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

Lu Yicheng said this with absolute confidence and self-assurance. Upon closer reflection, it did feel different from the last time he had tried to brush her off.

Jiang Lan half-believed him. Regardless, she owed him gratitude. Lu Yicheng had no obligation to tutor her or help her study. Even if he had liked her for a while, he didn’t have to go that far.

Getting into Qinghua University was partly thanks to him.

Jiang Lan could say with certainty that without Lu Yicheng, she probably wouldn’t even have had the qualifications to glance at Qinghua’s admission standards.

“So, during every monthly exam and final exam, were you more anxious than I was?” Jiang Lan asked, resting her chin in her hands.

On the screen, Lu Yicheng paused for a moment before picking up a pink water bottle and taking a sip.

Jiang Lan’s grades were a measure of Lu Yicheng’s teaching success—and more importantly, whether she could get into Qinghua.

Back then, Lu Yicheng’s grades were stellar. He ranked first in every exam, and his admission to Qinghua was practically guaranteed.

But Jiang Lan was different. Even a single point less could mean failure.

After every exam, the first thing Lu Yicheng checked was Jiang Lan’s scorecard.

They weren’t in the same class, so he had to ask a classmate to fetch it from Class 7. The ranking on that sheet represented the distance between them.

Not all efforts bore fruit. Sometimes, Jiang Lan’s grades would slip.

On those days, he’d browse through art schools in City B, checking how far they were from Qinghua. But no matter how many he looked at, he couldn’t shake the frustration.

They just needed to push a little harder. Once they got into university, everything would be fine. Why couldn’t she give it her all?

Lu Yicheng: “...Well, now you know.”

Jiang Lan: “Thank you.”

Lu Yicheng: “If you really want to thank me, just behave and stop annoying me so much. But if you insist, I have an idea.”

“...What is it?”

Lu Yicheng’s ears turned slightly red. “Ahem. Play a game with me, and call me ‘gege’ the whole time.”

Jiang Lan couldn’t bring herself to say it. But since it was just the two of them, as long as his request wasn’t too outrageous, she was willing to humor him a little.

“No. I’ll play the game, or I’ll say ‘gege’ once. Not both.”

Lu Yicheng conceded easily. “Fine, let’s just play. It’s not like you’ve ever called me ‘gege’ before anyway.”

Jiang Lan: “……”

Had she just been tricked?

“Forget the game. I’ll call you ‘gege.’” Jiang Lan mimicked Zhang Fei’s sworn brotherhood tone, delivering a very unromantic “gege.” Clearly not what Lu Yicheng had in mind.

“You let me choose, so no backing out now. Jiang Lan, are you scared? If you didn’t want to, you shouldn’t have given me the option.”

“Fine, fine! Let’s play. Who’s scared? Log in. But I’m warning you—no weird heroes.” Jiang Lan wasn’t about to lose.

Lu Yicheng: “I bought Yao. I’ll practice other heroes later before playing them with you.”

He was busy with work these days and didn’t have time to practice, so he stuck with Yao when playing with Jiang Lan.

Like her little tail.

Wherever Jiang Lan went, he followed.

Sometimes, Jiang Lan would abandon him, but most of the time, she’d come back for him.

Later in the game, Jiang Lan noticed Lu Yicheng’s hero looked bare—he didn’t play much and rarely spent money on skins, unlike Yu Wanqiu, who had all the flashy ones.

The default Yao skin looked a bit plain.

Mid-game, Jiang Lan stopped attacking the blue buff. “Take it.”

They were dominating, and her own blue buff wasn’t ready yet. Lu Yicheng hesitated. “Last time I took a blue, you scolded me for ages…”

Jiang Lan: “Do you want it or not?”

Lu Yicheng chuckled, took the buff, then went to ambush the enemy. Jiang Lan was playing Han Xin, and against her, any squishy opponent was doomed.

After killing the enemy mid-laner multiple times, a message popped up in the chat.

[Sweetie: Is that Jiang Lan jiejie? Can you stop killing me? QAQ]

[Sweetie: Jiejie, you and your boyfriend are wrecking me.]

[Sweetie: Jiejie, I can play Yao too. Maybe consider me?]

[Sweetie: Jiejie, mwah mwah~]

Jiang Lan was always gentler with girls. As the jungler, she was happy to share blue buffs as long as the mid-laner wasn’t completely useless.

“Lu Yicheng, that might be a fan. Let’s just end the game instead of targeting her.”

Lu Yicheng: “Why not? ‘Consider her’? Mwah what? Keep killing her. She respawns in 19 seconds—let’s camp her at the second tower.”

In a way, Lu Yicheng’s gaming skills had indeed improved. He even knew how to set up ambushes now.

