My Mother-in-Law and I Became the Internet’s Hottest Power Couple

Why was Lu Yicheng talking about his graduation thesis at a time like this? Shouldn't he be saying how much he’d miss her and pouring out his feelings of longing?
Jiang Lan really wanted to crack his head open—only to find a note inside saying, "His brain has been eaten by zombies."
Impatiently, Jiang Lan said, "I know, I know. Be good and wait for me to come back. We’ll still get to start the new semester together."
Lu Yicheng hugged her again. "Mm, be safe. Remember to miss me."
He couldn’t quite figure it out—he was pretty good-looking, so why hadn’t anyone invited him and Jiang Lan to film a dating show?
Actually, someone had approached them—but it was Xia Jing who got the offer. The two of them were a popular pairing: campus sweethearts, top students, both attractive. However, Yu Wanqiu had turned it down.
If Lu Yicheng and Jiang Lan had any intention of entering the entertainment industry, appearing on variety shows to gain fans would’ve been great. But academics came first. Jiang Lan had no plans to join showbiz, and too much exposure would only wear out the audience’s goodwill.
Lu Yicheng said, "Mm, come back soon. If you can call, remember to call me. I’ll always be free."
After seeing off Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu, Lu Shuangchen and Lu Yicheng prepared to head home.
Grandma Lu was reluctant to let them go. She reminded Lu Yicheng to pick up the pottery and cups from Pumpkin Cottage.
Lu Yicheng said he’d sooner forget to eat than forget to pick those up.
Lu Shuangchen had a dinner engagement that evening with partners from the internet industry. Lu Yicheng was about to graduate and would undoubtedly join Lu Yuan afterward. Lu Shuangchen planned to take him along to meet some industry leaders—so he wouldn’t grow arrogant, thinking his youth and intelligence made him superior to everyone else. That kind of attitude would only leave him a frog at the bottom of a well.
Lu Yicheng asked, "What kind of gathering? Any women? If there are, I need to report it."
With Yu Wanqiu away, Lu Shuangchen had no reservations. "Look at you! Reporting? Where’s your backbone as a man? I need to set you straight. Who wears the pants in your household? Think carefully—how can you let a woman walk all over you?"
Lu Yicheng waved his phone. "I recorded that. You’re so impressive—wonder if you’d still talk tough in front of Mom."
Lu Shuangchen: "...Ah, just joking. No women, just dinner. I’ll tell your mom myself—don’t you go blabbing."
The dinner was at 6:30 p.m. in a private dining restaurant in City B.
At Lu Shuangchen’s level, he no longer had to cater to anyone’s whims. But Lu Yicheng was young—he still had to address the older executives as "uncles" and mind his manners.
There were eight seats at the table, one of them empty. Lu Yicheng didn’t know who it was for. Lu Shuangchen checked his watch. "Old Han isn’t here yet?"
The president of ZhiShu Group said, "He’ll be a bit late. Said he was picking up his daughter. That girl of his is something else—studied at a top foreign university, majored in finance, a real academic star. Han Yu dotes on her and plans to have her join the company after graduation."
Another executive chimed in, "Not just smart, but gorgeous too. She’s also graduating this year, but she’s already published two papers and finished her thesis—just waiting for the defense. Came back early to visit."
"Probably joining Han Wu Group later. Truly a rising star. Us old folks can’t keep up—the new generation surpasses the old."
With eight seats in total, Lu Yicheng sat beside Lu Shuangchen. One seat remained empty, while the other five guests couldn’t stop praising Han Yu’s daughter.
Lu Yicheng wondered—if she’d just returned, why did these five act like they’d already met her?
Was she Han Yu’s daughter or theirs?
Lu Shuangchen was equally puzzled. He’d never met Han Yu’s daughter before, and Han Yu had never mentioned her. Why was everyone suddenly singing her praises?
After waiting over ten minutes, the ZhiShu president got a call. "They’re here. Someone go down to greet them... Little Lu, why don’t you go welcome your Uncle Han?"
