After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 18

A white electric car slowly cruised along the coastal highway, its driver expertly maneuvering the steering wheel. In the breezy six-seater, Mu Lingwan wore sunglasses as the sea wind blew against her face.

Rong Qing sat beside her, gathering her wildly fluttering hair—tossed about like seaweed—into a ponytail behind her head, an orange hair tie clamped between her lips.

Mu Lingwan held six photos in her hand, frowning slightly at the check-in spots depicted. Most were seaside scenes—a lighthouse, a skateboard, a piano by the shore—suggesting the nearest beach was likely this very area.

The sea at around 9 a.m. reflected the sunlight so intensely it was blinding. The cloudless azure sky offered no shade, making the heat feel particularly harsh.

Before getting out, Mu Lingwan hastily applied sunscreen and squeezed a generous amount onto Rong Qing’s arms, coating every exposed patch of skin with a thick layer before letting her step out.

The driver parked the electric car roadside and said to them, “I’ll wait here. Just call if you need to go anywhere else.”

Mu Lingwan nodded. “Thank you.”

Rong Qing also nodded at him before walking toward the beach with Mu Lingwan.

Though the temperature wasn’t high, the sun was scorching. After just a few steps, Rong Qing already felt uncomfortably baked. Even the two cameramen struggled to keep their eyes open under the glare. Shielding her brow, Rong Qing asked, “Isn’t there anywhere selling umbrellas around here?”

The beach was eerily empty—whether due to the early hour or the production team having reserved it—with no one in sight besides the crew.

“Probably not,” Mu Lingwan said, removing her sunglasses and handing them over. “Wear these.”

“No, I—”

“Just put them on.” Mu Lingwan caught her wrist mid-protest and slid the sunglasses onto Rong Qing’s face herself, adjusting them slightly before nodding in approval. “See? These suit me… I mean, your face shape.”

Rong Qing touched the frames, immediately relieved by the shade. After a moment of blinking, her vision adjusted.

“Thanks,” she said.

The sea wind whipped through their hair, tossing Rong Qing’s brown locks wildly. The strong, briny gusts carried the ocean’s scent. Mu Lingwan’s gaze lingered on her briefly before shifting away when their eyes met behind the dark lenses. Pointing toward a distant lighthouse, she suggested, “Let’s check that out.”

The white sand yielded softly underfoot, each step threatening to sink. Before long, grains had invaded Rong Qing’s shoes, forcing her to crouch and empty them with vigorous shakes.

Meanwhile, Mu Lingwan—displaying zero girlfriend instincts—had already climbed onto a rocky outcrop before realizing she was alone. Turning back, she found Rong Qing balancing precariously on one foot.

“What are you doing?” Mu Lingwan sighed, retracing her steps. Seeing Rong Qing holding her shoes aloft, she asked, “Something in them?”

“Yeah, sand,” Rong Qing admitted quietly. “Lots of it.”

“And the other one?”

“Same.”

“Since there’s sand inside, let’s take them off first.” Mu Lingwan took the white sneakers from Rong Qing, looking at the damp sand clinging inside, and said softly, “I’ll have Zhou Ying bring over two pairs of slippers later. It seems we’ll be strolling along the beach for a while longer.”

Mu Lingwan contacted Zhou Ying to bring two pairs of slippers, then she and Rong Qing found a spot under a coconut tree to sit cross-legged.

“There are eight check-in spots in total. From what I see, there’s the lighthouse, the heart-shaped boat, the piano, and the surfboard,” Mu Lingwan handed four photos to Rong Qing and continued, “The remaining ones are the Ferris wheel, the concert, the hot air balloon, and a coastline at sunset.”

“Sunset?” Rong Qing was surprised. “Does that mean we have to wait until the sun goes down?”

Mu Lingwan gazed at the orange-hued sea in the photo, her eyes flickering slightly, then looked up at Rong Qing and said, “Most likely.”

For celebrities, pulling all-nighters for work is nothing out of the ordinary. Rong Qing was just taken aback because photo check-ins didn’t seem like a particularly difficult task—mostly just running around the beach to find the spots. Now, with the sunset added, it would be both time-consuming and exhausting.

Looking at the four photos in her hand, Rong Qing raised her head and said to Mu Lingwan, “Maybe we should save some time, like splitting up to take the photos separately.”

Mu Lingwan gave her a complicated look and asked, puzzled, “Do you even know what dating is?”

“Ah… sorry.” Rong Qing froze for a moment before realizing her mistake, her ears burning as she looked at Mu Lingwan. “I was too focused on completing the tasks and forgot this is a dating show.”

The cameramen had already set up tripods to capture some scenic shots. The weather was perfect, and both Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing were strikingly beautiful women. Sitting under the coconut tree, chatting while holding the photos, they looked like a picturesque scene.

Rong Qing didn’t notice the cameramen filming them, quietly discussing the photos with Mu Lingwan as they waited for Zhou Ying to bring the shoes.

