After Taking Advantage Of An Opening [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 2

Wen Ling returned to Jingcheng City with Wen Nuan.

On the day they left, Xu Yun waited until Wen Nuan was taking her afternoon nap before saying something to her daughter.

“Since divorce was the choice you made, you should have prepared yourself before making that decision. On the other hand, if you weren’t prepared—and the situation can still be salvaged—then do whatever is within your power.”

Wen Ling hadn’t expected her mother to say such a thing.

The divorce scandal had caused an enormous uproar. Other people might not have known who this third-rate little novelist was, but her mother certainly knew. Yet ever since Wen Ling’s divorce, Xu Yun had never once spoken to her about it.

Even when Lin Xu brought up Gu Rongqing that day, Xu Yun hadn’t shown the slightest surprise. Nor had she said anything more to Wen Ling afterward.

Wen Nuan fell asleep on the plane.

Holding the child’s small body in her arms, Wen Ling thought perhaps she should simply leave things as they were. She had Wen Nuan. She had the child she shared with Gu Rongqing. There was no need to be jealous of Ji Chenxi anymore.

As for taking advantage of another opening…

She didn’t know.

She couldn’t do it anymore.

And Gu Rongqing probably wouldn’t give her another chance.

After the plane landed, Wen Ling couldn’t bring herself to wake Wen Nuan. She carried her while collecting their luggage, then took a taxi home.

By the time they arrived, it was three in the afternoon. Wen Nuan still hadn’t woken up, and it was too early to start preparing dinner. Wen Ling therefore sat beside Wen Nuan’s small bed, staring at the sleeping child in a daze.

She wondered why she hadn’t found the courage to ask for a divorce sooner.

That was right—the divorce had been Wen Ling’s idea.

She and Gu Rongqing had been married for seven years. Gu Rongqing had been one year ahead of her at university. At the time, Gu Rongqing had just graduated and accepted a supporting role in a television drama. The drama became a hit, launching her career.

After that came one leading role after another, followed by films. Apart from taking half a year off when she gave birth to Wen Nuan, Gu Rongqing had barely rested.

But no one knew that Wen Ling had married Gu Rongqing before even graduating from university. The career she had only just begun to love came to an end after Wen Nuan’s arrival, and Wen Ling became the woman standing behind Gu Rongqing.

“Mama~ I’m hungry.”

Only when she heard her daughter’s soft, sweet voice did Wen Ling emerge from her memories. She picked the child up.

“What would you like for dinner? Mama will make it for you.”

“Will Mommy come home and eat with us?”

Wen Ling froze as she looked at her daughter’s little face, which resembled Gu Rongqing’s more than her own.

She hesitantly replied, “Your mommy… is very busy…”

Before she could finish, Wen Ling saw Wen Nuan’s lips begin to tremble as though she was about to cry.

“Then… why don’t you ask your mommy?”

Wen Ling didn’t know what she was feeling when she said those words.

Did she want to see Gu Rongqing?

No.

They hadn’t seen each other in a month. They hadn’t met again since walking out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

When Wen Nuan heard her mama’s permission, her eyes curved happily. She picked up her little phone and called Gu Rongqing.

Seeing her daughter’s smiling face, Wen Ling realized that Nuan Nuan hadn’t seen Gu Rongqing in over a month.

Although Wen Ling had raised the child by herself since she was born, and Nuan Nuan had grown accustomed to frequently going without seeing Gu Rongqing, more than a month was still far too long.

However, Gu Rongqing probably didn’t want to see Nuan Nuan that badly.

After all, when the subject of custody came up, Gu Rongqing hadn’t expressed any desire to fight for it. Wen Ling had obtained full custody of Nuan Nuan without the slightest difficulty.

“Hello…”

Gu Rongqing’s cool voice came through Nuan Nuan’s little phone.

Mm. She still sounded as cold as ever.

Yet Nuan Nuan never seemed to notice that coldness.

“Mommy, Nuan Nuan misses you so much. Will you come home and have dinner with Nuan Nuan tonight?” Wen Nuan asked coaxingly.

Wen Nuan looked more like Gu Rongqing, and whenever she acted spoiled like this, Wen Ling sometimes wondered whether Gu Rongqing would look the same if she ever acted spoiled.

“Does your mama want me to come over for dinner?”

Wen Ling had initially been nervous, wondering whether Gu Rongqing would agree to come. But the moment she heard that question, she hurriedly took the phone away.

“Mama will help you talk to Mommy. Be good, Nuan Nuan.”

She stroked Wen Nuan’s head, then turned and walked out of the bedroom.

“Nuan Nuan doesn’t know about us. You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“I forgot. I’m sorry.”

Gu Rongqing’s tone was courteous and distant.

“It’s fine. If you have time, come over. If you’re busy, forget it. I’ll explain it to Nuan Nuan.”

“I have time. I miss Nuan Nuan.”

With that, Gu Rongqing hung up.

“Is Mommy coming?”

Wen Nuan sounded somewhat timid.

She was a sensitive child. Although she didn’t know that her mama and mommy had divorced, the other children at kindergarten weren’t like her. Some of them had a father and mother who came to pick them up. Others had a mama and mommy.

But Wen Nuan only ever had Mama.

So she thought that Mama and Mommy probably didn’t have a very good relationship.

“She’s coming. Mommy said she misses Nuan Nuan.”

Wen Ling’s heart ached for her daughter. She picked Wen Nuan up and lifted her high into the air.

“Is Nuan Nuan happy? Mommy is coming to see you.”

“Hehe… Nuan Nuan is so happy! Nuan Nuan misses Mommy too.”

Nuan Nuan was visibly delighted.

“Then let’s prepare the ingredients and make something delicious.”

