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Qin missing me in the most “I’m-not-missing-you” way. (Obvious to me though 😂)

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Dropping this here and exposing you a bit, kasi senti day post to para sayo, brad…

When I first met you, you were that shy, quiet kid. But when we got close, you turned into this lively, energetic, super talkative version of yourself. That’s when I realized—your quietness wasn’t your real personality. It was your armor. You had walls, and for some reason, you let them down with me.

With you, it always felt like I was looking at a mirror. Not physically (obviously 😅), but in how we think, how we feel, how we move through the world. I still remember that one conversation where we joked maybe we were twins in a past life—because of how in sync we are. I don’t know if it’s just the Aries-INFJ combo or what, but whatever it is, I’ve always seen you like a little sister I truly cherish.

That’s also why it hurts when you’re hurting.

Brad, I hope you find healing—not just in your body, but in your soul and your spirit too. I won’t say I miss the “old you” because, honestly, she still peeks out sometimes to annoy me. 😂 But what I really hope is that you heal enough to feel whole again. To stop feeling like you’re losing your spark—because you’re not.

You’re still you. And I’ll always remind you of that.

I’m proud of the person you’ve become. And of the person you’re still becoming.

I miss you, braw. Sana gumaling ka na. Mahal kita, brad. Always.

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Before and After

Before - because fetching Qin took longer than expected, you just have to play Legend of Zelda. 😂

After - turns out she has a lot to bring 😂

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I was just sitting and reading when I noticed Qin looking at me—more like watching me, carefully. Not in a sweet or flirty way, but in that kind of quiet, thoughtful stare I know too well. The kind she does when something’s bothering her.

She had been staring for over 10 minutes, so I told her she was going to melt me at that rate. I asked if she wanted to say something—if something was wrong.

Turns out, there was. Something happened with one of her staff, and it was making her feel both sad and heavy. She told me the story—and knowing her, I understood right away why it weighed on her so much.

The situation was this: her staff is engaged and already planning the wedding. But despite being in a long-term relationship, she’s been feeling alone for quite a while now. Not physically alone—but emotionally. Lonely. Disconnected. And it’s making her question whether she should even go through with the marriage.

I could tell Qin wanted to say: then don’t. Cancel it. Walk away before it’s too late. But she’s careful not to overstep. So it stayed between the two of us for now—just a quiet, thoughtful conversation. Still, knowing Qin, that won’t be the end of it. She’ll find a gentle way to talk to her again.

Personally, I really believe no one should feel alone in a relationship—especially not in marriage. Like that book Qin and I read together once said: marriage isn’t just about love, it’s about witnessing someone’s life. You promise to care about the big things, the hard things, even the boring, everyday things.

You’re saying:

“Your life will not go unnoticed, because I will notice it.”

“Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness.”

That’s what it’s supposed to be.

So if you’re feeling alone while being with someone—really alone—then something’s already wrong. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Your theater skills brings out your directing skills.

I miss you a little extra today, laopo.

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|🧴💨

Went to the pantry earlier to make myself some chamomile tea, then passed by JI and the others…

JI: Captain, were you wearing the same perfume you had on during dinner with the ADs?

Me: When was that?

JI: Last week, July 9.

Me: What day was that?

JI: Wednesday.

Me: Ah, then nope. That was Carolina Herrera Bad Boy. Why?

Turns out, her boyfriend noticed the scent when he fetched her and wanted to know what it was—she was just waiting for the right moment to ask since, apparently, I switch up my perfume every day. 😂

Hahaha. I don’t actually change it daily—I have a schedule now. Courtesy of Qin. 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

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|💍

One of my Filo team members asked for a bit of an extended leave—she needed to fly home to PH for her sister’s wedding. I don’t usually ask for personal reasons when people file leaves. It’s their right, and I’m fine with it as long as they don’t leave anything hanging that could cause problems.

But this team of mine? They always like telling stories behind their requests. She even shared that she looked at Qin’s wedding gown for inspiration—and said she actually tried to find photos of Qin’s entourage gowns because she wanted to base her Maid of Honor dress on them.

So I told her the reason she couldn’t find anything: Qin didn’t have one. No entourage. No big ceremony. Just a very intimate wedding with only our immediate families—parents and siblings. That’s it.

