After Secretly Marrying the Top Celebrity, I Fell in Love - Chapter 32

Brown Spring Villa is ranked first among luxury homes in C City, featuring a classic French Normandy style, pure detached villas, and boasts an extra-large private garden.

Ye Manqing had the gardener plant two varieties of roses in the garden: one is the shy, blushing pink rose, and the second is the passionately red rose. Each variety occupies half of the garden, with a full wall of climbing roses marking their boundary.

The rose’s blooming season is long, lasting from May to September every year. Due to the difference in varieties, the roses in this garden bloom even earlier, starting in March and continuing until November.

The villa has three floors and a total of five bedrooms, each equipped with its own separate bathroom and walk-in closet.

At Bai Yiyan’s request, the guest room next to the master bedroom became Bai Yiyan’s room.

In the bedroom, Bai Yiyan was on the phone with Xu Xing while packing her few belongings. First, she spread all her clothes for the four seasons onto the large bed, then hung them up on hangers or folded them neatly into the walk-in closet.

Bai Yiyan was leaving for Hengdian tomorrow, and Xu Xing had just returned from a business trip yesterday. Thus, Bai Yiyan took the initiative to call Xu Xing, suggesting they have dinner together that evening.

In another part of the city, C City’s most bustling downtown area, towering skyscrapers rose one after another. In the expensive office buildings, white-collar workers rushed about, the “tap-tap-tap” of high heels occasionally reaching the ear.

During her lunch break, Xu Xing, the Marketing Manager, was discussing the details of a new project with her department supervisor. After settling all the points that needed discussion, Supervisor Fang casually brought up the matter of giving gifts to Party A.

Chinese people place great importance on social etiquette and reciprocating favors, making gift-giving an important part of today’s workplace culture.

Supervisor Fang: “Manager Xu, what Mid-Autumn Festival gifts should we give to Zhongzi (a Chinese capital company)? This is the first year of our collaboration.”

It was mid-August, about a month until the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although there was a month’s time, the gift plan had to be finalized first because there were twenty clients from Party A who needed gifts. Moreover, gift procurement would also take a considerable amount of time.

Xu Xing raised a hand and massaged her temple, instantly feeling a headache. She closed her eyes and slowly said, “It’s nothing more than mooncakes, tea, and red wine.”

“Carefully select the suppliers. The primary focus is quality, and then price.”

“As for Zhongzi, there’s no need to treat them differently from others,” Xu Xing slowly opened her eyes and said solemnly to Supervisor Fang.

“Don’t spoil their appetite.”

Supervisor Fang nodded heavily, looking enlightened: “Okay, I understand.”

As the two were talking, Xu Xing’s phone, which was casually placed on the coffee table, suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID, it was a call from her best friend.

A smile appeared in Xu Xing’s eyes. She leaned over to pick up the phone and looked at Supervisor Fang, saying with a cheerful smile: “Supervisor Fang, we’re almost done discussing. Please go ahead and take your lunch break.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Supervisor Fang.”

“Not at all, not at all! You’re too kind, Manager Xu.” Supervisor Fang said as she rose from the sofa.

Xu Xing took her phone and walked to the Venetian blinds, standing directly in front of them.

As soon as the call connected, Bai Yiyan’s highly distinctive and pleasing voice came through the receiver. Her voice had a slightly cool tone, yet carried a hint of allure—absolutely irresistible to voice enthusiasts.

“Xingxing, are you free tonight? Let’s go out for dinner.” Bai Yiyan sat sideways on the edge of the bed, holding the phone pressed against her shoulder with her head, while folding a pair of light blue jeans in her hand.

“Are you treating me?” Xu Xing chuckled and asked into the phone.

“Of course.”

“What are we eating?”

“You decide.”

“Then I want to eat hot pot.”

“Okay, whatever you say.”

“Why the sudden thought to treat me to dinner?”

“I’m joining the production crew soon.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“That fast?”

“Not really fast, I’ve been waiting for half a month.”

…

As the city lights came on.

At 6 p.m., the hot pot restaurant was bustling with business. The twenty tables in the lobby on the first floor were already filled with diners, and the private rooms on the second floor had also been reserved long ago.

Fortunately, when Bai Yiyan called the hot pot restaurant in the afternoon, there happened to be one small private room left.

When she left home, it was during rush hour, and the road was somewhat congested. Bai Yiyan had left early, so she was not late.

Inside the private room, Xu Xing had already arrived. The company was not far from the hot pot restaurant; she came straight here after getting off work, and the timing was just right.

Before leaving the company, Xu Xing deliberately touched up her makeup. She wore delicate Korean makeup, with a light base, and her lip gloss was a sweet cinnamon-pink.

Her chestnut-colored large curly hair was tied up, braided into a French braid at the back of her head.

