After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The man in black, having reported the destruction of the bug and presented the intercepted recordings, watched as his Boss listened intently. The Boss’s lips curved into a smile, his hands folded on the desk in amusement. “Interesting. The relationship between Ye Qin and this Shen Lu might be more than simple. Also, have someone investigate the background of that Shen Jing.”

“Yes, Boss.”

…

After Tan Xueying leaned in and whispered, “You look so cute when you’re nervous,” before gracefully walking away, Shen Lu quickly clutched her fiercely beating heart. Had Sister Xueying just flirted with her? The phrase echoed relentlessly in her mind.

“Shen Lu, what are you doing here?” Ye Qin’s sudden appearance startled her.

Shen Lu immediately became flustered. “Sister, Sister, you’re out! Is everything finished?”

Ye Qin looked at her strangely. “What’s wrong with you? You look so nervous.”

“No, no, I’m not. Am I?” Shen Lu wiped sweat from her forehead. “Shen Jing has been waiting a long time. Let’s head back.”

Ye Qin walked behind her, letting go of her curiosity.

That night, after returning, Shen Lu, ever the responsible older sister, helped Shen Jing settle into the room the crew had provided. Before leaving, she reminded him, “You’re officially employed now. Your name is registered. So, you must work hard and stop causing trouble.”

“I know, I know. Sister, why are you starting to nag like Mom?” Shen Jing, watching TV on the sofa, didn’t even lift his head.

Annoyed, Shen Lu closed the door. She then mumbled to herself, “Am I really getting nagging?”

Later, lying on her bed after a shower, Shen Lu couldn’t figure out the meaning behind Tan Xueying’s actions earlier. Knowing her own place, she couldn’t dare to imagine that Sister Xueying was actually interested in her. But then, why the flirtation?

Just then, her phone chimed with a message. While it was only Shen Jing being silly in the family group chat, her attention was drawn to her contact list: someone had sent her a friend request.

Shen Lu accepted without much thought. The user’s WeChat name was Bailu (White Egret), and the profile picture was a kitten. Unable to place the person, Shen Lu messaged first.

Shen Lu: Who is this?

Bailu quickly replied: Guess. We met today.

Shen Lu: Are you also part of the Peerless in the World crew?

Bailu: Yes.

Shen Lu: Then are you… Sorry, I really can’t guess. There are too many people in the crew. Maybe you can tell me which department—props, makeup…?

Bailu sent a laughing emoji, then replied: Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m Tan Xueying.

Shen Lu was so shocked she dropped her phone. Xueying… Sister Xueying!

After a while, she picked up her phone: Hello, Sister Xueying.

Her mind filled with questions. Why would a big star want to befriend another star’s assistant? Their worlds shouldn’t intersect like this. And how did she even get Shen Lu’s WeChat ID?

Oddly, after Shen Lu acknowledged her, she received no more replies. Shen Lu gave up, put her phone away, and went to sleep.

…

The next day, at noon, the crew broke for lunch. As Ye Qin’s driver, Shen Jing, a registered crew member, also received his boxed lunch. Due to Shen Lu’s orders, Shen Jing had to eat alone.

His daily work was minimal—driving Ye Qin to and from the hotel. He was mostly idle on set, usually finding a spot to play mobile games. It was a free schedule, and the pay was good.

As the newcomer, he ate by himself in a corner, watching videos on his phone.

Two men with lunch boxes walked past him, laughing.

“Hey, isn’t that the new driver the ‘Vase’ actress hired?”

“That yellow hair is a joke. So non-mainstream, hahahahaha.”

Shen Jing put down his lunch, looking up to confront them. “Say that again.”

The men turned, their faces sneering. “So what? We’re talking about you. What are you going to do?”

One man pulled his accomplice aside, whispering, “Forget it, forget it. Don’t stoop to his level. It’ll be bad if it turns into a big scene.”

The other ignored him, stepping forward to poke Shen Jing’s chest. “Hey, Little Yellow Hair, you should just run back to your mom’s arms. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

Shen Jing’s hands clenched into fists, his chest heaving. “I’m warning you, watch your mouth.”

“Oh, I won’t watch my mouth! What are you going to do? You’re just a newbie. You’re nothing. Truly, like master, like dog.”

“Don’t you dare talk about my Sister Qin!” Shen Jing glared, his teeth clenched.

“I’ll talk about that bitch Ye Qin, and I’ll talk about your useless sister! This set is small. Everyone knows all the gossip. You only got snuck onto the crew because your sister pulled some strings. It’s ridiculous.”

That was the breaking point. Enraged, Shen Jing lunged and punched the man, knocking him to the ground. The man wiped blood from his nose and scrambled up. “You little brat, you’re dead today!” The two began wrestling.

“Stop fighting! Someone’s going to get hurt!” The fight was in a secluded area, so no one immediately intervened. The man’s accomplice ran off to get help.

…

Meanwhile, in the lounge…

“Sister Qin, I heard there’s a lantern festival in City H for the Mid-Autumn Festival in a couple of days. Are you going to go?”

Ye Qin raised an eyebrow. “I don’t like crowds. You go if you like.”

“Oh, okay,” Shen Lu pouted.

