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

"Because of You We Form a Group" is a summer boy group idol competition show, focusing on votes cast by fans, with viewers helping their favorite trainees secure a debut. There are a total of nine debut spots available.

Every vote matters—it’s truly a case of “Because of You We Form a Group.”

The four mentors on the show include gold-standard composer Xu Mochuan, Song Xiaohan, the first-place winner from last season’s similar show "Ultimate Idol," Lin Xing, a top-tier dancer from Huaguo, and the popular next-gen star Ou Mingyang.

Ou Mingyang appears more as the host, while the singing and dancing mentors are the other three.

Xu Mochuan is well-known for balancing both looks and talent. Song Xiaohan, who debuted last year, has maintained high popularity, building his fame one fan vote at a time. He is exceptionally handsome.

Lin Xing’s brand of handsomeness is different from the others. Lu Xingran has a roguish charisma, Xie Zheng has a boy-next-door charm, and Song Xiaohan brings a sense of classic elegance that would make anyone immediately think, "What a good-looking man."

Lin Xing’s most dazzling moments are when he’s dancing—he naturally commands attention and captivates every gaze in the room.

Shen Xingyao is set to attend the finale as a guest witness for debut night—basically, she’s going to serve as the host.

The debut night will be broadcast live, and the official organizers value Shen Xingyao’s popularity. Shen Xingyao is also keen to make an appearance.

She discussed this with Yu Wanqiu, who doesn’t know much about boy groups. Despite having once collaborated with Xie Zheng, the latter retired from the group scene long ago.

Jiang Lan searched for a few photos of the contestants to show Yu Wanqiu. After studying the images, Yu Wanqiu immediately said, “Go ahead and attend. It’s not like you’ve got anything else to do. Oh, and thanks for the ticket.”

Shen Xingyao explained, “The live broadcast is happening at a stadium in Shanghai. The ticket lists the exact location. It starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday and will probably last until midnight—about four hours.”

She also planned to distribute tickets to Chen Shuyun and Aunt Zhao.

After Shen Xingyao left, Yu Wanqiu carefully examined the ticket. She had been given a front-row seat—an excellent viewing spot.

Jiang Lan had earlier shown her some incredibly handsome photos, with the trainees holding microphones and dressed in stage outfits adorned with glittering sequins.

Absolutely sparkling.

This was Jiang Lan’s first time experiencing a boy group competition so up close.

The two of them decided to head out tomorrow morning and return the day after.

Since tomorrow’s Friday, there was no way they could bring Lu Yicheng along with just two tickets.

Shen Xingyao asked Chen Shuyun if she was interested, and she agreed to go. Aunt Zhao initially wasn’t keen on attending but couldn’t resist Chen Shuyun’s persuasive efforts.

“I’m too old to watch a bunch of teenage boys and twenty-somethings prancing around. It’d be embarrassing to even mention it to anyone.”

But then again, why not? It’s not every day you get this opportunity.

With their departure, the villa suddenly felt half-empty. Only Li Jia was left behind.

Shen Xingyao didn’t even bother asking Li Jia if she wanted to go, and Zhang Lin obviously wouldn’t invite her either.

By Friday morning, when Li Jia came out of her room, she found the entire villa eerily quiet.

Zhang Tian wasn’t free to worry about small matters like this—he had something else on his mind.

Today was Friday, and the airing slots for both "Because of You We Form a Group" and "The Mother-in-Law Arrives" were overlapping.

A few weeks ago, another romance show had to adjust its schedule due to similar timing conflicts. Zhang Tian had no intention of rescheduling, though. In fact, he believed "The Mother-in-Law Arrives" wouldn’t necessarily lose the ratings race.

The real issue now, however, was that Shen Xingyao, Yu Wanqiu, Jiang Lan—the three most popular guests from that program—were all heading to attend the live broadcast. If they were photographed at the event, wouldn’t that draw all the attention to the debut night instead?

The director of the talent show, Yang Yizhou, was really crafty. For his variety show, he invited the most popular guests from his mother-in-law-themed reality series.

Zhang Tian was utterly flabbergasted.

But what’s done is done, and regret won’t change anything.

Zhang Tian could only remind the guests to wear hats and masks to avoid being photographed.

Tickets for the final night of group formation were hard to come by. That evening, Jiang Lan called Lu Yicheng and told him she was going to witness the boy band talent show.

…

Currently, the most popular contestant, Qin Lu, was both an excellent singer and dancer. Jiang Lan even cast a vote for him.

Lu Yicheng: “…What?”

