Chapter 17: Absolutely Not, Absolutely Not
[Task complete, main storyline progress: 28%]
The mechanical voice pulled Dong Ling and 021 out of their thoughts. Regardless of who had taken advantage of whom, the task was complete.
Dong Ling changed out of her dress and into casual clothes in the dressing room, and asked her assistant, Xiao Tong, to hang up the dress and went to the restroom to remove her makeup.
The makeup she had just worn was a bit heavy, suitable for that gorgeous gown, but not for her casual clothes.
Playing light music on her phone, Dong Ling slowly removed her makeup and applied skincare products.
When Song Mingzhi returned to the makeup room, Dong Ling was applying lip balm in front of the mirror.
She had just applied a lip mask for twenty minutes, and after washing it off, she applied a thin layer of balm.
The lip balm was a lip gloss. The small brush spread the transparent, viscous liquid on her lips, making her already full lips even more luscious under the light.
Dong Ling applied it carefully, her lips slightly parted and then gently pressed together. She was so focused that she didn’t notice Song Mingzhi standing nearby.
021 didn’t remind her either, there was nothing to remind her about.
Song Mingzhi quietly watched her from beginning to end, and only responded absentmindedly when the other party’s gaze fell on her and greeted her in surprise.
“Are you done?”
“There are still night scenes, I need to change my makeup.”
“Okay, good work. Have some sweet soup later to warm up.”
Dong Ling expressed her concern for her employee in a very boss-like manner, and the awkwardness that had just disappeared returned.
Seeing Song Mingzhi, she seemed to feel the sensation again and the embarrassing feeling of wanting to bury her head in the ground.
“Okay.”
Song Mingzhi looked at Dong Ling through the mirror, her gaze gliding over her lips.
The atmosphere was unusually harmonious, certain unspoken things were deliberately hidden, as if nothing had happened.
Dong Ling was extremely satisfied with this. It was great that Song Mingzhi wasn’t the type of person who liked to ask questions or pry. She was already constantly on the verge of social death, if Song Mingzhi asked any more questions, she would really shut down.
Understanding beauties were the best!
The kitchen made sweet soup, and Dong Ling also had a bowl to warm up. She didn’t stay on set, but returned to her room to handle some work. She was a CEO now, big or small, and had many things to take care of for the company.
Dong Ling had originally planned to stay with the film crew, but after only two days, she received a call from home.
“Xuan Du’s birthday party?”
Dong Ling looked at the invitation in the picture, her heart sinking.
The invitation was very formal, not in the name of Xuan Du herself, but in the name of Mayor He, inviting their entire family, even specifically naming Dong Ling, hoping she would attend.
This meant Dong Ling couldn’t even refuse. If it was Xuan Du herself inviting her, she could easily decline due to work commitments and just send a gift, but now she couldn’t.
Liu Zhuoyun sighed on the video call: “Daughter, she insists on you being there. Book a flight back. Nothing major should happen, but I’m afraid she might create some minor trouble for you.”
The Dong family wasn’t worried that Xuan Du would do anything harmful to their family. They and Mayor He were in the same boat, even if Xuan Du was the mayor’s youngest daughter, she couldn’t cause any real trouble. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t create some minor issues.
“Okay, I’ll go back tonight, Mom, don’t worry.”
Dong Ling comforted her worried mother, her expression calm.
After hanging up the phone, Dong Ling started booking a flight and packing.
After seeing Xuan Du that day, she knew that she would cause trouble sooner or later, it wasn’t unexpected.
When Dong Ling came out of the secondary bedroom with her suitcase, Song Mingzhi was typing on her computer at the desk in the master bedroom. She quickly minimized the window when she saw Dong Ling come out.
Seeing Dong Ling’s suitcase, Song Mingzhi subconsciously asked: “Are you going out?”
After asking, Song Mingzhi realized she had asked a silly question and rubbed her temples.
“Yes, going back to Beihai. Xuan Du sent an invitation to my family for her birthday party.” Dong Ling frowned and complained slightly, “I don’t know what she’s up to, insisting on me going back. Something is definitely waiting for me.”
“Call me if anything happens.”
Song Mingzhi recalled the aggressive woman she saw that day and said with some concern.
Although the girl seemed fierce that day, she was still soft inside, and Song Mingzhi was worried she would be taken advantage of.
Hearing this, Dong Ling smiled, raised her chin, and said: “It’s no use calling you if something happens, I’m your boss.”
But Dong Ling still appreciated Song Mingzhi’s protective intentions. Even if she, the sugar daddy, wasn’t quite the real deal, she didn’t need her kept woman to protect her.
Song Mingzhi was just a small-time artist who hadn’t made it big yet. Even if she became a top star in the future, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to get involved in such matters.
Song Mingzhi paused, then said jokingly: “If you need an excuse to leave, I can call and say that the company can’t survive without you, Boss, then you’ll have a reason to leave.”
Dong Ling chuckled, her bad mood from having to attend the party lifting considerably. She nodded in agreement and said: “Good idea, then I’ll be going, see you later.”
“Yes, call me when you arrive to let me know you’re safe.”
Song Mingzhi watched her leave, her gaze lingering for a while before retracting, the smile on her face fading. She looked at her computer screen and switched back to the page she was looking at just now.
