After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

“Hey, they’re coming,” Wang Lin whispered a reminder.

Ye Qin glanced over and quickly pulled her gaze back, maintaining an air of indifference.

Shen Lu came over and greeted Sister Wang, who immediately said, “I need to use the restroom,” and hurried away.

The makeup artist was also dismissed by Ye Qin. Shen Lu then leaned in and whispered her update. “Sister, my parents are here.”

Ye Qin froze, her eyes showing a flash of panic. “When?”

“They arrived this afternoon. I swear I didn’t know beforehand.”

“Alright, I know. We’ll play it by ear when the time comes.”

Shen Lu nodded. Ye Qin noticed her still standing there and couldn’t help but ask, “Anything else?”

“It’s like this: I have plans tonight. I’m telling you in advance so you don’t look for me later.”

Ye Qin raised an eyebrow, seemingly guessing the truth. “Is it Tan Xueying?”

Caught red-handed, Shen Lu immediately became nervous. “Well, Sister, if you say no, I can refuse to go.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Ye Qin quickly said, “Go. Why wouldn’t you go?”

She’s agreeing that easily? Shen Lu was genuinely surprised.

…

Shen Jing, who was sitting in his car playing a mobile game, was interrupted by a sudden call, much to his annoyance. He had just finished a difficult round. He reluctantly answered the phone.

“Lulu…”

“Mom, it’s Shen… Shen Jing,” Shen Jing nearly bit his tongue.

“Oh, Shen Jing! Your father and I are almost at the station. Are you coming to pick us up?”

“Coming, coming. I’m already on my way.”

After hanging up, Shen Jing reluctantly fastened his seatbelt, started the car, and drove away from the set.

…

Outside the station.

Shen Jing met his parents and led them to the car. He had parked the nanny van in a spot in the square. Shen Mom exclaimed when she saw the vehicle, circling it with her hand. “This looks just like those luxurious nanny vans the big stars ride in on TV! Honey, I never thought we’d be so lucky.”

Shen Dad opened the door without a word and sat inside, urging Shen Mom to hurry up. Shen Jing leaned against the car, clearly impatient. “I told you, what are you doing here? Work is killing me. Where do I have time to entertain you?”

Shen Mom frowned, ready to scold her brat son. “Your sister went through such a major incident! How could your father and I not come to see her? And to check if you’ve been misbehaving and causing trouble here!”

Hearing this, Shen Jing felt his hair stand on end. He stammered, “Mom, hurry up and get in! If we don’t leave now, we’ll hit rush hour traffic.”

…

On the other side, Shen Lu borrowed Sister Wang’s phone to call Shen Jing. “Did you pick up Mom and Dad yet?”

Shen Jing put on his earphones and replied while driving. “Yeah, I got them. We’re on our way back to the hotel. After I get them settled, I’ll rush to the set to pick you up.”

Shen Lu hummed. “Gotta go now.”

When she returned the phone to Sister Wang, Wang Lin told her, “You should hurry up and get a new phone. You need that thing on you at all times.”

Shen Lu nodded. “I’ll go out and buy one later after we wrap up work,” she said, smiling awkwardly. “My parents are here, so I need to go back and get them settled first.”

Even a basic, ordinary phone would cost two thousand now, sigh… Shen Lu propped her chin on her hand, feeling a pinch of heartache. Not only did she fall into the sea for no reason, but she also lost her phone. Every time she tried to think about that night, her head started to hurt.

…

“Shen Jing, how are your sister and Qinqin doing?” Shen Mom asked from the passenger seat.

Shen Jing focused on driving. “From my point of view, just so-so. They don’t even sleep in the same room at night, after all.”

Shen Mom looked horrified. “They just got married! Are they already having problems? Shen Jing, as her brother, can’t you help mediate? What good does your sister’s marriage breaking up do for you?”

Shen Jing glanced at his mother, his eyes full of exasperation. “Ay, Mom, I was just saying that to scare you. The relationship between my sister and Sister Qin needs to be kept secret from the public right now, so of course they can’t sleep together.”

“Oh, right. That does seem to be the case…” Shen Mom whispered.

“Oh, I’m telling you, stop worrying about things that don’t matter. Let the kids handle their own business,” Shen Dad, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up.

“Yes, I agree with Dad on this one,” Shen Jing, the opportunist, quickly chimed in.

Shen Mom pouted stubbornly. “It’s great how you two gang up on me. I’m the only one left to be the bad guy.”

Time flew by during the conversation. In a flash, the car was parked at the hotel entrance. Shen Jing put the car in park and unbuckled his seatbelt. “We’re here.” He then opened the door and got out to help his parents with the luggage.

Shen Mom stepped out and looked up at the hotel for a long time. “Wow, staying in such a huge hotel.”

Shen Dad grabbed Shen Mom’s arm, slightly displeased. “Don’t act like you’ve never seen the world and embarrass the kids.”

Shen Mom slapped Shen Dad’s hand and whispered a retort. “I’ve just never stayed in such a big hotel myself! It’s normal to be a little excited.”

The three of them went to the front desk to check in. When it came time to pay, Shen Jing looked awkward and turned to his parents. Shen Mom was unhappy and whispered, “You’re working now. Do your father and I still have to pay for the hotel when you invite us?”

Shen Jing pouted. “I haven’t gotten paid this month yet.”

Shen Dad couldn’t stand it anymore. He couldn’t bear his wife’s nagging and simply took out his wallet, but Shen Mom stopped him. “No! This brat has to pay today! We didn’t raise you for all these years for nothing.”

Hearing this, Shen Jing felt a twinge of guilt. Forced to save face, he decided the best course of action was to cover the expense now and then ask Shen Lu to reimburse him later—after all, her salary was higher. Although that comforted him, Shen Jing felt immense pain as he placed his money on the counter.

