Chapter 76: Matching Rings
The reporter hadn’t expected to hear that answer. In her mind, college students were usually eager to voice their opinions and openly express dissatisfaction—yet here was an exception.
Thinking she should ask something sharper, the reporter pressed on, “Just liking it? Many people think college students shouldn’t be spending their parents’ money. Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?”
Jiang Rong shot back, “Then how do you know whether that money was earned by him or given by his parents? Do you know him? Which media outlet are you from? You don’t seem very professional—passing judgment without verification is a kind of prejudice. Journalists are supposed to be impartial, aren’t they?”
He looked at the reporter with open suspicion, leaving her momentarily stunned.
Jiang Rong didn’t give her a chance to respond. After saying that, he turned and left. Stirring up public opinion without investigating the facts—how unprofessional. More like an entertainment reporter, if anything.
He was furious—furious that people were misunderstanding He Siming. Yes, He Siming was born into a wealthy family, but Jiang Rong had never once seen him throw around any so-called young-master temper. He treated everyone politely and never looked down on his classmates.
Even when He Siming learned that Jiang Rong was an “orphan,” he still chose to be with him and take care of him.
He Siming was far warmer and more humane than the cold image the outside world painted of him. Jiang Rong hated seeing him misunderstood.
Sometimes, the best response wasn’t to argue—it was simply not to bother.
The reporter had chosen Jiang Rong because the moment he appeared, he caught the eye. Everyone else faded into the background.
Qin University was full of hidden talents. With his refined looks, even holding a bottle of water made Jiang Rong seem gentle and distinctive.
But his words were sharp. In just a few sentences, he left the reporter flushed with embarrassment. It was true—she hadn’t done any in-depth investigation into the background of the student who set off the fireworks. She was just chasing a bit of hype. Her approach wasn’t professional at all, bordering on sensationalism. But then again, wasn’t that how most media operated these days?
Still, it was understandable that he didn’t want to deal with her.
When the reporter tried to follow him, she saw him leaving with another tall, handsome young man. All she caught was their backs disappearing around the corner.
He Siming took the bottle of water Jiang Rong handed him. After just one sip, he noticed Jiang Rong’s low mood—so different from how he’d been before getting out of the car.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did something upset you?”
Jiang Rong nodded, a rare flash of anger in his eyes. “Yeah. How could they talk about you like that?”
He Siming chuckled softly. “What did they say about me?”
“They said throwing that birthday celebration for me was a waste of resources and money.”
“Don’t mind them,” He Siming said. “It’s my money. I can spend it however I want, on whoever I want. Ignore their nonsense.”
Still, Jiang Rong couldn’t cheer up. “But—”
He Siming gently pinched the back of his neck. “Don’t worry. I don’t care. Don’t get angry over people who don’t matter.”
Jiang Rong had no reason to stay upset. “Alright.”
Still, after all He Siming had done for him, he wanted to do something in return.
But what could he do?
A few days later, everyone knew the drone show had been He Siming’s doing. He’d asked a particularly capable senior to help; the drones themselves were ready-made, part of a batch Tang Yucheng had just bought. The business hadn’t even launched yet before He Siming borrowed them to please his partner, earning a couple of sarcastic remarks from Tang Yucheng.
Who knew the results would be so good? It even trended online. Tang Yucheng seized the momentum and officially launched the business. The seniors who’d helped out received job offers on the spot—but that was a story for later.
Bringing thousands of drones onto campus had required school approval. He Siming cited academic research, and the school had no reason to refuse—though the final presentation shocked them.
Everyone was curious about who could make the famously aloof campus heartthrob go to such lengths—planning an unforgettable birthday and proposal. People were envious, and even more curious about the mystery partner.
At present, the consensus was that Yao Shule was the one He Siming had confessed to.
Someone in the ninth men’s dormitory had seen Yao Shule get into He Siming’s car in the early hours—and not return all night.
