Chapter 96: Loving Her by Choice

After their conversation cleared the air, Wen Jin no longer hesitated. She logged onto Weibo and faced everyone.

Wen Jin V: “I think the knight has already appeared by my side. Though he’s hot-tempered, impulsively protective, he’s always there when I need him most—fighting with all his might for me, bowing his head in surrender. I am nothing special—I just love him, regardless of whether I’m worthy or not. @Gu Yao”

This post spread like wildfire across all major platforms, setting the entire entertainment industry ablaze. Nearly every internet user joined in, flocking to Wen Jin and Gu Yao’s Weibo accounts to leave comments.

@JiangchengPlayer: “As long as he likes you, you must be worth it. He must have seen your light. Don’t feel inferior [pat head]—there’s no such thing as worthy or not [heart].”

@LuSixteen: “Even if Brother Yao is in love, we’ll still love and protect him unconditionally, and we’ll protect his girlfriend, too. No matter what, we’re always his support.”

Someone else tagged Gu Yao and asked: “Brother Yao, can you give us an objective evaluation of her?”

Gu Yao saw the comment and, without hesitation, replied: “Impossible to be objective. I love her, entirely subjectively.”

Such unreserved love made countless netizens envious.

@Mu Xi: “Big brother has stood up for his girl. Since we’ve decided to protect him, we’ll protect his girl too. @Wen Jin”

@Spaceman’sStar: “So, he’s found the girl he’s willing to risk everything for. We may feel sad, but we’re still happy for him and give our blessings freely. Now, let’s also live our own lives well.”

@Zhi: “You don’t need to be extraordinary—just being the one he cares for and wants to cherish is enough. Don’t worry, I’ll never leave. Your songs have accompanied my entire youth, through the sunshine of those innocent years. I like you—not in a romantic way, but simply like you… [crying]”

Gu Yao sat with Wen Jin, scrolling through the flood of supportive and loving messages from fans. These blessings were something she’d never dared to imagine before. She realized she, too, had gained everyone’s recognition—and together, they had won the support of their fans.

The heart-shaped icons and encouraging words on the screen stirred Wen Jin’s emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes, her hands trembled uncontrollably, and Gu Yao finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“Now my darling has nowhere left to run!” His tone was tinged with smugness as he reached out to pinch her cheek.

Wen Jin smiled softly, sniffed, and burrowed her head into his arms. Her dream had truly come true.

“Gu Yao, I love you.” She clutched his shirt sleeve, her muffled voice coming from his embrace.

Her words sent a thrill through Gu Yao. He lowered his head, gently massaged her tear-stained eyes with his thumb, wiping away the tears. Her eyes still glowed with a rosy flush.

He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply. His breath enveloped her as one hand cradled the back of her head, giving her no chance to retreat, greedily drawing the sweetness from her lips.

Wen Jin felt as if her whole body were ablaze—burning hot. She timidly responded with the tip of her tongue, but this only fueled his frenzy. His kiss grew ever more intense, forceful and hungry for more.

Her delicate hand kneaded the fabric of his shirt over his chest, making his heart tremble with delight. Gu Yao, panting, turned his head and buried his face deep in the crook of her neck. Any further, and things would get out of hand.

Wen Jin’s cheeks were tinged with a delicate blush, her porcelain skin taking on a rosy hue, as if dusted with rouge.

Her head spun; though she was held tightly in his arms, she felt as if she’d lost all sense of place. She gently stroked his head, breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself.

“My darling, you truly are my undoing.” With his eyes closed, Gu Yao savored the soft, sweet scent of the girl in his arms, pressing her closer onto his lap.

She’d been thoroughly teased by him, her lips swollen from his kisses. Embarrassed by his words, she blushed even deeper, lightly patting his shoulder and whispering in protest, “It’s daylight—have some restraint!”

“Oh? My darling’s getting bold.” Gu Yao was utterly taken with her soft, charming demeanor, his gaze lingering on her with deep affection and possessiveness.

He leaned in again, kissing her softly, again and again. With the fans’ support finally behind them, the heavy weight in their hearts was gone. The two spent a sweet, lazy afternoon together.

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Meanwhile, Lin Xi and Lu Yuxiu, after finishing their interview, said their goodbyes and returned straight to Jin Xiu.

Lin Xi was still worried about her fourth brother and Xiao Jin. As soon as she walked in, she tossed her bag aside and pulled out her phone.

She logged onto Weibo and immediately saw Wen Jin’s post trending. Clicking into the comments, she scrolled through the overwhelmingly supportive messages from netizens, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Lu Yuxiu watched his girl bustling about with concern, shook his head helplessly, and seeing how focused she was, didn’t rush her. Instead, he took out his own phone and ordered takeout, knowing it would arrive before she remembered to eat.

“Xu, I’m hungry!” Sure enough, a few minutes later, Lin Xi set her phone aside, clutching her empty stomach as she walked over to him.

Lu Yuxiu looked down at her with a gentle smile and pulled her into his arms.

She nestled into his broad, warm chest, murmuring, “It’s finally wrapped. After filming two dramas in a row, I feel like I’ve been cut off from the world for ages.”

“There’s nothing pressing now. You can finally take a good rest.” Lu Yuxiu stroked her hair tenderly, the two of them leaning together in quiet intimacy.

“Yes! No more schedules after this—I really want to travel!” Lin Xi pouted and acted cute.

He nodded, his hands resting on her slender waist, his features soft and gentle. Pinching her cheek, he promised, “Alright, whatever you say.”

They sat in the living room, chatting while waiting for the food to arrive. It had been a long time since they’d had so much free time.

“I heard from Miya that ‘Glory Age’ will air in the next couple of days, if nothing goes wrong,” Lin Xi said as she opened up King of Glory on her phone.

“Mm, my dad said it’s the day after tomorrow,” Lu Yuxiu replied, seeing her gaming itch resurface. He decided to join her.

“You want to play too?” Lin Xi looked up at him in surprise. Since filming ‘Polaris,’ he hadn’t touched King of Glory. “What’s gotten into you today?”

Lounging lazily on the sofa, his voice was warm and gentle: “I’ll lead my girl to triumph in the canyon, so she won’t have to envy her sister-in-law every day.”

“Oh, please!” Lin Xi wouldn’t admit it, quickly inviting him into the game. With a pro on her team, she could play single-handedly.

Lu Yuxiu smiled faintly, watching his girl’s triumphant expression.

As they waited for the game to start, his fingers twirled a strand of her soft, glossy black hair, its coolness gliding between his fingers, carrying her subtle fragrance.

Time always flew when spent with the one you love.