Acting Out of Character (GL) - Chapter 30

Zhao Lian drove to the farmhouse courtyard, and Feng Yunxin brought her to the “villa” that had been prepared for Luo Jingyi long ago.

Staring at the little wooden house whose door had yet to be opened, Zhao Lian already had an ominous feeling, but she continued comforting herself.

Perhaps only the exterior looked rustic, while the inside could still satisfy Teacher Luo’s requirements. She shouldn’t judge a house by its appearance.

Feng Yunxin opened the door.

The moment Zhao Lian looked inside, she nearly dropped to her knees before Feng Yunxin.

The interior and exterior were perfectly consistent—simple and utterly unadorned. It was definitely the type of place that would make Teacher Luo angry with a single glance.

There were stains on the walls and ceiling that appeared to have been treated but remained extremely obvious.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the unidentified substances inside the gaps between the floor tiles.

Those two things alone were enough to darken Teacher Luo’s expression and drive Zhao Lian insane.

With her face drained of color, Zhao Lian turned and looked desperately at Feng Yunxin.

“Director Feng, have mercy. Is there another room?”

Feng Yunxin found the question strange. “What’s wrong with this villa? It’s wonderful and spacious!”

She flew into the room and spun around in the living room.

“Look! You can even dance in here. The bedroom faces the mountains, giving you a completely unobstructed view.”

Zhao Lian said, “If Teacher Luo can stay in this room, I’ll give birth while standing on my head for you.”

Feng Yunxin: “…That’s completely unnecessary. What exactly is wrong with it? I know Sister Yi is a clean freak with endless demands, but doesn’t this place reach the standards of a five-star hotel? Even this fails your inspection?”

The corner of Zhao Lian’s mouth twitched.

“If you stacked together the logos of every five-star hotel Teacher Luo has blacklisted, the pile would probably be taller than me. This genuinely won’t work. She’ll become angry.”

Feng Yunxin refused to believe it and asked Luo Jingyi to inspect the room personally.

Luo Jingyi stood at the doorway without entering. She merely glanced inside and fell silent.

Zhao Lian looked at Feng Yunxin with her eyes: See?

Feng Yunxin replied with her own gaze: It isn’t certain yet.

Zhao Lian: “?”

To her absolute astonishment, Luo Jingyi turned and said:

“I think I can manage.”

Zhao Lian: “?? No, you can’t.”

“I can.”

“You genuinely can’t!”

“What if I genuinely can?”

Zhao Lian could not understand her. “Why don’t you walk around inside before deciding?”

Luo Jingyi took a determined step into the house.

She passed a sofa with an unidentified strand of hair caught in it, a cup bearing water stains, and a remote control covered in fingerprints.

Then she returned and pressed a hand against her forehead.

Feng Yunxin: “…”

It seemed Xiao Zhao was right. The Empress Dowager was still dissatisfied.

Feng Yunxin had always known Luo Jingyi had numerous peculiarities, but she had already asked people to clean this house three times and even disinfect it. How could it still fail to meet her standards?

No wonder she could never hire a personal assistant. She was far too demanding.

How did she even notice these tiny details?

Was she the Princess and the Pea?

Luo Jingyi took a deep breath and said to Zhao Lian:

“Originally, it wouldn’t have worked. But I trust that with you here, it’ll become acceptable immediately after you clean it.”

Zhao Lian: “…”

“I’m going for a night run. I look forward to seeing the results.”

Zhao Lian: “………”

“I’ll send you a red packet.”

Zhao Lian immediately became energetic. “I’ll begin arranging everything now!”

Zhao Lian borrowed brand-new sheets from Feng Yunxin and used them to cover the ceiling, floor, every wall, and even the furniture.

Once everything was covered, she thoroughly disinfected the bathroom and every place Luo Jingyi might possibly touch. She did not overlook even the half-centimeter gap between the bed and bedside table.

Watching from beside her, Feng Yunxin was stunned.

“How are you going to clean such a narrow gap?”

Wearing a mask, Zhao Lian raised her brows and produced a flat cleaning brush. She pushed it deep into the gap, and when she pulled it back out, it was covered in dust and dirt.

Feng Yunxin: “…”

With help from the production staff, they lifted every piece of furniture and cleaned all the dust and grime underneath.

Before any staff member was allowed inside, Zhao Lian required them to shower first. They absolutely could not enter carrying any unpleasant odor.

Masks, hats, shoe covers—nothing could be omitted. They were forbidden from leaving behind even a single strand of hair. The requirements were stricter than those of a sterile factory.

