CH 3

Since Luo Xi was the family’s eldest child, she was constantly cared for by her parents or a nanny. After entering the entertainment industry, her manager increased the number of people who attended to her and hired three small assistants.

Luo Xi simply needed to tell her orders while the others handled her food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

She originally refused to participate in this variety show. What could the show do with a group of stars, who like her, weren’t diligent and couldn’t tell the difference between cabbage and lettuce?

In fact, for a month, everyone got along horribly.

Back in Luo Xi’s room, Cheng Qing started to tidy up while Luo Xi stood there dazed. When Cheng Qing tied up her long hair, her entire demeanor softened.

She was tall, had long fair fingers, possessed slim legs, and worked efficiently. Luo Xi was slightly envious of her.

She finally became shy when she saw Cheng Qing approach her bed to clean the clothes scattered all over. 

“I’ll do it myself.” Luo Xi said in a cold tone as she rushed to pick up her clothes.

Cheng Qing withdrew her hand, looked at the big bed, and without hesitation asked, “In the dormitory, do you sleep on one bed?”

Luo Xi glanced at her and said, “Who would put two beds in a bedroom?” That would be quite strange.

When Cheng Qing heard this she smiled before saying, “My family would.”

Luo Xi choked: “…”

Cheng Qing knew that she was very arrogant and so she coaxed her saying, “It’s okay to sleep together, I sleep well.”

Luo Xi choked once more: “…”

Cheng Qing raised her eyebrows when she saw her reaction, “What’s the matter? “Is your sleeping… bad?”

“…Yes.” Luo Xi became silent.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not good.” Cheng Qing smiled reassuringly.

Luo Xi shook her head as if to say no.

Cheng Qing didn’t pursue the matter any further. She saw that the room was almost tidied up and the sun outside the window was about to set behind the mountain so she let her long hair down.

Cheng Qing’s hair was effortlessly straight and when she untied her hair, it flowed down like a serene waterfall. Luo Xi couldn’t help but sneak a glance and stroke her hair feeling a little envious.

“We’ll be roommates from now on so I’ll help tidy up the room.”

“Good!”

Cheng Qing looked at her helplessly and said, “You have to help too.”

Luo Xi choked, “But I can’t.”

Cheng Qing re-tied her hair, approached Luo Xi, and patted her on the head. Luo Xi’s fluffy hair resembled that of a kitten feeling pleasant to the touch.

“Then I will teach you.” Cheng Qing continued to pat Luo Xi on the head before quickly withdrawing her hand.

Luo Xi: “…” I don’t want to learn, so why should I learn this?

Cheng Qing smiled knowing that as a celebrity if Luo Xi’s reaction was shown in front of the camera, it would be regarded as unfriendly.

Her primary objective here was to simply help Luo Xi not become depressed and to not interact with the hero and heroine where she would be disliked by thousands of people.

There were not many private descriptions of Luo Xi in the novel. Every time she appeared, it was always to rush out and quarrel with the heroine. 

In the story, Luo Xi was frequently unreasonable which prompted the readers in the comment thread to dislike her.

Cheng Qing, on the other hand, believed that Luo Xi’s conflicts should have never required such a heavy cost in return.

Luo Xi’s relationship with the other celebrities was not any better than in the original plot. Luo Xi didn’t want this to happen, but she also couldn’t help her own situation.

Cheng Qing viewed Luo Xi as a young girl in her early twenties. She hadn’t learned how to get along with others; she just needed some guidance.

“By the way, Luo Xi, come here.” Cheng Qing reached into her black handbag to grab an item.

“What are you doing?”

“Here, a gift!” Cheng Qing took a paper-wrapped toffee from her bag and put it into Luo Xi’s palms.

When their hands came together, they could feel each other’s body temperature and soft touch.

Luo Xi was taken aback as she looked down at the small candy in her hand widening her eyes.

“Toffee? The gift is just toffee!?!”

Luo Xi looked up at Cheng Qing in disbelief, “Are you kidding a monkey?”

Cheng Qing chuckled as she thought ‘is that how you describe yourself?’

Luo Xi, who impulsively reacted was immediately irritated by her own words.

