The 'Involution King' Second Female Lead Quits [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Grasping the Present is Most Important!

◎Grasping the Present is Most Important!◎

After Li Jianwei asked the question, Shu Heng and Jing Siwen both fell silent.

The former was being reserved so her purpose wouldn’t be exposed too early, while the latter knew this wasn’t her part and was just waiting to watch the show.

After a full five seconds of silence, the impatient Shu Heng cleared her throat. “Um, how about Teacher Li and I pretend to be a same-s3x couple? After all, we’re both actors, and we can put our acting skills to use when necessary.”

It was a perfect excuse. At least half of the audience watching the live stream thought there was nothing wrong with this arrangement.

[Whether it’s fake or not, I can ship my couple first.]

[(Thinking) Is this really not turning a fake act into a real one? They’re close in the car, they sleep together, and they have to pretend to be a couple just to eat. Are they really just pure friends?]

[I don’t know, but I don’t believe it. I think they’re definitely more than just friends.]

[This must be a deliberate arrangement by the show crew. Once the promotional video is edited, they can completely trick and lure in all the yuri fans.]

[How can you say they’re tricking people? What if it’s real?]

The live chat began to discuss what kind of relationship Li Jianwei and Shu Heng had in private. With the development of the times, same-s3x couples were no longer a strange term. Only the relics of the old era would think there was a problem with this kind of relationship.

After confirming their roles, Shu Heng took Li Jianwei’s hand, interlaced their fingers, and walked in front, then proactively spoke to the employee.

“Hello, I want to ask if the couple’s discount event in the store requires couples to be of opposite sexes? Can we participate in the event?”

The employee was taken aback by her question. Although the two people in front of her were wearing masks and hats, their exposed brows and eyes were exquisite and elegant. One could tell they were beautiful people just by looking at them.

After catching a glimpse of the camera crew with her peripheral vision, a look of sudden realization flashed across the employee’s face, and she took them for well-known food bloggers.

“Of course, there’s no such requirement. As long as you can prove that you’re a couple, there are no gender requirements,” the employee said with an enthusiastic smile and a very good attitude.

“The way to prove it is also very simple. You just need to kiss for three seconds and let us take a photo.”

“Kiss for three seconds?” Shu Heng couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.

“Do you have to take a photo?” Li Jianwei’s focus was completely different from the former’s.

“If the two of you want to participate in the event, you have to follow the rules and complete the couple verification,” the employee’s smile remained unchanged. “Of course, we won’t point the camera at your faces when we take the photo. We can also blur it if necessary.”

Jing Siwen’s eyes were filled with the desire for gossip, but she didn’t show any of it on her face. “My two friends value their privacy. Can we just take a photo of their backs?”

“Yes, as long as it looks like you’re kissing,” the employee readily agreed.

“Teacher Li, Teacher Shu, it’s time to put your acting skills to use. Please make sure I get a free meal,” Jing Siwen, who loved a good show, whispered with encouragement from the side.

Jing Siwen could tell that even if the two weren’t already a couple, they were at least halfway there. A three-second kiss was no problem for them.

And sure enough, neither Shu Heng nor Li Jianwei had any intention of refusing.

When the employee’s phone was pointed at the two, Shu Heng was shy and a little excited, while Li Jianwei looked very calm and took off her mask directly.

After Shu Heng also took off her mask, Li Jianwei cupped her face with her hand, her dark eyes looking at her intently. “May I kiss you?”

A blush appeared on Shu Heng’s cheeks. She suppressed her restless heart and gave a reserved hum.

The next second, Shu Heng felt something soft and moist press against her lips, making her instinctively hold her breath.

It’s so soft. Are these Teacher Li’s lips? They feel a little like jelly.

After silently counting to five in her heart, Li Jianwei let go of her hand gracefully, put her mask back on naturally, and turned her head to look at the employee. “Is this enough to prove that we’re a couple?”

“Yes, yes, of course!” the employee said, quickly taking out three wristbands. “The three of you just need to pay 158.4 yuan. Scan the QR code here. The dining time is three hours.”

Jing Siwen, who was in charge of the money, immediately took out her phone, scanned the QR code, and completed the payment in just ten seconds.

