My Wife Became a Top Star After I Came Back from Quick Transmigration - Chapter 62

It was at this moment that everyone realized that eight days had already passed since Li Xinling arrived.

Although each day seemed unremarkable, with the occasional heart-stopping moment, the routine of going to bed early, waking up early, and spending leisure time laughing and playing together was so pleasant that they had almost forgotten it was a job.

Li Xinling had arrived a few days later than the others, but her experience had been much the same.

Now that she was leaving, everyone felt a sense of sadness.

However, the reality was that everyone here would also go their separate ways in just two more weeks.

At this point, feeling sad about Li Xinling’s early departure seemed pointless.

Yun Yue was the one who was most reluctant. She looked at Li Xinling and said, “I’ll come visit you on set later.”

Yun Yue wasn’t a talkative person and had said very little since joining the show. She and Li Xinling were complete strangers and had no interaction until they started playing Go together just two days ago.

But Go was a magical thing. The bond that forms when you find a worthy opponent left Yun Yue feeling dejected about Li Xinling’s departure.

Li Xinling gave a cheerful laugh, flicked her long hair, and grandly told Yun Yue, “You can come find me anytime. We’ll play Go together again.”

Yun Yue finally smiled. She didn’t have many friends in her circle, so she cherished every friend she made.

Since it was a farewell dinner, they couldn’t just eat anything. But the refrigerator didn’t have enough ingredients for a lavish feast.

Going out to shop and then preparing dinner would be a bit rushed.

Plus, it was a misty, drizzly day. So after a quick discussion, everyone decided to go out to eat.

Director Feng had previously said that all expenses during filming would be taken from their income. Despite the restrictions on fan entry, their daily earnings were still good, with a net income of around 34,700 yuan so far.

A large portion of this income came from the first two days when there were no limits on fan entry. The place was packed, and Lin Mo was selling cakes. The income from those two days was excellent.

After the number of people was limited and they only worked one morning a day, and since Qiu Mingyi and the others had set their prices low, the income was still quite impressive.

If they were going out to eat, they couldn’t be too extravagant for a party of nine.

“Let’s go eat seafood by the sea,” someone suggested.

Su Qixi chimed in, “Yes! We were supposed to eat there that day, but then all that stuff happened.”

“It’s raining today, so there probably won’t be many people at the beach.”

“Right, I saw a seafood restaurant on the beach when we played that game. The seafood there must be super fresh, right?”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

They quickly settled on a place to eat. Director Feng had no objections; this was their decision to make.

Hearing that they were going to the beach, Director Feng told his assistant to quickly arrange a car. Since everyone was going, they used the same bus that had brought them there initially.

However, they had to walk a bit to get to the bus—about ten minutes from the “Ink Guest House” to the parking lot.

The sky was still misty and rainy, so it was impossible to walk there in the rain.

With no other choice, they went to the storage room to look for umbrellas. They were in luck and found them. However, there weren’t enough for everyone.

There were six umbrellas in total, of various sizes.

Su Qixi picked out a large black one and said, “Lin Mo and I will share one.”

This left Jiang Lun and Wu Qingqing to share one, and Qiu Mingyi and Zhuo Zitou to share another.

Once they were ready, the group began to leave the “Ink Guest House.” Because of the rain, drones were difficult to use, so they relied on the several videographers to follow them.

The live stream footage became a series of shots of the guests’ backs.

The couples walked ahead. Yun Yue, not wanting to walk with Qi Youxuan, followed behind Jiang Lun and Wu Qingqing.

She called out to Li Xinling to join her, and her gaze inevitably met Qi Youxuan’s as she came out of the storage room.

When everyone was picking out umbrellas, Qi Youxuan had stood by and watched. After they had all chosen one, she took the very last one.

Yun Yue remembered there were six umbrellas inside, and one of them was a traditional oil-paper umbrella.

The oil-paper umbrella was very beautiful, with a white base and black floral patterns. Even without being opened, you could imagine its elegant beauty when unfolded.

Now, with the umbrella in her hand, Qi Youxuan stood at the storage room door, looking up at the sky. Her expression was unclear, but Yun Yue was always sensitive to Qi Youxuan’s moods. She could sense that for the past two days, Qi Youxuan had not been happy.

Dark clouds loomed low, and birds flew past. The rain was misty, and the walls were white with dark tiles.

Yun Yue watched Qi Youxuan at the door, opening her umbrella. In that moment, it was as if time stood still. A long time ago, someone might have walked in this same spot with an oil-paper umbrella.

Qi Youxuan opened the umbrella with one hand, then turned and closed the door.

“Yun Yue, let’s go!” Li Xinling called out curiously when she saw Yun Yue wasn’t moving.

