The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Hand in Hand

The air instantly became deathly silent.

Lin Chumu was lying flat on top of her, shielding Lu Chaoqing so thoroughly that not even a corner of her was exposed. This protective stance felt unfamiliar and unsettling to Lu Chaoqing, but relying on her trust in Lin Chumu, she didn’t struggle.

The woman’s steady breaths rose and fell gently in the night. Her eyes were fixed on the spot where the light had just flickered, as if staring down her primary enemy. Lu Chaoqing was confused, feeling only that the distance between them was too close and too dangerous—so close that the woman’s soft chest was pressed directly against her…

Lu Chaoqing was exactly at the age where it was easiest for her mind to wander.

A sliver of dim light spilling from the bathroom cast an ambiguous glow over the atmosphere. Lin Chumu’s body was soft and not particularly heavy; while she felt substantial pressing down, it was manageable. The woman’s breathing was slightly heavy, coming in quick bursts from above and brushing against Lu Chaoqing’s exposed neck.

In the moments when that breath swept across her collarbone, Lu Chaoqing felt her body was like a piece of charcoal thrown into a furnace—slowly heating up and on the verge of melting. She was stiff from her hair to her toes, as if this body didn’t belong to her anymore, leaving her utterly at a loss for what to do.

Just as she lightly pressed against Lin Chumu’s shoulders to urge her to get up, Lin Chumu took the initiative to pull back from that perilous distance, climbing off Lu Chaoqing with a face full of calm composure.

She snatched the bug, threw a coat over herself, and tossed clothes toward Lu Chaoqing. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lu Chaoqing didn’t mess around; she got dressed obediently and watched as Lin Chumu flipped on the lights.

“Crouch down. Don’t let anyone outside see you,” Lin Chumu said suddenly.

Although she didn’t know what Lin Chumu intended to do, Lu Chaoqing was accustomed to listening to her. Given Lin Chumu’s rare tone of extreme gravity and tension, Lu Chaoqing followed orders, huddling into a corner and wrapping her arms around herself in a defensive posture. Her large eyes remained fixed on Lin Chumu, who stood by the window; her own breathing began to grow heavy.

In that instant, Lu Chaoqing’s vivid imagination conjured up dangerous scenarios like terrorist attacks. Her nerves pulled taut, her chest heaving. She even wondered if a bullet suddenly flew through the window, should she leap up to shield the female lead?

The moment the curtains were pulled open with a “clatter,” Lu Chaoqing looked at Lin Chumu as if facing a great enemy. However, the woman simply pushed the window open, turned her phone’s flashlight to “strobe” mode to scan the outside area, and pulled it back in after finding nothing.

The curtains were yanked shut again with a rough “thud.” Lin Chumu didn’t know whether to feel relieved or resentful. After a few seconds of dazed silence, she sat back on the bed.

She had been reminded of some unsavory rumors by Du Yaqing’s words. Since this matter involved a significant secret, if it were leaked while the Lu family was unprepared, it would likely stir up a massive storm. Not only Lu Chaoqing, but Mother and Father Lu would also be dragged into scandalous rumors about their private lives.

Lin Chumu repeated everything Du Yaqing had told her, and Lu Chaoqing’s expression grew progressively solemn.

“So… you’re saying we were bugged without knowing when it happened?”

“Two years ago,” Lin Chumu began, her voice heavy with a mix of pity and suppressed disgust, “a female artist was asked by an executive at a dinner to have an improper relationship with a married leader. She refused outright. Later, she discovered she had been bugged, and when she opened her window, she realized someone in the building opposite was filming her.”

“Because she lived in a high-rise, she used sheer curtains or didn’t pull them at all when getting dressed in the morning. It was her manager’s place, so she wasn’t on guard. Later, she found her private photos were being sold and circulated. The ‘Sasaeng’ fans increased until, unable to bear the harassment, she nearly committed suicide.”

Lu Chaoqing’s face turned pale.

In her memory, there seemed to have been a similar incident—but it was in her previous world. It was a thin, delicate male idol who encountered something almost identical in the year he turned eighteen; eventually, he ended it all to find peace.

She couldn’t judge whether living or dying was more painful in such a situation. Lu Chaoqing’s heart throbbed with a sharp pain, and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe properly.

