Fake Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 28

Two days—not too long, but not too short either.

Gu Nanxuan and Chou Qing’an spent most of their time holed up in the hotel to avoid being photographed by reporters. Even when they did go out, they made sure to appear separately.

Zhu Ningyue and Ge Jiang, on the other hand, remained unaffected, freely enjoying their time sightseeing. They even shared plenty of interesting updates with the others, along with one particular piece of news: Yu Qianxue was dropping out of the livestream.

Gu Nanxuan didn’t have much of an impression of Yu Qianxue but still asked, “Why the sudden withdrawal?”

“I heard it was arranged by her agent.”

Zhu Ningyue was always quick with entertainment industry gossip.

“Oh.” Gu Nanxuan wasn’t particularly interested in other people’s affairs. “So now there are only five of us left for the livestream?”

“Not exactly.” Zhu Ningyue wore a mysterious expression. “Rumor has it the production team is planning to invite a new guest.”

Gu Nanxuan asked, “Who?”

Zhu Ningyue shook her head. “No idea.”

Gu Nanxuan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “There’s actually something you don’t know?”

After all, she even knew about the agent’s arrangements, yet something as trivial as a guest replacement on the show remained a mystery.

Zhu Ningyue pouted. “You really think I know everything?”

Her sources all came from the entertainment companies her family owned, but when confidentiality was tight, even she had no way of finding out. Back when she was trying to confirm whether Ge Jiang would join the dating livestream, she had put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.

“But these past couple of days, I’ve had this bad feeling—my eyelid keeps twitching.”

Zhu Ningyue blinked.

“Do you think the new guest might clash with me?”

Gu Nanxuan looked at her blankly. “You believe in that kind of thing?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Zhu Ningyue glanced at Ge Jiang, who was talking to Chou Qing’an not far away, then leaned in to whisper, “I even went to a temple to pray for me and Jiangjiang’s relationship. The master said we’re definitely meant to be!”

Without thinking, Gu Nanxuan asked, “How much did you donate?”

“Not much.” Zhu Ningyue waved her hand dismissively. “Just a few hundred thousand.”

Gu Nanxuan: “……”

“If you gave me that much, I’d say the same thing.”

“It’s not the same! That was a master!” Zhu Ningyue said solemnly.

Then, she shot Gu Nanxuan a slightly disdainful look. “How could you compare to a master?”

“Fine, fine, go believe in your master.” Gu Nanxuan didn’t bother arguing.

“What master are you talking about?”

Ge Jiang, having finished her conversation with Chou Qing’an, walked over and asked. She had just caught the tail end of Gu Nanxuan’s remark.

Zhu Ningyue immediately grabbed Gu Nanxuan’s arm and smiled at Ge Jiang. “Nanxuan was just saying she wanted to visit a temple to pray for her and Qing’an’s relationship and asked me to recommend a few masters.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Though the explanation sounded odd, Ge Jiang didn’t press further.

Nearby, Chou Qing’an’s eyes curved slightly. Instead of exposing Zhu Ningyue’s lie, she played along. “Nanxuan actually has plans like that?”

Gu Nanxuan, her arm aching from Zhu Ningyue’s grip, pulled free. “I never said—”

But when she met Zhu Ningyue’s pleading gaze, she changed her tone. “Actually, I was thinking about it.”

Then she began to speak nonsense with a straight face: “We’ve been together for so long now. Praying for a good marriage or something like that can also bless us with smooth sailing in the future.”

Ge Jiang couldn’t help but believe her this time and said with a smile, “If it works, recommend it to me too.”

“What does Jiang Jiang want to pray for?”

Zhu Ningyue hadn’t expected Ge Jiang to believe in this as well and asked her eagerly and curiously.

Ge Jiang: “Pray for my career, and maybe get a few peace talismans for my family while I’m at it.”

“Is that all?” Zhu Ningyue sounded slightly disappointed.

“Hmm?” Ge Jiang was puzzled. “What else should I be praying for?”

Zhu Ningyue knew it wasn’t entirely appropriate, but she couldn’t resist asking, “Haven’t you thought about praying for love or something like that?”

“When it comes to love, you have to work for it yourself.”

Ge Jiang looked at her, her words carrying a faint hint of something deeper.

“Feelings between two people can’t be prayed into existence.”

Zhu Ningyue was moved by her words. “You’re absolutely right.”

She silently clutched the love talisman the master had given her, deciding to find a chance to throw it away later.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head over to the production team.”

Ge Jiang had come over earlier to gather everyone for departure, but somehow, they’d ended up talking for quite a while.

Gu Nanxuan and the others responded, gathered their belongings, and left the hotel together.

The reporters outside had already been persuaded to leave a couple of days prior, and the area had been thoroughly checked to ensure no one would suddenly rush out with a microphone pointed at them.

