Let's Get Married on the First Day of Rebirth - Chapter 24

“Huh?”

At the first moment she heard those words, Qu Ange’s mind was filled with nothing but a gilded question mark crashing down heavily. Yet, reflexively, she blurted out without hesitation, “Absolutely no problem!”

Xu Mi, however, was momentarily stunned by the enthusiastic response. She had expected Qu Ange to hesitate at least a little over such a request. If nothing else, that damn company contract explicitly forbade relationships, and now that she was married, wouldn’t Qu Ange want to avoid any potential complications?

So, even though it was her own request, Xu Mi was the first to feel it might be unreasonable.

But the words were already out. Xu Mi, believing she had grown wiser through recent experiences, steeled herself. If Qu Ange dared to agree, she dared to go through with it. Wiping her mouth, she stood up and went to the bedroom to change. Qu Ange washed the dishes and came out to find Xu Mi waiting in the living room, dressed in a pink frilly-sleeved top and denim shorts. Startled, Qu Ange asked, “Why are you dressed like that?”

Xu Mi replied, “Aren’t we going to your company? I thought I’d dress a bit more stylishly.”

Catching something in Qu Ange’s tone, she countered, “Isn’t it stylish?”

Qu Ange quickly said, “It is, it is.”

For the current era, it was actually passable—somewhat reminiscent of Korean fashion trends.

Xu Mi frowned, immediately seeing through Qu Ange’s lie. Her expression darkened. “Forget it. You go by yourself.”

Qu Ange grabbed Xu Mi’s hand. “On the street, it really is stylish. I was just surprised because I’ve never seen you in this style before.”

The tips of Xu Mi’s ears turned slightly red. In truth, these were newly bought. There had been a time when she thought Qu Ange didn’t like her because, surrounded by the glitz of the entertainment industry, she found Xu Mi too plain.

But knowing Qu Ange as she did, Xu Mi still felt something was off. “Never mind. I’ll change.”

She turned back toward the bedroom. Qu Ange followed, calling after her, “Actually, denim shorts are nice. Just switch the top for a white T-shirt and add a black cap—it’d look amazing!”

As she reached the door, Xu Mi slammed it shut with a “thud,” thwarting Qu Ange’s ulterior motive of watching her change.

By the time they set off, it was already 2 p.m. The heat was so intense that Qu Ange wanted to hail a cab right outside their home to go straight to the company. But guessing Xu Mi wouldn’t agree, she silently headed to the subway station instead. On the train, she texted Zeng Xuejia, saying she was on her way and asking if Zhou Yue was at the office. Ten minutes later, Zeng Xuejia called back and got straight to the point: “How much longer?”

Qu Ange replied, “Probably another hour.”

Zeng Xuejia said, “Zhou Yue is here, but he might make you wait. Come find me first. If I’m with you, he won’t dare give you a hard time.”

Zeng Xuejia, now both obedient and gaining popularity, was Zhou Yue’s cash cow. He really wouldn’t dare to cross her.

But Qu Ange would never forget that two years later, when the market trends shifted, Zeng Xuejia was forced to undergo plastic surgery, which ended in failure, leaving her cast aside. At the time, Qu Ange herself could only be pushed into acting in low-quality dramas or attending minor events, utterly powerless to help. By the time she finally had the means, Zeng Xuejia had already become completely disillusioned with the entertainment industry. Moreover, due to excessive cosmetic procedures, she suffered from numerous side effects, and whenever she reappeared in the media, it was only as a cautionary tale about the dangers of plastic surgery in the industry.

Since she had been reborn this time, at the very least, she couldn’t let such a thing happen again. If only for the kindness Zeng Xuejia was showing her now, it was the least she could do.

Pursing her lips, she said, “Alright, I’ll come find you as soon as I arrive.”

She hung up the phone and noticed Xu Mi staring at her with a puzzled look. Lowering her voice, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Mi quickly averted her gaze and said, “Nothing.” She couldn’t quite put it into words, but there was something strange about the look in Qu Ange’s eyes just now during the call.

After squeezing through an hour on the subway and then taking a taxi, they finally reached their destination. Zeng Xuejia was already waiting downstairs, but upon seeing Qu Ange, she froze for a moment before blurting out, “Did you get plastic surgery?”

Qu Ange was speechless. “What? Take a closer look.”

Zeng Xuejia scrutinized her up and down before nodding. “Well, your features don’t seem that different. A subtle touch-up? You just look prettier than before somehow.”

Qu Ange wondered if rebirth came with some kind of beauty buff. But whenever she looked in the mirror, she hadn’t noticed anything different. Waving it off, she said, “Stop with the flattery. Let me introduce you—this is my…”

She was about to say “my wife” when Xu Mi suddenly gripped her arm tightly, cutting her off. “I’m Qu Ange’s friend. I just happened to be free and came along with her.”

Qu Ange turned to Xu Mi in surprise, only to find her glaring back, her eyes clearly saying, “Behave yourself.” Qu Ange had no choice but to swallow her shock and mumble an “Mm” in agreement. Whether Zeng Xuejia noticed anything amiss or not, she responded naturally, “Oh, a friend? You scared me! I thought you were bringing that girlfriend you mentioned. Let me tell you, if you brought her in front of Zhou Yue, he’d probably lose it on the spot.”

