Let's Get Married on the First Day of Rebirth - Chapter 36

She was probably just dazed.

As the sun gradually brightened the horizon, Qu Ange vaguely realized that she seemed to have been spacing out in the living room all night.

It felt as though she had pondered many things throughout the night, yet it also seemed as if she had thought of nothing at all.

Her mind was like a device with insufficient memory—unable to process anything properly. It felt stuffed full, yet she couldn’t form a single coherent thought.

There was a new email in her inbox—a notification from Ming Palace Flowers about her call time.

Qiu Shuiyi had called her. When she didn’t answer, Qiu sent a message asking about the terms of the contract, saying that any conditions were negotiable as long as Qu Ange could introduce her to Miss Lin.

Come to think of it, Guangju had already approved her resignation letter. Zhou Yue had resigned, so she no longer had to worry about Zeng Xuejia suffering under his management.

Everything was going well.

Except for one thing.

Xu Mi didn’t want her anymore.

In her muddled state, she seemed to regain a sliver of clarity.

Qu Ange looked around at her surroundings.

Peeling, moldy wallpaper.

An old, cracked leather sofa.

An outdated CRT television.

A yellowed standing air conditioner.

Yet just a month ago, she had been living in a villa atop a mountain.

Equipped with the most advanced furnishings.

Enjoying a vast expanse of lawn.

Raising three dogs—though those dogs were probably more familiar with her assistant.

Her wineglass had been filled with Romanée-Conti, and of course, the wine cellar held all sorts of other fine wines.

She had a massive cold storage room stocked with all kinds of expensive, rare ingredients, though she herself mostly ate the bland, meticulously prepared meals her nutritionist designed.

Her latest hobby back then had been filming mountain scenery with a drone. After crashing and losing several, she finally mastered it and recorded vlogs that only she would ever watch. In her latest vlog, she had said to the screen—

“Everything here is wonderful, but it’s a pity I’m the only one here.”

The overwhelming joy of rebirth had made her completely forget all of that.

She had probably thought that even though she had lost all her material comforts, at least she had Xu Mi back.

But upon closer reflection, the reason she hadn’t minded losing it all was that she believed she could regain it.

When she swam alone in the outdoor pool, enjoyed sunbathing on a private beach, or flew to Iceland on a whim to see the Northern Lights, she always thought, If only Xu Mi were here.

From the very beginning, her vision of a perfect life had been enjoying the best the world had to offer—with Xu Mi.

So, she had never once considered whether she wanted any other kind of life.

Xu Mi had called her vain.

And she wasn’t wrong at all.

What Qu Ange wanted wasn’t just acting, winning awards, or fame—it was all the extras that came with them.

But isn’t that what everyone in the world pursues?

She ran her hands through her hair, slicking it back. It was damp with sweat and easily molded to her will. Qu Ange sat on the chair, elbows on her knees, and covered her face with her hands.

Memories of her life before rebirth flashed through her mind, but in the end, they all settled on Xu Mi’s somewhat disappointed gaze.

What is it that I truly want?

Am I just too greedy?

Qu Ange couldn’t quite figure it out. Everything had seemed to be going so smoothly—she had married Xu Mi right away, met Lin Zhenyi ahead of time, and successfully terminated her contract with Guangju.

Why couldn’t things just continue like this?

As long as Xu Mi didn’t leave, she was confident that everything would move in a positive direction, right?

Her head throbbed with pain. She stood up, intending to turn on the air conditioner, when a noise came from the door. With the sound of a key turning, the door swung open.

Qu Ange turned around and saw Yue Mei.

Yue Mei was their other roommate besides Tan Zhenzhen. Because she thought her name was too plain, she asked others to call her Xiao Yue.

Over the past month, Qu Ange had rarely seen her. Only on weekends did she occasionally catch Yue Mei coming out to grab something to eat. The rest of the time, even when she was home, she was usually sleeping and rarely interacted with them.

Qu Ange hadn’t slept all night. She hadn’t showered, removed her makeup, or changed her clothes. She was still wearing yesterday’s dress, her hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly exhausted. But when she saw Yue Mei, she didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed.

