Foreseeing the Future: The Scheming Film Queen and I Got Married - Chapter 1

Summer. A roadside. An overcast sky. A light breeze.

Dong Yao sat on an A-frame ladder, holding a paint tray in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. Her movements were practiced as she sketched and painted across the wall.

A lush, green tree slowly took shape beneath the strokes of her brush.

Just as she was completely absorbed in painting, a noisy racket came from beside her.

Her brush paused, and she lowered her head to look.

“Gu Shiqiu is my wife!” A boy of about ten, his cheeks flushed red, craned his neck and shouted loudly.

The skinny boy standing opposite him was not to be outdone. He also craned his neck and yelled, “No she isn’t! She’s my wife!”

“You’re lying! She’s mine!”

“No, she’s mine!!!”

For a moment, the question of who Gu Shiqiu belonged to was argued endlessly. Spit flew everywhere, and when they got worked up, they even shoved each other once or twice.

Dong Yao rubbed her brow and tossed her paintbrush back into the brush holder. “How about this? You two split Gu Shiqiu in half and each take one half home.”

Hearing her voice, the two children looked up at the person on the ladder.

Dong Yao said, “You’re still so little, and you’re already calling her your wife left and right. Does Gu Shiqiu know she has husbands as young as you?”

The little boy pouted unhappily, stuck his tongue out at Dong Yao, then ran off with his schoolbag on his back.

Dong Yao shook her head and sighed. Gu Shiqiu’s charm truly could not be underestimated. From uncles and aunties in their forties to children in their teens, she had fans of every age group.

Even Dong Yao, who did not pay much attention to the entertainment industry and barely knew any celebrities, had heard a thing or two about Gu Shiqiu.

Her gaze drifted into the distance. Not far away, at the entrance of a small convenience store, there was an advertising poster endorsed by Gu Shiqiu.

In terms of looks, Gu Shiqiu was indeed so outstanding that even in the entertainment industry, it was hard to find anyone who could rival her. No wonder even little brats kept shouting “wife” at every turn.

Dong Yao lifted her gaze and saw, on the slope ahead, a white-haired old lady pulling a tricycle cart. The cart was piled full of cardboard boxes and flattened plastic bottles.

The old lady took one step and stopped for three.

Every so often, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Dong Yao hurriedly jumped down from the ladder and ran over. She braced her body against the back of the tricycle cart, taking on most of the cart’s weight.

The old lady suddenly felt the pressure lessen. She turned back and glanced through the gaps between the cardboard boxes. “Oh, it’s Little Yao.”

After helping Grandma Qin push the cart up the slope, Dong Yao wiped away her sweat. “I’m telling you, Grandma Qin, Uncle Qin has repeatedly told you not to collect these cardboard boxes anymore, hasn’t he? Why are you still picking them up?”

Grandma Qin patted the cardboard boxes on the cart as if they were treasures. “These can be exchanged for more than ten yuan. I have nothing to do at home anyway, so of course I have to think of ways to earn a little money to help with household expenses.”

Dong Yao smiled helplessly. “If you keep doing this, I’m going to tattle to Uncle Qin.”

“Go on, go on.” Grandma Qin shot her a teasing glare.

Dong Yao laughed. “Next time, don’t collect so much.”

Grandma Qin nodded. “All right. Thanks to you today, Little Yao. Thank you.”

Dong Yao pursed her lips, pretending to be angry. “Grandma, just a thank-you? You used to give me candy. Why aren’t you giving me any today?”

Grandma Qin laughed even more happily. She took a piece of colorful candy from her pocket. “Here, here. You’re already so grown up, yet you’re still always asking me for candy. Even a three-year-old child isn’t as greedy as you.”

Dong Yao took the candy, peeled open the colorful wrapper, and tossed it into her mouth. The flavor spread across the tip of her tongue.

It was very sweet. It was the flavor she liked.

Just as she was about to throw away the candy wrapper in her hand, she noticed a cartoon portrait printed on it. Looking closely, it was not hard to recognize that the cartoon character was none other than the extremely popular Gu Shiqiu.

Was this candy endorsed by her too?

She really endorsed a lot of things. From luxury brands to little candies like this.

Seeing Dong Yao staring at the wrapper, Grandma Qin asked, “Do you like it?”

Dong Yao hummed in agreement. “It’s pretty sweet.”

Grandma Qin took a few more from her pocket and stuffed them into Dong Yao’s hand. “Then have some more if you like them. Your Uncle Qin bought these for me online. I heard they were quite expensive, not cheap at all. Your Uncle Qin, really—at my age, what’s the point of wasting money buying me something like this?”

“How can that be called wasting money? When Uncle Qin was little, you bought him candy. Now that he’s grown up, of course it’s his turn to buy candy for you,” Dong Yao said.

Grandma Qin was amused. “You child, ever since you were little, you’ve always had a whole set of crooked logic.”

