After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 51

It took Zhou Ying a long moment to understand Rong Qing’s meaning, her eyes widening immediately: “You mean… you and Mu Lingwan have switched back?!”

Rong Qing nodded frantically.

Zhou Ying’s eyes suddenly lit up with joy as she exclaimed: “Thank heavens! Finally switched back, oh my god! You have no idea what kind of days I’ve been living through these past months. Thank goodness, now I can finally relax!”

Watching Zhou Ying clasp her hands together in prayer to the heavens, Rong Qing nearly laughed. She was equally relieved—not just for Zhou Ying, but for herself too. These past few months hadn’t been easy for her either, and now everything was finally back to normal!

“Sister Zhou Ying, you mentioned ‘Madame’ earlier… who is she?” Rong Qing asked curiously.

“Madame is Mu Lingwan’s mother,” Zhou Ying explained after calming down. “She’s the company’s biggest investor. She’d been doing business overseas and I have no idea when she returned to the country. This morning she suddenly showed up at the hospital with an entourage—scared me half to death!”

Patting her chest, Zhou Ying looked at Rong Qing and said: “Thank goodness you switched back in time. Others might be fooled, but a mother would never mistake her own child. Not that I doubt your abilities, but if it were you, you definitely couldn’t have deceived Madame.”

Rong Qing nodded seriously, agreeing with Zhou Ying’s reasoning.

Meanwhile, two people sat inside the hospital room.

Mu Lingwan sat on the bed, staring dazedly at the mirror in her hands. Squinting, she found it unbelievable—just yesterday she’d been sleeping in a hotel, and now she woke up in a hospital bed with Zhou Ying bustling around her.

Her feverish body alternated between chills and sweats, her limbs felt weak, her mouth was dry and bitter. Before she could even exchange more than a few words with Zhou Ying, a woman had entered the room followed by assistants and secretaries.

She looked up from the mirror at the person seated beside her bed.

“Mom,” Mu Lingwan called out calmly.

Yang Kewei lifted her eyelids to glance at her daughter. The woman’s makeup was immaculate, her shoulder-length hair styled in loose waves. Though her features somewhat resembled Mu Lingwan’s, they carried a sharper, more intimidating edge—giving an initial impression of someone stern and unapproachable.

In truth, this perfectly matched Yang Kewei’s personality. Having long grown accustomed to being the domineering CEO, she regarded everyone with the eyes of a superior.

She responded with a soft “Hmm,” then asked: “How did you suddenly fall ill? Did Zhou Ying fail to take proper care of you?”

“No,” Mu Lingwan said with a headache. “I caught a chill filming night scenes yesterday. It has nothing to do with Zhou Ying.”

“Is that so?” Yang Kewei said lightly. “Then why did I hear you dismissed your two original assistants to other duties? You even let go of your housekeeper and cleaner, only hiring hourly workers now.”

Mu Lingwan frowned. “I’ve wanted some peace and quiet recently. Too many people hovering around is suffocating.”

Yang Kewei countered: “Is it because of that girl named Rong Qing?”

Having spent several months as ‘Rong Qing,’ Mu Lingwan stiffened slightly at hearing the name, though she quickly relaxed. To Yang Kewei’s eyes, this reaction spoke volumes.

“The girl is quite pretty, though her family circumstances aren’t ideal.”

When the news of Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing’s relationship broke, Rong Qing’s background information was everywhere. Yang Kewen had seen it too—her family circumstances couldn’t just be described as not great, but downright poor. Her education wasn’t high either, having dropped out of college, and she didn’t seem particularly bright either.

Yang Kewen had also caught a glimpse of the variety show they appeared in together. That girl had an icy personality, wearing a look of disdain for the world as if everyone owed her millions.

Yang Kewen wasn’t too fond of her.

Mu Lingwan leaned back against the pillow calmly and said, “None of that matters. The main thing is, I really like her.”

Yang Kewen looked at her and replied, “Well, you’re already so famous. Family background isn’t that important anymore. Even if her family were rich, they couldn’t compare to ours. But it’s her personality I don’t like.”

