Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapters 248 and 249: Just the young couple's playful banter.
The online world was stirred up by the song "Love Like a Tide".

Lin Xiao, the "instigator," did not pay attention to it or care at all.

It's not that he doesn't want to care.

It's completely unnecessary.

Because all afternoon, the young cadres in the entire tourism task force took turns reporting their progress to him, and each one was more excited and louder than the last.

"Lin Zhen, the video got over 1 likes in just one hour!"

"Lin Zhen, the number of likes has already exceeded 2!"

"Lin Zhen, the comments section is full of praise for this song, and many people are saying they want to come here for tourism!"

"Lin Zhen, something bad has happened! The comments section is starting to go off track. Some netizens are spreading rumors that your marriage with Han Xixi is falling out..."

"Lin Town..."

"go out!!"

The last rebuke was shouted by Lin Xiao.

It wasn't that he wanted to show off his leadership, but these young people were just too noisy... Calling them young people isn't quite accurate, because apart from Sun Simiao and Leng Tao, everyone else was older than him.

But perhaps the working atmosphere of the special task force was too unconventional.

These previously mature and steady cadres have now been led astray, becoming increasingly lively and energetic, jumping around every day.

Lin Xiao was so annoyed by them that he couldn't help but shout.

At the door, Sun Simiao, who came to report with a worried expression, was startled, but she was not angry with Lin Zhen at all; instead, she completely misunderstood the situation.

"Oh no, Lin Zhen must be so angry because of the speculation that he's divorced his wife... He loves her so much, I'm going to cry!"

Sun Simiao's eyes widened in shock, and he looked utterly pitiful.

When Lin Xiao saw this, he thought he had overreacted and scared the girl!
Little did he know, the little girl was completely head over heels in love!
What followed was increasingly bizarre, yet entirely within Lin Xiao's expectations.

The video "Love Like a Tide" is seeing an unprecedented surge in likes and comments, surpassing the best performance ever achieved by the "Tide White Window" account.

It's only a matter of time before the video with the most likes, "A Small Town That Isn't Legendary," surpasses that number; it's not difficult at all.

Lin Xiao, however, was not at all complacent; in fact, he was somewhat worried.

The displeasure stems from the fact that the expected impact of the campaign was anticipated.

Knowing the power of online popularity, he went to great lengths, writing songs, having Cao Yuanzhi record videos, and brainstorming ideas to create videos.

If it's uncertain whether it will generate the current buzz, then there's really no need to go through all this trouble.

Lin Xiao was even somewhat disappointed with the current rate of increase in the number of likes on his videos.

Thinking about it, it's probably because the video didn't credit "Ma Yao" as the lyricist and composer of the song, which meant there was less support for its popularity to grow.

As for concerns...

Lin Xiao really didn't expect that netizens would have such wild imaginations, directly deducing that "Han Xixi is divorced" based solely on a song that has absolutely nothing to do with Han Xixi or Ma Yao.

For no apparent reason, his wife, who was peacefully waiting for childbirth at home, has once again become a trending topic.

Xixi must have seen the trending topic now, and she's probably furious!
Lin Xiao felt a headache just thinking about it.

What's done is done, there's no use in regretting it.

All he can do is go home at night and try to cheer up his wife—he made this mess, so he has to clean it up, even if he has to kneel down!

Lin Xiao looked up at the sky and sighed.

At this moment, all I want to do is sing a song: "It's so hard to be a person, it's so hard to be a man, it's tough being a man by day and tough being a man by night..."

……

After getting off work in the evening, Lin Xiao returned to Ninghai as usual.

After the highway exit in Chaobai Town opened, it became much more convenient for him to return to Ninghai.

Previously, whether I took the national highway or drove to the county town and then onto the expressway, it would take at least an hour and a half to get to my parents-in-law's house, and that was without encountering traffic jams.

Now, this time has been shortened to 50 minutes, which is almost half the original time.