It was all the information she could gather about Xuan Du. Song Mingzhi moved the mouse, the screen’s light reflecting on her face, giving her an inexplicably cold aura.
After leaving, Dong Ling still found the conversation just now amusing, her mood shifting from heavy to light.
Strangely, she seemed to have an unusual sense of trust in Song Mingzhi, pouring out her true emotions. If it had been Tang Qianxi or Chen Shang Shang who asked, she wouldn’t have been so straightforward.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her sisters, it was just her personality.
Perhaps because Song Mingzhi was the female lead, or perhaps because Song Mingzhi had a charm that made people willing to lower their guard?
021: [Maybe it’s because you’ve suffered so much social death in front of her that you just don’t bother pretending anymore.]
Dong Ling: […Dude, I won’t think you’re mute if you don’t talk.]
After getting off the plane, Dong Ling sent a message to Song Mingzhi, got into the car that came to pick her up, and went home.
After arriving home, she greeted her parents and brother, and seeing their dejected expressions, told them a cold joke to cheer them up.
“What’s so funny?”
Dong Tang flicked his sister’s forehead, amused by her.
They were here worrying about whether she would be made things difficult for tomorrow, but the person involved was actually smiling.
“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with whatever comes my way. I know her personality. As long as she hasn’t changed drastically, I can handle it. If all else fails, I’ll just say there’s a crisis at my company and run away.”
Dong Ling recalled Song Mingzhi’s serious suggestion and laughed even more heartily.
Her family was both exasperated and amused by her, but the gloomy atmosphere completely disappeared.
“How’s your company doing?”
Dong Sheng couldn’t help but ask, he knew his daughter was filming a movie, but didn’t know anything else.
“Everything is going smoothly, Dad, just wait and see. When the movie is released and our company’s artists become famous, people won’t call me Miss Dong anymore, they’ll call me CEO Xiao Dong.”
Dong Ling said with a smile, thinking of Song Mingzhi becoming a superstar, she couldn’t help but feel excited.
Dong Sheng thought she was looking forward to being CEO Xiao Dong, and teased: “You’re CEO Xiao Dong, then what am I?”
“You’re CEO Da Dong.” (Da meaning big/greater)
Dong Sheng pointed at himself: “And what about me?”
Liu Zhuoyun quipped: “You’re old, of course you’re CEO Lao Dong.” (Lao meaning old/senior)
Dong Sheng and Dong Ling both laughed. Dong Ling looked at her parents and brother, feeling inexplicably sentimental.
If everything really followed the original novel’s trajectory, they would do bad things because of her insistence on marrying Wen Han, and wouldn’t end well.
This time, it would be different, because she was now the woman holding the male lead’s script!
Dong Ling confirmed with 021: [Since I have the male lead’s script, I don’t have to play the role of the vicious female supporting character, right?]
021: [Of course, for the main storyline, as long as the male and female leads get together, it’s fine. If it goes smoothly, it can proceed without the interference of supporting characters.]
Dong Ling was completely relieved, and went to the party the next evening with a peaceful mind.
She didn’t dress up specially, entered discreetly arm in arm with her brother, and greeted the host family with her parents.
Xuan Du was wearing a leopard print dress today, with purple highlights in her white hair, making her very eye-catching.
“Happy birthday.”
Dong Ling raised her glass to her, and Xuan Du smiled and clinked glasses with her.
After the toast, Dong Ling was about to leave, but unsurprisingly, Xuan Du called out to her.
“Where are you going in such a hurry, Sister Dong Ling?”
Xuan Du’s voice was playful, the drawn-out, intimate tone sounded strange.
Although Xuan Du looked much more mature than Dong Ling, she was actually half a year younger.
Dong Ling felt a headache hearing this address. Xuan Du was competitive and strong-willed, she wouldn’t normally call her that, only when they had a fight or disagreement, and Xuan Du wanted to make up, would she act coquettishly like this.
But they were no longer the same as before, and Dong Ling no longer found this address endearing.
“It’s been so long. I was sent to rehab by you. I know you did it for my own good. I was too angry when we last met, so I spoke without thinking. Who made you not come to see me for so long, ignoring me, pretending not to see me when you saw me?”
Xuan Du said resentfully, looking at Dong Ling with great grievance.
“Rehab was so painful, I wanted to die. I was only sixteen at the time, Dong Ling. During those difficult days, why didn’t you come to see me?”
Xuan Du’s eyes were deep, with a chilling sorrow, like a snake flicking its tongue.
Seeing Dong Ling unmoved, Xuan Du gently shook her hand: “I didn’t listen to you back then, but I’ll listen now, okay? Just like before.”
Her expression was possessive, but her tone was pitiful.
Dong Ling looked at her, smiled, and as the other party’s face lit up with joy, she asked curiously: “Xuan Du, do I look stupid?”
Xuan Du was a master manipulator, but Dong Ling wouldn’t fall for it.
“I don’t like physical contact.”
Dong Ling gently shook off Xuan Du’s hand, her tone cold.
021 sighed: [Girl, you really have two faces.]
Dong Ling retorted: [Human nature is inherently hypocritical.]
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