Category: The Vicious Female Lead Doesn’t Want to Do It Anymore

Chapter 83: More Please – The End (Part 2)

Although Dong Ling said she had been spoiled rotten, her parents and brother didn’t think it was a big deal, they doted on Dong Ling, and naturally hoped her partner would be even better to her, and Song Mingzhi could even help manage Dong Ling’s health, which was even better.

After the holidays, on a weekday, Dong Ling started preparing for the second season.

Still the same style as the first season, randomly selecting a destination during a short live stream, as for the guest stars, she invited two others and also brought Wen Tianzi along.

Wen Tianzi had a natural sense of variety show entertainment, she wasn’t deliberately trying to be funny, but she was just naturally entertaining, and didn’t clash with the overall tone of the variety show.

Wen Tianzi was signed for eight episodes, she celebrated on her private Weibo account, saying she felt like she had won the lottery, happily interacting with the Song Zhong sisters, and on her official account, she maintained a reserved but joyful tone, quickly packing her bags and joining the filming.

By the fourth episode, Wen Tianzi sensed something was off.

She was now starting to suspect that Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi’s relationship was real, although this sounded a bit convoluted, it was her true thought.

Although she had been chanting “they’re locked together,” she hadn’t actually believed Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi were truly a couple, after all, this kind of thing couldn’t be speculated, she just thought they had a very close relationship, both on and off camera, the casual intimacy and sweetness in their gazes, the way they always thought of each other, it was truly amazing.

What changed Wen Tianzi’s mind was the bite mark on Dong Ling’s neck.

The mark wasn’t very obvious, located where her neck met her shoulder, and Dong Ling’s clothes completely covered it.

But during the filming of a certain segment, Dong Ling’s clothes were caught by a decoration on the wall, exposing that area, although she quickly covered it up, Wen Tianzi, being the closest person to her, saw it clearly.

They were in a small town with an exotic atmosphere this time, the available accommodation limited, so they shared rooms in pairs, Dong Ling shared a room with Song Mingzhi last night, and Wen Tianzi was certain Dong Ling didn’t have this mark two days ago, because Dong Ling was wearing an off-shoulder top that day, she even complimented Dong Ling on her fair and delicate skin.

What was it like to ship a CP and then find out they’re actually real?

What was it like to ship a CP and then find out they’re actually real?

Wen Tianzi was first ecstatic, then a little worried amidst her excitement.

So, during the subsequent filming, Wen Tianzi wasn’t just passively enjoying the sweetness, but constantly paying attention to any signs, even gasping inwardly when Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi were being too obvious.

And when she stumbled upon them kissing secretly, she practically called an ambulance for herself, biting her arm to suppress her squeals of delight.

Kiss! Kiss harder! Just do it!

She might not have a sex life, but her CP definitely would! Wen Tianzi thought excitedly.

The slight noise Wen Tianzi made as she left still startled Dong Ling, who snuggled into Song Mingzhi’s arms and said with some worry: “I think someone saw us.”

“It’s okay, it’s not like we’re having an affair.”

Song Mingzhi wiped the moisture from Dong Ling’s slightly swollen, red lips, and said with a comforting smile.

Dong Ling’s earlobes were flushed, her hand held tightly in Song Mingzhi’s.

After filming this episode, Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi didn’t go to the same destination.

Song Mingzhi seemed to have some urgent matters to deal with, so she returned to Jingzhou, Dong Ling cheered her on and didn’t go with her, worried about distracting Song Mingzhi.

While Song Mingzhi was busy in Jingzhou, Dong Ling lived a leisurely life in Beihai.

She didn’t have any ambitions of making Canghai Entertainment an industry giant, she lived a carefree life, occasionally posting pictures of the flowers and plants in her garden on Weibo, expressing her longing for Jiejie.

It had been almost half a month since they parted ways, and although they could video call anytime, it wasn’t the same as seeing each other in person.

Although she missed her, Dong Ling didn’t rush Song Mingzhi, she could tell from their occasional conversations that Song Mingzhi was currently in a crucial period, so she didn’t send many messages, just read poems or played the violin for Song Mingzhi when she was tired, to help her sleep, and to show her affection.

On the anniversary of Xuan Du’s death, Dong Ling went to visit her and brought a bouquet of flowers.

When she arrived, she saw He Diesheng, who looked even thinner and frailer than before, her sickly appearance making one think she wouldn’t live much longer.

Dong Ling didn’t talk to her, just placed the flowers down, stood quietly for a while, and then left.

Sometimes, the connections between people were truly complex, beyond words.

It was the same with Chen Shang Shang and Tang Qianxi. Perhaps encouraged by Dong Ling’s successful coming out, Chen Shang Shang also tried to subtly hint to her family, but was met with strong opposition.

Chen Shang Shang felt dejected, but she didn’t know what to choose.

She couldn’t bear to hurt either Tang Qianxi or her parents, sometimes, people had to make choices.

“Sometimes I don’t know, should I just break up with her and end things here, or should we wait until we’re both exhausted and our love has faded before separating?”

Chen Shang Shang couldn’t help but be pessimistic. Dong Ling knew that she was waiting for her suggestion, for her to make the decision for her.

“Whether you stay together or break up, I know you’ll regret either decision, so I can only tell you, I’ll support you no matter what you choose.”

Chen Shang Shang nodded and held Dong Ling’s hand tightly.

Dong Ling comforted her, telling her not to worry too much, after all, constantly worrying wasn’t good for her health, and one could never predict what the future held.

But Dong Ling didn’t expect this to happen to her as well.

She looked at the live interview on TV, confused.

If she wasn’t mistaken, the new chairman of that large corporation on the screen, that was her wife, right?

The Dong family was also shocked by this news and asked Dong Ling about it.

After all, Dong Ling had told them that Song Mingzhi was just running a small business, even if she was wealthy.

If this was considered “moderately wealthy,” then what was “wealthy”?!

Dong Ling was dumbfounded, Song Mingzhi did tell her she wasn’t rich, but she didn’t tell her she was this rich either.

What was it like to find out that your girlfriend, who you thought was just moderately well-off, was actually the head of a large corporation, even richer than you?

Dong Ling: Thanks for asking, after the initial shock, I’m laughing now.

Netizens were equally shocked, thinking she was a sponsored actress, but it turned out she was the real tycoon.

The Song Zhong sisters were ecstatic, what was more exciting than a domineering CEO x canary trope? Of course, it was the canary being another domineering CEO in disguise.

Song Mingzhi was busy in Jingzhou and couldn’t leave, she didn’t know when she would be back, so Dong Ling went to see her.

Afraid that Dong Ling would be unhappy, Song Mingzhi hurriedly explained: “I was planning to tell you after everything was settled, I was worried those relatives would retaliate, they’re capable of anything when pushed to a corner.”

“It’s okay, have you been very busy lately? You’ve lost a lot of weight, haven’t you been eating properly?”

Dong Ling looked at Song Mingzhi’s thinner face and frowned.

Song Mingzhi was slightly startled, then smiled.

“Because I missed you, I’ll eat properly.”

…………

The public announcement didn’t go as Dong Ling had planned.

She originally intended to reveal it during the last episode of the variety show, but unexpectedly, after waking up, her Weibo was trending, or rather, she and Song Mingzhi were trending.

It turned out her identity had been exposed, someone figured out that Jieshi was her.

So one shouldn’t share too much of their life on Weibo, there were too many modern-day Sherlock Holmeses.

Dong Ling was exposed because of a picture of her hand, her Weibo account had many followers who were fans of Song Mingzhi and also CP fans, they managed to identify her from a picture of her lips before, now, identifying her from a picture of her hand was even easier.

And based on the background in the picture she posted earlier, someone recognized it as her garden.

So her secrets on Weibo were no longer secrets, like the “Jiejie” she mentioned, and her Jiejie’s love story.

On the day the news about Song Mingzhi came out, Dong Ling even posted on Weibo: She didn’t tell me she was this rich.

One clue after another, the evidence was undeniable.

And there were signs from the beginning, even in her name, Dong Lin Jieshi, overlooking the vast sea. (Dong Ling’s Weibo ID was Jieshi)

Dong Ling simply took this opportunity to come clean and make a public announcement.

@Jieshi: Want to watch the stars with you @SongMingzhi

@SongMingzhi: Want to watch you with the stars @Jieshi

@WenTianzi: Sisters, lock them up for me, may they be happy together forever!

@WenTianzi: Sorry, wrong account, but whatever, hahahaha.

For the remaining episodes of the variety show, Dong Ling simply turned it into a love diary with Song Mingzhi.

021 successfully retired and left for the next world.

Even friends had to part ways eventually, they would meet again in the future, Dong Ling and 021 wished each other well and disappeared from each other’s worlds.

Yu Shuangwei submitted “The Legend of Liang Jin’an” for awards, this movie was her passion project and received the recognition it deserved.

On the day Song Mingzhi won Best Actress, she was asked in an interview if she would continue acting in movies.

Song Mingzhi replied: Depends on what my lover thinks.

She said this actress, a unique existence in the film industry, had only acted in two movies, one a critically acclaimed suspense film, the other a textbook example of acting skills.

Everyone envied her talent and good fortune, but Dong Ling knew that Song Mingzhi didn’t rely on luck to get where she was.

If she hadn’t escaped from the human traffickers when she was five, perhaps things would be different now.

In the same year Song Mingzhi won Best Actress, someone contacted her.

It turned out that the Song family, heartbroken after losing their beloved daughter and unable to find her, had immigrated abroad. As for Zhong Zhong’s mother, she was Song Mingzhi’s aunt, who had broken ties with her family for love, even changing her surname, which was another reason for the Song family’s emigration.

When she met her long-lost family, whom she no longer remembered, Song Mingzhi wasn’t overly emotional, facing her tearful family, Song Mingzhi smiled and introduced the person beside her.

“This is my lover, Dong Ling.”

From then on, through sunshine and rain, they journeyed together.

[The End]

Chapter 83: More Please – The End p1

After filming the first episode of Cloud Travels, they took a break, as the Spring Festival was approaching.

The end of the year always had its unique atmosphere. The Dong family’s New Year couplets were always written by Dong Sheng himself, and sometimes, when he was in the mood, he would write a few extra pairs for relatives.

“Dad, write two more, so I can give them to someone.”

Dong Ling hurriedly said coquettishly when she saw her father about to put away his brush.

She wanted to ask for two pairs for Song Mingzhi to put up at her house. After her father finished writing, she happily put them away and sat on the sofa, sending a message to Song Mingzhi.

Liu Zhuoyun walked by with a fruit platter, and seeing Dong Ling’s beaming face as she looked at her phone, couldn’t help but ask: “Smiling like that, are you in love?”

Dong Ling hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

She hadn’t decided when to tell her family, anytime would be fine, she wasn’t worried about introducing Song Mingzhi to her family, and she wasn’t worried that her family wouldn’t like Song Mingzhi.

Her upbringing gave her confidence, she knew that the people she liked and who were good to her would also be liked by her family.

“That’s normal, you’re all grown up, when will you bring her home to meet us?”

Liu Zhuoyun fed Dong Ling a piece of fruit and continued asking after Dong Ling swallowed it.

“Whenever you want, but the person I like is also a girl.”

Dong Ling said this cautiously, carefully observing her mother’s expression.

“Ah… is it that girl named Song Mingzhi? Isn’t she a bit old? She seems to be almost five years older than you.”

Dong Sheng countered his wife’s words: “Older is better, more caring, young people are mostly immature, it’s good to find someone to take care of our baby.”

Dong Tang, who was standing beside them, added: “Yes, Mom, Dad’s right, someone more mature can take better care of Ling Ling. I’ve observed that person, she seems quite good, but you still have to meet her and see for yourselves.”

Dong Ling: ???????

Why did her family accept this so calmly, and how did they even know who she was dating?

She hadn’t posted anything about her relationship on WeChat Moments, only some pictures on Weibo, and even those were anonymous, no one knew it was her.

“Do you really think you’re hiding it well? Anyone with eyes can see it, even Second Uncle knows, and you still think you’re being secretive?”

Dong Tang looked at his sister’s dumbfounded look and couldn’t help but facepalm.

Dong Ling was speechless, she thought she was still in the closet, but in her family’s eyes, she was practically transparent.

Was she really that obvious?

