What Should I Do If the Aloof Movie Queen Is Too in Love With Me? - Chapter 20

Seven o’clock in the morning.

Li Zhulan had been writing all night. Painfully yet happily, she pressed the save button and moved to the next step: naming.

Although her original intention for writing the story was two specific people, and she had used those two names throughout the draft, she had to replace the protagonists’ names before posting.

Li Zhulan had never written fanfiction before.

Fanfiction comes with built-in heat, but it can also attract controversy, especially for a CP like Ji Youyi and Meng Xingzhu… who seemed to have a bit of a grudge.

She was a timid person who didn’t know how to argue and would get “emo” upon receiving negative reviews. To protect her account environment, she had always written original works, offending no one.

This was her first time doing the “write fanfiction and then swap the names” move. She felt exceptionally guilty, constantly worrying if a camera was installed in her room to film her crime so she could be hung up on the internet for a public trial later.

Aside from the worry, she suffered from a drought of inspiration. Li Zhulan researched for nearly an hour but couldn’t come up with a satisfactory name.

Why was it so hard to find a name that fit her CP’s vibe, sounded good, and ideally had a tiny connection to those two without being obvious?

Li Zhulan decided to give up for a moment. she took out her phone, intending to post a Weibo to ask for name suggestions.

Before she could open the app, a trending notification caught her eye: “Meng Xingzhu Liked a Post Late at Night”.

Teacher Meng went on Weibo, and it was actually a like!

One must know that Meng Xingzhu had no studio or fan club. She only had a promotional account managed by the company.

Since her personal Weibo was created, she had never posted a single blog, let alone interacted through follows, likes, or comments.

Her homepage was forever filled with nothing but cold reposts. Even thank-you videos after winning awards were first released via the company account and then reposted by her.

And now, she actually liked something!

If this were a month ago, Li Zhulan would have jumped out of bed, but the honorable Screenwriter Li was no longer the person she used to be.

Since adding Meng Xingzhu on WeChat, she had been dutifully supervising Little Ji’s medication every day and reporting Little Ji’s physical condition to Teacher Meng every night.

Meng Xingzhu’s replies were always cold—either “Mhm,” “Okay,” or at most “Thank you”—but she would send a red envelope every single time.

Li Zhulan felt too embarrassed to accept them, but Meng Xingzhu sent them every time regardless.

She had already experienced the scene of a CP rushing to feed fans, so would she still get excited over a small thing like a ‘like’?

Li Zhulan quickly clicked in.

The post that was liked was a reposted video. The poster was a small entertainment blogger who loved following dramas and gossip and was also a fanatic CP shipper; the homepage atmosphere was light and sweet.

This time, she had clearly eaten a good meal. Howling at how fragrant it was, she moved it to Weibo to ask:

“So is it real or fake? If it’s real, I’m shipping it; if it’s fake, I’m self-inserting. Choose one [Polite Bow]”

Li Zhulan clicked the video and saw those two figures she had just seen at the wrap banquet recently. They leaned into each other and then… hugged.

They said they were ordinary friends in the hospital and acted like they didn’t know each other on the set, but once they left the set, they hugged like this??

Huh? Huh? Huh?

In the frame, Meng Xingzhu had her back to the camera, so her face was indeed unclear. However, this Weibo was liked by Meng Xingzhu herself—the truth was self-evident.

Li Zhulan didn’t believe for a second that if Teacher Meng saw Little Ji being hugged by someone else, she would calmly click like!

It’s a miracle she didn’t click report!!

Li Zhulan rewatched the video dozens of times, twisting on the bed with a ‘maternal smile’ for a long time. Finally, unable to hold it in, she stomped her feet at the air and screamed.

Working hard to write for days was no match for the lead actress selling a little fan service! Ahh, help, Mommy, she’s shipping the real thing!!

The door was kicked open. Her mother stood there with a stony face, holding milk, looking tall and imposing: “Are you trying to die? Why are you screaming so early in the morning? Did you pull another all-nighter! Are you eating breakfast?”

