How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 24
Chapter 24
They didn’t know what happened with the uncle’s side. After the collapse of the stadium, reconstruction began. Everyone who had participated in the protest paid compensation accordingly.
Because of the bombing, all those involved were sentenced to one year in prison. The verdict hadn’t even been announced yet when they were taken directly to jail.
Ah Liao’s injuries hadn’t healed, so she applied for medical parole.
As for the attackers on the street, after investigation, it turned out they had killed the leader of the “forced marriage” policy in South City.
To avoid public panic, no information about the case was released. It was simply labeled as a “crime of passion.”
Shortly after Shu Xuan posted on Weibo, her account was banned: “This user has been muted for violating relevant laws and regulations.”
All the trending topics disappeared without a trace. The content posted by other celebrities who had shared her post was also harmonized.
In the end, the protest had no effect at all.
Across the country, marriage centers were still forcibly matching people to get married. Some were thrown into jail for refusing to marry. Others, after marrying, were forced by their husbands to get fertility injections to increase the chances of pregnancy.
The only thing that had changed was this: in the past, when problems like this arose, Da Tou would go out of his way to manage public relations. Now, there was no need. There wasn’t a single word of news.
Life went on as usual, leaving only a pile of ruins behind.
The next day, Zheng Ling was preparing to visit Ah Liao. When she had been hospitalized earlier, Ah Liao had messaged her, saying she wanted to explain everything that had happened recently.
As she was about to leave, Shu Xuan came downstairs and called out to her.
“Boss Zheng, are you going to the hospital?” Shu Xuan was already dressed, looking like she was about to head out too.
“Yeah,” Zheng Ling leaned against the doorframe. “Teacher Shu, are you heading out for filming?”
Shu Xuan descended the stairs. “The director told me to take a few days off.”
“Because of yesterday’s incident?” Zheng Ling had expected the event might impact Shu Xuan’s career, but she didn’t think it would be this immediate.
“Most likely. I’ll go with you,” Shu Xuan said with a smile, looking unaffected.
Zheng Ling walked over and gently bumped Shu Xuan with her shoulder, knocking her off balance for a second.
“Teacher Shu, I’ll take care of you,” Zheng Ling said lightheartedly.
“Sure, since we’re legally bound anyway,” Shu Xuan replied, still smiling.
Zheng Ling draped an arm around Shu Xuan’s shoulder. “Let’s go. After we visit Ah Liao, big sis will take you out for some real fun today.”
Shu Xuan squirmed a little, but Zheng Ling was much stronger than her, making her struggle seem more like a playful tease.
“Teacher Shu, you didn’t shake off my hand outside the stadium yesterday—why so shy now?” Zheng Ling turned her face slightly. Her taller shoulder just happened to tilt Shu Xuan’s chin upward.
Shu Xuan replied flatly, “It was for the scene.”
“Sure, for the scene,” Zheng Ling laughed, keeping her arm around Shu Xuan as they headed to the garage. She always found ways to lighten heavy moods.
These days, Shu Xuan felt very comfortable around Zheng Ling. Unlike in the entertainment industry, she didn’t have to wear a mask around her.
Zheng Ling drove a big Mercedes G-Class out of the garage and opened the door for Shu Xuan.
“Teacher Shu, please.” She made a courteous gesture.
Shu Xuan placed her hand on Zheng Ling’s and climbed in like a noble consort entering a royal sedan. “Thank you, Boss Zheng.”
They went to the hospital first. This visit was different from the last—Ah Liao had undergone a different surgery.
On the way there, Shu Xuan received a message from Chen Ju.
Chen Ju:
Teacher Shu Xuan, is there anything I can help with?
Shu Xuan glanced at the message and was about to reply.
Zheng Ling asked, “Teacher Shu, are you busy?”
“Hm? Not really.” Sensing Zheng Ling was curious about who messaged her, she added, “It’s from Chen Ju. She asked if I needed any help.”
“Ah, little Juzi. So, do you need her help?” Zheng Ling asked casually as she focused on the road.
Shu Xuan smiled. “No need.”
Zheng Ling lifted her sharp jawline in satisfaction. “Then how about my help—do you need that?”
“Of course,” Shu Xuan replied.
Zheng Ling’s joy was so overwhelming her ponytail might as well have turned into a wagging puppy tail.
Shu Xuan finally replied to Chen Ju:
[Thank you, but I don’t need anything right now.]