After all, Yue Mei wasn’t in much better shape. She looked just as haggard and dazed. When their eyes met, Qu Ange felt as though she couldn’t see any soul behind those eyes.

Staring at her own reflection in the glass window, Qu Ange felt she had no soul either.

She must have pulled an all-nighter at work.

Even though she was going through a major setback in her own life, Qu Ange couldn’t help but feel a surge of sympathy for Yue Mei.

She wanted to say something to greet her but didn’t know what. While she hesitated, Yue Mei unexpectedly spoke first: “Have you been crying?”

Qu Ange blinked her dry, sore eyes. Truthfully, she wasn’t entirely sure. She had spent the whole night in a daze, barely aware of her surroundings. But her eyes were dry and painful, and based on experience, she must have shed quite a few tears. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “I cried for a while, I guess.”

Yue Mei asked, “Do you still feel like crying?”

What kind of question was that?

Qu Ange looked puzzled.

The next second, she saw Yue Mei’s eyes grow increasingly red. Soon, tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks like beads. Yue Mei crouched on the floor, wailing loudly, “I want to cry—sob, sob—”

Qu Ange stood frozen for over ten seconds before Tan Zhenzhen burst out of her bedroom, rubbing her bleary eyes. She rushed over, placed her hands on Yue Mei’s shoulders, and asked, “What’s wrong, Xiao Yue? Did someone bully you?”

Yue Mei shouted, “That stupid client can go to hell! I’m not making any more changes! I quit!”

Just then, Xu Mi also came out.

She had originally planned to stay in her room until Qu Ange left, then pack her things and go home. But the commotion outside was too loud, and even she couldn’t justify staying hidden anymore.

Tan Zhenzhen hugged Yue Mei and, for some reason, started crying along with her. “Don’t be sad, Xiao Yue. Why don’t you quit too? Come work with us. We’re starting a business. You know how to edit photos and design—you’d be a huge help to us.”

Yue Mei was crying too hard to speak. Xu Mi glanced at Qu Ange and couldn’t help but frown.

Qu Ange wasn’t in much better shape—her eyes were bloodshot, her eyelids swollen, and her lips chapped. But thanks to her natural good looks, she still managed to carry a certain weary beauty.

Xu Mi sighed, went to the bathroom, and wrung out two towels.

She handed one to Yue Mei first. The other one was clearly meant for Qu Ange initially, but as she crouched down, she hesitated and ended up giving it to Tan Zhenzhen instead.

Deliberately avoiding looking at Qu Ange, she patted Tan Zhenzhen’s shoulder and said, “Stop crying. Let’s go back to the room and rest for a bit.”

The two of them continued to weep in each other’s arms.

At that moment, Qu Ange poured two glasses of water and handed them over. Tan Zhenzhen said “thank you” as she accepted one, her tear-filled eyes glancing at Qu Ange before she froze, forgetting to cry altogether.

“What’s wrong with you, Qu Ange?” she asked.

She then glanced at Xu Mi and noticed that Xu Mi’s eyes were swollen too. Finally realizing that something significant must have happened the previous night, she stopped crying and looked back and forth between Xu Mi and Qu Ange.

The sky had fully brightened, and the scorching sunlight poured through the thin curtains, filling the room with an increasingly unbearable heat.

Tan Zhenzhen took a sip of water, unsure of what to say. She licked her lips and spoke up: “So… what’s everyone having for breakfast?”

…

In the end, they went downstairs to pack up some food.

Two bowls of spicy soup, two bowls of sweet soy milk, a basket of steamed buns, a basket of dumplings, along with some fried dough sticks and pancakes.

Oily, fragrant, and steaming hot, the food was laid out on the dining table.

The four of them were pulled by Tan Zhenzhen to sit around the table. After a long silence, Tan Zhenzhen was the first to ask Yue Mei, “Yue Mei, are you feeling better? What exactly happened?”

