How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Everyone’s gaze fell on Zheng Ling. Her body stiffened, and her legs felt as limp as boneless chicken feet.
“Me?” Zheng Ling pointed to herself in surprise. She hadn’t expected Shu Xuan to recognize her—let alone ask her, in front of everyone, if she wanted to leave together.
Shu Xuan walked right up to her and whispered, “Who else could I mean?”
Only then did the fans realize—this must be Shu Xuan’s marriage partner, the one who worked in construction.
The fan who had been arguing with Zheng Ling earlier about who Shu Xuan belonged to suddenly felt powerless. So she really was Shu Xuan’s wife… and she had said it out loud.
Zheng Ling followed Shu Xuan out of the airport. Xiao Ying had already arranged for a driver to pick them up. Outside, fans were still waving goodbye to Shu Xuan.
“Teacher Shu, will this affect you in any way?” Zheng Ling asked, looking in the rearview mirror at the fading crowd of fans.
Shu Xuan was resting with her eyes closed. Her tone was calm and indifferent: “Not at all. I’m just leaving with my spouse. What’s the problem?”
Hearing the word “spouse,” Zheng Ling’s heart melted. Just moments ago, the northern city wind had left her chilled to the bone—now she felt flushed and warm.
The next day, Zheng Ling put on the camel-colored coat she had chosen earlier. Shu Xuan wore a camel-colored sweater—matching Zheng Ling’s tones exactly. It was clear to anyone that they were wearing couple outfits.
Xiao Ying arrived with a makeup artist and had also arranged for breakfast at the hotel.
“Teacher Shu, are you sure you don’t need me to go with you?” Xiao Ying placed a sandwich on the table. Shu Xuan had told her the day before that she didn’t need to follow her to the alumni gathering and that she should take the chance to explore the city.
Shu Xuan was sipping her black coffee. “No need.”
Zheng Ling had just finished getting ready and came out of the bathroom. “I’ll be with Teacher Shu. Don’t worry.”
“But…” Xiao Ying started to speak, then swallowed her words.
Online discussions about the Qingbei alumni gathering were heating up. Shu Xuan’s college entrance exam score had even resurfaced.
Netizen 1: What? You’re telling me Shu Xuan scored 697 on her college entrance exam?
Netizen 2: Not gonna lie, that score could get me into two associate degree programs…
Netizen 3: Shu Xuan is raising the bar for education in the entertainment industry. Those who slipped through nine years of compulsory schooling, take note!
Netizen 4: Not even a fan, but this is wild. Back when there were still arts and sciences tracks, she aced the liberal arts section. That’s crazy impressive.
Someone also shared old photos of Shu Xuan from her university days—at the cafeteria, the sports field, the library. In every shot, she looked like the serene, unattainable goddess straight out of a novel.
Comment: Still, not gonna lie, she’s definitely no longer that innocent white flower after being in the entertainment circle for a few years.
Reply: Heh, no one stays clean in showbiz.
Her fans clapped back hard, pulling up her award-winning performances as receipts. Shu Xuan, though not formally trained in acting, was more professional than many graduates from top drama academies.
Fan 1: Hands off our Xuan-bao! Before you talk smack, maybe check how your fave’s acting compares? Been in the industry for years and still awardless—is that by choice?
Fan 2: Aaaah Shu Xuan is so pretty! My teeth are a bit crooked… can Xuan-bao help fix them with her tongue?
Fan 3 replying to Fan 2: What kind of unholy words are you even saying?!
Soon, fans and bystanders were arguing in the comments, though most were still praising Shu Xuan.
The airport video of Shu Xuan recognizing Zheng Ling was also posted—it captured the exact moment Shu Xuan acknowledged her in public.
Bystander 1: Wait, she was wrapped up like that and Shu Xuan still recognized her? Shu Xuan, don’t love her too much~
Fan 1: Ugh, I was there! I’m short, so I was standing in the back and asked the construction worker lady (this one on screen) to move aside. She said she was chasing her wife. I even argued that Shu Xuan was my wife. Turns out the real clown… was me.
Bystander 2 replying: LOL. I feel bad for you, sis. Who would’ve guessed?
Meanwhile, Shu Xuan and Zheng Ling had arrived at the gates of Qingbei University. The entrance display board showcased many outstanding alumni returning to speak.
Zheng Ling followed beside Shu Xuan. As soon as they stepped out of the car, people came up asking for photos. Shu Xuan smiled and greeted everyone graciously.
It took nearly half an hour for them to walk from the gate to the auditorium.
Shu Xuan was seated in the second row. Most alumni had brought their partners. Since people of their age were often required to marry by law, the school had even arranged extra seats accordingly.
As soon as they sat down, a classmate next to Shu Xuan greeted her.
“Hi, Shu Xuan.” A woman reached out to shake hands. Zheng Ling was sitting between them and watched the two shake hands right in front of her.
“Hello.” Shu Xuan responded politely, trying to recall where she had seen this person before.
The woman leaned forward, “We were in the dorm next door. I was in the materials science department. Ring a bell?”