Mu Lingwan tilted her head. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s got a bad temper and a petty heart,” Yang Kewen recalled. “I watched your show. That girl has a terrible attitude, glaring at everyone like they’re beneath her. When you were cooking, she didn’t lift a finger—just sat there like a queen. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was your boss.”

Mu Lingwan: “…”

Yang Kewen continued, “And honestly, it looks like you’re the one chasing after her while she couldn’t care less. She interacted more with Xu Qing than with you. People who know might think you’re a couple, but those who don’t would assume she’s your creditor.”

Mu Lingwan: “…”

Gritting her teeth, she said, “It’s not that bad, is it? I think she’s fine. And she did help when we were cooking.”

Yang Kewen scoffed. “Peeling a clove of garlic counts as helping? She didn’t even wash a single dish. How could she possibly treat you well?”

Mu Lingwan couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t think she had acted that poorly when playing Rong Qing—how had Yang Kewen twisted it so much?

Was she really like that?

Seeing her daughter’s face flush red and pale by turns, Yang Kewen decided not to press further. She simply looked at Mu Lingwan and said, “You know what? If you want to date, I won’t stop you. But that girl? I don’t think she’s the one.”

Mu Lingwan rubbed her temples. “Mom, this is between the two of us. Don’t worry about it.”

Yang Kewen shot her a sidelong glance and stood up. “Fine, I won’t badmouth your girlfriend in front of you. But speaking of which, it’s this late and she still hasn’t come to see you?”

Only then did Mu Lingwan realize—she had been awake for a while now, so Rong Qing should have woken up too. What if she barged in and ruined everything?

She needed to call Rong Qing.

Just as Mu Lingwan reached for her phone, there was a knock on the hospital room door. It opened, revealing Zhou Ying and Rong Qing standing at the entrance, both staring straight at Mu Lingwan.

Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing locked eyes. Rong Qing playfully winked at her, and Mu Lingwan immediately understood.

“Oh, you’re here,” Yang Kewen said, having just poured a glass of water. She walked over to the bed and handed it to Mu Lingwan. “Now that you’re here, don’t just stand there. Take a seat.”

Zhou Ying quickly ushered Rong Qing inside and said to Mu Lingwan, “I’ve got the full picture now—Rong Qing told me everything. The three of you talk. I’ll leave you to it.”

With that, Zhou Ying hurried out. Rong Qing and Mu Lingwan exchanged a glance, both silently agreeing not to say anything.

Yang Kewen studied Rong Qing, then sat on the nearby sofa with a smile. “Miss Rong Qing, isn’t it? You’re much prettier in person than on screen.”

Rong Qing stood up nervously, “Th-thank you for the compliment, Auntie.”

“Sit down, sit down, no need to stand. It makes me look like I’m bullying you,” Yang Kewen said with a bright smile. “I was just telling Lingwan how well-suited you two are, and how photogenic you look together. My Lingwan has never been in a relationship before—you’re her first.”

Mu Lingwan shot her a glance, thinking how shameless this woman was. That wasn’t what she had said earlier at all.

But Rong Qing took it seriously, her face flushing as she stammered, “R-really? Lingwan… never mentioned that to me.”

Yang Kewen looked at the blushing Rong Qing in surprise, then straightened up and patted the spot beside her. “Come, sit next to me.”

Rong Qing glanced at Mu Lingwan and, seeing no objection, hesitantly got up and walked over, taking a seat beside Yang Kewen.

Yang Kewen naturally took Rong Qing’s hand and said, “Since it’s our first meeting, I didn’t prepare any gifts. How about we have lunch together later? I can also introduce you to the people at the company. I heard you’re already an artist under Lingwan’s label, so you should get to know your colleagues.”

Rong Qing quickly replied, “B-but Lingwan is still sick. I’d like to stay and take care of her in the hospital.”

The main issue was that they had just switched back, and she still had a lot to deal with. She didn’t have time to meet the company’s other artists.

