How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
By the time Shu Xuan arrived at the venue, the filming set was nearly ready. The area buzzed with busy staff, and outside, many ticket-holding audience members were waiting to enter.
Backstage, several major figures in the entertainment industry had already gathered. Compared to them, Shu Xuan’s fame was slightly less prominent. Many were veteran actors, while some were top-tier actresses from her own generation.
Shu Xuan located her dressing room, where Xiao Ying came over holding a thermos.
“This is specially prepared for you by Boss Zheng,” Xiao Ying said as she opened the thermos, revealing a warm pear soup.
“She saw you didn’t eat breakfast this morning and was worried you’d get low bl00d sugar. But don’t worry, there’s very little sugar in it,” Xiao Ying added.
Last night, Shu Xuan had eaten too much, so she had skipped breakfast this morning just to fit into her little dress.
She didn’t expect Zheng Ling to be this thoughtful. Shu Xuan took the thermos and drank a few sips—the pear soup was soft, sweet, and refreshingly clear.
Today, she wore a black CHANEL cocktail dress. The well-tailored fabric hugged her figure, highlighting her elegance and sophistication.
“Ms. Shu, it’s time for you to go on stage,” a staff member called from the hallway.
Shu Xuan quickly touched up her lipstick before leaving the room.
She was scheduled to appear on stage with a seasoned actor, Li Li. Shu Xuan had watched her movies often as a child, but they had never worked together before.
“Hello, Ms. Li,” Shu Xuan greeted respectfully while waiting backstage.
The wrinkles on Li Li’s face were visible, but her eyes were warm and kind. She looked at Shu Xuan and nodded, “You’re Shu Xuan, right?”
“You know me?” Shu Xuan was surprised. They’d never had any contact before.
“Of course. I watched the film you won the Golden Horse Award for,” Li Li replied, her admiration for Shu Xuan clearly visible in her eyes.
“I’ve seen so many of your films too. I’ve always wanted to work with you, but the chance just never came,” Shu Xuan said sincerely.
Just then, Li Li’s assistant came to adjust some stray hairs for her. Li Li smiled and said, “There’ll be a chance. Among young actresses these days, I think you have real potential.”
“Thank you, Ms. Li.”
Before Shu Xuan could say more, another male actor approached. He was a popular actor from a few years ago, best known for a critically acclaimed drama. But in recent years, he hadn’t released much notable work.
Qi Zhi walked up, greeted Li Li first, and then turned to Shu Xuan.
“Ms. Shu, long time no see,” he said with a smile.
“Yes, Mr. Qi, it’s been a while,” Shu Xuan responded politely, though she wasn’t particularly fond of him.
She always felt he was a bit scheming. When they had appeared on a variety show together years ago, he always tried to outshine others—not that showing off was inherently bad, but he did it the wrong way, often belittling his female co-stars and playing petty tricks.
Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t had any successful projects lately.
The three of them waited backstage together, and soon it was their turn to go on.
On stage were three celebrities and two hosts—and to Shu Xuan’s surprise, Ye Yu had also been invited.
“Let’s welcome Ms. Li Li, Ms. Shu Xuan, and Mr. Qi Zhi~” the host announced.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. As Shu Xuan stepped onto the stage, the crowd screamed and cheered.
A box for a drawing game was set up on stage. Shu Xuan was seated on the left side—right next to Ye Yu.
“Ms. Shu, you’re here too?” Ye Yu whispered.
“Mhm,” Shu Xuan replied, keeping her eyes on the camera in front of them.
“I had no idea what this was about. My agent just dragged me here,” Ye Yu muttered again.
Still smiling at the camera, Shu Xuan calmly said, “Watch the mic.”
She didn’t know what the show was about either. Her uncle had simply said it was an event, and it wasn’t until she arrived that she realized it was a recording session. She hadn’t even been given the show rundown.
The host began the introductions. “Since everyone is here, let’s each draw a question from the box.”
A staff member lifted the box and passed it around for each celebrity to draw a slip of paper.
“Please don’t open your paper just yet,” the host instructed.
Everyone complied. Shu Xuan drew a green crumpled slip.
“Now, you may choose to either exchange your question with someone else or open your own,” said the host.
Meanwhile
At a construction site, Zheng Ling was digging dirt. Dressed in her work uniform and holding a hoe, she joined in when she saw the dirt blocking the road was stalling the transport trucks and there weren’t enough workers available.
She worked swiftly, her hair tied back with a rubber band. Many of the other workers couldn’t match her efficiency.
“Ling-jie, let me take over,” Yang Lei ran over when he saw her, reaching to grab the hoe from her hands.
Zheng Ling waved him off. “Go grab a shovel. Let’s finish this quickly so the trucks can get through.”
“But Ling-jie, you’re not like before. You’re the big boss now. You shouldn’t be doing this kind of work yourself,” Yang Lei said.
“Get lost,” Zheng Ling kicked him playfully.
Yang Lei laughed and went to get a shovel.
Together, they quickly cleared the road just in time for a transport truck to pass through.
“Ling-jie, after that last team meeting, I feel like everyone’s a little scared of you,” Yang Lei said, leaning on his shovel and wiping sweat from his brow.
“Scared of me?” Zheng Ling unscrewed a bottle of water and took a swig.
