The Whole World Is Waiting for Me and My Ex-Girlfriend to Remarry (Entertainment Industry) - Chapter 24

It turned out that there was another master of jealousy in this pair.

“I have to go.”

Under the hint of Zhong Qing’s message, Dong Huaci stood up. The tears that had just flowed seemed like dew sliding off this rose. Their meeting began with a reason that was dignified and high-sounding, yet it ended in a way that was dark and bizarre, with the roles of host and guest reversed. Zhong Qing’s subconscious reaction was to grab her hand, but she ultimately restrained herself. Dressed all in black, and amidst Guan Feili’s knocking, Dong Huaci leaped away as swiftly as a shadow.

The moment she stepped out the door, she nearly slumped into Guan Feili’s support. Guan Feili held her up halfway and nodded toward Zhong Qing. Zhong Qing’s makeup was half-ruined, making her current expression look unpredictable as she stared straight at them; it was hard to tell if her mood was improving or worsening. Guan Feili felt a secret pang of alarm: Could it be that she had misread the situation? Or had these two people with their blurred relationship quarreled again and used her as a cushion?

Dong Huaci, however, squeezed her hand. “Feili, thank you. I’ll leave through your secret passage. I’ve asked Qiao Yi to come pick me up in a while.”

Guan Feili was still wearing her grand makeup from the promotional performance—thick brows and a pale face. A keynote speaker couldn’t look too glamorous; she had to look dignified. She nodded, deciding to go feel out Zhong Qing’s temper, perhaps to see if she could earn another favor and gain a friend. Compared to Dong Huaci, she was more afraid of being on the wrong side of Zhong Qing after their previous clash over a role. Even if Zhong Qing was the one who ultimately won the part, a relatively weaker person without “traffic” lived in constant fear of offending people, even in defeat. Thus, she didn’t see Dong Huaci off for long and instead remained in the dressing room.

Once Dong Huaci’s figure vanished, Guan Feili sat down next to Zhong Qing as if nothing had happened. She chatted idly about Zhong Qing’s new album and mentioned how well she sang earlier and what the reaction from the general audience was like. Zhong Qing seemed as though she was waking from a great dream, not quite back to herself yet, responding intermittently without any particularly strange expression.

Just as Guan Feili was finally letting her heart settle back into place, Zhong Qing suddenly followed up the idle talk with a question: “Hey, how do you know her? To be able to help her pull off something like this.”

The “her” was beyond any doubt.

Guan Feili opened her WeChat. “Teacher Zhong, how else could it be? It was the last time during Huang Jue. Last time, Liu Miao scolded us both together, so we found ‘true friendship in adversity.’ Last time, Dong Huaci and I gathered to eat hot pot; we spent a long time together cursing that director.”

At the end, Guan Feili let out a lighthearted laugh. Her relationship with Zhong Qing seemed to draw much closer in an instant. “Really, just like Xiao Shu said, big directors really do have foul tempers. Although I wasn’t selected, I don’t particularly regret it. If I had actually joined the cast, I’d have to endure so much scolding, and it doesn’t bring in money as fast as livestreaming—what’s the point? I mean, I’m not a professional actor, so I have thick skin. Unlike Xiao Shu, she cares more about that. She was criticized that day and it took her a long time to recover.”

Zhong Qing thought: Then you are probably mistaken. Dong Huaci has very thick skin.

But she couldn’t help but feel a sense of irony. People in the entertainment industry were all “spirits.” Zhong Qing likely couldn’t imagine that the way Guan Feili addressed Dong Huaci in her presence wasn’t “Xiao Shu,” but “Cici.” Even more, she didn’t know that during that hot pot meal, Dong Huaci and Guan Feili were actually just getting to know each other—Dong Huaci had only gone to the appointment because she was afraid Guan Feili would mind otherwise—nor did she know it was a meal for just the two of them. With what Guan Feili just said, it made it seem as though Dong Huaci and Guan Feili were already intimate best friends. Combined with the “timely assistance” Guan Feili provided today, in Zhong Qing’s eyes, Guan Feili and Dong Huaci were practically tied together as a community of interests.

However, being too clever can backfire. Guan Feili probably hadn’t considered that what Zhong Qing minded in the first place was that Guan Feili and Dong Huaci were on such good terms.

Who could have known! If Guan Feili ever found out the truth one day, she would probably jump into the Yellow River to protest the inexplicable possessiveness of lesbians. Heaven and earth be my witness! She had dated so many handsome boyfriends, none of whom lasted more than a year; this time, she was truly just trying to make friends and build a network.

But after listening to Guan Feili’s long speech, especially her perception of Dong Huaci’s character, Zhong Qing knew their friendship probably hadn’t reached a very deep level. At the very least, Dong Huaci was still wearing her official public mask. On the surface, Zhong Qing remained unmoved. “I don’t understand things in the acting world. I was only on the Huang Jue set for a few days and met Director Liu Miao once.” She suddenly shifted her expression and lowered her voice. “That person—what a cold woman. She has the air of a chairman inspecting a company. She didn’t really offer any pointers to our group; it felt like she just came to show off her authority.”

Guan Feili thought silently: This legendary ex-girlfriend is just like Dong Huaci; the people they dislike are the same. Last time at the hot pot restaurant, she had been glad she booked a private room, otherwise she would have had to cover Dong Huaci’s mouth to keep people from filming her. Now it’s your turn.

Wait, Teacher Zhong, is this something you can just say?

Even if you aren’t an actor, Liu Miao’s reputation in the directing world is still there.

Guan Feili was helpless; she had to follow along. “Sigh, a big director is a big director, after all.” She continued boldly, as if she no longer had any taboos. “Dong Huaci’s way of saying it was almost exactly the same as yours.” At the end of the sentence, she looked as though she feared she had said something wrong.

