Chapter 40: Oolong Vinegar*

*Oolong is a slang for blunder, vinegar for jealousy, so title means mistaken jealousy

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Fang Xinhua smiled when she got Bai Wenxi’s message. If Baby Qin’er and Movie Queen Lin really end up together, she must send Manager Bai a big red envelope.

Fang Xinhua looked at her Baby, who seemed absent-minded and looked like she was itching to catch someone cheating. She thought, is Baby Qin’er jealous of her ex-wife, or jealous of Queen Lin?

“Manager Bai said Queen Lin is going back to the hotel. Are you going there tonight to rehearse?” Fang Xinhua asked.

Qin Shiyue’s heart, which had been soaking in sulfuric acid and was being corroded by sourness, suddenly felt like someone pulled it out from the acid.

“They finished eating that fast?” Qin Shiyue’s tone had a bit of joy that even she didn’t notice. Last time when she invited Movie Queen Lin to eat, it didn’t end that quickly. Comparing the two, Qin Shiyue felt she won.

“Maybe Miss Kong’s food didn’t suit Movie Queen Lin’s taste,” Fang Xinhua said with a smile, thinking how fast Baby Qin’er’s mood turned good.

“It must not suit her taste,” Qin Shiyue agreed. Maybe even the person didn’t suit her taste either.

“So are we going to Portman Hotel now to look for Movie Queen Lin?” If they go out now and walk there, the time they arrive would be about the same as when Movie Queen Lin gets back.

Qin Shiyue still felt a little mad at Lin Qingyi when she thought about how she picked and drank the drink from Kong Huizhi, but didn’t drink her lemon water.

“I’m not going tonight,” Qin Shiyue said in a sulky voice.

“I did notice at that time that Movie Queen Lin didn’t really drink your ex-wife’s drink. The drink didn’t go down,” Fang Xinhua said. It looked like Baby Qin’er was upset because Movie Queen Lin didn’t pick her lemon water.

Qin Shiyue was surprised when she heard that, but she couldn’t stop the tiny bit of happiness that came up inside her. Then she felt, what is there to be happy about?

“If she didn’t drink it, why did she take it? Anyway, she just cares more about Kong Huizhi’s feelings and doesn’t care about mine at all…” Qin Shiyue said with a cold snort. Thinking of that moment still made her feel upset and a bit wronged.

“Maybe Movie Queen Lin feels she’s closer to you, so she didn’t treat you like an outsider. People are only polite to outsiders,” Fang Xinhua said.

After hearing that, Qin Shiyue actually felt it kinda made sense. The more close and familiar people are, the less polite they act. Strangers need politeness. So Lin Qingyi also feels they’re closer? That idea made Qin Shiyue feel a lot better in her heart.

“Then let’s go over,” Qin Shiyue now couldn’t wait to see Lin Qingyi.

Inside the nanny van, Bai Wenxi could feel the air pressure was a bit low the whole time. She secretly watched Lin Qingyi. The boss’ mood was still clearly bad. Maybe the ex-wives happened to show up at the same time, but they already divorced, was there really a need for the vinegar to be this sour? She thought her boss refreshed her understanding every day, especially the understanding of just how much she cared about Qin Shiyue.

“Little Boss Qin asked what time we’d get back to the hotel just now, so they’re probably arriving at the hotel soon too.” Bai Wenxi wondered if her boss’ mood might get a bit better once she saw the person she liked?

Qin Shiyue at this moment was like a drop of water falling into a pot of boiling oil, and it made Lin Qingyi’s heart explode a little. Her heart was blowing up, but on the surface, she was strangely cold.

Lin Qingyi felt that her most precious things were her time and energy. These were things she was usually very stingy about giving to others and yet when it came to Qin Shiyue, she was generous to a degree even she found unbelievable. But no matter how good she was to her, that person still only thought about her ex-wife. The moment the ex-wife showed up, she became her tail, sticking close behind, getting jealous over someone who didn’t even like her. Lin Qingyi felt like she was just a tool, used when needed.

“Tell her not to come anymore,” Lin Qingyi said coldly. She didn’t want to be that dumb Vase’s tool anymore, it only made her look dumber!

“Huh!?” Bai Wenxi panicked inside. She realized she had misjudged the situation. Qin Shiyue and Fang Xinhua were probably already on the way to the hotel. Getting turned away like this would be really awkward. Not even wanting to see her anymore, this level of rejection once again refreshed Bai Wenxi’s understanding. Her boss’s possessiveness really wasn’t normal.

“They’re almost here? Wouldn’t it be kinda harsh to tell them to turn back now?” Bai Wenxi tried to save the situation.

Lin Qingyi gave Bai Wenxi a cold glance. Sometimes, being smart on your own isn’t always a good thing.

“I know how to handle it,” Bai Wenxi said right after receiving Lin Qingyi’s cold glance. She quickly replied to Fang Xinhua’s message.