Yun Yue smiled slightly and nodded. She turned and walked forward, unaware that Qi Youxuan behind her had turned to look at her.

The massive curtain of rain separated the two of them, as if it had placed them in two different eras, holding two different umbrellas.

One was a modern, common umbrella, foldable and convenient, with a wide range of uses.

The other was a traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage, an oil-paper umbrella, with Chinese traditional aesthetics and artistic concepts that are rarely seen today.

The two umbrellas were like two separate worlds.

They had once experienced a moment of warmth under a shared umbrella. Now, in the rainy weather, they each held their own, allowing the memories to be washed away until they were faded.

Yun Yue and Li Xinling walked into the corridor, moving from the back to the front courtyard of the “Ink Guest House.”

Rounding the corner, they saw the backs of Qiu Mingyi and Zhuo Zitou as they walked out.

Yun Yue was in no hurry to catch up. She looked up at the “Ink Guest House” plaque, remembering how she had felt a little nervous, expectant, and even happy when she saw it on the day of filming.

Had she really been a little happy back then?

It seemed to take Yun Yue this very moment to realize the expectations she had brought with her.

Why had she agreed to this?

Yun Yue looked away, glanced at Li Xinling beside her, and sighed, “The deep affection of the past has now changed, and people have changed.”

“Let’s go!”

Li Xinling: “Alright! I’m leaving tonight. I’ll be filming in Jingyuan from now on. The filming here is almost over anyway, so will you come visit me?”

“Okay!” Yun Yue’s voice was soft, and she sounded happy to receive her friend’s invitation.

Just as they left, Qi Youxuan came out from around the corner.

Looking at the backs of Yun Yue and Li Xinling in front of her, Qi Youxuan’s dazed expression suddenly relaxed, and she smiled.

The bus parked at the beach parking lot, and Xia Zhen, the host who had brought them from the airport to the “Ink Guest House,” appeared again.

Holding a small megaphone, she became their tour guide.

She stood at the bus door and shouted, “We’ve arrived! Everyone, please get off the bus!”

The people on the bus groggily woke up, saw the familiar parking lot, and got off the bus one by one after gathering themselves.

The fine, misty rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark. By this time, most people at the beach were already heading home.

Since it was a gloomy, rainy day, there weren’t many people there to begin with.

When they reached the seafood restaurant by the beach, the place was indeed empty.

The owner, a woman, was sitting and scrolling through her phone. She was stunned when she saw them come in, and then she noticed the cameras behind them and seemed to immediately understand.

“Oh, are you filming a show? Are you from The Guesthouse?”

The owner was not a fan, but everyone in the area knew about the reality show being filmed. Even if she hadn’t heard about it, she would have known since the celebrity rescue happened right in front of her restaurant a few days ago.

Even if she didn’t read entertainment news, she would at least scan the local news.

Even if she didn’t read local news, she would still know a bit about local gossip.

Especially about Lin Mo’s incident—jumping into the sea in such strong winds was practically suicide.

Locals would have little chance of surviving if they were swept away in that kind of weather. For someone to jump in directly to save a person, that’s not a joke.

“Hello, ma’am,” Qiu Mingyi greeted her.

The owner immediately pointed at Qiu Mingyi and said, “You’re Qiu Mingyi.”

Qiu Mingyi laughed. “See? She knows me.”

The owner smiled. “You’re our heroes here. Are you visiting my little restaurant today? Order whatever you want. It’s on me.”

“Oh, no, that’s not right. Don’t worry, ma’am, we have money,” Zhuo Zitou immediately refused but still thanked the owner for her kindness.

The owner sighed and waved her hand. “It’s nothing. This is my sincere gesture.”

The owner was so enthusiastic that after much back-and-forth, they finally compromised, and the meal would be half price.

The restaurant by the sea had a wide variety of seafood. This restaurant, named Sister Zhang’s, catered to tourists, but most of them were locals, so the prices weren’t high.

Sister Zhang’s Restaurant had a large seafood tank. Su Qixi held Lin Mo’s hand and looked inside.

There were large lobsters, fresh oysters, grouper, starfish, sea shrimp, and king crab. The variety of seafood was truly impressive.

Su Qixi had eaten a lot of good food over the years and had plenty of seafood.

But today she was still very happy to hold Lin Mo’s hand and ask, “I remember you like eel.”

Lin Mo nodded. Su Qixi happily told the owner, “We want eel.”

A quick-moving young man with a net scooped one out, placed it on the scale in front of the customers, and began writing down the weight.

Li Xinling twitched her lips and asked Su Qixi, “Is this for my farewell dinner?” Then why aren’t you asking what I like?

