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The sea breeze was gentle, but his heart was even gentler.
Qin Xiao didn’t dare speak, afraid of breaking the beauty of this moment—it felt too much like a dream. Just a year ago in April, he had first met her. Back then, Su Ling despised him, hated him.
He had thought that she would never come to like him in this lifetime.
What a despairing realization it had been. He walked through fire and brimstone, desperately restraining his domineering arrogance, begging for her affection.
Even when Su Ling had earlier told him not to scare or pressure her, promising to try liking him if he stopped, he hadn’t believed her. Bitterly, love was such a beautiful and uncontrollable emotion—how could anyone manipulate it so easily?
He was terrified of losing her. The sweetness of this moment surged within him, but he quickly suppressed the overwhelming emotions swelling in his chest.
Qin Xiao knew that Su Ling didn’t truly understand love.
He loved her so deeply it hurt. Even the smallest bit of sweetness she gave him would irrationally burrow into his heart. Intoxicated by this wondrous feeling, he couldn’t help but think—if one day she fell in love with someone else, if she understood what love truly was, would she forget this laughable emotion of his?
She was still young, hadn’t met many people in this life. Perhaps one day she’d fall head over heels for someone else. What he received now was her pity, not her love.
Everything he had now—her acceptance, her warmth—it was all forcibly taken by him. She liked the gentle, restrained version of him, not the complete person he truly was. His bad temper, his dominance, his possessiveness, his selfishness, his violence—he couldn’t even hide his foot fetish.
Thinking about it made bitterness well up in his heart.
It had been almost a year, and Su Ling’s hair had grown long again. The ends brushed against his neck, bringing an unfamiliar itch. He sneered at himself. What did it matter if she didn’t accept the real him? He wanted everything from her—her love, her body. Even if she hated him, he wouldn’t let go. Especially not now, when there was this rare opportunity.
Su Ling couldn’t see the constantly shifting expressions on his face. Her heart was calm.
Small crabs crawled out of their holes, basking in the sun on the beach. The waves crashed against the rocks, and the sky was clear and pristine. If only she had lived one more day in her past life, she would have come here.
She watched their intertwined shadows and felt a wave of emotion.
She had been reborn in April, her heart full of fear back then. Qin Xiao was essentially a neurotic psychopath. Yet, in just one year, she had tried to accept him, warm him, and like him.
Not to change him—no one had the right to change another person.
Su Ling didn’t want to be the shackles binding a sharp sword. She simply wanted to hold his hand, to pause his destructive actions—to stop him from destroying himself and others.
The cameraman had been intercepted by He Qian, so they hadn’t filmed the entire walk back.
Qin Xiao didn’t want this journey to end, but he also feared she might be in pain. In the end, he walked quickly yet steadily. The sunlight warmed their bodies, making them sigh contentedly.
Soon, Su Ling spotted the director and the others. Some of the artists were already there; it seemed they had encountered normal NPCs.
Not only had she failed to find the treasure, but she had also parted ways with her partner.
Qin Xiao saw the group too. His gaze darkened, but he turned to Su Ling with softness. “I often think, if I were seven or eight years younger…”
Su Ling replied softly, “Why do you think that?”
“If you had appeared in my life earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have been so reckless. Maybe I could have become a better person.”
Su Ling was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Qin Xiao to say something like this. After a moment of thought, she murmured gently, “You’re already good now.”
He smiled, his eyes filled with three parts tenderness and seven parts cold detachment.
In truth, he was being cunning, wanting to hear sweet, comforting words from her. Qin Xiao knew himself too well. Whether he had met her at seventeen or twenty-seven, he would never have been a good person.
But his regret was genuine. He wanted to walk the paths she had walked, read the books she had read, accompany her through her youth, and be part of her entire life.
He had to admit—Su Ling’s gentleness couldn’t soothe his violence and restlessness.
Only one thing could: possessing her, confining her, making her entirely his. That way, he wouldn’t fear losing her. But Qin Xiao was painfully aware that this was something he absolutely couldn’t do. No matter how much he desired that sense of security, it would completely drive her away.
Whenever these dark, evil thoughts surfaced, he found some solace in Zuo Yin’s existence.
Every time he saw her, her light washed away the darkness, filling his heart with layers of tenderness.
When Tang Zi saw Su Ling being carried back, she initially mistook the figure for Su Ling’s partner, Cao Yue. She hesitated, wondering whether to deny rumors or let the program team stir up some heat.
But as they approached, Tang Zi saw who was carrying Su Ling—she nearly collapsed in shock!
Oh my god, why was Young Master Qin here?
The next moment, she sighed in relief, thinking happily: Good thing Su Ling had refused that underwater competition earlier, or everyone would’ve been doomed.
Among the directors and screenwriters, some recognized Qin Xiao.
Having worked with Qing Entertainment, they surely knew who the company’s boss was. Their faces turned pale with shock.
The director hurried over to greet him: “Mr. Qin, hello.”
Qin Xiao nodded slightly, his expression aloof. “She’s injured. Does the production team have a doctor?”
“Yes, yes, Little Wang, come over here. Miss Su is injured.”
Tang Zi came over as well: “Lingling, where are you hurt? Is it serious?”
