The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The CEO and Her Canary

◎Seeing a Thing and Thinking of Someone◎

That night, Jian Ke slept restlessly. She dreamed she was walking in scorching, fiery lava. The crimson liquid crept over her ankles, and the pain, as if her bones were melting, made even breathing seem like a luxury. Despite the unbearable pain, she walked with determined steps toward the deepest part of hell. The lava licked her smooth, flawless legs, then moved up her thighs, until it engulfed her chest. In that agonizing, fiery torment, she was completely consumed by the lava, her heavy obsession also trampled into nothingness.

Jian Ke woke up with a gasp, the red and fire fading from her eyes. She swallowed hard, staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling a sense of returning to the world of the living from hell.

520 System: “Host, host, you’re finally awake!”

Jian Ke closed her eyes wearily, feeling limp and weak all over. “What… what happened to me?”

520: “You have a fever. It’s probably from the cold wind by the river last night. You got a fever when you came back. What, you don’t remember anything from last night?”

Jian Ke frowned and thought, only vaguely remembering that she had gone to her room and fallen asleep.

520’s tone was full of regret. “You really don’t remember? Lou Bianxia took care of you all night. You earned so many intimacy points, more than all the previous times combined.”

“From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you’d be happy if I got a fever more often.” Jian Ke moved her body, feeling sore all over. “But Lou Bianxia actually took care of me all night?”

She turned her head to look at the washbasin and a white porcelain bowl on the nightstand. There was still a ring of brownish-red medicine at the bottom of the bowl, giving off a faint bitter smell.

520 couldn’t help but mention the host’s heroic (and shameless) actions from last night.

“Because you were clutching her wrist and wouldn’t let go,” 520 said, vividly describing the scene where Lou Bianxia was ‘forced’ to stay. “You were lying on the bed, looking weak and pathetic, begging her not to leave, and even crying a little.”

A truly frail and pitiful little white flower that evoked sympathy.

“If I hadn’t been certain you were delirious at the time, I would have thought you were deliberately acting!” 520 sighed. “You’ve got some nerve, a stand-in lover daring to cuddle up to your boss and have them take care of you all night.”

Jian Ke said, “You said it yourself, I was delirious. Getting a fever and passing out was because she dragged me out to reminisce about the white moonlight. This is a work-related injury.” And it made her have nightmares about playing in lava all night. “If she had any conscience, she couldn’t have just abandoned me.”

520 System: “So that’s why you were clinging to her, cuddling her, and not letting go? You were delirious, and with her lying next to you, you were anything but well-behaved.”

She had truly mastered a new way of being “shameless”—I did it, but it wasn’t on purpose.

Jian Ke was embarrassed. In her fragmented memories, she did remember hugging an incredibly comfortable “pillow” that was soft and warm and smelled faintly of gardenias.

520 System: “Right, Chen Qiu has sent you several messages. She’s probably calling to discuss the matter you agreed to with Director Wen yesterday.”

Jian Ke reached for the phone on the bedside table and was startled by the dozens of messages that popped up on the screen. There were also over a dozen missed calls, all from Chen Qiu. She hadn’t heard a thing, as Lou Bianxia must have put the phone on silent.

Jian Ke took a moment to mentally prepare herself before calling back. A strong, vibrant voice immediately came through. “Jian Ke, you finally decided to answer the phone? I’ve sent you so many messages, but you just pretended not to see them, right?”

Jian Ke: “Sister Qiu, don’t be mad. I caught a cold and a fever last night. I just woke up, so I really didn’t see those messages.” Her voice was hoarse and rough, making it clear she was quite sick.

Chen Qiu’s voice instantly softened. “Is your sickness serious? You don’t live in the company dorms, and I haven’t found a suitable life assistant for you yet. If anything happens, remember to call me immediately.”

Jian Ke heard the genuine concern in her voice and said gently, “I’ve had a good sleep and I’m fine now. Sister Qiu, are you looking for me about the filming of The Foggy Sea?”

Chen Qiu: “Yes. I don’t know how Wen Jing convinced you to agree to it, but I absolutely disagree with you filming it.”

“There are some things you might not know. I read the script for The Foggy Sea last year. It is indeed a masterpiece, and if filmed well, it might have a chance to be a sensation. I recommended several new actors to Director Wen, but nothing ever came of it.”

“It’s not just that their taste in actors is too picky. They’ve been dragging this on for so many years because they need to go through a lot of channels and connections. The market trends can change quickly. Once something goes wrong, you’ll be at the center of a storm.”

