After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 38

After saying this, Ming Qiao walked past Rong Qing, who almost didn’t catch her words.

She wanted to talk to her?

About what?

Surely not with her, but with Mu Lingwan. Rong Qing immediately grew wary. Ming Qiao had barely spoken to her all month, so why bring it up now, right as the show was wrapping up?

Rong Qing’s eyes flickered uncertainly as she glanced around, searching for Mu Lingwan. People like Shen Nian and Xu Qing had simple motives—she could muddle through without being exposed. But Ming Qiao? She was clearly sharp, and worse, she didn’t get along with Mu Lingwan. Rong Qing feared saying the wrong thing and making a mess of everything.

Yet Mu Lingwan was nowhere to be found.

Rong Qing pulled out her phone to call her, only for the ringtone to blare from the seat beside her.

Rong Qing: “…”

Seriously, who leaves their phone behind in this day and age?!

Ming Qiao stood by the doorway, half-turned, watching Rong Qing with a look that urged her to hurry over.

Resigned, Rong Qing pocketed her phone and pinched her thigh lightly, reminding herself to stay in character—speak little, frown often, and never agree to anything rashly, just as Mu Lingwan had instructed. Surely she could bluff her way through this.

She’d made it this far over the past few weeks. She could handle this too!

Pumping herself up, Rong Qing stood and walked toward Ming Qiao. Today, Ming Qiao wore a white silk gown, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders. With her voluminous waves, bold red lips, and only a simple necklace as adornment, she looked like a Greek goddess leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

As Rong Qing approached, Ming Qiao turned her gaze to the lively scene outside, her delicate jawline and slender neck accentuated by the movement.

On the lawn, crew members gathered to set off fireworks and take photos with the cast. The sky, dark as velvet, erupted with bursts of color, the crackling explosions echoing nonstop.

“When’s your new drama coming out?” Ming Qiao asked, still leaning against the doorframe. “Has it been submitted for review?”

Rong Qing assumed she was referring to Mu Lingwan’s Spring Moonlight. Filming had been suspended after their accident, so logically, it couldn’t have been submitted yet. But Ming Qiao knew that—so why ask?

“That’s confidential,” Rong Qing replied coolly, mimicking Mu Lingwan’s tone.

Ming Qiao glanced at her sideways and chuckled. “Still the same as ever, not giving me an inch of face.”

Rong Qing pinched herself again, scanning the area for any sign of Mu Lingwan—she needed backup, fast.

“Stop looking,” Ming Qiao said. “Your girlfriend ran off earlier. Who knows where she went. Since when were you two so attached? Can’t go a second without searching for her. Never saw you like this before.”

“People change,” Rong Qing said flatly.

Ming Qiao paused, then looked at her. “Are you still holding a grudge over what I did back then?”

Rong Qing’s internal alarms blared.

Back then? What happened back then? If we’re talking about the past, I’m completely out of my depth here!

“…Let’s talk about something else.” Rong Qing hurriedly interrupted Ming Qiao’s words and said to her, “If you don’t have anything else, I’ll be going now.”

“My flight is tonight.” Seeing her about to leave, Ming Qiao reached out to block the door with her hand, her dark eyes gazing at her with vulnerability. “Who knows when we’ll meet again next time.”

Rong Qing felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze, but she remained composed and said, “If fate allows, we’ll naturally meet again. If not, then it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Pushing Ming Qiao’s hand aside, Rong Qing stepped down from the porch and turned back to say, “Be careful when you go out tonight. Goodbye.”

Ming Qiao watched Rong Qing’s retreating figure with dim eyes, shaking her head with a bitter smile after a long pause. Then, she swept her long hair back and looked toward Shen Nian, who was setting off sparklers on the lawn, before walking over to join her.

As soon as Rong Qing left the villa, she began searching everywhere for Mu Lingwan. She wasn’t sure how well she had performed earlier, but judging by Ming Qiao’s reaction, it seemed she hadn’t been exposed. Now, she needed to quickly find the missing Mu Lingwan and tell her what had happened.

“Rong—Rong Qing!”

Calling her own name felt strange, but at this moment, she couldn’t care less. Standing near the warehouse behind the villa, she shouted for Mu Lingwan, wondering if she was there.

After calling twice, she heard movement nearby. Turning her head, she saw Mu Lingwan approaching with something in her hand. Rong Qing rushed over anxiously and asked, “Where have you been? It’s late, and I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

Mu Lingwan blinked in surprise, holding up the bag in her hand. “I went to the back gate to get mung bean ice. Didn’t you say this afternoon you wanted some? I figured you wouldn’t be able to get it after leaving here, so I had my assistant queue up to buy a serving.”

She handed the bag to Rong Qing and added, “I asked them to skip the sugar and keep it at room temperature. The temperature’s dropped a lot these past few days—better not have anything too cold.”

