After Swapping Bodies with the Movie Queen, She Ended Up with Me (GL) - Chapter 9

At 10 a.m., the production team’s vehicles were already parked at the hotel entrance, with cameras set up everywhere. Somehow the news had leaked, as a large crowd had gathered outside the hotel, including fans of Mu Lingwan and Xu Qing holding up light boards and frantically snapping photos with their phones.

“Mu Lingwan! Mu Lingwan, ahhh!!!”

“Teacher Xu Qing!!!”

Rong Qing wasn’t unfamiliar with such scenes—she’d encountered enthusiastic fans during roadshows before. That feeling of being noticed and loved was actually quite nice, making one feel special. But this was her first time seeing such a massive welcoming crowd.

The fans of both stars seemed to get along remarkably well, unlike the clearly divided fanbases of rival celebrities. They mingled seamlessly, with some even waving “Mu-Xu” couple light boards right in front of Rong Qing.

Xu Qing walked ahead, waving to everyone, accompanied by a woman in a light gray blazer and black glasses—presumably her assistant girlfriend.

Mu Lingwan quietly approached and whispered to Rong Qing, “Smile when getting in the car, then turn back at the door and make a heart gesture. Remember to keep it natural.”

Rong Qing snapped back to attention and nodded.

As soon as they stepped out of the hotel lobby, countless cameras focused on them, and the fans’ cheers grew louder. After just a brief hesitation, Rong Qing flashed her signature smile and waved to the crowd.

In AG Entertainment, approachability was crucial training—meant to attract and retain dedicated fans. Thus, a warm, infectious smile was an idol’s essential skill.

Rong Qing’s eyes curved into crescents as she waved at Mu Lingwan’s fans. Even when someone shoved a phone right in her face, she didn’t flinch. She’d encountered such fans often, even occasionally dealing with inappropriate touching while maintaining a composed smile.

“Hi~” Rong Qing even made a heart gesture at the camera, winking playfully before walking past the girl and boarding the car.

Mu Lingwan’s fans were stunned. As the production vehicles drove away, they all turned to the girl who’d gotten the close-up shot, screaming excitedly.

“Oh my god! Lingwan actually winked at a fan! Is this real?!”

“I’ve been her fan for ten years and never seen her so warm with fans! She’s usually so aloof—why’s she so sweet today?!”

“Sis! Send me that video!”

“Ahhh me too, me too!!!”

Inside the production vehicle, Mu Lingwan sat beside Rong Qing, recalling the scene with a slight frown. She tilted her head and said, “Weren’t you a bit too enthusiastic with that greeting just now?”

Rong Qing paused, carefully reviewing her performance. She couldn’t pinpoint what had seemed overly warm—she’d just done some basic “fan service.”

“Was I?” Rong Qing asked worriedly. “I thought I was being quite reserved.”

Normally, her manager would arrange fan photo sessions. Today she’d merely smiled and waved—surely that wasn’t a problem?

Mu Lingwan considered it briefly and decided it wasn’t worth dwelling on. Little did they know, the hashtag #MuLingwanWinksAtFans was already slowly climbing the trending charts…

At the seaside resort, three cars pulled up neatly in front of the entrance.

The doors of the nearly identical vehicles opened simultaneously, and three couples stepped out. The production crew’s cameras immediately swarmed around them, forming a complete circle in the open space ahead.

Rong Qing’s face stiffened slightly as she took in the sight of at least twenty to thirty cameras surrounding them.

She had watched variety shows before, but this was her first time seeing so many cameras rolling at once—it was downright terrifying!

Compared to this, the two or three cameras during roadshows were practically child’s play.

“Welcome, guests! I’m the head director of Heartbeat in Progress,” announced a curly-haired director holding a megaphone from the center of the camera crew. “We’re thrilled to have three couples joining us today. Why don’t you all introduce yourselves?”

Xu Qing, ever the instigator, had already learned on the way that this episode was the director’s mischievous brainchild. The usually aloof Mu Lingwan never participated in such shows, so when word got out that she was joining, the original script was scrapped in favor of crafting a dramatic showdown centered around her.

And Xu Qing? She was Mu Lingwan’s ambiguously close friend, here to toss in some fuel and fan the flames!

“Hey there~” Xu Qing greeted enthusiastically, pretending it was her first time meeting Rong Qing as she extended a hand. “You must be Rong Qing, right? Nice to meet you! I’m Lingwan’s good friend, Xu Qing.”

Mu Lingwan barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, staring at Xu Qing’s hand for two full seconds before reluctantly shaking it—briefly—and letting go.

Xu Qing didn’t mind. After all, this “Rong Qing” had been cold toward her from the start. Though she didn’t understand why, Xu Qing found the whole situation absolutely hilarious!

It had been ages since anything this entertaining had happened, and she couldn’t wait to see how things unfolded.

Rong Qing was nervous, but with Mu Lingwan by her side, her racing heartbeat steadied somewhat. She gave Xu Qing a slight nod, then glanced at Xu Qing’s assistant—her girlfriend—a woman with black-framed glasses who looked every bit the overworked office drone.

