After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 55

Mu Lingwan drove home, passing by the date cake shop Rong Qing had been craving yesterday—the one that didn’t offer delivery—and bought some on the way. As soon as she stepped inside, the aroma of home-cooked food greeted her. She narrowed her eyes slightly and, without bothering to put on slippers, silently made her way to the kitchen.

Rong Qing stood with her back to her, cooking noodles—specifically, a sweet and sour tomato egg noodle dish.

Mu Lingwan watched as Rong Qing held a pair of chopsticks, patiently waiting for the noodles to cook while humming a little tune. When the pot finally boiled, Rong Qing drizzled in two drops of sesame oil.

“Those two drops of sesame oil, plus the noodles—do I even need to tell you how many calories that is?”

Mu Lingwan’s sudden ghost-like voice from behind startled Rong Qing, making her hand tremble and pour in a whole stream of sesame oil instead. Instantly, the kitchen was filled with an intoxicatingly rich fragrance.

“Ah! You’re back already?” Rong Qing hurriedly turned off the stove and glanced at her guiltily. “Didn’t you say you’d be busy until the afternoon?”

Mu Lingwan crossed her arms and stared at her calmly.

“I’m sorry,” Rong Qing mumbled, lowering her head. “I was really hungry, and since there was still a tomato left at home, I thought I’d make some noodles.”

Rong Qing had been sick for days, suffering from recurring low-grade fevers that had left her noticeably thinner. Finally recovering yesterday, her appetite had returned with a vengeance—first craving date cakes yesterday, then tomato egg noodles today. So while Mu Lingwan was out, she decided to whip up a bowl for herself.

Yet somehow, she still got caught red-handed.

Mu Lingwan gave her a look but didn’t scold her. Instead, she walked to the entrance to change into slippers, then returned with the pastries Rong Qing had been longing for, placing them in her arms. “I’ll allow you to indulge just this once.”

Rong Qing’s eyes lit up. Even without opening the package, she could already smell the sweet, fragrant aroma. Beaming at Mu Lingwan, she said excitedly, “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Want to try my tomato egg noodles? I’m really good at cooking—this batch doesn’t have any sugar at all. You’ll love it!”

Mu Lingwan chuckled softly. “Sure.”

After lunch, Rong Qing was the first to bring up resuming filming.

“I think I’m fine now. We’re at the most crucial part—we can’t keep delaying it.” She poked at the date cake with her chopsticks. “From what Ming Qiao said the other day, her film is already in its final review stage. We can’t afford to fall behind.”

Mu Lingwan took a sip of water and studied Rong Qing.

“You seem very invested in whether I beat Ming Qiao or not.”

“Of course!”

Rong Qing said, “We rise and fall together now. Of course I care.”

Was that all she cared about?

Mu Lingwan watched her thoughtfully. Maybe Rong Qing could care about something else too.

“Mm.” Mu Lingwan nodded impassively. “Since you’re better now, we’ll wrap up filming as soon as possible and aim for an early release.”

With Mu Lingwan’s approval, she immediately contacted the director to prepare for the final shoot. The director, naturally thrilled, mobilized the crew to start filming the grand finale the next day.

As soon as the call ended, Rong Qing rushed over with her phone, holding it up excitedly in front of Mu Lingwan.

“Look!” she urged, pointing at the trending hashtag.

Mu Lingwan took a closer look and saw a dark red trending topic explode on the hot search—Ming Qiao and Shen Nian Break Up

Just over ten minutes ago, both Ming Qiao and Shen Nian simultaneously posted breakup announcements on Weibo. Their statements didn’t disparage each other, only mentioning that their relationship hadn’t been harmonious, so they ultimately decided to part ways amicably.

Mu Lingwan frowned. “Why so sudden? Isn’t Heartbeat in Progress still airing?”

“Yeah, but with one episode per day, it’s almost over anyway.” Rong Qing tapped on the trending topic, scanning the comments below. “As expected, a lot of people are questioning the show, saying they seemed fine on the program, so the breakup feels abrupt.”

