After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 58.1

Chapter 58.1: Mint Chocolate

◎ Do you want the one in my left hand, my right hand, or the one in my mouth? ◎

The first scene on the opening day was of “Wei Ling” reading a book in her office, being interrupted by an injured kitten, and kindly rescuing it.

This was Wei Ling’s first appearance in the original novel. Her hesitation-free actions maximized reader favor; thus, during the early serialization of Satellite, her image among the readers remained that of a gentle, kind, and great beauty.

However, once she fell in love with Cheng Xing and her confessions failed several times, the methods she employed became increasingly extreme. Readers finally discovered that while the beauty was indeed a beauty, her kindness was nonexistent.

The reversal of her persona between the beginning and the end was the charm of the character Wei Ling. Therefore, today’s first scene was crucial for character building and the drama as a whole.

Jiao Qingyin was surrounded by three assistants. They had pressed hot drinks into her hands, a reading stand for her script was set up before her, and a robot was fanning her from the side. She didn’t look like she was here to act; she looked like she was on vacation.

The assistants hadn’t dared to approach earlier because Wen Fengyue was there, out of a mysterious sense of fear. Now that Wen Fengyue had gone to change into her costume, they all crowded around.

Jiao Qingyin intended to refuse them, but the System—busy retouching photos and controlling comments—suddenly chirped, reminding her that she still needed to maintain her persona in front of outsiders. The original owner’s assistant team numbered in the dozens; every time she entered a set, it was a massive procession, which was a frequent point of criticism against her online.

Jiao Qingyin took a sip of the hot drink the original owner loved and nearly spat it out. How could it be—so sweet! And the cup was filled with heated energy drink—there were even undissolved nutritional granules inside!

Jiao Qingyin did her best to control her expression. At that moment, Wen Fengyue emerged from the dressing room and walked toward her step by step. She wore a white shirt and a skirt, topped with a coffee-colored long trench coat. As she moved, the hem of the coat billowed like waves.

“What are you drinking?” Wen Fengyue asked.

As she approached, the assistants looked at each other, clearly becoming uneasy, but Jiao Qingyin relaxed significantly.

“Energy drink. Do you like it?” Jiao Qingyin opened the lid to let Wen Fengyue see for herself.

Wen Fengyue had a mediocre impression of such drinks, but she noticed that Jiao Qingyin clearly disliked it yet was forcing herself to drink it. This made her feel uncomfortable.

So, she nodded. “Mm. Let me have a bit?”

Jiao Qingyin readily agreed, and after Wen Fengyue took the cup, she drained it in one gulp.

“Eh—” An assistant stood agape, wanting to stop her but failing to do so in time.

Wen Fengyue set the cup down, ignored the reactions of those around her, and turned her gaze back to Jiao Qingyin. “I’m going now.”

She said she was going, but her feet didn’t move an inch. Her expression was clearly waiting for something.

Struck by a moment of inspiration, Jiao Qingyin laughed. “I’ll be watching you the whole time. Good luck.”

Sure enough, upon receiving her promise, the corners of Wen Fengyue’s mouth curved upward. She gave a firm nod and finally turned to walk toward the prepared set.

Once she was far away, the assistant who had spoken earlier grumbled: “What kind of person is she? Isn’t she just bullying our Little Jiao…”

Jiao Qingyin glanced at her. The coldness in her gaze gave the girl a fright, but when she looked again, Jiao was still wearing that faint smile, as if what she saw had been a hallucination.

To suppress the unease in her heart, the assistant tentatively tested the waters: “Little Jiao, shall I go prepare another drink for you?”

“No need,” Jiao Qingyin put down the script and stood up. “I don’t like drinking that.”

The Role-Play Value shifted, but it didn’t drop.

She turned off the fanning robot, leaving the assistants with a slightly cold profile. “From now on, you don’t need to follow me to film sets. Return to the company for clerical work.”

Most things assistants could do, a robot could do better. The original owner loved ordering people around, but Jiao Qingyin had zero interest in it.

The assistant who had spoken turned pale instantly. She thought she had offended Jiao Qingyin, leading to this decision, and instinctively went to apologize.