Yao Shule hid for two days. No matter how he explained, it was useless. He had gotten into He Siming’s car after the drone show—there was no denying it. Even Ding Yan looked at him suspiciously. Everyone knew He Siming was with Jiang Rong, so Yao Shule getting into his “bestie’s boyfriend’s” car at midnight looked extremely questionable.
When Jiang Rong returned to school, the first look Yao Shule gave him carried a hint of resentment.
“What’s wrong, Lele?” Jiang Rong asked.
Meeting Jiang Rong’s concerned gaze, Yao Shule suppressed that petty grievance. “Nothing.”
Li Yizhou laughed and explained for him. “It’s just that night—he got into He Siming’s car, and now everyone thinks he was the one confessed to. People keep asking him how it felt.”
Jiang Rong understood his trouble. “Sorry.”
“Why so serious?” Yao Shule said. “I was just helping a friend. Let them misunderstand if they want.”
“In the end, it’s still my fault,” Jiang Rong said quietly.
If he and He Siming went public, Yao Shule wouldn’t have to endure this speculation. It was really because he wasn’t strong enough yet to face others’ judgments.
He Siming came back in after finishing a phone call and found Jiang Rong spacing out.
Class was about to start. He Siming tapped Jiang Rong’s cheek lightly. “What are you thinking about? Still upset about that unethical reporter?”
Jiang Rong shook his head. “No.”
He was thinking that He Siming and Yao Shule had been protecting him all along. He couldn’t keep hiding behind them forever. His emotions weren’t as volatile as during pregnancy anymore, and over the past year he’d grown a lot—his mindset and perspective had matured. He felt strong enough now to face things together with He Siming.
Seeing that Jiang Rong seemed fine, He Siming didn’t press further.
After class, they went back to the villa area to pick up their child. After not seeing He Shenglin for several days, they missed him terribly.
The past few days had been physically rough, and Jiang Rong had only video-called the baby once a day.
Xu Mingqin and He Zhixian had been taking turns caring for him—Xu returned to the capital first, and He Zhixian came back two days later, essentially swapping shifts.
When they arrived, both elders were in the living room playing with the baby.
He Shenglin’s eyes followed the rattle in his grandfather’s hand, but when he heard his two dads’ voices, he suddenly started fussing.
“Oh dear, why is Linlin crying?” He Zhixian said.
“You must be shaking it too loudly and scared him,” Xu Mingqin replied.
“Impossible. Maybe your holding posture is uncomfortable.”
“I trust my technique. He hasn’t cried once while I’ve been holding him these past few days.”
He Siming and Jiang Rong walked over. Only then did the two elders notice them.
He Shenglin cried even louder.
Jiang Rong took the baby into his arms, and the little one immediately stopped crying.
“Three months already,” Xu Mingqin said. “Looks like he can recognize his dads by voice and scent now.”
“So soon?” He Siming asked.
“Seems like it,” Jiang Rong replied.
Inside, He Siming thought, I’m doomed.
That night, after dinner, they took the baby home. He Shenglin refused to sleep in his crib and insisted on sleeping in their bed, protesting with little whines the moment he was put down.
He Siming: “……”
Given his sleep deprivation these days, he decided not to argue over sleeping arrangements.
The next morning, He Shenglin wasn’t as clingy, and Aunt Yang had recovered and returned to work.
The nanny Xu Mingqin had hired also came along—having two nannies felt safer.
After Jiang Rong’s heat ended, everything returned to normal—though his mindset had changed.
That morning, he took out the ring from its box and looked at it from side to side. He Siming had great taste. Leaving such a beautiful ring hidden away would be wasting his love and care. He wanted to cherish this man even more.
During his heat, he’d kept the ring put away, afraid it might scratch He Siming, so neither of them wore theirs.
His birthday had been spent at a hotel. If not for the sudden heat, it might have been celebrated even more grandly.
Jiang Rong opened the black velvet box and slipped the silver-and-black ring onto his middle finger.
He glanced at the other box—it was empty.
Thinking it might have been lost, he saw He Siming in the walk-in closet changing his watch, and noticed the ring on his finger.
