Chapter 68: Excited Hearts, Shaking Hands
They quietly sneaked upstairs and collapsed onto the bed like they had completely run out of energy.
Take a shower? Forget it. It was not that they did not want to. They were simply too exhausted to care anymore.
One person fell asleep while sitting on the couch by the window, still holding a phone and dealing with work messages. The other fell asleep while lying on the bed and chatting with someone online.
Early the next morning, the loud music from the elderly morning exercise group started spreading noise through the neighborhood right on time.
The one on the bed smacked their lips a few times. The one on the couch scratched their messy hair.
After sleeping in a daze all night, washing up, and getting ready, it was already time to head out again.
Guo Rui had many complaints about newlyweds going to work instead of enjoying their honeymoon. But when she saw the two big bowls in the sink, she looked very satisfied. She immediately decided to reward them even more and increase things by another twenty percent.
They had truly smashed their own feet with the stone they threw.
Cheng Fei felt like dying. She did not even know how she managed to drink that bowl of soup. She only remembered almost throwing up in the hallway after leaving home.
Gao Ming’s face had almost turned purple from holding it in, but for the sake of dignity he still forced himself to endure it.
Thinking about how life would continue like this, Cheng Fei could no longer take it.
“Boss Gao, when exactly are we starting the short film?”
“We have to wait until all the props arrive.”
Still have to wait?
Cheng Fei looked completely hopeless.
“How much longer?!”
Even Gao Ming could not answer. He also felt life could not continue like this.
He immediately took out his phone, called someone, and walked to the side to speak quietly. Nobody could hear clearly what he said. They only heard Gao Ming ask, “Can you hurry it up?” After that, the person on the other end suddenly went silent, making Gao Ming repeatedly ask what happened.
“Hello? What’s wrong?”
The other side was still strangely quiet. Gao Ming checked his phone. The call was still connected, and the signal was full. Thinking the volume might be too low, he turned on speaker mode.
The anger on the other side exploded at that exact moment.
“Brother! Do you even know how few people we have here? Do you know how long it normally takes to finish one piece? Do you know these people haven’t gone home for days because of your order? Even after all that, you still want it faster? I’m not afraid their wives and kids will come with axes and chainsaws to kidnap me. I’m afraid they’ll throw me into a pot, cook me, slice me up with a huge sword, and stew me with pickled cabbage! Then I won’t even be alive to spend the money you’re paying me!”
“I’ll pay double.”
“......”
Cheng Fei’s eyelids twitched.
With just one calm sentence, Gao Ming completely calmed the raging anger.
In this world, there was no business that could not be negotiated. The only problem was whether the price was high enough.
Money could make life easier. Without money, life was hard.
In the end, the studio owner making the armor surrendered to the power of money.
Another half week passed.
Their days of hiding around like mice, drinking soup in the morning and secretly pouring it out at night, finally came to an end.
That day, a tour group was about to leave. Gao Ming’s unusual parents were heading to Yunqi Mountain with old friends and former comrades.
Before leaving, Guo Rui gave endless instructions.
“Don’t cook the soup for too long, or the nutrients will be gone. Then drinking it will be useless.”
“Mm, got it.”
“And I already packed the medicine bags. Just throw them into the chicken soup or pork rib soup later. Oh, and I checked your cycle dates. It’s best to add deer antler three days before your period.”
Uh...
She even kept track of that?
How did this old lady find out? She did not even visit that often!
Forget it. No point thinking too much about it. Sending these two gods away quickly was the top priority.
“Got it. Thanks, Mom, for caring so much about me.”
“Hehe, actually there’s one more thing—”
Her endless talking annoyed not only Cheng Fei and Gao Ming, but even Gao Limin, who normally supported her completely.
He quickly got off the bus and grabbed Guo Rui by the arm.
“Enough already. A whole bus of people is waiting for you. Stop talking so much.”
Normally, Guo Rui would definitely argue back. But now she felt too embarrassed to do so. She glared at him and let him drag her away.
Even while walking away, she still would not stop talking.
“We’re leaving now! Make sure you remember everything!”
“We know!”
Bang!
The bus door shut tightly.
Cheng Fei’s lips trembled. Without even caring who was behind her, she excitedly spread her arms and gave a huge hug.
The person being hugged hugged back just as tightly.
Their shaking hands and trembling eyes looked like they were both about to cry.
“You worked hard!”
“You worked hard too!”
Instead of going to the shop, Cheng Fei decided to fully relax herself for once.
Back at home, she happily soaked in a hot bath while listening to music, with two plates of dried beef beside her.
“Ah, life...!”
Cheng Fei picked up a small piece of dried beef, held it under her nose, and took a deep breath of the rich smell. Then she raised it high dramatically like she was about to celebrate something.
But just as she lifted it above her head, the doorbell suddenly rang.
She jumped in surprise, and the dried beef fell straight into the bathwater.
“Who is it?” she shouted impatiently.
“It’s me... Sister Feifei!”
Even through several walls, the voice sounded unclear, but Cheng Fei still felt it sounded familiar. Her mind immediately started working fast.
Because she was thinking too hard, she grabbed her pajamas carelessly and accidentally dropped them into the water. Left with no choice, she wrapped herself in a towel.
Right before opening the door, she finally figured it out.
Hu Tong!
Cheng Fei quickly opened the door, and as expected, it really was her.