Hearing this, Mu Lingwan frowned and said to Yang Kewen, “Mom, I’m hungry. Could you go buy us some breakfast? Xiao Qing probably hasn’t eaten either. We can have it together.”

Yang Kewen caught the underlying message—Mu Lingwan was telling her she was in the way.

“Fine,” she sighed, standing up. “I’ll have someone bring you some steamed buns and congee. You’re still sick, so you should eat something light. What would Xiao Qing like? I’ll have them pick it up.”

The casual way Yang Kewen addressed her made Rong Qing tense up again. She quickly stood and said, “I’ll eat anything. Actually… I can go buy it. I saw a breakfast stall on my way here, right outside the hospital.”

“Street food is so unsanitary,” Yang Kewen said disdainfully. “You’re public figures now—you can’t eat that kind of unhygienic food. I’ll have someone buy from a proper shop. There’s a breakfast place Lingwan frequents, not far from the hospital.”

Picking up her bag, Yang Kewen said to Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing, “I’ll go get it then. I should be back in about half an hour.”

Mu Lingwan understood the hint—she was being given only thirty minutes to talk, so she’d better make it quick.

Once the door closed, Rong Qing finally relaxed. She turned to look at Mu Lingwan, who was sitting pale-faced on the hospital bed, and moved closer to sit beside her. “I didn’t say anything wrong just now, did I?”

Mu Lingwan glanced at her and murmured, “No.”

“That’s good.” Rong Qing smiled, her dark eyes sparkling. “I woke up this morning and we’d already switched back. Do you know why?”

Mu Lingwan shook her head. “No idea.”

The timing of their switch was a bit peculiar. Mu Lingwan recalled secretly kissing Rong Qing last night, and her heartbeat quickened at the memory. She quickly turned her head away and said, “But it’s good that we switched back.”

“Right.” Rong Qing nodded firmly. “It’s good we switched back. Now we don’t have to be stuck together all the time.”

After Rong Qing finished speaking, she noticed Mu Lingwan’s expression change. Looking up into the other woman’s gaze, she inexplicably felt her heart tighten.

“What’s wrong?” Mu Lingwan frowned and asked, “Do you dislike being tied to me?”

“No,” Rong Qing hurriedly explained. “I was just speaking casually. You’re so busy—being with me every day must be troublesome. And my acting isn’t great either. What if I slip up?”

Not to mention Mu Lingwan’s fans—some diehard supporters still sent her hate messages on Weibo. Rong Qing didn’t even dare to check her inbox casually anymore.

Mu Lingwan felt stifled. She didn’t know why she was angry, but she really disliked hearing Rong Qing say such things.

What was wrong with being with her?

With her, Rong Qing had food, resources, and popularity—what wasn’t there to like? Countless people wanted to be associated with Mu Lingwan, so why was Rong Qing so reluctant?

The more Mu Lingwan thought about it, the angrier she became, her face flushing with irritation, which actually gave her some color.

Rong Qing looked at her nervously and forced a smile. “Sorry about that. I just heard from Sister Zhou Ying that you were the one who took me to the hospital?”

Mu Lingwan didn’t want to respond.

Rong Qing continued, “Are you feeling okay now? It should’ve been me who got sick. I’m really sorry.”

“What’s done is done. What’s the point of apologizing now?” Mu Lingwan leaned back against the pillow. “Luckily, it’s just a fever. I’ll recover in a week at most, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Then starting tomorrow, I’ll stay by your bedside and take good care of you!” Rong Qing said with a smile.

Seeing her smile, Mu Lingwan couldn’t help but smile too—but then she caught herself and asked suspiciously, “What are you doing today?”

“I… I have some things to take care of.” Rong Qing fiddled with her sleeve. “I’ve been with you for the past four months. Everyone must’ve been worried when I suddenly disappeared. I need to call my dad and send him some money. And I have things in my dorm that I need to pack up.”

Listening to Rong Qing ramble, Mu Lingwan sighed and cut her off. “Fine, I get it. You must have a lot to do after switching back. Let Xiao Qu go with you—you’re used to her, so it’ll be easier.”