If Lin Xiao had left ten minutes earlier, he could have successfully avoided the evening rush hour and arrived in 40 minutes at lightning speed.

However, as a deputy town mayor...

He rarely leaves early unless there is something particularly urgent.

On the one hand, there is indeed a lot of work, leaving no opportunity to leave early. On the other hand, as a member of the leadership team, frequently leaving early would set a bad example for other cadres and corrupt the atmosphere of the entire unit.

So, even though no one was watching him, he insisted on setting a good example.

Unless it's an extremely urgent situation...

Uh, never mind!

Today is an emergency—my wife is very likely to be angry.

Therefore, Lin Xiao will not continue to cultivate his "good cadre" persona for now; he left work ten minutes early today.

After leaving my workplace, I drove straight to the highway and arrived at Jili Garden just as the morning rush hour was beginning.

It was only 5:30 pm, and the sun was still high in the sky, making the windshield scorching hot.

get off.

Lin Xiao didn't go upstairs first, but left the residential area.

There was a flower shop in the ground floor shops outside the residential area. He went in and picked out a bunch of pink roses.

Only then did he return home and go upstairs.

"Hey, you're back so early today!"

My mother-in-law, Liu Liyun, was still wearing a sun-protective jacket at the door, so she must have just gotten home from get off work.

Seeing the flowers in his hand, Liu Liyun laughed: "You bought flowers? What, is today some special day?"

Lin Xiao scratched his head, not knowing how to explain, so he could only stand at the door with a silly grin.

Liu Liyun glanced at her daughter's bedroom door and immediately understood everything.

"What, did you two have another fight?" She smiled contentedly, showing no concern for her daughter and son-in-law.

After all, as someone who's been through it, I know that it's normal for young couples to argue; it would be a problem if they didn't.

Arguing is okay; the key is to know how to compromise and reflect on your actions.

Now, seeing her son-in-law bring home a bouquet of flowers, Liu Liyun sees a responsible, considerate, and good man and young man.

Only a man like this would give her the peace of mind to entrust her daughter to.

Judging from the current situation, it's reasonable to assume that the son-in-law angered the daughter, which is why he bought flowers to apologize.

However, given that Ms. Han Xixi is currently pregnant, we cannot judge her based on common sense.

To be honest, Liu Liyun herself felt that her daughter's temper was quite strange these days.

and so……

All she could do was wish her son-in-law good luck.

At that moment, Lin Xiao's expression turned awkward.

Liu Liyun also stopped talking and said with a smile, "I won't ask anymore. I'm going to cook. You two can have fun by yourselves."

Then he waved and went into the kitchen, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

After searching the living room and not finding his wife, he realized she was in her room.

I knocked on the door.

No one responded.

He didn't bother with any more fuss and simply pushed the door open, where he saw his wife lying on a chair on the balcony, basking in the sunlight and reading a book.

The room was air-conditioned and the temperature was not low.

Han Xixi stared intently at the book, her expression revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Lin Xiao wasn't sure if she had been paying attention to the online activity.

"Honey, I'm home..."

he whispered.

Han Xixi didn't turn her head: "Mm."

The voice was cold and emotionless.

Lin Xiao: It's confirmed. My wife has everything under control.

He swallowed hard, instantly putting on a cheap, obsequious smile, and shuffled to the balcony with his hands behind his back.

"The sun is still strong, honey, don't read for too long, it'll hurt your eyes!" Lin Xiao sincerely advised.

"Ah."

"Have you not left the house yet? How about your husband takes you for a walk?"

"hot."

"Are you hungry? What did you have for lunch?"

"meal."

"..."

Lin Xiao was speechless; this attempt at flattery had completely failed.

My wife was too concise today.

He spent so much time trying to please her, but she just dismissed him with three words.

Lin Xiao now truly understood what it meant to "offer a warm face to someone who doesn't reciprocate."

Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to unleash our ultimate weapon.

"Dang-dang-dang!"