Dear Mother, actually, I did not summon you.

Li Zhulan hugged her quilt and shook her head weakly.

“I knew you wouldn’t eat.” Li Quehan put the hot milk on the desk, “Drink it, and go to sleep immediately after! I’m going to work. Lunch is in the rice cooker, take it if you’re hungry, if not, wait for me to get home.”

After giving the orders vigorously, Li Quehan slammed the door and stomped downstairs.

Li Zhulan sat obediently at the head of the bed, drinking milk while catching up on her lessons.

Last night, that video first hit the hot list on the original platform, and was then directly ignited by Meng Xingzhu’s like.

And Ji Youyi, after the variety show scandal and the suicide public sentiment, climbed the hot search again. This time, she actually garnered quite a few positive reviews.

Although there were still many insults in the hot search, the wording was noticeably less intense.

The topic netizens discussed mainly focused on analyzing the reason for Meng Xingzhu’s like.

Weibo is a public platform. Choosing to say things publicly that could be said privately is essentially a statement of stance.

Everyone had originally thought that because of her sister Meng Xiao, Meng Xingzhu and Ji Youyi were naturally opposed. Now it seemed that was clearly not the case.

Especially since this was the very first like Meng Xingzhu had given since opening her Weibo!

She didn’t like movie promotions, she didn’t like box office records, she didn’t like international awards, but she liked this? And it was a post from a small blogger with little heat—it was obviously something she searched for personally.

There’s a problem. There is definitely a problem!

Someone made a bold guess: “Do you guys think they might be dating?”

This earned a question mark and a one-word review from netizens: “Insane.”

Even so, a small group of CP fans was already starting to stir.

Additionally, there were several high-ranking hot searches related to the situation.

At three o’clock in the morning, a well-known law firm issued a lawyer’s letter, notifying more than twenty infringers of their online and offline infringing acts, demanding the deletion of content, a public apology, and compensation for losses. It also noted that they were continuously collecting evidence and reserved the right to add other participants to the lawsuit.

Shortly after the lawyer’s letter was issued, netizens discovered that several famous brands had taken down Zhou Wenchen’s advertisements overnight and even deleted all collaborative Weibo posts.

The gossip-loving crowd was momentarily shocked: No way? Although they say the idol pays for the fans’ behavior, can a fan hitting someone offline cause an idol to lose endorsements as a consequence??

Li Zhulan, however, was stunned by the description of offline infringement.

Little Ji was beaten?

But they were on the phone at that time last night! They even exchanged messages in the middle of the night! she hadn’t told her anything, and even seemed to be laughing happily…

Li Zhulan got angry and sent a message to Ji Youyi: “Why didn’t you tell me something happened to you! Do you not consider me a friend!”

After finishing the words, she deleted them all and re-edited: “Super angry! Decided to defect from the Saint Pear Sect for one minute.”

After thinking about it, she deleted that too.

…Little Ji didn’t tell her, surely she had her own reasons.

Li Zhulan sulked for a while and finally only sent an emoji of a face being squished.

After selecting a bunch of pepper sprays, taser batons, and portable alarms to be mailed to the post-production office, Li Zhulan opened Weibo again and did a few things.

She first reposted several trending Weibo posts related to Ji Youyi. Then, she followed Ji Youyi’s homepage and Super Topic. Finally, she posted the fanfiction she had just finished to her personal Weibo, solemnly attaching a note:

“Yes, we have two mommies TuT. I was so excited I coded it overnight and didn’t even have time to proofread, everyone just make do while eating [munch munch]. Also, I don’t know what tag to use, organization please come and recruit me, here is a little mouse that will continue to produce ‘food’ waiting to be picked up [munch munch].”

She openly typed “Meng Xingzhu x Ji Youyi” in the first line and clicked send.

Li Zhulan was truly a timid person.

When she was framed by classmates in school, she didn’t dare to argue. When she was blamed by her boss at work, she resigned crying. Later, when she revised the script, she wrote Cao Qiu very sharply and began to worry that the audience wouldn’t like it.