“What about you?”

“I can’t even get out of bed right now, so of course I’ll just stay here.” As she spoke, Mu Lingwan felt weak all over, her limbs limp as noodles. She glanced at Rong Qing and said, “Come back in the evening.”

“Okay!” Rong Qing nodded firmly. “Thank you. I’ll come back as soon as I’m done. I’ll definitely take good care of you.”

Mu Lingwan smiled helplessly and gave a small nod.

Rong Qing then asked, “Is there anything you’d like to eat? I can pick something up on the way. Or if you want something homemade, I can go back to… the house after packing and make it for you.”

Hearing Rong Qing casually say “the house,” Mu Lingwan raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t comment. Suppressing a smirk, she thought for a moment before saying, “The pumpkin porridge you made last time was really good.”

Rong Qing nodded eagerly. “Got it! I’ll make it for you tonight!”

Half an hour later, Yang Kewen returned with breakfast. Mu Lingwan lay in bed like a pampered master while Rong Qing bustled about, feeding her.

After all, the rain was something she endured herself. Now that she was bouncing around full of energy while Mu Lingwan lay bedridden, Rong Qing couldn’t help but feel responsible, so she attended to her with extra care. Yang Kewen sat nearby sipping purchased century egg and lean pork congee, her eyes darting between Rong Qing and Mu Lingwan.

After the meal, the doctor came to check her temperature again—it had dropped significantly compared to yesterday but was still elevated, so they recommended keeping her under observation for a while longer.

Yang Kewen had other matters to attend to and left early, arranging only for some assistants and secretaries to remain outside to help care for Mu Lingwan. Zhou Ying, seeing how crowded the hospital was, also went off to deal with her own work. Originally, Mu Lingwan had wanted Qu Xiaojing to accompany Rong Qing back to the dorm to pack her things, but Rong Qing felt she’d be more comfortable going alone.

Downstairs, Rong Qing spotted Mu Lingwan’s fans again—not only had their numbers not dwindled, but they’d actually grown. They sat in neat rows by the flower beds, holding light boards or bouquets of flowers, quietly waiting below.

Rong Qing’s heart ached for them. The recent temperature drop had been severe, and she worried these girls might catch a chill. She decided to call Qu Xiaojing and ask her to come down and greet the fans.

At the hospital entrance, she hailed a taxi. Sitting in the backseat, she gave the driver the address, and as they pulled away, he kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror, asking curiously, “Is there a celebrity at that hospital?”

Rong Qing froze for a moment, subtly adjusting her mask upward. “Is there? I wouldn’t know.”

The driver continued, “There must be. My daughter’s a fan of Mu Lingwan, and she told me this morning that she was hospitalized—apparently at this very hospital.”

Rong Qing nodded. “Oh.”

The driver studied her again. “You look familiar. Are you a celebrity too?”

Rong Qing forced a laugh. “No, I was just delivering something for someone. How could I be a celebrity?”

“Haha, true. Maybe I mistook you for someone else. Sorry about that, miss—you’re just so pretty.”

“It’s fine. Please focus on driving, sir.”

“Right.”

Once they arrived, Rong Qing hurriedly got out of the car. Without looking back, she strode into the residential complex, wishing she could weld her cap and mask to her face.

Only after entering the building’s lobby did she finally relax.

The driver might not have recognized her, but she’d have to be more careful going forward. Maybe she should follow other celebrities’ examples and arrange for a private car—it would certainly make things easier.

While waiting for the elevator, she wondered whether her fingerprint had been removed from the dorm’s lock. All her belongings were still inside, and she had no idea if they’d been thrown out.

Most things didn’t matter, but she wanted to retrieve the small gifts her fans had given her. Though they weren’t worth much monetarily, they represented the heartfelt support of her earliest fans—her “original shareholders,” so to speak. When Zhou Ying had come last time to collect her things, she’d only taken her documents, leaving everything else behind.