A frantic knock interrupted them. Shen Lu rushed to open the door. “What’s wrong?”

The person was breathless. “A fight! A fight broke out!”

“Who’s fighting? Shen Jing?” Shen Lu’s first thought was her brother.

The person nodded, gasping for air.

Shen Lu immediately took off running. Ye Qin put down her food, stood up, and grabbed the messenger. “Where are they?”

Though Shen Jing looked thin, he fought fiercely. The other man was bigger but was clearly no match for Shen Jing’s seasoned brawling. Both were bruised and bloody.

When Shen Lu arrived, the fight had been broken up. Everyone’s eyes were on her. Shen Lu rushed forward and immediately delivered a slap across Shen Jing’s face. “Apologize to him!”

Shen Jing gritted his teeth, contempt in his eyes. “Why should I apologize!”

Ye Qin arrived later. Seeing Shen Jing’s state, she felt uneasy and stepped in to mediate. “Forget the arguments for now. Let’s go to the hospital.”

Shen Jing stood his ground stubbornly. “I’m fine. I don’t need to go to the hospital.” The statement was clearly aimed at Shen Lu.

Shen Lu stood there, too. The siblings were at an impasse.

“Enough! Both of you, go to the hospital and get your wounds treated,” the Director ordered, having been drawn in by the commotion.

With the Director’s order, no one objected. Shen Lu, however, was mortified. Now everyone on the crew knew she had such an undisciplined brother, and he’d caused trouble for Ye Qin.

On the drive to the hospital, Shen Lu drove with a cold, silent face. Shen Jing sat in the back. Neither spoke.

Ye Qin couldn’t leave due to her afternoon scenes, so she called Sister Wang Lin, asking her to check on the siblings after she was done working. Ye Qin’s eye wouldn’t stop twitching.

At the hospital, Shen Jing’s injuries were confirmed to be only superficial, while the other man had a minor fracture. While Shen Jing was getting his wounds cleaned and dressed, Shen Lu finally spoke, her arms crossed, impatience heavy in her voice. “Either you apologize to him, or you pack your things and go home. You’re done here.”

“He provoked me first! He’s the one who deserved to be hit!” Shen Jing remained stubborn, clutching his last bit of pride.

“Shen Jing, when are you going to grow up? Do you think this is still a world that revolves around you, where you solve everything with violence? You’re an adult now. You have to face the consequences of your actions! Do you know the impact your moment of anger could have on me and Ye Qin?”

Shen Jing gnashed his teeth. “What about you? When will you ever consider things from my perspective? No matter what happens, you always blame me first.”

Shen Lu was shaking with anger. “I’m done arguing with you. You pack your bags and get out!” She slammed the door shut.

Shen Lu sat in the hospital corridor, acknowledging her own responsibility in the incident. She had brought Shen Jing to the set, so she took the initiative to post an apology in the crew’s main chat.

Opinions varied.

“It’s okay, Shen Lu, this isn’t your fault. You don’t need to apologize to us.”

“They’re young and hot-headed. A quick temper is understandable.”

“…”

“Keep your brother in check. It looks bad if word gets out. The crew’s reputation is being hurt.”

“Luckily, it didn’t escalate. Otherwise, your Ye Qin would have been affected too.”

“…..”

Shen Lu pursed her lips and turned off her phone, sitting alone and lost in thought. She was filled with regret. She should have done everything to stop Shen Jing from coming to City H. She knew him too well—he was incorrigible.

…

During an afternoon filming break, Ye Qin was still worried, so she called Shen Lu while getting her makeup retouched. “What’s the situation?”

Shen Lu immediately apologized. “Sister Qin, I am truly sorry about this. I failed to supervise my brother and caused you trouble. I’ve told him if he doesn’t apologize, he has to go home.”

“I’ve already notified Sister Wang. She’s investigating the incident. She’ll tell you the details tonight,” Ye Qin replied.

Shen Jing, being unyielding, had returned to the hotel and started packing his suitcase. Shen Lu stood by the door, her voice tinged with disappointment. “Go on. After you leave, I won’t worry about you anymore.”

Shen Jing said nothing, gripping his suitcase, ready to leave. Just as he reached the door, he ran into Wang Lin, who had rushed back, and Ye Qin, who was with her.

“Are you leaving?” Wang Lin asked.

Shen Jing lowered his head, silent, his fists clenched.

Wang Lin spoke again. “If I said this incident is not your fault, would you still want to leave?”

In that instant, Shen Jing lifted his head.

Shen Lu was utterly shocked. Wang Lin then pulled out her phone and showed a video. “This is a clip I recorded from the set’s surveillance room. Shen Lu, watch it. Then decide if you still want to send him away.”

Shen Lu took the phone and watched the origin of the conflict. The other person had continuously hurled insults, not only at her but also at Ye Qin… Shen Jing had endured it for a long time and only lashed out when he could no longer bear the abuse.

But even so, he had thrown the first punch. Although she now understood his reasons, legally, they were in the wrong.

Wang Lin smiled, reaching out to pat Shen Jing’s shoulder. “I’m starting to like you more and more.”

Shen Jing was stunned, his face slowly flushing red.