The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 91 - The Ring at 22

ShenLin Immersive Global Fan Club Group Chat (No. 6)

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: Sisters, any new sweet moments lately? The kids are starving, QAQ.]

[Obsessed: Why has it been so quiet these past few days, wuwuwu? Even Shen Laoshi, who loves flaunting his affection daily, has gone silent. Linlin is busy with school and can’t update Bilibili; the promised livestream is delayed, and even Ou-ta hasn’t drawn any fan art in ages! My content! My precious content!]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: SXZ has probably been gagged and grounded, hahahahaha.]

[Get Married Quickly: Ears up!]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: It’s about Qing Lin darling’s 22nd birthday a few days ago! That caused quite the stir!!]

On Qing Lin’s birthday, Shen Xuzhi happened to be in France, attending the International Film Festival and Fashion Week shoots.

Wangchao had been nominated for the Golden Glory Awards, and Shen Xuzhi won both Best Actor and Best Original Score Composer.

Under the converging spotlights, he walked onto the much-anticipated awards stage, bowed deeply to the audience, accepted his miniature golden statuette, and responded in fluent English to the host’s questions. The Best Original Score Composer award was newly established that year, drawing even more attention to Shen Xuzhi.

Host: “Unlike the film award, for winning Best Composer, is there anyone you’d like to thank?”

At that, Wang Zhan and the senior executives from Shen Xuzhi’s company furrowed their brows, gesturing frantically from offstage for him not to do anything rash.

Wearing a sharp suit, Shen Xuzhi stood tall—his expression calm, his profile cool and defined. Without hesitation, he lifted the golden statuette and said, “I would like to thank my partner.”

“He is the spiritual pillar of my work and the ultimate source of my inspiration.”

He looked down, checked the time on his watch, and smiled softly. “It’s midnight, May 8th, Beijing Time.”

His double-lidded eyes widened slightly, the stage lights gleaming in their depths. Looking out at the world, he said gently,

“Qing Lin, happy 22nd birthday. I love you.”

The venue erupted in murmurs. The foreign directors in the audience didn’t understand the Chinese words, but Shen Xuzhi’s expression made his meaning clear. Flashbulbs went off in a frenzy. Offstage, the company representatives shook their heads, muttering under their breath, “Can’t stop him, can’t stop him.”

Meanwhile, back in China, the lights on the Hangzhou International Building flickered on precisely at midnight. In the heart of the city’s busiest district, a massive LED screen lit up with rows of “Happy Birthday” messages, followed by a giant heart that made passersby stop and look back in awe.

It was an overt and grand declaration of love.

[When Will the Main Character Descend: Yes, I remember!! The trending searches that day were all about Shen Xuzhi’s birthday wishes for Qing Lin—it was a total screen takeover!!!]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: Right, the scale was insane. A public confession at an international film festival, and then booking the big screens on multiple buildings for a birthday message? We were basically the bystanders in some online novel going “ooh” and “ahh,” hahahaha.]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: Hahahaha, and precisely because of that overly dramatic lovestruck moment, his phone was confiscated by the company the next day, hahahahaha.]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: Shen Laoshi was forcibly cut off from the internet and behaved himself throughout the rest of Fashion Week in France.]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: Well, he is at the peak of his career now, with a ton of luxury brand endorsements. The company probably wants him to keep things low-key.]

[Obsessed: I swear, he feels miserable if he doesn’t show off for even a single day, hahahahahaha.]

[ShenLin Immersive Supreme: You just can’t talk about Shen Laoshi seriously anymore. He used to be this aloof, black-clad creative genius in my mind, but now he’s just a big puppy wagging his tail every time he sees Qing Lin!]

[Get Married Quickly: Speaking of which—everyone’s seen those airport photos from the Chengdu tour stop, right?]

[Get Married Quickly: Shen Laoshi! On his hand! He’s wearing! A ring!!!]

[Obsessed: Saw it, saw it! His entire outfit matched Qing Lin’s style from head to toe, and he was even wearing a ring! I’m dying from all this shipping!!]

[Get Married Quickly: I think it’s a couple’s ring. If it is, doesn’t that mean they might actually get married? (Linlin’s already 22!)]

