The Whole World Is Waiting for Me and My Ex-Girlfriend to Remarry (Entertainment Industry) - Chapter 34

The pressure is immense. Do you want to see me?

“I’ll head out first.” Dong Huaci stood by the vanity, finishing her makeup and speaking in a flat tone.

Zhong Qing gave an “mm” in response, saying, “I’ll watch you leave.”

Dong Huaci didn’t bother being polite; her current physical condition didn’t allow for it. Before she could reach for the door, Zhong Qing suddenly added: “I’m sorry, but I felt I couldn’t keep this from you. There was news about your father again this morning. He called me again.”

At this, Dong Huaci’s face turned deathly pale, rendering her foundation entirely unnecessary. She spun around abruptly. “Don’t give him money. I’m begging you, Zhong Qing. This has nothing to do with you.”

Zhong Qing stood where she was, maintaining a distant physical gap but with a gaze that felt adhesive.

“I’m not using this to blackmail you; I just think you have a right to know.” The way Zhong Qing effortlessly comforted her fans always seemed to turn clumsy and cold when applied to Dong Huaci, making her private motives seem painfully obvious. “I had someone look into it. He’s gotten deep into gambling. I stopped giving him money and blocked him.”

Two pieces of bad news crashed down at once. Dong Huaci felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her usual sharp wit, now weighed down by her physical exhaustion, could only manage a couple of jokes: “Thank you, Zhong Qing. I’ll handle it. I originally wanted to act in this industry for a few more years, but with a father whose ‘roots are straight but branches are rotten,’ it looks like I might get my wish and retire early.”

Liar. She had no way of solving a mess like this. And she cared about her acting career more than anyone.

“You’re not willing to even ask me for help?” Zhong Qing’s voice softened.

“Zhong Qing, things are hard for you too. Your family is well-off, better than mine, but you aren’t all-powerful.” Dong Huaci wiped the cold sweat from her face again, looking as if she might shatter at any moment. “I can’t leech off you forever. I’m already tied to you for traffic; I can’t just dump every piece of trash in my life on you. You really had the worst luck of your life dating me in the past. Back then… back then it was…” Dong Huaci mentioned “back then” but couldn’t go on, completely freezing up.

Zhong Qing sighed and said nothing.

Dong Huaci looked up at her. Zhong Qing’s outfit for the show was full of high-class elegance—the kind where a female celebrity wears a cinched-waist blazer over soft silk, paired with a long black gauze skirt. This ensemble made Zhong Qing’s aura lean toward a sort of “vibrant decay,” like a sighing rose. Dong Huaci remembered how, last time, she had somehow summoned the courage to coordinate with Guan Feili to visit the set, daring to offer comfort without being kicked out. Then she had provoked Zhong Qing again and run away. Thinking of this, her heart felt bitter.

“Just stay away from me. This… this distance we have is actually just right. In the future, maybe we can say a few words when we’re on the same stage. Truly, Zhong Qing. Regarding what happened before, consider it me using you for hype. When I tripped during that fashion show, even if it wasn’t intentional, I did have ulterior motives by playing your song.” This honesty gave Dong Huaci a sudden spark of spirit. “As for what my fans say, don’t take it to heart. Your fans only say what they do because they love you too much. We’ve both been in this circle long enough to know there are things we can’t fully control.”

Dong Huaci spoke earnestly, appearing to apologize for their respective “problematic children” (fans), downplaying her own while praising Zhong Qing’s. If these words ever got out, there would likely be a wailing outcry. Having made up her mind, she took the lead in unlocking the door and left the restroom, leaving Zhong Qing with only a glimpse of a green shadow—just like the thousands of times before when she had left Zhong Qing with nothing but her back.

Zhong Qing stood there, her thoughts unreadable. Once the other woman was gone, her germophobia flared up. She washed her hands repeatedly, as if trying to scrub off a layer of skin. Certain habits are deeply tied to the psyche. It wasn’t until several rounds later that Zhong Qing pulled out a handkerchief to dry her hands. Only then did she seem to regain some strength, smoothing her hair and walking back to the show at a measured pace.

The fashion show was roughly at its midpoint. When it finally ended, another round of group photos began. The targets of the minor celebrities and influencers were the few “traffic flowers” with actual fame. Zhong Qing couldn’t break away and chose a few to pose with, collecting a barrage of compliments like “Teacher Zhong Qing’s new song is so good.” Zhong Qing just smiled. She truly couldn’t recall a single work by the men and women with these factory-standard faces, so she could only hold her smile until her face went stiff, fearing a sudden “Zhong Qing’s Grumpy Face” trending topic.

However, after hearing compliments for so long, Zhong Qing no longer knew what level her songwriting was actually at. It felt like she was playing house, surrounded by well-meaning “parents”—she had the title, the position, the recognition from fans, and the sales figures were stronger than anything else.

On the other side, in the actors’ section, Zhong Qing didn’t learn until she was about to leave that Zhao Xuanxuan had caused another major scene. She had snatched the “C-position” (center). Even though the entry order had been changed last minute, the name for the center spot in the photos was still Dong Huaci. Zhao Xuanxuan, wearing a large princess gown, simply stood there, unmoving, nailed to the spot. Meanwhile, Dong Huaci, who was currently at the height of her popularity due to The Phoenix Decree, didn’t say a word and simply stood at the very edge with a smile. No one helped her out, except for Guan Feili.

