How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: How the Construction Forewoman Became the Public Girlfriend of a Top Star
Last night in the Southern City, there had just been a drizzle. The damp heat now surged in, fresh green buds poked out from the tree branches, but the shade beneath was still far from cool.
In just a few days, it would be the Dragon Boat Festival, and it was also the fourth year of Zheng Ling’s reservoir construction project—nearing its final inspection. She was thinking about what she could hand out to the crew as a thank-you gift.
She was scrolling through her phone when a text message suddenly popped up:
Dear Ms. Zheng Ling,
According to monitoring from the “Marriage Center,” you have exceeded the deadline for completing your “Marriage Registration” by 29 days.
You are required to appear at the Marriage Hall today at 1 PM to complete “Randomized Marriage.”
Failure to appear will result in your apprehension by the authorities in accordance with the law.
Zheng Ling’s body trembled. She suddenly remembered—she had just turned 25 not long ago!
Ever since marriage and birth rates had plummeted and population shortages became severe, a new law had been implemented:
Anyone unmarried at 25—whether man, woman, same-s3x couples, or individuals of the third gender—would be randomly assigned a marriage partner.
If a same-s3x couple was assigned, after one year of marriage, one party would be legally injected with a fertility serum to enable childbearing between same-s3x partners.
Zheng Ling felt her head spinning and nearly collapsed on the spot.
Before turning 25, you could still choose your own spouse. But once past that, it was random assignment. She had meant to grab someone to marry before her birthday, but work at the construction site had been too busy, and she completely forgot.
She clutched at the nearby stack of cement bags, inhaling deeply to regain her composure.
“Sis Ling, what’s wrong? They chasing you to get married again?” A worker carrying a bag of cement walked by, dust flying everywhere. “I’m telling you, what’s there to be afraid of? The government gives you a free spouse—what’s not to love?”
Zheng Ling’s throat was dry. She wasn’t in the mood to joke around. “Tell the guys I’m going to get married. Not sure if I’ll be back later. Call me if anything happens at the site.”
With that, she went to the office to grab her car keys. The whole way, she was out of it.
It’s just marriage, right? No big deal. Worst case—just get a divorce later.
But then she imagined being matched with some greasy, unhygienic, potbellied sleazebag… What would she do?
She imagined tens of thousands of potential partners as she grabbed the keys and stepped outside, feeling like a soldier marching off to war—solemn and grim.
Zheng Ling usually drove from the city to the construction site each day. That morning, she had used a cement truck to transport supplies. Now, to head to the Marriage Hall, she could only take that same truck.
The cement truck had a high chassis—its door nearly reached Zheng Ling’s neck. But she grabbed the handle and sprang up effortlessly.
On the way, her mind was still racing. At one intersection, a few people were standing on the roadside, waving to flag down a ride.
Zheng Ling hit the brakes. One girl with a ponytail walked up to her.
“Hi, excuse me—are you heading into the city?” The girl wore black-rimmed glasses and looked like a recent college graduate.
“Yeah,” Zheng Ling replied coolly.
“Could you give us a ride? Our car broke down.” The girl seemed overjoyed.
Seeing Zheng Ling hesitate, the girl added, “We’ve been waiting two hours. Not a single car’s come by. Please, it’s really urgent. We can pay.”
Zheng Ling looked toward the group—about five or six people. Among them, one woman stood out, bundled up in a sun-shielding outfit with a mask and gloves, holding a Hermès Birkin bag.
Her eyes were clear and hesitant.
“I don’t have enough seats for all of you,” Zheng Ling said.
“No, no, just one person,” the girl eagerly waved to the other woman.
The wrapped-up woman stepped forward. The skin on her exposed fingers was fair, her posture elegant.
Zheng Ling glanced at the time. Only an hour left. She frowned. “Getting in or not?”
“Maybe… we’ll wait a bit longer.” The woman seemed uneasy about Zheng Ling’s tone and turned to the girl.
Zheng Ling wasn’t about to waste time. She started the engine with a roar, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The glasses girl shielded her face. “Ms. Shu! We can’t wait anymore! If you don’t go now, you’ll be arrested!”
Zheng Ling now understood. This woman was probably also heading to the Marriage Hall.
“What, scared to ride in my truck?” Zheng Ling leaned halfway out of the window, laughing. “You’re all wrapped up like a criminal. If anyone should be scared, it’s me.”
She pulled out her ID and waved it in front of the woman.
The woman looked confused, her lashes casting shadows in the sun.
“Legit citizen,” Zheng Ling said. “Now yours.”
“Can I give you mine instead?” the glasses girl asked.
Before Zheng Ling could respond, the woman softly said, “It’s fine.”
She pulled out her ID and handed it over. As their fingers briefly brushed, Zheng Ling felt the other woman’s soft, cool skin and instinctively compared it to her own—rough and callused.
“Shu Xuan?” Zheng Ling mumbled the name. Why did it sound so familiar? And her ID photo looked like a magazine shoot.
She returned the ID. “I’m going to the Marriage Hall too. If you don’t want to get thrown in jail, better get in.”
Shu Xuan subtly motioned to her assistant to photograph the license plate, then walked to the passenger door. It took her a few tries to climb in.
Zheng Ling unbuckled, leaned over, and offered her hand. “Grab on.”
Shu Xuan didn’t take her hand. Instead, she tossed her bag onto the seat and struggled to climb in using the handle.
Zheng Ling smiled, buckled up again.
The girl called out from below, “Ms. Shu! Message us when you get there! I took a pic of the plate!”