To avoid being recognized, the three of them chose a relatively hidden spot. They wore their masks when getting food and only took them off when they were eating.

[Oh my gosh! Li Jianwei and Shu Heng actually kissed! They’re so all-out! Just for a free meal and 20% off! They didn’t have to…]

[(Pushes up glasses) There’s only one truth! They must really be dating, which is why they agreed to kiss for three seconds, something only a real couple would do!]

[Am I the only one who thinks Teacher Li’s attitude was too calm? She’s a little like my ex-girlfriend, who was a straight as a ruler.]

[What are you saying? Your profile says you’re a girl. Would a truly straight girl be your ex-girlfriend?]

[But a truly straight girl would be that calm. She can call you “baby” without any burden and have no psychological barrier when it comes to kissing and hugging. If she were a lesbian, she would subconsciously keep a distance from other women, right?]

[That makes some sense. But if Teacher Li is straight, then what about Shu Heng? She blushed and was shy. She shouldn’t be very straight, right?]

[I don’t care. Is it that important whether they’re real lesbians? The fact that they kissed is real, and the fact that they have a good relationship is also real. Just ship it!]

[I agree. It doesn’t matter if the couple is real in reality. As long as they’re real in our minds, that’s enough!]

The trio’s mukbang was very interesting, but considering that the camera had been on them for more than an hour, the director also took the opportunity to switch the camera to the quartet, who were about to have a conflict, while the trio was getting more food.

At this moment, Zhou Zhao had finally led the quartet down the mountain. The male guests in the camera were all exhausted like dogs, just panting and unable to speak.

When Zhou Zhao found out that the live camera had been switched to them, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel, trying hard to maintain his public image.

Zhou Zhao: “My plan this time wasn’t thoughtful enough. The time spent going back and forth was a bit long. Fortunately, the scenery on the mountaintop didn’t disappoint me, so this trip wasn’t a total loss.”

The other three maintained a smile, but their enthusiasm for agreeing with Zhou Zhao was clearly not as strong as on the first day.

“Teacher Zhou, we only have less than two thousand yuan left, but we’ve only been to four spots. What should we do next?” one of the resident cast members threw the current problem at Zhou Zhao.

“Isn’t two thousand yuan enough if we’re a little more frugal?” Zhou Zhao asked back. “The accommodation fee for two standard rooms shouldn’t exceed five hundred, so there should still be a thousand and five hundred yuan left.”

“Teacher Zhou, every tourist spot requires a ticket. At an average of forty yuan per person, the tickets for the remaining five spots will cost one thousand yuan. Out of the remaining five hundred, three hundred is for the non-negotiable high-speed rail fee,” the resident cast member in charge of the money couldn’t help but say.

“If we all take public transportation afterward, two hundred yuan will probably be barely enough. But in that case, our food expenses will be almost zero. Plus, public transportation takes more time than a taxi. If we don’t plan out all the subsequent routes now, we might not be able to complete the task.”

It was okay to respect a senior in the industry. Zhou Zhao’s status and seniority were higher than theirs. But since he’s a senior, shouldn’t he have some responsibility and social experience?

Zhou Zhao was a little embarrassed by the question and also dissatisfied that his authority had been offended. He said with a hint of temper.

“The money is in your hands. Since you said it’s not enough, then make a plan according to what you said. My suggestion is to exclude the spots with expensive tickets.”

“For the time issue, I think we can use the nighttime to visit one more spot. If that’s still not enough, we can get up and leave earlier tomorrow. There are always more solutions than problems. As long as we discuss it together, we’ll always be able to find a way to solve it.”

[Anyone can talk. Now that there’s not enough money, he finally knows that they should discuss it together?]

[This isn’t Teacher Zhou Zhao’s fault. Isn’t the resident cast member being too aggressive? Why is he being so fierce with him?]

[Did Zhou Zhao’s fans donate their brains to the hot pot restaurant? I’m worried the hot pot restaurant’s pig brains will be overstocked! The reason the boys’ group doesn’t have enough money is obvious. The ticket for this mountain climb was eighty yuan per person. It’s time-consuming, energy-draining, and costs money. Your “oppa” was the one who came up with this idea.]