If Chen Shang Shang heard this, she would definitely roll her eyes at her, this was called obvious? What wasn’t obvious? A boss following an actress around, spending most of her time on set with her, inseparable, the news had already spread throughout the industry, it was only Dong Ling herself who insisted they were just friends at first, and later, assumed everyone knew.

When Dong Ling went to Song Mingzhi’s house with the couplets, she mentioned this.

“My parents want to meet you, when are you free? Come over to my house for dinner.”

Song Mingzhi, who was putting up the couplets, almost tore them in her surprise, fortunately, she calmed herself down and avoided embarrassing herself.

She said somewhat nervously: “I’ll definitely visit after the New Year.”

Seeing Song Mingzhi’s rare flustered appearance, Dong Ling smiled and said: “Okay.”

Dong Ling didn’t ask Song Mingzhi to come over for Chinese New Year, firstly, because her family was quite large, she didn’t want Song Mingzhi to feel uncomfortable, and secondly, because Song Mingzhi would be spending New Year’s Eve alone this year, she still had Zhong Zhong.

Zhong Zhong was currently in her senior year of high school, Song Mingzhi hired a private tutor for her, she caught up quickly, not only keeping up with the school’s progress, but also excelling.

As for her biological parents, Song Mingzhi still hadn’t found any information, but she wasn’t forcing it, everything depended on fate, being able to find a relative was already a pleasant surprise.

Another year passes amidst the sound of firecrackers, the spring breeze brings warmth to the Tusu wine. (A line from a poem by Wang Anshi, describing Chinese New Year)

When “The Legend of Liang Jin’an” was released, “Cloud Travels” also premiered online.

The movie wasn’t a blockbuster, after all, it wasn’t suitable for all ages, even a bit obscure and difficult to understand in some places, but the box office was stable, and its reputation continued to rise after its release.

In this movie, Yu Shuangwei didn’t hold back, showcasing her skills through various cinematic techniques, expressing her own ideas through the language of film, she wasn’t just filming a historical story, but also using history to reflect on power struggles, the subtle complexities of the human heart, and human nature.

The movie ended with Liang Jin’an’s death, beginning with Liang Jin’an burning the palace and taking away the beautiful princess, and ending with the princess coldly watching the frail and dying Empress Dowager breathe her last, a stark contrast.

Many people watched the variety show after seeing the movie, and some watched the movie after seeing the variety show.

The former had their complex emotions soothed, the latter went from sweetness to angst, needing to rewatch the variety show to recover.

Trending topics were bought for the movie’s promotion, Dong Ling didn’t buy any for the variety show, but the variety show still trended in its own unique way.

The beautiful natural scenery, the rich CEO reasoning with people, Song Mingzhi’s reason for entering the entertainment industry, Yun Jie’s complaints about a certain arrogant celebrity, how carefree an unpopular idol could be, and so on.

@PleaseSendMeOffToMyGrave: I didn’t expect the movie to be so heartbreaking, I, a CP fan, left the cinema in tears, fortunately I know they’re together in real life now, I repeated this to myself three times to feel better, continuing to indulge in their sweetness.

@SweetSongZhong: The variety show is so sweet it makes my teeth ache, the domineering CEO and the canary are a perfect match, sharing food from the same bowl, this couple is locked, and saying she entered the industry because of ‘someone’s’ support, is this a public confession?!

Wen Tianzi, looking at the rapidly growing number of CP fans and their comments, thought, you guys have no idea.

CEO Dong and Song Jie even shared a bowl, even played shadow kissing, unfortunately, they didn’t see it, being the only one with this exclusive information was truly a lonely experience.

Sigh, but she was just a guest star, she didn’t know if she would be invited for the next episode.

It didn’t matter if she wasn’t, she had already witnessed the ultimate sweetness, and because of this show, she gained some exposure, even receiving some job offers, she was overjoyed.

Not knowing the update schedule for “Cloud Travels,” everyone urged the official Weibo account for more.

The official account replied slowly: We’ll air it after filming.

As for when they would film, that depended on when the boss wanted to travel.

This level of capriciousness was unique, everyone lamented, “It’s good to be rich,” and the number of people calling Dong Ling “mother-in-law” online increased again, much to Song Mingzhi’s displeasure, only appeased after Dong Ling called her “wife” several times in bed.

When both the movie and the variety show were released, Dong Ling received the task reward.

At this time, the familiar voice also returned, 021 greeted her energetically: [Host, I’m back!]

Dong Ling: [You’re suddenly so normal, I’m not used to it.]

It was the familiar feeling, she had become accustomed to 021’s greasiness, and its sudden change in style made Dong Ling feel a little uncomfortable.

021: [Girl! I knew someone still liked this style, retro is the new trend!]

Dong Ling: […Just be normal.]

021 joked with Dong Ling for a while, then became serious.

[Girl, your task is almost complete, just one last public announcement task, and the main storyline progress will be full, then I can finally retire!]

Dong Ling knew this day would come, and she had been waiting for it, but when it actually arrived, she couldn’t help but feel a little melancholic.

Hearing the task issued by the task system, Dong Ling said softly: [Okay.]

Dong Ling wasn’t in a hurry to complete the task and announce their relationship on social media, she and Song Mingzhi had already decided to do it during the last episode of the variety show.

They planned to film nine episodes, this number had a special meaning.

In ancient times, nine represented the extreme, nine nine returning to one, a cycle of completion.

Dong Ling’s parents didn’t mind whether they announced their relationship or not. During their visit earlier this year, they praised Song Mingzhi’s elegant demeanor and gentle personality, and after observing their interactions, they were reassured.

Chapter 82: More Please – Love and Stars

The cameraman was very perceptive. When he arrived with his equipment, he deliberately didn’t film the intimate scene, only starting to record when their actions could be interpreted as those of close friends.

After settling in, everyone started preparing dinner.

The guests gathered in a room, enjoying a hot pot, a winter essential.

This hot pot was different from the ones they were used to, it was called a “fire pot,” with firewood crackling underneath, the special iron pot steaming hot.

The soup base was made with locally grown vegetables, dried wild mushrooms and herbs collected from the mountains, the flavor rich and savory.

Dong Ling ladled a bowl of soup and drank it first, the warm and delicious broth flowing down her throat, warming her stomach, making her feel incredibly comfortable in the winter chill, she couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up.

“The texture of these wild vegetables is so unique.”

Dong Ling felt like she was eating fish roe-like vegetables, not in terms of taste, but texture, as if they would burst in her mouth.

“Really? Let me try.”

Tang Nuo also ladled a spoonful, and after eating it, nodded in agreement.

“It’s truly special, you guys should try it.”

Long Ji chewed thoughtfully and said: “I just asked the villagers, they said these wild vegetables grow between rocks, they originally have thorns, after being dried and boiled, the texture becomes very unique.”

The guests expressed their amazement, Wen Tianzi also scooped some up, but immediately regretted it when she picked it up with her chopsticks, because there wasn’t much left, and she had taken the last piece, Song Jie hadn’t even tried it yet.

“Xiao Tian, what’s wrong?”

Ran Lin, sitting next to Wen Tianzi, noticed her hesitation.

Wen Tianzi, seeing everyone looking at her, answered honestly: “Teacher Song hasn’t tried it yet, but there’s none left.”

Tang Nuo and Ran Lin exchanged glances, their hearts screaming “Disaster!”

They didn’t save any for the boss’s wife!

Tang Nuo, who had eaten two pieces, cried inwardly, her awareness still not good enough.

Seeing Wen Tianzi’s apologetic look, Dong Ling comforted her: “It’s okay, you can have it, I’ll share with her.”

Song Mingzhi swallowed the words “I’m not eating” and held her bowl, waiting for Dong Ling to share with her.

“This is your dipping sauce, it’s better to eat it plain, and I want something spicy, let’s switch.”

Dong Ling wanted to switch bowls with Song Mingzhi, but Song Mingzhi remained unmoved.

“You had a stomach ache just the other day, you can’t eat spicy food now.”

“Just a little bit.”

“No.”

Dong Ling pouted and gave up, putting some of the food from her bowl into Song Mingzhi’s.

The two Canghai Entertainment groups were used to this, Yun Jie smiled politely, Long Ji focused on eating silently, Wen Tianzi almost dropped her bowl.

Help, seriously, help! So the domineering canary and the adorable CEO trope was real!

The cameras were rolling! Could this really be broadcast?!

The production team also wondered, could this really be broadcast? But this was their big boss, CEO Dong, what could they do? They could only let them be.

After finishing the hot pot, everyone didn’t leave immediately, but continued sitting around the fire, enjoying the winter tranquility.

This program didn’t have a script, and no one knew what they were supposed to do, so they just chatted casually.

Yun Jie started the conversation, asking about interesting things that happened during filming, subtly promoting the movie “The Legend of Liang Jin’an,” which was scheduled for release during the Spring Festival.

Everyone was relaxed, trying their best to be entertaining, after Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi shared some anecdotes, Ran Lin and Tang Nuo also shared their own experiences, Long Ji talked about the inspiration for one of her songs, and Yun Jie talked about an incident she encountered during an interview.

The cheerful and peaceful atmosphere, mixed with the winter wind and the crackling fire, made everyone feel very comfortable.

“Xiao Tian, have you encountered anything interesting lately?”

Dong Ling looked at Wen Tianzi, who hadn’t spoken, thinking she might be feeling reserved because of her lower status and being from a different company, so she encouraged her to speak and get more screen time.

Wen Tianzi was still inwardly screaming “I’m dead from the sweetness,” when she heard Dong Ling’s voice, she replied a little slowly: “I’ve been staying home, doing nothing, lately.”

CEO Dong called her Xiao Tian and even specifically cued her, her wife was so beautiful and kind, wuwuwu, no, wait, someone else’s wife.

Sigh, forget it, who didn’t like someone else’s wife? She was just like Cao Cao.

My wife, come to me!

“Being on this show is the most interesting thing that happened to me recently, I get to meet everyone.”

Wen Tianzi cringed inwardly, she felt her answer was so lame, even after trying to salvage it, it was still awkward, she embarrassed herself in front of her idols.

“Hahahaha, you’re so cute, I understand, I also stayed home doing nothing when I first started.”

Tang Nuo pinched Wen Tianzi’s face, helping her dispel the awkwardness.

Wen Tianzi was very grateful to Tang Nuo for speaking up. Yun Jie then naturally steered the conversation towards everyone’s early career struggles, lamenting the hardships of their younger days.

Tang Nuo and Ran Lin started from small roles, compared to Tang Nuo being forced to accompany investors for drinks by her previous unscrupulous company, Ran Lin wandered around film studios for several years, even working as a stunt double.

Yun Jie, when she first started as a reporter, was constantly ordered around by a celebrity’s assistant, and then stood up, she had encountered many strange things. Long Ji, before becoming famous, wrote songs in a damp basement, her knees still ached when it rained.

Wen Tianzi worked as a trainee for several years without pay, her shining moment was during the talent show, but because of her personality and overlapping image with another member, she didn’t get any resources, and remained unpopular.

When the topic turned to Song Mingzhi, Yun Jie’s high EQ was on full display, she smiled and asked why Song Mingzhi initially chose to enter this industry.

After all, everyone knew that Song Mingzhi debuted with a famous director and a good project, Dong Ling had been spending money to promote her, she had endorsements and appearances, she didn’t even care about her long absence from the public eye, and upon her return, she was immediately cast as the female lead in a renowned director’s movie, how could someone like her have a difficult beginning?

Normally, when faced with this question, people would talk about their passion or dreams or the desire to shine, but Song Mingzhi didn’t answer that way.

“Partially because I was interested, but the main reason was because someone encouraged me and hoped I would pursue my interests, because of her support, I entered this field without hesitation.”

As for who this “someone” was, was there a need to elaborate?

Hearing this, everyone looked at Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi.

They all thought Song Mingzhi wanted to act, so Dong Ling was promoting her, but it turned out that Dong Ling wanted to see Song Mingzhi act, so Song Mingzhi became an actress.

Tang Nuo, shocked, pinched Ran Lin’s hand, was this them coming out?

Yun Jie hesitated, should she block the door or not?

Wen Tianzi was stunned, she couldn’t handle this level of sweetness, it was a level that ten shots of insulin couldn’t cure, where were the heart-saving pills?!

