Transmigrating into the Rival's Fanfiction - Chapter 59

After finishing the advertisement shoot, Sheng Mingluo stepped away from the camera, biting on a straw to avoid smudging her lipstick. Xu Yun handed her phone.

It was almost time to wrap up for the day.

Sheng Mingluo opened her WeChat Moments, the cold, fragrant coffee sliding down her throat. Her Moments feed looked like it had exploded—suddenly flooded with likes.

Had she added anyone new today?

Sheng Mingluo used her personal WeChat account exclusively for private social interactions. Her official account was managed by her assistant, and she rarely checked it, as it was mostly for business collaborations and never used for posting personal updates.

But when she clicked to view the profile icons, she discovered that Qin Zhi had liked nearly every post visible in her Moments, which were set to only show the past six months.

How strange. Why didn’t she just message me directly instead of scrolling through my old, boring posts?

Suddenly, a notification pinged in her ear: System: Clearance value increased by 20 points. Everything seemed to fall into place.

Was liking my posts a task, or was Qin Zhi just restless?

Sheng Mingluo’s eyelashes curved into a smile as she clicked on Qin Zhi’s profile. It was as clean as a blank wall—completely empty, with no posts at all.

Not even a glimpse into her world.

Teacher Qin, are you thinking of me?

Sheng Mingluo typed the message and sent it. Even the bitter coffee seemed sweet as she scrolled through their chat history. Most of their exchanges were brief greetings before script readings—familiar yet distant.

She knew Qin Zhi was likely caught in her usual dilemma.

“Miss Sheng, are you ready? We’re about to resume filming!” a staff member called out. Sheng Mingluo set down her coffee.

Before the shoot began, she added one more line and sent it:

I’m thinking of you too, Teacher Qin.

This wasn’t a lie, nor was it just for the sake of the task. She genuinely missed her a little.

Qin Zhi remained seated on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight. She bit down on the cigarette butt, hesitating whether to light it.

This was typical of her at home. On days off, she’d exercise and then sit motionless on the sofa, lost in thought until sunset, ignoring messages and avoiding contact with others.

But Sheng Mingluo was different.

The phone on the table vibrated. Qin Zhi instinctively picked it up. She hadn’t initiated the conversation, merely liked a few of Sheng Mingluo’s social media posts.

Two ambiguous messages flashed across the screen.

Why did she use “too”?

Puzzled, Qin Zhi still smiled. She knew. Sheng Mingluo knew everything.

“I want to see you.”

She brushed aside her long black hair, finally snapping the slender cigarette in her hand without lighting it. She had found something that brought her joy without needing to smoke.

Something that made her heart flutter.

Just five simple words, sent as a voice message.

Maintaining her professional assistant demeanor, Xu Yun knew Sheng Mingluo had been chatting with Qin Zhi and refrained from interrupting. She stood quietly to the side, eyes downcast and focused on her own thoughts.

Moments later, her own phone buzzed with a message. To her utter shock, it was from Big Shot Qin himself.

Can you send me Mingluo’s address?

Oh, oh, I get it now!

Xu Yun swiftly sent the location, even thoughtfully including the floor and apartment number for precise directions.

Thank you.

This was truly eye-opening… Were all women in love this gentle?

Having worked on set for so long, Xu Yun had only ever seen Qin Zhi show warmth toward Sheng Mingluo. To everyone else, he remained aloof as an iceberg, arms crossed, his aura dark and forbidding, keeping people at a respectful distance.

Still, this was her boss’s private affair. It was best not to pry, so she could focus on her own career aspirations.

As autumn deepened, the outdoor temperature plummeted. Qin Zhi donned a heavy coat and scarf. A ginkgo tree at the villa’s entrance had already begun to turn golden.

Clutching her car keys, Qin Zhi had just closed the door when she saw Qin Li, arm-in-arm with Yin Qianxue and carrying a large bag, approaching. They were at the foot of the steps leading to the villa, the car still parked outside.

“A-Zhi, where are you off to?” Qin Li asked, her tone warm and sisterly. In contrast, Qin Zhi remained icy, her cold gaze fixed on her sister.

The fine fibers of her scarf fluttered in the biting autumn wind, and Qin Zhi’s face felt numb with cold.

“None of your business,” she replied stiffly.

“Mother sent me. A-Zhi, this place feels so lifeless, and you live in such a remote area.”

Qin Zhi had purchased the villa herself and never hired a housekeeper, relying instead on a punctual cleaning service. The kitchen remained largely unused, the house cold and desolate despite its immaculate cleanliness. Even the meticulously maintained grounds exuded an air of solitude.

Qin Li regularly visited to check on Qin Zhi and bring her basic sustenance. Given Qin Zhi’s stubborn, self-destructive tendencies, Qin Li wouldn’t be surprised if she starved herself to death.

“Alright, let me guess who you’re going to see.”

“Could it be Miss Sheng?”

Even though Qin Li stood on a slightly lower step than Qin Zhi, her high heels allowed her to meet Qin Zhi’s gaze directly.

“Whatever,” Qin Zhi replied curtly, refusing to look at Qin Li any longer. Seemingly infuriated, she huffed, tucked her slender, pale hands into her coat pockets, and strode down the steps.

Knowing the passcode to Qin Zhi’s apartment, Qin Li watched as Qin Zhi climbed into her car. With a low hum, the car quickly disappeared from sight.

“Still so easily provoked,” Qin Li murmured.

“But it’s good for her to get out more. Always cooped up here, this place feels like a cold, icy coffin.”

Apart from the yellow ginkgo leaves scattered by the door, there was no sign of life. How could anyone tell this place was inhabited?

“Should we still go inside?”

Yin Qianxue had met Qin Zhi before. Originally just reserved, Qin Zhi had now become completely cold and aloof, speaking to Qin Li without any regard for seniority. But Qin Li didn’t seem to mind, so Yin Qianxue saw no need to intervene.

After all, Qin Zhi was her younger sister.

“Let’s go in. We’ve already bought everything. If we don’t go in, it’ll be a wasted trip. A-Zhi can eat what she wants—if she doesn’t like something, she can throw it away. As long as I’ve fulfilled Mother’s task, that’s all that matters.”

Qin Li lifted the shopping bag, the plastic rustling.

He opened the door. Inside, the curtains were half-drawn, casting an eerie gloom over the room. Yin Qianxue walked over and pulled the curtains open, letting in the light. Qin Li had stocked the refrigerator with groceries tailored to Qin Zhi’s preferences.

At least she had eaten some of the food from the last visit.

It hadn’t been a completely wasted trip after all.

After unpacking the groceries, Qin Li arranged the newly purchased flowers in a vase.

Then he noticed the broken cigarette in the trash can beside the coffee table.