Green Tea Villainess Fails 59

Chapter 59

The fervent emotion conveyed through the kiss sent shivers down Zuo Bian’s spine. She blinked, wanting to ask Qin Ai what was wrong, but Qin Ai didn’t give her the chance.

Seeing the photos had indeed ignited a fire in Qin Ai’s heart, but not one of anger.

By the time Qin Ai’s fire was extinguished, the sky outside had completely darkened.

“Did anything happen during the recording today?” Qin Ai asked softly, buttoning Zuo Bian’s shirt with downcast eyes.

Zuo Bian’s lips were swollen from the kiss, and her beautiful eyes glistened with moisture.

“Yes, I ran into Lu Letian. He said he likes someone, and I think it’s Miss Chang. Also, Lu Letian was acting strange, like…” Zuo Bian searched for the right words to describe Lu Letian’s behavior but couldn’t find any suitable adjectives.

【Like a scheming little bitch, just like those vicious female antagonists in novels who pretend to be weak and innocent.】How did 555 know this so well?

Because it had just received a notification. The rival package it had purchased was a discounted, out-of-season product that had expired yesterday. Coincidentally, its product code was the same as the upcoming “scheming bitch” package, resulting in a malfunction in the rival package today.

Instead of using 555’s description, Zuo Bian said, “He was acting very fragile, not like his usual self. He was speaking like a young girl.”

“Oh?” Qin Ai raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Tell me more.”

Zuo Bian recounted the events that had transpired between her, Lu Letian, and Chang Wensi. Qin Ai shook her head and chuckled after hearing her story.

“Let them be. Let’s go eat. What do you want for dinner tonight?”

Zuo Bian thought for a moment. “Noodles. I’m craving noodles today.”

“Mm.”

The saying “Those involved are blind, while bystanders see clearly” was very apt in this situation, especially for Chang Wensi and Lu Letian. Qin Ai had grown up with them, and although they always bickered, there was a different kind of energy between them.

Chang Wensi, the little chili pepper, was always picky, thinking no one was good enough for her. Lu Letian, despite his love for beautiful women, was probably still a virgin. They were just two clueless fools.

==============

After dinner with Qin Ai, Zuo Bian was driven home. As the car stopped, she remembered the gift she had bought for Qin Ai but hadn’t given her yet.

“Qin Ai, are you free tomorrow? I have something for you.” She said while unbuckling her seatbelt.

Qin Ai, still holding the steering wheel, turned to look at Zuo Bian. “I’m free. But tomorrow isn’t a special day. Why do you suddenly want to give me a gift?”

Zuo Bian smiled. “It’s not a special day, but I saw something and thought you might like it, so I bought it.”

Qin Ai was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Mm, okay. I’m looking forward to your gift.”

“Qin Ai.”

“Mm?”

Zuo Bian cupped Qin Ai’s face and kissed her lips. “This is your goodnight kiss.”

Qin Ai couldn’t help but smile.

“See you tomorrow!” Zuo Bian quickly opened the car door and got out.

Qin Ai watched as Zuo Bian entered the Zuo family home. It felt like she had a sweet candy dissolving in her mouth, leaving a lingering sweetness.

“Goodnight,” she murmured, then drove away.

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That night, episodes three and four of “Ascending to Immortality” aired. The plot continued to be engaging and well-paced, attracting even more viewers. The discussion surrounding the drama continued to grow.

Zuo Bian’s character was very likable, gaining her countless fans. After falling for a celebrity, fans always wanted to know more about them, watching their interviews and looking at their photos repeatedly.

However, Zuo Bian was a very mysterious celebrity. Her only work so far was “Ascending to Immortality,” and the only photos of her were from the press conference.

The only variety show she had appeared on was “Happy Camp,” which hadn’t aired yet.

When the casting for “Ascending to Immortality” was first announced, people had already started digging into Zuo Bian’s background. Now that the drama was airing and she was gaining popularity, even more people were trying to find out more about her.

But no matter how hard they tried, Zuo Bian remained a mystery. They could only find out that she was a 21-year-old female, 167cm tall. They couldn’t even find out her weight.

Some people speculated that “Zuo Bian” was just a stage name, which was why they couldn’t find any information about her real identity. Who would name their child “Left Side(Zuo Bian)”?

However, the truth was, “Zuo Bian” was her real name, given to her by her mother, Du Yundong.

Du Yundong, still feeling unsatisfied after watching the drama, went online and saw people questioning Zuo Bian’s name.

“Sigh, I’m not very good at naming,” she said, shaking her head and sighing.

Zuo Yuan, sitting beside her, was holding the remote, replaying “Ascending to Immortality.” He was planning to watch it again before going to bed.

“Mom, then why did you name Xiao Bian that?” he asked.

