Chapter 94
Xiao Liu chuckled, nudging Zuo Bian playfully.
“Who else could it be? Your fiancée. Zuo Zuo, you’re so lucky. It’s always sweeter to ship the official couple.” Xiao Liu was also a fan of Zuo Bian. She was outgoing and had quickly become friends with Zuo Bian after just two days. She spoke naturally, unlike those fans who were tongue-tied around their idols.
Zuo Bian immediately stood up, a smile spreading across her face. “Then let me serve her.”
“Go ahead, go ahead.” Xiao Liu patted Zuo Bian’s shoulder.
“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian nodded and walked out of the kitchen with a menu.
She saw Qin Ai sitting by the window, her head lowered as she looked at the menu. The midday sun cast a golden glow on her profile.
For some reason, Zuo Bian’s footsteps softened, as if she was afraid of disturbing Qin Ai.
However, before she could reach Qin Ai, Qin Ai looked up.
She smiled gently. “Is work tiring?”
Zuo Bian reached her side. “Not at all. But I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Qin Ai, shouldn’t you be at the company?”
Qin Ai’s fingers traced the edge of the menu. “Even if I’m working, I still need to eat. It’s lunchtime, so I stopped by for lunch and to see you.”
Zuo Bian fidgeted with the menu, her heart fluttering. But she said, “Your company is far from here, it’s not on the way at all.”
“When you want to see someone, any distance is within reach. Order me set A, it looks good.”
Zuo Bian smiled and said, “Okay.” She took the order and went to the kitchen.
Set A was the restaurant’s signature couple’s set. The ingredients were prepared in advance, and the chef had made it countless times, so it was ready within fifteen minutes.
Zuo Bian brought the set to Qin Ai’s table and heard her say, “Sit down and eat with me. I just talked to the owner.”
Zuo Bian was a bit hungry, and Qin Ai was here. She hesitated for a moment, then sat down across from Qin Ai and had lunch with her.
The food wasn’t exceptionally delicious, but Zuo Bian was happy. She had thought she wouldn’t be able to see Qin Ai today, but now, not only did she see her, but she was also having lunch with her. A smile spread across her face, making the food taste even better.
After lunch, Qin Ai didn’t linger. She chatted with Zuo Bian for a bit and then left. She had a meeting in the afternoon.
Even after Qin Ai left, the smile on Zuo Bian’s face didn’t fade.
Xiao Liu sighed. “People in love are different. By the way, Zuo Zuo, is the scene in that fanfiction real?”
“Fanfiction?” Zuo Bian blinked, confused. She knew what fanfiction was, but she hadn’t been online much lately and didn’t know which forum or fanfiction Xiao Liu was referring to.
It was 3 p.m., and the number of customers had dwindled. The restaurant staff was starting to relax. Xiao Liu took out her phone and opened the forum, showing Zuo Bian the fanfiction.
The plot wasn’t important. What mattered was the author’s name: Tiantian.
“Is this the same Tiantian who made the CP video of me and Qin Ai?”
Xiao Liu’s eyes sparkled at the mention of Editor Tiantian.
“Yes, it’s her! Editor Tiantian is so cute! Not only is she amazing at video editing, but her writing is also incredible. Just now, seeing you and President Qin together, I was reminded of her fanfiction. It’s exactly the same!”
Of course, it was the same because Editor Tiantian was Qin Tian. And Qin Tian was a frontline CP fan with firsthand information.
“I know Editor Tiantian.”
“Is she really cute in person?” In the eyes of many fans, Editor Tiantian must be an adorable girl.
Zuo Bian, seeing the anticipation in Xiao Liu’s eyes, nodded vaguely. “Mm, she’s quite cute.”
But not the kind of cute Xiao Liu was imagining.
======================
As evening approached, the restaurant got busy again.
Zuo Bian finished work at 8 p.m. Qin Ai called and asked if she needed a ride home.
Zuo Bian thought she could go back by herself. There was no need to trouble Qin Ai. The restaurant was quite far from Qin Ai’s company and home. If Qin Ai drove her back, she wouldn’t get home until 11 p.m.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t squeeze into her small bed, but Zuo Bian didn’t want Qin Ai to be uncomfortable, so she declined.
“No need, and I’m planning to try luosifen (snail rice noodles) tonight. You definitely shouldn’t come, I heard it smells very strong, I don’t want you to be bothered by the smell.”
Qin Ai chuckled softly on the other end of the line. “Okay, be careful when you go home.”
Zuo Bian smiled. “I know, I will.”
“Try to walk in crowded areas, and call me if there are any problems,” Qin Ai continued.
