Her Wild Rose - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Stroke the Fur the Right Way

The green train chugged slowly northward, and by the time the guests arrived in Liangcheng, it was already close to midnight.

Tang Tang was listless, slouched in her seat on the bus provided by the production team, unable to muster any energy.

Liangcheng wasn’t exactly far, but it wasn’t close either. Still, the production team sending them there on an old-fashioned green train felt downright inexplicable.

“Why aren’t we there yet?” Tang Tang whined as she leaned against Su Qian’s shoulder. “The way this show jumps between hot and cold places, aren’t they afraid we’ll all develop split personalities?”

Su Qian cast a troubled glance at Tang Tang, then turned her eyes calmly toward Director Li Xiang. Her tone was indulgent. “Mm, I also think it’s the director’s immaturity. Be good—we’ll dock his pay.”

Sitting at the front of the bus, Li Xiang froze mid-bite. The bread he had been munching on fell onto his black hoodie, leaving a light white stain.

He looked down dejectedly, doing his best to make himself invisible.

What could he do? If the boss wanted to please his girlfriend by throwing him under the bus, then he’d just have to swallow his pride and live with it.

The other guests on the bus chuckled kindly. Ever since they’d found out that Su Qian had invested in the show, everyone had started getting along much better—after all, who would want to get into trouble with the big boss?

“Every time, it’s the poor director who suffers. Do single dogs have no human rights anymore?”
“I highly suspect Su Qian picked this location. She’s a pro at sneaking in private motives.”
“Welcome to Su Qian’s grand chase-her-girlfriend reality show: Traveling with Besties!”
“No one noticed? The route on the map forms a heart shape.”
“So that’s why it’s one plane and then a train—such a subtle way of expressing love.”
“Let’s be real. When is Su Qian not lowkey romantic…”

The usual familiar names in the bullet comments were chatting freely. Not long after, their app accounts got muted. They tried logging into Weibo instead, only to find they’d been muted there too.

Just as they were angrily preparing to file complaints, Su Qian—smiling as always—suddenly turned to the camera and put a finger to her lips in a “shhh” gesture.

The two of them instantly got the message, quickly backed off Weibo, and decided to behave. They simply updated their CP fan accounts with a new status:

Su Qian chasing her wife. Truly 666.

This time, the production team surprisingly didn’t make the guests find their own lodging like before. Instead, they had rented a whole guesthouse—but at market price.

“What? Seriously? You’re charging imperial capital prices in a place like Liangcheng?!”

Lu Piaopiao was the first to protest. She and Gu Shuangran were the type to never skimp on themselves, and since they were secretly dating behind everyone’s backs, they were always last to finish tasks. Their funds were practically drained.

“Don’t worry, if we’re out of money, I’ll make more for you.”

Finally enlightened, Gu Shuangran patted her girlfriend’s head soothingly. She had already heard that Liangcheng had a very lively nightlife—maybe she could earn a little extra doing tarot readings.

Meanwhile, the wealthiest in the whole cast—Tang Tang—was also looking unhappy. She had planned to use her funds to buy gifts for Su Qian, and now most of it had to go toward rent?

Su Qian noticed Tang Tang’s reluctance and softly comforted her, “Don’t worry. I’m the boss—we don’t have to pay rent.”

Tang Tang was startled by how matter-of-fact Su Qian sounded. She instinctively waved her hands in refusal. They couldn’t break the rules! What if the fans called her a scheming little vixen for manipulating their goddess?

Su Qian, sensing Tang Tang’s inner turmoil, couldn’t help but laugh. She reached out and gently ruffled the other girl’s long hair before turning to the group.

“I rented a bar here with good foot traffic, and also two market stalls in the night bazaar. Want to try earning some money yourselves?”

Naturally, the guests appreciated their boss’s thoughtful gesture. Li Xinxin’s team happily got the bar keys, and Lu Piaopiao and Chen Zhi picked their stall locations.

The bus finally stopped in front of the guesthouse. Though it was late, the house was brightly lit.

A girl in a black dress came running out and eagerly took Chen Zhi’s suitcase.

“Hello everyone! I’m Dong Yu, Tang Tang-jie’s agent. I also have a new role today—I’m the new guest on the show.”

After Tian Qingqing’s incident, the show had been introducing new guests through surprise reveals. Dong Yu had managed to sneak in through a backdoor connection.

“Looks like someone’s forgotten her boss now that she’s got a new flame.”

Tang Tang awkwardly retracted her raised hand, her face dark with sarcasm. She shoved her suitcase into Su Qian’s arms, clearly radiating “I’m not happy.”

