After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 21

“Huh?”

Rong Qing steadied herself against the refrigerator door, the cool white light casting a faint shadow across her profile. Her dark eyelashes fluttered slightly as she gazed at Shen Nian with a trace of bewilderment in her eyes.

“What did you want to talk about?” Rong Qing instinctively glanced at the camera placed in the corner of the kitchen. The blinking red light confirmed it was recording. If Shen Nian said anything inappropriate, it wouldn’t even take until the next day—they’d be trending that very night.

For Mu Lingwan’s sake, and for her own, Rong Qing closed the refrigerator door. She resolved to keep her composure no matter what Shen Nian said next, determined not to give anything away.

Shen Nian also noticed the camera. She walked over, grabbed Rong Qing’s wrist, and said, “Come with me, sis.”

Before Rong Qing could react, Shen Nian had already pulled her out of the kitchen. The warmth of their skin contact sent a shiver down Rong Qing’s spine, her voice trembling as she asked, “M-Miss Shen, you—”

“Don’t speak, sis,” Shen Nian said with a serious expression, quickly leading them through the living room and out the glass door beside it.

Outside the villa stretched a vast lawn. The pale moonlight hung overhead in the 8 or 9 o’clock sky. Though the surrounding lights were dim, they were enough for Rong Qing to clearly see Shen Nian’s face. After walking about a dozen steps to ensure they were out of the camera’s range, Shen Nian finally stopped.

Rong Qing’s heart pounded wildly as she watched Shen Nian turn to face her under the moonlight.

Shen Nian’s eyes sparkled brightly, her thick lashes and beautiful brows fixed intently on Rong Qing. Having showered upon returning, she wore a pink-and-white dress, her slender legs clad in white ankle socks and pristine white sneakers. The youthful outfit made her look like the unforgettable campus sweetheart, the white moonlight of university days.

As the night breeze tousled Shen Nian’s long black hair, Rong Qing understood why she was such a sought-after rising star.

In the quiet moonlight, Shen Nian smoothed her windblown hair but never took her eyes off Rong Qing. Instead, she reached out, causing Rong Qing to immediately take two steps back in alarm.

Shen Nian paused momentarily before closing the distance between them. Standing before Rong Qing, she whispered, “Sis, take off your mic.”

Only when Shen Nian’s hand brushed against the wireless microphone clipped to her collar did Rong Qing’s face flush crimson. She retreated another step, lowering her head as she said, “…I can do it myself.”

At this, Shen Nian withdrew her hand and stood quietly with her arms behind her back, watching as Rong Qing removed the mic and tucked it into her pocket.

“Did you… have fun today, sis?” Shen Nian asked with a smile.

Rong Qing frowned slightly, unsure of Shen Nian’s intentions. “I did. Why do you ask?”

Shen Nian’s fingers fidgeted slightly behind her back before she lifted her gaze to meet Rong Qing’s. “Sister Mu, you already know how I feel about you, don’t you?”

Rong Qing’s eyes widened. She instinctively scanned their surroundings, confirming there were no cameras or crew nearby. Yet, still wary of potential entrapment that could ruin her reputation, she remained cautious, taking another small step back.

“If you keep backing away, sister, others might overhear our conversation.” Shen Nian’s gaze lifted slightly, seemingly looking toward some spot on the villa’s second floor. Just as Rong Qing was about to turn her head, she heard Shen Nian speak again.

“Actually, Teacher Ming Qiao and I aren’t lovers.” With that single sentence, Shen Nian captured all of Rong Qing’s attention.

“What?!”

“I like you. When I found out you and Rong Qing went public and were going to participate in a dating show together, I was devastated. Then Teacher Ming Qiao approached me, saying she wanted to pretend to be my girlfriend to join this program.” Shen Nian looked at Rong Qing calmly as she spoke. “I agreed.”

“So you two are fake lovers?” Rong Qing was so shocked she could only repeat the words. She looked at Shen Nian in panic. “Do you realize how badly you’ll be criticized if the audience finds out about this?!”

“But I can’t control that anymore.” Shen Nian quickly stepped forward and hugged Rong Qing, burying her face in the crook of her neck as she whispered, “I like you. Could you like me back, sister…?”

Rong Qing was so startled she screamed internally. Shen Nian’s confession felt like some kind of curse, and she immediately pushed her away before turning pale and bolting straight into the villa without looking back.

Shen Nian stood in the courtyard, watching Rong Qing flee, her expression growing darker by the second. Slowly, she raised her head and locked eyes with the figure standing by the second-floor window for a long moment.

Mu Lingwan had clearly seen everything that had just happened in the courtyard below from her balcony. Though she couldn’t hear what Shen Nian and Rong Qing had discussed, seeing Shen Nian suddenly embrace Rong Qing and Rong Qing flee in terror gave her a rough idea.

