The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: A Joke?

Lin Chumu felt as if she were about to catch fire.

She had been confessed to by women before, but she had never felt like this. Even when a sultry woman had once bluntly invited her to a hotel room, her heart hadn’t raced or her face flushed quite like this.

At this moment, she felt she should find Lu Chaoqing’s overwhelming confidence annoying, but the rebuttal died on her lips. Her heartbeat was like a violent drum, striking a chaotic rhythm against her nerves. Her breathing faltered slightly as the girl leaned in closer, the smile on her face becoming more pronounced. Lu Chaoqing even lowered her head to meet Lin Chumu’s downcast gaze, forcing eye contact.

Unconsciously, Lin Chumu clenched her fists and held her breath. But just as her overloaded brain was struggling to formulate an answer, Lu Chaoqing suddenly pulled back and let out a giggle, reaching out to gently pinch Lin Chumu’s cheek.

“Sister is so cute. I was just joking.”

“You…”

“But if it wasn’t a joke, would Sister be willing to play a game of ‘pretend couple’ with me?”

With a sharp turn in the conversation, Lu Chaoqing—who clearly sensed the emotional roller coaster she had put the other woman on—didn’t panic at all. Her expression was the picture of sincerity. She let her hand graze Lin Chumu’s, eventually clasping just the tips of her fingers in a restrained, gentle hold.

The soft touch of skin was ticklish, successfully destabilizing Lin Chumu’s already wavering composure. Her heart accelerated again, thumping wildly as if venting long-suppressed emotions.

“I’ve actually wanted to tell you for a while. Let’s give it a try. A game of pretend. That way, we can dodge all those boring people pursuing us. If we ever want to stop, we can ‘break up’ whenever we want. What do you think, Sister?”

Lu Chaoqing blinked and added quickly with wide, earnest eyes: “Otherwise, I’m really not good at rejecting people, and their advances are quite distressing. Sister is so smart; surely you wouldn’t mind helping me with such a small favor?”

Lin Chumu: “…”

She could hear the “green tea” manipulation in Lu Chaoqing’s tone, but the terrifying part was that her initial dislike had morphed into thinking the girl actually had a point.

Lu Chaoqing’s suitors weren’t exactly countless, but they were certainly numerous enough to form a circle. Her non-threatening beauty and docile personality were incredibly attractive. A girl who was beautiful, well-born, and had the status of a young miss without the accompanying temper was bound to be popular.

Lin Chumu herself was frequently bothered by invitations—some were “dirty” industry offers she loathed, others were romantic overtures she had no interest in considering.

If they were “together” on the surface, they could indeed decline most unnecessary social interactions at various events, saving time, heart, and energy.

The only potential trouble was their parents. However, as long as they didn’t proactively tell them, people generally weren’t bored enough to run to the Lu parents to gossip. Most young people in their social circle had a sense of propriety; no matter how much they stirred the pot, they wouldn’t involve the elders.

Just as Lu Chaoqing, seeing the long silence, began to worry she had pushed the joke too far and prepared to retract it, Lin Chumu used the olive branch to mentally construct a three-thousand-word justification for herself. She looked up with a gentle smile Lu Chaoqing had never seen before: “Fine.”

Now it was Lu Chaoqing’s turn to be stunned.

After Lin Chumu agreed, she insisted on a “three-point agreement.”

First, they would not reveal their “relationship” to the media. This was to prevent fans from having a meltdown and to keep their parents in the dark for now.

Second, there was no need for kissing or sleeping together. In private, things would remain as they were. However, if the other person encountered a troublesome suitor, they had to act like a jealous, angry girlfriend to help chase the suitor away without a fight.

Third… she hadn’t thought of it yet. Aside from those two, there wasn’t much else to say. Lu Chaoqing hadn’t expected her impromptu joke to be taken seriously. She felt conflicted for a moment but refused to show it. She gave a breezy “Thanks, Sister” and slipped out of the room, as if staying alone together any longer would cause sparks to ignite.

She ran to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. The sound of the rushing water pulled her back to reality. Once her burning head cooled down, Lu Chaoqing realized what she had just done.

