Chen Rui and Yang Xi kept tossing the villain tag back and forth, but Mingyan no longer cared. She leaned her head on Shen Yan's shoulder, as he was sitting beside her. He had been in the middle of work earlier, so he asked his driver to take him to her. When Mingyan texted that she had finished early, he didn't hesitate to abandon his meeting to his trusted aide just to pick her up.
They arrived home an hour before lunch. Mingyan decided to begin her plan by first capturing his stomach. She looked through the fridge and sighed in relief that it wasn't empty. The original Mingyan had been good at cooking as well, so the tools and seasonings were already in the cabinet. She remembered that Shen Yan liked Teriyaki chicken, and it wasn't difficult to cook.
"Mingyan, what are you doing?" Shen Yan felt a bit sad at being left behind in the car just as they got home. He hadn't planned on going back to the company and had instead asked his assistant to bring the papers to him.
Mingyan was startled and shyly looked at him while holding a pan. "C-Cooking."
"Cooking?" Shen Yan repeated, making sure he hadn't heard it wrong. When Mingyan confirmed, his eyes brightened in excitement, and he nodded eagerly. "Do you need help?"
Mingyan immediately shook her head in denial. How was she going to cook calmly with him by her side? She might not even know which vegetables to use or what seasoning to pick.
Her Yan gege suddenly wore a sad expression, and she panicked. "No—that's not it! I just thought I wouldn't be able to cook properly if you're here because—because—uhm..." Tears were already forming in the corner of her eyes as she struggled to explain. She was troubled because she couldn't possibly say her heart wouldn't calm down if he were watching her cook, right?
The sight of her panicking was so cute that Shen Yan chuckled. "Don't hurt yourself, okay? I'll be in the living room." He gave one last bright smile before heading to the living room to continue his work.
Mingyan only relaxed when she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. Only then did Lily appear in a red polka dot dress.
'Are you cooking teriyaki chicken?' Lily hopped onto her shoulder and then onto her head, settling down.
'Yep! It's easy, and he likes it,' Mingyan replied, finally starting to cook.
'What about cookies? I want cookies~' Lily used her soft paws to pat continuously on Mingyan's head.
'Okay, okay, I will later. I promise,' Mingyan said in a doting tone.
'Yay!!! I want ten! No less!' Lily exclaimed.
Mingyan helplessly complied.
She finished everything in about an hour. After setting down two empty glasses on her oval-shaped dining table, their lunch was ready. She happily skipped to the living room to call her Yan gege. "Yan ge! Lunch is ready~"
Mingyan was still wearing her pink lace apron, with her hair up in a messy bun. Her hair bounced as she made her way to the sofa where Shen Yan was sitting, and an ethereal smile graced her ever-cute face. Shen Yan, who looked up and saw this scene, was startled. Why did this feel like a wife calling her husband to lunch? Shen Yan's heart raced at the thought.
Shen Yan slowly put away his computer to calm his rapid heartbeat, but Mingyan was too excited. She directly grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the dining room. "Come on~ You're so slow~!" She had no idea that her touch was testing the man's self-control.
Shen Yan let her lead him away, but he was seriously holding his breath to stop himself from thinking of pushing the girl against the wall to steal a kiss. His hard-earned patience over the years finally paid off as he reached the table before his desires took control.
On the edge of the large oval table, the teriyaki dish and white noodles Mingyan had decided to pair with the chicken were laid out, along with two bowls of rice. It was very simple, yet Shen Yan felt fulfilled just seeing it.
Shen Yan eyed the head seat where one of the bowls of rice was placed. 'Doesn't that mean I'm the head of the family? Or has the happiness made me drunk?' His eyes narrowed in pleasure.
Mingyan didn't move her chopsticks until Shen Yan took the first bite under her eager gaze. Shen Yan's mouth watered at the tasty dish, and he beamed at Mingyan. "Yanyan, you'd be a great wife!"
Mingyan's face turned thoroughly red, the blush even reaching down to her neck.
Mingyan: 'Yes! Success!'
Lily: 'That was easy...'
Mingyan: 'Of course. Your master literally has thousands of experiences in cooking. It'd be a shame if I couldn't do this much.' *wipes nonexistent sweat*
Lily: 'What do you mean? It took you thousands of years though to coo—'
Mingyan: 'Ahhhhhh, what are you talking about!? That didn't happen, okay?! I don't remember! No no no!'
Mingyan's blushing face didn't change, even though in her mind she was scolding Lily. Her eyes were twinkling, and her lips curled up. She was in an extremely good mood.
They both ate in silence, but there was no awkwardness, only a harmonious atmosphere. Meanwhile, in the background, their hearts were beating as one.
The days went by as they continued to raise each other's favorability. Mingyan, who had gotten comfortable with Shen Yan to the point that she would ask for a hug from time to time, was too focused on him. Likewise, although Shen Yan didn't neglect his work, he was too occupied with doting on Mingyan.
Only four days since it was recorded, Hui Mingli's song—which he decided to title 'My Identity' after much debate—had been released and was already being played on the radio over and over again for the past twelve hours. It had become a big hit overnight, and while Mingyan had no idea because she was "too busy" to care, Shen Yan knew and had already bought thousands of copies secretly.
