How Can a Construction Foreman Be the Public Girlfriend of a Top Celebrity? - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
When Shu Xuan received the message, Shu Ming had just arrived home.
A few years ago, Shu Xuan had earned enough money to buy the family a bigger house. They still kept the old ancestral home and would return during traditional festivals to honor their ancestors.
“Jie, you’re married?” Shu Ming asked. She dressed plainly, wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses, had shoulder-length hair, and no makeup on her face.
Shu Xuan nodded and gestured for her to open the luggage.
Shu Ming studied Human Life Sciences. Starting in her sophomore year, she began doing lab work with her professor, spending around twelve hours a day in the research institute. Aside from occasionally glancing at news about Shu Xuan, she had little time for entertainment.
“Do you have any zongzi?” Shu Ming opened the suitcase. “Jie, you bought me so many things again, what a waste of money.”
Inside were numerous bags, clothes, and jewelry. While none of the items had big logos, the quality was clearly visible.
“How could it be a waste?” Shu Xuan replied softly. “I forgot the zongzi. I’ll buy them for you tomorrow.”
Shu Ming leaned against Shu Xuan, acting clingy like a little bird. She was five years younger than Shu Xuan—just turned twenty—and still quite dependent on her older sister.
“Jie, aren’t you going to have a wedding?” Shu Ming hadn’t seen Shu Xuan in a long time and was reluctant to let go of her hand.
“Not decided yet,” Shu Xuan murmured.
“I saw your match is with a construction boss. What is she like?” Shu Ming had only seen a few paparazzi photos, but the woman looked decent enough.
“She’s alright.”
“Sigh, I wonder if I’ll find someone to marry before I turn 25. If the random match system gives me someone awful, my life would be over,” Shu Ming sighed.
“Don’t worry. If you’re still unmarried by 25, I’ll personally arrange a good match for you.” Shu Xuan patted her sister’s head.
“Jie… does she know about our family?” Shu Ming asked, worried. There were countless rumors and gossip online about Shu Xuan. What if her partner believed them?
It had only been Shu Xuan’s business before, but now that she was married, it involved both of them.
Shu Xuan didn’t answer. She was silently calculating her next move.
When her phone buzzed again, she realized she’d forgotten to reply to Zheng Ling’s message.
ZAAA Little Zheng Construction:
Shu Laoshi, did you already forget about me after getting home.
Shu Xuan smiled and replied:
Sorry, I saw the message but forgot to reply.
ZAAA Little Zheng Construction (immediate reply):
Then can I see you tomorrow?
Shu Xuan sent her address and added:
Just in time, I have something to discuss with you tomorrow.
She even emphasized not to rent a particularly expensive car. Shu Xuan had felt that Zheng Ling was too concerned about appearances when she arrived in that flashy Range Rover. Since they were going to be living their lives together, there was no need to waste money on such things.
Zheng Ling looked at the message, puzzled.
Rent a car?
The Next Day
Zheng Ling drove a BMW to Shu Xuan’s home. Her house was in a villa district in Jiangcheng. Many luxury cars passed by, making her BMW look unusually modest.
Shu Xuan slept in and woke naturally. It had been a long time since she’d rested this well. Shu Ming was the one who opened the door.
“Shu Laoshi! Look what I brought!” Zheng Ling cheerfully raised a box of premium zongzi above her head—only to be met with Shu Ming’s face.
“You are…?” Shu Ming couldn’t see who it was through the zongzi box.
Hearing a stranger’s voice, Zheng Ling stiffened slightly. She put the zongzi down.
“Ahem, could you please get Shu Xuan?”
“Oh,” Shu Ming responded and led Zheng Ling into the house.
Shu Xuan came down from the second floor. “You’re early. Have you had breakfast?”
“Shu Laoshi, it’s already noon,” Zheng Ling set the zongzi box aside and crossed her arms, gazing at Shu Xuan.
Shu Xuan avoided her eyes and turned to say, “Mingming, weren’t you looking for zongzi? Your sister-in-law brought some.”
Shu Ming watched their interaction from the side. This construction boss seemed a bit loud and casual, rather laid-back.
“Thanks,” Shu Ming replied politely.
“This your sister?” Zheng Ling asked. The two sisters didn’t look alike at all. Their temperaments were totally different—Shu Xuan was like a distant white rose, while Shu Ming was more like a brooding antique soaked in ink.
Shu Xuan nodded. “Mingming, go boil the zongzi.”
Shu Ming obediently went to the kitchen.
“You said yesterday you had something to discuss. What is it?” Zheng Ling sat on the sofa. Her fingers had some calluses, which she absentmindedly rubbed.
Only when Shu Ming had closed the kitchen door did Shu Xuan speak.
“Have you seen the news about me lately?”
Zheng Ling naturally understood what she was referring to and nodded. “I have.”
“My mother killed someone. Did you know that?” Shu Xuan finally said it out loud, as if she had mustered all her courage.
Before, she never needed to explain such things to outsiders. She had never responded to any of the rumors online. But now that she was married, some things needed to be addressed sooner or later.
“Yeah. I read about it in the Jiangcheng Daily,” Zheng Ling said. She had looked up the old case of Shu’s mother killing her husband and could only sigh at how fragile relationships could be.
“That wasn’t Auntie’s fault. The court found her not guilty, didn’t they?” she added.
Shu Xuan hadn’t expected Zheng Ling to know so much. “There’s a lot of gossip online. I thought it was necessary to explain.”
“Let them say whatever they want. Did someone insult you? I’ll curse them out for you!” Zheng Ling lightened the mood. “Don’t underestimate me—I can curse out dozens of men in one breath!”
Shu Xuan laughed, finally relaxing. “Anything else I should explain?”
“No need. We’ll have plenty of time to understand each other better later. The reason I wanted to see you was to talk about our wedding.”
Shu Xuan knew how hard it was to talk about her past. The fact that she still chose to do so meant a lot. Zheng Ling couldn’t possibly treat her like those online gossipers.
“I haven’t really thought about that,” Shu Xuan admitted. She had once vowed never to get married or have children. Before the mandatory marriage law was passed, she had made that decision early in life.
But now, not getting married was considered a crime. When she learned that, she was so angry she couldn’t sleep for months.
“What kind of wedding do you like?” Zheng Ling asked. Seeing Shu Xuan hesitate, she added, “How about I come up with a few plans for you to choose from?”
“Sure, thanks for the trouble.” Shu Xuan gave a faint smile. She admired people like Zheng Ling—so energetic and full of life, like they absorbed all the sunlight in the world and radiated it outward like a giant space heater.
Zheng Ling scooted closer.
“After all, it’s my first time getting married. I just want to make sure you don’t have any regrets.”
Shu Ming came out of the kitchen and saw them sitting very close together. She wisely turned back into her room.
After the Dragon Boat Festival, Shu Xuan received a 2GB compressed file in her WeChat—a wedding plan from Zheng Ling.
The Zheng family now knew about Shu Xuan’s family background but weren’t in a rush to arrange a formal meeting yet.
Shu Xuan remained in Jiangcheng to rest for the time being.
She called her manager, Da Tou, and told him she was planning to hold a press conference to address the recent controversies.