But before she could speak, Jiao Qingyin flashed a smile. “Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with you; it’s my family’s wish. They want me to be more independent.”

“But…”

Jiao Qingyin’s expression was gentle, truly showing no sign of anger, and her tone carried a convincing power. “Your salary won’t decrease. You can head back now.”

With the salary staying the same and the workload becoming several times lighter, no one would refuse. Including the assistant from before, visible joy appeared on their faces.

Without waiting for their further reaction, Jiao Qingyin smiled again and walked toward the director’s area—the best angle to watch Wen Fengyue perform.

“Cameras ready, devices ready, actors in position. Counting down from five—five—”

“Did the Role-Play Value drop?” Jiao Qingyin watched Wen Fengyue in the center of the set, speaking to the System in her mind.

“It didn’t drop, but Host…”

The System hesitated and didn’t finish its sentence. Jiao Qingyin guessed it wanted to ask why she did such a “pointless” thing. Over a mere drink and a few people who didn’t affect the plot, Jiao Qingyin could have completely ignored them. There was no need to risk a drop in Role-Play Value for those actions.

Usually, Jiao Qingyin would indeed endure temporarily. Just like in the previous world, she disliked being surrounded and served, and disliked having people following her constantly, but she never showed it. Occasionally she would make minor changes to make her mission life more comfortable, but if the result of the change was an impact on Role-Play Value, she would choose to do nothing.

However… Jiao Qingyin looked at Wen Fengyue not far away, her emotions softening.

She didn’t care about her own temporary mood, but Wen Fengyue did. The concern from the other woman was silent yet thoughtful, letting Jiao Qingyin understand—the person before her would be unhappy because of her compromise. Then, even if only for Wen Fengyue’s sake, she should treat herself better.

“—Scene One, Act One, Action!”

As soon as the clapperboard snapped, everyone on set tensed up. Although any scene could be reshot, the first scene had a significant impact on morale, so everyone hoped for a perfect take.

Jiao Qingyin focused her attention on Wen Fengyue. Artificial natural light shone on her, draping her in a golden veil.

Wei Ling was reading and taking notes. Her fountain pen rustled across the paper, leaving behind lines of elegant handwriting.

Suddenly, a weak meow interrupted her writing. She looked up and saw a pair of flickering black ears by the window.

She curved her lips, stood up to open the window, and met the eyes of a small black kitten.

The kitten’s front leg was injured; bright red blood trailed on the windowsill, leaving a vivid mark.

Wei Ling reacted quickly. She pulled open the third drawer of her desk, which contained a fully stocked medical kit.

She took out scissors, bandages, disinfectant, and medicine, lifting the exhausted kitten onto the desk.

“Don’t be afraid,” Wei Ling said softly, cleaning and bandaging the wound. “It’ll be okay soon.”

The kitten, which usually held high suspicion toward humans, became mysteriously well-behaved under her hands. Even when the disinfectant stung the wound, it only let out a few pained cries without struggling much.

Soon, Wei Ling finished treating the leg. After tying a fixed bow with the bandage, she smiled and petted the kitten’s head. “There, all better.”

There wasn’t a trace of darkness in her blue eyes, only compassion and pure kindness, making one instinctively want to trust her.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door. The kitten, startled, dived into Wei Ling’s arms, leaving only a tiny tail shivering outside.

Wei Ling stroked its bristling back. “Good girl.”

Soothed, the kitten let out tiny meows.

The knock sounded again. Tuk, tuk. Very polite.

“Come in.” Wei Ling looked up, offering a faint smile. The sun reflecting off her lenses obscured the look in her eyes at that moment.

Wen Fengyue acted exceptionally well. The gentleness and pity in her expression were incredibly real. The existence of the natural light seemed to crown her with a holy glow. Watching her perform, the people on set even had a collective illusion—Wen Fengyue was Wei Ling herself.

“Cut!”

“Good! Excellent! A perfect take!”

Jing Ziqing’s excited voice reached her ears, and Jiao Qingyin snapped out of it. This part was supposed to be filmed in three scenes, but Jing Ziqing hadn’t expected Wen Fengyue’s performance to be so good, so she didn’t call a halt and filmed the entire introduction of Wei Ling in one shot.

