Chapter 158
Actually, these past two days, Liu Woxing had been living quite freely.
When everyone had stayed together in the villa for filming before, Qiu Chengye would involve her in everything—showing off his new car one moment, demonstrating his bartending skills the next. When there was absolutely nothing to do, he would even sit there and throw her flirtatious glances.
She could only respond politely, maintaining a smile at all times, trying hard not to let anyone see the irritation in her eyes.
It was extremely annoying.
Qiu Chengye was so ordinary, greasy, wealthy but brainless—exactly the kind of man she despised the most.
Yet the Qiu family was even more powerful than hers.
So her family demanded she get along well with Qiu Chengye, preferably making outsiders think there was some spark between them. This was supposedly to help the Liu family’s business flourish.
Liu Woxing endured it all. Every day she had to maintain a harmonious facade with Qiu Chengye felt like torture.
Of course, she occasionally felt some satisfaction watching Miss Lai slap Qiu Chengye.
But the most enjoyable part had been the last two days.
After arriving at this mountain resort, Qiu Chengye spent every day running around the hills with his sleeping bag—either looking for a suitable spot to camp, arguing with the production team, or brawling with Lai Bingxuan.
In short, he had no time to bother her.
She relished the peace and truly experienced a bit of vacation enjoyment.
This morning’s real-life CS game had been exhilarating for her, because it was a project she could never try before, and now, thanks to the show, she could.
She had just started feeling a little happy.
But Director Niu’s message struck like a bolt from the blue.
“Xing-Cheng CP suspected BE. Look at this trending topic—netizens love to guess whenever something seems off. You two are clearly fine; it’s just that you haven’t interacted much over the past two days, yet they suspect you’ve quarreled.”
Sighing, Director Niu showed her the Weibo page.
“So I suggest you, Teacher Liu, proactively talk to Mr. Qiu to let the rumor die off naturally.”
Liu Woxing pursed her lips, staring at the comments on Weibo, striving to suppress the irritation stirring inside her.
“Okay.”
She kept her usual gentle smile.
Only then did Director Niu breathe a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Teacher Liu. Normally, our show doesn’t have a script, but this time I really worry about public opinion. After all, you and Mr. Qiu are our most stable CP. I don’t want misunderstandings to arise.”
Watching Director Niu leave, Liu Woxing’s smile slowly faded.
She didn’t feel pressure from his words.
She knew the real pressure would arrive soon enough.
Buzz buzz—
Her phone in her pocket vibrated twice.
The sound made her heart flutter instinctively, then quickly calm, her eyes dark and unreadable.
It had arrived.
The unstable relationship between her and Qiu Chengye on screen, coupled with these rumors, would inevitably first affect the Liu family.
Many forces who previously hesitated to challenge the Liu family out of fear of the Qiu family would now probably be itching to act.
And the Liu family, feeling this pressure, would turn it on her.
She could almost tell without looking what the message said.
Liu Woxing didn’t immediately pull out her phone. She slowly closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh mountain air, letting her thoughts briefly empty.
But it only lasted a few seconds.
A barely audible sigh drifted through the air.
She picked up her phone and replied.
[Liu Woxing]: I understand.
…
“Woxing.”
The sudden voice made Liu Woxing’s eyes flicker. Naturally, she turned off her phone and put it in her pocket before looking up.
“Shuangrong?”
Standing in front of her was Xu Shuangrong.
After washing off the red makeup, Xu Shuangrong wore a white chiffon dress, her long hair tied up, smiling softly at her in the sunlight.
“Today at lunch, all we have are buns, but I really don’t want to eat buns.”
Liu Woxing didn’t understand what she meant and didn’t reply, simply looking at her with confusion.
Xu Shuangrong wasn’t upset. Her smile became slightly mischievous.
“So I want to do something exciting. Will you come with me?”
“No…”
Before Liu Woxing could refuse, Xu Shuangrong grabbed her hand and pulled her, running toward another area without a word.
This mountain resort had complete facilities; the restaurant alone had six different types of cuisine.
Each restaurant had its own kitchen, with the buffet kitchen being the busiest.
Since the buffet was the most popular, the chefs were constantly preparing dishes and barely noticed anything else.
“I found this out from the hotel staff,” Xu Shuangrong said with a faint smile, placing a white chef’s hat on Liu Woxing’s head.
Liu Woxing looked down at her outfit, frowning slightly.
“I don’t understand what you’re doing.”
Xu Shuangrong, also dressed in a chef uniform, winked at her.
“Of course, it’s sneaking food. The production team limits our meals, so we have to find our own way.”
“Doing something against the rules and morally questionable isn’t like you,” Liu Woxing said, her gaze wary.
It wasn’t her imagination.
She really felt Xu Shuangrong had changed recently.
Unlike the Xu Shuangrong she first knew, sometimes one way, sometimes another, creating a sense of disconnect.
Xu Shuangrong let out a wry smile.
“Yes, it’s not something I would usually do. Because I’m an artist, even a small action can be magnified, so there are many things I simply can’t do.”
“To fans, I’m someone who follows rules, always obedient, never refuses anything.”
“But in reality, I also have a rebellious side.”
“I want to be like Teacher Xie, occasionally doing outrageous things, unafraid of others’ eyes, bravely being myself.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have that courage.”
“But today, I want to try. There are staff everywhere outside, but none in the kitchen. Without staff watching, we can use our own money. We can secretly pay in the kitchen and eat our fill, without the production team knowing.”
“So, Woxing, want to break the rules with me?”
Xu Shuangrong looked at Liu Woxing sincerely, speaking each word carefully.
Liu Woxing was slightly stunned.
How could it be…
Xu Shuangrong’s mindset was so similar to hers.
“I…”
The appeal of this was indeed strong, and she felt herself wavering—when suddenly, she heard a familiar voice:
“Chef, grill me another suckling pig!”