Shu Xuan replied and looked at the dusty seat, hesitant to sit down. She reached into her bag for tissues.
Zheng Ling, noticing Shu Xuan’s white skirt, pulled a clean shirt from a side pocket and tossed it onto the seat. “Sit.”
“Thank you.” Shu Xuan’s voice trembled slightly as she eased down.
She could tell from the feel of the fabric that the shirt was expensive, though she didn’t recognize the brand.
She kept sneaking glances at Zheng Ling. Aside from being a little dirty, the woman’s face was clean, her features sharp.
They sat in silence, the rumble of the cement truck filling the space.
When they reached the city, Zheng Ling checked her dirty clothes while stopped at a red light. She had given her spare shirt to Shu Xuan, and now it was too late to go home and change.
Clank—clank—thud! The cement truck rumbled to a stop in front of the Marriage Hall.
Its noise drew the attention of the long line outside.
“Can I add you on WeChat?” Shu Xuan asked as she unbuckled.
“Huh?” Zheng Ling turned.
“I don’t have any cash. I’ll transfer the fare.”
“No need.” Zheng Ling’s ears turned red. She thought Shu Xuan was asking for her contact.
“But I have to. I need to pay you for the shirt, too,” Shu Xuan said softly but firmly.
Zheng Ling chuckled. “It’s nothing.”
Shu Xuan opened the door to get out, but climbing down was harder than getting up.
Zheng Ling quickly unbuckled and jumped down herself, slamming the door shut.
People who had turned to look at the noise were stunned to see a tall, graceful woman jump out. Her movements were smooth and commanding—like someone stepping out of a luxury car, not a cement truck.
Shu Xuan froze. Did she just leave me?
Zheng Ling reappeared beneath the door, extending a hand. “Ms. Shu, come on.”
Shu Xuan’s eyes trembled. She grabbed the hand and carefully climbed down.
Once steady, she looked up and said, “Thank you.”
The two of them walked side by side to collect their queue numbers.
The Marriage Hall’s PA system blared, announcing the latest assigned matches.
“Number 323, please proceed for your marriage registration. Number 628, please proceed…”
The mechanical voice chilled the air. What should’ve been a sacred ritual had become a dystopian mandate. No one wanted this, but refusal meant jail—until marriage was complete.
Zheng Ling got number 371. Shu Xuan was 577. It would be a while before her turn.
…
Meanwhile, trending on Weibo were countless tags about Shu Xuan:
#ShuXuanTurns25
#ShuXuanGetsMarried
#PredictShuXuansMatch
#ShuXuanCementTruck
#%￥@…
Paparazzi had been camping outside the South City Marriage Hall. They knew Shu Xuan was filming nearby and turning 25—meaning she’d be forced to marry here.
By noon, still no sign of her. One reporter muttered, “Looks like she’s waiting to get hauled off to jail.”
As he opened his lunch, he heard the roar of a truck and glanced up—only to see a familiar figure being led out of a cement truck by another woman.
He dropped his lunch, fumbled for his camera, and snapped rapidly. Holy crap—was that Shu Xuan?
Shu Xuan… in a cement truck?
What kind of pairing was this?
He immediately sent the photos to his team. Reports about Shu Xuan exploded across the web.
Netizens were shocked by the images.
Commenter 1: “Shu Xuan??? Getting off a cement truck with a Birkin in hand?”
Commenter 2: “She’s not marrying a cement worker, is she? (No offense to cement workers) 😂”
Commenter 3: “Can’t wait to see who the Marriage Center paired our top celeb with!”
Commenter 4: “Even top stars have to get randomly married. I wonder if I’ll make it before turning 25.”
Commenter 7: “The woman who helped her off the truck looked kinda hot. Don’t tell me they’re already married?”
Commenter 8: “Married people wouldn’t be here! That’s hilarious.”
Fans flooded every platform to defend Shu Xuan:
Fan 1: “We support Shu Xuan no matter who she marries. She’s following the law 💕”
Fan 2: “25 is a normal age to marry! Let’s focus on her amazing work too!”
Fan 3: “Even stepping off a cement truck, she’s stunning. Her legs—let me hug them in my dreams~”
At the back of the line, the cicadas chirped endlessly, adding to the stifling heat.
“Not hot?” Zheng Ling tried to start a conversation.
Shu Xuan stood quietly beneath the shade, the green leaves casting a cool glow around her. Her presence was refreshing, her scent faint and sweet.
“Mm,” she replied.
“You a teacher?” Zheng Ling asked, glancing at the LED number display. Her turn was coming up soon.
Shu Xuan didn’t say yes or no. She deflected, “You a construction worker?”
“Yeah, I work in engineering,” Zheng Ling smiled. Beads of sweat dotted her nose.
Shu Xuan pulled out tissues from her bag and handed one over.
Zheng Ling’s cheeks were sunburnt like she was wearing blush, freckles speckled her nose, and her eyes were deep—like an old noblewoman from a period drama.
Shu Xuan thought, If I get randomly matched with someone like Zheng Ling… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad?
“Thanks,” Zheng Ling’s voice pulled her back.
The tissue smelled like peaches. So that’s where that nice scent came from.
Suddenly, the hall’s loudspeaker blared again:
“Number 371, please proceed for marriage registration. Number 371…”
“That’s me.” Zheng Ling forced a smile and casually tossed the tissue into the bin as she walked.
As she headed in, she kept thinking: Shu Xuan… why does that name sound so familiar?
She quickly texted her friend A-Liao to ask.