“This is my assistant, and also my girlfriend,” Xu Qing said, holding the assistant’s hand. Mu Lingwan noticed the assistant stiffen, subtly averting her gaze as discomfort radiated off her. Only Xu Qing remained oblivious, cheerfully adding, “Jiang Jiang was my college roommate before becoming my assistant. We’ve been together for over three years now, and I’m so happy to introduce her to everyone.”

The woman named Jiang Jiang looked awkward, flinching slightly when she noticed the cameras. After a hesitant glance at Xu Qing, she said, “Hello, everyone. I’m Jiang Jiang—like ginger.”

“That’s such a cute name!” A voice chimed in from the far left. Rong Qing turned to see a tall, glamorous woman with wavy hair, arms crossed, smiling at her with crescent-shaped eyes. “Long time no see, Lingwan-jie.”

Ming Qiao’s lips curled into a smile, but the warmth didn’t reach her eyes. Rong Qing could still sense a chill in her gaze.

So it was true—Mu Lingwan and Ming Qiao really didn’t get along…

Rong Qing smiled and nodded at her: “Long time no see.” After speaking, she turned her head away, feeling that the camera was far more amiable and adorable than Ming Qiao at that moment.

Ming Qiao’s gaze was inscrutable, lingering on Rong Qing for a long while before finally looking away. She leaned in and whispered something into Shen Nian’s ear, who then turned to glance at Rong Qing. By now, Rong Qing could feel multiple pairs of eyes fixed on her, and she instinctively straightened her back a little.

As a rising star, Shen Nian was someone everyone recognized. Finally, it was Mu Lingwan’s turn. She lifted her eyelids, swept a glance across the room, and said coolly, “My name is Rong Qing.”

And that was it.

The production team exchanged puzzled looks. Before the show began, they had gathered some information about Rong Qing, who was said to have a pleasant personality—so why was she acting like this now?

It was almost identical to Mu Lingwan’s former demeanor.

The director glanced at the tablet in front of him, which was currently broadcasting live. The audience erupted the moment they saw Rong Qing’s attitude, flooding the screen with comments.

What’s wrong with this Rong Qing? All the other guests are being so polite, but she’s acting all high and mighty.

She didn’t even introduce herself properly. Does she really think she’s some big-shot celebrity?

Maybe she has nothing to introduce. Rong Qing has no real skills—she probably just knows how to seduce people. Otherwise, why would our sister be dating her?

LOL, Xu Qing, Shen Nian, Ming Qiao—which one of them can Rong Qing afford to mess with? She’s not even fit to carry their shoes!

As the comments grew increasingly heated, the director, with a hint of mischief, picked up the megaphone and announced to the group, “We forgot to mention earlier—the show is being broadcast live. Every action of yours will be shown unedited. For the next two weeks, you’ll be filming in complete isolation.”

Both Mu Lingwan and Rong Qing were already aware of the live broadcast and had mentally prepared themselves. Only Mu Lingwan muttered a quiet “Perverts,” though fortunately, it was so soft that only Rong Qing heard it.

Thank goodness only she heard it, Rong Qing sighed inwardly.

After the group got acquainted in front of the villa, they created a WeChat group. Xu Qing frowned when she saw Mu Lingwan’s WeChat ID and asked, “Lingwan, why did you change your WeChat? And it’s a new account—are you not using the old one anymore?”

Rong Qing’s heart tightened, but she calmly nodded. “I’m not using the old one anymore. This is my main account now.”

“Oh, alright then,” Xu Qing tapped her screen and smiled. “Let me add you. Accept my request, okay?”

A friend request immediately popped up on Rong Qing’s phone. The profile picture was entirely black, save for two glowing green cat eyes, and the username was oddly named Sad Cat Head. Rong Qing stared at it for a while but couldn’t figure out what exactly made this cat look sad.

Just as she was about to edit the contact’s name for Sad Cat Head, another request suddenly appeared.

“Add me too,” Ming Qiao, standing across from her, looked up and said, “We’re not friends yet.”

Ming Qiao’s words drew everyone’s attention—even the director turned to look and signaled the cameraman to focus on them.

Rong Qing stared at her for a long while in shock. She had only seen Ming Qiao in TV dramas and movies before. Unlike Mu Lingwan, Ming Qiao was known for her acting skills—her works always received critical acclaim, though they weren’t necessarily box office hits. Strangely enough, her projects always seemed to coincide with Mu Lingwan’s.

When Mu Lingwan starred in a TV drama, Ming Qiao would appear in a similar one.

When Mu Lingwan took on a film role, Ming Qiao would follow suit with another movie.

They premiered at the same time.

They aired on the same networks.

They trended on social media simultaneously.

As a result, their fans were constantly at each other’s throats, clashing at every opportunity, neither side able to stand the other.

Ming Qiao watched Rong Qing’s stunned expression with amusement, her eyes narrowing slightly as she asked in a slow, teasing tone, “What? Don’t want to add me?”