Chapter 41
When Zuo Bian and Zuo Yuan arrived home, Du Yundong, just like Zuo Yuan, said she wanted to see Zuo Bian’s arm. Zuo Bian obediently rolled up her sleeve.
However, Du Yundong’s reaction was completely different from Zuo Yuan’s. Seeing Zuo Bian’s unblemished arm, she looked slightly disappointed.
“It seems there aren’t any mosquitoes at Xiao Qin’s house, I’m relieved.” Du Yundong’s words expressed relief, but her eyes betrayed her regret.
Zuo Bian noticed the regret in her mother’s eyes, but she didn’t understand why.
It had to be said that Du Yundong and Zuo Yuan were indeed mother and son, even the excuses they came up with were identical.
Zuo Bian lowered her sleeve. “But Brother was bitten by mosquitoes. Brother, do you want to buy some six shen flower dew water?”
555 had told Zuo Bian about “six shen flower dew water” on their way back. It was so focused on using English that it didn’t realize it was misleading the innocent Zuo Bian. (It was supposed to be “six god,” a brand of mosquito repellent)**
Du Yundong and Zuo Yuan were confused when they heard “six shen flower dew water,” but they quickly figured out what she meant.
“Hahahahaha!” Du Yundong burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. She patted Zuo Yuan’s shoulder forcefully, her tone threatening. “You brat, when are you going to bring your wife home for your father and me to meet?”
Zuo Yuan smiled wryly. “Tao Zi said she’s too busy.”
Zuo Yuan’s girlfriend, Tao Zi, was either busy with work or busy chasing after her idol. She spent almost all her free time editing photos, voting, reposting, and collecting data for her idol. She was also organizing some kind of fan event.
Dating was just an afterthought. Zuo Yuan had to pathetically beg for a sliver of attention from his girlfriend, whose mind was occupied by a celebrity and her work.
“Useless.” Du Yundong rolled her eyes at Zuo Yuan and then pulled Zuo Bian aside for a chat.
“Xiao Bian, did anything happen when you went to Xiao Qin’s house yesterday?” she asked with a mischievous smile.
Zuo Bian thought for a moment. “Qin Ai cooked noodles for me, and she said she’s afraid of the dark.”
“Come, come, tell me more.” Du Yundong excitedly pulled Zuo Bian to the sofa.
Zuo Yuan, ignored by everyone, decided to numb himself with work. He would work hard to support his wife, his mother, and his sister, even though they all treated him like he was adopted. But he knew they still loved him.
===================
At noon, Zuo Bian and Zuo Yuan’s father, Zuo Yan, returned from the company. The family gathered for a lively lunch.
Halfway through the meal, Du Yundong suddenly exclaimed, “Look at my memory, I completely forgot that today is the day the trailer for ‘Ascending to Immortality,’ starring our Xiao Bian, is released. Zuo Yuan, quickly turn on the TV. I want to see how our lovely Xiao Bian looks on TV.”
Zuo Yuan was also looking forward to it. His sister was the best, how could the trailer not be good?
He turned on the TV, and Du Yundong flipped through the channels, landing on Circle TV. The trailer for “Ascending to Immortality” was just starting.
With investments from the Zuo and Qin families, the “Ascending to Immortality” crew had no shortage of funds. The costumes, makeup, and special effects were clearly top-notch. There were too many poorly made dramas these days. “Ascending to Immortality” already stood out with its visuals, not to mention the stunning looks of the main actors.
On the screen, Zuo Bian appeared in a white robe, her beauty ethereal. She stood on a mountain peak shrouded in mist, her sword pointing towards the sky. The camera panned up, focusing on the vast and seemingly endless sky. A stirring melody played on the flute.
She asked, “What is immortality?”
Scenes of Zuo Bian’s journey from entering the sect to seeking immortality flashed across the screen. Her laughter, her tears, her loneliness, and her sorrow unfolded like a painting before the viewers’ eyes.
The final scene returned to the young girl before she embarked on the path of immortality. She smiled and said to her friend, who had yet to become a demon, “I want to become an immortal.”
“Immortality is not easy to achieve. If it were me, I would become a demon!”
The image froze, all colors fading, leaving only simple lines. The painting rolled up, and a flame ignited in the darkness. The red flames devoured the painting, leaving only a piece of paper with Zuo Bian’s face on it, fluttering away.
The previously heroic flute melody turned soft and sorrowful, ending with a gentle piano tune.
The exquisite visuals, the excellent music, and Zuo Bian’s beauty, just the trailer alone showcased the high quality of the drama, making people eagerly anticipate its release.
Du Yundong was so captivated that she forgot to eat.
After a while, she snapped out of her daze and clapped her hands. “As expected of Xiao Bian, Mom knew you were excellent. You’re amazing!”
“The drama Xiao Bian is acting in is definitely the best. You look so good in ancient costumes.” Zuo Yuan chimed in with his praise.
Zuo Yan, the wealthy father, said, “Xiao Bian, do you want Dad to invest more in the promotion?”
Zuo Bian’s eyes curved up in delight. “Yes, please.”
She wanted more people to see her first drama because it might be her last. She might find something more interesting to do in the future, and then she might not act anymore.
In the afternoon, Zuo Bian changed into a new outfit, grabbed her bag, and headed out. Little Frog insisted on coming along, claiming to be the Frog Strategist, super useful.
