Dating My Drama Queen Girlfriend On A Slow-Paced Variety Show - Chapter 21

Li Yue slowly made her way downstairs.

The mahjong table was right by the stairs. Sensing her presence, Luo Mingzi looked up, and as their eyes met, she offered Li Yue a smile.

Wu Xuezhen spotted Li Yue as well and waved her over. “Xiao Yue, come down quick! Big sister will teach you how to play!”

“Okay,” Li Yue replied, her lips curling into a smile. Once downstairs, she pulled up a stool and sat beside Wu Xuezhen.

Hmph, not sitting with me?

Luo Mingzi casually discarded a tile, intentionally putting on a stern face. “Watch me slaughter you all! I won’t leave a single survivor!”

“Whoa!” Zhu Dajun took a deep breath and said in a low, resonant voice, “What big talk! Let this old man see what skills you little girl actually have!”

Luo Mingzi discarded a tile: “Hmph!”

Luo Mingzi discarded another: “Ha!”

Every time she threw a tile, she raised her hand high and spread her fingers wide, looking exactly like a novice who didn’t know how to play. The others didn’t take her seriously and burst into laughter. Wu Xuezhen, sitting opposite Luo Mingzi, remarked, “Don’t just play blind, now. I see you’re discarding so fast every time.”

“Pong!”

Luo Mingzi shouted with full vigor, “Just you watch!”

Li Yue let out a soft chuckle and glanced at Luo Mingzi. Luo Mingzi arched an eyebrow, wearing an expression that said I’m actually amazing and you’re all worrying for nothing.

Everyone laughed even harder, thinking Luo Mingzi was truly adorable and great at creating “variety show effects.”

Luo Mingzi laughed along with them. Amidst the joyous and harmonious atmosphere, she suddenly pushed her tiles forward and said happily, “Hu! (Winning move)”

The others: “??”

The others: “…”

“What?” Zhu Dajun and You Yang craned their necks to look at her hand. Wu Xuezhen stood up in surprise. When the three of them looked closer, she really had won.

Luo Mingzi stood with her hands on her hips and said, “I told you I was amazing!”

The crowd found it hard to believe and quickly said, “One more round.”

Li Yue checked the time on her phone, smiling without saying a word.

The mahjong machine rattled as it shuffled the tiles. As the new round began, Li Yue heard everyone saying things like, “I don’t believe you’ll win again this time.” She smiled and stood up to get drinks and pour water for everyone.

By the time she returned with the water, the game had evolved, the losers now had to perform a forfeit.

Wu Xuezhen specifically added, “No one is allowed to perform a forfeit on someone else’s behalf!” She seemed to be hinting at someone in particular.

Luo Mingzi stacked her tiles and said cheekily, “Whoever does that is a puppy.”

Li Yue stood about two meters away from the table and sighed softly, though it was unclear who she was sighing for. The camera captured her face, showing a smile that seemed somewhat meaningful.

Perhaps because Luo Mingzi had “easily” won the first round, everyone was more cautious in the second. The pace of discarding slowed down. Li Yue took a speaker from the staff, put on some music, and sat in a bean bag chair to play on her phone.

Over half an hour later, accompanied by Luo Mingzi’s arrogant laughter, You Yang let out a loud, “Why?!”

Even the directing team found it hard to believe and huddled around to watch.

“She won again?”

Luo Mingzi placed both hands on the table and tapped the surface triumphantly. “I said from the beginning, I’m super strong. You guys aren’t up to it!”

Who would have believed that! After all, since meeting you, we’ve never seen you successfully complete a single thing!

Everyone sighed in amazement at the strange turn of events.

Luo Mingzi slapped the table and shouted, “Performance time! Come on, do a Yangko dance!”

The crowd gasped and groaned. Wu Xuezhen cracked her neck and looked at Li Yue, who was sitting comfortably in the bean bag chair. She ran over and grabbed her, asking, “Did you know all along? You definitely knew she was a mahjong pro, which is why you said you didn’t know how to play!”

Li Yue said innocently, “I only said I didn’t know how.”

She never said Luo Mingzi was bad at it.

Wu Xuezhen: “Waaaahhh!”