[Obsessed: Aaaaaah, marriage! Help! Getting married the moment Linlin turns 22 sounds exactly like something they’d do!!]

[Great Joy and Excitement: The Bureau of Civil Affairs! The Bureau of Civil Affairs!]

[Rabbit: Get the license! Get the license!]

[CP is the Best]: Go to bed! Go to bed!]

[Can’t Stop Me: D-O-I! D-O-I!]

[I Love Shipping CP: Hold on, everyone—has anyone figured out which store the ring is from? Sometimes a ring’s just a regular piece of jewelry.]

[Obsessed: Some sisters already checked, but they couldn’t find the exact store. They only confirmed it’s from a small, niche luxury brand abroad. Probably custom-made.]

[I Love ShenLin Qijing: It’s simple to confirm that! Just check if Linlin is wearing one!]

[Obsessed: Linlin has been stuck at school working on his graduation project, so there’s no way to confirm! Is anyone in this group from Zhejiang University?]

[Get Married Quickly: HOLY CRAP, HOLY CRAP, HOLY CRAP!! Sisters! Breaking news! Linlin went to Ah Zhi’s concert!!]

[Obsessed: !!]

[I Love ShenLin Qijing: Really?! Is that true?!]

[Get Married Quickly: Absolutely true! Photos from the Chengdu airport are out. Linlin is already on his way to the stadium for the concert!!]

The ten-thousand-person massive stadium.

Qing Lin queued to enter the concert venue. He took a photo of his ticket stub, taking in the elaborately designed, perfect stage and the sea of people below.

Today was the final stop of Shen Xuzhi’s tour.

Two days ago, Shen Xuzhi had returned from France and visited Qing Lin in Hangzhou. After an evening of passionate reunion, Qing Lin had rushed off to another city with his advisor for a presentation. By the time he returned, Shen Laoshi was already on his way to Chengdu for the tour.

Qing Lin hadn’t told Shen Xuzhi that he was coming to the concert this time.

In truth, Qing Lin had tried to buy tickets for every single tour stop, but he hadn’t managed to get one. While he could have easily asked Shen Xuzhi to reserve a front-row ticket for him, he felt that those spots should go to the fans who had loved him for so many years. Therefore, he decided to rely on his own efforts to get a ticket and be Shen Xuzhi’s audience, genuinely this time.

Luckily, he managed to snag a ticket for this final show.

Flying over to attend the concert was a small surprise for Shen Xuzhi.

However, there was one troubling issue.

Qing Lin realized he couldn’t find the ring Shen Xuzhi had given him. Because he was rushing to catch the plane, he didn’t have time to look for it, so he could only search for it later. He genuinely suspected he had lost it.

Qing Lin searched every corner of their home, but then he recalled that he had taken it off to wash his hands when they went out for breakfast together. When his advisor called, he accidentally left it on the sink at the restaurant and forgot to pick it up. The thought made him instantly frustrated.

That ring was…

“Qing Lin!”

Qing Lin turned his head when he heard someone call his name.

He saw several young girls waving at him. When they realized it really was Qing Lin, they excitedly exclaimed, “Aaaah, oh my god, Linlin! You actually came to Ah Zhi’s concert!”

Qing Lin nodded and greeted them. The girls were ecstatic and asked to take a photo with him.

One of the girls asked, “Linlin, why is your seat here? Didn’t they say the performers’ family usually sits up on the platform?”

“Today, I’m just a fan of Shen Laoshi. I finally managed to snag a ticket in the VIP 1 section, so of course, I have to be here to cheer him on.” Qing Lin said.

The girls, clearly fans of the ShenLin Qijing CP, didn’t stop grinning the entire time Qing Lin referred to Shen Xuzhi as “Shen Laoshi.”

“You actually got the tickets yourself? That’s amazing!” The girl with the braids in the middle took out a pile of items. “Come, come! Since we’re all Ah Zhi’s fans, these are the glow sticks we snuck in, these are headbands, here are posters, banners, light boards, and this—this is glow-in-the-dark graffiti!”

The girl with the short hair pointed to her face. “This pattern is the specially designed logo of our fan club. Want me to draw one on your face too?”