The waters of the entertainment industry were much deeper than she had imagined. Some people and things were far from what they appeared on the surface. One tangled root could dig up a knot of countless filth. These hidden, shameful things were finally laid out before her, yet she wasn’t prepared for how to respond.

She didn’t even have a clue who could have placed the bug so silently.

“The bug was on me. I checked your clothes; they’re clean.”

Seeing Lu Chaoqing’s dazed and somewhat pitiful expression, Lin Chumu softened. She reached out and patted her shoulder, trying to soothe her. Such things were indeed unbelievable and hard to grasp for a young girl who had grown up pampered in a safe environment.

“Leave this to me,” Lin Chumu sighed. She only wanted Lu Chaoqing not to be kept in the dark like a fool, but she didn’t intend for her to help solve it. While it was right to be wary, getting involved in this bottomless filth too early might make it impossible to get out unscathed.

But contrary to the expected response, Lu Chaoqing, whose gaze had been wandering, suddenly shook her head and grabbed Lin Chumu’s hand.

Her gaze was firm. She stood up and looked down directly at Lin Chumu sitting on the bed. The usual coyness and playfulness seemed to belong to another person as her soft side was forcibly stripped away. Lu Chaoqing spoke with steely conviction: “This is our business. The only one I can trust is you, and the only one you can trust right now is me. There’s no such thing as leaving it to one person to solve. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Chuchu-jie; it’s that I want to solve these things with you.”

At the end, as if realizing her tone had been a bit too harsh, Lu Chaoqing’s expression softened. She tugged Lin Chumu’s hand gently, her lips curling up slightly as she reverted to her usual soft manner: “Don’t leave me out to investigate alone, okay?”

Lin Chumu felt her heart skip a beat.

The soft light from the bathroom could only outline the “Little Green Tea’s” features in a vague blur, but that didn’t stop her soft, sweet words from carrying a powerful offensive force in this moment. Lin Chumu didn’t like affected girls, but while Lu Chaoqing’s voice was soft, it wasn’t fake; it was a naturally sweet, youthful voice.

Those big eyes staring intently at her were like a Samoyed’s—round, with long lashes fluttering, easily conveying every emotion. The girl’s hand was also very soft. If she had a tail, it would likely be acting as a barometer right now—upright and ready to attack just moments ago, and now limp and soft, trying to get the desired response through acting cute.

When no response came, Lu Chaoqing called her name again, pulling Lin Chumu out of her strange thoughts.

However, Lu Chaoqing was right; this was indeed a matter for both of them. Since the other party had clearly stated she didn’t want this kind of overprotection, Lin Chumu wouldn’t forcibly lock her in an ivory tower. After all, her status with Lu Chaoqing was that of absolute equals, not “older sister and younger sister.” Since she had made this proactive request, Lin Chumu would certainly take her along.

“Let’s sleep first.” Noticing Lu Chaoqing’s hesitation, Lin Chumu explained considerately, “Don’t worry, I’ve checked for cameras and there are none. Plus, my assistant has been with me for years; I trust her character. It’ll be fine.”

Lu Chaoqing blurted out: “What about mine?”

Lin Chumu: “Why are you asking me about your EM assistant? You’re with MT.”

Lu Chaoqing: “…” Oh, so now you remember our companies are rivals?

Through this banter, the original anxiety and tension dissipated slightly. Both of them were no longer as jumpy as before. It was getting late, and they had to be up before 6:00 AM for filming, so Lin Chumu let go of her hand to go wash up.

Lu Chaoqing huddled in the quilt and browsed her phone for a while. Usually, when surfing the web, she avoided her own “Super Topic” and didn’t search for her own name to ensure her mood wasn’t affected. She mostly just browsed trending topics. Today, however, the entertainment circle was calm—no real or fake gossip, just a new movie coming out.

The title was Revenge of the Centipede Woman. As Lu Chaoqing tried to click a trending topic above it, she misclicked. As soon as she slid in, an auto-play video started.

Half an hour later, Lin Chumu emerged from the bathroom and immediately saw someone shivering under the covers.

Hearing the movement, Lu Chaoqing poked her head out. Once she confirmed it was a familiar face, she revealed her whole head. As soon as Lin Chumu lifted the quilt and lay down on the bed, the girl latched onto her like an octopus, her limbs completely hooked onto Lin Chumu’s body.