The Movie Queen’s Secret Stand-In Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 7
Zhou Ning woke up early and sat by the tea table in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, cradling her phone as she listed the items, she needed to buy later a shopping app.
The place prepared by her Sugar Daddy was quite well-equipped—not only were pots, pans, and utensils all available, but even small appliances like the wall-breaking machine and humidifier were provided. She only needed to stock up on some daily necessities and buy a bit of meat, vegetables, eggs, and milk.
She should also get some tea leaves. She wasn’t used to drinking plain cold water, and plain hot water just didn’t taste very good.
But then again, maybe she shouldn’t buy it yet. Thinking of the huge sum of money that hadn’t arrived yet, Zhou Ning decided to save wherever possible for now, purchasing only the essentials. Her current account balance was just the 18,000-yuan Cai Sitian had given her, and she wouldn’t receive last month’s supermarket salary until she mailed in her resignation notice.
Living in the Eighth Ring Road had its perks. Fewer people meant less crowding.
The buses weren’t packed, and neither was the supermarket.
At 10 a.m. on a Thursday, the only people shopping in the supermarket were middle-aged uncles and aunties, elderly grandparents, and unemployed folks like her.
Thanks to the original host’s experience working at a supermarket, Zhou Ning—who had inherited all of her memories—was naturally aware of some of the supermarket’s “unspoken rules.”
For example, items placed at the back of the shelves usually had more recent production dates than those at the front.
When buying “buy X get X free” food items, one had to pay extra attention to the expiration dates, as most were close to expiring. Occasionally, some might even be past their due date. Products with the production date covered by a sticker should never be purchased.
Additionally, it was best to avoid buying ready-to-eat food from supermarkets whenever possible.
A shopping list was also essential. The supermarket’s lighting, large promotional banners, discounts, and freebie offers all had one goal—to empty customers’ wallets. In such an atmosphere, without a detailed shopping list, it was easy to end up buying many things outside the original plan.
Zhou Ning browsed aisle by aisle, checking off items one by one.
By the time she left the supermarket, both her hands were carrying full shopping bags, but she didn’t feel the weight at all. The original host’s body, likely due to being constantly bossed around by Sun Lixiang since childhood, looked skinny but was sturdy and strong. With her weak and sickly body from her past life, she wouldn’t have been able to carry so much, let alone walk briskly with ease.
Another sunny day today.
The distance from the supermarket to her place was just two bus stops away, so Zhou Ning decided to walk back slowly under the sun. This way, she could get some exercise while also absorbing some vitamin D. A healthy body was the foundation of a good life—she knew this all too well.
After walking for a while, Zhou Ning noticed some roadside vegetable stalls. There were five in total: two elderly women, one elderly man, one middle-aged woman, and a little girl who looked no older than elementary school age.
Hmm… wasn’t education compulsory in the country? Even someone as awful as Sun Lixiang had at least let the original host finish high school.
“Little one,” Zhou Ning said, hugging her shopping bags as she crouched in front of the girl’s stall with a warm smile. “Are these vegetables from your own garden? They look very fresh. Could you give me a bag? I’d like to buy some.”
The little girl smiled with crescent-shaped eyes and nodded. Seeing Zhou Ning struggling with a large pile of items, she pulled out a clean bag from her small woven basket, spread it on the ground, and blinked to signal that Zhou Ning could place her shopping bags on it. Then she took out a plastic bag from the basket, deftly shook it open, and handed it to Zhou Ning.
“Thank you,” Zhou Ning said gratefully, with a hint of surprise, as she set down her shopping bags. She took the bag and began packing the vegetables while chatting casually, “Little sister, don’t you have school today?”
The little girl sat on a small stool, her two dusty hands clutching the hem of her clothes. She shook her head and replied in a very soft voice, “No.”
“Oh, is the school on break?” Zhou Ning handed her some Toona sprouts with a smile.
“No, I took leave,” the girl answered with a faint smile, taking the plastic bag and placing it on the electronic scale. “Four yuan.”