Once they were inside, Su Qian tugged Tang Tang onto the sofa. They fell together from momentum, and Su Qian instinctively cushioned Tang Tang’s head.

“Why are you in such a mood?” she asked, half-curious, half-knowing. “Seems like you’re not too pleased with Dong Yu.”

“Of course I’m not! Did you see how sycophantic Dong Yu was? Does that look like someone from my studio?”

Tang Tang was getting more and more annoyed. It wasn’t that Dong Yu didn’t help her with the luggage—it was that even after she’d told her staff not to tiptoe around love interests, Dong Yu was still acting all meek.

“Besides, what’s so great about Chen Zhi? She’s moody, sly—a total industry veteran. Can’t be trusted.”

Tang Tang frowned, her disgust written all over her face.

The entertainment industry was full of gorgeous people with good personalities, yet Dong Yu had somehow fallen for someone like that…

She frowned deeper, unsure how to express her disdain without sounding too mean, especially since they were all still technically castmates.

“Well, it’s their business, not ours,” Su Qian said lightly. She reached out and massaged the back of Tang Tang’s neck, her voice lazy and soothing. “And personally, I think Chen Zhi isn’t so bad. Let’s see how they get along first.”

That was fair.

Tang Tang was successfully calmed. She narrowed her eyes and relaxed into the massage, looking like a lazy, spoiled cat.

She adjusted Su Qian’s hand into a more comfortable position. “Then I hope Dong Yu quickly realizes Chen Zhi’s flaws and finds someone warm and kind instead.”

Su Qian, who had remained quiet, sighed and silently lit a candle in her heart for Dong Yu.

Poor girl. The boss didn’t approve of her love life.

Meanwhile, Dong Yu helped carry Chen Zhi’s suitcase upstairs, showing no signs of leaving. She stood at the doorway, awkward yet hopeful.

“Um, Chen Zhi-jie, I’m your new partner. My name is Dong Yu.”

She was so nervous she clenched her skirt tightly. The thought of spending the next few days with the woman she’d been dreaming about made her almost giddy.

“Me? Did you just call me jie?”

Chen Zhi’s age anxiety instantly flared. She looked Dong Yu up and down, mentally cursing the director for his total lack of taste.

“Th-then what should I call you…? Chen Zhi-jie…”

Chen Zhi’s expression turned exasperated as Dong Yu stammered again. She hadn’t even finished before nervously covering her mouth, her wide eyes blinking like a terrified little bird.

Chen Zhi sighed, annoyed but unwilling to argue. She stepped back, gave a tired sigh, and decided to let it slide.

“Call me whatever. Just not ‘jie.’ Also, it’s late—I want to sleep.”

She said it so matter-of-factly that Dong Yu only grew more panicked. She stood frozen in place, wanting to dig a hole and disappear.

“Um… um… senior, the director said I’ll be sharing a room with you.”

Her voice trembled. Dong Yu herself didn’t understand why she—a normally articulate person—turned into a mess in front of Chen Zhi.

For her part, Chen Zhi was also confused. She only now realized this stuttering wreck was Tang Tang’s agent. How could this woman be competent enough to manage a celebrity?

Or… was she just that intimidating?

For the first—and possibly only—time, Chen Zhi questioned her own presence.

“Okay, fine. Stay then.”

She was already used to rotating partners ever since Tian Qingqing left. She handed over her suitcase and let Dong Yu choose.

“You want the inner room or the outer one?”

“T-the inner one, I guess…”

Dong Yu picked the back room—the ultimate choice for someone with social anxiety.

“Alright then.”

Chen Zhi didn’t have the heart to be too harsh with someone this socially awkward. She glanced at the group chat where stall spots were being discussed, then casually asked, “We’re setting up tomorrow night. Which spot do you want?”

She didn’t expect a real answer—just being polite.

“You’re doing portraits, right?” Dong Yu asked, unusually clear for once. She compared the two stalls and pointed toward one near the back of the night market. “I think this one’s better.”

“Why?”

Chen Zhi frowned. It was the opposite of what she’d wanted.

“Because the other one’s surrounded by food stalls—lots of smoke and people don’t linger. But once people get to the far end of the night market, they’ll be tired and want to rest. Our stall will offer a break and something unique, so it’ll stand out.”

“…That’s actually a good idea. Dong Yu, I’m finally convinced you’re a real agent.”

Chen Zhi smiled. She submitted the stall number, and moments later, Lu Piaopiao posted a shocked emoji—clearly, she’d been preparing mentally to grab that spot too.

“But… Chen Zhi-jie, do you really not remember me?” Dong Yu suddenly asked.