Chapter 75: Have You Fallen for Her?

11 p.m.

The New Year's Eve gala continued its live broadcast, with only an hour remaining until the end.

Qin Haiyu’s phone suddenly chimed. She picked it up and saw a WeChat friend request notification. As she read the name in the request, she was so shocked she slapped her husband’s thigh.

“Honey! Cai Lanlan just added me on WeChat!”

“Huh?” Yu Zhile was surprised at first, then analyzed the situation: “She probably found out that Mr. Panda is me, and then got your contact through the director’s team or some industry friends!”

Qin Haiyu asked, “Should I accept it?”

Yu Zhile countered, “Have you ever interacted with her?”

“No!” Qin Haiyu shook her head. Cai Lanlan was an internationally renowned piano queen who wasn’t as famous domestically. She’d spent years abroad and only recently returned, so this was their first contact.

Yu Zhile asked again, “What kind of person do you think she is?”

Qin Haiyu thought for a moment before answering, “She seems rather aloof—her title as piano queen is well-deserved, and her words and demeanor have a distant air.”

Yu Zhile said, “Then just accept it.”

Qin Haiyu blinked her curious, large eyes, her long curled lashes fluttering as she asked, “Why?”

Yu Zhile analyzed further: “If you’re right, then Cai Lanlan is the opposite of Ye Fei—the ice queen persona suggests she’s proud and solitary. I’m curious what such a proud person wants by reaching out personally.”

“So I should accept?” Qin Haiyu agreed to the friend request and, the next moment, received a message from Cai Lanlan.

She stared at the screen, somewhat stunned. “She’s asking if ‘Zi Fei Yu’ is my husband?”

“What’s going on!” Yu Zhile was perplexed. “Shouldn’t she be asking about Mr. Panda instead?”

Qin Haiyu typed her reply while speculating, “Honey, could she be one of your devoted readers?”

Yu Zhile was embarrassed. “Uh… didn’t you say she’s cold and aloof? An ice queen like her actually likes romance novels?”

“Then maybe her ice queen image is just an act?” After replying, Qin Haiyu received a fiery, angry emoji from Cai Lanlan, followed by a message: “What’s your home address? I want to send your husband a box of razor blades!”

“Pfft!” Qin Haiyu couldn’t help laughing. “Honey! She really is your reader—look, she’s asking for our address, saying she wants to send you a box of blades!”

Yu Zhile felt a pang of awkwardness, utterly confused. “Shouldn’t she be most concerned about who Mr. Panda is? How did it suddenly turn into a novel discussion?”

Qin Haiyu sent a sheepish emoji, unsure how to shield her husband from this.

Soon after, Cai Lanlan sent a barrage of messages demanding updates and threatening to send blades. Yu Zhile shook his head in exasperation. “Wife, block her!”

Qin Haiyu giggled. “She hasn’t said anything wrong—why block her? Besides, she sent screenshots—her fan ranking for every novel is in the top ten. She’s clearly a true fan!”

“All the more reason to block her!” Yu Zhile retorted slyly. “Love me, love my house! I’m seriously worried she’s got her eye on your husband—if you don’t block her now, she might end up a homewrecker!”

Nearby, their mother, gently coaxing the baby to sleep, shook her head and carried her granddaughter back to the bedroom, muttering, “Stop watching TV! Go to bed early—there’s everything in your dreams!”

Qin Haiyu chuckled, “Hear that? Mom says you’re dreaming!”

Yu Zhile turned off the TV, took his wife upstairs, and coughed awkwardly. “Sleep, sleep—don’t bother with her.”

Qin Haiyu replied to Cai Lanlan, saying she was going to bed, and promised to pass along her grievances as a reader.

Then Cai Lanlan asked, “Is Mr. Panda also your husband?”

“Yes.” Qin Haiyu replied simply.

Cai Lanlan responded, “Alright, for the sake of his ‘Nocturne of the Night’ five-part series, I won’t send him blades. Good night, sweet dreams to you both!”

Reading this, Qin Haiyu realized Cai Lanlan was actually quite interesting—so different from the icy piano queen seen on camera.

After sending a goodnight emoji, Qin Haiyu asked, “Honey, is she praising how well ‘Nocturne of the Night’ was played? By the way, did you compose it? Someone backstage said they couldn’t find it online.”

“Mm.” Yu Zhile replied. He’d intended to say it was composed by Shi Jin, but since there was no pianist by that name in this world, he simply accepted the credit.

Qin Haiyu wasn’t surprised. “No wonder Cai Lanlan suddenly added me! Aside from wanting to send blades, her main purpose must be that she was blown away by your five piano pieces. Even such an outstanding, proud piano queen was conquered by your music! Honey, you’re amazing!”

Yu Zhile embraced his wife as they entered their room, whispering, “Wife, shouldn’t you be worried now?”

“Worried about what?” Qin Haiyu asked.

Yu Zhile replied, “Love me, love my house! Cai Lanlan was captivated by my novels, and now by my piano pieces. If she meets me someday, what if she’s conquered by my handsome looks too? Aren’t you afraid she’ll try to steal your husband?”

To be honest, Qin Haiyu had worried about this before!

That’s why she paid attention to her diet, took care of herself, and kept her figure.

Now, hearing her husband say that, she pinched his waist and huffed, “Honey! Are you interested in her?”

Yu Zhile hurried to explain, “Wrongly accused, wife! She’s interested in me, not the other way around!”

“What do you think of her looks?” Qin Haiyu pressed.

“Not much! My wife is prettier!” Yu Zhile said, his arms around her becoming more mischievous.

“Men’s words are nothing but lies!” Qin Haiyu slapped his wandering hand, and after closing the bedroom door, she suddenly took the initiative.

Only then did Yu Zhile realize why every time he acted up, his wife had no resistance and let him win her over! It was because she worried he might stray, so she’d always satisfy him.

Yu Zhile stopped thinking about Cai Lanlan—whether she’d be conquered or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that he was about to be conquered by his wife.

For the sake of his health, he’d probably have to sign another temporary truce for a week or two!