My Mother-in-Law and I Became the Internet's Hottest Power Couple-Chapter 85

Xia Jing said, "We need to go through practical training before we can officially announce it. Some of the training content covers topics we've studied before, like protecting the marine environment and rescuing marine animals. They said recording starts on December 27th—first for a month before the New Year, then again after. The documentary will have four episodes in total."

This year, the Lunar New Year falls on February 12th. They’ll record until the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, then take a few days off.

The schedule isn’t too tight, but Xia Jing is worried that Yu Wanqiu, having just finished filming, might be under too much physical strain.

Yu Wanqiu feels she’ll be fine. To her, this documentary is practically a vacation—no script, no lines to memorize, just following instructions from a manual.

Yu Wanqiu said, "Don’t take on any new roles for me for now."

Xia Jing nodded. "Yeah, I know."

But Yu Wanqiu is the type who gets restless without acting. "If a good script comes along, keep it in mind—doesn’t matter if it’s for film or TV."

Xia Jing agreed. "Alright, you two should start packing. The flight’s at 3:40."

She had already clarified everything she needed to know. "We’re heading straight to Haicheng. It’s warm there, and we’ll be back before the New Year."

Yu Wanqiu hummed in acknowledgment. This was work, after all. She’d gotten back too late the night before and hadn’t checked her phone.

Her WeChat was flooded with congratulatory messages for her award win—from directors and actors she’d worked with before, as well as Shen Xingyao, Zhang Lin, and others.

Shen Xingyao and Zhang Lin had hesitated at first, wondering if sending congratulations might come across as trying to curry favor. But as fellow actors, they understood the significance of the Golden Bear Award, and their happiness for Yu Wanqiu was genuine.

After some thought, they decided Yu Wanqiu wasn’t the type to overanalyze such things, so they sent their well-wishes anyway.

Yu Wanqiu replied:

[Thanks.]

[I saw you at the ceremony. Just woke up from last night’s celebration.]

[How have you been lately?]

Shen Xingyao had wrapped up filming. The director praised her performance, saying she held her own even when acting opposite Liang Yun.

She’d also landed a new role—her first major film role, albeit as the third female lead. The director was well-known, and while the part wasn’t huge, it marked her debut on the big screen.

Before, she might have dismissed such a role, thinking it better to stick to leading roles in TV dramas. But her mindset had shifted—no role was too small.

Shen Xingyao had been studying the script diligently. Du Wanzhou was still her assistant and had lost nearly 10 pounds over six months—not rapid weight loss, but healthy progress. At her current weight, she looked completely different from before.

None of her old clothes fit anymore, so Shen Xingyao had bought her a whole new wardrobe. Even bundled in winter layers, she looked slimmer than she had in summer dresses.

With a steady paycheck and their bond stronger than ever, Du Wanzhou was thriving.

Zhang Lin’s life was quieter these days. She’d been resting at home during her pregnancy, with her due date in mid-February—just over a month away.

She felt at peace. The custody agreement was in her favor, leaving Li Jia powerless.

A month ago, Xu Chaoyang had proposed reconciling, but Zhang Lin refused. She wouldn’t remarry him, no matter how well he’d been behaving lately.

It reminded her of their early marriage, when Xu Chaoyang had treated her kindly—for those first few months.

When she declined, Xu Chaoyang didn’t push. He’d wait for her to change her mind.

Xu Yi had grown more cheerful, and once the baby arrived, they’d hire a nanny. Xu Chaoyang hadn’t been back to the Xu family home in a long time.

Naturally, Xu Qian wasn’t happy about his son and grandson staying away, blaming the fractured family on Li Jia.

Xu Chaoyang had tried reasoning with him, but there was nothing to be done—the divorce was final, and custody belonged to Zhang Lin. He couldn’t bear to see his children or ex-wife suffer.

At least Xu Yi still carried the Xu surname. The baby on the way would undoubtedly take Zhang Lin’s name.

Li Jia bore the brunt of Xu Qian’s frustration, though she felt wronged. Everything she’d done had been for the family, yet everyone resented her.

She wouldn’t stoop to begging Zhang Lin to return. The Xu family had wealth and status—she refused to believe Zhang Lin didn’t have ulterior motives.

After replying to her messages, Yu Wanqiu went to wake Jiang Lan. freёnovelkiss.com

Jiang Lan, still groggy from last night’s drinks, mumbled, "What time is it, Yu Laoshi?"

Yu Wanqiu said, "Eleven."

Jiang Lan scoffed. "You’re lying. It’s probably only nine."

She checked her phone—it really was eleven.

Yu Wanqiu urged, "Hurry up. We can’t go back now. Xia Jing called—volunteer training starts tomorrow, and we’re flying to Haicheng this afternoon."

