Chapter 70

**Chapter 70: The First Oil Painting**

Qin Mang’s first reaction was to break free from his wolfish claws:
“Ahhh! You shameless dog of a man!”

“You, you, you!” she stammered.

Seeing the fleeting blush on the girl’s fair earlobes, He Lingji graciously released her and politely asked,
“Does Mrs. He have any better ideas?”

His gray-blue eyes held a teasing glint.

Mockery—plain and obvious.

She knew it!
He was messing with her again!

She couldn’t lose.
This was just verbal sparring—why be afraid?

The girl strode ahead in her high heels, clack clack clack.

Stepping on the jade steps, her silver gown shimmered more brilliantly than moonlight. Her eyes were downcast with a soft charm, like a goddess of the moon descending from above—pure and aloof.

And yet the words that came out of her mouth were anything but divine:
“Car sex? That’s so boring~”
“Fairies prefer—”
“Outdoor sex!”

For years, Qinglan Residence had remained unoccupied.

From the main gate to the primary residence, flying eaves and carved corridors adorned with floral motifs gave the estate a sense of classical elegance and grandeur.

And this was merely a summer retreat.

He Lingji owned many similar properties, all passed down through the family. If Qin Mang hadn’t come to Duchen, he wouldn’t have bothered showing up.

The servants stationed here were desperate to impress, afraid this might be their only visit.

So, upon hearing both master and mistress were arriving, they followed the butler in formation to greet them.

As they rounded a pavilion, the butler had just opened his mouth to say, “Wel—” to welcome the couple…

When he heard the stunning declaration from the beautiful young mistress.

Outdoor—outdoor sex?

Or did she say outdoor battle?

Wait… same difference.

No no—that’s not the point—

A whole group of people stood frozen in place, utterly scandalized.

Qin Mang, initially smug over her counterattack, noticed He Lingji hadn’t responded. Arms crossed proudly, she said,
“Admit def—”

Her gaze caught the group of stunned servants nearby.

The corners of her lips twitched, trailing off weakly,
“—eat.”

**AHHHHH!**

Qin Mang’s brain exploded.

In one leap, her slender, nimble body jumped into He Lingji’s arms.

Face buried in his chest:
You can’t see me, I don’t exist—

Her reputation as a fairy would one day be ruined by this damned man!

*Sob sob sob!*

Her dress had a high slit design.

Her slender white legs wrapped around his lean, firm waist, the dim lighting only adding to the seductive atmosphere.

In He Lingji’s eyes, she looked like a flustered little lion cub—clumsy but trying to escape.

He gently pressed her dress down with his palm.

A low laugh escaped his throat.

Qin Mang wanted to bite him!
Let’s see if he laughs then!

But she still needed this human shield…

So she held back and whispered in a drawn-out nasal tone,
“People are watching.”

He Lingji replied calmly,
“Oh.”

As if the crowd behind them didn’t exist, he instead gazed steadily at the tiny red mole on her snowy nose.

Qin Mang emphasized,
“A *lot*, a *lot* of people!”

He simply turned around with her in his arms,
“Mm.”

Qin Mang: “…”

Face-burying. Playing dead. Full commitment.

“Sir?”
“Welcome home, sir and madam,” the group finally said, forcing themselves not to look.

He Lingji’s voice was calm,
“Everything ready?”

The butler replied,
“Yes, everything is prepared.”

“The main house has been cleaned and set up.”

“Madam will be staying for half a month. We’ll follow her instructions.”

“Yes, sir.”

All servants trained by the He family. After recovering from the initial shock, they reverted to their composed state, pretending nothing happened.

But inwardly, they sighed:
*Young couples these days… really know how to have fun.*

The butler’s expression was a little conflicted, but he decided to ask the master anyway.

The main residence had a three-story wooden building.

Old blue jade paved the stone walkway leading to the door.

On both sides were vast patches of butterfly orchids. It was easy to imagine how stunning it would look when in bloom.

Qin Mang had no mood to admire it.

She just wished she didn’t exist.

Even before bed, her little face remained sulky.

She bathed slowly.

When she finally came out, He Lingji was already in bed, wearing a loose, dark blue robe, lazily leaning against the headboard with a painting book on his knees.

Seemed like it was about art.

Qin Mang wore a robe matching his—only in a lighter shade of blue.

Embroidered on the sleeves were delicate butterfly orchids, crafted by local artisans. Legend had it their ancestors were masters of Su embroidery and now made clothes exclusively for the He family.