Just as Lu Yicheng stood, Lu Shuangchen pressed him back down. "He’s been here often enough—Han Yu knows the way. It’s cold outside; stay put."
Lu Yicheng was his son, not an assistant. Even an assistant shouldn’t be ordered around like that. Han Yu had been here before, and there were staff downstairs—couldn’t they escort him up?
What kind of VIP deserved his son’s personal greeting?
Soon, the private room door opened. A middle-aged man in a sleek suit entered first—dark hair, slightly plump, speaking boisterously. "Ah, sorry for being late! Have you ordered yet? Let’s get started."
Behind Han Yu was a young woman with long, straight black hair, dressed in a beige short down jacket, exuding an elegant, scholarly air. He turned and beckoned, and the girl smiled at the group.
Han Yu: "Forgot to introduce—this is my daughter, Han Ningxia. Xiaxia, this is Uncle Lu..."
He made the rounds, finally landing on Lu Yicheng. "This must be Director Lu’s son. Truly, a worthy successor—such a fine young man."
Lu Yicheng stood and greeted, "Uncle Han."
Han Yu said to the waiter, "Bring an extra chair, please. Old Li, scoot over—let the young folks sit together. They’ll have more to talk about. This girl used to be so obedient, but now she thinks her parents are out of touch."
Han Ningxia lowered her head. She was beautiful, quiet, and bookish.
Director Li stood to switch seats when suddenly, his hand was grasped—Lu Yicheng’s.
Lu Yicheng said, "Uncle Han, I’m actually quite old-fashioned. I prefer chatting with uncles like Director Li. We hit it off—I’ll stay beside him."
Director Li hesitated, glancing awkwardly at Han Yu. Before Han Yu could speak, Han Ningxia said, "Then I’ll sit next to my dad."
Han Yu took the out. "Alright, let’s order."
Lu Shuangchen remained baffled. Beside him, Lu Yicheng muttered under his breath, "You said no women. Now I’m screwed."
He sent Jiang Lan a message but got no reply—she was probably still on the plane.
Lu Yicheng remembered clearly: once at school, a girl asked him for a small favor. He couldn’t recall what it was, but he’d helped without thinking, making Jiang Lan wait five minutes. She’d been furious.
Back then, he hadn’t imagined such a tiny favor could cause such a fuss.
He’d apologized verbally but hadn’t taken it seriously.
Jiang Lan had just said, "Fine," then turned around to help some random guy carry his books.
Lu Yicheng had been livid—she’d helped another guy right in front of him, and that guy’s look had practically declared him dead.
In the end, the solution was Lu Yicheng sincerely apologizing and promising to report everything first from then on.
He also had to keep his distance from other girls.
Helping was fine—but he had to ask first.
Jiang Lan hated nothing more than acting without permission.
Lu Yicheng kept muttering, "I’m done for." Lu Shuangchen finally caught on—were these people trying to set his son up?
He was done for too. If Yu Wanqiu found out...
Business partners shouldn’t speak too bluntly, so Lu Shuangchen only hoped Han Yu would drop the subject. Han Ningxia was a junior and a young woman—being too direct would embarrass her.
Han Yu ordered dishes and passed the menu to the other executives. They were all polite, deferring to Han Ningxia, who said she wasn’t picky. Eventually, the menu landed in Lu Shuangchen’s hands.
Lu Shuangchen suspected Han Yu might be trying to set up his daughter with Lu Yicheng, but he worried he was overthinking it. Lu Yicheng wasn’t some irresistible treasure or money—how could everyone possibly... like him?
Han Ningxia barely glanced at Lu Yicheng during the meal, making Lu Shuangchen wonder if he was imagining things.
Scrambling for a topic, Lu Shuangchen asked, “Lu Yicheng, what was that dish your girlfriend liked last time she came over? Some kind of fish, right?”
Lu Yicheng answered immediately, “Sauerkraut fish. It was really good. Since we haven’t ordered fish yet, let’s get that.”
The waiter noted the order, repeated it back, and left.
Han Yu smiled meaningfully but stayed silent. Han Ningxia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Lu Yicheng. “You remember what your girlfriend likes to eat—you must dote on her a lot.”
