Divorce Is An Absolute Must! - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: CP

◎This crappy show isn’t good at all.◎

“Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu…”

Li Lan interrupted her. “What are you ‘Zhu’-ing? What kind of kid is swearing?”

“Your kid,” Zhu Qing said instinctively. She leaned closer and waved at the little one on the screen. “Zhu Zhu is here.”

The little one, Bao Bao, looked for Zhu Qing as soon as the call connected. He didn’t seem to have any issues other than being anxious, but as soon as he saw her, his cute face crumpled up, and he looked like he was about to cry.

“Don’t wail,” Li Lan said coldly. “Didn’t Teacher Zhao teach you to say something auspicious?”

Zhu Qing felt that Li Lan’s attitude towards Bao Bao was a bit too much. She took the phone from her disapprovingly and said, “Don’t mind your mom. She’s in a bad mood and wants to swear at everyone.”

Bao Bao whispered, “How’s Zhu Zhu been these past few days?”

Zhu Qing wasn’t sure if Bao Bao knew that she had been gloriously injured again, so she only talked about interesting things. “I went to the mountains to pick mushrooms.”

Bao Bao immediately got anxious. “I saw! Zhu Zhu and mom went up the mountain together, and you even cooked together. Bao Bao wants to go too!”

Zhu Qing smiled. “We’re here for work. Didn’t you see where we’re staying? There’s no Pop Mart or big TV that you like here. There are only mosquitoes the size of corn kernels.”

Bao Bao pouted, still wanting to come over.

“That’s enough. The signal in the mountains isn’t good. Listen to Teacher Zhao at home,” Li Lan said, walking over and taking the phone. She motioned for Zhu Qing to lie back down and rest. “We might be back a few days later.”

Bao Bao said, “Okay,” and then added, “Teacher Zhao will be sick tomorrow, and Auntie Can Can will take me home.”

Qian Can Can? Zhu Qing leaned over again. “Then Bao Bao, you help me keep an eye on Auntie Can Can. She’s been a little weird lately. Don’t let her run around or eat random things.”

Bao Bao took the task seriously.

Li Lan glanced at Zhu Qing, thought for a moment, and added, “Auntie Qian Chu will also come to pick you up tomorrow.”

A question mark vaguely appeared on Bao Bao’s head. Auntie Qian Chu is even busier than mom. When does she have time to pick me up from school?

Li Lan nodded. “Yes, just like that. You have to listen to Qian Chu.”

Zhu Qing was unhappy. “Can Can came first. You have to listen to your Auntie Can Can.”

Bao Bao looked at Li Lan, then at Zhu Qing. The scale in his heart tilted towards Auntie Can Can, who often brought him delicious food. “Okay.”

After hanging up, the production crew came to hurry them.

The itinerary in Africa was already set and couldn’t be delayed. Yu Ling and the other two groups had finished filming the latest episode, and they were all about to fly to Africa.

“Are you okay to travel?” Li Lan said. “If not, we can go a day later.”

Zhu Qing jumped off the bed, full of life, and did a few moves from the Eight Section Brocades to show off. “Of course I can. The police officers even said that my injuries are at most a minor one and told us to settle it ourselves.”

“That’s because the police officers saw that you didn’t want to press charges,” Li Lan said, still regretting it. “He should have gotten an administrative punishment.”

“A disgraced celebrity with a criminal record would completely ruin Meiyu Media,” Zhu Qing said, smacking her lips. “Meiyu has so many celebrities, but their new generation hasn’t grown yet. In the past two years, only Qi Yao’s period drama role has become popular and he has a chance to become an A-lister. They’ve poured all their resources into Qi Yao. They’re not going to let go of this cash cow until he makes it big and earns back their investment.”

Li Lan disagreed. “He’s a cash cow on loan, and it’s not even certain he’ll make it big.”

Zhu Qing couldn’t help but laugh. She hugged Li Lan’s waist and gave it a pat. Li Lan gasped and took her unruly hand off her body.

“You’re so concerned about me,” Zhu Qing’s voice was like honey, sticky and sweet. “Teacher Hu even said that you two don’t look like anyone has amnesia. Why are you still pulling my hand?”

Li Lan was a little uncomfortable. Her eyes fell on Zhu Qing’s upturned face, and her voice was very gentle. “Give me some more time, and… give yourself some time, too.”

Zhu Qing didn’t understand. “I have enough time.”