“You have potential and talent. There’s no need for you to wade into this murky water.”

As a new, unknown actress, Jian Ke might have more opportunities to make mistakes than others, but Chen Qiu was against using such a risky method. There were plenty of precedents of careers being destroyed right after their debut. She just wanted Jian Ke to take a safer path.

Jian Ke: “If Sister Qiu praises it as a masterpiece, that means The Foggy Sea is indeed good. And if Director Wen wasn’t completely confident, she wouldn’t have formally proposed signing a contract.”

Chen Qiu: “You’re deliberately trying to find a flaw in my logic. No matter what you say, this matter is not up for discussion. I won’t watch you ruin your own career.”

“Sister Qiu, I’m not trying to ruin my career, cough, cough, cough…” Jian Ke’s emotions welled up, and she started coughing violently.

The door to the room opened from the outside at that moment, and Lou Bianxia walked in with a bowl of white congee. She saw her little one with a pale face, still busy on a work call. Jian Ke lay listlessly on the bed, her colorless cheeks showing a sick pallor. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were dry and pale. Her usually rounded, oval-shaped face seemed a bit thinner. She looked fragile and sickly. During their argument, the coughing was constant. Jian Ke patted her chest with one hand, her lips trembling as her breathing grew unstable. Her voice was hoarse and weak, and her eyebrows were furrowed tightly, as if filled with a thousand worries. The person on the other end of the phone was still arguing loudly.

Lou Bianxia’s face immediately darkened by eight degrees. Her lips were pursed, and the outer corners of her eyes were raised—a clear sign she was angry. Placing the congee on the table, Lou Bianxia walked over to the bed and, without waiting for Jian Ke to finish her sentence, snatched the phone away.

“You’re this sick. Can’t you just put work aside for a while?”

Jian Ke was stunned. “Actually, I feel… pretty good now.”

Meeting Lou Bianxia’s increasingly somber gaze, Jian Ke timidly decided not to say anything more.

Chen Qiu: “Jian Ke, are you listening? Jian Ke…”

Lou Bianxia: “She needs to rest now.” With that, she hung up the phone.

Chen Qiu: ‘???’

The red date congee, cooked slowly over a low flame, was soft, sweet, and delicious. A spoonful of the warm congee slid down her throat to her stomach, bringing a comforting warmth. Lou Bianxia’s fair, slender fingers, like cool jade, stirred the porcelain spoon in the bowl, then gently blew on it. Her lowered eyelashes blinked lightly in the steam. From Jian Ke’s perspective, she had a warm and calm demeanor.

Sensing Jian Ke’s overly “intense” gaze, Lou Bianxia brought the congee to her lips and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jian Ke opened her mouth and took the congee. Her moist lips regained some color. She leaned against the pillow and smiled sweetly. “I was just thinking about why you’re so good to me, Sister.”

“Feeding you a spoonful of congee means I’m good to you?” Lou Bianxia’s eyes crinkled, and her voice was as clear as a mountain stream. “Then you’re too easy to please.”

Jian Ke enjoyed being fed by Lou Bianxia. Her eyes, however, inadvertently caught sight of a bluish mark on Lou Bianxia’s wrist. She couldn’t see it clearly because of the way she was holding the bowl. Noticing Jian Ke’s gaze, Lou Bianxia subtly tried to hide her wrist in her sleeve, but Jian Ke was quick to grab the cuff.

“What are you hiding, Sister?” Jian Ke slowly sat up and leaned closer, seriously rolling up Lou Bianxia’s sleeve.

A circle of bluish-purple bruises, with faint finger marks still visible, wrapped around her pale wrist.

“Did I… do this?”

Lou Bianxia pulled her sleeve back and deliberately put on a stern face. “Who else could it be?”

Jian Ke lowered her head in embarrassment. “Does it hurt, Sister?”

Looking at the little one’s guilty, crestfallen expression, Lou Bianxia couldn’t help but laugh. “It just looks scary, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

Jian Ke blinked her wet, Bambi-like eyes, full of apology. “I’m so sorry. I… I was in so much pain then. I just wanted you to be with me. I didn’t realize I was using so much strength and that I hurt you, Sister.”

“I’m so sorry…”

Lou Bianxia: “If you’re really sorry, then you’ll rest and get better. We can deal with work tomorrow.”

Jian Ke fluttered her eyes and nodded obediently. “I’ll do whatever you say, Sister.”