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍Lan: “It’s for the most popular talent show right now, ‘Because of You We Form a Group.’ Yu Wanqiu and I have a train to catch tomorrow morning.”

It wasn’t Jiang Lan’s first trip to Shanghai; she’d gone there last month to attend the premiere of *Deep Sea*. This time, however, the trip was purely for fun.

The hotel they booked was near the stadium, though it was a high-star-rating choice. The stadium could accommodate up to 20,000 people, and with so many attending the final group formation night, they chose one with better privacy and soundproofing.

Lu Yicheng did some searching online and came across photos of numerous handsome guys.

His girlfriend and his mom were going to watch a boy band talent show—what could he even say about that?

If it were him and Lu Shuangchen going—no, never mind. He didn’t even want to entertain the thought. But with Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu attending…

Lu Yicheng had no say in the matter.

“Can I come along? I’m free anyway; I’ll go with you guys,” Lu Yicheng offered. His internship had just ended, and not only could he watch the Friday night broadcast, but he could also spend Saturday in Shanghai.

Shanghai had Disneyland, after all.

Jiang Lan replied, “But there are only two tickets. Who do you think should give up their spot?”

Lu Yicheng: “…I didn’t mean that. I can get my own ticket.”

But the tickets for the live broadcast had long since sold out. They were virtually impossible to get now. Even if he did manage to buy a ticket, his seat wouldn’t be near Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu.

Lu Yicheng asked his cousin Lu Xingran if he had any tickets. After all, Lu Xingran was in the entertainment industry too.

［Lu Xingran: Oh, now you think of me? Why do you need tickets? For your mom and girlfriend?］

［Why ask so many questions? Can you get them or not?］

［Lu Xingran: …If you’d asked me two days ago, I actually still had tickets.］

As it turned out, Lu Xingran had been sitting on tickets. The show’s organizers had even invited him to the final group formation night.

Lu Xingran was quite the star himself.

But he had given the tickets away. Once gifted, retrieving them wasn’t an option.

Why didn’t he think of saving a couple of tickets for Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan?

Young women love watching handsome guys, don’t they?

Lu Yicheng sent a string of six ellipses in response.

“Well, I’d have nothing to do in Beijing anyway. How about I just tag along with you two and wait at the hotel while you’re at the show?” suggested Lu Yicheng. To him, this didn’t seem like a bad idea.

This was definitely not what he envisioned for his holiday plans. When he was working, he could always excuse himself with “I’m busy with work” whenever Jiang Lan suggested something.

But now, with free time on his hands, Jiang Lan was the one who didn’t have time.

Lu Yicheng didn’t mind tagging along with Jiang Lan. What felt a bit…off was the thought of the three of them together.

Why was Lu Yicheng even tagging along in the first place?

If they ended up going sightseeing on Saturday, Jiang Lan had zero intention of showing off her relationship in front of Yu Wanqiu.

It’d be like two best friends planning a trip together, and then one of them decides to bring along her boyfriend.

That would just make him a third wheel, wouldn’t it?

Jiang Lan said, “You can go if you can convince Uncle Lu to come along, but if Uncle Lu doesn’t go, you can’t go either.”

Lu Yicheng wanted to ask why, but he was at a loss. He couldn't decide whether staying in B City while Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu went out to see a boy band was worse, or going to Shanghai with Lu Shuangchen and both of them waiting in a hotel would be more miserable.

“…Fine, I’ll ask,” Lu Yicheng muttered under his breath. “Am I not handsome enough? Why do you need to go look at other people…”

He went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Not bad, he figured.

Jiang Lan held back her laughter, “You’re very handsome, but those people can sing and dance, and even do backflips! But you’re indeed really handsome! Last time I watched a male model fashion show, I thought they weren’t as handsome as you.”

Lu Yicheng offered a perfunctory smile. If they’re not as handsome, why bother watching?

A few days later, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu packed their luggage and boarded the high-speed train to Shanghai.

Chen and Little Xu dragged their suitcases along. Though they couldn’t attend the event in person, they still got to go to the hotel—a five-star hotel—with delicious breakfast and lunch included.

They felt they could be Yu Wanqiu’s assistants for a lifetime!

But the two of them sneaked a glance at the father and son sitting in front of them and felt conflicted.

They knew why Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan were heading to Shanghai, but why were Lu Shuangchen and Lu Yicheng tagging along?

Lu Shuangchen furrowed his brow the entire time. He wasn’t happy about Yu Wanqiu going to see that kind of thing.

Even though he respected every profession, wasn’t this sort of thing for the younger crowd? Yu Wanqiu had been married for twenty years—why did she still want to go see something like that?

