Chapter 35
After chatting for a while longer, Zuo Bian and Qin Ai descended the mountain. On their way down, Zuo Bian almost tripped over Chang Wensi, who was still lying unconscious on the ground.
Zuo Bian stumbled but managed to regain her balance. She brushed away the leaves, revealing Chang Wensi’s face.
The wind must have been strong, blowing leaves all over Chang Wensi’s face, making Zuo Bian miss her lying on the ground.
“555, didn’t you say Chang Wensi would return to her original position?”
【Well, the world’s boundary has expanded, so she didn’t touch the edge and won’t be forcefully reset. But she won’t be waking up anytime soon.】
“Then let’s take her back, we can’t leave her here exposed to the elements.” Just as Zuo Bian finished speaking, a beam of light swept across her face.
“Zuo Bian! Chang Wensi! Where are you?!”
“Miss Chang! Miss Chang!”
“Miss Zuo, please answer if you can hear us!”
【It seems someone saw you two coming this way and got worried, so they came looking for you.】
Zuo Bian waved towards the light source. “We’re here!”
Hearing Zuo Bian’s voice, everyone rushed over. Her assistant and manager were worried sick, relieved to see that she was fine.
Chang Wensi’s assistant looked around and asked, “Miss Zuo, where is Miss Chang? I don’t see her.”
Zuo Bian pointed to the ground. “She fainted.”
“Ah! Miss Chang!”
The three assistants worked together to lift Chang Wensi, looking more like they were carrying a sack of potatoes than a person.
Chang Wensi’s head was hanging down, her hair swaying. Zuo Bian, following behind, saw Chang Wensi’s face turning red, looking like she was about to vomit, but she remained unconscious.
After finding Chang Wensi and Zuo Bian, the group descended the mountain. Zuo Bian felt that these people were different from before, as if they had become more real.
A question lingered in Zuo Bian’s mind. She asked 555, ‘555, you said this world was created by someone’s imagination. Who is that person?’
【I don’t know. I don’t have the authority to access that information yet. Once your mission is complete, I’ll be qualified to know. The world that person created is like a seed, and you’re the one who helped it sprout and grow. Eventually, this world will become a towering tree, stable and with a perfect cycle.】
‘I really want to know who that person is.’
【It must be a very kind person, someone who loves you very much. I can feel this world’s blessings and love for you.】
As they emerged from the forest, their view widened. The starry sky glittered above them, and Zuo Bian was surrounded by the lively chatter of the crew. Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
Answering the call, she heard her parents’ concerned voices, occasionally mixed with muffled sounds of her brother, Zuo Yuan, trying to speak but being silenced.
Zuo Bian reassured them that she was fine, she just wanted to go up the mountain for some fresh air. Du Yundong gave her a few more reminders before hanging up the phone.
Everything she had never had before was appearing in this world, one by one.
‘I can feel it, this love.’ Zuo Bian smiled slightly, looking up at the night sky, silently thanking the person who created this world.
=====
For the next month, Zuo Bian was busy filming. She tried to have a video call with Qin Ai every day, and if there wasn’t enough time, they would at least call each other to say good night.
Through filming, Zuo Bian realized how demanding this profession was. Once you were involved, it was a commitment of several months, with a heavy workload, unpredictable breaks, and constant scrutiny from the public.
Zuo Bian was a newcomer after all, her only work being the yet-to-be-released “Ascending to Immortality.” She didn’t have much attention. The one in the spotlight was Xu Ruisheng, whose past scandals were being dug up, and no matter how hard his team tried, they couldn’t suppress them.
Coupled with his bad behavior on set, a large number of his fans unfollowed him, many even turning against him.
There was never a shortage of gossip in the entertainment industry. After being blacklisted for a while, Xu Ruisheng was completely forgotten. His acting skills were mediocre, his looks weren’t considered god-tier in the industry, and his carefully constructed perfect persona had crumbled. His future was bleak.
As for Hu Miaofu, who had been kicked out of the production, no one even remembered her.
Soon, the day of “Ascending to Immortality’s” final shoot arrived. Everyone was both happy and sad. They had spent several months together and had developed a bond, and now it was time to part ways.
The director and the production team organized a farewell dinner for everyone.
History seemed to repeat itself as Chang Wenyan and Qin Ai appeared at the crew’s dinner. However, this time, it was Qin Ai who was treating everyone, saying it was to thank them for taking care of Zuo Bian.
Zuo Bian’s background was impressive, this was known by many people in the crew, but no one in the industry could find out her true identity. Now it seemed that the person behind her was Qin Ai, after all, one of the drama’s investors was Qin Group.
Some people had guessed that Zuo Bian was the daughter of the Zuo family, but it was said that the daughter of the Zuo family had intellectual disabilities and had trouble communicating with people. She was carefully protected by her family, so how could she possibly enter the entertainment industry and act?
Qin Ai booked the famous Jinrong restaurant. Tonight, Jinrong was only serving the “Ascending to Immortality” crew.
Not only was Jinrong’s dining environment excellent, but their food was also exceptional. It was usually necessary to book a table half a month in advance, and Qin Ai had actually booked the entire restaurant.
The crew and actors sitting at the tables couldn’t help but marvel at Qin Ai’s wealth and power. She was indeed a woman at the top of the pyramid.
Qin Ai stood with Chang Wenyan, who was also a CEO, but Qin Ai’s aura clearly dominated.
