How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Scandals, Speed, and Sincerity
Zheng Ling was still lying in Shu Xuan’s arms. Aside from the scent of burnt joss paper, she also caught a faint whiff of peaches from Shu Xuan’s body.
“You’re still not getting up?” Shu Xuan’s voice was calm.
“Ahem, sorry.” Zheng Ling sat up from her arms. Once she stood up, she felt a burning pain on her face. “Hiss—why does my face hurt so much?”
Shu Xuan pretended not to hear and changed the subject. “Why did you come here?”
“I just felt sorry for the guy,” Zheng Ling glanced toward the marriage office in the distance. “In this day and age, we’re all so powerless. Just look at everyone getting married today—us included—none of us have a real choice.”
Shu Xuan followed her gaze. The spot where the man had jumped earlier still had traces of bl00d. She recalled the scene from earlier—how desensitized the staff had been, and how indifferent the people registering their marriages acted.
Sometimes, she felt like she herself was becoming twisted.
They finished burning the paper offerings and cleaned up the remaining ashes.
“You were in such a hurry to leave earlier—was something going on?” Zheng Ling carried the metal basin and followed Shu Xuan as they walked out.
Shu Xuan put her mask back on. “Work stuff. It’s been taken care of.”
“Oh.” Zheng Ling didn’t ask further.
She casually tossed the iron basin into a trash bin.
“Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.” Zheng Ling walked over to her motorcycle. With one smooth motion, she swung her long leg over and straddled the bike.
Shu Xuan checked the time and was about to call for a ride, but instead said, “No need, thanks. My assistant is coming to pick me up.”
“Really?” Zheng Ling leaned on the handlebars, eyeing her playfully, as if she saw right through the lie. “This is the hardest place to get a ride in all of Nancheng.”
She wasn’t lying. The two hardest places to get a ride in Nancheng were the funeral parlor and the marriage registration office. This marriage office had seen so many deaths that all the surrounding shops had closed down, and the area was desolate. Most drivers were superstitious and avoided taking fares here.
“Don’t worry, I’m a great driver.” Zheng Ling opened the storage compartment on her bike and took out another helmet. It was meant for her younger cousin—a child-sized Ultraman helmet.
She handed it over. “What? You scared to ride?”
Shu Xuan took the helmet. She had a small head, and it fit perfectly.
“Thanks,” she said, the helmet making her look quite comical.
Zheng Ling stifled a laugh. “Not bad, you’ve got that ‘Mother of Ultraman’ vibe.”
Shu Xuan’s face stayed cold and expressionless.
“Where to?” Zheng Ling asked, unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
“Nancheng Grand Hotel.” Shu Xuan sat behind her, unsure where to put her hands. This was her first time riding such a motorcycle—not quite a scooter, but not a full-sized bike either.
Zheng Ling started the bike and revved it. “Hold onto my waist.”
Shu Xuan pretended not to hear and kept her hands in her pockets.
The evening air carried the smell of barbecue as they sped through bridges, streets, and forests—like any ordinary couple rushing home after work.
Zheng Ling glanced at Shu Xuan in the rearview mirror, eyes flickering with emotion. It all felt surreal. Was she really married now? The woman leaning on her back—was she really the person she’d be sharing a life with?
As they passed the Yangtze River Bridge, Zheng Ling sped up. The faster she went, the tighter Shu Xuan clung to her. Out of nerves, Shu Xuan’s hand ended up on Zheng Ling’s chest.
Zheng Ling was visibly flustered and drove even faster, getting them to the hotel in record time.
When they stopped, Shu Xuan felt like the world was spinning. She silently vowed never to ride a motorcycle again.
“Thanks.” Shu Xuan took off the helmet. Some of her bangs had been flattened.
“You should head home and rest too,” she said.
Zheng Ling’s face was red. She kept her helmet on. “Shu-laoshi, you were so nervous just now, groping around. You’d better take responsibility.”
Shu Xuan didn’t flinch. Her voice was calm, like stating a fact. “Oh, sorry. I thought that was your back.”
“Huh?” Zheng Ling’s eyes widened. “What?”
Shu Xuan walked straight into the hotel without looking back, a faint smile tugging at her cold, elegant face.
Zheng Ling stood frozen. She couldn’t believe it—there was no way her chest felt like a back!
This wasn’t over!
“…”
Back in her hotel room, Shu Xuan’s manager, Da Tou, had just rushed over from Shanghai. She wore a black dress and no makeup, looking anxious and worn out.
“Xuan-jie, the company already dealt with a wave of rumors this afternoon, but new ones are popping up.”
