Chapter 164: Qingxia’s Fragility

Flipping to the entertainment section of the newspaper, Xiao Ran was so shocked that his teeth almost fell out. He stared in awe at this absolutely explosive headline, backed by pictures. The headline read in bold letters: “Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia’s Cohabitation!” Below that was another headline that enraged him even more: “How Did This Illicit Relationship Begin?”
Don’t think the Oriental Daily was trying to stir up trouble. In fact, below those lines were several photos showing Xiao Ran holding Lin Qingxia affectionately on the balcony, with captions stating it happened at Xiao Ran’s home. It was obvious to anyone that these weren’t accidental shots but deliberately taken secretly. Who could have done this? What gain could they have from it? Countless thoughts raced through Xiao Ran’s mind. His years of business experience made him assume everything was part of some conspiracy, but this time it really wasn’t—a mastermind wasn’t involved at all.
It turned out to be the real estate agent who had sold the house to Xiao Ran. He had noticed the strange relationship between the two and, seeing Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia together frequently in the entertainment section, couldn’t resist coming over to check. There, he saw them together and realized he could make a fortune by selling the photos.
Damn! Without much thought, Xiao Ran immediately thought of Lin Qingxia. He hurriedly told Wei Dongling something and left the company like the wind.
He was extremely worried about Lin Qingxia, fearing she wouldn’t be able to bear such a scandal. When he arrived at the studio, he found that everyone still stared at him. Ignoring those gazes, he spotted Liu Xun and asked eagerly, “Uncle Liu, where is Lin Qingxia now?”
Liu Xun was also there to do voice work, but since he had nothing to do for now, he had come out to take a break. Seeing Xiao Ran’s anxious expression, he said, “President Xiao, she’s in the recording room with Director Xu and Liang Jiahui!”
Xiao Ran’s emotions finally stabilized. It seemed Lin Qingxia still didn’t know about this. He nodded in thanks to Liu Xun and headed to the recording room. Unlike most villains in movies, Liu Xun had a cheerful and talkative personality.
Quietly approaching the recording room, Xiao Ran didn’t rush in right away. He knew that entering abruptly would cause noise, and Xu Ke would surely scold him harshly—Xu was known for being merciless in such matters.
“President Xiao, don’t worry. Nothing will happen!” Yang Guang wasn’t very good at speaking, which is why Monkey made such a great partner for him—a perfect complement.
“Just call me Aran,” Xiao Ran sighed. He felt he had never sighed so much in his life, nor been so anxious. Not being able to see Lin Qingxia made him feel as if his soul had lost its direction. Suddenly, he realized his feelings for her were beyond redemption.

The sun and the monkeys shook their heads like Xiao Ran, sighing at the relationship between him and Lin Qingxia. They followed Xiao Ran almost every day, so they knew very well what his feelings for Lin Qingxia were. The usually playful monkeys seemed to have caught Xiao Ran’s mood as well and sighed, “Brother Ran, I know what you’re worried about, but you might be too anxious about Sister Lin. Actually, she’s not as fragile as you think!”
Xiao Ran didn’t hear a word the monkeys said. He was now thinking about how society would react once this matter became public and what kind of pressure such opinions would bring. Most importantly, he had to figure out how to deal with it!
Soon, the door opened, and Lin Qingxia, Zhang Manyu, and the other main cast came out, looking exhausted, along with Xu Ke. When they suddenly saw Xiao Ran there, they were about to say something, but Xiao Ran spoke first, saying, “Guys, I’d like to talk to Qingxia alone for a moment!”
Xu Ke and Liang Jiahui sighed and left with shaking heads, while Zhang Manyu stared at Xiao Ran for a long time, seemingly trying to tell from his expression whether he was sincere toward Lin Qingxia before walking away.
They were well aware of this matter—it was the most sensational news in Hong Kong, and likely across Southeast Asia, in just three days. But they didn’t know what to say either. Their moral sense told them it shouldn’t be allowed. Yet, seeing Xiao Ran’s expression, they felt that separating the two would be an even greater sin.
Only Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia were left. Xiao Ran gazed at her, gently taking her hand, trying to give her enough strength to face the news. Lin Qingxia also stared at Xiao Ran. Under normal circumstances, if Xiao Ran had been an observer, he would have found such a deeply affectionate gaze utterly artificial and disgusting.
But now he understood that some things could only be experienced by two people whose hearts were connected. Xiao Ran tried to calm his turbulent emotions and said quietly, “Qingxia, our relationship… the newspapers already…”
“I know!” Lin Qingxia already knew. How could she not be aware of such news? Yet her expression puzzled Xiao Ran: “It’s okay. Let them write whatever they want!”
She knew! Xiao Ran’s heart trembled slightly. Seeing her seemingly indifferent attitude, he became even more confused. In his mind, he felt Lin Qingxia shouldn’t act that way—this wasn’t just based on his understanding of her, but also on his intuition.
He thought he understood now. Lin Qingxia was holding on strong; she didn’t want to appear weak in front of others. She was a woman who appeared strong on the surface but was deeply vulnerable inside. Just like when she heard about Xiao Ran’s marriage and immediately went to Prague to ignore everything. In matters of love, she had always been a victim of hurt, until she was with Xiao Ran.
Holding Lin Qingxia in his arms, Xiao Ran whispered tenderly in her ear, “Qingxia, with me by your side, you don’t need to hide your true feelings anymore. You know I like you, and you know I’ll protect you from all the storms!”