Luo Mingzi: “Hahaha!”

“Again!” Wu Xuezhen wasn’t convinced. Zhu Dajun and You Yang weren’t either. They couldn’t let the youngest one suppress them like this, it was unacceptable!

Luo Mingzi let out the sigh of a champion and waved her hand. “I don’t even want to bully you guys anymore.” Her words stirred up a hornets’ nest. Even the staff started cheering, encouraging the guests to “slaughter” each other.

Li Yue tilted her phone and looked at Luo Mingzi, whose face was flushed with excitement as she rolled up her sleeves and banged the table, saying things like “I’ve already been going easy on you.” Li Yue’s smile widened.

“Then one last round!” Luo Mingzi said. “To be able to play three consecutive rounds with me, the King of Mahjong, you should just feel honored.”

“Heh!” This time, no one dared to call her boastful. Instead, Li Yue brought over a health pot and poured everyone a cup of fresh chrysanthemum tea. There are no allies at the mahjong table, and the “war” had even spread outside the game. Wu Xuezhen thanked Li Yue while holding her cup, saying, “Teacher Yun’s intention is for us to clear our internal heat in advance.”

She was very sensitive: “She thinks we’re going to lose!”

“Don’t bully our Li Yue,” Luo Mingzi said protectively. As Wu Xuezhen stacked her tiles, she teased, “Why aren’t you calling her ‘baby’ anymore?”

You Yang: “Hiss” What? It’s already developed to that point?

Luo Mingzi snorted, threw the dice, and said arrogantly, “Watch me take revenge for my baby.”

Although no one knew why she needed to take revenge for her, since Luo Mingzi said so, Li Yue just smiled. She stood with her arms crossed, watching their passionate battlefield. Seeing her standing still, Director Liu asked curiously, “Teacher Li, do you really not know how to play mahjong?”

Li Yue said honestly, “I can’t even understand what I’m looking at.”

The guests at the table laughed, saying Li Yue was just standing there like a potted plant.

“No, we can’t call her a potted plant. It’s like when we’ve been looking down for too long and our eyes get tired, we look up at the sky and think, ‘Huh? Why is there a cloud floating there?'” Zhu Dajun gestured from the table up to Li Yue.

Li Yue played along, saying, “Then should I float up to the second floor? That way, everyone can exercise their neck muscles a bit more.”

Everyone said in unison, “Thanks a lot!”

Taking immediate action, Li Yue walked up to the second floor and leaned against the railing to look down.

The bright light shone on her, making her look like she was in a fashion photoshoot. Li Yue even playfully struck a few poses, making everyone laugh. Luo Mingzi laughed the loudest and held up a finger heart to Li Yue.

Li Yue tilted her head, pressed her fingers to her lips, and blew a kiss down to the floor below. Luo Mingzi covered her face and laughed. Director Liu, standing to the side, grinned widely, feeling that this was the right “flavor” this lively yet warm atmosphere was exactly what they wanted!

Su Pei and Yu Bilan stood in the corner, both with their arms crossed. Warm… Director Liu called this warm. They wondered when the definition of “ambiguity” in the dictionary had been changed to “warmth.”

The two managers sighed simultaneously.

“My kid just debuted,” Yu Bilan murmured, pulling a tissue from her pocket to wipe away non-existent tears, complaining to Su Pei, “I’m counting on you, Master Su, to be more tolerant.”

Su Pei had heard that Huaguan’s music department was different from other departments and had a “special vibe.” She didn’t know what that vibe was called, but since all of Yu Bilan’s artists were musicians, after today’s interaction, Su Pei felt Yu Bilan should have been a manager for actors.

Actually, she could be an actress herself.

Unaware of Su Pei’s thoughts, Yu Bilan lonely wiped her tears. Su Pei reached out, patted Yu Bilan on the shoulder, and said steadily, “It’s fine. At worst, we’ll all die together.”

Yu Bilan let out a cry that sounded like a snorting pig.

Su Pei shook her head with a smile and went out to arrange work. They still had the heart to joke around because they were aware of the situation, as long as the parties involved never admitted to it, who could say they were lovers?

