After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The three of them arrived at the bustling airport terminal. Shen Jing was so excited and curious about everything around him. Standing next to him, Shen Lu could feel the surge of enthusiasm radiating from him. Shen Lu could only pray for a smooth journey, as she had an uneasy feeling that having Shen Jing as Ye Qin’s driver might not be a good idea.

“Hey, Sis, why aren’t there any fans here to meet you?” Shen Jing’s tone held a hint of disappointment.

Shen Lu couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. “The schedule wasn’t made public, so where would the fans come from? Besides, do you want a chaotic crowd?”

Shen Jing pouted helplessly. “I just wanted to see a grand scene like that. I’ve never seen one before.”

On the other side, Ye Qin, dressed plainly with a hat and sunglasses, seemed to have overheard the siblings’ conversation and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.”

After receiving the boarding pass, Shen Jing was completely astonished, his lack of worldliness on full display. “Sis, Sis! It’s First Class!” He stomped his foot excitedly. “I never thought I’d get to sit in First Class in my life.”

Shen Lu clutched her own boarding pass, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. It seemed Ye Qin was truly planning to treat this “brother-in-law” well. She recalled that in the three years she had been with Ye Qin, she had only flown First Class a few times, and only when Sister Wang wasn’t available and Ye Qin needed someone to accompany her.

So, was she benefiting from Shen Jing’s good fortune today? She gave a wry smile.

…

After a short flight, they arrived at City H airport at 11 a.m. Having received a message that Sister Wang’s car was in the parking lot, the three took the elevator directly to the second basement level.

The moment Shen Jing saw Wang Lin, he was struck by a sense of severe, no-nonsense authority. She was like… a strict high school homeroom teacher. His energy immediately deflated.

Shen Lu quickly made the introduction. “Sister Wang, this is my brother, Shen Jing.”

“Hello, Sister Wang, I’m Shen Jing,” Shen Jing introduced himself respectfully.

“Shen Jing (Nerve)?” Wang Lin smiled slightly. “What kind of name is that?”

“No, no, it’s the Jing from salute (Jing Li), and the Shen from the Shen family.” A trace of embarrassment flashed across Shen Jing’s face. Shen Lu covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Finally, someone can put this brat in his place.

“I know, just kidding. I’m Wang Lin, Ye Qin’s manager. You can call me Sister Wang, just like your sister.”

Shen Jing nodded and was about to offer a handshake, but just as he raised his hand, Wang Lin suddenly turned and opened the door of the nearby car. “Let’s find a place to eat first. How are you doing, Qin?”

Ye Qin shrugged. “I’m fine.” With that, she opened the back car door herself.

Shen Jing silently withdrew his hand awkwardly. Shen Lu quickly patted him. “Get in the car. Why are you standing there?”

“Hey, Shen Jing, you drive.” Wang Lin said, unexpectedly handing him the car key. “I’m giving you half a day to adapt to your new job. You have a chance to make mistakes today.”

“O-okay, thank you, Sister Wang.” Shen Jing nervously reached out and took the car key.

Shen Lu secretly wiped a cold sweat and got into the car. “Shen Jing, are you sure you can do this? Don’t push yourself if you can’t.” After all, the lives of everyone in the car were in his hands.

It had been a long time since Shen Jing had driven after getting his license, so he was naturally rusty. When he first sat down, he even forgot how to work the gears and handbrake. Wang Lin’s cold expression from the passenger seat made him even more nervous, but thankfully, he managed to start the car and pull out smoothly.

Shen Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sister Wang, Sister Qin doesn’t need to go to the set this afternoon, right?”

“No. I’ve already requested a day off from the director. We’ll go eat first,” Wang Lin said. “By the way, a high-end cosmetic brand approached us and wants you to endorse it in collaboration with Tan Xueying. What are your thoughts?”

Ye Qin, wearing sunglasses, rested her hands casually on her legs, looking expressionless. “Turn it down.”

Shen Lu really wanted to tell Ye Qin that Tan Xueying wasn’t as bad or as malicious as she imagined, that it was all a misunderstanding. And co-endorsing would be good, as it could generate buzz for the product when the new drama aired. But she only thought it. After all, she didn’t have any right to speak up.

Wang Lin paused and then said, “Are you sure you don’t want to consider it? She flipped through her phone’s chat history. “I heard they’re planning to invest in our production team. The director might try to persuade you later.”

Ye Qin felt extremely irritated and took off her sunglasses.

“Also… the team really hopes you’ll take this endorsement. It will help your future fashion resources. You should seriously think about it.”

Shen Lu, sitting beside Ye Qin, could feel a blast of cold air pouring down. So, even a popular starlet like Ye Qin didn’t have absolute say within her team. Sometimes, even if she didn’t want to take an endorsement, she had to follow the company or team’s decision.

“I understand,” Ye Qin replied, her voice low. The air pressure in the car dropped further.

Shen Jing drove silently, quietly swallowing his saliva. Is it always this intense right from the start?

…

They eventually found a decent restaurant near the hotel. They took a private room. Perhaps due to the earlier topic in the car, the atmosphere among them was not great. Everyone was quiet. Mainly because Ye Qin had a cold expression, which made Shen Lu afraid to speak loudly. Wang Lin was always serious, which in turn made the new arrival, Shen Jing, afraid to act up.