Qin Mang glanced at him, pouting:
“What a pretentious act.”

Then she picked up the sulking little white lion plushie beside the bed, refusing to even look at the culprit.

Once on the bed, she began pushing him aside at full speed, quickly occupying the whole mattress!

She nearly did a split across it.

He Lingji was squeezed to the edge. He closed his book.

Lifting his gaze—

Qin Mang kicked at him with her pale foot.
“What are you looking at?”

Before he could answer, she seemed to remember something.

Down she went, clack clack clack, and returned with body lotion. She snatched the book from his hand and stuffed the pink and white jar into his palm.

“Apply this for me.”

He Lingji lowered his head, looking at the small jar forcibly handed to him.

After a moment’s silence, he said,
“Alright.”

Qin Mang lay on her stomach, poking at the lion plushie.

Cool lotion touched the skin between her shoulder blades.

A few minutes later, she let out a satisfied sigh,
“Not bad.”

Under the warm lamplight, the man’s usually icy profile seemed coated with a layer of softness.

He asked unhurriedly,
“Today, how much did I rise in Mrs. He’s rankings?”

Qin Mang was briefly entranced by his beauty. The memory of him appearing suddenly at the hotel resurfaced in her mind. Her lips curved slightly.

“You were top three… but unfortunately—”

She turned with difficulty and held up five slender fingers.

“Now… barely top five.”

“Still room for improvement.”

Yes—much easier to have someone else apply it for her.

Feeling sleepy, the gentle touch was just right.

She decided: as long as He Lingji was home, this job was his.

A few lazy hums escaped her lips.

Facing the girl’s flawless white back, He Lingji looked utterly calm, as if admiring a piece of fine art.

He spoke coolly:
“Stop moaning.”

Qin Mang was enjoying the rare skincare service from President He.

She glared at him, eyes drowsy:
“Even *this* you want to control?”

He Lingji met her sleepy, shimmering eyes.

“If you keep moaning…”

His lips formed a single ambiguous sound:
“…too.”

To Qin Mang, it sounded like:

**“Come.”**

Her gaze involuntarily shifted. She froze for a moment, blinked.

Then she smiled slowly, her charming eyes curving:
“My fault, huh? Clearly it’s your self-control that’s lacking.”

Her deliberately drawn-out voice sounded like a siren’s whisper.

After he finished applying the lotion, He Lingji calmly closed the jar with his pale fingers and said slowly,
“Only your moans work on me.”

His gaze was calm as a deep, dark sea, but to Qin Mang, it looked like molten lava rising to engulf the abyss.

Her freshly moisturized skin felt slippery and soft—too slippery, actually, with no sense of security.

…

Qin Mang suddenly sensed danger.

Then He Lingji leaned over and whispered by her ear as if it were a casual comment:
“Earlier, the butler asked me if we need to disinfect the garden in advance.”

Qin Mang froze instantly:
“…”

Her eyes flew open wide in disbelief.
“What the hell?!”

Why would they need to *disinfect* unless—

That butler actually *believed* her earlier joke?!

She had worked so hard to mentally bury that embarrassment!

He Lingji’s lips brushed her little red mole on the tip of her nose.

Slowly, he asked:
“Mrs. He, do we?”

Qin Mang didn’t even have the strength left to struggle.

With a blank expression, he threatened, “You’re about to get a soulless blow-up doll.”

From the spacious living room, pulling aside the swaying sheer curtains, one could clearly see the ancient-style railings full of historical charm. From here, half of the Qinglan Residence was in full view.

Pavilions and terraces—everywhere was a picturesque scene.

But at night, the silence was eerily terrifying. The faintly flickering ground lights looked like ghostly flames.

The curtains cast a graceful, curvaceous silhouette.

The next moment.

A slender masculine hand gripped a delicate wrist.

Accompanied by his warm, amused voice: “Dolls don’t move on their own.”

Qin *Blow-up Doll* Little Lion: Wuuu~ So mad!

The small white lion plushie that had been obediently sitting by the pillow, at some unknown point, started to wobble and eventually rolled along the silk bed sheets.

*Thud.*

A soft sound.

It fell to the wooden floor.

When Qin Mang woke up the next day, He Lingji was already gone.

On the antique wooden headboard, the little white lion that had previously rolled under the bed was now sitting quietly on the opposite shelf, staring at her.

