How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Yang Yin was standing under a tree, talking on the phone. Under the dim streetlight, her light red hair glowed with a golden brown hue.
She turned around upon hearing someone call her name.
“Miss Shu?” Yang Yin hung up the call and took two steps forward.
Just then, Shu Xuan’s delivery arrived. She took the food and walked over to Yang Yin. “What are you doing at the hospital?”
“My husband’s having surgery. He’s still in the operating room,” Yang Yin said with surprising calm, as if she were talking about something utterly ordinary.
“Mm. Want some late-night snacks? You can eat with me,” Shu Xuan offered, not prying further—they weren’t exactly close.
Yang Yin gave a bitter smile. “No, thanks. You’re here with Zheng Ling?”
“How did you know?” Shu Xuan touched the food container—it was still hot.
“I ran into her dad a couple of days ago. I was busy at the time and didn’t message her. I heard something happened to her mom?”
“Yeah.” Shu Xuan nodded and started heading back. “I’ll get going. Zheng Ling hasn’t eaten anything yet.”
Yang Yin looked like she had something more to say but just nodded and stood there watching Shu Xuan leave.
Zheng Ling sat on a bench, mentally preparing herself over the last few hours—she had even started looking into prosthetics for her mother.
“Boss Zheng, come eat something.” Shu Xuan called her to the end of the hallway, where there were two small tables—just enough space for food.
Zheng Ling stood up, her steps heavy. “Thanks.”
Shu Xuan had bought all her favorites—grilled lamb kidney, grilled shrimp, garlic eggplant with vermicelli, and even a bowl of sweet rice wine soup with eggs.
“I ran into Yang Yin downstairs just now. Her husband’s having surgery,” Shu Xuan mentioned, feeling it was necessary to let Zheng Ling know—they had been classmates, after all.
“What’s wrong with her husband?” Zheng Ling asked while picking up a skewer of grilled sweet potato skin.
“I didn’t ask.” Shu Xuan grabbed a napkin and instinctively reached out to wipe the corner of Zheng Ling’s mouth. Zheng Ling flinched.
“I can do it myself, Miss Shu,” she said, a bit awkwardly.
“Okay.” Shu Xuan withdrew her hand and gaze without a trace. Seeing Zheng Ling like this quietly opened a deeply locked space within her.
To Shu Xuan, Zheng Ling had always been the tough girl on the construction site—the one everyone relied on. Like she had endless strength.
But today, she saw panic and chaos in her eyes. Sometimes, Shu Xuan forgot that even someone like Zheng Ling needed care and love.
“Miss Shu, you can’t delay your filming. You should go back tomorrow,” Zheng Ling said quietly as she sipped her soup.
Shu Xuan didn’t say anything—she just nodded.
The Next Day
Zheng Ling woke up in a hotel next to the hospital and went straight back. Shu Xuan was still sleeping.
The doctor said that if things went well over the next 24 hours, her mother could be moved to a regular ward. She hadn’t woken up yet.
Zheng Ling went to a nearby breakfast shop. The place was packed with people visiting the hospital. She picked a lamb noodle place and began slurping her bowl. After eating, she packed a portion for Shu Xuan.
Just as she finished paying, she ran into Yang Yin again.
“Yang Yin, have you eaten?” Zheng Ling asked, holding the takeout bag.
Yang Yin wasn’t wearing makeup. Her eyes looked sunken, like they were buried in two lumps of coal. “Yeah. You’re back, huh?”
“Yeah. Miss Shu told me your husband’s having surgery. Is everything okay? Do you need help?” Zheng Ling guessed something was wrong. Yang Yin’s face looked so awful you’d think she had a terminal illness.
“It’s fine. Just something at home. No need to help.” Yang Yin’s eyes welled with tears as she spoke.
Zheng Ling pulled her to a nearby alley. “What’s wrong? Don’t cry. We’re classmates—tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help.”
Yang Yin finally let go and cried for several minutes before stammering, “I’ve been trying to divorce my husband—but I can’t.”
“I thought you two had a great relationship?” Ever since Zheng Ling joined that dating show with Shu Xuan, she’d kept an eye on entertainment news. Yang Yin was a top influencer, and her life always seemed perfectly curated online.
“He cheated.” Yang Yin sniffled and pulled tissues from her bag.
Zheng Ling scratched her head, unsure how to comfort her. “Well… cheating’s still better than coming out of the closet, I guess.”
“He’s with a woman who got special hormone injections to grow big b00bs,” Yang Yin said, wiping her nose, eyes red with rage.
Zheng Ling was stunned. “A woman with… special injections?” She tried to make sense of it. Was it cheating? Or was it something else?
“Yeah. I tried to file for divorce. First time, they said we needed a cooling-off period. Fine. I cooled off.”
“Second time, they said my documents were outdated and the photo was old. Fine—I got new ones.”
“Third time, the clerk said the printer was broken and told us to come back next time.”
