How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 29
Chapter 29
“Alright, alright, you two are mother and daughter, and I’m just the outsider, huh?” Zheng Ling joked with a grin.
Shu Xuan blushed slightly. Zheng Mom had pulled her into the house, and the group enjoyed a late-night snack filled with laughter.
When the two returned to their room, Zheng Ling double-checked to make sure they hadn’t gone into the wrong bedroom.
Her room had been carefully decorated—everything on the bed was changed into festive red bedding adorned with the double happiness character “囍,” and the bed was covered in rose petals. A gift box sat on top.
Zheng Ling’s reflexes were quick—she snatched the gift box instantly.
“What’s wrong?” Shu Xuan didn’t understand why Zheng Ling reacted so strongly.
“Nothing, nothing. You go to sleep first. I’ll take this out,” Zheng Ling said hurriedly. She hadn’t opened it, but judging by Zheng Mom’s usual antics, it was definitely something inappropriate.
Shu Xuan stared at the bed full of red and didn’t have much of a reaction.
As Zheng Ling was about to leave the bedroom, she accidentally stepped on her slipper wrong and fell flat on the floor. The contents of the box tumbled out.
Both of them stared wide-eyed—inside were black lace, see-through lingerie, and several unidentifiable adult toys.
Zheng Ling scrambled up, her face flushing bright red in an instant, not knowing what to do with her hands or feet.
Shu Xuan asked calmly, “Did it hurt?”
“Uh, no, it didn’t,” Zheng Ling quickly stuffed everything back into the box. She added, “Mom is too much. What’s the point of preparing this stuff?”
Shu Xuan didn’t respond. She turned around and pretended not to hear, but her mind drifted to the wedding day—she remembered several boxes of similar items in Zheng Ling’s room, reportedly all collected by Zheng Mom.
It seemed Zheng Mom was very eager to have a grandchild.
Zheng Ling balled everything up and shoved it into the farthest corner of the closet.
The two lay on the bed with their own thoughts, separated by a pillow. The only sound in the room was their steady breathing.
“Teacher Shu, are you asleep?” Zheng Ling turned and asked softly.
In the darkness, Shu Xuan replied, “No.”
“I can’t sleep either.” Zheng Ling shifted closer to Shu Xuan.
“Boss Zheng, have you forgotten the agreement we signed?” Shu Xuan pressed a hand to Zheng Ling’s shoulder.
Zheng Ling protested, “Hey, I thought there was more space. I didn’t know I was already that close.”
Each time Zheng Ling moved over, Shu Xuan pushed her back. After several rounds of this, they finally dozed off in the early hours of the morning, exhausted.
They woke up quite late the next day. When they got to the living room, Zheng Mom and Dad were already making mooncakes.
“Quick, quick, come try my mooncakes! You must be exhausted from last night,” Zheng Mom said with a beaming smile as she pulled a tray of freshly baked mooncakes from the oven.
Zheng Ling forced a smile. “Mom, stop with these inappropriate things already.”
“What’s inappropriate about it?” Zheng Mom placed the baking tray on the table. “Our education system is seriously lacking in X education! Why should we be ashamed? It’s the modern age!”
Zheng Dad nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Your mom learned everything when she went abroad this time.”
Watching the family banter, Shu Xuan felt a warm feeling inside. She genuinely loved the atmosphere in Zheng Ling’s family. If only she had a family like this…
As Zheng Mom chattered away, she handed a mooncake to Shu Xuan. “Your contractor mindset just can’t keep up with me.”
“Mom, even if we want to spread this kind of knowledge, can’t we at least take local values into account?” Zheng Ling grabbed a mooncake and stuffed it into her mouth—only to scald herself, having to chew it frantically to cool it down.
“Old-fashioned. Stubborn.” Zheng Mom ignored her and turned to Shu Xuan, grinning. “Xiao Xuan, does it taste good?”
“It’s delicious.” Shu Xuan was eating one filled with fruit puree—it was sweet but not overwhelming, and the crust was crisp and flaky.
That afternoon, Zheng Ling somehow dragged home a pomegranate tree. It still had a few ripe fruits hanging from its branches.
“Teacher Shu, come here!” Zheng Ling shouted from the villa courtyard. She wore a grandpa-style tank top, had a towel slung around her neck, and the sunlight made her wheat-toned skin glow. She was shouldering the tree.
Shu Xuan looked down from the window and was about to head out when Zheng Mom stopped her.
“Let her do it herself. She just wants you to be her laborer,” Zheng Mom saw right through Zheng Ling’s intentions.
“Mom, I’ve never planted anything before. I just want to try it for fun.” Shu Xuan gave her a bright smile and spoke gently.
“Alright then, just don’t wear yourself out. Stand nearby and let her do the hard work,” Zheng Mom said.
“Okay.”
Shu Xuan changed into sneakers and jogged over to Zheng Ling.
Zheng Ling had a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. She wiped it with the towel around her neck. “Teacher Shu, do you know how to plant trees?”
“No,” Shu Xuan shook her head. Under the sunlight, her skin was flawless, and the tiny fine hairs on her nose were visible.
“Then I guess I’ll have to eat all the fruit myself. You’re not allowed to have any,” Zheng Ling teased as she dug a hole with a hoe.
Seeing that, Shu Xuan picked up a spade and started moving the soil Zheng Ling had loosened.
“Why did you suddenly think of planting a pomegranate tree?” Shu Xuan asked. Each shovel-full was laborious for her—she hadn’t found the right technique yet.
Zheng Ling put down the hoe and walked over to her. “Last time I saw you eating pomegranates at the village, you seemed to really like them. So I figured I’d plant one. That way, when we come home every year, we’ll have fresh ones to eat.”
