The Whole World Is Waiting for Me and My Ex-Girlfriend to Remarry (Entertainment Industry) - Chapter 10

You are the most capable of all.

The company cafeteria at Xingtu was so lively during mealtimes that it felt excessive. It was the first time Dong Huaci had seen so many beautiful women—women who insisted on wearing full makeup even while eating. As she followed Zhong Qing inside, she clearly drew a lot of attention, though most people only spared her a glance before returning to their salads or their phones.

As it turned out, some meals looked utterly soul-sucking.

Zhong Qing was wearing those tall, black, glossy boots she loved so much, but today she had swapped her top for a black sleeveless piece. Her hair was styled in thick, dark waves, but in this outfit, the black didn’t seem mature or flirtatious; instead, it added a touch of cold, elegant flair, as if she were anchored to her own unique “cool older sister” style. Dong Huaci never quite understood this aesthetic, but she respected it and admitted that among all the beauties, Zhong Qing was still the one whose face she would notice first.

Zhong Qing had been walking in front, and they hadn’t said a word on the way. Now that they had arrived, she turned around. “Just buy whatever you want to eat. If it’s under 400, screenshot the receipt and report it to finance before the end of the month. I’ll give you her contact info later—I assume you haven’t added her yet.”

Dong Huaci was too embarrassed to say she hadn’t bought a new phone yet. She planned to buy a second-hand smartphone first, but that market was deep and treacherous, so she wanted to hold out for a bit and find a part-time job tonight. Life without a phone was truly difficult. In that brief moment of hesitation, Zhong Qing saw through her predicament. “Ah, I remembered, you don’t have a phone yet. Wait a bit; I’ll pay for you today. Until you pick out a new phone, just tell me what you need, and I’ll help you report it all together at the end.”

Naturally, Dong Huaci was full of gratitude. “Thank you, Sister Zhong Qing! Just a salad then… and if possible, do they have iced green bean paste here?”

It was the second time Zhong Qing had heard that title, and her expression grew even more peculiar. This girl kept calling her “Sister” for no reason. “Just call me Zhong Qing, like the others. My stage name was specially changed from my real name anyway; it’s easy to remember.”

“Okay, okay, Zhong Qing… Zhong Qing.” Dong Huaci almost slipped back into her habit, but the second time she said the name, it felt much more natural. Her voice was soft and waxy, like a marshmallow.

And so, Dong Huaci shared her first “soul-sucking” lunch face-to-face with her new roommate. To be honest, when she heard that a salad in this cafeteria cost more than the ones at the “high-end convenience store” downstairs, Dong Huaci instantly understood the meaning of the word “capitalist.”

They didn’t chat much, eating a meal that could even be described as mutually respectful. Zhong Qing ordered a crab meat salad, which she ate with little interest, clearly eating only for the sake of sustenance. When Dong Huaci finally put down her disposable fork and started sipping her iced green bean drink, Zhong Qing spoke up. “Dance class is at two this afternoon. Newcomers have to attend, so you’ll definitely be with us. Just follow me.” Zhong Qing glanced at the green bean juice in Dong Huaci’s hand. “You don’t like carbonated drinks; that’s a good habit.”

After lunch, they headed over. Dong Huaci noticed that everyone already had their fixed spots. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to do in this dance class, so she stood at the door feeling a bit lost.

The dance teacher had already arrived—a woman surnamed Wang. Zhong Qing hadn’t forgotten to introduce her on the way over. Ms. Wang was at the front of the studio, hands on her hips, scrolling through her phone. Before long, she called out Dong Huaci’s name. “The front desk told me about you. You’re the new one, right? The one with no dance background.”

Dong Huaci nodded incessantly, as if she had found a savior.

Ms. Wang set her phone aside and connected to the Bluetooth speakers. “Fine, then warm up for a bit. You must have had that in PE class…”

Dong Huaci blushed. “Our high school PE classes were always taken over by other subjects. We didn’t have PE.” Naturally, that meant no warm-ups either.

“What kind of high school was that? Someone should report them.” Ms. Wang hadn’t expected Dong Huaci to be so literal; she had been trying to give her an out, but she found the girl’s bluntness somewhat endearing. “Where are you from?”