“Hello, we also require a 200 yuan deposit.”

“A deposit too?” Shen Jing took out another 200 yuan and slammed it onto the desk, feeling like his heart was bleeding.

“Hello, here is your room card.”

Shen Jing reached out to take it, his face displaying deep resignation. “Alright, the room is ready. Let’s go up.”

Shen Mom, however, was delighted, linking arms with Shen Dad. “I never thought the day would come when we could enjoy the benefits of having a son.”

Shen Jing walked ahead with a sulky expression. When he heard that remark, his back stiffened. A complex, unspoken feeling arose in his heart.

The room for his parents was on the same floor as Shen Jing and Shen Lu’s, but it was a mid-range price for the hotel. Anything more expensive and Shen Jing wouldn’t have been able to afford it.

After helping them move their luggage into the room, Shen Jing stood there with his hands on his hips and sighed. He glanced down at the time. “Sister Qin is about to wrap up at the set. I need to go pick them up.”

“Why don’t I go with you?” Shen Mom asked. “I want to see what a filming location looks like.”

“Wife, I think you should just stay put. Wait for Lulu to come back with me right here at the hotel,” Shen Dad said.

“Yeah, Dad’s right. Mom, why would you go? That place is crowded and full of prying eyes. You might accidentally expose the secret relationship between my sister and Sister Qin.”

…

After finally settling his parents, Shen Jing had to drive back to the set. The non-stop running all afternoon had exhausted him. Fortunately, he arrived just in time and didn’t make Sister Qin wait long after she wrapped up. Before Ye Qin got into the car, she asked, “Are Uncle and Auntie settled in their room?”

“They’re all settled,” Shen Jing replied with a smile. He didn’t forget to tease his sister. “The room fee plus the deposit—you owe me five hundred. Do you want to pay via WeChat, Alipay, or I take cash too!”

Shen Lu rolled her eyes at him. “You’re obsessed with money! How can you be so calculating with Mom and Dad!”

“Sister, I’m not being calculating. Look, I haven’t gotten paid this month, and I barely have any money left,” Shen Jing had just finished speaking when…

Ye Qin interrupted them.

“I’ll transfer the money to you later. Consider it a small token of my goodwill. And don’t you two argue about this; Uncle and Auntie will be upset if they hear you.”

“Sister Qin, you don’t need to, let me…” Shen Lu was extremely embarrassed.

“Say no more. This is how it will be.” Ye Qin put on her sunglasses and began to nap. Shen Lu didn’t dare disturb her further. She saw Shen Jing turn back and make a triumphant face at her.

Shen Lu glared back without hesitation. He’s so thoughtless!

…

After returning to the hotel, Ye Qin, who was exhausted from a day of filming, still had to visit Shen Lu’s parents. This made Shen Lu extremely embarrassed. After all, they were just going through the motions; it was quite an imposition on Ye Qin.

Ye Qin didn’t say anything about her apology, only commenting that life is full of unpredictable things, and you can’t foresee everything that will happen when you make a certain decision.

Hearing the doorbell, Shen Mom was thrilled and went to open the door. Standing before her were Ye Qin, Shen Lu, and the same lazy, unreliable Shen Jing.

Shen Mom immediately grabbed Ye Qin’s hand, overjoyed. “Qinqin, you came too! Come in and sit down quickly.”

Shen Lu: …

Her mouth twitched awkwardly. Weren’t you coming to see me? Mom, are you just going to ignore your daughter and leave her standing at the door?

Shen Jing stood next to her, laughing heartily. “Sister, do you feel unloved?”

Shen Lu didn’t hesitate to elbow him in the ribs. Satisfied with Shen Jing’s cry of pain, she followed them in. Shen Jing slowly trailed behind, clutching his stomach.

Inside, Shen Mom was holding Ye Qin’s hand and asking warmly about her well-being. “I was shocked when Shen Jing told me today that you two were having problems.”

Ye Qin smiled, her expression gentle. “We are… very good, right, Shen Lu?” she said, looking up at Shen Lu.

Shen Lu acted as if she had received a cue, nodding vigorously. “We’re great, Mom. Stop worrying about nothing.”

The conversation suddenly shifted to Shen Lu. Shen Mom looked at her. “And you! What happened? Falling into the sea on the Mid-Autumn Festival? Do you know your father and I were scared to death when we saw the news this morning?”

“I don’t know what happened, but I’m fine now anyway!” Shen Lu spread her hands, looking nonchalant.

This remark displeased Shen Mom. “What do you mean, ‘fine now’? You have no sense!”

Shen Dad quickly added, “Lulu, I’m angry with you for saying that, too.”

“Ay, alright, alright. I’ll be careful in the future. There won’t be a next time, okay?” Shen Lu compromised.

“Uncle and Auntie must be tired after the journey and haven’t eaten yet. I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight at the best restaurant in H City,” Ye Qin offered.

“Silly child, you don’t need to spend so much. We’re used to simple food,” Shen Mom said warmly.

“No, this is necessary,” Ye Qin insisted, then stood up, smiling apologetically. “But I may need to go up and take a shower and change clothes. I’m a bit grubby after a day of filming. It wouldn’t be respectful to Uncle and Auntie to go out like this.”

“Sure, sure, of course,” Shen Mom readily agreed.

The best restaurant… Shen Lu swallowed.

Then Ye Qin added, “By the way, Shen Lu won’t be joining us for dinner tonight.”

Shen Mom immediately found this strange. “Why not, Lulu?”

Ye Qin’s lips curled into a smile that held a hidden meaning. “Shen Lu, you tell them.” She then turned back to Shen Lu’s parents. “Uncle and Auntie, I’ll go up now. We’ll leave once I’m ready.”