Because female leads in film and television are always soft; none were like Cao Qiu.

It was Ji Youyi who told her with a serious face that they wouldn’t—

“If you are full of love when you write her, then there will definitely be audience members who love her just as much as you do.”

Li Zhulan believed her. So she decided to post this fanfiction exactly as it was.

If there were already far too many words in the world hating Little Ji, then she had to write words loving Little Ji even more.

Every single word was a piece of love, all belonging exclusively to the two of them; there was no need to change the names at all.

As for any blood and gore… let it come. She was the great Screenwriter Li!

Ji Youyi slept until eight o’clock.

In the years after reaching adulthood, she had been like a money-making machine, filming one project after another. She was either busy with preparation, busy with filming, busy with post-production, busy with promotion, or even worse, busy with socializing; she had never woken up this late.

After transmigrating into this world, she was so busy she barely touched the ground; being able to sleep normally was considered a luxury.

Thanks to Wu Buxing’s help, he had lifted the heavy burden of being the director from her shoulders.

From now on, forget about waking up early for the set or working through the night.

What if the production cycle is too long and there isn’t enough funding? Go ask the producer.

The Lingxing employee dormitory in D City was like heaven, from the living conditions to the meals.

The bedding was comfortable, and the breakfast was extremely delicious.

Especially today’s main dish, Hibiscus Shrimp—the egg whites were fresh and tender, and the shrimp was finely minced and smooth.

Ji Youyi drank it all in one go. After a few seconds of internal struggle, she was still too embarrassed to ask for another plate.

Living under someone else’s roof, no matter how good the food is, one must mind their image.

After breakfast, Ji Youyi first followed Fang Ruohan to the rental house to get her luggage.

Perhaps because a police officer was following them, several tenants opened their doors to peek out when they passed through the corridor. Fang Ruohan stared them back one by one with a frozen face.

This is the Grand Film Queen’s assistant; professional to this degree, no wonder she’s seen in professional attire every day. Turns out, leaving the house is work.

The small director lamented that she couldn’t afford a high assistant fee and planned to buy a cup of milk tea for Fang Ruohan tonight.

After finalizing the lease termination, Ji Youyi took a car directly to the creative park.

After seeing Fang Ruohan off, she didn’t rush upstairs but stood at the park entrance, waiting for Yeye to pick her up to go to H City to sign the new contract.

After a round trip, the whole morning was gone.

In the afternoon, she officially threw herself into the remaining post-production work.

Editing in post-production is divided into “rough cut” and “fine cut.”

A rough cut is a preliminary screening of the footage, which is then simply spliced together according to the script’s order. A fine cut is making more delicate adjustments based on the rough cut, and the cinematic style further emerges during this stage.

Many directors do not directly participate in post-production, but instead give feedback on the submitted material, making the editor revise continuously until satisfied.

This practice indeed saves the director’s labor, but because of the constant rework, the overall time consumed will be greatly lengthened.

Theoretically, Ji Youyi could do the same. Go pick up work at the Film City during the day, and when free, communicate with the post-production team online, earning two salaries at once.

After all, she no longer had anything to do with the production of this drama; no matter how bad the final cut was, it wouldn’t ruin her reputation.

But Ji Youyi had, at least, led the crew for a dozen days and been the boss of those little assistants.

The assistants didn’t have great luck; they had finally entered a project they thought was good. As their boss, she couldn’t let them down.

Anyway, her time wasn’t that precious now, and the hundreds of thousands she scammed from Yeye were enough.

Ji Youyi’s participation in post-production wasn’t just watching from the side.

The crew’s budget was limited, and the skill of the editors they could hire was also limited.

To make the final cut better, she had to guide while editing. For difficult parts or important plots, she simply did it herself.

After half a day, the editor admired her to the point of prostrating: “Director Ji, were you an editor before you became a director?”

How could she be so good at editing!

Her actions were fast and decisive; artistic appeal and plot rhythm reached a perfect balance under her hands!

