After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 36

“The press releases have been sent out as you instructed. Several influencers are steering the conversation, and we’ve also hired some trolls to boost the hype. Some netizens have even dug up old clips of Xia Yiran begging for gifts during her livestreams. There’s no way she’ll recover from this.”

Mu Lingwan leaned against the window, listening to Zhou Ying’s report over the phone. She chuckled softly and said, “Crush her completely. I don’t want to see her make a comeback.”

Zhou Ying replied, “Don’t worry. She’ll never bounce back in this lifetime.”

If Xia Yiran had stopped at merely being two-faced—acting one way in public and another in private—she might have only earned a reputation for poor character. Many of her fans would still defend her, claiming that a beautiful, talented girl was entitled to a bit of arrogance. It wouldn’t have truly ended her career.

Unfortunately, Xia Yiran was vindictive. She had publicly exposed Rong Qing’s personal information on Weibo, forcing Mu Lingwan to unleash everything she had prepared—a devastating blow.

In the entertainment industry, having wealthy patrons was nothing unusual, especially for idols like them. Being financially supported or showered with gifts was practically expected. The real problem was that Xia Yiran had been stringing along multiple patrons simultaneously, milking each for investments and lavish spending while maintaining her perfect, single-girl persona.

Now, with neither fans nor patrons left, Xia Yiran’s career was likely ruined for good.

After hanging up, Mu Lingwan returned to the bedroom and saw Rong Qing sitting on the bed, clutching her phone with a pale, unsettled expression.

“Stop looking,” Mu Lingwan said, taking the phone from Rong Qing and setting it aside. She tilted her head, studying Rong Qing’s furrowed brows, and added, “Avoid reading online comments whenever possible. They’ll only mess with your head.”

“But…” Rong Qing gripped the edge of the blanket, her voice low. “They’re saying terrible things about my family. I want to respond, but I don’t know what to say.”

Mu Lingwan squeezed Rong Qing’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t dwell on it. I told you, your family background isn’t a scandal—even if people know, it doesn’t matter. A real scandal is something like what Xia Yiran had. Understand?”

At the mention of Xia Yiran, Rong Qing looked at her curiously. “How did you find out about all that? I was in the same group as her for so long and never knew.”

Mu Lingwan grinned. “That’s because I have my ways.”

Seeing Mu Lingwan’s playful smile eased some of the tension in Rong Qing’s heart. When Xia Yiran had exposed her secret, panic had overwhelmed her—it felt like being stripped naked in front of a camera, subjected to public scrutiny.

That kind of fear might have driven her to flee if she were alone. But with Mu Lingwan by her side, Rong Qing felt anchored, like she had someone to rely on and confide in. The terror didn’t seem so suffocating anymore.

“Thank you,” Rong Qing murmured shyly, her ears tinged pink.

“Don’t thank me. She brought this on herself.”

“Huh?”

Mu Lingwan waved a hand dismissively. “Never mind. It’s not important.”

She couldn’t exactly admit that she and Xia Yiran had been clashing for a while—this was just the final explosion. Instead, Mu Lingwan gently pinched Rong Qing’s cheek and said softly, “Get some rest early tonight. We’ve got filming tomorrow.”

Rong Qing nodded and burrowed under the covers.

The next day, Xia Yiran seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, continuing her online tirade against Rong Qing with relentless slander. She accused Rong Qing of being arrogant and bullying others on set, claimed that her relationship with Mu Lingwan was entirely staged, and alleged that the other guests had conspired to ostracize her on the show.

Just as netizens were eagerly watching the drama unfold, wondering what bombshell Rong Qing might drop next, the other guests from Heartbeat in Progress began speaking up in her defense.

Xu Qing posted on Weibo:
“Rong Qing is a kind and respectful girl. I hope everyone can discern the truth and not be swayed by misinformation.”

Shen Nian tweeted:
“A statement on behalf of the production team: No one is pretending to be in a relationship. The entire show was live-streamed—interested viewers can check the recordings. The truth is obvious.”

Ming Qiao simply posted:
“[Eating melon emoji][Eating melon emoji][Disdain emoji][Disdain emoji]”

Mu Lingwan also weighed in:
“So damn annoying. These days, any random nobody can break into the industry.”

After this collective response, the entire Heartbeat in Progress cast trended on Weibo. By the end of the day, AG Entertainment issued an official statement terminating Xia Yiran’s contract and demanding compensation for breach of agreement, clarifying that her future actions had no connection to the company.

…………

The drama only grew juicier, sending netizens into a frenzy. Discussions about the incident dominated social media for days, bringing Rong Qing a massive surge in popularity. When she casually checked her Weibo backend, she was stunned to see her follower count had skyrocketed by over 500,000.

Noticing Rong Qing’s wide-eyed astonishment as she clutched her phone, Mu Lingwan leaned over to look. Seeing the half-million new followers, she arched an eyebrow and remarked, “That’s it? With this level of buzz, you should’ve gained a million by now.”

“Five hundred thousand is already a lot,” Rong Qing protested, tucking her phone away. She watched as Mu Lingwan waited at a fruit stall for the vendor to peel a pineapple, then hurried over to tug discreetly at her sleeve, whispering off-camera, “I saw everyone defending me. Let’s buy extra fruit to bring back for them.”

