The car stopped in front of an elegantly built villa. After getting out of the car, Yun Yongjun led Mu Xuefei inside, introducing the situation of the villa along the way.
After finishing, she planned to leave, but suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Mu Xuefei, “By the way, what was your name again?”
“Mu Xuefei.” Is it really okay to bring me home when you don’t even know me!
“Mu Xuefei?” Hearing this name, Yun Yongjun frowned slightly, seeming to ponder something, “Did you shoot an advertisement before?”
“An advertisement?” This time the dazed person became Mu Xuefei. She didn’t know the original body’s situation at all, so how could she answer? Fortunately, Yun Yongjun didn’t plan on waiting for her answer.
[Ding, romance target affection: 22/100, affection interpretation: A bit interesting.]
Mu Xuefei, who had originally been glad she escaped a disaster: “…”
She once again felt that she and the system were incompatible, otherwise why would the system always make things difficult for her?
“My room is next door. If you need anything, just ask the servants to prepare it.”
“Sorry to trouble you, Miss Yun.” Mu Xuefei felt a bit bashful. After all, she was visiting someone’s home on their very first meeting, which really lacked a bit of etiquette.
“It’s fine. Come down and have dinner with me later after you clean up.” Yun Yongjun opened the door to the side, answering Mu Xuefei’s question nonchalantly.
Just as she was about to close the door, a flash of insight hit her, and she looked at Mu Xuefei with confusion, “Didn’t you say you didn’t know me?”
Mu Xuefei: “…”
Could she say the system told her? The answer was of course—no.
Rolling her eyes, she tried hard to think of an answer, “Because I noticed ‘Yun Residence’ written under the house number outside the villa, so I figured you must also have the surname Yun?”
“No need to use honorifics with me. I’m only a few years older than you; just call me by my name.” Yun Yongjun paused her body, “See you at dinnertime.”
“Bang—”
Mu Xuefei, who wanted to step forward and speak, swallowed her saliva sluggishly. She looked at the door that was only a finger’s width away from her nose, subconsciously touched the tip of her nose to make sure it was still safely above her face, and then turned around to enter the guest room next door.
The room decoration was simple yet elegant. Besides the simply placed furniture, there were also some potted plants containing flowers and grass placed in the corners. When a breeze blew, a faint fragrance rushed into her nose, just like the feeling Yun Yongjun gave her: although she looked quite cold on the outside, she was actually very gentle and considerate.
Putting her phone on the table to the side, she spotted the prepared change of clothes placed nearby at a glance. She suddenly remembered that Yun Yongjun seemed to have made a phone call in the car? It was just that she hadn’t paid attention at the time, so she didn’t realize the other person was instructing the servants to prepare changes of clothes and washing items for her.
Thinking of this, she smiled.
She really is a gentle person.
Sighing with emotion once more, Mu Xuefei picked up the bathrobe and walked toward the bathroom direction while happily humming a tune without a proper melody.
After she finished washing up, a maid happened to come knock on the door to say dinner was ready.
She tidied up simply, then changed into casual clothes and went downstairs.
“Sorry to intrude.”
Mu Xuefei sat embarrassedly in front of Yun Yongjun. When she raised her head, she happened to meet the other person’s gaze examining her, and only felt that the gentle light flickering in the other person’s eyes was like something that would make her sink into it, unable to escape.
Because she was thinking about things, Mu Xuefei’s gaze kept unconsciously following Yun Yongjun’s face as it moved, lingering even longer on her lips due to their height difference.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Startled by the coughing sound, Mu Xuefei finally came back to her senses and spoke worriedly, “Miss Yun, are you alright?”
Yun Yongjun pinched her earlobe without a trace. Waiting until the inner heat cooled down slightly, she pulled out a tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth—which weren’t even dirty—and spoke, “I’m fine.”
“But, Miss Yun, why has your face turned bright red? Did you catch a cold? Or are you running a fever?”