After cleaning, they sprayed Luo Jingyi’s favorite perfume throughout the room, then opened the windows to disperse the overpowering scent, leaving only a faint and elegant fragrance.

By the time the entire process was finished, the staff members were exhausted beyond recognition. They shook their heads as they left.

Zhao Lian, however, remained lying on the floor and examining everything carefully. Her rigorous gaze swept across every edge and corner, refusing to tolerate even a speck of dust.

Feng Yunxin: “…”

An ordinary person truly couldn’t do this job.

Once everything was finally complete, Zhao Lian placed Luo Jingyi’s slippers and a pair of guest slippers in the entryway. She stepped outside, finally removed her mask, and breathed in some fresh air.

Feng Yunxin gave her a thumbs-up.

“Thanks to you, our Teacher Luo can live this comfortably. She should finally be able to stay here without worry.”

“This is merely a temporary arrangement for tonight,” Zhao Lian said.

Feng Yunxin: “??”

“Tomorrow, I need to contact a construction team to install wallpaper and new flooring. We also need to transport the mattress Teacher Luo is currently using at the hotel. Right, I should set an alarm and wake up at four tomorrow morning.”

Feng Yunxin: “…”

If you don’t become rich, who possibly could?

After returning from her night run, Luo Jingyi arrived at the wooden house together with Chen Ge, who was carrying her suitcase.

The house stood some distance from the farmhouse courtyard and was an independent building. It had previously been used for agritourism and had been rented by the production specifically for Luo Jingyi.

After Luo Jingyi absolutely refused to stay there, Feng Yunxin had considered moving in herself. Unexpectedly, the house ultimately still received Teacher Luo’s favor.

Luo Jingyi opened the door and looked around. The room was now completely different from what she had seen before.

Everything had been covered securely, and the air carried her favorite fragrance.

Acceptable.

Xiao Zhao’s performance tonight deserved an enormous red packet.

But Chen Ge, standing behind Luo Jingyi, was stunned.

This…

Everything was covered in white cloth. It looked somewhat eerie.

Luo Jingyi looked back at her.

“Why are you standing frozen at the door? Come inside. I’m going to shower first. I’m covered in sweat from running.”

“All right.”

After Luo Jingyi finished showering, she came out and discovered that Chen Ge had not sat down. She was standing in the middle of the living room, looking at her phone.

Luo Jingyi naturally understood. Chen Ge had not showered or changed clothes yet and was too embarrassed to sit down, afraid Luo Jingyi would find her dirty.

Seeing Chen Ge standing there so laboriously, Luo Jingyi reflected on herself for the first time—

Was spending time with me genuinely exhausting?

“You can shower now.”

With an absorbent towel wrapped around her hair, Luo Jingyi sat before the dressing table.

“Okay.”

“Were your pajamas cut apart too?”

“I still have another set I can wear. They’re completely clean!”

Luo Jingyi smiled at her.

“I know you’re exceptionally clean.”

Chen Ge carried that sentence with her into the shower.

Hot water flowed over her body, sliding downward and carrying the rich foam of the body wash into the drain, but Luo Jingyi’s words refused to disappear from her mind.

I know you’re exceptionally clean.

Chen Ge stood beneath the shower in silence.

…

It was already very late when Chen Ge emerged.

Luo Jingyi had left only two night-lights on. She lay flat on the bed, holding the dark-blue clothbound copy of De Profundis.

A facial mask still covered her face, and she had already fallen asleep.

Her head tilted slightly to one side, and the book in her hand was about to slip.

Chen Ge had been standing beside the bed, preparing to take the hair dryer into the bathroom. Seeing the book about to fall, she instinctively placed one knee on the mattress and reached out to catch it.

Even without makeup, Luo Jingyi’s thick, curled eyelashes fluttered.

She opened her eyes and found Chen Ge directly before her, extremely close.

Chen Ge’s loose black hair was damp and clung to her neck. The tiny red mole there, her refined, narrow eyes, and her slightly parted, full red lips were all directly before Luo Jingyi.

It felt as though Luo Jingyi had entered a vast, lofty, silent art gallery in her dreams, and Chen Ge was the oil painting that made her reluctant to look away.

She was an extraordinary work of art that transcended time, social class, and aesthetic standards. Anyone who saw her would sense the artistic allure radiating from her.

Because Chen Ge was leaning across her in a half-kneeling position, the collar of her pajamas had fallen rather low.

Out of courtesy, Luo Jingyi did not look directly inside. But she could not prevent herself from smelling the fragrance of body wash continuously drifting from Chen Ge’s collar.