Upon hearing the cut, Wen Fengyue almost immediately withdrew from the state of “Wei Ling.” She picked up the bionic cat with one hand and walked toward the director—or rather, toward Jiao Qingyin.

“Are there any shots that need redoing?” she asked, though her gaze kept drifting toward Jiao Qingyin.

“None! Has your acting improved again?” Jing Ziqing’s spirits were high. “When I worked with you before, you were good, but you’ve never been as perfect as today!”

She wasn’t stingy with her praise, complimenting every movement and expression. Wen Fengyue’s expression didn’t change, but Jiao Qingyin laughed. Hearing her low, soft chuckle, Wen Fengyue—who had shown no reaction to the praise—secretly felt her ears turn red.

The reason she performed better than ever was, of course, because Jiao Qingyin was watching her. As long as she felt the other woman’s gaze on her, she was filled with passion and motivation.

By now, the bionic kitten had reverted to its original metallic form. A prop master came to take it for adjustments. With her hands empty, Wen Fengyue naturally moved her gaze to Jiao Qingyin’s right hand hanging by her side.

I want to hold her hand…

Jing Ziqing stepped forward, blocking the space between them. “Let’s film the next shot immediately. Jiao Qingyin, get ready for the first meeting between you and Wei Ling.”

The one knocking on Wei Ling’s office door was Cheng Xing. She was often mocked due to her hearing impairment and faced immense daily pressure. Hearing that Professor Wei offered psychological counseling to students, she had built up her courage for a long time before finally coming here.

In their first meeting, Cheng Xing felt the charm of a mature adult from Wei Ling, while Wei Ling fell in love at first sight with this wandering lamb. Logically, this scene should be easy to act. Jiao Qingyin basically had to keep her head down the whole time, and Wen Fengyue only needed to show an expression of being captivated.

However—

“No!”

“Wrong!”

“Cut!”

After five consecutive NGs, Jing Ziqing called Wen Fengyue over, puzzled. “What’s going on? Weren’t you in a great state just now?”

Compared to the first scene which required deep characterization, this first meeting was as simple as could be. Jing Ziqing never expected Wen Fengyue to fail repeatedly here. Conversely, Jiao Qingyin, whom Jing Ziqing had originally been skeptical about, proved to be quite talented.

“You are supposed to act out a moment of being captivated by beauty, not deep love! Not an obsessive infatuation where you can’t look away!”

Wen Fengyue remained silent and nodded after a moment. “I’ll try again.”

“Try again,” Jing Ziqing had repeated similar words many times, but Wen Fengyue consistently looked like she didn’t get it, prompting the director to add: “Just remember, right now you love Jiao Qingyin’s face, not her as a person.”

As soon as she said this, the whispering voices nearby suddenly grew louder.

Wen Fengyue looked up. The makeup artist was touching up Jiao Qingyin’s powder. The girl had her eyes closed, looking very well-behaved under the makeup. Her eyes shifted slightly, only to be interrupted by a hand blocking her view.

Wen Fengyue was unhappy, and Jing Ziqing was even unhappier. She said crossly, “It’s wrong! Not that kind of look! You’re too ‘sticky’—someone who didn’t know better would think you’re going to kiss her in the next second!”

“…” Wen Fengyue had extraordinary talent in acting and had never experienced being unable to hold her head up before a director. But this time, she truly couldn’t grasp the feeling she was supposed to portray. To avoid delaying the crew’s progress, she could only ask humbly: “Should I make my gaze colder?”

Jing Ziqing felt that sounded more like it and waved her hand for Wen Fengyue to try again.

However— “Cut!”

“Wen Fengyue, what is with that look? It looks like you want to knock Jiao Qingyin out and drag her home to be your wife!”

Wen Fengyue: “…”

Jiao Qingyin: “…”

Jing Ziqing rubbed her temples. “No, Wen Fengyue, go find your state. Extras, come over, we’ll film the transitional scenes first.”

Wen Fengyue nodded with a calm expression, but once she walked to the rest area with Jiao Qingyin, her shoulders slumped slightly.