Zuo Bian nodded and hummed in response, a smile on her lips.
The sickening sweetness of their love made 555 feel incredibly sour. It wanted to complain. Was Zuo Bian the one who should be careful when encountering bad people? Well, she should be careful, but not to beat them up too badly.
After hanging up the phone, Zuo Bian didn’t go to eat luosifen as she had said. Luosifen was relatively expensive. She had a simple bowl of rice noodles and went home.
The next day, she woke up early and went to work. As lunchtime approached, she couldn’t help but anticipate Qin Ai’s arrival. She knew Qin Ai was busy and couldn’t come over for lunch every day, but she still hoped that Qin Ai would show up.
She kept checking her phone, hoping for a notification.
Seeing her anticipation, 555 said, 【Don’t worry, Host, Qin Ai will definitely come.】
As soon as it finished speaking, Zuo Bian’s phone vibrated.
【See? Qin Ai must be calling to tell you she’s on her way.】
Zuo Bian hummed in response and walked inside to answer the call.
“Hello, Qin Ai.”
“Is work tiring?”
“Not at all, it’s easy.”
“Mm, I won’t be coming over for lunch today. How about dinner?” Qin Ai said.
555’s passive skill, “100% chance of being slapped in the face,” was activated once again.
The smile on Zuo Bian’s face faded slightly, but she still said, “Mm-hmm, it’s okay. Focus on your work, Qin Ai.”
“I’m feeling tired. Maybe hearing someone call me ‘Ai Jiejie’ would make me feel better.” Qin Ai’s voice, slightly distorted by the phone, was still alluring.
Zuo Bian glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, then whispered into the phone, “Ai Jiejie.”
Qin Ai loved hearing Zuo Bian call her “Ai Jiejie.” Zuo Bian’s voice was always soft and sweet when she said those words, like a marshmallow waiting to be devoured.
Qin Ai wanted to pinch Zuo Bian’s cheeks and taste her lips, she must be as sweet as she imagined.
“Ai Jiejie, are you feeling better now?”
Qin Ai smiled. “Mm, I feel much better. I have to get back to work. See you tonight.”
“Mm, Ai Jiejie, see you tonight.”
After hanging up the phone, Zuo Bian stared at the dark screen, a smile on her lips.
‘555, I think it’s better if you don’t say anything next time. Whatever you say, the opposite happens.’ Zuo Bian meant no harm, she was just stating a fact.
However, her words struck a nerve with 555, reminding it of the time it had told Zuo Bian that it was better to stay silent if she couldn’t explain herself properly. Now Zuo Bian was returning the favor. It seemed like karma was real.
As promised, Qin Ai came to pick up Zuo Bian that evening.
The days passed, and the filming for the movie was approaching.
However, Zuo Bian still hadn’t met Meng Zhen, the woman who looked exactly like her master.
Three days before filming began, Zuo Bian, as a waitress, had become proficient at her job. After experiencing the character’s life, she had a deeper understanding of Lin Ling.
Lin Ling was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. The orphanage couldn’t afford to send her to high school or university, so she was deeply insecure.
But she was also ambitious. She wanted to establish herself in this city, so she worked hard to improve herself, although her efforts were mostly in vain.
She was beautiful, but without family or education, she was seen as cheap and easy to manipulate. Men thought they could toy with her, and women were jealous of her looks.
The constant hardship and social ostracization gradually twisted her mind. One day, she was almost raped by the second female lead’s father. The intense fear and trauma awakened her alternate personality, Lin Zero, who killed the man to protect Lin Ling.
Lin Zero erased all traces of the crime and framed someone else. Lin Ling remained the same timid and insecure girl, unaware of what had happened.
The second personality was born out of self-preservation.
On the surface, Lin Ling seemed normal, no one could tell the difference. It wasn’t until later, when the second personality tried to take over completely, that cracks started to appear.
For Zuo Bian, it wasn’t just about playing two characters, there were subtle differences between Lin Ling and Lin Zero at different stages.
The early Lin Ling was like Zuo Bian herself. Later, Lin Ling was influenced by Lin Zero, her behavior gradually becoming more like Lin Zero’s.
One day, the owner gave Zuo Bian a day off. She sat in the park with a notebook, observing the passersby, occasionally jotting down notes.
She wasn’t on camera, there was no director to guide her. She didn’t know if her understanding of the character was accurate.
Staring at her notebook, she started to build the images of Lin Ling and Lin Zero in her mind.
“Excuse me, can I sit here?” A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
Zuo Bian didn’t look up immediately. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.
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