Her Rose on Camera - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Green Tea

“Are you okay, Tangtang?”

On the other end of the line, Tian Qingqing’s voice was filled with concern. Her assistant waved a plane ticket at her, indicating it was time to board.

“Tangtang, I’ll be back in Liao’an in less than five hours. Why don’t you try to sleep for a bit? I’ll come find you when I arrive.”

Tian Qingqing regretted not returning a few days earlier and tried to keep her voice gentle. “Or do you want me to call Su Qian and scold her for you?”

“No need.”

Tangtang had already calmed down from her nightmare. She gave a bitter smile, her face pale under the moonlight. “I’m fine now. You go catch your flight, Qingqing. Let’s meet up when you’re back.”

“Alright.”

Tian Qingqing nodded and reluctantly hung up. She boarded the plane with her assistant, her strong features set in a serious expression.

“Qiqi, don’t rush me next time when I’m on a call, especially if it’s with her.”

Her voice turned cold as she said this, making the assistant’s shoulders tremble slightly.

Unlike Tangtang and Dong Yu, who were like close sisters, Gu Qiqi always felt like a mouse in front of a cat when dealing with her boss, Tian Qingqing.

In recent years, Tian Qingqing’s photography career abroad had taken a downturn. After several failed attempts to break into the domestic entertainment industry, she had developed a drinking problem. While she was usually kind to staff, her drunken tantrums were vicious and foul-mouthed.

Eventually, everyone in the once lively studio left—except for Gu Qiqi.

It wasn’t that Gu Qiqi didn’t want to leave. It was just that every time she saw Tian Qingqing crying and begging her not to go, she couldn’t bring herself to walk away.

“But if we miss this flight, we don’t know when the next one will be…”

Gu Qiqi, ever the diligent type, adjusted her round glasses nervously. “And, Qingqing, we’re running low on money…”

“Fvck!”

Tian Qingqing put on her sunglasses and cursed under her breath. She used to be the golden child—how had things fallen to this point?

“Qingqing, here’s a blanket. It gets cold at night—this’ll keep you warm,” Gu Qiqi said carefully, watching her boss’s mood. Seeing no signs of agitation, she cautiously continued, “Should we maybe book a cheaper hotel tomorrow? This was an unexpected expense…”

As she spoke, Gu Qiqi was already calculating how many meals of bread she’d need to eat to balance their budget.

After all, Tian Qingqing had quit her job and returned to China without a plan. They needed to prepare for a potentially long dry spell with no gigs.

“Just book a private room at that hot pot place next to Liao’an University.”

Tian Qingqing closed her eyes after giving the instruction, her thoughts drifting back to her earlier conversation with Tangtang.

Tangtang and Su Qian had broken up—and it sounded ugly.

Did that mean… Tangtang might be hers now?

A smile crept across Tian Qingqing’s face. She blamed herself for realizing her feelings too late and letting Su Qian cut in before she could act.

“Qiqi, hire a few paparazzi and send them to the hot pot place,” she said, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Whether this works or not… all depends on them now.”

…

On New Year’s Day in Liao’an, the streets were quieter than usual at noon.

Tangtang wore no makeup and had casually thrown on a black puffer jacket. She stood waiting at the gates of Liao’an University.

It had been at least three years since she last saw Tian Qingqing, and as the moment drew closer, she couldn’t help but worry they might feel distant.

“Tangtang, long time no see.”

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her. Turning around, she met Tian Qingqing’s smiling eyes.

She looked the same as ever—wearing a black knee-length wool coat, short hair casually tousled and styled with a bit of hair gel, a large black mask covering everything but her eyes. She looked like a low-key celebrity.

“Qingqing, you still look so cool!”

Tangtang was genuinely surprised. Her memories of Qingqing were of a tomboy always following her around. Seeing her dressed like this now made Tangtang feel a little self-conscious.

“Well, a girl’s gotta make money,” Tian Qingqing said, reaching out to ruffle Tangtang’s hair with a helpless smile. “Foreigners like this look—it gets me better pay.”

Yeah, once you start working, you’re no longer a kid.

Tangtang sighed along with her and offered some comfort. “But you look great now—really cool.”

“Do I?” Qingqing beamed. She handed a cup of milk tea to Tangtang and naturally took her hand. “I booked us a private room at the hot pot place we always used to go to in college. You haven’t been in a while, right? Wanna see if it still tastes the same?”

