Appearing on a Marriage Show Before Getting Divorced - Chapter 17

Ruan Qiu and Chu Qing sat in the living room, maintaining a stiff, upright posture in silence for a long time.

The clock swung, tick-tock, tick-tock. After an unknown amount of time, Ruan Qiu let out a soft sigh and made a call. Soon, the living room door was pushed open, and An Nian entered in her uniform, standing respectfully before the coffee table. “President Ruan.”

Ruan Qiu nodded, her expression serious. “Go investigate something for me.”

An Nian nodded.

After another brief silence, Ruan Qiu looked at An Nian. “Don’t go through Sue this time. Go directly to Director Gao. Have her help check Chu Nian’s activity trajectory over these years—everything: flight tickets, hotel stays, property purchases, rentals, and tax information. If her identity info is blocked, check her mother. If that’s still blocked, trace everyone around her bit by bit.”

An Nian was startled. She looked at Ruan Qiu. “Director Gao? But… isn’t Chu Nian… supposed to be filming and studying abroad?”

Ruan Qiu’s gaze shifted. “That’s what Jianjian said.” Her hand rubbed the teacup, looking thoughtful.

An Nian, usually quick to execute orders, hesitated with a question she didn’t dare ask.

Ruan Qiu looked up, meeting her eyes. “Go.”

After An Nian left, the vast living room fell back into a deathly silence. Finally, Chu Qing spoke slowly. “I need to go to the United States tomorrow.”

Ruan Qiu looked into her eyes. “For work?”

So sudden? Ruan Qiu knew Chu Qing had been busy researching advanced treatments with Doctor Sophia, flying all over the world. Sometimes Ruan Qiu had to fly to her just to celebrate major holidays together, but Chu Qing always gave several days’ notice.

Chu Qing tilted her head, offering no answer.

This was their agreement. Even between the closest people, there can’t be 100% transparency. They had fought over this when they were young, so they agreed: if one asked a question the other couldn’t answer yet, the other would remain silent rather than lie.

Ruan Qiu just watched her. Chu Qing didn’t respond. Just then, with a creak, the door was pushed open. Ruan Youran and Soya walked out one after the other. Both had reddened eyes, but their expressions were much more relaxed than when they first entered.

Soya smiled at the two moms. “Aunties, thank you for the hospitality today. I’ll take my leave now. As they say in China, the mountains don’t move but the water flows—we shall—”

Youran waved her hand. “Hey, hey, stop. You’re using that idiom wrong. Just say bye-bye.”

Jianjian smiled at Soya, and Soya laughed back, waving a hand as she left.

Youran saw Soya out, then turned to her moms. “There’s about half a month before the next shoot. I want to clear my head. I’m going to the countryside to find my sister.” Her expression was relaxed, her eyes full of joy, as if she were about to head on a vacation.

Ruan Qiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

Youran, acting like her usual heartless self, gave her moms a grin, ran over to the sofa to kiss Chu Qing on the forehead, and dashed back to her room.

Ruan Qiu watched the closed door and adjusted her cuffs. “I have things to handle, too. It took years to straighten out those branch offices, and those old fogies are finally behaving. It’s not easy to step away right now. I’ll have to ask the Old Lady to come out of retirement; I don’t trust anyone else.”

The next day, when Chu Qing packed her bags to leave, Youran was still sleeping. Since coming home, she had seemed very reluctant to leave the house.

Chu Qing checked on her, tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and left.

The moment the door closed, Youran opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling in a daze for a long time before pulling the loudly snoring Xiao Sao into her arms.

The dog, half-asleep, looked at her. Youran poked his belly and whispered, “I really envy you. I’m so tired, yet why can’t I sleep?”

Chu Nian and Chu Qing met on the plane. It wasn’t until they were in the air that Chu Nian took off her sunglasses and mask. She pulled a homemade rice ball from her bag. “Mom, have some.”

Chu Qing used to love her rice balls. As the warm, fragrant, familiar taste filled her mouth, Chu Qing’s lashes fluttered. She looked at Chu Nian.

Nian Nian had applied makeup and looked decent, but a doctor’s eyes are always sharp. Chu Qing stared at her for a moment and asked, “When is the third surgery?”

Chu Nian: “In three months.”

Chu Qing nodded and said no more. At this time, Nian Nian shouldn’t have been traveling. Why return home at such a critical moment after enduring for so long? Chu Qing hadn’t understood before, but now that the pieces were connecting, she saw it all.

As the plane pierced through the clouds, Chu Nian looked out the window, her lashes growing wet. She remembered the many times she had flown with Ruan Youran. Because of work, they were often apart. When Chu Nian wasn’t filming, it was fine, but once she joined a set, they wouldn’t see each other for months—sometimes over a year.