Haicheng was close to Xiamen, just a two-hour flight.

By six in the evening, they’d arrived. Jiang Lan hadn’t brought her study materials, so she reviewed the digital versions on her phone.

During her nightly call with Lu Yicheng, he mentioned the snow in City B had stopped.

The skies were clear, but Jiang Lan still couldn’t return.

She wanted to, but it wasn’t possible.

"Lu Yicheng, Lu Pig, why do you look so down?"

Lu Yicheng said, "I’m not. Just nervous about exams."

Since when did Lu Yicheng get exam nerves? That was usually her thing. Jiang Lan wished she could pinch his cheeks. "If you’re nervous, let me cheer you up. Want to hear a joke?"

Lu Yicheng wasn’t in the mood. "No jokes."

"Then how about a song?"

He shook his head. "Don’t feel like music either. Just talking to you helps. Honestly, we go to the same university, live in the same city—how did we end up in a long-distance relationship?"

So close yet so far.

Lu Yicheng was just having one of those days—maybe a monthly mood swing. "My last exam’s on the 25th. Maybe I’ll come see you."

Jiang Lan hesitated. "But I have training that day."

Lu Yicheng sighed. "Never mind. I’ll manage."

Jiang Lan teased, "At least you have Uncle Lu with you."

Lu Yicheng groaned. "Don’t remind me. Dad was hoping Yu Laoshi would come back too. Today, well… let’s just say neither of us got what we wanted."

He forced a smile. "I’ll pick you up after filming, take you home."

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‍Lan glanced at the ceiling. "But my mom hasn’t invited you over. And didn’t you say you wanted to move to another planet the other day? Changed your mind already?"

"Invited or not, I’m coming," Lu Yicheng said, his gloom fleeting. He couldn’t stop Jiang Lan from her commitments. "Just come back soon. I really miss you."

He rested his chin in his hands. "I’ll study hard—scholarship money means treating you to good food. Did your grades come out yet?"

Jiang Lan checked—a B+ and an A. She was satisfied.

Lu Yicheng would be on break after his exams on the 25th, planning to intern at the company. Lu Shuangchen had been unusually idle lately, coming home only to watch cooking streams and experiment in the kitchen.

Some dishes turned out decent, others… not so much.

Lu Yicheng grimaced. "A few were downright inedible, but we couldn’t waste them. A few more meals like that, and we might end up in the hospital. If we do, can I at least see my girlfriend first?"

Lu Yicheng wanted to tell Jiang Lan everything that had happened from morning till night, but their phone call could only last so long.

The call ended at 11:30 p.m. after they bid each other goodnight. Yu Wanqiu had gone out to talk with Xia Jing and returned after a while.

Even in winter, Haicheng remained warm. Both of them wore short sleeves indoors. Yu Wanqiu said, "I asked around—tomorrow’s activity is a marine environmental protection practice."

Yu Wanqiu added, "You don’t know how to swim, right? When there’s no class in the evening, go to the hotel pool and learn."

Jiang Lan indeed couldn’t swim. "Teacher Yu, will you teach me?"

Yu Wanqiu replied, "Since you’re calling me ‘teacher,’ how can I refuse?"

Learning to swim had to be prioritized. Since they had nothing else to do in the evening, the two headed to the hotel pool.

Yu Wanqiu had asked Xiao Xu to buy swimsuits—basic black ones with no embellishments. Their swimsuits were identical.

Yu Wanqiu’s toned muscles were strikingly visible as soon as she bared her arms and legs. Jiang Lan was slightly plumper in comparison.

"Swimming helps with weight loss. Learn well, and we can come out to swim together in the future," Yu Wanqiu said. She was proficient in all strokes—breaststroke, butterfly—she had learned so much for filming roles.

This wasn’t Jiang Lan’s first time in the water, but she had always relied on floatation rings before. This time was different.

The biggest fear in water was choking, but Yu Wanqiu was the one teaching her.

Yu Wanqiu, who worked out regularly, had strong arms and could easily lift Jiang Lan. Learning from her gave Jiang Lan a sense of security.

Still, there was no way she could master it in one night.

Yu Wanqiu teased, "You’re hopeless. We’ll try again tomorrow—we still have a whole week."

They couldn’t stay up too late since they had the practice session the next day.

The first day’s activity focused on marine environmental protection.

Simply put, it involved collecting trash from the ocean and the beach. This waste posed a threat to marine life, sometimes even endangering their survival.

For example, fish or sea turtles could accidentally ingest plastic or get entangled in debris, leading to suffocation.

Haicheng was a famous tourist city, attracting up to 80 million visitors annually. While popular beaches hired cleaners, some trash still ended up in the sea.