“Henan. I’m from the Central Plains of Henan. To be honest, our high schools are like prisons—those who know, know. So, teacher, I won’t slack off. No matter how hard or difficult it is, it’s simpler than a math problem. When people are pushed, they can do anything—except math.” Although Dong Huaci was a newcomer, she became quite familiar once she started talking, even with elders.

All the girls in the room laughed, and even Zhong Qing couldn’t help but turn her lips upward.

Ms. Wang waved her hand. “Alright, alright. Just follow along as best you can. Try your hardest with the movements, and I’ll keep an eye on you.”

During the initial solo movements, Dong Huaci managed to muddle through. But when it came to the partner work, she was truly afraid of making a fool of herself. She was too embarrassed to even look for a partner. Ms. Wang approached Zhong Qing, who was also without a partner because her usual partner was absent. Dong Huaci thought she saw a flash of hesitation from Zhong Qing, but she was certain Zhong Qing had no grievance against her. In the end, Zhong Qing accepted without much fuss.

“The second turn! Turn, Zhong Qing! She’s a rookie, are you one too?”

This segment was a partner interaction. Most of the time, Dong Huaci was just acting as a “pillar.” This part of the choreography was more difficult for Zhong Qing. She had to place her hand on the shoulder, step into a turn, and finally wrap her arm around the waist to lead Dong Huaci to another mark. Dong Huaci realized belatedly—was Zhong Qing dancing the “male” role in this fusion of ballroom and K-pop style dance?

Dong Huaci was breaking into a sweat just standing there. She felt Zhong Qing’s hand seemingly trying to maintain distance from her body, yet there was no choice; certain beats required them to be close.

“What are you waiting for on that final waist-hold beat, Zhong Qing? Just get close, you’re both girls.” Ms. Wang was equally blunt with everyone, regardless of their background, family, or looks. In her eyes, there were only students who did well and those who didn’t.

Zhong Qing let go of Dong Huaci, her face flushed a strange shade of red. “Ms. Wang, I’m not feeling well today. I’m taking off early.”

“Missing class like this… coming and going as you please. Who do you think you are? A big star? I’ll be sure to mention this to the boss during the meeting.” Ms. Wang was clearly angry, her implication being a threat to cut her pay or, worse, affect her reputation within the company.

Zhong Qing didn’t reply. Under the gaze of everyone, she kept her expression tight, not even wasting an explanation on anyone as she pushed the door open and walked out.

After class, groups of girls streamed past Dong Huaci. She didn’t know where to go. She went back to the dorm, but no one was there. She sat on her bed, staring blankly. Here she was in Shanghai—a city she had heard so much about—experiencing for the first time that beauty wasn’t a completely reliable hand to play in life. It was also the first time that, upon hearing the word “dismissed,” she felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She had no homework, no goal. A day of intensive dance training wouldn’t turn her into a genius overnight, and this path didn’t have a clear endpoint like the College Entrance Exam to tell her “it’s over.” There was no clear benchmark to tell her if she was working in the right direction.

The only reference was a vague, ethereal future: how famous she could become; how much money she could earn for the company.

Stop thinking about it. Dong Huaci shook her head and began to worry about something else. Specifically, the fact that Zhong Qing had never returned to the studio after she left, as if she might disappear forever into the sea of young faces.

Where on earth could she find Zhong Qing?

Dong Huaci went out again, searching the hallways for a familiar face. Unable to find Zhong Qing, her only option was to look for He Xizi. He Xizi was already sitting in the lounge area, arm-in-arm with another girl, laughing at something on a phone. Amidst the clutter of the sofa area, He Xizi looked up in surprise. “You’re asking me where Zhong Qing is?”

Dong Huaci nodded, drenched in sweat. The dance training had made her body feel as if it had died once, and now this feeling of having no one to lean on was putting her spirit through a second ordeal. “Yes…” she stammered, unable to give a reason.

He Xizi and her friend exchanged a glance and blinked. “The rooftop, probably. She runs there whenever she’s unhappy. The boss wanted to lock the door, but Zhong Qing cornered him in his office and made a scene until he opened it again.”

“The rooftop?”

