When Jin Fuxiao woke up, it was already the next day, and she was the only one in the bed.
She sat frozen in a daze for quite a while, double-checking whether she was dreaming again, until a child’s voice came from beneath the bed: “Good afternoon, Mamma-chan.”
There really is a child.
She let out a sigh of relief and looked at Zhou Qi sitting on the carpet below the bed. “Why are you here?”
The little kid was lying face down on a pink jellyfish plushie, clutching its tentacles as she said, “I was waiting for Mamma-chan to wake up.”
“The auntie wearing black high heels came looking for you yesterday.”
“I told her Mamma-chan was sleeping, and she said she would come back after you woke up.”
Black high heels; that should be Yu Yan.
Jin Fuxiao rubbed her hair and found her phone. Having suffered from insomnia for so long, the fact that she could actually sleep for this long in one stretch was partly thanks to Peng Hu as well.
She asked Zhou Qi, “Where is Peng Hu?”
“Mommy left.”
“Left?”
A stack of neatly folded clothes was laid out at the head of the bed; judging by the folding technique, it was definitely Peng Hu’s doing.
“Where did she go?”
Jin Fuxiao scrambled out of bed in a panic and nearly tumbled to the floor. Zhou Qi cushioned her with the jellyfish plushie and grabbed hold of the woman’s arm. “Mommy said it was arranged by the show crew.”
“The show crew.”
Jin Fuxiao had almost forgotten what she had agreed to.
Sorting out her thoughts, she tidied herself up and walked out of the suite, with Zhou Qi following right behind her and chattering nonstop.
She told her what time Peng Hu had left, begged Mamma-chan not to abandon her, and insisted that she wanted to go on the trip with them.
Yu Yan had sent Jin Fuxiao work messages, and the group chat contained files shared by Ju Cixin.
Ju Cixin had also sent private messages to Jin Fuxiao, consisting entirely of screenshots.
Jin Fuxiao accompanied Zhou Qi through lunch, tapping open the images as she ate.
Peng Hu’s Weibo account, which had been dormant for ages, had a new update online refuting the rumor that Jin Fuxiao had slept with ten female bodyguards in one night.
The meme Ju Cixin sent fit her personality perfectly, extremely short-tempered.
Jin Fuxiao glanced through them half-heartedly, noticing how Zhou Qi was surprisingly familiar with the hotel’s buffet, even having a dedicated server bring her drinks.
She asked, “How many days have you been staying here?”
“A lot of days.”
“Where did you come from?”
“A place very, very far away that Mamma-chan doesn’t know about.”
Zhou Qi was young, yet she was quite sly, not looking much like Peng Hu in that aspect.
Jin Fuxiao didn’t want to admit it resembled herself either.
She had been like this as a child, which was why she possessed such great ambition, rejecting her parents’ arrangements and severing ties just to make her own living.
In a sense, she had gambled her way into this kind of future.
“Is that a secret too?” After all, she was just a small child who wasn’t used to using a knife and fork. Jin Fuxiao cut up the bacon for her, but Zhou Qi still insisted on sprinkling kombu powder over it.
This habit was, again, identical to Peng Hu’s.
“Yes.”
Zhou Qi nodded, her fluffy bowl cut making her look even more like mother and daughter with Jin Fuxiao from behind her side-parted short hair.
She was very perceptive at times. Although she had only arrived in the human world a few days ago, she vaguely noticed the differences between this place and the seabed.
Not everyone liked her, including that other mother she longed for so deeply.
The look in Jin Fuxiao’s eyes when viewing her fell far short of Dai Buyu’s.
Although Zhou Qi felt very sad, she also understood that her appearance was different from children in human perception.
Peng Hu was her Mommy. Even if the child understood that Mommy loved Mamma most of all, she still occasionally felt sad about being unable to help.
If her mother, plagued by headaches and curses, were to disappear forever, what would happen?
And how was she supposed to help her Mommy earn Mamma-chan’s unreserved love?
Even Auntie Cutlassfish didn’t know what unreserved meant.
She had said, “Going bankrupt just to love someone? Cutlass-chan, I can’t pull that off either. Working for humans is really tough.”
She looked at Jin Fuxiao, her eyes looking strikingly like Peng Hu’s, reflecting only Jin Fuxiao’s image.
Even though Zhou Qi looked like their child, Jin Fuxiao hadn’t fully believed it.
Just as she could accept Peng Hu in bed, yet could not accept her unauthorized divorce and departure.
“Alright then.”
“What else do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you.”
The banquet that day was held at the hotel, and the news of Peng Hu returning with a daughter had already spread far and wide.
Most business people were aware of the relationship between Jin Fuxiao and Peng Hu.
Nothing left a stronger impression than two women building an enterprise from scratch to such a massive scale.