“You used to hate the entertainment industry,” Li Lan said, poking her eyelid with her finger. The touch was soft, and she could feel the slight muscle twitch when Zhu Qing blinked. She liked all of Zhu Qing’s reactions. They were very cute and very honest. “I don’t want to get into another argument with you because of work. This time, just be quiet, see things clearly, and then decide. Is that okay?”

It was the first time Zhu Qing had heard Li Lan explain this so clearly. She didn’t remember it, but she could roughly understand why she hated it. She had no one to take care of her since she was a child, so she saw through the cold and selfish opportunism of people. You could say that she was like a fish in water in the entertainment industry. She wasn’t surprised at all and could adapt very quickly.

But it was this familiarity that made her hate and reject it from the bottom of her heart. If Zhu Qing didn’t like the environment, she would hate the people in it.

“I don’t care. I want to be with you through thick and thin. You can’t reject me after we finish filming this show.” Zhu Qing took advantage of Li Lan’s inattention and put her hand on her again.

Li Lan moved slightly but didn’t take her hand away this time.

…

In Africa, they were mainly going to see the Great Migration and had also arranged some routes to see carnivorous animals. They would sit in a cage and be watched by the animals. Zhu Qing was very excited to see the wildebeest crossing the river. She was a native Chinese person who was fluent in English but had never been abroad. She was excited the whole way and only fell asleep after Li Lan put a blindfold on her and gave her a cup of hot milk.

After they got off the plane, Zhu Qing sent a bunch of pictures to Bao Bao. They had only been away for a week, and before Bao Bao called, Zhu Qing didn’t think much of it. But then she thought that a child would probably start looking for people after being away for a day, so now she sends pictures to Bao Bao every day.

“We should bring Bao Bao here once to let her see the animals and broaden her horizons,” Zhu Qing said. “I remember Bao Bao has a zebra toy. Does she like guinea fowl too?”

“She came once when she was little,” Li Lan said. “As soon as she got off the plane, she started throwing up and had diarrhea. It was terrifying.”

Zhu Qing said, “Ah,” and quickly said, “Then let’s not.”

The group first went to a hotel to settle in, and then the production crew arranged for a sunset dinner.

The hotel was very local, with glass-walled tent rooms. Inside, there were large pieces of linen and solid wood furniture, and on the table, there were welcome cards with Maasai handmade beadwork. The hotel was adjacent to the Mara River and faced the savanna. During the day, they could watch the animals drink water.

The locals relied on tourism for income, so they were very enthusiastic towards the tourists.

Yu Ling came over with a glass of fruit wine and asked about Zhu Qing’s physical condition.

“How are you feeling, Teacher Zhu?”

Zhu Qing had just changed into a thin long-sleeved shirt and pants. Li Lan had given her a shawl to hold, saying that the temperature at night might not be very warm.

Zhu Qing heard Yu Ling’s voice and turned around, smiling. “I’m fine. I’m great.”

Yu Ling looked her up and down and smiled at Li Lan. “I’m so sorry. Qi Yao’s personality is a bit unstable and he caused you two some trouble. I’m relieved to see that Teacher Zhu is okay.”

“Call her Zhu Qing,” Li Lan said. “She’s not in the industry, so just call her by her name.”

Yu Ling was stunned for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, Teacher Li.”

Zhu Qing walked over. The three of them walked side by side towards the outside. She said, “You’re in the same group as Qi Yao. Are you okay?”

Yu Ling lowered her eyes and said in a soft voice, “He’s just like that. You also watched the latest episode of the show yesterday. The audience… doesn’t like him.”

The latest episode was filmed on the last day in the wooden house. The production crew had originally arranged for everyone to go into the mountains to look for treasure. Based on the clues from the production crew, the first person to find enough treasure chests would win. With Li Lan and Zhu Qing not there, and Qi Yao only participating in the second half, Yu Ling had already won four or five treasure chests with her sharp observation and clever wit, and was firmly at the top of the leaderboard.

As soon as Qi Yao arrived, he started giving bad directions. After that, the two of them didn’t open a single treasure chest. What’s more, Yu Ling was about to find the most valuable treasure chest, but Qi Yao insisted on going in another direction. Yu Ling had no choice but to walk away, beautifully missing the treasure chest and going from the most likely to win to the last place.

The audience had a bird’s-eye view. A stupid and arrogant person like Qi Yao, who was dragging his partner down, was, of course, on the trending searches again.

Zhu Qing asked curiously, “How did you find those treasure chests? It’s one thing to find them by solving puzzles. You’re smart and can solve them. But there were several that required luck. You have such good luck. You chose the right path every time.”

Yu Ling turned her head to look at her. Zhu Qing’s tone and expression were very serious, with no other meaning.