At 7 p.m., Bai Yiyan appeared at the private room door right on time, and she immediately spotted her friend seated inside, a smile spreading across her face.

Xu Xing heard the footsteps from outside the door, tore her gaze away from her phone, and waved vigorously at Bai Yiyan.

“Yiyan!”

It was peak dinner time, and the hot pot restaurant’s business was incredibly good, making the serving speed a bit slow. But it didn’t matter; the meaning of friends gathering for hot pot lay in drinking and chatting happily.

Xu Xing had the day off tomorrow, so she could sleep until she naturally woke up. Although Bai Yiyan was joining the crew tomorrow, she could arrive at Hengdian anytime. In the evening, the entire crew would have a dinner together. So, she only needed to arrive before dinner.

After waiting for a while, the dishes were finally all served.

Bai Yiyan specifically placed Xu Xing’s favorite dishes in front of her, making it convenient for her to grab them with the shortest reach of her chopsticks.

Xu Xing loved tripe and lamb rolls the most, so Bai Yiyan placed both the tripe and the lamb rolls in front of Xu Xing.

Although Xu Xing was already accustomed to Bai Yiyan’s thoughtfulness, she still generously praised her.

“Our Yiyan is just so caring,” Xu Xing picked up a piece of tripe and placed it into the fiercely boiling all-spicy pot, giving Bai Yiyan a big smile.

“I wonder who will be lucky enough in the future to marry our Yiyan.”

Bai Yiyan got up, poured the entire plate of lotus root slices in front of her into the pot, and then picked up the adjacent plate of beef. She quietly listened to Xu Xing talking alone, not saying a word.

Upon hearing Xu Xing say, “who will be lucky enough to marry her,” Ye Manqing’s image immediately flashed in Bai Yiyan’s mind. The hand holding the chopsticks paused, then continued to pick up a slice of beef and put it into the pot. The pause was very brief, and the usually oblivious Xu Xing didn’t notice it at all.

As soon as Bai Yiyan sat down, Xu Xing reached out with her chopsticks and placed the cooked slice of tripe into Bai Yiyan’s dipping sauce dish.

Xu Xing took the initiative and quickly said before Bai Yiyan could thank her: “Don’t worry, I will absolutely not be polite with you!”

“Good,” Bai Yiyan smiled faintly and said, “Order whatever wine you want.”

Hearing Bai Yiyan say that, Xu Xing’s craving for alcohol was instantly piqued.

“Generous!”

Xu Xing strode out of the private room, stood at the top of the stairs on the second floor, and shouted for a server to bring up a case of ice-cold beer. Soon after, a server brought a case of cold beer and delivered it straight to the private room.

“‘Carlsberg, open happiness,'” Xu Xing recited the advertising slogan, “pop” went the bottle cap as she opened it, then handed the bottle of beer to Bai Yiyan.

“Here, this is for you.”

“Thank you.” Bai Yiyan reached out and took the beer bottle, then grabbed the empty glass next to her and consciously poured herself a full glass of beer.

“Yiyan, let me toast you.” Suddenly, Xu Xing stood up from her chair, looking at Bai Yiyan with a serious and determined expression.

“To our future superstar!” Xu Xing’s eyes were filled with tears, and she struggled to hold back the urge to cry.

“Cheer up!”

After saying that, Xu Xing slightly tilted her head back and “gulped, gulped” down the entire glass of beer in one go.

Xu Xing still remembered that Bai Yiyan had stubbornly refused her offer to work in the marketing department, insisting instead on being an extra. Two years later, Bai Yiyan was finally seeing her dawn, taking an important step towards her dream.

“Thank you.” With that, Bai Yiyan picked up the glass of beer topped with a layer of foam in front of her.

She drank it all in one gulp.

Xu Xing was only most relaxed when she was with Bai Yiyan; the deceit and trickery of the workplace didn’t allow her to relax for a moment. She greatly enjoyed this rare moment of ease, clinking glasses with Bai Yiyan one after another. They were determined to drink until they were completely satisfied, not leaving until they were drunk.

Across the table, after drinking her third glass of beer, a flush imperceptibly rose on Bai Yiyan’s cheeks.

Bai Yiyan wasn’t drunk; she was very sober.

“Xingxing, I have something to tell you,” Bai Yiyan put down her glass, looking earnestly at Xu Xing across from her.

In fact, Bai Yiyan had initiated this dinner for two reasons. Firstly, she genuinely wanted to have a good get-together with Xu Xing before joining the crew. Secondly, she intended to tell Xu Xing in person that she was married.

“Oh, what is it?” Xu Xing took a sip of beer, her eyes narrowed with a slight hint of intoxication.

“I got married,” Bai Yiyan spoke slowly, articulating each word clearly.

“…” Xu Xing froze for a moment, then reacted quickly with a sudden turn of her head, spitting out the entire mouthful of beer onto the floor.