Su Ling shook her head. “I’m fine. A shell scratched me.”
Little Wang, the female doctor accompanying the show, came over to clean Su Ling’s wound.
Qin Xiao stood nearby, watching as the alcohol flowed over her instep, glistening under the sunlight.
His blood heated slightly.
If she didn’t mind, he could have cleaned that wound for her—even with his mouth.
Under his intense gaze, Su Ling felt awkward. She looked up and met his pitch-black eyes. “Qin Xiao, thank you for bringing me back. You can go now.”
Qin Xiao smiled, appearing gentle and refined. “Alright.”
And just like that, he left.
Everyone who recognized Qin Xiao was stunned. They glanced between him and Su Ling, thinking perhaps he was her wealthy patron—but it didn’t quite fit. If he really were her patron, why would he bother coming to such a low-profile show for resources?
The problem arose during post-production.
The director called He Qian, explaining the dilemma. From the start of the treasure hunt segment, Qin Xiao had been filmed. If those scenes were cut, the episode would essentially be ruined.
He Qian went to consult Qin Xiao.
With an ambiguous smile, Qin Xiao lazily uttered a single word: “Air it.”
So in May, the first episode of Let’s Watch the Sea Together aired.
At first, there wasn’t much reaction—barely a ripple.
Until someone noticed the bizarre twist during the treasure hunt and realized something was off.
Huh? Wasn’t this random passerby deceiving Su Ling and Cao Yue?
Wow, this passerby is actually quite handsome.
However, Cao Yue’s fans were outraged. They began commenting: “Who is this guy? How dare he compare himself to our Yueyue? Is he trying to steal the spotlight because he’s desperate to get famous? Does he think he can use Su Ling and Cao Yue’s popularity to debut as the center stage star?”
Somehow, this topic made it to the trending list.
Comments like “Su Ling has no taste” and “The most arrogant passerby in history” started surfacing.
Though the passerby was undeniably attractive and manly, defending their idols took priority. Few netizens recognized Qin Xiao; those who knew of President Qin associated him with that rarely active yellow V account.
The general consensus was that he was powerful and wealthy—extremely powerful and wealthy.
Meanwhile, Su Ling’s fans were heartbroken. Their precious Jiu Li (Su Ling) had been seduced by some unknown man—and even carried on his back! And she said he was good!
Once a show gained controversy, its viewership naturally rose.
Until someone suddenly commented: “Holy sh*t, doesn’t this passerby look a lot like President Qin?”
Below, a string of laughter erupted.
“This guy must be a hired troll. Claiming to be President Qin? Why not say he’s the president of some country? Nowadays, anyone can make up a story for attention.”
“Desperate for fame, huh? Acting like you’ve ever seen President Qin. I’ll manually tag President Qin to sanction you. @PresidentQin.”
“Sanction 1.”
“Sanction 2.”
“Sanction 10086.”
The person who jokingly tagged Qin Xiao did so casually, knowing his account was practically inactive.
But a while later, Qin Xiao retweeted the post with a simple reply: —It’s me.
Most of Qin Xiao’s followers were inactive accounts purchased by He Qian. Since he didn’t rely on online popularity for business, he remained low-key and inconspicuous.
However, the companies under his umbrella quickly retweeted: It’s our President Qin.
The internet exploded.
WTF!
No way!
Those who had mocked him earlier felt their faces burning. Did President Qin need to piggyback on trends to debut? He was already the ultimate king. But there was no time to dwell on embarrassment—everyone rushed to rewatch the show.
In the variety show, the man calmly deceived people, but the moment he knelt before Su Ling, it set off everyone’s fangirl hearts! Now, they all turned their allegiance, speculating about the relationship between Su Ling and Qin Xiao. Anyone with eyes could see—President Qin liked Su Ling!
The original commenter who had tagged Qin Xiao gathered the courage to do it again—
President Qin, forgive me for asking, but what’s your relationship with Su Ling? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend? Or do you like her? Why were you there? @PresidentQin
Qin Xiao saw the comment. At that moment, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the 48th floor.
His expression was cold, tinged with a ruthless determination toward himself. He forwarded the message verbatim to Su Ling.
[Someone asked what our relationship is—are we boyfriend and girlfriend, or do I like you? Why was I there? I have two answers—one true, one false. Which one I tell depends on you.]
Su Ling saw it. She had just finished bathing, her hair half-dry.
Confused, she replied [What’s the false answer? What’s the true one?]
A moment later, her phone screen lit up.
[The false answer: I was passing by and decided to be a gentleman.]
This was so fake! Su Ling wanted to laugh. But the real answer didn’t come for a long time, and she began to suspect her phone was broken.
Suddenly, the screen lit up again.
He said—
[The real answer: I couldn’t help myself. Whether it’s love or desire.]
With a hint of mockery, he waited for her reply. Would she accept him, truly? Or was she just humoring him, soothing him out of fear?
He still remembered that night in Coral Town when Su Ling didn’t want anyone to know about their relationship. She had asked him to wear sunglasses. He had been starved for affection for too long, his sense of security long gone.
This time, he didn’t want to take another step back, pretending to be gentle and harmless to smooth over the scandal.
Would she tell the world, or remain a zero-scandal star?
Su Ling, what will you choose?
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