The concert pre-show was playing Shen Laoshi’s songs, progressing through his discography from his first album to the present. With every song change, the ten-thousand-person massive stadium erupted in screams. In the stands and on the floor, fans held up banners and waved Shen Xuzhi’s support flags. The atmosphere was incredibly enthusiastic, not pausing for a second.

This was Qing Lin’s first time at a concert, and he had encountered such warm, enthusiastic fan-sisters. He was now completely caught up in the energy.

In no time, Qing Lin was fully dressed up for the show. He wore a cartoon version of Shen Xuzhi’s fan club hairpin on his head, a badge on his chest, and “I love Ah Zhi” painted in shimmering, glowing paint on his face. In his hand, he held a glowing support stick that the girls had specially chosen for him, which read: “Shen Xuzhi, Husband, I Love You.”

The young man’s appearance was handsome and refined, full of youthful vigor. His skin was so fair it seemed to glow, and he seemed quite pleased with his outfit, his eyes sparkling as he looked over.

“Aaaah, perfect, perfect!”

“I’m telling you, Linlin, you are absolutely going to love this concert!”

“Because Ah Zhi’s live performance is super, super, super amazing!”

The fan club sisters also showed Qing Lin several limited-edition merchandise items unique to their fan club. Qing Lin was immediately taken by the Shen Xuzhi chibi-style pillow and instantly applied for membership, managing to snatch up the very last one.

After the lively preparations, everyone took their seats, awaiting the official start of the concert. It was now completely dark, and it was about time for the show to begin.

Suddenly, all the lights in the audience dimmed, and the stage lights instantly flared to life.

“Aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah, aaaaaah!!”

“Shen Xuzhi! Shen Xuzhi! Shen Xuzhi!”

The audience screamed excitedly. Qing Lin felt his ears ringing in the crowd. All around him was a swirling rush of color.

The melody of “Lingering Summer” surged forward. Lights shot out from the stage in increasingly rapid frequencies, and the central lift platform slowly began to rise. Amidst the audience’s shouts, Shen Xuzhi rose with the platform. He lowered his gaze, holding the microphone, and sang:

“The early-blooming flower

Brushed against the clear, bright night

Leaned down to kiss the boy’s brow”

The sister next to him screamed, “Aaaaaah, aaaaaah! This is Ah Zhi’s new song! New song!!”

New song?

Qing Lin looked up at the person on the stage. His deep eyes were like stars in the night sky, brilliant yet tranquil, seemingly hiding the secrets of the entire universe.

This melody… he felt like he had heard it six years ago.

It was the time he went to hand in his math paper and unintentionally walked past the door of the music room. He heard a student playing the piano, and the music flowing from their fingertips was this exact melody.

The young man who had only been composing music by himself in a classroom back then had now become an incomparably dazzling star on this stage. His gaze stretched across the river of time, fixed on the distant horizon, as if searching for a galaxy beyond reach.

Qing Lin thought.

It turns out he had met him countless times before.

“I poured all my hopes

Into clinging to summer

Only to realize

That the midsummer wind drifts through that moonlit night

Bringing together those who long to meet.”

Qing Lin knew all of Shen Xuzhi’s songs. The concert atmosphere was incredible; everyone sang along, waving their glow sticks, cheering, and supporting him.

Song after song, Shen Xuzhi’s style was versatile yet uniquely his own. This was also the first time Qing Lin had ever heard Shen Xuzhi perform rap and rock on stage. Under the impact of the high notes, his voice cut through the night like a comet, instantly pulling the audience into the frenzy of the music.

“Aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah, Shen Xuzhi!!”

“I love you!!!”

“Sweetheart, take off your shirt if you’re hot!”

“Take it off! Let Mommy see those abs!!”

Qing Lin was completely immersed, transforming into a fervent little fan. He waved his glow stick and shouted along with everyone else: “Shen Xuzhi! Take your clothes off!! Aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah!”

One of the girls from the support group turned bright red, pulled out her phone, and typed furiously.

ShenLin Immersive Global Fan Club Group Chat (No. 6)

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: OMG! Fam, fam! I’ve totally lucked out!!]

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: I came to Ah Zhi’s Chengdu concert, and Qing Lin! Is actually! Sitting! Right next to me!!!]

