Dating My Drama Queen Girlfriend On A Slow-Paced Variety Show - Chapter 23

Kiss Back Everything You Lost!

[Is anyone talking about Luo Mingzi?]

[For real? A girlfriend? Is Luo Mingzi gay?]

[I don’t know if she’s gay, but she definitely has a massive female fanbase.]

[With a face like that, who cares about gender!]

[My friend, who never follows the entertainment industry, crawled out of bed at midnight just to eat this gossip. Luo God is truly legendary!]

[So, does Luo Mingzi really have a girlfriend? And the new guest on Late Village looks just like her??]

[Why is today only the 24th? Why isn’t it the 31st! Having to wait another week for the next episode is torture! Can some industry insider give us a tiny hint?]

[LMAO. These past two days were supposed to be Zhong Jiaquan’s time to shine. But then Luo Mingzi mentions a ‘girlfriend,’ and suddenly every actress she’s ever worked with is coming out to trend-hop. Even the ones she hasn’t worked with are popping up like mushrooms. One says ‘Teacher Luo took great care of me,’ another says ‘Teacher Luo praised my hands,’ or ‘Teacher Luo said my black hair is beautiful, so I never dye it.’ Tsk tsk, the trending topics are a blooming garden!]

[Not much time left for Zhong Jiaquan to change her story! Will she keep the black history of stealing a role under the guise of ‘visiting a friend,’ or will she pivot to being ‘deeply in love’ and ‘unable to have’ Luo Mingzi?]

[Did Zhong Jiaquan really steal Luo Mingzi’s role? Could she even pull that off?]

[It’s real. She snatched it. Luo Mingzi had already filmed half of it when they recast. Even if Luo Mingzi’s acting is bad, the theft is a fact. Someone from the One Dream of Southern Heaven crew is a Luo fan and spoke out, the production has zero integrity.]

[Yeah, I find it weird too. Everyone knows Luo Mingzi’s acting is subpar, right? If you hired her, you knew that. Didn’t they hire her for her popularity? Even though people are complaining online, Luo fans are die-hard and wealthy. If you replace her now, who’s going to carry the view count when the show airs? Unless Zhong Jiaquan pulls off a miracle with her acting.]

[Who knows? Zhong’s fans are already claiming her acting is great and telling everyone not to worry.]

[Still… I’m obsessed with Luo Mingzi’s face. What kind of person could attract her? Please don’t let it be someone ugly or a total weirdo!]

[Wait, you guys actually believe she has a girlfriend? If she did, would she shout it out on a show? Would the crew even air it? Is Huaguan Management just sleeping on the job?]

[Friend, you’re being logical, but honestly, I’d rather believe she’s gay than find out she’s with some random guy!]

[Scouts, what’s the reaction from the Luo fan camps?]

[Reporting! Emotions are high. They’ve gathered under the Late Village official accounts and staff pages, demanding clues about the girlfriend!]

[…Damn, I feel it! They all trash her acting, but they’re all fans of her face! You fake anti-fans!]

Li Yue opened her eyes. The familiar yet strange warmth in her arms made her feel for a moment like she was in a dream. She reached out and hugged the figure tighter, letting out a sigh of relief. Luo Mingzi rolled over, throwing a leg over Li Yue’s body, and mumbled, “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Li Yue kissed her forehead. They lay in the blankets for a while.

The room was quiet. Luo Mingzi was half-awake, but once she fully regained consciousness, she stared at the ceiling and said, “I’m a little scared.”

Li Yue immediately opened her eyes and looked at her in confusion.

“Hiss.” Luo Mingzi tossed and turned until she was face to face with Li Yue. She waved a hand toward the ceiling and said, “This feeling of having absolutely nothing to do!”

For the past six months, it had been nothing but work. Shooting on sets, variety shows, endorsements, commercials, magazines, interviews, galas… This kind of peaceful morning, waking up in her girlfriend’s arms. “It reminds me of our school days,” Luo Mingzi sighed, rolling into Li Yue’s chest. “Wooo, I really want to go back to being a student!”

“Our junior year!”

Li Yue covered the upper half of her face with her pale arm and laughed softly. Her laughter grew more relaxed as she said, “Actually, right now is pretty good too.”

Luo Mingzi thought about it and agreed. As long as she wasn’t as busy as before and could see Li Yue seven days a week, it was perfect!

Both let out soft sighs. After washing up, Li Yue made a simple breakfast. Once they finished, they huddled back on the bed, scrolling through their phones together.

