She Said: A Passionate Kiss [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 17

“I’ve organized the documents and sent them to you,” Junjun messaged.

Qiang Huai stared at the chat window for a few seconds in silence: “Forget it, don’t send them to me.”

“I plan to find out myself.”

Junjun replied: “Alright then, that might be better.”

“I’m heading back to Jin City at the end of the month. Want to ask Gu Pingwan out for a meal too?”

Qiang Huai responded: “Depends on whether she’s willing.”

Gu Pingwan turned her head and happened to meet Qiang Huai’s gaze. She blinked with a soft smile.

The driver dropped off Gu Pingwan first. The two of them sat in the back seat, each gazing out the window. The silence wasn’t particularly awkward.

When they were nearing Gu Pingwan’s home, they ran into her mother returning from dancing in the square. A few aunties were with her, and standing nearby was a man with a noticeable beer belly.

“Tsk tsk tsk, that’s quite the car,” one of the aunties said.

Gu’s mother followed her gaze and saw a Maybach parked not far away—just in time to see Gu Pingwan stepping out.

“Isn’t that your daughter?” asked an auntie wearing a lotus-print dress.

“Looks like Xiao Wan.” Gu’s mother was puzzled. Did her daughter have friends with that kind of status in Jin City?

The group of aunties hurried over. Several of them started chirping behind Gu’s mother, “Could it be a man sent her home?”

They glanced meaningfully at the man standing nearby.

With a serious face, Gu’s mother approached Gu Pingwan.

“Mom,” Gu Pingwan greeted her with a smile, then turned to the aunties, “Hello, Aunties.”

“Oh, Xiao Wan, who sent you home? Not even showing his face?” The lotus auntie looked over the car as if she wanted to open the door herself.

Another auntie chimed in, “Your mom wanted to introduce you to someone, look—”

She pushed the man behind her forward.

“Looks like she doesn’t need it anymore,” the auntie said with a knowing tone.

The man, around 165cm, wore glasses and a light blue shirt. His face was covered with pus-filled pimples.

Gu’s mother scowled. “Go on, go on, stop talking nonsense. Who said I was introducing someone to Xiao Wan?”

“What? What’s wrong with our A’Tong? At least he has a government position. Isn’t your daughter just working at some company? We don’t even think that’s good enough.” The lotus auntie was notoriously mean. She always bragged about her son’s government job.

A’Tong added quickly, “Mom, don’t stoop to their level. She’s already in her twenties, no stable job. Even if she was sent to me, I wouldn’t want her. Just wait, she’ll never get married.”

Gu’s mother was seething. That auntie had been trying to persuade her all the way from the square, insisting on setting her son up with Gu Pingwan. When she refused, the woman just kept on pushing.

Gu Pingwan didn’t want to argue with them. She couldn’t say anything harsh either—after all, her mother still lived here. Ruining neighborly relations would make things awkward.

Qiang Huai had originally not planned to show herself. Too many people were around, and she didn’t want to cause any misunderstanding.

But when she heard what was said next, she couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“Your daughter probably has no choice but to chase after men like that,” the lotus auntie sneered, glancing at the Maybach. “Using her looks to seduce someone, huh?”

Qiang Huai opened the car door and stepped out, sunglasses on, radiating a powerful aura.

“What kind of man, exactly?” Qiang Huai said coldly.

Everyone was shocked to see a woman step out of the car. Tall and imposing, even without seeing her eyes, you could feel the chill in her presence.

“Who are you?” A’Tong took a step forward, pointing a finger at her aggressively.

Gu Pingwan tugged on Qiang Huai’s sleeve nervously, glancing around to see if anyone noticed.

“You? Government job or not, who are you to comment on Gu Pingwan’s work?” Qiang Huai gently patted the back of Gu Pingwan’s hand and pulled Gu’s mother closer.

“Do you even know what the China Aerospace Space-Based Laboratory is? Ever heard of satellite-based 3D positioning?”

The lotus auntie and A’Tong opened their mouths to respond but were completely overwhelmed by Qiang Huai’s verbal barrage, unable to get a word in edgewise.

“With your IQ, I should probably call the Disciplinary Commission to see whether your so-called government job is even legit.”

“Not much to look at, but full of arrogance.”

A’Tong was fuming, so angry his nose was running.

The lotus auntie rolled up her sleeves and stormed forward to hit Qiang Huai. “You little brat, who do you think you are?!”

Just as her palm was about to strike, Gu Pingwan rushed forward and blocked it with her arm.

“Gu Pingwan, haven’t we been neighbors for years?” the lotus auntie shouted. “You’ll never get married! No one wants you! You’re shameless! A filthy woman! You even cursed your father to death!”

Qiang Huai was stunned by those words. She quickly stepped in front of Gu Pingwan and her mother.

“And you’re a woman yourself. Don’t you think using ‘never getting married’ to insult other women is completely absurd?”

“Sure, maybe we won’t get invited to weddings. But your funeral? We’d be glad to show up for that banquet,” Qiang Huai snapped, then pulled Gu Pingwan and her mother away.

The lotus auntie and A’Tong were still cursing from behind, but the other aunties had fallen silent, afraid to get dragged into it.

It was only now that Gu’s mother realized this was her daughter’s high school classmate.