Because they were in the industry, their meetings were always kept in the shadows. Youran, despite her proud nature, never complained for the sake of protecting her.

Back then, for the sake of “strength” and “pride,” Chu Nian had too many “she thoughts.” Now, facing life and death, “fame and fortune” seemed trivial. She finally realized how much she had overstepped, relying on Youran’s love.

In the past, she couldn’t give. Now she wanted to, but Youran no longer wanted it.

Chu Qing tidied the lunch box. “It tastes the same as the ones you occasionally mailed to us.”

Nian Nian turned sharply, staring straight at Chu Qing. That expression confirmed Chu Qing’s suspicion. She let out a long sigh. “So it was all fake.”

Nian Nian stared at her nervously.

“During these three years you were away,” Chu Qing said slowly, “Your mom and I often received small gifts and postcards from all over the world, with blessings written in your handwriting.”

A blade to the heart. Nian Nian bit her lip hard.

“Over these years,” Chu Qing continued, “her mom and I have been busy. With the three of our schedules being different, meeting once a month was a luxury. But during those meetings, Jianjian always found excuses to leave—playing with friends, meeting people, or discussing resources. She rarely stayed home. We wondered why you didn’t return for so long; surely you’d come back for New Year’s even if you’d fought. But Jianjian always said you were busy. During holidays, she would run off saying she was meeting you. When we demanded a video call, she’d claim you were busy, but she would send us photos of the two of you together.”

Chu Qing took out her phone, her thumb sliding across the screen. “This was the Valentine’s Day before last, under the Statue of Liberty. She sent this photo of you two. This was the Dragon Boat Festival that year—where is this? A restaurant, with you both holding Zongzi.”

“This was the Chinese New Year before last, on the streets of Los Angeles…”

“This was Valentine’s Day last year, at the Grand Canyon…”

“This was May Day last year. She said you had processed the paperwork to come see us, but the director called you away just as you arrived…”

“Then, we both flew to America. we insisted on seeing you, on cornering you. Jianjian threw a massive temper tantrum. She said your business was yours to solve and told us not to interfere. She gave us the cold shoulder for half a month after we got home.”

“Starting from last year, she stopped sending them. She said you wouldn’t come back, she was angry… she didn’t want to talk to you, didn’t want to wait for you, and certainly didn’t want to fly out to find you. Her mom and I got suspicious and asked Sue to investigate. Now that I think about it—” Chu Qing looked out the window, a tear sliding down her cheek, “—she knew we would do that. She handled everything in advance.”

It was all fake.

Every photo, every postcard… in every one of them, Ruan Youran was smiling happily.

In the photos, she was happy. No one knew how hard she cried every time she prepared those fakes. With every post, Youran would tell herself: This is the last one. If Nian Nian doesn’t come back after this, I’m done with her. I won’t care if family or friends hate her.

Until her heart was shredded by repeated heartbreak.

Chu Nian’s face was covered in tears. She bit her lip, her whole body trembling. As the plane continued its flight, her already scarred heart neared its breaking point. She clutched her chest, letting the tears rage. The air was filled with the bitter scent of sorrow.

They arrived. Someone was waiting at the airport. Chu Nian suppressed her emotions and led Chu Qing to a car. The driver was a tall, young man who looked at Chu Qing curiously.

After forty minutes of driving, the car stopped in front of a villa. Chu Nian used her key to open the door, but a middle-aged woman in a white coat opened it first. She was a typical European face with deep blue eyes and blonde hair. She smiled at Chu Nian. “You’re back? And this is—?”

“This is my mother, Chu Qing. Mom, this is my primary doctor, Lilo.”

Lilo stepped aside. “Zhengzhi has been quite good lately, very obedient.”

The door pushed open.

Chu Qing immediately saw a girl sitting on a rug in the living room, building Lego. She was so small. Her dark hair was tied into cute little buns. Her face was a bit pale as she focused intently on the tiny pieces—the kind even adults struggle with. A completed Lego Jeep sat before her. She was completely immersed in her own world.

It wasn’t until Chu Nian called out with red eyes: “Zhengzhi!”

The child looked up. Seeing Chu Nian, she stood up instantly with a joy-filled face. “Mamma!”

That little face… except for being thinner than Jianjian was as a child, it was an exact replica.

Chu Qing stood motionless, as if her pressure points had been struck. She stared blankly at the child, her tears falling like broken pearls.

Chu Nian forced herself through the pain and waved. “Come, Zhengzhi. Come here and call her Grandma.”