Lu Yicheng felt like he’d just heard nails on a chalkboard. “Just call me by my name. I don’t have a sister, so I don’t like being called ‘bro.’ And yeah, I’m clingy with my girlfriend. Since you asked, let me tell you all about it.”
Han Ningxia: “?”
For the next ten minutes, Lu Yicheng recounted his love story with Jiang Lan, continuing even as the food arrived. Lu Shuangchen cleared his throat and nudged him. “That’s enough.”
Lu Yicheng finally stopped. “I just thought Han’s daughter might be curious, so I shared. Let’s eat.”
Han Ningxia forced a smile. “It’s fine. It was... interesting.”
Han Yu chimed in, “You two seem to get along. Why not exchange WeChat and stay in touch?”
Han Ningxia stayed quiet. Lu Yicheng didn’t want to be too harsh—Jiang Lan got along well with other women and had more female friends than he did. She was always kind to them.
But why approach him when they knew he had a girlfriend? Were they really that curious about him and Jiang Lan?
Was Han Ningxia trying to sabotage him? If Jiang Lan found out he’d added another girl, she’d be furious. What did Han Ningxia gain from that?
Lu Yicheng declined. “Better not.”
Han Ningxia echoed, “Yeah, no need. Wouldn’t want to cause misunderstandings with your girlfriend.”
The rest of the meal passed quietly. Later, Han Yu and the others drank heavily. Lu Shuangchen, caught up in the networking, had a few glasses too.
Tipsy, Han Yu squinted and said, “You know, twenty years ago at your son’s full-moon celebration, I joked that if my wife had a daughter, we’d arrange a marriage. If our families united, imagine the possibilities...”
Han Yu and Lu Yuan—a powerhouse alliance.
That’s how business marriages worked. Lu Shuangchen and Yu Wanqiu had been one too.
Han Yu figured Lu Yicheng having a girlfriend now didn’t matter. Young people dated. But would he really marry someone who brought nothing to the table?
His daughter was beautiful, well-educated, and refined. If Lu Yicheng couldn’t see her worth, he was blind. And Lu Shuangchen—charmed by some outsider girl.
Han Yu thought Jiang Lan was shrewd. Snagging a rich boyfriend, buttering up her future mother-in-law, marrying into wealth—skipping decades of struggle. Not simple at all.
Lu Shuangchen steadied himself. “I never agreed back then. My son decides his own future. Don’t bring this up again. My wife and Lu Yicheng’s girlfriend are close—they’ve even met the parents this year. This conversation is inappropriate.”
Han Yu sighed. His hints were obvious—why didn’t Lu Shuangchen get it?
Han Ningxia lowered her head. After a pause, she said, “Dad, stop. Lu Yicheng already has a girlfriend. Just invite us to the wedding when it happens.”
She met Lu Yicheng’s eyes, but he only nodded briefly before looking away.
She’d seen him years ago—back when she was a chubby, mediocre student. He’d been exceptional even then. She’d studied abroad, lost weight, improved herself...
But Lu Yicheng had someone else. Their bond was strong. And she—had missed her chance.
The dinner ended at 10:30. Objectively, Han Ningxia was outstanding. No one could deny that. But to Lu Yicheng, Jiang Lan was the best.
Lu Yicheng, sober, drove Lu Shuangchen home.
Rolling down the window, Lu Shuangchen let the cold air clear his head. “Let’s make a deal—don’t tell your mom about this. Consider it my fault tonight.”
He hadn’t expected a simple dinner to turn into a matchmaking session. He shouldn’t have brought Lu Yicheng.
The table had been full of praise for Han Ningxia. How much had Han Yu paid them to talk her up?
Lu Yicheng said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mom.”
He’d just tell Jiang Lan—who’d undoubtedly be with his mom anyway.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu flew from China to Country E, then headed toward the Arctic Circle.
If B City was a world of snow, the Arctic was a realm of ice. White stretched endlessly. In B City, snow reached ankles—here, it piled waist-high.