[But the others didn’t object either. If they thought the cost was too high, they should have said so earlier, right? Zhou Zhao isn’t someone who’s hard to talk to. He’s very caring toward his juniors.]

[Heh. Is throwing the blame at your juniors the way you care for them? The resident male guest is really suffering!]

[Don’t judge a gentleman’s heart with your mean mind!]

[Give it up. It’s hard to say who the petty person is!]

As expected, after the camera switched to Zhou Zhao, the live chat started to argue in no time.

However, this was also a way to drive traffic to the live stream. As long as the fans didn’t go too far with their arguing and didn’t attack people they shouldn’t, the show crew would turn a blind eye and let the fans fight among themselves.

After all, the more traffic the live stream had, the more people would see the advertisements. If the total number of views reached a new high, the final edited version might attract more advertisers to invest.

Fortunately, the director also understood that too much of a good thing was bad. As soon as the live chat showed signs of getting out of control, the camera was switched back to Li Jianwei’s trio.

If it weren’t to ensure the data for the edited version, the director would have wanted to open two live streams, one for the boys’ group and one for the girls’ group. This would definitely make the show’s popularity soar to another level.

…

“Three ladies, to show our gratitude to our customers, you can get a free draw with your wristband after you’re done with your meal. The grand prize is a year-long all-you-can-eat pass at our restaurant. Please remember to go to the service counter to draw after you’re done with your meal,” the employee reminded them.

With the “since we’re already here” mentality, the trio naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity. After filling their bellies, they went to the service counter to line up.

The grand prize looked like a gimmick, claiming to be worth more than seventy thousand yuan, but in reality, it just meant they could eat two buffet meals a day. The other prizes were a monthly pass, a weekly pass, and a single-use pass, while the lucky prize was a ten-yuan voucher.

From the results of the customers before them, it was clear that most of them got the ten-yuan voucher. It was a prize that the boss wouldn’t lose money on if they didn’t use it, and would even make a small profit if they did.

“I’ll go first. I don’t have high standards. A single-use pass is fine,” Jing Siwen clasped her hands together and then gracefully drew a card.

“Congratulations, you’ve won a voucher. It’s valid for one month. You can use it this afternoon,” the employee skillfully handed Jing Siwen a card.

Although it was an expected result, Jing Siwen was still a little disappointed. She could only pin her hopes on the other two. “You guys have to do your best. If we get even one single-use pass, we can come back and have another good meal.”

Shu Heng nodded and then drew a card confidently.

“Congratulations, a voucher,” the employee said with a big smile.

Shu Heng’s eyes, like Jing Siwen’s, were filled with anticipation as they landed on Li Jianwei.

Li Jianwei, who was suddenly burdened with a heavy responsibility, pursed her lips and drew a card under their eager gazes.

“Congratulations, you’ve won the third prize, a single-use all-you-can-eat pass. You can use it at any time within one month,” the employee said with a smile, handing over a plastic card.

“Yay! So our dinner will only cost eighty yuan?” Shu Heng cheered quietly.

“I don’t think so. There’s a small line of text under the promotion banner. The couple’s event can only be experienced once a day,” Li Jianwei gave a very rational answer.

Jing Siwen touched her chin. “If it’s once a day, then should we come back tomorrow for lunch?”

Li Jianwei: “According to the plan, we’ll be visiting the last tourist spot tomorrow noon. If we come back at that time, we won’t have much time, and the transportation fee is also an expense.”

“Then we won’t have a chance to come back and experience it again?” Shu Heng’s tone was a little regretful.

She wondered if Shu Heng was regretting not being able to have another buffet meal or regretting not being able to pretend to be a couple with Li Jianwei again.

“Oh well, if not tomorrow, then another time. After we complete the task, I’ll treat you to a big meal,” Jing Siwen said with a smile. “Teacher Li, what should we do with this all-you-can-eat pass? Should we sell it for cash?”

“Mhm. We can sell it at a discount to someone who needs it, so we can have a bigger budget for our next meal,” Li Jianwei said, glancing at Shu Heng, and added, “Maybe there are also restaurants with similar events around the other tourist spots, so we can use the extra budget.”

