s properly arranged. It won’t happen again.”
Shi Nanbei blinked, taken aback by the apology.
“I’m not mad” she mumbled, then added softly, “I was just thinking, I’m still so young. Won’t I drag you down?”
“Of course not.”
Zhao Xunyin cupped her round cheeks, her tone impossibly gentle.
“You’re my wife. Don’t say silly things like that.”
Only then did Shi Nanbei relax a little.
It was Sunday night, and Shi Nanbei still had evening self-study at school.
Since Zhao Xunyin needed to catch a flight back to Shanghai to deal with the aftermath, Shi Nanbei packed up her things to head out.
Given the current situation, Zhao Xunyin didn’t dare send her personally and asked her assistant to drive her instead. But Shi Nanbei shook her head immediately.
“I’ll just take a cab. You don’t have to worry so much.”
Zhao Xunyin still looked uneasy. Shi Nanbei wasn’t like her past partners—she was an ordinary student, young and unprotected. If any fans or paparazzi discovered her identity, the consequences could be serious.
Seeing her hesitation, Shi Nanbei added with a grin,
“I haven’t even been exposed yet. But if you keep acting nervous, people will start suspecting something.”
“Fine.”
Zhao Xunyin thought it over and admitted the girl had a point. Right now, the paparazzi were hounding her relentlessly—anyone seen near her would immediately be targeted.
“Then be careful on the way. Text me once you’re there,” Zhao said as her assistant hailed a car and walked her to the gate.
“You’re flying back to Shanghai today?” Shi Nanbei asked.
“Mm.” Zhao smiled. “What’s this? Missing me already before I’ve even left?”
“No, I’m not.”
Standing at the gate, phone pressed to her ear, Shi Nanbei huffed.
“When will you be back then?”
“I’m not sure. If things go smoothly, maybe in a week. If not, it could take longer.”
As she spoke, Zhao was already booking her flight online. Her tone softened again as she added,
“Gao Lu’s from Chengdu. She’ll be back in a day or two—if anything happens, contact her. The driver and housekeeper are already being arranged, so next time you come over, everything should be ready.”
“Okay.”
She said it casually, but when the cab arrived, Shi Nanbei suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
“What’s wrong?” Zhao asked after noticing the long silence.
“Nothing.” Shi Nanbei climbed into the car. “The taxi’s here. I’m heading off.”
“Alright. Message me when you get there.”
“Got it.”
After a pause, Shi Nanbei whispered, barely audible,
“I’ll miss you.”
And before Zhao could tease her, she hung up.
Zhao Xunyin: “…”
Zhao Xunyin stared at the phone, speechless.
This kid—if she got this shy just from saying I’ll miss you, how would she handle things in the future?
On the way back to school, Shi Nanbei couldn’t resist checking Weibo again. The trending topic #ZhaoXunyinMeetsTheParents was now blowing up. The comments section was chaos:
“What the hell? Zhao Xunyin? She’s getting married?”
“They’re meeting the parents—of course it’s about marriage! Are you dense?”
“😭😭😭 No! She said she loved us! She promised to bring happiness to every girl in the world! She can’t get married!”
“Didn’t she say she didn’t believe in marriage years ago? But when she was with Shu Yu, didn’t she mention wanting to marry her? So maybe she’s not actually anti-marriage?”
“Yeah, but that was Shu Yu! Of course she’d want to marry Shu Yu. But who’s this new girl now?”
“Same question—who’s this random nobody?”
“Watch your mouth. They’re both women—no need to insult her.”
“Am I the only one who noticed the girl Zhao was holding in the photo? She looks so young!”
“Don’t tell me that’s really her girlfriend? Damn, compared to Shu Yu, she’s way out of her league.”
“Be kind, alright? Zhao and Shu Yu broke up years ago. Shu Yu’s married now! What’s the point of bringing her up?”
“Ugh, but Shu Yu and Zhao Xunyin were icons! I still ship them!”
“Yeah, agreed. No offense, but this new girl, she just can’t compare.”