Night had fallen, but the snow’s glow lit the surroundings. Winter had brought frequent storms, leaving the ground blanketed like cotton candy—or clouds. Beyond snow, nothing else existed.
The ocean was still distant. Too late to travel, they stayed in a coastal E Country town. The sea here, unlike Haicheng’s, was frozen solid, buried under thick snow. Bundled in thermal gear and heavy boots, Jiang Lan marveled that people could live here.
The town was sparse, residents hibernating indoors, most households keeping sled dogs.
Pointed roofs, snow-capped, resembled white mushrooms from afar.
The cold was brutal. Temperatures plunged to -60°C, inhospitable—yet beyond the ice, wildlife thrived: seals, polar bears, fish.
Their guide, familiar with the area, said, “We’ll stay with a friend tonight. After this, it’s ‘roughing it’ for a while.”
Their wish remained unchanged: no animals in need. This season, polar bears hibernated; seals relied on fat reserves. They hoped not to find any creatures requiring rescue.
A friend at the station had a cabin here. A staff member would join them tomorrow for supply runs.
The small house glowed warmly—a rare beacon in the frozen expanse.
Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu's feet were frozen stiff, and it took quite a while by the fireplace before they warmed up.
This time, Yu Wanqiu didn’t bring Chen Xiao or Little Xu along, mainly because she was afraid they’d just cause trouble. They wouldn’t be much help with the filming anyway, and for everything else, there was Jiang Lan. The two of them were adults—they didn’t need assistants for much.
Here, they couldn’t order takeout, nor did they need anyone running errands.
Only two people from the Marine Animal Protection Association had come, along with two photographers and three staff members from the rescue station.
Altogether, just nine people.
One of the staff said, “Rest well tonight and save your energy. Charge your power banks and everything else—electricity at the rescue station cuts out often, and the internet is spotty too.”
The local signal towers were easily affected by the weather, and they weren’t sure if these two could handle the harsh conditions.
Jiang Lan nodded. There were five rooms here, and she and Yu Wanqiu would share one. The room was freezing, probably only around ten degrees Celsius. Even wearing thermal gear, they still felt the cold.
“Yu, let’s get under the covers after washing up,” Jiang Lan said as she made the bed. The blankets were from the rescue station, but she had changed the covers.
Yu Wanqiu rubbed her hands together. Her legs ached from the cold. “Do you regret coming here to film this?”
Jiang Lan rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. “Not really. It’s a chance to see a different kind of scenery. The snow here is beautiful—most people never get to see anything like this. It’s like a fairy tale. Imagine how fun a snowball fight would be. Just a tiny bit of regret.”
Of course it was cold. Everyone hated the cold. But some things had to be done, and someone had to do them.
Did the soldiers guarding the borders feel cold? Did the rescue station staff feel cold? Sure, there were moments of fear, but they pushed through anyway.
Breaking the contract meant not only paying a penalty but also getting chewed out.
Yu Wanqiu flopped onto the bed. “Same here. Just a little.”
Jiang Lan rummaged through her suitcase. Both she and Yu Wanqiu had brought oversized luggage. Jiang Lan had packed a change of clothes, a few sheet masks, skincare products, and the rest was all food—self-heating hot pots, instant noodles, and a pile of hand and foot warmers.
“Yu, want something to eat?”
Yu Wanqiu had packed similarly. Without makeup requirements, neither of them bothered with it. Bringing extra food was far more practical.
“Let’s save it. It’s only the first day. We ate so well at home during the New Year. Eating less might help us lose weight. How many pounds did you gain?”
“Yu, how could you just ask me how much weight I gained? At least phrase it like, ‘Did you gain weight?’” Jiang Lan had indulged during the holidays and put on three pounds. If she hadn’t gained weight, it would’ve meant she hadn’t eaten well.
Yu Wanqiu’s lips twitched. “Always so particular about words.”
Jiang Lan clasped her hands in mock pleading. “Yu, I need to call Lu Yicheng—there’s something I want to talk to him about. Is that okay? If you mind, I won’t.”
She wanted to ask about the girl he had dinner with earlier.
