We Are Filthy, Born From Mud - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Yes, She is Shy to Express. Thank You.

Under the continuous operation of the company, Zong Yougu had indeed become famous.

When a person becomes famous, they have everything. It wasn’t just about the money. Zong Yougu finally understood the meaning of this sentence.

In the past, she never restrained her behavior; she acted almost entirely as she pleased. Consequently, people used to say she wasn’t professional, that she acted like a big shot despite being a minor player. Every few days, she would spot comments criticizing her in the remote corners of the internet. These criticisms weren’t even solely for the sake of criticizing her—she wasn’t famous enough for people to care that much back then—so more often than not, she was used as a foil to make others look better.

But now, everything had changed.

If she left a set without permission because she was unsatisfied with her own performance, it was labeled as striving for perfection and being unconventional. If she pressured Hu Yinghua to drive away Su Tongguo, it was seen as a clear distinction between public and private matters, an expression of her unique personality. Every commendatory term could be applied to her; it was as if she were a miniature of every beautiful human trait. In short, no one would cling to Zong Yougu’s faults anymore; in fact, her past actions only made her seem more lovable and relatable, giving her more “human” flavor. The number of people who loved her was beyond counting; those who liked her were as numerous as grains of sand in a desert. At least for now.

Of course, there were people who disliked her. Flowing in alongside the fame were even more malicious comments. However, Zong Yougu simply turned a blind eye to them, acting as if they didn’t exist; she didn’t care about them at all. Zong Yougu was very satisfied with this; she covered her mouth and chuckled softly. Behind her hand, the corners of her mouth curled up wantonly, revealing a row of jade-white teeth.

She and Zong Liangu were naturally such perfect people; everyone in the world should like them. In the past, she possessed extreme arrogance alongside extreme insecurity; now, only the extreme arrogance remained. She began to praise herself and take pride in herself with even greater intensity.

Slanting sunlight pierced through the glass, the harsh light casting shadows across the faces of Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu simultaneously. The large, comfortable nanny van moved slowly forward, the trees on either side resembling bowing waiters. Yes, Zong Yougu and Zong Liangu were on their way to a shoot; Zong Yougu was about to film a commercial.

After her brief vacation ended, Zong Yougu had become busy. TV dramas, movies, advertisements… lead roles, supporting roles, special appearances… all sorts of characters and all sorts of shoots; she was no longer insignificant. She could now pick and choose her work. Zong Yougu smiled with great satisfaction.

Her mouse scrolled through invitation after invitation, finally stopping on one email. It was an invitation for a commercial shoot for a sports brand—a mainstream brand with affordable prices and inclusive, diverse styles and sizes. If she could participate in this commercial, even with short screen time, it would still play a huge role in boosting her popularity.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason Zong Yougu accepted the ad. She muttered the brand’s name twice, and a distant memory surged up. She remembered that this very brand had once donated clothes to the Niu Xiaomiao Orphanage—shirts, pants, and shoes, everything was included. However, the quantity wasn’t quite right, so the director suggested the children take turns wearing them.

Zong Yougu had been a severe germaphobe since childhood. She never let others touch her things; even her bowls and chopsticks had to be kept separate. Naturally, she wouldn’t wear clothes others had worn. Thus, she was the only one in the orphanage who never wore the donated clothes. While the other children wore new clothes, Zong Yougu still wore a sports shirt that had turned somewhat white from washing.

Thinking back, it felt like a bit of a loss. Zong Yougu frowned, propping up her chin, and made a decision on the spot.

“Sister Qi Fang, I’ll try it—I’ll film this one!”

This time, she definitely had to use the shoot as an excuse to pocket two sets to take home. She thought darkly to herself, smiling as she did. There was no helping it; greed for small advantages was ingrained in her very marrow, and it wasn’t something she could change overnight.

Just as Zong Yougu was reminiscing, the car turned into the parking lot and stopped near the entrance.

“Has Teacher Yougu arrived?” “She’s here, she’s here.” “The costumes are already in the dressing room. If anything doesn’t fit, we can adjust it at any time.” “Okay.”

Holding documents in one hand and two water bottles in the other, Hu Yinghua listened carefully to the director’s instructions. After confirming she had noted everything down, she rushed off to find Zong Yougu. Looking at the two water bottles in her hands, she couldn’t help but sigh in her heart.

Originally, she only had to carry one bottle of water. Now, for everything, Sister Yougu made her prepare double portions—and they had to be identical. Although the appearance of that “living assistant” had indeed improved Sister Yougu’s state and stopped her from making trouble like before, once Zong Yougu’s state stabilized, her fame immediately skyrocketed. When fame goes up, money follows. As the saying goes, “when one person attains the Dao, even their pets ascend to heaven”; even Hu Yinghua’s salary had increased significantly.

But… her hands were truly about to cramp. Hu Yinghua wanted to cry but had no tears.

“Sister Yougu, I’ve brought your water; I’ve put it on the side table. Both bottles are identical, each with exactly thirteen ice cubes inside.”

Zong Yougu hummed and nodded with satisfaction.

“This is the script. You just need to coordinate for a few shots; the filming task is relatively relaxed. I asked, and it will take two hours at most—it will definitely be over by then.”

Although they had communicated beforehand, Zong Yougu still picked up the script and looked through it with an air of importance, nodding as she read.