Aaaaaaaaaa, what a beautiful love story, you entered the industry for me, I gave you the crown, who dared say this wasn’t real?!

The only one who seemed out of sync was Long Ji, she said enviously: “You two have such a good relationship.”

Long Ji didn’t realize the implications, she just thought Song Mingzhi and Dong Ling were very close friends, no wonder Song Mingzhi, despite being a successful businesswoman, would enter this unfamiliar field and become an actress.

Dong Ling put her arm around Song Mingzhi’s shoulder and said cheerfully: “Of course we have a good relationship.”

Song Mingzhi saying that made her feel a little embarrassed, it was actually because of the system’s task, but it wasn’t wrong to say that Song Mingzhi hoped for that, setting aside the system, she did want Song Mingzhi to shine in her destined field.

Long Ji brought her guitar and, in this atmosphere, played an impromptu piece.

She was truly talented, the music beautiful, a perfect ending to this cozy night.

Everyone returned to their rooms, the cold wind outside making Dong Ling shiver, she put on the hood of her down jacket, looking like a little penguin, and huddled next to Song Mingzhi as they walked.

The night sky was like a canvas sprinkled with stars, shining brightly.

There were no clouds, everything clearly visible, the vastness boundless.

Song Mingzhi went to her telescope, searching for familiar sights in the vast universe.

Dong Ling waited obediently, stargazing was a very immersive activity, she wouldn’t disturb Song Mingzhi.

Song Mingzhi wouldn’t look for too long, if it was going to take a while, she would definitely tell her first.

Dong Ling looked down at her phone and found a weak signal, the internet was very slow, it took her a long time to load a message.

But she wasn’t in a hurry to do anything else, so she patiently waited for the webpage to load.

After a while, Song Mingzhi, holding the telescope, softly called Dong Ling.

“Baby, come and take a look.”

Dong Ling immediately put her phone in her pocket, stood where Song Mingzhi had just been, and looked through the telescope.

The psychedelic red shape looked like…

“Mingzhi! It looks like a flower!”

Dong Ling was a little excited, she couldn’t look away, and the hand that wasn’t holding the telescope waved excitedly in the air, then was held by Song Mingzhi.

“This is NGC 2244, in the Monoceros constellation, located within a molecular cloud complex, it’s called the Rosette Nebula, also known as the Rose Nebula.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever given you flowers before, if I were to, I would want to give you this never-fading flower, even if we turn to dust, it will still exist.”

“Do you remember the nebula we talked about before? The one we looked at together?”

Dong Ling’s gaze had already left the cosmic rose, she nodded at Song Mingzhi’s gentle, clear voice.

“I remember, the M27 nebula, you said it was the first planetary nebula observed by humans, also one of the brightest, red and blue, very dreamy.”

Dong Ling’s eyes also seemed to hold stars, her long, loose hair as beautiful as the night sky.

She kept the things Song Mingzhi shared with her in her heart.

The beautiful journey of love was always a two-way street.

“The maximum lifespan of M27 is 9800 years, but my love for you is far longer than that.”

This long-planned confession, Song Mingzhi finally delivered the rose to her beloved’s eyes.

Dong Ling cupped Song Mingzhi’s face, their lips meeting, intertwined and lingering.

Dong Ling murmured: “Watching the stars with you, and watching you with the stars.”

This was the love language Song Mingzhi spoke to her in her drunken state, and at this moment, Dong Ling felt there were no more fitting words to respond with.

Under the vast sky, by the cliff’s edge, love and stars.

Even if they eventually turned to cosmic dust, their romance would be eternal.

Chapter 81: More Please – I’m Shipping This So Hard

Wen Tianzi was an idol who debuted through a talent show. During her time in a temporary group, due to her company’s limited resources and her overlapping image with another member, she was often sidelined. But even so, she still worked hard.

After the temporary group disbanded, she was placed in a new group with other idols by her company, and she was the main vocalist and dancer.

Wen Tianzi felt that the other three members in the group were actually quite talented and also worked hard, but just like her experience in the temporary group, without resources and exposure, it was very difficult to stand out in this industry, their group was extremely unpopular.

But Wen Tianzi wasn’t particularly ambitious, and the other members also had a peaceful mindset, operating on the principle of taking whatever jobs came their way, whether shows or commercial performances, and when there was no work, practicing or staying home was also fine. They were all very content, out of sync with the turbulent entertainment industry.

But their persistence paid off, at least the group, including her, had some loyal fans, and her fans even praised her professionalism, saying that although she was an unpopular, eighteenth-tier idol, she didn’t date and had no scandals or gossip.

Wen Tianzi felt a little offended, but the main reason she didn’t date was… she was a lesbian.

She cautiously kept her sexual orientation a secret, afraid to date, her daily joy was shipping CPs. She did have a type, but she didn’t have any intention of pursuing anyone.

She liked Dong Ling, CEO of Canghai Entertainment, but she liked Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi together even more, the Song Zhong CP was her ultimate OTP! (One True Pairing)

If she revealed her alternate Weibo account ID, the Song Zhong sisters would all know her as “PleaseSendMeOffToMyGrave”!

So when the invitation to “Cloud Travels” arrived, her first thought was that it was a joke.

Although she was in the industry, she had never wanted to interact with Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi, firstly, because they were too famous, she couldn’t reach them, and secondly, a true CP fan wouldn’t bother the stars, and she knew that sometimes, seeing the stars in person and knowing the distance between them might ruin the illusion.

But even so, when the opportunity actually presented itself, she immediately packed her bags and was ready to go.

For both her career and her CP, she had to go.

She posted on Weibo, thanking the fans who recommended her under the official announcement, and also those who liked and supported her comment, allowing her to be noticed by the program team, and on the appointed day, she set off for the filming location of the first episode.

The guests met at the airport. Wen Tianzi first saw Yun Jie and another senior from the industry. After greeting them politely, she sat down, eagerly waiting.

When Dong Ling, wearing sunglasses, appeared in front of her, she instantly and confidently thought “My wife!” then seeing Song Mingzhi beside Dong Ling, she immediately retreated, no, someone else’s wife.

CEO Dong was truly thinner than she appeared on camera, thin and fair, probably half a head shorter than Song Mingzhi beside her.

As a CP fan, Wen Tianzi knew that Song Mingzhi was around 176cm tall, a true older sister figure, Dong Ling wasn’t short at 168cm, she was a long-legged beauty on her own, but next to Song Mingzhi, she seemed a bit petite.

Wen Tianzi screamed inwardly, if this wasn’t a perfect match, then what was?!

Dong Ling noticed the burning gaze from the side and looked towards its source, it was a sweet-looking girl, one of the guests for this variety show.

Dong Ling wasn’t very picky about the guests, whether they were famous or not didn’t matter, as long as they weren’t difficult and had decent characters.

So, regardless of their fame, the invited guests were all easy to get along with, each with their own personality, but not the troublemaking type.

The girl noticed her gaze and greeted her nervously, Dong Ling smiled politely at her and sat down beside Song Mingzhi.

“We’ll be boarding in about ten minutes, it might be a bumpy ride, that village is in the mountains, please let me know if you have any requests.”

The speaker was the general director in charge of this program, the production team and other staff members were waiting nearby.

Dong Ling, not short of money, had chartered a plane for the entire crew, all she wanted was a comfortable experience.

“Do you want a frozen pear? Xiao Tan just brought me a few.”

Song Mingzhi looked at the fruit in her bag and turned to ask her little girlfriend.

Dong Ling nodded and took a pear from Song Mingzhi’s hand, the purple-black frozen pear had thin skin and was full of juice, Dong Ling sucked on it, feeling very content.

But Dong Ling didn’t have much of an appetite and couldn’t finish the whole pear, so she gave it to her girlfriend, this was one of the perks of being in a relationship.

Song Mingzhi took the pear from Dong Ling, gave her a wet wipe, and took a small bite.

Their actions were intimate and natural, seemingly very close.

Yun Jie, who had seen all sorts of situations, maintained a polite smile, Long Ji was calm and indifferent, not paying much attention to other people’s relationships.

Tang Nuo was now a moderately famous supporting actress, and the person with her was Ran Lin, a more popular actress from the same company, who recently played a female lead.

They were veteran employees of Canghai Entertainment, having joined since the company was founded, and were very familiar with Song Mingzhi’s nickname, “Empress,” they even used it privately, after all, CEO Dong’s favoritism was obvious, the top actress was the top actress.

Wen Tianzi looked around, shocked, feeling like she had been directly fed a handful of sugar by her idols, and they even asked if it was enough, offering more if it wasn’t.

Sharing a pear! The same pear!

How could people who weren’t in a relationship do this? Even close friends wouldn’t do this.

And look at everyone around them, their calm and unsurprised expressions, this definitely wasn’t the first time!

Wen Tianzi was so excited she wanted to run laps around the airport, then grab a loudspeaker and tell all her sisters, no need to analyze and speculate anymore! We’re shipping real people!

This variety show was worth it, she had to thank her fans later, she would work hard and give a good performance.

Song Mingzhi, who was eating the pear, paused slightly, she was sensitive to other people’s gazes, so she noticed that one of the guests was staring at them, but there was no malice in that gaze, more excitement, especially when looking at her and Dong Ling, thinking of the girl’s status, Song Mingzhi figured she must be grateful to Dong Ling for this opportunity, and perhaps a fan of hers?

Song Mingzhi didn’t think too much about it, as long as it wasn’t negativity, it was fine. She dismissed the thought and focused on Dong Ling.

The journey to the filming location was quite long, they had to take a bus after getting off the plane, she had to let Dong Ling sleep for a while on the plane, Dong Ling hadn’t had enough sleep, she had wanted her to go to bed early last night, but the desensitized girl, with her sweet tooth, insisted she was fine, so she had to wake up early today and was already drowsy.

Dong Ling was truly sleepy and fell asleep as soon as she boarded the plane.

She shouldn’t have gotten carried away last night, but Song Mingzhi seemed to have learned new tricks, making her a little unrestrained, even begging her.

Dong Ling slept for a very long time and only woke up when the plane landed.

Then came the long bus ride, everyone, both guests and crew members, were exhausted after a day of travel.

But upon arriving at the small village in the mountains, their fatigue seemed to vanish.

This was indeed a beautiful place, the air fresh and clean, the climate mild, it felt comfortable even in the cold November weather.

The mountain path had railings, the small village only had a dozen or so families, mostly elderly people, there were many empty houses. The program team had already contacted the villagers and arranged accommodation, compensating them accordingly. The villagers had already cleaned the houses.

Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi stayed in a small house, with two bamboo beds in the same room, it was previously occupied by two sisters, after they started middle school, they left the village, then went to high school and university, rarely returning.

Song Mingzhi pushed the two bamboo beds together, sprayed them with disinfectant, and then put on clean sheets.

Dong Ling stood outside, watching the sunset, the house happened to be on the edge of the village, offering an unobstructed view, a cliff just a few hundred meters away. Dong Ling, afraid of heights, didn’t dare stand too close, just at the edge of the house.

Although this place was like a hidden paradise, its disadvantages were also obvious, poor signal, practically no internet, making modern people, heavily reliant on their phones, very uncomfortable.

Dong Ling was also a little frustrated seeing her phone with no signal, although this was within her expectations, it was still a little unsettling not being able to send messages.

Only a few people were indifferent to this, Yun Jie, not far away, leisurely watched a downloaded TV series, even inviting others to join her, Long Ji was mesmerized by the beautiful sunset, her fingers moving slightly beside her, as if playing music.

Song Mingzhi, after making the bed, took out the telescope she had prepared and started assembling and adjusting it in an open space.

“Wow, Mingzhi, why did you bring this?”

Since Song Mingzhi packed their luggage, Dong Ling didn’t know what she had brought.

“The terrain here is high, the clouds are thin, we can see the stars clearly at night.”

“Mingzhi, you’re amazing.”

Dong Ling knew Song Mingzhi was an astronomy enthusiast, she leaned closer to watch Song Mingzhi adjust the equipment, admiration in her eyes.

Song Mingzhi smiled and replied: “It’s very simple.”

“In my eyes, you’re amazing.”

Dong Ling put on a “I don’t care what others say” expression, my wife is the best in the world.

This made Song Mingzhi chuckle, the setting sun casting their shadows on the wall, a warm and cozy scene.

