The Whole World Is Waiting for Me and My Ex-Girlfriend to Remarry (Entertainment Industry) - Chapter 39

The most precious is also the most worn; the sweetest is also the tightest embrace.

After Zhong Qing got out of bed, Dong Huaci’s sleepiness vanished completely. She stared blankly for a while at the morning light soaking through the windowsill, thinking to herself: So this is what a room with sunlight is like. Her previous small room had faced north and was cramped; she had never enjoyed such sunshine in the morning, the feeling of it tenderly illuminating her face.

She pushed open the door. In the open kitchen, Zhong Qing was frying eggs. There was a mysterious aura about Zhong Qing that was hard to describe; she transformed the ordinary, warm act of preparing breakfast into a process of meticulously carving a piece of art.

“So you actually know how to cook.” Eighteen-year-old Dong Huaci, whose mother had insisted on preparing three meals a day for her despite her ailing health, let out a sincere exclamation of admiration. “That’s amazing. In my house, no matter what happened, my mom always said my studies were the priority and wouldn’t let me go into the kitchen.”

“Mhm, I’ve been quite independent since I was a kid. My parents weren’t around much,” Zhong Qing said. “I didn’t really like it when they hired outsiders to come to the house and cook for me every day, so I picked up a few basics myself.”

She turned around and looked at Dong Huaci again. At that moment, both of them felt a sudden, unfamiliar shyness, yet they both knew clearly that something regarding their relationship had fundamentally changed. The moment their gazes crossed, Zhong Qing didn’t dare look at her for long. “I’ve prepared a temporary set of toiletries for you. By the time you come out, breakfast should be ready.”

Dong Huaci immediately lowered her eyes and gave an “mhm.” Usually, she would be in the mood to tease or coax Zhong Qing, but today it felt as if she had suddenly donned the heavy burden of an “idol image.” She went into the bathroom, stood before the glass mirror, and stared at her own face for a long time.

Am I pretty? Yes.

Does she like me? She does. But what does she like about me?

Dong Huaci naturally didn’t realize that the feeling of gain and loss during the “honeymoon phase” is a very normal phenomenon—where seeing the other person makes one’s movements awkward and one’s speech tentative. She only knew that something about her felt “off.” Today’s Dong Huaci cared more about her every achievement than the version of herself yesterday—including but not limited to her appearance, emotions, and money. She cared more about her contributions—what could she give to Zhong Qing? And she cared more about Zhong Qing herself. She likely couldn’t bring herself to do what she did last night—getting piqued and heading out alone because she couldn’t find her; now, she would only keep calling Zhong Qing’s phone incessantly.

Zhong Qing. Just thinking of the name made her look at the sink again.

What toothpaste does she use?

Her curiosity had never been this vigorous. By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, Zhong Qing had finished plating. She had already pulled out a chair for her, signaling her to come over.

“Come eat.”

Dong Huaci sat down, and the first thing out of her mouth was a strange question: “By the way, Zhong Qing, where are my clothes from yesterday?”

Zhong Qing gave a blunt, two-word answer: “Washed them.”

“Ah, that… that…” Dong Huaci suddenly couldn’t handle it again. “What about the… inner clothes?”

“The outer ones, the inner ones—all washed.” Zhong Qing picked up a fork. “What’s wrong? If you have nothing to wear, just wear mine for now.”

Alright then. Dong Huaci started eating.

It was delicious.

Initially, she put on an act of trying to cut a tiny egg into four pieces. Zhong Qing watched her every move as if she could never grow tired of the sight. Later, because the sandwich Zhong Qing made was truly too delicious, Dong Huaci stopped being polite—especially since her recent dance classes consumed so much energy.

However, Dong Huaci didn’t forget to take a commemorative photo.

“The sandwich made by Qingqing (heart symbol) Hehehe, the master chef is in charge.”

She wasn’t shy at all and quickly posted to her business Weibo account, accompanied by a cute sticker.

Zhong Qing scrolled past it and gave it a like immediately.

“I’ve noticed that every time I post about you, the engagement is higher than regular shares,” Dong Huaci said. “Everyone likes you so much.”

“What kind of nickname is ‘Qingqing’?” Zhong Qing couldn’t help but complain first. “How could that be? Last time, wasn’t it because of popularity that the teacher changed my stage position? So, clearly, it’s your fans who want you to eat well—” Zhong Qing dragged out the final “la” sound for a long time. The problem was that, paired with her cold and glamorous face, it created a sort of cute, contrasting charm. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Dong Huaci thought. Hmph, you’ve fallen for me, haven’t you, Little Tree?

She had always loved the nickname Zhong Qing gave her, so she naturally assumed Zhong Qing wanted a special nickname from her too. Dong Huaci said half-peevishly, “Is Qingqing not nice to hear?”

“I’d prefer it if you called me ‘Wife,'” Zhong Qing said shamelessly.

She watched with great joy as Dong Huaci turned into a mute again, gulping down milk and food like a child who had been the victim of a successful prank.

“Why aren’t you eating? You’re just busy watching me,” Dong Huaci shifted the topic.

“Please, you’ve eaten in the cafeteria with me so many times; you know I’m naturally not someone who loves eating that much.” Zhong Qing always spoke such envy-inducing words casually. She moved her chair again, leaning directly next to Dong Huaci, resting her two legs naturally on the chair. The beautiful lines made it impossible for Dong Huaci to look away. She seemed to enjoy teasing this reaction out of Dong Huaci. “Be casual. This is my home; treat my home as your home.”

“I get it, you’re the competitor to 7-Eleven! FamilyMart! Fine, you said to be casual.” Dong Huaci stopped eating too. She first pushed Zhong Qing’s long legs back down: “Our little Zhong Qing needs to sit properly.” Then, she put her own two legs up.

