Divorce Is An Absolute Must! - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Beautiful Scenery

◎The journey was worth it.◎

“What goes through your head all day?” Li Lan’s expression was complex, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Zhu Qing shrunk her neck. “Xiao Lan? A-Lan? Lan Bao? Lanlan? Jie Jie? The mother of my child?”

Li Lan let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “Just call me Li Lan.”

“I’ll stick with Lan,” Zhu Qing said with a little hesitation.

Li Lan said, “You can change it.”

Her tone was a bit subtle. “Preferably not Lan.”

Zhu Qing retorted, “Why? A lot of people call their partners ‘boss’.”

Li Lan looked at her calmly and said sincerely, “I don’t want to feel like I’m traveling with an employee.”

Zhu Qing suddenly understood, but she was still undecided. “Then I’ll think about it.”

Li Lan sighed. “If you can’t think of anything, then Lan is fine. Anything but ‘Little Lanzi’.”

“I was just joking. I’m not stupid. Your fans would eat me alive if I called you ‘Little Lanzi’.” Zhu Qing said with a laugh. “I definitely won’t back down. I’ll just fight with your fans again.”

Li Lan tapped her brow with her knuckles, looking like she had a headache. “You seem to have a lot of opinions about my fans. Most of them are actually quite rational.”

Zhu Qing’s expression was clearly one of disbelief. “Oh?”

Li Lan lowered her hand and said with certainty, “Mm. The people who talk disrespectfully are not my fans. I’m guessing they’re just random people.”

“Okay, if you say they’re not, then they’re not. The person in charge is personally expelling them from the fandom,” Zhu Qing said with a shrug. “Anyway, if your fans treat me like a pushover, then I’ll come back and push you over.”

Li Lan raised her eyebrow in a provocative manner. “How would you push me over?”

Zhu Qing looked at her for two seconds, then turned her head. “…You’ll have to cook your own meals.”

Li Lan looked like she wanted to laugh. “My cooking skills have deteriorated. Let’s not.”

Zhu Qing remembered things at home. “Did you turn off the electricity in your room?”

“Nothing in my room needs to be turned off,” Li Lan said.

Zhu Qing thought for a moment and said, “Are the windows on the balcony closed tightly?”

Li Lan nodded.

Zhu Qing said, “Is my moth orchid placed in a cool spot?”

Li Lan: “It’s taken care of.”

“Did we lock the door?”

“Mm.”

Zhu Qing thought for a moment. “Then…”

Li Lan interrupted. “Everything’s taken care of.”

Zhu Qing was still not at ease. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Will the house be robbed?”

Li Lan looked at her helplessly. “No.”

Zhu Qing thought that was true. “Will it be inconvenient for Xiao Bao to come back if the electricity is turned off at home?”

Li Lan shook her head and chuckled. “She’s staying at Zhao Yun’s house. We’ll pick her up when we get back.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhu Qing drew out her words. Because of her nervousness, her eyes kept darting back and forth. A moment later, she asked, “You said Xiao Bao’s matter has been resolved. What’s the specific situation?”

When Li Lan came home yesterday, Zhu Qing asked about Xiao Bao’s matter. Li Lan was waiting for the school’s response and the donation procedures, so she didn’t give Zhu Qing the details.

Li Lan explained patiently, “I went to the welfare center and spoke with the principal there. We’ll donate that batch of books in the name of a social donation, and I’ll add an additional personal donation. The little girl Xiao Bao was friends with just arrived at the welfare center. Her parents passed away in a car accident, and she has no relatives to take care of her. She has a very cheerful personality. I don’t know what will happen to her in the future, but I don’t plan to interfere too much. I also told the principal not to publicize this matter.”

Zhu Qing felt that Li Lan’s way of solving the problem was perfect and nodded. “What did Zhao Yun say?”

In many ways, Zhao Yun was more like a parent than either of them. Li Lan was more of a hands-off parent, and Zhu Qing had just lost her memory, so Zhao Yun was more concerned.

“She has no objections.”

Zhu Qing frowned. Her caring nature made her worry. “But you said the environment at the welfare center isn’t good. The children inside…”

“Great good and great evil are both rare. Xiao Bao isn’t the type to attract bad people. It’s just a normal interaction between children. It’s enough for the parents to be a little more mindful. Zhao Yun isn’t trying to make Xiao Bao stay away from them. She’s just worried.”

Zhu Qing let out a long breath, finally putting her worries to rest.

Li Lan reached down and squeezed Zhu Qing’s knee. She had discovered that Zhu Qing became talkative when she was nervous, but as long as she chatted with her to distract her, she would calm down. She was easy to manage.

The two chatted about this and that for a while. It was mostly Zhu Qing asking questions and Li Lan answering.

