Thank You for the Invitation, I Successfully Held Hands with the Best Actress - Chapter 12

Nosebleed?!

Ning Yu lowered her gaze, covering her nose with her hand. Upon closer inspection—damn, she really was bleeding!

And it didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon?

Mu Qiuyan was also startled by the sudden situation and quickly handed Ning Yu tissues to press against her nose.

Her gaze held a hint of suspicion as she asked, “What exactly is this…?”

Ning Yu’s cheeks flushed red as she hastily defended herself, “The weather’s dry, and that red date porridge this morning was too nourishing—my bl00d’s just too lively.”

Mu Qiuyan didn’t respond, pressing Ning Yu down onto the lounge chair. “Rest for a bit. I’ll handle the preparations.”

Ning Yu scratched her cheek, cursing herself inwardly for being so weak.

Pfft, a nosebleed? Did this pervert Ning Yu get one from staring at Actress Mu?

How pathetic! Weren’t you supposed to be some playboy who’s seen it all?

Fans of Mu, stay alert! Ning Yu clearly has a thing for her—who knows what she’ll pull next!

How dare she even think about Actress Mu? I’m so mad! I’m camping in this livestream—if Ning Yu steps out of line, I’ll tear into her!

My boat ticket’s for 2 PM. Just wait—I’ll give that scumbag Ning a piece of my mind right in front of Mu!

Soon after setting up the stall, their freshly opened dessert shop welcomed a new wave of customers.

The midday sun was at its peak, and the beachside path was bustling with families out for a stroll. The candy balloons Ning Yu had prepared caught the attention of many children.

Sweet fermented rice balls, osmanthus jelly, and cooling red bean milk shaved ice—three tubs, one for each. The selection wasn’t vast, but the portions were generous, and the icy treats were perfect for the sweltering summer heat.

Mu Qiuyan, wearing a fisherman’s hat, smiled as she served the desserts, but she couldn’t escape the inevitable questions.

“Aren’t you Mu Qiuyan? The one from Grass Between Teeth? I loved your character in that film…”

“You look so familiar—are you related to that actress on TV?”

“I’m a huge fan! Can I get an autograph? And a photo, come on, quick…”

“Can we shake hands? I swear I won’t wash this hand for a month!”

As more fans recognized her, they lingered after buying their desserts, crowding around the tricycle with endless questions. At first, Mu Qiuyan responded politely, but as the crowd refused to disperse, her expression turned cold, and she stopped engaging.

“Come on, Actress Mu, smile for us!” A man sidled around the tricycle, stopping beside Mu Qiuyan as he pulled out his phone and snapped several photos, gleefully recording a short video.

“Visiting Sangu Island, and guess who I ran into? Actress Mu! The real deal—must be filming a show, but there aren’t many crew around.”

Mu Qiuyan frowned, stepping back to avoid him, but the man only pressed closer. “Don’t be shy, Actress Mu! Just a quick video—I’m a fan too. Why not say hi to the viewers?”

“Please step back. Your behavior is extremely intrusive,” Mu Qiuyan said icily, her expression darkening as the air around her turned frigid—clearly furious.

The man’s face fell, his hand awkwardly retracting. “What’s the big deal? You’re out here selling stuff—people are gonna take pictures. Besides, I bought a bowl of dessert. I’m a paying customer, you…”

“A customer like you is more than our little dessert shop can handle.”

Ning Yu, who had gone to wash her face in the restroom, had returned unnoticed. She crossed her arms, scanning the dense crowd with visible irritation, her lips pressed tightly in displeasure.

Walking past Mu Qiuyue, she glared at the man who had forced his way in and snatched the phone he was holding up. “Keep your distance—didn’t you understand that?! Buy your dessert and leave. Don’t hold up the other customers in line. Don’t you know basic social etiquette?”

“I was just taking a few photos—”

Ning Yu deleted the recent pictures he had taken and tossed the phone back at him, shoving him out while scolding, “Photos my ass! Try getting close again, and I’ll punch you! She already told you to back off—this is harassment!”

She couldn’t care less about appearances. This was a show filming, not some fan meet-and-greet. Taking photos from a distance was one thing, but pushing closer was crossing the line.

As soon as Ning Yu spoke, many fans in the crowd chimed in. Facing unanimous disapproval, the man had no choice but to slink away under a barrage of jeers.

After the initial rush, business at the dessert shop quickly died down.

With only a limited number of customers arriving on the island in the morning, most had already visited Ning Yu and Mu Qiuyue’s stall. After the early excitement, they’d likely have to wait until the next batch of tourists arrived at two in the afternoon before seeing any more business.

With no customers around, the two lounged leisurely on side-by-side deck chairs, basking in the sunlight, utterly relaxed.

What do I do? Seeing them lying side by side like this gives me such a peaceful, contented feeling—I don’t know if I should say it out loud.

