After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 29

Due to the change in director and investors, the live broadcast of the show “Heartbeat in Progress” was temporarily suspended, but the recorded episodes continued. The previously recorded footage could still be edited and used, so there was no need to start filming from scratch again.

The new director, Wan Yunyan, was a young director just 35 years old. She started with idol dramas and had directed many youthful romance series, launching a wave of rising stars. Among them, Shen Nian had also acted in one of her campus romance dramas. Later, Director Wan accepted an investor’s commission to create the first domestic couples’ variety show in the country, specializing in capturing the sweet romance between young couples.

After everyone had a meal together to get acquainted, it was decided to give the cast a week’s break before officially resuming filming the following Monday.

“You don’t need to do anything specific—just act as you normally would when you were dating,” Director Wan told the six guests. “Each of your couples has a unique charm, and the audience will definitely love you.”

Though Director Wan spoke with great confidence, the people listening couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Others might not know, but Rong Qing was fully aware—while there were three couples on the show, two of them were fake. The only pair that might be genuine, Xu Qing and Jiang Jiang, barely interacted, coming off more like a superior and subordinate than lovers.

She was seriously worried about whether this show could continue.

After the briefing with the guests, Director Wan held another meeting with the production team. Rong Qing and Mu Lingwan returned to rest first. As soon as they entered the room, Mu Lingwan took out a document from the table and handed it to her.

“What’s this?” Rong Qing asked curiously as she took it.

Mu Lingwan crossed her arms and said calmly, “An investment contract. Since you’re the new investor for ‘Heartbeat in Progress,’ this is the first variety show invested under your name. I think you should take a good look.”

At first, Rong Qing thought it was just an ordinary contract, but when she saw the bold black-and-white figure of 180 million yuan, her vision darkened.

“I don’t have that kind of money!” Rong Qing looked up at her in horror. “Even if you sold me, I couldn’t come up with that much!”

Mu Lingwan watched her with amusement, unable to suppress a smile. “What are you worried about? I’ll cover the cost. If it makes a profit, you just pay me back the principal. If it loses money, it’s on me. How’s that?”

Variety shows, dramas, and movies all require investment in their early stages. Since this show had A-list stars like Mu Lingwan, Ming Qiao, Shen Nian, and Xu Qing, most of the budget went toward their salaries, with the rest allocated to staff wages and production costs.

But “Heartbeat in Progress” was already highly popular, making sponsorships easier to secure than other variety shows. With the previous investor pulling out, Mu Lingwan quickly stepped in to take over the project. Given the groundwork laid earlier, she was confident the show’s sponsorship potential wouldn’t be weak.

“Even if it doesn’t turn a profit, the losses won’t be too severe,” Mu Lingwan reassured Rong Qing, noticing her still-pale expression. She walked over and patted her shoulder. “Relax. Even if this money goes down the drain, I could earn it back with just one movie. Don’t worry about it.”

Mu Lingwan said it lightly, but Rong Qing was an unknown small-time actress who had never seen such sums before. What did 180 million even mean to her?

It was an amount she might not even earn if she started working from the Warring States period!

Yet Mu Lingwan had casually given it to her as a favor!

“I—I-I can’t accept this.” It took Rong Qing a long time to find her voice again as she flusteredly said to Mu Lingwan, “Being able to join you in the program is already more than enough. I really can’t take this investment amount.”

“But the contract is already signed, and the funds have been transferred. We’ll need to find new advertisers soon.” Mu Lingwan pretended to be troubled as she said, “You’re too late to refuse now.”

Rong Qing grew so anxious she started stuttering: “W-what do you mean I’m late? You didn’t even tell me when you signed it! No, really, I can’t accept this. I won’t be able to sleep at night—the pressure would be too much…”

Unlike Mu Lingwan and other celebrities who could handle pressure well, Rong Qing was a small-time idol who would fret over maintaining just over a hundred fans. Suddenly bearing such a heavy investment made her panic uncontrollably.

Mu Lingwan was somewhat surprised to see Rong Qing’s pale face and reddened eyes. In the industry, she had seen countless people scrambling for benefits, with artists lining up to seek investments through her connections. This was the first time she’d encountered someone who kept refusing even when fame and money were handed to them.

Perhaps Rong Qing’s flustered appearance softened Mu Lingwan’s heart. Gazing into her eyes, Mu Lingwan helplessly took the contract back from her hands and shrugged. “Fine, I’ll take back this contract for now. Will that put your mind at ease for the recording?”

“…Thank you,” Rong Qing whispered.

Mu Lingwan looked at her and chuckled. “You’re really timid. Such a small amount scared you like this—it makes me seem like a bully.”

Rong Qing stared at her, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

“Get some rest if there’s nothing else. Although we have a week to prepare, I estimate we’ll start recording in two or three days. Take this time to sleep and relax.”

“Mm, thank you.”

As Mu Lingwan had predicted, Director Wan worked swiftly. The first day was for preparation, the second for scripting, and by the third day, work had already begun in stages. They even set up a separate livestream for Shen Nian to interact with viewers and maintain engagement.