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: Qing Lin in person is pale, slim, tall, super handsome, and super gorgeous!! They are a match made in heaven for Shen Laoshi!]

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: And he’s also shouting for Shen Laoshi to take off his clothes, aaaaaaah!!]

[Zhen Du Zhen Du: Oh my god! I’m so jealous! What incredible luck, sister!]

[Obsessed: Hurry, hurry, get to the main stage! Let them give out some sweetness, give out some sweetness—quick, quick╰（‵□′）╯!]

[When Will the Main Character Descend: Aaaaaah, aaaaaaah, aaaaaah, he went to his concert! Help me!! Meeting him means he’s in the inner floor. I’m so touched I could cry.]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: That’s perfect, sister! Quickly check if Qing Lin is wearing a ring!]

The girl thought, Oh, right, and replied, “I’ll make sure to complete the task!” Carefully, she turned and glanced gently in Qing Lin’s direction.

Just then, Qing Lin looked back as well, their eyes meeting unexpectedly. The boy’s slender, handsome face was illuminated by the stage’s dazzling lights. When they made eye contact, Qing Lin was still passionately cheering for Shen Xuzhi, and the girl was greeted with an incredibly bright smile.

The girl’s face instantly flushed. She quickly turned back and furiously typed.

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: Woccccc! We made eye contact! He’s so handsome—it stopped my heart!!]

[Little Qi Friend: Aaaaaah, aaaaaah, don’t even talk about it! I’m dying of envy!]

[Did We Get Candy Today: So, does Linlin have a ring on his hand?]

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: I just saw it. No ring on his hand, wuwuwuwu.]

[ShenLin Qijing Do Day Do Earth: But Shen Laoshi is wearing a ring the whole time.]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: Wuwuwuwu, then it might just be a regular accessory.]

[Dying from Shipping: Sister!! Dare to ask if it’s a couple’s ring?!]

[When Will CP Drop Candy: Nope, nope, not a good idea. It’s their private matter, and it wouldn’t be right to pry, especially at a concert.]

The concert was nearing its end. Shen Xuzhi’s stage featured an extended runway, and as the final song played, the audience in the VIP section surged forward, crowding near the walkway and waving up at him. The atmosphere felt almost like a live house performance.

Shen Xuzhi was drenched in sweat. He adjusted his earpiece, held the microphone, and said, “This is the last song. I’ll leave the choice to you all. What would you like to hear?”

“We want to hear Flamboyant!!”

“East Wind Withered Bones!!”

“Vow!! Vow!”

“Sweetheart, sing a love song!”

“Sing the love song you wrote for your wife!”

Shen Xuzhi took a drink of water and said, “Alright, here is Vow for everyone. Thank you.”

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!”

“We’ve been waiting for this one!”

“You brat! So it really is a love song for your wife!”

The music started, reverberating throughout the venue. The audience’s cheers and screams were deafening.

Shen Xuzhi, wearing a sleeveless shirt, sang while walking along the edge of the extended stage.

“All my love

intertwined in a beating heart

May its rhythm

accompany every day we start.”

The close-up audience members in the inner floor screamed wildly whenever Shen Xuzhi passed by, holding up their phones to take photos of the handsome man. They reached out, holding up banners and gifts.

Shen Xuzhi occasionally bent down to accept letters from fans, took their phones to snap a photo of himself before handing them back, or shook hands with some fan friends.

“Shen Xuzhi! Look at me!”

“Look at me! Look at me!!”

“Ah Zhi!! Ah Zhi! I love you, aaaaaah!”

“Aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah, so handsome, aaaaaah!”

Qing Lin was also pulled to the front row by his fan-sisters. The excitement of the people around him made him excited too. He bounced and jumped along with the frenzied sisters, reaching out toward the approaching Shen Xuzhi for a handshake.

Shen Xuzhi was still singing, jogging along, and high-fiving the audience members.

When he looked forward again, he instantly spotted Qing Lin in the crowd, laughing joyfully.

His singing skipped for half a beat, quickly catching the rhythm again.