“Yeah. Didn’t you notice how respectful everyone’s been lately?” Yang Lei answered honestly.
What he didn’t know was that after the incident last time, Zheng Ling had contacted some folks from other companies in Nancheng and fired two people.
Word had spread among the workers. Since Yang Lei held a management role, they treated him with the same caution as they did Zheng Ling.
“That’s fine. We’re laborers and employers. As long as the work gets done and people get paid, it’s all good,” Zheng Ling said.
“True,” Yang Lei nodded.
Just then, Zheng Ling received a call from HR—someone had come to the office looking for her.
She gave Yang Lei a few instructions and returned to the company.
When she entered the lobby, she saw Huang Tian waving at her. She jogged over.
“What is it, brat?” she asked.
Huang Tian looked a bit embarrassed. He glanced around for his father, but didn’t see him.
“Uh, Ling-jie, my dad wants to work here at your company. Is that possible?” Huang Tian asked cautiously.
Zheng Ling raised an eyebrow. “Your dad? Wasn’t he working at the industrial park?”
“They didn’t have any suitable jobs for him there. His work experience is different,” Huang Tian explained.
He added, “My dad’s really hardworking. He does everything at home.”
“Where is he?” Zheng Ling looked around the lobby. Only the two of them were there, and the wall-mounted TV was playing local news.
“Probably went to the bathroom—oh, there he is!” Huang Tian pointed to a middle-aged man jogging out from the hallway. “Dad!”
Huang Tian’s father looked like a decent man. If Zheng Ling hadn’t already heard about his affair, she might’ve been fooled by his honest appearance.
“Dad, this is Ling-jie—I mean, Boss Zheng,” Huang Tian introduced, like a little grown-up.
“Hello, hello, Boss Zheng,” Huang Tian’s father said, bowing slightly and reaching out to shake hands.
Zheng Ling didn’t extend her hand. “Just came back from the construction site—hands are dirty,” she explained.
“Oh, of course,” he said, not offended.
“Our company mainly does heavy construction work. Are you up for that?” Zheng Ling asked.
“Yes, absolutely! Boss Zheng, I’m strong and I can do anything,” Huang Tian’s father said eagerly, practically flexing.
Thinking of Huang Tian and his mother’s situation, Zheng Ling decided to bend the rules and told HR to process his hiring.
“Boss Zheng, I heard your company offers dorms. Where would I stay?” he asked, holding the form.
Zheng Ling paused. “The dorms are full for now. Your home isn’t far, right? Shouldn’t be a problem commuting.”
Huang Tian tugged at his dad’s sleeve. “Dad, no need for the dorm. Just stay at home.”
“Oh, okay. Then I’ll stay home,” he said.
Zheng Ling sneered inwardly. She knew exactly what this scheming man was trying to pull—if he lived in the dorm, he wouldn’t have to do chores, leaving Huang Tian and his mother to handle everything.
Before they left, Huang Tian thanked Zheng Ling repeatedly and promised to bring her some homegrown potatoes next time—“biggest ones you’ve ever seen.”
Zheng Ling patted his head. “Did the uncle from the reservoir bring you anything recently?”
“Yes! A bunch of books,” Huang Tian replied happily.
So, that safety team captain had kept his promise.
Zheng Ling walked them out. As they passed the lobby, the TV broadcasted breaking news from a local Nancheng channel.
“We interrupt for a breaking story: A stabbing incident has occurred on Yuejia Road. Several civilians have been injured. Casualty numbers are being verified. Authorities have also received reports that the suspect planted explosives at the stadium yesterday. Citizens are advised to stay safe and avoid the area…”
The footage showed an overhead shot near the stadium.
Zheng Ling’s heart skipped a beat—wasn’t Shu Xuan at the stadium for an event today?
She immediately called her uncle.
“Uncle, what’s happening over there?” Zheng Ling tried to keep calm.
“It’s on hold now. We’re organizing evacuation,” came the chaotic response from her uncle.
Meanwhile, Shu Xuan and the other artists on stage had no idea what was going on. The host paused, listening to his earpiece, then suddenly began organizing everyone’s evacuation.
Security guards instructed the audience to leave. Screams rang out outside. Shu Xuan followed the others offstage.
Ye Yu grabbed Shu Xuan’s arm. “Ms. Shu, what’s going on?”
Shu Xuan looked at her hand, gently pulled it away, and gave a look that said, You think I know? We were both just on stage.
As they exited from the backstage area, the sound of ambulance and police sirens filled the air. The evacuation was so rushed that no one had time to put on masks.
Many fans had gathered outside, snapping photos of the celebrities. The organizers quickly shouted through megaphones, urging the crowd to clear out.
From a police vehicle, a loudspeaker blared: “All personnel evacuate the stadium immediately! Please evacuate!”
Shu Xuan followed the crowd, making it about 500 meters away when a loud boom echoed from the stadium.
Special forces officers arrived soon after, armed with guns and shields.
Xiao Ying finally squeezed through the crowd and reached Shu Xuan, holding up her phone. “Ms. Shu, it’s Boss Zheng!”
True love is never smooth. Love overcomes all difficulties—and wins over them, too.
Happy Qixi Festival, everyone.