It was identical to the scent on Luo Jingyi’s own body.

“What are you trying to do?” Luo Jingyi asked calmly.

Chen Ge placed the book securely back into her hand.

“I saw it was about to fall and wanted to catch it for you.”

She moved away from Luo Jingyi, stepped off the bed, and tightened her grip on the hair dryer again.

Chen Ge took two steps toward the bathroom, then walked backward and emphasized:

“I wasn’t trying to do anything else.”

Her solemn expression made Luo Jingyi laugh.

“What could you possibly do?”

Even in the darkness, Luo Jingyi could see Chen Ge’s blush spread from her face down to her neck.

“Nothing…”

Chen Ge went to dry her hair and closed the bathroom door, reducing the noise as much as possible.

Luo Jingyi removed her facial mask and applied night cream, carefully spreading it until it had been completely absorbed.

After glancing outside the window and confirming that no one was coming to bother them, she returned to bed and lay down properly.

Chen Ge came back and lay beside her.

The bed was smaller than the hotel bed, only 1.8 meters wide. Sleeping together made it easy for them to touch.

Chen Ge once again turned her back toward Luo Jingyi and occupied only a narrow strip.

Remembering the previous time they shared a bed, when she had placed one leg over Chen Ge, Luo Jingyi deliberately said:

“Don’t worry. This time, I definitely won’t put one leg on top of you.”

Without turning around, Chen Ge replied, “It’s fine. I don’t mind being pressed down.”

Luo Jingyi gave an acknowledging hum.

She was tired too and soon fell asleep.

When she awoke the next morning, she discovered that she genuinely had not placed one leg on Chen Ge.

This time, both legs were resting across Chen Ge’s stomach, while Luo Jingyi’s entire body lay diagonally across the bed.

Luo Jingyi: “??”

My sleeping posture is clearly never this terrible when I sleep alone!

At some point, Chen Ge had turned over and was now lying on her back.

Despite having her stomach pinned down, she had not awakened. She merely seemed to be having a nightmare. Her small brows were tightly knitted together, and she was mumbling something incoherently.

Luo Jingyi silently withdrew both long legs and sat upright, looking at the person beside her.

She extended one finger and pressed it between Chen Ge’s furrowed brows, slowly rubbing the area.

Chen Ge soon seemed to feel the comfort. Her forehead relaxed, and she stopped talking in her sleep.

Luo Jingyi smiled and prepared to leave, but Chen Ge caught her hand.

Luo Jingyi looked down.

One of Chen Ge’s hands held her little finger, while the other grasped her middle and index fingers, as though reluctant to let go.

Luo Jingyi leaned closer and discovered that Chen Ge had not awakened. Sleeping deeply, she looked like an inexperienced child who had barely encountered the world.

Unable to bring herself to wake Chen Ge, Luo Jingyi allowed her to continue holding on.

Only after Chen Ge turned over by herself and released her hand did Luo Jingyi finally get out of bed.

When Chen Ge awoke, Luo Jingyi asked:

“What did you dream about? You were talking in your sleep this morning.”

Chen Ge thought for a moment and remembered.

“I dreamed that an enormous mammoth was pressing down on me. I couldn’t breathe at all. It was terrifying!”

Luo Jingyi: “…”

I advise you to choose your words carefully.

Episode Two of Our Rural Life exploded in popularity, surpassing twenty million views over a single weekend.

Netizens thought Episode Two was fascinating, while Episode One was hideously terrible.

Some refused to believe the difference and deliberately watched Episode One. They returned utterly dumbfounded—

Was this genuinely the same program?

Because of the Song Ruyu incident, the unbearably boring first episode, the excellent second episode, and the CP that delivered sweet moments directly into everyone’s hearts, discussion surrounding Our Rural Life gradually grew. Major marketing accounts also began reposting related topics to attract traffic.

Even the generous sponsor had not expected this eighteenth-tier web variety show to become popular and immediately began large-scale promotion.

Perhaps because they saw signs that the show might become a hit, both the production staff and guests became extremely enthusiastic about filming.

Qian Yu sighed to Yin Yin and Sun Ruibin:

“We’re genuinely lucky. Some powerful expert must be supporting this web show from behind the scenes. We happened to arrive at the perfect time.”

Yin Yin asked curiously, “What exactly happened to Song Ruyu? Did her manager take her away?”

Qian Yu said, “Who cares? She brought it upon herself. I quite like my current partner.”

Sister Si was ultimately an experienced industry veteran.

Song Ruyu had been removed from the production just as the web variety show showed signs of exploding in popularity. Sister Si could not waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so she immediately placed Xiao Mao into the show.

