The Whole World Is Waiting for Me and My Ex-Girlfriend to Remarry (Entertainment Industry) - Chapter 32

She feared her ex-girlfriend was driving a Range Rover while she herself was still wallowing in jealousy.

Zhong Qing did not chase after her, nor could she; they absolutely could not be seen in the same frame.

She simply watched as the other woman’s figure grew smaller and smaller, like a butterfly completely vanishing into the flowery shadows under the night sky.

Dong Huaci expected nothing, yet as she got into Qiao Yi’s car, she still turned back as if anticipating something, only to see the shop owner bowing in farewell. She nodded with a sense of loss. Inside the car, the phone rang again.

It was a call from Liu Miao.

For some reason, Dong Huaci felt very guilty. She answered, thinking it was about the planned new project Liu Miao had mentioned after a press conference last time. Unexpectedly, it was an invitation to a dinner party.

Liu Miao spoke very euphemistically: “People from Beijing… want to get to know you. But you have the right to refuse.”

In the back of the car, Dong Huaci touched the new gold bracelet on her wrist: “What?”

“One of the supporters behind that gold endorsement. Theoretically, you should attend,” Liu Miao said, both tactfully and bluntly. “However, if you don’t come, I might actually be happier. It’s just that, in all probability, we won’t be able to collaborate on the next film.”

Dong Huaci gave a slight, cold laugh in her heart. This sort of thing was not something she was encountering for the first time in the entertainment industry. It was quite bittersweet for a female director who originally appreciated an actress to feel forced to act as a lobbyist out of helplessness. Dong Huaci said, “Director Liu, then I won’t go. I’ve been preparing for several external engagements lately and can’t really find the time.”

“Huaci, I’m glad,” Liu Miao sighed, sounding somewhat guilty. “We’ll make an appointment again when fate allows.”

Dropping the title and using her name instead of ‘Xiaoshu’—this was a typical custom within official circles. Dong Huaci didn’t even offer any pleasantries before the call ended. Once back at the hotel, she ate and drank her fill, then fell into a deep sleep, having only a brief dream. In the dream, Dong Huaci was still sitting on a tiny bed with a crowd of people surrounding them. Zhong Qing sat opposite her, strumming a guitar and humming a song she had just improvised. The melody was tender. Dong Huaci stood frozen in place, wanting to say: “Zhong Qing, haven’t we already grown up?”

When she woke up, Dong Huaci stared blankly for a long time. It wasn’t until Shi Xiaonan came to find her that she climbed out of bed to open the door.

“Director Liu Miao told me that she has found someone else for that role and there’s no need to go for the audition anymore. She is also very sorry.”

Shi Xiaonan delivered the bad news as soon as she arrived. Dong Huaci wasn’t surprised, but she clearly didn’t look forward to this lack of surprise either. This hotel had been specifically chosen because of its proximity to tomorrow’s audition location. At this moment, Dong Huaci leaned halfway against the lounger by the floor-to-ceiling window and gave a very muffled “Mhm.”

“Shi Xiaonan, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, look at the relationship we have.” Although Shi Xiaonan and Dong Huaci occasionally bickered, their relationship as work partners had approached that of family. They were close enough that Dong Huaci could casually give her bags she didn’t use or clothes from brands that she had too many of without worrying about etiquette or hurting her self-esteem. Shi Xiaonan wasn’t a “gold-medal” agent at Ruiyuan; it wasn’t until Dong Huaci’s previous work, The Phoenix Decree, became a minor hit that she gained a somewhat formal standing. Unexpectedly, with Dong Huaci’s sudden decline and cold reception, Shi Xiaonan should have been the most displeased, yet she always found her heart softening easily toward Dong Huaci. She squatted beside Dong Huaci, stroking her hair like an older sister. “I would have advised you to reject that kind of dinner party too, even if I had known.”

“You advising me is being professional; me not going, however, is harming you.” Dong Huaci sighed faintly. “The entertainment industry, the ‘entertainment’ circle—a circle for people’s entertainment. I should have corrected my mindset long ago, yet that bit of ‘impoverished and aloof student’ air seems to have stayed in my roots.”

Hearing this, Shi Xiaonan couldn’t help but feel sentimental. “That kind of ‘tycoon selecting a concubine’ situation is obviously a bad setup; it’s also an opportunity to see people for who they are. Xiaoshu, don’t think too much about it. If we lose this one, there’s always the next. It’s not like we’re lacking scripts!”

