Chapter 63
The host was stunned by this question. She had seen that Qin Cong’an was very proactive in the promotion of She and Her and the Knife before, but experiencing it firsthand, she realized she was really proactive. The host saw that Xu Ling was also stunned for a moment.
The host had originally been worried that their relationship was average and that she would have to work hard to guide the audience to ship their CP. Now it seemed there was no need to worry. Regardless of their actual relationship, at least they were both professionally promoting the movie.
Xu Ling quickly realized that this was their one and only chance to act more intimately than friends in front of the camera.
After this promotional event, if they were to meet in front of the camera again, they would have to avoid suspicion.
“Of course you look good together! The success of She and Her and the Knife is inseparable from the CP chemistry between you two!” the host said, and then had the two of them introduce the movie and their characters.
After talking about the movie, the host asked the two of them some questions separately, asking Qin Cong’an about her future development direction, the roles she wanted to play, and also indirectly asking Xu Ling about her recent scandal.
Having been warned by Yi Huai beforehand, Xu Ling smiled and gave the official answer, “We’re just friends. I’ve made a lot of friends in the past two years. I’m very happy and fulfilled.”
“Mhm, that’s great,” the host said, nodding, thinking to herself, there aren’t that many friends in this industry. “Then who are you closest to in the industry right now?”
Qin Cong’an switched the leg that was crossed, leaned a little towards Xu Ling, and also turned her face to her, waiting for her answer.
“Of course, it’s… this one,” Xu Ling said a little stiffly. Although it was the truth, and although she knew she could sell it a little, being looked at by Qin Cong’an like this made her a little uncomfortable.
“So distant. Call me An An,” Qin Cong’an said, her serious tone surprisingly tinged with a hint of a complaint. After saying that, she turned back to the host.
The host’s eyes darted around frantically. Wow, what a big sell. She cleared her throat and continued to ask, “There have been a lot of posts about people running into you recently, and everyone thinks you have a good relationship. So do you have a lot of contact in private?”
“She often comes to my house to eat,” Qin Cong’an said. “Before, on set, she would buy bread for everyone from time to time. It was very fragrant. I’ve recently taken up baking, so she comes to eat what I make.”
“Wow, I remember asking during the livestream if you were going to her house. At that time, Xu Ling said, ‘we’ll see.’ It turns out you two really did talk about it again in private.”
How did she get a little hooked?
“Then does Xu Ling help you cook, just like Wen Xi and Jian Yu cook together in the movie?”
Qin Cong’an smiled faintly and shook her head. “She just waits to eat. She doesn’t know how to cook. But I’m very satisfied just watching her eat.”
The host suddenly felt full too. What had she been fed? She was choking.
Qin Cong’an continued, “And what I make is much more delicious than what Wen Xi and Jian Yu make. It looks better too. Right?” she asked, turning to Xu Ling.
Xu Ling’s scalp tingled. “It is delicious. The freshly baked ones are particularly fragrant.”
“Mhm, come over again tonight.”
“…Okay.”
Her crossed leg swayed a couple of times, her high heels drawing an ambiguous arc in the air. For some reason, Qin Cong’an’s smile also seemed intriguing, making the host stare in a daze.
Xu Ling too. Was she that shy about eating bread? She was dressed so cool today, yet she was blushing.
The host continued to ask, “Then what are Xu Ling’s hobbies in private? Going out to play should count, right? I see you’re often spotted by people. Last time, you even went to the art academy’s graduation exhibition, right?”
“Yeah, a lot of the works were amazing.” Finally, a different question. Xu Ling answered enthusiastically, “It’s a pity there wasn’t enough time, and the exhibition was very popular, with too many people. I saw a lot of the details of the works online. Because I studied design, I’m very interested in these things.”
“Take me with you next time you go to an exhibition,” Qin Cong’an said.
Xu Ling blinked. She had never mentioned it in private. Why was she saying this in front of the camera? She nodded. “Okay.”