The web drama Xiao Mao had been considering had dragged on without reaching an agreement with the platform. Seeing the producer become increasingly hesitant, Sister Si and the company decided she might as well withdraw.

They placed all their hopes on Our Rural Life.

Both Sister Si and Chris had sensed that someone powerful was supporting the show from behind the scenes.

If the program continued rising, White Horse Pictures would still have two artists participating. They would lose nothing.

As for Song Ruyu, she would personally pay every cent she owed. The company would not contribute another cent.

Xiao Mao arrived enthusiastically in Li Village.

The moment she entered the farmhouse courtyard, she saw Luo Jingyi.

Xiao Mao: “!”

Ever since Luo Jingyi had driven her from the room with a single command to “Get lost,” Xiao Mao still experienced something resembling PTSD whenever she saw her.

At the same time, she was extremely confused.

Why was Luo Jingyi filming a reality show here?

Xiao Mao had only just learned that the great Screenwriter Luo was called Luo Xin rather than Luo Jingyi here when Luo Jingyi blocked her behind the courtyard.

With an expression that looked ready to devour someone, Luo Jingyi asked:

“Do you recognize who I am?”

Xiao Mao nearly shrank into a tiny ball. Afraid Luo Jingyi might blacklist her and destroy her acting career, she hurriedly said:

“I don’t know that you’re Luo Jingyi! Y-you’re only Luo Xin.”

Luo Jingyi smiled in satisfaction and left.

Luo Xin and Chen Ge’s CP was called “Gewai Xindong,” a pun meaning “Especially Heart-Fluttering.” They already had their own fan super-topic.

Feng Yunxin eagerly wandered through the super-topic. It was remarkably lively.

She came across a post:

【I don’t care—I insist on reversing the pairing! Isn’t the younger one hotter? I think this is the scene most likely to happen in private. [licking lips]】

The attached image appeared blank.

Curious, Feng Yunxin opened it and discovered that it was actually one extremely long picture.

A downward arrow had been drawn at the top of the blank image.

Feng Yunxin wondered what the hell it was and quickly scrolled downward.

Suddenly, she saw a piece of fan art drawn with extraordinary accuracy!

She had to admit that the artist understood their essential features extremely well. Feng Yunxin recognized Luo Jingyi and Chen Ge at a glance.

Not only did the drawing resemble them—

It was also extremely explicit.

It was an R18 fan illustration.

Chen Ge was leaning over Luo Jingyi’s back with a wicked smile, radiating the overpowering aura of a top.

Beneath her, Luo Jingyi looked irresistibly seductive and was dripping wet.

Feng Yunxin: “?!”

Have all of you lost your minds?!

You didn’t even give them enough time to fasten their seat belts before flooring the accelerator and driving straight up Mount Everest?!

Luo Jingyi happened to walk past Feng Yunxin. Seeing that Feng Yunxin’s eyes were practically glued to her phone screen, she asked:

“What are you looking at?”

After suddenly seeing the Empress Dowager step out of the R18 illustration and begin speaking, Feng Yunxin was badly frightened.

Her phone almost slipped from her hand. It spun an entire circle and nearly fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Luo Jingyi caught it.

Feng Yunxin: “…”

Her breathing stopped entirely.

Luo Jingyi casually looked toward the phone.

Lightning and thunder exploded inside Feng Yunxin’s mind as she searched wildly for something nearby that could be used as a defensive weapon!

Luo Jingyi glanced at the phone, then aimed an investigative look at Feng Yunxin.

Feng Yunxin trembled.

“I genuinely didn’t mean to… I only just discovered it too…”

Luo Jingyi slapped the phone back into her hand.

“Then replace the screen. It already has two cracks, yet you’re still using it. Aren’t you afraid of cutting your hand?”

Feng Yunxin: “??”

She looked down at the phone.

The screen was black.

So in her panic, she had locked it?!

Teacher Luo hadn’t seen the R18 fan art?!

How was she this incredible?!

Feng Yunxin immediately beamed.

“I’ll replace it! I’ll replace it!”

Luo Jingyi looked at her with disgust.

“What kind of rat poison did you eat today?”

Luo Jingyi walked away.

Believing she had escaped disaster, Feng Yunxin placed her phone into her trouser pocket and immediately returned to work.

She did not notice that during the earlier panic, she had not only locked the screen—

She had also liked the R18 fan art.

And the account currently logged in was her official account.

The official account belonging to the director of Our Rural Life.

Author’s Note:

What must come will always come…