Divorce Is An Absolute Must! - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Joy and Sorrow

◎Someone is happy, someone is sad.◎

The next day, Li Lan didn’t let Zhu Qing go to the kindergarten because the variety show was about to start filming, and Zhu Qing needed to prepare the necessary gear for the trip.

In the morning, Li Lan ordered breakfast from a hotel, including a portion for Xiao Bao, and told Zhu Qing not to get up early.

“Are you sure I don’t need to go?”

Before she left, Zhu Qing stood in the doorway, staring at Li Lan, who was putting on a mask.

Li Lan’s nose and mouth were covered by the soft fabric, and a soft smile peeked out from her exposed eyes.

“No need.”

Zhu Qing looked down slightly. Li Lan was dressed very modestly today. If you ignored her superior height and demeanor, she wouldn’t look out of place among the parents picking up their children at the kindergarten.

“Are you very worried?” Li Lan asked softly.

Zhu Qing was a little conflicted. “Not really. It’s just that I feel like I’m a staff member at the kindergarten, so it might be more convenient to bring you… but then I thought, what kind of staff member am I? My presence or absence wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

She was just an ordinary contract worker, the kind who was almost on minimum wage. Not only would she not be able to help them if she went with Li Lan, but she would also be a hindrance.

Li Lan looked at her. “Mm, bringing you along would make it look like we’re collecting a debt.”

Zhu Qing: ?

Li Lan said, “The parents of the child you saved are still making a fuss at the kindergarten. They think the kindergarten didn’t do enough to protect their child. The kindergarten had to bring you up and say, ‘Even though we tried our best, we couldn’t avoid all harm, but our excellent teacher protected the child at the first moment by putting herself in harm’s way.'”

Zhu Qing’s mouth dropped open. “They can do that?”

“The parents scoffed and said that you’re just an assistant teacher. When there’s glory, you’re ‘our teacher.’ When there’s trouble, you’re just a contract worker. Saving the child was your own personal action. They said that when you go to work at the kindergarten, they’ll give you a huge banner.”

Zhu Qing: …

“No, please don’t. And they’ll probably take pictures, too. Please spare me.”

Xiao Bao was already waiting downstairs. Li Lan walked out the door and affectionately ruffled Zhu Qing’s hair. “Then you stay home. Qian Chu will bring your clothes over. I’m leaving.”

Zhu Qing was too embarrassed to see her out again and waved. “Drive safe.”

After closing the door, Zhu Qing suddenly felt like she was seeing her wife off to work.

Zhu Qing, who was already embarrassed by her actions from the night before, covered her face and tried to maintain a cool, indifferent expression, but her cheeks secretly turned red.

Qian Chu’s work ability was always excellent. As soon as Li Lan left, she brought a team over.

“First, clean up the inside and outside of the house. The production crew will come tonight to film the packing video. Put away anything that shows a brand name. Cover anything that can’t be moved. We don’t want the production crew to have to blur things out in post-production, which would distract the audience with mosaics.”

“There’s no need to clean up Lan’s room. I’ve already prepared all her things. She’ll start filming from the airport, not at home.”

“Don’t put away all the things in the bathroom. It’ll look too fake. Cover the toiletries with the boxes I’ve prepared.”

“Just tidy up the fridge a little. We need to show that Zhu Qing often cooks and has a homebody image.”

Zhu Qing silently followed behind Qian Chu, listening to her assign tasks to everyone. When she heard the last sentence, her eyelid couldn’t help but twitch.

“I have a persona?”

Qian Chu said as a matter of course, “Of course. Haven’t you seen the official announcements for the show? Lan’s Weibo exploded yesterday, and everyone is speculating about who you are.”

Zhu Qing really hadn’t seen it. She immediately took out her phone and went to Li Lan’s homepage.

Li Lan hadn’t posted anything. She had just reposted a preview of the show’s filming, and Li Lan was ranked third in the official lineup.

“Li Lan and her partner outside the industry.”

Zhu Qing jumped to the comments section. She had already seen the mixed quality of Li Lan’s fans and her heart was in her throat, afraid of seeing any comments attacking her.

[Lanlan has shown her marriage certificate. It can’t be more public than that. Please be aware.]

[What is the pink platform trying to do? Two same-s3x couples, two opposite-s3x couples. It feels like a storm is coming?]

[Looking forward to Li Lan! Looking forward to Li Lan’s little wifey!]

Zhu Qing choked hard when she saw the last three words.

She looked at Qian Chu in horror. “‘Little wifey’ is my persona?”

Qian Chu looked at Zhu Qing thoughtfully for a while. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“No, please, no,” Zhu Qing said, pushing out her hand again today. She said with a heavy heart, “I refuse. Tell me, what persona did you guys decide on for me?”

Qian Chu looked a little regretful. “Lan told you to play it by ear, but I hope you’ll be quiet and say as little as possible.”

Zhu Qing: …

“You want me to talk less and do more, right?” Zhu Qing felt a strong sense of disgust.