Lin Xiao, with his own sound effects, presented Xixi with the bouquet of pink roses hidden behind his back.

Xi Xi was stunned for a moment before she could see what was in front of her.

The tightly packed petals are bright and playful, the budding appearance is cute and lively, and the pink color is even more unrestrained in its rush to her eyes.

This added a touch of vibrancy to her otherwise cold and aloof expression.

Xixi wanted to laugh but tried hard to hold it in.

She accepted the flowers, while continuing to maintain her cold expression.

But her lively eyes and slightly upturned corners betrayed her.

Lin Xiao also secretly chuckled.

He pulled up a small stool and sat down, leaning closer to ask, "Are you not angry anymore?"

Xixi was smelling the fragrance of the flowers when her expression tightened again.

"Who said I'm angry?!"

"Okay, okay, I'm not angry. My wife is the most understanding!"

"Are you mocking my big belly?!" Xi Xi's voice suddenly rose.

"Oh, no!"

Lin Xiao panicked; he never expected the conversation to go so absurdly!
He quickly waved his hand, saying, "Your belly is big because you're having a baby for me. How could I laugh at you? I'm grateful to you!"

Xi Xi retorted irritably, "What do you mean by 'giving birth to your child'? This is my child too, and I gave birth to it willingly... You're objectifying women!"

This huge accusation left Lin Xiao completely stunned.

Give up the excuses now.

She stood up and, to Han Xixi's surprise, stood beside her, then stuck out her buttocks.

"Alright, stop with the buildup, just kick me!"

"???"

Now it was Xixi's turn to be dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that her little act of doing something unconventional would backfire so spectacularly, as this guy was even more unpredictable than her.

Looking at his pert buttocks.

Xi Xi couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Lin Xiao had already figured out that his wife wasn't angry; she was just teasing him, which was why he was able to shamelessly try to coax her.

After all, he knew it in his heart.

The act of "coaxing" is itself a false proposition.

If you really make a mistake, coaxing won't work; you have to honestly admit it.

If they haven't made a mistake, then there's even less need to coax them!
According to Han Xixi's logic, "you giving birth to my child" does not objectify women; "coaxing" does!
Lin Xiao and Xi Xi are both rational people.

Therefore, the word "coaxing" never came up between them. However, life is inevitably boring and tedious, and pregnancy and childbirth are even more arduous and torturous.

Since Xixi rarely acts up, Lin Xiao naturally has to play along.

This can be considered a unique kind of fun for the young couple.

Seeing his wife laughing uncontrollably, Lin Xiao became even more aroused and grabbed her hand, insisting on giving her a few slaps on his buttocks.

This insistence on being spanked made Xixi so happy she couldn't stand up straight.

Laughter echoed outside.

Liu Liyun was picking vegetables in the kitchen when she heard her daughter's unrestrained laughter and she laughed along with her.

Yet, I felt inexplicably sentimental.

Over the years, she and her husband have been busy with work, and their daughter grew up with her maternal grandparents.

I wasn't close to them when I was a child, and as I grew up with heavy academic workloads, I no longer had the opportunity to be close to my parents.

Later, because of the college application, Xixi and them had a grudge. This grudge became even more unbreakable because of the "sugar baby photos" that went viral last year. Han Haijun refused to come forward to clarify, which made the knot even tighter.

In Liu Liyun's memory.

Although her daughter is well-behaved and sensible, she rarely laughs so unrestrainedly in front of them.

Previously, she had always thought that Xixi was just like that, and she didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Only now do I realize that my daughter isn't incapable of laughing freely, nor is she only good-natured and adorable; rather, she has never truly relaxed in front of her parents, nor has she ever fully revealed her true self.

Liu Liyun felt a little regretful, thinking that she had failed in her duty as a mother.

However, this feeling quickly passed by.

At this moment, she felt only relief and a touch of pride. Thankfully, Xixi had met Lin Xiao.

