Bringing the Nation's Husband Home

When Qiao Anhao woke up, the place was chillingly silent. She opened her eyes and found herself somewhere icy-cold. After blanking out for a while, she finally remembered that she was in Lu Jinnian’s bathroom.

She tried her best to get up. Her entire body ached. She staggered for a few steps out of the bathroom and discovered the presidential suite completely empty. Lu Jinnian was already gone.

Qiao Anhao glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already one in the morning.

When she came to deliver the script to Lu Jinnian, she’d forgotten to bring her phone. She’d disappeared for so long now, would Zhao Meng have alarmed the crew?

Qiao Anhao immediately picked up the phone in the room and dialed the number for the room she shared with Zhao Meng. The phone was picked up very quickly.

Qiao Anhao let out a short ”Hey...”

On the other end, Zhao Meng followed with an anxious voice, ”Qiao Qiao, where did you go?!”

Qiao Anhao didn’t respond to Zhao Meng’s question, but instructed her, in a weak voice, ”Come by 1001 and bring some clothes.”

Not long after hanging up the phone, Zhao Meng collected some clothes and rushed over. She had planned to shower her with a flurry of questions about why she was at 1001, but when she saw her friend’s pale white face and her body full of purple bruises, she was at a loss for words.

It was late at night, and as they had to film the following day, everyone was already fast asleep, so Qiao Anhao and Zhao Meng didn’t see a soul on their way back to their room.

Only once Zhao Meng had entered the room, did she ask, ”Qiao Qiao, was it Lu Jinnian?”

Qiao Anhao pursed her bottom lip and avoided the question. ”You didn’t alarm the crew about my disappearance, did you?”

”No,” replied Zhao Meng. Just as she was ready to question further, Qiao Anhao managed to get a word out first, ”I want to shower.”

Without waiting for a response, she walked into the bathroom.

When she got out, Zhao Meng hadn’t yet gone to sleep. She looked at Qiao Anhao with a pained expression, ”Qiao Qiao...”

”Zhao Meng, I’m fine. It’s late. Let’s go to sleep,” Qiao Anhao said, interrupting Zhao Meng once again.

Zhao Meng moved her mouth as if to talk but just let out a sigh. She didn’t say a word and climbed into her bed.

Qiao Anhao also went to bed and turned off the lights. She pulled the covers over her head and hid as tears silently began to flow.

-

The next morning, Qiao Anhao opened her eyes to find that she had a splitting headache, her nose was stuffy, and she had difficulty breathing. It must of been because of the cold shower last night and having lain on the cold floor for so long that she caught a cold.

Seeing that Qiao Anhao was pale white, Zhao Meng couldn’t help but say in a worried voice, ”Let’s call the directer to push back your scene for a while. With your cold, you must be feeling terrible. There’s no way you can film today.”