Looking at Wen Fengyue, who had turned into a dejected puppy, Jiao Qingyin reached out and petted her head when no one was looking. “Don’t rush.”

The healing effect of the head pat was visible. Wen Fengyue’s mood improved noticeably. She looked at the person beside her, wanting to say something, but the question that came out was: “Where are your assistants?”

“The company called them back. They won’t be following the crew anymore.”

Wen Fengyue was happy at first, but then she frowned slightly. “Then who will take care of you?”

Jiao Qingyin was helpless. “I can take care of myself.” Wen Fengyue herself didn’t like bringing assistants; her own assistant only existed to bring lunch. Why would she ask such a question?

Seeing that she wanted to ask more, Jiao Qingyin blocked her with a playful remark: “If Teacher Wen is worried, then I’ll have to trouble you to take care of me.”

These words were surprisingly effective. Wen Fengyue said nothing more, replacing words with a serious nod.

After solving that, Jiao Qingyin brought up the scene troubling Wen Fengyue in a relaxed tone. “While Director Jing is filming other things, you can practice that expression with me a few more times. Maybe you’ll find the feeling.”

Wen Fengyue agreed. She turned her body, looked directly at Jiao Qingyin, and adjusted her expression. She kept telling herself: she was “Wei Ling,” Jiao Qingyin was “Cheng Xing,” and this was their first meeting.

But once her gaze met Jiao Qingyin’s face, she couldn’t help but be captivated by those deep black eyes, slender lashes, moist lips… She was like a drunken rabbit running straight into a hunter’s gun.

This time no one called “Cut,” so she fell deeper and deeper. Her gaze looked as if she wanted to swallow Jiao Qingyin whole.

Being stared at so fixedly, Jiao Qingyin’s body temperature began to rise. Finally unable to bear it, she looked away.

“!” Wen Fengyue snapped out of it. Without needing a reminder, she knew she had failed again.

“Don’t worry,” before her mood could drop, Jiao Qingyin turned her head back and comforted her softly. “How about I analyze it for you? See if you can use it?”

Wen Fengyue nodded, and Teacher Jiao’s little classroom began.

“When we first met, what was your impression of me?”

Wen Fengyue opened her mouth, then closed it, not saying a word.

Jiao Qingyin: “…?”

Wen Fengyue lowered her head, looking even more dejected than before. After a long silence, she squeezed out: “…I’m sorry.”

“Why suddenly…”

“When we first met… I presumptuously felt you had malicious intent toward me, so…”

Jiao Qingyin understood. Wen Fengyue was regretting the initial misunderstanding. She felt like laughing, because it was normal for Wen Fengyue to have a bad first impression; before she transmigrated, the original Jiao Qingyin did harbor deep malice toward Wen Fengyue. The other’s intuition had been precise.

Jiao Qingyin couldn’t explain the reason directly, so she asked: “Then when you gave me the particle cigarette, what was your impression of me?”

“I…”

The scene flashed through Wen Fengyue’s mind: white smoke rising, Jiao Qingyin being choked to tears by her strawberry-flavored particle cigarette, coughing while wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. At that moment, before any clear thought could form in her brain, her cheeks had already begun to heat up.

She finally understood what that heart-racing feeling back then had meant.

“It seems your impression of me was quite good, wasn’t it?”

Jiao Qingyin’s voice pulled Wen Fengyue back. Her vision refocused, and she saw the person before her smiling.

Her heart was no longer under her own control.

“Remember the feeling from just now and act it out. That’s all,” Jiao Qingyin said, patting Wen’s hand resting on the chair.

Wen Fengyue curled her knuckles. She gave an “Mm,” then after a pause, spoke again: “The feeling…”

“Mm?” Jiao Qingyin raised an eyebrow, waiting for the rest.

“…The feeling is that Jiao Jiao is more like a teacher than I am,” Wen Fengyue said, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you, Teacher.”

Whether intentional or not, she emphasized the word “Teacher.” Her voice, deliberately softened and lightened, turned into a feather that tickled Jiao Qingyin’s heart.

Jiao Qingyin struggled not to clutch her chest.