Qing Lin, acting like a little fan, was bouncing and waving at him along with the crowd, shouting “Shen Xuzhi, Shen Xuzhi.” Qing Lin completely forgot that he hadn’t told Shen Xuzhi he was coming to the concert and was entirely focused on being an excited audience member.

He held up his pale, delicate left hand. His fingers were slender and well-formed, waving back and forth, but they were conspicuously bare.

In the glowing sea of neon lights, the stage spotlights shone like sunbeams, and the passion surging from the crowd melted into waves of cheers, everyone immersed in the ripples of song.

Suddenly, Shen Xuzhi bent low and took Qing Lin’s small, waving hand.

The camera cut over, and Qing Lin appeared on the concert’s gigantic screen.

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

“Qing Lin! It’s Qing Lin!! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

Qing Lin heard the surrounding screams, yet his eyes saw only the man who was kneeling on one knee, his fingers intertwined with his own.

The warm body heat grew even hotter at that moment, and when they separated, Qing Lin noticed something extra in his hand.

He opened his fingers to look.

It was the ring he couldn’t find.

The music shook the air, merging with their heartbeats, and Shen Xuzhi’s voice wrapped around him low and husky amidst the shouts and cheers:

“Keep the ring safe; don’t forget to wear it again.”

His voice lifted slightly at the end. Looking at the drawings on Qing Lin’s face, the hairpin on his head, and the glowing support stick in his hand that read ‘Shen Xuzhi, Husband, I Love You,’ he said, “The light stick is very cute.”

“I love you too.”

The words burst from the speaker but were drowned out by the screaming.

Long beams of light shot from the stage and converged. On the two large screens, on either side, the identical rings on Shen Xuzhi’s and Qing Lin’s hands appeared, one on each screen.

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! I’m going crazy! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

“ShenLin Immersive! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Save me! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

The shipper girl witnessing it beside them almost fainted, overwhelmed with excitement and rendered speechless.

No one had expected that the ring missing from Qing Lin’s hand was actually in Shen Xuzhi’s pocket.

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

The girl couldn’t hold it in any longer and shouted to Qing Lin, “Linlin, that ring, is that a couple’s ring!!”

“No,” In the ocean of cheers, Qing Lin raised his hand, showing his love to everyone.

“It’s an engagement ring.”

“In the realm of love

time stretches wide

No words needed

no reasons why

Love’s the eternal starlit night”

Shen Xuzhi finished his final song and took a deep bow to the audience.

The surge below the stage had not yet stopped; the massive sing-along continued, along with the screams and cheers. Shen Xuzhi addressed all the audience members below the stage, saying, “Thank you everyone for attending the final stop of this tour. I am especially grateful to every listener who loves my music, and to everyone who has traveled here from all corners of the world! You’ve worked hard.”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ah Zhi! It wasn’t hard!”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! It was amazing! So incredibly good! Shen Xuzhi, you must sing forever!!”

“Ah Zhi! What’s next for you?!”

Shen Xuzhi: “As for what’s next, I should be busy preparing for the wedding.”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

The entire venue erupted.

“My CP is getting married!!”

“Holy crap! ShenLin Immersive is getting married!!”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Congratulations on your marriage!! May you be together for a hundred years!”

“Crap, crap, crap! Ah Zhi, you’re so manly! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! You’re being so open about it!”

“Although he doesn’t like things too cheesy, I still want to tell him again.” Shen Xuzhi held the microphone and said to Qing Lin through the crowd, “Qing Lin, thank you for agreeing to marry me.”

The concert organizers handed a microphone to Qing Lin in the audience.

Qing Lin took it, and under the gaze of tens of thousands of people and amidst the cheers and screams, he told Shen Xuzhi, “Don’t forget, I was the one who proposed marriage first.”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! It was Linlin, actually!”

“I always thought it was Shen Xuzhi who couldn’t wait!”

“Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! I love a love where both run toward each other!!”

The brilliant lights illuminated the night sky, and the stadium was a cauldron of human voices.

“The ring I received the moment I turned 22 is finally going to fulfill its purpose.” Qing Lin smiled, his beautiful eyes sparkling with gentle starlight. “Shen Xuzhi, I also want to tell you that from the moment we met and fell in love, to standing by each other—”

“—I’ve fallen in love with you over and over again.”