“I’m really sorry, my Teacher Lin isn't feeling good today, so she probably can’t rehearse with your Baby Qin'er tonight.” Bai Wenxi let out a small sigh over her own wrong guess. She couldn’t tell them that her Teacher Lin was in a bad mood because she was jealous. After all, her Teacher Lin would never admit it, and would never want others to know.

Bai Wenxi knew that when someone’s in a good mood, they’re especially forgiving. Sometimes even boldness could be allowed. But when they’re in a bad mood, they’d nitpick and wouldn’t let anyone touch their reverse scale.

Fang Xinhua, who was just a few steps away from Lin Qingyi’s hotel, saw the message and slightly frowned. Her Baby Qin'er’s mood had just gotten better, and now she was about to get hit with a cold splash again. But since they said so, they had no choice but to turn back.

“Manager Bai said Teacher Lin isn't feeling good today, so she can’t rehearse with you,” Fang Xinhua told Baby Qin'er.

Qin Shiyue was a straightforward person. She didn’t think this was just an excuse Lin Qingyi made to avoid seeing her. She really believed Lin Qingyi wasn’t feeling well.

“Isn't feeling good? No wonder she came back so soon after eating. Since we’re almost there anyway, let’s just check on her before going back,” Qin Shiyue said with some worry. “Oh right, ask Manager Bai where she’s not feeling well. We can buy her some medicine and bring it over.”

So, Qin Shiyue wanted to see Lin Qingyi even more now.

“Feeling unwell doesn’t always mean feeling physically sick. I think Manager Bai is someone who knows how to speak clearly,” Fang Xinhua felt that Baby Qin'er was too worried about her. Maybe she just didn’t want to see her.

“Anyway, we’re already here. Just one look, that’s all,” Qin Shiyue still felt it would ease her mind to see Lin Qingyi herself. She thought the reason she cared so much about Lin Qingyi was because Lin Qingyi helped her a lot, and she herself was a person with a strong sense of gratitude. So that’s why she worried about her like this.

Coincidentally, just as Qin Shiyue arrived at Lin Qingyi’s hotel entrance, she saw Lin Qingyi’s nanny van driving over from not far away.

Qin Shiyue stretched her neck, waiting for Lin Qingyi to get out of the car.

The van door opened, and first came a pair of long slender legs.

Qin Shiyue thought Lin Qingyi, this woman, even her legs looked better than others’. Look at those well-proportioned legs, so long, so straight, so seductive. It really made people look forward to seeing the rest of her.

And sure enough, the owner of those legs didn’t disappoint. That figure was absolutely top-notch. Her face didn’t even need to be said, and she had great presence too. But Qin Shiyue quickly noticed something strange. Lin Qingyi seemed a bit off today. She clearly saw her, yet acted like she didn’t.

Also, usually when she saw her, she often smiled. But today, there was no smile. And when she didn’t smile, that cold and distant feeling showed up right away.

What’s wrong with this woman’s brain line today? Why was she acting so cold and out of reach? Who made her unhappy? Qin Shiyue was very confused.

Qin Shiyue wanted to ask Lin Qingyi once she got closer. But when Lin Qingyi did walk over, she went right past her like she was air. Qin Shiyue stared in disbelief at the back of someone who just walked past. Was this woman blind? She was such a big person standing there, how could she not see her?

“You didn’t see me?” Qin Shiyue quickly caught up to Lin Qingyi and blocked her way just after entering the hotel’s glass doors.

“Little Boss Qin, is there something you need?” Lin Qingyi asked with a tone that was neither warm nor cold, like Qin Shiyue standing in front of her was just some stranger who had nothing to do with her.

Qin Shiyue looked at the suddenly unfamiliar Lin Qingyi in disbelief. She had never treated her this coldly before. Lin Qingyi acting all distant like this was even more annoying than when she used to tease her.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly acting so weird?” Qin Shiyue felt really confused. Who changed faces this fast? Even if she was a Movie Queen trying out a new acting style, she should at least give her a heads-up first. Right now she felt like a fool who didn’t even know how to act out the scene.

“If Little Boss Qin has nothing else, I’ll go back to my room and rest,” Lin Qingyi said in an even colder tone. After speaking, she walked past Qin Shiyue again.

Even though she didn’t know why Lin Qingyi suddenly changed her attitude, Qin Shiyue wasn’t stupid. She could tell Lin Qingyi didn’t want to talk to her. Lin Qingyi’s sudden coldness made Qin Shiyue feel super wronged. She couldn’t understand why Lin Qingyi was treating her like this all of a sudden. Could it be because she got together with Kong Huizhi, so now she’s acting this way toward her, the ex-wife?

Bai Wenxi didn’t expect her own Lin Qingyi to treat Qin Shiyue with such coldness either. Looking at Qin Shiyue, who was clearly hit hard and looked like she was about to cry, she started to feel guilty. She thought, I’m never making decisions on my own again. If she hadn’t sent the message, Qin Shiyue wouldn’t have shown up, and she wouldn’t have ended up catching the brunt of her boss’s bad mood.

“Just now, Teacher Qin looked like she was gonna cry…” Feeling bad for Qin Shiyue, Bai Wenxi still quietly said it, even though she knew she might get another cold look from Lin Qingyi.

