Let's Get Married on the First Day of Rebirth - Chapter 26

Zeng Xuejia snapped out of her daze and sent a message saying—

[I feel like the person you’re describing is your friend?]

Qu Ange swallowed hard and quickly replied— [Definitely not her. She went downstairs to wait for me.]

Zeng Xuejia said— [No need to lie to me. I’ve long thought Bei Tian was awful.]

Qu Ange— [I’m not lying. I asked her, and she said she had diarrhea. So, what actually happened? It must’ve been Bei Tian who started it, right?]

Zeng Xuejia replied— [Of course. It’s just her usual nasty behavior—one minute she wants her coffee hot, the next she wants it cold. Who knows if she learned how to act from TV dramas? The moment she’s unhappy, she throws things at people. This time, she just met someone who wouldn’t take it.]

Qu Ange frowned upon hearing this, a surge of anger rising in her chest. She knew Bei Tian’s temperament all too well—the slightest inconvenience could send her into a hysterical frenzy.

But then she smiled, thinking that if it really was Xu Mi, then her wife was indeed formidable and wouldn’t let herself be bullied.

Zeng Xuejia didn’t reply further, probably off gossiping in some group chat. Qu Ange turned off her phone and hesitated for a long while before inching closer to Xu Mi. Before she could even speak, Xu Mi blocked what she was writing in her notebook with her arm and cautiously turned her head. “What do you want?”

Qu Ange: “…”

The gesture stung a little.

…But it was also kind of cute.

With mixed feelings, Qu Ange hesitated, wanting to ask if Xu Mi was the one who had dumped coffee on Bei Tian’s head. But if it was Xu Mi, then she had already chosen to lie rather than tell the truth. Pressing the matter might just make Xu Mi uncomfortable.

So what came out instead was: “I was just curious about what you’re doing. You’ve been ignoring me.”

Xu Mi said, “Nothing much, just jotting some things down.”

She paused, perhaps noticing Qu Ange’s slightly hurt expression, and added, “It’s nothing important, just a draft for a recipe. I was planning to post it on Weibo later.”

This time, she wanted to include some simple sketches alongside the text and finished photos, as some comments on yesterday’s post had mentioned that the instructions were hard to follow with just words.

Qu Ange was taken aback. “Do you really enjoy posting on Weibo?”

Xu Mi thought for a moment. “Not exactly. It’s just that every time I post, people engage with me. It feels like they really enjoy it, so I want to make it better. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

Qu Ange immediately perked up. “That’s the feeling fans give you—knowing they love you and what you do. It feels great, doesn’t it?”

Xu Mi hesitated, then nodded after a while but didn’t say anything else, returning to her scribbling.

Qu Ange felt a pang of disappointment. She sensed that Xu Mi didn’t quite share her perspective, but the feeling didn’t linger long. After discussing stocks with Zuo Qingyan and gathering intel on various film crews in group chats, she forgot about it entirely. Once the lights were off and she was lying in bed, her goal reverted to the same one from the past few nights—holding Xu Mi as she slept.

Xu Mi lay on her side, facing away. Qu Ange reached out and took her hand. This time, Xu Mi didn’t pull away but suddenly spoke in the darkness, “Did you manage to do what you needed at the company today?”

Qu Ange squeezed Xu Mi’s fingers tightly. “Yeah, it went great—a huge success.”

Her fingers trailed upward, brushing against the other’s palm. Xu Mi’s hand was warm and slightly damp. Just as Qu Ange was about to lean in closer, she felt Xu Mi turn toward her. Startled, Qu Ange tensed up, her throat tightening, as she heard Xu Mi ask, “Does this make you happy?”

Eyes now adjusted to the dark, Qu Ange could faintly make out Xu Mi’s trembling lashes in the dim light. She gently cupped Xu Mi’s cheek with her other hand, feeling the soft skin beneath her palm, warm to the touch.

What did that question mean? Could Xu Mi be happy for her?

Though she never doubted Xu Mi’s love, Qu Ange couldn’t shake a lingering fear—perhaps because she knew that even if Xu Mi loved her deeply, she could still walk away and never return.

Because it wasn’t Xu Mi’s fault, Qu Ange was always afraid she might make the same mistakes again.

Too nervous to speak, she pulled Xu Mi closer, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Xu Mi didn’t pull away, which eased Qu Ange’s anxiety slightly—at least she was still within reach. Her lips trailed down Xu Mi’s nose, but then Xu Mi pressed a hand against her mouth.