Dong Yao unceremoniously stuffed the candies into her pocket. “I’ll take the candy, but this won’t count as bribery. We agreed, next time you’re not allowed to pile so many cardboard boxes onto the cart.”

“I know, I know. Why are you even more nagging than your Uncle Qin?”

After saying goodbye to Grandma Qin, Dong Yao walked lightly with the candy in her mouth. When she saw little Wu playing with mud by the roadside, she could not help teasing him. “Playing with mud again? When you get home, your mom is going to spank you.”

Little Wu stuck out his tongue. “My mom won’t spank me.”

Fuqian Town was not large. There were only so many households, and almost everyone knew each other. There was no cinema, no café, no food delivery, and even parcels had to be picked up in the county town.

Poor and closed-off.

There was nothing here.

But in truth, there was everything here too.

In front of the small noodle shop, Zhong Ximei stood at the entrance with an apron tied around her waist and a broom in her hand, sweeping away the fallen leaves.

Zhong Ximei looked up. “You’re back?”

Dong Yao broke into a smile and jogged over.

“I’m so tired.” Dong Yao stretched lazily. “Mom, what are we eating tonight? Is there the stewed beef I’ve been dreaming about?”

Zhong Ximei shot her a sidelong glance. “Pickled vegetables and radishes. Eat it or don’t.”

Dong Yao giggled and ran into the noodle shop.

Inside the shop were four wooden tables. Vinegar and chili oil were placed on top of them, and four old-fashioned electric fans hung on the walls.

There were no customers inside. Only one electric fan was running, its whirring sound especially loud.

It was simple but clean—the only noodle shop in the small town.

A fragrant smell drifted out from the kitchen. Dong Yao sniffed. “I knew my mom was the best. You really stewed beef for me.”

She ran into the kitchen, unable to wait.

Seeing her greedy look, Zhong Ximei shook her head in disdain. “Anyway, in two days, you’ll have to go to Tobei City. Once you’re there, you won’t get to eat these dishes from home anymore. You won’t be able to come back for a while either, so I’ll let you eat your fill these next two days.”

Dong Yao’s gaze landed on the pressure cooker emitting the delicious smell. “I’m not going.”

Zhong Ximei frowned. “Such a good company sent you a job offer, and you’re not going? What are you planning to do instead? Run wild outside every day? Look at all that paint on you. How many times have I told you? Wear an apron before painting. That paint won’t wash out no matter how you scrub it. How many pieces of clothing have you ruined already?”

“In any case, I’m not going. I have a family business to inherit. This Dongji Noodle Shop is still waiting for me to carry it forward and make it flourish.” Dong Yao leaned close to the pressure cooker and, unable to wait, reached out to open it.

“Hiss.”

She burned her hand.

Hearing the noise, Zhong Ximei rushed in anxiously. She skillfully pulled Dong Yao’s hand over and rinsed it with cold water. “When are you going to fix this reckless habit of yours? How many times have you been burned by this pressure cooker already? Why do you never learn?”

Dong Yao looked at the reddened spot. “Look at me. I can’t even take care of myself in daily life. Do you really have the heart to drive me to such a faraway place? What if I die out there…”

“Pah, pah, pah.” Zhong Ximei raised her hand and slapped the back of her head hard. “Nothing good ever comes out of your mouth.”

Dong Yao stumbled forward from the slap. “Mom, can’t you be a little gentler?”

Zhong Ximei rummaged through a drawer and found burn ointment. “Apply it yourself.”

Dong Yao took it cheerfully, found a place to sit, and went to apply the medicine.

Zhong Ximei looked at her and sighed helplessly. It seemed that no matter when, no matter what situation she was in, Dong Yao was always quite happy, carefree and heartless.

“Tobei is a big city. That’s the kind of place young people like you should stay,” Zhong Ximei said.

Dong Yao’s hand paused as she applied the ointment. After a moment of silence, she joked again, “If I leave, won’t you become a left-behind mom?”

Zhong Ximei rolled her eyes at her. “You never act serious for a single day.”

The ointment felt cool and refreshing on the burn.

Dong Yao put away her careless manner and was rarely serious for once. “Mom, stop persuading me. I’m not going anywhere.”

Zhong Ximei opened the pressure cooker lid. Hot steam billowed out. She ladled out a bowl and placed it on the table. “Eat.”

Dong Yao grinned. She picked up the spoon and, without waiting for it to cool, hurriedly shoved a mouthful into her mouth. Unsurprisingly, it was so hot that she kept blowing out breaths.

Zhong Ximei said, “Were you a starving ghost in your past life? With you like this, never mind sending you to Tobei to work hard. Even marrying you off would be a problem.”

Dong Yao narrowed her eyes slightly. “Delicious. My mom’s cooking really is unmatched. This beef—fragrant. Too fragrant. Mom, don’t eat any. That whole pot is mine.”

“Biting off more than you can chew.” Zhong Ximei glared at her.

Dong Yao gulped down a mouthful of soup.

But Zhong Ximei seemed somewhat distracted.

