Chapter 26 My Headache

After delivering her powerful speech, Guo Zifu gracefully returned to her room.

Mu Jiu and Ling Zhao, who were following behind her, exchanged a glance and then tacitly agreed not to mention what had just happened, and went back to their respective rooms.

After pushing open the door, the room was empty.

Mu Jiu had only taken a few steps when he sneezed violently.

Time flies, and it's already late at night. I've worked up a sweat today, and my body still feels sticky and cool.

After quickly washing up, as she sat on the bed drying her hair, her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the scene in the living room.

Compared to the intense entanglement between Deng Minzhou and Guo Zifu, her interactions with Ling Zhao were indeed much more unnatural.

But kissing scenes?

Although she had filmed similar things, it was just an imagining of doing the same thing as Ling Zhao...

Her gaze inadvertently met that of the mirror.

On the silver mirror, her features were strangely tangled together.

Mu Jiu: "..."

Well, what's done is done, let's go to sleep.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ling Zhao finished washing up, turned off the lights, closed his eyes, and lay down on the bed.

Qi Youxiang went out, and he was alone in his dormitory. Without the pressure of filming, he was much more relaxed.

Coupled with the drowsiness brought on by physical exertion, his consciousness gradually faded away before long.

However, without warning, a loud "BOOM!" thunderclap startled him awake.

A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder sounded outside the window, and the dark night was enveloped by a wild, torrential downpour, with the sound of rapid, rough rain spreading from the window.

The drowsiness that had just arisen was also mostly dispelled.

Looking through the crack at the occasional flashes of silver light in the night sky, Ling Zhao slowly collapsed.

Regardless, even in such terrible weather, at this time of day, one should be asleep.

Just as he closed his eyes, preparing to try to fall asleep again, he heard strange noises besides the heavy rain and thunder.

First came the screams of frightened by the thunder, then the faint whimpers, and then the creaking of the bed.

Ling Zhao:......

He opened his eyes and glanced subtly in the direction of the next room.

Today, only he and Deng Minzhou are left behind as male guests. In this weather, the girls' bedroom, which is more remote, probably won't hear any unusual sounds.

But... did those two people know that someone lived next door?

The creaking sound grew louder and louder.

Ling Zhao sighed, pulled the blanket over his head, and closed his eyes again.

With my ears covered and the volume of the outside world reduced considerably, I became even more concerned after noticing that unusual sound.

Worse still, now extraneous images are starting to surface in his mind—

A faint, lingering fragrance, carrying the warmth of her body. The soft skin I try to ignore, yet it remains vividly etched in my memory.

During partner dance practice, the natural hand-holding, waist-hugging, and lifting movements are often overlooked in the activity room.

But at this awkward moment, it inexplicably kept playing in my mind on repeat.

Ling Zhao suddenly threw off the blanket and stared at the ceiling expressionlessly.

After a while, he walked into the bathroom with an icy expression and turned on the cold water, rinsing himself from head to toe.

The pattering sound of water mingled with the fine, dense sound of rain.

The raindrops that fell on the ground gradually disappeared as night deepened.

As the night passed, dawn broke.

The weather suddenly turned cool due to the heavy rain last night.

Today, the sky was still heavily covered by large, dark clouds, and a light, gray drizzle enveloped the small house.

Unlike the shady outdoor environment, viewers who had been waiting all day happily flooded into the newly started live broadcast room.

[It's finally open!]

[I watched the edited version during the one-day break and found some new sweet moments!]

[I knew immediately that the person who was talking about Meng Xiangcheng was on drugs...]

[Hahaha, I'm not crazy. Those who like "Morning and Evening" are lucky. Every bite is like a new knife, hahaha!]

...

When Mu Jiu woke up from her sleep, she felt her throat was extremely dry.

Although I took a hot shower yesterday, I felt a chill in my body at the time.

It seems I couldn't escape catching a cold after all.

After sitting on the edge of the bed for a while to calm down, Mu Jiu slowly got up, changed his clothes, and went downstairs.

