The Alpha Daughter-in-Law's Whitewashing Journey in a Reality Show with Her Child (GL) - Chapter 7

During her lunch break, Chu Siyun sat in the lounge, eating and trying to remember what on earth she had said to Qin Shiyue on that video call. Over a hundred minutes! What was even more unbelievable was that she couldn’t remember a single thing.

It was infuriating. Why did she drink? It just caused problems. She must have made a complete fool of herself.

She couldn’t just casually ask Qin Shiyue. That would be too embarrassing. But not asking meant she was still embarrassed anyway. Chu Siyun poked at the rice in her lunchbox. Finally, she tossed her chopsticks. She couldn’t eat anymore. She was so full of anger. She wished she could go back in time to yesterday and hit herself over the head.

Just as she put her chopsticks down, Bi Qiujun came in, looking exhausted. Chu Siyun forced a smile. “Sister Jun, you must be tired.”

Bi Qiujun waved her hand. “Don’t mention it.” Seeing the expression on Chu Siyun’s face, Bi Qiujun asked, “What’s wrong? Did someone upset you? Or did you two have a fight?”

Chu Siyun opened her mouth, but stopped herself. How could she explain? There was no way to explain it.

Bi Qiujun took a sip of the water Xiao Chen handed her and said leisurely, “Ah, anyone would be mad. To get cursed at for no reason, and you’re not even going to let them be angry for a while? Just communicate properly.”

Chu Siyun remained silent.

Bi Qiujun, in a “been there, done that” voice, said, “Young people’s emotions come and go quickly. Just talk nicely to her. If all else fails, a little bit of that will fix everything in a minute.”

Seeing the suggestive look in Bi Qiujun’s eyes, Chu Siyun was full of protest. “What are you talking about?”

Bi Qiujun put on a more serious face. “Tell me, what’s really going on with you two? Are any of the netizens’ guesses true?”

Chu Siyun was confused. “What guesses?”

Bi Qiujun counted on her fingers. “Some people say she’s your sugar daddy, and you left the industry to have her baby and tie her down. Some people say she’s your boy toy, and you’re so madly in love with her that you had to have a child, even if it meant giving up your career. And some people say…”

What is all this nonsense? Chu Siyun interrupted Bi Qiujun. “Stop. We’re just a normal couple who met, got married, and had a baby. There’s no sugar daddy, and she’s not a boy toy.”

Bi Qiujun nodded. “Got it.”

Seeing Bi Qiujun’s relaxed face, Chu Siyun felt a little guilty. What was “normal” about her and Qin Shiyue’s “meeting,” “marriage,” and “having a baby”?

Bi Qiujun changed the subject. “The internet is full of people cursing her. The best way to clear her name is to be on a reality show, assuming her character is actually good.”

Huh? Chu Siyun asked, “And then?”

Bi Qiujun put on a new smile. “After you went public yesterday, someone came to see me. You know him, Director Fu Xiaohui. You were on his show before. He said he’s preparing a parent-child travel show and wants to invite you. If it were anyone else, I would have refused immediately, but I owe him a favor, so I told him I’d ask you.”

Chu Siyun eyed her suspiciously. “You didn’t agree on my behalf, did you?”

Bi Qiujun gave her a look of disdain. “Am I that kind of person?”

Chu Siyun nodded. “That’s true. But if I don’t agree, will it look bad? And will you not be able to repay your favor?”

Bi Qiujun said, “It’s fine. By me asking you, I’ve already helped him. Whether you agree or not is your business.”

Chu Siyun fell into deep thought.

Bi Qiujun frowned. “What? Are you thinking about going?”

Chu Siyun shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Bi Qiujun said, “This isn’t part of your career plan.”

Chu Siyun looked at her. “So, I can’t go?”

Bi Qiujun smiled. “It’s not that you can’t. Whatever makes you happy.”

Xiao Chen, who was taking out the trash, came back in. Bi Qiujun stood up. “I’m leaving. Give me your answer tomorrow.”

Chu Siyun nodded.

After seeing Bi Qiujun off, Xiao Chen asked curiously, “Sis, an answer about what? A new movie?”

Chu Siyun sighed. “No. You’ll find out later. It’s a big surprise.”