As they turned into an alley, Gu’s mother called out, “You’re, Qiang…”

Before she could finish, Gu Pingwan clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Mom, yes, yes.” Gu Pingwan and Qiang Huai exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. The three of them laughed as they walked down the alley.

“Auntie, sorry about lashing out at your friend,” Qiang Huai said.

Gu’s mother waved her hand dismissively. “Friend? What friend? You said exactly what needed to be said!”

“She’s always bragging about her son in front of the neighbors. Anytime she sees a girl, she tries to marry her off to him. With that face of his? Tsk, tsk.” Gu’s mother was clearly in high spirits, pleased with Qiang Huai.

“Who says girls have to get married?” Gu’s mother turned to her daughter. “As long as you’re happy and healthy, that’s enough.”

“But you,” she looked at Qiang Huai, concerned. “Don’t show up so suddenly next time. If someone takes a photo, it could be a problem.”

Qiang Huai squinted and smiled. “Don’t worry, Auntie. No matter what, we’re the ones in the right.”

“Come up and have some tea?” Gu’s mother offered.

“Yeah,” Gu Pingwan agreed.

Qiang Huai nodded with a smile. “Sure.”

She sent a message to the driver, telling him to wait a while.

The three of them went upstairs, chatting and laughing along the way.

Mostly it was Qiang Huai and Gu’s mother talking, while Gu Pingwan quietly followed behind, listening.

“Auntie, if you need anything in the future, just let me know. My company’s right here in Jin City. It’s easy to come by,” Qiang Huai said warmly.

Gu’s mother was already linking arms with her. “Ah, running your own company must be exhausting.”

“Not at all. It’s nothing compared to what Gu Pingwan does,” Qiang Huai said as she walked into the house with her. It looked more like they were the mother-daughter pair.

Gu Pingwan closed the door and watched her mom chat away with Qiang Huai. Her heart felt especially at peace. It had been a long time since her mother looked this happy.

“Xiao Wan, go cut some Hami melon. And bring out that peach oolong tea and brew it,” Gu’s mother said.

“No, no, you don’t need to bother,” Qiang Huai said quickly.

“Nonsense. It’s rare for you to visit. That tea was bought by Xiao Wan, and I’m not supposed to drink tea now with my health, so you help me finish it.”

Obediently, Gu Pingwan went to the kitchen to slice fruit and make tea. Even through the door, she could hear the laughter in the living room and couldn’t help but smile herself.

“You have no idea. Xiao Wan has this set of precious books—won’t even let me touch them!” Gu’s mother began sharing gossip about her daughter.

“What books?” Qiang Huai asked, glancing toward the kitchen.

“Let me think. It’s a set about astronomy or something. Called ‘The Universe’ something or other. Each one is covered in book sleeves. Every year, she comes home and takes one with her.”

“Hahaha, once I was cleaning and accidentally found one. She got so upset with me.” Gu’s mother paused. “She just loves reading those. I don’t even know who gave them to her.”

Qiang Huai understood instantly—most likely, she was the one who gave that set of books.

“And when she was three years old, she—”

Gu Pingwan walked out with the fruit platter. “Mom!”

“Have some fruit,” she said, glaring at her mom slightly.

Gu’s mother laughed and covered her mouth. “She doesn’t want me to say. Haha, you know how it is.”

Qiang Huai played along and nodded. “Yep, I know without you saying.”

Gu Pingwan’s face flushed bright red. She forked a slice of Hami melon and handed it to Qiang Huai, then quickly shoved another into her mom’s mouth to keep her from spilling any more shocking stories.

“I was wondering why Xiao Wan’s been having so many meals with classmates lately. Turns out it was with you,” Gu’s mother said, her words slightly muffled by the melon.

“Ah? I guess so,” Qiang Huai looked to Gu Pingwan with a questioning expression.

Gu Pingwan gave a small nod and pushed the tea toward Qiang Huai.

“You’re not too busy lately?” Gu’s mother asked with concern.

Qiang Huai shook her head. “Not at the moment. I’m taking a few more days off. We’re also starting a collaboration with her company soon.”

“That’s great.”

They chatted for a while longer until it got late. Gu’s mother gave Qiang Huai a mask and asked Gu Pingwan to walk her downstairs.

As the two walked down, neither of them spoke.

Night in Jin City was bustling. The streets were packed with people out for late-night snacks. They walked toward where the car was parked.

“Qiang Huai, thank you for today,” Gu Pingwan said as they stood in front of the car.

Their shadows were stretched long under the streetlamp. The dim yellow light bathed Qiang Huai’s shoulders, enclosing them in a small space where even the sound of their breaths could be heard.

Qiang Huai lifted her hand. She wanted to touch Gu Pingwan’s head but instead let her fingers gently brush her shoulder, brushing away imaginary dust.

“It’s nothing. I was just worried I was too abrupt.”

Gu Pingwan shook her head. “Not at all.”

“Oh, right, here—this is for you.” Qiang Huai opened the car door and took out two gift boxes from her bag.

“This lipstick is for Auntie. She’s doing chemo and her lips have lost color. This will look great on her.”

She handed it over. “And this is liver support supplements. You stay up too late. Make sure you take them.”

Gu Pingwan looked a little dazed. “Th-thank you, Qiang Huai. You… you prepared this in advance?”

“Of course not. I’m good, but I can’t see the future,” Qiang Huai laughed. She explained, “I saw them while shopping for my mom and thought of you two. So… guess I was kind of prepared after all.”