Zhou Ning scanned the code to pay but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she hesitated before asking carefully, “Did you take leave to help sell vegetables at home? Where are the adults?”
The little girl met Zhou Ning’s concerned gaze with a resilient expression, smiling brightly and optimistically. “Mom is sick. But I won’t neglect my studies. Thank you for your concern, sister.”
So, her mother was sick… Zhou Ning’s nose suddenly stung. “How about I buy all your vegetables? Then you can go home early to take care of your mom.”
The girl looked startled but immediately shook her head. “Sister, just buy what you need. Please don’t waste food just to help me.” These vegetables were grown with great effort by her mother, and the Toona sprouts were picked by her after school yesterday, climbing trees with difficulty. Of course, earning money was important, but they also hoped the buyers would truly enjoy the delicious food.
“I won’t waste anything~” Zhou Ning felt not only affection and sympathy for the little girl but also growing admiration. She earnestly pointed at the various vegetables spread neatly on the clean woven cloth. “I’ll chop the Toona sprouts and simmer them into a paste—it’ll last a long time. The cucumbers and bamboo shoots will be pickled into Pickled Vegetables, which also keeps well. The spinach will be stir-fried as soon as I get home. I promise not a single bit will go to waste.”
Listening to the kind older sister’s detailed explanation, the little girl suddenly turned away and lifted her arm slightly.
“Little sister…” Zhou Ning pleaded softly, “Is that okay?”
It took a while before the girl turned back, her eyes slightly red as she forced a heartbreaking smile and nodded gently. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Zhou Ning helped pack the vegetables. “No need to thank me. Your family’s vegetables look absolutely delicious.”
Having unexpectedly bought more vegetables than planned, Zhou Ning got to work as soon as she got home—freezing some, chopping others, simmering a few, and pickling the rest.
Ding-dong—
Her phone chimed with a notification.
Zhou Ning set down the knife, washed her hands, wiped them casually on her apron, and pulled out her phone to check the unread message.
!!! It was a bank deposit alert!
Your card ending in 7721 received a transfer of 5,000,000 yuan on March 10 at 12:11…
“Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, hundred-thousands, millions.” Zhou Ning checked the numbers again. It really was five million! Even after taxes, there’d still be so much left!
Zhou Ning still didn’t feel it was real just from reading the text message, so she logged into her banking app to check the balance. After counting the digits back and forth several times, she finally fully accepted the fact. She had truly been kept by the famous actress Yuan Zhi for a year with five million in cold hard cash!
A full five million! Having been poor for two lifetimes, she’d hardly ever seen six-digit sums, let alone seven.
Beyond the sudden wealth came mounting pressure.
To be fair, the services she could provide her Sugar Daddy were far from worth that much. Just chatting occasionally—even if once a week, fifty sometimes a year—that would be 100,000 per session! Why? Just because her face resembled Sugar Daddy’s white moonlight?
No! Zhou Ning was an honest person. She must ensure Sugar Daddy got her money’s worth, even exceeding expectations.
Since she’d taken five million, she’d find ways to provide five million worth of service.
She’d originally thought about finding a job in her spare time but now reconsidered. First, her place was too far from downtown—no work opportunities in the Eighth Ring. Second, if she spent too much energy working, where would she find the energy to provide Sugar Daddy with sufficient, quality service?
Zhou Ning made her decision. She’d find work next year. For the coming year, just three things:
- Serve Sugar Daddy.
- Work on self-improvement.
- Enjoy life to the fullest.
Filled with motivation and dreams, she messaged Yuan Zhi: Sister Zhi, received the money. I’ll do my utmost to play my role well and won’t disappoint you!
After waiting half a day with no reply from Sugar Daddy, Zhou Ning messaged Cai Sitian.
Sitian, thanks for lending me money. Zhou Ning carefully considered her repayment excuse—she couldn’t tell Cai Sitian their Zhizhi’s husband gave it. I won tens of thousands in the lottery yesterday, so life’s fine now. Returning your money first.