She clenched the toffee, angrily turned around, and ate the sweet milk candy.

“Is it sweet?”

The sweetened Luo Xi: “…” Mmm, so delicious!

“Do you like it?” 

“I like it…” Luo Xi responded quietly.

Cheng Qing sighed with relief, “That’s good. I read a lot about you before coming here, your fans said that you like toffee the most.”

After a while, Luo Xi said, “But you gave me too little, and why do you spy on my fans? You can’t possibly be a fan of mine, can you?”

Luo Xi felt a little smug after she finished speaking.

“I still have some toffee left in my bag, it’s yours if you want it.” 

Cheng Qing then walked to Luo Xi and approached her face until she was close enough to see the non-existent pores on Luo Xi’s skin. Cheng Qing slightly turned her head to the right and moved closer to Luo Xi’s ear.

Cheng Qing spoke softly, “I’m not your fan, but I like you.”

She was tall so it was only natural for her to lower her head to speak into Luo Xi’s ear. The moisture from Cheng Qing’s warm breath tickled Luo Xi’s ear when she spoke.

It was as if a feather had landed on the tip of Luo Xi’s heart, gently tickling it.

When Cheng Qing said this, she didn’t think too much of it. She also didn’t notice Luo Xi’s face which was as red as a shrimp. Cheng Qing even had the gall to smile innocently. 

She retreated from Luo Xi’s ear and walked to the door noticing that Luo Xi hadn’t moved.

“Luo Xi?”

Luo Xi covered the lower half of her face with her wrist, resting the back of her hand on her cheek. She could feel the rising temperature of her face.

Luo Xi looked out the window where the sky was colored in a blood-like afterglow. Her face was the same color as the sky, if she went out now, she would be seen blushing!

“It’s time to go down for dinner, Luo Xi.” Cheng Qing focused her gaze on Luo Xi’s eyes.

Luo Xi stared at her awkwardly saying, “I’ll go down by myself later.”

“But we’re roommates, it’s preferable to go down together.” 

Luo Xi stubbornly turned her head to the left, “No. I don’t want to.”

“But the director will ask.” Cheng Qing crossed her arms.

Luo Xi continued to raise her head slightly, not interested in moving, “I don’t care.”

“But I care.” 

Cheng Qing moved a little toward Luo Xi as she said these words.

Luo Xi’s face froze, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I think you know the things that are said about you on the internet. You may not care, but…”

Cheng Qing paused for a moment before continuing, “Luo Xi, the many people who want to protect you will see these words on the internet. They are concerned for your well-being and would suffer for you, including me!”

Luo Xi never knew that there would be someone who could say such words so beautifully.

It was good to know that she was in a state of shock.

It was good to know that her heart fluttered.

It was good to know that she blushed like the sky outside the window not knowing she had dyed the sunset red or if the sunset had dyed her red.

Cheng Qing continued, “But for these people, even if you don’t like me, can we go down together?”

The starting point for the people’s repulsion of Luo Xi was that Luo Xi and her roommates couldn’t get along. Cheng Qing also believed that the directors were analyzing both of their current situations. 

This was why Cheng Qing was so adamant about going down with Luo Xi, it was to save face for Luo Xi’s reputation.

If something such as quarreling roommates were to be speculated on the first day, Cheng Qing would not want the two of them to be used as a bad article by the director’s team, like what happened during Luo Xi’s first appearance in the show.

The cool evening breeze outside the window blew slightly. Luo Xi eventually turned to face Cheng Qing. 

Unlike her usual soft demeanor, Cheng Qing appeared solemn this time.

Luo Xi opened her mouth and strongly stated, “I don’t dislike you.”

“That’s good.” Cheng Qing’s eyes curved with softness as she smiled in relief. 

Look! She’s a good person, it’s just that she can’t express it.

Cheng Qing waited a few seconds before adding, “Hehe~ I also like myself!”

Luo Xi instantly became at a loss for words.

Under Cheng Qing’s sweet talk and affection, Luo Xi could only follow her downstairs.

But Cheng Qing, this ordinary person, was still asking Luo Xi halfway down the stairs, “Why is your face so red?”

Cheng Qing even asked with an innocent look.

