54
Later, I heard that when Song Ziming and Xu Lanyi were taken away by the police, the scene was as dazzling as a gathering of stars.
All the major media present that day who were hit by the explosive news, reporters who came running upon hearing this earth-shattering gossip, and even independent media, all swarmed in like a surging river.
The clicks of camera shutters and the flashes of lights at the scene merged into one, shining as brightly as the couple's future.
Xu Lanyi's hair was a mess, and she looked utterly wretched. Where was the demeanor of the former Movie Queen Xu?
She resisted leaving with the police. She hadn't taken drugs, so why should she go to the police station?! Their Xu family had never had such a huge scandal. How was she supposed to live from now on?
However, the most insidious part of this whole affair was that junkies usually hang out in groups. If you could even have a child with someone like that, who would believe you were clean?
Yet, at a time like this, Song Ziming stepped forward, determined to fulfill the duties of a man.
Facing the microphones that reporters were practically shoving into his mouth, he responded firmly, "No matter what, I will take on the responsibilities of a father, because blood relations are an unchangeable fact. I will spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes."
Xu Lanyi was so angry her lips turned purple, trembling as she said, "Shut up, you shut up..."
But her voice was completely drowned out by the crowd. The reporters quickly realized that Song Ziming, this drugged-up idiot, could actually spill more tea, so they turned their spearheads and actively dug pits for him to jump into.
"Then, Mr. Song, previously the whole internet was guessing that the man behind Movie Queen Xu was Bian Xun, the president of Limitless Group. There were even rumors that the two families intended to marry. Do you know what's going on with that?"
In her dying chaos, Xu Lanyi's eyes lit up. She would answer this question—
But Song Ziming beat her to it. He naturally couldn't let this rumor continue to fester. "I asked President Bian about this. His family and the Xu family are old family friends, so he was just helping out for the sake of that relationship. You can see that from the equipment and the live broadcast just now."
Everyone present: "Oh~~~~"
So translated, that means—they have absolutely no relationship at all??
Song Ziming reached out to help Xu Lanyi into the police car. "So, please don't disturb unrelated personnel anymore."
[Hahahaha where are Xu Lanyi's fans, get the hell out here!]
[Un~re~la~ted~ per~son~nel~]
[I will forever remember this day and pass it down to my children's children's children—]
The collective memory was completely branded, recorded by countless eyes and countless lenses.
President Bian was merely providing technical equipment from the perspective of Limitless Group, and had absolutely nothing to do with Xu Lanyi herself.
Unchangeable, and impossible to ever change.
Xu Lanyi completely broke down, slapping at Song Ziming like a madwoman. "Get lost, do you hear me?! I told you to get lost ahhhh!"
For a period of time after that, the related trending topics remained high.
Xu Lanyi herself became the A-list celebrity with the most grandiose downfall in history, while her fans practically became rats crossing the street, beaten by everyone. All those who had ever been fans of Xu Lanyi wished everyone around them would get amnesia, desperately trying to bury this cyber dark history of theirs.
Even more fatally, with the soaring popularity over consecutive days, Xu Lanyi's past remarks were dug up one by one. Her various speeches portraying herself as a sober, independent female lead, contrasted with her actual behavior of having a baby for a scumbag and being a brainless fool for love in real life, was simply a slap in the face on top of a slap in the face. It was relished by gossip-loving netizens and even spawned a prominent subject of study at the time, dubbed "Xu-ology."
How popular was it? Even the depths of the Bian family's old residence clearly knew the whole story.
Old Master Bian was shocked: "What?!"
The waters of the Xu family were actually this deep!
The two families completely cut ties this time. As for how Bian Xun would deal with the Xu family later, he pretended not to know anything. Old Master Bian thought about it and felt a wave of lingering fear. If Bian Xun had really married Xu Lanyi back then, the consequences would have been...
The old man picked up the landline and started making calls to urge him to get married.
Answered in a second, hung up in a second.
Tried three times, failed three times.
Who knows what that unfilial grandson Bian Xun is busy with?
Is there anything more important than getting married??
When can he bring the person and the child through the door?! He's really anxious!
...
In short, although it was only May this year, the whole internet had already recognized this as the biggest, most earth-shattering gossip of the year.
Even because Xu Lanyi had recently won a gold award at an international film festival and had high overseas recognition, this news quickly spread across the globe.