A big surprise? What could it be? Xiao Chen was getting more and more curious.

Chu Siyun’s phone rang, jolting her back to reality. It was a video call from Qin Shiyue. Chu Siyun held the phone like a hot potato, unsure whether to answer or not. By the time it automatically hung up, Chu Siyun was filled with regret. She should have just answered it.

What’s meant to be will be. There’s no escaping fate.

In the hospital room, Qin Shiyue stood by the window, a deep frown on her face as she looked at the unanswered call. What’s going on? Is she too guilty to face me?

Yesterday, when she got back to her room after the game, she was shocked to see a line of missed video calls. Did drunk people always cause so much trouble? She had called repeatedly. And after she answered, the person wouldn’t let her hang up and insisted that she stay awake with her. It seriously messed with her sleep.

Chu Siyun’s mother, Ms. Meng Ruolan, said, “It’s okay. She’s probably busy. There’s no rush.”

Qin Shiyue said, “Maybe she didn’t hear it. I’ll call again.”

Busy with what? I already asked Xiao Chen.

The second call, Chu Siyun answered instantly. Seeing her face, Qin Shiyue didn’t know what to say. This video call felt awkward. Chu Siyun also didn’t say anything. They just stared at each other in silence. It was strange.

Meng Ruolan softly called out, “Shiyue?”

Qin Shiyue snapped out of it. “Oh, um, Grandma wants to see you and talk to you.” As she spoke, Qin Shiyue walked towards the bed, turning the phone screen towards the elderly woman.

Chu Siyun smiled sweetly. “Grandma.”

The white-haired woman on the bed, with an oxygen tube in her nose, still managed to pull a smile. “My baby, how’s work?”

Chu Siyun nodded. “I’m doing well. I’ll be done soon. I’ll come back to see you as soon as I’m done.”

Grandma’s smile grew wider. “Don’t worry about me. It’s just my old ailment.”

Chu Siyun’s voice was a little whiny. “Grandma, I miss you so much.”

Hearing this, Meng Ruolan couldn’t hold back anymore. She snatched the phone from Qin Shiyue and shouted, “Chu Siyun, you’re all talk! Are you happy making empty promises to your grandmother? You say it, but why don’t you do it? Are you even qualified to be a daughter and a granddaughter? You’re unfilial.” She had never approved of Chu Siyun’s career. She ran all over the world, never at home, never taking care of her child or the elderly. She wasn’t even as good as Qin Shiyue, her daughter-in-law.

Chu Siyun knew her mom had been holding her frustrations in for a long time because of her work. She didn’t dare say a word. Seeing the situation going south, even the grandma in the bed was getting anxious.

Qin Shiyue quickly went to intervene. “Mom, don’t worry. She’s almost done with filming. Let her talk to Grandma for a few more minutes. She has to go back to work soon.”

Meng Ruolan glanced back at her mother in the bed, guiltily handed the phone back to Qin Shiyue, and waved her hand dismissively.

Qin Shiyue looked at Meng Ruolan’s expression and took the phone back to the bed. Meng Ruolan didn’t want to listen to Chu Siyun’s sweet talk deceiving the old lady, so she left the room.

Chu Siyun’s father had taken Chu Xiao to get some things, so it was just Qin Shiyue and Grandma in the room. The atmosphere became much more pleasant.

Grandma said a relatively long sentence. “Baby, don’t listen to your mom. Do what you want to do. I’ll be okay.”

Perhaps because of her illness, she was a little breathless after speaking. Chu Siyun felt incredibly guilty. “Grandma, I’ll be done soon. I’ll come back to see you as soon as I’m done.”

Grandma didn’t have the strength to talk, but she smiled and nodded.

Qin Shiyue played the mediator. “You go back to work. Let Grandma rest.” Seeing Grandma close her eyes, Qin Shiyue said softly, “I won’t say any more. I’m hanging up.”

Chu Siyun quickly stopped her. “Wait! I have something to tell you.”

What?! Chu Siyun lowered her voice. “Go somewhere private.”

Qin Shiyue was speechless. “There’s no one else here.”

Chu Siyun insisted, “Just go.”

