Breach of Contract

The curtains in the second bedroom were drawn tight. Li Lan sat against the headboard, her eyelids lowered; her thick lashes cast a small shadow of fatigue beneath her eyes, as if some of her energy had been drained away. Even her breathing had grown light and shallow.

Her phone lay to the side, its screen flickering faintly.

“Manager Lan, Director Liu still hopes you’ll take part in this variety show,” Qian Chu’s voice rang through the dim bedroom.

Li Lan’s tone didn’t change. “Turn it down.”

Qian Chu paused for two seconds, then said in a low voice, “Manager Lan, please think it over carefully. This married-celebrity travel variety show has already run for two seasons, and both its ratings and market response have been good. You’re in a rising phase of your career right now, and you need to open up the domestic market. This show is the best opportunity.”

She rarely contradicted Li Lan’s decisions, but this time she couldn’t keep her opinion to herself.

Qian Chu insisted, “When the show was signed, you and Miss Zhu both agreed. No matter how you look at it, giving up this chance shouldn’t be the right choice…”

“I already said it’s not suitable.” Li Lan lowered her head against the bed. Her long neck was no longer as upright as it was on the runway, but her voice remained sharp and cold. “She wanted a divorce before, and now she’s lost her memory. Either way, she’s not suitable for a variety show. It’s under the cameras; every move she makes will be filmed and edited. Even the slightest oddity will be magnified countless times by the audience.”

Li Lan’s voice was a little hoarse, carrying a tired, slack edge, as though each sentence took more effort to finish.

“She has no fans. No one will speak for her; she’ll even be attacked because of me. I was the one who lost my head and signed this show. Xiaoqing never would’ve thought of these things. Right now she…”

Li Lan closed her eyes and thought of everything Zhu Qing had done since coming home.

“She’s like this now, and no one knows how long it’ll last. Maybe tomorrow she’ll recover her memory.” Li Lan’s tone was cool and exhausted as she made the decision for both of them. “A couple whose relationship is in trouble isn’t suited to being on screen.”

The bedroom fell silent.

Li Lan ended the call. These past days of nonstop work had drained her completely. She curled into the blankets, burying herself beneath them, and closed her eyes, slipping into a hazy, shallow sleep.

---

Zhu Qing wasn’t the kind of person who could stay home. The moment she stayed in, she started itching to go out.

【Want to meet?】

Ten seconds after she sent the message, Qian Cancan replied.

【Be down below in half an hour】

When Qian Cancan drove up in Zhu Qing’s hot pink sports car, Zhu Qing had just finished putting on her lipstick.

She was wearing a watery-blue slip dress and woven summer sandals. After making sure every exposed patch of skin had been coated with sunscreen, she stepped out holding an umbrella.

Qian Cancan’s gaze landed on her almost fully made-up face, and she laughed in exasperation.

“You sneaked makeup on,” Qian Cancan said, slapping the steering wheel. “You’re done for. Today’s meal is on you.”

“I’ll treat you,” Zhu Qing said with a bright, glowing smile. “I’ve got money now.”

Qian Cancan snorted. “Just because of that little salary of yours… cough, how much money could you even have?”

Zhu Qing kept smiling and leaned closer to her. “My little salary? You know I’m a preschool teacher, right?”

Qian Cancan’s face stiffened for a moment, then she said without a trace of guilt, “Is your job some kind of secret?”

“Then why didn’t you tell me!”

Qian Cancan coughed twice and covered it up. “I just forgot. Is your job that important? Not really, right? I only remembered that you were getting divorced this afternoon; tell me, isn’t divorce a more important matter?”

Zhu Qing’s voice rose, her mood growing increasingly agitated. “You’re lying! You did it on purpose!”

Qian Cancan drove at twenty miles an hour and said softly, “I’m driving. Let’s talk about it over dinner. Why get so worked up over something this small?”

Zhu Qing laughed coldly. “Don’t change the subject. If it weren’t for you hiding it from me, would I have had to hear the cold, hard phrase ‘monthly salary of three thousand’ from Li Lan? You embarrassed me!”

Qian Cancan didn’t want to take that much blame and quickly defended herself. “You found the job yourself. I tried to stop you many times!”

Zhu Qing looked at her quietly. “So it’s true. You all don’t like this job.”

Qian Cancan shut her mouth, which was as good as admitting it.

With her suspicion confirmed, Zhu Qing tightened her grip on the seatbelt and frowned, considering whether she should go back to the kindergarten.