The subsequent divorce and suspected death had further wrapped this relationship in a cloak of mystery.
Urban forums featured various analyses regarding their romantic history.
These days, entrepreneurs were expected to maintain their appearances. Compared to other companies where even male bosses got facelifts, Jin Fuxiao possessed superior natural features.
At her age, she was like a mature blossom, showered with praise wherever she went. Previously, someone had even proposed that a certain platform produce a variety show for entrepreneurs.
Who would have thought Jin Fuxiao would end up joining a divorce variety show instead?
While Jin Fuxiao was fast asleep, the show had already been officially announced.
The buffet restaurant was located on the first floor, with the resort hotel’s coastal beach right outside.
Many people attending the banquet were also lingering around here, and some came over to greet Jin Fuxiao upon spotting her.
“Chairman Jin, good afternoon.”
“Hello.”
The first to speak was a woman much older than Jin Fuxiao, the owner of a health supplement company.
She was accompanied by a child and took a glance at the girl sitting beside Jin Fuxiao. “I heard your ex-wife is back? And there is a child?”
Jin Fuxiao nodded. “She’s our child.”
She was in a very good mood today and looked in great shape. Her pearlescent lipstick was vibrant, matching the color of her eyeliner; when looking at people, she resembled spring peach blossoms.
Nowadays, same-sex couples could marry, so having a child wasn’t a surprise to anyone, but it was rare to see one who looked so unmistakably like her parent.
No one disliked beautiful people or things, and children were no exception.
The little jellyfish, having come ashore just a few days ago, was still in the trial phase. She mostly ate seafood, following Peng Hu’s habit of sprinkling kombu powder, layering it thickly over steamed egg custard.
She even sprinkled it over desserts, which looked exceptionally bizarre.
The girl who came with her mother was slightly older than Zhou Qi; she pursed her lips at the sight and leaned closer to her mother.
“No wonder, she looks way too much like you.”
The woman smiled, and several people around them paused their steps. Nothing suited a vacation chat better than industry gossip.
“I heard you and Chairman Peng are participating in a divorce variety show?”
“President Jin is as hardworking as ever, going so far for product promotion.”
Jin Fuxiao was no longer the fish ball factory worker who exploded at the slightest touch back in the day.
Today was not a business occasion; she wore a simple shirt, with a silk scarf concealing the hickeys on her neck, though it made it seem like an attempt to hide the obvious.
No matter how one looked at it, it appeared as though she had rekindled an old flame with her ex-wife.
“Actually, it’s not hard. You just need to get a divorce to get on it.”
Six months ago, that opponent had even thrown a stumbling block in Jin Fuxiao’s way during a business bidding.
The industry was tough, and life was tough for women; Jin Fuxiao knew all of this, but doing business meant there was no special treatment just for being the same gender. Women like the fish ball factory boss were far too rare.
Though she spoke sarcastic words, she still maintained a smile, her hair tucked behind her ears making her earrings shine even more brilliantly.
It was hard for people dining in the buffet restaurant to ignore her. Dai Buyu walked over to find Zhou Qi and happened to overhear this sentence. She clicked her tongue, thinking to herself that Peng Hu was indeed right.
She really isn’t easy to fool.
So how do you hide your identity while making someone love you unreservedly? Isn’t this just a chaotic mess?
Why would a Stygiomedusa turn into a witch? She’d be better off tying kelp knots instead.
Demanding unreserved love from a person without being unreserved oneself, how could that ever be exchanged?
“Xiao Qi, what else do you want to eat?”
Jin Fuxiao lowered her head and gently took away Zhou Qi’s empty plate, thinking to herself that she ate quite a lot.
Was this the appetite of a five-year-old child?
She had zero experience in raising children, so what was she supposed to do about this?
Zhou Qi pointed at the crème brûlée in front of Jin Fuxiao.
Even though the child was brought by Peng Hu, she seemed to get along fairly well with Jin Fuxiao as well.
Having been choked back by Jin Fuxiao’s reply, the woman walked away, but other people gradually came over to probe about the variety show.
There were also guests vacationing at the hotel who asked to take photos with Jin Fuxiao.
With great difficulty, after the crowd dispersed, Dai Buyu walked over and sat down on the other side of Zhou Qi. “Xiao Qi.”
Jin Fuxiao had a good appetite and didn’t forget to give feedback to this general manager. “The pasta is still very hard.”
Dai Buyu nodded. “We will make improvements, Ms. Jin.”
Jin Fuxiao asked, “Where is Peng Hu?”
Her mood soured a bit further because Peng Hu was nowhere to be found after having intense sex. “What is her deal?”
The woman looked very stylish in appearance. Dai Buyu had also watched Chenhun Group’s documentary and knew what Jin Fuxiao and Peng Hu looked like during the startup period.