Du Yundong put down her phone. “When Xiao Bian was born, the nurse placed her on my left side. I thought, your father’s surname is Zuo (Left), why not name her Zuo Bian (Left Side)?”

Zuo Yuan was so shocked by this simple fact that he almost dropped the remote. “What?”

He was so surprised that his accent even changed.

Du Yundong was a little embarrassed. She coughed. “A name is just a symbol.”

“Mom, then why am I called Zuo Yuan (Left Edge)?”

“Mom, Brother, I’m home.” At that moment, Zuo Bian arrived home and saw her mother and brother watching TV on the sofa.

Seeing Zuo Bian, Du Yundong immediately got up and greeted her. “Xiao Bian, you’re back! Did Xiao Qin drive you home again? Why didn’t you invite her in?”

“Xiao Bian, have you eaten dinner? Do you want Brother to make you some late-night snacks?” Zuo Yuan was even more motherly than their actual mother.

Zuo Bian shook her head. “I ate before coming back, I’m not hungry.”

“You must be tired after recording all day, Xiao Bian. Go get some rest.” Du Yundong patted Zuo Bian’s back.

Zuo Bian was indeed tired, but not from recording the show. It was from the car ride. She nodded and said to Du Yundong and Zuo Yuan, “Mom, Brother, you should also go to bed early.”

After Zuo Bian left, Zuo Yuan continued to ask, “Mom, how did you come up with my name? You haven’t told me yet.”

Du Yundong sat back down. “About that… I forgot.”

“Hmm???” Zuo Yuan felt like he wasn’t the product of his parents’ love, but a kidney stone.

A commercial played during the replay. Zuo Yuan wanted to skip it, but Du Yundong stopped him.

“Don’t skip it, let’s watch it,” she said.

Zuo Yuan understood why his mother didn’t want to skip the commercial.

It was a commercial starring their Xiao Bian! Zuo Bian, with a fresh peach makeup look, was holding a bottle of peach soda, frolicking in a peach-colored world.

“As expected of our Xiao Bian, she looks good no matter what.” Du Yundong praised Zuo Bian, grabbing the remote from Zuo Yuan and replaying the commercial.

Zuo Yuan also watched the commercial with interest. The two of them almost dissected the commercial frame by frame. Later, their father joined them.

Zuo Bian’s peach soda commercial immediately caught the attention of netizens. Some people who disliked her criticized her for exploiting her fans by endorsing anything just because she was gaining popularity.

They claimed that AB Beverage was a brand they had never heard of before, probably a shady company that was spending money on advertising to gain recognition.

However, someone did some digging and discovered that AB Beverage was actually a subsidiary of Qin Group, not some unknown shady brand.

There were already rumors about Zuo Bian being kept by a wealthy sponsor, and the rumors claimed that the sponsor was the CEO of Qin Group. “Ascending to Immortality” had investments from Qin Group, and now Zuo Bian was endorsing a product from their subsidiary. It was hard not to make the connection.

Qin Ai was not a public figure, and her information was well protected. People didn’t know that the CEO of Qin Group was a young and beautiful woman. They automatically imagined her as a fat, middle-aged man with a beer belly.

The entertainment industry was full of slander and fabricated stories. Zuo Bian’s first drama was a hit, and many people were jealous, wanting to bring her down. Internet trolls tried to spread rumors, but they discovered that their accounts were automatically banned whenever they posted anything negative about Zuo Bian.

The reason was simple: a mysterious financial force was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

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At night, Zuo Bian’s AB Beverage commercial started playing on the busiest billboards in the city.

Zuo Bian’s image was excellent. Her face alone was enough to capture people’s attention, not to mention that the drama she was starring in, “Ascending to Immortality,” was on its way to becoming a huge hit.

“Peach soda? It looks pretty good.”

“Isn’t that Zuo Bian, the female lead of ‘Ascending to Immortality’? I haven’t watched tonight’s episodes yet. I wonder if Chen Xiang will be able to get the Miaofa Heart Sutra.”

*Miaofa* : (Buddhism) marvellous law of Buddha; profound Buddhist doctrine or power*

A man in a black hat walked through the crowd, glancing up at the giant billboard. His face was illuminated by the faint streetlights.

If Zuo Bian were here, she would definitely recognize him. He was the Demon Lord from her previous world, the man who had killed her.

It was unclear if he just looked exactly the same or if he was the same person.

The man took out a phone from his black trench coat and dialed a number labeled “Master.”

“Master, I’ve found the hundredth sacrifice.”

The person on the other end of the line sat in a dark room, her slender fingers tapping lightly on the wooden table, each tap echoing in the man’s heart.

“Don’t make any rash moves yet.”

“Yes, Master.” The man replied respectfully.

In Zuo Bian’s room, Little Frog, who had been watching TV with 555, suddenly rolled off the table, croaking in confusion. It seemed to sense something and trembled, its round body shaking.