Let's Get Married on the First Day of Rebirth - Chapter 28.2

Realizing this, she felt even more moved and couldn’t help but say, “Mimi, I love you.”

Xu Mi’s fingers tightened around the book page, but her expression remained unchanged. She only looked up and said, “Eating in the middle of the night? Be careful not to gain weight.” Her heart was racing because of Qu Ange’s “I love you.”

She worried her face might turn red, but fortunately, Qu Ange had already left, tossing back a casual, “It’s fine, healthy food won’t make me fat.”

Qu Ange took nine photos of the soup from various angles and posted them on Weibo with the caption— [Heartwarming Midnight Snack].

Her follower count was rising at the time, and the post quickly garnered numerous comments. Some marveled at how a beauty could eat without gaining weight, while others asked who had made the soup. Qu Ange scrolled through the comments as she finished the soup and happened upon Xu Mi’s recipe post for spare rib soup. She immediately reposted it, shocking her followers, who asked— [No way, no way, did this blogger make it?]

Just as Qu Ange was about to reply, Xu Mi suddenly opened the door and said, “Delete the repost.”

Qu Ange was taken aback. “Why?”

Xu Mi hesitated before answering, “Online… I don’t want to be associated with you for now.”

A bolt from the blue!

In that moment, Qu Ange briefly experienced what Xu Mi must have felt back then—was this the feeling? This sense of being on the verge of abandonment?

Her mind turned to mush, unable to process anything. Xu Mi walked over and added, “Besides, I don’t want to get dragged into your circle.”

Qu Ange snapped out of it. “Oh, so you mean… you’re not really into the entertainment industry, right?”

Xu Mi nodded. “Yeah, I like posting things in my own little corner just fine.”

Qu Ange was somewhat convinced, mainly because she was genuinely worried about upsetting Xu Mi again. As she hesitated, Xu Mi stepped forward, took her phone, and deleted the repost.

It was just a Weibo post, yet it felt like something vital had been ripped away. The summer night was silent except for the hum of the air conditioner. Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted from Tan Zhenzhen’s room—who knew what she was watching.

Qu Ange grabbed Xu Mi’s hand. “Mimi… you won’t leave me, will you? Xu Mi looked up at her, keenly sensing Qu Ange’s unease.

How strange—she had never noticed this kind of emotion in Qu Ange before.

Come to think of it, Qu Ange had always been beautiful, came from a happy family, had decent grades, and was the darling of elders and the goddess among classmates. Wherever she went, she was surrounded, the center of attention. Growing up, she probably never tasted real hardship unless you counted getting scolded by her mom for bad grades.

But what about in the entertainment industry?

Xu Mi thought of Bei Tian.

That girl was only eighteen, already famous, held up on a pedestal, equally beautiful and flawless, like a porcelain doll.

Qu Ange must have hit walls in the entertainment industry. It wasn’t her fault. The industry was just too harsh, harsh enough to bring about such a drastic change in her.

Now she even felt uneasy. Could she finally understand the kind of pain Xu Mi had once felt, sharp as a knife against the skin?

Thinking about these things, Xu Mi felt a vengeful satisfaction, but more than that, she felt heartache. She frowned slightly, raising her hand to gently stroke Qu Ange’s face without saying a word. Qu Ange, not receiving a response, inevitably grew nervous and opened her mouth to speak. Xu Mi pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, “Let’s not argue here. The walls are thin.”

The delicate fragrance on her finger slithered into Qu Ange’s nostrils like a snake, stirring the long-simmering flames of desire within. Qu Ange grabbed Xu Mi’s hand, wrapped her arms tightly around Xu Mi’s waist, and pulled her close. Lowering her head, their heated breaths intertwined as their lips met. It was the longest kiss since the day of her rebirth, making the air thicken until the ringing of a phone shattered the moment.

Qu Ange jolted as if waking from a dream, taking a moment to realize it was her own phone. Glancing at the screen, her expression twisted with disgust at the sight of Zhou Yue’s name.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Mi retreated, breathing unevenly, and pushed Qu Ange away before darting back into her room. Left with no choice, Qu Ange answered the call, her tone sharp. “What is it?”

