Chapter 26: In Your Dreams
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“It’s Sis Weiwei looking for you. Are you going or not?” asked the assistant. Her voice had become stern, as if to imply that An Xiaoning would be looking for trouble if she does not do as she was told, especially since it was the female lead who asked to see her.
“Go ahead. It’s the female lead calling,” urged the extra who was next to her.
She had no choice but to get up and alight from the coach together with Sun Weiwei’s assistant.
“What is it that you have to drag me here to talk about?” asked a dissatisfied An Xiaoning when she could no longer see much of the coach.
“Did you see something when you were in our nanny van?”
“Saw something?” asked An Xiaoning, feigning ignorance. “I don’t understand what you are saying.”
“You look pretty smart. But let me warn you, do not spout any nonsense about what you saw today to anyone. You can eat anything you want, but you can’t do the same for the things you say. Sis Weiwei is not going to let you off if she finds out.”
“Why can’t you say anything you want, but you can eat anything you’d like? If the food is poisoned, then wouldn’t it be harmful to eat it?” corrected An Xiaoning.
“…” The assistant snapped, “Have you got any brains? That’s not my point at all.”
“Maybe? I’ve always felt like I was different ever since I was young. Maybe I really don’t have any brains.”
Knowing that it was a prompt from Sun Weiwei when her phone vibrated, the assistant quickly said, “I shall tell you the truth. Sis Weiwei’s God-brother is the famed Ye Xiaotian. You should know about the Ye family right? Know your limits and behave yourself. You’d better be mindful of what you say.”
She walked towards the nanny van after saying her piece.
An Xiaoning followed closely behind. To her shock and dismay, she discovered that the coach had left without her. Sun Weiwei’s nanny van was the only vehicle left in sight, but she knew they would not offer to ferry her.
An Xiaoning had realized by now that the reason the assistant had asked her to talk at such a faraway place was so she could abandon her at the dilapidated place.
“Bye… You may slowly walk back by yourself!” the assistant gloated happily as she waved at An Xiaoning near the window.
“Damn it! To hell with you!” cursed An Xiaoning, finally letting off some of the steam and anger she had been suppressing.
An Xiaoning was filled with rage as she watched the nanny van slowly disappear out of sight. She whipped out her phone, wanting to call her husband, only to realize that her phone was out of battery.
She could not have been any unluckier.
She stood rooted to the ground like a homeless spirit. Noticing that the sky was turning dark, she picked up her speed and hurriedly walked down the mountain.
Since the journey by car would already take 20 minutes, An Xiaoning realized that she would have to continue walking for an extended period of time.
Yet, she did not have a better choice.
Storms gather without warning, and bad luck befalls men overnight. To her dismay, it began to pour heavily.
An Xiaoning finally understood what it means to make a rod for her own back — insisting on making a bet with Jin Qingyan, she had landed herself in such a horrid place and situation instead of simply enjoying her life as a rich man’s wife.
She had to pay the consequences of the decisions she chose to make.
By the time she reached the foot of the mountain, she was about to collapse.
Fortunately, she stumbled across a mini mart.
She walked towards the mart and asked in a weak and feeble voice, “Sir, could I please borrow your phone to make a call? I was abandoned by the production team on the mountain, and I didn’t bring my phone and wallet. But don’t worry, I’ll pay you for the telephone call when the person picking me up arrives.”
“Miss, how did you get so drenched? Hurry in, the phone is on the table. You may make the call inside.”
“Thank you, Sir.” An Xiaoning wiped the rain water off her face with her hands and quickly went inside to give Jin Qingyan a call.
She did not try to memorize his phone number intentionally, it was simply too eye-catching to not remember. It was easy to remember his phone number just after a glance.
188888888XX
There was a response only after the second call.
“Hello,” it was Jin Qingyan’s voice indeed.
“Hubby, I’ve been abandoned. My phone is out of battery, and I left my wallet in a box with the production unit.”
“Where are you?”
“A mini mart at the foot of Mount Heyuan.”
“Got it, I’ll come to pick you up now,” said Jin Qingyan as he hung up shortly after.
An Xiaoning put down the phone and sat at the entrance of the minimart. “Thank you so much, Sir,” she said in gratitude.
“No problem. Everyone is bound to meet with a difficulty every now and then. Here, dry your hair, Miss,” replied the mini mart owner, handing her a dry towel.
She cast him a smile and began to dry herself.
After more than 20 minutes, Jin Qingyan finally arrived.
He pulled up at the entrance of the mini mart and An Xiaoning rushed forward to open the door. Instead of hopping in, she asked, “Do you have five dollars?”
“There,” said Jin Qingyan. He handed her a 10-dollar note.
She took the money and handed it to the owner while grabbing a bottle of mineral water.
After he returned her the change, she bowed and thanked him once again, “Sir, I’ve got to get going now, thank you so much! ”
He waved at her and said, “Goodbye.”
She hopped onto the car and closed the door before gulping down the entire bottle of mineral water, all in one go.
An Xiaoning heaved a sigh of relief and poured out her grievances, “Hubby, a prank was pulled on me today.”
“You’re so muddle-headed all the time, I’m not surprised that you got pranked.”
“The female lead of the drama, Sun Weiwei, had asked me to touch up her makeup. I accidentally tripped over her assistant’s leg and fell onto her pouch. Little did I expect there to be a container of white powder in her pouch. I managed to catch a glimpse of it…”
“Look, you were being such a dimwit.”
An Xiaoning’s face stiffened and she retorted, “I don’t think I was dimwitted. It’s just that they were overly-suspecting and paranoid. I wouldn’t have planned to do anything if they didn’t treat me that way. But now… I’m going to show them that I’m not to be trifled with,” she said menacingly, anger written all over her face.
“Aren’t you planning to keep your job? How are you going to show them that you’re not to be trifled with? To be honest, a female lead like her can get you fired easily.”
“There’ll always be a way out in due course. I have my own way, always. Haven’t I made a bet with you? I won’t admit defeat that easily. ”
“Wow, you’ve got a backbone,” said Jin Qingyan, a smile hanging from the corner of his lips.
“Thanks a lot, though, for coming to pick me up.”
“Actions speak louder than words,” he hinted.
An Xiaoning did not continue bickering with him and instead remained silent as she looked out of the window.
After some time, they arrived at the villa.
An Xiaoning alighted from the car and hurriedly ran inside the house. After changing into her home slippers, she quickly headed upstairs for a comfortable, warm bath. She then changed into a set of thick pyjamas to stay warm. The kitchen helper had also brought her some hot ginger tea, to warm herself up.
“Young Madam, how did you get so drenched?”
“I’m fine, Auntie Chen.”
“Enjoy your ginger tea, Young Madam. I shall head back to the kitchen. Do come down later for dinner.”
“Sure,” replied An Xiaoning. After pulling her hair back, she removed her home slippers and sat cross-legged on the bed while sipping on her ginger tea.
At the sight of her relaxing on the bed, Jin Qingyan mocked with curled lips, “Isn’t it so much more relaxing and carefree to stay at home and enjoy life as a Young Madam, without having to go out and work?”
“It is. I won’t attend work tomorrow if you decide to forfeit the bet and admit defeat, then grant me any wish I’d like.
“In your dreams,” he replied.