Standing before the dorm’s fingerprint lock, Rong Qing decided to try it. She pressed her finger against the sensor, and after a brief moment, a soft ding signaled that the door unlocked.

It seemed her fingerprint hadn’t been erased after all.

Today was a training day, and the dormitory was unusually quiet. Just as Rong Qing thought no one was around, she heard noises coming from her bedroom. Curious, she walked over.

AG’s dormitory was a rented small high-rise building. Rong Qing lived in a three-bedroom apartment shared by six people—three in the master bedroom, two in the secondary bedroom, and the smallest single room that could only fit one bed was highly coveted as a private space.

Rong Qing shared the secondary bedroom with one other person.

She slowly approached and knocked on the door, pushing it open after hearing movement inside. There, she saw a girl in pajamas climbing down from the bed, her eyes widening when she spotted Rong Qing.

Rong Qing brightened upon seeing her and called out warmly, “Junjun!”

Ye Junjun hadn’t expected Rong Qing to appear here. She’d assumed it was another dormmate returning. Rong Qing’s low-key outfit—mask and hat—made her unrecognizable at first glance. It wasn’t until Rong Qing spoke that Junjun realized who she was.

Junjun watched as Rong Qing removed her mask and hat, silently staring at her with indescribable complexity in her eyes. After a long pause, she finally asked, “Why are you back?”

Rong Qing froze, clutching her hat as she stood rooted to the spot. She watched Junjun pour herself a glass of water, her back turned without so much as a glance, creating an awkward silence.

“I… I came to pack my things,” Rong Qing said, noticing that her bed across the room remained untouched—the bedding still folded exactly as she’d left it months ago, her belongings neatly arranged on the desk in familiar positions.

The room was spotless despite her four-month absence, proof that Junjun had been diligently cleaning.

Junjun glanced back at her, frowning slightly as she said calmly, “Alright, go ahead and pack then.”

With that, she pulled out a chair and sat down, focusing on her phone.

Rong Qing looked at her in confusion. They used to be inseparable, always together. After losing contact, Rong Qing had sent Junjun a message from her old phone saying she had matters to attend to and wouldn’t be returning for a while—before Zhou Ying replaced her phone entirely.

Now that she’d finally gotten her old phone back, her once-close friend’s cold indifference stung deeply.

“Junjun, you didn’t go to practice today?” Rong Qing forced a conversation, addressing Junjun who was absorbed in her phone.

Junjun’s fingers paused briefly. “I sprained my ankle recently. Ava told me to rest in the dorm.”

Rong Qing approached with concern. “Are you okay now? Did you see a doctor? Has it gotten better?”

Junjun suddenly looked up sharply. “What’s the point of this fake concern? Trying to establish some new persona?”

“Junjun?”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” Junjun frowned deeply. “You’ve risen to stardom now—why would you remember people like us? You didn’t even need to come get these things yourself. You could’ve sent an assistant or had someone from AG deliver them.”

She continued bitterly, “You have no idea how many people in the group are trying to suck up to you now. They’re kicking themselves for not getting closer to you before. They’d jump at the chance to help you.”

Rong Qing furrowed her brows as well: “Jun Jun, why are you suddenly saying such things? You weren’t like this before…”

Ye Jun Jun froze momentarily, turning her head away without looking at her, speaking with her back turned: “…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to target you specifically. I just feel we’re truly not the same kind of people.”

She sighed and said, “From the moment you sent me a message and then disappeared, I knew we were still different. You’re busy with your career, busy trending on social media and appearing on variety shows with Mu Lingwan, too busy to spare even a minute to reply to my message.”

Rong Qing was startled and quickly tried to explain, “It’s not like that, I was because… because…”

Ye Junjun looked at her: “Because what?”

Clutching her hat, Rong Qing lowered her voice and said, “I’m sorry, this matter has to be kept confidential, so I can’t tell you.”

Disappointed, Ye Junjun turned her head away, refusing to look at her: “It’s fine. I never expected you to say anything anyway. Take your time packing your things. I’m going outside for some fresh air.”