“It must have been good luck,” Yu Ling turned back and smiled at Li Lan. “If Teacher Li had also participated in this episode, she might have found even more treasure chests than me.”

Li Lan said, “Not necessarily. Xiao Qing likes to wander around. She might have been a liability, too.”

Zhu Qing wasn’t having it. “Teacher Xu also just wandered around and found a few treasure chests. The production crew wasn’t really trying to make us find treasure. How could anyone wander for a long time and not find a single one? Qi Yao is just… magical.”

Zhu Qing was stunned for a moment after saying that. Oh right. The back of the mountain was only so big. Even if Qi Yao didn’t find any at the beginning, he would have eventually found at least one after wandering around and covering the entire area. How could he be so unlucky that every place he went was wrong? And Yu Ling was even more magical than Qi Yao. She found a treasure chest everywhere she went.

Li Lan changed the subject and said to Yu Ling, “You go ahead. Zhu Qing and I are going to check out the river.”

Yu Ling was silent for two seconds. “Okay. Dinner is about to start. Don’t be too long, Teacher Li.”

After she left, Zhu Qing whispered to Li Lan, “Did I say something wrong?” Why did she feel like Yu Ling’s expression was very strange when she was talking about the treasure chests?

Li Lan stared at Yu Ling’s back and frowned. “Whether you said something wrong is secondary. It’s just that she…”

Zhu Qing pressed on. “What about her?”

Li Lan suddenly said, “Between Yu Ling and Qi Yao, who do you think looks better?”

Zhu Qing tugged at her sleeve. She felt that there were mosquitoes biting her again. “This…” Zhu Qing was a little hesitant. “I can’t tell.”

“If you can’t tell, then they’re equals,” Li Lan said in a low voice. “Even though Qi Yao is stupid, he’s very good-looking. The new generation of period drama male leads is scarce. He’s a perfect match for Yu Ling just based on looks.”

And Qi Yao’s fans were very good at making data. Many producers liked this kind of celebrity who came with their own popularity. In a way, Qi Yao didn’t look like someone who was being beaten down on the trending searches. The Meiyu Media behind him, and his fans, wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing.

Zhu Qing was confused. “So?”

“So they’re in a,” Li Lan turned her head and said in a low voice, “competitive relationship.”

Zhu Qing was even more confused. Competitive? How can a man and a woman be in a competitive relationship?

Li Lan told her about the different ways new celebrities debut. Couple fans were the easiest to attract. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement for the two of them to work together to gain fans, but if one of them got into trouble, the other could convert all the couple fans into their own fans. From this perspective, the two of them were in a competitive relationship.

“From now on, try to stay away from anything that happens between them. Don’t get involved, and don’t comment.”

Zhu Qing said, “Okay.” Anyway, there was only one week of filming left. After the show ended, they would all go their separate ways and would likely never see each other again, so it wouldn’t affect her either way.

…

Smoked ostrich meat with passion fruit sauce, grilled Nile tilapia, and a bunch of weird-tasting coffee. The dinner was very rich. Zhu Qing glanced at it, held back her saliva, and looked at the production crew. Based on her observations, the production crew wouldn’t be so kind as to let them eat right away.

As expected, they had to play a game before eating, guessing some animal trivia. For example, how long a giraffe’s tongue is, what determines the gender of a baby alligator, where penguins sleep most of the time, how long it takes for a baby wildebeest to learn to run, why alligators cry, and so on.

Zhu Qing suspected that the other groups had cheated because they didn’t get a single question right.

Yu Ling handed the food they had won to Zhu Qing. “You guys can eat ours. We won a lot.”

Zhu Qing looked at Qi Yao. His expression didn’t change as he ate the food in front of him. He must have been disciplined. His expression was being managed. He didn’t break down, didn’t argue with anyone, and was quiet and reserved.

Zhu Qing looked at Li Lan again and saw her nod. She took the plate of food. “Thank you.”

Zhu Qing whispered, “She’s a really nice person.”

Li Lan said, “Where’s your jealousy?”

Zhu Qing said, “I’m not jealous anymore. I don’t think she likes you either.”

Li Lan looked at the plate of food. There were a few pieces of fruit on it that Zhu Qing had just tried and said were very delicious. Yu Ling had deliberately picked them out for her. Li Lan frowned. “I want those little fruits.”

Zhu Qing directly handed her the plate.