Zhou Yue asked, “Did you really write that song?”

Qu Ange snapped, “You called me in the middle of the night just to ask that?”

Her aggressive tone instantly darkened Zhou Yue’s mood, though he had initially been excited about his artist’s sudden success. Suppressing his irritation, he said, “I was just checking in. You’re getting a lot of attention now—don’t say anything reckless. And by the way, eating pork rib soup in the middle of the night? Aren’t you afraid of gaining weight?”

Qu Ange cut him off impatiently. “If that’s all, I’m hanging up. I need to sleep.”

Zhou Yue retorted, “Go ahead, if you don’t want the contract for Ming Palace Flowers.”

Qu Ange hadn’t expected this and paused. “It’s settled already? That fast.”

Zhou Yue replied, “Don’t know what kind of luck you’ve stumbled into, but the director seems to like you. Where are you staying? I’ll bring the script and contract tomorrow.”

With Qu Ange’s sudden rise and possible connections, Zhou Yue didn’t want to escalate tensions. He planned to soften up and have a meal together the next day.

Qu Ange didn’t want Zhou Yue coming over. “Just leave it at the company. I’ll pick it up there. That’s it! I’ll come by tomorrow.” With that, she hung up.

Hearing the line go dead, Zhou Yue angrily threw his phone onto the sofa. After calming down, he found the situation odd and called Zeng Xuejia. “Xuejia, listen, the script and contract for Ming Palace Flowers are ready. I was going to give them to Ange, but she’s not answering. Can you tell me where she’s staying now?”

Zeng Xuejia exclaimed happily, “Really?” Sharing in the excitement, she gave Zhou Yue the address without suspicion.

Once he had it, Zhou Yue frowned. The address was in an old residential area. Hardly the kind of place a wealthy patron would house their kept lover. Then again, some patrons had peculiar tastes.

He noted it down and set out early the next morning, heading to the address Zeng Xuejia had provided. Assuming Qu Ange would sleep in till noon as usual, he was certain he’d catch her at home.

But in reality, Qu Ange had already left.

When she returned to her room last night, Xu Mi was already lying on her side with her eyes closed, pretending to sleep. Qu Ange was pretty sure it was an act, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she just went to bed as well.

Going to bed early meant waking up early, especially since Qu Ange had developed a very regular routine later on. The next morning, she did some stretching exercises, went out for a jog, and on her way back, she picked up soy milk and fried dough sticks for Xu Mi as breakfast. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Xu Mi yawning as she emerged from the bedroom. Unable to resist, Qu Ange remarked pointedly, “Didn’t you go to bed pretty early last night?”

Xu Mi replied expressionlessly, “You snored. I couldn’t sleep.”

Qu Ange was horrified. “Really?!”

Xu Mi smiled without answering. Of course, Qu Ange didn’t snore, but if she claimed she did, who could prove otherwise?

Qu Ange was visibly shaken by this and left the room with a resentful look. Before heading out, she mentioned she was going to the company to pick up a contract and a script. Xu Mi, who had received rave reviews for the elaborate dish she made yesterday, was even more enthusiastic today. Unable to sleep last night with her eyes closed, she had started brainstorming what other bones she could use besides pork ribs and eventually settled on making braised lamb chops.

So not long after Qu Ange left, Xu Mi also went out. It took her some time to buy all the spices, and by the time she got home, an hour and a half had passed. Just as she reached the building, she received a message from Tan Zhenzhen saying, “Qu Ange’s agent is here.”

Xu Mi raised an eyebrow. Every time Qu Ange mentioned her agent, she never had anything nice to say, so Xu Mi had developed a dislike for the agent by association. But since he was already inside and Tan Zhenzhen had confirmed that Qu Ange indeed lived here, there was nothing to be done about it.