Later, the host had them play a chemistry game. “Jian Yu and Wen Xi lived together for many years, had a lot of friction, but also knew each other very well. I want to see how well you two know each other.”
The questions were about preferences, whether they liked rainy or sunny days, cats or dogs, what kind of movies they liked, and so on.
They hadn’t rehearsed this part in advance, but it was as if they had. The two of them actually got seven or eight out of ten right. They had unknowingly gotten to know each other very well.
Finally, as an extra bonus for the exclusive interview, the host asked, “Do you two follow your CP Super Topic?”
“Of course,” Qin Cong’an answered first. “I’ve also read a lot of the novels everyone has written. They’re very interesting.”
The host was stunned for a moment and almost laughed out loud. She had interviewed so many people and this was the first time she had heard an artist say they had read their own fanfiction. “What kind?”
“All kinds. I’ve pretty much read all the ones with a lot of likes.”
Xu Ling was dumbfounded. Was that true? Were they very interesting? She didn’t really like to read and hadn’t read any at all.
“What about you, Xu Ling?”
“I also look at the Super Topic sometimes. The photos everyone edits for us are very beautiful. Thank you so much.”
Xu Ling had saved a lot of pictures. She could feel that the CP fans were editing the pictures with love, making them very evocative. If it weren’t for the fact that it would be strange for people to see, she would have really wanted to use them as her phone wallpaper.
After the recording, they took a lot of photos in this look.
Qin Cong’an rarely saw Xu Ling in such a dark outfit, a loose suit. She looked very handsome. She didn’t know how many people would be charmed when it was released. During the photo shoot, she raised her hand and linked her arm with Xu Ling’s, and even made a move to rest her head on her shoulder, but she didn’t actually do it.
Xu Ling couldn’t look at Qin Cong’an’s whole body. Every time she glanced at her, she would quickly look away. Her figure in a mermaid skirt was too bewitching. She really wanted to put her arm around her waist, but it didn’t feel appropriate. It wasn’t until Qin Cong’an leaned over and linked her arm that she subconsciously put her arm around her.
The curve of her waist was practically made for her hand to be there.
As soon as she touched it, she felt her heart beat extremely fast, especially in front of the camera. She knew she should suppress her smile, should use her usual expression management, but she couldn’t control it at all.
The photos were released before the video, instantly igniting the Super Topic. For a moment, who cared about Xu Ling’s other CPs?
[Aahhh, what is this if not a wedding photo!]
[Today it’s LingAn! 00 is so handsome, aahhh! An An is so delicate, like she has a 1 to rely on.]
[No, just like that, with her arm around her waist? And sister, your nips are just pressing against her arm like that? Is this something sisters can do?]
[Behind-the-scenes, behind-the-scenes! Release the behind-the-scenes of the photo shoot, please. I want to see how that arm got around her.]
The production team was very indulgent and actually released the behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot. For a moment, everyone was screaming even louder.
[The way she put her arm around her is so natural. It wouldn’t be like this if they hadn’t slept together (starting a rumor).]
[They sleep together every day. They’re going to sleep together tonight too (spreading a rumor).]
It wasn’t a rumor.
After the recording that day, Xu Ling did indeed get into Qin Cong’an’s car and go to her house.
The exclusive interview was broadcast two days before the movie was released on the platform. After watching it, it was like a punch to the heart for the CP fans. Some were revived, while others were directly killed off.
The bold CP fans were already shipping it as real. The timid CP fans were still worried that it was too big to be true.
[Sister, don’t be like this. I’m scared.]
[I can’t. Did Ling go to An’s house that night? I really want to crawl into An’s toilet to see.]
[Such an obvious seduction. Did she go to her house to eat bread or something else? I have my own judgment.]
[An An actually reads fanfiction. Someone, bring sister some R-rated stuff.]
In the evening, they were going to Jiang Ruzhi’s concert. In the afternoon, Qin Cong’an arrived at Xu Ling’s house and lay on the bed, scrolling through the online comments.
Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, Qin Cong’an really wanted to rush in at this moment. But if she really wanted to have fun, she would miss the concert. Xu Ling was looking forward to it, so she would let her go.
[Qin Cong’an’s house has collapsed. She’s actually stepping on our Yuxi, humph.]
[Exactly. Stepping on our real couple. What is she trying to do? Unless AnLing makes an official announcement, this won’t pass!!]
Qin Cong’an smiled. She wondered if everyone would let this pass when they saw them go to Jiang Ruzhi’s concert alone tonight.
[Does anyone feel like there’s no post-divorce vibe this time? Have they really remarried?]
[I feel like An An is really jealous. The day she liked the post was the recording day. During the recording, she also said she wanted to go to an exhibition together. I’ve never heard of An An being interested in these things before. So it’s purely jealousy, right?]
[I can understand. That mixed-race sister is so beautiful. She feels like the gentle and tolerant type, but her figure is so explosive. And she even gave 0 flowers. If it were me, I’d also be afraid 0 would be stolen away.]
The smile disappeared.
Qin Cong’an stopped looking but set her phone to stay on and placed it on the table, then went back to the bed and lay on her side, waiting for Xu Ling to finish her shower.
Xu Ling came out wrapped in a bathrobe. Seeing Qin Cong’an on her bed, she was startled, then a long body directly jumped onto the bed and pounced on her.
The water droplets from her hair were directly on Qin Cong’an’s face. Xu Ling nuzzled her and kissed her. Just as Qin Cong’an was about to hit her, she ran away in time.
Xu Ling sat at the dressing table and saw the mischievous smile on her face in the mirror, and then saw Qin Cong’an behind her, helplessly wiping the water droplets from her face, and smiled even more happily.
Xu Ling was drying her hair and noticed the lit-up phone on the table, but she didn’t pay much attention to it and didn’t look at what was on it. After drying it halfway, she picked up the hairdryer.
Before, Xu Ling’s hair wasn’t very thick, probably because she often didn’t eat when she was a model and lacked nutrition. Now, with the help of a nutritionist, she was living a very healthy life, and her hair had grown a lot.
It was a good thing, but the bad thing was that it took a lot of effort to blow dry, and it was too tiring.
“An An…”
Qin Cong’an got out of bed and walked up behind Xu Ling to dry her hair for her.
Xu Ling’s gaze came to the phone on the table again. Why hadn’t the screen turned off? It was almost as if it were deliberately for her to see. Xu Ling reached out and took the phone, scrolled through it a couple of times, and then laughed out loud.
“Someone said they want to show you some R-rated stuff,” Xu Ling said, unable to stop laughing. “Actually, you’re the most R-rated.”
Qin Cong’an moved closer, pressing her chest against her back. “Am I?”
“Don’t be like that.” Xu Ling’s back was straight. Her low voice in her ear was so tingly she couldn’t stand it. And her back was so soft. She couldn’t resist at all. “Be careful I don’t use your account to like the CP fans.”
“Which one do you want to like?”
Xu Ling looked at it, a little hesitant. “I want to like them all. What do I do?”
Qin Cong’an’s hand movements as she dried Xu Ling’s hair didn’t change at all. “Do you want to go public?”
“No.” Xu Ling answered without hesitation. What would happen to Qin Cong’an’s acting career if they went public?
“…Oh.” Qin Cong’an had never thought of going public before. She had examples like Tan Nanchun and Jiang Ruzhi who had hidden their relationship. Their state seemed very balanced. But hearing Xu Ling say so decisively that she didn’t want to, a bitterness welled up in her mouth.
Xu Ling put down her phone, her lips tightly pursed. She took out a jewelry box from the cabinet and said, “But… should we give the CP fans a little shock?”
“What?”
Xu Ling took out a brand new velvet box, opened it, and held it up. She looked at Qin Cong’an’s reaction in the mirror and said a little embarrassedly, “Seeing you wear that one looks a little lonely. Do you want to wear a matching ring with me?”