Yue Mei looked dejected, with deep dark circles under her eyes. She chewed on her pancake without tasting it and said, “I want to resign. If this continues, I’ll work myself to death.”

Tan Zhenzhen had watched Yue Mei transform from a vibrant recent graduate into her current state and nodded in agreement. “Even if you don’t change industries, you should at least switch companies.”

Yue Mei replied, “I want to change careers entirely.”

Hearing this, Qu Ange took a big gulp of water.

—Change careers.

Yue Mei continued, “I’ve made up my mind. I just graduated, so it’s not like I have much experience in this field anyway. It’s not too late to switch careers now. The only thing I’m thinking about is what I can do instead. One thing’s for sure—I’m not doing design anymore.”

Qu Ange pinched the bridge of her nose near the inner corners of her eyes, trying to relieve the soreness.

Experience…

In Xu Mi’s eyes, she and Yue Mei were probably in the same boat.

Just dipping a toe into the entertainment industry—why not just step out? There were so many other things one could do in this world. Why stubbornly stick to this path? The reason was clearly not pure.

And indeed, it wasn’t pure.

If she did something else, could she ever live the life she had in her previous lifetime? Maybe she could still become wealthy, but that sense of accomplishment, the joy of doing what she loved, the wonder of experiencing a different kind of life, the satisfaction of being admired by everyone—those things would likely be gone.

Success within easy reach versus the regret buried deep in her heart.

What would others choose?

The conversation between Tan Zhenzhen and Yue Mei continued—

Tan Zhenzhen: “Come work with us. Our traffic has been really high lately, and we’ve already hit 300,000 followers.”

Yue Mei: “But I don’t know much about self-media, and I’m not sure what I could do…”

Tan Zhenzhen: “You’re good at drawing. We happen to need someone who can help us with illustrations. Right, Mimi?”

Xu Mi had been staring blankly at her soy milk. Startled by her name, she looked up. Tan Zhenzhen asked her, “Speaking of which, Xu Mi, in your room… are those packed bags? Are you going on a trip?”

Xu Mi lowered her eyes. “I’m planning to go back to my hometown. This apartment… we only rented it for a month, and the lease is almost up.”

Tan Zhenzhen looked horrified. “Aren’t we partners? Are you abandoning me?”

Qu Ange shot Tan Zhenzhen a glance, thinking, I haven’t even mentioned being abandoned yet, and you’re already bringing it up?

Xu Mi had just thought of the same thing. She felt she was being rather unfair and said awkwardly, “I… I think the rent here is a bit high. Actually, filming videos and writing recipes are things I can do even in a small city like my hometown. I was thinking…”

Tan Zhenzhen suddenly clapped her hands, cutting Xu Mi off, her face lighting up with excitement. “You’re absolutely right!”

She grabbed Xu Mi’s hand with one hand and Yue Mei’s with the other, saying, “Why don’t we all go to Xu Mi’s hometown together?”

Qu Ange stared at Xu Mi’s hand being held, her emotions tangled as she took a bite of her fried dough stick.

Even Tan Zhenzhen’s plans didn’t include her.

She hadn’t even been remembered.

Suddenly irritated, she slammed her cup down heavily. Tan Zhenzhen glanced at her, as if finally recalling her presence, and hesitated, “But now that you mention it, why are you suddenly going back to your hometown? And where is Qu Ange planning to go?”

Qu Ange was about to speak when Xu Mi interjected, “She’s already successfully terminated her contract with her previous company and landed a role in a drama. She’s going to be quite busy from now on.”

Tan Zhenzhen let out an “Oh,” and said, “I was just thinking that since she’s so pretty, she could appear on camera, and we could try to make her an internet celebrity or something. But if she can be a star, who would want to be an internet celebrity? Being a star is definitely better.”

Qu Ange replied, “I don’t think so.”

Tan Zhenzhen laughed, “Then why don’t you come with us?”

As soon as the words were out, Xu Mi choked and started coughing, wiping her mouth with a tissue. “Stop joking. Are you serious? Coming home with me? I’m really not sure about this at all.”