Dong Yao said, “Aren’t you eating? Are you really planning to give the whole pot to your precious daughter?”

Zhong Ximei said, “I know why you don’t want to go to Tobei. Actually, I’ll be fine here by myself. The neighbors are all familiar faces. They’ll look after me.”

Dong Yao swallowed a big piece of beef. “Stop. Mom, don’t think of me as that noble. I simply want to stay home and freeload off your cooking.”

Zhong Ximei raised her hand and, with a smack, hit Dong Yao on the head again.

Dong Yao clutched her head, a little annoyed. “If you keep hitting me, I really will become stupid.”

“You’re already stupid,” Zhong Ximei said, pulling over a piece of tissue and throwing it to her. “Your mouth is covered in oil. Wipe it.”

Dong Yao took it and wiped messily a couple of times. It only took a few minutes for the bowl of beef to go into her stomach. Then she picked up the bowl and was about to go get another serving. Unsurprisingly, she was hit on the head again.

“We’ll be eating dinner soon. Eat more then.” Zhong Ximei snatched the empty bowl away.

Dong Yao clamored that she still wanted to eat, but one sharp glare from Zhong Ximei frightened her into silence.

Zhong Ximei placed the bowl in the sink, turned on the water, and washed it.

After washing it, Zhong Ximei looked through the window at the person sitting outside, holding a pencil and drawing on a blank sheet of paper.

The drawing did not turn out well, so Dong Yao crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash can not far away.

Clang.

It went in with one throw, landing steadily in the trash can.

“Mom, did you see that? With talent like mine, why didn’t you train me to play basketball when I was little?” Dong Yao raised her head proudly. With her fair, clean face, simple ponytail, and loose white T-shirt, she looked like a high school student of only seventeen or eighteen.

Zhong Ximei ignored her.

Outside, a light drizzle began to fall, washing away the summer heat.

Dong Yao tossed the pencil and drawing board back onto the table and turned on the television. The sound of the advertisements covered the whirring of the old electric fan as well as the sound of rain outside.

The clock overhead was about to turn to six.

Dong Yao yawned and lay sprawled on the table, watching the television. Her eyes opened and closed from time to time.

When the advertisement ended, the drama began to play. The person who appeared on screen had long flowing hair and a gentle, dignified bearing. It was Gu Shiqiu.

The clock ticked once and turned exactly six o’clock.

Dong Yao closed her eyes and fell asleep in a daze.

“It’s time to get up.”

A warm, gentle voice entered her ears.

Dong Yao was very sleepy. She could not get up, nor could she tell where she was. She only hummed subconsciously.

But that gentle voice refused to let her off. “If you don’t get up, I’ll spank you.”

There was a hint of teasing in those words, but even more indulgence.

With a rustle, someone opened the curtains.

Dong Yao rubbed her eyes and squinted, adjusting to the light. After she adjusted a little, she saw the scene inside the room clearly.

An unfamiliar room. An unfamiliar layout.

Hadn’t she just fallen asleep on the table in the shop? Where was this? And the person sitting by the bed…

Gu Shiqiu?

Dong Yao laughed, lazily lay back down, closed her eyes, and continued sleeping.

So it was a dream. This dream was pretty strange. She did not chase celebrities or pay attention to stars, so how had she dreamed of Gu Shiqiu?

“Why did you lie down again? I really am going to spank you,” Gu Shiqiu threatened, but her tone was too gentle to sound intimidating.

Dong Yao lazily replied, “Then go ahead.”

Gu Shiqiu leaned closer, and she really did lightly pat her once.

It did not hurt.

Of course. It was a dream, so naturally it would not hurt.

Gu Shiqiu sounded helpless. “Be good. Breakfast is almost ready. If you don’t get up, it’ll get cold. Hurry up and wash up. I’ll go heat a cup of milk.”

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Dong Yao let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, she could sleep.

Just as she fell asleep again, the alarm clock at the head of the bed rang with a shrill “ding ding ding,” extremely piercing.

Dong Yao turned over irritably and covered her ears with a pillow, but it was useless.

With difficulty, she reached out and turned off the alarm.

Most of her sleepiness had been driven away by the alarm. She opened her eyes in confusion and stared blankly at the ceiling.

What was going on with this dream? It felt strangely real.

Dong Yao wanted to sit up, but as soon as she moved, she fell back down again.

Her waist was terribly sore and weak.

Dong Yao frowned, sensing that something was not quite right. She swept her gaze around the room. It was spacious and bright, simple and clean, mainly decorated in black and white. The floor was a little messy, with clothes scattered everywhere. Even intimate clothing had been thrown onto the windowsill.

She lifted the quilt and found herself stark naked, without a single thing on.

Her sore waist, her complete lack of clothing, and the messy room all announced one thing without exception…

This was an erotic dream.

Dong Yao tugged at the corners of her mouth. Fine, an erotic dream was an erotic dream. But did she only get the sore waist and not the process?

It was one thing for novels and TV dramas to cut to black—but even dreams could cut to black too???