Qian Chu said seriously, “This is for your protection. There are four couples. Lan has also planned to lower her presence and talk less. Her own qualities are superior, and the audience is always more forgiving of beautiful people. So, as long as Lan completes the tasks diligently, she will gain favor. This is very safe. But you…”

Zhu Qing glared at Qian Chu with an “==” expression. She had already anticipated what Qian Chu was going to say.

When a beautiful person doesn’t talk, they are a quiet beauty. When they do talk, they are a lively and cute beauty. But for Zhu Qing, who was just an ordinary person, talking too much would make people think she was a show-off. If she stayed silent, she could be seen as an honest person who worked hard. At worst, she would be seen as “boring.”

Zhu Qing said, “I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise.”

Qian Chu looked at her for a while longer. Zhu Qing touched her face. “What else do you want to say?”

Qian Chu sighed. “I’m worried. You’re not in the industry, so you’re at the bottom of the food chain. The production crew probably won’t take good care of you, and the audience, especially Lan’s fans, will be naturally critical and judgmental of you… You’ll see when you get there. The show will have one episode a day. It’s filmed and edited the same night, and it airs the next day. Countless people will be watching your every move.”

Qian Chu’s words made her anxious too. “Then do you want me to go or not? Didn’t you come to me and say you were worried about the six million yuan?”

Qian Chu said speechlessly, “I’m not worried about the six million yuan. I’m doing this for Lan’s career development… whatever, maybe there won’t be any problems.”

“Exactly. You can’t just always think of the worst-case scenario,” Zhu Qing said, waving her hand to comfort her. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful with what I say and do.”

The clothes prepared for Zhu Qing completely filled a 24-inch suitcase.

“The filming will last for a total of twelve days. We’re going to two travel destinations. The first is a remote mountain area in the southwest, and the second is an animal migration area in Africa. I’ve prepared all the clothes you’ll need. Just remember to change according to the weather.”

Zhu Qing was confused. “We’re going to a remote mountain area to travel?”

“Yes, the scenery there is beautiful. But you’ll have to find your own food and water. The first leg is a bit like a wilderness survival trip.”

Zhu Qing thought about it. Her survival skills should be fine, and Li Lan wasn’t spoiled either. It would be fine.

“Then what are we doing at the animal migration area in Africa? Helping the animals migrate?”

Qian Chu said, “We’re going to watch the animal migration. These next few months are the best time to see it. A large number of animals will pass through the grasslands. The scene is magnificent and spectacular. I went once when I was in college, and it really made me feel the power of nature.”

Her words piqued Zhu Qing’s curiosity. “That sounds pretty nice.”

“Be careful,” Qian Chu sighed. “The production crew will probably remind you, too. There’s malaria and cholera in Africa. Food you eat needs to be cooked. Tuck your pants into your socks. Always have your medication in your bag.”

Zhu Qing opened her phone’s memo app and wrote down everything Qian Chu said.

Qian Chu was like a mother, reminding her of a bunch of things. Finally, the others were also done packing. There was nothing else to remind her of, so it was time for her to leave.

Before she left, Qian Chu asked a question.

“You’re home alone. Isn’t Qian Cancan with you?”

Zhu Qing was confused. “No. She lives at her place.”

Qian Chu pursed her lips. “I mean, has she not contacted you these past few days?”

Zhu Qing thought for a moment and shook her head. “No. She went to a party with some minor celebrities, I think it was the night before last? Or was it the night before that? Anyway, she hasn’t contacted me since. Are you looking for her for something?”

Qian Chu was silent for two seconds and shook her head. “No.”

Zhu Qing saw them out the door. Just as she said goodbye, the elevator doors chimed, and someone walked out.

Zhu Qing saw her and smiled. “Speak of the devil. Qian Chu was just looking for you.”

Qian Chu looked at Qian Cancan and took a step forward. “You…”

Qian Cancan walked right past her, as if she hadn’t seen her at all.

“I bought some food,” Qian Cancan walked towards Zhu Qing, squeezing past Qian Chu. “There are cream puffs, your favorite.”

Zhu Qing looked at Qian Cancan, then at Qian Chu, and smiled apologetically at the latter.

Qian Cancan closed the door with her hand.

“Bang.” Qian Chu and her team were locked outside.

Zhu Qing clicked her tongue. “That was a little rude of you.”

Qian Cancan didn’t say anything. She kicked off her shoes, took the things to the living room, and sat down cross-legged on the carpet.

“Come and eat.”

Zhu Qing looked at the time. “It’s only eleven. I’m not hungry yet.”

“Then keep me company and have a drink.”

Zhu Qing politely declined. “I quit drinking.”

“Drink,” Qian Cancan took out a 500ml bottle of pineapple beer. “Don’t be so wishy-washy.”

Zhu Qing was relieved when she saw the packaging. Guangdong-style pineapple beer had the word “beer” in its name but didn’t contain any alcohol. “This is fine.”

Qian Cancan scoffed. “You only like these useless fruity drinks.”

Zhu Qing felt a hint of aggression. “…What’s wrong?”

Qian Cancan didn’t say anything, and Zhu Qing didn’t press her further. She drank the “useless” drink and ate some small seafood with her.