The public sentiment was overwhelmingly negative, with some sympathizing with the production team.

Heartbeat in Progress really has the worst luck. It was troubled from the start, and now, right after filming wraps, the guests break up.

I always said they had zero chemistry on the show—like two business partners forced together. No surprise they didn’t last half a year.

Poor production team. Do they have to pay compensation for breach of contract?

I think so. Normally, celebrities wouldn’t break up right after filming. They must’ve really hated each other to split this fast.

Feels like there’s some juicy gossip here. I need the tea!

Watching the flood of comments, Rong Qing suddenly remembered Mu Lingwan was an investor in the show and turned to her. “What about your investment?”

Mu Lingwan also recalled this and reassured her, “It’s fine. The ad revenue should already be secured. Ming Qiao and Shen Nian’s breakup will definitely cause losses, but they’ll compensate accordingly.”

Sure enough, not long after, Ming Qiao’s studio released a statement. Since she had initiated the breakup, she would cover the breach penalties for both parties.

Meanwhile, the Heartbeat in Progress production team issued an announcement, stating that relationships were a personal matter—couples stayed together if compatible and parted if not, all in pursuit of better matches. They also wished both women well in finding their true partners.

Seeing Ming Qiao’s moves, Mu Lingwan had a rough idea of what was happening.

“Stop digging for gossip,” Mu Lingwan set her phone aside and said to Rong Qing, who was still scrolling eagerly. “Ming Qiao probably has a drama coming out soon. That’s why she broke up with Shen Nian so decisively and made it trend—to draw everyone’s attention when her drama drops.”

Every move a celebrity made was calculated. Ming Qiao was far too shrewd to take a loss like this—unless she could recoup the losses later.

Rong Qing blinked. “You mean… she did this on purpose?”

Mu Lingwan lowered her gaze. “Just wait. It’ll probably happen in the next couple of days.”

As if confirming her words, three days after Ming Qiao and Shen Nian’s breakup dominated the hot searches, Ming Qiao’s studio released a behind-the-scenes clip. It showed Ming Qiao in full military attire, galloping across the grasslands on horseback—a breathtakingly heroic sight.

Fans were instantly blown away!

So cool! Ming Qiao is actually riding a horse for real!

What is this?! I need all the details about this drama in the next three minutes

That’s Tianshan Free and Unfettered Record! Rumor has it filming’s almost done—probably airing in a couple of months!

“Is that the drama about the Heavenly Mountain Goddess descending to save the world? The one with the strong female lead? Oh my god, I loved that book! I never thought anyone could capture the heroine’s essence, but Ming Qiao looks absolutely stunning!”

“This scene must be where the heroine rides alone into the enemy camp to rescue the emperor, right? I remember the young emperor fell in love with her at first sight here.”

“Release it soon! I’m totally in a drama drought!”

Soon, other behind-the-scenes clips from the drama were dug up. In the videos, Ming Qiao was either clad in battle-worn armor, dressed in ethereal white robes, or wearing a striking red official gown—each shot captured from an unconventional angle, exuding a hazy, voyeuristic beauty.

Meanwhile.

Rong Qing raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight. The camera circled around her before the director called, “Cut!”

“Congratulations to Ms. Mu for wrapping up filming!”

Confetti popped around her as the director approached with a large bouquet of flowers, smiling warmly. “Ms. Mu, let’s take a group photo with the crew. You’ve worked hard these past few months!”

Rong Qing accepted the flowers, thinking to herself, Finally, it’s over. Who knew what kind of chaos she’d endured during these two shoots?

The cast and crew gathered around her for photos, the director standing proudly by her side while extras crowded behind them, making the whole scene lively and celebratory.

After finally removing her makeup and getting into the car, Rong Qing was exhausted, her back aching. She had woken up before dawn to film the sunrise scene and now couldn’t stop yawning.

Mu Lingwan didn’t start the car immediately. Instead, she unscrewed a thermos and poured Rong Qing a cup of wolfberry and lotus seed congee.