The atmosphere between them was very comfortable, and their casual conversation made them feel closer to each other. The excitement of the trip gradually bubbled up.

This feeling of intimacy lasted until they got to the airport.

As soon as they got out of the car, the cameras were on them. Zhu Qing was still not used to it, so she just smiled when the cameras were pointed at her.

The two got on the plane. The journey was a little over three hours. Li Lan took advantage of the time to sleep, and even though Zhu Qing couldn’t sleep, she also closed her eyes to rest. The cameras filmed a few segments of their conversation and then turned off.

After getting off the plane, they took a car onto a national highway. After two hours, a dirt road appeared in front of them.

The director in charge of the two came over and knocked on the window. “Teacher Li, it’s time to get off.”

In front of them were endless hills covered in green grass. There was only a flattened gravel road in the middle, and next to it was a cattle trail. Someone was slowly walking by with a herd of yaks.

A small calf stopped in front of the car and curiously used its long horns to butt the car’s headlights. It wasn’t afraid of strangers at all.

Li Lan opened the door, saw the place, and said strangely, “Are we changing vehicles?”

The director nodded and said with a smile, “Yes. Grab your luggage. You and Zhu Qing are getting into another vehicle.”

Zhu Qing obediently went to get the luggage and stood behind Li Lan. Li Lan asked one more question. “What kind of vehicle are we getting on?”

The director’s eyes immediately flickered. Li Lan narrowed her eyes, and just as she was about to press on, she heard Zhu Qing exclaim softly, “That’s a huge ox!”

A yellowish-gray ox walked over. It was a size bigger than the black yak from before. It was big and tall, and it had a pair of huge horns. Behind it was a wooden cart.

The director whispered in Li Lan’s ear, “An ox cart.”

Li Lan: …

Zhu Qing curiously went up and touched the ox’s back. The ox gently rubbed its nose against her palm. Zhu Qing said happily, “It’s saying hello to me! It looks so gentle.”

Li Lan was speechless with the production team, but her facial expression was on point from beginning to end. Seeing that Zhu Qing was happy, she went along with it. “Shall we take the ox cart next?”

Even though she wanted to complain about the production team, she saw that Zhu Qing wasn’t opposed to it, so she just held her nose and went with it.

To her surprise, Zhu Qing said directly, “Hahaha, don’t joke. Why would we need an ox cart for this kind of road? It’s so spacious. Two SUVs could drive side by side. Ox carts are for narrow, uphill roads in remote mountain areas where cars can’t go and you need to pull heavy loads. It’s so pitiful to have the little ox carry us when it’s already so tired…”

As she spoke, she felt the air become a little quiet.

Li Lan’s expression looked like she was holding back something. She wanted to laugh but held it in, and she glanced at the director.

The director had whispered in Li Lan’s ear, so Zhu Qing hadn’t heard. She naturally didn’t know that this was the vehicle they were supposed to get on. When she saw everyone looking at her, she had the sense to be quiet.

Li Lan cleared her throat. “Let’s get on.”

Zhu Qing bowed her head and got on the cart, sat down, and continued to look down at the road.

Li Lan said in a low voice, “I promise this part won’t be in the final cut.”

Zhu Qing looked down at the cracks in the wooden cart and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito, “Are you sure?”

Li Lan rubbed the soft hair on the back of her head and said with a smile, “I’m sure.”

Halfway through the journey, a camera poked out of the window of the SUV behind them. Li Lan looked at Zhu Qing and initiated a conversation. “Have you ever ridden in an ox cart before?”

Zhu Qing nodded honestly. “I went back to my hometown once when I was a kid, but our place is in the northwest, and the climate is drier. The last part of the journey was in an ox cart, but don’t worry, mules pulling carts are more common.”

Li Lan showed an appropriate expression of difficulty, complexity, and a mixture of emotions. “This is my first time. It feels… very magical.”

The production team was purely trying to create a gimmick by putting Li Lan on an ox cart, and Li Lan handled it very well, cooperating with the reactions.

This segment was immediately cut and posted. #International Supermodel takes an ox cart into the village, Li Lan says it’s very novel# was a hot topic and received ten thousand likes in half an hour.

“Li Lan’s smile is perfect, but her eyes are dead.”

“Lan’s expression: Even walking in three fashion shows in 20-centimeter heels wasn’t this soul-crushing.”

“Old man, do local people use ox carts often?”

The dark-skinned old man driving the ox cart in front was full of energy and laughed loudly. “Yes. We use oxen for farming and for transportation. Oxen are good friends.”

“Your ox looks very well-fed,” Li Lan said, complimenting him casually.