Blushing?
Yun Yongjun was utterly dumbfounded in her heart. Fearing the other person would discover she was blushing from being stared at for too long, she simply stared at Mu Xuefei with full momentum in reality for a bit before speaking, “Let’s eat.”
Mu Xuefei felt something was a bit wrong, but she never thought it might be because of her.
Do not speak while eating, do not speak while sleeping. Over the course of the meal, the two of them discovered their tastes were somewhat similar: neither ate ginger or garlic, even avoiding them like the plague, and both preferred some light vegetable dishes and meats.
However, Mu Xuefei noticed on the dining table… this was definitely not just food for one extra person. This meant the other person had lied to her. The terrifying and strange thing was the two of them had no reason or cause, so why was the other person so enthusiastic? Could it really be that she had just developed an interest in her?
“Stupid Mumu, aren’t you satisfied when the romance target is interested in you?” The elf, who was watching the two of them eat from the side, rolled her eyes, “I don’t know what kind of incredible luck you had to actually run into a romance target whose affection went up all by itself without you even doing anything.”
Mu Xuefei had no relevant experience, so she didn’t have much feeling about what the elf said. And the elf had no intention of explaining further; she would certainly not say she was looking forward to the host running into a romance target who dropped affection points at the slightest thing in the future!
After their dinner, the two of them leaned against the sofa side-by-side to digest.
“What plans do you have?” After just a short moment, Yun Yongjun had already dug up Mu Xuefei’s affairs through a search on her phone. Looking at the news about the contract termination, a thoughtful expression flashed in her eyes.
“Plans?” Mu Xuefei didn’t know why Yun Yongjun suddenly asked this, so for a moment she could only answer ambiguously, “Do your best, leave the rest to fate.” However, she was unwilling to just yield like this.
“Have you ever thought about changing your agency?” Yun Yongjun didn’t keep her in suspense, stating her intention simply and clearly, “I plan to build a studio and need a batch of fresh blood.”
Mu Xuefei was startled. She wasn’t as happy as the other person imagined, and only asked with a cold expression, “Why look for me?”
“When I lacked people, you appeared before me. Isn’t this fate? Besides, you need a company and resources, and I need a talented actor. It’s just mutual benefit for everyone.”
“You need to discuss this matter with my assistant.” Mu Xuefei was somewhat tempted, but still hadn’t made a decision. After all, even though the other person was a best actress, transitioning to open a company—especially an entertainment company—wasn’t as simple as acting; there were plenty of twists and turns in there. Even if she trusted the other person, she couldn’t toss the original body’s future around.
“I’ll have someone discuss it with her. Before that, you can stay here.” Having obtained the desired result, the corners of Yun Yongjun’s mouth curved up slightly, her hands folded and placed on her lap in a strictly businesslike manner, only her sleepwear looked somewhat out of place.
“Then, a pleasant temporary cooperation.”
After their evening chat, Mu Xuefei returned to her room to stay and study how to complete the romance mission next.
“Do you remember, back on that day…” A pleasant ringtone suddenly sounded.
Looking at the display on the phone, Mu Xuefei quickly answered the call, “Sister Chen?”
“An audition? When?” Mu Xuefei frowned, “Come pick me up tomorrow; I’ll send you the address later.”
“By the way, did you find a cooperating company?”
“Don’t worry, there are always people who aren’t afraid of them.”
“By the way, I have a candidate here. What do you think?” Hearing the reply from the other side, Mu Xuefei didn’t feel surprised, “It’s Yun Yongjun, the one you imagine. She currently seems to want to invest and leave the big screen, or maybe she wants to act like a boss or something. You can discuss the matter of cooperation with the other person’s person in charge later.”
“Alright, goodbye.”
After discussing and handing over all matters with Sister Chen, Mu Xuefei collapsed onto the bed and let out a long sigh.
Too many things happened this whole day, catching her somewhat off guard.
