Fake Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 30

The camera zoomed in, clearly capturing the expressions of Gu Nanxuan and Qiu Qing’an.

Live stream viewers:

Ahhh, what is the Best Actress doing?! Is she really going to suck Gu Nanxuan’s earlobe?!

Nooo!

I’ve already closed my eyes—I can’t look!

As the person beside her drew closer, Gu Nanxuan suddenly spoke up, “I forfeit this task.”

Qiu Qing’an leaned past her, picked up the dice that had been tossed aside earlier, and placed them back in front of her. “I forfeit too.”

No one had expected her sudden movement to just be about retrieving the dice. Both the people on set and the live stream audience collectively sighed in relief.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. I knew the Best Actress wouldn’t actually go through with the task.

Ugh, that was way too intense. Best Actress, you’re not allowed to scare us like that again.

Gu Nanxuan looked at Qiu Qing’an, momentarily stunned by her feint, but quickly regained her composure.

The host confirmed, “Are you both sure? Forfeiting this 500-yuan reward means you’ll have 500 yuan deducted from your ‘dating fund.'”

“We’re sure.”

Neither of them showed any regret over giving up a task worth 500 yuan.

The host deducted 500 from their funds and said, “Then Nanxuan, it’s your turn again.”

Gu Nanxuan picked up the dice, her expression calm as she rolled them, though a faint trace of disappointment lingered in her heart.

If Zhou Mei hadn’t warned them beforehand not to act too intimately on the live stream, she wouldn’t have stopped Qiu Qing’an’s advance.

Qiu Qing’an had probably intended to complete the task—her hand had already touched her arm.

It was a shame everything had to end so abruptly.

The dice tumbled, and Gu Nanxuan rolled a five for her second throw, moving forward five spaces.

The task displayed: Hug your teammate for 10 seconds.

Reward: 300 yuan, plus a 120-yuan increase in personal value.

It was the same task Ge Jiang had landed on during her first roll.

This time, Gu Nanxuan didn’t hesitate. She wrapped her arms around Qiu Qing’an’s waist and leaned gently against her.

Ten seconds—just enough time for a brief pause.

Their hearts pressed close, beating almost in sync, their body warmth mingling between their tightly entwined arms.

Gu Nanxuan whispered into Qiu Qing’an’s ear, so softly only she could hear, “I really want to kiss you.”

The movement of her lips was too subtle to notice, her tone carrying a hint of lingering tenderness, as if carried away by the wind.

Qiu Qing’an didn’t respond. Only when they pulled apart did she tilt her head slightly.

Her lips brushed unintentionally against Gu Nanxuan’s earlobe, leaving behind a warm, damp sensation.

The tingling on her earlobe traveled straight to her heart.

Gu Nanxuan knew Qiu Qing’an was making up for her earlier disappointment, but it only stirred a deeper impulse within her.

—It made her want to throw caution to the wind and kiss her.

She could barely hold back.

Lowering her lashes, she concealed the damp redness in her eyes from the effort of restraint.

The dice passed to Ge Jiang, rolling across the table with a clattering sound.

Gu Nanxuan didn’t see what number she rolled, nor did she hear the host’s commentary beside her.

All sound had grown distant in her ears.

It wasn’t until Zhu Ningyue exclaimed, “Twelve!” that she snapped her attention back to the game.

Zhu Ningyue, seated beside Ge Jiang, stared at the two “6”s she had rolled. Her eyes sparkled, her face alight with unrestrained joy.

Her task was simple: say “I like you” to her teammate.

The reward was 300 yuan, plus an increase in her personal value by 120 yuan.

Though the request was embarrassing, the rewards were generous.

They were just playing a game—neither the audience nor those around them would take it seriously.

It was just a sentence.

Zhu Ningyue encouraged herself like this.

She looked at Ge Jiang, opened her mouth, and said, “I…”

After uttering just one word, the second seemed stuck in her throat, impossible to voice.

“I…” Zhu Ningyue tried again but still couldn’t continue.

Four simple words, yet harder to say than anything she’d ever spoken before.

Ge Jiang smiled at her. “Don’t be nervous, take your time.”

Her words miraculously calmed Zhu Ningyue’s frantic heartbeat.

“I like you.”

This time, she clearly spoke all four words.

Her voice was soft, but everyone present heard it.

Only the live-stream audience was left in a daze:

Did Zhu Ningyue say it or not?

She did, I think I heard it.

Ugh, why didn’t the cameraman shove the mic right in front of her mouth?!

Exactly! Next time there’s a task like this, they have to speak into the mic! We want to hear too!

Hearing her words, Ge Jiang’s smile remained unchanged. “Thank you, I like you too.”

Even though Zhu Ningyue knew Ge Jiang likely didn’t mean it the same way, she couldn’t stop her heart from racing.

She lowered her head, her earlobes faintly reddening.

The audience didn’t overanalyze her reaction, merely remarking:

Who knew the young miss Zhu was so innocent? Just saying “I like you” made her blush for so long.

What do we do? I’m suddenly smitten.

The dice rolled again.

During the game, all three teams rejected a few overly suggestive tasks, progressing at varying speeds.

The fastest, Chou Qing’an, had moved over a dozen spaces, five more than the last-place Gu Nanxuan.