Dong Ling looked at her and Song Mingzhi’s shadows, glanced around, the crew members were a certain distance away, and there were no cameras rolling.

She and Song Mingzhi subtly adjusted their positions, making their shadows merge, they weren’t actually close to each other, but their shadows seemed to be kissing.

A mischievous smile appeared on Dong Ling’s face, she moved her shadow, making it sway from side to side next to Song Mingzhi’s, intertwining and separating.

After finishing adjusting the telescope, Song Mingzhi saw her girlfriend’s strange behavior, and only after turning her head to look at the shadows on the wall did she realize what she was doing, she also moved slightly, making her shadow lean forward, as if kissing Dong Ling’s shadow.

Dong Ling, seeing her little trick discovered, smiled at Song Mingzhi.

Wen Tianzi, who had been intently watching her CP, was grinning from ear to ear, was this something she could watch for free?!

Chapter 80: More Please – A Sweet Trip

Dong Ling considered the type of variety show for a while.

Since it was mainly for her and her girlfriend, no competitive shows, no adventure shows, no drama or intrigue, after thinking it over, Dong Ling decided on a slow-paced travel variety show, it didn’t need to be hugely popular, this type of show had a stable audience, it wouldn’t be completely unnoticed.

And with a slow-paced travel variety show, they could travel on the company’s dime, which sounded quite nice.

To increase the fun and interaction, the travel destination would be decided by netizens.

Dong Ling told Song Mingzhi about this plan and received her approval.

“Let’s release a pilot episode first, and as for the other guests, let the netizens vote, we’ll consider their suggestions, and then make the final decision.”

Song Mingzhi didn’t really want anyone to disturb their alone time, but a variety show couldn’t just be her and Dong Ling, they could choose some popular choices among the audience.

“Okay, it’s decided, I’ll have them start the project.”

In the world of capital, there was nothing that couldn’t be solved with money and connections, so the project quickly got underway.

So, on a beautiful day, netizens browsing online found that Canghai Entertainment had posted a new update and even bought a trending topic.

@CanghaiEntertainment: Our boss wants to go on a trip, but doesn’t have a destination in mind. How long has it been since you traveled? Where do you want to go most? Our boss is interested in any destination.

The slow-paced travel variety show “Cloud Travels” is officially launched, with regular guests @CanghaiEntertainmentDongLing and rising actress @SongMingzhi, who else do you want to see on the show? Leave your suggestions in the comments, we’ll seriously consider them.

[Click the link to watch the pilot episode of “Cloud Travels”]

The announcement was concise and clear, the purpose was clear, but the destination and guests were unknown. Besides knowing that Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi would be participating, netizens also saw the long list of tagged investors.

@ForeverAlone: Damn, is this what it means to be rich and carefree? The investors include real estate, media, food, education… and what are gaming and animal husbandry doing here?! Are they going to raise pigs on this show???

@IgnoranceIsBliss: Hahahahahahaha, I’m dying of laughter, CEO Dong is power, is this what it means to be a domineering CEO? I’m simping for my wife!

@PleaseSendMeOffToMyGrave: If this isn’t a marriage proposal disguised as a variety show, then what is it? I officially declare them locked together! My beautiful women are one!

@MayAllThingsGoWell: I’m suddenly interested in this variety show, I watched the pilot episode, netizens can send their suggested destinations to an email address, and the program team will randomly choose a destination, if this is true, it might even boost the local economy of certain places.

@ItIsSpring: Wow, it’s been so long since I traveled, I want to go to so many places, but because of time and financial constraints, I can only watch other people’s vlogs, I’ll go send an email now, please choose mine!

@WhoPlaysBigQiao: CEO Dong, please notice me! I highly recommend my Jiejie, her personality is both steady and playful, gentle and easygoing, please take her!

Dong Ling was also helpless about the investors.

Hearing that she was creating her own variety show, they all insisted on supporting her, saying they didn’t take care of her when she first started her business, and had to do it this time.

Dong was a common surname in Beihai, covering a wide range of industries, which was why even the animal husbandry industry was involved, because her second uncle was in the feed business.

As for gaming, Wen Han insisted on investing, Dong Ling considered it compensation for her taking over the male lead’s script and happily accepted.

Song Mingzhi also wanted to invest, but was strongly opposed by her girlfriend.

“I have money, and you’ve seen my support, there’s no need for you to contribute.”

Dong Ling still thought Song Mingzhi was just moderately well-off, that Song Mingzhi’s company was small to medium-sized, otherwise, why wasn’t Song Mingzhi involved in any business activities? She felt sorry for her wife’s hard-earned money and didn’t want her to spend it.

Song Mingzhi could only comply. She didn’t know that Dong Ling was underestimating her wealth, she just assumed Dong Ling felt it was unnecessary, and besides, her family matters hadn’t been completely resolved yet, it wouldn’t be too late to discuss it after everything was settled, Dong Ling wouldn’t care whether she had money or not, her attitude had always been the same.

Song Mingzhi’s lips curved upwards, and she kissed her girlfriend’s pink cheek.

Dong Ling kissed her back, it was originally just a quick peck, but then it escalated.

Fortunately, she had been successfully desensitized, and her various indicators had significantly improved, she didn’t even need to drink two glasses of water during breaks anymore, just one was enough, this was a sign of progress.

As for the variety show guests, Dong Ling asked the planning team and director to carefully select, prioritizing artists under her company who were suitable for this type of show, her own show naturally had to take care of her own children, and then choose others.

Dong Ling didn’t want too many people, so besides her and Song Mingzhi, there would only be two regular guests and two to four rotating guest stars per episode, depending on the situation.

In the end, the two regular guests they chose were Yun Jie, a variety show regular with a background in journalism, known for her high EQ and gentle personality, and Long Ji, a singer-songwriter known for her quiet and calm demeanor.

But Long Ji was difficult to invite, not because she was arrogant, but because she was reclusive, sometimes even her agent couldn’t reach her.

“It seems we’ll have to find someone else.”

Dong Ling said with some regret after hanging up the phone, she quite liked Long Ji’s songs and her outlook on life.

“Find someone else for what?”

Song Mingzhi came out of the bathroom, drying her hair, and asked.

Dong Ling explained the situation, and seeing Song Mingzhi’s expression, she said: “It’s fine, she’ll come.”

Dong Ling was quite surprised: “Mingzhi, do you know her?”

“I helped her once, she’s very grateful.”

Song Mingzhi had supported Long Ji when she was struggling, funding the production of her album, which was the album that made Long Ji famous.

Song Mingzhi had long forgotten about this, after all, she didn’t help out of compassion, but because she saw Long Ji’s talent and potential, she was a businesswoman with a keen sense for such things, Long Ji brought her profit, it was a win-win situation.

But just like Song Mingzhi said, Long Ji was very grateful, sending her holiday greetings and handmade gifts every year, a kind and grateful person. Song Mingzhi always reciprocated, so she remembered when Dong Ling mentioned her.

“Yay, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Dong Ling cheered slightly, took the towel from Song Mingzhi, and helped her dry her hair, “Mingzhi, you’re so amazing.”

“Let’s try something different tonight.”

“…Jiejie, you’re so amazing?”

Dong Ling said hesitantly, no longer as shy as before.

“Not that, Ling Ling, you know.”

Song Mingzhi rested her head on Dong Ling’s shoulder, the dampness from her hair spreading to Dong Ling.

Her fox-like eyes were gentle and affectionate, like a deep spring, wanting to drown her in them.

There weren’t many terms of endearment more captivating than “Jiejie,” and the one Dong Ling cried out last night was one of them, but Dong Ling was easily embarrassed, the more she teased her, the more she retreated, closing her shell tightly, not letting her touch the soft interior.

“Know what? I don’t know anything.”

Dong Ling deliberately avoided Song Mingzhi’s gaze, playing dumb, she could call her that in her mind, but couldn’t say it out loud when Song Mingzhi used it so intimately, it was too embarrassing.

Song Mingzhi cupped Dong Ling’s face, looked at her wandering eyes, and asked with suppressed laughter: “Really?”

Dong Ling’s voice was as soft as a mosquito: “Maybe a little.”

Song Mingzhi laughed heartily, burying her face in Dong Ling’s soft embrace, and only stopped laughing after a while.

She rested her head on Dong Ling’s shoulder and said with a smile: “Wife, you’re so cute.”

Dong Ling’s mind screamed, this is cheating, she felt dizzy and lay down.

Damn it, why did someone like Song Mingzhi, beautiful, elegant, even exist? Born just to captivate her soul!

When the official Weibo account released the list of guests, netizens once again marveled at the efficiency and power of capital.

@RuWoYiYi: It’s actually Long Ji, she’s never been on any variety show before, super excited!

@LingXiIsSoCool: Looking forward to “Cloud Travels,” looking forward to CEO Dong and Mingzhi!

@BaiYiShanJin: My Jiejie is one of the guest stars! I was so surprised when the official account replied to me, because my comment was way down there, not many likes, after all, she’s just the visual of a small, unpopular group, but they actually considered it! I almost cried when they replied, and I wasn’t even expecting much, because they only said they would consider it, but it actually happened!

Because of this last comment, “Cloud Travels” became popular before it even aired, even trending on Weibo, jokingly referred to as “Where is CEO Dong Going?” and “Boss, Please Look at My Baby.”

After all, who wouldn’t want their idol to have more exposure and resources, to be seen and loved by more people? The strong financial backing of “Cloud Travels” was enough to make people talk, not to mention the highly anticipated destination and guest selection process.

For the first episode, the program team specifically held a live stream to ensure transparency in the destination selection process.

Dong Ling wore light makeup, sat in front of the computer, the process was very simple, randomly selecting a number, then locating the corresponding email.

Dong Ling said “start” and pressed the button, after the number stopped, she located and opened the email, showed the destination, and ended the live stream immediately, the entire process less than three minutes.

The screen went black, the chat filled with question marks and confusion.

@BeautiesStickTogether: Beautiful lady, can you please not be so arrogant? Just announcing the destination and leaving, no two-minute chat?

@TheReason: Don’t you want views? Why so decisive?! No introduction to the program’s content or purpose or anything?

The official account replied to this comment: Watch the show and find out yourself.

Okay, quite unique, it immediately attracted netizens’ attention, and a new topic trended on Weibo.

Where is Yunxi Village?

Dong Ling was also searching for this place, the destination randomly selected during her live stream just now. The netizen who suggested it said it was her hometown, a place she couldn’t return to due to time and work constraints, the road there wasn’t easy, but it was very beautiful.

Dong Ling found some pictures, the village was very small, located in the mountains, the terrain steep, some houses built on cliffs, but it was indeed very beautiful, a good place for a romantic getaway with her girlfriend.

Chapter 79: More Please – I’m Dead from the Sweetness

The news of Wen Han’s awakening caused a stir in Beihai.

The Wen family was already quite wealthy, and the news of his sudden illness more than a year ago caused his company, which was on the rise, to decline. Although Wen’s father stepped in, his business philosophy was different from Wen Han’s, and he couldn’t manage the company effectively, so the once thriving company was now just lukewarm, not losing money, but not making much either.

Wen Han had shown outstanding business talent since he was young, so this change was a pity to many. Now that he was awake, the Wen family’s doorstep was practically worn down by visitors.

Coincidentally, November 7th was Wen Han’s birthday, hosted by the Wen family, and Dong Ling was naturally among the invited guests.

The coldness of late autumn seemed to numb one’s senses, but upon entering the Wen residence, a wave of warmth washed over her.

Dong Ling and Wen Han were too familiar to engage in superficial greetings, those who knew about Wen Han’s situation naturally also knew about his physical condition.

Wen Han focused on rehabilitation immediately after waking up, exercising his leg muscles, and with the system’s compensation, he was now even healthier than before his coma.

Dong Ling took off her coat, sat on a small sofa, and ate some pastries. Only after Wen Han finished greeting the other guests and came over did she hand him her gift.

“Happy birthday, another year older, may all your birthday wishes come true.”

Dong Ling didn’t say anything fancy, just a simple blessing.

Wen Han said with a blank expression: “I want to go back and ascend the throne.”

It was impossible for him to let go of something like that so easily, Wen Han didn’t actually have a strong desire to be an emperor, after all, he knew where his true home was, but at least let him finish the job before bringing him back, what was the difference between that and dying with regrets?

