How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Shu Xuan adjusted the air conditioner to a comfortable temperature, grabbed a blanket, and laid down on the other sofa.
She turned her face slightly and happened to catch a side view of Zheng Ling. Her gaze traced along Zheng Ling’s brow bone to the tip of her nose, then slid down her jaw to her collarbone.
The woman before her slept soundly, and Shu Xuan was suddenly struck by the illusion that she and Zheng Ling could live together for a very, very long time—long enough to see the end of the world.
From their initial arranged marriage to now living together in separate rooms, Shu Xuan no longer dared to hope for too much love. As long as Zheng Ling treated her with mutual respect, that would be enough.
Zheng Ling slept all the way until noon. The first thing she did upon waking was grab her phone and send a message to the crew at the construction site. As she turned around, she saw Shu Xuan still lying on the sofa.
Shu Xuan was a light sleeper and opened her eyes at the slightest noise. It was clear she hadn’t rested well—dark circles lingered under her eyes.
“You had a fever and collapsed on the floor last night. Are you feeling any better?” Shu Xuan asked softly.
Zheng Ling touched her forehead. She had been running a fever yesterday. She’d tried to get up and find some ibuprofen, but had no strength and ended up collapsing on the floor, too exhausted to move. Eventually, she just fell asleep like that.
“I’m fine,” Zheng Ling said, raking her fingers through her hair.
“Good.” Shu Xuan got up and walked to the bathroom.
Zheng Ling’s hand was still injured, so she followed behind Shu Xuan. “Ms. Shu, I can’t get my hand wet. Could you help me wash my face?”
Shu Xuan was brushing her teeth and looked at Zheng Ling through the mirror. “Are you dreaming?”
“Ms. Shu~ Look, I’m hurt! Help me, please~” Zheng Ling said unreasonably, clinging to Shu Xuan’s arm.
Shu Xuan: …
After finishing her own wash-up, Shu Xuan soaked a tissue and carefully wiped Zheng Ling’s face.
A few light brown freckles dotted the bridge of Zheng Ling’s nose. Her eyes were deep-set, and her skin—weathered from years without skincare—was rougher than most women’s. But it wasn’t a coarse or crude roughness, more like a textured, windblown quality that hinted at a Western lineage. It added a touch of rugged allure to her.
“Boss Zheng, are you mixed-race?” Shu Xuan asked curiously.
“No, why do you ask?” Zheng Ling looked down at Shu Xuan while she wiped her face, clearly enjoying the attention.
Shu Xuan just smiled without replying.
“How’s everything going with your company?” Zheng Ling asked, remembering the trouble she caused yesterday and wondering if it had affected Shu Xuan.
“It’s pretty much sorted out. I’m planning to open my own studio,” Shu Xuan replied, then added, “You should worry more about yourself. You hit someone from the inspection team yesterday. That might make it hard to keep the project moving.”
“No worries. The inspection was already signed off. Besides, our project is flawless. Even if he wanted to find fault, he wouldn’t have anything to hold against us,” Zheng Ling said confidently.
The project was a key one in the southern city, and there was no way it would be jeopardized over something so minor.
Plus, the police had surveillance footage of that man insulting women. He wouldn’t want that incident to blow up—it wouldn’t look good on him either.
“Good to hear.”
It was rare for Zheng Ling to not be at the construction site. She lounged freely on the sofa while Shu Xuan brought over washed peaches and grapes. The two of them sat in the living room watching TV.
Not long after they sat down, Shu Xuan’s phone rang.
It was her agent, Da Tou. “Ms. Shu, Xinghe found out you’ve been talking to a few other companies. President Qin wants to know where you plan to go.”
“That’s my personal decision,” Shu Xuan said, standing by the window. Zheng Ling, still eating her peach, gestured as if asking if she should leave the room. Shu Xuan waved her off, telling her to stay put.
“He said if you’re willing to stay at Xinghe, the profit split can be renegotiated,” Da Tou added.