The old man laughed heartily. “Of course. Don’t let his size fool you. He has a great personality and he’s very smart. My little grandson takes him out to graze and often falls asleep on his back under the sun. He wakes up when he gets home.”

Zhu Qing and Li Lan both listened carefully. These were experiences they had never had before, and they were very unique.

The wind blew, and the ox cart swayed forward. It brought the two of them to a wooden house before dark.

The wooden house was located at the top of a gentle slope. You had to walk up a small incline to get there. Below the slope were lush green vegetable fields, and further away were rolling hills. The environment was peaceful, and the air was fresh.

As dusk approached, the morning glow blurred into warm-toned gradient silk in the misty air. The ridge of the mountain was a translucent orange-red, and golden light flowed through the treetops. The moment was slow and gentle.

The glow enveloped them like silk. Li Lan and Zhu Qing stopped at the edge of the vegetable field. The moist evening breeze blew two strands of hair. They stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the beautiful sunset together.

“The journey was worth it,” Zhu Qing exhaled softly.

Li Lan turned her head, a smile on her lips. “Yeah, even the ox cart can be forgiven.”

There were three wooden houses. The middle one was the main hall with two floors. The west side was the kitchen, and the east side was the storage room. Behind it was a large vegetable patch.

Li Lan walked to the main hall, pushed open the door, and saw a simple but fully furnished living room. The sofas were specially wrapped in new cotton cloth, and the coffee tables and cabinets around the room displayed the sponsors for this episode.

The two of them put their luggage by the door and walked around, looking at the entire house.

There were two bedrooms upstairs and downstairs. However, the downstairs bedrooms were not well-sealed. They had a stilt-style floor, and the space underneath was empty, used for storing miscellaneous items and livestock.

Zhu Qing poked her head in and saw a few chickens sleeping soundly.

Zhu Qing turned around, just about to tell Li Lan about her discovery, when she saw her walk over with a cup. “Are you hungry? This is bird’s nest soup. Try some.”

Zhu Qing was a bit hungry. She took it and took a sip. “Did we bring bird’s nest soup with us?”

Li Lan said, “This is a 6A-grade complete bird’s nest. It’s only the first nest of the golden swiftlet in the rainy season. It’s made with 12 steps of softening and has no additives or bleach. It’s natural and pure, and it’s very good for the skin.”

Zhu Qing was stunned by what she said. She turned to look and saw that the camera by the window had silently turned to face them.

Zhu Qing took a small step to block the camera and whispered, “What is this?”

She had stupidly introduced her house to the camera yesterday, and after the teaser was released, the fans had made fun of her, saying she was petty and didn’t know how to talk in front of the camera. Why was Li Lan also introducing a product?

Li Lan just smiled without saying anything. “Does it taste good?”

Zhu Qing tasted it carefully. “It’s very good.”

Li Lan said, “Did you remember the words I just said?”

Zhu Qing recalled for two seconds and nodded.

Li Lan smiled. “Repeat them.”

Zhu Qing was stunned and said, “6A complete bird’s nest, a new swiftlet’s nest after the rain, 12 steps of softening, good for the skin.”

Li Lan compared it to her own words and said with satisfaction, “That’s enough.”

Zhu Qing drank the rest of the bird’s nest soup. “Enough of what?”

The rest of the footage was not broadcast on the show, but this classic segment of “Li Lan coaxes someone to recite an advertisement” was specially edited by the production team and released in advance overnight.

The audience burst into laughter.

“What a weirdo. I just finished watching Li Lan on the ox cart and now I’m watching Li Lan trick someone into reciting an ad. Is this the Li Lan I remember?!”

“Zhu Qing’s pupils dilate: What strange thing has possessed my wife?! Next moment: Who am I, where am I, and why am I suddenly being tested??”

“I’m suddenly feeling a little bit into this couple. Real couples are the best. I’m eating this up.”

Zhu Qing only noticed when she went downstairs that the pink jars placed all around were bird’s nest soup. She had thought they were honey or jelly.

“Teacher Li, you need to choose one of the four rooms to stay in.”

The director team started the process of having them choose a room.

Li Lan looked at Zhu Qing and asked for her opinion. “Which room do you want to stay in?”

Since they were the first to arrive, the director team let them choose first.

Zhu Qing had already looked around. The two bedrooms upstairs were large and had a modern decor. There was a big bed that looked very comfortable, and the bathroom was clean and bright. It looked no different from staying at home.

The two bedrooms downstairs were wooden houses that creaked when you walked on them. The bed in the middle was a bamboo mat. There would definitely be mosquitoes and other insects, and they would have to get into the mosquito net as soon as they entered the room. One of the rooms also had chickens underneath, so they would probably be woken up every morning by a rooster crowing.