“What’s wrong?” Qu Ange mumbled, her words muffled against Xu Mi’s palm.

She heard Xu Mi ask again, “Are you happy?”

Qu Ange sighed and leaned back slightly. “Yeah, I am.”

Xu Mi let out a quiet “Oh,” then turned away, pulling the blanket tight and nudging Qu Ange aside in the process.

Qu Ange: “…”

That night, right until she fell asleep, Qu Ange kept wondering if that question had been some sort of critical dialogue choice—like in a game—where answering “No” might have unlocked a kissing scene. She even had a nightmare about playing a dating sim where every choice led to a bad ending, each one leaving her sobbing alone under a setting sun.

To make up for it and to leave a better impression, Qu Ange spent the next few days bustling around Xu Mi, sweeping floors, making the bed, doing laundry, and changing the sheets, taking care of every little chore. By Friday, she quietly slipped out of bed early in the morning, careful not to wake Xu Mi, and headed to the audition site.

When she arrived, the hallway was already packed with people waiting in line. Qu Ange handed her ID to a staff member, who gave her a number. She took it, walked down the hall, pulled a small folding stool from her bag, and sat down. The people standing nearby shot her various looks—some shocked, some envious. Someone muttered under their breath, “Now that’s experience.”

Qu Ange ignored the social buzz, pulling out her phone to text Xu Mi:
“I’m here already. Are you awake, babe?”
She attached a selfie.

Xu Mi replied with just an “Mhm” ten minutes later, but Qu Ange was satisfied. She rested her chin in her hands and dozed off.

Until a sudden commotion jolted her awake. She opened her eyes to see a dispute breaking out further down the line. Not one to meddle, she craned her neck for a better look and then immediately stood up. At the center of the chaos stood none other than Lin Zhenyi.

Lin Zhenyi actually came to the audition too?

Her obsession with acting really was something else.

She didn’t even care about the possibility of someone cutting in line anymore, immediately folding up her stool and rushing over. As she got closer, she heard a woman sobbing, “Is this my fault? My shoes got trampled like this, and I haven’t even complained yet. These are rented. If they’re ruined, I’ll have to pay thousands.”

The thought of losing money made the woman cry even harder. Qu Ange ignored her and turned her attention to Lin Zhenyi, who was sitting on the ground, her face pale and lips colorless—clearly suffering from heatstroke. She must have fainted from it and stepped on the other woman’s shoes in the process. Qu Ange quickly crouched down and said, “Stop crying. If your makeup runs, how are you going to audition? She’s got heatstroke—fan some air her way.”

She pulled out a large water bottle from her bag, filled with fruit tea that Xu Mi had prepared. Xu Mi had started making it two days ago, first steeping bayberries and lychees with sugar for a day, then adding lemon and a pinch of salt before chilling it in the fridge. The result was a sweet, tangy, and refreshing drink that instantly cut through the summer heat. The moment Qu Ange saw it, she knew Xu Mi had made it specifically for her audition today. She had filled the bottle before leaving, and now it proved to be a lifesaver. She poured a cup and held it to Lin Zhenyi’s lips, saying, “Here, have some water.”

Lin Zhenyi took a slow sip and initially waved her hand to indicate she didn’t want more. But halfway through the gesture, the sweet and tangy coolness of the fruit tea washed over her tongue, and her hand froze. She took another sip, then another.

It was unexpectedly delicious. She couldn’t help herself.

She looked up at the person before her. The heatstroke made her vision blurry, and in that moment, the words slipped out before she could stop herself: “Ah Yan…”

Qu Ange froze for a second but quickly snapped out of it. “It’s too hot in this hallway. You should go somewhere with air conditioning.”

After a moment’s thought, she took out her audition number and handed it to Lin Zhenyi. “Mine’s earlier. Let’s swap! You can go in first.”

She looked utterly selfless, and the people around her cast glances of admiration or disdain, as if they were witnessing a saint. But in truth, Qu Ange felt a pang of guilt as she spoke.

Others might not know, but she did. If Lin Zhenyi wanted to audition early or skip the process altogether, all she had to do was make a call. The only reason she was going through the regular procedure like everyone else was because of some strange personal principle. And that gave Qu Ange the chance to “act noble” in front of her.

She thought to herself: Sorry, Sister Lin. Just let me be hypocritical this once.