“Does President Qin not understand why I want to leave Xinghe?” Shu Xuan countered.
Da Tou didn’t answer clearly. In the background, a man’s voice cut in—it was Qin Qing.
“Xiao Xuan, Xinghe is one of the top entertainment companies in the country. Do you think there’s anywhere better than here?” he questioned. “Those companies you spoke to yesterday—Parallel Entertainment and Kongxian Entertainment—how can they compare?”
Shu Xuan’s voice grew cold. “President Qin, I address you respectfully because you were the one who brought me into the industry.”
“When you signed me, I had no say in anything. I could only follow orders. But now, I’ve earned my place, and I think I’ve earned the right to negotiate.”
Qin Qing recalled the once-innocent girl he’d signed, who had now grown strong enough to stand on her own.
“You once said, ‘When you reach a higher level, you can make your own decisions.’ Now that I want to leave, surely you won’t burn bridges with me?” Shu Xuan said, laying down her terms.
Qin Qing knew the truth—Xinghe Entertainment owed much of its success to Shu Xuan. If things turned ugly, she would be seen as the victim, and public opinion would undoubtedly condemn Xinghe. Rumors of the company exploiting talent and forcing unspoken rules on newcomers had long been whispered. If a legal battle broke out now, it would be a PR disaster.
“Ms. Shu, that’s not what I meant,” Qin Qing said, lowering his voice. “I just want to discuss post-termination PR strategy with you.”
“I’m willing to cooperate on Xinghe’s PR, but I have a condition,” Shu Xuan said calmly, sensing Qin Qing had offered her a way out.
He clenched his phone, trying to stay composed. “What condition?”
“My agent, assistant, and styling team all leave with me,” she said blandly.
Qin Qing hesitated for a few seconds before slowly replying, “Fine. As long as they sign confidentiality agreements.”
“Thank you, President Qin. I wish you good health and prosperity.” Shu Xuan hung up.
She hadn’t expected Qin Qing to agree so quickly. The team had been with her since before her debut—they worked seamlessly together. She feared if they stayed at Xinghe, they’d be targeted out of spite.
Zheng Ling had been listening and now understood why her mother had warned her not to interfere in Shu Xuan’s affairs. If Zheng Ling had used family connections to help her, it would’ve raised suspicions of poaching. Xinghe might’ve made things harder for Shu Xuan.
But by personally reaching out to new agencies, Shu Xuan demonstrated both her independence and determination to leave.
“Xinghe Entertainment seems pretty good. Why are you leaving?” Zheng Ling asked, puzzled.
Xinghe was considered one of the top agencies in the country—countless young people dreamed of getting in.
Shu Xuan smiled and peeled a grape. “Have you watched any of my shows or movies?”
Zheng Ling scratched her head sheepishly. “Hehe, I hadn’t before. But I’ve caught up recently.”
“Early on, I needed money. I took any script—good or bad,” Shu Xuan popped the grape into her mouth and squinted at the sourness. “I had no choice. The company needed capital too.”
“Once I earned the right to speak, and Xinghe was more established, everything started heading in a direction I couldn’t control.”
“I didn’t graduate from a drama school—I taught myself to act. Xinghe, despite all these years, hasn’t changed. Aside from money and resources, it has nothing left to offer me at this stage.”
Zheng Ling listened, half-understanding. “So, you didn’t like acting at first, but now you do?”
“Yeah, at first, it was just about the money,” Shu Xuan said, wiping her hands with a tissue.
“So Xinghe is still like before—profit-first, taking anything, mass-producing soulless content,” Zheng Ling summarized.
“Do I sound ungrateful saying this?” Shu Xuan asked.
Zheng Ling shook her head. “Not at all. It’s like construction. You match the right concrete with the right rebar. Some concrete types require different materials—you just need to switch it up. It’s not that the original material is bad; it’s just a mismatch.”
“What’s ‘concrete’?” Shu Xuan asked, unfamiliar with the term.