A piece of golden sticky note was stuck to its pink nose, placed perfectly so that Qin Mang could see it the moment she opened her eyes.

The handwriting was clearly He Lingji’s.

He usually wrote in the slender, flowing “瘦金体” script—elegant and bold.

But the content—

Made Qin Mang want to rip it up.

> “Miss Qin’s version of a blow-up doll has a soul.”

Qin Mang grabbed her phone and furiously typed out a message:
**[How dare you use such a graceful and elegant script to write the words ‘blow-up doll’—aren’t you ashamed!?]**

He Lingji hadn’t boarded the plane yet and replied right away.

**Brother:**

> *“Last night’s blow-up doll play overwhelmed He’s self-control. Please forgive me.”*

Qin Mang: “…”

She tossed her phone and flopped back onto the bed.

It was because she had principles, shame, and values—that’s why she always lost to that shameless scoundrel of a man!

The more she looked at the contact name “Brother,” the more irritated she became.

With a cold, stunning face, she changed He Lingji’s contact name back to “He Poor Poor.”

Once she finished filming this drama…

She must let him know what it means when a wife holds a grudge!

Let’s see if he still dares to provoke her!

…

When A-Tong came to pick her up, Qin Mang saw Meng Ting, who had been summoned overnight by Fu Yuan.

Fu Yuan insisted that the young lady was too much for one person to handle.

They needed two managers.

She also decided that once they returned to Shen City, she would start hiring more staff.

With Qin Mang’s talent for stirring up trouble, at least four assistants would be needed to keep her in check.

At first, Qin Mang refused.

Until Fu Yuan said, “Think about it—if someone bullies you and you fight back, don’t you need one person to hand you a knife, another to give you a disinfecting wipe afterward, one to hold your bag, and one to keep watch?”

Qin Mang gave in.

From that perspective, four assistants were indeed necessary.

And so it was decided.

At that moment.

As Meng Ting and the others stepped into Qinglan Residence, they were nearly blinded by the opulence.

The last time they were this shocked was when they visited the Lake Manor, which looked like a miniature Versailles.

This time—

It felt like stepping into the residence of some ancient, pampered noble.

Truly an eye-opener.

Especially with the butterfly orchids blooming outside, their light blue hue under the dawn light appeared dreamlike. In the distance, a cluster of vibrant flowers stood out.

“Are those wildflowers growing on their own?”

A-Tong wasn’t especially knowledgeable about plants, but the random patches of off-colored flowers among the sea of blue orchids triggered her OCD. She couldn’t help but ask.

The butler who led them in smiled and said, “That’s a petal-lotus orchid. It likes to bloom here, so we left it.”

Just an orchid, right?

“It likes to bloom here,” he said.

A-Tong blinked in confusion.

Meng Ting didn’t know what a petal-lotus orchid was either, but he could search it up.

What he found shocked him.

That little flower, looking just like a weed, was worth over **two million**!

And extremely rare—basically unavailable on the market.

The butler nodded in agreement and explained, “This one was part of the old madam’s dowry. It’s nearly impossible to buy anymore.”

“There are probably only a few left in Qinglan Residence in the whole country.”

Aside from the odd one in the main courtyard, the rest were kept safely in the greenhouse.

Meng Ting and A-Tong couldn’t help but marvel.

A-Tong: “Every time I follow big sis around, I get exposed to new luxuries.”

Qin Mang didn’t even know her family had so many valuable plants.

Just one ‘weed’ was worth over two million.

What kind of family was this?

After handing her the schedule for today’s filming, Meng Ting sighed, “You’ve got wealth and fortune guaranteed for life.”

“No other family could afford you.”

Even a tiny, inconspicuous ‘pebble’ here could cost as much as a movie star’s entire paycheck.

Even if she filmed movies her whole life, she might never collect a hundred of these jewels.

Qin Mang heard him muttering and lazily raised her brows, chuckling, “Do a good job, and I’ll give you a ‘little pebble’ at the end of the year.”

Meng Ting: “!”

“Damn, boss is generous!”

He immediately turned sycophant, massaging her shoulders and legs.

He barely started when A-Tong cut in, “Miss, is this pressure comfortable for you?”

“How about this?”

Meng Ting was annoyed!

Even brown-nosing had competition now.

Qin Mang’s beautiful eyes shimmered with amusement.

She then lazily reclined on a chaise longue moved under the shade across from the butterfly orchids.

Flipping through the shooting schedule.