“Mmm, this is so sweet and delicious!” Rong Qing’s eyes lit up as she sipped the warm congee. She glanced curiously at Mu Lingwan. “Why did you suddenly add sugar to my congee?”

Ever since becoming Mu Lingwan, Rong Qing had barely eaten anything sweet.

“To replenish your energy,” Mu Lingwan replied calmly, watching as Rong Qing finished the small cup. Then she added, “Rest this afternoon. We have an ad shoot tonight.”

Rong Qing’s smile froze. She turned to Mu Lingwan. “What ad?”

“The endorsement one,” Mu Lingwan said matter-of-factly, screwing the lid back on. “Remember when Zhou Ying mentioned it while you were sick? There’s a backlog of ads waiting for you. Tonight’s schedule just opened up, so we’re taking care of it.”

“But I just finished filming. Can’t I rest a little?”

“You are resting—for the whole afternoon. The shoot is at night. They want starry skies and cityscapes.”

Rong Qing groaned. “Even workhorses aren’t pushed this hard…”

Mu Lingwan chuckled, coaxing her. “Don’t look so miserable. Ads are way easier than dramas. Just strike a few poses in front of the camera—flip your hair when they tell you, recite the lines when prompted. And they’ll retouch everything afterward. It’ll be done in about two hours.”

“Really?” Rong Qing was skeptical.

Mu Lingwan nodded. “Trust me.”

That afternoon, Rong Qing rested at home before heading out around four for makeup. Zhou Ying arrived as the driver, accompanying Mu Lingwan to escort Rong Qing to the shoot.

The endorsement brand this time was an old client, so they treated Rong Qing with great hospitality. Zhou Ying chatted with the person in charge for a while before walking over to Rong Qing, who was getting her makeup done, and said, “We can start shooting once it gets dark enough. The theme this time is grand and magnificent architecture, so we’ll be shooting at both the castle and the church. It should take about three hours to finish.”

Rong Qing gave a soft “Mm” in response as the makeup artist lifted her chin to apply blush.

While watching Rong Qing get her makeup done, Zhou Ying quietly pulled Mu Lingwan aside to a secluded corner near the entrance and said, “I looked into Ming Qiao’s drama schedule, and it clashes with yours again. Your releases will be almost back-to-back.”

Mu Lingwan wasn’t surprised—this was typical of Ming Qiao.

“Has the compensation arrived?” Mu Lingwan asked.

“It came through the very next day, incredibly fast,” Zhou Ying replied, crossing her arms. “With Heartbeat in Progress frequently trending, the advertisers are thrilled. This investment has already tripled or quadrupled in returns, plus the breach fee Ming Qiao paid… Lingwan,” she lowered her voice, “are you really planning to transfer all that money under Rong Qing’s name?”

After all, this was no small sum.

Even for a big star like Mu Lingwan, earning hundreds of millions would take considerable effort. To hand over such a fortune to Rong Qing so casually felt inappropriate to Zhou Ying.

“Is there a problem?” Mu Lingwan leaned against the wall, eyeing her. “After deducting necessary expenses and taxes, the rest goes into an account under Rong Qing’s name. That was our agreement. She’s done so much for me—it’s only fair she gets something in return.”

“Well, that’s true…” Zhou Ying hesitated but quickly changed her tone under Mu Lingwan’s gaze. “Right, we’re public figures. Our word is our bond. A few hundred million is nothing, right? No big deal.”

Even as she said it, Zhou Ying couldn’t help but wince internally.

“Alright, you’ve worked hard these past few days. Your bonus won’t be shortchanged either,” Mu Lingwan reassured her. “You’ll need to prepare for the upcoming promotional battle with Ming Qiao. Does the company have enough funds?”

“Don’t worry about the promotions. I’ve got everything arranged,” Zhou Ying assured her, patting her chest. “This time, Ming Qiao won’t gain even the slightest advantage.”

The evening shoot went smoothly. The first set of photos was taken on the castle steps, with the person in charge and Zhou Ying standing by the computer to review the raw footage displayed in real-time, directing the photographer and Rong Qing on poses while the lighting crew bustled around.

