Whoever Falls in Love First is the Dog - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: “If You Can’t Wait to Meet Tomorrow, We Could See Each Other Tonight.”

After hanging up, Shen Mengke remained staring at the moon for a long time. A warm breeze drifted by, stirring her light blouse. Eventually, as the night grew deeper, the air cooled and she turned to find Shu Yun still sitting quietly beside her. Shen Mengke softly asked, “It’s late. Shall we go back inside?”

Shu Yun nodded wordlessly. Inside, while Mengke had entered the bedroom and slept soundly, Shu Yun remained outside longer, settling the window and lamp before slipping into her own room. There, she hesitated before sending a final text:

“Bring me the contract tomorrow.”

The screen went dark, and silence enveloped her.

…

Morning of the Next Day

Everyone woke at different times. Mengke, having slept past ten, felt unusually refreshed. That late-night call with Chen Yanxing seemed to have steadied her. She refreshed herself and emerged. In the living room, Song Yian and Liu Xiangqi were watching TV, sharing chips.

“Good morning,” they greeted. Then Song Yian mentioned softly, “Shu Yun made your breakfast and told me she wanted you to eat it.”

“Did she leave?” Mengke asked, surprised. Song Yian confirmed Shu Yun had stepped out, saying she had some contract business and urged Mengke to at least eat the egg in the bowl she’d prepared.

Mengke smiled and moved toward the kitchen, pausing as she realized how early Shu Yun had woken—around 7 AM—despite sleeping late.

…

Later That Afternoon

Shu Yun returned, changing clothes and joining Mengke. Her gaze followed Mengke closely, making her uneasy. While playing a video game with Shi Shuiying, Mengke flubbed slightly. Shu Yun leaned in and whispered, “Come to my room, I have something to tell you.”

They slipped into Shu Yun’s room. She closed the door carefully. Inside, Shu Yun revealed she’d met with Mengke’s manager, Fan Shi. On the table lay multiple contracts and scripts.

“Why are you seeing her?” Mengke asked, visibly unsettled.

Shu Yun calmly explained: her involvement stemmed from their history—she had introduced Mengke to the industry. As Mengke contemplated leaving her current agency (JING) after her contract expiration, Fan Shi had come to Shu Yun asking her to persuade Mengke to stay, offering stronger roles and scripts as incentives.

“They gave you power to request terms,” Shu Yun said. “But if you already prefer another agency, I can help arrange different opportunities.”

…

Internal Struggle

Mengke picked up the contract and scripts, her fingers trembling slightly. She desired to stay and work with Shu Yun, whose acting record was impeccable. Yet her mind drifted to Chen Yanxing’s late-night message—where he granted her freedom to choose and hinted at urgency if she wished to sign sooner.

She realized Chen Yanxing’s integrity contrasted with the agency’s persuasion. He had offered her choice; JING was just trying to keep her. Wanting leverage, Mengke messaged:

“After signing with your company, will I retain script selection rights? If I like a script, will the company pursue it?” Then later: “If you can’t wait until tomorrow to sign, we could meet tonight.”

She stared at the screen, then turned off her phone and walked away, gathering the papers in her arms.

…

Dinner Table

They arrived just in time. Shu Yun had moved and placed herself next to Mengke—something she never did before. As dinner began, Shu Yun’s composed behavior hid deeper shifts. Mengke noticed she ate no spicy food—a departure from her usual tastes—but thought better of pressing.

…

Afternoon Show Recording Begins

Seated on the ground, Mengke basked briefly in the warm sunlight before the team started again. Liu Xiangqi outlined the day’s game: drawing name cards written the night before. If two people picked each other’s cards, they’d team up; otherwise, the director would intervene.

They had a chance to bypass the draw by answering a true-or-false question: “Who got selected the most to team with last night?” All eyes turned to Mengke. As they prepared to write, Shi Shuiying tampered with Shen Jingli’s answer board, forcing a fight over it. Ultimately, Jingli and Shuiying paired against their will.

For the remaining sets, Mengke made a bold move: choosing Chen Xingxing. Everyone froze—nobody expected it—yet when asked, Chen Xingxing confirmed she chose Mengke too. The crowd cheered as Mengke succeeded in separating from Shu Yun’s pair—and ironically from Shu Yun herself—laying the groundwork for new dynamics.

As night deepened, a fresh breeze rustled her slender blouse. Sitting up on the swing, Shen Mengke finally spoke:
“Hey… it’s late. Let’s go inside, sister?”