Since the proposal, aside from the few days during Jiang Rong’s heat, He Siming wore the ring every day. After all, everyone already knew he was the one who’d proposed with drones.
He Siming was focused on fastening his watch and didn’t notice Jiang Rong watching—or that he’d quietly put the ring on.
Only when he habitually reached for Jiang Rong’s hand as they headed out did he notice something different. His left hand wasn’t as soft as usual; there was something hard on his middle finger.
He Siming raised an eyebrow. “Why are you wearing the ring?”
Jiang Rong smiled. “Isn’t a ring meant to be worn once it’s bought?”
He Siming’s heart leapt, and he couldn’t suppress his grin. “That’s true.”
“And you bought it,” Jiang Rong added. “Wouldn’t it be a waste not to wear it?”
He Siming lifted Jiang Rong’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Mm. It looks good.”
The silver-and-black ring made Jiang Rong’s fingers look even more soft and fair.
In fact, the engagement ring hadn’t been a random birthday pick. He Siming had bought it the year before, but Jiang Rong’s emotions had been unstable, and he didn’t want to pressure him—so he waited. Waiting until Jiang Rong himself told him his birthday felt like a sign of deep trust.
Campus life was mostly ordinary, but even in that ordinariness there was joy.
When they arrived at the classroom, it was unusually lively. It turned out the National Day seven-day holiday was just two days away, and everyone was busy planning trips.
At that moment, Lin Nana was grilling Yao Shule about why he’d gotten into He Siming’s car late at night and what kind of shady business he was hiding from his bestie.
Seeing He Siming and Jiang Rong enter, Yao Shule shot Lin Nana a look. “I’m telling you, this is serious. Don’t talk nonsense.”
Then Lin Nana whispered, “Then tell me quietly—who is He Siming’s partner? I swear I won’t tell anyone.”
Yao Shule was about to say he didn’t know when he noticed Jiang Rong and He Siming taking books out of their backpacks—wearing matching rings.
He immediately changed his tune. “Figure it out yourself. Take out that CP-shipping microscope of yours.” If she couldn’t see such obvious clues, she shouldn’t ship CPs anymore.
“……” Lin Nana blinked. Shipping CPs?
Meanwhile, He Siming handed Jiang Rong the water bottle from his bag. Since the new semester, Jiang Rong no longer snacked between classes, but He Siming still habitually brought him healthy dried snacks.
Today it was preserved plums. Jiang Rong wasn’t picky—sweet, sour, spicy, he liked them all. At one point, he’d even developed a taste for bitter melon. Once, at hotpot, he’d eaten houttuynia with Yao Shule and thought it was delicious—a total foodie.
The plums were a bit sweet. Jiang Rong ate one, then shared the rest with nearby classmates since He Siming didn’t like the flavor.
Lin Nana snagged one. “Why are your snacks always so good? Where do you buy them?”
Jiang Rong looked at He Siming. “Where did you buy them?”
“Snack shop,” He Siming replied. He’d picked them out himself.
“Snack shop,” Jiang Rong echoed to Lin Nana.
“I heard that,” Lin Nana said—though something felt off.
Wait.
What did Yao Shule mean earlier?
Who was she supposed to observe?
Wasn’t He Siming’s partner a girl?
And when Jiang Rong handed out snacks just now… wasn’t there a ring on his finger?
At noon, Jiang Rong and He Siming headed home together.
Last semester, they often came and went with Yao Shule and the others, even staying in the dorms at noon, so no one thought much of it.
But this semester, they disappeared the moment class ended. Many classmates had seen them commuting together daily. Perhaps because everyone was so used to them hanging out as friends before, no one thought twice.
Besides, He Siming had always openly said he had a partner, even posting a photo in summer revealing he had a child. It was hard to imagine that partner being male.
In the afternoon, Lin Nana deliberately sat next to Yao Shule, squeezing Li Yizhou aside. This time, she clearly saw the matching rings on He Siming’s and Jiang Rong’s hands.
Her scalp went numb. Goosebumps rose.
She—she had missed something huge.
