Shooting wedding photos was, without a doubt, absolute torture.
Mrs. Xu was particularly obsessed with the whole affair. In one fell swoop, she picked out over a dozen bridal outfits…traditional Chinese, modern Western, ancient style, European style, you name it. If it were up to her, they’d embark on a worldwide photo tour, ticking off iconic landscapes like checking off a bucket list.
This terrifying idea was vetoed outright by Xu Mengzhou.
Her new film was at a critical stage of prep with cameras set to roll any day now. She didn’t have time to waste, especially on taking wedding photos with Ruan Li.
Her stance? One set, tops. Anything more was off the table.
Still, every mother has a secret weapon for dealing with her own child.
Ruan Li had no idea what strings had been pulled, but on the day of the fitting, Xu Mengzhou actually showed up. She put on whatever was pointed out, behaving as obediently as a mannequin.
With her broad shoulders, long legs, and exceptionally low body fat, her frame carried a subtle layer of lean muscle. She was a walking clothes hanger…stunning no matter what she wore.
In traditional Chinese attire, she looked like a dashing, free-spirited knight-errant; in European styles, she resembled a noble, steadfast knight keeping an oath.
When she wore a Qipao, it didn’t look seductive in the slightest. Instead, it gave off the vibe that she might pull the hairpin from her hair at any second to use as a deadly weapon. When wrapped in layered, flowing gowns, it looked as though she might rip the hem to shreds at any moment just to sprint freely.
Every time she changed into a outfit, Ruan Li changed into a matching pair. Together, they stood before the full-length mirror for inspection by the ultimate judge, Mrs. Xu. Only after a nod of approval would they move on to the next set.
For someone who never usually picked out her own clothes, the process should have been mind-numbingly dull. Yet Ruan Li didn’t find it tedious at all. On the contrary, time felt like a visible river, slipping away with every blink of her eyes.
Mrs. Xu would only glance twice, Ruan Li would barely spin a couple of times, and she’d only catch Xu Mengzhou’s eye for two seconds before it was over and on to the next.
The dressing room was vast and empty, yet it couldn’t quite contain the starry expanse of her gown’s train.
Ruan Li leaned heavily against a chair, letting her shoulder straps slide down to her elbows, too exhausted to pull them back up. Mentally, she felt fine, but her body had started to protest.
Changing outfits turned out to be a physical workout. She felt like she could change into a hundred more, but her aching lungs and sore knees disagreed.
Her heart bounced under her palm like a yo-yo. A ringing in her ears stretched out long and thin, like a distant train whistle.
After waiting a good while to catch her breath, Ruan Li called out for help.
It took a moment before she heard movement behind her. Without turning around, she said softly, “Help me with the zipper, please.”
A long pause followed before a staff member finally stepped forward. The movements were clumsy; fingertips brushed her back twice.
Ruan Li’s brow furrowed, and she glanced back out of the corner of her eye. What caught her attention first wasn’t the rolled-up sleeve of a standard uniform, but hair as bright as a golden field of wheat.
Her reprimand froze in her throat.
“Mom let me in,” the newcomer blurted out hastily, desperate to avoid a misunderstanding.
Ruan Li felt her heart race again, her palms instantly breaking into a sweat. It felt as though a feather had grazed her back, leaving a prickling itch. Yet her expression remained unbothered, perfectly still…like the glassy surface of a windless pond. She gave a calm, flat, “Mm.”
This particular dress had an overwhelming number of ribbons, layers of tulle draping over one another like rolling waves.
As Xu Mengzhou tied them, her patience quickly wore thin. Just digging out the translucent ribbons from beneath the sequin-dusted tulle was like trying to pick out slivers of ginger from a dish of shredded potatoes. She then had to carefully thread them through invisible loops…more tedious than delicate embroidery.
She thought she hadn’t used any real force, just giving a light, simple tug, but the starry tulle ripped with a sharp snap. The sudden pull sent the woman sitting steadily in front of her tumbling backward. Smooth and pale as a fish, Ruan Li slipped right out of the starry sea of tulle.
Her lower back…half-concealed just a moment ago…was now completely exposed, emerging fair and lustrous like a freshly peeled rice dumpling.
Xu Mengzhou reached out to catch her, her hands wrapping around what felt like a cool piece of smooth white jade. She ended up with a lapful of soft fragrance.
“Are you hurt?” She quickly straightened Ruan Li up, letting out an awkward, apologetic laugh. Her gaze recoiled as if struck by lightning, and she scrambled backward.
See no evil, speak no evil.
Ruan Li gasped softly, her brows knotting.
Xu Mengzhou followed the direction of Ruan Li’s fingers and saw a few faint blue marks on the side of her waist. The edges tinged with an ambiguous purple, bleeding into soft red.
