Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 25

Ni Xinyu had not even had time to react before Mo Ying jumped down from the sofa and dragged Kong Rulan, who was just about to speak, straight out the door. “I’m going to walk my Second Brother out.”

“Xiao, Xiao—”

“Second Brother, baby fish really likes those little clothes you made for her. You’re so talented. Your craftsmanship is absolutely amazing.”

Kong Rulan nodded.

Ni Xinyu could only watch helplessly as the ‘guardian’ she had invited to discuss serious matters came and went in a flash. Before the seat had even warmed, the decision had already been made.

She sighed, flipped her phone over and over in her hand, and finally rubbed her forehead. She stared at the string of unfamiliar numbers in her blocked list, hesitating whether to remove one particularly troublesome contact.

As Mo Ying and Kong Rulan stepped outside, they happened to run into a swarm of construction workers carrying heavy tools. After exchanging some polite nods, they saw a familiar figure step out of a car. It was Chu Shu.

With her phone pinched between her shoulder and ear, Chu Shu was speaking in a cold tone while multitasking. One hand carried a lady’s satchel and car keys, and the other was busy digging a meat bun out of a plastic bag to stuff in her mouth. She was clearly in a rush.

The moment she caught sight of the two siblings watching her from the doorway, her mouth fell open. The bun dropped to the ground with a soft plop, rolled unwillingly for a moment, and came to a tragic end at their feet.

Mo Ying twitched her nose. The scent of meat buns was just too delicious. She was about to pick it up when she heard Chu Shu blurt out a clipped warning. “Don’t. I’ll take care of it.”

She quickly pulled out a tissue from her bag, tossed the bun into a nearby trash can, and looked like she wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself. She wiped her greasy lips and smoothed her disheveled hair. Only then did she manage a smile as she greeted Kong Rulan.

“Teacher Kong. What a coincidence. I can’t believe we’re running into each other here.”

Kong Rulan returned the smile and unexpectedly took a large step forward. The familiar fragrance from him made Chu Shu’s heart thump uncontrollably. A flush crept up her face.

“Teacher Kong, you—”

He leaned down and plucked a green phoenix tree leaf from her hair.

“A leaf.”

Chu Shu pinched herself, unsure if she was feeling disappointed or hopeful. “Wow, Teacher Kong, you’re really attentive. Thank you.”

Mo Ying, standing nearby, tilted her head as she watched the steady stream of workers coming and going. Only when the last one disappeared inside did she turn and ask, “Did Lou Xiaohei call them to fix the door?”

Chu Shu’s opinion of Mo Ying had become complicated recently. She had not expected this little mermaid to be so good at stirring up chaos. One moment, she had her boss drunk with desire, practically melting into a puddle. The next, she had her boss hoping again. But in front of Kong Rulan, all she could do was nod awkwardly.

She quickly remembered her task. “Teacher Kong, if you have time, I’d love to invite you for tea. But I have something urgent today, so I need to run.”

“Alright.”

Mo Ying looked away. She saw her Second Brother staring thoughtfully at Lou Xiaohei’s home.

“Second Brother, for baby fish’s sake, you’ll definitely support me joining the preliminary round, right?”

Kong Rulan was helpless against her. He reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair.

“Be careful.”

Mo Ying rose to her toes and spun in a full circle. “I will take good care of baby fish. I won’t slip. I’ll be very careful.”

She watched her Second Brother leave, then dashed back inside. She had no idea that, after a moment of drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in his car, he turned around and went into the house next door.

Ni Xinyu’s expression was stormy. She threw her phone heavily onto the couch.

“Pervert. What kind of person is that? Good intentions mean nothing.”

Mo Ying noticed the red threads drifting around the room and wisely chose a far corner to settle into.

“My Second Brother agreed. Will you let me join the preliminary round now?”

Ni Xinyu nearly exploded, but when she met Mo Ying’s wide, expectant eyes, all her anger leaked out like air from a popped balloon.

“Come here. Sit properly.”

Seeing how obedient she looked, Ni Xinyu suddenly felt that she was doing a better job as her agent than either of those two so-called guardians. She spoke sincerely.

“Since you’ve made up your mind, once you start competing, you absolutely cannot give up.”

Mo Ying listened to her Mama Fish’s lecture for half an hour and promised solemnly. “I’ll be very, very careful. I won’t let anyone find out about baby fish, and I’ll protect myself.”

Ni Xinyu thought ahead. In three or four months, the baby would start to show. Fortunately, that would be deep winter. Loose clothes could probably hide it.