Even more fortunately, Lin Xiao was someone she insisted on bringing to her daughter.

Previously, both Xixi and Lin Xiao were very resistant to this arranged marriage.

At the time, no one expected that it would lead to such a loving and harmonious marriage.

Liu Liyun couldn't help but sigh: With this trick, I can at least get a passing grade as a mother!
Thinking about it this way, she felt relieved.

Humming a little tune, I busied myself preparing dinner.

……

in the room.

Lin Xiao could still act silly, but he was afraid of affecting Xi Xi's unborn child, so he decided to stop while he was ahead.

The young couple took a while to catch their breath before their emotions returned to normal.

"Aren't you angry anymore?"

Without saying a word, Lin Xiao squeezed into Xixi's recliner and asked.

To avoid falling to the ground, Xixi could only half-lie on his chest, feeling his body warm and smelly!
"Don't be angry~"

Xixi spoke playfully, constantly inhaling the fragrance of the flowers.

"So, all that acting you did just now was an act, right?"

"Hehe, didn't you figure it out a long time ago!"

Xi Xi held her head high, her eyes sparkling like stars, her skin fair, and her smile brighter and more radiant than the sunset outside the window.

Lin Xiao felt a pang of tenderness.

Unable to resist, he pinched her cheeks and showered her cherry-like lips with kisses.

"Ugh...hateful!"

Xi Xi was so overwhelmed by the kisses that she pounded on his chest with seductive eyes.

This subconscious action caused Lin Xiao's heart rate to spike, leaving him utterly miserable.

"Does this girl even realize that she's the epitome of being both innocent and alluring, seducing people without even realizing it!"

Lin Xiao sighed inwardly.

He quickly closed his eyes and wished for world peace, and it took him a long time to calm down.

"Brother, why did you suddenly buy me flowers?" Xixi asked.

"I'm afraid you'll get angry!"

"Ok?"

Xi Xi turned to look at him. "So you really thought I'd be angry?"

Lin Xiao shrugged: "Of course, this has caused quite a stir. The topic of 'Han Xixi suspected of divorce' even made it to the trending searches... If I were you, I would definitely be angry!"

Upon hearing this, Xixi remained completely unfazed, shaking her head adorably.

"So you're not me, and I'm not angry at all!" she said playfully.

"why?"

Lin Xiao wondered, "If I insist that you sing 'Love Like a Tide,' or if I take your suggestion and sing it myself, and then credit 'Lyricist Ma Yao, Composer Ma Yao, Singer Ma Yao' on the credits, it can also prevent netizens from going astray. After all, it's always fine for me to sing the songs I wrote myself."

"It's because this song wasn't sung for you or me, but for someone else... that's why netizens reacted so strongly, gradually guessing that we're divorced. You're really not angry that this topic got you trending on social media?"

Xixi listened to his explanation with a bright smile throughout.

"What are you angry about? Do you want a divorce?" she retorted.

"How can it be!!"

Lin Xiao was shocked and quickly reached out to cover his wife's belly, "Be careful with prenatal education! If our baby hears this, it will be disastrous!!"

Xi Xi was amused by his serious, subconscious action and burst into laughter, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"mua~"

"Um?!"

Lin Xiao smiled, his eyes crinkling. "What's going on? Is there some unexpected gain?"

Xi Xi ignored him and laughed, "I know my brother loves me and won't divorce me. This time, being on the trending topics is just netizens making wild guesses. It won't affect our relationship, so why should I be angry?"

Lin Xiao nodded; of course he understood the reasoning.

"But you're going through a tough time being pregnant right now, and you're being cursed by netizens to get a divorce for no reason... It's normal to be angry!"

"That's what I said!"

Xi Xi laughed, then suddenly patted her chest and said boldly, "But who am I? I'm the wife of the mysterious and talented musician Ma Yao. How could I be so petty?"

The sudden ape-like movement startled Lin Xiao, but he couldn't help but chuckle when he realized what was happening.