Tan Zhenzhen said, “I’m serious! Our current engagement is even better than the official account we used to manage at our old company. Why can’t we keep growing?”

Seeing that she was the only one at the table with a smile, she added, “Well, even if it’s just for a trip, that’s fine too. I’ve already been laid off and haven’t dared to tell my family. It’ll be a good chance to relax.”

Hearing this, Yue Mei seemed to make up her mind as well. “Then take me with you. But give me a few days to hand over my work at the company, okay?”

She and Tan Zhenzhen both looked at Xu Mi with hopeful eyes. Xu Mi felt too embarrassed to refuse and could only nod.

The clean break she had envisioned suddenly felt messy and drawn-out. Xu Mi felt awkward every time she saw Qu Ange. She went back to her room to put her things away, while Qu Ange went to take a shower.

Xu Mi took out a photo frame. A picture Qu Ange had dragged her to take one day when they were out.

Qu Ange had said that day that they hadn’t taken a photo together in a long time and insisted on taking one as a keepsake.

After the photo was developed, they bought a wooden frame online and placed it on the bedside table.

Last night, while packing, Xu Mi had stuffed it into her suitcase. Now, looking at it, she knew deep down she was still reluctant to let go.

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a phone ring. She traced the sound to Qu Ange’s phone.

On the screen was the name “Wang Jia.” Xu Mi remembered that name—Qu Ange had mentioned that Wang Jia was a famous screenwriter.

So, this call might actually be important.

Hesitating for a moment, Xu Mi knocked on the bathroom door and said, “Your phone is ringing. It’s Wang Jia calling.”

The bathroom door opened a crack, and Qu Ange reached out a hand, saying, “Could you pass it to me?”

Xu Mi handed over the phone.

As soon as Qu Ange took it, there was a sudden sound of something falling and shattering, followed by Qu Ange’s exclamation of “Ouch!”

Instinctively, Xu Mi pulled the bathroom door open and asked, “What happened?”

Qu Ange lay naked on the tiled floor, frowning as she pressed a hand to her back while speaking into the phone, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing, please go on…”

She waved dismissively at Xu Mi, but her expression was clearly pained.

Xu Mi quickly grabbed a towel and handed it over. Qu Ange took it and tried to stand up by leaning on the sink, but she couldn’t manage it right away.

Xu Mi hurried to support her, and Qu Ange leaned her body against Xu Mi.

The warm, steamy scent of shower gel instantly filled the air, making Xu Mi wonder if Qu Ange had done this on purpose.

On the phone, Wang Jia said, “Don’t get hurt. Director Shen has organized a script reading the day after tomorrow. Will you come?”

A flurry of thoughts raced through Qu Ange’s mind, but in the end, she thought, After all, this opportunity was brought to me by Wang Jia and Lin Zhenyi’s efforts. At the very least, I can’t waste their goodwill.

“Yes, I’ll definitely be there.”

After hanging up, she was helped to the bed by Xu Mi. She checked her knee and found it swollen, but it didn’t hurt too much unless pressed. It probably wasn’t a bone injury.

Seeing Qu Ange in such a state, Xu Mi naturally stopped suspecting her. After a moment’s thought, she stood up and started to leave. Qu Ange called out, “I’m hurt like this, and you don’t even want to stay with me for a while?”

Her voice was full of grievance.

If truth be told, Qu Ange’s fall was about eighty percent intentional.

She had slipped, but if she had held onto the door, she wouldn’t have fallen. Somehow, though, she had made up her mind to let go.

As she fell, Qu Ange silently recited to herself—You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.

Xu Mi sighed. “I’ll go ask Tan Zhenzhen if she has any pain relief spray for you.”

Qu Ange let out an “Oh” and watched Xu Mi leave with longing eyes, thinking, The wolf is temporarily caught. Xu Mi still cares about me.

She leaned against the headboard, gazing at the ceiling light, which had darkened with age, and the peeling wallpaper at the edges.