Zhong Qing laughed continuously.

“Right.” Zhong Qing suddenly remembered something. “When are you going to record my face into it?”

“Oh, oh, oh.” Dong Huaci fumbled for her phone, cooperating fully. “I’m going to change a password recently; you can just memorize it. 701, 701.” She recited the numbers while swaying her head. When she turned to the side, Zhong Qing noticed that some cream from the bread was stuck to the corner of her mouth.

“701?” Zhong Qing looked at her—mainly at the corner of her mouth—thinking of something entirely different from what she was saying. “It’s not our dorm number.”

“That’s the day we first met,” Dong Huaci said seriously. “Let’s use that.”

Zhong Qing nodded, seemingly satisfied. Just after Dong Huaci finished changing it, she couldn’t help but say, “Are you really not going to eat a bit? I’ve eaten a whole sandwich and a cream bun by myself.” Couples tend to go back and forth over trivial little things like a revolving wheel; the problem is that both parties, caught in the net of love, don’t find it tedious at all.

No. Zhong Qing shook her head. She stroked Dong Huaci’s hair, leaned in, and whispered, “I’m thinking right now, Little Tree… when can I become a little more ‘excellent’?”

Excellent.

Excellence in a girl group can include outstanding looks, dance skills, singing ability, and business attitude. However, the final deciding standard is how much money the fans spend on you. You can be an excellent person in reality while simultaneously being someone for whom fans spend very little. Zhong Qing didn’t like others spending too much money on her. She loved singing and dancing and receiving lots of love, but regarding money—because she had never experienced extreme deprivation—she had no excessive needs. She wouldn’t painstakingly try to curry favor with fans; instead, she used a rational-yet-unwise attitude to educate fans not to spend money.

In that case, she shouldn’t be an idol, but a professional.

In contrast, there was Dong Huaci’s popularity.

Although Dong Huaci was a newcomer, her popularity was slowly surpassing Zhong Qing’s. Even within the group, she had reached the middle tier as a rookie. During one livestream after another throughout the month, she openly explained her family background to her fans, expressing her love for her mother, the worthlessness of her father, and how she saved money as a child. She didn’t resist fans sending her gifts, but her gratitude was the most, most, most sincere—as if losing that money would cause her life to become dim and no longer shine. This kind of thing is hard to fake. Dong Huaci used her most genuine emotions to express her most important thanks. Whoever spent money on her, she wished she could work just a bit harder, stand a bit further forward, and love them a bit more.

She and Zhong Qing didn’t hide a single thing from the fans either. She would publicly tell fans that this was her best, best friend—her one and only friend. Dong Huaci would talk about how good Zhong Qing’s dancing was and how hard she trained, constantly telling fans about Zhong Qing’s importance to her and how she never seemed to have as much energy as her senior. But she was willing to put herself out there; although her dancing was still like a “dancing puppet,” when it came to playing games or making friends, Dong Huaci didn’t mind others making fun of her at all. Whether it was splitting takeout orders with different people or talking back to the boss, she made her most difficult processes vibrant and colorful within her narrow life.

He Xizi had originally wanted to switch dorms. Zhong Qing actually didn’t object; their friendship wouldn’t be affected by switching rooms. However, Dong Huaci stopped her: “Xizi, if you leave, won’t someone else come? It’s fine. If it really doesn’t work out, let Huanhuan move in. I know you and Sister Huanhuan are good friends and want to live together. This was originally a four-person room.”

Zhong Qing was originally a bit wary. The dorm was already small, and three people were just barely okay; having four people would make everything feel cramped. But she had asked Dong Huaci if she wanted to move out and live with her, and Dong Huaci kept shaking her head.

She said, “I can’t depend on you for a lifetime, Zhong Qing.”

When she said those words, her pitch-black eyes were like dark pearls, flecked with starlight. “Let’s suffer a bit for now. When we both become big stars, there will be plenty of time!”

In the face of such radiance, Zhong Qing was unwilling to let any of her own narrow thoughts hinder Dong Huaci’s current momentum. She loved her too much, so perhaps they just needed a little time.

“Come, come, come, let’s interview this Little Tree. Is today’s performance tiring?”

After a performance ended, He Xizi walked over with a camera.

Today, she had received flowers again. Dong Huaci smiled sweetly, her eyelashes fluttering. “It was okay. Sister Xizi, are you livestreaming?”

He Xizi nodded with a smile, then squatted down to pose for a “peace sign” towards the camera alongside the sweet-looking Dong Huaci in front of the vanity mirror. “My roommate, the newest recruit to the company. Mhm, we eat together often,” He Xizi kept muttering to the livestream room. “Then let’s move the camera over there a bit. Hey, some people are inseparable from a certain Tree; if they’re apart for even a second, it’s like they can’t function.”

In the eyes of the fans, it was generally thought that Zhong Qing and He Xizi had the better relationship and had known each other longer. Relatively speaking, it was naturally more relaxed for He Xizi to joke about Zhong Qing.

Zhong Qing was bare-faced, wearing long sleeves and long pants, sticking close to Dong Huaci’s side. She had been playing on her phone. Seeing He Xizi point her out, she didn’t hide; instead, she openly, proudly, and coolly gave a peace sign to the camera. “That’s right, I just have a good relationship with Dong Huaci.”

Zhong Qing said those words like a primary school student, making Dong Huaci even more unable to stop laughing. She looked at He Xizi behind the camera. “He Xizi, hurry up and go find your Huanhuan. Little Tree is going to do my makeup, and we’re going out for a midnight snack later.”