Though Mu Lingwan had claimed she would withdraw the investment, Rong Qing’s name remained as the investor—only the management of the funds was fully entrusted to Zhou Ying. On the very first day, they attracted the interest of numerous advertisers and secured partnerships with several generous, reputable brands.

By the fourth day, the Heartbeat Moments production team was already making preparations to begin filming.

Rong Qing woke up early in the morning. Since most of the crew didn’t stay at the manor, the villa was quiet at around six o’clock.

She went into the kitchen, took ingredients from the fridge, and prepared to make a few simple sandwiches. Among the guests, only she and Jiang Jiang knew how to cook—the assistants were all young and mostly skilled at running errands and ordering takeout. Rong Qing wasn’t fond of overly greasy food, so she preferred making simple meals herself.

After preparing the sandwich ingredients, she fried six eggs in one go and set up a small pot to simmer pears with rock sugar, making a soothing pear soup to clear heat and reduce phlegm.

Last night, while drifting off to sleep, she faintly heard Mu Lingwan coughing in the middle of the night. Thinking it might be due to the recent temperature drop and knowing it was the season when she was prone to catching colds, she decided it would be wise to prepare in advance. Brewing some pear soup couldn’t hurt.

Early in the morning, Rong Qing busied herself alone in the kitchen. The quiet dawn was filled only with the crisp sounds of cooking, clean and refreshing.

When Xu Qing came downstairs rubbing her eyes, she saw Rong Qing hard at work, wearing disposable gloves as she assembled sandwiches. After squeezing low-calorie sauce onto each one, she layered on fried luncheon meat and eggs, then added fresh, crisp lettuce—just like that, a sandwich was ready.

Xu Qing watched her back with some surprise. Over the past few days of living together, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her friend was acting strangely, as if she were a completely different person. The once moody and sarcastic personality was gone, replaced by someone who could cook, was likable, and even knew how to care for others—nothing like the Mu Lingwan she used to know.

At first, Xu Qing thought Mu Lingwan was just putting on a good show for the cameras, since this was her first variety show. But by now, even if Xu Qing were the slowest to catch on, she could tell something was off.

Some people could fake it, but no one could keep up a flawless act for this long.

Unless this person wasn’t really her.

The thought startled Xu Qing. She considered whether she should go over and ask—early in the morning, with no one else around, maybe the shock would make the other person slip up and tell the truth. But before she could take a step, she sensed someone coming down the stairs behind her.

Ming Qiao stood on the second-floor landing, looking down at Xu Qing with a faint smirk. Leaning on the railing, she walked over and asked, “Xu Qing, what are you doing standing there?”

Following Xu Qing’s gaze, she spotted Rong Qing bustling around in the kitchen and froze for a moment.

Xu Qing naturally knew about Ming Qiao’s past with Mu Lingwan. When the incident happened, Mu Lingwan had been heartbroken for a long time. As a friend, Xu Qing wasn’t fond of Ming Qiao either, so she instinctively stepped in front of her, blocking her view.

“I was thirsty, so I came down for some water,” Xu Qing said, hands in her pockets. “Why are you up? Filming hasn’t started yet.”

“I woke up and didn’t feel like lazing in bed, so I came down for a walk.” Ming Qiao didn’t seem bothered by Xu Qing blocking her view. Instead, she smiled and said, “Mu Lingwan has really changed a lot. In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her cook as much as she has these past few days.”

“People change,” Xu Qing replied with a smile. “Just like you did.”

Ming Qiao understood the implication but didn’t take offense. She merely brushed her long black hair back and gave Xu Qing a calm, measured look.

Since the mood was already tense, Xu Qing decided to ask the question she’d been wondering about.

“Back then… why did you betray Mu Lingwan?” Xu Qing asked curiously. “She treated you well—even prioritized giving you resources. I really don’t understand why you chose to leave, especially in that way.”

The fallout between Ming Qiao and Mu Lingwan had been a huge scandal, making waves across the entire entertainment industry. Netizens feasted on the drama, and when Ming Qiao left, she took a large chunk of the staff with her, nearly collapsing Mu Lingwan’s company in the process.

Fortunately, Mu Lingwan remained calm and quickly took action. She spent a fortune on crisis management and gradually rebuilt her team, which eventually led to recovery.

However, Ming Qiao’s actions had indeed dealt a heavy blow to Mu Lingwan, and to this day, Xu Qing still couldn’t understand why she had done it.

Ming Qiao paused slightly, lifting her gaze to look at Xu Qing. Her fair skin and crimson lips made her beauty evident even without makeup early in the morning. A woman this striking would naturally draw attention wherever she went, and rising to prominence was only a matter of time.

“Xu Qing, there are some things you don’t understand,” Ming Qiao said calmly, her eyes fixed on the figure standing with its back to her in the distance. “Mu Lingwan never looks behind her. So if I don’t walk ahead of her, she’ll never turn her gaze toward me.”

Xu Qing’s eyes widened. “You—”

Ming Qiao interrupted her, pressing a finger to her lips in a silencing gesture. Her eyes curved into a smile as she said, “My reason is simple—I just want her to remember me forever.”