Love Contract with the Queen Actress - Chapter 15

The neighborhood where Su Yuchen lived was too old, and Shen Wu’s car couldn’t even drive in.

The car was parked in a roadside spot across the street, and Shen Wu turned off the engine.

“Still going in alone?”

“Yes, please wait for me in the car.”

Please?

Shen Wu had been basking in the joy of pinching those soft cheeks just moments ago, but now her mood soured again.

She glanced at Su Yuchen, her pride flaring up once more. “Obviously, I wouldn’t go in with you anyway.”

“…”

Though that was indeed the case, Su Yuchen still flinched, pressing her lips together and swallowing nervously.

Now familiar with the car door button, she pressed it while nodding and saying, “Thank you,” then carefully stepped out of the car.

The car was parked at a corner, under a tree.

The dimming light, combined with the approaching dusk, made it hard to see clearly unless one looked closely.

As a result, Su Yuchen only caught her uncle’s attention after she had walked past the red sports car, her canvas crossbody bag slung over her shoulder, and crossed to the other side of the road.

The middle-aged man called out, “Well, well, look who it is, our big star, our precious lady! Where have you been hiding these days? Your mother’s bedridden at home, and you can’t even bother to visit? How unfilial can you be?”

Su Yuchen’s eyes flicked toward the red sports car in the distance, worried that Shen Wu might witness this messy family drama.

She prayed that the distance was enough to muffle the conversation…

“I’ve been working. Thank you and Auntie for taking care of my mother.”

She knew full well that her uncle was still upset about her refusal to buy the air purifier for her aunt, so he would deliberately pick fights and not let her off easily. Without another word, she turned to walk inside.

Sure enough, her uncle, clutching a plastic bag of nearly expired vegetables, hurried after her in small steps, determined to walk alongside her.

“Don’t worry about it, you’re paying us, after all. But you know, today’s the 13th, and the nursing fee is due on the 15th. Paying a couple of days early shouldn’t be a problem, right? You know your uncle and aunt have to support your cousin too.”

Her uncle kept chattering the whole way, but Su Yuchen remained silent, refusing to engage.

Only when they reached the stairwell did she turn around, standing two steps above him, looking down at his thin eyebrows and small, single-lidded eyes.

“You’ve worked hard. I’ll give Auntie the money on the 15th when I get paid by the production crew.”

Her uncle’s face twisted in displeasure, shifting the bag of vegetables from one hand to the other. “Oh, come on, kid. Can’t you spare a day or two early? I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t desperate. You’re really not giving your elder any face, huh?”

“If I haven’t been paid yet, I can’t magically produce money for you, can I?”

Su Yuchen turned away without waiting for a response and continued climbing the stairs.

Her uncle scrambled after her, peering over her shoulder like a thief.

“Yuchen, look at you, with your looks, there are plenty of people lining up to throw money at you, but you’d rather do hard labor? Are you out of your mind? There’s no shame in dating around, it just means you’re desirable! That guy from the Tobacco Bureau your aunt told you about? He’s really into you! He even sent her a few boxes of ginseng. Seriously, don’t brush him off, just meet him, okay?”

Finally, they reached the door. Su Yuchen turned her head slightly to glance at him.

“Uncle, since someone has given Auntie such an expensive gift, she really should go meet them. Who knows, Auntie might even become part of the Tobacco Bureau family. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it just shows how charming Auntie is.”

Using their own spear against their shield.

Uncle’s face at that moment turned as green and wilted as the discounted scallions in the plastic bag hanging from her arm.

Su Yuchen finished speaking, ignored him, and took out her keys to unlock her own metal security door.

“…”

Uncle seemed to finally snap out of it, his face livid with anger but unable to lash out.

As Su Yuchen walked inside, he started mocking her: “You’ve got quite the sharp tongue, kid. Fine, hurry home. Your mom’s awake and keeps asking for you. She even said the TV at home is too small. As the ever-filial daughter, shouldn’t you upgrade it to a color TV while you’re at it?”

With a loud “clang,” the security door shut.

The sound wasn’t too loud, but it was enough to cut off Uncle’s bitter words.

As soon as she stepped inside, the sound of a TV came from the bedroom.

Su Yuchen set her canvas bag down in the living room and walked into the bedroom.

Lying on the bed was an emaciated elderly woman. Her hair was thinning, her skin had a sickly yellow-green pallor, and her high cheekbones made her look almost sixty.

