Chapter 34: Better Off Part 1

At that moment, Ding Yingxue had just finished her shower. She opened the door and stepped out, only to catch sight of Yan Muyu and Qiu Chao locked in what looked almost like a lingering embrace.

Ding Yingxue frowned, clearly puzzled.

Qiu Chao felt her heart pounding so hard it might leap right out of her throat.

The palm of Yan Muyu’s hand, pressed against her waist, felt scorching hot, almost burning straight to her core. In that instant, it left Qiu Chao struggling to breathe.

But they were so close—so close that she could lean into Yan Muyu’s arms and breathe in her scent.

Yan Muyu switched perfumes often, but she stuck to just a few favorites. The fragrance she wore now was the same one from when she was seventeen, hitting Qiu Chao with a wave of nostalgia that made her nose sting. She sniffled.

Ding Yingxue had already caught the aroma of dinner. She strolled past the pair unhurriedly and commented, “You two actually look pretty good together.”

【Not sure if that’s my spokesperson or just throwing shade.】

【So jealous of these prime drama-watching seats.】

【Waaah, is our Sister Qiu not feeling well? She looks like she’s about to cry.】

【Anyone else notice how natural Yan Muyu’s arm-around-the-waist move was? Instinct?】

【Players gonna player…】

【But even this awkward third-wheel lighting looks cinematic, like a movie scene full of backstory.】

Yan Muyu pushed Qiu Chao away. Her brows furrowed tightly, her hand still clutching that hair ribbon, as if trying to rein in a wild, untamed wave.

“Hey,” she started to say, but her eyes met Qiu Chao’s reddened ones.

Yan Muyu wasn’t sure if Qiu Chao was the crying type. Before their recent close encounters, during those four years when Qiu Chao had been like family, Yan Muyu had rarely seen her shed tears.

She might have cried from fright once or twice, like during a horror movie.

Qiu Chao wasn’t afraid of pain—she shrugged off the bloody pricks from rose thorns in the garden. Nor did she fear gossip; she could hold her own in a long gown, striding down a flower-lined red carpet at a grand event.

Only during those intimate moments did her soft whimpers emerge, hidden amid bold provocations.

It was as if she was trying too hard to cover it up, or guarding some secret.

Yan Muyu had always thought she was fearless, tough as nails.

Even after Yan Kai set her up with an entertainment company, Qiu Chao never threw her weight around. Her reputation in the industry was spotless, aside from her personal life.

Even unknown extras, when asked about her, would only say Sister Qiu was a genuinely good person.

And she hadn’t been that much older back then—people older than her still called her “sis.”

Now, in the full bloom of her most vibrant prime, tears glistened in her eyes like morning dew. They fell silently, only to be hastily wiped away when she met Yan Muyu’s stunned gaze.

【Damn! She cries so prettily.】

【No fill lighting or anything?】

【I saw behind-the-scenes from Director Qiu’s team—they always scout and light the set in advance for variety shows. Masters at creating atmosphere.】

【No wonder she blew up overnight. That face is peak.】

【Heh, some say Sister Qiu’s heyday is over. She’s forever at her peak, okay?】

【Right now, I just wanna be a simp* lapping up her tears.】

【But why is she crying?!】

Yan Muyu asked, “Why are you crying?”

Her heart inexplicably went soft all over. After all, that not-quite-initiated embrace had let her feel the frantic thrum of Qiu Chao’s heartbeat.

So scared?

There was another possibility, but Yan Muyu wouldn’t entertain it.

She didn’t want it to be that.

Qiu Chao replied, “Your shoulder’s so hard. It really hurt when I bumped it.”

Her voice carried a choke, and the way she said it didn’t sound like an explanation at all—it was pure coquetry.

This was a side of Qiu Chao most fans had never seen.

On screen, she could be seductive and alluring, tender and sweet, or playfully whiny.

But off screen? Never. At fan meets, airport sends-offs, award show backstages, or ad outtakes—she always had this cool, untouchable beauty, like a heart of stone that never bloomed.