“Sure.”

Tangtang gently pulled her hand away and followed behind, vaguely sensing that Qingqing was hiding something from her.

…

Xu Ji Old Hotpot was right across from the university’s main gate. Back in their college days, it had been a tiny place with barely ten stools. Now it had grown into one of Liao’an’s well-known chains.

As they walked in, an apron-clad older lady behind the counter immediately came out to greet them. She stared at Tangtang for a few seconds before removing her reading glasses with a trembling hand.

“Tangtang? Old man, come quick! Look who’s here!”

“Auntie, Uncle,”

Tangtang smiled warmly at the familiar faces from her college years. She hugged the auntie’s arm affectionately. “I haven’t had your food in so long—I really missed it.”

“If you miss it, then come by more often! You two eat all you want, it’s on me,” the woman said with a smile, patting Tangtang’s head. “Look at you—you’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady. I wouldn’t even recognize you on the street now…”

“Been busy, that’s all.”

Tangtang looked a little embarrassed. She had always meant to come back, but with her and Su Qian’s constant ups and downs—and her job requiring her to travel nonstop—she eventually forgot about this place.

And honestly, she didn’t want to revisit painful memories.

“Oh right, you’re a big star now,” the older lady said, calling out to the kitchen, “Old man, cook up some extra base stock for Tangtang to take home!”

“No need to go through all that trouble,” Tangtang said, linking arms with the old lady. “I’ll just come by more often next time.”

“Aiya, such a sweet talker,” the woman said, poking her forehead. Then she finally noticed the person standing behind her. She glanced at Tian Qingqing and asked, “Tangtang, where’s that really pretty girl who always used to come with you? What was her name again—Su Qian?”

“She’s busy.”

Just then, a waiter brought over the hot pot. The bubbling beef oil broth sent spicy fumes into the air, making Tangtang’s eyes water.

“Next time I’ll bring her,” she said, voice tight. “You two can catch up properly.”

Once the couple left, the private room fell into silence. Even the bubbling pot couldn’t melt the icy mood.

“Tangtang, what really happened with you and Su Qian?”

After a long pause, Tian Qingqing finally asked tentatively.

She had been checking all sorts of gossip online since landing, piecing together the story of Tangtang and Su Qian’s fallout. The result had thrilled her:

Not only had they broken up—it had been messy.

She scrolled through Weibo with a sense of schadenfreude and began fantasizing about her own successful confession.

“Nothing much,” Tangtang said, taking a sip of milk tea. She blinked, trying to hide the sadness in her eyes. “It’s been a few years since we split.”

Hearing that, Tian Qingqing perked up and probed further. “Have you ever thought about… getting back together?”

…

Tangtang froze slightly. The question felt off. They’d been close college friends, but after three years of no contact, diving straight into breakup and reconciliation talk was a little too much.

“We’ll see where time takes us.” She smoothly changed the subject. “Anyway, why’d you come back from overseas?”

“Sigh, just couldn’t make a living over there.”

Qingqing, not getting the answer she wanted, sounded a little disappointed. She shifted the conversation to herself and began to complain. “Foreigners didn’t appreciate my skills. I couldn’t get any big projects. I graduated from a proper photography program and ended up shooting family portraits for strangers.”

She poured herself a glass of liquor as she continued, “Back then, I didn’t believe my parents. I thought they were just exaggerating. How hard could life really be? But now I see—I should’ve stayed. Being a photographer or even a paparazzo in China would’ve been better than this.”

Tangtang watched as she downed glass after glass, suddenly feeling like her issues with Su Qian weren’t such a big deal.

At least if you mess up, you can apologize. It’s better than letting misunderstandings waste away the years.

The hot pot, neglected, started drying out. The spicy steam made Qingqing’s eyes sting.

“Qingqing, are you okay?”

Tangtang walked over in concern, only to be pulled into a sudden hug.

The heavy smell of alcohol made her frown. She tried to push Qingqing away a few times, but couldn’t break free.

Nervous, Tangtang reached into Qingqing’s pocket for her phone. “Qingqing, you’re drunk. Let me take you home.”

“Tangtang, just let me hold you for a bit.”

Above her head, Qingqing’s trembling voice broke into sobs. “My team’s disbanded. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming back. I don’t have a job. You’re the only one I know.”