After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 23

“New room?”

Mu Lingwan frowned at the mention of the term, glancing at the single armchair that had been placed to the side since the first day. Initially, she thought it was meant for the director, but the director had always stood behind the camera when giving instructions or speaking, leaving that spot perpetually empty.

Today’s task gave Mu Lingwan a bad premonition.

Could it be that the show was bringing in a new participant?

It’s common for variety shows to introduce guest stars to keep things fresh, but this was a dating show—a one-on-one dating show. The presence of a single armchair was enough to reveal the producers’ malicious intent.

The others also sensed something amiss and looked up at the director.

“No way, are we really getting a new guest?” Xu Qing exclaimed, staring at the armchair. Ming Qiao furrowed her brows and asked, “What kind of guest?”

The director smiled mysteriously and explained, “It’s normal for guests to visit and stay over, right? It doesn’t necessarily mean a new participant. Don’t speculate too much—just go and prepare.”

Then, he turned to Rong Qing and Mu Lingwan. “Let me show you the new room first.”

Currently, the villa’s first floor housed the dining area, kitchen, living room, and the production team’s recording and equipment rooms. The second floor’s south side had Shen Nian and Ming Qiao’s suite, while the north side had Xu Qing and Jiang Jiang’s twin-bed room, as well as Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing’s shared space.

The room the director led them to was a guest bedroom adjacent to the suite.

“The room’s basic setup is ready—only the furnishings are missing,” the director said, opening the door for the two guests to inspect. The space was much smaller than Rong Qing and Mu Lingwan’s room, lacking even an ensuite bathroom; guests would have to use the shared one at the end of the hallway.

Inside, there was only a simple bed and a wardrobe—nothing else.

“The assistant has already sent the furniture dimensions to your phones. You can brainstorm how to decorate this room. Your task is to purchase all necessary furnishings today.”

Mu Lingwan scrutinized the room and asked, “What about the budget…?”

The director replied, “We provided everyone with startup funds when you arrived—8,000 yuan in total. But this amount is meant to cover all six of you for half a month, so you’ll need to budget carefully for this room’s furnishings.”

Rong Qing understood: the guest room had to be furnished, but if they spent too much, the other guests might complain, leading to tension. On the other hand, spending too little could dissatisfy the incoming guest, also causing conflict.

Today’s challenge was to spend the least amount of money while keeping everyone happy.

“This is tough…” Rong Qing murmured, rubbing her chin.

Mu Lingwan had little concept of budgeting. She had debuted young and had always spent lavishly—8,000 yuan couldn’t even buy one of her shoes.

She walked over and sat on the bed, which had nothing but a basic frame. With temperatures dropping to single digits at night, they’d definitely need a soft yet sturdy mattress.

After the staff had all left and only the cameraperson remained, Mu Lingwan finally said to Rong Qing, “Let’s figure out what we need to buy.”

Rong Qing nodded. The room wasn’t that big, so furnishing it shouldn’t be too difficult. She grabbed a pen and paper from the side and ran over to Mu Lingwan to start listing the necessary items.

“Let’s get a 2.2×1.8 mattress, then bedding, a four-piece set. Should we buy one pillow or two?”

“Two.”

“Okay.”

“We should probably get a bedside lamp too. A nightlight would make it easier to get up at night.”

“…Mmm, okay.”

“We also need to buy hangers—good quality ones, otherwise clothes will get those shoulder bumps.” Mu Lingwan continued, “And some nice rugs—one for the doorway and one by the bed. Oh, and a vase, posters, and one of those trendy pegboards would work well too, for hanging small things.”

Rong Qing stopped writing at some point and looked up at Mu Lingwan, blinking as she asked, “How much would all this cost if we bought everything?”

Mu Lingwan paused. “I don’t know.”

Rong Qing pressed, “Is the guest staying just one night, or will they be living here long-term?”

Again, Mu Lingwan replied, “I don’t know.”

Rong Qing opened her mouth to ask more, but Mu Lingwan cut her off. “Let’s just note these down for now. I’m going to change, and then we’ll head out.”

Half an hour later, both had changed and left the house. They took the production team’s car to the largest furniture store nearby, which sold all kinds of home goods and even had fully decorated showrooms for reference. The moment they stepped inside, they were awed by the atmosphere.

“Wow, there’s so much stuff!” Rong Qing tilted her head back to look at the shelves towering three or four meters high, genuinely impressed.

Mu Lingwan was also visiting such a place for the first time and was equally amazed by the massive displays, but she quickly snapped out of it and said, “Let’s go take a look inside.”

The production team had booked the entire store, so aside from staff, there were no other customers—not even sales assistants—except for the camerapersons following closely behind.