“Mixed cement—haha! Come to my site sometime, and you’ll learn everything.” Zheng Ling scratched her head with her bandaged hand.
Shu Xuan raised a brow. “Sure.”
A few days later, Zheng Ling returned to the construction site. Most of the workers were preparing to head home. When the final payment came through, she immediately distributed it to them.
The foreman approached with a boy. “Boss Zheng, this kid insisted on seeing you.”
“What’s up, little guy?” Zheng Ling tousled the boy’s dusty hair.
“I saw you fighting that day,” Huang Tian said shyly. “Are you feeling better?”
Huang Tian often worked at a local restaurant and happened to be there the day everything happened.
Zheng Ling laughed awkwardly, realizing she’d set a bad example. “I’m fine. But don’t learn from me, okay? No fighting!”
He nodded. “That actress from the village filming came to our restaurant—she’s the one who told me to give the footage to the police.”
“The actress?” Zheng Ling suddenly remembered that Shu Xuan had been filming nearby.
“She even bought appliances for my family and got me new clothes,” the boy added.
“Got it. I’ll thank that ‘actress’ for you,” Zheng Ling said, glancing at his outfit. Now she understood why Shu Xuan had gone to the police so late that night—she must have made a detour here.
After a few more words, Huang Tian reluctantly left.
Zheng Ling looked at her chat with “X” on WeChat. Shu Xuan might seem cold on the outside, but she had a warm, generous heart.
On the day Shu Xuan officially parted ways with Xinghe Entertainment, Zheng Ling’s project also came to an end. She took the construction crew out to celebrate with over 20 banquet tables.
Holding her glass high, Zheng Ling declared, “Brothers, if you ever need anything from me, just say the word!”
“Boss Zheng, your glass isn’t full!” someone teased.
She grabbed a rice bowl and filled it to the brim with white liquor.
“How about this? You need to match me now!” Zheng Ling said, standing on a chair and rolling up her sleeves. “I’ll drink first. If you can handle it, drink. If not, no pressure.”
The workers all raised their cups. “To Boss Zheng! I didn’t believe in you when I first saw a woman on site!”
“Oh? You want to fight me?” she joked, chugging the liquor with a click of her tongue.
“No way!” they laughed.
“In this life, I admire two women—my mom and Boss Zheng!” another worker shouted. “We missed your wedding, so today we toast to it.”
Zheng Ling had mentioned inviting them before but changed her mind—she didn’t want them to feel obligated to bring gifts. These men worked for every penny of their wages, and she respected their labor deeply.
“That’s on me. I’ll drink to make up for it!” she downed another bowl.
“Boss Zheng, any leads on the next project? We’d love to keep working with you.”
Zheng Ling was already tipsy. “I have something in mind, but I need to research it more.”
“If you’ve got work, just call—we’ll be there!” one worker called out.
“Great! You’re all my brothers. Enough talking, let’s drink!” she shouted, grabbing another bottle.
She was genuinely happy. After four years of working nonstop at the reservoir, many hadn’t been home in years. Now they could finally return.
Zheng Ling had climbed up from the bottom. She understood what it meant to survive on hard labor. Since graduating college, she hadn’t taken a cent from her family—except for the money she was born with.
When Shu Xuan came to pick her up that night, she found Zheng Ling completely drunk.
“Are you her family?” one of the workers asked cautiously.
Shu Xuan had rushed out without makeup or a mask. Under the dim lights, she looked very young and pure.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Ah, Boss Zheng was just really happy and drank a bit too much,” the worker explained.
Zheng Ling mumbled nonsense, leaning heavily against Shu Xuan’s arm.
The scene was captured by paparazzi, and the online haters had a field day.
Hater 1: “Hahaha, I’m dying. Shu Xuan married a construction foreman and now she’s mixing with laborers.”
Hater 2: “Looks like her days in showbiz are numbered. Ugh, those workers reek of sweat. Gross.”