How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: The Distance Between Us
Xiao Ying was speechless. Who didn’t know this marriage was randomly assigned?
That Zheng Ling really stepped in dog sh1t luck—probably had smoke rising from her ancestors’ graves too.
When they arrived in the city—
Zheng Ling and Shu Xuan had agreed on a time to go to the airport. Just before leaving, Zheng Ling suddenly remembered something.
“Teacher Shu, why is our WeChat set to chat-only mode?” Zheng Ling closed the car door and leaned against it.
“Is it?” Shu Xuan looked innocent, as if she had no idea.
Zheng Ling leaned in. She was about half a head taller than Shu Xuan, and she bent down slightly to whisper, “Wasn’t it on purpose?”
“Oh, maybe I didn’t notice,” Shu Xuan said righteously, as if she really wasn’t lying.
“Can you reset it?” Zheng Ling stared into her eyes like she was hunting prey.
Shu Xuan opened her phone, quickly found the chat, and adjusted the settings.
Satisfied, Zheng Ling hummed a little tune as she headed off to drive, sticking her head out of the window to shout, “I’ll come get you the day after tomorrow!”
In the rearview mirror, Xiao Ying could be seen quickly pushing Shu Xuan into the hotel.
“…”
The Dragon Boat Festival arrived. Zheng Ling bought zongzi (rice dumplings) for the brothers on the worksite and also handed out plenty of heatstroke and insect repellent meds.
The foreman looked joyfully at the beautifully packaged zongzi. “Thank you, Sister Ling. These good ones I’ll send home for my kid to eat.”
“Take more if you need, everyone gets two boxes,” Zheng Ling said while handing them out.
These guys had been working on the project for four years. They came from all over the country, all trying to make a living.
To save money, many workers didn’t even go home for holidays. Sometimes, Zheng Ling would stay and improve the meals for everyone on festive days.
She knew her capabilities were limited, but she tried her best to make sure her workers lived a bit better.
“Sister Ling, I’ve been doing construction since I was 16. That’s over 30 years now, and you’re the best boss I’ve ever met,” said one of the workers from the plumbing and electric team.
“Yeah, yeah,” another chimed in. “Once this reservoir is done, I’ll follow Boss Zheng on the next job.”
A group of men chattered happily around her, when a child squeezed in.
It was the same kid who had stolen rebar. He was holding a bundle of zongzi, wrapped thickly in leaves.
“Boss Zheng, my mom made these for you,” said the boy, whose name was Huang Tian. He had already worked a full day yesterday.
“Okay, thank you. Your mom’s not in good health and still went through the trouble of making these,” Zheng Ling said.
Huang Tian’s mom had br3ast hyperplasia and rheumatism. The man of the house had been working out of town for years and even had an affair a few years ago.
Huang Tian lowered his head. “You’re good to us, so we want to be good to you too.”
“Sister Ling, are you really not spending Dragon Boat Festival on site this year?” the foreman asked.
“Of course not. I’m going back to Jiangcheng this year. The site’s yours to manage,” Zheng Ling replied with a smile.
The workers all started teasing, “Whoa, getting married changes people. In a few years you’ll probably have kids to carry around.”
The workers weren’t into internet gossip, so naturally they had no idea Zheng Ling’s spouse was Shu Xuan.
“Getting married does make you feel more responsible,” Zheng Ling said, playing along. After the laughter died down, she left the reservoir.
The flight was at 3 PM. Zheng Ling went home to change and headed to the garage to pick a car to pick Shu Xuan up in. She chose a regular Land Rover.
“Hmm, doesn’t look like a nouveau riche car,” she muttered to herself.
Shu Xuan had just woken up. Xiao Ying had already packed for her—three full suitcases. One was Shu Xuan’s personal stuff, and the other two were for her younger sister, Shu Ming.
“Teacher Shu, Boss Zheng’s not here yet. Why don’t you get a bit more rest?” Xiao Ying moved the luggage to the door.
“Thanks for all your help,” Shu Xuan said, picking up her phone.
Right away, Xiao Ying’s phone dinged—“Alipay received 30,000 yuan.” Shu Xuan had sent her a red packet.
“Use it for the holiday. Buy something nice for your family,” Shu Xuan smiled.
“Thank you, Teacher Shu! I love you! Mwah mwah!” Xiao Ying almost leapt on her like a wild dog.
Shu Xuan gave her a stern look. “Mind your image.”
Everyone said celebrity Shu Xuan was cold and unreachable. She had few friends in the industry and treated people with aloofness. But only those who really knew her knew that coldness was just a mask.
“You can go home now. I’ll handle the rest,” Shu Xuan said. She looked at Xiao Ying with a hint of envy—for someone who had the warmth of family.
Once Xiao Ying left, Shu Xuan poured herself a glass of red wine.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in a silk nightgown, her graceful silhouette outlined in golden light, she did nothing—yet it was a sight that calmed the heart.
She sighed. She really didn’t like holidays. The loneliness of having no family hit harder, and it always reminded her of painful memories.
Zheng Ling arrived at the hotel and messaged Shu Xuan.
A staff member led Zheng Ling to her room.
“Teacher Shu, long time no see,” Zheng Ling greeted warmly, adding a breath of life to the dim room.