Holy crap!
Matching rings!
He Siming’s partner was Jiang Rong? Right under their noses?
No way!
A veteran CP shipper like her had mistaken the real CP for a crack ship—she wanted to slap herself.
He Siming had said last semester that his wife was Jiang Rong!
Damn it—so much sugar every day, and she’d brushed it all off as jokes.
Was He Siming just that good at hiding it, or was she really that dumb?
No wonder they called him a god. Even dating so openly, no one suspected Jiang Rong. Yao Shule had been the perfect smokescreen.
Lin Nana wasn’t the only one to notice the matching rings. Many classmates did, and some even took photos to compare with the old picture from social media—the one with two big hands and one small one.
[Some Gossip Group]
— This is real, right?! [photo][photo]
— Couple rings?
— You guys saw it too?
— Yes! I even stared at Jiang Rong’s hand today—He God shot me a cold look, scared me half to death!
— So they’re real?
— My god, it was right under our noses this whole time?
— Damn, they’re too good at hiding.
— Honestly, I’ve always thought they looked great together. Haven’t you noticed Jiang Rong’s gotten really handsome? Gentle, soft, fragrant—once he talked to the class monitor next to me, I even smelled a milky scent on him. [I’m guilty.jpg]
— Same! I thought I was a pervert—he’s that sweet? [facepalm.jpg]
— Why didn’t we notice earlier? The more I ship them, the more it fits! He God totally dotes on Jiang Rong—his backpack is full of snacks for him!
— He God said he had a partner but never said who. He’s so aloof, it felt awkward to ship him and Jiang Rong… Who knew it was real!
— So when we saw them holding hands on campus before, that wasn’t our imagination?
— I’ve got proof—last winter. Elevator photo. He God had his arm around Jiang Rong’s waist, pulling him close, blocking others—protective and possessive!
— You had all this evidence and never said anything?!
— The strongest proof wasn’t when He God straight-up said Jiang Rong was his wife?
— So the birthday boy was Jiang Rong—and the proposal target too?!
…
In just two days, classmates started looking at Jiang Rong and He Siming differently.
Jiang Rong, however, handled it calmly. He and He Siming went about their lives as usual. People were just curious.
Lin Nana, who was closer to him, hesitated a few times before finally saying, “Wishing you two a long, long happiness.”
Jiang Rong smiled. “Thank you.”
Now that he no longer planned to hide it, Jiang Rong didn’t resist being intimate with He Siming in public. When He Siming held his hand on campus, he no longer refused.
After the heat ended, Jiang Rong’s birthday still needed a proper celebration.
On the first day of the National Day holiday, they treated Yao Shule and the others to a meal. With a baby at home, big events were off the table.
After the small birthday gathering, Ding Yan, Yao Shule, and Li Yizhou flew straight to the grasslands to go horseback riding.
Jiang Rong envied their freedom. He Siming asked if he wanted to go too. He did—but he couldn’t bear to leave He Shenglin.
He Siming didn’t say anything.
On the second day of the holiday, after breakfast, they handed He Shenglin to the nanny and headed out.
“Where are we going?” Jiang Rong asked, confused.
“You’ll see,” He Siming said, keeping it secret.
The drive wasn’t long—just a loop around the area near campus.
Not far from Qin University’s east gate was a river. The scenery there was even better than where they currently lived, with a more open view.
Jiang Rong thought He Siming was just taking him out since he couldn’t travel far.
But when they stopped in front of a house, He Siming covered his eyes.
“Close them first.”
Jiang Rong obediently did so.
Guiding him inside, He Siming whispered in his ear as they crossed the threshold:
“Your birthday present. I never had the time to bring you here.”
Jiang Rong opened his eyes—and froze. His eyes grew hot as he turned and threw his arms around He Siming.
Back in the summer, He Siming had asked him, What kind of house do you want?
He’d answered, My dream is a house with a small garden, plenty of sunlight, and a glass room where I can grow flowers and plants—where I can bask in the sun even in winter. That would be beautiful.