Su Qixi finally reacted. She looked at a dish of sea cucumbers and asked, “I remember you like these, right?”

Li Xinling looked at the dish Su Qixi was pointing at, was shocked for a moment, and then was left speechless.

After a long time, she finally said, “Those are sea worms! Sea worms!!!”

Su Qixi glanced at the sign and replied casually, “It’s pretty much the same thing!” Su Qixi absolutely disliked eating sea worms because they were ugly.

Li Xinling: “…And I don’t like sea worms. I like sea cucumbers.”

Su Qixi turned to the owner and said, “Get us some sea cucumbers.” Then she turned back to Li Xinling and said, “See? I’m getting you what you like.”

Li Xinling sadly turned to Yun Yue and cried, “Wuwuwu, Yueyue, she’s so mean.”

Lin Mo stood behind Su Qixi and watched the whole scene, unable to stop herself from hiding a smile with the back of her hand. The way Su Qixi interacted with her friends was truly entertaining.

Li Xinling caught a glimpse of Lin Mo trying to hold back her laughter from behind Su Qixi and was immediately alarmed. “Are you making fun of me?”

Lin Mo shook her head and said innocently, “I’m just watching you two. It’s amusing.”

Li Xinling: “My gut tells me you’re making fun of me.”

Su Qixi quickly said, “Lin Mo is not like that.”

Li Xinling cried and lunged toward Yun Yue again, “Ahhh! I’ve been here for a week, and I haven’t been able to pull her out of the mud. I’ve failed Sister Xiong!”

In a muddled state, Li Xinling pretended to cry and then walked away.

Su Qixi turned to Lin Mo and explained, “She just likes to make a scene.”

Lin Mo smiled. “Do you think I’d get upset with her?”

Su Qixi: “I was afraid you’d be unhappy.”

Lin Mo reached out and patted her on the head. “Silly.”

But she said nothing more. As she looked at the other seafood, she saw Qi Youxuan walking away while talking on her phone.

At this time…

Lin Mo looked up at the sky; it had gotten darker.

“Do you know anything about Qi Youxuan’s company?” Lin Mo suddenly asked Su Qixi.

Su Qixi was already looking at other seafood. When she heard the question, she nodded and said, “Kind of. Uh… I wouldn’t say ‘kind of.’ Their company is stingy, very, very stingy. When I was looking for a company to sign with, Mei’er immediately told me to pass on Qi Youxuan’s company. I remember what it was called…”

Su Qixi thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, “I think it’s called Hua Ling Media Company, right? The boss is a woman.”

Lin Mo followed behind her. “How do they treat new artists?”

Su Qixi stopped and turned to look at Lin Mo. She blinked her big eyes and said, “Are you thinking of making your debut? Just sign with my studio!” As she spoke, she tilted her head and gave a cute, seductive smile.

Being loved is a very happy thing, both for Su Qixi and for Lin Mo.

Su Qixi had spread her wings for Lin Mo, with the kind of fierce possessiveness that said, No matter where you go, I will protect you under my wings. It was so moving.

“No,” Lin Mo explained. “I’m not planning to make my debut.”

Su Qixi wrinkled her nose, turned back to look at the seafood, and her voice became listless when she spoke about Hua Ling Company. “Hua Ling doesn’t have a very good reputation in the industry. They’ve even been involved in a wrongful death lawsuit.”

Su Qixi froze and turned to ask Lin Mo, “Why are you asking about this?”

Lin Mo looked at the seafood tank beside her and changed the subject. “I was just curious.”

Su Qixi: “Are you asking because of Qi Youxuan? Look at her—she’s been at Hua Ling for so many years, but has she made any money? I heard her contract is super strict. She signed a 20-year one, I think.”

Lin Mo gave a short laugh and finally let go of her concern for Qi Youxuan. The topic was getting too deep.

Qiu Mingyi had already ordered a lot of seafood, from raw to cooked, a wide variety of dishes.

“Come on in! The owner said our private room is #888.” With the order placed, Qiu Mingyi waved to everyone.

So, the group headed inside. Jiang Lun quickly noticed Qi Youxuan was missing. “Where is she? Where did Youxuan go?”

Lin Mo had to step in and say, “I saw her walk out just now while she was on the phone.”

Qiu Mingyi: “Which way?”

Lin Mo replied, “I’ll go get her. You guys go on ahead. I’ll be right back.”

Everyone considered it. Since she was just nearby, they nodded.

Su Qixi was about to go with her, but Lin Mo told her to go ahead and save a seat. So, the easily-persuaded Su Qixi went inside.

Lin Mo walked in the direction she had seen Qi Youxuan go. The restaurant was close to the sea. Qi Youxuan had turned left when she went out, so she wasn’t hard to find.