She was stunned. “No way! Ms. Qin??!”

It’s always funny when people react like that. Everyone assumes she’d want something big and grand. Honestly, I thought the same. That’s why I figured she suggested a small wedding to help me financially—but nope. She just really wanted something private and meaningful.

So I focused on what mattered to her. I did my best to make it reflect her favorites—her favorite place, her favorite flowers, and the celestial theme she always loved. And everything turned out beautiful.

That day, I saw Qin at her happiest. And I’ve always knew - a happy Qin, is a happy Andrew. 😉

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062925

Because it’s my queen’s birthday, I’m dropping a little story about her…

When I first saw her back in uni, I knew instantly—she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in real life. And yeah, I’ll admit it—she was absolutely my type. I honestly thought she was a celebrity. Then I found out she was a theater actress, so that kind of confirmed it.

She was a common friend of one of my closest classmates, and he once told me she could take helicopter rides on a whim. That was the moment I knew—yep, way out of my league.

We became friends eventually. We had two electives together and the same group of friends, so we’d all eat lunch together almost every day.

One time during lunch, they were teasing her about this super persistent guy who was trying to pursue her. He was loaded and would send her a gift every day. She clearly felt uncomfortable about it, so—being my usual mischievous self—I joined in and started calling her by that guy’s surname: “Ong.” She hated it, but we both kind of got used to it.

Qin’s always been picky—not about food, but about people. Especially men. She knows what she wants and definitely knows what she doesn’t. I remember overhearing her during one of those lunch conversations, saying, “I don’t want to marry for love.” One of the girls replied, “We figured you might end up in a fixed marriage,” and she quickly said, “No, definitely not. I don’t want to marry for money either—or because of matchmaking.” I went to the restroom after that, so I didn’t catch the rest of her explanation. But that moment stuck with me. I thought, Oh… she’s not the marrying type.

People teased us back then. Said she had a crush on me. But I never took it seriously. I never entertained the thought—maybe because I had already convinced myself she wasn’t the type to fall.

But fast forward to now—I married her. And I finally understand what she meant back then.

She didn’t want to marry for love or for money because both are unstable foundations. When you marry for love, you place so many expectations on the other person. You expect your partner to be everything—provider, best friend, therapist, soulmate, business partner. But no one can live up to all that, not all the time.

People say marriage is like building a company. And if you were building a company, would you choose a co-founder just because they make you feel butterflies? Probably not. You’d want someone who shares your vision, values, work ethic, and direction. Someone you can build with. Someone you can go to war with.

That’s why she married me. Not for love. Not for money. But because we want to grow in the same direction. Because she knows I’ll fight with her and for her. Because we both want to build something real.

We’re building that now—our little empire, our life together.

And me? I didn’t fall in love with her—I walked into love with her. Step by step. Fully aware. Willing. Intentional.

And I’ll keep walking in love with her, every day, for as long as she wants me to.

Maligayang Kaarawan, Aking Reyna.

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Qin’s Friends

Qin: Love, ** still wants your recipe. What should I tell her?

AK: Why not just invite them over? I’ll cook for everyone.

Qin: That actually sounds perfect. Wait—I’ll ask them.

⸻

On the day they visited…

I cooked for them, and the house was buzzing with laughter and chatter. It was loud, in the best way. But somewhere in the middle of the fun, one of Qin’s friends accidentally broke the handle on the bathroom lavatory. She panicked and kept apologizing, worried that we’d have to call maintenance first thing in the morning because of her.

But Qin, ever so chill, just said, “It’s no big deal—Andrew can fix it.”

Her friends were surprised. “Wait, you don’t need to call someone for that?”

Apparently not everyone expects a guy to know how to fix things.

I just laughed to myself. I always thought troubleshooting was basic—something every guy should know. Then again, maybe that’s just the effect of living alone for years. You kind of pick up the skills you need to survive. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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061325

Qin told me, “You look so happy, love.”

And I said, “Of course I am! This is the first time your dad agreed to play tennis instead of golf. I feel like I won him all over again.” (Plus, no hand pain this time! 😂)

But before we hit the court, she was like,

“Love, can you please be more careful? Your right hand just healed. Don’t overdo it, okay? Both of you.”