Guan Feili was naturally “Dong Huaci’s person” today, so she didn’t even acknowledge Zhong Qing—which Zhong Qing didn’t mind; in fact, she preferred it.

Guan Feili couldn’t stand it and insisted on pulling Dong Huaci into her own spot, moving her slightly closer to the middle and swapping with her so she wouldn’t be on the absolute edge next to a controversial male influencer. Status in this industry is hard to gain but incredibly easy to lose. The switch seemed to cause some grumbling, but since Zhao Xuanxuan was as immovable as a mountain in the center and Dong Huaci didn’t make a fuss, they eventually settled on a photo. By then, Zhong Qing had already made an early exit, having her driver take her to a secluded spot away from fans where she switched to her own car and drove home.

What a farce. One performer leaves, and the next comes on.

Why didn’t she put up a fight? Wasn’t Dong Huaci quite capable of making a scene with me? Why is she suddenly a total “Little White Flower” in front of others?

Although “Zhong-Shu” (Zhong Qing and Dong Huaci) didn’t have any overt interaction today, after that display, Zhong Qing could already predict how lively the trending searches would be tomorrow. Theoretically, this had nothing to do with her today, but she still felt a lump of frustration in her chest.

When Dong Huaci was successful, she was unhappy. When Dong Huaci was bullied, offended people, lost her position, or was dragged down by her own father, Zhong Qing was also unhappy. Furthermore, because of this mess, Dong Huaci wouldn’t be able to take Liu Miao’s new project. It was finally all over. Zhong Qing admitted very reluctantly that she felt a bit of happiness. she even took it for granted that Dong Huaci had considered her feelings, and after all this, the new drama was a bust.

And so, having concocted a grand drama in her own head, Zhong Qing dialed a number she rarely used.

The call went through quickly.

Zhong Qing spoke softly: “Mommy.” Her tone carried a hint of acting spoiled. “You know I rarely ask you for anything.”

She waited a moment. Though the person on the other end couldn’t be heard, Zhong Qing followed up with a very gentle smile and several nods. She said, “Anyway, can you help me deal with someone? You don’t have to do much to him, just make sure he can’t speak on any public platforms.”

“It’s no one special.” Zhong Qing toyed with her nails. She had just removed her old manicure and finished a treatment. “A friend of mine… her family situation is complicated. Now that she’s famous, he’s blackmailing her. What? Is it Dong Huaci? Yes, it’s her.”

“I’m asking you as a favor. I told you, what happened back then was complicated. Don’t listen to or believe the rumors in the industry. They also said your daughter had plastic surgery and made 50 million. If I had that much money, I’d dump it all in your bank; you’d be thrilled.”

“Mhm, mhm, okay, Mommy. Good. Make sure to listen to my new song.”

The call ended. The warmth of Zhong Qing’s smile lingered for a second before visibly melting away, bit by bit.

Currently, she was in her private underground garage, sitting silently in her car, refusing to get out. In a private garage, there were no photographers, no sasaeng fans; it was safe.

Darkness enveloped her, and she cherished the feeling. Every night after breaking up with Dong Huaci, the space in her bedroom felt so vast it left her with nowhere to hide. So, she would suddenly head down to the garage in her pajamas and sit in the car. The cramped space and the constraint of the seatbelt gave her an incomparable sense of security. She didn’t start the engine; she just rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. If she had come down after drinking, she would occasionally turn her head and feel as if she saw Dong Huaci sitting in the passenger seat.

Dong Huaci would look at her with those innocent eyes and ask, Zhong Qing, why are you sad? She would ask this with the voice of an eighteen-year-old—ignorant, fearless, and knowing nothing—using a gaze that understood nothing.

Then, she would proactively lean into Zhong Qing, a hallucinogenic fragrance overwhelming her, and they would share a long, warm kiss.

Since hanging up on her mother, the silence of the garage made Zhong Qing start humming a couple of songs. The seatbelt perhaps provided a false sense of safety; for Zhong Qing, being bound had always felt the safest since childhood.

And yet, of all people, Dong Huaci was the only one who didn’t buy into her theory of love.

With a heavy heart, she sighed and opened her phone. Still not a single message from Dong Huaci. Her goal in adding her back was truly simple—just to create a presence in front of everyone. That was why she added her back, wasn’t it?

Zhong Qing stared blankly at Dong Huaci’s profile picture.

Dong Huaci’s current avatar was a cat—a black cat.

Possessed by some strange impulse, or perhaps having planned this for a long time, Zhong Qing sent a message.

【Are you still under a lot of pressure?】

The moment it sent successfully, Zhong Qing instinctively wanted to retract it.

She fumbled with the screen for a while, but didn’t.

Instead, she added another line.

【Then, do you want to have sex? It’s fine, I would be very happy too.】

Within a second of sending that message, Zhong Qing was hit with instant regret and hit “Retract.”

But a second later, she saw the status under the contact name change to:

【Typing…】