To this day, people still don't know why Xu Lanyi chose to ruin her own life. She could have grown old gracefully, but at the end of her acting career, she went crazy and tore off her own halo and mask, ultimately failing to preserve her integrity in her later years.
But those who truly know the inside story will take the reasons with them and find peace.
If there is really any power in this world that can fight against the plot, it is the power of the public.
—"So, you're no longer controlled by the plot now, right?"
In their 400-square-meter new home, Ning Ye stood at the door of the fitness equipment room, looking at the man doing pull-ups inside.
After breaking the climax, Bian Xun immediately threw himself into physical rehabilitation.
This matter was even more urgent than property liquidation.
In just a few days, the thinned-out muscles seemed to have been scientifically replenished. At this moment, the man doing arm deadlifts had back lines as smooth as a bow, covered in a thin layer of sweat, freely releasing his vibrant hormones, as if celebrating regaining control of his body.
Only after completing five sets of training did he land with satisfaction.
Turning around, the man was bare-chested, wearing loose training pants. His dark eyes were clear, having restored his former arrogant and noble appearance, raising an eyebrow with a smile.
Ning Ye leaned against the door, wearing thin spring and summer loungewear, her slender shoulder bones extending beautiful traces under the fabric. Standing there looking so thin, her presence felt like it could fill the entire house.
She and the child completely moved into what Taotao called the "Happy Home" after Mother's Day.
This large, soulless flat suddenly felt like a home.
Even if the two of them combined only occupied one square meter of space.
Bian Xun started feeling great again.
The plot had completely collapsed, and Bian Xun no longer felt that force forcibly controlling him. He looked down at the electronic watch on his wrist bone; the balance was no longer automatically deducted every minute and every second, indicating that his current time no longer needed to be bought with money.
But he still couldn't open his mouth to explain anything related to money. This showed that the controlling force didn't come from the plot, but from his future self—
What the future looked like, Bian Xun wasn't clear yet.
He was only clear about what was right in front of him.
Wiping his sweat with a towel, Bian Xun walked toward the graceful figure leaning against the door.
Ning Ye felt like she was watching an elegant and dangerous cheetah approaching.
Some people, once they regained the autonomy of their bodies, seemed to be completely unbanned, no longer reserved.
They even started to intensify their efforts.
Reclaiming everything.
Bian Xun walked to the door but didn't go out. Instead, he closed the door and pulled her in. The scent of mint water transferred to the tip of her nose and the corners of her lips, lingering there.
In spring, the clothes on their bodies began to decrease, their thickness thinning out, making the perception of each other's temperature even clearer.
Just like their relationship, which had also become clearer.
After experiencing so much, facing each other now, aside from being the child's father and mother, it seemed they were also—
Each other's partners.
Ning Ye barely managed to prop her hands against the chest of the man in front of her. She found it a bit hard to handle him now that he was completely uninhibited and free. Beneath her palms, the firm and elastic touch made her cheeks flush slightly.
"Let's talk about serious business."
"What serious business?" Bian Xun lowered his eyes and leaned in close to her. The curve of his waist and back was like a fully drawn bow, ready to release at any moment.
Ning Ye had no choice but to lean back, finally giving his chest a light thump.
"About Taotao."
Over the past few days, she had stopped dreaming about the plot.
This was certainly a good thing, but Ning Ye still felt a faint trace of worry in her heart.
According to the plot outline she had initially dreamed of, the entire original storyline lasted for about a year from beginning to end, concluding in the autumn of the second year after Taotao time-traveled here.
Now that the plot had collapsed, it meant Bian Xun no longer needed to follow the original storyline, but there was still a little time left before the plot truly reached its end.
So, when the one-year mark arrived, what would happen to Taotao?
Thinking about it carefully, although Taotao wasn't the protagonist of the entire plot, everything had started because she traveled here.
She was the catalyst that allowed the entire storyline to begin.
So, when the existence of the plot lost its value...
Ning Ye suddenly gripped Bian Xun's arm muscles tightly. Panic gripped her heart for a moment, but she quickly calmed herself down.
That wouldn't happen.
She gently touched her stomach; she had already kept Taotao.
It was now the fifth month, even though this mode of existence was incredibly bizarre.
But there would always be a Taotao in this world.