Oh, and if the chicken droppings weren’t cleaned up in time, they would have to fall asleep to that fragrant smell all night long.

“Downstairs,” Zhu Qing said. “I’ve never slept on a bamboo mat before, and there’s a small platform in the room where we can watch the stars at night.”

The room with the platform for watching stars was the one without chickens. It had miscellaneous items underneath.

This was the biggest compromise Zhu Qing had made!

Li Lan’s eyes were filled with satisfaction. She relayed the information. “That room.”

After choosing the room, the two of them started to clean and organize the space, bringing their luggage outside.

Zhu Qing knew Li Lan was a clean person, so she didn’t let her clean the room. She only had her take out the things and categorize them. She herself went to the water jar in the yard, filled a jug with water, wet a disposable towel, and carefully wiped down everything in the room.

She worked very efficiently, much faster than Li Lan. Her movements were orderly, and it was clear she was used to doing this. She had the room cleaned up in no time.

“There are new bedrolls in the closet. Let’s take them out to air out, then put up the mosquito net,” Zhu Qing said. “I’m going to spray some insecticide.”

After spraying the entire room with insecticide and disinfectant, the two of them closed the door and left, letting the insecticide take effect for a while.

Although the production team had told Li Lan that they had already fully disinfected the room, it was a mountain area, and mosquitoes and other insects would come and go. A new batch might have arrived, so Zhu Qing wasn’t at ease until she had cleaned everything herself.

When the two of them went downstairs, they heard laughter from outside the door. The production team reminded them, “The next group is here.”

The group that arrived was the youngest of the four couples, Qi Yao and his non-celebrity girlfriend.

The two of them walked out the door, and their eyes simultaneously fell on the girl behind Qi Yao.

She looked about seventeen or eighteen. She was tall and slender, wearing a plain white cotton and linen long dress. Her black hair was loosely tied up. Her facial features were also very good, as if they were lightly smudged with ink. Her eyebrows were thin and extended, and her eyes were long with a slight downward slant, giving her a natural sense of distance.

She stood there like a white lotus grown in clear water, so pure that she was a pleasure to look at.

“Teacher Li!” The girl’s eyes met Li Lan’s. Her originally distant expression suddenly lit up, and she quickly stepped forward and said happily in a clear voice, “Hello, Teacher! I’m Yu Ling, and I’m your fan!”

Li Lan took her eyes off her face, nodded slightly, and smiled without being too warm or too distant. “Hello.”

Qi Yao also stepped forward and called out, “Teacher Li.”

Li Lan also nodded at him, turned to look at Zhu Qing, and her expression softened. She introduced her warmly, “This is my partner, Zhu Qing. This is her first time on a variety show, so please take good care of her. Xiao Qing, this is Qi Yao and Yu Ling. You two are around the same age.”

Yu Ling extended her hand to Zhu Qing, a friendly smile on her lips. “Hello. You can call me Lingling. This is also my first time on a variety show. Let’s take care of each other.”

Zhu Qing took half a step forward. She couldn’t help but feel a good impression of pretty girls. She said enthusiastically, “Hello to you, too. You can just call me Zhu Qing.”

Qi Yao also gave a short greeting.

“Come on in,” Zhu Qing said, letting go of her hand. She looked a little excited. “I thought it was just the two of us today.”

Qi Yao, holding his suitcase, let out a laugh. “We came on a bus. Lingling said on the way that we might be the first ones to arrive, but it turns out Teacher Li got here first. We’re still a step behind.”

Zhu Qing said strangely, “Bus? We took an ox cart.”

Qi Yao was surprised, and a hint of distaste flashed in his eyes. He said suspiciously, “An ox cart? That’s so primitive?”

Yu Ling, on the other hand, smiled in surprise. “There’s an ox! I really want to ride in an ox cart, too!”

Zhu Qing was a little excited, and her eyes lit up. “Right? The ox was super gentle, and the cart sways as it moves. It was a great experience!”

“Will I have a chance?” Yu Ling’s eyes widened a little, and she said pitifully, “I really want to experience riding in an ox cart.”

Zhu Qing scratched her head and said with a smile, “You’ll probably have a chance in the future. I saw that the old man driving the ox cart lives nearby. I can go with you to see him tomorrow.”

Yu Ling smiled at her, and then she looked at Li Lan, her eyes sparkling. “Did Teacher Li also take an ox cart?”

Li Lan only turned her head to look at her when she heard that. She said calmly, “I had no choice. I had to make the little one happy.”

Zhu Qing, who had been happily bouncing around, suddenly stopped and blushed a little.

Yu Ling kept her smile and gave Zhu Qing a light glance.

“Then I’m even more excited.”