“That’s true. If not, we can also add two good dishes,” Shu Heng quickly adjusted her mood.

It’s not a big deal. I’ll have many more opportunities to work with Teacher Li in the future. There’s no need to let the disappointment of missing a chance to pretend to be a couple affect my mood.

The atmosphere among the trio was always great. Pink bubbles would occasionally appear between Li Jianwei and Shu Heng, and Jing Siwen, as a variety show veteran, also knew when to speak and when to be silent, so she wouldn’t let the conversation die and also wouldn’t let the atmosphere between them get too ambiguous.

In contrast, the “bitter” quartet, after rushing to complete their task, finally finished in the afternoon. By the time they took the high-speed rail to the next city, the trio was already enjoying delicious food at a barbecue stall.

Because they had plenty of time, the trio didn’t go to any tourist spots at night. They checked into their B&B early and stopped the live stream.

The quartet, on the other hand, planned to bite the bullet and work overtime at night, but the mountain climb in the morning had already drained all their energy. They really couldn’t walk another few kilometers.

So, the live stream for the second day ended at eight o’clock in the evening. The unsatisfied fans from each group all went to another platform to continue the argument they couldn’t finish in the live chat.

…

“Sister Lu, since the fans like it, let’s just go with the flow. I’d rather be a ‘couple’ with Shu Heng than with Zhou Zhao,” Li Jianwei said, leaning against the window, while talking to her manager on the phone.

Sister Lu: “Tell me honestly, are you interested in Shu Heng? I need to have a bottom line.”

Li Jianwei subconsciously looked at the bathroom. Shu Heng was still showering inside. “I’m very happy to be good friends with her, and if it’s right, we can also be friends in bed.”

“But I haven’t considered any other more inseparable relationships for now,” Li Jianwei said with a light laugh.

“Sister Lu, I can tell that Shu Heng has lived in a very privileged family since she was a child. She won’t stay in the entertainment industry forever. Maybe after she achieves a certain goal, she’ll leave the industry gracefully.”

“I’m different from Shu Heng. I can only make a lot of money by working in this industry. Even if I quit acting in the future, I’ll still move to the backstage and stay in this industry.”

Li Jianwei was a very pragmatic person. Her approach to Shu Heng was based on her status as a rich young lady. She intended to use Shu Heng to easily get her hands on the highly sought-after resources in the industry.

As for other things, there might be a little liking, but it wasn’t enough for Li Jianwei to abandon her rationality and rush toward Shu Heng.

Shu Heng could quit the industry at any time, but Li Jianwei couldn’t. She was still young and in her prime. How could she give up the career she had been pursuing and fighting for for so long just for a relationship?

Especially since Li Jianwei also learned from the memory fragments that Shu Heng’s family really had a company waiting for her to inherit.

If nothing went wrong, Shu Heng would announce her withdrawal from the industry the year after she won the Best Actress award.

This meant that Shu Heng would not, and could not, stay in the entertainment industry forever.

Unless she was as shameless as Zhou Zhao and took over Shu Heng’s family’s assets and exchanged them for resources in the entertainment industry.

“I understand. Since that’s what you think, then keep your relationship with Shu Heng in check. Don’t trick her and then abandon her,” Sister Lu said. “As for the ‘couple’ thing, I’ll discuss it with her manager and operate it appropriately.”

Li Jianwei: “I’m not that kind of person. If Shu Heng makes it clear, I’ll tell her the truth. If she doesn’t, I’ll just treat her as a good friend. I know my limits.”

Just as she finished the call with her manager, Li Jianwei saw Shu Heng come out of the bathroom in a good mood, wearing cute kitten pajamas, which made her look at her a few more times.

“Teacher Li, is there something wrong with me?” Shu Heng asked proactively. “You’ve been staring at me for a while.”

Li Jianwei came back to her senses and smiled politely. “No. I just think the kitten on your pajamas is very cute.”

“Hehe, Teacher Li thinks so too? This is actually my cat at home,” Shu Heng’s lips curved upward. “She’s a very cute tuxedo cat named Panda.”