Bian Xun looked down at her expression, knowing exactly what she was worried about. Having come this far, there was no way they could accept their child disappearing from their side.
His palm covered her hand. The books said that in the fifth month, one could hear fetal movements. They couldn't hear the movements of the infant Taotao in her mother's belly.
But outside the home gym, the thumping footsteps of a little cannonball ran past—the child was currently doing parkour around the house with practiced ease.
All of this was so real; it couldn't possibly disappear.
And it was not allowed to disappear.
Ning Ye nodded gently. The two looked at each other, their eyes reflecting one another.
"So."
As the sound of the child's parkour faded into the distance, Bian Xun's arm slowly wrapped behind her back, his voice carrying a smile.
"Have you chosen which bed to sleep in?"
In this four-hundred-square-meter luxury apartment, there were too many rooms. Each bedroom was equipped with a bed of a different style and shape. Aside from mattresses with excellent resilience, there were even waterbeds and hammocks.
The man's eyes were dark and profound, seeming to hold only one implication.
No matter which bed it was, he looked as if he wanted to break it.
Ning Ye's cheeks burned red, and her heartbeat quickened by a couple of beats. But then she remembered something and grabbed his collar with righteous indignation.
"According to normal progression, this is the second trimester. The baby has risen into the abdominal cavity, and while it is relatively safe, the mother's body is quite sensitive at this time, so intimacy still carries risks."
And it definitely couldn't be too intense.
Although their method of pregnancy was very special, what if it affected Taotao?
The dark fire burning in Bian Xun's eyes paused, and he was actually left speechless.
He had studied this knowledge too. Back then, the CEO had crammed through a thick stack of reproductive health materials, so for a moment, he couldn't refute her.
Ning Ye held up a slender, pale finger, her expression solemn. "The third trimester is even more dangerous. If uterine contractions are stimulated, it could cause the baby to drop into the pelvis and trigger premature birth—"
Bian Xun's temples throbbed as his chest heaved. His thin lips had just parted to say something when they were covered by a soft palm.
Ning Ye's eyes held a faint, starry glimmer. She clearly found this kind of theoretical talk somewhat inexplicably funny, so she pursed her lips and looked at him with a secret smile.
Her almond eyes bloomed like jasmine after the rain.
Seeing her like that, the corners of Bian Xun's lips, hidden behind her palm, unconsciously curled up just a fraction.
Then, he gently pecked the inside of her hand.
Then he would be—gentle.
Ning Ye's palm grew hot, and her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
In short, both mom and dad knew that their most important task right now was—
To smoothly welcome their child's birth and ensure that their child could live peacefully in this world.
For them, that would be the true end of the plot.
...
Meanwhile, the CEO had also adjusted his mood and settled the accounts for his financial status throughout this entire plot period.
Back then, they had turned off the balance-clearing countdown right before the last second, so he wasn't completely bankrupt.
Factoring in the balance that had been draining away every minute and every second prior to that, along with the massive expenses incurred to counter the force of the plot, Bian Xun had stopped looking at the numbers during the final stages. Everything was just jumping characters, so the CEO wasn't entirely clear on his own asset status.
Looking at it today.
Within a few months, his bank cards had bled 135.8 billion.
135.8 billion.
After such a colossal expenditure, the CEO's personal savings were left at a mere: 110 million.
The veins on the back of Bian Xun's hand bulged as he closed his eyes. "..."
What about his plans for buying more properties, the wedding arrangements, the honeymoon preparations...
Bian Xun fiercely opened his eyes.
This damn plot had strung him along and forced him to spend money for so long.
Over a hundred billion, and not a single dime of it was spent on his wife and child.
Instead, his name had almost been bound to someone else.
The CEO suddenly stood up and strode out the door, preparing to grab Ning Ye and the little one, and head out.
Ning Ye had originally been looking at photos in the future album.
Because she and Bian Xun hadn't actually experienced the process of being pregnant with Taotao, she wanted to see what she looked like right now in the original timeline—and sure enough, the future Bian Xun had recorded everything.
But she noticed that the album surprisingly contained a few photos Bian Xun had just taken of her and Taotao today. It was of the two of them standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows at home, holding a new vase; there was also another picture where they each had a flower tucked behind their ears, smiling at each other.
Bian Xun had been in the study handling classified matters all day and hadn't opened the album yet, so he hadn't manually put the photos in there.