Even the footage where the actors’ skills were lacking during the actual shoot could turn “decay into magic” once it passed through her hands!

Ji Youyi smiled slightly: “In a way, yes.”

People often have a mentality of admiring the strong; in the same industry, one deeply knows the disparity in strength.

The editor had completely forgotten how she had bitterly cursed Ji Youyi’s exploitation on her way home yesterday—

It’s all the crystallization of hard work! No wonder she can edit so well!

As soon as it was time for dinner, she proactively ran to get a boxed lunch for Ji Youyi and even offered to order milk tea for her, looking like she intended to become an apprentice.

Ji Youyi was amused: “What tea? You’re not allowed to order. I didn’t say I was taking you on. Focus on editing the film first. If you want milk tea, I’ll buy it for you on my way back.”

Saying she wanted to focus on work was purely because her bank card was frozen and she couldn’t order takeout.

Editing until nine o’clock at night, Ji Youyi calculated the time and decided to stop for the day.

The two girls went downstairs together and each ordered a cup of milk tea at the milk tea shop at the park entrance.

Ji Youyi took out a fifty-yuan bill to pay grandly.

The editor clapped and exclaimed: “Director Ji, you’re still insisting on using cash. It’s so artistic!”

No wonder she can edit so well!

Ji Youyi, who was currently collecting change coins one by one into her palm: “?”

Ji Youyi had received an expedited package from Li Zhulan in the evening. She unpacked it while waiting for the milk tea and found that the whole bag was filled with self-defense equipment.

Buying this kind of thing for her at this time meant she probably knew what happened to her yesterday. No wonder she sent several emojis with unclear meanings in a row today.

The great Screenwriter Li is quite well-informed.

Ji Youyi smiled and randomly picked up something that looked like a flashlight. Once she pressed the switch, the top of the flashlight began to strobe, while a “tzzt tzzt” electrical sound was emitted.

It was a self-defense taser baton.

“Can this thing really knock someone out?” The editor stood behind and to the side of Ji Youyi, watching her unpack, her head tilted slightly.

From a certain angle, it looked like the two were leaning close together, with one’s chin resting on the other’s shoulder.

Ji Youyi shook the taser: “It should at most just cause pain or numbness, but the flashlight brightness is quite good; it might be useful for a surprise attack on the eyes.”

“Try tasing me.” The editor suggested.

Ji Youyi immediately turned it off, startled: “Don’t play around.”

“Oh, it’s fine. How effective can things bought online be? I want to see what level it reaches. If it’s good, I’ll buy one too.”

The editor reached out to touch it, “Tase me a bit, please.”

Ji Youyi feigned anger: “No playing around, acting cute won’t help.”

“Wuwu, anyway, I’m not as good at editing as you. What loss would there be if you tased me unconscious?”

“The loss would be huge; I still have to continue exploiting you!”

“Don’t! Master! Tase me! Please tase me!”

Inside a car parked by the roadside, through the tightly closed window, Meng Xingzhu quietly watched the vivid smiling face of the person outside.

The light inside the car was dim, and she was surrounded by a deep chill. Only that orb of light outside was warm and bright, constantly tempting people to get closer.

But…

Meng Xingzhu glanced at the person laughing and playing intimately with her, feeling the coldness like icy water, slowly overflowing her chest.

Her fingertips clenched, then slowly loosened, and finally, she unconsciously pinched her finger pads hard.

Meng Xingzhu looked at the time again, opened the car door, and got out.

Ji Youyi successfully escaped the self-torturing claws of the editor trying to get tased. she stuffed the taser back into her bag, laughing and shouting, “I’m not giving it to you, wait until you finish editing,” when she noticed someone approaching.

She looked up and couldn’t help but widen her eyes in surprise.

The black trench coat was cinched by a belt, the simple lines outlining a slender and beautiful figure. The corners of Meng Xingzhu’s lips were slightly raised, as if she were smiling faintly at her: “The driver has something to do today, so I came to pick you up and take you home.”

Ji Youyi was stunned and took a while to digest Meng Xingzhu’s words.

