Nan Chu was drinking water when Xu Xiaoxiao’s words nearly made her spit it out.
She narrowly managed to swallow the water, covering her mouth as she coughed a few times.
Seeing Nan Chu’s face flushed from choking, Xu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Chuchu, don’t tell me that newlywed friend you asked me about last time was actually you!”
Nan Chu sat up straight, her face calm and her heart steady.
“Of course not.”
Xu Xiaoxiao let out a slow “oh” from her throat, her eyes sweeping over her like searchlights.
“Then whose skills are good?”
“…”
How would she know?
Nan Chu wanted to avoid the question, but Xu Xiaoxiao’s big eyes were bright and piercing, with an air of ‘you can’t hide this from me.’
Somehow, unbidden, the image of that steam-filled bathroom surfaced in her mind.
And Shang Lin’s smooth, clean arm muscles, his narrow, powerful waist, his clearly defined eight-pack abs…
Xu Xiaoxiao watched Nan Chu’s face grow redder and redder, making “ooh ooh ooh” sounds without stopping.
“Miss Nan is blushing—what are you reminiscing about~ Whose skills are good~”
Nan Chu’s face grew even hotter from her teasing. She gulped down another mouthful of water, thought briefly, then answered with complete seriousness.
“Of course, my husband’s.”
Xu Xiaoxiao immediately perked up, firing off questions at lightning speed.
“How good?”
Based on objective facts, Nan Chu made a reasonable inference.
“Unprecedented.”
Xu Xiaoxiao lifted Nan Chu’s chin with a lazy posture: “Ten minutes. I want all the details.”
The two of them laughed and joked, not noticing that the partition door behind them wasn’t completely closed.
The partition design of the private rooms at Zuoshan Shanshui was quite distinctive.
Although they were private rooms, they were connected to the outdoor landscape, creating a pleasing interplay—but if the door wasn’t shut properly, the privacy of the conversation suffered.
The two chatted while eating, completely unaware that their conversation had been drifting piece by piece into the neighboring room.
Jiang Shijie had originally arranged to meet Shang Lin to discuss business, never expecting to overhear such explosive news.
He pricked up his ears, wishing he could press them against the opposite wall. Seeing the man across from him wearing a cold, indifferent expression, he immediately buried his head in his phone and frantically sent WeChat messages.
Shang Lin’s phone, resting on the table, kept buzzing with incoming WeChat notifications.
“Hmm? Man, you’ve caught my attention.”
“What does ‘unprecedented’ mean? How unprecedented?”
“I don’t care—you have to elaborate.”
Seeing that Shang Lin still hadn’t replied, Jiang Shijie was quite displeased and was about to complain.
But who would have thought—the moment he looked up, he saw the corners of Shang Lin’s lips gradually curving upward.
He was stunned at first, then, with lightning speed, snapped a photo and sent it to the group chat of his childhood friends.
The photo appeared, and instantly a bunch of lurkers exploded.
“Holy shit, a once-in-a-lifetime sight! Mom, Brother Lin smiled!”
“Jiang Shijie, you Photoshopped that. I refuse to believe our mortal Buddha would smile so seductively!”
The group was full of skepticism. Jiang Shijie scoffed, then sneakily started a video call, aiming it at Shang Lin.
Shang Lin’s gaze remained fixed on the space beyond the screen partition.
Even just hearing her voice, he could picture the dimples on Nan Chu’s cheeks when she spoke.
Everyone on the video call: …
Group member A: Drop the location. I’m coming right now.
Group member B: Andy, where’s my private jet? Get it over here immediately, right now!
Group member C: Sister-in-law? Am I the only one curious about what kind of celestial beauty could capture Brother Lin??
Two hours later, Nan Chu and Xu Xiaoxiao had eaten their fill and were getting ready to leave.
Xu Xiaoxiao said she was going to the restroom to touch up her makeup, but Nan Chu waited half an hour without seeing her return.
A bit puzzled, she called, but the call was cut off after just one ring.
Nan Chu’s heart skipped a beat.
Could something have happened?
She immediately got up and headed to the restroom, only to spot Xu Xiaoxiao in the hallway, sneakily peeking toward the direction of a private room.
Nan Chu let out a sigh of relief and quickly walked over.
“Xiaoxiao, what are you looking at here?”
Xu Xiaoxiao saw Nan Chu and did a little shuffle in place. “My idol, Chuchu, I see my idol!”
“Which idol?”
Nan Chu was curious too—Xiaoxiao’s taste was always impeccable, and she always got to feast her eyes as well.
The moment she asked, Xu Xiaoxiao grabbed Nan Chu’s arm and shook it wildly.