Shen Nian remained standing there, staring at her. Mu Lingwan frowned slightly and pulled the curtains shut with displeasure, cutting off the other’s gaze.

Knock knock—

A knock came at the door. In a foul mood, Mu Lingwan walked over and yanked it open, snapping at the person outside, “So you finally decided to come back?”

Xu Qing was holding a plate of freshly washed grapes and looked at Mu Lingwan curiously. “What?”

Mu Lingwan frowned. “Why is it you?”

“I came to bring you and Mu Lingwan some grapes.” Xu Qing stepped past her into the room, setting the plate down on the table as she glanced around. “Where’s Mu Lingwan?”

“No idea,” Mu Lingwan said from the doorway. “Is there anything else, Teacher Xu Qing? If not, I’m going to sleep.”

“It’s not even nine yet, and you’re already going to bed?” Xu Qing sat on the sofa, popping a grape into her mouth. “Mmm, these are really sweet. Why don’t you try one, Xiao Qing’er?”

Mu Lingwan furrowed her brows. “I’m allergic to grapes.” The moment she said it, she froze.

Xu Qing: “What a coincidence—Mu Lingwan is allergic to grapes too.”

Mu Lingwan felt there was more to Xu Qing’s words but stayed silent for a few seconds before replying, “Not just grapes—I’m allergic to seafood too. Sometimes I’m even allergic to sunlight. I just have a sensitive constitution.”

“Sounds like your daily life must be pretty tough.”

“It’s manageable.”

Xu Qing glanced at the covered camera and was about to say something when Rong Qing hurried in, her face pale. Seeing Xu Qing sitting in the room startled her, making her look even paler.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Qing asked, puzzled. “You look terrible—are you feeling unwell?”

Rong Qing rubbed her face and glanced at Mu Lingwan, wondering how she ended up here.

“I brought you some grapes,” Xu Qing said with a smile. “Jiang Jiang just washed them for me. I thought I’d come chat with you—let’s eat together.”

“…No, thanks. I’m allergic to grapes.” Rong Qing replied breathlessly. “Sorry, I need to use the bathroom.”

When Xu Qing was ushered out of the room by Mu Lingwan, still holding the grapes, she felt a little disappointed. She stared at the fruit in her hands, puzzled. Could she have been wrong? Even using grapes—something Rong Qing was supposedly allergic to—couldn’t reveal who the real Mu Lingwan was?

With that thought, Xu Qing obediently took the grapes back the same way she had brought them.

Inside the room, Mu Lingwan stood before Rong Qing, her brows tightly furrowed.

“So that’s what Shen Nian told you just now?” Mu Lingwan asked softly.

Rong Qing nodded. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she clutched the cup of hot water Mu Lingwan had poured for her, her face still pale. She looked up nervously. “What should I do? Shen Nian… she seems to have fixated on me.”

Mu Lingwan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she pulled out her phone and searched for information on Ming Qiao and Shen Nian.

Not long after she and Rong Qing had gone public, Ming Qiao and Shen Nian had also announced their relationship, causing the already overwhelmed trending topics to crash once more. But at the time, Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing had been too preoccupied with figuring out how to swap bodies to pay attention.

The more Mu Lingwan scrolled through the search results, the darker her expression grew. Rong Qing watched, her own unease growing. Before, she hadn’t cared about Mu Lingwan’s affairs—after all, Mu Lingwan was leagues above her in fame, wealth, and beauty. Even if she played around, what did it matter?

What did any of that have to do with Rong Qing?

But now things were different. Shen Nian had chased her all the way to the show just to confess, and it was only the second day. Rong Qing couldn’t even imagine how she was going to survive the next two weeks!

“M-Miss Mu,” Rong Qing stammered, reverting to her earlier formal address. “Can I ask… what exactly is your relationship with Shen Nian? She said she likes you. Does that mean you and she…?”

“There is no relationship between us,” Mu Lingwan said coldly, putting her phone away. “It’s exactly as the rumors say—her fans see her as my successor in the same niche. The entertainment industry’s pie is only so big. She took my resources, so naturally, we don’t get along.”

Rong Qing looked up at her, unconvinced. “Really?”

Mu Lingwan met her gaze steadily. “What else could it be?”

“Then… what about you and Ming Qiao?”

“She chose to break her contract and strike out on her own at the peak of her career. After that, our resources overlapped heavily. Our fans have been at each other’s throats for years. Naturally, we’re rivals.”

“And Xu Qing?”

“Xu Qing is just a fool who only knows how to sing. We’ve known each other for years, but we’re nothing more than friends.”

“But… but…”

Mu Lingwan stood over Rong Qing, looking down at her. “Miss Rong, if you have any more questions, ask them all now. It’ll save us both the trouble later.”

Rong Qing timidly raised her head to look at her, sitting nervously on the edge of the bed. She clutched her cup in silence for a long while before finally opening her mouth to ask, “Miss Mu… are you a player?”