“Brother, the past is in the past.” Dong Ling rarely called Wen Han “brother,” usually only when she felt he was incredibly impressive, or incredibly pitiful, she said with a hesitant expression, “How about I invest in your next movie and let you play an emperor to satisfy your craving?”

Wen Han said with a dry smile: “Are you looking for a beating?”

Dong Ling mumbled: “I’m just trying to comfort you.”

“Well, thank you very much, where is that person? Didn’t she come with you?”

Wen Han looked around, but didn’t see Song Mingzhi.

“She’s back in Jingzhou for work, and she’s a celebrity, it wouldn’t be good if she was photographed.”

“Aren’t there plenty of celebrities here? Your precious girlfriend is so valuable, why are you still keeping your relationship a secret?”

Wen Han was a bit critical of Song Mingzhi, not out of dislike, but his first impression was that Song Mingzhi wasn’t simple, someone who could manipulate Dong Ling so easily, he couldn’t help but worry that Dong Ling would be hurt.

He didn’t believe that characters in novels were real people, he was also a character, and he wasn’t exactly a purely good person.

Dong Ling replied cheerfully: “We’re not in a hurry to go public, it’s not a big deal, and a secret relationship, it sounds kind of exciting.”

Wen Han: …………

Idiot.

Dong Ling truly didn’t mind a secret relationship, after all, it was their own life, there was no need for everyone to know, besides, she and Song Mingzhi already had quite a few CP fans, she could imagine how many more there would be after the new movie was released.

A month later, Yu Shuangwei submitted the film for review, and after the review process, “The Legend of Liang Jin’an” was scheduled for release during the Spring Festival, and they began the related promotional activities.

This type of film usually didn’t do well during the Spring Festival, or rather, non-commercial films rarely did well during such a period, but Yu Shuangwei wasn’t aiming for box office success, but for something more long-term.

During this time, Song Mingzhi didn’t participate in any entertainment industry activities. Her loyal fans kept urging the company, hoping for her to make an appearance, and because of her long absence, she lost quite a few fans.

Zuo Zhen was a little anxious seeing this, but both Song Mingzhi and Dong Ling, her boss, didn’t seem to care.

Song Mingzhi wasn’t aiming for popularity, and she didn’t need the support of fans to get resources, setting aside her acting skills, she had strong financial backing.

“Director Yu said the roadshow is about to start, she wants us to cooperate with the promotion, I’ll go pack later?”

Dong Ling, lying on the bed, swinging her legs, looked at Song Mingzhi, who had just entered the room, and relayed the news.

“Director Yu also messaged me, I’ll pack later, you just stay put, I’ll get you some fruit, sit up and eat.”

Song Mingzhi placed the fruit on the table beside her and took out the suitcase from the corner.

Dong Ling reached out coquettishly: “Pull me up.”

Song Mingzhi extended her hand, letting Dong Ling use it to sit up.

After feeding her little girlfriend the first piece of fruit, Song Mingzhi started packing with a gentle smile.

The suitcase was filled with Dong Ling’s clothes, with a dedicated space for her skincare products.

Dong Ling had sensitive skin, prone to dryness even in spring, so she paid attention to moisturizing, and Song Mingzhi remembered this.

“Let’s bring some anti-allergy medicine as well, just in case.”

Song Mingzhi muttered, taking the medicine from the drawer and putting it in the suitcase, she looked through it for a while, then added some of Dong Ling’s small items.

When it was her turn to pack, her things were much simpler, just three sets of clothes and a set of toiletries, very concise.

Dong Ling looked at her suitcase and Song Mingzhi’s, hugged Song Mingzhi from behind, and snuggled against her.

“Aren’t you bringing anything else?”

“I’ve already brought my most precious treasure, that’s enough.”

Song Mingzhi felt the soft arms around her waist and turned her head, smelling Dong Ling’s fragrance.

“Mingzhi, I’ll be spoiled rotten by you if this continues.”

Dong Ling feigned distress, she was already pampered by her family, and her older lover’s care was even more tender.

Jiejie was the best!

“Really? Then let me check.”

As for how to check… the damp bedsheets would tell.

Slender, fair fingers clutched Song Mingzhi’s short hair weakly, a warm, moist spring rain creating a hazy, peach-colored blush.

Delicate as a willow, unable to withstand the gentle breeze.

At the appointed time, Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi set off together.

Faced with Song Mingzhi’s long-awaited return to public view and their CP appearing together, the long-silent CP fans were in a frenzy again.

@PleaseSendMeOffToMyGrave: I almost thought they were going to BE, one hasn’t appeared in public for so long, the other is nowhere to be found, we had to rely on a business magazine to see them together, so sad,wuwuwu, I can only relive old memories to survive.

@SweetSongZhong: Domineering CEO x Canary will never BE!

@DongLing’sCivilianGirlfriend: Sisters, have you seen the interview clip from the roadshow? Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter! The reporter asked Song Jie, “What’s your relationship with CEO Dong in the movie?”

Because the reporter’s camera flash blinded CEO Dong, Song Jie replied coldly, “Anyone who studied history would know,” such a burn!

Then the reporter asked Song Jie how she would summarize Liang Jin’an’s life, Song Jie thought for a moment and said: “Power and Su Changying.”

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I’m dead from the sweetness! I suggest everyone rewatch this clip! The way Song Jie looked at Dong Ling when she said that, it really makes you feel like Dong Ling is her true love, so charming!

@MyCPIsTheBestInTheWorld: I saw it too, truly worth savoring repeatedly, I’m not just dead, I’ve ascended! And sister upstairs, your name is very bold! No different from Cao Cao!

@AlwaysSleepy: CEO Dong even seemed to blush, truly a perfect combination of elegance and cuteness! She looks so aloof and mature usually, but so sweet and innocent in front of Song Jie, Song Zhong SZD! (SZD – Shi Zhen De – It’s real)

A GIF from the roadshow even went viral, and after the movie’s trailer was released, there were even more screams online.

@AnZhiTingLan: Aaaaaaaaaa, Tyrant Jiejie, slay! That fierce and flirtatious aura is such a contrast to Song Jie’s usual cold and aloof demeanor, who wouldn’t say Song Mingzhi is awesome?!

@StickingWithBeauties: CEO Dong’s visuals, drools, please live in the entertainment industry, even just as a pretty face, so beautiful!

@ShiningWithSunAndMoon: The scene where Su Changying and Liang Jin’an meet is so captivating, the sexual tension is amazing, Liang Jin’an didn’t even do anything indecent, but her gaze already stripped the girl bare, alluring but not greasy, so powerful, although she’s a newcomer, she has a mature aura, those who take the flower path (sponsored/protected by a wealthy benefactor) are truly different!

@SweetToDeath: Lock this CP up, doesn’t everyone love a powerful canary and a whimpering domineering CEO?

There were countless such comments online, and Dong Ling couldn’t stop smiling.

She immediately logged into her Weibo account, liked several comments praising Song Mingzhi’s acting, and then started a lottery to promote the movie.

This was a common practice among fans, but those following her were confused because Dong Ling not only reposted these comments, but also a picture of her and Song Mingzhi drawn by a famous Song Zhong CP fan.

@ALittleZhi: Logged out and logged back in, double-checked, this is Jieshi’s Weibo account, right?

@SongZhongSistersEatWhat: Even CP fans are shocked, is this anti-fan switching sides?

@RuoTaoBuYu: Has Jieshi Jiejie been softened by her girlfriend? All her recent posts are about her sweet daily life with her girlfriend, is this why she gained so many followers, and realized her previous mistake? Perhaps even Jieshi Jiejie thinks Song Jie and CEO Dong are sweet?

Dong Ling didn’t reply to these speculations, just expressed her love for her girlfriend as usual, and then left Weibo.

At the premiere of “The Legend of Liang Jin’an,” the task system calculated the reward.

[Current main storyline progress: 80%, congratulations.]

[New task issued: Participate in the same variety show with the female lead and engage in some sweet interactions, prepare for a public announcement, completing this task will reward 6% main storyline progress.]

036 appeared at this time and said: [Don’t worry about the time limit, after the intelligent optimization and adjustment, the tasks are now issued based on data algorithms, there’s no fixed deadline.]

[It’s just dating, why be in such a hurry?]

As expected of an anti-CP system, so carefree.

Dong Ling: [Okay, I understand, thank you.]

[By the way, how is 021’s recovery going?]

Dong Ling was still concerned about the greasy system that had been accompanying her.

036: [He’s currently undergoing rehabilitation and further training, he’s fine.]

Dong Ling: [Training?]

036: [Everyone thinks his way of speaking is outdated, even palace intrigue systems don’t say ‘This servant is unable to do it’ anymore, he needs to keep up with the times.]

Dong Ling thought, indeed, she didn’t want to be called “girl” anymore.

What kind of variety show should she and Song Mingzhi participate in?

Dong Ling discussed this with Song Mingzhi, and the two of them, along with Zuo Zhen, started researching current and upcoming variety shows, but couldn’t find anything they were interested in.

“Why don’t we invest and create our own?”

That’s what a domineering CEO would say.

The wealthy canary beside her nodded, fully approving of this proposal.

Chapter 78: More Please – Male Lead Handover

The sword of Damocles hanging over her head finally had a resolution, Dong Ling sat on the chair, her mind in turmoil.

Her mind was empty, terrifyingly quiet.

Soon, 021’s excited and hurried voice rang out: [Girl, headquarters is retrieving the male lead’s consciousness, he’ll wake up soon.]

[Hey, hey, hey, don’t pull me away, I haven’t finished, I still…]

021’s voice suddenly disappeared, making Dong Ling panic for a moment.

A strange, subtle slurping sound suddenly came from her mind, Dong Ling frowned.

[021?]

[Sorry, I just finished my last lobster, 021’s battery died and he was sent to the charging station, he’s quite depleted, I’m his colleague, here to take over, you can call me 036.]

A casual voice rang out in her mind, with a hint of what seemed to be a gasp from the spiciness of the lobster.

Could AIs feel spiciness? No, wait, could AIs even eat lobster?

Dong Ling’s confusion was conveyed mentally, and 036 replied: [Of course, we have simulated senses, but 021 doesn’t eat spicy lobster, he says it damages a domineering CEO’s image, what image does he even have?]

A colleague’s complaint was truly merciless and fatal, Dong Ling deeply understood.

[What about the tasks I’ve already done? How will those be handled?]

Dong Ling asked the question she was most concerned about, it was good that Wen Han would return safe and sound, but what about the tasks she had already completed?

036: [This depends on your, the male lead’s, and the female lead’s wishes, we’ve had similar situations in the past, we’ll choose the best option after considering all factors.]

036 explained, which meant that if Dong Ling was willing to continue the tasks, and Wen Han wasn’t, the male lead’s script would be transferred to Dong Ling.

And if both Dong Ling and Wen Han were willing, or both unwilling, then headquarters would consider who was more likely to have a good relationship with the female lead and complete the storyline, and choose one of them.

036: [I’ve seen the reports submitted by the task system, don’t worry, I think no matter what, you two will be together.]

[Thank you.]

Dong Ling was completely relieved, it was the best outcome not to have to break up with Song Mingzhi.

She immediately took a liking to 021’s replacement, because 036 seemed very happy about the female lead and the supporting character being together.

The system could detect the host’s surface thoughts, 036 heard Dong Ling’s thoughts, and replied with a smile: [Because I’m an anti-CP system.]

[They weren’t in love in the first place because there was no spark between them, it’s better to give way to someone more suitable.]

Dong Ling smiled, then from the corner of her eye, she saw Wen Han’s finger move, and immediately looked at the person lying on the bed nervously.

Wen Han’s eyelashes fluttered, he was clearly about to wake up.

“Wen Han? Wen Han?”

Wen Han heard someone calling his name, frowned, and said: “How dare you!”

Which impudent girl dared address him so directly?

Dong Ling was rendered speechless by his words and looked at the man who had opened his eyes, her arms crossed.

Wen Han looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar furnishings in the room, a moment of confusion.

Seeing Dong Ling’s face, it felt like a lifetime ago.

“Dong Ling?”

“It’s me, you’re finally back.”

Wen Han then understood, his expression changing drastically.