After Lou Bianxia left, Jian Ke lay back down under the covers. She closed her eyes and tossed and turned, unable to get rid of the sight of that glaring bruise.

Jian Ke said, feeling stifled, “I bruised her wrist, and you didn’t even try to wake me up?”

520 System felt it was being unjustly blamed. “Were you in a state to be woken up? Besides, Lou Bianxia wasn’t even angry. She was actually pretty worried about you.”

“She stayed up all night taking care of you. I watched her, and even I thought she was so affectionate.”

Jian Ke pulled the blanket over her head and said in a muffled voice, “She is affectionate. But not toward me, toward this face.” She could feel the lingering, tender gaze Lou Bianxia would cast on her. Her soft, gentle words were full of pity and affection. She had to admit, as a lover, Lou Bianxia was perfect.

They did the most intimate things, shared a bed, and were intimate, yet their relationship was the most distant and unfamiliar kind. One sees a thing and thinks of someone, the other puts the mission first.

520: “Even if it’s because of your face, as long as Lou Bianxia is good to you, what’s the problem? What are you so conflicted about?”

Jian Ke pushed the blanket back, poked her head out, and stared blankly at the ceiling. “…It’s nothing. This is fine. Let’s just finish the mission as soon as possible.”

Saying that, she picked up her phone again, ready to call Chen Qiu. But her finger hovered over the dial button. Remembering Lou Bianxia’s warning, she quietly switched to texting instead. She was a bit of a coward.

Jian Ke: “Sorry, that was a family member. Regarding The Foggy Sea, I still hope you can have a calm and proper discussion with Director Wen.”

But Chen Qiu didn’t reply for a while. Jian Ke carefully chose her words, trying to make it sound more sincere.

“I believe The Foggy Sea is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and I hope you can trust my judgment. I am not someone who would joke about my own future.”

“I know the team’s concerns, but I have my own thoughts. The Foggy Sea has a filming period of one month, and I have no other plans during that time. I really want to try.”

She waited for about ten minutes before Chen Qiu finally replied.

“Jian Ke, don’t you think the more urgent matter right now is for you to explain who this ‘family member’ of yours is?”

“Also, who says you have no other plans during this time? There’s a live variety show on Wednesday that you need to prepare for. I’m a gold-medal manager; I’m not here for nothing.”

After her cold got better, Jian Ke immediately returned to the company. When Chen Qiu asked about it, she just said Lou Bianxia was her distant cousin and that she was staying with her. Chen Qiu looked suspicious but didn’t press further, which was a relief for Jian Ke. After all, telling her the truth would only cause trouble for both of them.

In the end, Chen Qiu relented on the issue of The Foggy Sea. The initial details were finalized, and the promotion of the series would be handled by her studio. What Jian Ke needed to focus on now was the live variety show on Wednesday.

Mission Re-Launch was a game-show-style variety show. The invited guests had to complete tasks set by the show to receive rewards. If they failed, there would be a penalty round. Every episode invited a mix of high-profile seniors and new talent promoted by various entertainment companies. This guaranteed ratings and was a popular way for other companies to mentor new stars.

This episode’s filming location was the city center park in Licheng. As Jian Ke crossed the street, she saw the show’s bright orange tents, which were very eye-catching. Some paparazzi and fans were held back by a cordon, and there were several well-trained security guards. When they saw Jian Ke walking by with her work pass, all the cameras and phones turned to her in a flash. The fans were agitatedly waving their banners and snapping photos with their phones.

520 System was shocked. “Host, I didn’t expect a newcomer like you to have so many fans?!”

Jian Ke rolled her eyes toward the sky. “Do you want to listen carefully to who they’re actually shouting for?”

Even from ten feet away, she could hear them clearly: “Lin Qingyi! Lin Qingyi!”

520: “Then they…”

“Mistook me for someone else.”

Jian Ke took off her mask, put on a professional smile, and waved at them as she walked by. But as she got closer, the crowd, which had been so passionate a second ago, fell completely silent. The fans stopped waving their banners and chanting their slogans, putting their cameras down. Their eyes all shifted back to the intersection. It was as if everything that had just happened hadn’t happened at all.

520: “…”

‘Haha… that’s so f*cking awkward,’ Jian Ke thought. She dropped her professional smile, put her mask back on, and walked into the park with a swaggering gait.

Most of the guests had already arrived. Jian Ke went to the director’s team to check in and saw a familiar figure not far away. Only one thought came to her mind: “Enemies meet on a narrow road.”

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