In truth, Su Yuchen knew her mother was only forty-five.

At the moment, the woman was leaning against the wooden headboard, her head tilted to the side as she dozed off.

Su Yuchen called softly, “Mom?”

The woman on the bed didn’t respond. Only the crackling sound of the TV filled the room.

The remote was clutched in the woman’s hand. Su Yuchen gently pulled it free, but the movement woke her.

“Who’s there?”

Gu Yinfeng immediately tightened her grip on the remote. When she saw it was Su Yuchen, the excitement in her eyes faded into calm.

Like stagnant water, utterly still and unrippled.

She loosened her grip. “Oh, it’s you. You’re back.”

“I just had a dream… I dreamed about you.”

“Mom, if you want to sleep, lie down properly. You’ll catch a cold like this,” Su Yuchen said, taking the remote and preparing to turn off the TV when Gu Yinfeng suddenly raised her voice.

“Don’t! Don’t turn it off!”

Su Yuchen froze and looked up at the TV screen.

The entertainment news was broadcasting the news of Fu Mozheng’s return to the country, accompanied by footage of her playing the piano under stage spotlights. The camera circled around the girl as she played with downcast eyes, switching between wide shots and close-ups, even lingering on her fingers. undeniably exquisite.

“Ah, Fu Mozheng…”

Su Yuchen was surprised. “Mom, do you know Fu Mozheng?”

“No!”

Gu Yinfeng realized she had answered too quickly and coughed a few times to cover it up. “No, I just saw her on TV by chance.”

“Take it easy, Mom.” Su Yuchen helped pat her back and supported her as she lay down again.

Gu Yinfeng was very weak and soon began breathing heavily, taking a while to steady herself. “Child, I know your job is hard, but I have a small request.”

“Go ahead, Mom.”

Gu Yinfeng pointed at the TV still playing in front of her. “I’m rarely lucid these days, but when I am awake… cough…”

“I’d like to watch TV. So… cough…”

“Could you get me a bigger TV? cough cough cough…”

After listening, Su Yuchen’s fingertips felt slightly cold.

She had always barely scraped by, making ends meet through her own efforts. Her mother’s medical and nursing expenses were high, and the burden was far from easy.

But since it was something her mother wanted, Su Yuchen nodded. “Alright, I’ll check if I have enough after I get my paycheck on the 15th.”

Gu Yinfeng finally smiled and grasped Su Yuchen’s hand. “Child, you’re so good.”

“Not at all, it’s what I should do.”

“Sometimes, Mom really feels like I’m dragging you down… Child, I’m sorry…”

As Gu Yinfeng spoke, her slightly hooded eyes grew weak, fluttering as if she could barely keep them open, it seemed she had run out of energy again.

“Mom, don’t say that.”

Su Yuchen gently brushed aside the stray hairs at her mother’s temple and happily shared some good news. “Mom, I landed a role, one that a lot of people auditioned for, with really fierce competition. No one, including me, ever thought I’d have a chance to get it. It’s a pretty important role in a big production, so the pay should be higher. Getting you a new TV shouldn’t be a problem!”

“Mhm…”

As Su Yuchen spoke, Gu Yinfeng’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward the television.

Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.

She watched Fu Mozheng playing the piano. “Mom is happy for you too.”

After talking for a while, Su Yuchen grew a little thirsty and only then noticed that Gu Yinfeng’s eyes had already closed.

The woman’s frail body lay beneath the blanket like a thin paper figure, like a flickering candle in the wind even her breathing was faint.

Su Yuchen stopped speaking, tucked in the blanket, and whispered, “Mom, go to sleep. I just came back to grab some clothes, and then I have to leave.”

Only then did Gu Yinfeng open her eyes again, as if belatedly realizing that Su Yuchen hadn’t been home much lately.

“What’s wrong? Is it because sleeping on the cot by my bed isn’t comfortable?”

Su Yuchen’s old house, no, her uncle’s old house was older than her by two decades. The entire neighborhood was packed with buildings squeezed together like bullied children, crammed into every nook and cranny without any consideration for sunlight. The drab, squat buildings practically clung to each other, jokingly called “handshake buildings” because they were so close.

The inside of the house was even shabbier than the outside. There were no spacious units, just tiny thirty- or forty-square-meter spaces, with nearly twenty households squeezed onto each floor, like massive pigeon cages.

