Transmigrating into the Rival's Fanfiction - Chapter 35

Qin Zhi arrived at Sheng Mingluo’s hotel room. The door was ajar, not fully closed.

Inside, Xu Yun paced anxiously, torn between calling Sheng Mingluo to wake her up and worrying about disturbing the two women.

Making money is tough, she thought.

But when she looked up and saw Qin Zhi casually walking in as if nothing were amiss, Xu Yun rushed forward like she’d found a savior.

“Teacher Qin… Sister Mingluo, where is she?”

“I’m just here to get her clothes,” Qin Zhi replied, maintaining a polite distance. Xu Yun noticed her half-step back and realized she’d been too forward.

Forced to smile apologetically, she said, “Please wait a moment, Teacher Qin. I’ll get Sister Mingluo’s clothes right away.”

As Xu Yun turned to gather the clothes, Qin Zhi stood alone in the hotel room. She felt the urge to smoke, but couldn’t resist. Pressing her thumb against her lips, she recalled Sheng Mingluo’s lips brushing against hers the night before. She could no longer tell if this was what she truly wanted or if she was doing it to get back home.

The lines had blurred beyond recognition.

“Teacher Qin, I’ve found the clothes.”

“Sister Mingluo has filming this afternoon. Please urge her to wake up early.”

Xu Yun handed over a paper bag. Qin Zhi opened it and saw that it indeed contained Sheng Mingluo’s personal clothing, neatly folded and arranged inside. A faint sense of displeasure began to spread through her heart.

Holding her breath, she forced the irritation away.

“Thank you… I understand. I will.”

For the first time ever, Qin Zhi actually thanked someone. Xu Yun was somewhat flattered and surprised. When did Teacher Qin become so agreeable?

Clutching the paper bag, Qin Zhi pressed the elevator button. Her hand gripped the brown rope so tightly that it left a red mark on her palm. What was wrong with me just now?

The uncontrolled emotions surged through her limbs. Qin Zhi lowered her head, her rapid breaths hitting her chest. The heat seemed to burn through the fabric, as if it could pierce her heart.

Not again. Why do my emotions keep spiraling out of control like this?

The elevator doors opened, and Qin Zhi stepped out almost instinctively. She had never felt this embarrassed before. That doll… I don’t even have it with me anymore.

Should I just let this terrible situation continue?

She stood at the door for a long time, when suddenly she heard a faint sound—a soft knocking from inside.

Sheng Mingluo peered through the peephole and saw Qin Zhi standing outside her door. Her head was bowed, as if weighed down by endless worries. A sudden urge to hug her washed over Sheng Mingluo, but the impulse vanished as quickly as it had come.

Pressing her tongue against her teeth, Sheng Mingluo reined in her runaway thoughts. She rapped her knuckles against the door, signaling her presence inside.

The soft knock broke the silence between them. Qin Zhi’s fingers trembled slightly before finally resting on the doorknob. If I ever lose control, I’ll have Mother and Sister send Sheng Mingluo away.

“I… I’m back,” Qin Zhi said.

“I brought your clothes. Remember to change quickly. Your assistant should have ordered breakfast for you.”

When Qin Zhi opened the door, she stood before Sheng Mingluo, half her face obscured by her side-swept, long black hair, leaving only the faint outline of her features visible.

Even in this simple act of handing over clothes, Qin Zhi moved with the grace of someone accustomed to the big screen, as if she were filming a scene from a drama. She recited the rehearsed lines like completing a task.

But with the sun blazing overhead, it was already lunchtime.

“I understand, but… Teacher Qin, I’m in pain,” Sheng Mingluo said, her knees bent slightly, her eyes glistening with tears. She had already begun her performance, following the script to the letter. I’m just doing my job. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?

This time, Sheng Mingluo had learned her lesson.

She absolutely couldn’t let Qin Zhi, the mentally ill woman, realize she was acting out a plot. Everything had to flow naturally, even if it was plot-driven, making her actions seem reasonable and avoiding the stiffness of the previous day.

Otherwise, Qin Zhi would sense that everything she did was calculated and self-serving, inevitably hurting her feelings.

She really is beautiful and kind-hearted, I thought, even considering such a detail. At that moment, Sheng Mingluo wasn’t entirely acting; her body genuinely ached.

“Does it hurt a lot there…?”

As expected, Qin Zhi. Her earlier gloom vanished instantly, her attention completely drawn to Sheng Mingluo.

“Do you want to see? I’m telling the truth, Teacher Qin.”

Qin Zhi’s ears flushed crimson. How could she say such things with such a straight face? It was true that Sheng Mingluo had done it, but… it was broad daylight!

“I have medicine in my bag.”

It was the ointment Fang Qing had bought together with her last time. Qin Zhi had only inventoried it, never opening the package.

“Really? Thank you so much, Teacher Qin.”

Congratulations, Host, for completing the plot! Plot completion value +4.

You have now accumulated 10 points. Keep up the good work!

“So this is part of the plot too, right?”

The smile in Qin Zhi’s eyes vanished instantly. She knew Sheng Mingluo was doing all this just to go home, but the feeling of being kept in the dark was unbearable.

Why couldn’t she just accept it openly? she thought, starting with their physical contact.

For some reason, Qin Zhi hated the mission and its rules. It felt like every time Sheng Mingluo kissed her, it was only to complete a task, and every time she whispered her name in her ear, it was just for the mission.

It reminded her of when she was a child, when everyone told her that dolls had no life.

Qin Zhi had even considered turning herself into a doll so she could be dead too, and then she could have something in common with her teddy bear.

After death, would she be able to hear what the teddy bear was saying?

But her wish never came true. She was rescued.

“Teacher Qin, whether I mean to or not, I might trigger plot developments. I’m really in pain… believe it or not.”

The art of manipulating people lies in knowing when to be cold and when to be vulnerable.

Sheng Mingluo decided to take a gamble. Who couldn’t throw a tantrum? She’d play the madwoman too.

But she had to tread carefully. If Qin Zhi lost her temper, she was capable of anything. The memory of Luo Hu’s kicked backside was still fresh in her mind.

After speaking, Sheng Mingluo exaggerated her pain, clutching her hip as she limped toward the bathroom, bag in hand.

Qin Zhi watched the pained expression on her face, sensing her inner turmoil. Her hands were clenched tightly as she rummaged through her bag, finding the ointment her assistant had prepared last time.

“Wait, let me help you.”

Sheng Mingluo was at her wit’s end with this woman. Even if it was just the plot, she had brought this on herself. She watched as Qin Zhi pressed down on her shoulder and followed her into the bathroom.

Sheng Mingluo knew her gamble had paid off.

Just wait, she thought. When I get back to the real world, I’m cutting ties with this lunatic once and for all.