After finishing at the castle, they drove to the church, which was also brilliantly lit. It was Rong Qing’s first time shooting such a theme, and she found it particularly fascinating, even imagining how perfect it would be if she could do a personal photoshoot like this.

By 9 p.m., the shoot was complete, and everyone began packing up.

“It’s getting late. Let me drive you back first,” Zhou Ying said, loading a large bag into the trunk before turning to Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing.

Rong Qing, who had been posing all evening, rubbed her shoulders and prepared to get into the car.

“Wait.”

Mu Lingwan seemed to remember something and turned to Zhou Ying. “Go back with the endorsement team and take a taxi once you’re in the city. Rong Qing and I have somewhere else to go.”

Zhou Ying and Rong Qing both turned to look at her, asking in unison: “Where are we going?” The place Mu Lingwan wanted to take Rong Qing was a mountaintop near the church.

The winding mountain road was completely deserted at night, with only the occasional streetlight illuminating the pitch-black highway every few hundred meters. The winter winds howled fiercely at the summit, their roar audible even inside the car as gusts carried broken leaves that slapped against the vehicle before being flung away by Mu Lingwan’s driving.

Only when they reached the highest observation platform did Mu Lingwan finally stop the car.

Rong Qing cautiously cracked open the window slightly, immediately hearing the whistling wind outside. A blast of cold air rushed in, making her quickly close it again.

“Why did you bring me up the mountain so late at night?” Rong Qing asked, feeling relatively safe inside the car but utterly confused by Mu Lingwan’s actions.

“There’s something I think I should tell you in advance,” Mu Lingwan said with a click as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Turning to face Rong Qing, she hesitated before asking: “Do you think we’ve been getting along well recently?”

A small question mark seemed to appear above Rong Qing’s head.

“Well, I think we’ve been getting along quite well,” Rong Qing blinked and said. “I feel like we understand each other now and have good rapport.”

Like when they’d confronted Ming Qiao together recently—their coordination had been seamless.

“Since that’s the case, there’s something else I need to tell you.” After days of deliberation, Mu Lingwan had decided to be completely honest. She tilted her head toward her companion and said, “The reason we were able to switch back last time… was because I kissed you that night.”

Rong Qing’s eyes widened slightly: “What…”

Mu Lingwan rubbed her forehead, looking somewhat embarrassed, but pressed on: “First, I want to apologize for that. But tonight isn’t just about that—there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you.”

Rong Qing felt dizzy, staring blankly at Mu Lingwan as she struggled to process this information. Following the conversation, she asked: “What… else is there?”

“You remember that master who came to our house before?” Mu Lingwan continued. “I consulted him recently, and he said resolving our situation would be complicated. Since kissing seems to be the trigger each time, perhaps we should… experiment more.”

Rong Qing felt her brain short-circuiting.

What did she mean by… experiment more?

Noticing Rong Qing’s confusion, Mu Lingwan explained: “Like at the beginning—diving, kissing, or even… intimacy might help us switch back. I think we should try again.”

Rong Qing’s mind reeled. She sort of understood Mu Lingwan’s meaning, but not entirely.

Was this… a confession?

No, no!

Rong Qing quickly realized—Mu Lingwan wasn’t confessing, but making a demand.

Seeing Rong Qing’s shocked expression, Mu Lingwan added after some thought: “During this period, I’ll provide you with appropriate compensation.”

Rong Qing’s heart tightened as she looked up at her.

“The compensation includes an unspecified amount of money and investments, with resources being allocated to you as much as possible.” Mu Lingwan held the steering wheel while discussing with Rong Qing: “Or if there’s anything you need me to do, you can make requests, and I’ll fulfill them all.”

Rong Qing blinked lightly and lowered her head to look at her toes.

“What are you thinking?” Rong Qing asked her.

Mu Lingwan instead countered, “Don’t you want to switch back?”

Rong Qing’s heart sank. Sure enough, she was a big star—her words were so easily convincing.

But Rong Qing just felt unbearably stifled inside. At the beginning, Mu Lingwan had said similar things and even dragged her into jumping into the foul pool on set. Back then, though Rong Qing had cried in distress, she had still agreed with Mu Lingwan.