Zhong Qing, however, had almost no reaction because she was thinking of something else. She was thinking of the way Dong Huaci looked and acted in front of Liu Miao that day. What did she look like?

Running over, leaving her behind, all alone. She stood there, lighthearted and playful, saying to Liu Miao , who was wearing sunglasses: “We weren’t in the right state originally, but now that you’ve said that, we feel much better!” Her expression was relaxed, natural, even carrying a faint hint of pleasure—seeking praise, a youthful and still very likable form of flattery.

Does she love acting that much?

Zhong Qing seemed to just remember something. She had been silent for a bit too long, which had already started to make Guan Feili nervous.

She suddenly smiled. “Do I look that cold and aloof? I always feel like I naturally make people afraid. Sometimes I’m just faking it; I’m actually not that aloof. Dong Huaci and I aren’t enemies; it’s just that the entertainment industry always has certain setups that are easier to spread, you know? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked you for help.”

Guan Feili kept shaking her head. “No, no, I thought…” Guan Feili’s outward aura and her personality were actually somewhat opposite, but when she had to hold her ground, that appearance still worked. “Sigh, Teacher Zhong, I just thought you were tired. You didn’t speak for a while, and I was thinking about whether I should take you to eat hot pot too.” The more she spoke, the more enthusiastic she became. “That place is really delicious. Teacher Dong loves it. If you aren’t on a diet or controlling your weight, we could schedule a meal together.”

Zhong Qing gave a slight smile. Ultimately, she couldn’t give Guan Feili the kind of reaction Dong Huaci would—laughing uncontrollably so that the relationship could naturally move a step closer. Zhong Qing thought to herself that she was perhaps a person who found it difficult to make friends, or perhaps, she didn’t actually need that many friends. She could only try her best to make her expression brighter, but it felt quite discordant. She said, “Sure, sure, let’s do that one day.”

As for when that “one day” would be, only heaven knew.

However, this conversation wasn’t without its gains. Zhong Qing’s wariness toward Guan Feili suddenly lessened a bit. She had roughly grasped Guan Feili’s feelings for Dong Huaci; they likely had nothing to do with love, but were simply about doing favors and fostering a relationship. Such things are hard to hide; she didn’t detect any superfluous emotion in Guan Feili’s behavior. But this didn’t entirely improve her mood.

Perhaps it was because Dong Huaci had come uninvited, and then left so hurriedly, shrouded in darkness; or perhaps it was because of the scolding she endured the past two days? But since Dong Huaci had come, the scolding didn’t cause any ripple in Zhong Qing’s heart anymore; she even felt fortunate. Most likely, it was neither of those. Perhaps it was… because of another person.

Liu Miao.

Another message came from her manager, Fu Hong, asking if the performance was over. The company had suddenly added a meeting. Zhong Qing was already prepared to leave when she suddenly asked Guan Feili one more thing: “Do you know… did Dong Huaci ever tell you when Huang Jue wraps up?” She knew this question was a bit silly; after all, she and Dong Huaci were the actors in Huang Jue, and Guan Feili wasn’t. Why would she ask her?

But Guan Feili didn’t think much of it, seemingly having exhausted her little brain in the previous dialogue. “She didn’t tell me specifically, but it should be soon. These past few days she happens to have no scenes. Once the female lead’s side clears up and they enter the main production block, probably within a month, it should be finished. For this kind of TV drama, once you have the permit, the faster it’s filmed and the earlier it’s released… the better. Long nights bring many dreams.” In the middle, Guan Feili swallowed the universally acknowledged fact she had almost blurted out: “It’s also best to take advantage of the traffic from the explosion of your relationship with Dong Huaci.”

Zhong Qing didn’t respond. She thanked her, her makeup already fully removed during those few sentences. Guan Feili wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but she felt that at this moment, Zhong Qing’s eyes were as cold as the moon, covered in a layer of frost. She smiled slightly, a clear social pleasantry. “Alright, thank you. If there’s anything else you need help with for this free event, just tell me on WeChat. I’ll be going now; my manager’s car is already outside.”

Once she stepped out the door, the shadow of Dong Huaci’s appearance felt like a dream, completely melting into the darkness. Her makeup was long gone, the rose petals fallen. Zhong Qing pinched the trace of the handkerchief as if to prove that what just happened wasn’t a dream. While waiting for the car, she hummed a bit of her new song: “Gift a rose and let it spoil…” She thought to herself: Wrapping up within a month. Then, Dong Huaci should have a reason to share a piece of news about the wrap-up with me, right? If she doesn’t use this excuse to reach out, then the next time I see her at some event, I will definitely give her a very cold face.

And if we shift the lens to the other side, Dong Huaci naturally couldn’t imagine that Zhong Qing had so much internal monologue after she left. Qiao Yi drove to pick her up. Sitting in the back seat, her mind was a mess as she stared blankly at Zhong Qing’s message window on her phone.

The message window was empty, stopping at Zhong Qing’s last message from the set at 4:00 AM: What do you want for breakfast?

For some reason, even though so many years had passed and even the most unbearable times had been endured, the moment they met—the moment they met again—she couldn’t help but want to meet again and again. She had even lost her head, disregarding risks, reasons, and logic, simply hoping that the other woman wouldn’t be sad because of their past—this was likely a unique addiction mechanism named “Zhong Qing” specifically for Dong Huaci.

Dong Huaci hesitated. Only ten minutes had passed since she left, but she wanted to send something to Zhong Qing.

For what purpose? What should I send?

Sending a message doesn’t need a purpose; even a photo of a cloud would do.

During this time, however, Dong Huaci received another message—one she had never expected.