“…Are you made of tofu? I barely touched you.”
Ruan Li pulled the dress up to cover her chest. “Get out and send someone professional in.”
With Ruan Li looking thoroughly displeased and Xu Mengzhou feeling undeniably guilty, the latter stepped toward the door. Still, she couldn’t resist muttering under her breath, “It’s not like I asked to come in here…”
Ruan Li swept a cold glance over, and Xu Mengzhou immediately quickened her pace.
“I’m going, I’m going!”
The moment the door clicked shut, a faint rosy blush bloomed across Ruan Li’s exposed skin, spreading like a drop of red ink falling into clear water.
Ruan Li raised her hand, hovering her fingers lightly from her waist up to her back, tracing the lingering warmth from afar.
That lingering heat left by another person felt like a handful of fire poured over her, flushing her entire body red.
Because Xu Mengzhou ruined the dress…and Mrs. Xu’s absolute favorite one at that…the cost was to be docked directly from her allowance.
Recalling those faint fingerprints on Ruan Li’s waist, Xu Mengzhou felt too guilty to utter a single word of defense.
How could anyone’s skin be that delicate? Like a ripe white strawberry that bruised and broke at the slightest press.
The scene kept flashing through her mind: the woman tumbling out of the dark dress, looking like spilled milk, unable to cover both front and back at once. It had left Xu Mengzhou’s eyes with nowhere to look.
For days afterward, she didn’t dare make direct eye contact with Ruan Li.
Just like right now…hiding under her blanket like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand, pretending that if she couldn’t see it, it never happened.
Unfortunately, a blanket isn’t a solid fortress. It offered zero real protection. Someone simply lifted a corner and pulled it back, exposing her completely.
“Time to eat,” Ruan Li said.
Xu Mengzhou peeked out cautiously, looking like a pika poking its head out from the grass, sniffing to see if the predator was going to spare its life.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Right, food. Let’s eat.”
“How were things at home yesterday? Oh, right…Auntie bought some oranges. We can have some later.”
The corners of Ruan Li’s lips curved slightly, making her look like she was born with a gentle smile. “You actually remembered.”
She sounded a bit surprised.
Xu Mengzhou climbed out of bed, patted down her clothes, and stood up straight, acting casual. “Didn’t you say you wanted them?”
“So if I say I want something, you’ll do it…” Ruan Li lowered her gaze, sounding somewhat downcast. “What if I said I wanted you to miss me? Did you?”
Xu Mengzhou choked on her own spit, coughing violently for a few seconds before trying to defend herself: “No way! I slept like a log.”
“Is that so?” Ruan Li lowered her eyes as if disappointed.
Her feather-like eyelashes hid a soft smile.
The encrypted video recently added to her phone said otherwise.
Work at the company was still hectic. With Lin Jing coming over, Ruan Li had to arrange everything in advance, squeezing out a tiny window of time just to come home, see her, and have a meal together.
After lunch, Ruan Li picked up a box of oranges to leave.
Xu Mengzhou rubbed her arms, unable to understand why Ruan Li kept staring at her while packing the oranges. It was enough to give her goosebumps.
She had to get to work, too.
Her assistant, Little Yang, brief her on the plans for the upcoming location shoot. The crew was going to take Ruan Li’s yacht to Ruan Li’s private island, and Ruan Li’s aunt was even coming along to help with the production.
It made Xu Mengzhou feel a bit self-conscious.
It felt like she was taking massive advantage of Ruan Li.
Then again, maybe this was just proof of how good their relationship was…
When she mapped it out, her schedule was pretty packed…she still needed to carve out time to visit her hometown.
She had spent every school vacation of her youth back in her hometown. Her grandmother couldn’t bear to be apart from her, and she felt the same way. Having not been back in a long time, Xu Mengzhou genuinely missed it…mostly because she was craving the roasted duck soup pot near her old house.
Of all the places she had tried, that single spot tasted the absolute best.
Just thinking about it made her mouth water like a violently shaken bottle of soda, bursting to spill over.
She wiped the corner of her lips.
She instructed Little Yang to order a fried chicken and fries set first to satisfy her craving. Once she reached the set, she could eat another round.
Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with sudden changes.
She had barely picked up the takeout bag…before she could even take a single hot bite…when Little Yang came jogging over, holding up her phone.
“Boss, we have a problem.”
Xu Mengzhou paused. “Am I here to direct a movie or star in one? There aren’t even this many plot twists in the script, yet something pops up every few days.”
“It’s Ms. Qin Jing and Ms. Tian Shuhao. Paparazzi caught them entering and leaving the same hotel together, and rumors of an affair are blowing up.”