Da Tou had joined Xinghe Entertainment after Shu Xuan and was used to calling her “Xuan-jie.”
An assistant handed over an iPad. The internet was full of slander. Even her old scandals were being dredged up again—the most sensational being the infamous “Shu Xuan’s Mother Murder Case.”
When Shu Xuan first joined Xinghe, she was a newcomer. In just a few years, she single-handedly brought the company into the capital market and elevated it to a top-tier international agency. But only Shu Xuan knew that the glitz was all surface-level—underneath, the entertainment industry was filthy and corrupt.
Few people truly knew her. Even fewer knew that her mother had once committed murder. Back when her career was taking off, someone exposed that her mother had killed her father. Xinghe spent a fortune to suppress the story and signed NDAs with everyone involved.
Now that the rumors were resurfacing, it was likely another company was fueling the fire.
Shu Xuan’s expression was cold. She scrolled through the disgusting comments.
Under a trending post titled Shu Xuan’s Mother Committed Murder :
Netizen 1: “Wait, seriously? Shu Xuan’s mom killed someone??”
Netizen 2: “Totally true! I saw it in a forum back in middle school. She chopped her dad to pieces!”
Netizen 3: “No wonder I always felt off about her. She’s the daughter of a murderer—ugh!”
Netizen 4: “Let’s be real—murderous tendencies are genetic. She’s a top grad from Qingbei, so if she kills someone, she’ll know how to cover it up.”
Netizen 5: “Creepy as hell.”
Another trending post titled “ The Rich Men Shu Xuan Slept With “ was even nastier.
Netizen 1: “What? I thought she was a pure goddess! Turns out she got there on her back.”
Netizen 2: “Not surprised. Most actresses are like that. Some of you fans are so naive.”
Netizen 3: “Stop slandering her. Shu Xuan’s done tons of charity work for women.”
Netizen 4: “Exactly! And it’s mostly women tearing her down in the comments. Go back to being your man’s little wifey, idiots.”
Da Tou couldn’t take it anymore. Some comments were too disgusting. “Xuan-jie, stop looking. President Qin wants to know when you plan to hold the wedding.”
Shu Xuan didn’t respond. She kept scrolling—then saw another trending tag: “ Shu Xuan’s Spouse ”.
Most comments were mocking her.
“Hahahaha I’m crying—Shu Xuan married a construction worker.”
“Makes sense. Murderer’s daughter marries a cement truck driver. Perfect match. (dog emoji)”
“Shu Xuan’s gonna suffer. Bet she has to wake up at 4 a.m. to make his breakfast, and he probably can’t even afford a ring. Lol.”
“The wedding’s probably in some mud hut in the countryside. Hilarious.”
“The wedding can wait.” Shu Xuan closed the iPad. “I’ll take some time off after wrapping up tomorrow. I’m going back home.”
“The company agrees. They want you to rest for a few days,” Da Tou said, now using honorifics.
Shu Xuan raised an eyebrow. “Qin Qing said that?”
Qin Qing was the CEO of Xinghe and Shu Xuan’s mentor.
“President Qin said it’s just a temporary break. All your endorsements and magazine shoots are on hold for now.” Da Tou avoided eye contact. She still feared Shu Xuan a little. The woman was unreadable—nothing ever seemed to faze her.
Online, people called Shu Xuan a goddess—distant, untouchable. Just making eye contact felt like being graced by a divine being.
Others complained she was too aloof—nobody could ever get close to her.
“Fine. I haven’t had a break in years anyway. Tell Qin Qing to call me personally.” Shu Xuan lazily picked up her phone and opened WeChat. The only new message was from her freshly added contact—Zheng Ling.
She raised an eyebrow and immediately edited the contact, adding a “Z” at the front.
The contact “AAA Xiao Zheng Construction” slid from the top of her list to the very bottom.
Not that it mattered. She only had about a dozen people on WeChat anyway.
Message from ZAAA Xiao Zheng Construction:
Shu-laoshi, do you have time off during Dragon Boat Festival?
X: No.
ZAAA Xiao Zheng Construction:
Oops, I forgot. Celebrities don’t get holidays. So, when might you be free?
We’re married now—even if it was random, we did get the license.
So… I was wondering if we could talk about wedding arrangements?
Shu Xuan didn’t reply. She shut her phone, filled the bathtub, and submerged her entire body.
She could hold her breath underwater for 4 or 5 minutes.
When she finally surfaced, she gasped for air, feeling a little more at ease.
Then she messaged Zheng Ling back:
Okay.
ZAAA Xiao Zheng Construction replied instantly:
OVO! When would be a good time for our parents to meet?
X: My parents have passed. If there’s anything, talk to me directly.