Meng Xingzhu is a Lingxing artist and lives in the Lingxing dormitory; that’s very reasonable.

Wherever you live, that place is “home,” so using the word “home” was also very reasonable.

Fangfang said during the day that she would pick her up tonight; she probably had something come up and couldn’t make it, so Meng Xingzhu took her place… that was also… still somewhat reasonable.

No, none of that is important. The important thing is—

Ji Youyi winked hard at Meng Xingzhu and said wordlessly: “This sister, why did you go out again without wearing a mask!”

What’s wrong with this world! Are celebrities not afraid of being recognized when they go out?

Ji Youyi turned back and indeed saw both the editor and the milk tea shop clerk behind her with their mouths wide open, looking like they were about to burst into screams the next second.

In the distance, several passersby at the park entrance also stopped in their tracks. Some stomped their feet excitedly to signal their companions, and some even directly raised their phones.

It’s over, it’s over, it’s over.

Ji Youyi quickly stepped forward, trying to use her lower height to block Meng Xingzhu’s highly recognizable face.

She pushed Meng Xingzhu lightly, whispering quickly: “I got it, thank you Teacher Meng. You get in the car and wait for me, go, go quickly.”

Meng Xingzhu lowered her eyes slightly, able to see Ji Youyi’s fingers resting on her sleeve.

“Waiting for milk tea?” She asked.

Ji Youyi nodded frantically: “It’ll be ready soon, wait for me just a tiny bit!”

Meng Xingzhu replied softly: “Okay. Should I hold your bag for you?”

Ji Youyi didn’t hesitate to stuff the bag in her arms to Meng Xingzhu.

After safely sending the ‘Great Buddha’ away without any incidents that celebrities might encounter on the street, Ji Youyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She said to the editor: “My sister came to pick me up, so I’ll be leaving first.”

The editor’s tone was weak: “Your sister… is Meng Xingzhu?”

She clearly remembered reading a headline that Meng Xingzhu’s sister’s last name was also Meng.

Ji Youyi showed a mysterious smile and avoided answering.

She took her milk tea, held it in her hand, said “thank you” to the clerk, and waved to the editor: “See you tomorrow!”

The people at the center of attention and those watching from a distance had dispersed. The editor was still recovering from the huge shock she had just suffered when she heard the milk tea shop clerk next to her swear.

“F*ck! They are really real!”

“What real real?” The editor asked blankly.

“Haven’t you seen the hot search? They were photographed hugging sweetly on the street last night. I really want to show those who believed that ‘monkey’ before—this is real material! There are photos and a response, and Meng Xingzhu personally liked it. It’s all solid proof! I felt they looked like a couple last night, but no one believed me. Oh, I’m so mad.”

The clerk was making milk tea, her excited mood unable to calm down for a long time, “Did you notice Teacher Meng’s eyes just now, and that sentence of hers, and the way they were getting along? Oh my god! They live together, she picks her up from work, she helps carry her bag—may I ask, if this isn’t real, what is! Tell me, what is it!!”

She really wanted to take out her phone and rush to Douban to post, fiercely slapping the faces of those who called her “insane” yesterday. But thinking of the job requirements, she could only make milk tea quickly while waiting for the end of her shift like every second was a year.

The editor had caught up on sleep for a day and a night and hadn’t been online at all.

Her shock just now was half-shock from seeing the goddess’s divine face with her own eyes, and the other half was pure shock from “my Great God colleague is actually living with my goddess,” in brackets, the pure version.

She immediately took out her phone to search and suddenly realized—so the “sister” is that kind of sister!

She wondered why she always felt Director Ji looked like an entertainment industry artist; turns out her name is Ji Youyi, and she really is an artist, and an artist who can be a director and edit films!

Is this a god-send?!

Also, do the people on Weibo have any vision at all? Who said Ji Youyi is a vase? Who said she isn’t good enough for Meng Xingzhu?

If Ji Youyi is a vase, then what is she? Huh? Worse than a vase? A glutton!