The city of G had mobilized quite a few people specifically to ensure the smooth recording of the upcoming segments.

It was now around seven in the evening, and they were picking up right where they’d left off two days earlier.

—The two groups of guests had finished running their shops and gathered together to tally their respective operating funds.

Of course, before the final calculations began, the host would first…

“Aren’t you all excited?”

Under the live broadcast camera, the host…

Si Kongyuan, as always, played along: “Of course I’m excited! After all, it’s my teammate~”

Although the host had mentioned that team compositions might change later, since the rules weren’t yet clear, the new guest was basically defaulted to her group.

The host observed the expressions of the remaining four before clapping her hands and saying, “Then let’s all give a warm welcome to our beautiful new guest—”

“Jiang Mengxi.”

“How could it be her?”

Gu Nan froze for a moment, and the words slipped out almost simultaneously.

Though the former’s expression was slightly better, it quickly turned silent after speaking.

The latter—Zhu Ningyue—was utterly incredulous: “Why is she here?”

When she saw Jiang Mengxi’s familiar face, she covered her own, afraid Jiang Mengxi might do something outrageous again.

After all, this was live!

Jiang Mengxi was dressed in a pristine white gown, her makeup light and delicate—completely different from her previous style.

She smiled shyly at everyone. “Hello, everyone~”

Si Kongyuan, who hadn’t seen her earlier persona, took an instant liking to her and greeted warmly, “Welcome~”

The other four, who had suffered before: “…”

Jiang Mengxi blinked her long lashes at their expressions, biting her lip as she asked, “Do you not welcome me?”

Qiu Qing’an was the first to react, offering a faint smile. “Welcome.”

Gu Nanxuan and Ge Jiang remained silent for a moment before also voicing their welcomes.

Only Zhu Ningyue stood stiffly, her smile strained, unable to speak for the longest time.

To avoid awkwardness, the host quickly spoke up, “Everyone is really looking forward to Mengxi joining us.”

“Would you like to introduce yourself, Mengxi?”

Jiang Mengxi nodded. “I just returned from abroad, so there might be a lot I don’t understand. I’ll appreciate everyone’s guidance~”

With a graceful gesture, she lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied to the group. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all~”

Her refined manners won over those who didn’t know her true nature, including some viewers who hadn’t seen the previous livestream:

Wow, the new guest is not only beautiful but also so polite—I’m a fan!

She’s stunning, absolutely stunning! I love gorgeous women like her!

Meanwhile, those who had watched the earlier livestream remained silent:

Why does she seem so different from before?

Same here, it’s like she’s a completely different person.

Could it be that the previous beauty had an identical twin sister?

This speculation wasn’t entirely unreasonable—after all, the livestream audience hadn’t known Jiang Mengxi’s name before.

The host smiled and said, “Then Mengxi will join Yuanyuan’s team for now. Let’s reveal the results of last episode’s shop operations~”

Jiang Mengxi curtsied politely once more before heading to her seat.

However, she didn’t choose the spot next to Sikong Yuan. Instead, she walked up to Gu Nanxuan and asked, “May I sit beside you?”

Gu Nanxuan scowled. “No.”

Jiang Mengxi had no choice but to approach Ge Jiang. “Can I sit next to you?”

Not wanting to appear as though they were deliberately excluding the new guest, Ge Jiang made room for her.

Thus, Jiang Mengxi settled between her and Zhu Ningyue.

Once she was seated, the host announced the results. “The shop with the highest revenue from last episode is—the handicraft store!”

“And the lowest-earning shop was—the food shop.”

The livestream audience was surprised by this outcome. After all, the photography shop had initially been 500 yuan behind in revenue.

No one expected Gu Nanxuan and Chou Qing’an to not only close the gap but even surpass the food shop.

Ge Jiang had already anticipated coming in last, so she wasn’t too disappointed.

She was about to apologize to Zhu Ningyue when she suddenly turned and saw Jiang Mengxi’s face right beside her.

Ge Jiang: “……”

Noticing her reaction, Jiang Mengxi turned to look at her with a sweet smile. “Jiangjiang ran the food shop? What a shame. You’ll have to do better next time~”

Ge Jiang forced a smile. “Thanks.”

She immediately straightened up, keeping her eyes fixed on the host ahead, clearly signaling she had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Jiang Mengxi didn’t mind, leisurely studying her profile instead.

Zhu Ningyue kicked her under the table, gritting her teeth. “Tone it down.”

But Jiang Mengxi raised her voice and asked, “Ningyue, is your foot bothering you? Why did you suddenly kick me?”

Her question instantly drew the attention of the host, the other guests, and the livestream audience.

“What’s going on between Mengxi and Ningyue?” the host asked with concern.

Zhu Ningyue hadn’t expected Jiang Mengxi to play dumb to this extent!

She could only force a smile and explain, “My foot cramped just now, and I accidentally bumped into her.”