Shu Yun looked at her but said nothing. Mengke went to bed and slept quickly—exhausted yet comforted by Chen Yanxing’s words. Shu Yun, however, lingered outside a moment longer, then rose and retreated to her own room, closing the door gently. She pulled out her phone and typed:

“Bring me the contract tomorrow.”

With that, darkness reclaimed the room.

…

The Next Morning

They woke at different times; Mengke didn’t stir until nearly 10 AM. Awake and refreshed, she did her morning routine and headed out to find Song Yian and Liu Xiangqi watching TV on the couch, chips in hands.

“Good morning,” they greeted. “Shu Yun made your breakfast—she left it in the kitchen and wanted to make sure you’d eat.”

“Did she leave already?” Mengke blinked. They confirmed she’d stepped out to handle some “contract stuff” and emphasized she’d said Mengke had to at least finish the egg she made.

Mengke smiled and walked toward the kitchen, pausing as she realized how early Shu Yun must’ve risen. Despite sleeping so late, she’d been up at 7 AM.

…

Later in the Afternoon

Shu Yun returned, changed clothes, and joined Mengke with her gaze locked onto her. When Mengke hesitated in the video game Shi Shuiying taught her, Shu Yun leaned in, whispered “Come to my room,” and led her away.

Inside, shutters slid closed, locking the door softly behind them. Shu Yun pulled out a stack of documents, contracts, and several scripts.

“I saw Fan Shi today,” she started. “I introduced you to the industry; now that you’re thinking of leaving JING, Fan Shi came to ask me to convince you to stay. They offered perks—scripts, roles, more control.”

“What’s that—bribery?” Mengke glanced between the papers and Shu Yun, mistrust and hurt clouding her face.

Shu Yun remained calm. “They say you’ll have input on projects. But if you’ve got your eye on another company, I can help with that too.”

…

The Crossroads

Mengke picked up a contract and scripts, her heart torn. Working again with Shu Yun—an acclaimed actress and her former partner—was tempting. Yet she recalled Chen Yanxing’s call: no pressure, respect for choice, space to breathe. If this was truly about choosing freely—JING might still win, but he’d stepped aside to let her choose.

She felt a flicker of agency nearly snuffed out by Shu Yun’s gentle guidance.

Fingers trembled as she dialed:

“Boss Ren, if I sign with your company, will I have script choice? If I have a script I like, will you support me pursuing it?”
“If you can’t wait until tomorrow to meet, we could meet tonight.”

Her heart raced, but her resolve hardened. She turned off her phone, collected the documents, pressed them to her chest, and left the room without a word.

…

Dinner Table Confusion

At dinner, everyone sat around a long table. Strangely, Shu Yun scooted over and sat next to Mengke—something she’d never done before. Mengke felt tension twist her stomach.

Shu Yun behaved politely throughout dinner, making sure everyone okay, but she ate no spicy dishes at all (surprising, given her usual love of spice). Mengke pondered the question—was she now avoiding something, or merely respecting someone?

…

The Game Begins

After lunch, they moved to the carpet area for the afternoon challenge. Liu Xiangqi explained the day’s rules: everyone had written names on cards last night, and drawing someone else’s mutual card meant teaming up. If not, they’d go to a “wild pick” managed by the director.

But first, a quiz: “Who was chosen by most people last night?” Correct answer meant immunity; wrong answer meant entering the standard draw.

Eyes drifted to Mengke—everyone assumed she was the obvious answer. She hesitated as the quiz board came around: “If we all pick the same answer and are right, what then?” That threw Liu Xiangqi off script; she called the director. The response: “Free choice.”

Shi Shuiying then tricked Shen Jingli, stealing her board, and the two of them ended up together—out of the quiz.

Finally, only four contestants remained: Mengke, Shu Yun, Xu Shinian, and Chen Xingxing. Shu Yun watched Mengke carefully and commented, but before Shu Yun could choose, Mengke surprised everyone by picking Chen Xingxing. The others gaped; even Chen Xingxing looked stunned.

Once asked, Chen Xingxing said the same: she had chosen Mengke.

Mengke exhaled—her pairing with Shu Yun dissolved, replaced with a new and unexpected alignment. Chen Xingxing shot her a look of barely concealed rivalry. Mengke’s stomach fluttered: Was choosing Xingxing wise? What game would this spark between them now?