The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Third Bloom

Half an hour later, Lu Chaoqing resigned herself to getting into Lin Chumu’s car.

The requirement to eat was easily met. Lin Chumu, at least on the surface, was not an unreasonable person. When Lu Chaoqing said she was hungry, Lin Chumu immediately understood and temporarily took on the responsibility of an older sister.

Seeing Lu Chaoqing drenched in sweat after completing the registration process, Lin Chumu turned down the air conditioning and asked lightly: “Do you want Western food or Chinese food?”

“Hot… whatever you want.”

She actually really wanted a hotpot with a rich, smoky atmosphere, but Lin Chumu obviously had work in the afternoon and couldn’t possibly go with her and end up smelling of hotpot.

Moreover, hotpot is typically for a few people with a close relationship. Their current relationship was superficially peaceful but internally they probably wished the other would quickly move out of the house. Spending one more second together felt like a waste of time.

Perhaps Lin Chumu thought of her that way, Lu Chaoqing thought self-deprecatingly.

She genuinely didn’t know how she had offended Lin Chumu to make the other party want to “set her up for a fall” like this. She felt like their relationship could have been slightly eased last night, but instead…

A sudden slight pain on her head made the immersed Lu Chaoqing turn her head sharply, only to see Lin Chumu’s hand retracting.

“I don’t know why, but every time I talk to you, I see you spaced out at least once,” Lin Chumu turned the steering wheel, and the car drove smoothly forward. Her perpetually calm face betrayed no genuine emotion. “Am I that difficult to focus on?”

“No, that’s not it.” Lu Chaoqing looked up at her. “I was running up and down for the interview today, and I saw how many people were at the company, so I couldn’t help but think that you must be working so hard every day, Sister. I wish I could help you.”

“But Sister is really amazing. My dream since I was little has been to join MT and debut. Thank you, Sister!”

The radiant smile on the girl’s face seemed genuine. Her tone was fluent and light. The slightly sweet voice wasn’t overly cloying but just right, making people feel inexplicably comfortable.

Since Lin Chumu was driving and couldn’t move much, Lu Chaoqing cautiously folded a tissue and wiped a tiny bead of sweat from her forehead, her movements quick and gentle.

More than a spoiled young lady from a rich family, Lu Chaoqing at this moment seemed more like a kitten desperately trying to please its owner. During the short stop at the red light, Lin Chumu turned her head slightly and saw those eyes filled with sparkling laughter in the sun.

Suddenly, she felt the urge to reach out and pinch those full, round cheeks.

The strange thought flashed in her mind for just a moment. Lin Chumu’s fingertips twitched as if they had been burned by the sunlight coming through the car window, seemingly punishing the sudden emergence of that idea.

The girl next to her was already chattering away, taking the initiative in the conversation. Lin Chumu barely registered the later words, only occasionally giving a brief affirmative reply.

Lin Chumu chose a Japanese restaurant close to her workplace.

Since she had a meeting in the afternoon, she couldn’t afford to carry any lingering food odors or spend too much time, making Japanese food the best choice. After asking for Lu Chaoqing’s preference, Lin Chumu ordered a set meal for two. She took off her high heels and sat down in the private room, then saw Lu Chaoqing looking down and busy with WeChat.

Lin Chumu’s phone in her pocket vibrated, and she realized Lu Chaoqing had added her to the family group chat.

She had only returned a few days ago and had been busy with paperwork and other miscellaneous family matters, so no one had remembered such a minor detail. Lin Chumu didn’t particularly mind such unimportant details, but she had to admit that Lu Chaoqing’s small action made her feel much better.

“Home” was a very unfamiliar word to her for a long time.

Her adoptive parents passed away early, and all their inheritance was left to Lin Chumu in the orphanage. It was then, due to an accident, that she learned she wasn’t their biological child. The orphanage was quite nice, but it didn’t feel like “home.”

Even after returning to her biological family, Lin Chumu could sense that her mother was actually more fond of Lu Chaoqing. For a child like her, who hadn’t been raised from a young age, being called “daughter” was merely based on the biological blood relationship.

It was somewhat unbelievable that Lu Chaoqing was the first one to think of her in such a small matter, causing Lin Chumu’s gaze towards her to soften somewhat.

The Lu family had a rule of silence during meals, which Lu Chaoqing learned from the original body’s memory and had adhered to since the day she transmigrated. Lin Chumu also didn’t talk much while eating, so the meal was exceptionally quiet.

Before leaving, Lin Chumu went to pay the bill. When she returned, she saw Lu Chaoqing standing at the door typing furiously. Like a school student caught red-handed by the teacher, she quickly put away her phone when she saw Lin Chumu approach.

Lin Chumu suppressed her curiosity and didn’t press her: “Should I call Uncle Chen to drive you back?”

Lu Chaoqing said “Yes,” and then sweetly added: “Thank you, Sister, for treating me to lunch. I really enjoyed the meal!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Chumu glanced at her face with an unreadable expression, paused, and then said: “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

She didn’t expect the little green tea to be a liar.