“You… you went out just for this?” Rong Qing stared blankly at the mung bean ice in her arms, then asked, “But why didn’t you take your phone? I couldn’t reach you…”

Mu Lingwan looked at her curiously in the dim light. “Why were you looking for me?”

Rong Qing quickly told her about Ming Qiao’s visit. After listening, Mu Lingwan seemed to ponder something before finally saying, “It’s fine. You handled it well. She probably didn’t notice anything.”

“Really?” Rong Qing was still uneasy. Out of all the guests on the show, Ming Qiao was the one she feared the most. There was something unsettling about the way she smiled at her, as if she were plotting something.

“Don’t worry.” Mu Lingwan stepped closer and took Rong Qing’s hand, noticing how cold and clammy it was. “It’s chilly out. Why didn’t you put on a coat?”

“I was in a hurry to find you.” Rong Qing felt Mu Lingwan’s hand—warm like a winter stove. The heat spread from where their skin touched, radiating through her body and settling in her chest.

For some reason, her face grew hot. She lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands, momentarily lost in thought.

In the distance, the sound of unseen waves crashed against the shore, each roar resembling the growl of some wild beast.

“The wind’s picking up,” Mu Lingwan said, smoothing her tousled hair before turning to Rong Qing. “Let’s head back.”

Hand in hand, Mu Lingwan led Rong Qing toward the villa. As Rong Qing followed, stepping on the soft grass beneath her feet, she felt a strange warmth spreading from their intertwined fingers, leaving her momentarily dazed.

Why was her heart racing like this?

Was it because of… Mu Lingwan?

Rong Qing lifted her gaze, staring at the woman before her, and suddenly felt her heart flutter uncontrollably.

Since Ming Qiao was scheduled to fly out that evening, everyone had thrown her a farewell party, turning the living room into a makeshift karaoke room. Xu Qing clung to the microphone, refusing to let go, belting out songs for a full hour in her element. If Jiang Jiang hadn’t rushed over to drag her away, Xu Qing would have kept going.

Truly befitting a singer—her voice remained flawless even after drinking and singing nonstop, never once going hoarse.

Ming Qiao also graciously performed a song, with everyone clapping along. Though she couldn’t match Xu Qing’s prowess, she held her own—after all, no one present could surpass Xu Qing.

After Ming Qiao left with her assistant and luggage, the remaining guests resumed their revelry. Shen Nian, likely drunk and free from the constraints of cameras, clung to Rong Qing until Mu Lingwan unceremoniously kicked her aside.

Eventually, Rong Qing grew too tired and excused herself to rest upstairs. The others lingered a while longer before finally retiring to their rooms as well.

The next morning, Rong Qing slept in luxuriously, waking naturally at ten o’clock. Mu Lingwan was still asleep beside her, and the two lay comfortably entwined under the covers.

Stretching lazily, Rong Qing accidentally roused Mu Lingwan, who frowned before sleepily wrapping her arms around her.

Though startled, Rong Qing had grown accustomed to being held by Mu Lingwan these past few nights. Curious, she murmured, “Awake? It’s ten. Should we get up?”

“Mmm,” Mu Lingwan mumbled in agreement, though she made no move to rise, instead burying her face against Rong Qing’s shoulder as if ready to drift back to sleep.

Outside, Xu Qing’s voice echoed in the hallway, accompanied by the sound of packing and moving. After a moment, Rong Qing quietly asked, “Where are we going after this?”

“Home,” Mu Lingwan replied drowsily. “Where else?”

“Home, huh…” Rong Qing lay on her side, lost in thought. In her current situation, she really had no choice but to follow Mu Lingwan back.

Mu Lingwan opened her eyes, seemingly reading Rong Qing’s hesitation. Releasing her, she sat up and said, “If there’s somewhere you’d rather go, you can. Just don’t draw too much attention.”

Rong Qing glanced at her. “Can I go back to my own home?”

“No.” Mu Lingwan refused without hesitation, turning to meet her gaze. “How would you explain things to your family?”

“…Alright.” Rong Qing had no other ideas.

Mu Lingwan studied her for a long moment before turning away and getting out of bed. “We’ll go home first. We can discuss other arrangements once we’re there. If you want to see your family, we can arrange a video call.”

Rong Qing sat up in bed, watching Mu Lingwan enter the bathroom before blinking as she realized something—she should probably be getting paid for her work!

When Mu Lingwan finished washing up and came out, Rong Qing immediately asked about it. Mu Lingwan gave a slight nod, walked over to the table, took a sip of water from her glass, and said, “The payment should have already been transferred to the company account a couple of days ago. Once we’re back, it’ll be deposited into your card. It’s not much, just around a million or so.”

Rong Qing’s eyes widened in shock. A million wasn’t much?

Mu Lingwan chuckled at her stunned expression, leaning against the table with her arms crossed. She looked at her and reminded, “Did you forget? You’re also an investor in ‘Heartbeat in Progress.’ Once the funds start coming in, you’ll get even more.”

Seeing Rong Qing frozen in disbelief, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Stick with me, and you won’t lose out.”