How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Several scripts were stacked on Shu Xuan’s desk—options brought over by Da Tou for her to choose from.
When she was at Xinghe Entertainment, she had no say. Now, she could finally make her own decisions.
She set the script aside and said, “Come in and sit.”
“Am I interrupting you?” Zheng Ling asked with a hint of embarrassment.
“No,” Shu Xuan shook her head. “You just need a name for your company now?”
Zheng Ling smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I couldn’t come up with a good one, so I came to ask Teacher Shu for help.”
“I don’t remember you ever mentioning this before. Was starting a company a sudden idea?” Shu Xuan didn’t rush to brainstorm names just yet.
“No.” Zheng Ling walked into the room and sat down in the chair across from her. “Actually, I’ve thought about it for a long time. But I used to think it was too much trouble. Being a subcontractor, I could just operate under another company’s name.”
“Then why now…”
“Do you remember that little boy in the town near the reservoir?” Zheng Ling asked.
Shu Xuan nodded. “I do.”
“When I heard him talk about his father going out to work, I started thinking about it. And then I looked at the workers under me—always away from home. A lot of people from Nancheng go out to work, leaving behind villages full of left-behind children.”
Zheng Ling found it difficult to talk about this. She feared Shu Xuan would laugh at her—for someone who didn’t even have her own life figured out yet to be thinking of helping others. “Like that shopkeeper in western Sichuan… their kid still hasn’t gone to school, just because they can’t afford it.”
“I thought if I could set up a company in Nancheng, more workers could find local employment. And maybe in the future, I could launch more projects—so that kids and their families can have enough to eat, go to school, and have better futures.”
“Do you think I’m dreaming too big?” Zheng Ling asked in a small voice.
Shu Xuan understood her. After so many years in the entertainment industry, she’d seen all kinds of people. For people like her, money was just a number—but for many others, it was survival.
“Of course not. Boss Zheng has a compassionate heart—that’s something even I and many others lack,” Shu Xuan said self-deprecatingly. A line of poetry came to mind: “May all beings be fed; I’d rather lie sick beneath the setting sun.”
“I think that line fits you perfectly right now.”
“‘May all beings be fed; I’d rather lie sick beneath the setting sun’?” Zheng Ling repeated.
“It means—if it means others can eat, then even suffering is worth it,” Shu Xuan explained.
Zheng Ling thought about it. “Alright, then I’ll name the company ‘Everyone Gets Fed’ (皆得飽). Not bad, right?”
“Huh?” Shu Xuan had been thinking of other names, but Zheng Ling went straight for the literal one. “Well… that’s not bad.”
“Thank you, Teacher Shu!” Zheng Ling sprang up and darted out of the room.
Shu Xuan watched her disappear down the hallway. This woman radiated such vibrant energy—it was hard not to be drawn to her.
“…”
After Zheng Ling registered the company, Nancheng Group invited her to a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The reservoir was officially being put into use.
She hadn’t really wanted to attend such events, but since important people would be there—people who could help her future work—she couldn’t decline. Director Hou even told her she’d be giving a speech and should prepare accordingly.
The ceremony was scheduled for the next morning. Zheng Ling wore a simple blouse and carried a briefcase as she headed out the door. She rode her motorbike over.
She knew this road like the back of her hand, but today, it felt different. She recited her speech in her head the whole way there.
At the reservoir, the banners were already up. Some of the Nancheng city leadership had arrived. Nancheng Group fell under the city’s jurisdiction, so their general manager came too. Villagers surrounded the scene, eager to watch.
Some of the officials Zheng Ling had worked with during the project saw her and waved her over.
“Xiao Zheng, come stand over here,” said Chen Xin, the city’s deputy party secretary.
Chen Xin was one of the few women among the higher-ups. Zheng Ling had met her a few times and was surprised she still remembered her.
“Thank you, Secretary Chen,” Zheng Ling said, moving next to her. She glanced around and hesitated. “Secretary Chen, I think I’ll stand in the back. I’m pretty tall—wouldn’t want to block anyone in the photos.”
Chen Xin understood and nodded. “Alright.”
The safety officer and Director Hou were both in the second row, though at the ends. The positioning at these events was always carefully arranged. Who stood where, which signs went on which side, everything was calculated by rank.
Zheng Ling disliked all this superficial posturing, but there was nothing she could do about it. She wasn’t in a position to change things yet.
So she stood all the way in the back, off to the side.
Chen Xin noticed her move and found herself impressed. Most people would have fought to be front and center near her. Zheng Ling was the only one who chose to stay far away—clearly someone who knew her place.
The ceremony began. Chen Xin gave the first speech, followed by the general manager of Nancheng Group.
When it was supposed to be Zheng Ling’s turn, the host skipped over it and announced the ribbon-cutting directly.