People tend to have a fairly unified vision of a good life: leisure and wealth, family and friends, and for those with higher aspirations, hobbies and careers, admiration from others, and social status.

She had experienced all of that.

Except for Xu Mi.

She had often thought that if she could start over, she would tell Xu Mi, When I was living those good days, I wished you were by my side. I wished we could share that kind of life together.

It had never occurred to her that Xu Mi might not want that.

What Xu Mi wanted had always been different from what she did.

Come to think of it, if that weren’t the case, Xu Mi could have come to her in their previous lives.

For ten years, she had missed Xu Mi, always assuming that if she hadn’t let Xu Mi leave in 2012, they could have rushed toward a beautiful future together. But it turned out their separation was never accidental—it was inevitable.

It was the inevitable result of them heading toward different goals.

She held two golden apples in her hands, yet she had to discard one.

What a luxurious dilemma.

Xu Mi entered with Yunnan Baiyao, shook the can, and sprayed it on Qu Ange’s foot, frowning as she said, “Luckily, it didn’t hit the bone.”

Tan Zhenzhen leaned against the doorframe and asked, “Really? It didn’t hit the bone? I can recommend my bone-setting doctor to you.”

Qu Ange replied, “No, no. Just close the door and leave.”

Xu Mi said, “The door is open.”

Qu Ange muttered under her breath, “It’s not like I’m going to do anything to you. I just have something to say too.”

Tan Zhenzhen thoughtfully closed the door and left.

Qu Ange began, “I know I hesitated last night, and that wasn’t great. But with such a big decision, it’s only natural to hesitate a little. I thought about it all night and came to an answer… I’m in.”

Xu Mi’s expression remained indifferent. “There’s no need. I don’t want you to regret it later.”

“Regret it…”

“Yeah, you’d regret it. Such a great opportunity is right in front of you. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to let it go either.”

Qu Ange smiled. “I’ve already regretted it once before.”

Xu Mi looked up at her, puzzled.

Qu Ange continued, “I thought about it, and going back with you to do self-media really is a good idea. The next few years will see a lot of growth in that field—you probably think I’m talking nonsense again, but my stock investments did work out, didn’t they?”

Xu Mi nodded. “Yeah, you’re amazing.”

“But I have to finish filming this drama. Wang Jia and Lin Zhenyi helped me get this opportunity, and I can’t waste their kindness. Once it’s done, I’ll go back with you…”

“No need,” Xu Mi interrupted. “I told you, don’t do anything you might regret. I’ve realized that you’re really suited for this industry, even if it’s one I can’t quite understand.”

Qu Ange looked at Xu Mi’s face. She was looking down, the upper half of her face shadowed by her bangs, making her expression hard to read. But Qu Ange could tell that Xu Mi wasn’t entirely without conflict.

“It’s okay if you don’t believe me. You can go back first. Just… just let me know where you are. In no more than three months—no, two months at most—I’ll come find you.”

Xu Mi turned away. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Think it over carefully. Isn’t this your dream?”

Qu Ange said, “It was, once.”

Xu Mi couldn’t help but turn back and stare at Qu Ange’s face. She noticed that there was no trace of struggle or pain in her expression.

Seeing this, she grew uneasy, feeling as though she had pressured Qu Ange into doing something she didn’t want to do.

But then she thought, Qu Ange must be caught up in the moment. In two or three months, when she’s had time to think it through, who knows what choice she’ll make.

Sighing inwardly, she said, “Do whatever you want. Where would I go? I’ll be at home.”

Hearing this, Qu Ange relaxed and grabbed Xu Mi’s hand.

Xu Mi pulled away, but Qu Ange held on again. Xu Mi glared at her, and Qu Ange said, “Doesn’t that mean you agree? So we’re still good, right?”

Xu Mi replied, “No.”

But she didn’t manage to pull her hand away.

Qu Ange closed her eyes. Xu Mi’s hand was in her palm, soft and dry.

“Aren’t you tired, Mimi? I’m so exhausted. I want to sleep…” Her voice gradually faded. “You’ll be at home, right…”

When Qu Ange woke up in the middle of the night, she didn’t see Xu Mi.