The Turritopsis dohrnii had always looked like that; on the contrary, it was Jin Fuxiao who had undergone a total transformation. Looking at her now, it was hard to imagine she had such a damp, dismal past.
“It’s not about her deal; it’s arranged by the show crew.”
Dai Buyu shook her phone. “Let’s add each other on WeChat. I’m Peng Hu’s relative, which makes me your relative too.”
“Didn’t your secretary tell you? The show’s guests need to depart from home, and there will be a separate recording process.”
“Depart from home?”
Jin Fuxiao’s brow shape was very sharp. Reinforcing the contours slightly made her brow bone look even more like that of a mixed-race person, closely resembling the native region of the Turritopsis dohrnii.
Moist heat also represented entanglement.
“Where is her home?”
There were too many things about Peng Hu that Jin Fuxiao didn’t know. In a sense, their divorce was correct.
Despite having been bedfellows for years, she still knew nothing about Peng Hu.
“You’ll know once you get on the show.”
Dai Buyu added Jin Fuxiao’s WeChat and sent her a file. “Then I’ll leave Xiao Qi in your care for these few days.”
Jin Fuxiao looked at the file she transferred, titled Jellyfish Baby Care Manual. “What is a jellyfish baby?”
Dai Buyu’s smile froze. Zhou Qi pointed at herself. “Me.”
Jin Fuxiao recalled the giant jellyfish plushie in the suite, not quite understanding the hobbies of kids nowadays.
“Alright then, thanks.”
“This is Peng Hu’s current phone number. After her amnesia, she refused to use a smartphone, so if you need anything, just send her a text message.”
Jin Fuxiao received a string of digits.
“I saw her log onto Weibo. You call that not knowing how to use it well?”
Dai Buyu shrugged. “Wasn’t that just to clear up the rumors for you?”
She acted with the familiarity of a relative and even said to Jin Fuxiao with great gratitude, “Thank you.”
“Thanking me for what?”
“Peng Hu’s headaches can’t be cured. You are her only medicine.”
There were people chatting nearby, and Jin Fuxiao knitted her brows, disgusted by those words. “What era is this? If you’re sick, go to a hospital to see a doctor. How on earth do you people take care of her?”
Dai Buyu let out a sigh. “I can’t explain it clearly to you. Believe it or not.”
She usually wore sunglasses both indoors and outdoors. At this moment, the sunglasses slid down slightly, revealing a pair of lifeless eyes that looked somewhat horrifying.
A strange person.
Jin Fuxiao was in no mood to interact further with Dai Buyu. Similarly, she had no idea how to get along with Zhou Qi either, so she packed her things in the afternoon and took the child back to her residence.
Ju Cixin returned to the company before her. After arranging various tasks, she personally received the show crew.
Goodbye, Wife was a brand-new show that streamed live during the later phase, requiring a large crew.
Because Peng Hu and Jin Fuxiao were late replacements, the announced guest list featured only them without any teaser clips. As a result, the account Peng Hu suddenly logged into to respond became the center of discussion.
Wu Tou was thirty-six years old this year, with a skin tone so pale that she gave off an impression of being malnourished.
Her figure and height closely resembled those in the modeling industry; she looked completely out of place attending major events, and as a director, she had quite a few fans.
Only the filming crew following her knew how difficult the director was to deal with. This time, as the variety show turned into a live broadcast, the sudden breach of contract by the third pair of guests was also due to changes in the resources behind Wu Tou.
She also needed to bring back the popularity of an artist from one of the two same-sex couples, losing enough hair just thinking about the arrangements.
On Saturday morning, the show officially went live. The pilot preview consisted of pre-recorded interviews.
Because there were two artists included, quite a few fans came to watch.
[The variety show my idol joins after making a comeback after more than ten years turns out to be a divorce show? I’m truly speechless.]
[I definitely have to watch this drama unfold. Idol x Photographer; Actress x Non-celebrity. How come there is an entrepreneur bad-ending pair too?]
[Jin Fuxiao is the one who appeared on that work variety show before, right? Her taste in clothing and her figure are insanely good. Everyone was so curious, yet there was no trace of her ex-wife? I actually thought she was dead.]
[She just posted on Weibo recently to confirm she isn’t dead.]
[Looking at the pilot preview, every single pair is as broken as can be.]
[Disagreements in work philosophy, hiding an innate disease to avoid causing trouble, vanishing into thin air and returning with a child.]
[Lesbians have their own distinct drama.]
During the two days of separation from Zhou Qi, Peng Hu visited the former site of the fish ball factory.
Wu Tou had specifically called her over for supplementary filming, and the two of them discussed the matter of their identities.
Both having come ashore from the seabed, Wu Tou knew that the Stygiomedusa possessed some dark magic.