It was just…

Lin Mo saw Qi Youxuan surrounded on the side of the road and sighed.

Qi Youxuan also saw Lin Mo. There were no streetlights on the dark beach. Only the faint light from the main road shone on them. The five large men surrounding Qi Youxuan were hidden in the shadows, their faces obscured.

Lin Mo stood in the light, and Qi Youxuan stood in the dark, but Qi Youxuan secretly shook her head at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. “Are you afraid I’ll lose?” Her sudden voice startled both Qi Youxuan and the men.

Lin Mo reassured her, rotating her wrist. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a while since I’ve warmed up.”

Even with those words, her smile was gentle. Unlike the men surrounding Qi Youxuan, whose bodies radiated a murderous aura, they were clearly people who had shed blood before.

Lin Mo remained poised and graceful, like a bamboo shoot in a forest, completely harmless as she stretched.

Qi Youxuan: “…I think I did hear you’re pretty good at fighting.” Who told me that?

Lin Mo: “Oh, so it was just hearsay!”

This angered the men surrounding them. “Hey, this little girl is interesting. Brothers, let’s show her a thing or two.”

The men’s arrogance and disrespect were not something Lin Mo appreciated, so she didn’t hold back.

After she took down three of them, the remaining two didn’t dare to step up. They helped their comrades, who were nursing sprained ankles, and ran off.

“Aren’t you going to chase them?” Lin Mo asked, seeing Qi Youxuan still standing there.

Qi Youxuan looked at their backs and said, “It’s no use. Going to the police station would just be mediation. Let’s go.”

Lin Mo looked at her in surprise. “You’re very calm.”

Qi Youxuan laughed. “Aren’t you calmer than me?”

When they returned to the private room, everyone was already seated. Li Xinling was holding up a glass of wine and shouting, “I’ve been so well taken care of these past few days. I can die without regrets.”

Qi Youxuan: “…How dramatic.”

Li Xinling downed the wine, poured herself another glass, and said boldly, “This glass is for our friendship. May it last forever!”

With that, she drank another glass and poured herself a third.

“This glass is for… uh, for our futures. May they get better and better, and be prosperous.”

She downed that one too, and poured another.

“This glass is for our health. May we always be safe and sound.”

She was completely drunk!

Su Qixi rushed over, grabbed the glass, and said, “That’s enough! We’re supposed to be seeing you off, but it’s like you’re seeing us off.”

Li Xinling was a little tipsy now and was unhappy about having her glass taken. “Give it back! You’re a ‘love-brain,’ and I’m a ‘career-brain.’ We don’t match.”

Su Qixi: “…” What is she talking about?

Li Xinling pointed at Su Qixi and shouted, “I’m giving up on pursuing you! I want to find a ‘career-brain’!”

The person who was supposed to be sent off had gotten herself drunk. The other guests simply continued eating. Li Xinling, now completely drunk, flopped into Su Qixi’s arms and cried, “Qixi, you have to be happy!”

Su Qixi: “…Okay.”

In the end, Li Xinling was taken away by her manager.

But even while she was tipsy, she still managed to say a proper goodbye to everyone.

Her luggage was loaded into the car by her assistant, and her manager pulled her into her seat. She tried to struggle, but her manager held her firmly and warned, “Move again, and I’ll throw you out.”

Li Xinling looked at her manager pitifully and said, “I’m not moving. I’m a mushroom, and mushrooms don’t move.”

Li Xinling’s manager was a woman named Zhang Yang. She wore glasses with a silver rim and a formal business suit, and her expression was serious.

Seeing that Li Xinling had calmed down, she turned to the guests and said, “She’s been a lot of trouble these past few days.”

Everyone shook their heads instinctively, feeling awkward as if they were facing a teacher.

Zhang Yang pushed her glasses up. “It’s her honor to have had this chance to work with you. If you ever come to Jing City, I’ll treat you to a meal.” Then she looked at Lin Mo and said, “I know she came here for you. But thankfully, her mind isn’t working too well, and she forgot her purpose halfway through. I hope you don’t mind. I’ll have my assistant send you a nice gift.”

Zhang Yang spoke without any change in tone, as if everything was strictly business.

Lin Mo shook her head. “It’s okay. She and Qixi get along so well. We’re all like family.”

Zhang Yang smiled. “Thank you for your understanding. She has an announcement in two days, so I’ll be taking her now.”

And with that, everyone waved goodbye as Li Xinling left.

Standing by the bus, watching the car disappear, everyone felt a sense of melancholy.

The group of nine had suddenly lost one person.

It was truly a little sad.

At that moment, they didn’t yet know that this was only the first guest to leave.

And she wouldn’t be the last.