She screamed in panic, and eventually Xu Mi appeared from Tan Zhenzhen’s room. Xu Mi explained that she couldn’t bear staying in the same room with Qu Ange anymore, so she had decided to sleep on the floor in Tan Zhenzhen’s room for now.

Qu Ange, feeling helpless, finally said, “I’ll sleep in the living room, and you take the bedroom, alright?”

Xu Mi shook her head. “Tan Zhenzhen and I will probably chat late into the night anyway. It’s fine for me to stay in her room.”

Qu Ange’s expression darkened. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Tan Zhenzhen stared at Qu Ange’s face and suddenly understood. “No way, are you jealous of me? I’m straight—”

Before she could finish, Yue Mei covered her mouth and dragged her back into the room.

Xu Mi compromised, saying, “Alright, I’ll sleep in the living room.”

Qu Ange insisted, “You take the bedroom. I’ll go to a hotel, how about that?”

Seeing Qu Ange’s determination, Xu Mi sighed. “Fine, you sleep in the living room.”

After two awkward nights, on the third day, Yue Mei had wrapped up her company duties, and Qu Ange was preparing to attend the script reading session. Early in the morning, the four of them packed up and headed out. At the entrance of the residential complex, Qu Ange received a call from Lin Zhenyi. She quickly answered, hearing Lin Zhenyi say, “Where are you? I’ll pick you up on the way.”

Qu Ange replied, “At the entrance of the complex.”

Lin Zhenyi said, “I’m almost there. Wait for me.”

Qu Ange had originally planned to accompany Xu Mi and the others to the bus station but now had to stop.

Unable to shake her unease, she pulled aside Tan Zhenzhen—who had removed her bandages but still walked with a slight limp—and said, “You have to keep me updated on Xu Mi’s whereabouts.”

Tan Zhenzhen glanced sideways at her. “Why should I?”

Qu Ange took out her phone and sent her a 100-yuan red envelope.

Tan Zhenzhen didn’t accept it. “Hmph, do you think I’m that kind of person?”

Yue Mei chimed in from the side, “Give it to me. I’ll take fifty.”

Tan Zhenzhen quickly accepted the money and glared at Yue Mei.

Yue Mei said, “Enough already. Don’t break up a happy couple.”

Tan Zhenzhen retorted, “I’m just keeping Qu Ange in check. We’re going back to farm life, while she’s still floating around in the glamorous world. If there’s any danger, she’s the one more at risk.”

Qu Ange thought to herself: It seems everyone understands this logic.

Xu Mi overheard a bit of the conversation but pretended not to. She didn’t dare look back at Qu Ange, afraid that if she did, the resolve in her heart would waver.

This was the reason she had avoided staying in the same room as Qu Ange these past two days.

She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to let go again.

While the three were talking, a stretched Bentley pulled up by the roadside. The rear window rolled down, and Lin Zhenyi waved at them.

Qu Ange hurried over but noticed a BMW stopping behind the Bentley. The driver’s window rolled down, and Qiu Shuiyi waved at her, saying, “Hello, Ange. Have you thought about the contract terms?”

Qu Ange looked closely and indeed saw Lin Wanzhao sitting in the passenger seat of Qiu Shuiyi’s car. Lin Wanzhao, spotting them, unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. She walked straight up to Xu Mi and said, “Good morning. Are you all going on a trip?”

Tan Zhenzhen, eyeing the two luxury cars and the elegant young woman before her, didn’t dare speak. She glanced furtively at Xu Mi, who simply replied, “Yes.”

What’s going on? Lying without batting an eye?

In truth, Xu Mi just couldn’t be bothered to explain.

But she soon regretted not clarifying.

Because Lin Wanzhao exclaimed with delight, “Wow, that’s great! I’d love to go on a trip too.”

She turned to Qiu Shuiyi and asked, “Do you want to go, Sister Qiu?”

Qiu Shuiyi immediately raised her hand. “Yes! I’ll go anywhere!”