“Little Flower, you’ve done a very good job.” Zong Yougu nodded contentedly. Meeting Hu Yinghua’s expectant gaze, she added, “So, you can go out now.”

The light in Hu Yinghua’s eyes instantly went out. The door shut with a click.

Simultaneously, Zong Liangu took off her mask. Beneath the mask was her happily smiling face. She reached out a finger and poked Zong Yougu hard on the cheek. Only then did she speak slowly: “You really have a wicked heart.”

Zong Yougu leaned back into the sofa cushions, tilting her head slightly with a face full of innocence: “What did I do now?”

“Little Flower helped you do so much, and you didn’t even say a single ‘thank you.’ Look how disappointed she was when she left.” Zong Liangu’s finger poked randomly at Zong Yougu’s forehead until Yougu grabbed it.

Zong Yougu’s gaze followed Zong Liangu’s fingertip back to Liangu herself. She smiled candidly: “Weren’t you watching quite happily yourself?”

“Was I?” Zong Liangu immediately retracted her wanton smile.

Zong Yougu didn’t argue further. She picked up the neatly folded clothes and examined them carefully. She held the clothes up, the navy-blue sportswear creating a barrier between the two of them.

“Are you really not filming? Your muscle definition is way better than mine. It’s a pity not to film.”

Zong Liangu shook her head and took a step back. “This invitation is for you, Zong Yougu. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Ahhh!” Zong Yougu covered her ears and shook her head like a rattle, using a shout to interrupt Zong Liangu. “Here we go again, here we go again. How many times have I said it? You are me, and I am you. Here, we are both ‘Zong Yougu.’ ‘Zong Yougu’ cannot do without you, and cannot do without me.”

Zong Liangu curled her lip and simply turned her head away, closing her eyes for peace and quiet. Unexpectedly, Zong Yougu suddenly pulled her into a hug.

“…Thank you.”

The words were spoken with significant difficulty, as if they had been stuck in Zong Yougu’s mouth for a long time before being arduously spat out. Zong Liangu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Once the first sentence was out, the rest was much easier.

“I know you feel resentful, yet you still stay by my side. Even though there’s some bitterness in your heart, sometimes when you’re in the mood, you still teach me how to apply force and throw punches. The phrase ‘I love you’ carries too little weight, because loving you is a matter of course—it’s an instinct. …Thank you, truly.”

Zong Liangu still stared at Zong Yougu in disbelief, her hands—which had held knives and guns for years—trembling slightly. Zong Yougu pursed her lips, suddenly pushed Liangu away, and rushed out the door.

“Pretend I never said it! Forget it!”

Zong Liangu smiled. She put her mask and hat back on, and after tidying everything, she followed her out.

Zong Yougu was already standing under the spotlights, the soft light from the lightboxes hitting her face. Her jet-black hair reflected the pure white light, looking as if she were draped in a white bridal veil. Looking only at her appearance, those who didn’t know her would surely think Zong Yougu was as beautiful and gentle on the inside as she was on the outside. Those who didn’t know Zong Liangu would also think she was gentle and kind.

In the distance, Zong Yougu repeatedly jumped, filming take after take. Her arms reached upward; her fingertips and chin were in a single line, making her whole body look stretched and expressive. This shot passed.

Following the instructions, Zong Yougu put both hands in her pockets, her center of gravity on one foot. Using her waist to apply force, followed by her chest driving her body, she performed a perfect half-turn. Her hands slid out of her pockets, her arms opening naturally as if embracing a non-existent person. After completing the half-circle, Zong Yougu happened to be facing Zong Liangu.

Their eyes met. Zong Liangu watched everything calmly.

Zong Yougu indeed had to thank her. If it weren’t for Zong Liangu, she wouldn’t have improved so much. During their vacation two days ago, Zong Liangu had a whim and began to pass on some of her experience to Zong Yougu. Initially, she just mentioned things casually, but to her surprise, Zong Yougu listened intently. So she spoke with more enthusiasm; the more she reminisced, the clearer the memories of the past became. Eventually, she couldn’t help but take hold of Zong Yougu’s hands and began reviewing her every move and technique.

“Just as I lack experience in acting, what you lack is merely practice. I have to admit, we truly are the same person—we are both extremely talented in these two areas.”

The commercial shots weren’t numerous to begin with, and Zong Yougu finished filming quickly. As soon as she changed her clothes, she walked toward Zong Liangu. Upon entering the car, she stuck herself to Zong Liangu like a loach and hugged Liangu’s arm like a koala.

Zong Liangu didn’t speak, just looked at her. Zong Yougu naturally knew what Zong Liangu wanted. She was silent for a moment, then made up her mind.

“Thank you. Thank you.”

Only then was Zong Liangu satisfied. She turned her head away, a rare smile appearing on her face.

Hu Yinghua entered the car later. When she got in, she was holding two sets of clothes gifted by the brand. This was the result of her racking her brains to give hints. She handed the bags to Zong Yougu with a look of pride.

Zong Yougu took the clothes as a matter of course, her face full of the joy of having gained a small advantage. Hu Yinghua sat back in the front seat as usual, intending to instruct the driver to head to the company.

At that moment, she heard a very soft:

“Little Flower, thank you.”

Her head hit the roof of the car hard.