After I Transmigrated into the Novel, I made the Heroine Fall for Me - Chapter 17

Fang Qingying didn’t pay much attention and instead cheerfully headed downstairs.

Fang Dad and Fang Qingyu exchanged a glance, each seeing the disdain the other held.

At the dining table, Fang Mom had prepared a lavish spread of delicious dishes. She turned to see the three of them coming down the stairs and reached out to Fang Qingying, saying, “Sweetheart, these are all your favorites.”

“Thanks, Mom! You’re the best,” Fang Qingying replied with a sweet smile as she quickly took her seat beside Fang Mom.

It had to be said, the original owner’s tastes aligned quite well with her own.

Fang Dad and Fang Qingyu sat across from each other in silence, picking up their bowls without a word.

“Did you two fight again?” Fang Mom asked, unsurprised.

Whenever the two of them didn’t speak a word, she knew there was an 80% chance they were butting heads again. In the past, it had been because of her, but now, it was probably over her precious daughter.

“No,” Fang Qingyu shook his head, using serving chopsticks to place some of Fang Mom’s favorite dishes in her bowl. “There’s nothing for Dad and me to argue about.”

He was just petty. As the bigger person, he’d let his father’s small-mindedness slide this time.

“Hmph. Indeed, nothing worth arguing over,” Fang Dad snorted, mimicking his son’s actions by serving Fang Mom as well.

What was there to argue about with a dog of a man who had neither a wife nor a darling little treasure? He’d love nothing more than to kick Fang Qingyu out of the house.

If Fang Mom knew what Fang Dad was thinking, she’d surely get a headache and scold him:

What “dog of a man”? This is the son I carried for ten months, your own flesh and blood!

Joining them at the table was Shen Lixie, who watched the father-son duo’s antics like a dinner show, eating while observing.

Having grown up witnessing this drama, he never tired of it.

It was almost amusing in the business world, both men were known for their cold, detached demeanor and sharp investment instincts.

Yet at home, they acted like toddlers, constantly one-upping each other in their “harmonious” rivalry.

Fang Qingyu’s eyes darkened like ink bleeding into paper when he noticed Fang Dad had piled more food onto Fang Mom’s plate than he had.

Just then, Fang Qingying struggled to reach a dish.

A fair, slender hand wielding crimson chopsticks entered his line of sight. Fang Qingyu reined in his cold expression and helped serve her.

“Anything else you’d like?” he asked.

“Ah, I also want meatballs, a drumstick, fried tofu, shrimp dumplings.” Fang Qingying rattled off a list of her current cravings without hesitation.

But before Fang Qingyu could oblige, Shen Lixie let out a deliberate cough from the side.

Ahem. Covering his mouth, he shot Fang Qingying a meaningful look, reminding her that she was a celebrity who needed to maintain her on-screen image. Moreover, her current role required her to stay slim her current figure was barely passable, and indulging in high-calorie foods would only lead to weight gain.

“Why are you coughing? Do you have a cold?” Fang Qingyu turned to Shen Lixie with concern.

As the eldest of the three, it was only natural for him to check on his younger brother’s health.

“No, I just choked on my food.” Shen Lixie shook his head. Seeing that Fang Qingying hadn’t picked up on his hint, he took a sip of the soup beside him after speaking.

Being her manager was tough, he simply couldn’t control his artist when her cravings kicked in.

Watching Fang Qingying devour all those high-calorie foods, Shen Lixie could only silently tally the calories she was consuming in his mind.

If the director wasn’t satisfied in the end, he’d just have her personal trainer put her through a rigorous workout. And if possible, he hoped to ramp up the intensity.

Meanwhile, after finishing her meal, Fang Qingying instinctively said, “Thanks, bro.”

And then…

It belatedly dawned on her, she was now a female celebrity, the kind whose body bloated just from drinking water.

She was no longer a behind-the-scenes manga artist who could afford to ignore her figure.

Fang Qingying realized that the original owner must have maintained her good physique solely because of Shen Lixie. Otherwise, with her habit of eating recklessly, she would’ve ballooned long ago.

Suddenly, she felt a pang of regret. Her original body had been the type that never gained weight no matter how much she ate. But now, stuck with this easily bloated physique, Fang Qingying wanted to cry but had no tears left.

The meal ended with Fang Qingying tangled in regret. The moment she finished eating, Shen Lixie handed her a weight-loss plan.

Looking at the densely packed words, Fang Qingying felt her scalp tingle being a star was hard.

What? what kind of devilish training regimen was this? She’d only eaten a little! If Shen Lixie found out she’d also sneaked a small cake, she’d probably be worked to death.

Three-kilometer runs? A hundred push-ups and sit-ups? Even pull-ups?

