Transmigrating into the Rival's Fanfiction - Chapter 38

Qin Li’s warning still rang in Sheng Mingluo’s ears. She unconsciously opened her palm, as if a knife wound stretched across it, severing her palm lines.

No, I can’t think of Qin Zhi like that.

She pushed aside the tangled mess of thoughts. This… this must be something the original author wrote in the novel, unrelated to the Qin Zhi who had transmigrated here.

I can’t judge the whole by one part.

In the fanfic, Qin Zhi’s character was fiercely possessive and driven by insatiable desires, living in a state of constant hedonism.

“President Qin, why are you telling A-Zhi’s little lover all this? Aren’t you afraid of scaring her and making A-Zhi angry?” Yin Qianxue’s manicured nails pressed against her red lips, the soft flesh dimpling slightly.

“I’m telling the truth.”

“Miss Sheng, after spending these past few days with A-Zhi, you must have noticed something off about his mental state, right?”

Exactly. Sheng Mingluo knew all too well. Not only did she know, but she also knew how things would develop. In the original novel, Qin Zhi was a madman. But surely the transmigrated version couldn’t be a madman too, right?

“I’m aware of the situation. Thank you… President Qin, for your kind reminder. Teacher Qin and I are getting along very well.”

What a lovestruck thing to say.

Ding! Completion value +5 points!

Another notification pinged.

At home, Qin Zhi removed her headphones.

She could naturally hear the System’s notifications too. What on earth is Sheng Mingluo doing?

Staring at her phone lying face down on the table, Qin Zhi hesitated before deciding to send Sheng Mingluo a message. She had vaguely noticed earlier that Sheng Mingluo’s three-day vacation had other plans—something about attending a charity gala.

Picking up her phone, Qin Zhi saw that Sheng Mingluo’s WeChat account was pinned to the top, making their sparse chat history immediately visible. She carefully composed her message.

You… what are you doing?

Qin Li never imagined that after revealing some of Qin Zhi’s situation, Sheng Mingluo would react as if nothing were amiss. Not only did she show no fear, but she even wore an expression as if she had known all along.

Just as Qin Li was about to look away, Sheng Mingluo’s phone on her lap suddenly lit up with a new message.

Damn it, could it be from Qin Zhi?

Since both of them could hear the System’s announcements, Qin Zhi must have sent a message asking what was happening. Sheng Mingluo forced a practiced, businesslike smile. Qin Li glanced down and saw Qin Zhi’s profile picture—a lifeless, fish-eyed portrait. What’s wrong with her? Why would she use that as her social media avatar?

Every time I see it, it feels so out of place.

It’s like she’s sitting right across from me, her expression and tone both impatient.

I’m not doing anything, just working.

Why is Teacher Qin suddenly so concerned about me?

There was a hint of teasing in her tone, and Sheng Mingluo suddenly felt like laughing, though she couldn’t let Qin Zhi know.

Your sister’s probably badmouthing you to me right now, isn’t she?

“News about A-Zhi?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Then I won’t disturb you two any longer. Let’s go, Xue.”

Qin Li extended her hand to Yin Qianxue, who was sitting beside her, and helped her up. Sheng Mingluo breathed a sigh of relief as the two VIPs finally left.

Is she jealous of her own brother because of me?

But according to Qin Li’s description, her relationship with Qin Zhi was as fragile as thin ice, far from harmonious.

She could even sense a faint tension in the air. Sheng Mingluo glanced at the chat window, where Qin Zhi’s “typing…” indicator had been flashing for ages, and felt speechless.

This man has suppressed his true nature for so long, he’s forgotten how to speak properly.

Then why did the score suddenly increase?

Ignoring her question entirely, Qin Zhi turned the tables. Sheng Mingluo sometimes found his aloofness truly exasperating. Why couldn’t he just say what he meant instead of bottling it up?

I won’t tell you.

Sheng Mingluo chuckled softly and continued typing.

Teacher Qin, are you so eager to know because you want to pick me up after work? If so, I might consider telling you.

After all, we’re not just ordinary colleagues, are we?~

Since Qin Zhi refused to talk to her, Sheng Mingluo decided to cut off all communication entirely. After working together for the past few days, she had a clear understanding of Qin Zhi’s personality. In person, Qin Zhi’s “bossy queen” attitude would flare up, but over text, she would speak much more politely.

It seemed Qin Zhi’s reflexes acted faster than her brain. When communicating through a screen, her mind had a brief pause to process the situation before reacting. But when faced with things directly, her reflexes took over before her thoughts could catch up.

Aside from this mental quirk, Sheng Mingluo hadn’t noticed anything else particularly strange about Qin Zhi. She still seemed far from the “madman” Qin Li had described—a deranged figure akin to Satan himself.

“Mingluo, you’re here too? What a coincidence! Was that President Qin from Bai Ling who just left?”

A woman, acting as if they were old friends, sat down beside Sheng Mingluo in the seat Qin Li had just vacated. Her tone and posture were so familiar that anyone overhearing would assume they had known each other for years.

What’s going on today? As soon as one person leaves, another arrives.

Sheng Mingluo quickly put away her phone, but just then it vibrated. After agonizing for half a day, Big Shot Qin finally replied to her message, though Sheng Mingluo was too preoccupied to read it.

“Hello, Teacher Zhao.”

In this industry, Sheng Mingluo always addressed anyone who had entered the circle before her as “Teacher,” striking a balance between familiarity and respect.

Zhao Tang wasn’t a top-tier celebrity, but her popularity still qualified her as a second-tier star. She had played lead roles in several dramas, earning decent reviews, but lacked a breakout hit, causing her popularity to decline in recent years.

To revive her career, Zhao Tang shifted to variety shows and stirred up numerous scandals and rumors. While this damaged her public image, the “black-red” strategy kept her in the spotlight, barely maintaining her dwindling fame.

Sheng Mingluo and Zhao Tang knew each other, though they weren’t close. They had worked together on a drama set before, but Sheng Mingluo had already forgotten the minor role she played—a part that wrapped up filming in about a week.

Sheng Mingluo had a favorable impression of Zhao Tang. Such people were adept at navigating social circles, perhaps because they had climbed up from humble beginnings themselves, and thus didn’t look down on insignificant supporting characters like Sheng Mingluo.

They treated everyone with roughly equal respect.

“Mingluo, aren’t you going to reply to your messages?”

The implication was clear. Sheng Mingluo wasn’t sure if Zhao Tang had seen her chatting with Big Shot Qin… Damn it! Next time, I’m definitely getting a privacy screen protector!

“Of course not, Teacher Zhao! Now that you’re here, I’d much rather chat with you first.”

Her emotional intelligence kicked into overdrive. Sheng Mingluo smiled sweetly, smoothed the ends of her hair with her nails, and turned to Zhao Tang, her posture impeccable, leaving no room for criticism.

“You’re such a smooth talker,” Zhao Tang chuckled.

Rumors had been circulating in the industry that Sheng Mingluo had a sugar daddy. When Director Zhao Le first began casting for Long Blade’s Bitter Regret, many eyes had turned to the project, eager to see who would land such a coveted role.

No one had expected Sheng Mingluo to secure the lead, relegating even Big Shot Qin, the reigning Best Actress, to a supporting role.