Xu Mengzhou was thoroughly baffled, so exasperated she laughed out loud. “All the actors are staying at the same hotel! Does that mean they’re all in scandalous secret relationships?”
“Which tabloid’s paparazzi is so brainless, spouting nonsense everywhere?” She tore open a ketchup packet, squeezed it into the lid of the box, and said nonchalantly, “Just let them post a clarification and settle it themselves.”
Assistant Little Yang pushed up her glasses, remaining silent for a moment. “I’m afraid that won’t work. Ms. Qin Jing’s legal spouse just published a blog post claiming she cheated with multiple people during their marriage and engaged in casting-couch behavior with a junior actor in our crew.”
“It seems to be a personal or financial dispute between them, and her spouse is intentionally flinging mud.”
Not long after her words landed, someone from the film base management came looking for her. The staff member looked calm…clearly used to such drama…and smiled at Xu Mengzhou: “Director Xu, working hard on the shoot? How are you feeling lately? Oh, my goodness, you really are far too dedicated!”
“I don’t mean to disturb you or interfere with the crew’s progress, but security just warned me that a crowd of reporters has gathered outside, camping right at the entrance. Just be extra careful when entering and exiting so you don’t get swarmed.”
Since the person arrived with a smile and a helpful warning, Xu Mengzhou could only express her thanks despite the bad news.
Qin Jing received the notice as well and walked over alongside a teary-eyed Tian Shuhao, starting off immediately with an apology.
Having debuted at a young age as a child star, Qin Jing had balanced school and acting, continuing to work straight through. Though only in her early thirties, she was already an industry veteran who had weathered plenty of storms.
At this moment, she didn’t panic. Just like the female protagonist she played, she became even more composed when trouble struck.
“I’m deeply sorry for bringing negative publicity to the crew again. I will resolve this within three days and won’t delay the shooting.”
She added, “Tian Shuhao and I have no romantic involvement in private. Those are all groundless rumors.”
Tian Shuhao was a complete newcomer. In the past, she had only observed celebrity gossip from afar; she had never experienced being the subject of it. On top of that, she was just collateral damage in this mess. Seeing her sparse Weibo comment section suddenly explode with vile insults, the young girl was terrified out of her wits.
Xu Mengzhou felt annoyed deep down, but she could clearly distinguish right from wrong. Knowing this wasn’t the fault of these two women, her anger directed entirely toward the person spreading the rumors.
“Contact your company immediately to handle the PR. Take a few days off, get this sorted, and adjust your state of mind before we resume shooting.”
With this drama unfolding, the entire crew was busy gossiping. While the veteran actors could still stay in character, the newcomers were visibly unfocused.
After several ruined takes in a row, Xu Mengzhou’s anger flared up. “Alright, that’s it for today! Camera crew, stay back to shoot a few cutaway shots. We’ll resume tomorrow.”
No matter how rich she was, film stock wasn’t meant to be wasted like this.
On her way home, she opened Weibo. The top trending topics were all about this incident.
#QinJingCheating, #QinJingWifeExposesHer, #QinJingCastingCouch, #QinJingDivaBehavior, #QinJingAssault…
They were painting her as completely irredeemable.
Xu Mengzhou scrolled through a few threads. After a few minutes, she raised her chin toward her assistant. “Little Yang, tell me the details about Qin Jing’s situation.”
Little Yang kept a steady hand on the steering wheel, her intelligence gathering as sharp as ever. Without stuttering, she explained: “Qin Jing and her wife, Fang Qing, signed a prenuptial agreement. Their assets were kept entirely separate. Fang Qing comes from a wealthy family, so Qin Jing signed with her family’s agency after they got married. Later, the Fang family’s business declined while Qin Jing’s career took off. They had agreed before marriage to remain childfree, but Fang Qing changed her mind and wanted kids, causing their relationship to fracture while the agency suffered mounting losses every year. Fang Qing ended up cheating with the agency’s current CEO. Now, she wants to use a divorce to demand a chunk of Qin Jing’s fortune to cover the company’s financial black hole, while also forcing Qin Jing to pay a massive penalty fee to terminate her contract.”
Xu Mengzhou clicked her tongue in disbelief. “I really don’t get people who get married…”
Assistant Little Yang kept her eyes on the road ahead, acting as if she were completely oblivious to all the rumors surrounding her boss.
After driving through two red lights, Xu Mengzhou asked, feigning indifference, “By the way… when I got married, did we sign any agreements like that?”
“Miss Ruan gifted ten percent of her company shares to you, Boss. However, since you don’t own a company, Mrs. Xu gifted ten percent of her own shares in return, leaving your portion untouched.”
Xu Mengzhou: “…”
So, in the end… I’m the one living off a sugar mommy?!
Her face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a burnt pot. “Isn’t it just a company? I can start one too!”