No wonder she can edit so well! She can even take down Meng Xingzhu, how could she not be amazing!!

Ji Youyi got into the passenger seat in a flash, fastened her seatbelt, and looked around: “This park is full of small workshops; they should all be ordinary passersby, no paparazzi. Teacher Meng, let’s go quickly.”

Meng Xingzhu glanced at her: “Are you very afraid of us being photographed?”

“Of course.” Ji Youyi answered without thinking.

It didn’t matter if she was photographed, but Meng Xingzhu was a big star. If she was caught by paparazzi and written about wildly, it wouldn’t be a good thing.

Meng Xingzhu was driving, her fingertips tapped the steering wheel once, and she didn’t speak.

The neon lights outside were receding, and the spring night breeze blew in through the crack in the car window. Ji Youyi looked at the rearview mirror for a long time, and after confirming there were no tailing vehicles, she finally leaned back in her chair.

The light music inside the car flowed slowly, a faint fragrance mixed with the fresh evening breeze. Ji Youyi squinted her eyes and tilted her face up, stretching her body comfortably.

She looked at Meng Xingzhu, her words carrying a smile: “Teacher Meng, you forgot to wear a mask again.”

She didn’t wear one yesterday, and she didn’t wear one today. This big star can be people’s childhood goddess, yet she is still not cautious enough.

The lights along the road shone through the windshield onto Meng Xingzhu’s face, flickering from far to near, the light and shadow alternating.

She looked ahead, her cold profile seemingly softened by the light and shadow: “My face hasn’t been comfortable lately; I can’t wear one.”

“Is it because spring is here?” Ji Youyi knew a bit about this. When she was filming before, the actors on the set would have various skin problems as soon as the seasons changed.

She loosened her seatbelt, her left wrist resting on the armrest box, and leaned closer to Meng Xingzhu to ask, “Seasonal allergy? Or is it too dry?”

The armrest box between the seats was like an invisible boundary, silently dividing the car space in two. One on the left and one on the right, originally distinct and not interfering with each other, but a hand was the first to cross the line.

Meng Xingzhu took the hand on the armrest box into her peripheral vision—the back of the hand was soft and fair, and the sleeve was sky blue. She was wearing the clothes she had chosen and was smiling at her leisurely.

It was she who crossed the line first.

Meng Xingzhu flickered her lashes, pulled the car over to the side of the road, unfastened her seatbelt, leaned her body to the right, and rested her face against that invisible boundary line.

Her slow words blended with the music: “I’m not quite sure. Can you help me take a look?”

“Sure, let me see.” Ji Youyi agreed generously, pulled out another section of her seatbelt, supported herself with her hand, and looked closely at Meng Xingzhu’s face, explaining, “There’s a lot of pollen in spring, and allergies are quite common, so you should wear a mask even more. And…”

The gentle light music sped up its tempo at some point, yet Ji Youyi’s speaking speed unknowingly slowed down until her mind went blank.

Warm breath was close at hand. At such a close distance, their breaths intertwined, weaving into a dense net.

Everything in the distance faded out, Ji Youyi could only see that flawless face.

The moonlight flowed quietly, melting and re-condensing on the face, like the thin frost that falls in the morning, cold, yet making her want to stretch out her tongue and take a light lick.

Her fingers curled unconsciously. Ji Youyi saw the person in front of her lightly open her lips, her breath like an orchid: “…And?”

The lowered lashes flickered naturally, casting a fluttering butterfly shadow on the cold white cheek.

Ji Youyi hurriedly looked away and shrank back into her seat.

The seatbelt retracted, the sense of urgency pressing on her shoulder again. The night wind swept across her face, waking her from a short dream.

Only then did she realize the music had never changed; it was her heartbeat that was incredibly fast.

“A-a-and…” The always relaxed Director Ji stuttered for the first time. She tried hard to straighten her tongue, block out the strange feeling, and feign calmness, “You’re a bit dehydrated.”

Yes, exactly, it’s dehydration! Water, water…

Ji Youyi’s gaze was jumping up and down, and when it jumped to the milk tea on her lap, it was like finding a savior.

