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

Unlike roller coasters, pirate ships swing up and down in one place. Even though it's not on the sea, you can still feel the sensation of riding a boat on the waves.

The weightlessness of the pirate ship was much more intense than the jet ski. By the time Jiang Lan got off, she felt like she wasn’t herself anymore.

It was truly thrilling—the kind of excitement that a carousel ride couldn’t compare to.

Yu Wanqiu, however, seemed completely unaffected. Jiang Lan shook her head, "I can’t take it anymore. I need a break."

"Let’s just stick to this one ride and skip the others," Yu Wanqiu said, taking a sip of water with a smile. "Aside from filming, this is the first time I’ve experienced something so exhilarating."

Jiang Lan asked, "Didn’t you ever go to amusement parks before, Teacher Yu?"

Yu Wanqiu shook her head. "I went a long time ago, before I started acting. Back then, I didn’t dare try these rides. Later, after I became famous, I hardly went out anymore."

Unless the amusement park was cleared out for her, Yu Wanqiu rarely had the chance to enjoy herself freely. But Lu Yicheng’s father didn’t seem like the type to visit amusement parks.

Jiang Lan rested her chin on her hand. "I used to be scared too. This is so high—after riding it, my legs don’t even feel like my own. But today, riding the jet ski felt like flying."

After resting enough, Jiang Lan dragged Yu Wanqiu to try the log flume. Later, when Zhang Tian finished his work, Jiang Lan also greeted Xu Yi, Zhang Lin’s son.

Xu Yi was exceptionally polite, dressed in a black tailcoat. "Hello, sister."

Jiang Lan was utterly charmed. "You’re so well-behaved! Let me take you to buy cotton candy."

Xu Yi looked to Zhang Lin for permission. She waved him off to go play. Today, Zhang Lin wore a white puffy dress that hid her belly, paired with a crystal tiara. Her hair was styled, and she wore light makeup.

Since becoming pregnant, Zhang Lin had gone bare-faced. Li Jia disapproved of her wearing makeup, but this was pregnancy-safe cosmetics provided by the production team—just foundation, blush, and lipstick.

Her son had grown up, looking like a little prince, but she was no longer a princess.

Zhang Lin desperately wanted to find work—any role would do. She wanted her own income. When she scrolled through Weibo, she saw fans commenting that she still looked the same, as if nothing had changed.

But how could someone stay unchanged for seven years? In other words, she hadn’t made any progress in all that time.

Zhang Lin felt a pang of sorrow. Aside from raising a sensible son, it seemed she had gained nothing.

Look at Chen Shuyun—from an ordinary background, yet she earned her own money. Shen Xingyao got married but still had her own career. Zhang Lin, however, was like a dodder plant, clinging to the Xu family.

She never wanted to live like this again—not just for herself, but for her child.

Today, Li Jia broke from her usual style and wore a beautiful dress. But she disliked taking photos. Standing next to Zhang Lin, who was radiant, made her feel like a mere accessory, and Li Jia hated that feeling.

Filming took over an hour. When it ended, Li Jia asked, "How do you feel? Any discomfort?"

Zhang Lin shook her head.

Li Jia said, "You should avoid shows like this in the future. You’re pregnant—what if something happens? Who’ll take responsibility? Go change out of that outfit."

Zhang Lin refused. "Mom, you can change if you want. I’m going to take a few more photos with Xu Yi."

Li Jia: "……………"

Zhang Tian seized a moment to rest. Once they finished filming Chen Shuyun and Aunt Zhao’s segment in the afternoon, they could wrap up and head back to City B, though they probably wouldn’t arrive until past 10 p.m.

Lying on a beach chair, he scrolled through his phone, unable to resist revisiting the footage from yesterday and today. When this episode aired, netizens were bound to go wild—it was a feast for the eyes.

And today’s jet ski rides, all the fun activities… the cost of renting the entire place was worth it.

By 4 p.m., after wrapping up Chen Shuyun’s segment, the crew hurried back to City B.

Jiang Lan, exhausted from a day of wild fun, dozed off against the car window. Yu Wanqiu was also tired, wearing an eye mask—it was unclear whether she was asleep or not.

In that brief window, Zhang Tian selected a few unedited photos and posted them on the show’s official Weibo account.

As a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law variety show with four sets of guests, he naturally included all of them.

[Mother-in-Law Has Arrived: Princesses and Fairies [photos]…]

Zhang Tian arranged a nine-photo grid.

There was Yu Wanqiu in a purple princess dress watching the sunset, Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan running along the beach at night, and even a glimpse of Lu Yicheng. The sweet couple’s segment featured a rose garden and a white horse. The wealthy family’s segment showcased the water park. Even the ordinary family’s shots were stunning—Chen Shuyun and Aunt Zhao wore qipaos, while Little Xuan dressed in a retro student uniform with glasses, exuding scholarly charm.

Each poster had its own flair, but since Yu Wanqiu was the most famous, her group got an extra photo.

The one featuring Lu Yicheng was carefully chosen—not too clear, not too blurry, not too close, not too far. It had to show he was Jiang Lan’s boyfriend while also making it obvious he was Yu Wanqiu’s son.

In short, it was tricky. Thankfully, Lu Yicheng resembled his mother enough that the connection was unmistakable.

After much deliberation, Zhang Tian settled on a slightly blurred shot: Lu Yicheng untying a balloon while Jiang Lan gazed up at him, with Yu Wanqiu in the distance, eyes full of encouragement.

The perspective was Yu Wanqiu’s, making it clear this was a young couple in love.

Zhang Tian expected this post to spark discussion among fans, but he hadn’t anticipated the overwhelming response.

[Who’s this hottie?]

[Is this blurry guy really Lu Yicheng?]