Luo Xi: “…”

When Cheng Qing brought Luo Xi down, the food was almost prepped and ready to be served.

The stars of this program were all popular at a young age. Because the new generation grew in a glasshouse, dinner preparation was quite simple and most foods were cooked by frying or boiling.

In other words, everyone was roughly equal in terms of hands-on ability. It’s just that some people could use pots and pans while others, like Luo Xi, probably couldn’t even tell the difference between green onions and leeks![1]

“Ah, you’re finally here? I was waiting for you.” Feng Qiuyi said while smiling as he saw the two reach the bottom of the stairs.

Cheng Qing returned the smile and sat.

“Sorry it took a while, we were cleaning the room.”

“It must’ve been hard for you.” Feng Qiuyi replied.

Luo Xi stood behind Cheng Qing while she craned her neck to listen in on the conversation. 

Instead of sitting down, she just stared at Cheng Qing’s back, thinking ‘is she complaining about me now?’

Cheng Qing looked back and saw that Luo Xi was still standing, so she softly smiled and patted the empty seat beside her, “Why aren’t you moving? Come and sit!”

Luo Xi approached with a hesitant expression and sat down.

Cheng Qing saw her wariness and coaxed her amusingly, “What do you want to eat? I’ll help you.”

Luo Xi shook her head, “No need-”

“Here you go, you’re welcome~!” Cheng Qing picked up a chicken nugget for her and placed it in her bowl, “No need for thanks.”

Luo Xi: “…” 

She looked at the chicken nuggets in her bowl and then turned to face Cheng Qing before she fell silent.

Cheng Qing spun around to face Feng Qiuyu and was brave enough to ask, “Do celebrities have any taboos?”

Feng Qiuyi, as an idol, was in the same boat as Luo Xi, “You can’t be fat.”

Cheng Qing looked puzzled before responding, “What’s the deal with being fat? It’s adorable!” Cheng Qing then turned to face Luo Xi with sparkling eyes, “Luo Xi, have some food! It’s delicious.”

Afterward, she poured salad dressing into Luo Xi’s bowl.

Luo Xi stared at the dressing that was poured into her bowl and said, “You… Forget about the chicken nuggets! This…this is so high in calories!”

“But it’s delicious!” Cheng Qing said as she giggled and cheerfully smiled at Luo Xi.

Luo Xi: “…” The thing is, I also really want to eat it too!!!

Feng Qiuyi: “Pfff~…”

He shifted his gaze to the left, then to the right before finally bursting out laughing. 

Feng Qiuyi had been on the show for a month and this was the first time he’s seen Luo Xi so deflated and speechless.

It was too funny.

Kong Mingyan also unexpectedly raised his eyebrows and said to the assistant next to him, “This is the first time Luo Xi has such a good temper.”

Before everyone changed, the director had already returned.

“It appears that this Cheng Qing is very powerful,” Kong Mingyan sighed, “It’s also the first time that Luo Xi can even get along with a stranger like this.”

The assistant smiled, “The newcomer’s enthusiasm is normal, after all, she is also a star! Bless her halo! We’ll continue to survey for two more days to find out if they’re compatible.”

Kong Mingyan nodded.

Since the show’s special effects[2] were added, the program made it look as if Luo Xi was the only one who was disliked. Combined with the deliberate editing, it truly had this visual effect. However, Cheng Qing had known this before coming here.

Outside where the moon was bright, the stars were few, and the lights inside were warm, Cheng Qing tenderly smiled as she watched Luo Xi take a small bite of a chicken nugget.

“Is it delicious?”

Luo Xi, unwilling to reconcile but unable to deny, softly spoke, “It’s delicious.”

Zhao Baibing, the chef of the fried chicken nuggets, looked over unexpectedly. This was the first time he was praised by Luo Xi.

Cheng Qing’s smile became gentler under the light as she looked at her with warm eyes, “Really? Then I’ll try some too.”

Luo Xi blushed slightly, “Go ahead.”

[1] The difference between onions and leeks are that leeks don’t make your eyes water and generally taste sweeter than onions. (Img: Onions on the left, leeks on the right.)

[2] Special effects of variety shows in Asia