“Here, let me show you.” Zheng Ling took the spade from Shu Xuan.
She angled it down, stepped on the edge with her foot, and pressed hard—pushing it easily into the soil. “Teacher Shu, this way it takes much less effort.”
“Got it.” Shu Xuan mimicked her and quickly got the hang of it.
Once they cleared out the weeds and roots, it was time to transplant the pomegranate tree. They worked together to move it into the hole, carefully buried the roots, secured the tree, and watered it thoroughly.
Zheng Ling casually picked a pomegranate off the tree and stuffed it into her pocket. “Teacher Shu, you worked hard. Let’s go eat pomegranate.”
That evening, the whole family watched TV in the living room. Shu Xuan was curled up eating pomegranate while the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala she had recorded aired on-screen.
On camera, Shu Xuan looked stunning and radiant—and the person sitting next to her… well, let’s just say she was technically moving.
Zheng Ling could be seen on screen stuffing her face. After finishing her own juice, she even reached over and drank Shu Xuan’s.
The shot was supposed to focus on Teacher Li Li, but instead, Shu Xuan and Zheng Ling completely stole the spotlight.
The internet exploded with laughter. Everyone was enjoying the spectacle.
Netizen 1: “Hahahaha I’m dying, why does Shu Xuan’s contractor wife act like she’s starving from a famine?”
Netizen 2: “Aaaahhh I think she’s adorable! Look at those puffed-up cheeks—she’s eating with such joy!”
Netizen 3: “All the joy of this year’s Mid-Autumn Gala came from Shu Xuan’s contractor wife.”
Netizen 4: “This is comedy gold. Am I wrong, or did she finish all the food in front of Shu Xuan?”
Even Shu Xuan’s fans didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and quickly tried to control the comment section.
Fan 1: “No food waste! Sister-in-law is a great role model!”
Fan 2: “Xuan Bao is so beautiful! What’s the point of life if I can’t marry her in this lifetime!”
Fan 3: “Did no one notice how doting Xuan Bao is? She even passed her the dishes that were hard to reach.”
But haters found a new excuse to criticize:
Hater 1: “Lmao, that contractor wife looks like she’s never eaten anything good in her life.”
Hater 2: “I’m dying laughing—after marrying a contractor, Shu Xuan’s living standards plummeted. Still think she’s some untouchable goddess?”
Shu Xuan and Zheng Ling didn’t care at all. They were too busy bickering over who should eat the last mooncake. The family had made too many and couldn’t finish them. If they waited until the next day, they’d be stale—so in the end, Papa Zheng ate the last one.
This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival coincided with National Day. In the studio group chat, Shu Xuan sent each staff member a 20,000 yuan holiday bonus.
Xiao Ying (who loves Putaitou): Thank you, Teacher Shu! Waaah 🥹
Da Tou from Shu Studio: Thanks, Teacher Shu. Slightly off-topic—are we still doing that dating show?
Sitting on the sofa, Shu Xuan glanced at Zheng Ling, who was playing Honor of Kings.
Honestly, there wasn’t much downside to joining. The studio had to run, and there was still a long road ahead.
X: We’ll join. Help me reply to Director Li.
After receiving her response, Da Tou went straight to disturb Director Li during the National Day break. Upon hearing the news, Director Li nearly jumped with joy. They already had a script ready and could start filming as soon as the talent confirmed.
The whole National Day holiday, Shu Xuan and Zheng Ling stayed home playing games. Zheng’s parents had gone abroad for business after Mid-Autumn Festival, leaving the two to enjoy the house to themselves.
Zheng Ling finally taught Shu Xuan how to play Honor of Kings. Zheng Ling loved playing assassins, while Shu Xuan chose characters that looked pretty.
Her best was Wang Zhaojun, though Shu Xuan mostly relied on luck to freeze enemies.
Zheng Ling played Yun Ying and was clearing monsters in the jungle. When the enemy Pei Qinhu invaded, Shu Xuan’s Wang Zhaojun rushed to help.
But once she got there, she looked around and couldn’t find anyone.
“Teacher Shu, what are you attacking?” Zheng Ling asked, watching Shu Xuan casting spells on the red buff.
Shu Xuan looked up seriously and said, “I’m hitting someone.”
“That’s not a person!” Zheng Ling was mid-duel with Pei Qinhu, and Shu Xuan had mistaken the red buff for him.
“Oops, my bad.” Shu Xuan burst out laughing. She genuinely hadn’t realized. The map was so big—it was easy to get lost.
In the end, Shu Xuan decided to give up the game. It was too hard.
When it was time to return to Nancheng, Zheng’s parents were still abroad, and the driver was on vacation, so the two had to take a car to the airport themselves.
Zheng Ling felt that this trip home had really changed Shu Xuan—she seemed brighter, smiling more than before.
Da Tou told Shu Xuan the contract with Director Li had been signed, and they would start filming in a couple of days. The show needed a pre-filming interview and asked if it could be done at home.
After checking with Zheng Ling, Shu Xuan agreed.
Early that morning, the stylists had finished doing their makeup. The two wore coordinated colors—Zheng Ling in a pale yellow knitted cardigan, Shu Xuan in a cream blouse with a cashmere coat.
They sat together, cozy and warm. The room still bore the marks of everyday life.
Director Li had the cameraman shoot the house’s interior. He couldn’t help but admire Zheng Ling’s taste. The modern Chinese-style decor was stunning. But the most eye-catching were the two gold bricks on either side of the TV stand.
“Teacher Shu, are those real?” Director Li asked.
“They are. A gift from Mama Zheng,” Shu Xuan replied.
The camera panned over—there was even a string of gold dumplings.