“Mm!”

The two of them bustled around together for more than an hour.

Once dinner was ready, Wen Ling sat on the sofa with Wen Nuan and waited for Gu Rongqing.

It was almost six. Wen Nuan must have been hungry a long time ago, but she hadn’t said a word about it. She was waiting for Gu Rongqing.

Wen Ling knew that.

“Are you hungry, baby? Should we start eating first?”

“No! I want to wait for Mommy!”

“All right, then we’ll—”

Before Wen Ling could finish speaking, her phone rang.

It was Gu Rongqing.

“Hello. When will you get here?”

“I… can’t make it today.”

There was a trace of apology in Gu Rongqing’s voice.

“All right.”

“Please apologize to Nuan Nuan for me.”

“All right.”

Wen Ling hung up.

“Nuan Nuan, Mommy has something she needs to take care of, so she can’t come. She asked me to…”

Wen Ling saw Wen Nuan’s eyes turn red. A single tear rolled down the child’s cheek, and Wen Ling hurried over to embrace her.

Her heart ached.

Even now, she still didn’t understand.

Why had Gu Rongqing chosen to have Nuan Nuan?

Same-sex marriage had been legalized ten years ago. They married seven years ago, at which point they were already allowed to have children.

But Wen Ling had never considered having one.

Gu Rongqing was extremely busy and had no time for a child. Wen Ling hadn’t particularly wanted one either. Back then, she felt that having Gu Rongqing meant she already possessed everything. Whether they had a child didn’t matter.

It was Gu Rongqing who said she wanted one.

And Wen Ling had said yes.

Wen Ling had thought that after they had Nuan Nuan, Gu Rongqing might spend more time at home.

But Gu Rongqing had only remained home during the six months she took off for her pregnancy. After that, she sometimes returned after about half a month, while at other times she stayed away for two or three months. Wen Ling had raised their child entirely by herself.

Later…

Nearly five years had passed before Wen Ling finally understood.

During the first two years of their marriage, she had been immersed in the happiness she had imagined for herself. Someone she had admired and pursued for so long had become her wife. Gu Rongqing didn’t need to do anything at all for Wen Ling to feel happy.

But after they had a child, Wen Ling had clearly changed.

She began asking more of Gu Rongqing.

She wanted Gu Rongqing to come home more often. She wanted the three of them to live together as a happy, harmonious family.

Then, three months ago, Gu Rongqing came home one day, and Wen Ling noticed something different about her.

Joy.

Every time Gu Rongqing returned, her face carried a trace of happiness.

It turned out that she had gotten back in touch with Ji Chenxi.

Wen Ling no longer understood.

What had those seven years been?

What had any of it meant to Gu Rongqing?

Gu Rongqing and Ji Chenxi made the trending searches again.

After the hotel incident, someone revealed that Gu Rongqing and Ji Chenxi had gone out for a meal together. They had talked and laughed throughout dinner, entirely unlike the way they had parted unhappily outside the hotel before.

“Rongqing, what exactly is going on between you and Ji Chenxi?”

The person speaking was Gu Rongqing’s manager, Liang Mei.

Liang Mei had been suffering from one headache after another lately. The exposure of Gu Rongqing’s secret marriage wouldn’t have been such a serious problem on its own, but public opinion now claimed that an affair had caused the divorce.

That was why she had summoned Gu Rongqing to the company. She intended to find out exactly what kind of relationship existed between Gu Rongqing and Ji Chenxi.

“Oh, it’s nothing. We’re just friends,” Gu Rongqing replied nonchalantly.

Liang Mei, however, couldn’t remain calm.

“Do you have any idea how terrible your situation has become lately?”

“I know.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving. I’m having dinner with Nuan Nuan tonight.”

With that, Gu Rongqing stood to leave.

“I’m asking you, what exactly has gotten into you lately?”

Liang Mei had managed Gu Rongqing ever since her debut. She knew Gu Rongqing’s circumstances far too well.

“Nothing has gotten into me. Didn’t I already say I’m having dinner with Nuan Nuan tonight?”

Gu Rongqing’s expression turned slightly cold.

Although Liang Mei had been with her since her debut, Gu Rongqing still disliked it when she interfered too much.

“Fine. I’ll leave with you.”

Liang Mei sighed helplessly.

She understood Gu Rongqing’s personality better than anyone. When people called her cold, there were times when she truly was—but at other times, she could be so gentle that a person might drown in it.

The two of them had only just reached the parking lot when a crowd suddenly surrounded them.

They were all entertainment reporters.

“Gu Rongqing, may we ask why you got divorced?”

“Was it because of Ji Chenxi?”

“Were you and Ji Chenxi each other’s first loves?”

“Was your ex-wife the person who came between you and Ji Chenxi?”

“Our relationship broke down.”

Leaving only those words behind, Gu Rongqing got into the car and drove away.

The reporters hurried after her.

Gu Rongqing called Wen Ling and told her she couldn’t have dinner with Nuan Nuan.

Not long after getting into the car, Gu Rongqing received a call from Ji Chenxi.

Ji Chenxi invited her to dinner.

It wasn’t until the following day that Wen Ling learned Gu Rongqing hadn’t come to dinner because she was afraid the reporters would discover that she had returned to her ex-wife’s home to see Nuan Nuan.

Wen Ling found out because, when she was about to leave the house, she discovered that reporters had surrounded her front door.

She hadn’t known reporters could be this resourceful.

She had never even appeared in public before.

“Did you and Best Actress Gu divorce because of Best Actress Ji?”

Before the next reporter could speak, Wen Ling countered, “What did she say?”

“She said your relationship broke down.”

“There was never any relationship between us. I merely took advantage of an opening.”