Shu Xuan vaguely remembered. She recalled that the dorm next door had once gotten caught using high-powered appliances. When inspection came around, they’d even tossed the devices through the window into Shu Xuan’s room to hide them.
“I remember now.” Shu Xuan smiled.
“Aiyo, look at us—we’re all 25 or 26, but we look like we’re 30 already. You still look so stunning.” The woman sounded full of envy.
Zheng Ling felt uncomfortable hearing this, though she didn’t know the nature of their relationship, so she didn’t speak up.
Shu Xuan’s smile never faltered. She brushed her hair back lightly. “Not bad, I suppose.”
Seeing that Shu Xuan didn’t take the bait, the woman stopped pressing the topic.
The Outstanding Alumni Conference began. The school listed several well-known names—like the head of a major tech company, a Nobel laureate in literature, and of course, Shu Xuan, now a top actress in the entertainment world.
Zheng Ling was bored. She was never one for these kinds of events. Even as a child, her attention span during class barely lasted fifteen minutes.
Midway through, Shu Xuan noticed Zheng Ling spacing out. She turned and whispered in her ear, “Boss Zheng, want to take a walk?”
Zheng Ling flinched at her breath against her ear. “Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”
“It’s fine.” Shu Xuan grabbed her bag. The lights were dimmed for a documentary about past outstanding alumni.
She took Zheng Ling’s hand, and the two of them crouched slightly and slipped out of the hall like sneaky dogs.
Fortunately, most people were watching the screen and didn’t notice.
Outside, Zheng Ling let out a long breath. “The air feels so much better out here.”
“Sorry, Boss Zheng, for dragging you to such a dull place.” Shu Xuan’s eyes sparkled as the biting northern wind tossed her hair.
Zheng Ling caught a whiff of her scent on the breeze and was briefly dazed.
Around them, college students walked by. The crunch of fallen leaves underfoot and the whoosh of passing bikes snapped her back to reality.
The moment felt like a dream—like she and Shu Xuan were a campus couple again, sneaking out of class to walk together beneath a canopy of golden leaves.
“It’s not boring at all,” Zheng Ling said, her gaze fixed on Shu Xuan.
Shu Xuan’s face warmed under her stare. “Boss Zheng, what are you looking at?”
“I…” Zheng Ling paused. “Why don’t you show me around?”
The atmosphere was so tender, Zheng Ling nearly blurted out, Teacher Shu, can I kiss you? But she held back—she didn’t want to ruin this rare happiness.
“Sure.” Shu Xuan’s hands were cold. She had only worn a thin sweater to match Zheng Ling’s coat and didn’t even have pockets.
Zheng Ling noticed and offered a pocket. “Teacher Shu, put your hand in here.”
Shu Xuan smiled but didn’t move.
Zheng Ling grabbed her hand and shoved it into her pocket. “What? Embarrassed?”
“There are people around,” Shu Xuan said awkwardly. She had often seen couples on campus before—during darker times in her life, she’d dreamed of walking like this with someone she loved. She never thought it would be with Zheng Ling.
“What’s there to be scared of?” Zheng Ling said boldly. “Back when I was in college, our campus was even wilder than this. At night, you’d see couples downstairs wrapped around each other like DNA strands—practically swapping spit right there.”
“Shh, stop it,” Shu Xuan gently pressed the calloused hand in her pocket—calluses likely from her construction work.
“Teacher Shu, I’ll take you back to my campus sometime. Let’s have our own campus romance, okay?” Zheng Ling asked casually, staring straight ahead.
Shu Xuan was quiet for a moment. Then she replied, “Okay.”
They would’ve talked longer, but Shu Xuan was too famous. Everywhere they went, people asked for autographs and photos. Zheng Ling ended up becoming a prop—dragged into photo after photo. If she didn’t look good in one, fans would even get annoyed.
When it was time for lunch, the school organized a meal in the cafeteria.
After getting the message, Shu Xuan led Zheng Ling there.
She was assigned a seat among classmates from her major. Name tags were placed on the table.
At the conference, no one had seen Shu Xuan. Now that she was here, people rushed over to greet her.
“Shu Xuan, where were you earlier? I was looking for you everywhere,” said a girl from the neighboring class. She wore thick-rimmed glasses and had her hair casually tied back, looking very scholarly.
“Xiao Jing! Long time no see! I was just…” Shu Xuan hesitated, unsure how to explain.
Zheng Ling stepped in. “I wasn’t feeling well earlier, so Xiao Xuan took me out for some air.”
Xiao Jing looked skeptical but nodded. “Ah, it’s been years since we started working. I haven’t seen you around, but I’ve definitely been buying the stuff you endorse.”
“Tell me what you like. Give me your address—I’ll send it to you,” Shu Xuan offered warmly. She and Xiao Jing had once been close. She even remembered the time Xiao Jing brought her a sanitary pad in the restroom when she forgot hers.
“No need,” Xiao Jing adjusted her glasses. “I thought you’d end up in publishing. Didn’t expect you to become an actress, sigh…”
Shu Xuan just smiled and said nothing.
“Oh right, Teacher Chen was still asking about you. How come I haven’t seen her?” Xiao Jing looked around, craning her neck.
More and more people were arriving for lunch.