Yu Wanqiu didn’t care at all. “Go ahead. You won’t get many chances anyway.”
The signal here was unreliable, phones drained quickly in the cold, and charging at the rescue station was a hassle. Yu Wanqiu felt awkward calling Lu Shuangchen herself, but when Jiang Lan called, he’d come over too.
Lu Yicheng answered almost immediately. “Baby, you made it! Are you inside? Why are you bundled up like that?”
Jiang Lan said, “Yu and I just got here.”
Lu Yicheng: “Did you see my messages? Tonight really wasn’t my fault. That girl is the daughter of my dad’s friend. I had no idea she’d show up, and I was sitting next to Uncle Li—another of Dad’s friends. I barely even talked to her.”
Jiang Lan had seen the messages. It wasn’t a big deal—if Lu Yicheng hadn’t told her and she hadn’t found out, fine. But if she had discovered it on her own, that would’ve been it.
Yu Wanqiu frowned. “What friend’s daughter? What kind of friend doesn’t know you have a girlfriend? Where’s your dad? I need to talk to him.”
She proceeded to scold Lu Shuangchen over the phone, finally demanding to know which friend it was.
Lu Shuangchen replied, “Han Yu. He brought his daughter, Han Ningxia. She just got back from abroad… She probably didn’t know.”
Yu Wanqiu looked disgusted. “Useless. Can’t even handle the basics. The moment we leave, you two start causing problems.”
Jiang Lan remembered—Han Ningxia was the female lead in that novel.
A business marriage, the perfect supportive wife, back from studying abroad… exactly the kind of daughter-in-law Yu Wanqiu would’ve liked.
The book said Lu Yicheng never got over his first love, and Han Ningxia waited for him for years, finally winning him over with her devotion.
Even though the book’s events had nothing to do with the current Lu Yicheng—and after a breakup, it wouldn’t matter—Jiang Lan still felt a little… off.
Yu Wanqiu noticed something was wrong. “What’s the matter?”
Jiang Lan asked, “Didn’t you used to prefer a daughter-in-law who was from a good family, smart, well-educated, someone who’d read and drink tea with you?”
She didn’t know Han Ningxia, but she seemed like Yu Wanqiu’s ideal type.
Yu Wanqiu sighed. “What does that have to do with me? I don’t even know her.”
Lu Yicheng, ever the instigator, chimed in, “She’s right. Mom used to be like that.”
Jiang Lan scoffed. Whatever. So Han Ningxia was the novel’s female lead—so what? Lu Yicheng was her boyfriend.
She thought he’d handled today pretty well.
The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍next day, the group set off for the rescue station on a sled pulled by huskies.
The sea was frozen thick, the ice crystal clear, revealing the dark water shifting beneath.
A staff member explained, “The ice is solid. We’ll reach the rescue station in about an hour and a half. Right now, we have a female polar bear there—she gave birth a month ago. We’d been monitoring her, but when we found her again, she was injured, and we couldn’t locate her cub.”
A polar bear cub wouldn’t survive long in this weather. It was a shame, but they’d searched everywhere with no luck.
Once the mother recovered, she’d be released back into the wild.
The rescue station’s work involved finding animals in need, rehabilitating them, and returning them to nature—though they had to be careful to avoid injuries during the process.
Two and a half hours later, they finally arrived at the rescue station’s cabin.
The structure was made from shipping containers, easy to dismantle. While temperatures were low now, by summer, some of the ice would melt.
Two more staff members were waiting at the station for supplies—meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, firewood, chargers.
They showed Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu to their room. “It’s a bit cold. You’ll eat what we eat. Get settled, and we’ll head out soon.”
During the Arctic winter, daylight lasted only four or five hours. To make the most of filming, they had to leave early.
By the time Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu arrived, dawn had just broken. After unpacking, they had nearly three hours to film.
With no animals nearby, the two spent the time picking up trash left behind by explorers.
The three hours passed quickly. As the sky darkened, the staff called them back.
The next few days followed the same routine.
On the fifth day, on their way back, Jiang Lan spotted two pairs of glowing eyes in the dark.