Xi Xi continued, "I know you insisted that Brother Cao sing this song because his voice is really suitable. As soon as that video came out, I listened to it immediately, and Brother Cao sang it really well. My first reaction after listening was relief that I didn't beg you to give me the song. If I had sung it, it would have been a disaster!"

Lin Xiao quickly replied, "How could that be! My wife's talent has been tested by the entire internet; your singing will only bring a different flavor!"

Xi Xi shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

"Anyway, I know that you just want to create the most ideal version of the song 'Love Like a Tide'. Only when the charm of the song is brought out to its fullest potential can the promotion of Chaobai Town achieve the best results!"

Xixi smiled brightly, "Brother did this entirely out of responsibility for his career, and there's nothing wrong with that. As for the fact that after the video is released, netizens will speculate that we're getting a divorce without any clues, that's something no one could have predicted."

"But that doesn't matter! People can say whatever they want, as long as we're both okay... Don't you think so, brother?"

As Xixi finished speaking, she placed the bouquet on her lap and then wrapped her arms around Lin Xiao's neck.

Looking into his wife's bright and gentle eyes, Lin Xiao was momentarily dazed.

He knows he might be a bit of a failure right now.

But listening to Xixi's clear yet rational analysis, and looking at her playful yet loving eyes...

At that moment, he really felt like crying.

The previous life, and this life.

He never imagined that he could meet his true love, let alone marry a wife who understands his heart, knows what he wants, and relieves his worries.

to be frank.

Although he quickly realized that Xixi's anger was feigned after entering the room, he played along and acted out the scene with her.

But before he went inside, he was genuinely a little worried.

I'm worried that Xixi will get angry because of the trending topic, and that she'll feel like she's being ridiculed by the entire internet again.

After all, the comments on the trending topics were already quite offensive.

At first, it was just speculation that Han Xixi and Ma Yao were having marital problems.

Later, the tone of the comments section became increasingly sarcastic, with many netizens immediately launching into sarcasm and ridicule, mocking Han Xixi for gaining weight after being dumped by Ma Yao, and suggesting that her music career was over...

Lin Xiao was furious when he saw it, wishing he could drag that slut over from the internet and beat her up.

Xixi was pregnant, and she was already prone to mood swings.

It's perfectly normal for her to be angry after reading this, since Lin Xiao had every way to avoid it.

But she didn't, not at all.

Perhaps, but she had already fully digested it before Lin Xiao entered the room.

Because she knew that besides being a singer, Han Xixi, she was also Lin Xiao's wife, and she had to support her husband's career without hesitation. Even if she couldn't help this time, she was determined not to hold him back!
Therefore, at this moment, her smile was bright and gentle.

The words of comfort soothed all of Lin Xiao's worries and anxieties.

At this moment, Lin Xiao really wanted to cry.

He forced himself not to cry out, reached out and pulled Xixi into his arms, held her tightly with his other hand, and kissed her on the forehead.

Xixi felt the power of that hug and kiss.

She didn't say much, just nestled quietly against his chest, remaining silent for a long time.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two looked at each other and smiled easily and contentedly.

"But honey~"

Xi Xi suddenly became serious and said, "Although I don't mind what's trending on Weibo, since it's already trending, shouldn't I post something on Weibo to clarify? If I don't say anything, won't netizens think I'm guilty, which will further confirm the news of my divorce?"

Lin Xiao nodded: "It needs to be clarified!"

Xi Xi nodded, but her brows remained slightly furrowed.

"But... how can we clarify this?"

She said with difficulty, "I only announced the marriage, but I have never admitted it directly. My husband is Ma Yao, who wrote so many songs for me! Now netizens suspect that Ma Yao and I are divorced. It is easy for me to clarify, but wouldn't clarifying be equivalent to admitting that I did marry Ma Yao?"

Lin Xiao laughed when he heard his wife's concerns.