Little Frog was a master of flattery, saying things Zuo Bian loved to hear, like “You and Qin Ai are a match made in heaven, no one is more compatible than you two, I’ll bring the marriage registration office here, please get married right now.”
Zuo Bian couldn’t stop smiling. She picked up Little Frog’s round body and said, “I’ll take you with me, but don’t make any noise, it will disturb Qin Ai’s work.”
“Mm-hmm, ribbit, I’ll be very well-behaved, ribbit.” Little Frog rubbed its soft cheek against Zuo Bian’s palm.
Zuo Bian kissed Little Frog’s soft cheek and left the house. Little Frog, kissed by a girl for the first time, turned completely red, like a steamed crab.
【Eww.】
555 secretly took note: Today, the little wife had a secret meeting with the puppy-like second male lead. Their relationship is heating up rapidly. It seems the puppy has the potential to replace Qin Ai.
‘555, I feel like you’re mumbling something, but I can’t hear you clearly.’
【It’s just your imagination, Host. You must have misheard.】555 laughed awkwardly.
Although Zuo Bian had filmed a drama, she wasn’t fully aware of her celebrity status and didn’t wear a mask when she went out. If “Ascending to Immortality” had already aired and gained popularity, she would definitely be recognized on the street and asked for autographs and photos.
Zuo Bian arrived at the Qin Group building. Upon seeing her, the receptionist immediately led her to the CEO’s private elevator.
After Zuo Bian entered the elevator, the remaining receptionists couldn’t resist gossiping.
“That was Miss Zuo just now, right? She came to see President Qin last time too. She’s so beautiful. As expected, beautiful people attract other beautiful people.”
Another woman with long hair said, “Don’t you think Miss Zuo looks familiar? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
“Is it this? The female lead of ‘Ascending to Immortality’?”
The person took out their phone. Zuo Bian’s back was facing the camera, her face turned to the side. Her aloof and domineering gaze seemed to pierce through the screen.
“It’s her! Ahhh, this is the first time I’ve been so close to a celebrity!” The long-haired woman’s face was flushed with excitement.
“Shh, keep your voice down. Don’t you sense something unusual? Could Miss Zuo be President Qin’s secret girlfriend? You know, President Qin has never dated anyone in all these years, and she wouldn’t allow anyone unrelated to work to enter her office.”
The long-haired woman nodded in agreement. “Miss Zuo is indeed special. I’m definitely watching ‘Ascending to Immortality’! It’s a pity I didn’t recognize her just now. I must get her autograph next time!”
===============
Zuo Bian arrived at Qin Ai’s floor. Qin Ai had already instructed her secretary, so upon seeing Zuo Bian, the secretary smiled warmly and greeted her. She then called Qin Ai to inform her that Miss Zuo had arrived.
The secretary nodded and hung up the phone. “Miss Zuo, President Qin is waiting for you inside. You can go in directly.”
“Mm-hmm, thank you.” Zuo Bian nodded politely.
She pushed open the office door and saw Qin Ai sitting behind her large desk, reviewing documents.
“Come in.” Qin Ai looked up and said to Zuo Bian.
Zuo Bian closed the door behind her. Qin Ai’s office looked mostly the same as the last time she was here. The biggest difference was the addition of two refrigerators, a large one and a small one. The transparent mini-fridge was filled with new drinks from AB.
“Can I have some of these drinks?” Zuo Bian walked over to the refrigerator. She spotted her new favorite drink, peach soda.
Qin Ai chuckled. “They were prepared for you.”
“Thank you, Qin Ai.” Zuo Bian opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of peach soda.
Condensation quickly formed on the glass bottle, tiny water droplets gathering and sliding down the sides.
Zuo Bian opened the bottle and took a gulp. The ice-cold soda, with its refreshing peach flavor, slid down her throat, sending a wave of coolness through her body. She couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction.
“Qin Ai, this peach soda is so delicious! It’ll definitely be popular if you release it.”
Qin Ai closed the file she had just finished signing and took a thin booklet from her drawer. She walked towards Zuo Bian, rounding her desk.
She placed the colorful booklet on the coffee table and opened it with her long, slender fingers, landing on the page for peach soda.
“Then let’s decide on this as the first drink our AB brand will release. What do you think?”
Peach soda was currently Zuo Bian’s favorite, so she naturally nodded happily in agreement.
“Okay, I’ll have someone prepare everything.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian took another sip of soda. Her originally pale pink lips were now a vibrant red from the cold drink.
Qin Ai leaned down and gently wiped the water from the corner of Zuo Bian’s lips. “I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” Zuo Bian’s eyes widened with anticipation. “What is it?”
Qin Ai said, “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it? But I can give you a hint. You’ll only be able to see this surprise after dark.”
“Even though you say that, I still really want to know what it is now.” Zuo Bian frowned, trying to figure out what kind of surprise could only be seen after dark.
***
T/N:
“Six Shen Flower Dew Water(Florida Water)”: 555, the system, attempted to recommend “Six God” (Liushen) mosquito repellent to Zuo Bian, but ended up with a miscommunication. Instead of saying “Six God”, it awkwardly translated it to “Six Shen”.
“Six God” (六神 – Liushen) is a well-known brand of mosquito repellent in China. However, 555’s attempt to use English resulted in a mispronunciation, replacing “God” with “Shen”, which actually means “god” or “spirit” in Chinese.
The system actually said “<six shen花露水>” which is a mix of English and Chinese characters.