(Yes, she scolded us both like we were kids sneaking out.)

After the game, her dad and I had a really good conversation—deep and unexpected. He opened up about his kids, especially Qin. He talked about how, out of all of them, he sees the most potential in her. And yet, she’s the only one who refused to be seen as his successor.

Qin is the only one who chose not to stay in their country for school. She went abroad—on her own—and that’s how we met. Even before I came into the picture, she was already carving out a name for herself in theater. And while her parents, being very private people, weren’t thrilled at first, they still supported her because she was truly passionate about it.

Honestly, being with me wasn’t their ideal for her either. But when Qin got serious about the business because of me—and I mean really invested in it—they started warming up to me. I guess I won them over somehow. 😅 Especially since, apparently, Qin was extremely selective. 😂

But I’m genuinely happy to hear that they think I brought out something good in her. That maybe I helped things fall into place a little.

Then Ba said something that stuck with me:

“You know why, out of the three, I would still choose Qin? It’s not just because she’s the brightest or most capable. It’s because she never acts like she owns things. She’s always been a steward. Someone who takes care of what’s entrusted to her. When you give her something precious, she protects it, grows it. She leads by example. She’s proud of the way she nurtures what matters most.”

And honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

It kind of felt like an early Father’s Day moment for us.

Ba, you raised such an incredible daughter. Your example didn’t just shape her—it’s shaping me too.

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Love, my heart is full. ❤️

Will always be grateful for you and Sethy, being the reason I can celebrate today. You both made my dream come true. 🥹

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Since your wife likes taking shot like these. Here are two out of hundreds. 😁

Yeah, this is just me appreciating how Qin managed to capture almost all our date nights.

It feels nice when you’re the favorite person of your wife. Happy wife, happy life, right? 😂

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“I’ll be the greatest fan of your life.”

Palagi akong proud sayo, mahal ko.

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Congratulations, Mahal ko! 🥳💐👏🏻

All those years of stress, caffeine, and arguing with your dissertation finally paid off! 🫡

I’ve seen your strength, your sleepless nights, and your moments of doubt - and now I get to witness your triumph. You did it with grace, brilliance, and a lot of coffee. And I couldn’t be prouder (or luckier and blessed) to be with you. It’s an honor to celebrate your success - today and always.

Now, go show the world what a powerhouse looks like. 😉

But first, let’s celebrate like you don’t have another paper due. Take a break. You’ve earned a nap, a drink, about 500 hugs and anything you want. 😉

I’m so proud of you, Dr. Wang-Phx!

Congratulations, Mommy! 😘

We love you so much! ❤️

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2 of the most worried people in my life, it should have been 3 if Mama was here but 🤷🏻‍♂️

I wanted to post about this last mother’s day, but I wasn’t able to, so…

Here’s to the two most important women in my life — my amazing mom and my incredible wife. Thank you both not just for all the love you give every day, but for taking such good care of me these past few weeks while I’ve been sick. I couldn’t have asked for more strength, patience, or kindness. I’m beyond grateful. I love you both deeply. ❤️

Happy Birthday, Ma! 💐

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How 2 of my mains check on me…

AM didn’t bother me but bothered Qin. 😂

————

Because my bestfriend FE got worried, he did a quick visit…

He gave me a lot of pasalubong…

FE: Oh, fresh from Cebu

AK: Wow, umuwi ka dun?

FE: Umattend ako ng kasal diba

I opened the bag and all of it were foods. But 3 boxes of tea caught my attention. The brand is my ex’s surname. I held it and showed it to him.

AK: Nang-aasar ka ba tol?

FE: 😂 Pero masarap yan, yan gamit na tea ni ** sa cafe niya

AK: 🤨

🙃🙃🙃

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This is my Sabyboo’s sweet revenge for the time I didn’t rescue her after she shot me that look—you know, the one that said “save me.” But hey, she’s a grown woman. I let her handle it. She did, of course… but she never let me forget it. 😅

Love, this event was meant for you—you were invited, and I was just the tag-along. I didn’t want to take you away from the people who came to see you. So why are you bullying me now? 😂😅