In Chen Ju’s chat window, the “typing…” indicator appeared, but ultimately nothing was sent.
Just as they arrived at the hospital, Ah Liao called Zheng Ling.
“My dearest Ling’er, can you bring some food for this poor eunuch?” Ah Liao cried dramatically through the phone. Clearly, she wasn’t in bad shape.
Zheng Ling twitched her lips. “What do you want to eat?”
Shu Xuan had already put on her mask; no one around recognized her.
“I want cheese corn dogs, Grandma potatoes, and spicy rabbit heads!” Ah Liao said while drooling.
Zheng Ling looked around. All those snacks were actually available nearby. No wonder—Ah Liao had clearly been stuck in this hospital long enough to know the area well.
When the two arrived at the ward with the food, Ah Liao had already fallen asleep.
Zheng Ling intended not to disturb her, but at the sound of rustling plastic and the spicy aroma, Ah Liao immediately woke up.
“You’re here! Sit, sit!” she said enthusiastically.
Shu Xuan sat first. Zheng Ling set up the tray on the bed and placed the food on it.
“What, no hello?” Ah Liao tore open a bag and bit into a spicy rabbit head.
Zheng Ling finally spoke after sitting down, “You can eat that stuff?”
“Who cares? Live in the moment.” Ah Liao’s face was smeared with chili oil. She wiped it with a napkin. “What? Gonna call me brave?”
Zheng Ling and Shu Xuan felt a mix of emotions. They knew how much strength and courage it took for a girl to do what she had done.
“Very brave.” Zheng Ling gave a thumbs-up. “Do your parents know what you did?”
Shu Xuan, seeing Ah Liao struggling with the spice, got up to pour her some water.
Ah Liao took it gratefully. “Thanks.”
After gulping it down, she continued, “They know. I told them beforehand, and they supported me.”
Zheng Ling was surprised. She knew Ah Liao’s family was open-minded, but not to this degree.
“We did it for the rights of millions—not for selfish reasons,” Ah Liao said while gnawing on the rabbit teeth, hollowing it out expertly.
Zheng Ling didn’t know how to comfort her, or maybe Ah Liao didn’t need cheap sympathy. In her mind, Ah Liao was always that brash, over-the-top open-minded girl.
“You disappeared all that time just to prepare for this?” Zheng Ling asked.
Ah Liao scooped up a spoonful of potatoes. “Yeah. I went to the UK to meet other protestors.”
“Southeast Asia and many Western countries have started copying our model.”
“Our fight knows no borders, no colors, no races. Did you see the Bohemian skirt I posted on WeChat?”
Zheng Ling nodded.
“That was a gift from an Indian envoy. They’ve begun resisting the forced marriage system across the globe. Hopefully, we’ll see real change in our lifetimes.”
Shu Xuan looked at the woman on the hospital bed with admiration. Ah Liao, just an ordinary woman, had risked everything for this cause. Meanwhile, she—a public figure—was constantly hesitating and afraid.
But their roles in society were different. As a public figure, every word and action from Shu Xuan had to be carefully considered.
Yet at that moment, Shu Xuan was suddenly jolted. Since when had she started identifying herself so rigidly with this label?
Even as a public figure, she was a woman first. Her rights and her work were not mutually exclusive.
Had she already been completely molded by society’s expectations?
Zheng Ling spoke firmly, “That day will come.”
Just as Ah Liao was about to bite into her corn dog, the nurse came in.
Seeing what she was eating, the nurse scolded her: “How can you give this stuff to a patient? It could cause inflammation or infection!”
“Hehe, I won’t eat it next time,” Ah Liao said with a cheeky grin.
The nurse grumbled a bit more, then said she’d be back soon to change her dressing.
“You guys go. The wound cleaning’s gonna be too gory,” Ah Liao said.
Zheng Ling understood Ah Liao didn’t want them to see her in pain, so she and Shu Xuan left the hospital.
On the way back, Shu Xuan was distracted.
“What’s wrong, Teacher Shu?” Zheng Ling poked her waist.
Shu Xuan was ticklish and bent over laughing, her voice trembling, “Nothing. Just… very moved.”
Zheng Ling guessed the reason for her mood. “You’re under too much pressure. Don’t be so hard on yourself. No need to blame yourself either.”
“Okay,” Shu Xuan nodded.
“Ah Liao is brave, but we can also find our own way to express our values.” Zheng Ling opened the car door for her. “Come on. Big sis is taking you to unwind.”