“Sure,” Mu Lingwan agreed, scanning the stall. “Pick whatever you want. I’ll pay.”

With no commercial streets near the villa, the two had to walk twenty minutes to reach the nearest fruit shop, then another twenty carrying their purchases back—a decent post-dinner stroll.

Though the shop looked modest, it had a decent selection. Rong Qing chose strawberries, grapes, sugar apples, and other fruits, packing them to distribute later.

Back at the villa, she first encountered Shen Nian and Ming Qiao in the living room, handing each a box of fruit. Mu Lingwan stood nearby, pretending Rong Qing had given them reluctantly. Shen Nian smiled and thanked her warmly, while Ming Qiao remained his usual aloof self, leaning against the wall in a way that irritated Mu Lingwan.

After delivering to the couple, Rong Qing distributed the remaining fruit to the crew on the first floor. Climbing the stairs with two final boxes, she told Mu Lingwan, “I’ll take these to Xu Qing’s room. You go ahead and rest.”

Mu Lingwan nodded, heading to her room with the pineapple. Rong Qing approached Xu Qing’s door, raising her hand to knock—when muffled, breathy moans suddenly leaked from inside.

Xu Qing’s voice came through the door as she chuckled softly, “Still saying you don’t like it? You’re holding on so tight… My wife is amazing…”

Rong Qing froze at the doorway, her mind blank as she failed to process what was happening inside. When Jiang Jiang whimpered “Slow down… it’s too fast,” Rong Qing’s brain exploded with realization.

They… they were… in there…!!!

Panicking, Rong Qing clutched the fruit basket and fled. Though she knew this was a dating show, she and Mu Lingwan were fake partners—just like Shen Nian and Ming Qiao were business collaborators. She’d completely forgotten the couple next door were actually together!

Xu Qing and Jiang Jiang maintained an artist-assistant relationship on camera, rarely showing affection publicly. Rong Qing had overlooked their real connection until now, thoroughly shocked by the unmistakable sounds of intimacy.

Rushing back to her room, Rong Qing slammed the door shut behind her.

Mu Lingwan turned, noticing the still-full fruit basket. She rose curiously. “Weren’t you delivering these? Why are you back? And why are you so flushed?”

Avoiding eye contact, Rong Qing mumbled, “They’re… busy. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Busy?” Mu Lingwan tilted her head. “She’s not working on new songs. What could—I’ll take them. I need to discuss something with her anyway.”

As Mu Lingwan reached for the basket, Rong Qing desperately grabbed her wrist.

“No! Don’t!” Rong Qing met her gaze urgently. “Xu Qing and… they’re really occupied right now!”

Mu Lingwan paused, glancing at the shared wall before connecting Rong Qing’s crimson cheeks to the situation. Understanding dawned, bringing its own awkwardness.

“I… see. We’ll wait then.” Mu Lingwan cleared her throat awkwardly.

Rong Qing nodded, her grip still tight on Mu Lingwan’s wrist. The younger woman’s blush extended down her neck, her damp eyes shimmering with unshed embarrassment. The way she leaned trembling against the doorframe—flushed lashes fluttering over ruby-red eyelids, parted lips revealing pearly teeth and a pink tongue—sent Mu Lingwan’s pulse racing.

What’s happening?

Why does looking at her own face make my heart pound?

Mu Lingwan yanked her wrist free, refusing to meet Rong Qing’s gaze. “J-just put the fruit downstairs. I’m taking a shower.” She fled toward the bathroom.

That night, both women lay awake in darkness.

Rong Qing often struggled with insomnia after startling events, but this marked Mu Lingwan’s first sleepless night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Rong Qing’s feverish expression—trembling lashes, dewy crimson corners of eyes, that tantalizing glimpse of tongue between pearly teeth…

Mu Lingwan’s eyes widened in the dark.

That’s MY face!

Why the hell do I find this version of me sexy?!

Mu Lingwan lay in bed with wide, furious eyes, utterly baffled by her own state. She couldn’t understand why something so trivial had kept her awake all night.

Rong Qing’s situation was simpler. The moment she closed her eyes, she kept recalling those two sentences she had overheard through the door. Who would have thought that the usually cheerful Xu Qing and the quiet Jiang Jiang could be so… passionate behind closed doors?

So couples really do get intimate like that.

Neither of them slept well that night. It wasn’t until the early hours that Rong Qing finally drifted off, only to be woken shortly after by her alarm. She couldn’t pry her eyes open, slapped the alarm off, and immediately fell back asleep. When she finally woke again, it was already past 8 a.m.

After getting dressed and heading downstairs, Rong Qing was just thinking about grabbing a quick bite when she spotted two figures in the kitchen.

Xu Qing was feeding Jiang Jiang something, blowing on a small spoonful to cool it before slipping it into Jiang Jiang’s mouth. She then tilted her head and murmured something softly, to which Jiang Jiang nodded slightly, seemingly saying, “It’s good.”

Their gazes were so thick with affection it was practically tangible. When Xu Qing looked up and noticed Rong Qing standing there dumbfounded, she smiled and greeted her, “Good morning! Come try the oatmeal I made—Jiang Jiang says it’s delicious.”