Zheng Ling had already taken a step toward the stage, only to retreat when she heard the announcement.
She scoffed inwardly—of course she knew what that meant.
The ribbon was cut. The reservoir gates opened, sending water flowing to households far and wide. The project had finally reached its end.
Zheng Ling looked out over the clear green water. After all the long days and nights working on this mountain project, it finally felt like a job well done.
She opened her arms and took a deep breath. The mist hadn’t cleared yet. The scent of leaves and fresh water filled the air.
“Jie!” a voice called out. It was Huang Tian, running up with a big grin on his face.
Zheng Ling turned and saw the boy in new clothes and shoes, clearly happy.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“My dad’s back! I can go to school next semester!” he beamed.
“Your dad’s back?” She remembered hearing that his father had left for another woman. She didn’t think he’d return.
“Yeah, he plans to work in our industrial park now.”
This little boy was totally different from the one she first met.
“That’s great. Did your dad buy those clothes for you?” she asked, crouching down and patting his head.
He waved his hand. “Nope. That uncle did.”
He pointed at the safety officer. The man had been watching and quickly looked away when he met Zheng Ling’s gaze.
Suppressing a laugh, Zheng Ling said, “Nice. Looks great.”
The boy chatted a bit more before running off to play with the other villagers.
Zheng Ling stood up and walked over to the safety officer. She lowered her voice and teased, “Long time no see.”
The man stepped back. “Boss Zheng, Boss Zheng, hello.”
“Sure,” she said coldly. “But my carefully prepared speech went to waste.”
“What speech?” he feigned ignorance.
“What do you think?” she leaned in and pretended to punch him.
Director Hou quickly came over and gently separated them. “Boss Zheng, I’m so sorry. The speech was cut at the last minute, and we forgot to inform you.”
Zheng Ling nodded slightly. “Oh.”
“Really sorry about that,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“It’s fine. I’m not a fan of this stuff anyway.” She found their tactics childish. “But if you guys really feel bad, you could donate some clothes or supplies for the village kids.”
Elsewhere, Chen Xin had noticed the interaction and walked over with a group of people.
“Boss Zheng,” she greeted, then turned to the others. “This is the forewoman who built our reservoir—a female contractor.”
Everyone had heard the rumors about a woman running the project but were surprised by how young she looked—like a recent college grad. She really built this reservoir?
“Boss Zheng is remarkable,” Chen Xin said, clearly fond of her. “She stood out from all the male contractors during the bidding process.”
That statement made it clear—Chen Xin saw her as one of her own. It also shut down anyone doubting a woman’s ability to handle construction.
“Thank you for the praise, Secretary Chen. I still have a lot to learn,” Zheng Ling said humbly.
“Didn’t you just start your own company?” Chen Xin asked.
Zheng Ling nodded. “Yes, I’m currently in the preparation stage.”
“Well, make sure to invite me to your grand opening. I love supporting local entrepreneurs—especially women entrepreneurs,” Chen Xin said, boosting Zheng Ling’s image in front of the others.
Everyone there was a savvy player in the game—they knew what that meant.
Zheng Ling didn’t care whether they bought it or not. “Thank you, Secretary Chen. It would be an honor.”
As the event ended, Chen Xin even asked Zheng Ling to add her on WeChat, saying they could stay in touch.
After adding her, Zheng Ling thanked her again. “Thank you, Secretary Chen.”
Chen Xin smiled from her car window. “Don’t mention it. Just keep working hard.”
“…”
That night, when Zheng Ling got home, Shu Xuan was in the living room reading a script.
Hearing the door, she quickly got up and pretended to go get water. “You’re back.”
“Teacher Shu, I’m so tired,” Zheng Ling groaned, kicking off her shoes. One of them hit a pile of packages by the door, but she ignored it and ran straight over.
Dealing with people was way more exhausting than building reservoirs. She was totally drained.
But the moment she saw Shu Xuan at home, her heart calmed down. Shu Xuan always had that effect.
“Did you eat?” Shu Xuan asked, sipping from her glass.
Zheng Ling shook her head. “Not yet. Those Nancheng Group people are so stingy, wouldn’t even feed me. If I’d had a meal, I could’ve recharged a little.”
“I’ll cook something for you. What do you want to eat?” Shu Xuan put down her glass.
“You? You can cook?” Zheng Ling immediately pictured some low-fat, oil-free actress meal—totally bland.
Shu Xuan looked slightly embarrassed. She walked over to the entryway, opened a package with a box cutter, and pulled out two packs of snail noodles… and a tray of fertilized duck eggs.
Then, the glamorous celebrity—wearing an outfit worth tens of thousands—went to the kitchen to cook snail noodles and duck embryos.
When it was ready and served, Zheng Ling stared at the dishes.
She’d never eaten snail noodles before… and especially not balut.