—Lin Chumu said she likes women.

Lin Chumu is not straight.

This news was like a massive explosion in the sky for Lu Chaoqing, who had previously felt a spark but forced herself to retreat assuming the other woman was “steel-straight.” Radiant fireworks were booming over her world.

She had thought she was over Lin Chumu, but in that moment, every memory of their time together resurfaced vividly. The woman’s “sharp tongue but soft heart,” their initial rivalry, the way she gave Lu Chaoqing her hotel room number and waited for her to ensure she stayed safe after the party…

The accidental kiss, and the occasional, unintentional displays of care.

Threads of ambiguity were woven into their daily details like a green plum—sour at the first bite, but turning sweet in the aftertaste.

Lu Chaoqing realized Lin Chumu was never the emotionless, desire-free protagonist described in the original novel, whose “affection” for Jiang Yang was merely a routine. She had her own thoughts and plans. She didn’t blindly follow the script; otherwise, Lu Chaoqing would have been kicked out of the house and ganged up on by now.

Unlike the plot, she hadn’t died on the streets, Lin Chumu hadn’t mysteriously gone blind to fall for Jiang Yang, and she wasn’t a friendless “ice queen” archetype. Standing before her was a mature, strong woman who occasionally showed an adorable, “tsundere” contrast.

So Lu Chaoqing couldn’t help but put on that act, asking that half-joking question while fully expecting to be rejected or lectured. She never expected Lin Chumu to agree. This was completely off-script.

Or rather, everything had now strayed entirely out of the bounds of the original story.

After washing her face, Lu Chaoqing checked the app. She found Lin Chumu’s favorability value was jumping up and down erratically. She had no intention of digging into those thoughts right now, so she closed the app.

Right at the moment she closed it, a warning message flashed by, but it was intercepted by her “Do Not Disturb” setting:

[System: Detected that Lin Chumu’s favorability toward you has exceeded… Jiang Yang’s ‘Blackening’ value has reached maximum. The side quest ‘Jiang Yang’s Revenge’ has been activated.]

The truth about the sasaeng fan from the car accident also came to light.

The person who chased the car was a notorious figure in the industry. He had once broken into another artist’s hotel room and hidden in the wardrobe, crawling out at midnight to take photos of the artist sleeping—nearly giving the person a heart attack. After the police were called, he was detained for a few days, but because no “actual harm” was done, he only received a fine and a warning, which had zero effect on such a deranged individual.

If they hadn’t discovered him, the sasaeng had planned to follow Lu Chaoqing home, “tour” her bedroom or wardrobe, and take photos to sell for pocket money to fund his next stalker trip. He confessed to this without remorse, even smiling at the police during his interview with a “what are you going to do about it?” look.

After all, verbal intentions aren’t crimes. There are millions of people talking trash in the world; no one can judge who will actually act on it. Regarding the rear-end collision, the sasaeng insisted it was an accident, but MT was determined to sue for intentional assault.

Such people are a cancer to the entertainment industry and fan culture, yet they are difficult to get rid of. Lu Chaoqing briefly considered giving him a taste of his own medicine by stalking him back, but the thought passed quickly.

If it were the old Lu Chaoqing, she might have actually done it (while ensuring safety), but she was a public figure now and had to maintain her professional ethics.

Before her birthday, the family gathering arrived. When she saw certain familiar names still on the guest list, Lu Chaoqing realized some people were like sticky plasters—impossible to shake off.

But if they refused to bow out after all this time, she would have to handle it personally.

After applying a full face of makeup, a rare, breathtakingly glamorous Lu Chaoqing put on a slip dress, threw a thick overcoat over her shoulders, and headed out. Before leaving, she made a phone call, and after receiving a positive answer, she wired over a “private overtime fee.”

The person on the other end was very efficient and sent several videos to Lu Chaoqing’s private email.

She sat in the car and gave them a quick scan before closing them. The hypocrisy of certain people was truly disgusting.

But it didn’t matter. After tonight, that annoying pest would likely never have the face to appear before her or Lin Chumu ever again.