Luo Mingzi was buying clothes for Li Yue, while Li Yue was replying to messages. She had added the director and other guests from Late Village on WeChat. You Yang was confirming class times with her, saying he wanted to bring a few more people along and needed to sign a contract and pay tuition.

Being formal made things easier. The same went for Luo Mingzi’s side. In contrast, the “lessons” between Li Yue, Wu Xuezhen, and Zhu Dajun were just a front, everyone knew that.

“Baby, did you know? After those two days you were there, my relationship with the other three guests became much more natural,” Luo Mingzi said. “I even talked to Sister Xuezhen about Gong Jing. She actually comforted me.”

“I only just found out that Gong Jing hadn’t had a role in years. Sister Xuezhen recommended her to the director for Late Village to give her some exposure. It ended up being awkward for us, and Sister Xuezhen even apologized to me.” Luo Mingzi tilted her head up and pecked Li Yue’s chin.

Li Yue simply lowered her head and gave her a proper kiss.

When they parted, Luo Mingzi was beaming, her eyes bright and beautiful.

“I’ve always been lucky, haven’t I?”

Li Yue lay back, watching the light patterns move across the ceiling. Her gaze flickered. Luo Mingzi squinted and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“…Not telling you,” Li Yue teased, curling her lips. Luo Mingzi’s eyes widened, and she pounced. “Tell me! Tell me! Say you’re thinking about me!”

She was.

Li Yue held up a pillow to block her, and the two started play-fighting on the bed. Luo Mingzi was brave, but her strength didn’t match her courage, she was easily pinned down by Li Yue. With one hand, Li Yue caught both of Luo Mingzi’s wrists, leisurely admiring her girlfriend’s struggles.

“Just wait… hmph! Once I get up…” Luo Mingzi struggled, “I’m going to use my little mouth to go crazy on your face!”

Li Yue narrowed her eyes. Sensing this “threat” was quite serious, she decided to strike first and lowered her head.

Yu Bilan was pacing in the garage, her expression shifting between smiles and hesitation. She was muttering to herself. People passing by instinctively gave her a wide berth, but Yu Bilan didn’t notice, she was immersed in her own world.

Li Yue led Luo Mingzi out of the elevator just in time to see this. She calmly held Luo Mingzi and said, “The colleagues in my department are very enthusiastic and talented. You’ll like them.”

Luo Mingzi said happily, “That’s great, it must be fun!”

Yu Bilan finally noticed them. Both were wearing masks and hats. Li Yue wore a black T-shirt and white shorts, while Luo Mingzi wore a white T-shirt and a pink skirt, both in white canvas shoes.

It wasn’t a matching couple’s outfit, but… there was an undeniable “sticky” vibe between them.

Is it just because I know they’re a couple? Yu Bilan wondered.

“Ahem.” Yu Bilan cleared her throat. “We aren’t going to the main building today. The place is swarming with entertainment reporters. Luckily, Li’s new work is being filmed outside. Let’s go.”

To protect the artist’s privacy, Yu Bilan drove her own small electric car. The neon green Beetle carried the country’s top star and the newly viral singer, “beep-beeping” its way toward the outer ring road.

Li Yue pulled out her phone. Luo Mingzi looked like someone who had just returned to civilization from the deep wilderness, interested in everything. She stared out the window at the road and sighed deeply: “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a highway while awake! The highway! So long, so wide!”

“It looks good,” Li Yue said unhurriedly.

Yu Bilan glanced in the rearview mirror and said, “Li, don’t just play on your phone. Talk to Teacher Luo!” Can’t you see Teacher Luo’s lonely profile as she stares out the window? She needs company!

Li Yue looked at Yu Bilan in surprise and laughed. “I’m replying to Xiao Cai. She’s asking where we are.”

Luo Mingzi rested her hands on the back of Yu Bilan’s seat and said with a smile, “Thank you for worrying about me, Sister Lan, but we’re doing great! We even kissed all morning!”

Yu Bilan: “Hooray!”

Luo Mingzi: “Hehe!”

Li Yue put her phone down and asked Yu Bilan, “If I kiss her now, will you drive the car into the river?” Luo Mingzi gasped, cupping her face in a bashful expression.

Yu Bilan thought for a moment and said, “God Li, it turns out our meeting was destiny.”

Birds of a feather flock together. The Music Department was still the same Music Department.

Li Yue chuckled, pulled Luo Mingzi close, and kissed her forehead. Luo Mingzi’s face flushed, she hadn’t expected Li Yue to actually do it in front of Yu Bilan.