“Why did you bring me back? I was about to ascend the throne tomorrow!”

Wen Han almost spat out blood, he had spent eight years in another world, starting as an unfavored prince in the cold palace, painstakingly scheming and maneuvering to gain power, finally controlling the court when the old emperor fell ill, and just as the old emperor finally died and he was about to legitimately ascend the throne, he was brought back?!

“Eight years? But you’ve only been in a coma for a little over a year.”

036 explained: [The flow of time in different worlds is different.]

036: [Now, regarding the matter of taking over the male lead’s script, what are your thoughts?]

Wen Han couldn’t care less about some male lead script involving falling in love with the female lead, his mind was filled with his unfinished business in the other world.

After confirming with the system that he couldn’t go back, Wen Han closed his eyes dejectedly.

Then he quickly opened his eyes again and asked Dong Ling: “I’ve been asleep for over a year, how is my company doing?”

His company was on the rise when he left, now that he, the leader, was gone, things definitely weren’t going as he had hoped.

No, he couldn’t be dejected, he had to work, to build his business empire as soon as possible.

Dong Ling: …………

She wasn’t surprised at all that Wen Han wasn’t interested in the male lead’s script, or any of that “keeping a lover” drama, Wen Han’s heart only had room for work, not celebrities.

036: [Confirmed with headquarters, you’ll be fully taking over the male lead’s script, the task system will adjust its tasks accordingly, please continue your efforts.]

Dong Ling was completely relieved, feeling refreshed.

“I’ll call the nurse for you and inform your parents, Your Majesty, you can put aside your unfinished business in the other world.”

Dong Ling patted Wen Han’s shoulder with mock sympathy.

Brother, truly unfortunate, you’re the expert in undeserved calamities.

Hearing Dong Ling’s address, Wen Han’s expression twisted for a moment.

A knock came at the door, Dong Ling opened it, saw Song Mingzhi, who had arrived, and threw herself into her arms.

“Don’t worry, everything is resolved, I’m the official princess now.”

Dong Ling hugged Song Mingzhi’s waist, comforting her anxious heart.

“That’s good.”

Song Mingzhi, who had been tense since seeing the message, finally relaxed, gently patting Dong Ling’s back.

A difficult-to-ignore gaze fell on her, Song Mingzhi looked over and met Wen Han’s eyes.

This was the first real meeting between the male and female leads in this novel, one looking critical, the other calm.

The male lead said to the female lead, almost as a warning: “Take good care of her, if you bully her, even if you’re a woman, I won’t let you off the hook.”

Wen Han knew Dong Ling’s personality, seemingly smart, but too soft-hearted.

Dong Ling, the former vicious supporting character and current male lead, cringed inwardly at his greasy, domineering CEO aura.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of her.”

Song Mingzhi looked at her originally destined partner and gave a flawless, polite smile.

Dong Ling pressed the nurse call button and then called Mr. and Mrs. Wen. After they arrived in a hurry, she didn’t disturb their family reunion and left the ward with Song Mingzhi.

Song Mingzhi held Dong Ling’s hand as they went downstairs, walking through the crowd.

“Is it still in your head?”

Song Mingzhi secretly hoped that thing was already gone from Dong Ling’s mind, then she could truly be at ease.

Dong Ling nodded: “The fairy godmother is resting, her colleague is here now.”

Although Dong Ling didn’t think about the system when saying this to avoid triggering the restriction, 036 still understood who she was referring to and made a sound.

036: [Fairy godmother, hahahahaha, I’ve decided, I’ll use this as 021’s nickname, just imagining that scene is hilarious.]

036: [Okay, then I won’t disturb your lovey-dovey time, activating silent mode, I’m going to eat lobster, bye.]

After saying this, 036 went silent, clearly having activated silent mode, as free as the wind.

“So there are still tasks, but if they’re all like that three-day cold war task, it doesn’t seem so bad.”

Song Mingzhi said calmly, if Dong Ling didn’t know what she was talking about, she would think she was discussing serious business.

This had nothing to do with serious business, Dong Ling replied shyly: “They should all be like that, after all, this is a sweet romance novel.”

Song Mingzhi’s smile deepened, the girl, unaware of her own teasing, answering seriously with a flushed face, was too cute.

She replied: “Then we have to work hard.”

Although it was a perfectly normal conversation, Dong Ling couldn’t help but look around to see if anyone was listening.

Song Mingzhi turned her head and kissed her forehead.

Open and unreserved, regardless of the people around them.

Dong Ling, feeling her tenderness, intertwined their fingers.

Their cars were both parked near the hospital, but Dong Ling didn’t want this atmosphere to end so soon.

All the worries weighing on her heart had been resolved, the future was bright.

She led Song Mingzhi towards the inpatient department, this was a private hospital, the environment very good, there was a large garden in the inpatient department, enclosed in glass, blocking the cold autumn wind, and in the center of the garden, there was a small moon-shaped lake, as if the moon in the sky had been plucked and placed there.

Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi didn’t talk, just strolled hand in hand, enjoying the moonlight and the fragrance of flowers.

At this moment, in this mood, nothing else mattered.

Chapter 77: More Please – System Awakens

The steam filled the bathroom, and Dong Ling, under Song Mingzhi’s touch, completely crumbled.

She could barely resist Song Mingzhi on a normal day, and a Jiejie armed with sweet nothings and coquettishness? Dong Ling was completely defenseless.

Dong Ling unconsciously pulled out a few strands of Song Mingzhi’s hair, which were now wrapped around her fair fingers, then stuck to her skin with the water droplets.

“Enough… Mingzhi…”

“It’s okay, I’ve finished filming.”

Song Mingzhi had already sobered up somewhat without realizing it, her eyes filled with a gentle smile, like a crescent moon, like a vast galaxy.

Song Mingzhi didn’t have any work scheduled after this, so she didn’t have to wake up early, she could sleep in.

Dong Ling’s voice gradually faded, falling asleep to the cool night outside.

When Dong Ling woke up, it was still dark outside.

She sat up, the quilt sliding down from her arms, revealing the plum blossom-like marks.

“It’s dark… I actually slept for so long…”

Dong Ling’s bones felt weak, she muttered to herself, reached for the phone on her pillow, and saw the time.

3:36 am?

Dong Ling was a little surprised, did she only sleep for a short while?

Dong Ling looked at the date again, October 29th. Song Mingzhi finished filming on October 27th, which meant… she had slept for almost a day!

It was all Song Mingzhi’s fault, her drunk Jiejie was truly too unrestrained.

Dong Ling lay back down, looked at the still sleeping Song Mingzhi, snuggled closer, and enjoyed the quiet intimacy of this moment.

The sleeping Song Mingzhi seemed to sense something and wrapped her arm around Dong Ling’s waist, her fingers unconsciously caressing her waistline for a moment before becoming still again.

Dong Ling had been very well desensitized, if it were before, she would definitely have moved away, but now, apart from trembling slightly, she readily accepted it.

The beautiful woman holding her was soft and fragrant, Dong Ling leaned against her, thinking about things, and unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi packed their things and returned to Beihai, filming was over, there was no need for them to stay there any longer.

Dong Ling had to go back and deal with company matters, and also to meet up with her friends.

Tang Qianxi and Chen Shang Shang still hadn’t reached a conclusion, that coward Chen Shang Shang retreated back into her shell, interacting with Tang Qianxi as a couple, but not wanting to come out yet.

Tang Qianxi didn’t want to pressure her, so she didn’t bring it up, just taking things one day at a time.

As for the people she and Song Mingzhi sent to Luo City, they hadn’t found anything of value either.

Although Zhong Zhong was born in Luo City, her parents weren’t locals, but from another city, as for which city, it was difficult to find out, the old neighbors’ memories were vague, they only remembered them saying they were from a coastal city, but not the specific location.

The trail went cold, there were so many coastal cities, finding them was like searching for a needle in a haystack, and Zhong Zhong’s parents didn’t have the surname Song, but Zhong, making it even more difficult to investigate.

Dong Ling was a little discouraged, but Song Mingzhi remained calm.

“It’s not easy to find lost relatives, and you said I’m the core of the story, so according to the plot, we’ll definitely find some clues.”

Song Mingzhi would try her best to search, but if she couldn’t find them, it wouldn’t become an obsession, she already had love and care in her life, her wandering soul had found a place to anchor.

“Yes!”

Dong Ling nodded, she also believed that if this was a novel, the female lead’s background couldn’t possibly remain a mystery.

She just didn’t know when the next part of the plot would be unlocked, the 10% progress from filming should be awarded after the movie was released, adding that, the main storyline progress would be 80%.

But she didn’t know what would happen later, and Dong Ling didn’t want to worry about unknown future events, she would deal with the matters at hand first.

Dong Ling was currently living at Song Mingzhi’s place, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with living together, she packed her things and moved into Song Mingzhi’s house, filling the empty spaces in her closet with her own clothes.

As for her family, Dong Ling didn’t tell them she was living with her girlfriend. Although she didn’t think coming out would be difficult, she didn’t want her parents to think Song Mingzhi was being improper, it was better to wait until a more appropriate time to meet her parents.

Dong Ling arranged a time to meet up with her friends and started choosing clothes and putting on makeup.

It was late autumn now, and Beihai was quite cold, Dong Ling chose a blue-gray knitted cardigan and a skirt, and after finishing her makeup, she looked at herself in the mirror and then knocked on the door of Song Mingzhi’s study.

She now knew that Song Mingzhi wasn’t an unknown, insignificant actress, but a capable businesswoman with her own career, so when Song Mingzhi was in her study, Dong Ling rarely disturbed her.

“Mingzhi, I’m going out now, I might be back late tonight.”

Dong Ling poked her head into the room to inform her girlfriend of her plans.

Song Mingzhi looked up and, seeing her girlfriend’s beautiful face, said: “Have fun.”

But her gaze shifted downwards, her smile fading slightly, she beckoned to Dong Ling.

“Baby, come here.”

Dong Ling was wearing a V-neck cardigan, and as she bent down, the scenery was clearly visible to Song Mingzhi.

Dong Ling walked in, a little puzzled, and saw Song Mingzhi take a scarf from the side and wrap it around Dong Ling’s neck.

“It’s cold outside, stay warm.”

Dong Ling’s face flushed, she nodded, kissed Song Mingzhi’s cheek, and left like a happy little bird.

After Dong Ling left, a teasing voice came from the computer, which had been silent.

“Baby~ Stay warm~”

“Ji Yiling, speak properly.”

Song Mingzhi looked at her friend’s imitation and couldn’t help but say.

“What, I can’t even imitate after hearing it? Lao Song, you’re truly sickeningly sweet, so gentle and tender, hahahaha.”

“That’s what people in love are like.”

Song Mingzhi’s words were calm, but the damage was immense.

Ji Yiling’s smile disappeared, and she continued discussing work matters with a sullen mood.

While Song Mingzhi was dealing critical blows to others, Dong Ling was receiving them.

Chen Shang Shang originally wanted to pretend in front of Dong Ling, after all, she only said that a girl was pursuing her, she didn’t say who it was, so she specifically told Tang Qianxi not to reveal it before coming, but Tang Qianxi ruthlessly exposed the truth.

Chen Shang Shang was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole and didn’t dare see Dong Ling, but she was still dragged here by Tang Qianxi. On the way, Chen Shang Shang had already adjusted her mentality, so when Dong Ling arrived, the two of them were acting all lovey-dovey.

“Ling Ling, want to try that restaurant? The food there is quite good, I had their couple’s set menu with my baby last time.”

“Couple’s milk tea is half price, baby, do you want one?”

“Ling Ling, do you like the new Chanel bag? My baby just bought it for me, do you want to try it on and see if you want to buy one?”

Calling her “bad woman” before they got together, and “baby” after.

This was unbearable, Dong Ling said with a smile: “Chen Shang Shang, I still remember the note you wrote, can you tell me what that mixed Chinese and English word and that… indescribable piece of clothing meant?”

Chen Shang Shang immediately shrunk back, hiding behind Tang Qianxi and covering her face with Tang Qianxi’s clothes.

Dong Ling pinched Chen Shang Shang’s hair: “Okay, stop messing around, let’s go eat.”

Dong Ling knew that Chen Shang Shang wasn’t deliberately showing off, but that was just her personality, she couldn’t contain herself, knowing that she knew about them, she was just being unrestrained.