Qu Ange muttered under her breath, “Like I care…”

Zeng Xuejia smacked her on the head. “Don’t be stubborn. I heard about that audition—that film is really good. Directed by Shen Xinlong, with top-tier production design. Even if it’s just to network, it’s worth it.”

Qu Ange let out an indifferent “Oh.” Truthfully, she wasn’t all that interested in Ming Palace Flowers. While it was a solid project, most of the supporting roles barely had any screen time. Right now, she had another goal in mind—she just didn’t have the connections yet to know when that film would start casting.

Zeng Xuejia smacked her back in frustration. “Get your act together!”

Not wanting another hit, Qu Ange immediately straightened up, putting on a more spirited front. She glanced at Xu Mi beside her and noticed her staring thoughtfully at Zeng Xuejia, lost in some unknown contemplation.

When they stepped out of the elevator, Zeng Xuejia looked at Xu Mi and said, “Uh, Ange’s friend, why don’t you wait in the conference room? We’ll come get you once we’re done talking.”

Qu Ange said, “That won’t do. Being alone in the conference room is too lonely. She must—”

“No problem,” Xu Mi agreed expressionlessly.

Qu Ange found herself inexplicably nervous, more so than even when she went to negotiate terms with Zhou Yue. She leaned close to Xu Mi’s ear and asked, “You’re not angry, are you?”

Xu Mi whispered, “No, go ahead. Just don’t forget to come find me later.”

Qu Ange quickly replied, “How could I forget?”

Xu Mi tugged at her sleeve and said, “Don’t make it so obvious. The way you’re acting now will make people think too much.”

“But—” Qu Ange wanted to say more, but Xu Mi shot her another glare. Reluctantly, she turned and walked out without looking back.

Zeng Xuejia was waiting for her outside and didn’t mention Xu Mi. The two arrived at Zhou Yue’s office door, and Zeng Xuejia entered with Qu Ange.

Zhou Yue had been fuming, eager to teach Xu Mi a lesson, but with Zeng Xuejia present, he had to hold back. Still, his words couldn’t help but carry a sarcastic edge: “So you finally remembered to come to the company.”

Qu Ange couldn’t be bothered to engage in petty arguments with Zhou Yue—it would just be a waste of time. Instead, she smiled brightly at him and cut straight to the point: “So, about that audition—when is it?”

Zhou Yue scrutinized Qu Ange, sensing something different about her. Having spent nearly a decade in the entertainment industry, he had seen enough to recognize a shift in demeanor. Before, Qu Ange had been pretty, yes, but there was always a trace of provincial timidity about her. Not to mention her non-professional background and slight accent—anyone with experience could tell her background at a glance. But now, she carried herself with an ease and confidence that was almost intimidating, making him uneasy.

Had she found a powerful backer?

Forcing himself to stay composed, he said, “Qu Ange, you’ve been acting completely out of line lately. Do you have any legal sense at all? You signed a contract with us, yet you ignore company directives and do whatever you please. How can we possibly trust you to continue like this?”

Zeng Xuejia shot Qu Ange a glance, urging her to apologize quickly. But Qu Ange pretended not to notice and replied coolly, “I did sign a contract, but if a better opportunity comes along, of course I’ll consider it.”

She knew full well that showing weakness now would only make things worse.

Zhou Yue’s heart sank. She must have a backer, he thought.

He had seen plenty of artists in his time, and this was how they all acted when they had newfound confidence especially these young dreamers fresh to the industry. If they suddenly changed, this was usually why.

He stared at Qu Ange, who met his gaze evenly, her expression calm and detached—utterly different from before. It unsettled him so much that he began rambling, spouting off about company loyalty, contracts, and professional courtesy. Between the lines, he also hinted that even with a backer, crossing the company would make her career difficult. Sensing his train of thought, Qu Ange decided to play along. “I’m still under contract, so of course I’m loyal to the company. If the company treats me well, I’ll return the favor. But if the company doesn’t give me opportunities, I can’t afford to pass up good ones when they come.”

Zhou Yue felt even more confident. He thought to himself that an audition was nothing to worry about. Once he found out who Qu Ange’s backer was, they might even have opportunities to collaborate. And if Qu Ange had been deceived, whether she could join the production would still depend on whether he allowed it.

He believed that even if there was deception, it could only mean Qu Ange had encountered a fake boss, not that Qu Ange was the one deceiving him.

With this in mind, his tone shifted, becoming much friendlier. He showed Qu Ange the computer, saying the personal resume had already been sent, and she just needed to attend the audition this Friday. The location hadn’t been finalized yet, but she would receive a text notification later. Casually, he then asked, “Made any new friends recently?”

Qu Ange smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

The two exchanged insincere pleasantries, leaving Zeng Xuejia, who was standing to the side, utterly dumbfounded. She had come to help Qu Ange, thinking she might need to leverage her own influence to prevent Zhou Yue from giving her a hard time. Yet, in just a few sentences, Qu Ange seemed to have Zhou Yue wrapped around her finger.

Zeng Xuejia remained stunned as she silently followed Qu Ange to the meeting room, only to find it empty—Xu Mi wasn’t there.