The next day was Thursday. Early in the morning, Shen Xingyao and Zhang Lin came over to ask for acting advice. They had auditions later—last-minute cramming might not make them sharper, but they hoped to borrow some of the award-winning actress’s aura for success.

This was Shen Xingyao’s first role since getting married over a year ago—the female lead in a period drama.

Even though she hadn’t acted in a while, her status as a top-tier star ensured she still got leading offers.

Zhang Lin was auditioning for the role of the male lead’s deceased mother—a minor but fitting part, with a pregnancy scene.

If she got it, filming would start in late August, after Mother-in-Law Is Coming II wrapped.

Compared to Shen Xingyao, Zhang Lin was far more nervous. She hadn’t acted in over seven years, had terminated her contract with her agency, and had no manager or assistant. Shen Xingyao and Yu Wanqiu were her only support.

Without that script reading session, she might never have gotten another chance to act.

On the way to the audition, Shen Xingyao patted Zhang Lin’s hand. “Relax. Just review the script. Think positive—if this works out, you’ll have a job. Even if it doesn’t, you’ll gain experience.”

Zhang Lin took a deep breath and touched her belly. The baby was four months along. When she was pregnant with Xu Yi, she had stayed home to rest, but the pregnancy had been rough. This child, though active, let her work without much trouble.

A very well-behaved baby.

After finishing Mother-in-Law Is Coming II, Zhang Lin would earn over eight million yuan. Compared to the Xu family’s wealth, it was nothing, but to her, it was a fortune.

Lately, the thought of divorce had crossed her mind more than once.

Xu Zhaoyang wasn’t like Chen Hao or Lu Shuangchen. He was always busy with work and social obligations, and their relationship had long passed its honeymoon phase.

Xu Zhaoyang didn’t support her return to acting.

Isn’t the Xu family’s money enough for you?

Isn’t staying home comfortable enough?

I work and entertain clients every day. Isn’t your life easy? Why do you want to work?

This baby was unplanned. Zhang Lin had thought that for the child’s sake, she could endure another seven years like the last.

But for the child’s sake, she could also choose not to live that way.

She could earn her own money and give the baby a good life.

She ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍had never voiced these thoughts to anyone.

Shen Xingyao and Yu Wanqiu had helped her so much. In them, Zhang Lin saw traces of her former self. She wanted to live again.

Shen Xingyao and Zhang Lin had separate audition rooms. Du Wanzhou accompanied Zhang Lin.

Li Jia disapproved of Zhang Lin acting, so she didn’t come. Shen Xingyao, worried, asked Du Wanzhou to tag along.

Du Wanzhou: “Hey, it’s fine. People like us won’t starve even if we don’t act. Just treat it normally. You’ve got this.”

Du Wanzhou was already a bit plump, and her cheerful smile made her especially endearing.

Zhang Lin felt much more at ease. "Thank you," she said.

Fortunately, Zhang Lin’s audition went very well, and she signed the contract on the spot.

Shen Xingyao could also be considered successful. She auditioned for the female lead, and while the director was very satisfied with her performance, Shen Xingyao felt she was better suited for the role of the second female lead.

The second female lead was a bold and passionate woman, unlike the typical annoying second leads often seen in dramas.

However, the director needed more time to consider. If Shen Xingyao played the second lead, they would need to cast a higher-profile actress for the lead role. But there were only a few actresses more prominent than her, and fans were already paying close attention to this matter.

If they weren’t careful, it could lead to messy disputes over billing and rankings.

Shen Xingyao assured the director that she would keep her fans in check. Moreover, this was her first project after marriage, and she wanted to give her best performance.

Only then was the contract signed.

Filming would begin in late August.

The two actresses’ successful auditions were cause for celebration. Not only did they share the news with the production team, but they also told Zhang Tian.

Zhang Tian remarked, "Impressive! Director Chen is known for his high standards—his works are always top-tier. The fact that both of you landed roles in his drama proves you’ve got real talent."

Shen Xingyao was a little embarrassed by the praise. "Thank you," she said.

Zhang Tian waved it off. "Why thank me? I didn’t do anything. If you want to thank someone, thank Teacher Yu."

Zhang Tian believed that a big reason why Mother-in-Law Is Coming II was much more popular than the first season was Yu Wanqiu. Aside from her natural star power, she had a charm that drew people in.

She offered a fresh perspective on mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships.

Some pairs, like Aunt Zhao and Chen Shuyun, maintained a respectful distance, while others, like Shen Xingyao and Du Wanzhou, were as close as mother and daughter.

Then there were those like Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan, who treated each other like friends. Of course, part of that was because Jiang Lan and Lu Yicheng weren’t married yet. But who could say for sure that their dynamic would change after marriage?

Zhang Tian checked the fan communities and saw that "Lanzhou Lamian" (the ship name for Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan) had nearly a million followers. Their fan-made videos on Bilibili were countless, covering every possible genre.