This fantasy movie had a classical Chinese style. The first arc was the Disaster of Duchen.

She played the third female lead—a butterfly demon born in Duchen.

She was supposed to guide the male and female leads through their leveling-up journey in this world. Initially, she relied on her overwhelming beauty to try to seduce the male lead, only to fall for him herself. Though he had always been emotionally reserved, he was haunted after she sacrificed herself to save him.

This became his biggest emotional challenge with the female lead.

The point was—this was the revised script the production team rushed to finish last night!

Originally, her butterfly character was purely evil, ignorant of virtue, and simply wanted to consume the leads for power. She was ultimately defeated by the male and female leads.

The more Qin Mang read, the more her brows furrowed.
“This version—use the original script.”

Even though the new version gave her almost as much screen time as the second female lead and added more depth to her character—even giving her a redemptive arc…

But a demon, falling in love? That didn’t make sense.

Her only purpose should be to become stronger—being evil was only natural.

Why would she want to save the male lead?

If she saw him dying, her first instinct should be to absorb his spiritual energy!

Without this butterfly villain, the whole movie would just feel like a bland romance.

When the director heard that Qin Mang insisted on the original script—

He was overjoyed.

He thought this movie was doomed after the producer forced so many revisions.

But now, hope was restored.

As soon as he saw Qin Mang, he praised her for being a true actor who respected the script!

Said her future was limitless.

The script revision and how Qin Mang’s connections had toppled Jiang Lingyao overnight quickly spread through the crew.

After all, most of them were big names in the industry.

They had just never paid much attention to this “newcomer.”

Especially Pei Zhen—ever since Qin Mang smashed a wine bottle over that lecherous old man at the opening party, she had nearly applauded on the spot.

She too had been harassed by Jiang Lingyao as a newbie. Back then, she had really *wanted* to smash a bottle but didn’t dare.

Jiang could blacklist her with a snap of his fingers.

But she was lucky—protected by a delicate-looking beauty.

Even now, Pei Zhen didn’t know who Guan Yueyan really was. Just like Qin Mang, she was breathtakingly beautiful, yet Jiang never dared touch her.

And now—

Qin Mang, just as beautiful, also had a powerful background protecting her.

That’s why she could act so freely.

Good for her.

During break time, Pei Zhen sat next to Qin Mang’s lounge chair, shamelessly stealing her mini fan and iced tea treats.

They’d grown quite close over time.

Qin Mang also knew this person was genuinely sincere.
Interacting with someone like that didn’t require any mental gymnastics.

She hadn’t expected that her mother had such a connection with Teacher Pei Zhen.
No wonder Teacher Pei understood her mother so well.

So, she personally poured a glass of fruit tea for Pei Zhen.
“Teacher Pei, could you tell me more about Guan Yueyan’s story?”

Pei Zhen took the chilled fruit tea and took a sip.
Then she said, “To talk about her story, we need alcohol.”

“Tea is tasteless.”
That would be disrespectful to Guan Yueyan.

So—
They checked the shooting schedule. Since filming didn’t resume until tomorrow afternoon,

The two hit it off instantly and decided to drink tonight!
Drinking and chatting.

Qin Mang heard many stories she had never known.
Turns out, her mother in her youth had also been dazzling and righteous.

Compared to today’s entertainment industry, the one back then was even more chaotic.
Her mother had protected many actors like Pei Zhen.

Her mother hadn’t been forgotten by the industry.

Pei Zhen, a little drunk, even pulled out her phone to show Qin Mang a chat group.
There were nineteen people in the group.

Pei Zhen said, “We were all helped by her.
Many are no longer in the industry, but we all remember her.”

Tears glistened on Qin Mang’s curled lashes.
She had come to understand her mother on a much deeper level.

Guan Yueyan was such a wonderful person.
Maybe—
That person who couldn’t move on from her… wasn’t so twisted after all?

Perhaps tears are contagious.
With alcohol coursing through her, Pei Zhen clutched Qin Mang and began wailing.

Startled, Qin Mang’s tears were scared right back into her eyes.

Pei Zhen’s manager awkwardly stepped forward and pulled her away.
“Sorry, Mangmang.”

“Pei Zhen always cries while hugging people when she drinks.”
She wore her mask for so long in daily life that she needed a way to vent.

Qin Mang understood.
But as she stood up, she also felt a bit dizzy.

Pei Zhen’s manager said to her assistant,
“Call Qin Mang’s agent to come pick her up.”