In the living room on the first floor, Guo Zifu had just finished yoga and was drinking water from a kettle. When she saw Mu Jiu, she greeted him naturally: "Mu Mu, have you seen the male guests? They seem to have disappeared since we woke up this morning."

"I don't know."

Mu Jiu yawned: "I just woke up."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zifu also touched her chin in confusion: "How strange, I clearly got up very early."

[Report to Fufu: They're secretly looking at pretty girls behind your backs!]

[Although...but that's Qi Qing! I also want to have dinner with the CEO!]

[It's actually Qi Qing?!]

Who still remembers the domineering female CEO who emerged from the sea of ​​domineering male CEOs online back then?

[So, my beloved older sister talked to Director Mo?]

I used to think Director Mo was gentle and refined, but now I just find him repulsive. He's so ungrateful for breaking up with Qi Qing.

[No one said Director Mo initiated the breakup, right? Maybe Sister Qing just got tired of it and broke up with him.]

The missing male guests, who were the subject of much discussion in the live broadcast room, were brought out by the production team early in the morning. After each of them asked to change into their most handsome formal attire, they waited in the rest room with dazed eyes for the makeup artist to help with their hair and makeup.

When a makeup artist carrying a case walked up to Deng Minzhou and Ling Zhao, she looked at them with surprise for a few moments: "Why do you two have such dark circles under your eyes? Didn't you get enough rest last night?"

Deng Minzhou rubbed his temples and smiled helplessly, "The thunder was so loud that I barely managed to fall asleep in the middle of the night."

“Indeed, that thunder was quite frightening,” the makeup artist agreed, then carefully examined Ling Zhao. “However, Teacher Ling Zhao’s condition seems more serious.”

"Cough cough..."

Ling Zhao coughed lightly twice.

"Could it be that Teacher Ling Zhao also couldn't sleep because of the thunder?"

The makeup artist hesitated before asking, "Are you still feeling unwell?"

Ling Zhao: "...I woke up because of the sound last night."

Makeup artist: "It looks like a lot of people didn't sleep well last night because of that lightning."

Hearing Ling Zhao's conversation with the makeup artist, Deng Minzhou glanced at him thoughtfully, then suddenly realized something. When he noticed Ling Zhao looking over expressionlessly, he gave him an apologetic wink.

Ling Zhao: "..."

Seriously, the lightning in S City last night was huge; I was so scared I couldn't fall asleep until almost dawn.

Me too! I thought that sound was like thunder exploding on my roof!

[Unexpectedly, Deng Minzhou and Ling Zhao are also afraid of thunder.]

It might not be fear; it could just be that you're a light sleeper.

While the discussion was taking place in the live chat, everyone's makeup and hair were also finished.

Guided by the staff, the male guests, bewildered, took their seats in the restaurant, when a series of crisp high-heeled footsteps approached from afar.

The steady, rhythmic, and crisp sound attracted everyone's attention.

Under the watchful eyes of all the male guests, Qi Qing, dressed in a sharply tailored white suit dress, walked confidently into the room.

"Hello everyone, I'm Qi Qing."

The appearance of this female CEO, whose fame in the Chinese entertainment industry is arguably higher than that of most first- and second-tier actors, on this dating reality show featuring ex-partners has surprised many and sparked even stronger discussions.

Regardless of anything else, at this moment, her very presence is enough to capture everyone's attention.

Only Ling Zhao, who was dozing off, was completely oblivious to the situation.

In an attempt to muster his energy, he was pinching his palms while secretly squeezing the base of his thighs.

"Ling Zhao?"

Before he knew it, Qi Qing had walked up to him and was looking directly into his eyes. Ling Zhao then snapped out of his daze and stood up: "Sorry..."

"I've heard your songs,"

Qi Qing took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to him, a capable smile on her face.

Even though Ling Zhao was clearly distracted, she didn't show the slightest displeasure: "If you're interested in a change of scenery, you're welcome to come to my company for a chat."

[Only Sister Qing has the aura to take on 5 opponents at once!]

