Chapter 233: Thank You, husband

It wasn’t long before Liu Yue stepped into the classroom.

Something about her today was noticeably different.

For one, her outfit was more refined than usual, each detail carefully put together. Her makeup, too, was immaculate—elegant and eye-catching in a way she’d never bothered with before. Clearly, a woman in love was not the same as one who wasn’t; she now paid careful attention to her appearance.

Then there was her expression.

In the past, whenever Liu Yue entered the classroom, she always wore a frosty face, like the entire world owed her money. But today, she stepped up to the lectern with a warm, radiant smile that felt like a breeze in spring.

Down in the audience, Lin Chen’s heart stirred with unease as he watched her. The moment made him glance, almost involuntarily, toward Wang Haoran sitting not far away.

Could what he said… actually be true?

No. He refused to believe it.

He shook the thought from his head.

The class went by quickly. After finishing her lecture, Liu Yue turned and walked straight out of the classroom.

Right then, a man in work overalls stepped up to her. “Excuse me, are you Ms. Liu Yue?” he asked politely.

Liu Yue paused, her gaze falling on the uniform and the label stitched on both his chest and cap: “First Spring Orchid.”

Her eyes lit up.

First Spring Orchid was one of the few listed floral companies in the country, specializing in high-end flower sales. As someone who regularly kept an eye on the stock market, she was no stranger to the name.

But why would someone from First Spring Orchid be looking for her?

Catching her puzzled look, the man quickly added, “It’s like this, Ms. Liu Yue. A gentleman placed an order at one of our branch stores and requested that these flowers be delivered to you. We just need your signature.”

“Flowers?” Liu Yue blinked in surprise, but then realization dawned, and her cheeks blossomed with joy. Her gaze fell to his hands. “But where are the flowers?”

“Ah, please follow me,” the man said with a respectful nod, gesturing forward before walking ahead.

Liu Yue followed.

A few curious students who had overheard the exchange—sparked by their innate hunger for gossip—trailed along behind, trying to keep things discreet. Lin Chen was among them.

A few minutes later, they arrived at an open clearing in front of the Finance Building.

What greeted them was a sea of roses—vibrant, lush, breathtaking in scope. Flowers stretched across the plaza like a living tapestry, as if she had stepped into a dream spun from petals and perfume.

Most women couldn’t resist such a romantic gesture. Liu Yue was no exception. Her eyes widened in stunned delight as she covered her mouth with trembling fingers, too overwhelmed to speak.

The students who had followed all gasped in unison. The crowd that had gathered stared in disbelief.

Lin Chen’s face went ghost-white. His jaw trembled as he muttered to himself, “Fifth Sis… really is in love…”

【Ding! The Host’s actions have destabilized protagonist Lin Chen’s mindset. Gained 700 Villain Points. Lin Chen’s Protagonist Halo -35. Host’s Villain Halo +35!】

“Ms. Liu Yue, please sign here,” the florist said, producing a form and handing it to her with both hands.

She signed without hesitation, her heart fluttering. “Can I ask who the gentleman is?”

“Apologies, we weren’t given a name. Just the delivery instructions,” the man replied.

A bit disappointed but still brimming with happiness, Liu Yue couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Just then, her phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, she picked up immediately.

“I got a notification that the flowers were signed for. Did you receive them? Do you like them?” A rich, velvety male voice came through the line—deep, composed, and irresistibly charismatic.

Just hearing him speak made Liu Yue’s heart tremble.

She had gotten this number from Wang Haoran, but had been too shy to call. Yet now, he was calling her—and that meant only one thing. These flowers were from him.

【Ding! Liu Yue’s favorability toward Host’s ‘Peerless Stock God’ identity increased by 10. Current total: 60 (Budding Affection).】

Liu Yue’s eyes lit up. “Yes… I love them!” she said earnestly, her voice soft. Then a new thought crossed her mind. “But I still don’t know your real name.”

“My surname is Lao. Given name, Gong,” came the reply.

Liu Yue murmured aloud, “Lao Gong… Lao Gong… Laogong?” Her face flushed as the realization struck—“laogong” meant “husband” in Chinese.

“I’m here,” Wang Haoran replied without skipping a beat, still using his disguised voice as he stood atop the music building rooftop, watching the city from above. At the same time, he sent a command through the system.

【Ding! Charm Halo successfully activated. Liu Yue’s favorability toward Host’s ‘Peerless Stock God’ identity increased by 10. Current total: 70 (Unswerving Devotion).】

On the other end, Liu Yue realized she’d been tricked into calling him “husband,” but instead of being annoyed, her heart soared. Her entire chest felt like it was filled with syrup—sweet, warm, and dizzying.

“Let’s meet,” she blurted out, the words escaping before she could stop herself.

Seventy favorability was stable, but not enough yet. Wang Haoran played it cool. “I’m overseas right now. I’ve got a lot going on and can’t come back just yet. Maybe in a while.”

“How long will that be?” she asked, a little forlorn.

“Two months, max,” he replied after a moment. In truth, he planned to push her favorability to ninety long before then—at that point, even revealing his identity wouldn’t matter. There’d be no barrier left. If everything went smoothly, maybe even one month, two weeks… hell, one week might do it.

“I’ve got something urgent to deal with. I’ll call you when I’m free,” he added, moving to end the call before she could ask for more.

Liu Yue didn’t protest. “Okay, don’t let me hold you up. Take care,” she said gently.

The call ended.

Liu Yue exhaled slowly, then looked around. Dozens of students and even teachers had gathered, whispering and gawking.

Her cheeks flushed red, but instead of fleeing, she pulled out her phone and began snapping selfies with the sea of roses behind her.

She had noticed the number of roses when she signed the receipt—ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.

High-quality blooms like these didn’t come cheap. Even at a modest ten yuan per rose, this display had cost close to a million.

A million yuan. Just for her. The extravagance wasn’t what moved her—it was the sentiment. It showed just how much he cared.

Of course, the roses wouldn’t last. Eventually, the janitors would sweep them all away. But before that, she intended to preserve this moment.

Once the photos were taken, Liu Yue uploaded one to Weibo with the caption: “Thank you, husband!”, tagging “Peerless Stock God.”

She had already called him “husband” once during a moment of emotional vulnerability. Now that they were officially dating, calling him that online felt justified. Comfortable.

Later that afternoon, when the last class had ended, Liu Yue sent her brother Lin Chen to summon Wang Haoran to her office.

“My sister wants to see you,” Lin Chen muttered with obvious reluctance as he approached Wang Haoran.

Wang Haoran stood and patted the boy’s shoulder with a grin. “So, little guy, looks like you’ve got yourself a new brother-in-law, just like I said.”

Lin Chen slapped his hand away, scowling. “What’s there to be proud of? You’re not my brother-in-law.”

Wang Haoran didn’t argue. He simply smiled and walked past him toward Liu Yue’s office.

As soon as he entered, Liu Yue looked up and said, “You should be free tomorrow, right? I’d like to treat you to dinner.”