After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 12

Xu Qing stood at the doorway, removing her microphone and casually tucking it into her trench coat pocket before stepping inside.

Rong Qing instinctively stood up, her face pale with tension as she watched her.

From the very beginning, Rong Qing had known that Xu Qing and Mu Lingwan were close friends. However, Mu Lingwan had always treated the matter casually, so Rong Qing hadn’t paid it much mind, thinking she could simply avoid Xu Qing if they ever met.

But she hadn’t accounted for the fact that Xu Qing was an active, sociable person who would naturally seek her out for a private conversation.

Seeing the nervous expression on her “friend’s” face, Xu Qing’s suspicions deepened. She walked up to Rong Qing, reached out, and with slender fingers, lightly tugged at the collar of Rong Qing’s shirt, glancing briefly at the mole on her chest. Then, she casually removed Rong Qing’s microphone and draped a pillowcase over the nearby camera.

“You’ve been acting really strange lately,” Xu Qing said, now speaking more freely without the microphone. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied Rong Qing. “Why do I feel like you’re completely different from before?”

“Must… must be your imagination,” Rong Qing replied stiffly, not daring to move from her spot. “Maybe I’ve just been too busy lately and haven’t had time to catch up. After the show wraps, I’ll treat you to hot pot, okay?”

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Clear broth or spicy?”

Rong Qing hesitated. She remembered Xu Qing was from the south and didn’t usually eat spicy food. Mu Lingwan, on the other hand, wasn’t strictly from any region, but most female celebrities avoided spicy food anyway. The question felt deliberate—like a test.

Xu Qing was probing her.

Rong Qing wasn’t sure how close Xu Qing and Mu Lingwan really were—whether their friendship was just for show or if they were genuinely close in private. So, she couldn’t risk revealing their secret without consulting Mu Lingwan first.

Better to keep it hidden for now, Rong Qing thought.

“I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I’d prefer clear broth,” Rong Qing said with a smile. “But if you want something different, we could also get a tomato broth.”

Xu Qing lazily replied, “Not a fan of sour flavors.”

“Really?” Rong Qing looked at her. “I thought you loved sour jujube cakes?”

Xu Qing froze, staring at her in confusion before murmuring, “How did you know that? Maybe I really am overthinking things…?”

Naturally, Rong Qing had anticipated Xu Qing’s suspicions. As a public figure, Xu Qing’s basic preferences were well-documented, and Rong Qing had once been a fan of hers. Plus, though Mu Lingwan had seemed indifferent, she had occasionally dropped hints about Xu Qing’s tastes during their private conversations. Combined with Rong Qing’s own deductions, handling this situation wasn’t too difficult.

She wasn’t sure why Xu Qing had started doubting her identity, but Rong Qing was an optimist—she believed she could navigate any challenge. Judging by Xu Qing’s expression, her concerns seemed to have eased.

“What’s wrong?” Rong Qing asked. “What were you overthinking?”

“Nothing…” Xu Qing glanced at her before looking away. She walked over to where Rong Qing had been sitting and plopped down, crossing her legs. “I just came to see you, wanted to chat a bit.”

Chatting was the last thing Rong Qing wanted right now. She forced a weak laugh and was about to respond when a loud commotion erupted outside.

She and Xu Qing exchanged a glance before stepping out of the room together, standing on the second-floor hallway to look down below.

Two people also emerged from the opposite suite—Ming Qiao and Shen Nian stood in the corridor looking down.

In the center of the living room, surrounded by cameras, Mu Lingwan’s expression was grim. She sneered at the director in front of her, abandoning her initial poised demeanor. Crossing her legs and folding her arms, she leaned back into the sofa with a look of utter disdain.

“Leverage?” Mu Lingwan arched an eyebrow, amused. “So this is how you all talk about me outside? That I’m with Mu Lingwan just for fame? That we went public because we were blackmailed?”

Her voice turned icy. “Seems like in your eyes, whether it’s a man or a woman, the less famous one is always painted as dirty, the one who deserves scorn.”

The director hadn’t expected an unknown eighteen-tier celebrity to have such a commanding presence. Sweat was already beading on his forehead, but for the sake of the show, he pressed on. “These are just speculations from netizens. I’m merely presenting them. Rong Qing, can you address this directly?”

“Gladly.” Mu Lingwan’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Let me answer the audience’s questions properly.”

“First, yes, I initiated the kiss. We’re close and we like each other. Does it matter who kissed whom?” She scoffed. “Mu Lingwan trends for anything—a kiss is hardly worth the fuss. Isn’t dating a big enough deal to make headlines?”

“And as for leaving AG after gaining fame, ‘abandoning’ my teammates—that’s downright laughable.” She spread her hands. “Is AG some terrible group? Or do they collapse without me? ‘Abandon’ is such a heavy word. They’re all independent, capable women. AG thrives in this industry. How did netizens turn them into some second-rate team?”

“People who like me will keep liking me. AG’s fans will stay loyal to them. My departure changes nothing. I just switched companies, changed careers—I’m still me.”

“As for leverage, that’s even more absurd.” Propping her elbow on the sofa armrest, she rested her chin on her hand, smirking. “If I had that kind of power, I’d already be the top A-list actress.”

The director and crew were stunned by her bold, unfiltered words. No one expected an unknown to speak so convincingly, radiating an aura so intense it left the director nervously licking his dry lips.

Ming Qiao leaned on the railing, watching Rong Qing’s back below. There was something eerily familiar about her demeanor and tone.

“Hmm?”

Shen Nian mimicked her pose but found it uncomfortable, so she propped her head on one hand instead. “This Rong Qing kid talks big. Is she some tycoon’s daughter? Or backed by untouchable capital?”

Ming Qiao glanced at her. “Unless there’s a surprise investor, I doubt she has any.”

“That’s really strange,” Shen Nian said as she played with her black wavy hair, twirling it around her fingers. Seeing the director’s face turn green with anger, she couldn’t help but curve her eyes into a smile. “But I think this Rong Qing is quite interesting. To scold the director like this on the first day of filming—I bet she’s the only one in the industry who’d dare.”