Dong Huaci grumbled, “I took their ‘sugar’ first—that gold endorsement. They probably thought a little girl like me with no backing would naturally think of how to give something back or find someone to cling to—who would have thought they’d encounter a female bandit!”

The two burst into laughter together. They didn’t stop until Qiao Yi swiped her room card and entered, looking half-terrified and half-curious while clutching a stack of documents. Dong Huaci pointed to the table: “Qiao Yi, I ordered milk tea for you. Sit down and have a few sips first, no rush.”

Qiao Yi also knew about the recasting fiasco. She had been worried about Dong Huaci’s emotional state, but seeing her like this, she felt a bit more at ease. She had arrived in a bit of a hurry, so she calmed her breathing, pulled up a chair, and sat down. She handed the documents to Shi Xiaonan, put down her bag, and said, “Ms. Dong, I’ll take you home tomorrow night. We go to Hangzhou the day after. We have to meet the makeup artist there first to finalize the look; the runway show is in the evening. This is the most urgent engagement for now; the other external tasks are mostly next week, and I’ll brief you then.”

Dong Huaci nodded, having listened, and then asked casually, “That fashion show? Who else will be there, and roughly what is my position?”

Shi Xiaonan flipped through the documents and replied, “It’s not a huge event; you’re the biggest name there.” As she flipped through, she added in a teasing tone, “Xiaoshu, do you mind? Zhong Qing will be there too.”

“If she doesn’t mind, I don’t mind. If she minds, she’ll naturally withdraw.” Dong Huaci hadn’t expected to hear Zhong Qing’s name again in this context and couldn’t help but mutter, “She’s so busy. Her new album seems to be in full swing. Let me see… number one on Q-Music already? Wow, selling so well—is any of that my credit? It feels like I can hear her name everywhere now. I’m not afraid of my ex-girlfriend living a hard life; I’m afraid of my ex-girlfriend driving a Range Rover while I’m still wallowing in jealousy. Yeah, a single rhyme—maybe I’m the genius singer!”

Shi Xiaonan and Qiao Yi looked at each other, seeing the familiar sense of helplessness and “hard fate” in each other’s eyes regarding this woman. It seemed Dong Huaci wouldn’t get depressed; it was hard not to laugh while working with her. Qiao Yi was young, after all, and she couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Actually, I was worried you’d be unhappy.”

“A few lustful, grudge-holding old geezers who didn’t get their way—are they worth my unhappiness? Next time I go to worship the Buddha, I’ll just wish for them to step down from power sooner. It’s a small matter~” Dong Huaci waved her hand. “Who told those old geezers to start abusing the little power they have now? Don’t blame Liu Miao either; it’s not easy for her in this circle. We have to stick together. Through the ups and downs, my ‘down’ is just for the next wave of people to ‘rise.’ There’s a long time ahead of us, hmph.”

Qiao Yi was now completely relieved.

Shi Xiaonan chimed in with a few more bits of information: “I’ve already contacted the brand for the runway clothes and had them send over three pieces. When we get to Hangzhou, you and the makeup artist can pick the one you like best. Everyone else at the show is fine, but Zhao Xuanxuan is also there—apparently, there’s a high probability she’s the one who replaced you.”

Dong Huaci remained unfazed. “The little girl is being used as a pawn. Let her come. The ‘National Peace and Prosperity Face’ starlet—if she tries to mess with me to my face then, I’ll mess with her back. The barefoot person doesn’t fear the one with shoes. Wait, no—I’ll be wearing ten-centimeter heels then.”

The other two laughed again.

Seeing Qiao Yi drinking a lot of the milk tea, Dong Huaci was pleased: “Qiao Yi, I knew you loved this flavor. Seriously, don’t worry about me too much. If you don’t believe me, Qiao Yi, ask Shi Xiaonan—back when Zhong Qing’s fans were cursing me, I still ate and drank as usual, right? Say something, Shi Xiaonan.”

Shi Xiaonan gave a polite smile, choosing not to expose her.