But all Lu Shuangchen said was a single suggestion: How about Lu Yicheng and Jiang Lan go together, and the two of us can wander around Shanghai instead?

Yu Wanqiu simply ignored him.

Lu Yicheng was genuinely moved. His dad would go to such lengths for him, but honestly, it wasn’t necessary—because Jiang Lan ignored him too.

Lu Shuangchen muttered softly, “This is her temper—I just said one sentence.”

Why did she have to give him the cold shoulder?

Lu Yicheng replied, “Just stop saying anything.”

Don’t drag him into it.

But Lu Shuangchen refused to remain quiet. “I’ve been married all these years and haven’t looked at other women.”

Who hasn’t?!

Lu Yicheng knew better than to say stuff he shouldn’t. He lowered his head and decided it’d be better to just scroll his phone.

Lu Shuangchen added, “She gets mad over one little sentence. Isn’t that just…”

Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan, who were sitting in front of them, suddenly turned around. Yu Wanqiu asked, “Just what?”

Lu Shuangchen stammered, “Nothing.”

Once they arrived in Shanghai, the group headed to the hotel they had pre-booked. The streets felt noticeably crowded.

It was the tail end of summer vacation, and many television show finales were approaching, marking the conclusion of the season.

People often referred to it as “summer exclusives,” and that wasn’t wrong. After this summer, the ships fans were rooting for might dissolve, and the idols they chased might gradually fade from the spotlight if they failed to debut as a group.

The group debut night was slated to start at 8 p.m., with the venue opening for entry at 7 p.m.

"Because of You We Form a Group" had come to its final stage, leaving only twenty-three contestants.

During the debut night, there were solo performances from mentors, group performances that tested teamwork, and individual performances from each contestant.

By 7 p.m., the stadium outside was packed with people.

Many fans were decked out in support gear—light signs, headbands, and a variety of colors interwoven to form a dazzling galaxy of stars.

Yu Wanqiu found this scene quite intriguing. She had never witnessed such a grand fan event before; it was probably how things looked when a mega-star held a concert.

Nobody would have expected Yu Wanqiu to turn up for the debut night of the talent show. Both she and Jiang Lan wore masks and hats, so for now, they were safe from being recognized.

On Weibo, posts were flooded with voting links. By 10 PM, the voting channels would close.

However, there were several popular variety shows airing tonight, forcing viewers to make a tough decision.

[Someone caught a glimpse of Shen Xingyao! Yao Yao is tonight's debut witness! Cryinggg!]

[It's official! Shen Xingyao and Xie Zheng are acting as the witnesses!]

[I'm still torn about whether to watch my "wife" or my "husband" after 10 PM. Sure, I can replay the livestream later, but... I really want to watch the group debut live.]

[Thankfully, I have my phone, laptop, and tablet! Zero stress here.]

[Wait, Xie Zheng and Shen Xingyao are co-hosting? No way!]

[Feel like I’m a huge fan of both sides now.]

[At the venue—looks like I'll have to turn off my phone in a bit.]

[Being at the scene is so awesome! Woohoo!]

[Is it just me, or do I see two people who resemble my "wife"? Haha!]

[Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan? No way, right?]

[I mean, yeah, it's probably impossible, but honestly, they do bear a resemblance. Hehehe. Imagining them showing up for debut night just makes me feel closer to them.]

[The latest behind-the-scenes from *Mother-in-Law Moves In* had a clip of Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan going underwater diving... I'm drooling over the idea. Never thought I'd be stuck choosing between a talent show and a mother-in-law variety show. QAQ]

[We'll stick around until 10 PM and decide then.]

That was the choice most people made—on Fridays, these were the two main shows, while the romantic reality show had moved its airing time to Saturday evenings.

Still, for those with TVs, laptops, or tablets, there was no such dilemma.

At 7:30 PM, audience members began entering the venue.

Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu sat in the front row.

Their seats offered a great view of the stage, directly facing the performers. The positioning allowed them to see both the large screen and get an up-close look at the young men on stage.

Meanwhile, staff members were busy checking all the equipment around the venue. Shen Xingyao was backstage, rehearsing her script with Xie Zheng.

She had little time to prepare. Even during her journey to Shanghai, Shen Xingyao was memorizing her lines nonstop.

Tonight, she wore a black gown, a color that complemented her fair complexion perfectly. Her hair was styled in soft curls, adorned with a pearl hair clip. Her makeup had deep tones around the eyes, and her lips were painted in a rich brick red, exuding a mature, commanding aura.