Qin Shiyue went to the bathroom. “What is it?”

Chu Siyun said in a serious tone, “Well, there’s a parent-child travel show that wants to invite us.”

Qin Shiyue frowned. “They want you to bring the child?”

Chu Siyun said, “No, all three of us.”

Qin Shiyue immediately rejected the idea. “No.”

Chu Siyun tried to explain. “Going on a reality show is the fastest way to clear our names.”

Qin Shiyue argued, “Time can also clear our names.”

Chu Siyun said, “That would take a long, long time, and it’s so unfair to you.”

Qin Shiyue frowned. “Still no.”

Chu Siyun nodded. “Okay. I’ll decline tomorrow. But you still have a chance to change your mind. You can also ask Xiaoxiao.”

Qin Shiyue grunted her agreement.

Trying to gauge her mood, Chu Siyun bit the bullet and asked, “What did I… do on the video call yesterday?”

Oh my god. She really didn’t remember. She should have just hung up and let her sleep. She shouldn’t have wasted so much time talking to her.

Just as Qin Shiyue was about to speak, she heard Xiao Chen’s voice on the other end of the phone. “Sis, they’re ready.”

Then Chu Siyun quickly said, “That’s it, that’s it. I’m hanging up.” She sounded like the words were burning her lips. She spit them out and immediately hung up.

Chu Siyun hung up and put her phone on silent in one smooth motion. Could it be any more awkward than this? She asked but didn’t get an answer. She should have just kept her mouth shut.

Qin Shiyue left the bathroom and saw that everyone was back. Chu Xiao had a lollipop in her mouth and handed her another one. Qin Shiyue took the candy and put it in her pocket.

Chu Siyun’s father, Chu Dongnan, suggested, “Shiyue, why don’t you take the child back? You’ve been busy all day, and Xiaoxiao has class tomorrow.”

Qin Shiyue didn’t refuse.

As she drove away from the hospital, Qin Shiyue kept an eye on the road while asking her daughter in the back seat, “Sweetie, would you like to travel with Mom?”

Chu Xiao’s voice was full of excitement. “Can we?”

I get it. The child is very willing.

Qin Shiyue said, “I think so. But it’s a little complicated. I’m trying to figure out how to explain it to you.”

If they went on this show, first, Qin Shiyue herself would be unhappy. It would be like being watched by cameras, and she wouldn’t be able to relax. They’d have to follow the show’s rules. They’d also have to “get along” with others. Even if she didn’t know them well, she would have to pretend to. It was too uncomfortable. Most importantly, her personality might not win anyone over. She didn’t want to pretend to be someone she wasn’t.

But if they didn’t go on the show, she and the child would probably be cursed at for a long time. If Chu Siyun did spend more time with the child, they would be photographed all the time, and the public relations costs would be huge. If anything went wrong, it would be another wave of online hate.

Being on the show could help Chu Siyun build a deeper connection with the child and let the child experience a more complete love. If they could win over most of the audience, it would be a lot easier for Chu Siyun to spend time with the child in the future.

If they didn’t go on the show, she and the child could live a peaceful and stable life. At most, they would just stay away from Chu Siyun, like they did before.

Qin Shiyue had been very firm in her refusal to Chu Siyun, but now, after mentioning it to the child, she was starting to hesitate. She wanted her child to grow up in a complete and healthy family.

She was conflicted and couldn’t make a choice.

At a red light, Qin Shiyue looked back at the child. Chu Xiao’s eyes were sparkling as she looked at an old woman selling balloons outside the window.

Qin Shiyue asked her, “Do you want one?”

Chu Xiao excitedly nodded.

Qin Shiyue found a place to pull over and took Chu Xiao to buy a balloon. There were so many different types. Chu Xiao walked around the old woman twice and finally chose a Doraemon one. After paying, Qin Shiyue took the child back to the car. Chu Xiao sat down, looking at the balloon happily. Qin Shiyue was happy too.

She restarted the car and headed home, her mind suddenly clear. She had lived a carefree life, and Chu Xiao was the only person she had ever wanted to protect. Why was she so conflicted? As long as her child was happy, that’s all that mattered. She’d let her choose.

Author’s Note:

I hope you’re all having a great life!