Honestly, a job that had nothing to do with her field and paid almost minimum wage was absolutely impossible for the current Zhu Qing to do.

The difference made her curious, even eager, to see just why that “Zhu Qing” had made this choice.

She had a vague feeling that the kindergarten job was related to Li Lan—or rather, not just Li Lan, but some deeper and more important reason.

But judging by Qian Cancan’s reaction, she clearly didn’t approve of Zhu Qing working as a preschool teacher. She was urging her to change jobs, both openly and indirectly; she definitely didn’t know the inside story.

Qian Cancan asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Zhu Qing named a restaurant they often went to.

“Oh, right. After dinner, keep me company while I shop for clothes,” Zhu Qing said. “My closet is full of sportswear.”

Qian Cancan made a mocking sound.

Their mood returned to normal. The two of them bickered all the way to the restaurant and each ordered what they liked.

Their tastes were quite different. Zhu Qing had a sweet tooth, while Qian Cancan loved spicy food; the only cuisine they both liked was Cantonese.

When the dishes were served—soy-sauce fried tiger prawns, steamed East Star grouper, salt-and-pepper mantis shrimp, white-cut chicken, seasonal vegetables braised in oyster sauce, and two clay pots of cured-meat rice—Zhu Qing immediately found her appetite and attacked the food. After polishing off her meal, she ordered some desserts and egg tarts, then chatted while eating.

Qian Cancan was outrageously smug, gesturing wildly as she described the embarrassing things that had happened during Zhu Qing’s amnesiac period.

Zhu Qing seriously suspected she was using this chance to smear her reputation.

As Qian Cancan got carried away, her words flying and her hands moving animatedly, her gaze suddenly froze, and her laughter cut off abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” Zhu Qing asked, puzzled.

“You, be quiet.” Qian Cancan smiled.

She reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, straightened her back, and the lazy slouch she’d had moments ago became properly upright and elegant. Her mischievous expression settled into something soft and serene; in an instant, she had gone from a chattering sparrow to a quiet, well-behaved cat.

Zhu Qing stared blankly. Following her line of sight, she froze as well.

Qian Chu was standing at the entrance with a file in hand.

She wore a crisp, classic fitted suit and a pair of slim high-heeled pointed shoes; simple, capable, and efficient, she walked toward them.

As she approached, Qian Cancan’s smile became even more flawless.

The corner of Zhu Qing’s mouth twitched. She stood and said, “Miss Qian.”

“Hello, Miss Zhu. Hello, Miss Qian. May I sit here?”

Before Zhu Qing could answer, Qian Cancan shot up, pulled out the chair beside her, and said politely, “Please sit.”

Qian Chu nodded. “Thank you.”

Zhu Qing had no choice but to sit down as well.

Once all three were seated, Zhu Qing asked, “Did you come here because of Li Lan?”

Qian Chu spread out the file in her hands and pushed it toward Zhu Qing with both hands. “Miss Zhu can take a look at this first.”

Because of that divorce agreement, Zhu Qing was a little on edge. She nearly thought Qian Chu had come to talk about the divorce in Li Lan’s place, until she caught a glimpse of the contents.

“A variety show?” Zhu Qing looked baffled. “What am I supposed to look at?”

Qian Chu folded her hands together, calm and composed. “Miss Zhu personally signed this contract half a year ago, agreeing to participate in a variety show with Li Lan as her partner. The show is about to start filming, but Manager Lan has asked me to turn it down.”

Zhu Qing knew this show. It selected married celebrities and invited both partners to go on a trip together. On the show, every couple’s way of getting along, values, and life philosophy would be laid bare. Loving couples would be showered with online affection; couples with problems would be singled out and attacked under a magnifying glass.

She had seen plenty of people get a second wave of popularity through this show, and she had also seen plenty of people end up on the audience’s blacklist because of it.

It was a show with both high risk and high reward.

Qian Chu’s next words confirmed that point: “Manager Lan started her career through the four major fashion weeks, building her name overseas as a top East Asian model. But this year she’s already thirty. Her peak as a model is about to pass, so she needs to shift to the domestic market and expand her reach here. This show is her best opportunity right now.”

“Unfortunately, Manager Lan still wants to give it up.” Qian Chu’s short, neatly trimmed nail tapped a line on the contract. “The penalty for breach of contract is six million yuan.”

Zhu Qing’s heart gave a thud.

“Six million?” Qian Cancan exclaimed. “Then it absolutely can’t be canceled!”

