When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 197: Chapter 85: The 60s Cultural Troupe’s Top Sister (24)

He Qingran was taken aback. She had only started thinking about marriage because she’d reached that age and it was what everyone else was doing. But she didn’t have any older female relatives to talk to about such things.

Before Xia Zhaoyun had spoken, He Qingran had been full of fantasies and dreams about love, all thanks to the many romance novels she’d read. ’Isn’t love what sustains a couple for a lifetime?’ she wondered.

But she had forgotten that novels were just that—novels. They might be drawn from life, but they were also elevated above it. How many of them would ever describe the tedious details of daily life—the firewood, rice, oil, and salt?

He Qingran was an announcer at the factory, and her work environment was quite simple. She rotated shifts with two or three other colleagues. Her days were spent either reading newspapers for excerpts or wracking her brain to write scripts. Since they were all young, she rarely heard stories of battles between mothers- and daughters-in-law or conflicts between sisters-in-law.

She smiled and linked arms with Xia Zhaoyun, her heart filling with warmth. ”Yunyun, I understand now. I’ll definitely be cautious when choosing a future partner. When the time comes, I’ll bring him to you so you can give me your opinion, how about that?”

Xia Zhaoyun actually nodded in all seriousness and agreed, already thinking about how she would have to vet the candidate carefully for her friend.

The sky was still dim when the hum of starting engines gave the transportation team’s morning a unique character, pulling everyone, one by one, away from the Sleep God.

Just as Xia Zhaoyun and the others finished washing up, there was a knock on the main door.

”I saw the curtains were open, so I knew you were up,” Huo Tianhao said with a smile, walking in with breakfast. ”Our factory’s lamb soup is very famous, you should try it. It comes with fried flatbreads and pickled cucumbers.”

His gaze was completely unconcealed, fixed on Xia Zhaoyun with a blazing intensity, like the midday sun—almost too much to bear.

Amid He Qingran’s stifled giggles, Xia Zhaoyun shot him a look, a faint pink blush on her cheeks as she called the children to eat.

The lamb soup was still hot to the touch, its color a rich yellow from the swirls of egg. It shimmered with a light layer of oil and was topped with vibrant green cilantro, the aroma absolutely tantalizing.

The children ate cheerfully. Being so young, they didn’t remember much, but what little happiness they had with their birth parents had been completely erased by six months of mistreatment from relatives.

And though they were incredibly happy now, it felt like a wonderful dream, and they were terrified that at any moment they might wake up and be plunged back into suffering.

That’s why they always wolfed down their food; it was a difficult habit to restrain, and one that couldn’t be corrected in a short time.

Huo Tianhao smiled and ruffled their hair. ”How about Papa Tianhao takes you out to play later, okay?”

”We can go to the zoo, and on our way back, we’ll bring a roast duck for your mom and godmom.”

He looked up at Xia Zhaoyun. ”I’ll watch the kids for the day. You two should focus on preparing for tonight’s competition.”

”Kun said he’ll take care of your performance outfits. We should eat at the cafeteria tonight, so you don’t risk an upset stomach.”

Seeing the excited, hopeful looks in her children’s eyes, Xia Zhaoyun nodded with a small smile. ”In that case, Brother Hao, I’ll leave the children in your care.”

Huo Tianhao’s smile deepened. ”What’s the trouble? Aren’t they my children, too?”

Xia Zhaoyun couldn’t help but remember their intimacy from the night before. Feeling flustered, she turned her head to the side and slowly sipped her soup.

The little ones, however, couldn’t help but start chirping with questions. Little Ruyi tilted her head, biting her spoon. ”Papa Tianhao?”

”That’s right. I’m your hero papa. Mmm, I couldn’t bear to let your mom get too tired taking care of you, so I flew down from the heavens to protect you two little darlings, and your beautiful mother,” Huo Tianhao announced shamelessly in front of everyone.

He Qingran nearly buried her face in her bowl. She was happy for her friend, but at the same time, she felt a sense of uncertainty about her own future.

After the one adult and two children left, Xia Zhaoyun and He Qingran went to their separate rooms for a final push.

The script wasn’t very long, totaling only about seven minutes. They had to recite the entire piece with deep emotion while also employing numerous techniques, which meant that their delivery of every single word had to be precise.

The more they practiced, the better their composure would be on stage.

At noon, Huo Tianhao and the children returned, and just as promised, they brought a crispy-skinned roast duck. Dipped in a sweet and spicy sauce, placed in a thin pancake with strips of cucumber and scallion, and rolled up—the crispy, savory, and fragrant combination was so good it could make you cry!

The children’s excitement from the zoo trip lasted for quite a while. Their little mouths had been chattering nonstop ever since they walked in the door.

After lunch, Huo Tianhao took the children to the dormitory for a nap.

When Liu Mingkun arrived, he had clothes in one hand and food in the other, his forehead beaded with a light sweat from walking quickly.

Xia Zhaoyun’s outfit was a trench-coat-style dress in a striking shade of red, cinched at the waist with a black belt. With her hair tied up high, she had the dashing air of a swordswoman, yet she also resembled a rose with thorns—the very picture of a bold and decisive Xiahua woman.