[But am I the only one who feels that none of the male guests present could handle Sister Qing?]

Sister, none of those male guests are good enough for you. Don't be so rigid about gender. Your younger sister is willing to stay by your side.

[You think you like her? You're just after her money! You're disgusting!]

——

Unaware of what was happening outside, Mu Jiu, feeling exhausted after lunch, went back to his room to rest and slept soundly until evening when he woke up.

When Mu Jiu opened his eyes, he felt a sharp pain and subconsciously reached out to touch his head.

Scalding hot.

After sleeping all afternoon, her body didn't feel any lighter than when she first woke up during the day; in fact, it felt heavier.

Mu Jiu dragged himself out of his suitcase and took out an electronic thermometer. Just as he pressed the measurement button against his ear, the thermometer beeped sharply.

The situation is indeed not good, or rather, it's terrible.

She found some cold medicine, put on a mask, changed her clothes, and staggered downstairs.

The blinding white light made the unbearable, subtle pain in her body even more pronounced, and her steps felt light and unsteady, as if she were not touching the ground.

As Mu Jiu walked down the stairs, she could clearly feel several gazes falling on her at the same time. She subconsciously pulled her mask up a little tighter.

"Mumu, why are you wearing a mask? Are you feeling unwell?" Meng Shuning looked at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I just caught a slight chill, it's nothing serious," Mu Jiu replied softly.

The next moment, her gaze fell on the center of the living room.

"Sister Qi Qing," Mu Jiu greeted politely.

Qi Qing returned a perfectly timed smile, her gaze lingering briefly on her face with a hint of scrutiny.

This little interlude was quickly interrupted by Qi Qing's next words.

She clapped her hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention: "Perfect timing, I remember everyone has already taken turns cooking?"

"Leave tonight's meal to me."

"Huh?" Guo Zifu's eyes widened in surprise: "How could we possibly be worthy of eating a meal cooked by Sister Qing herself?"

Meng Shuning also gently advised, "Sister Qing, your schedule is so full, and you even made a special trip here today. It must be too tiring. Why don't I come instead?"

"I originally wanted to keep everyone in suspense, but after Shushu and Fufu said that, I felt embarrassed."

Qi Qing waved her hand and said frankly with a smile, "Actually, my cooking skills are really not good. If you don't mind, I would like to treat you all to a good meal, which can also be considered as fulfilling a wish of the fans - they all hope to fatten you up a bit."

"I ordered..."

Leaning back on the sofa, the sounds around me gradually faded away, and the slight headache that had been there in the afternoon began to get worse.

I'm starting to feel a bit cold.

My head feels foggy and dizzy.

Mu Jiu only heard Xiang Wan say, "Let's go upstairs and take a look first, then we'll come down in a bit," and then he nodded.

At some point, everyone else followed Qi Qing to the second floor.

In a daze, she saw a figure wearing a baseball cap stop in front of her.

She slightly raised her eyes and subconsciously asked, "Ling Zhao?"

"..."

In the silence, Fang Yucheng looked at the silent Mu Jiu and felt that his actions were quite absurd.

But what's even more absurd is that the woman opposite him, the one with whom he'd been involved in a scandalous affair for years, who looked at him with lingering affection, didn't hesitate to mistake him for Ling Zhao.

Who would believe that someone would mistake him for someone else, given that his reputation and achievements far surpass Ling Zhao's?

But inexplicably, he deliberately imitated that person's way of speaking, asking briefly and coldly, "What's wrong with you?"

Mu Jiu seemed to have suddenly let down her guard, looking at him with hazy eyes and pouting, "My head hurts."

It's not about restraint, politeness, or distance.

Only by experiencing both attitudes can one truly appreciate the difference.

Fang Yucheng was taken aback.

Upon seeing those captivating eyes, an inexplicable impulse compelled him to raise his hand and instinctively put his arm around her shoulder.

But the next moment, a cold question came from the side of the stairs.

Ling Zhao: "What are you going to do?"