Yet after spending this time together, Rong Qing had somehow grown accustomed to being with Mu Lingwan.

Now that she wanted to switch back… fine, she’d agree.

Rong Qing lowered her brows and said to Mu Lingwan, “I’ll agree, but do you know how to do it? We can’t just… force a kiss like before, can we?”

Mu Lingwan replied, “I’ve figured out a few key points—the camera, rain, and kissing. Though the specifics aren’t entirely clear yet, we can at least give it a try.”

Rong Qing nodded. “Alright, let’s do as you say.”

She glanced at Mu Lingwan, then leaned over to fasten her seatbelt for her, urging, “Since you’ve decided, let’s not waste time. Let’s go home now.”

Mu Lingwan was taken aback. The seatbelt tightened uncomfortably against her chest as she asked again, “We’re trying today?”

Rong Qing asked, “Is today not okay?”

It wasn’t that it wasn’t okay.

It was just…

Fine.

Mu Lingwan gripped the steering wheel and said, “Then we’ll try today.”

The wind grew stronger along the way, only easing once they entered the city. Even so, the gusts still swayed the roadside trees wildly—tomorrow would likely bring a sharp drop in temperature.

Once inside, Mu Lingwan began setting things up at home.

They didn’t have a proper video camera, but there were plenty of surveillance cameras. Mu Lingwan turned them all on and even set up a DSLR in the living room, recording continuously—at least it looked somewhat convincing.

With the cameras ready, all that was left was water.

“Water…” Rong Qing pondered, then looked at Mu Lingwan and asked, “Would a shower work?”

A shower?

Mu Lingwan’s lips stiffened. She turned to Rong Qing, thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, you go shower first.”

“Should I come to the living room after?”

“…Sure.”

Mu Lingwan watched Rong Qing head upstairs, then couldn’t help rubbing her palms together. She stared at the DSLR she had just set up, its red recording light blinking steadily, and suddenly felt like they were filming something.

Something with a bit of plot and color—a little film about coming home with a girlfriend after a date and getting intimate.

Mu Lingwan immediately reached out and covered the camera lens, her ears burning red. But soon, she sighed, let go, and wiped away the fingerprints she’d left. Staring at the hollow lens, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

It was too similar. Too similar.

It felt exactly like filming a scene!

Meanwhile, Rong Qing stood under the shower, her eyes reddening uncontrollably. Especially when she had seen Mu Lingwan carrying the DSLR into the living room earlier—instantly, scenes from the adult films she’d watched before flashed through her mind.

Without exception, they all started by filming their female leads, showering them with compliments about their good figures and sweet looks, before starting to get handsy.

If the plot was more elaborate, there might even be a forced game of push-and-pull, the whole act of feigned resistance.

Rong Qing felt her face burning red. She crouched on the floor, hugging her knees, listening to the sound of water hitting the ground and the violent pounding of her own heartbeat.

How had she ended up agreeing to this in such a daze?

Rong Qing shouldn’t have agreed so readily to Mu Lingwan’s request at the mountaintop. Looking back now, everything about that moment felt off.

Why did Mu Lingwan have to kiss her?

If she hadn’t kissed her, none of this would have happened…

Why did she kiss her?

Rong Qing spent half an hour soaking in the bath without figuring it out. She only emerged when she worried Mu Lingwan might be waiting impatiently.

Mu Lingwan was indeed growing anxious. Seeing Rong Qing hadn’t come down for so long, she’d taken the opportunity to shower herself. She’d just stepped out when she heard movement upstairs. Glancing up from the couch, her eyes met Rong Qing’s standing on the second floor.

Rong Qing’s eyes were still damp, her hair wet, the steam making her look even more radiant.

When Rong Qing descended the stairs and obediently sat beside Mu Lingwan, the latter averted her gaze. After hesitating for a long while, Mu Lingwan still couldn’t find the right words to begin. It was Rong Qing who finally broke the silence after waiting in vain.

“Aren’t we starting?” Rong Qing asked.