On Weibo, the music fanatics were going crazy.
MusicMyLover: "Quick! Quick! I need info on this Gu Mingyan!!! AHHHHHH!!! How does she make me cry every time??!!"
JoeIsYourLover: "Tell me about it! I cried the first time. Then the second. Then the third! Listening to it now for the fourth time and I'm still crying! What the heck is this! The tag clearly said it was upbeat!"
NoticeMeSenpai: "I'm going around Weibo looking for her! But she is MIA!"
pranks101: "Are we not going to talk about Sam? I'm a devout fan of classical music, but Sam, paired with Gu Mingyan's voice, made me suddenly want to shift!"
JoeIsYourLover: "Shift! Shift! Shift! I'll welcome you to the rap underground world!! Although Gu Mingyan also makes me want to shift to classical... Uggghhh."
This was just page one of the top comments on the highest shared post of 'My Identity'. The netizens were on fire, looking for Gu Mingyan. It was at this time that Brilliant Stars decided to take their excitement to a whole new level by posting Gu Mingyan's audition.
BrilliantStarsOfficial: "Gu Mingyan's cover of 'Without Me' by Halsey // video"
The title was very simple and formal, and yet it drove the people who were eyeing Gu Mingyan into a frenzy. The first song had brought them to tears, and now the second song had their hearts beating fast. It couldn't be helped because Gu Mingyan had sung "Without Me" like she was still in love with her lover, even if she was angry about it.
All the single people alike had fallen in love, and some who were in relationships could relate to Gu Mingyan. Her newly formed fans were demanding her Weibo. One comment earned the likes of thousands of these fans.
Ming's_follower: "Please, goddess, grace us with your presence! I beg of you cries"
Mingyan, who finally saw the ruckus on the internet and came across this comment, was speechless. Did this person really have to be so dramatic? But she had to admit, she was pleased with the result. It didn't matter if her fame had shot up all of a sudden—artists like her are forever judged based on the selling quality of their songs. Even if her platform wasn't solid, she could strengthen it with a new, potentially high-quality song.
The scandals and reputations of singers were even less relevant than to actors and actresses. As long as you could move people with your song, then it didn't matter who you were. Mingyan believed that those who didn't earn their fame through their songs were called celebrities, not artists.
At this moment, Mingyan was leaning her back against Shen Yan's side. She had taken hostage of his other laptop and skimmed through comments and news about 'My Identity'. The public's overall message was clear: they wanted her Weibo.
Mingyan was exasperated. 'Okay~ I'll make one right now.'
"Yan ge~" Mingyan tilted her head back and poked at Shen Yan's arm. Before she could poke him a second time, her hand was caught by his rough, warm fingers.
"Mn, what is it?" He didn't let go of her naughty hand.
"Can you name my Weibo~?" She shifted and used her free hand to poke once more, but it was caught again.
"Me? Are you sure?" Shen Yan held both of her soft hands and started playing with them.
Mingyan sounded an affirmation absentmindedly as she watched her hand being pressed and shaken, wondering what this guy was doing.
"Alright," he said, then pulled her to sit on his lap, along with the laptop she had taken from him. He thought about it for a few minutes, coming up with all kinds of names, before finally settling on one that he liked.
Ming ❤ Yan
Lily: ...
Mingyan: 'KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'
Mingyan's CPU just broke again. 'How sneaky!' It was definitely her name, but only to those who didn't know her and Shen Yan. He was so subtle, so smooth.
It was definitely the perfect name.
She covered her red face. Her Yan gege was becoming more and more daring and sweet. How was her tiny old heart supposed to handle this?
"Do you like it?" Shen Yan whispered in her ear, intentionally brushing it with his lips. Her little ear reddened even more.
Mingyan pressed her hands firmly to her face and slightly nodded. She felt like she'd be with her Yan gege even in her career.
Mingyan could never have prepared herself for the day of her concert, where posters with Ming ❤ Yan were held high. It was a low-key ship name that only a few would ever realize.
She finally let go of her face and patted her cheeks to calm herself. Then, with careful but deliberate movements, she slid off his lap and placed the laptop onto hers to continue making her account.
As she slid down from Shen Yan's lap to the couch, she didn't notice his dark eyes glinting with lust. His tolerance was being tested again. Shen Yan could no longer count how many times he had to take a cold shower to repress his urges.
He knew he was getting impatient.
He was still secretly working on convincing Mingyan's parents to give their daughter to him, so he had to endure. 'Perhaps everything will be ready after a year,' he thought.
Mingyan shyly created her account and posted a selfie that Shen Yan had taken on one of their dates. The background showed it was at Pastel House, the café where they had gone on their first date. Mingyan was wearing a furry bunny hat and a white long-sleeved shirt. In the picture, she was holding her head with both palms while a rabbit parfait sat in front of her.
She was about to upload her first post—a normal one—when an idea suddenly struck her. She took her phone and opened a recording app, gesturing for Shen Yan to keep quiet. He raised his eyebrows in interest in response.
Mingyan sang an acoustic version of "TIK TOK" by G.E.M.
When she finished, she took a photo of her patio in the backyard and set it as her cover photo, while her voice played in the background. Then, she uploaded it.