Meanwhile, comments started appearing on the live stream:

Gotta admit, Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing sitting on the beach together is such a sight—one a stunning beauty, the other a sweetheart.

I see the stunning beauty, but where’s the sweetheart?~

Stop being sarcastic. Rong Qing hasn’t done anything wrong—she’s just focusing on the tasks. Even if she yelled at the director yesterday, he fired the first shot.

This director has a history. His past shows relied on drama to trend and gain popularity. Just look at the guests he invites—his methods are dirty.

When Zhou Ying arrived with two young assistants, the glaring sunlight made her dizzy. She quickly handed them UV-protective sleeves and parasols, along with two bottles of water, and they made their way down the coastal road.

Spotting Zhou Ying, Mu Lingwan stood up and said to Rong Qing, “Wait here.”

Zhou Ying handed everything to Mu Lingwan and reminded her, “Make sure to protect yourself from the sun. The beach sunlight is harsh—getting tanned is easy, but getting your fair skin back takes ages.” Then, glancing at Rong Qing under the coconut tree, she leaned in and whispered, “These two are the new assistants I found for you. They’re new to the industry but seem sharp. Try them out first—if they don’t work, we can replace them.”

Mu Lingwan turned her head to look at the little girls standing not far away. They all appeared to be in their early twenties, looking ordinary, each carrying something in their hands. When they noticed Rong Qing looking at them, they instinctively stood up straight.

“Alright, just use these for now,” Mu Lingwan said softly. “It’s only half a month anyway. Give me the shoes, and you teach them how to follow the group. I’ll head over first.”

Mu Lingwan walked over holding a pair of slippers. She was casually wearing a light pink pair, while holding an orange one in her hand. The soles were thick sponge, making them very comfortable and relaxing to walk in.

Seeing her approach, Rong Qing wanted to get up, but Mu Lingwan stopped her.

“Don’t move,” Mu Lingwan said as she squatted down, pressing on Rong Qing’s knee. “I’ll help you put on your shoes.”

At these words, Rong Qing was startled. Although Mu Lingwan was currently in her own skin, she was still that big star. The fact that she wanted her to put on shoes was something Rong Qing couldn’t even dare to imagine.

“N-no…”

“Don’t move.”

Mu Lingwan said in a low, stern voice, “The camera is recording. Do you want the audience to know that our relationship isn’t good?”

Rong Qing stiffened all over, then relaxed, watching as Mu Lingwan lifted her ankle and gently brushed off the white sand from the bottom of her foot. The seriousness in Mu Lingwan’s eyes was like she was handling a fragile item, extremely solemn.

Mu Lingwan’s movements were slow and gentle. Half-squatting and half-kneeling in front of her, after brushing off the fine sand from Rong Qing’s instep, she slipped on the orange slipper, then carefully cleaned the other foot, rubbing Rong Qing’s toes and softly saying, “Your ankles are so slender.”

Rong Qing’s face turned bright red. She looked at Mu Lingwan in shock and embarrassment. Although she knew this was just for show, it indeed made her heart race.

It was just putting on shoes; why did it have to be so serious?

Slender ankles… even if they were slender, they were still Mu Lingwan’s own ankles. Was it really okay to praise herself like this?

Rong Qing’s face was burning, but she couldn’t refuse. The director’s team seemed to want this sweet effect, even zooming in on a close-up of Rong Qing’s ankles. Mu Lingwan seemed to have long been accustomed to this, and after finishing cleaning Rong Qing’s foot in front of the camera, she put on the other slipper.

At that moment, Rong Qing realized that their shoes were actually a couple’s design.

The light pink and orange slippers stood out against the white sand, and as Rong Qing looked down at their feet, she felt her face grow even redder.

She couldn’t let her heart waver. Rong Qing tightly clenched the hem of her clothes, silently telling herself that Mu Lingwan was a heartbreaker, a player. How could someone as inexperienced as her like someone like that? She didn’t want to end up unrequited, becoming just a little fish in Mu Lingwan’s pond.

“Let’s go take a picture by that lighthouse over there, and then we’ll look for the white piano,” Mu Lingwan said after repeatedly looking at a few photos, walking beside Rong Qing and calmly discussing how to get to those places.

Mu Lingwan’s nonchalant attitude made Rong Qing momentarily dazed, and she gently blinked.

So skilled?

She must have done this kind of thing often before, right? Would someone as prominent as Mu Lingwan really squat down to put shoes on someone else?

Rong Qing decided to stop overthinking it and simply followed Mu Lingwan’s footprints in her orange slippers, trotting along. Mu Lingwan glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow slightly before falling into step beside her.

The lighthouse photo was taken the moment they stepped onto the concrete path, using the instant camera provided by the director. To prove they had personally made the trip, they were also required to take a selfie together.

Mu Lingwan adjusted the angle of the camera before wrapping an arm around Rong Qing’s waist, pulling her closer to face the lens.

“Look at the camera—three, two, one!”

Rong Qing stiffened but still pressed tightly against Mu Lingwan’s shoulder, both of them flashing identical, practiced professional smiles.