Shu Xuan hadn’t changed out of her nightgown. Her hair hung over her chest, curves boldly outlined. Zheng Ling quickly averted her eyes.
“Not that long,” Shu Xuan said, stepping aside to let her in.
“It felt long to me,” Zheng Ling said, walking in casually and flopping on the couch. “All this luggage is yours?”
Shu Xuan nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“All right. Leave it to me. You go get changed.” Zheng Ling got up and grabbed the suitcases, dragging them out one by one.
As Shu Xuan watched her from behind, she wondered—why did Zheng Ling carry those heavy bags so easily? The muscle lines on her arms looked almost sculpted. A real construction site boss… truly impressive.
When the last case was loaded, Shu Xuan had finished getting ready.
In the car, Zheng Ling pulled out the zongzi Huang Tian had given her. “We’ve got two hours till the flight. Want a snack?”
Shu Xuan took one. The oil spots on the leaf hinted it was a meat filling.
“Sorry, forgot celebrities probably don’t eat this kind of stuff,” Zheng Ling said as she pulled out some fancy packaged crystal zongzi. “These are low-sugar.”
Shu Xuan waved her off and ate the original one. Zheng Ling was a little surprised—she thought Shu Xuan would turn her nose up.
“Where in Jiangcheng are you from?” Zheng Ling made small talk.
Shu Xuan named a place.
“Pretty far from my neighborhood,” Zheng Ling replied.
Silence followed again.
At the airport, Zheng Ling parked and led them to the VIP lounge.
Shu Xuan was surprised Zheng Ling had really booked first class. Watching Zheng Ling run around handling everything, she couldn’t help but wonder—how long would she have to save to afford this ticket?
“I’ve transferred the ticket money to you. Please check,” Shu Xuan said.
The airport was noisy and crowded. Zheng Ling didn’t hear her.
So Shu Xuan leaned in and said by her ear, “I said check your phone. The flight ticket.”
“What? Can’t hear you!” Zheng Ling tilted her head so close she almost bumped into Shu Xuan’s lips.
Shu Xuan lost her footing for a second, her lips brushed Zheng Ling’s earlobe. Her face flushed red.
Zheng Ling held back a laugh. “Teacher Shu, doing this in public? We may be married, but still, have some decorum!”
Flustered, Shu Xuan quickly put her mask back on to hide her blushing face.
“What now? Teacher Shu, don’t tell me you’re not taking responsibility?” Zheng Ling draped her arm over Shu Xuan’s shoulder and leaned in again. “Oof, you bit my ear. It hurts—I can’t stand up now.”
Shu Xuan chuckled in disbelief. This Zheng Ling was absolutely shameless.
She gently pushed her away. “Childish.”
“What do you think is fun then, Teacher Shu? Playing Honor of Kings?” Zheng Ling pulled out her phone. They were sitting in the quiet VIP room with hardly anyone around.
“I don’t play.” Shu Xuan knew about the game, but had no time for it.
Zheng Ling leaned closer again. Her gaze was earnest. “You’re not in a good mood, are you?”
“No,” Shu Xuan replied softly.
“Liar. Is it because of what’s being said online?” Zheng Ling had seen a lot of gossip about Shu Xuan recently—harsh comments, even people saying she should quit the entertainment industry.
Zheng Ling didn’t know much about showbiz. Her closest brush with it was helping a college roommate get an autograph from some idol via her uncle. She hadn’t followed celebrity news for years.
Shu Xuan’s expression remained cold. “No, I just want some peace and quiet.”
Zheng Ling sensibly shut up.
The plane landed in Jiangcheng at dusk. Zheng Ling had already arranged a car—she dropped Shu Xuan off first, then returned to her own home.
As soon as she stepped in, her mom let her have it.
“You’re married and didn’t even bring Shu Xuan home? When’s the wedding?” her mother ranted on and on.
Zheng Ling was speechless.
After both her parents finished their bombardment, she finally got a word in.
“By the way, Mom, Dad, how much do you know about Shu Xuan’s past?”
Her parents exchanged glances. Her mom answered, “In a small city like Jiangcheng, even a fart makes headlines. Her mother’s story made it into the Jiangcheng Daily, you know.”
“She was a poor girl. Not like what they say online,” her mom sighed.
“Tell me more,” Zheng Ling coaxed, handing her mom a glass of water.
Her mom raised her newly-tightened jawline, decked in bling like a proper nouveau riche lady. “It’s not a secret. Back then, her mom, Shu Xuan, and her sister were all abused by the dad. One day her mom killed him by accident.”
“The court ruled it was self-defense, so she wasn’t sentenced.”
“But she ended up taking her own life later,” her mom added. “We don’t know the fine details, but that poor girl has carried a lot. You better treat her well.”
Zheng Ling nodded. People online just followed rumors blindly. Lies spread faster than truth.
She now understood why Shu Xuan was upset today. In the past, when her own parents were busy during holidays, she’d always felt a little empty herself.
Zheng Ling pulled out her phone. The last message in her WeChat with Shu Xuan was the money transfer.
She sent a new one:
AAA Little Zheng Construction:
Teacher Shu, we agreed to meet the day after tomorrow, but I want to see you tomorrow.