The Hidden Marriage with the CEO

"Miss Tang, you're so lucky."

"Jue Shao."

The man, who had originally been facing away, turned around. His phone still in hand, he didn't hang up and continued talking.

Coco stepped aside, revealing a visibly nervous Tang Mianmian, who, in her anxiety, gripped the hem of her dress tightly, her eyes darting around, not daring to meet the man's gaze.

It felt like being called in front of a teacher to check homework—uneasy and apprehensive.

A fleeting look of astonishment crossed Long Ye Jue's eyes, so intense that he forgot he was still on the phone. He just stared at her, his eyes holding nothing but her.

But for Tang Mianmian, the silence felt torturous. Without him saying anything, she couldn't tell if she was doing well or failing in his eyes.

Coco, seeing this, was delighted. It was the first time she'd ever seen Long Ye Jue lose his composure like this. With a sly smile, she purposefully avoided reminding him, intending to savor this rare moment as long as she could.

On the phone, Cindy, who had been waiting for instructions, felt a bit confused. Why had the boss gone silent all of a sudden?

Was the signal bad?

But she could still hear sounds from the other side. After hesitating for a moment, she gathered her courage and called out, "Boss, can you hear me? Do you have any further instructions?"

Long Ye Jue snapped back to reality and replied flatly, "No, just go ahead with your work."

Cindy, "…"

Go ahead with what?

Wasn't she supposed to be communicating with him?

Once the call ended, Long Ye Jue finally spoke up, "Don't you have any other dresses?"

Tang Mianmian's heart sank, feeling slightly disheartened.

Did he think she didn't look good?

Coco, somewhat perplexed, quickly explained, "This dress really suits her complexion. Her skin is quite fair, so this off-shoulder dress is perfect for her."

But Long Ye Jue still frowned, clearly displeased. "Get her another one."

Coco, "…"

Tang Mianmian pouted, feeling utterly disappointed.

Yet Long Ye Jue remained firm. "No dresses that reveal too much."

Coco blinked in shock, clearly taken aback.

"It's getting cold," he added, as if this were the final reason.

"…" Coco finally understood, a suppressed smile tugging at her lips. "I get it. I'll take Miss Tang to change into another dress."

After that, she pulled the dejected Tang Mianmian back into the dressing room.

Only when her back was turned to Long Ye Jue did Tang Mianmian sigh. "Do I look that bad?"

Coco covered her mouth and chuckled. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"

"Figured out what?" Tang Mianmian asked, her confusion apparent.

Coco, seeing her adorable cluelessness, grinned even more brightly and teasingly said, "You'll understand later."

Before Tang Mianmian could ask more, she was pushed into the dressing room to change dresses.

After being fussed over and puzzled for a while, she finally emerged an hour later.

An Yi had finished his work and returned, now speaking with Long Ye Jue.

This was the first time he had ever seen Long Ye Jue wait so patiently for someone, proving once again how special his wife must be.

This time, the dress was much more conservative—just as Long Ye Jue had ordered. Aside from the neck and below the knees, the rest of her body was completely covered.

Only when he saw her dressed like this did Long Ye Jue nod in approval. "This will do."

Although his voice lacked any real surprise, at least she had passed the test.

He took out his card and handed it to Coco. "The bill, please."

Coco, her face bright with a smile, said, "Jue Shao, you're always so straightforward."

With that, she swayed her hips and turned to head to the counter.

Long Ye Jue followed her, speaking briefly at the front desk. Coco laughed loudly, occasionally casting glances toward Tang Mianmian, her eyes lingering meaningfully.

Tang Mianmian, feeling uncomfortable, twisted her fingers, quietly wondering what they were talking about.

When Long Ye Jue finally returned, he wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the styling studio, straight to the car.

Coco even gave him a hug goodbye and winked at Tang Mianmian with a mischievous look.

Then, she spoke a sentence that Tang Mianmian couldn't quite understand.

"Miss Tang is really lucky."

Why did she say she was lucky?

The banquet Long Ye Jue had taken her to was a corporate heiress's engagement party.

Tang Mianmian recognized the woman—it seemed she was a very famous socialite in the city, and her fiancé was a typical second-generation rich kid.

However, when they saw Long Ye Jue, both of them put on ingratiating smiles, speaking in overly flattering tones.

The man she was with, however, was indifferent, casually replying, and after a few pleasantries, they entered the venue.

This was the same hotel where Su Shijie had married last time. As soon as Tang Mianmian stepped inside, she felt an unfamiliar vibe.

But more than that, she was worried about whether anyone would recognize her.

That sense of insecurity made her glance around often, anxious about encountering someone she knew.

Long Ye Jue noticed her behavior and raised an eyebrow. "Looking for someone?"

"Ah? No, I'm not," Tang Mianmian quickly shook her head.

She actually hoped there was no one familiar here.

"Then what are you looking at?"

"…Last time, I made such a fool of myself. If anyone recognizes me, it'll be embarrassing for you." Tang Mianmian's voice trailed off as she spoke, almost burying her head in her chest from shame.

The normally inscrutable Long Ye Jue, with his mischievous gaze, tilted his head, his face moving closer to her ear. He looked at her for a moment, then held her gaze and asked, "Are you worried about being recognized, or about embarrassing me?"

"…" Was there even a difference?

Tang Mianmian blinked, her usual cute cluelessness making an appearance.

Just then, a flirtatious voice interrupted the tension, offering Tang Mianmian a much-needed escape.