Qin Mang, feeling woozy, overheard them and thought of being scolded by Fu Yuan.
Her slender shoulders involuntarily trembled.

To the others,
Her reaction was incredibly cute.

Pei Zhen, the top-tier goddess at the pinnacle of the entertainment pyramid,
Was actually a crybaby drunk in private.

Qin Mang, stunning and powerful, fearless on the surface,
Was privately scared of her manager’s lectures?

Not as unreachable as the world imagined.
Actually, quite grounded and adorable.

The drinking wasn’t in vain.
Neither was the drunkenness.

Qin Mang’s image on set had shifted from
“She has powerful connections, better keep our distance,”
To
“A lovable junior who needs mentoring.”

So now she could freely ask the senior actors about acting skills.

Just like Fu Yuan said—
Half a month on this set was more useful than three years of acting lessons.

Qin Mang’s performance became more and more refined.
Even her previous issue of struggling to enter and exit character improved.

While Qin Mang was busy learning and filming, He Lingji wasn’t idle either.

He was—
Taking painting classes.

After about a week of lessons,
He Lingji had grasped most of the fundamental techniques and concepts.

But his art style—

Rong Huaiyan stood behind He Lingji, watching him paint an oil piece.
His typically serene brows were furrowed.

He Lingji was painting a vase—
A colorful imperial porcelain vase, surrounded by vivid, flamboyant roses.

On the vase’s mouth squatted a white animal, not yet fully detailed.

Just from the colors, Rong Huaiyan found the style… garish.
Too gaudy for his taste.

Rong Huaiyan preferred elegant, restrained aesthetics.
He hadn’t expected his first student to love such bright, dazzling colors—it hurt his eyes.

There were four days left before Rong Huaiyan’s mini-course ended.
So he called for backup—Xie Yanli.

Xie Yanli specialized in bold, intense color palettes.
In exchange for guidance,
He Lingji agreed to spar with them in boxing practice.

Teaching a student with such a strong personal style truly required some physical venting.
They were one short.

Luckily, Ruan Qizhuo was also in Ling City.
He was honored—no, doomed—to be the punching bag.

That night,
After being beaten to a pulp, Ruan Qizhuo angrily posted on Weibo to call them out!

He even attached a photo of his bruised face.

**Ruan Qizhuo V:** “If I’m gone tomorrow, it’s because these three killed me.”
*Photo.jpg*

In the photo:
Three strikingly unique, insanely handsome men.
Each of them exuded stunning physical beauty and lean, defined muscles.

One, a refined nobleman, lounged lazily on a bench, a white shirt casually draped over his shoulders and unbuttoned—
Exposing a waist and stomach inked with a large, elegant *Xifu Begonia* tattoo, evoking a powerful contrast.

In the boxing ring:
One had silvery-blue hair, his features stunningly ethereal,
Yet his eyes looked like those of a god—emotionless, joyless, untouched by sorrow.

Another had cool gray-blue eyes, his half-bare back adorned with a mysterious black *manjusaka* tattoo,
Seductive and eerie, like a ghostly deity—equal parts divine and demonic.

Netizens were stunned by the image.
Their souls practically froze for several seconds—

**“Ahhh! These three god-tier men!!”**
**“They actually know each other?! The world is so small!”**
**“What did I just witness? This is my karmic reward for a life of celibacy!”**
**“These three… are they even real?!”**

**“@RuanQizhuo, you’re the real savior of the entertainment world!”**
**“Crying! Thank you for sharing. You’re my only connection!”**

**“I can’t believe it’s 2023 and I get to see the ‘Rong-Hua-Xie’ CP again. I’m in love. Look at the death glare He Shen God is giving Xie Buddha—this looks like a classic two-men-fight-for-one plot. I’m already imagining 10,000 words of angst and passion!”**

**“Delulu alert! All three are super whipped by their wives. No love triangle here, move along!”**

**“I don’t care—I’m shipping this triangle anyway. Blame Ruan Bodhisattva for posting such divine photos!”**

**“Wait… guys. Rong’s tattoo was inked for Rong Madam. Xie dyed his hair silver-blue for Xie Madam. So—what’s up with He Shen God’s black *manjusaka*?”**

**“I was too busy drooling to notice! But that *manjusaka* is insanely sexy—dark, mysterious, elegant!”**

**“Perfectly suits He Shen God’s vibe—icy, enigmatic, stunning!”**