This meant that... right now, the photos from the current timeline and the photos from the original timeline were actually starting to fuse together.
Ning Ye didn't know if fuse was the accurate word, but it was as if the two timelines were merging.
However, before she had time to share this news with Bian Xun, the man took her hand and pulled her up, simultaneously scooping up Taotao.
Ning Ye looked up and asked, "What are we doing?"
Bian Xun's dark eyes were clear. "Going public."
The plot had treated him as the male lead for so long, yet no one knew about his own female lead.
He hadn't enjoyed any of it, so why should he accept that?
"I haven't spent money in a long time." The CEO decided to make a high-profile public announcement by taking his wife and child out on a spending spree.
Two faces, one large and one small, blinked at him simultaneously.
The corners of Bian Xun's lips curled up. Ah, his big female lead and his little female lead.
Ning Ye looked shocked: "??"
Taotao blinked, suddenly covered her mouth, and stepped back. "I know! Daddy, you and Mommy are going to pick out a Children's Day present for me, right!!"
The two adults: "."
They really hadn't remembered.
But the adults immediately nodded in perfect unison, and Ning Ye said earnestly, "Mhm."
Ning Zhitao quickly took a few steps back, covering her eyes but peeking through her fingers. "Then I'm going to stay home and watch cartoons! I can't know in advance!"
Finally, the two adults were sent out of the house.
Ning Ye turned her head. Bian Xun actually looked serious. As soon as the Maybach started, he drove straight toward the most crowded shopping mall.
He looked like he truly intended to make their relationship public.
Outside, the world was still enthusiastically studying "Xu-ology"—there was no helping it, Xu Lanyi had been in the industry for far too long. A full twenty years of history was left for people to dig up, and the drama was simply endless.
And Bian Xun, as the man deeply involved in the situation, attracted just as much traffic as Xu Lanyi.
Photos of him, along with some candid shots from inside his company, were circulating like crazy online. Netizens commented one after another that they couldn't blame Xu Lanyi for wanting him; a husband like this was indeed top-tier.
So obviously, his every move would be watched by countless people.
If they really went public, other things aside, what would happen at the company?
Bian Xun glanced at her while driving, feeling a bit amused.
This was just how a good girl who had always studied hard and behaved herself thought. If their relationship was truly made public, from then on, the entire Wujiang company would practically carry her on a pedestal, and those idiotic colleagues who used to mock her would simply die of anger.
A helpless smile touched his eyes, but he knew this was just how she was.
Bian Xun reached out and squeezed her palm.
Their relationship had to be made public sooner or later.
In the past, they didn't want to use this move to fight back, but now things were different.
He just wanted to make sure that no other random nobodies would ever come near them again.
The car pulled into the mall and went straight up to the most expensive floor, where the luxury brands were concentrated.
Even though the CEO had already tragically lost over a hundred billion, he could still afford everything here.
Ning Ye followed beside him, forced to participate in his show-off session.
The moment the elegantly dressed man in a suit walked into the store, he immediately drew countless gazes and small gasps of excitement.
"Is that who I think it is!"
"Ahhh, he's actually this handsome in person!"
"Is that his girlfriend next to him—"
Unable to handle the countless envious stares, Ning Ye secretly covered her face.
Bian Xun, however, was used to the attention. Resting one hand on the glass display case, he looked around casually. "Pick whatever you want."
Wealth is a man's best cosmetic surgery.
When these words landed, carrying an unquestionable sense of power, the amazed and envious gazes from all around instantly shot over like bullets.
Not long after, a trending post appeared online: [I think I know what kind of husband Xu Lanyi originally wanted...]
But right now, Ning Ye only wanted to escape.
She couldn't stand him.
She didn't have much to pick from anyway. Ning Ye had low material desires, and the Children's Day gift Taotao wanted wasn't this kind of luxury item.
Ning Ye could only stroll around the store once before finally dragging Bian Xun away.
Bian Xun raised an eyebrow. "Nothing you like? Then onto the next store."
Ning Ye: "."
Facts proved that some people, even without spending money, acted as if they had left behind massive receipts.
The look in his eyes and the tilt of his brows made it seem like he had already paid for every inch of air in the place.
As they left, Ning Ye could still feel the burning gazes of the sales associates following the backs of their heads, passionately whispering to each other.