[Wow, he even dyed his hair. Dressed like this, is he debuting in a boy band?]

Whether in Tsinghua University’s blurry forum photos or his brief appearance in the livestream, Lu Yicheng had always dressed simply—no designer labels, just casual pants and T-shirts. But his looks made even basic outfits campus heartthrob material.

However, a university heartthrob and an idol group member were entirely different vibes. In this photo, Lu Yicheng looked undeniably handsome, almost mesmerizing.

Jiang Lan was equally stunning. Unlike her previous green dress, this one had a skirt so voluminous it took up half the frame.

She seemed to glow.

[Is Lu Yicheng appearing in this episode?]

[Who wouldn’t say they’re a perfect match?]

[I can’t believe I’m like this—why am I so obsessed with pretty faces?]

[Is this a family portrait?]

[Family portrait? How basic. Clearly, it’s a princess and her prince.]

[Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan look incredible together.]

[Will there be a magazine feature? I want to buy it.]

[I’m making both my wives my phone wallpaper—I need to see them every day.]

[Can you post more? Why are you rationing content like toothpaste?]

[Is Chen Shuyun’s son a genius? He looks so scholarly.]

[I declare Lu Yicheng the winner here. He could debut as the center.]

Riding the wave of online buzz, the show trended again.

[Fairies and Princesses (3)]

[Yu Wanqiu and Fairy Dresses: A Perfect Match (5)]

[Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles (13)]

[The Friendship Between Girls (27)]

[Shen Xingyao’s Shoot Looks Like Wedding Photos (15)]

[Zhang Lin: The Princess and Her Little Prince (39)]

And the top two trending topics, though seemingly unrelated to the show…

The relationship, though unrelated to the show, involves one of its guests.

[The Deep Sea nominated for Golden Bear Award's Best Picture]

[Yu Wanqiu nominated for Golden Bear Award's Best Actress]

Numerous films were nominated for the Golden Bear Award, with five actresses vying for Best Actress: Deng Chen, the female lead of the period martial arts film Autumn Moon and Sword; Li Xiaofeng, the protagonist of the realistic drama Homecoming; Ming Yao, the leading lady of the historical comedy The Storyteller of Jianghu; Wang Yue, the heroine of the apocalyptic survival film Beneath the Lightwheel.

And then there was Chen Jinglan, portrayed by Yu Wanqiu in The Deep Sea.

Among the nominees were both first-timers and veterans who had been nominated multiple times but had yet to claim the trophy.

The prestige of the award was undeniable. If Yu Wanqiu won, it would mark her third Golden Bear Award for Best Actress.

Some might argue that since Yu Wanqiu had already won before, she should step aside to give others a chance—that as a senior in the industry, she ought to nurture newcomers. After all, she already had plenty of accolades.

But this wasn’t something one could simply concede.

Yu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Wanqiu was fiercely competitive by nature. This was her profession, and she wanted her efforts to be recognized. If she didn’t win Best Actress, it would mean she wasn’t good enough.

But if she did take home the trophy, then the others simply hadn’t measured up.

Yu Wanqiu wouldn’t yield. She couldn’t.

Once the nominations were announced, many in the industry sent their congratulations.

[Chu Lingnan: Congrats!]

[Xie Zheng: Congratulations, Wanqiu-jie!]

[Liang Yun: Brilliant! Bring another trophy home.]

[Han Wenzheng: Congrats!]

[Zhou Tianming: Congratulations!]

...

There was also a congratulatory message from Lu Yicheng, and the most recent one was from Lu Shuangchen—just two words: "Congratulations."

The father and son were exactly alike.

Yu Wanqiu couldn’t quite describe how she felt. In the past, winning awards had been the same—if Lu Shuangchen was home, he’d offer a verbal "congratulations"; if not, he’d send a text.

Back then, she hadn’t thought much of it.

But today, Yu Wanqiu didn’t feel like replying.

What was there to say to just two words?

She responded to her friends’ well-wishes one by one, then sent Lu Yicheng a simple "Mm." As for Lu Shuangchen’s WeChat message, she left it untouched.

Yu Wanqiu sighed. Downstairs, Shen Xingyao and the others came up to congratulate her. Jiang Lan was nowhere to be seen—no one knew where she’d gone.

They had returned to the villa by 10 PM. It was already so late—where could Jiang Lan be?

Yu Wanqiu asked the cameraman, who said Jiang Lan had left after receiving a phone call.

Could she have gone to meet Lu Yicheng?

Soon enough, Jiang Lan returned.

Just as Yu Wanqiu was about to scold her for going out so late when it was already dark, she noticed the flowers behind Jiang Lan’s back.

Jiang Lan had been hiding them with her hands, but upon seeing Yu Wanqiu, she presented the bouquet. "Teacher Yu, congratulations on your Golden Bear Award nomination for Best Actress! I hope you’ll continue to deliver amazing work and reach even greater heights in your career."

Yu Wanqiu covered her mouth, stunned for a moment before reaching out to accept the flowers. "Why did you buy flowers again? They must have cost a fortune."

Someone who had never cared about money now found even a hundred-yuan bouquet expensive.

Among all the people Yu Wanqiu knew—including Lu Shuangchen—only Jiang Lan had given her flowers.

Yu Wanqiu was overjoyed, her happiness from the nomination amplified by the gift.

This time, Jiang Lan had brought champagne roses, wrapped in matching paper and tied with an orange-yellow ribbon into a bow—eleven blooms in total, breathtakingly beautiful.

Yu Wanqiu lowered her head to inhale their fragrance. She was someone who never acted unprepared—until the Golden Bear Award winners were officially announced, she would never breathe a word about whether she might win.

Yet today, for the first time, she posted on her social media:

[A friend gave me these flowers to congratulate me on my nomination. [Heart] [Photo]]