After dinner, Qin Ruoyao pulled Mo Junlin out for a walk.
She wanted to show him the neighborhood, and he wanted to see the place where she had grown up.
Beside an artificial lake, the two strolled hand in hand along the pedestrian path.
The setting sun cast a warm golden glow over them.
A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers through the air.
At that hour, the area was filled mostly with elderly people and children.
Occasionally, a car passed by.
Joggers ran along the pathways.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman walking together naturally attracted plenty of attention.
An elderly man approached from the opposite direction carrying a birdcage with a parrot inside.
When he saw them, he paused, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Adjusting his glasses, he looked more closely.
Qin Ruoyao laughed.
“Grandpa Gao, hello. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already?”
Grandpa Gao often played chess with her grandfather.
The two old men regularly argued over their games.
She had witnessed it more than once.
“Oh! Xiaoyao!”
“It really is you!”
“So you’ve come home for the holiday.”
“Your grandfather said you’d be back for May Day.”
The old man finally recognized her.
Then his gaze shifted to Mo Junlin.
“And this must be your husband.”
“That’s right.”
Qin Ruoyao smiled.
“Grandpa Gao, this is my husband, Mo Junlin.”
Mo Junlin greeted him politely.
“Hello, Grandpa Gao.”
The old man looked him over carefully before nodding approvingly.
“Not bad.”
“Young man, you’re quite handsome.”
“Your grandfather wasn’t exaggerating.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Grandpa Gao.”
After a bit more conversation, Qin Ruoyao smiled.
“We won’t keep you from walking your bird.”
“And your parrot looks healthier every time I see it.”
The old man chuckled.
He had no intention of interrupting a young married couple for too long.
After saying goodbye, he continued on his way.
Once he was gone, Qin Ruoyao leaned toward Mo Junlin and whispered mischievously,
“Grandpa Gao once wanted me to become his granddaughter-in-law.”
“Too bad you beat his grandson to it.”
Mo Junlin raised an eyebrow.
“Is that so?”
Then he smiled.
“When a girl is wonderful, lots of people want her.”
“That only proves my wife is amazing.”
“Good thing I got there first.”
“Otherwise I’d be the one crying now.”
Qin Ruoyao laughed.
Then she checked the time.
“Director Zhang’s drama airs tonight.”
“Want to watch it together?”
Early that morning, Zhang Peisheng had sent her a message asking her to help promote it online.
Although her social media account only had a few hundred followers, she had still reposted it.
“Director Zhang Peisheng’s game adaptation, Chinese Paladin, premieres tonight at 8 PM. Don’t miss it!”
Since she wanted to watch it, Mo Junlin naturally agreed.
The two returned home.
The living room was empty.
Only the sounds of laughter from the children’s room could be heard.
Pulling Mo Junlin onto the sofa beside her, Qin Ruoyao turned on the television.
The advertisements ended just in time.
A familiar song began to play.
“Love has not yet arrived…”
“Yet heaven and earth suddenly change…”
“Those with love and loyalty must all return…”
At that moment, Mother Qin emerged from her room.
Seeing her daughter and son-in-law watching television, she sat down beside them.
“What drama is this?”
“The first episode already has immortals and demons?”
“But this song is really good.”
“Who sings it?”
Qin Ruoyao immediately brightened.
“Mom, you think it sounds good too?”
“Your daughter wrote it.”
The proud expression on her face was almost comical.
Mo Junlin had to suppress a smile.
Mother Qin stared.
“You?”
“Haven’t you ignored music for years?”
Qin Ruoyao had always possessed musical talent.
But after entering university, she had practically stopped pursuing it.
“I may not have touched it for years, but that doesn’t mean I forgot everything.”
“It was just a coincidence.”
“A director needed help, so I helped.”
“But seriously, you really think it’s good?”
Both Mother Qin and Mo Junlin nodded.
After watching two episodes, Mother Qin was thoroughly hooked.
The pacing was good.
The cast was attractive.
The story was engaging.
“It’s not bad.”
“I’ve been looking for something new to watch.”
“I think I’ll follow this one.”
Qin Ruoyao immediately tried to stop her.
“Mom…”
“Maybe don’t.”
Mother Qin looked suspicious.
“What?”
“Does everyone die in the end?”
“Not exactly.”
“It’s just…”
“The ending is a little sad.”
Mother Qin waved dismissively.
“What drama doesn’t have something sad in it?”
“If people avoided sadness, nobody would make television shows at all.”
“Fair point.”
Qin Ruoyao sighed.
She only hoped her mother wouldn’t cry later during the emotional scenes.
Meanwhile, all of the drama’s songs had been released online that same morning.
Many viewers discovered the series through the music first.
Online discussions quickly exploded.
Topics related to Chinese Paladin began trending.
— “Listen to Love Through All Lifetimes! This song is incredible!”
— “Everyone, go listen to these songs! They’re amazing!”
— “Preference is so good!”
— “Director Zhang’s new drama is finally airing! I loved the game!”
— “By the way, who is this songwriter Taozhiyaoyao? Is she a newcomer?”
— “The insert songs are all fantastic!”
Before long, Director Zhang’s drama had become a genuine hit.
Back in her room, Qin Ruoyao finished her shower and sat against the headboard with her phone.
She was thrilled.
So many people liked her songs.
The download numbers kept rising.
When Mo Junlin came out of the bathroom and saw her smiling at her phone, he sat beside her and leaned over.
“What are you looking at?”
Qin Ruoyao immediately showed him.
“Look.”
“The download numbers.”
“How much money do you think I’ll earn this month?”
Mo Junlin examined the figures.
Even on the first day, the numbers had already exceeded ten thousand.
“That’s impressive.”
“It’s only day one.”
“Even after splitting royalties with the singers, you should still earn quite a bit.”
Qin Ruoyao grinned.
“I don’t care how much.”
“I’m just happy.”
Mo Junlin immediately wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Really?”
“When I gave you a bank card, you weren’t this excited.”
“Does my money have no charm?”
Qin Ruoyao immediately put down her phone.
Her biggest sponsor was clearly becoming jealous.
That situation required immediate attention.
“How could that be?”
“Nobody is more charming than you.”
“This is just my first income from songwriting.”
“So I’m a little excited.”
“You’re still the most important thing in my heart.”
To emphasize the point, she rewarded him with several quick kisses.
That finally satisfied him.
Then Qin Ruoyao remembered something.
“Oh right.”
“Your mother-in-law was asking me about children today.”
“She wanted to know if we have any plans.”
“And what did you tell her?” Mo Junlin asked.
“That we’ll let nature take its course.”
“If it happens, it happens.”
She kissed him again.
Those light, casual kisses weren’t particularly skillful.
Yet somehow they affected him far more than they should.
Looking at the woman he loved, Mo Junlin stopped pretending to be patient.
He pulled her into his arms.
The conversation ended there.
…
During the holiday, Yue Shilin’s university was also on break.
At long last, she had time to meet up with her best friend.
The two arranged to have lunch together.
Mo Junlin hesitated slightly.
It was a meeting between close female friends.
Wouldn’t it be awkward if he tagged along?
Surely they had plenty of private things to discuss.
Since he was wondering about it anyway, he asked directly.
Qin Ruoyao waved dismissively.
“It’s fine.”
“She’s actually coming to see you.”
“You might even know her.”
“You both attended the same university.”
“As for us, we can chat anytime.”
“In that case, alright.”
Mo Junlin agreed.