However, hearing Peng Hu say she could see affection levels made her expression, which hadn’t changed in ages, loosen as well. “Are you sure?”
Peng Hu nodded. Wu Tou asked, “Then can you see my affection level toward you?”
The Turritopsis dohrnii shook her head.
Almost none of the jellyfish species were unattractive. Even for the Stygiomedusa that looked like a dirty mop, her witch form was considered unique.
On the contrary, the squid species had to expend a lot of effort to overcome their innate non-human feel.
Wu Tou had sunken cheekbones and very little meat on her face. She also wore a pair of non-prescription glasses to soften the sharpness of her facial structure, giving her a more intellectually sophisticated look in modern terms.
Her entire body carried an ink scent, which she claimed to the outside world was perfume, though in reality, it was her natural body odor.
“Let’s wait and see a bit longer. I refuse to believe you’ll actually turn into foam after nineteen days.”
“I think this Stygiomedusa has read The Little Mermaid too many times.”
They talked at the site where the fish ball factory had been demolished. Not far off was the pier, where the twilight coast could be seen.
Seagulls cried continuously as fishing boats docked at the shore, and people rode electric scooters toward the seafood market.
This scene became the most-watched sneak peek clip of Goodbye, Wife.
Peng Hu’s features were far too striking, her natural light blue hair mistaken for a brand-new dye job.
Her ethereal voice reading the narration sounded remarkably lonely, and her silhouette beneath the twilight seagulls captured countless sympathetic hearts.
Fans who had originally come to watch the show for their idols were unfamiliar with such a non-celebrity, unable to resist asking in the bullet chat.
[Is she really a non-celebrity? Then what am I? A commoner?]
[She is way too stunning! What does the introduction on the screen say her age is this year? Thirty-something?]
[I looked in the mirror, and I look older than them. This is way too unfair!]
[So why did they get divorced?]
[Who understands us college students who still can’t find a job right now, while people who didn’t go to college and started a business are already chairwomen.]
[Her name is very special too. Identity unknown? Picked up by the owner of the harbour fish ball factory across Penghu Bay? The port is called Peng Port, and across from it is Penghu Bay, so she was named Peng Hu?]
[I vaguely heard rumors that she died, and might have even been killed by her wife. Turns out those were all false rumors?]
Jin Fuxiao was the second guest to arrive at the first recording stop of the variety show.
It was a city in southwestern China that featured an inland lake. The city possessed a long history, divided into an old town and a new town.
The show crew had rented out an inn in the old town as the filming location.
Right upon arrival, Jin Fuxiao saw Peng Hu’s sneak peek clip on the screen in the lobby. Comments were scrolling in real time, and the show crew’s main livestream camera was currently set up in the inn.
Zhou Qi was not within the scope of the show’s recording. Yu Yan had accompanied them on this trip to take care of the child the entire time.
If it weren’t for the company needing personnel, Ju Cixin would have loved to keep guard at all times to prevent these two from rekindling their old flame.
She had given Yu Yan a substantial raise, hoping she would act as a buffer.
The secretary agreed on the surface, thinking to herself how impossible that was.
In terms of job title, Peng Hu was still the Chairman. If it weren’t for the variety show taking priority, the company’s upper management would have called her back for a meeting long ago.
Arriving before Jin Fuxiao was the actress Lou Zimiao. She was one year older than the age on Peng Hu’s ID card, possessing many representative works, and her wife was the most non-celebrity person on this show.
The first floor of the renovated inn still retained its rustic charm, but there were numerous cameras installed. Wu Tou was managing the lenses from the inn across the street.
“Chairman Jin, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Lou Zimiao had endorsed a product under Chenhun Group before, so the two had some history and chatted quite pleasantly.
The artist understood very well what the current audience wanted to see most. After thinking for a moment, she asked Jin Fuxiao, “Did you bring bodyguards on this trip?”
The story of ten female bodyguards was widely circulated, and people had even asked under Chenhun Group’s official account which bodyguard company they were from.
Jin Fuxiao had a gorgeous appearance and an exceptionally attractive figure. The bodyguards looked as if they had been specifically selected, further confirming the rumor that the company’s vice president strongly supported the chairwoman pursuing a new life.
[That’s exactly what I wanted to ask, well done.]
[Can’t you ask a bit more directly?]
Jin Fuxiao looked at the atmospheric video of Peng Hu on the screen, recalling how that woman had called out “Fufu.”
She thought to herself: Why should I keep waiting for her?
She never tells me anything.
“Do you want to ask how many I slept with?”
Being an actress, her appearance was very photogenic, and Lou Zimiao’s facial features carried a strong sense of heroic charm.
She revealed a slightly surprised expression, while the woman sitting to one side blinked her eyes. “I have a very large appetite.”
The present Peng Hu could no longer satisfy her.
She was the fully grown Fufu.