The old place they lived in was especially small, with just one bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, each room so cramped it felt like one extra item would make it impossible to move.

The bedroom had a double bed, but Gu Yinfeng wasn’t used to sharing it with Su Yuchen, and Su Yuchen worried she might disturb her mother’s sleep if she tossed and turned at night. So, she had to make do with a canvas cot for rest.

Hearing Gu Yinfeng’s question, she smiled and patted her mother’s shoulder. “No, it’s not that. I have to go to a friend’s place, she doesn’t know how to take care of a cat, so I need to help her.”

Even after hearing this, Gu Yinfeng’s frown didn’t ease, but she seemed too tired to press further.

She nodded. “Go ahead.”

…

Su Yuchen quickly packed a few changes of clothes. By the time she stepped outside, the sky had darkened completely.

Winter nights came early, and the dim yellow glow of the streetlights barely illuminated the ground beneath her feet.

The visibility was poor in this situation, and Su Yuchen felt a momentary daze, thinking she had caught a glimpse of Fu Nan.

Was it a mistake?

Su Yuchen rubbed her eyes and opened them again. As the blurriness faded, she confirmed she hadn’t been mistaken.

It was Fu Nan, and Fu Nan was even pulling her uncle aside, saying something.

?

With a head full of question marks, Su Yuchen gripped her luggage bag and walked over.

“Sister Fu Nan? Uncle?”

Before she could even voice the second half of her question, what are you two doing together? her uncle immediately grabbed her arm.

“Ah, Yuchen! Why didn’t you tell me you struck it rich? Transferring so much money into my account all at once, if I hadn’t met your boss today, I’d have thought you’d done something downright wicked!”

“……”

Just moments ago, he had been pressuring her to sell herself, and now he was acting like a saint.

Su Yuchen vaguely understood part of it, but the pieces still didn’t quite connect.

That was until Fu Nan smiled and said, “This gentleman, we’re just colleagues working together, there’s no superior-subordinate relationship here.”

“Yes, yes, of course! You’re not her boss, but giving so much at once, you’re a true benefactor, a living bodhisattva!”

Her uncle beamed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes folding into deep creases that could rival the famed Goubuli steamed buns.

“This is an advance on Su Yuchen’s salary for you. We hope you’ll take good care of her mother. However-”

As she spoke, Fu Nan pulled a document from her briefcase. “Since you’re accepting this money, you’ll need to sign a contract with our company. During the contract period, you must adhere to the terms, clock in on DingTalk daily, provide photo updates of her mother’s condition, and report to Su Yuchen. If she’s satisfied, no, if she approves, you’ll receive a full-attendance bonus each month. Otherwise, we reserve the right to reclaim this advance payment.”

“Sign here.” Fu Nan pressed the contract onto the hood of her white Jeep and handed the pen to the middle-aged man.

Her uncle stood frozen for a long moment before mumbling, “Her aunt’s the one who does most of the caregiving. It’s easier between women.”

“Hmm, then I’ll add a supplementary clause, you can sign on her behalf.” Fu Nan uncapped the pen, scribbled an addition, then stamped it with the company seal for legal validity.

Her uncle stared blankly at Fu Nan’s swift maneuvering before finally stiffly voicing his thoughts.

“Doesn’t this… make her our employer now?”

Su Yuchen stayed silent, but Fu Nan answered first. “From an employment standpoint, you or rather, your wife are technically already employed by Su Yuchen.”

“It’s just that now, since we’re considering performance-based pay for your household, we need to formalize things. Hence, the contract.”

After a long hesitation, her uncle finally steeled himself, took the pen, and signed his name.

Then, with an awkward air, he lingered to exchange pleasantries with Su Yuchen before reluctantly walking away.

“Sister Nan…”

Su Yuchen turned to face her agent. After a long pause, she spoke earnestly, “Thank you.”

Fu Nan shook her head and tossed the well-crafted Parker pen back into her briefcase.

“Don’t thank me. Thank her.”

“She causes trouble without regard for the cost. I’m just solving the problem at its root.”

Looking past Fu Nan, Su Yuchen saw Shen Wu stepping out of a red sports car.

Her long hair fluttered in the breeze as she leaned against the hood of the sports car with its door open. Her weight slightly shifted back, chin tilted up just a touch, as she waved in their direction with a playful tilt of her head and a smile.

With her lips, she silently mouthed the words: “Let’s go home.”