Zhu Qing also felt the sting, but she thought one step further than Qian Cancan and hesitated. “Is it because of a work conflict, and there’s something more important she has to do?”

Qian Chu shook her head. “This show is the most important work she has right now.”

Zhu Qing felt a little uneasy. “Because of her physical condition?”

Qian Chu looked directly at her and still shook her head.

Zhu Qing’s brow furrowed deeply. “Then what exactly is it because of?”

Qian Chu stared at her and said, cuttingly, “Because of you.”

Zhu Qing’s wrist jerked; the contract in her hand scattered over the table in a messy pile.

“Manager Lan has judged that Miss Zhu’s current condition isn’t suitable for appearing on screen, and she’d rather pay the six million yuan penalty out of her own pocket to turn this show down,” Qian Chu said evenly, every word clear. “I came over to hear Miss Zhu’s opinion. After all, this contract was signed under both of your names.”

Zhu Qing opened her mouth. Shock and confusion tugged at her brows until, at last, it all settled into calm.

“You’re saying this contract was signed by me and Li Lan together, and I agreed to go on this show before, right?”

Qian Chu nodded. “Yes.”

Zhu Qing tapped the tabletop with her fingertips. She swept her eyes over that line about the penalty again, paused slightly, and said, “I understand. I’ll talk to Li Lan.”

Qian Chu studied her, as if weighing how much to believe her.

Zhu Qing smiled openly. “I know what you mean. Don’t worry; since I agreed back then, I won’t go back on my word now.”

Qian Chu was silent for two seconds. “Maybe Manager Lan will still insist.”

“I’ll convince her,” Zhu Qing said, her eyes curving with a smile. “Thank you for telling me.”

Qian Chu froze for a moment, then lowered her head. “If Miss Zhu can persuade Manager Lan, that would be the best outcome.”

“Don’t worry. The penalty is six million yuan; why should we hand that over to the production team?” Zhu Qing said with a smile. “Anything else?”

Qian Chu silently shook her head and stood up. “No. Sorry to disturb Miss Zhu and Miss Qian’s meal. I’ll take my leave first.”

After watching Qian Chu leave, Qian Cancan asked carefully, “You’re deciding to join the show?”

Zhu Qing picked up a piece of char siu and was about to put it in her mouth when the full feeling in her stomach made her frown. “I’ll join. What else can I do?”

Qian Cancan hesitated. “You’re not in the industry. A lot of the couples on this show are insiders. Can you… adapt?”

“Whether I can or not, I’ll try first,” Zhu Qing said casually, tossing the char siu back onto her plate. “Besides, I can’t bear to lose six million.”

Qian Cancan looked like she wanted to say something, but held back. For her, it would be better for her best friend to let Li Lan pay the six million than to go on a show that might invite massive discussion, or even attacks.

Zhu Qing scanned the QR code on the corner of the table and paid the bill.

“Hey, I said I’d treat!” Qian Cancan called, but she wasn’t fast enough to stop her.

Zhu Qing waved her phone with a smile. “A treat comes with a price. I still have this much sense of responsibility.”

Li Lan, who had come from a modeling background, was bound to face career transformation. Good opportunities vanished in a flash; they were rarer than idols with zero negative reviews online. Zhu Qing naturally hoped Li Lan would do well.

---

Meanwhile, in Li Lan’s bedroom.

The phone chimed.

Li Lan slowly opened her eyes and didn’t move right away. The low blood sugar she got after waking made her wait several seconds before she picked up the phone.

The moment the screen lit up, her pupils contracted slightly.

“Xiaoqing used the family card to deduct 857 yuan. Payment scene: Canton Street Cantonese Restaurant.”

She used the family card?

Li Lan’s fingers suddenly tightened around the blanket.

This was the first time.

That card had been linked for a long time, but Zhu Qing had never touched it. When Li Lan gave it to her, she had said it was for emergencies, yet Zhu Qing hadn’t even swiped it for a cup of milk tea.

And now, a Cantonese restaurant on Canton Street; 857 yuan.

Li Lan’s fingertips hovered over the screen. She wanted to call, then stopped.

In the end, she lightly swiped away the notification and put the phone back on the bedside table, her movements very gentle.

Sunlight leaked through the gap in the curtains and fell across the edge of her blanket. Li Lan stared at that patch of light for a long time, long enough for her eyes to start aching.

At last, Li Lan turned over, facing away from the phone, and sank back into sleep after exhausting herself physically.