Shu Xuan assumed Zheng Ling was taking her for a massage or a spa day.
She never expected Zheng Ling to drive them to Heaven on Earth.
Even as they walked in, Shu Xuan convinced herself it was just a fancy massage parlor—until they got into a private room, and she realized how wrong she was.
Zheng Ling brought her to drink!
“Boss Zheng, are you insane?!” Shu Xuan sat stiffly on the couch, the lights in the room flickering dramatically.
Zheng Ling smirked. “You’ll see in a moment, Teacher Shu.”
She had discovered the place while drinking with people from the South City Group during her engineering projects.
Soon, a long line of glamorous young men and women walked in—girls in fluffy princess dresses, boys in DK uniforms.
About twenty of them entered, then bowed in unison.
“Good evening, sisters! Welcome to Heaven on Earth!”
Shu Xuan lost all composure and clutched Zheng Ling’s sleeve.
A waiter stepped forward. “Ladies, who would you like to keep?”
“This one, this one… not the guy with green hair. The rest stay,” Zheng Ling said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The rest exited.
Shu Xuan felt like a lamb in a tiger’s den. She had no idea Zheng Ling played this wild in private. Was this really okay?
“Teacher Shu, which ones do you like?” Zheng Ling leaned back on the sofa, legs crossed, arm casually stretched along the backrest behind Shu Xuan.
Shu Xuan sat stiff as a board, legs tightly crossed, clearly uncomfortable.
“I… I don’t know. It’s my first time in a place like this.”
Zheng Ling nodded slightly. “Alright then—let’s see some talent!”
The pretty girls rushed over. Shu Xuan froze like a terracotta soldier, clutching her arms.
“Boss Zheng, this really isn’t appropriate!” she gritted her molars. This didn’t feel like relaxation—it felt like chaos.
Zheng Ling laughed at her reaction. “Why not? Life’s full of flavors—might as well taste the fun ones.”
Shu Xuan frowned. “This is wrong. You go play by yourself.”
Just as she stood up to leave, one of the pretty girls beside her pulled out a colorful flag.
A deep, booming voice began to sing: “The river flows east, the stars in the sky follow the Big Dipper!”
It sounded like someone who had smoked for a decade while chugging whiskey. Shu Xuan flinched.
Then the boys joined in: “Hey~ Hey~ Follow the Big Dipper!”
Shu Xuan was completely dumbfounded. This wasn’t what she’d imagined at all.
After a few red songs, the girls stripped off their poofy skirts to reveal gymnastics outfits and began performing acrobatics in the room.
Some did magic tricks, others acted in skits. Even a thief passing by would’ve stayed to watch the whole show.
Zheng Ling was having a blast. “Teacher Shu, fun, isn’t it?”
From stiffness to adaptation, Shu Xuan laughed, “Fun.”
As soon as she said it, someone dragged her up to be part of a magic trick.
After all the excitement, they had hotpot in the private room. The server even brought microphones, and they sang while eating.
“Boss Zheng, how’d you even find this place?” Shu Xuan asked, holding a mic with a disposable cover in one hand, chopsticks full of tripe in the other.
Zheng Ling was happy to see her enjoying herself. “I came here once with some engineering folks. I was just like you the first time—said I wouldn’t play either.”
Shu Xuan ignored her, sang a song, then went back to eating.
They had so much fun that night and finally returned home feeling completely refreshed. Shu Xuan’s gloomy mood was blown away.
Before bed, Shu Xuan ran into Zheng Ling at the hallway, who had just come out to wash up.
She softly said, “Boss Zheng, good night.”
“Good night,” Zheng Ling took a few steps before backtracking. “Teacher Shu, we had so much fun today. Not inviting me in for a little chat?”
“Better not—it’s too late,” Shu Xuan replied, immediately realizing the ambiguity and slamming her door shut.
Leaning against the door, her face burned red.
Zheng Ling stared at the closed door, grinning as she went to wash up.
Days later, Shu Xuan stayed home without being called back to filming. Da Tou was still dealing with a few contract terminations.
Zheng Ling had breakfast ready and was eating at the table. Halfway through, Shu Xuan finally got up.
“Morning, Teacher Shu,” Zheng Ling had tanned more from her frequent site visits but still looked energized.
Shu Xuan noticed her vitality—it seemed none of this had affected her.
“Boss Zheng, why don’t you take me to the construction site for a look around?”