“Take the fire escape to the top and just push. You’ll see some fire equipment; the lock next to it is broken, it’s just for show.” He Xizi lowered her head. “But I’m telling you, that’s just her personality. She always has that mysterious cold face; I don’t know who she’s putting it on for. She’ll be fine after a while. Just let her digest it herself, you don’t need to bother with her. The more you pay attention to her, the more she plays it up.”

Dong Huaci let out an “Ah,” awkwardly brushing her hair. “Okay… thank you anyway, Sister Xixi.”

Hearing the title, He Xizi couldn’t help but retort, “I’m not that old, am I? I just got here earlier than you, Resignation Sister.”

Amused by the nickname, He Xizi and her friend burst into laughter again. The joke wasn’t malicious; they were simply poking fun at Dong Huaci’s lingering “student aura.” Dong Huaci sensed it and gave a bashful smile. Without saying more, she blended back into the crowd.

The fire escape… which door?

Dong Huaci muttered to herself as she bumped around, eventually finding a dilapidated, heavy door that looked nothing like the dorm doors. She used both hands to finally push it open, and then a question popped into her head: What floor is Xingtu on? And what floor is the roof? This is a whole skyscraper, isn’t it?

She hadn’t thought of the “smart” move of taking the elevator. By the time she reached the rooftop, another twenty minutes had passed. Gasping for air, she pushed open the second door. Before her was a sky where red and gray intertwined, as evening approached. Zhong Qing was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the rooftop in a posture that looked both dangerous and steady, gazing out at the endless forest of steel and concrete.

Hearing the noise, she didn’t turn around. “He Xizi, stop annoying me. I’ll go back in a bit.”

There was no answer, only the sound of the wind whistling through the iron and wood.

Zhong Qing finally pursed her lips and turned her head, seeing the disheveled and somewhat pitiful-looking newcomer. “Oh, it’s you.”

“During training, why didn’t you want to keep practicing with me?” Dong Huaci approached her with a boldness she didn’t know she possessed—looking back, it was likely because she didn’t yet know Zhong Qing well enough to be afraid. “It definitely wasn’t because of me; it’s only my first day. I know you must be unhappy about something.”

“How can you be so sure I’m unhappy?” Zhong Qing used all her emotional management skills to answer with a level tone.

“I can just feel it. And about that bed space… they were your good friends, right? Why did they resign?”

“She hasn’t resigned yet,” Zhong Qing corrected her with a hint of obsession, using the singular pronoun. “She’s still in a legal battle with the company. Currently, she’s still an employee.”

Let me hug you. Just a hug. Don’t be sad. I understand it’s hard when a good friend is suddenly gone, but don’t be too sad yet.

Dong Huaci murmured to herself with a strange sense of familiarity. By the end, she wasn’t even talking about Zhong Qing anymore. Without any guard up, she hugged Zhong Qing right there on the edge of the roof. Perhaps if there had been any violent struggle between them at that moment, they would have had a very romantic ending of dying together that night.

Fortunately, when Dong Huaci suddenly reached out to hug Zhong Qing, it was with such innocence and purity. A warmth wrapped around Zhong Qing like the wind, melting any possibility of an overreaction into the mist. Back then, Dong Huaci hadn’t yet developed the habit of wearing cheap rose perfume. The safety measures on the rooftop hadn’t yet fully blocked the danger with wire mesh. Zhong Qing simply became intoxicated in Dong Huaci’s overwhelming fragrance of tenderness—a scent that came from public body wash, laundry detergent, or perhaps a natural synesthesia where touch turned into smell. It was a mysterious scent with no traceable origin. Later, Zhong Qing would slowly realize that perhaps this scent, which had the power to soothe the heart, came from the natural strength and capacity of women: empathy and love.

Zhong Qing had wanted to say, “You guessed wrong. What are you babbling about? It has nothing to do with that.” But her heart suddenly went quiet. She naturally buried her head in the arms of this new colleague she had known for less than two days, as if it were something perfectly natural that was meant to happen. At that moment, she didn’t know that for some people, one look, one word, or one hug could outweigh years of blood relations or a decade of entanglement. In the life that followed, others would be others, but Dong Huaci would be Dong Huaci.

Dong Huaci always had her own unique way of dealing with her. She was always the most capable.