Tang Qianxi pulled her girlfriend out and teased: “If you’re really that embarrassed, I can buy you a mask.”

“Get lost.”

Seeing that Dong Ling didn’t mention the embarrassing incident again, Chen Shang Shang coughed lightly, her confidence restored, and she became lively again.

The three of them often went out together in the past, but this was the first time Dong Ling felt the intense glare of being a third wheel.

The atmosphere of friendship and romance were different. Dong Ling didn’t stay long, seeing that they were doing well, she left, her girlfriend was waiting for her at home, she didn’t want to be a lightbulb.

On her way back, Dong Ling passed by Nanjia Hospital, and after thinking about it, she decided to visit Wen Han, it had been a while since her last visit.

Dong Ling entered the ward after entering the passcode, Wen Han was still the same, sleeping quietly.

His condition was actually much worse than before, after all, after lying down for so long, his muscles had atrophied to varying degrees, even though the medical staff diligently massaged him every day, but he was always lying down, he couldn’t be the same as a normal person.

Around this time a year ago, after visiting him, she was bound by the system.

Now the system was dormant, she didn’t know when it would wake up, and neither did he.

The autumn wind outside the window swept the fallen leaves, hitting the windowpane with a desolate chill, Dong Ling looked at Wen Han for a while, then prepared to leave.

Just as she was about to go, a sharp ringing sound came from her head, similar to tinnitus, but different, accompanied by a dizzy spell, Dong Ling grabbed a nearby chair to steady herself, barely avoiding falling to the floor.

What was happening?

Dong Ling held her head, intending to press the nurse call button by the bed and have someone come check on her.

Before she could touch it, the sound in her head disappeared, replaced by a familiar voice.

[Girl! I’m awake!]

Still that damn greasy feeling.

[It’s just a side effect of rebooting, it’s fine, it’ll be over soon.]

Dong Ling was relieved, she sat down on the chair, and the dizziness gradually subsided, making her feel much better.

021: [Did you miss me while I was dormant… aaaaaaaaa… how is it 70%?! And there’s another 10% pending! My god! Girl, you’re amazing!]

Talk about a surprise, 021 didn’t expect to see such exciting main storyline progress upon waking up from its deep sleep.

Dong Ling: [I completed some tasks, thank you, 021.]

021: [What are you thanking me for? Protecting the host is my duty!]

[Waaaaaaa!]

021 suddenly let out an even more excited sound: [Signal received! I can contact headquarters!]

021 cried tears of joy, after so long, it could finally contact headquarters, it was no longer a lost child!

Dong Ling’s smile faded slightly, she gripped her phone with a serious expression, and sent a message to her girlfriend.

Song Mingzhi, who was at home, saw her phone screen light up, and seeing the message, immediately prepared to leave.

[Baby]: The fairy godmother is awake, she has contacted Fairyland, I’ll wait for you in Wen Han’s ward.

Chapter 76: More Please – I Like All of You

Even though her DNA was activated, now wasn’t the time.

Dong Ling’s stomach was still rumbling, the desensitized areas were still swollen, too much of a good thing was a bad thing, it was better to dismiss such thoughts.

But she still couldn’t bring herself to call Song Mingzhi “Jiejie,” strangely shy, unable to open her mouth, even though she had called her that so naturally in that situation.

Song Mingzhi was just teasing Dong Ling, seeing her flushed face, she smiled and fed her another spoonful of porridge.

She knew her little girlfriend was thin-skinned and loved her reactions when being teased.

Chen Shang Shang sent a “Lost in thought” emoji and didn’t reply. Dong Ling knew Chen Shang Shang was probably thinking, so she didn’t interrupt her train of thought and asked Song Mingzhi the question she was most concerned about.

“Is Zhong Zhong related to you?”

Song Mingzhi nodded: “The results took a little longer than I expected that day, based on the DNA sequence comparison, we are related, she should be a close relative, perhaps a cousin.”

This result was a little disappointing to Dong Ling, but a clue was better than nothing.

“Then we can find clues by investigating Zhong Zhong’s parents.”

Seeing her girlfriend’s slightly brightened eyes, Song Mingzhi gestured for her to open her mouth and eat the porridge, then continued: “I’ve already investigated, but the trail seems to have gone cold.”

“Zhong Zhong was born in Luo City, her father was an ordinary office worker, her mother owned a flower shop. When she was about ten, her father had an accident, and her mother’s shop closed down due to poor business. Two years later, her mother remarried and took her to Hengyan, but her mother passed away from illness not long after, and she lived with her stepfather.”

“Her stepfather didn’t care much about her, he provided for her until she turned eighteen and then kicked her out, so she didn’t continue her studies after graduating from high school. She entered the entertainment industry because she could make money, and she was also interested in singing and dancing. Because of her looks, even though she didn’t have much money, Dream Machine still signed her for training, and then you signed her.”

Two paragraphs summarized Zhong Zhong’s upbringing.

“I wanted to investigate her mother first, but her stepfather sold their house and left, he didn’t return to his hometown, his whereabouts are unknown. As for her mother, the neighbors didn’t have much of an impression of her, they only knew she came from Luo City and could cook some dishes from there.”

“I’ve already sent people to Luo City to look for the places Zhong Zhong remembers, they just arrived, there haven’t been any leads yet.”

“Yes, we’ll definitely find some clues, whether it’s Zhong Zhong’s father or mother, and then we can trace further back, I’ll help.”

Dong Ling placed her hand on Song Mingzhi’s knee, gently squeezing it, and gave her a sweet smile.

Although she wasn’t familiar with Luo City, she had money and connections, Zhong Zhong’s parents were ordinary people, there shouldn’t be anything hidden, so she could definitely find something.

“Although she’s not your biological sister, you’re still related, I’ll ask her if she wants to go back to school, I’ll take care of our little sister.”

Dong Ling thought of the plot in the original novel, although she didn’t know which company Zhong Zhong signed with, it definitely wasn’t a good one, having Zhong Zhong use her resemblance to the female lead to gain popularity, sending her to parties and social events, Dong Ling wouldn’t let those things happen.

And Zhong Zhong’s face, her agent had taken her to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor said it wasn’t a medical issue, it was most likely caused by her upbringing.

Knowing about her past now, Dong Ling could only sigh inwardly.

“Baby, you’re so kind.”

Song Mingzhi put down the food in her hand, sighed, and kissed Dong Ling’s lips.

She loved the natural kindness in Dong Ling’s words, loved the inclusive “us” she used.

She loved her pure and kind soul, like a lustrous pearl, shining amidst the grit.

Dong Ling let her kiss her obediently, then after a while, raised a white flag.

“No…”

Dong Ling pushed Song Mingzhi away with difficulty, if this continued, the already swollen areas would become even more so.

“If the fairy godmother could give us some hints, it would be great, then we wouldn’t have to search for so long.”

Dong Ling said breathlessly, she really hoped the task system could unlock the next part of the plot soon, it would be much easier for Song Mingzhi to find her family.

Song Mingzhi just smiled gently at her lover, hoping the so-called fairy godmother would stay dormant for a little longer.

“Are you still uncomfortable? Do you need me to apply some medicine?”

Song Mingzhi held Dong Ling’s wrist and asked softly.

Dong Ling looked at the bite marks on Song Mingzhi’s wrist, coughed lightly, but still nodded calmly.

Her senses were more sensitive than ordinary people, whether it was pleasure or pain, so her desensitization therapy had gone a little out of control, the sheets on the bed weren’t the same as yesterday’s.

In a way, she really was in a fairy tale.

Not Cinderella, but the Princess and the Pea.

Jiejie wanted to help her apply medicine, and Dong Ling readily cooperated.

But as she applied the medicine, the situation gradually became more… poetic.

The moonlight was bright, perfect for Zhang Ruoxu’s “Spring River Flower Moon Night.”

Not just the spring river tide connecting with the sea level, and the bright moon rising with the tide, but also the winding river flowing through the fragrant fields.

The next day, Dong Ling contacted Zhong Zhong and asked if she wanted to continue her studies.

Zhong Zhong’s eyes lit up hearing this, although her face was still expressionless, Dong Ling could sense her excitement.

“Is that really possible, CEO Dong? I’ll study hard.”

Zhong Zhong actually knew that she didn’t have much musical talent, just average, and if possible, she still wanted to study.

“Of course, I’ll have someone arrange a new school for you, and we can sign another contract, a termination contract, you just focus on your studies.”

Dong Ling sympathized with Zhong Zhong’s situation, what Song Mingzhi told her yesterday was what Zhong Zhong herself said, but Song Mingzhi had actually investigated and found something else.

Zhong Zhong’s grades in high school were actually quite good, but she was bullied in her senior year, ostracized and isolated. Her difficult living situation and naturally expressionless face and quiet personality made it even worse, her grades plummeted, she didn’t get into a good university, and chose not to continue her studies.

Zhong Zhong didn’t mention any of this, she seemed to be used to enduring hardship, facing the world with her quiet demeanor, but Dong Ling felt that children should have a happy childhood.

Zhong Zhong was silent for a moment, then said dejectedly: “Thank you, CEO Dong.”

“Don’t be so formal, after all, we’re practically family, and this was all arranged with your Song Jie’s support, she originally planned to arrange it herself, but I said you’re with my company, and her sister is my sister, so of course I have to take care of you, and you don’t have to call me CEO Dong, just call me Sister Ling.”

Dong Ling realized that Song Mingzhi, despite her perceptiveness, wasn’t very good with children.

Although they were technically sisters, Zhong Zhong was nineteen, and Song Mingzhi was twenty-nine, plus their different life experiences, there was a huge gap between them.

Zhong Zhong was a quiet child, not very expressive, and didn’t intend to take advantage of this possible connection, Song Mingzhi didn’t know how to talk to her either.

“Thank you, Sister Ling.”

Zhong Zhong bowed formally, cherishing this unexpected blessing.

“I’ll have Yuki take you back to Beihai later, and you can sign the termination contract then, you can choose to live on campus or at home, your Song Jie and I will arrange everything, don’t worry about troubling me, your Song Jie is busy with work, you can contact me or Yuki if you can’t reach her.”

Dong Ling felt like a responsible older sister, looking at the girl with loving eyes.

She told Song Mingzhi, who had just returned from filming, about her arrangements and thoughts, and Song Mingzhi chuckled beside her.

“Then I’ve truly found a virtuous wife, it seems we have to get married soon, with all the proper ceremonies.”

Song Mingzhi had been filming a historical drama, her words sounded a bit archaic.

“But we’ve already consummated our marriage in the movie, we’ll just have to make up the wedding ceremony later.”

Song Mingzhi nibbled on Dong Ling’s delicate earlobe, leaving a faint red mark.

“I’m already yours, even without a wedding ceremony.”

Same-sex marriage was still in the experimental stage, but Dong Ling believed that day would come.

What was important between two people wasn’t a piece of paper, although it was indeed important, but it couldn’t completely bind two hearts together, only love and responsibility were the strongest bonds.

Lovers in the honeymoon phase were hopeless, Dong Ling didn’t even return to Beihai, staying at Song Mingzhi’s place, even handling work remotely as much as possible, only rushing back when she needed to sign physical documents.

Song Mingzhi’s filming didn’t last long either, and at the end of October, “The Legend of Liang Jin’an” wrapped up filming.

Dong Ling didn’t attend the wrap party, but waited for Song Mingzhi to return and cut a celebratory cake for her.

Song Mingzhi had quite a bit to drink at the party tonight, losing her usual restraint, her elegant and composed face tinged with a childlike innocence.

She hugged Dong Ling, acting coquettishly, asking her baby to take a bath with her.

How could Dong Ling refuse? She instantly became a love-struck fool, being pulled into the bathroom by Song Mingzhi.

She originally thought she could take advantage of the drunk Song Mingzhi, but she didn’t expect that even a drunk Song Mingzhi couldn’t be taken advantage of.

Song Mingzhi held the showerhead, spraying Dong Ling with water.

As warm as the water was Song Mingzhi’s embrace, even through the fabric of their clothes, she could feel her body temperature and heartbeat.

“Ling Ling, I like you.”

Song Mingzhi smiled, her voice soft.

Song Mingzhi was usually eloquent and had high EQ, but facing someone close to her, she became reserved.