“By the way. Mumu, can you act?” Right as she was about to fall asleep, the elf’s puzzled voice rang by her ear.
“Swish—”
Mu Xuefei abruptly opened her eyes, locking gazes with the elf right in front of her, before sitting straight up, “Even if the memory is gone, there should probably still be a little bit of physical instinct… right?”
Even she didn’t believe these words. Looking at the elf’s exasperated expression, she suddenly smiled, “Even if I can’t act, I’ve seen pigs run even if I haven’t eaten pork. I’ll study it again tonight, and I can always barely manage to cope.”
“Then hurry up and study it.” The elf once again vanished in a flurry before Mu Xuefei’s eyes.
Mu Xuefei shook her head helplessly. Thinking it over, she took out her phone, successfully unlocked it after entering her birthday, and searched for all the information of the original body as well as data on the TV dramas and movies she had filmed, wanting to see what her past was like.
She quickly browsed through them roughly. These experiences didn’t have anything particularly noteworthy, but when she accidentally clicked on a video called 「Mystery Charm」, after watching it, she finally understood why Yun Yongjun had asked if she had shot an advertisement.
This was a lipstick advertisement. Her complete appearance didn’t appear; it only exposed the lower half of her perfect face. The entire advertisement was simple and clear, with most of the content revolving around those lips and lip color. Watching the entire advertisement, Mu Xuefei as a viewer felt herself immersed in that warm orange light and unconsciously rubbed her own lips.
A woman paints her face for those who please her.
This was the advertising slogan. The “those who please her” here didn’t just refer to others, it could also be oneself, because as the saying goes, “Women look pretty for themselves.”
This advertisement was undoubtedly successful. After it aired back then, the lipstick sales volume soared instantly, surpassing many major brands, and Mu Xuefei as the main lead naturally shot to fame overnight.
According to normal circumstances, Mu Xuefei should have walked to the peak of her life, but because she offended her direct superior at a banquet, the other person shelved her at the risk of breaching contracts with investors, forcing her to give up the female lead roles in two or three plays and instead play background extras with no possibility of screen time.
Even so, she still relied on her own hard work and countless extra roles to gain some fame. Even if the boss hadn’t canceled the contract this time, she could probably have spent a bit more time to grind her way out and fiercely slap that boss in the face. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt some pressure. Even though it was a game, she couldn’t let the original body be put to shame.
Throwing away messy thoughts, she picked up the electronic files of her past scripts with a serious expression and began studying them with some perplexity.
However, after reading for about an hour, she had to sigh dejectedly. Clearly, she could understand every single word and every single sentence, but why was memorizing lines and such things so painful?
Seeming to sense Mu Xuefei’s distress, the elf appeared once again, making all sorts of funny faces at Mu Xuefei.
“If you have nothing to do, go play somewhere else. Didn’t you see I’m memorizing lines?” Mu Xuefei waved her hand, forcing herself with a desperate expression to focus her gaze on the phone in her hands. The paused page on top was the electronic file of one of her scripts from a long time ago. Anyone who didn’t know better would think there was something fascinating inside the phone.
The elf fluttered her wings and landed on top of Mu Xuefei’s phone again, blocking the other person’s line of sight. Right when the other person was about to get angry, she suggested, “If you find reading it yourself hard, you can ask someone else for help! Especially Yunyun!”
“Yunyun?” Mu Xuefei was stunned for a moment before remembering that the little elf’s “Yunyun” probably referred to Yun Yongjun, but… “Would the other person find it troublesome? After all, someone who is a best actress and best award-winner—why would she guide a low-tier star like me?”
If she looked down on you, would she let you enter her house?
The elf rolled her eyes, but didn’t point it out. Watching Mu Xuefei clearly tempted yet putting on airs to save face, her eyes rolled, and she suggested again, “This is also for the mission after all. Striving hard to build presence can always increase a certain amount of affection. Based on my many years of reading novels, the other person will definitely be happy to help you out.”