Lin Chumu had noticed that Lu Chaoqing didn’t actually seem to like Japanese food. She only tolerated the sashimi platters, tasting a little of each and then stopping. The only things she ate a little more of were the mango sushi and almond pudding, and even then, it was just two pieces before she stopped.

Lu Chaoqing was very thin. While being an idol required weight control, it still had to be within a certain range. Her body, which was clearly too thin, wouldn’t look good on camera. Lin Chumu had eaten with her before and knew her appetite, so it definitely wasn’t for the sake of dieting.

If she really couldn’t eat it, she could have suggested another restaurant or ordered something with broader appeal, like Sukiyaki, but that would take more time. The little green tea had simply eaten in silence throughout the meal without complaining about the flavor.

“Congratulations on gaining 5 Favourability Points from the Female Protagonist!”

Current Main Quest Progress: “5.5% Main quest is temporarily unissued. The “Trainee” instance will officially begin tomorrow. Please continue to work hard! Chase your dreams in the entertainment industry!”

Lu Chaoqing continued to scroll down the screen.

“Lin Chumu Data Update”

She scrolled all the way to the bottom.

“Side quests have not yet reached the activation standard. Please be patient and continue with the main quest.”

“Partial original plot unlocked.”

There were no other instructions. Furthermore, the main quest progress only increased by a pitiful 0.5% after the meal, giving Lu Chaoqing, who had meticulously acted the part of a “good younger sister” the whole time, the urge to throw her phone away.

Fortunately, the fried chicken takeout she ordered had arrived. The hunger pangs extinguished the anger in her heart, allowing Lu Chaoqing to get out of bed and collect her honey mustard fried chicken from outside.

Lu Chaoqing particularly hated the bland taste of raw seafood in Japanese cuisine and rarely touched it. Today, she only forced herself to eat that much purely for Lin Chumu. However, the interaction today seemed to have had a good effect. At least when Lin Chumu looked at her again, her attitude was no longer cold.

Lu Chaoqing continued to munch on fried chicken while reading the meager plot details presented in the APP.

In the original plot, the original host, after joining the MT Company, acted recklessly, relying on her status as a wealthy young lady. She was accompanied by two opportunistic members who often engaged in team bullying.

The original host was already criticized in private due to her “royal family” status. Coupled with her lack of diligent practice, relying solely on her looks to buy trending topics and gain visual fans, her personality made her disliked by most of her surrounding teammates.

Once, those two members escalated their actions, and with her tacit approval, began physically assaulting a bullied teammate. The bullied teammate, unable to bear it any longer, was forced to attempt suicide as the only solution. Although the suicide was unsuccessful, the incident still became public, and the original host was subsequently scorned by the entire internet.

The original host’s family initially believed she hadn’t done any of this. It wasn’t until the original host apologized and admitted it that they realized the child they had raised for years was a beast cloaked in a beautiful facade. They gradually became disillusioned with the original host at this point, laying a solid foundation for Lin Chumu to eventually drive the original host out of the house.

Lu Chaoqing frowned as she read.

Following the original plot, because the original host’s personality was genuinely bad, Lin Chumu’s suspicion wasn’t wrong. Instead, by using the “praise to death” tactic, she exposed her true colors, successfully safeguarding her own interests and protecting others.

Entering the group with a “royal” status was already quite unfair. If one had enough skill, perhaps it would be acceptable, but lacking skill, hindering others’ debut spots, and then using one’s influence to bully members—this was the part Lu Chaoqing found most intolerable.

From a god’s-eye perspective, Lin Chumu’s actions were not wrong.

Inside the MT company, the woman who had just finished her notes stood up from the office chair to stretch her arms. When she saw the new message pop up in the family group chat (which she had forgotten to set to Do Not Disturb), she suddenly recalled her first one-on-one lunch with the little green tea.

The little green tea, despite having difficulty eating, tried hard to look like she enjoyed the meal and didn’t even ask for anything else, obediently conforming to her preferences. Before and after the meal, she repeatedly expressed her thanks. Regardless of whether it was truly sincere, Lin Chumu felt quite comfortable hearing it.

She was always somewhat conflicted when it came to this younger sister.

Sometimes the other party’s inexplicable attitude made her feel she was being two-faced, but other times she seemed exceptionally sincere, making Lin Chumu, who usually considered herself insightful, feel somewhat undecided.

She didn’t want a lapse in judgment on her part to lead to a lifetime of regret, but she also didn’t want her prejudice to cause a significant misunderstanding of an innocent person.

…Lu Chaoqing probably meant “hotpot” at noon today. She wondered if the girl would remember to eat something more when she got home.

The hand that was about to reach for the next document slowly retracted. Lin Chumu checked the time and picked up her phone from the desk. She wasn’t particularly fond of “fat sources” like hotpot or barbecue, so she didn’t know where to suggest eating after checking a few places.

Her gaze shifted to the conversation box with Lu Chaoqing, and her finger instinctively tapped on the profile picture she had just changed. However, the expected full-sized picture didn’t open. Instead, a peculiar message popped up in the WeChat interface.

—You gently patted the little green tea’s butt.