A Wife's Worries

[Ding! You earned 2,000 yuan today.]

[Would you like to activate the random multiplier?]

"Activate."

On the way to pick up his wife, this golden finger didn't disappoint. The moment he received his 2,000 yuan payment, a line of golden text appeared before his eyes.

Once again, those two dazzling golden dice appeared. Chen Pingsheng couldn't help but fantasize—what if both dice rolled a five?

That would mean a tenfold multiplier, turning 2,000 into nearly 20,000 yuan.

The first die stopped rolling. Not a five, but a four.

The corner of his lips curled up. Not bad luck.

The second die came to a halt—it was a three.

Also not a small number.

[Congratulations, Host! You have received a sevenfold multiplier.]

[Your Alipay account has received 14,000 yuan. Balance: 14,500 yuan.]

Tsk... He had to shake his shoulders a little.

No reason—just pure happiness.

At this rate, it wouldn't take long before he could afford a house.

Then he could be affectionate with his wife whenever he wanted. He could lounge on the balcony without a care in the world. Life would be perfect.

His wife didn't have anything particularly pressing going on. The only thing was that her company had just completed its Series D funding round.

With this round of financing, their valuation had soared to 800 million yuan.

In 2012, the internet landscape was still dominated by BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent). Startups like hers were growing at an astonishing pace.

Her company had only been around for a few years. They hadn't made a single yuan in profit and were still losing money every month.

Yet, their valuation kept climbing.

Apparently, a well-known domestic investment giant led this round of funding.

They must have high hopes for the company's future.

None of this had anything to do with him—just another reminder of how fast internet companies could grow.

If this were a traditional business, it would take forever to make a few billion.

But in the internet world, valuations skyrocketed in the blink of an eye.

With this funding secured, her company was planning to relocate to Zhongguancun, Beijing's famous tech hub, after the new year.

This move was meant to support their next phase of growth and financing.

Before that, they would hold a grand annual company event.

He could attend as well—sitting in the back with his wife.

Might as well go and broaden his horizons.

He couldn't spend his whole life just selling durians on the street.

Soon, Song Yanxi emerged. She was dressed simply, her hair casually tied in a low ponytail, bundled up in a thick black winter coat.

She was about to go on holiday. This year, they were both staying in Beijing for the New Year.

As she left, Du Juan, her colleague, invited her to go shopping after the holidays.

Du Juan wanted to buy New Year's supplies.

Song Yanxi initially wanted to refuse, but Chen Pingsheng agreed on her behalf.

Mainly because he now felt he was earning decent money.

No need to pinch every penny like before.

Save where necessary, but spend where needed.

"So it's settled! We'll go to Sanlitun after the holidays."

Du Juan came from a well-off family. She had barely started working, and her parents had already bought her a car—a Honda worth over 100,000 yuan.

Born in Beijing, benefiting from urban redevelopment, she had a head start in life.

After making plans with Du Juan, Song Yanxi headed home.

When they got back, they found their neighbor, Zhao Liying, had also returned. She was practicing acting alone, holding a copy of An Actor's Self-Cultivation.

Song Yanxi had already heard from her husband about their new neighbor—a young actress.

Now that they finally met, it was only polite to say hello.

"You must be Liying! My husband mentioned you yesterday. You're really pretty."

Zhao Liying was indeed beautiful, with delicate features. But what stood out the most was her radiant smile—like a ray of sunshine on a winter's day.

It was simply comforting to look at.

"Sister-in-law!"

Zhao Liying beamed warmly, her tone friendly.

The two hit it off immediately, and Song Yanxi even invited her over for a meal.

Liying usually lived alone. If her parents were both at work, it would be nice to have someone around.

Chen Pingsheng had improved a lot in cooking over the years. Though he never trained professionally, he could whip up some delicious dishes.

Since the two women were engrossed in conversation, he naturally took charge of cooking.

Ordinary people often found the entertainment industry fascinating.

Song Yanxi was no exception.

Like a curious child, she kept asking questions.

Zhao Liying patiently answered each one.

"Sister-in-law, it's true that the entertainment industry can make a lot of money. But if you're just an extra like me, the income is pretty average."

She paused, then added, "But Chen-ge is amazing. It was his first day as an extra, and even our assistant director took notice of him and saved his number."

Afraid she wouldn't understand the significance, Zhao Liying explained, "You might not realize, but getting a director to save your number is a big deal. There are at least 80,000 to 100,000 extras in Hengdian alone."

"For someone like Chen-ge to be noticed on his first day—he's truly one in ten thousand!"

"He can act?"

Song Yanxi was stunned. She glanced toward the kitchen, watching her husband busily preparing food.

"What role did he play?"

"He didn't tell you?"

Zhao Liying chuckled. "He was a stunt double for the protagonist. Chen-ge is really tough—none of the other extras could endure the freezing water. But he jumped right in, spending the entire day in the lake despite the cold."

Song Yanxi's expression changed.

She understood now.

He hadn't gone to act—he had taken on the role because no one else was willing.

Spending an entire day in freezing water at this temperature?

If he caught a cold or got a fever, the pay wouldn't even cover the hospital bill.

With an outsider present, Song Yanxi couldn't say much.

But her heart ached.

Over the years, he had taken on countless dangerous jobs just to make money.

She was most terrified by that one time during a heavy storm.

No one dared to deliver goods to the mountains, fearing a landslide could bury them alive.

But he dared.

Once, twice, three times.

And then the landslide actually happened.

He was lucky. His vehicle only rolled over, and he wasn't seriously hurt.

After that, she forbade him from taking those dangerous delivery jobs.

That was when he bought a tricycle and started selling durians.

But now, he was back to doing risky work again.

"Liying, your Chen-ge is willing to do any job for money. If there are more acting gigs in the future, please introduce him to easier ones. Even if they pay less, that's okay."

Zhao Liying was momentarily stunned but quickly understood.

This was just a wife worrying about her husband.

"Dinner's ready! What were you two talking about so enthusiastically?"

Chen Pingsheng brought out three dishes and a soup—considered a feast in their home.

Of course, they had no idea that this struggling extra would one day become the backbone of the entertainment industry.

A future queen of the silver screen.

For now, she was just an ordinary girl struggling to get by.

It had been ages since anyone invited her for a meal.

She ate simply and smiled sincerely.

After she left, Song Yanxi immediately dragged Chen Pingsheng into the bedroom.