Currently, the hottest CP online was from Xie Zheng’s idol drama—the chemistry between the leads was electric, and their fanbase had over six million followers. The fandom was thriving, with endless merchandise and fans obsessing over every detail.

While "Lanzhou Lamian" hadn’t reached that level of popularity yet, dreaming big wasn’t a crime. Besides, their fan count had already surpassed that of "Irreplaceable."

After a mass exodus, "Irreplaceable" had regained some followers but still only had around 800,000.

CPs with little interaction were like that—new waves kept pushing out the old. Since there wasn’t much to mine from "Irreplaceable," fans might as well jump ship to "Lanzhou Lamian."

On Thursday evening, the show’s official account posted a Weibo update:

[Mother-in-Law Is Coming: Fireworks show or jet skiing—which one will you pick? Tune in Friday night! [Image]…]

The image featured Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu on a jet ski, along with polished promotional posters of all four pairs. Additionally, over a dozen behind-the-scenes clips were uploaded to Tencent Video—Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu making woven hats, watching fireworks, cooking hotpot, Shen Xingyao and Zhang Lin’s auditions, and even Lu Yicheng releasing balloons by the sea.

From Zhang Tian’s perspective, the latter scene was particularly romantic. Lu Yicheng’s looks were undeniable—youthful yet burning with the intensity of first love.

But Zhang Tian never forgot the show’s core premise. This was a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law variety show. If he included too much of Lu Yicheng in the main episodes, the producers of dating shows might come knocking on his door.

So, Lu Yicheng only got three seconds of screen time in Episode 4. The rest were relegated to the bonus clips.

This was his utmost respect for the genre.

Episode 4 had plenty of material to work with—Yu Wanqiu’s group at the fireworks show, exploring historical sites in Yaocheng, their seaside photoshoot, jet skiing on Tuesday, and the hotpot and barbecue feast on Wednesday.

The "ordinary family" segment, which had been relatively dull in previous episodes, finally saw some drama this time. Aunt Zhao was genuinely anxious now.

The best meal she had all week was the barbecue Jiang Lan brought down.

The aroma of the grilled lamb was irresistible.

It wasn’t like she and Chen Shuyun had to live so frugally, but Chen Shuyun insisted that since she wasn’t earning anymore, they had to budget carefully. Of course, this was somewhat exaggerated—they still had the show’s payment and savings—but Chen Shuyun wanted Aunt Zhao to understand the value of hard-earned money.

Meals were now simpler, with less meat, and the milk was just regular supermarket brands. Gone were the bird’s nest and donkey-hide gelatin treats from before.

Eating that lamb skewer, Aunt Zhao felt a pang of regret—as if she had pushed away the good life with her own hands.

She asked Chen Shuyun if there was any chance she could return to work. Was she really giving up for good? What about saving up for Little Xuan’s future marriage?

Chen Shuyun replied, "This is just how life is. We can endure hardship, but not at the expense of the child. We’ll tighten our belts. His father’s income isn’t steady either. We’ve managed before—we’ll manage again."

Aunt Zhao sighed. "You worked so hard before too… It wasn’t easy."

Zhang Tian made sure to include all of this in the final cut.

Meanwhile, the "wealthy family" segment saw the most dramatic change in Li Jia. She doted on her grandson, and Zhang Lin used that to her advantage—demanding five meals a day, all prepared by Li Jia.

Even if Li Jia disagreed with Zhang Lin’s decision to act, she couldn’t stop her. Li Jia cared deeply about public opinion and wanted to be seen as a good mother-in-law.

Shen Xingyao was already reviewing scripts, and her conversation with Chen Hao was included in the bonus clips.

After Shen Xingyao married Chen Hao, fan reactions were mixed. Some were happy for her, believing she had found true love and that Chen Hao treated her well.

They saw it as a happy ending.

But others felt Chen Hao was punching above his weight.

A relatively unknown actor from Hong Kong marrying a rising star from the mainland? What luck! The two seemed mismatched—Shen Xingyao was sweet and gorgeous, while Chen Hao was dark and rugged. She had a bright future; he was barely a blip on the radar.

However, Mother-in-Law Is Coming Season 1 showed how much Du Wanzhou adored her daughter-in-law, which softened fans’ opinions of Chen Hao.

Still, the "he’s not good enough for her" sentiment lingered. If fans could hear their conversation by the sea, they might warm up to this "brother-in-law."

Of course, the hottest topic remained Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan. This episode was bound to attract even more CP fans.

Some viewers were puzzled—why would a future mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have shippers? The concept itself was strange.

But after watching the show, they’d quickly change their tune: This is amazing.

The Bilibili edits were just a small part of it. The real charm lay in their everyday interactions.