Chapter 28: Absolutely Not, Absolutely Not – I’m Tired, Let It All Be Destroyed
When Dong Ling and Song Mingzhi arrived at the set, Director Cheng was already well into filming.
Seeing Song Mingzhi, he immediately had someone take her to makeup and prepare for the night scenes, clearly intending to film to his heart’s content tonight.
“CEO Dong, Director Cheng is on a roll. He’s been like this since he came back this afternoon, he’s already filmed several scenes.”
Tong Ao explained to Dong Ling with her messy hair, yawning sleepily.
Dong Ling nodded, telling her to go and estimate the budget. The current funds were still sufficient, the production manager and producer should be able to control Cheng Ge somewhat.
Dong Ling asked her assistant to unpack for her and Song Mingzhi, went to the study to deal with documents, working on her own career, striving to become a true domineering CEO.
She was also secretly on guard against Xuan Du’s actions, in case she decided to strike, after all, what she said this morning must have angered Xuan Du.
But after two days, Dong Ling found it unusually calm. Xuan Du didn’t appear, but Chen Shang Shang came to visit the set again.
“Is your dad on a business trip again?”
Dong Ling poured Chen Shang Shang a cup of hot coffee. After taking a sip, Chen Shang Shang frowned, and found two creamers and a sugar cube to add to it.
“This is bitter too?”
Dong Ling looked at the coffee in the cup suspiciously, took a sip, and looked puzzled.
Chen Shang Shang took a sip of the sweet coffee and sighed: “I’ve been craving sweets lately, life is bitter.”
“What’s wrong?”
Chen Shang Shang shook her head. Seeing that she didn’t want to talk about it, Dong Ling didn’t press further and changed the subject.
She touched her manicured nails and said: “I’m tired of this style, it’s been over a month, time for a change. Any recommendations?”
Dong Ling wasn’t particularly picky about nail art, but since it was something she liked to look at, and Chen Shang Shang was a nail art expert with a particular obsession with it, Dong Ling didn’t even bother going to a salon, just asked her directly.
“Ah, I saw a couple of styles recently, I think they look really nice…”
Chen Shang Shang took out her phone to show Dong Ling the pictures, but Dong Ling noticed something.
“Chen Shang Shang, where are your nails?”
Dong Ling was shocked, she grabbed Chen Shang Shang’s fingers and looked at her neatly trimmed, bare nails, filled with suspicion.
“Did you secretly go to Syria to fight a war? Are nails inconvenient for holding a gun?”
Chen Shang Shang withdrew her fingers with some guilt and said: “My nails are a little injured, I’m letting them recover.”
To avoid Dong Ling’s further questioning, Chen Shang Shang quickly diverted her attention.
“I didn’t expect you to still insist on getting your nails done, I guess I misunderstood you before.”
Dong Ling understood what she meant: “What misunderstanding?”
Chen Shang Shang winked: “About you keeping a little lover. I thought… now it seems it was all a misunderstanding, I really shouldn’t doubt your character.”
Chen Shang Shang subconsciously ignored the possibility of Dong Ling being the one being kept. Although Ling Ling seemed easygoing, when it came down to it, she was still the dominant one.
Dong Ling tapped Chen Shang Shang’s head and chuckled: “Okay, as punishment for misunderstanding me, treat me to a manicure.”
“No problem, no problem.”
The salon that could do the nail art Chen Shang Shang liked was in another city, so Chen Shang Shang drove Dong Ling there.
After getting her nails done, Dong Ling stayed in that city for the night and took Chen Shang Shang’s car back the next morning.
“I plan to buy some clothes, want to come?”
Chen Shang Shang saw a large shopping mall on their way back and felt like shopping.
“Not interested.”
“Okay, then I’ll go by myself.”
Chen Shang Shang dropped Dong Ling off at the entrance of the manor and drove off in her flashy sports car.
Song Mingzhi had just finished a scene and was taking a short break. While drinking water, she saw Dong Ling, who hadn’t returned last night.
Her gaze was immediately drawn to Dong Ling’s lowered hand, nothing else, the small diamonds on her nails were simply too sparkly in the morning light.
“Mingzhi, morning, look!”
Dong Ling wiggled her fingers at Song Mingzhi, clearly in a good mood.
This nail art was truly delicate and cute, Dong Ling still liked it as much as she did at first sight, and seeing her friend, she couldn’t help but share it with her.
Song Mingzhi nodded, but she felt a little hesitant.
She watched Dong Ling leave, not knowing how to keep her, and wondered if she had been avoiding her too obviously lately, making the girl sad.
So was she using this method to tell her not to worry, not to avoid her?
Song Mingzhi was a little conflicted, even losing focus while acting, and was stopped by Cheng Ge twice before getting it right.
Unaware of Song Mingzhi’s overthinking, Dong Ling dealt with some documents, and then went to a business dinner with Yuki to expand her network and resources.
Dong Ling didn’t return to the manor until evening, and found that not only was one sister there, but the other one had also arrived.
“Qianxi? Why are you here too?”
Dong Ling was slightly surprised, looking at Chen Shang Shang, who quickly hid behind her, wondering if they had another fight?
“To see you, and the movie I partially invested in, and also because a certain pig in our family ran away secretly without telling me.”
Tang Qianxi said with a smile, looking at the person hiding behind Dong Ling.
“You’re the pig, your whole family are pigs.”
Chen Shang Shang poked her head out from behind Dong Ling and made a face at Tang Qianxi.