They’re so perfect together! The way Ning Yu shielded Mu Mu just now—I actually teared up. She’s really protecting her well.

Isn’t Ning Yu a celebrity too? Threatening someone like that—isn’t she afraid of “#Ning Yu Assault” trending later? The media loves blowing things out of proportion.

Good thing this is live—we all saw what happened. Mu’s fans, stay rational and don’t disrupt the filming. They’re already on a remote island that only gets two tourist groups a day—how are there still so many people crowding around?

Just rubberneckers, that’s all. Don’t pin this on Mu’s fans—I refuse to believe these are all her supporters. Probably just onlookers here for the drama. When we visit her on set, we never make a fuss. Mu always says not to disturb others—she won’t even let us greet her at the airport.

Exactly! What kind of fan causes trouble for their idol? We’re well-behaved!

A seagull swooped overhead as Mu Qiuyue and Ning Yu sipped their desserts from small bowls, even pulling the cameraman into their laid-back moment, so at ease they seemed to have forgotten the cameras entirely.

Ning Yu pulled out a pair of wide-frame sunglasses from her bag and handed them to Mu Qiuyue.

Mu Qiuyue: “I have my own sunglasses.”

Ning Yu scoffed lightly. “Yours are too small—they don’t cover enough. Use mine. Once you’re recognized, it’s nothing but photos and stares everywhere. It makes me uncomfortable.”

Mu Qiuyue was used to such attention and didn’t mind much, but Ning Yu couldn’t shake the unease whenever she saw those eager gazes fixed on Mu Qiuyue.

What exactly bothered her, what made her uncomfortable—she couldn’t quite put it into words.

It felt like… like suddenly having a treasured possession surrounded and coveted by many. But Mu Qiuyan was a person, not something that belonged to her. Why did she have this inappropriate sense of possessiveness…

Could it be the influence of that scumbag Alpha system?

Ning Yu was startled by the thought, recalling how the system had urged her to make Mu Qiuyan her official partner. Was this what her subconscious truly believed?

But Mu Qiuyan was the female lead’s white moonlight! Not someone a cannon-fodder villain like her could ever aspire to!

Did she have a death wish? Did she want to spend the rest of her life playing house with a bunch of lunatics?

Ning Yu’s expression shifted between dismay and horror, vividly reflecting the turmoil in her mind.

Mu Qiuyan frowned as she observed her, assuming Ning Yu was upset about the earlier incident. “There are always people like that, just here for the spectacle. Don’t let it bother you.”

Ning Yu turned away, giving Mu Qiuyan only the back of her head, her voice muffled. “I’m not upset for you. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

But to Mu Qiuyan, this only made her anger more obvious.

“It’s just a few photos, no big deal. Being a public figure comes with attention.”

“No big deal? If you keep tolerating it, people will only grow bolder. That guy was practically shoving his camera in your face—what’s next? I should’ve scolded him properly to teach him a lesson. Letting him off so easily was too lenient.”

Mu Qiuyan: …You literally dragged him out. How is that lenient?

Ning Yu scoffed coldly. “Hmph, can’t even handle your own fans. Had to rely on me.”

Why was she this worked up? Mu Qiuyan imagined Ning Yu puffing up like an angry pufferfish and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Ning Yu froze, turning back to see Mu Qiuyan stifling giggles.

Ning Yu: …What’s so funny?! You’re the one who got harassed!

As the sun dipped westward, the island’s dock buzzed with activity around two in the afternoon.

Tourists poured off the ferry like dumplings dropping into a pot. Many among them gazed toward the green path in the distance, their eyes gleaming with determination.

Business boomed again as Ning Yu and Mu Qiuyan hurriedly set up their stall. Bent over ladling soup, they barely had a moment to rest before the bucket of fermented rice balls ran dry.

Mu Qiuyan: “Sold out already? This is more than twice as busy as this morning.”

Ning Yu frowned, scanning the orderly queue, then suddenly questioned, “You ladies just bought three bowls earlier, didn’t you? Back for more?”

The group exchanged sheepish glances. “Can’t we want another bowl?”

Ning Yu spotted other familiar faces. “You with the yellow backpack—three rounds already. And you in the blue tee—four, wasn’t it? Aren’t you stuffed?”

“If you’ve had your fill, move along. It’ll rain in a few hours—go enjoy the beach while you can. Stop ogling Mu Qiuyan. How many times do you need to look?”

A fan from the crowd shouted, “Mumu’s too beautiful—we’ll never get enough!”

“Exactly! No scenery compares to a glimpse of her beauty.”

Ning Yu’s eye twitched. Now they were laying it on thick with the flattery?

“Actually, we didn’t come here just to see Mumu.”

Ning Yu looked puzzled: “Then why did you come?”

The crowd answered in unison: “To give you a piece of our minds!”