After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 17

Mu Lingwan tossed aside the dress in her hand and finally slipped on the black short leather jacket she had initially chosen. Noticing Rong Qing’s tearful expression, she said, “You can have the breakfast. I’ll just have a glass of milk.”

Hearing this, Rong Qing perked up like a little rabbit, watching as Mu Lingwan turned and left the room. Zhou Ying quickly followed, leaving Rong Qing alone in the room. Eyeing the corn and tea eggs in front of her, she decisively rolled up her sleeves and dug in.

In the hallway, Mu Lingwan glanced around to ensure no one was nearby before turning to Zhou Ying. “Arrange two new assistants for me.”

Zhou Ying was taken aback. “New assistants? Or—”

“New ones. Assign the previous two to other positions in the company, but don’t reduce their salaries,” Mu Lingwan instructed. “Pick two who haven’t worked with me before—smart, sensible, tight-lipped, and preferably a bit slow.”

Zhou Ying frowned at the contradictory requirements. “That’s… quite a tall order.”

Smart yet obedient, and also a bit dim? Where was she supposed to find such assistants?

But Mu Lingwan merely shot her a glance before heading downstairs. “Figure it out. I can’t manage without assistants. If you can’t find any, you’ll have to step in yourself.”

Zhou Ying nearly bolted on the spot but restrained herself and followed Mu Lingwan downstairs.

The dining room on the first floor was already occupied. Shen Nian and Ming Qiao were whispering to each other, their voices too low to discern. When Mu Lingwan entered, they both looked up.

Mu Lingwan gave them a cursory glance and, seeing no cameras around, couldn’t be bothered with greetings. She walked straight to the fridge, pulled out two bottles of sugar-free milk, and slammed the door shut with a loud thud.

“Rong Qing.”

Just as Mu Lingwan was about to leave, Shen Nian, who had been watching her, suddenly spoke. Seated at the table with a half-eaten artisanal bread in hand, Shen Nian smiled sweetly, her slender brows and eyes curving into a pleasant arc. “Two bottles of milk won’t fill you up, will they? My assistant just bought these breads. Would you like to try one?”

Mu Lingwan smirked. “No need. Milk is enough for me. Enjoy your meal.”

As Mu Lingwan turned to go, Shen Nian called out again, “Has Sister Mu woken up yet? Why are you alone?”

Sister Mu?

Still using that term after just one night? Mu Lingwan’s irritation flared, and she fought the urge to hurl the milk bottles at Shen Nian’s face. Controlling her temper, she replied, “We stayed up late last night. She’ll probably come down soon.”

As if to validate her words, Rong Qing appeared at the top of the stairs just then. Holding onto the railing, she paused when she noticed everyone in the dining room staring at her.

“What’s going on?” Rong Qing asked.

“Sister Mu, have you had breakfast yet?” Shen Nian stood and approached her. “We’re having some pastries. Would you like to join us?”

Pastries?

Rong Qing glanced at the table upon hearing this and noticed several European-style bread rolls on the plate in front of Ming Qiao. Each of them had a bottle of milk. When Rong Qing accidentally locked eyes with Ming Qiao, she quickly averted her gaze in a fluster and murmured, “Okay…”

“We’ve already eaten,” Mu Lingwan interjected, stepping forward to push Shen Nian aside. She shoved a bottle of milk into Rong Qing’s hand and said pointedly, “Cut down on carbs, drink more milk.”

Rong Qing immediately realized—Mu Lingwan and Ming Qiao were sworn rivals. There was no way they’d eat food from the other side. She’d nearly broken character just now.

“Right, right,” Rong Qing agreed hurriedly, clutching the milk as she told Shen Nian, “I’ve already eaten. You two enjoy your meal.”

After declining Shen Nian and Ming Qiao’s offer, Rong Qing followed Mu Lingwan to sit on the living room sofa. The furniture had been rearranged—three two-seaters and one single chair now occupied the space. Rong Qing couldn’t shake the feeling that the lone chair looked somewhat peculiar, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.

Mu Lingwan also noticed the solitary chair, her brows knitting slightly.

Soon, Xu Qing and Jiang Jiang descended the stairs. Jiang carried a trench coat and a slung water bottle—items Rong Qing initially assumed were for herself, until she realized they were actually prepared for Xu Qing.

Xu Qing slumped sleepily onto the couch beside them, yawning repeatedly as she leaned heavily against Jiang Jiang’s shoulder, nearly bending the other woman sideways. Jiang seemed accustomed to this large feline-like behavior, remaining utterly unfazed.

What an unusual couple.

Shen Nian and Ming Qiao took nearly half an hour to finish breakfast. Only when the director came to sit did they finally rise and move to the adjacent sofa.

“Good morning, everyone,” greeted the director after his prolonged absence, his gaze sweeping across the group before briefly pausing on Mu Lingwan. “How did you all sleep last night? Rest well?”

“Quite well,” Ming Qiao replied, flipping her hair. “Our room was spacious enough for separate beds, which worked out nicely.”

Shen Nian nodded with a smile.

Xu Qing yawned dramatically, rubbing her eyes. “I’m particular about beds. Couldn’t sleep properly until nearly dawn.” She then shot Rong Qing a mischievous look. “What about you, Lingwan? Sleep well last night?”

Rong Qing’s expression stiffened. She glanced at Mu Lingwan beside her before admitting, “Not particularly. The makeup artist mentioned my dark circles looked heavy earlier.”

“Actually, it was alright,” Rong Qing continued. “Just that the bed was too soft—left my back aching.”

The phrase “back ache” immediately drew everyone’s attention. Ming Qiao studied her for a long moment before smirking meaningfully. Shen Nian’s expression froze momentarily before she turned away, while Xu Qing’s eyes widened with barely concealed amusement.

“Back ache, huh…” Xu Qing grinned, turning to Mu Lingwan. “What about you, Xiao Qing? Don’t tell me your back hurts too?”

“My back’s fine,” Mu Lingwan replied coolly. “Just stayed up too late—got a bit of a headache.”

One with back pain, the other with a headache.

The looks exchanged among the group grew increasingly suggestive.

After an awkward silence, Ming Qiao finally addressed the director. “So, what’s on today’s agenda?”

“Today’s mission is a date,” the director said, pulling out three familiar cards as he addressed the group. “We’ll draw lots again—let’s see how lucky everyone is.”

Mu Lingwan stood up to draw her card. When she opened it, she found several photographs inside, each capturing a distinct atmosphere—a lively concert, an orange-hued coastline, and a white piano by the shore.

“Today’s task for all three pairs is to locate the places in these photos and take matching pictures there,” the director explained. “The first team to return will receive a spoiler card, revealing details about the next mission in advance.”

With that, he clapped his hands to grab everyone’s attention before adding with a smile, “Off you go! And remember—your photos need to look just like these~”