Just when Zhu Qing thought Qian Cancan wasn’t going to say anything else, she suddenly stood up.

Qian Cancan rummaged through her backpack and took out a wristwatch and a necklace, putting them on Zhu Qing.

“What are you doing?” Zhu Qing quickly pulled her hands behind her back.

“I’m giving you something to show off,” Qian Cancan said. “The people you’ll meet on the show will definitely be rich. If you, an outsider, don’t wear anything, people will look down on you.”

Zhu Qing squinted and looked at the wristwatch. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was Qian Cancan’s eighteenth birthday present. “No. I absolutely refuse to wear anything that’s worth more than a million. Besides, we’re going on a trip, a budget trip, for the audience to see. The production crew definitely won’t allow us to wear things that show off our wealth. The more simple and real I am, the less I’ll offend the audience.”

Qian Cancan’s facial features were all scrunched up. “But I heard that the people over there are hard to get along with. I’m not talking about the people on camera. I’m talking about the production crew behind the scenes, the directors, the staff, and the leaders of the station. There are a ton of people who are snobs.”

Zhu Qing took another half-step back. “Just let Li Lan handle those things. We’re not on a divorce show. We’re a couple, so Li Lan and I are a package deal. They won’t do anything to me alone.”

“Really?” Qian Cancan was still skeptical. “You really don’t need anything to show off?”

Zhu Qing almost swore an oath. She widened her eyes to show her sincerity. “Really.”

Only then did Qian Cancan sit back down, giving up on using force.

“Then I’m good. I’m leaving,” Qian Cancan said.

Zhu Qing was stunned. “Leaving? Just like that?”

Qian Cancan clapped her hands, put her leftover seafood shells into a bag, and drank the rest of the beer.

“Yeah,” she said, picking up the trash and not looking back. “I called a cab. It’ll be here soon.”

Zhu Qing quickly followed her. “You just drank. You should wait a little longer before you leave.”

Qian Cancan ignored Zhu Qing. Zhu Qing snatched her phone and canceled the order.

Qian Cancan was furious. “My cancellation fee!”

“You’re talking nonsense all the time,” Zhu Qing said, pressing Qian Cancan onto the sofa. “Sober up before you leave.”

Qian Cancan glared at her, grumbled a few more words about the “cancellation fee,” and quickly fell asleep as the alcohol took effect.

Zhu Qing laid the sofa flat, put her in a comfortable position, drew the curtains, and turned off the lights.

Qian Cancan often went crazy in cycles. Zhu Qing didn’t have to guess that she had been unlucky in love again, but she had so many good girlfriends that Zhu Qing didn’t know who she had lost her mind over this time. In any case, in a few days, she would be back to her lively and heroic self.

Zhu Qing took out her laptop and started doing her homework for the show. She looked up things to pay attention to, things to remember, the daily itinerary, the local weather, culture, environment, and so on.

Two hours later, someone knocked on the door again.

“Li Lan?” Zhu Qing said, pulling the door open expectantly.

Qian Chu was standing outside, her hand still not fully lowered from knocking.

“Why are you here? Is there something else?” Zhu Qing opened the door wider.

Qian Chu looked hesitant. “Lan is going to meet someone this afternoon.”

Zhu Qing said, “Oh.” Li Lan had informed her about it on her phone. She thought Li Lan had finished early. “I know. Is that all you came to say?”

Qian Chu looked inside the door. “Can I come in?”

Before Zhu Qing could say anything, Qian Cancan sat up like a zombie.

“Who are you looking for?” Qian Cancan asked, her eyes wide.

Qian Chu didn’t say anything.

Qian Cancan stood up, pushed Zhu Qing aside, and lifted her chin. “Looking for me? Fine, let’s talk outside.”

Zhu Qing belatedly realized that she seemed to have been caught in some sort of subtle battle. She instinctively grabbed Qian Cancan’s arm. “Talk it out calmly.”

Qian Cancan’s expression didn’t change. “There’s not much to talk about. Are you coming or not?”

Qian Chu’s gaze fell on Qian Cancan, from her slightly red, drunken cheeks to her seemingly unsteady body. She hesitated for two seconds. “I’m coming.”

The door was once again slammed shut by Qian Cancan.

Qian Cancan walked out without a word, got into the elevator, went to the garage, opened the door of her sports car, and stopped.

“Oh,” she said expressionlessly. “I can’t drink and drive. You drive.”

Qian Chu said in a low voice, “I drove my own car.”

“Oh, really? I don’t want to ride in your car.”

Qian Chu frowned and looked at her a few times. “Can we talk this out properly?”

“I don’t think so. How about you leave now? I just remembered that I didn’t take out the trash.”

After saying that, Qian Cancan turned to go back, but Qian Chu, after hesitating for two seconds, stopped her.

“Zhu Qing is very busy today. Her show starts filming tomorrow. Don’t cause her any trouble right now.”

Qian Cancan said coolly, “She won’t think I’m any trouble.”

After saying that, she glanced at Qian Chu and scoffed, “And she won’t yell at me.”

Qian Chu fell silent.