While Yu Bilan was “crying” in the corner, Luo Mingzi was laughing at the mahjong table. A shout of “Zimo! (Self-drawn win)” caused the other three players to wail in despair.

On the second floor, Li Yue rested her chin in her hand, watching as Luo Mingzi threw down her tiles and said grandly, “Please, begin your performances!”

“How is this possible?” Zhu Dajun picked up his tiles and put them down, repeatedly checking them. You Yang started taking the blame, “I kept feeding her the tiles she needed!”

Wu Xuezhen sighed and groaned, attempting to escape the punishment by offering to go pour more water.

“You win some, you lose some!” Luo Mingzi slapped the table, laughing until she was slightly winded. “Hurry up and finish your performances so I can go to sleep with my baby.”

And they still had a movie to watch!

You Yang, ever the straight-talker, remarked, “Little sister, there’s a bit of an ambiguous vibe between you two.”

“Big brother, mind your own business,” Luo Mingzi shot back. “Go back and practice your game.”

You Yang wailed in mock despair, turning to Wu Xuezhen. “Look at her!”

Wu Xuezhen, unable to escape, sighed deeply. “I can’t look. I’m too annoyed!”

Luo Mingzi muttered “don’t be mad” while wiggling around playfully. Zhu Dajun, thinking about how he couldn’t let his wife stay angry, suggested, “How about one more round?”

“I’m calling for backup!” You Yang raised his hand. “Swap me out!”

Luo Mingzi stood up calmly, patted down her pajamas, and said nonchalantly, “It doesn’t matter who you call. I’m out of here!”

“Catch her!”

The group began to corner Luo Mingzi, trying to separate her from her “meeting with the clouds” on the second floor. Luo Mingzi cried out, “Li Yue, save me!”

The “Goddess Li” descended as if from the heavens, grabbed her hand, and the two of them ran back upstairs, laughing.

“Goodbye, friends! I’m going to rest now!” Luo Mingzi announced, spreading her arms wide on the second floor.

“Come back down for one more!” the others waved from below, their gambling itch fully flared.

Luo Mingzi tossed her long hair and said leisurely, “Not only am I not coming down, but I’ve decided from this day forward, I will never play mahjong with you again! This activity shall vanish from among the four of us forever!”

Let the legend of the “Mahjong Goddess” and her three game winning streak live on in these lands forever!

“Gosh, I didn’t realize you were that kind of person!” Wu Xuezhen grabbed a pillow and slammed it onto the floor with a thwack.

You Yang added, “You’re so cruel!”

Zhu Dajun sighed, “Alas!”

Luo Mingzi: “Hahaha!”

“Let’s go!”

Luo Mingzi led the way. Li Yue watched her bouncing along as if she had grown a tail, her whole body radiating happiness and satisfaction. Li Yue reached out, ruffled Luo Mingzi’s hair, and took a long stride to open the door for her.

Luo Mingzi stood primly at the guest room door, lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, and curtsied. “Thank you.”

The “kind soul” replied, “Please, after you.”

Well, she wasn’t going to be polite then.

With a slightly flushed face, Luo Mingzi walked in and shamelessly lunged onto the bed, rolling around excitedly. Once her face was “seven-tenths cooked” from blushing, she lay down on the inner side, pulling the small pink floral quilt over herself. She reached out and patted the space next to her.

“Come here.”

Li Yue turned to close the door, calmly took off her shoes, climbed into bed, and switched on the projector.

“What movie should we watch?” Luo Mingzi asked solemnly. “Let’s watch a romance, something heartwarming.”

“Okay,” Li Yue said.

On the long table, a yellow petal fell from the flower arrangement, landing on the dark brown surface.

In the bed, Luo Mingzi hugged a long body pillow, turned over, and naturally rested her head on Li Yue’s shoulder as if she had done it a thousand times. Li Yue calmly selected a movie and started the projection.

The lights in the room dimmed instantly. The camera in the corner shifted, focusing on them. Luo Mingzi glanced at the lens and gave a soft huff.

The person she was leaning against suddenly whispered two words: “Little pig.”

Luo Mingzi froze, looking up at Li Yue.