Jiang Mengxi blinked innocently. “It wasn’t a bump~ You kicked me really hard~”

Zhu Ningyue’s lips twitched. “Then I apologize. I couldn’t control the force.”

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to~” Jiang Mengxi blinked at her with wide eyes. “Is Ningyue feeling better now? Be careful later and don’t kick me again, okay~”

Zhu Ningyue suppressed the urge to turn and walk away. “I know, don’t worry.”

Only then did Jiang Mengxi turn apologetically to the host. “Sorry for the interruption, we’re fine now~”

The host sighed in relief. “Glad to hear it.”

She resumed the earlier topic. “Our guest running the handicraft shop has successfully become the sales champion of the first day! Let’s all congratulate Yuan Yuan’s team!”

Si Kong Yuan’s long-held expectations had finally come true, filling her with excitement. Yet, she only offered a modest smile. “Thank you, everyone~”

“And now, it’s time to reveal the reward for the sales champion~”

The host glanced around. “I wonder if anyone would like to guess what the prize is?”

Si Kong Yuan asked, “Is it the chance to switch shops? Or maybe to regroup?”

Both were things she currently hoped for.

“Yuan Yuan guessed it right away!”

The host didn’t keep them in suspense and announced directly, “As our sales champion, Yuan Yuan’s team has earned the right to switch shops—but only with the lowest-earning one.”

In other words, Si Kong Yuan could only trade her handicraft shop for Zhu Ningyue and Ge Jiang’s food shop.

“Yuan Yuan can choose whether to switch or not—the decision is entirely yours~” the host said.

Si Kong Yuan didn’t hesitate long before replying, “Switch!”

From the start, she had wanted the food shop. Now that she had the chance, of course she’d take it.

Hearing her decision, Zhu Ningyue and Ge Jiang both sighed in relief, deeply grateful to Si Kong Yuan.

The two of them, who couldn’t cook, were finally free from the burden of running the food shop.

The host announced, “So now, Yuan Yuan’s team will run the food shop, Jiang Jiang’s team will take over the handicraft shop, and Qing An’s team will continue with the photography shop.”

“Next, the guests with the lowest earnings will face a penalty.”

The host smiled as she looked at Zhu Ningyue and Ge Jiang.

“Ningyue and Jiang Jiang, please come up front.”

An assistant brought out over a dozen plastic hoops and arranged them in a line on the floor.

The host explained the penalty. “The two of you must jump through each hoop together—but you can only use one pair of feet, and you can’t step outside the hoops~”

The challenge wasn’t overly difficult, but it required perfect coordination.

After some discussion, Zhu Ningyue and Ge Jiang decided to each use one foot, linking arms as they hopped forward.

But neither had great balance—either Zhu Ningyue bumped into Ge Jiang or Ge Jiang knocked into Zhu Ningyue.

They kept falling over, forcing them to start again and again.

At first, Zhu Ningyue felt awkward whenever she toppled Ge Jiang, but after several failures, guilt began to set in.

After some thought, she said, “How about I carry you through instead?”

The host had only said they could use one pair of feet—not that each had to contribute one.

Besides, since she’d taken leave on the first day of running the shop, she bore the most responsibility for their poor performance.

Ge Jiang thought the idea was good but was a little worried. “Can you manage it?”

Zhu Ningyue crouched down in front of her. “We won’t know until we try.”

Without further hesitation, Ge Jiang climbed onto her back.

Zhu Ningyue summoned all her strength and lifted her up.

Truthfully, Ge Jiang wasn’t heavy, and carrying her wasn’t too difficult.

But as she jumped through the first hoop while carrying someone on her back, she immediately felt her arms begin to ache.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed through.

“Want me to carry you instead?” Ge Jiang noticed her breathing growing heavier and whispered in her ear.

The warm breath against her ear made Zhu Ningyue stumble, her foot hitting the edge of the hoop, and the two of them tumbled to the ground again.

Ge Jiang quickly stood up and pulled Zhu Ningyue to her feet. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Zhu Ningyue shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushed—whether from exhaustion or the earlier awkwardness, it was hard to tell.

She walked back to the starting point. “Let’s try again.”

Ge Jiang stepped in front of her. “Let me carry you this time.”

Facing the half-crouched figure before her, Zhu Ningyue hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around Ge Jiang’s neck and leaning onto her back.

Ge Jiang hooked her arms under Zhu Ningyue’s legs and lifted her up. “Hold on tight.”

Then she moved to the edge of the hoop, ready to start jumping.

Breathing in the comforting scent of Ge Jiang, Zhu Ningyue unconsciously tightened her grip, her heart racing as she softly replied, “Okay.”

Unaware of the shift in her emotions, Ge Jiang focused intently, hopping through one hoop after another.

By the time they finished the last one, she was drenched in sweat from the effort.