How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Shu Xuan didn’t bring much—just packed a few changes of clothes.
She walked to the door of Zheng Ling’s bedroom. “What do you think?”
“I think we should just book one room—and it better be a king bed!” Zheng Ling replied casually, then immediately regretted it.
Shu Xuan didn’t respond. Instead, she asked, “What time are we leaving?”
“Twelve o’clock.”
Zheng Ling was the one driving. They planned to travel from Nancheng to Western Sichuan, then head down to Jiangnan, and finally return to Jiangcheng.
Shu Xuan leaned back in her seat. The window was rolled down, and the wind rushed in, lifting her hair and fluttering her sleeves.
“Thank you, Boss Zheng,” Shu Xuan said as she breathed in deeply. As they passed through a grove of camphor trees on the highway leaving Nancheng, the scent of the leaves was refreshing and pure.
“What are you thanking me for?” Zheng Ling smiled, eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Shu Xuan didn’t answer. Over the years, she had never felt so relaxed. In the ruthless entertainment industry, she had clawed her way up, calculating every step she took. It was only now that she realized how important it was to live for herself.
Just like Zheng Ling—doing what she wanted, saying what she felt.
Life only gives you around 30,000 days. Each person is their own universe. Once you die, nothing else remains. Focusing on yourself is what truly matters.
She hadn’t understood that before. But now, looking at Zheng Ling, she finally did.
She felt like she had wasted the past twenty-something years of her life.
As evening approached, they finally reached the border of Western Sichuan. Before the sun set, they found the hotel they’d booked in advance.
The local customs here were quite different from Nancheng. Many young people in ethnic clothing roamed the streets, laughing and running toward the embrace of the setting sun.
Shu Xuan was feeling carsick. The sudden change in altitude had made her a bit unwell.
Once at the hotel, she immediately started taking in oxygen. Originally, Zheng Ling had booked two rooms, but seeing that Shu Xuan needed care, she canceled the other.
Holding the medicine prescribed by the doctor, Zheng Ling said cheerfully, “Shu-laoshi, I’m getting in bed now~”
Shu Xuan was wrapped tightly in the blanket like a dumpling. She felt terrible and didn’t respond.
“I’m not breaking our agreement, you know—it’s a matter of necessity~” Zheng Ling said, grinning.
After Shu Xuan took her medicine, both of them went to bed early.
In the middle of the night, Zheng Ling got up again to give Shu Xuan another dose. Leaning on the pillow, she watched as the streetlamp’s light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a cool glow on Shu Xuan’s delicate features.
Zheng Ling poked her nose. “How is your nose so pretty… so straight?”
Then she leaned in.
What do you think she was about to do?
Zheng Ling squinted and used the streetlight to examine Shu Xuan’s nose.
“Wow, it’s real—not a nose job,” she muttered in amazement. She had heard that surgically enhanced noses often let light through. Shu Xuan’s didn’t.
Zheng Ling then brushed the hair at Shu Xuan’s hairline with her finger. “Mmm, no hairline powder either.”
It was only when Shu Xuan was this passive and unguarded that Zheng Ling dared to act so recklessly. After observing her for a while, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Shu Xuan woke up sore all over.
Zheng Ling was still groggy, one foot flung over Shu Xuan, her hand tugging on Shu Xuan’s ear.
Shu Xuan slapped her calf.
Zheng Ling shot up like a spring: “What?! Did Artyom’s Empire State Building attack us?!”
Shu Xuan: …
“Shu-laoshi, sorry, sorry.” Zheng Ling recalled what had just happened. What the hell was I doing?!
“What time is it?” Shu Xuan changed the subject.
Zheng Ling grabbed her phone for a look. “Ten o’clock.”
“Let’s go out for a walk.” Shu Xuan got out of bed.
She hadn’t noticed yesterday, due to feeling unwell, what kind of pajamas Zheng Ling was wearing!
Zheng Ling’s pajamas featured Crayon Shin-chan—with a big print of Shin-chan on the front, and his bare butt showing.
“How’s your body feeling?” Zheng Ling asked.
Shu Xuan’s silence was deafening. She finally replied, “Much better.”
“And also—can you please wear different pajamas next time?”
Zheng Ling looked down at her sleepwear. “But it’s cute! When I was little, my mom always made me wear plain silk pajamas. I hated it.”
“Auntie was right,” Shu Xuan said dryly. Then, thinking Zheng Ling might be trying to make up for childhood deprivation in her own way, she added, “But… as long as you’re happy.”
Zheng Ling bounced happily out of bed and dragged Shu Xuan to the bathroom to wash up.
According to their plan, today they were heading to the pasturelands.
After a local specialty breakfast, they followed some locals to the grasslands.
Looking out, it was a boundless sea of green. The sun here was even harsher than in Nancheng. Zheng Ling wore a sun hat, while Shu Xuan was fully geared up—looking like a secret agent.
They rode horses, shot arrows, and galloped across the plains.
To outsiders, they looked like a carefree, loving couple—sweet and full of affection.
By evening, the wind picked up and dark clouds rolled in. A moment ago, the sun had been blazing, but now it suddenly started to pour.
The pastures were far from the residential areas—it would take two to three hours to return.
And on the open grassland, the thunder and lightning made it extremely unsafe.
The horse rental owner led them to his home for shelter. They were cautious—Zheng Ling texted Aryo, and Shu Xuan messaged Xiaoying. If they didn’t check in again in ten minutes, their friends were told to call the police.
The owner was a simple man, around forty years old.
“Sorry it’s a bit messy,” he said as he opened the door. All three of them were soaked to the bone.
He had two kids—a boy and a girl—waiting under the eaves for their father to return.
“Thank you,” Zheng Ling said as she accepted a chair from the man and gave it to Shu Xuan first.
The little girl blushed and hid when she saw them. The boy went to pour them water.
Zheng Ling took the glass but didn’t drink. She exchanged a look with Shu Xuan. Neither let down their guard.
“This rain won’t stop anytime soon. I’ll take you back once it clears up,” the man said.
An hour passed. Aside from the owner coming out once to ask if they were hungry, nothing else happened.
The little girl came out and began playing with her brother.
But they still hadn’t seen the children’s mother. Zheng Ling couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s their mom?”
The man was playing Mahjong on his phone. “She left a few years back.”
“Why?” Zheng Ling asked, curious.
“Our place only developed in recent years. Before, there weren’t even brick houses like this. Guess I wasn’t capable enough to give her a better life sooner,” he said as if he were telling someone else’s story, fingers still tapping tiles on the screen.
Shu Xuan noticed something too. In homes with children, there was usually at least one book. Here, not a single one was in sight.
“Do the kids go to school?” she asked.
“No. The school’s too far, and they’re too little to go on their own. I’ve gotta earn money,” he replied, the phone chiming out, “Two Dots.”
Zheng Ling looked at the children. “How old are they?”
“The boy’s six. The girl’s four.”