Early the next morning, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu changed into work clothes, put on sun hats, and prepared trash bags and tongs before boarding an official boat.

The deep blue sea showed no visible signs of pollution. The organizer explained, "We conduct deep-sea cleanups every year, removing tens of thousands of tons of waste."

Jiang Lan listened attentively. The authorities aimed to promote marine conservation, hoping to leverage the influence of public figures.

Judging by Yunnan’s tourism campaign, the strategy had proven effective.

Time flew by. On New Year’s Day, January 1st, the Marine Animal Protection Association posted a Weibo update—Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu had already been filming for four days.

[Marine Animal Protection Association: Protecting the ocean and its creatures is everyone’s responsibility. Yu Wanqiu, Jiang Lan [video]]

The three-minute video showcased their volunteer exam results and clips from their fieldwork.

While many flocked to Haicheng for winter vacations, these two were on the beach and in the water, collecting trash and rescuing fish trapped in plastic.

At the end, they wrote eight words in the sand: "Protect the environment. Everyone’s responsibility."

[Protect the environment. Everyone’s responsibility.]

[Is this a collaboration with the Marine Animal Protection Association?]

[This doesn’t seem like a brand deal—it feels meaningful!]

[Agreed! It’s nice to do something for the animals.]

[Support! Even if it’s not an endorsement, I appreciate the effort.]

[Positive energy!]

[What exactly does this involve?]

[Probably rescue work—saving stranded whales or dolphins? I only know a little. The dolphins and seals at B City Aquarium were rescued—they would’ve died otherwise. There were news reports back then.]

[That’s so sad.]

[If conditions improve, maybe they’ll release them back into the ocean.]

[Why involve celebrities in this? Must everything be tied to entertainment?]

[Just chasing endorsements and money. Disgusting.]

[I have a friend who’s a volunteer for the association. Becoming one requires passing exams—it’s not something "just anyone" can do. Also, what’s wrong with entertainment? Yu Wanqiu’s influence outweighs millions of people like you.]

[LOL, Yu Wanqiu has over 100 million Weibo followers. This is a win-win—official promotion gets traction, and you’re here nitpicking.]

[Ignore the haters. Listen to our queen: Protect the environment. Everyone’s responsibility.]

[Am I the only one excited they’re collaborating again?!]

[How long is this filming? If there’s a time limit, I hope it’s 10,000 years.]

[...]

[My dream winter break is finally here!]

[Happy New Year! Is Jiang Lan on vacation yet?]

[I’m still processing this.]

[More collaborations like this, please!]

[Does this mean Lu Shuangchen and Lu Yicheng are left home alone again?]

[Don’t ask—you already know the answer.]

Lu Shuangchen was, but Lu Yicheng wasn’t. New Year’s Day was a public holiday—even teachers had time off.

Lu Yicheng brought two bottles of wine and a box of bird’s nest for Xie Yunzhen and Jiang Baoguo—wine for him, bird’s nest for her.

Last time, he had brought throat lozenges, and he figured Xie Yunzhen had probably finished them by now.

He needed to make a good impression, win over Xie Yunzhen and Jiang Baoguo, and—once Jiang Lan returned—convince them to let him visit her grandparents’ hometown for an official introduction. His goal was to spend the New Year with Jiang Lan’s family.

The summer variety show Mother-in-Law Is Coming had been a hit, making Jiang Lan recognizable in their neighborhood. Since Lu Yicheng visited often, the aunties and grannies downstairs knew him too.

Unlike gated communities, this area had a lively, close-knit vibe. Neighbors greeted each other, and now they acknowledged Lu Yicheng as well.

"Xiao Lu, back again? Always bringing so much stuff."

Lu Yicheng smiled. "Not much, just some snacks. Jiang Lan’s away for work, so I’m here to check on Teacher Xie."

"That’s sweet of you. Visiting during the holidays is nice."

After chatting downstairs for half an hour, Lu Yicheng finally made it to the third floor.

He rang the doorbell twice, but no one answered. Calling Xie Yunzhen, he said, "Hello, Teacher Xie? It’s Lu Yicheng. I’m at your door."

"Oh? You’ve gone back to your hometown? ...I’ll come by tomorrow, then." He had wanted to surprise Xie Yunzhen like Jiang Lan would, but she and Jiang Baoguo weren’t home.

After hanging up, Grandma Jiang asked who had called.

Xie Yunzhen replied, "Xiao Lu—Jiang Lan’s boyfriend. He wanted to visit us for New Year’s."

She was making dumplings with her sisters-in-law. Grandma Jiang nodded. "That tall young man? He seemed polite."

Grandpa Jiang huffed. "Polite? You met him once. How would you know?"