“Panda?” Li Jianwei subconsciously repeated, letting out a light laugh. “That’s a very good name. You can tell the cat’s breed just by hearing it.”

“If you’re interested, Teacher Li, would you like to come to my house after the shoot?” Shu Heng took the opportunity to invite her.

Li Jianwei was a little tempted, but she had just promised Sister Lu that she would keep a certain distance from Shu Heng and not let her have too many misunderstandings.

Does being invited to Shu Heng’s home to see her cat count as going beyond the distance of a friend?

“Panda can even do a backflip,” Shu Heng added.

The scale in Li Jianwei’s heart instantly tilted. “Since you’ve so enthusiastically invited me, Teacher Shu Heng, it would seem too distant between us as friends if I were to refuse.”

“Then it’s a deal. After the shoot ends tomorrow, Teacher Li will fly home with me the day after!” Shu Heng smiled. “I’ve watched Teacher Li’s movies with Panda in my arms. Maybe Panda will even recognize you then.”

Li Jianwei also smiled. “That’s a great honor. I can’t believe I’ll have a cute feline fan.”

It’s just going to see a cat do a backflip. This is clearly an invitation from a good friend. It’s okay to go. No problem.

…

The third day was relatively free. After checking in at two tourist spots, the trio still had a surplus of two hundred yuan.

With the mindset of spending the show crew’s money as much as possible, they went to an ancient-style town to have fun and experience some of the paid activities, as suggested by Jing Siwen.

Skipping over the ancient-style cocktail mixing and the lantern riddle gallery, Shu Heng’s eyes were drawn to a fortune-telling booth.

The fee for fortune-telling was not expensive, only ten yuan per person, which was perfect for a bit of fun.

“Master, I’d like to have my recent luck told,” Shu Heng said with a sincere expression as she sat down at the fortune-telling booth.

“Please pick a character, benefactor,” the fortune teller stroked his fake beard, his operational smile looking a little profound and mysterious.

Shu Heng obediently drew a slip of paper, unfolded it, and handed it to the fortune teller.

“The upper hexagram, benefactor. Your luck has been excellent recently. Nine out of ten things will go your way, and your wishes will come true,” the fortune teller gave an excellent evaluation and then picked up a small peach wood token.

“The benefactor can wear this close to you, and everything will go your way,” the fortune teller said. “This item costs forty.”

Forty yuan for a small wooden token? This price is a little shady.

Shu Heng was a little hesitant. The show hadn’t officially ended yet, so she couldn’t pay for it with her own money.

“If you want it, buy it. We still have money,” Li Jianwei said.

Jing Siwen also chimed in. “Exactly. Getting your wishes to come true is the most important thing.”

A minute later, the small wooden token was hanging on Shu Heng’s phone case, and Jing Siwen was sitting at the booth.

Jing Siwen got a neutral hexagram, neither good nor bad. The fortune teller also recommended a forty-yuan wooden token to her, saying it could boost her financial luck.

Although she knew the fortune teller was just fooling her, no one could resist the perfect boost of a financial luck increase. So, in the end, Jing Siwen also paid forty yuan for a wooden token.

Li Jianwei was not interested in this. She believed in the future she built with her own two hands more than a vague and mysterious fate.

“Teacher Li, are you not interested in traditional Chinese studies?” Shu Heng asked with a hint of curiosity, linking arms with Li Jianwei.

“It’s not that I’m not interested, I just feel so-so about it,” Li Jianwei admitted. “I personally think that fate isn’t unchanging. Grasping the present is more important than foretelling the future.”

“Grasping the tangible things you can see and touch right now is more important,” Li Jianwei emphasized.

Just like how being with the rich young lady was too vague and mysterious, her focus right now was to grasp the existing resources and benefits she could get.

Shu Heng nodded thoughtfully, thinking that her Teacher Li’s words were very reasonable.

It seems that I shouldn’t pin my hopes on an uncontrollable cat backflip. Instead, I need to grasp the present moment of being with Teacher Li.

In that case, I’ll ask Teacher Li to have a drink with me tonight. Maybe if I work hard, I can successfully grasp the present!