She rarely directly told Dong Ling she liked her, but expressed it through her actions, her dependence, and her words of affection, in her world, actions spoke louder than words.

Dong Ling often heard her say sweet things, but they were always subtle and implicit, revealing her love inadvertently.

But the drunk Song Mingzhi, without any verbal embellishment, was completely honest and straightforward, like the sun, like the stars.

“I like your eyes.”

She kissed the corners of Dong Ling’s eyes.

“I like your nose.”

She kissed the tip of Dong Ling’s nose.

“I like your lips.”

…………

“I like all of you.”

She loved her crescent moon-like eyes, her soft and sweet lips, her pure and gentle heart, her clear and firm choices, and her rose-like soul.

“I want to watch the stars with you… no…”

Dong Ling shook her head at Song Mingzhi, then cupped her face and said seriously: “I want to watch you with the stars.”

The sweetness of wine mingled in their mouths, in her daze, Dong Ling couldn’t tell who was drunk.

Chapter 75: More Please – Desensitization Therapy Part 2

“Mingzhi, it’s done, the new ‘hamster’ has arrived, I’m coming over!”

“Hamster” was their code word for “task.” As long as Dong Ling didn’t associate it with tasks in her mind, she could say it smoothly.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Song Mingzhi chuckled and started checking her nails and applying hand cream.

Everything had to be perfect, the girl’s skin was delicate, she couldn’t accidentally scratch her.

Dong Ling’s heart raced all the way there.

At the door, she practiced looking angry.

She had to follow the task system’s instructions to the letter, otherwise, if the task system deemed her attitude not angry enough and the task failed, it would be a disaster, this was 13%, practically the highest reward besides the initial contract.

The task system started playing the designated lines in her mind, Dong Ling feigned anger and started reciting them.

“Give me an explanation, why have you been ignoring me these past few days? Why were there rumors about you with someone else, and you didn’t even bother explaining? Don’t you forget our relationship!”

Dong Ling wanted to push Song Mingzhi onto the bed, but she couldn’t budge her, so she quickly winked at Song Mingzhi.

Song Mingzhi, wearing casual clothes, cooperated and fell onto the bed.

Her loose clothes shifted with the movement, revealing part of her collarbone, her fair skin and the inadvertently displayed mature feminine charm made Dong Ling’s mouth go dry, she inexplicably felt a surge of genuine anger.

“Listen carefully, Song Mingzhi, you can only be my woman, no other random people can get close to you.”

Dong Ling knelt beside Song Mingzhi, imitating the posture she had imagined, and said with a haughty expression.

“From the moment I saw you, you were destined to be mine.”

Dong Ling could barely maintain her arrogance, she could only cry for help at these lines.

Song Mingzhi looked at Dong Ling’s faltering arrogance and slightly distorted expression, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Her baby was so cute.

Seeing Dong Ling glare at her, she immediately raised her hands in surrender, as an experienced actress, she had broken character.

“Yes, I’m yours.”

Song Mingzhi wrapped her arms around Dong Ling’s waist, her eyes filled with affectionate laughter.

Her beautiful features, with their fatal charm, struck Dong Ling’s heart.

But no matter how flustered she was, Dong Ling still had to finish her lines.

Unlike Song Mingzhi’s current cooperation, the female lead in the original novel wasn’t so compliant, fortunately, the connecting lines weren’t too awkward.

Dong Ling looked at Song Mingzhi and said: “You can only be mine.”

She meant these words, she wanted Song Mingzhi to belong only to her.

Who cared about the “hamster” and the 13% now? This was a warm breeze that further ignited their passion.

Dong Ling was wearing a light purple dress today, the color complementing her fair skin, even now, hanging loosely and bunched up, it still looked beautiful.

Song Mingzhi wasn’t in a hurry, she was an experienced hunter, patient in everything she did.

But her girlfriend’s constitution wasn’t very good, and soon, her eyes were filled with tears.

Outside the window was the city in autumn, looking somewhat desolate in the cool weather, but not in the eyes of lovers, the captivating heat could change the very seasons.

Dong Ling was supposed to be acting angry, but she couldn’t keep up the pretense at this time.

She was very ticklish, couldn’t stand being touched, and even with Song Mingzhi, she was struggling to endure.

The tingling sensation seemed to emanate from beneath her skin, a sensitivity that couldn’t be alleviated by scratching, the spreading numbness making Dong Ling go limp.

Fragmented thoughts flashed through her mind, their meanings elusive, she was afraid of this unfamiliar feeling, instinctively wanting to protect herself, to escape.

She repeated the name that brought her comfort, whispering: “Song Mingzhi.”

Over and over again, intertwined and merging.

“Don’t be afraid, Ling Ling, there’s a term called desensitization.”

Desensitization was a medical term, Baidu Encyclopedia defined it as a method for treating hypersensitivity reactions caused by certain allergens, by repeatedly injecting small amounts of allergens within a short period, the active mediators in sensitized cells would be depleted until exhaustion.

“This is the allergen.”

Song Mingzhi moved her fingers, in the warm light, her fingers seemed to glow faintly, with a rich fragrance.

Song Mingzhi was a meticulous person with a science background, her experiment scores in high school were always perfect, she was very precise with the ratio of materials, and had strict control over the tolerance of experimental subjects, even if this was an experimental subject she had never studied before, a flower.

For Dong Ling, this was even more intoxicating than several bottles of alcohol.

The distorted lines of the room swayed, filled with Song Mingzhi’s traces.

The flowers of April have faded, but the peach blossoms in the mountain temple are just beginning to bloom. (A poem by Bai Juyi, often used to describe a late bloomer)

It turned out that desensitization therapy was indeed effective, especially desensitization for love.

Dong Ling’s hair was thick and dark, like seaweed, her eyes tinged with a faint red, her dark hair and red lips, like a captivating siren.

Her sea was gentle, embracing the explorer, the waves crashing against the rocks, carried by the wind to the shore, the ebb and flow leaving traces on the sand.

[Task complete, current main storyline progress: 70%.]

Quantitative change leading to qualitative change, an eternal truth.

Dong Ling ignored the unromantic system notification, but felt an unusual sense of ease and joy.

Song Mingzhi’s gentleness and restraint were evident in every aspect, this was probably one of the characteristics of a mature lover.

“Why is there lemonade by the bed?”

Dong Ling saw a pitcher of lemonade on the nightstand and asked curiously.

Her voice was languid, Song Mingzhi brushed aside the dark hair clinging to her arm, wiped the light sweat from her forehead, and poured her a glass of water.

“I was worried you would be thirsty.”

Song Mingzhi fed Dong Ling the water, it wasn’t that she was being overly concerned, she didn’t want Dong Ling to end up in the hospital due to dehydration, although this reason was absurd and the probability very low, Song Mingzhi still felt it was better to be prepared.

Dong Ling swallowed the lemonade, and after drinking a glass, she did feel much better.

Dong Ling originally thought it was time to cuddle with her girlfriend and make up for the past few days of separation, but Song Mingzhi was being mischievous.

“Baby, we’ve been apart for three days, we just started dating, I missed you so much these past few days.”

Who could resist Song Mingzhi whispering “baby” in their ear? Dong Ling lay back down.

The disadvantage of an experienced, older lover was evident at this moment, a heart of stone, unmoved.

Only when Dong Ling finally had the word “Jiejie” etched into her DNA did this longing finally end.

Dong Ling slept for a very long time, and only woke up the next evening, her muscles aching, staring blankly into space.

She was tired of saying the words “absolutely not.”

Wearily getting up to wash up, Dong Ling collapsed on the sofa, there was a glass of water prepared on the table, Dong Ling gulped down two glasses, briefly feeling alive again.

Song Mingzhi wasn’t lying, her wrist strength was truly very good.

Dong Ling thought she wasn’t bad either, all those years of yoga were indeed effective, but this desensitization was a bit too much, she felt like her health bar was almost empty.

There was a note on the table left by Song Mingzhi, the intimate address making Dong Ling blush.

Dong Ling giggled for a while, then patted her cheeks to wake herself up.

She didn’t ask her assistant to order food, although she was physically exhausted, she wasn’t very hungry.

She was still thinking about the results of Song Mingzhi and Zhong Zhong’s DNA test, she had wanted to ask yesterday, but was distracted by Song Mingzhi.

Song Mingzhi finished work at eleven o’clock and immediately left the set.

Yu Shuangwei originally wanted to discuss some acting issues with Song Mingzhi, but when she turned around, Song Mingzhi was already gone, unprecedentedly eager to leave work.

Song Mingzhi quickly changed her clothes, took down her hair, and returned to the hotel with her stage makeup still on.

“Did she ask you to bring any food?”

Song Mingzhi asked Xiao Tan, who shook her head. Song Mingzhi then bought some seafood porridge on her way back and entered the room.

The girl was wearing her shirt, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, scrolling through Weibo, her hair tied back in a bun, revealing her slender neck, the red marks on it conspicuous.

The corners of Song Mingzhi’s lips curved upwards, she placed the food on the table.

“When did you wake up? Why didn’t you ask Xiao Tan to bring you some food?”

“I just woke up, I’m not very hungry.”

Dong Ling said this, but she opened the bag and the container.

“Then I’ll go remove my makeup.”

Song Mingzhi ruffled Dong Ling’s hair and went into the bathroom.

Her face was still covered by a mask, she was a little self-conscious in front of her little girlfriend.

After all, stage makeup was meant to be paired with costumes, it wouldn’t match her current casual clothes and hairstyle, and she had been filming all day, she didn’t want her girlfriend to see her makeup melting or caking.

Dong Ling nodded, eating the hot porridge while chatting with Tang Qianxi, asking how she was doing.

It had been three days since Tang Qianxi went to find Chen Shang Shang, Tang Qianxi occasionally sent her short messages, seemingly reluctant to tell her what happened, and Chen Shang Shang, she probably thought she was still in the dark.

[Tang Qianxi]: The revolution has not yet succeeded, I’m still working on it.

Dong Ling could only reply with a “Jiayou,” and then decided to see what Chen Shang Shang’s attitude was, in this relationship, the main obstacle came from Chen Shang Shang, so whether Chen Shang Shang was firm in her decision was more important.

[Dong Ling]: Shang Shang, what are you doing? Have you eaten?

[Chen Shang Shang]: Ling Ling, it’s already past eleven, why are you only eating now?

[Dong Ling]: I woke up late, are you still out of town?

[Chen Shang Shang]: About to go back, sigh.

[Dong Ling]: What’s wrong? Are you troubled by something? I feel like you haven’t been in a good mood lately.

The specific manifestation of Chen Shang Shang’s bad mood was that she stopped posting on her WeChat Moments, even rarely posting funny pictures.

[Chen Shang Shang]: I am a little troubled, I have a friend…

[Chen Shang Shang]: Forget it, that friend is me.

[Chen Shang Shang]: Ling Ling, I’m being pursued by a girl, and I happen to like her too, she’s very special to me, but I’m afraid to come out, what should I do?

[Dong Ling]: It’s normal to be afraid, after all, this society isn’t very tolerant, I think whether or not to come out is your decision, but you have to be sure that you won’t regret your choice, be prepared to take on the risks, and most importantly, trust each other, and face it together.

[Dong Ling]: Of course, I don’t mean coming out together, but facing the consequences together, then even if there are unpleasantries, you’ll remember that you did this because you like her, not because she changed everything.

This was Dong Ling’s current mentality, she wanted to hold onto the person she cherished.

Footsteps approached, Song Mingzhi, wearing a bathrobe, sat down beside Dong Ling, looked at the half-eaten porridge, and rubbed her belly.

“Why did you only eat so little?”

“I was chatting with a friend, I wasn’t focused on eating.”

Dong Ling immediately self-criticized, picked up her spoon and continued eating, placing her phone on the table, waiting for Chen Shang Shang’s reply.

“Then let me feed you.”

Song Mingzhi took the spoon from Dong Ling’s hand, so she could use her hands to reply to messages.

Dong Ling swallowed a mouthful of porridge and sighed with mock distress: “Mingzhi, you’ll really spoil me rotten like this.”

“Why don’t you call me Jiejie anymore?” Song Mingzhi put the tip of the spoon in her mouth, licked it, and raised an eyebrow, “Tastes good.”

Dong Ling’s DNA moved. (Activated)