When Lin Qingyi heard that, the ice in her heart cracked just a little. She wondered what kind of attitude she showed that dumb woman, would that woman even care? And even if she did, so what? Compared to how much she cares about Kong Huizhi, it’s not even a drop in the ocean.

Lin Qingyi couldn’t help but remember the time Qin Shiyue squatted on the ground crying after failing to keep Kong Huizhi. Anger started rising in her chest again. She hated how much attention she gave Qin Shiyue. She should’ve been like a year ago, even if she had a moment of weakness, wanting to reach out and help her up, she still held herself back, thinking it wasn’t her place. Now she was just being too nosy, trying to help her up, and in the end, she only ended up making herself miserable.

“Actually, Teacher Qin and Miss Kong just got divorced not long ago. It’s normal she hasn’t let go yet. But since they did get divorced, that shows it probably won’t work out. People say the best way to heal from a heartbreak is to start a new relationship… You were really cold to her just now. I’m afraid she might never dare come looking for you again…” Bai Wenxi saw that Lin Qingyi didn’t give her the cold eye this time, so she kept speaking up for Qin Shiyue.

“Bai Wenxi, you talk too much.” The elevator door opened, and Lin Qingyi threw down this slightly cold sentence before stepping out.

Just then, Bai Wenxi got a message from Fang Xinhua.

“What’s wrong with your Lin Qingyi?” There was a hint of questioning in her tone. Lin Qingyi flipped her attitude faster than flipping pages. If she didn’t like Baby Qin’er, then she shouldn’t have gone around teasing her. Now her Baby Qin’er was nearly crying from being wronged.

“How come your Baby Qin’er showed up with her ex-wife? Wasn’t she supposed to be filming around that time?” Bai Wenxi could almost picture Sister Fang’s unhappy face, seeing her baby being bullied. Sigh, if she’d known, she wouldn’t have stirred things up earlier. Now she had to admit she bore some of the blame. She couldn’t say it out loud, so she could only hint to Sister Fang that her Lin Qingyi was just jealous.

“Director Song wasn’t feeling well today, so they wrapped up early. Baby Qin’er got all happy, bought some lemon water and went to visit the set. Then right at the set entrance, she happened to run into Kong Huizhi, so they went in together.” As soon as Fang Xinhua heard Bai Wenxi’s hint, she understood, so Lin Qingyi was jealous? But thinking about it, Baby Qin’er showing up with Kong Huizhi really was a bit too coincidental. If Lin Qingyi really liked Baby Qin’er, it made sense for her to be jealous. Still, flipping her face that fast? That temper’s way too big. Was a woman like that really right for her Baby Qin’er?

Bai Wenxi thought to herself, so her own boss spent the whole afternoon being jealous for nothing?

Lin Qingyi returned to her room and looked at the huge presidential suite. Suddenly, she felt like the space was so empty it made her a bit uncomfortable. She started thinking about what Bai Wenxi had just said. Actually, she knew that when it came to feelings, you couldn’t just pull them back as soon as you wanted to. It took time. But that dumb flower vase should at least act like she’s trying to pull them back, right? The moment the ex-wife showed up, she lost all sense, even stopped filming and ran after her like a tail. Thinking about it made Lin Qingyi angry all over again. She didn’t want to care about her anymore... wait a minute, now that she’d chased her off, would that woman turn around and go find Kong Huizhi?

That thought made Lin Qingyi feel like her whole body wasn’t right anymore, like a whole row of sharp thorns stabbed straight into her chest. It hurt so bad. Right then, she had no choice but to admit she really did care about that dumb flower vase.

So she had to follow her heart. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Qin Shiyue.

“Qin Shiyue, come here right now.”

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Qin Shiyue felt more and more upset and wronged after being coldly brushed off by Lin Qingyi for no reason. The kind of upset she felt now was almost no different from the pain of getting divorced.

She understood feeling sad over Kong Huizhi, after all, Kong Huizhi used to be her wife. But Lin Qingyi? Lin Qingyi wasn't even her anything. So why did it hurt this bad? It had to be because Lin Qingyi treated her so vaguely and coldly, and she couldn’t make sense of it.

Fine! If Lin Qingyi wanted to be cold, let her be cold. Who even cared? Qin Shiyue decided to put Lin Qingyi firmly into her mental blacklist once and for all.

Right then, she got a message from Lin Qingyi.

“What is wrong with this woman?!” Qin Shiyue stared at the message and suddenly stopped feeling sad. Instead, anger shot up, she thought Lin Qingyi must be crazy!

Author’s Note:

Actually, the way Lin Qingyi treated Qin Shiyue was just polite and distant, pretty much the same way she treated everyone else. But Qin Shiyue had already gotten used to being treated differently by Lin Qingyi. That sudden change hit her hard, and she almost cried from feeling wronged.

Bai Wenxi: I underestimated how possessive my boss is. I almost crashed the whole situation.

Lin Qingyi: I'm done pretending. I admit, I care.

Qin Shiyue: Hmph!

Random red envelope drop~