She picked up the bag and stuffed it into Meng Xingzhu’s hands, looking upright and earnest, “Teacher Meng, you need to drink more water. It just so happens I bought milk tea for you; remember to drink it when we get back!”

“Bought for me?” Meng Xingzhu said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, look, I fully considered the body management needs of our big star. I ordered zero sugar, added pudding—low calories, light burden—and red beans—high protein, rich in Vitamin E. You know, I can’t order takeout, so I planned to buy a cup and bring it back for you.”

Ji Youyi’s sincere face was written with “see how considerate I am,” while internally she silently apologized to Fang Ruohan.

Meng Xingzhu looked into her eyes and nodded, seemingly believing her explanation: “How thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

Late at night, the Lingxing high-level meeting had just ended.

Lin Shan turned off the camera used for the video conference and asked her secretary to organize the meeting minutes. turning around, she found Meng Xingzhu still sitting at the table, flipping through the newly submitted report.

Lin Shan found it very novel: “You pushed the Golden Xiezhi Award ceremony; I thought you were unwell, so why have you worked overtime for two days in a row? You’re not right.”

Just these two days would be one thing, but the key was, Lin Shan felt that Meng Xingzhu had been as proactive as a changed person recently, running out every few days and being extremely attentive to every single matter.

Meng Xingzhu looked at the document without raising her head: “A loss of two hundred million; it’s impossible for them not to pay.”

“Hey, hey, I’m not talking about the insurance refusal.” Lin Shan leaned on the desk, arms crossed, and raised an index finger to wag it, “I’m saying, you, lately, are very abnormal.”

“Then look.” Meng Xingzhu closed the document expressionlessly, pushed it to Lin Shan, reached out for the milk tea on the side, and took a sip.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t. I get dizzy seeing words. I was wrong, Boss Meng, I was so wrong. You please look, take your time, I really can’t read this stuff.” Lin Shan changed her face in a second, hands together in a pleading gesture.

She was just about to leave the study obediently so as not to disturb Boss Meng’s overtime, but when she looked up, she suddenly saw what was in Meng Xingzhu’s hand.

“Milk tea?”

Lin Shan remembered; during the meeting just now, Meng Xingzhu would take a sip of something from time to time.

A person who didn’t even use tea during meetings before now has a cup by her side. She had thought at first it was some medicine that had to be taken at specific times, but it turned out to be milk tea?!

Lin Shan’s eyes were about to fall out, “Don’t you never drink milk tea?”

Someone in the crew often treated the whole group to milk tea, and they would occasionally buy it during private gatherings. But Meng Xingzhu had only tasted it once and hadn’t touched it again since; she found it unpleasant and would rather drink plain water.

Amidst Lin Shan’s exaggerated expression, Meng Xingzhu calmly took another sip, and the corners of her lips also seemed to rise slightly: “I’ve been feeling it’s not bad lately.”

“Really? Is it a new product from some shop? It’s so good? I’ll order a cup to try tomorrow too.”

Lin Shan approached brazenly to look at the words on the cup, “Zero sugar… pudding… red beans… Heh, isn’t this Fang Ruohan’s taste? Have you been assimilated by her? Hahahahaha!”

Meng Xingzhu looked at her coldly.

Lin Shan silenced in a second.

Although she didn’t know what was wrong, it was wrong anyway; running was the right move.

She quickly evacuated the study. Just as she was about to close the door, she remembered something: “By the way, one more thing to ask you. Someone took photos of you and Little Ji again tonight. How do you want to handle it?”

“Send them to me.”

“Okay, Boss Meng.” Lin Shan asked, “Same as yesterday? Just leave it alone?”

The light in the study was more dim compared to the corridor. Meng Xingzhu sat alone behind the desk, her gaze on the document drifting for a moment.

“Are you very afraid of us being photographed?”

“Of course.”

Meng Xingzhu spoke flatly: “No. Suppress it.”

If she doesn’t like it, then suppress it.