“Then the next time, they said they ran out of divorce certificate booklets. And now my husband ends up in the hospital.” Yang Yin gritted her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to slap the civil office staff across the face.
Zheng Ling knew getting a divorce could be difficult, but this was ridiculous—the excuses were endless.
“What surgery is your husband having?” She was still processing everything.
Yang Yin blew her nose again. “He was doing it with that woman. He was the bottom. Something broke off inside him. At first, he thought it would come out naturally, but after a few days it didn’t, and the doctors had to surgically remove it.”
“HUH???” Zheng Ling was beyond shocked. “And the mistress?”
“She went to the hospital too but already recovered.” Yang Yin sighed. “I thought we’d be together forever, but now I know—no one stays with you for life. Even the best relationships change. I don’t know if it’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. This is all on him.”
Yang Yin shook her head. “He’s probably waking up soon. I should head back.”
“Alright. If you need anything, call me.” Zheng Ling helped her up.
“Thanks.”
After Yang Yin left, Zheng Ling bought some steamed dumplings—her lamb noodles had probably gone soggy.
Back at the hotel, Shu Xuan was still asleep. Zheng Ling quietly pulled the curtains to block out the sun.
Shu Xuan stirred and opened her eyes. “Boss Zheng, you’re back.”
“Mm. Want to sleep a bit more?” Zheng Ling unscrewed a water bottle and took a sip.
“No,” Shu Xuan said, rubbing her eyes.
“Then get up and eat? I got steamed dumplings.” Zheng Ling turned on the desk lamp so Shu Xuan could adjust to the light.
“Alright.”
Shu Xuan freshened up while Zheng Ling laid out the food.
Shu Xuan had two dumplings and felt full, sipping soy milk while watching Zheng Ling eat her lamb noodles. Zheng Ling had already eaten at the shop, but she didn’t want to waste the takeout portion.
“Boss Zheng, your noodles look all clumped together,” Shu Xuan commented.
“It’s fine.” Zheng Ling chewed slowly.
Shu Xuan noticed something was off. Zheng Ling usually wasn’t this slow when eating. She touched the bowl—“It’s almost cold.”
“I ran into Yang Yin downstairs and had a chat.” Zheng Ling then recounted everything Yang Yin had told her.
“HUH???” Shu Xuan was stunned—her round eyes could practically hold a ping pong ball.
“I think her husband is still gaslighting her,” Zheng Ling muttered while chewing.
Shu Xuan, meanwhile, was stuck on how hard it was to get a divorce. “I read about that once. Before forced marriage laws were passed, a civil clerk would stop divorces just by claiming the printer was broken. She was even praised as ‘the most beautiful matchmaker.’”
“Hah. That’s so ironic.” Zheng Ling finished her noodles and even ate Shu Xuan’s leftover dumplings.
“If Yang Yin can’t get divorced, I don’t know how she’ll live,” Shu Xuan said, watching her eat. Suddenly she felt hungry too. “Boss Zheng, feed me a bite?”
Zheng Ling hesitated, then picked up a dumpling and brought it to her lips.
“Mm.” Shu Xuan ate the dumpling and asked, “So what’s Yang Yin planning next?”
“Not sure. I’ll ask her later.” Zheng Ling cleaned up the trash.
“I’m heading back to Dongcheng this afternoon. I won’t be able to stay with you the next few days—sorry.” Shu Xuan had a feeling Zheng Ling bought steamed dumplings for her because the noodles were clumped up. She didn’t need to do that—but she always thought of everything.
Sometimes, Shu Xuan had to admit Zheng Ling was deeply attractive—not just because of her independence, but because of how thoughtfully she cared for others. In a different society, they might have had a beautiful future together.
But in this world, where few believe in love, finding something genuine is as rare as discovering alien life.
“Miss Shu, what are you apologizing for? I’ve got this. You’re the one who has to make money and support me, remember?” Zheng Ling joked for the first time in days.
Shu Xuan leaned on her, shoulder to shoulder. “Okay. I’ll make sure you don’t have to work a day for the rest of your life.”
“But you have to promise you’ll be with me for the rest of your life too,” Zheng Ling said, suddenly feeling awkward.
They both pulled away from each other and looked elsewhere—thankfully, Zheng Father called at that exact moment.
“Your mom’s awake,” he said happily over the phone.
They rushed to the hospital. Zheng Mother was still on a ventilator. Everyone put on sterile gear to enter. She needed more time before transferring to a regular room.
“Mom!” Zheng Ling dropped to her knees.
Zheng Mother had already learned about the double amputation. She couldn’t accept it at first, but now, she seemed calm.
Looking at the tearful Zheng Ling and the quietly crying Shu Xuan, she said, “I’m not dead! Go get me a pair of golden prosthetic legs. I want to switch them out every day.”
“Okay, okay.” Zheng Ling wiped her tears. “We’ll even bedazzle them with Swarovski crystals.”
Zheng Mother smacked her. “No, those are fake.”
Everyone: “……”