I Refused to Be a Substitute, and Shot to Fame on a Variety Show With My Mother-In-Law

45 Four Groups of Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Gathered

Li Xiwu didn’t turn. Her back was facing Xie Wen. When she spoke again, her voice was slightly distant. “If you want to vent your grievances, then there’s no need to say it. You chose this path yourself back then. No matter how difficult it is, you have to move forward.”

Xie Wen wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she could only watch Li Xiwu leave. Shenshen, who was in her arms, began to fuss again. Xie Wen coaxed her tiredly, “Shenshen, don’t cry…”

After coaxing her daughter for a long time, she still couldn’t stop crying. Xie Wen freed one hand to search for her phone in her mummy bag, preparing to call a taxi home.

The bag was full of baby supplies, diapers, milk powder, milk bottles, toys, and small lunch boxes. There was almost nothing of her own. The phone had sunk to the bottom of the bag as she tossed and turned.

!!

Her arms ached. But her daughter in her arms kept crying. There was no place to sit around.

Xie Wen was close to breaking down. She could only squat down and place her daughter carefully on her lap before searching for her phone in her mummy bag.

The phone that was inseparable with her in the past was nowhere to be found. She could not casually take out the baby supplies and put them on the ground. She could only give up first and put on a mask to hail a taxi back.

She was about to get up when someone squatted down beside her. That person reached over and took Xie Wen’s mummy bag.

Xie Wen looked up and saw Li Xiwu who returned. Her emotions broke down in an instant. “Miss Li…”

“Get up first. Hold the child.” Li Xiwu stood up with her heavy mummy bag.

Tears welled up in Xie Wen’s eyes. She obediently carried her daughter and stood up. Then, Li Xiwu handed her a cup of hot black tea. She was stunned and did not take it.

Li Xiwu said, “You like it.”

With that, Xie Wen’s tears fell. She originally thought that Miss Li did not want to interact with her again, but she did not expect Miss Li to buy a cup of her favorite orange-scented hot black tea for her.

Li Xiwu watched in silence as Xie Wen cried. She did not comfort her and only took a tissue to wipe Xie Wen’s tears away until they dried up. Li Xiwu clenched the tissue in her palm and retracted it. “Are you going home?”

Xie Wen said, “I was going to call a taxi.”

Li Xiwu said, “Were you looking for your phone just now?”

Xie Wen nodded.

Li Xiwu turned around with the mummy bag. “I have nothing going on now. I’ll take you back.”

Xie Wen said, “But Miss Li…”

Li Xiwu’s almond-shaped eyes flashed. “Don’t you have something to tell me?”

Xie Wen nodded.

Li Xiwu took the orange-scented hot black tea back from Xie Wen. “Don’t spill it. Hold Shenshen well and drink it in the car.”

Xie Wen said, “Oh.” After that, Xie Wen carried her daughter into Li Xiwu’s car. It was still the same Volvo. Xie Wen had sat in it for two years. Ever since she went to the production team, ran endorsements, or recorded a variety show overseas, Miss Li had always driven this car to pick her up.

Li Xiwu got into the driver’s seat and looked at Xie Wen in the inner rearview mirror. “Do you want to feed the baby? I’ll raise the shield.”

Xie Wen said, “Shenshen was fussing just now. She’s going to sleep now.”

Li Xiwu nodded and opened the plastic bag of orange-scented hot black tea. She inserted the straw and handed it to Xie Wen. “Drink it while it’s hot.”

Xie Wen took it. “Miss Li is still the same as before. You know that I’m afraid of the cold and buy me orange-scented hot black tea every time.”

Li Xiwu smiled faintly. “I just happened to pass by and bought a cup.”

Xie Wen cherished the atmosphere between her and Li Xiwu. After taking a sip of hot black tea, she said, “I received a notice from Mother-in-Law Joy. Tomorrow, Group 2 and Group 3 will go to Fu Town.”

That notification was sent in the group chat. Li Xiwu saw it too. Therefore, she was not surprised when she heard Xie Wen mention it. “Fu Town is much wider than the hotel.”

Xie Wen said, “We’ll be in frequent contact with each other for the next recordings in Fu Town.”

Li Xiwu said, “I know.”

For some reason, her heart felt stuffy for no reason. She did not know if it was because she did not open the window. But Li Xiwu resisted the urge to open the window when she thought of the daughter in Xie Wen’s arms, afraid that the cold air would enter.

She casually found a topic. “How’s Chi Xu’s new drama progressing?”

Xie Wen’s eyes darkened. “He’s playing the third male lead in this drama. He has more scenes.”

Li Xiwu sneered. “It’s just the third male lead. How many scenes can he have?”

Xie Wen did not refute Li Xiwu. As the former female lead for most of her dramas, she knew that no matter what drama it was, other than the scenes of the male and female leads, there were only scenes of the second male and female leads. The third male lead did not have many scenes.

Li Xiwu looked at Xie Wen’s lonely expression in the rearview mirror. “When he chased you back then, he was as free as an unemployed person. Now that he’s married and acting as the third male lead, he’s busy as if the country is under his control. Xie Wen, I still don’t know what brand of drug Chi Xu gave you back then.”

Xie Wen looked at her sleeping daughter in her arms and sighed. “I must have been obsessed.”

Li Xiwu’s lips twitched. “Probably.”

After that, Li Xiwu sent Xie Wen home. Downstairs, Xie Wen invited Li Xiwu in. Li Xiwu did not refuse and helped Xie Wen carry her mummy bag upstairs. Before she entered, she heard the sound of mahjong. When she opened the door, she saw four people playing mahjong at a table in the living room.

It was Zheng Yuehua and her three mahjong friends.

Xie Wen went in first. Li Xiwu was changing her shoes at the entrance.

Zheng Yuehua turned around and saw that Xie Wen had returned. She said in a very dissatisfied tone, “Where did you go again? The weather outside is dry and cold. Don’t run around with my granddaughter.”

Xie Wen explained, “I took Shenshen to the production team to see her father.”

Zheng Yuehua played 4 bamboo. The other party shouted ‘pung’ and picked up the tile. Zheng Yuehua said, “Little Xu is so busy filming on set. Don’t disturb him. Take good care of my granddaughter at home. By the way, cook early today and cook a few more dishes. Auntie Zhang, Auntie Wang, and Auntie Liu are all eating here.”

The three mahjong friends smiled and said they would eat at home.

Zheng Yuehua said in a serious voice, “Go back home for what? You don’t have to cook. My daughter-in-law’s culinary skills are very good. You’re in luck. Let’s continue to play mahjong after eating here.”

Auntie Zhang said understandingly, “Isn’t your daughter-in-law taking care of the child? How can she have the time?”

“How can she not have the time? When I was young, I took care of children, cooked, and even went to work. Didn’t I overcome it? You don’t have to worry about her. She’ll make it and bring it to us. Really,” Zheng Yuehua said confidently.

After saying that, she did not forget to remind Xie Wen, “It’s almost eleven o’clock. Be quick.”

Xie Wen replied, “Got it.”

After receiving Xie Wen’s response, Zheng Yuehua showed off to her mahjong friends. “Look, my daughter-in-law listens to me very much. When I say east, she never goes west. Let’s play mahjong in peace and wait to eat ready-made food at noon.”

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