“Pfft!”

Fortunately, the beer wasn’t sprayed onto the food, or this whole table of dishes would have been wasted.

Wait! Xu Xing’s mind went blank for a second, and only then did she realize what Bai Yiyan had just said. She looked down at her glass, then finished the remaining half a glass of beer in one gulp.

Xu Xing lightly furrowed her brows, staring at Bai Yiyan’s perpetually calm and composed eyes. She swallowed hard and with difficulty managed to squeeze out a few words.

“You—got—mar—ried?”

Bai Yiyan nodded: “Yes.”

“…!!” Xu Xing stared at Bai Yiyan with immense shock, her mouth wide enough to swallow an egg.

“To whom?”

The private room was spacious and brightly lit. A large beam of light poured down from above, enveloping Bai Yiyan, making her whole person glow white.

Bai Yiyan’s lips, moist with alcohol, parted a few times, letting out three words.

“Ye Manqing.”

As soon as the words fell, the sound of a glass hitting the floor echoed in the private room.

“!!” Xu Xing’s hand went empty; the glass slipped from her palm and shattered on the ground.

Who didn’t know who Ye Manqing was!

Ye Manqing—the current top-tier celebrity in the entertainment industry, a highly renowned actress. She was the youngest Grand Slam TV Queen and a double Film Queen in the Chinese mainland entertainment circle. She was the best actress in the industry and also the most beautiful female celebrity. Compared to her extraordinary, high-level acting skills, her beauty was just a bonus.

With a career spanning over ten years, Ye Manqing has won countless awards, and by taking home one weighty trophy after another, she had already reached the pinnacle of the acting profession.

This was Ye Manqing, a woman who had peaked upon debut, whose life resume was legendary. Such a life story, so unreal, even a novel wouldn’t dare to write it this way.

And this woman, who stood on a pedestal, was taken by her best friend!

Xu Xing’s inner reaction shifted from shock to immense delight. Seeing the glass was broken, she simply picked up the beer bottle and started drinking directly from the neck, taking several large gulps in a row.

Calm down! Calm down!

“…” Bai Yiyan slightly frowned, worried by Xu Xing’s bold way of drinking.

“Xingxing, don’t get drunk.”

“I’m happy, just let me drink.” Xu Xing’s eyes were red, her voice had become choked, and tears “whooshed” out, large drops streaming down.

“Wuwu… I’m really too happy.”

That her best friend could marry someone as outstanding as Ye Manqing was inherently something to be happy about. Furthermore, Xu Xing deeply understood Bai Yiyan’s character and trusted her choices. Therefore, Xu Xing had nothing more to ask.

Seeing Xu Xing suddenly cry, Bai Yiyan quickly got up from her chair, walked around the circular dining table to Xu Xing’s side, pulled out the chair next to her, and sat down.

“There, there, don’t cry.” Bai Yiyan comforted her while handing the tissue box from the table to Xu Xing.

Xu Xing put down the beer bottle, quickly pulled out several tissues, clenched them in her hand, wiped the tears all over her face, and tried hard to stop crying.

“So, are you two planning to go public? Or keep it a secret?” After her emotions stabilized a little, Xu Xing suddenly thought of a question.

Bai Yiyan answered: “We are secretly married and don’t plan to go public for now.”

Xu Xing nodded heavily, looking at Bai Yiyan with firm eyes, and promised: “Yiyan, don’t worry, I absolutely won’t tell anyone.”

Bai Yiyan: “I know I can trust you, or I wouldn’t have told you.”

Xu Xing burst into a tearful smile, a smug look on her face: “That’s right~”

The next second, Xu Xing abruptly stood up from her chair, looked at Bai Yiyan, and said: “No way! I have to ask the waiter for a new glass.”

“Tonight, we’re drinking until we drop!”

…

Just as Xu Xing had said, she drank a lot of wine that night, successfully getting herself drunk. Bai Yiyan had a high alcohol tolerance and was not drunk.

Leaving the hot pot restaurant, Bai Yiyan helped the drunk Xu Xing while taking out her phone to call for a taxi.

A few minutes later, the called taxi arrived. Bai Yiyan helped Xu Xing into the car, intending to take her home. Just as they got in, Bai Yiyan’s phone rang.

Bai Yiyan looked down, took out the continuously ringing phone from her bag, and it was indeed Ye Manqing calling.

“Hello, Teacher Ye,” Bai Yiyan pressed the answer button directly and held the phone close to her ear.

“Yiyan, I can’t return to C City tonight. I was temporarily pulled into a business dinner and can’t leave for a while,” Ye Manqing’s familiar gentle voice came through the phone.

“It’s okay,” Bai Yiyan said thoughtfully.

Beside her, Xu Xing suddenly leaned in, her voice volume involuntarily raising: “Yiyan, who are you talking to?”

“Is that your wife?”

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