Someone whispered, “Although President Chang is also handsome, I don’t know why, but when I think of a domineering CEO, I can’t help but think of President Qin.”
The makeup artist said, “It’s probably her aura. Ugh, the way President Qin pulled out the chair for Miss Zuo was so hot!”
“I heard that Miss Zuo and President Qin are good friends.”
“Tsk, so innocent. Remove the ‘good’ and replace it with ‘girlfriends.’ I ship this CP.”
At another table, Zuo Bian sat with Qin Ai, Chang Wensi and Chang Wenyan sitting across from them. The director and the production assistant, who were sitting with these four main characters, felt extremely awkward. Should they find an excuse to switch tables?
However, the atmosphere at the table wasn’t as tense as last time. Chang Wenyan was quietly eating his food, seemingly much more subdued.
Chang Wensi still looked displeased. She felt indignant for her brother.
Her brother had come first, but Zuo Bian had interfered.
Ever since they were young, Chang Wensi had always believed that Qin Ai would end up with her brother. After all, first come, first served.
But Chang Wensi forgot that love wasn’t a matter of who came first. If he truly liked Qin Ai, he would have realized it long ago, and they wouldn’t be in this situation now.
Ignoring Chang Wensi’s laser-like gaze, Zuo Bian leaned towards Qin Ai and whispered, “Qin Ai, the drink you sent me last time was delicious. It had the flavors of lychee and green tea. But there was nothing on the packaging. Is it a new drink?”
Qin Ai smiled slightly. “Mm, it’s a new drink we developed this month, sugar-free lychee oolong tea. You’re the first person to try it.”
Zuo Bian’s eyes sparkled. “The only customer in the entire factory?”
“Mm, the only one. We’ll be developing more flavors in the future, all tailored to your preferences.”
“Qin Ai, I have an idea. It feels a bit lonely to enjoy such a delicious drink all by myself. I want more people to try it. And developing new drinks must be expensive, right? It’s not sustainable to keep investing without any returns. The factory will go bankrupt.”
Zuo Bian’s concerns were valid, but with Qin Ai’s wealth, she could easily support a non-profit beverage factory.
But since Zuo Bian had said so, Qin Ai naturally wouldn’t refuse. “How about we call the brand ‘AB’? What do you think?”
Zuo Bian asked in confusion, “Does ‘AB’ have any special meaning?”
Qin Ai rested her chin on her hand, a gentle smile on her face. “Take a guess. There’s a reward if you get it right.”
Zuo Bian racked her brains, her previously picked up spare ribs now cold in her bowl. Finally, she said uncertainly, “A and B are the first and second letters of the alphabet, so does AB mean ‘top-notch’?”
Qin Ai shook her head. “Unfortunately, you guessed wrong. Eat your food, it’ll get cold if you don’t.”
Zuo Bian lowered her head and took a bite of the spare rib. She loved meat on the bone, finding it more flavorful and tender.
Usually, once Zuo Bian started eating, she would forget about everything else and simply enjoy the food. But today, because she was still thinking about the meaning of “AB,” she was a bit distracted.
At that moment, she heard 555’s voice.
【I know the answer to this question!】
‘555, do you know what AB means?’
【Of course! AB must be the abbreviation of Ai Bian, Qin Ai’s ‘Ai’ and Zuo Bian’s ‘Bian.’ Ask Qin Ai if you don’t believe me. I definitely won’t be proven wrong this time!】
555 was actually cheating. It had a little secret with Little Frog, a channel that Zuo Bian couldn’t hear. 555 had asked Little Frog for help, asking what Qin Ai meant by “AB,” and Little Frog had told it what to say.
Zuo Bian put down the spare rib and leaned towards Qin Ai.
“Qin Ai, is ‘AB’ an abbreviation of one character from each of our names?”
“Mm, it is.” But there was another meaning, which Zuo Bian hadn’t realized.
“Then what’s my reward?” Zuo Bian looked at Qin Ai expectantly.
Qin Ai saw her own reflection in Zuo Bian’s bright and clear eyes. She smiled and said, “What should the reward be? How about I peel some crab for you? Do you want some?”
Zuo Bian nodded happily. “Yes, please.”
Zuo Bian had never eaten crab before and didn’t know how to handle it.
Chang Wenyan, sitting across from them, naturally saw this scene. He frowned, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he said, “Zuo Bian, I want to compete with you fairly. I was too arrogant before. Threatening a love rival is a foolish thing to do.”
Everyone at the table held their breath, pretending to be invisible.
Zuo Bian swallowed the delicious crab roe and said, “Give up, you’re destined to lose.”
“Why?” Chang Wenyan’s brow furrowed.
Zuo Bian remembered a classic trope. “Because childhood friends can never defeat someone who appears out of the blue.”
Actually, it was because Chang Wenyan’s threat level was only 5. According to Little Frog, his overall score was only 0.01, he was a complete loser.
***
T/N:
AB
After researching, I found that “AB” is likely a reference to the two sides of a CD, with “A” representing side A and “B” representing side B. This phrase is often used metaphorically to describe the dual nature of something, implying that there are multiple facets or sides to a person, object, or relationship.
In the context of the novel, Qin Ai’s mention of “AB” might be hinting at the idea that she and Zuo Bian, have complex and multifaceted personalities, and that their relationship is more nuanced and layered than it initially seems.
This is just a possible interpretation, and the true meaning of “AB” may be revealed later in the story.
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