Li Yue had her head down, seemingly focused on her phone, her fingers sliding across the screen. Luo Mingzi watched her swipe the home screen back and forth, then smiled and said seriously, “You can’t follow Sister Xuezhen and the others on social media yet, you know.”

“Mm.”

“What time do you head back tomorrow?”

“Nine o’clock flight at night.”

Luo Mingzi suddenly fell silent, feeling she had asked a foolish question. Blue skies and white clouds were projected onto the white wall as the protagonist rode a bicycle through a sea of flowers.

Underneath the pink floral quilt and the blue quilt, their hands slowly found each other and intertwined.

As long as they were together, even the cameras didn’t matter. Luo Mingzi leaned against Li Yue and slowly closed her eyes. Li Yue looked down at her, a smile tugging at her lips. She carefully got up and switched off the room’s camera.

When she returned to the bed, Luo Mingzi was curled up in the blankets, clutching her pillow. Li Yue propped herself up on her arms and watched her sleeping face for a long time before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

It was the kiss Luo Mingzi had been waiting for a very, very long time.

Perhaps because they knew the date of their separation, everything passed quickly the next day. Before Luo Mingzi was even ready for it, Li Yue had to leave.

“Can you please not go?” Luo Mingzi sat on Li Yue’s empty suitcase, whimpering. She looked like she was truly about to cry. “Or just take me with you.”

Wu Xuezhen waved her off. “Fine, take her.”

Li Yue said with a smile, “I’ll leave her here for ‘storage’ a bit longer.”

Everyone said their reluctant goodbyes, promising to stay in touch.

“We’ll wait for your arrangements, Great Teacher Li!” You Yang said excitedly.

“Goodbye!” Li Yue turned and waved to everyone as she got into the car headed for the airport.

The car was arranged by the production crew. She had arrived with Yu Bilan, and they were leaving together. Because there was an outsider present, Yu Bilan held her tongue the whole way. It wasn’t until they boarded the plane that Yu Bilan grabbed Li Yue and said excitedly, “How come you never told me your lover was muffled noises!”

Li Yue said in surprise, “Was I not being obvious enough?”

How was that obvious?! It wasn’t obvious at all!!

“You don’t trust me.” Yu Bilan looked like she was about to cry. Li Yue laughed and said, “Sorry.”

Yu Bilan wiped her imaginary tears and took out a notebook. Sobbing, she said, “Fine, since we haven’t known each other long, you haven’t felt my goodness yet. I’ll just have to use my passion to melt your icy exterior. To that end, I’ve booked three jobs for you. You understand, right?”

Li Yue: “…I understand.”

For the first time, her smile was a bit stiff. “Thank you, Sister Lan, for granting me work.”

Li Yue shook her head and took an eye mask out of her backpack.

The flight landed smoothly, and Li Yue sent a “home safe” message to Luo Mingzi before returning to her apartment.

Two days felt as long as two months. In the quiet house, there wasn’t a single trace of another person’s existence. Li Yue sat on the sofa, thinking idly: Maybe I should let Sister Lan book even more work, as long as it makes money.

Her girlfriend wasn’t returning to Nanhai anytime soon, being busy was probably better.

With that mindset, Li Yue threw herself into her work. On the night of the seventh day after leaving Panshan City, she returned home from the office, carrying a random takeout box.

The moment she pushed open the door, Li Yue’s eyes widened. She saw an open suitcase on the floor, with things scattered everywhere.

This familiar scene…

“Baby, you’re back!” A small head popped out of the kitchen. Luo Mingzi’s eyes went round as she charged over excitedly, slamming into Li Yue’s arms. Li Yue patted her back, still feeling like this wasn’t real.

The girl buried in her chest looked up, her face full of frustration. “Baby, I wanted to cook a bowl of noodles for you just now, but I accidentally broke the bowl!”

The feeling of unreality vanished instantly.

Li Yue’s smile reached her ears. She held her and swayed back and forth. “As long as you’re okay… Why are you back in Nanhai? What about the TV drama?”

“Oh, something happened!” Luo Mingzi grinned cheekily. “The drama fell through!”

“I’m free!”