"What are you laughing at?" Xixi asked, puzzled.

I laugh at you for making trouble for yourself!

"Ok?"

"Just admit it, what's there to be afraid of!"

Lin Xiao laughed, "The fact that your husband is the mysterious musician Ma Yao has long been a consensus across the internet. Whether you admit it or not won't affect netizens' belief in this matter. Even if you deny it, netizens won't believe you!"

Han Xixi was stunned for a moment before realizing that it seemed to be true.

Although I haven't expressed my opinion yet.

But this generation of netizens is incredibly resourceful; they'll analyze and debate the truth themselves, so whether the parties involved admit it or not is of little significance.

She laughed.

"Since your relationship with Ma Yao is already common knowledge online, there's nothing wrong with you admitting it; it will only make you seem more generous!"

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "So, just clarify this matter publicly this time, and don't have any worries!"

These words reassured Han Xixi, allowing her to quickly regain her smile and composure.

She nestled in Lin Xiao's arms and thought for a moment, then immediately came up with an idea.

"Give me your hand!"

"Ok?"

Although Lin Xiao was puzzled, he still obediently extended his right hand.

Xi Xi stretched out her left hand and intertwined her fingers with his, their entwined hands resting on the bright pink bouquet.

She held her phone in her right hand and snapped a picture of the screen.

Lin Xiao immediately understood what she was going to do.

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile, inexplicably recalling the time a year ago when Ms. Han officially announced her marriage registration.

They had just received their marriage certificate at that time.

At the company's request, Han Xixi had to officially announce the news to clear her name of suspicion that she was being kept by a bald man.

Although we had already obtained the marriage certificate at that time.

However, to ensure the official announcement was more authentic, the company required her to take a photo with her fake husband, the more intimate the better.

This really stumped Xixi.

Although they were husband and wife at the time, they were not familiar with each other at all, and she simply couldn't bring herself to say it.

In the end, the company pressured us so much that we had no other choice.

She waited until Lin Xiao was washing up in the morning, then blocked the bathroom door and awkwardly made this excessive request.

Lin Xiao was quick to understand.

He immediately pulled her to the mirror, put his full biceps together with her delicate face, and took a sexually charged photo.

At the time, the photo caused a huge uproar online.

Looking at it now, the photo is obviously fake; it has no sincerity whatsoever, only deception and trickery.

Now, a year later, Han Xixi needs a photo together again to confirm their relationship.

Yet there's no need for posing; it doesn't look unnatural at all.

The two held hands, facing the flowers, and naturally captured a moment of happiness.

There are far too many such marks.

So much so that there's no need to deliberately pose for photos; you can pick them up anywhere.

Looking back on last year and then at today.

Lin Xiao was quite emotional, watching his wife edit the photos with tender eyes, and then he started posting on Weibo.

"Hey, don't send it yet!"

He quickly stopped him.

Xi Xi asked, puzzled, "Why? Didn't you agree to my clarification?"

Lin Xiao grinned.

"I agree... but not now!"

"Not now? Then when?"

"August 9th!"

"Ok?"

Xi Xi was puzzled and couldn't understand why the date could be so precise.

Lin Xiao grinned and said, "Because at that time, the hype surrounding 'Love Like a Tide' and the rumors about your divorce from me had almost died down. If you clarify things now... you can reignite the hype, which will push the entire internet's attention to our Chaobai Town to its peak!"

Han Xixi was stunned for a moment before she caught up with Lin Xiao's line of thought and realized that September 30th was indeed a very scientifically chosen date.

But soon, she realized something was wrong.

"Lin Xiao! You big bad guy! You really treat me like a tool!!"

Xixi was really angry this time, and she shouted fiercely.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao jumped up from the recliner to avoid his wife's physical attack.

Then, in a flash, he opened the door and ran away!
From inside the house came Han Xixi's furious shouts:

"Lin Xiao!! You come back here!!!"

(End of this chapter)