Was this really a weight-loss plan? It looked more like a boot camp for new recruits!

“Don’t even think about slacking off. Tomorrow, you’re waking up at six for a morning run. I’ll be supervising you.” Shen Lixie looked at Fang Qingying’s bitter expression with satisfaction and patted her dazed little head.

“Wh-what? A morning run? At six?!” Fang Qingying was stunned. Making a manga artist who was used to waking up naturally rise at dawn, what kind of devilish scheme was this?

“Blame your easily bloated physique. Besides, your stamina is terrible. If you ever have to film something physically demanding, do you think you’ll last?” Shen Lixie smiled as he laid out his reasoning.

Now that Fang Qingying was being so cooperative for once, of course he’d seize the chance to set everything up and wait for her to take the bait.

With no other choice, Fang Qingying reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Fine, a morning run it was. Back in the day, she used to run every morning anyway~

She deftly tucked the plan into her vanity drawer, plugged in her phone, and grabbed her pajamas from the closet before heading to the bathroom.

A while later, Fang Qingying emerged, drying her hair as she walked toward the bed. That’s when she noticed several missed calls on her phone.

Her thumb slid across the cool screen, there were messages from Gao Tian, probably checking in on her.

And then there were calls from Gu Shengxiao.

Unlocking her phone with her fingerprint, Fang Qingying opened the messaging app and tapped into Gu Shengxiao’s chat. She hit the video call button.

“Beep, beep, beep.”

After just a few rings, Gu Shengxiao’s figure appeared on the previously dark screen.

On the other end of the call, Gu Shengxiao never expected to be hit with a visual assault the moment the video connected.

Fang Qingying was wrapped in a towel that was neither too short nor too long, reaching just above her thighs, revealing a pair of straight, slender legs.

Her damp, shoulder-length hair was messily draped over her shoulders, with playful droplets sliding from the tips down to her delicate collarbones, making the sight all the more enticing.

Fang Qingying stared at Gu Shengxiao through the screen with soft, adorable eyes and said, “Sorry, Xiao Xiao. I got home, but my phone died. I couldn’t reply to your messages.”

It wasn’t until she was in the shower that she belatedly remembered her phone had been nearly dead since yesterday, and she only thought to charge it after stepping into the bath.

“It’s fine.”

Gu Shengxiao subtly masked the heat in her eyes and replied with forced nonchalance.

Her mind was completely occupied with the image of Fang Qingying’s glowing fair skin, those delicate collarbones, and those perfectly straight legs that would drive any leg enthusiast wild.

If it hadn’t been her on the call with Fang Qingying today, if it had been someone else Gu Shengxiao felt she might have died of anger.

How could her little girl be so defenseless around people? How could she ever feel at ease leaving Fang Qingying like this?

“Director Liu just messaged me saying I can take two days off at home tomorrow,” Fang Qingying said, biting her lip before continuing, “So I might not be able to visit you on set.”

After finally getting a chance to relax at home, Fang Qingying felt she should either step into the role of the original owner or adapt to the presence of Mother and Father Fang herself.

According to 888, there was no going back to her original world. This was the beginning of her new life, and she needed to adjust to this world and its rhythm.

“Mm, I know.” Gu Shengxiao lowered her gaze, a hint of disappointment flickering through her. But seeing Fang Qingying’s happy expression, that tiny bit of sadness quickly faded.

As long as Fang Qingying was happy, that was enough for her. She didn’t ask for much else.

The two chatted idly through the screen, their conversation stretching on until Fang Qingying’s hair had air-dried completely, with no signs of stopping.

Then, a knock came at the door.

Fang Qingying muted the call and called out, “Who is it?”

Puzzled, she walked toward the door. Who could be knocking at this hour?

She turned the knob and opened the door to find Fang Qingyu standing there, holding a glass of milk. When he saw her, he handed it over.

“It’s almost midnight. Drink your milk and get to bed, Xiao Ying’er,” he said.

Only then did Fang Qingying remember that drinking milk before midnight was an unshakable habit of the original owner. But usually, it was the maids who delivered it since when did Fang Qingyu take up the task?

“Mm.” Though confused, Fang Qingying nodded and didn’t ask why he had brought the milk.

She took the glass from him, downed it in one go, and handed it back. The motion was smooth and practiced, as if she had done it countless times before.

“Xiao Ying’er, if anything ever upsets you outside, you have to tell your brother,” Fang Qingyu said, holding the empty glass, his gaze filled with concern.

Fang Qingying waved her hand. “I’m fine, really.”

“Then what about the rumors online? The ones saying an 18th-tier nobody like you is trying to ride the coattails of a double-award-winning actress, are those fake?”

Fang Qingying blinked, a question mark slowly forming above her head.

“What the heck?”

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