Yu Ling heard what Li Lan said and turned to her eagerly. “Teacher Li, I have another plate of little fruits here. Do you want them? I’ll give them all to you.” Her attitude was very enthusiastic. You couldn’t hit a person who was smiling. Li Lan said politely, “No, thank you. One or two is enough for me.”

“The production crew is going to divide us into groups to track animal footprints tomorrow,” Yu Ling said. “I hope I get to be in the same group as Teacher Li.”

The production crew usually announced the next day’s itinerary after the day’s segment was over. The scenery on the savanna was beautiful, and everyone was immersed in it. Li Lan was not as rigid as before and nodded at Yu Ling.

Yu Ling immediately broke into a happy smile. On camera, she had always liked Li Lan. She was gradually gaining fans, and when they looked at her Weibo, they could see that she had liked Li Lan’s posts many times. Her fans also knew who she was talking about when she said, “I’m so happy to be on a show with a celebrity I like.”

After that, the production crew played some more mini-games. Yu Ling kept giving hints to Li Lan and Zhu Qing. The atmosphere between them was much more harmonious than before. This was the seventh episode, the first day of filming in Africa. Everyone was tired. The content was not a lot but very fulfilling: everyone saying goodbye to the wooden house, the messages they wrote, the small games they played on the plane, and the heartwarming scenes of checking into the hotel and having dinner together.

The production crew deliberately tried to change the direction of the online arguments. This episode’s editing was filled with the beauty and warmth of a slow-paced show and a couple, plus the magnificent and spectacular natural scenery. The online discussion was much more peaceful than before.

There was only one thing that Zhu Qing wasn’t happy about. You could say she was very unhappy.

“I’m just going to say it quietly, but does anyone else think Li Lan and Yu Ling are a good match? (I know they both have a partner but I’m talking about a screen couple. Zhu Qing is a nobody, and don’t even get me started on Qi Yao. I’m looking forward to Li Lan and Yu Ling’s next collaboration.)”

“They just look good together. Li Lan has a high-end, cool vibe, and Yu Ling is a mix of cool and sweet. Their profiles look very similar.”

“Are you all crazy? Leave our married Teacher Li alone.”

Li Lan pressed on the last bullet comment and liked it. “That’s what I think, too. It’s not my fault. Just leave me alone, please.” Li Lan said it very seriously.

Zhu Qing frantically hit the report button. “Isn’t not breaking up couples a basic principle? How do you two already have a super topic?!”

Li Lan didn’t dare to speak and said in a low voice, “A super topic is very easy to create…”

“Then what about the number of fans? The super topic already has 100,000 people!”

Li Lan whispered, “The audience only looks at faces…”

“Are you saying I’m not good-looking?” Zhu Qing had temporarily lost the ability to communicate normally.

Li Lan chose to shut up and continued to watch quietly.

The screen changed. Yu Ling was holding a bottle of a strange-looking liquid and found Zhu Qing.

“I once volunteered as a teacher in Africa for two months. This is a local herbal water that can repel bugs and disinfect,” Yu Ling said like a little ray of sunshine, actively sharing her good stuff. “I asked the locals for some. It’s very effective.”

Zhu Qing said, “Thank you.” Yu Ling immediately said, “You’re welcome. Thanks to your bug repellent in the wooden house. But the mosquitoes in our country are different from the ones on the equator in Africa. The local one is more effective.”

Zhu Qing took the bottle of water, smiled at Yu Ling, and said gratefully, “Okay, thank you for your trouble.”

The screen changed again, showing a few clips of Yu Ling and Zhu Qing interacting while they were cleaning up the dishes. Zhu Qing was more self-aware and took the trash with her. When Yu Ling saw it, she immediately came over to help.

When Zhu Qing saw someone helping her, a smile instantly bloomed on her face. She was always happy to smile at people, and she would smile beautifully. Her smile at Yu Ling was naturally very bright. The two of them were young, one was refined and the other was delicate. They looked very pleasing to the eye.

“This is the young group, right? I support Yu Ling getting a new partner.”

“I also support Yao Yao getting a new partner. Zhu Qing is so much more capable than Yu Ling. Our Yao Yao also wants to change partners.”

“..Do you guys think Zhu Qing will just take anyone? Her aesthetic is Li Lan, so just so you know.”

“Li Lan is eight years older than her, a thirty-something old woman. I support Zhu Qing joining the young group.”

Li Lan’s eyes deepened. Her gaze shifted from the screen to Zhu Qing’s face.

Zhu Qing hit pause. She was silent for two seconds, then turned off the video and stood up, walking out.

“Ugh, what a mess of a show. It’s not good at all. Not good at all… Ah!”