Yu Bilan made a strange noise, but luckily she didn’t drive into the river. Instead, she pulled up to the riverbank.

The moment the green Beetle stopped, a crowd of people ran over, surrounding the car. They were holding bananas, apples, and oranges, looking like they wanted to punch through the windows just to throw the fruit in.

But they exercised excellent restraint!

Luo Mingzi looked at the eccentric group outside and whispered, “I remember on your first day at Late Village, you had a bag of fruit in your suitcase with a bit of everything.”

Li Yue said, “You guessed right.”

Since signing with Huaguan, she hadn’t had to buy fruit once, saving a lot of money. She had already shared the enthusiasm of the Music Department with her girlfriend. Now, she was bringing her to experience it in person.

Yu Bilan rolled down the window and started shooing them away: “Scatter! Why are you so close! Don’t let your foolish auras taint our noble God Li!”

The scolded crowd sheepishly stepped back half a pace.

Yu Bilan snapped: “Back! Back! Back!”

Finally, there was enough room to open the car doors.

Li Yue pushed the door open and said warmly amidst the enthusiastic welcome, “I brought a friend today.”

The “owls” of the music department raised their arms in welcome!

Luo Mingzi stepped out shyly, pulled down her mask, and waved happily. “Hello everyone, I’m Luo Mingzi. I’m very happy to be here.”

Her standard variety show opening line froze everyone in their tracks. They recoiled in shock.

“Luo… Luo… Luo…” A girl with braided hair holding a watermelon pointed at Luo Mingzi, stuttering.

“Can…can you even speak?” Yu Bilan scoffed. She walked over to the girl, scooped out the sweetest middle part of the watermelon with her hand, and shoved it into her mouth. Chewing, she introduced the project to Luo Mingzi: “We’re planning to film a music show. A web variety, very raw, self-indulgent. It’s called Inspiration Explosion.”

“It was Li Shen’s idea. Each episode, we brainstorm a theme on the spot, write lyrics, and compose. The goal is for everyone to complete a song by the end of the show.”

“The crew is borrowed from the company. The director is an intern. We’re just testing the waters.” Yu Bilan laughed. “Our Li Shen is famous now, so the higher-ups approved the show immediately. Our department is finally moving up in the world!”

Yu Bilan wiped away theatrical tears, and her fellow “owls” followed suit, their lips pouting higher than the next. Luo Mingzi was amazed. “You guys should go into acting!”

Their emotions were far more dramatic than hers.

Li Yue looked around. Today’s filming location was under a bridge. It was a hot day, but the shade under the bridge was cool. There were nine people from the music department and a production crew of twelve, including only three cameramen.

Luo Mingzi: “…It really is quite ‘raw.’ Did the company not give you a budget?”

With Li Yue’s current popularity, it shouldn’t have been small!

“Oh, we spent it all,” Li Yue said calmly.

Luo Mingzi: “?”

“All of it?”

The girl with the braids said bashfully, “We bought some… ‘wives.'”

“Some?”

“Wives?”

Luo Mingzi was shocked and indignant. She stood up to see what kind of “wives” Li Yue had bought behind her back!

Li Yue assured her that she had plenty of “wives” at home. Luo Mingzi finally relaxed and let everyone bring out the “wives” to see.

Moments later, a drum kit, guitars, basses, and various colorful “wives” were brought out. Luo Mingzi realized they had even bought a power generator for them! No wonder they were broke.

Li Yue looked around and brought over a small plastic chair, specifically a pink one for Luo Mingzi to sit on. “We’re about to start filming. Just sit here and watch me.”

Luo Mingzi nodded happily.

When filming officially began, Luo Mingzi noticed that the director looked about her age and seemed very green. Yu Bilan actually pulled out her phone to help film alongside the others.

Luo Mingzi pulled out her phone too.

The nine musicians sat on the ground to discuss today’s theme. Li Yue said, “I thought of it on the way here. Since it’s our first shoot, how about the theme ‘The First Time I Met You’?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Everyone looked like loyal followers offering bananas to their god.

The girl with braids hugged her guitar and kissed it. “The first time I met you, I wanted to give you a kiss.”

Li Yue chuckled, casually strumming the strings. Her eyes flickered toward Luo Mingzi, who was smiling while holding her phone. Her lips curled into a smile. Following the melody, she sang:

“The first time I met you, you said you wanted to take me down.” “The atmosphere was a bit heated, what should I say?” “You said just love me, don’t look for too many excuses, become the happy character in the story…” “And the me right now… is still in love with you.”