When she entered the apartment, she saw a slick-haired man sitting on their couch with a look of disdain. He appeared to be wearing makeup, but the heat outside and the lack of air conditioning inside had caused his foundation to melt, leaving patchy white streaks on his skin. As Xu Mi walked in, he turned his head and, upon seeing her, asked impatiently, “Is Qu Ange still not back?”

Xu Mi replied, “You’re here to deliver the script and contract, right? Just leave them on the table. I’ll let Qu Ange know when she gets back.”

Zhou Yue’s expression suddenly turned thoughtful as he scrutinized Xu Mi from head to toe. “You are…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but Xu Mi could already guess what he was going to say. Zhou Yue also felt there was no need to elaborate. Ever since Qu Ange told him she actually had a girlfriend, he had wondered what kind of person she would be. He figured someone as erratic as Qu Ange would need a steady partner, and now that he saw Xu Mi, she was indeed steady—so steady she almost seemed gloomy.

But she was quite pretty.

As he mulled this over, his eyes suddenly narrowed as he realized something was off.

Wait a minute! If Qu Ange was now living with her girlfriend, then who was her backer?

Could it be he had been tricked?

Taking another look at their living conditions, it definitely didn’t seem like the home of a “kept woman.” Suppressing his anger, Zhou Yue asked, “How many people live here?”

Seeing that he wasn’t leaving, Xu Mi couldn’t be bothered to engage with him. Tan Zhenzhen, ever the good-natured one, answered instead, “Four people. There are three rooms, after all.”

Zhou Yue scoffed, “I thought Qu Ange had grown some backbone. How is she still living in such a shabby place?”

Tan Zhenzhen was also displeased: “What’s so shabby about it? We’re all making an honest living by our own abilities. How dare you talk like that?”

“Hah, honest living…” Zhou Yue sneered, crossing his legs as he lounged on the sofa and glanced around. “Qu Ange isn’t bad. She can endure hardship. But no matter how tough she is, can’t you at least turn on the AC in the middle of summer?” His temper flared, and his words dripped with sarcasm.

Tan Zhenzhen ignored him and went into the kitchen to help Xu Mi take photos. Seeing this, Zhou Yue called out, “What’s with the photos? Don’t tell me you’re documenting this too. Must be hard for a cripple.”

Tan Zhenzhen shot him a glare before turning away, muttering under her breath, “Who does he think he is? Qu Ange’s agent is such a jerk, totally unhinged… Ugh, it’s so hot. I really want to turn on the AC, but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.”

Xu Mi pulled the lamb ribs out of the bag—the freshest cut, still glistening with blood, slightly congealed. She rinsed them under the faucet, then realizing the pot wasn’t big enough, placed them on the cutting board to chop into smaller pieces.

The cleaver came down twice before Zhou Yue’s voice rang out again: “So damn loud. Don’t your neighbors complain about the noise? And in broad daylight too.”

Tan Zhenzhen retorted, “It’s already ten in the morning. What’s wrong with chopping food?”

The noise was grating. Cooking was usually a joy, but today it felt unbearably irritating. Xu Mi’s temple throbbed slightly as she raised the cleaver again, misjudging the angle this time. With a heavy thud, flesh and bone fragments splattered onto her face.

The sound was so jarring that both Tan Zhenzhen and Zhou Yue froze in shock. Three seconds passed in silence before Zhou Yue finally opened his mouth—just as Xu Mi turned around.

Her brows were slightly furrowed. Against her paper-white skin, her dark eyes stood out starkly, yet they betrayed no emotion—like the still surface of a deep well. The water within might be alive, but it appeared motionless.

Her overly pale face was now speckled with blood. She wore a cream-colored apron, smeared with fresh and dried stains in a chaotic mess. In her right hand, she gripped a massive cleaver, its blade streaked with fresh, winding rivulets of blood.

Zhou Yue swallowed his words. His mind went blank.

Xu Mi spoke softly, “Sorry for startling you. I didn’t get the angle right. Cutting bones is like that—if you find the right spot, it’s easy. But if you don’t… well, things get messy.”

She paused, then added, “All bones must be like this, I suppose…”

Her voice was faint, almost as if she were reflecting on something.