“Okay, stop messing around, it’s getting late, you guys should go find a hotel. The nearest one is half an hour away by car, don’t delay.”
Dong Ling was already used to their bickering. Minor squabbles could be put aside, the more pressing issue was where they were going to sleep tonight.
“I’m sleeping with you!”
Chen Shang Shang clung to Dong Ling’s arm, her expression firm.
“You’re sleeping with me, then what about Qianxi? All the rooms here are occupied, otherwise I wouldn’t be sleeping in the secondary bedroom. My bed can’t fit all three of us, and you wouldn’t want to sleep on the sofa, would you?”
Dong Ling spread her hands, all available rooms were already in use, she couldn’t let these two young ladies sleep on the floor.
“It’s simple, you two sleep in one bed, and she and I sleep in one bed.”
Tang Qianxi pointed at Dong Ling and then at Song Mingzhi, who had just arrived, offering a feasible solution.
Song Mingzhi was slightly taken aback, she was a light sleeper and wasn’t used to sharing a bed.
“She’s joking.” Dong Ling smiled at Song Mingzhi and said playfully, “Our company isn’t so poor that we can’t afford a separate bed for our artists.”
Song Mingzhi, who had already been thinking about how to relax and fall asleep later, felt a pang in her heart and nodded silently.
“Or I can give my room to you two, and I’ll go stay in a hotel?”
Dong Ling looked at Chen Shang Shang and Tang Qianxi, raising an eyebrow.
If either of them nodded, she would immediately kick them out.
“Let’s go, let’s stay in a hotel.”
Tang Qianxi put her arm around Chen Shang Shang’s neck and dragged her out.
Chen Shang Shang struggled: “I never want to stay in a hotel with you again in my life.”
Tang Qianxi narrowed her eyes and whispered in her ear: “Do you want to get back together? Are you ready?”
Chen Shang Shang pondered for a moment, then suddenly put her arm around Tang Qianxi’s neck and said: “I’ll show you what I’m made of tonight.”
“Silly girl.”
Tang Qianxi clicked her tongue and waved at Dong Ling.
Dong Ling looked at their secretive and strange behavior, a little puzzled.
Chen Shang Shang was probably talking about drinking, she liked to compete with others in drinking, but always lost to Tang Qianxi.
Truly a silly girl.
Dong Ling was a little tired from running around today. She practiced yoga in her room, took a shower, and quickly fell asleep.
The next day, she flew back to Beihai, throwing herself into busy socializing and work, continuing her efforts to support Song Mingzhi.
During this time, the task system still issued small tasks, none exceeding 0.3% progress.
She returned to the set not because the task system issued a task, but because Cheng Ge wanted her to make another cameo appearance, the scene she had added.
Compared to the one-word line last time, this time, she didn’t have any lines.
She just needed to sit or stand quietly, without any expression requirements, a blank face would suffice.
Dong Ling immediately agreed, took out the lipstick the makeup artist had specially blended for her, and applied it again.
In the makeup room, Tong Ao was explaining her ideas to Dong Ling.
“CEO Dong, you’re truly my muse. Thanks to you, I’ve thought of many more plot points and follow-up content. Even if the later stories can’t be adapted for the screen, I’m happy to write them down.”
Tong Ao looked at the woman’s increasingly beautiful and charming face in the mirror, muttering happily.
“If filming goes smoothly, the movie will be finished by early February at the earliest, mid-February at the latest. Director Cheng told me this morning during his break that he’s already thinking about what he wants to film next. I can only say, he’s something else.”
Tong Ao recalled what she had heard this morning and gave a thumbs-up.
Dong Ling became curious: “What is he planning to reward himself with this time?”
She didn’t believe there could be anything more absurd than a Cthulhu-themed religious love story.
“A love story between a zombie and a robot in the apocalypse.”
Tong Ao struggled to say each word, filled with respect for Cheng Ge.
Dong Ling was silent, she had underestimated Cheng Ge, this was true dedication to one’s dreams.
“I hope to have the opportunity to work with CEO Dong again next time. No matter what kind of role it is, I can incorporate it reasonably, and I sincerely hope that both actors will take on the roles.”
Tong Ao was trying hard to sell herself. It was hard to make a living these days, she had no morals, she could be bought. She could create all kinds of scenarios for her investors, as long as they wanted it, she would do her best, within reason, of course. Forced and awkward scenes were a no-go.
Dong Ling almost smeared her lipstick and coughed violently.
She immediately held her breath nervously, afraid that the task system’s mechanical voice would ring out in her mind, issuing some kind of bed scene task.
Then she would truly be unable to clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
Fortunately, there was no sound, nothing happened.
[Task…]
The sudden voice in her mind startled Dong Ling, but she immediately recognized it as 021’s voice.
Dong Ling: [021, do you want to die?!]
021 coughed nervously: [I just saw you were tense, trying to lighten the mood.]
Dong Ling gritted her teeth and wiped the smeared lipstick with a wet wipe. This system should just die!
Just as Dong Ling recovered from the fright and was about to continue applying lipstick, her expression suddenly froze.
She met Song Mingzhi’s eyes through the mirror, her heart skipping a beat.
She didn’t know when Song Mingzhi arrived, or how much of the conversation she had heard.
Tong Ao asked concernedly: “CEO Dong, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Dong Ling wanted to cry. She was so lucky, her small film crew actually had two hidden geniuses, the director and the screenwriter.
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