The meal was genuinely stifling.

After dropping Ye Qin off at her hotel suite, Shen Jing finally seemed to come back to life. Shen Lu took him to her own room first. After reporting and registering at the set tomorrow, he would be able to stay in the room covered by the production team.

“Sis, is the work atmosphere always this depressing?”

Shen Lu took it in stride. “It’s normal. Did you think work was all fun and games?”

Shen Jing lay back on Shen Lu’s bed, looking completely exhausted. “That woman called Sister Wang is terrifying. Does anyone actually want to marry a ferocious woman like that?”

Shen Lu grabbed a pillow and smacked him on the face without hesitation. “Let me tell you, Sister Wang is a great person! Don’t talk nonsense!”

Shen Jing sounded aggrieved. “I was just complaining. Can’t I even do that?” Speaking of which, Shen Jing flipped over onto his stomach, resting his chin on one hand, and looked at Shen Lu, who was curled up on the small sofa, with curiosity. “Sis, are you and Sister Qin just playing the roles of boss and subordinate on set? And, and, do you two… secretly spend the night in the same room?”

“Shen Jing, why are you, a grown man, so gossipy? This is none of your business as a junior!” Shen Lu’s mouth twitched, and she actually blushed a little at the topic.

“Ooh, ooh, ooh, she’s blushing, she’s blushing!” Shen Jing continued to press. “Sis, who pursued whom?”

Shen Lu secretly clenched her fists. She couldn’t stand it anymore. Just then, her phone rang like a savior.

“Yes, Sister, I’m here.”

“Come over.”

“Okay, I’m heading up now.” Shen Lu hung up, slightly relieved. “Sister Qin called me. I’m going up now. You just stay put here.”

After Shen Lu left, Shen Jing shrugged and raised an eyebrow disdainfully. “Sister Qin… she’s just your wife. Married people, yet still pretending to be so proper.”

…

Shen Lu got into the elevator, watching the floors slowly ascend. The elevator stopped midway, and someone entered: Tan Xueying.

Shen Lu excitedly waved and greeted her. “Sister Xueying.”

Tan Xueying smiled slightly. “You haven’t been on set these two days, have you?”

Shen Lu nodded. “I had something to take care of.”

“Oh, right. Mid-Autumn Festival is in a few days. Here, this box of mooncakes is for you.” Tan Xueying took out a box of beautifully packaged mooncakes from her handbag. They looked very expensive.

“No, no, no, I can’t take this. I feel bad; I didn’t prepare a gift for you.”

“Just take it. I bought many boxes. I had Li Li deliver some to the media today, and I still have a few left.”

“Then… then I’ll respectfully accept. Thank you, Sister Xueying.”

The elevator stopped as the words fell. “I’m here. Bye-bye.” Tan Xueying smiled slightly and stepped out of the elevator.

Shen Lu continued to ascend, holding the mooncake box and examining it. She had heard of this brand of mooncakes; the price was simply unaffordable for ordinary people. There were only four mooncakes in a box, but the price ran into the hundreds. Speaking of which, the annual Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up. Shen Lu had forgotten what day it was.

Reaching the floor of Ye Qin’s suite, Shen Lu hummed a tune and walked with a light step. She first pressed the doorbell. Someone immediately opened the door. Ye Qin didn’t look to see who it was. After opening the door, she turned and walked inside, naturally not noticing the mooncake box in Shen Lu’s hand. Shen Lu, however, saw a mountain of mooncake boxes piled up in the living room—a different, equally expensive brand.

She heard Ye Qin, who had her back to her, say with some irritation, “Deal with these. Send some to the media.”

Shen Lu subconsciously wanted to hide the box she had received, but Ye Qin, turning around, noticed something amiss. “What are you holding?”

“No, nothing. Nothing at all,” Shen Lu replied nervously.

But how could the sensitive and suspicious Ye Qin let it go? She walked up to Shen Lu and questioned her. “Are you holding a mooncake?”

Shen Lu bit her lip, then nodded.

“Tan Xueying sent it?”

“No, no.” Shen Lu started to deny it, but noticing Ye Qin’s sharp gaze, she immediately changed her answer. “Yes, yes.”

Ye Qin gave a cold laugh and continued to press. “Do you like eating mooncakes?”

“Y-yes, I guess so.” Shen Lu didn’t know how to answer.

“Come here.” Ye Qin turned and walked toward the small mountain of mooncakes.

She then told Shen Lu, “Give me the mooncake you’re holding.”

Shen Lu had no choice but to hand it over obediently.

The next second, Ye Qin pointed to one of the stacks of mooncake boxes on the table. There were at least five or six boxes, all beautifully packaged with covers designed by famous illustrators.

“Take these back to eat.”

“No… no need… Sister. This… this is too much…” Shen Lu stammered, frightened. She couldn’t accept such a favor without having earned it.

“Don’t you have Shen Jing? It’s not too much,” Ye Qin replied, putting on an expression of innocent harmlessness.

The Vinegar Jar has officially logged on!