“You really are a worrisome child.”

“I’m not a child anymore.”

Her childish reply only deepened Ni Xinyu’s concern. Her eyelids twitched in turn. Something was bound to happen. A leak or rumor she could handle. But if something worse happened…

Mo Ying, unaware of her Mama Fish’s growing gray hairs, returned to her bathtub. She was in a foul mood, slapping her tail impatiently against the porcelain.

After Lou Anran reopened the sealed door, she followed the noise and found the little mermaid splashing water like mad. She was about to approach when a cold wave hit her square in the face.

“Cough, cough.”

Mo Ying turned her head away once she saw it was her. She continued thrashing her tail, creating a chaotic duet of thumps and splashes.

Lou Anran wiped herself with a towel and sat beside the tub. She picked up a lock of the girl’s soft hair, rolling and unrolling it around her finger. Seeing her slumped over the rim, she asked, “Not happy?”

Mo Ying pouted and groaned from both sides like she was sulking with herself.

Lou Anran watched the blue pendant swinging with her head. It occasionally disappeared into her long hair like a hidden observer.

“If you run into any trouble, you can tell me.”

Mo Ying perked up immediately. “Will you help me?”

Lou Anran thought for a moment. “Tell me what kind of trouble first. I need to understand before I can decide how to help. Don’t you think that’s fair?”

Mo Ying had been anxious ever since that phone call with Ni Xinyu. She did not hesitate to share her dilemma.

“I’m about to start work. The place sounds like shared housing. They probably won’t have a big bathtub. Maybe not even a small one. What should I do then?”

It was easy to get accustomed to luxury, but hard to return to a simpler life.

Watching her fret over losing her fish tank, Lou Anran fought back a smile.

“Any other problems?”

Mo Ying glanced up at her. She grabbed the hand playing with her hair and pulled it close. Then she rested her chin on the warm palm and yawned.

“You.”

Those three letters hit Lou Anran right in the heart. Her chest tightened, then pounded wildly like a startled deer.

Ignoring her soaked clothes, she slowly moved closer to the edge of the tub. Their foreheads nearly touched. Their unique scents tangled in the air between them.

She stared into the girl’s eyes and whispered hoarsely. “Me?”

Mo Ying rubbed her chin softly against Lou Anran’s palm and smiled. “Lou Xiaohei, I need you. Every single day.”

Then she yawned again. “I’m a little sleepy.”

Her voice grew softer and trailed off into mumbling. Lou Anran leaned in to catch the words. After listening, she could not help but kiss the girl’s sleeping cheek.

“As you wish.”

…

When Mo Ying was sent to the ‘Coming for the Song’ filming site by Xiao Ai, she received a full rundown of rules from the ever-dutiful assistant during the car ride. They left her completely stunned.

Closed training, possible phone confiscation, four people per dorm, and only two or three days off each month.

When they arrived, Xiao Ai reminded her she had to walk the rest of the way herself. But when she looked back, Mo Ying was clinging to the car door like her life depended on it, afraid someone might push her out.

“Little mermaid, if you really don’t want to go, I can call President Ni. We can turn around and go home.”

Mo Ying was shivering from all the restrictions. It was already bad enough that neither her personal nor work assistant would be staying with her. But no bathtub? That was barely tolerable. Now they wanted to cut off all outside contact too? What if baby fish got hungry? What if she gave birth in a month? What if someone found out?

So many terrifying possibilities hammered her brain until it nearly shut down.

“Little mermaid, this show is incredibly popular. It’s a rare chance. It would be a pity to give it up.”

“I, I…”

“But President Ni told me yesterday that if you changed your mind, we’d head straight home. There’s no rush. There will be other chances. You can’t rush a singing career. It takes time.”

Mo Ying nodded. Xiao Ai thought she had succeeded and reached for her phone to notify Ni Xinyu. But then Mo Ying took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and grabbed her pitifully small suitcase that held only a few outfits handmade by the great designer himself.

“Once I’ve made up my mind, I can’t back out. You go back. I’m going in.”

Debuting and performing in concerts might take time. But filling her belly was a daily necessity. If she did not sing, she could not eat. And if she could not eat, she could not raise herself or baby fish.

Somehow, Xiao Ai felt an inexplicable weight in those words. Like she was watching a warrior leave for battle, never to return.

She laughed and snapped a photo, sending it to Ni Xinyu with a message.

“Our little mermaid is off to school. She won’t be late. She loves to learn. She loves to sing. She’ll make you proud.”