In reality, right after Dong Huaci and Zhong Qing broke up—because Dong Huaci left the group, combined with rumors that she “unilaterally assaulted Zhong Qing, broke up with her via cold violence and abandonment,” “was unprofessional during performances,” and was “money-grubbing, spending Zhong Qing’s money then leaving because it wasn’t enough to become an actress without formal experience to rake in more money”—she was the typical “at-fault” party.

Back then, Dong Huaci had just been picked up by Ruiyuan. When Shi Xiaonan saw her for the first time, she was scared to death. She had seen thin celebrities, but never one so terrifyingly thin. Yet, one had to admit that Dong Huaci’s face, even with that sickly thinness, still inspired pity. Shi Xiaonan controlled her, not letting her look at public forums, only letting her read fan mail she had screened, and surrounding her with all the flowers fans sent. They had endured it bit by bit.

Once, about less than half a year after Dong Huaci left the group, she had been extremely afraid of Zhong Qing. Although she didn’t say it, Shi Xiaonan could feel that Zhong Qing was a “shadow” to her at that time. Fans certainly wouldn’t believe that even after half a year, it was the “dumped” Zhong Qing who was still pestering her. That time, Zhong Qing suddenly appeared downstairs at her hotel wearing a black mask and hat. She didn’t do anything, just watched from a distance. Dong Huaci had been doing a bit better and was happily going out to eat, but the moment she saw that person, she burst into tears, hid directly behind Shi Xiaonan, and kept saying “I’m sorry.” Zhong Qing stood there for a long time, wearing sunglasses so her expression was unclear; all that was known was that Dong Huaci was nearly fainting behind Shi Xiaonan. This wasn’t a normal breakup between ordinary people, so Shi Xiaonan couldn’t easily call the police. Fortunately, Zhong Qing eventually left a gift bag and walked away without saying a word. After that, she never proactively appeared before Dong Huaci again.

Shi Xiaonan brought the gift bag back for Dong Huaci; it was a bottle of fragrance to help with sleep. Dong Huaci didn’t say much; she just stared at it blankly for a long time, kept it, but never used it. Matters of the heart were indeed a tangled mess. Shi Xiaonan could understand Dong Huaci. Although she wasn’t close to Zhong Qing, she always felt that beneath the persona of the perfect-faced, talented genius, that person was a bit cold, a bit scary, and very stubborn in relationships. Furthermore, she wasn’t very “decent” about it.

Once she turned cold, she was thoroughly cold, giving no consideration to Dong Huaci’s public reputation.

After that, in any situation where Zhong Qing had to encounter Dong Huaci, she would avoid her or meet her with a cold face, like enemies, not even pretending. Dong Huaci, at the very least, would put on a peaceful smile and act with the polite distance of a stranger. Zhong Qing’s state was like someone who had been hurt to the core; it was no wonder her fans chased Dong Huaci down, calling her “bad luck” and dragging her out to curse her just to express their love for Zhong Qing.

It had been so long now—five or six years—and Shi Xiaonan had watched Dong Huaci walk all the way to this day. She understood Dong Huaci’s current feelings for Zhong Qing: guilty, perhaps even loving—but also fearful. She wasn’t sure how the two of them stood now; anyway, the speculations and observations of CP fans were mostly on a very flighty, superficial level. They occasionally glimpsed a bit of the inner reality, but taking a portion of that reality as the whole truth of the relationship was certainly a mistake. Most people sometimes love their parents to death and sometimes hate them to death; how could one clearly explain a love where both parties were wrapped in heavy halos and personas?

Shi Xiaonan even thought that if they weren’t stars with so many fans, but just two ordinary people, it might actually have been easier to talk things out, reconcile, or let go.

But Dong Huaci herself had clearly become desensitized to certain things from the past. What troubled her more now was that mysterious “foreign debt” she owed Zhong Qing, and the follow-up consequences of refusing the dinner party. If it was just this recasting, she could accept it. Her fear was that if a “small person” got angry and became hysterical, her career would inevitably be hindered again.

Amidst a thousand tangled thoughts, the plane to Hangzhou landed. Exiting the airport this time, Dong Huaci looked back as if with expectation, only to find fans who had come for a late-night pick-up and various passersby, but no chance encounter with Zhong Qing.

As Dong Huaci signed autographs, she thought to herself: Yes, she has changed.

Now, she wanted—very, very much—to encounter Zhong Qing in any place, at any time, and in any setting.