...This was killing her.
Eventually, Ning Ye suddenly stopped in front of a very ordinary, accessible toy store. She saw that the dolls displayed at the very front were characters from the cartoon Taotao currently loved the most, and you could even buy matching little outfits to change them into.
Ning Ye's eyes lit up. She immediately picked out a doll with sparkling eyes, just like Taotao's.
Naturally, she didn't plan on letting Bian Xun pay for something like this. She took out her phone and walked toward the self-checkout. Just as she was about to scan the code, Bian Xun stopped her.
It was already a conditioned reflex. Under the long-term influence of the 10,000x multiplier black card, Bian Xun simply couldn't stand seeing Ning Ye spend her own money in front of him.
Of course, Ning Ye herself hadn't planned on using the future black card to pay either.
If they spent all the money now, would the future Bian Xun still have money? She didn't know.
Bian Xun slowly pulled out his black card and paid with it.
A doll that only cost a few dozen bucks left the CEO feeling very unsatisfied.
He lowered his eyes and put the card back into his wallet, but suddenly, a flash caught his eye.
The black card at his fingertips seemed to flicker, producing a slight afterimage, as if it had merged in mid-air for a second.
Bian Xun suspected he had seen it wrong. He put the card away, took her hand, and said, "Let's buy something expensive—"
As soon as he spoke, a consumption bill popped up on his phone.
A few dozen bucks had turned into several hundred thousand.
"...?"
Was this a joke?
Ning Ye happened to be telling him about the photos she saw in the album before they left the house; it seemed the present photos had mixed with the future ones.
Bian Xun suddenly realized something.
He was sure he had used his own card just now.
But as the plot began to dissipate, it seemed the present black card and the future black card had undergone some sort of fusion.
And the result was that his current card now had the 10,000x multiplier.
The future black card had become a normal card.
It had reversed.
Now his card was unusable, yet the future card was still in Ning Ye's hands, and he still couldn't actively intervene.
Bian Xun: "."
After a moment of silence, the CEO's lips suddenly curled up.
He really wanted to laugh.
If she swiped her card, she would soon experience the same effect he had dealt with before.
He was truly, incredibly curious.
Ning Ye glanced at him a couple of times, not knowing what this man was smiling about.
Bian Xun held Ning Ye's hand as they walked toward the parking garage. Passing a vending machine, Bian Xun suddenly said, "I'm thirsty."
Ning Ye nodded and stopped, waiting for him to go buy water himself.
But Bian Xun's dark eyes suppressed a smile. "Buy it for me."
Ning Ye: "?"
He was actually serious.
Ning Ye looked at him with a face full of question marks.
This person's craziness seemed to have reached a new height.
After showing off enough, he was suddenly trying to live off a woman.
No, drink off a woman.
Ning Ye looked at the secluded surroundings, seriously suspecting that this man only acted cool in front of others.
In places with no people, his black-hearted true nature returned.
Ning Ye patted his shoulder. "We'll be home soon, you can drink water then."
Bian Xun stopped her from leaving, unable to suppress the smile on his thin lips, his chest vibrating. "Spend some money on me."
Ning Ye: "?"
Psycho!
The man wrapped his arms around her, pressing her into an empty corner of the underground garage. He gently pecked her lips, murmuring in a low voice, the smile in his dark eyes shining brightly.
"Buy it for me, okay?"
With every word he spoke, his kisses fell in succession, eventually deepening as he pried her teeth apart. Soon, he wasn't thirsty anymore.
But he still wanted more.
Ning Ye's face finally flushed red from the kisses, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of his shirt. "I'll... I'll buy it."
Acting this shamelessly over a bottle of water.
But just as she was about to stand up, the man pressed down again, smiling like a maniac. "Starting today, I won't take from you for free."
He couldn't wait to see Ning Ye's expression when she discovered the 10,000x multiplier.
Ning Ye was completely encircled by him, their bodies pressed tightly together, making her heartbeat quicken a bit.
What was he doing? Did he want to live off her long-term?
Ning Ye's lips were slightly red as she raised her glistening eyes. "What are you trading for it?"
In the dim light, the man was handsome and shameless.
"Selling my body, is that okay?"
Help, I'm late! I took medicine for period cramps and passed out asleep.
It should be fine tomorrow. I'll be there early.