“All of the top eight are here! Oh my god, Chuchu, you have no idea how rare it is for all eight to be together!”
Nan Chu blinked, about to ask, when a door at the end of the hallway opened.
Xu Xiaoxiao clenched her fists excitedly. “They’re coming out, they’re coming out!”
Seeing Xiaoxiao this worked up, Nan Chu found herself getting nervous too.
Anyone who made Xiaoxiao’s top eight was no ordinary figure.
Following her gaze, Nan Chu couldn’t help but marvel.
They were indeed all strikingly handsome, and what was rare was that each had a completely different style.
There was one with a gentle, jade-like gentlemanly air, one with a dashing, roguish charm, and one with a high-end world-weary vibe.
Because of Lu Si, she had come into contact with quite a few male celebrities in the entertainment industry.
But the men walking out of that room—each one alone could carry a whole production.
Still, a couple of them looked somewhat familiar.
“Ahhh, my number one is finally coming out!”
Just as Nan Chu was wondering why they looked familiar, Xu Xiaoxiao’s sudden words made her brain stall for a moment.
“Number one?”
If she remembered correctly, Xiaoxiao’s number one was…
Nan Chu’s lips twitched slightly, and she heard Xiaoxiao’s excited voice from beside her ear.
“That’s right! Oh my god, he’s looking in my direction!”
“He’s… he’s walking over? What do I do? Nan Chu, what should I say? A sudden crush from heaven!”
Nan Chu pressed her hand to her forehead.
No wonder they looked familiar—she had seen a few of those men before, and they had even toasted at the Shang family wedding earlier.
Even across the hallway, Nan Chu could feel Shang Lin’s gaze landing on her.
It was nothing short of meaningful.
And then she thought about where she and Xu Xiaoxiao were standing right now.
Nan Chu’s face burned, as if she’d been caught peeking, her toes curling in sheer embarrassment.
“Chuchu, I’m going for it! Hey, Chuchu?”
Xu Xiaoxiao turned around and saw Nan Chu heading back with her head down.
She dashed over in a few quick strides and grabbed Nan Chu’s arm.
“Chuchu, why are you leaving? It’s Shang Lin! Didn’t you two go to the same university? Aren’t you going to say hi?”
By now, Shang Lin had already walked to within less than two meters of them—there was no time to escape.
Xu Xiaoxiao boldly yanked Nan Chu over, looked at Shang Lin, and flashed a brilliant smile.
“Hello, Mr. Shang, I’m Xu Xiaoxiao, and this is…”
“My wife.”
Xu Xiaoxiao: “…”
Xu Xiaoxiao: ?!?!
Under Xu Xiaoxiao’s ever-widening eyes, Nan Chu took a small breath and nodded solemnly.
“Xiaoxiao, let me introduce you—this is my husband, Shang Lin.”
Xu Xiaoxiao was instantly struck speechless, her expression frozen as if petrified, clearly struggling to process this reality-shattering revelation.
The handsome men beside her, each with their own distinct style, called out “Sister-in-law” in perfect unison.
The empty corridor echoed with the sound of “Sister-in-law.”
Nan Chu’s ears felt a little warm, but after her mood settled slightly, she smiled and greeted them.
“Hello.”
Shang Lin had already walked to her side, his gaze calm and steady. “Looking for me?”
Nan Chu remembered how she and Xu Xiaoxiao had just been caught, so she reached out and took the arm of Xu Xiaoxiao, who was still frozen in shock.
“Yeah, I saw you earlier and wanted to introduce you to my good friend, Xu Xiaoxiao.”
Xu Xiaoxiao finally snapped out of it, watching Shang Lin’s gaze remain fixed on Nan Chu without straying, and a sense of pride welled up inside her.
Impressive—her Chu Chu was so impressive!
This was Shang Lin, the flower of the North City, and he’d been quietly won over by her Chu Chu!
Jiang Shijie was someone who knew how to read the room, and he promptly arranged a gathering at his own resort.
The spring day was warm, and the scenery was just right.
They chatted and enjoyed the view until evening.
The sun set with its final glow.
Jiang Shijie caught a glimpse of Shang Lin and Nan Chu sitting side by side, and his eyes twinkled with a sly glint.
The atmosphere was just right—of course, he had to give his brother a hand.
He looked at Shang Lin, his peach-blossom eyes gleaming with cunning.
“Lin-ge, I’ve got fireworks tonight. Want to stick around and watch?”
Shang Lin turned to Nan Chu and asked, “Want to watch?”
Nan Chu looked up at Shang Lin’s eyes, deeper than the night sky, and nodded. “Let’s watch.”