As they passed the shelves, Rong Qing couldn’t tear her eyes away from the dazzling array of throw pillows, each one beautifully designed. She picked up a small orange sun-shaped pillow and turned to Mu Lingwan. “Look, wouldn’t this look great on the living room sofa?”

Hearing this, Mu Lingwan walked over and glanced at the various sizes of sun-shaped pillows on the shelf before looking at Rong Qing. “You really like ‘the sun,’ huh?”

Rong Qing froze for a second, then awkwardly set the pillow back—only for Mu Lingwan to say, “Why put it back? Take it. Get two. I think they’re cute too.”

“But I thought you didn’t like them?”

“When did I say that?” Mu Lingwan pinched the edge of the sun pillow, examining it before adding, “This kinda looks like a fried egg.”

Rong Qing leaned in for another look, puzzled. “How is it like a fried egg?”

After buying two “fried eggs,” they passed through the kitchenware section. Rong Qing found herself lingering over the assortment of jars, containers, and utensils, drawn to the affordable yet practical items like chopstick holders, scrub brushes, and oil spray bottles. In the end, they also picked up six 9.9-yuan glass cups, which Rong Qing insisted were perfect for drinking water.

The furniture mall was enormous, and the two of them had walked until their legs were sore before finally reaching the showroom.

“This one is 23 square meters, about the size we’re looking for,” Rong Qing said, drawn to the smallest bedroom layout. From afar, she had already noticed how beautifully decorated it was—the walls were a retro green, paired with red furniture and matching bedding. A photo wall hung on one side, and a floor lamp that reached just past their shoulders cast a soft glow.

“Does it feel too cluttered?” Mu Lingwan eyed the beige sofa in the corner, then turned and sat down to test it. “This sofa is so comfortable. Let’s get one for our place later.”

“Sure,” Rong Qing replied naturally.

As soon as she spoke, Rong Qing sensed the atmosphere shift. She glanced back at the cameramen and assistants behind them and saw them stifling laughter. Only then did she realize what she had just said, and her face burned red in an instant.

“N-no, I meant—” Rong Qing tried to explain, but Mu Lingwan walked over and gently tugged at her sleeve. Rong Qing immediately turned to look at her, their eyes meeting abruptly, and her heartbeat quickened.

“I like this bed,” Mu Lingwan said casually, taking Rong Qing’s hand and leading her to the bedside. “I like this green bedding set.”

Rong Qing’s palms were sweaty as she stared at the bed and softly murmured, “Mm.”

“So, this set?”

“Mm.”

“The pillows too?”

“…Mm.”

Noticing how stiff and uneasy Rong Qing looked, Mu Lingwan let go of her hand and asked, “Do you want to look at anything else?”

Rong Qing lifted her gaze. “Do you?”

“Let’s browse a little more. There might be something even better,” Mu Lingwan suggested. After all, they had only been here for less than two hours—if they left now, the director wouldn’t have enough footage to work with. They needed to stay longer.

Rong Qing had no strong opinions, so the two of them explored a few more showrooms, picking out some interesting small decorations and settling on whatever suited them. In the end, though, they still chose the retro green style they had first seen—everything except the bed and wardrobe, which had already been provided.

“Added up, this still costs quite a bit.”

Rong Qing’s eyes widened slightly as she looked over the order. Since this furniture mall catered to the general public, the prices weren’t exorbitant. Plus, the production team had already covered the most expensive items—the bed and wardrobe—so the only major expense in the soft furnishings was the ¥2,499 mattress.

As Mu Lingwan put it, other things could be compromised, but the mattress had to be the best—otherwise, guests wouldn’t sleep well at night.

Rong Qing didn’t know how expensive Mu Lingwan’s usual bedding was, but this mattress was undeniably comfortable, so she didn’t object. The ¥599 sofa was the next biggest expense, while the bedding and other items paled in comparison.

Even so, the total came close to ¥4,000—half of their ¥8,000 starting budget gone in one go.

Seeing Rong Qing still sitting on their chosen bed, reviewing the receipts, Mu Lingwan stood up and said, “I’ll go check with the staff about delivery. Let’s have lunch here—there’s a steakhouse nearby.”

Rong Qing nodded, watching her leave before lowering her head again to flip through the soft furnishings, thinking about how to arrange them when she returned in the afternoon. Whether it was the bed being too soft or not getting enough sleep the night before, Rong Qing leaned against the headboard feeling her eyelids grow heavier, yawning several times.

She hadn’t eaten much at noon, the buns from breakfast still undigested. By the time the car started moving back, Rong Qing couldn’t hold on any longer. Her head tilted to the side as she dozed off against the backseat.

With the jolts of the car, Mu Lingwan felt a weight settle on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw Rong Qing leaning against her, fast asleep and looking utterly peaceful.