Although Shen Xingyao was wearing high heels, she still stood half a head shorter than Xie Zheng. Xie Zheng looked incredibly dashing tonight. Despite knowing Shen Xingyao was married, she couldn’t help sneaking a few more glances in his direction.

But this was live television, and she had to control where her eyes wandered.

Xie Zheng, having risen to fame as a member of a boy band himself, understood the sheer difficulty of making it through the talent-show route. Now, only 23 contestants remained—all others had been eliminated.

These 23 performers were in the practice room, rehearsing their songs and dances, hoping to garner one last wave of votes.

As Shen Xingyao stepped out of the backstage area, she glanced across the venue from a distance. The multitude of light signs, glowing in bright colors, represented the 23 remaining individuals, sparkling like stars.

She casually directed her gaze toward the section where Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan sat. Du Wanzhou was also in that general direction.

Du Wanzhou looked a bit thinner. He sat next to Jiang Lan, leaning slightly forward to talk to her. Zhang Lin was seated beside Yu Wanqiu, while Chen Shuyun and Aunt Zhao were on the left. When it was time to leave later, they could exit through the staff passage.

At 7:50, the staff left the stage, leaving Shen Xingyao and Xie Zheng standing below it.

The stadium descended into darkness, with only the faint glow of lightboards in the audience area.

At 7:59, the stage lights blazed to life.

Shen Xingyao and Xie Zheng exchanged a glance and walked up the steps together. Shen Xingyao held a microphone in one hand and lifted the hem of her dress with the other. The spotlight fell on her as the pair stopped in the center of the stage.

"Good evening, everyone," Shen Xingyao said. "It’s an honor to serve as the chief witness for *Because of You We Form a Group*, and to stand here with all of you to witness the birth of STAR9."

STAR9 was the name of the group—a constellation of nine stars, nine members.

Xie Zheng added, "No matter whether the final outcome is reaching the peak of the group’s pyramid or quietly stepping away, you will always be the stars in the hearts of the founders."

"The contestants can hardly wait to perform, but first, let’s welcome the four mentors onto the stage—" Shen Xingyao took a half step to the side as the stage lights dimmed and the two quietly exited.

The first mentor to perform was Ou Mingyang, and she looked incredibly striking tonight.

Her hair was dyed pink and styled into two pigtails. She wore a cropped pink T-shirt paired with a black mini leather skirt and finished off her look with a pair of combat boots.

Her legs were long and flawless.

Her eyeliner was sharp and bold, prompting Jiang Lan to exclaim in awe.

This was Ou Mingyang—how could she be so… so captivatingly edgy!

Ou Mingyang’s choice of song was an English hit, which she sang while dancing. Her breath control was impeccable, and every move landed perfectly on the beat!

She ignited the atmosphere in seconds!

The director cut the camera to Xie Zheng—one half of a hugely popular "couple pairing" with Ou Mingyang—and the audience erupted in screams!

Jiang Lan waved her glowing lightstick wildly. "Ou Mingyang, you’re amazing! Wow, wow, wow! I love you!!!"

Ou Mingyang gave a playful wink toward the audience.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Viewers in the livestream chat felt their hearts melting. No one could deny that she truly lived up to her reputation as the national sweetheart. If the exhibition stage from the mentor lineup alone was this electrifying, the contestants must be feeling immense pressure!

The camera shifted from Ou Mingyang to the audience, landing on the two people cheering the loudest.

Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan had both taken off their hats, their excitement clearly contagious to those around them.

It had been a long time since Yu Wanqiu let herself shout and cheer like this.

For a fleeting moment, the camera captured Jiang Lan on the massive LED screen behind the stage.

Zhang Tian had warned her earlier, but no one in the crowd seemed to be wearing masks tonight, and everyone was shouting. If she didn’t join in, wouldn’t she feel out of place?

[Wait, is that...?]

[My wife?]

[Confirmed with one glance: that's wife material.]

[Director, can we get that shot again? I didn’t catch it clearly!]

[Wait, it actually seems like her.]

[??? I was torn between watching this live or catching up on another variety show, and it turns out you two showed up here?]

[Du Wanzhou, Chen Shuyun, and the others are here too, plus Zhang Lin!]

[Oh my god, Jiang Lan's cheers are so earnest!]

[Yu Wanqiu hahaha, stepping into a whole new world!]

[Ou Mingyang truly left me speechless—who knew she could be this fierce?]

[This group of mothers-in-law came to the scene to see handsome men—so what about the husband squad led by Lu Yicheng?]

[Great question. Next time, don’t bother asking.]