The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Best friend Gao Qing Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Best friend Gao Qing Gao Qing was resentful towards Xia Lin and didn’t miss a chance to trip her up at home. In the end, a good marriage opportunity for Gao Qing was spoiled by Xia Lin, leading Gao Qing to marry a classmate she looked down on, someone mediocre. Due to idle chatter at the West City Courtyard, she eventually couldn’t stand it and moved to another city.

“Wow, just yesterday I heard the Lu Family’s daughter had returned, and it’s true, she’s really back. Qiuqiu, how have you been these past few years over there? What were you all just discussing? Gao Shu got married?”

While they were talking at the door, Aunt Cuihua from the opposite house suddenly came out and tossed a bucket of water onto the road, then smiled and chatted with them upon seeing them.

“Oh, just visiting family. I’ll be leaving in a few days.”

Aunt Cuihua was famous in their courtyard for her gossip, and once she knew something, you could be sure the whole courtyard would know. Lu Jingqiu kept her response short.

Aunt Cuihua smiled and said, “Oh my, look at how tanned and thin you’ve gotten from being out these years. Why did you suddenly run off to the countryside back then? When you get back, you’ll have to let your mother nourish you well.”

“I’m being taken care of, Auntie.”

“Qingqing, my Lily is about to join the Cultural Work Troupe. We’re all from the same courtyard, so we need to look out for each other in the future.”

“Of course, Auntie.”

“Alright, you young folks go on chatting. I’m going back to cook.”

Gao Qing waited until Aunt Cuihua had returned inside before revealing a scornful look. “Her daughter’s just like her, always prying into others’ business. I heard she’s going to join our Cultural Work Troupe, but I really don’t like mingling with these people.

She definitely overheard what I just said. Now that my brother’s wedding is known to her, by tomorrow, absolutely everyone in the courtyard will know.”

Lu Jingqiu said, “Your brother’s affair will be known sooner or later. It’s nothing shameful.”

With a toss of her braid, Gao Qing said disdainfully, “Just a country girl, plain and unsophisticated. How could she be any good? I don’t understand what Gao Shu sees in her. If my parents weren’t both tied up with work, they’d surely have gone to stop it.

I even called him two days ago, but couldn’t get through to Ten-miles Village’s phone line.”

“The village’s phone line is down. They’ve been talking about fixing it, but everyone’s been too busy with the summer harvest to get around to it.”

“No wonder,” Gao Qing said after a moment’s thought, then added, “Let’s have dinner together, tomorrow.”

Lu Jingqiu shook her head, “I have something tomorrow, not sure when I’ll be free. How about the day after?”

Gao Qing seemed disappointed, “The day after I’ll be returning to the Cultural Work Troupe.”

Lu Jingqiu looked at one of her few childhood friends, her closest girlfriend, and said with a smile, “Why don’t we have breakfast together? Just at the neighborhood breakfast spot. I’ve really missed the taste there.”

Gao Qing smiled, “Okay, let’s meet at six tomorrow morning.”

“Great.”

Gao Qing was born and raised here, carrying with her a sense of urban superiority and arrogance typical of city girls. This was very much like her former self. It was their personalities that made them particularly close, birds of a feather flock together, after all.

Such a personality didn’t have ill intentions, but could also be disadvantageous.

In her previous life, she suffered quite a bit in Ten-miles Village because of this demeanor.

Now, she had been worn down by time, losing her edges, and had become much gentler.

After talking with Gao Qing at the door for just a few moments, her parents had already gone back to their room to sleep. Lu Jingqiu glanced at the dim light in her parents’ bedroom and muttered, “They’ve been sleeping all morning, how can they be asleep again?”

She had wanted to snuggle in her mother’s arms and chat for a while.

…

On the third day after her return, Lu Jingqiu got up early, dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt and a pair of black, wide-leg pants. In the past, she would let the oversized shirt hang loose, but now she tucked it into her waist and fastened it with a thin black belt.

Her hair was braided into a herringbone at the back. In her previous life, she had always been preoccupied with Gao Shu and their child, and as a homebody who only cared for comfort in attire, she looked older than her fifty-some years, nearly like she was in her sixties.

In the blink of an eye, she had come back looking decades younger, at an age blossoming like a flower, when it was appropriate to dress up. This lifetime, she intended to approach each day with vigor and spirit.

The current outfit didn’t stand out awkwardly, nor was it overly restrained.

Gao Qing noticed her and said she looked different from before, unable to pinpoint exactly what had changed, finally uttering after a long pause, “Three years have passed, and you’ve changed a lot.”

Lu Jingqiu asked, “For the better or worse?”

Gao Qing pursed her lips, “Prettier, but darker, yet… also more reserved.”

Lu Jingqiu countered, “Not reserved, just more demure.”

Gao Qing retorted, “What are you talking about? I liked you better the way you were before.”

Lu Jingqiu laughed, “Let’s go. If we’re late, the Meat Buns will definitely be sold out.”

Gao Qing rode her bicycle, taking her to the breakfast shop. It wasn’t that they specifically wanted to eat; they mainly wanted the time to talk.

The community wasn’t far, and by the time they arrived, the place was already crowded. Gao Qing swiftly secured a table as soon as she parked her bike.

Lu Jingqiu took some meal tickets and bought four Meat Buns, two bowls of porridge, and some pastries.

These were their favorite items to order back when they were in school.

Gao Qing smiled, “Qiuqiu, honestly, I’m really happy you’re back. These past few years in the Cultural Work Troupe have been much more exhausting than school, practicing all day, performing everywhere. That would have been fine, but the women in the troupe… they schemed against each other over a team leader position like crazy.”

Lu Jingqiu had never heard Gao Qing talk about these problems “before”; usually, it was Gao Qing who comforted her, and she rarely expressed her own troubles. This time, it was Lu Jingqiu’s turn to offer comfort, “Once you join a workplace, you encounter many issues and learn a lot about life. This kind of competition happens no matter where you are, not just in your troupe. Even in our small Educated youth team, people have been at each other’s throats over a single teaching position in the village.”

Gao Qing said, “Qiuqiu, it must’ve been tiring for you out there.”

Lu Jingqiu nodded, “Working in the fields all day, under the sun — of course, it was tiring. Don’t worry, I’ll get fairer after staying in the city for a month or two. Qingqing, I want to move back to the city.”

Gao Qing was surprised, “When are you coming back? Our Cultural Work Troupe currently has openings.”

Lu Jingqiu quickly waved her hands, “No, I heard from my dad that a lot of people are eyeing that position in your troupe.”

Gao Qing was aware of that too. As soon as she heard her good friend was considering returning, she thought about how great it would be if they could be together, “That’s true, but Qiuqiu, if you really come back, I’ll ask my friend to inquire for you, see which units are hiring.”

Lu Jingqiu shook her head, “There’s no need, my family is already looking out for me.”

Gao Qing knew that Lu Jingqiu was just being polite; it wasn’t easy to get into a unit these days. Otherwise, her Fourth Brother wouldn’t have gone to the countryside three years ago.

Just thinking about jobs made Gao Qing’s mood drop, and she lost the appetite for her Meat Bun, “Qiuqiu, it was me who encouraged you to seek out my brother two years ago. Looking back now, it was truly foolish. I hadn’t considered everything. If things had worked out between you and my brother, I’d be more at peace, but now…”