“I know…” Lin Qingxia’s heart became instantly chaotic, and the tears she had been holding back finally burst forth uncontrollably. She had known this day would come; no matter how much Xiao Ran had prepared for it, it would eventually arrive!
Xiao Ran let his shoulder bear Lin Qingxia’s weight, using his own hands to give her a sense of security. He thought he could do more than just that—much more. If he wanted to, not only could he stay with Lin Qingxia, but even the Queen Mother of the West or the Heavenly King couldn’t touch her in the slightest!
He knew Lin Qingxia was hurt, emotionally wounded—her first two heartbreaks had nearly driven her to collapse. Yet she still held on, showing the world that she was a capable and responsible woman, her strength evident in her demeanor.
But no one knew that even all the world’s compassion couldn’t heal her wounds. If it weren’t for Xiao Ran’s appearance and his role in changing everything, she might have given up on true love forever.
Suddenly, Xiao Ran felt he had failed Lin Qingxia terribly. Her whole heart was tied to him; he was her only one. But he hadn’t fully opened up his heart to her, nor was he her only one. Because Xiao Ran not only hid his origins but also, for the sake of his film career, couldn’t give her all his feelings.
While harshly blaming himself, Xiao Ran made a decision: he wanted to build an empire in the film industry as quickly as possible and defeat Hollywood. Once he achieved his goal, he could give everything to Lin Qingxia. It was a dream—a dream beyond ordinary dreams. He thought this might be the only way to make amends for loving her the most in this life.
No words were needed at that moment. Xiao Ran stayed silent because he knew Lin Qingxia needed to vent her emotions. Just like that, in the eyes of Xu Ke and Zhang Manyu, it seemed as if the male and female protagonists in a movie had finally come together, time seemingly standing still.
Finally, when Lin Qingxia stopped crying, Xiao Ran teasingly said, “Stop crying, or you’ll end up looking like a big tabby cat!”
Unfortunately, the joke clearly didn’t make Lin Qingxia laugh. She was now very worried about the immense pressure from society—they might not be able to withstand it. If they couldn’t… She didn’t even dare to think further. Perhaps if such a thing really happened, her only choice would be…
“It’s okay!” Xiao Ran tightly held Lin Qingxia’s soft hand, fearing she might be taken away from him. If that happened, everything he had done would be meaningless. With that thought, his tone became firm and resolute, just like the night he fought against the underworld: “No one can separate us!”
Xu Ke and the others were increasingly astonished, especially Zhang Manyu. They didn’t realize this was real. Only Xu Ke could barely hide his surprise, as he was one of Xiao Ran’s close friends and somewhat aware of the situation.

But for Zhang Manyu, this was absolutely a quite surprising thing. Even though she had been mentally prepared after reading the newspaper, she was still amazed by it all. Even when she saw Xiao Ran showing such deep affection for Lin Qingxia, she couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

As Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia approached, Xu Ke glanced at their tightly clasped hands, sighed, and ultimately said nothing. Liang Jiahui, on the other hand, asked with concern, “So, what do you plan to do now? Given your ages… I’m afraid not many people will accept it!”

Lin Qingxia looked at Xiao Ran. He was her backbone; no matter what he said, she would agree. Now, she felt truly happy—having found true love after two traumas was truly fortunate. Though there were occasional setbacks, it was likely a way for fate to test their relationship.

Ninety-nine percent of people in the world probably don’t even know whether they truly love someone, or they just get together casually and go through the rest of their lives that way. To have someone like him by her side, who always kept his promises no matter what, was truly comforting. At least she was happier than ninety-nine percent of the world’s people.

After making his decision, Xiao Ran no longer seemed like his usual cheerful self. With a faint smile, he simply said, “No one can stop me—not even the emperor himself. Right now, I just hope to get everyone’s support in public opinion!”

Liang Jiahui glanced at Lin Qingxia—she looked truly pitiable. Xiao Ran knew well that when Lin Qingxia was sad, her expression could make others feel heartbroken; it was her unique charm. Just like how he had once felt unbearably pained over Lin Qingxia’s indifferent, anxious, and desperate demeanor in “The Unconquered East.”

“I support you!” Liang Jiahui hesitated not at all. He wasn’t supporting Xiao Ran out of friendship, but because he clearly saw unwavering true love in their eyes. He could understand such feelings, just as he did when looking at his own wife, though not on such a dramatic scale.

“Don’t worry, we’ll definitely support you!” Xu Ke also hesitated not at all. Xu, the eccentric old man, was just as unconventional as Xiao Ran, fitting together perfectly. Zhang Manyu looked at Lin Qingxia, whose eyes were red but who still seemed happy, and then at the sincerity in Xiao Ran’s eyes. Her jealousy finally dissipated. Some things truly couldn’t be envied: “Of course, I support you both!”

Liang Jiabao might not have been the first person in Hong Kong to hear about this, but he was definitely the first to know after it appeared in the newspaper. It was still 3 a.m., and a friend from the Oriental Daily called him right away to tell him the news.

To his surprise, his first thought upon hearing the news was: They’re really a couple! Realizing this, he realized he had subconsciously already considered Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia to be the perfect match. Although he liked Lin Qingxia too, he had to admit that Xiao Ran was indeed the best partner for her.

He wasn’t affiliated with any single newspaper or magazine but worked as a freelance correspondent for several. Coupled with his subsequent coverage of the exclusives he obtained from Xiao Ran, he quickly became the top reporter in Hong Kong’s media industry.
This time, he initially thought it was no big deal, as the relationship between Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia was bound to come to light sooner or later. But when he saw the newspaper, he was furious. The Oriental Daily subtly insinuated that Lin Qingxia was being supported by Xiao Ran—of course, they didn’t dare say it outright, otherwise they would have been blasted by all Chinese people around the world. By using such veiled hints, they avoided many problems.
What angered Liang Jiabao even more was that the Oriental Daily used a highly critical tone to focus all of its reports on the age difference between the two, essentially openly criticizing their relationship as immoral.