But Cheng Fei’s memory of this little sister figure was still stuck in their high school days. Back then, Hu Tong was short, skinny, and dark-skinned, and she was often bullied by classmates.
Now, Cheng Fei almost could not recognize her.
She had grown taller and fairer. Her figure was still slim compared to most girls, but she looked far healthier than the old skin-and-bones version of herself.
The change was huge, almost like a complete transformation.
That little girl she had not seen for years had now become a graceful young woman.
People often joked that college was like a plastic surgery clinic, but after seeing Hu Tong’s changes, Cheng Fei felt it was more like magic craftsmanship.
While admiring someone else’s transformation, Cheng Fei also sighed emotionally. Why did she never have this kind of luck herself back then?
Meanwhile, Hu Tong was also staring at Cheng Fei.
She had only heard from Zhou Lin that Lu Wei had become a woman, a very beautiful woman. But she never imagined Cheng Fei would be this stunning in person.
Although her figure was not as eye-catching as Zheng Qi’s, every part of her body looked perfectly balanced. Not too thin, not too full.
The two women quietly looked each other over.
Cheng Fei clearly understood that Hu Tong finding her here was definitely not a coincidence. Someone must have told her.
And besides Zhou Lin, there was no one else it could be.
Sure, whenever trouble came, she and Zhou Lin were always the ones standing at the front. She had treated Hu Tong like a real younger sister since childhood.
But even so, Zhou Lin had still told her the truth behind her back.
It was not that Cheng Fei refused to let Hu Tong know. But if anyone was going to tell her, it should have been Cheng Fei herself.
That damned Zhou Lin actually sold her out!
Cheng Fei gritted her teeth angrily, making cracking sounds.
Hu Tong smiled softly and said, “Now... I should call you Sister Feifei, right?”
“Of course!” Cheng Fei nodded and smiled brightly.
Suddenly, Hu Tong opened her arms and tightly hugged Cheng Fei.
Knowing that someone as important as an older brother was still alive, and now finally seeing her in person after everything she had gone through, there was no way Hu Tong could control her emotions.
“Brother Lu Wei... this is so good. I can still hug you now...”
A soft white hand gently stroked through Hu Tong’s waterfall-like black hair.
Cheng Fei comforted her with actions instead of words. Her already gentle voice became even softer.
“If you keep hugging me like this, my towel is going to fall off. Don’t make me expose myself in front of the neighbors. Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Mm!”
Hu Tong lifted her head. Tears were still sliding down her cheeks.
Seeing that made Cheng Fei’s heart tighten. She gently wiped away the tears with her thumb.
Hu Tong then looked Cheng Fei up and down again. Her eyes paused briefly on Cheng Fei’s exposed legs before looking down at her own.
“Sister, you’re really beautiful now.”
“Hehe...”
What woman would dislike being called beautiful?
But for Cheng Fei, it sometimes felt more like a burden.
She laughed bitterly at herself, placed a hand on Hu Tong’s small shoulder, and walked with her toward the table.
They had not seen each other for a very long time, so there was endless stuff to talk about.
From childhood memories until now, they happily talked about the past. Before they realized it, the sky had already started getting dark.
Seeing the time, Hu Tong figured that if someone else came home later, things might get awkward, so she prepared to leave.
“Come visit me anytime if you’re free. I’m not like your brother anymore. I have my own shop now, so I’m very free. I can go wherever I want.”
“Mm, definitely... Sister Feifei, there’s something I forgot to tell you.”
“Say it! Did Zhou Lin go crazy playing games again?” Cheng Fei interrupted first.
“No way!” Hu Tong laughed softly.
She folded her hands in front of herself and returned to her usual quiet and well-behaved appearance.
“I... made it. I passed the graduate school exam.”
“Really?!”
Cheng Fei’s shock was written all over her face. Even her expression looked different from normal.
“Mm.” Hu Tong nodded shyly.
“I knew you would succeed someday. I just didn’t think it would happen this fast! Hahaha!”
Hu Tong smiled quietly with closed lips, but Cheng Fei was so excited she could not control herself anymore. She hugged Hu Tong and spun around in circles.
“Sister Feifei, I’m getting dizzy.”
“Hehe, I’m happy. Just two more circles!”
After laughing and celebrating, Hu Tong finally left, walking unsteadily like a dizzy kitten after being spun around too much.
Cheng Fei closed the door and walked back into the house, feeling a little dizzy herself.
……………………………
Early the next morning, before she even got out of bed, loud knocking woke her up.
She thought Hu Tong had come back again, but instead it was several unfamiliar women.
After asking, she learned they were makeup artists sent by Gao Ming to do her styling.
The makeup session lasted almost an hour and felt unbearable.
Sitting upright on the chair with perfect posture the entire time, Cheng Fei could not relax even a little. She honestly could not tell whether the artist was putting makeup on her, or whether she herself had become the makeup artist’s masterpiece.
Actually, there was no difference.
When makeup was done well, the person naturally became the greatest work of art.
And clearly, after Cheng Fei opened her eyes and saw herself fully styled in the mirror, she felt even more amazed than when she first wore her wedding dress.
People really did become more beautiful with good clothes and makeup.
“Wow!”
“This is basically a fairy from heaven!”
Everyone around her stared closely. Their praise was not full of fancy words, just simple sighs of amazement.
But among those people, Gao Ming said nothing.
Because he was already staring at her in complete shock.