Cai Sitian called immediately. “Ningning.” Her voice sounded hoarse.
“No morning class?” Hearing how raspy Cai Sitian sounded, Zhou Ning asked worriedly, “Are you sick with a cold, or did you cry all night?” She suspected the latter.
“Feng Yanjie talked with me for hours last night.”
Zhou Ning’s heart leapt: “Profoundly pouring his heart out to reconcile? Did you agree?”
“I said I’d think about it.” Cai Sitian’s voice was hoarse and exhausted. She yawned, “Anyway, what’s this about winning the lottery?”
“Think about it?” Zhou Ning wasn’t in the mood to discuss money now. Moving from the kitchen to the sofa, she said exasperatedly, “Think about what? However moving or pitiful his words, it’s all bullshit! Sitian, same example as last night—you raise pigs. Just when they’re ready to eat, they run away. Wouldn’t you chase desperately? Is that love? No! It’s reluctance to lose the sunk costs of pig-rearing!”
Cai Sitian smiled gratefully, “I understand. When I told him I’d think about it, I wasn’t actually considering it. I just wanted to calm him down since he seemed agitated, planning to revisit the conversation in a few days. And hey, Ningning, stop comparing me to a little piglet—what if it becomes a psychological suggestion and I gain weight?” Her mood lifted as she changed the subject, “Tell me about the lottery!”
“Ah…” Zhou Ning relaxed and said vaguely, “I just bought a lottery ticket on a whim downstairs yesterday and unexpectedly won tens of thousands.”
“Ahhh!!! That’s so lucky! Ningning, first you bump into Zhizhi, then you win the lottery! It must’ve been your mom and brother suppressing your luck before—look how things turned around the moment you left home!” Cai Sitian sat up excitedly from the bed, “Do you still have the ticket? Take a photo and show me—let me soak up some of that luck! I’ve never seen anyone win big before. Honestly, I always thought lottery jackpots were rigged.”
Zhou Ning hesitated, stammering, “The ticket… I, uh, cashed it in this morning at the lottery center. Otherwise, where would I get the money to pay you back?”
“You didn’t even take a photo for keepsake?” Cai Sitian checked her bank notification and widened her eyes, “Huh? I lent you 18,000, but you transferred me 30,000. Why?”
Zhou Ning made up an excuse on the spot, “Sharing is caring. The prize was 60,000, so we split in half and half. Besides, I heard that windfall money should be dispersed—keeping it all is bad luck. Think of it as you helping me ward off misfortune, okay? 30,000 is more than enough for me—I even found a job already.”
Cai Sitian didn’t refuse, figuring she’d just hold onto the extra for Zhou Ning in case she needed it later. She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, brushing her teeth as she asked vaguely, “You found a job so fast? What is it?”
What job? “Chat companion” sounded too sketchy. Zhou Ning rubbed her chin and said seriously, “It’s sort of like psychological counseling. But not the formal kind—I don’t have the qualifications. Basically, the job is just chatting with people who have certain psychological needs.”
“Like a virtual girlfriend?” Cai Sitian spat out the toothpaste foam, voicing her concern, “What if someone catches real feelings?”
“It’s just a temporary gig to get by—I know where to draw the line,” Zhou Ning laughed.
Cai Sitian washed her face, “I’m not worried about you—I’m worried about your clients. What if they get too immersed while talking to you?”
Clients catching feelings? Zhou Ning thought of Yuan Zhi’s face and laughed even harder, “That’s even less likely.” She was just a tool for the renowned actress to reminisce about her white moonlight. Even if Zhou Ning were stunningly beautiful and extraordinarily talented, Yuan Zhi—with someone else already in her heart—would still look right through her.
“I’m just concerned. Ningning, make sure you protect your personal information. I’m afraid you might encounter extreme people. Honestly, it’d be best if you could find a more stable, traditional job—this kind of work is too emotionally draining.”
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