She breathed a sigh of relief and glanced up at the newcomer.

Ah! Wasn't that the current hit star, Xia Yixiao?

She was actually a fan of hers!

The excitement of meeting her idol made Tang Mianmian feel a little flustered.

Long Ye Jue, however, simply nodded indifferently and responded, "Long time no see, Miss Xia."

"Oh my, Jue Shao, how can you be so distant? Considering our relationship, calling me Miss Xia seems a bit formal, don't you think?" Xia Yixiao glanced at Tang Mianmian before confidently continuing to engage Long Ye Jue.

"Miss Xia is quite a popular figure, and being too familiar with me might not be good for you," Long Ye Jue smirked, a trace of disdain in his smile, before pulling Tang Mianmian closer. "Let me introduce you—this is my wife, Tang Mianmian."

Wife?

Xia Yixiao's once brilliant smile froze, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at the woman in his arms.

She couldn't believe it. This woman was actually Long Ye Jue's wife!

Why hadn't she heard anything about him being married?

Tang Miannian had no idea what Xia Yixiao was thinking and humbly extended her hand, "Miss Xia, hello! I'm your fan, it's so nice to meet you."

Xia Yixiao awkwardly reached out her hand to shake, still in a daze from the explosive news that had shaken her.

Long Yejue slightly pulled Tang Miannian and whispered, "Some friends have arrived. Let me introduce you to them. Excuse us, Miss Xia."

Before Tang Miannian could even ask her idol for an autograph, the man had already dragged her away.

She felt a bit unwilling. "That's my favorite celebrity, and I haven't even gotten her autograph yet!"

"Someone who's fake all over, and you still like her?" Long Yejue asked coldly, his face showing an expression of disdain. "You're that shallow?"

Tang Miannian was speechless.

What did he mean by "fake all over"?

She was left puzzled by his words and was still thinking when a clear, melodious voice rang out, "Jue, is this your little secret lover?"

Mo Chengyu was holding a wine glass, wearing the most charming smile, his gaze subtly scanning the woman hanging on Long Yejue's arm.

She didn't expect Long Yejue to have this kind of taste.

But why did he look so familiar?

"This is my friend, Mo Chengyu. This is Hexi Jue, and this is Qi Yunmo," Long Yejue introduced his friends one by one, "This is my wife, Tang Miannian."

"Miss Tang, nice to meet you," Hexi Jue was the first to approach her, asking warmly, "Can I call you Miannian? Or maybe Tangtang?"

"Uh, either is fine," Tang Miannian replied, clearly startled by his enthusiasm. She instinctively leaned closer to the man beside her.

Long Yejue subtly blocked Hexi Jue's enthusiastic approach, his icy expression cold as he said, "A handshake is enough."

Hexi Jue was speechless.

That overwhelming possessiveness instantly severed their long friendship.

Mo Chengyu smirked and teased, "Looks like Hexi's heart has shattered this time."

Tang Miannian couldn't understand what they were talking about, so she just smiled awkwardly and stayed silent.

She couldn't even get a word in.

Qi Yunmo, who had been silent all this time, took the opportunity while Long Yejue was talking to Mo Chengyu and walked over. He stared at her deeply without saying a word.

She was startled by his gaze, and nervously tugged at the man beside her.

Long Yejue turned around, shot Qi Yunmo a glare, then pulled Tang Miannian into his arms, warning, "Mo."

Qi Yunmo sighed. "I just wanted to ask, and you're already being so protective? Don't worry, I won't bite."

"Ask what?" Tang Miannian was a little confused, feeling like she couldn't keep up with their conversation.

"Just..."

"Qi Yunmo." The man's expression grew visibly colder, and even Tang Miannian, who was holding onto his arm, could feel the tension.

Qi Yunmo shrugged, "Fine, if you don't want me to ask, I won't."

Hexi Jue's eyes lit up as he watched the interaction, grinning, "Looks like Jue is serious this time."

Mo Chengyu took a sip of his wine and elegantly responded, "Do you think everyone is like you?"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't push me to end our friendship!" Hexi Jue countered, annoyed.

Mo Chengyu merely smiled gracefully, ignoring his protests.

It was then that Tang Miannian realized these people looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen them on TV before.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember where. She could only awkwardly say, "I feel like I've seen you all somewhere before."

At this, everyone burst out laughing.

Mo Chengyu even complimented, "Jue, looks like you've found a treasure."

Long Yejue remained silent, his lips curled into an ambiguous smile.

"I'm going to the restroom," Tang Miannian, unable to join the conversation, felt a bit bored.

"Mm, go quickly and come back soon," the man reminded her before releasing her.

"Oh, so hard to separate," the others teased, laughing.

Hexi Jue mimicked with exaggerated flair, "Go quickly and come back soon!"

Mo Chengyu chuckled softly, finally breaking his usual elegant composure.

Even though Tang Miannian had walked quite a distance, she could still hear their laughter echoing behind her.

And strangely, no matter how loud it got, she could still distinctly hear Long Yejue's soft, gentle laughs.

So this man could laugh too?

He probably looked even more charming when he smiled, right?

Wait, all of these men were pretty charming.

But still… she felt like her husband was the best looking.

Is this what they mean by "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?

Tang Miannian's cheeks flushed, staring at the rosy reflection in the mirror. She felt a little strange.

Was that woman, with the pink flush on her face, really herself?

"Ah, Tang Miannian, you're hopeless!" She covered her face, feeling shy.