Mu Xuefei’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly scrambled to her feet, tidying up the wrinkles on her pajamas. Her stepping-out pace paused for a fraction, and she spoke up again, “Remember, it was you who told me to go complete the mission and build affection, so that’s why I’m going.”
“Yes, yes, yes, it was me who told you to go build affection, alright?” The elf suppressed the urge to slap the other person flying and hurriedly urged, “You better hurry up and go over.” Just in time for a midnight chat about scripts in the middle of the night.
Ignorant of the elf’s inner grumbling, Mu Xuefei cleared her throat, picked up her phone, and walked out.
“Miss Xue, is something the matter?”
Mu Xuefei shook her head at the passing maid and spoke with a poker face, “I want to find your young lady to discuss something. Is she still in the living room?”
“The eldest young lady? Miss is probably in her bedroom right now. If you have business, do you need my help?”
Looking at the bedroom door only two steps away, Mu Xuefei shook her head rapidly, “I’ll go take a look myself. You continue with your work.”
After the maid left, Mu Xuefei was already standing in front of Yun Yongjun’s room door. Only, not knowing what she thought of, she half-raised her hand in midair, but never ended up knocking.
“Click—” Right when she was about to regret it, the bedroom door was suddenly pulled open.
Seeing the scenery opposite her clearly, Mu Xuefei had a bad feeling. Before she could even speak, she felt a gush of blood erupting from her nasal passage.
“Pfft—” Spatters of blood dripped onto the snow-white skin.
Yun Yongjun half-squinted her eyes, lowering her head to look at her own half-bare breasts and shoulders, then looking at the densely-covered pajamas the other person wore, seeming to understand something.
However, watching the other person’s face flush red as if she were about to faint, Yun Yongjun shifted her body slightly, leaning halfway against the doorframe. This tiny movement caused her already loose waist belt to loosen a bit more, and the bathrobe half-covering her belly almost dropped off. However, she acted as if she hadn’t noticed her own state, merely raising a hand to wipe the blood from the tip of Mu Xuefei’s nose, speaking with a smile that wasn’t a smile, “You need to replenish your blood.”
Before the other person could become angry out of shame, she cleverly changed the subject, “What is the matter that brought you to find me?”
“Um.” Mu Xuefei awkwardly tilted her head halfway up, arduously handing the phone in her hand to the other person, “I have an audition for a role tomorrow, and I wanted to ask about acting and have you guide me. Is that okay?”
The lock screen on the phone was very simple; just in the time it took the other person to speak, Yun Yongjun had already unlocked it. However, looking at the wallpaper picture on the phone, she suddenly smiled and locked the phone screen.
“Of course, you can. Come in; I’ll go get you a hot towel to dab it with.”
Upon hearing this, a bashful expression flashed across Mu Xuefei’s face, and the scene she had just seen resurfaced in her mind. She only felt the sticky sensation at the tip of her nose become even more severe, and she hurriedly formatted and harmonized the imagery in her mind before feeling like she came back to life.
[Ding, romance target affection: 45/100. Affection interpretation: Turns out she really is a little fan.]
Mu Xuefei, who had originally been immersed in the task of stopping her nosebleed, was startled by the system prompt. Why did the affection shoot up by so much all of a sudden? And looking at the affection interpretation, it didn’t seem like it went up because she was being laughed at. What on earth did this sentence mean? Why did it suddenly say she really was a little fan? Where had she ever displayed such signs?
Mu Xuefei replayed what had just happened, and still couldn’t find where she had shown that she was a fan of the other person. However, was it possible that as long as she showed a bit more that she was a fan of the other person, the other person’s affection would skyrocket?
Thinking of this possibility, Mu Xuefei looked at Yun Yongjun with a kind of inexplicable glowing light in her eyes, leaving Yun Yongjun—who came out holding a hot towel—utterly baffled.
Why does she always feel like this person wants to eat her up?