Si Kongyuan, Jiang Mengxi, Ge Jiang, and Zhu Ningyue were all at similar stages.

Since none of the three teams had gone bankrupt, no hiring occurred until the very end.

The host was about to announce the game’s conclusion when Si Kongyuan suddenly spoke up:

“I want to hire Jiangjiang as my shop assistant at triple her value.”

Her ideal teammate was, of course, Chou Qing’an, but since Chou Qing’an was a shop owner and couldn’t be hired, Ge Jiang was the next best choice.

Besides, pairing with Zhu Ningyue had been Jiang Mengxi’s idea.

The two were on the same wavelength.

The host quickly calculated and found that Si Kongyuan could afford to hire Ge Jiang at triple her value without going bankrupt after splitting funds.

Thus, he announced, “Yuanyuan’s hiring is successful. Jiangjiang is now a staff member at the food shop.”

Ge Jiang was also surprised by Si Kongyuan’s offer, but it was part of the game rules, so she cooperatively stood up and switched places with Jiang Mengxi.

Hearing that Ge Jiang was leaving, Zhu Ningyue felt a pang of reluctance.

But she didn’t have enough funds to rehire Ge Jiang, so she could only watch helplessly as she moved to the opposite side.

“Ningyue and Qing’an, do either of you want to make a hire?” the host asked.

Zhu Ningyue’s mind was entirely preoccupied with Ge Jiang—she wasn’t thinking about anything else. Even if she could hire someone, the only option would be Gu Nanxuan.

She shook her head dejectedly.

Chou Qing’an also replied, “No.”

“Then today’s Love Adventure ends here,” the host declared.

“Our livestream is about to end. Tomorrow will bring a new round of shop operations, so let’s all do our best~”

Perhaps noticing Zhu Ningyue’s overly obvious dejection, Host Wang added: “Tomorrow the roles of shop manager and staff will be swapped within each team, and everyone will have a chance to regroup~”

Zhu Ningyue perked up instantly, but then her face fell again at the thought of Jiang Mengxi being tomorrow’s manager.

After Host Wang announced the end of the livestream, she stood up and left the scene.

Jiang Mengxi caught up with her, speaking in a familiar tone: “My dear Yueyue, must you make it so obvious that you don’t want to team up with me?”

Just then, Ge Jiang happened to approach. Hearing the affectionate address, she paused briefly, glancing at Zhu Ningyue’s reaction.

Zhu Ningyue walked ahead without a word, not resisting when Jiang Mengxi intimately linked arms with her.

Ge Jiang didn’t follow further.

“Jiangjiang, want to head back together?” Sikong Yuan invited from behind her.

Ge Jiang turned with a faint smile. “Sure.”

The two left together.

As the crowd thinned, Gu Nanxuan and Qiu Qing’an also began walking back together.

Qiu Qing’an gazed at the surrounding darkness and asked softly, “Do you think I should have helped Ningyue hire Jiangjiang back earlier?”

She had indeed hesitated earlier, torn by the desire to help a friend.

“Then what about me?”

Seeing no one nearby, Gu Nanxuan boldly took Qiu Qing’an’s hand.

“I don’t want to be in her group. If I were, I’d definitely come in last tomorrow.”

“Besides, this is between her and Ge Jiang. Why should we interfere?”

Qiu Qing’an smiled faintly. “You’re absolutely right.”

She’d thought the same, which was why she quickly abandoned the idea.

Whether it was Ge Jiang or Jiang Mengxi, these were Zhu Ningyue’s own matters to resolve.

Qiu Qing’an interlaced her fingers with Gu Nanxuan’s, her voice slowing: “Speaking of which, we left many tasks unfinished earlier.”

Gu Nanxuan stopped walking, catching her meaning. “Are you thinking of completing those tasks with me now?”

The surrounding darkness enveloped them.

Qiu Qing’an released her hand, instead wrapping an arm around her waist, and kissed her lips lightly. “Of course.”

Her gentle voice carried a husky, enticing note: “Let me think… what was the first task we skipped?”

Gu Nanxuan, captivated by the kiss, barely registered the words.

Unable to resist, she hooked her arms around Qiu Qing’an’s neck and kissed her fiercely.

But Qiu Qing’an turned her head, evading the kiss, letting it land only at the corner of her mouth.

“Naughty puppy.”

She murmured against Gu Nanxuan’s lips: “Rules are rules—no sneaky kisses.”

Gu Nanxuan nipped at her lower lip indignantly. “Then why do you get to kiss me?”

Qiu Qing’an’s beautiful eyes curved. “Because I’m the ‘Host,’ so my rules apply.”

Gu Nanxuan’s dark eyes fixed on her as she continued: “I remember now.”

Warm breath traced from her lips to her cheek, then neared her ear.

“The first task we skipped was: Hold your teammate’s earlobe between your lips for three seconds.”

No sooner had she spoken than Gu Nanxuan’s earlobe was enveloped by a wet, soft tongue, followed by the gentle scrape of teeth.

Before Gu Nanxuan could fully immerse in the sensation, Qiu Qing’an whispered: “Three seconds are up.”

Then it was released, leaving only a faint itch on the earlobe and a coolness brushed by the breeze.