So even a polite smile with a collaborator got spun into “relationship heating up.”

Yan Muyu chuckled. “Sorry about that.”

She glanced at the hair ribbon in her hand. “Mine?”

Qiu Chao was still rattled. A slightly nicer attitude from Yan Muyu was enough to make her lose control.

Without looking back, she headed inside, tossing over her shoulder, “Take it or leave it.”

In her heart, though: Keep it safe for me.

Yan Muyu said “oh” and pocketed it, following her in.

【These two have such intriguing chemistry…】

【Can’t put it into words—like they’ve been better off, or maybe hated each other.】

【But whyyy! My brain’s full of questions!】

【Remember that rumor about Yan Kai and Qiu Chao’s contract relationship… meaning no real feelings…】

【But she did live at the Yan Family those years. Yan Muyu even went shopping with her. Contract my ass—can’t be fake bro-in-law/sis-in-law on the surface but real romance between sis-in-law and little aunt, right?!】

【Y’all are bold af. That’s taboo around here.】

【My sis in the industry says the same.】

【Then why’s Yan Muyu so cold to Qiu Chao!】

【Hasn’t her attitude warmed up lately…?】

Inside, the others had already sat down.

The follow cams only came in after Ding Yingxue finished her shower. Director Qiu wasn’t wearing hair gel today. She stood just off-camera, smirking ambiguously at Yan Muyu.

It irritated Yan Muyu—no idea when this woman had gotten chummy with Qiu Chao, which only made it worse.

Pei Wan had cooked a full table and announced the grocery costs.

She also asked everyone about their daily wages.

The show required three meals a day, so most of their earnings went straight to food.

Liu Song, who’d just slurped down a bowl of hot and sour soup, jumped in: “I made four hundred twenty!”

Ding Yingxue gasped. “Whoa, impressive! I wanna go tea picking too.”

Xi Xi snorted. “Fifty.”

Half of that from picking cow dung. Liu Song let out an “ahh.”

【Pei Wan, you don’t have to hide your laugh like that.】

【Qiu Chao’s so chill.】

【Yan Muyu looks distracted too… these two, tsk tsk.】

【Won’t Xi Xi’s ex be watching? Bet he’s loving this. Damn, Director Qiu, give her a better storyline!】

【Is Liu Song’s sympathy real?】

【Tea picking pays that well?】

【Wake up—Liu Song made it look easy, but she started at dawn and didn’t finish till dark…】

【This show’s peak “making sheep pay for wool.”】

Yan Muyu said, “One-eighty. Spent a buck fifty on a hat and popsicles.”

Xi Xi asked, “A hat? Isn’t that baseball cap of yours thousands?”

She was clearly stirring the pot. Yan Muyu was speechless for a beat, then Qiu Chao, shelling peanuts over there, chimed in: “The hat she bought for me.”

She looked at Xi Xi. “Didn’t you see it, Sister Xi?”

【Bought it for me.jpg】

【What’s with that smug vibe, Qiu Chao?】

【Liu Song’s chipmunk cheeks are adorable.】

【Ding Yingxue’s look is killing me—like she just pieced something together.】

Yan Muyu nodded. “Yeah, bought it for Qiu Chao.”

Xi Xi went “whoa.” “So sweet on her. Won’t even spoil Liu Song.”

Yan Muyu shot back, “Did you forget you’re her manager?”

The room went dead silent. Pei Wan couldn’t hold back her laugh and clamped a piece of chicken for Ding Yingxue.

Liu Song stopped shoveling rice, dead serious as she backpedaled for Xi Xi: “It’s fine. I can take care of myself.”

【Even more tragic.】

【Yan Muyu’s savage too.】

【Yas, the shade!】

Xi Xi picked up a chopstickful of fish-flavored pork with wood ears for Liu Song. Liu Song went “uh.” “Sis, I don’t like wood ears.”

Yan Muyu: “Hard work out there, Liu Song.”

Not sure if Liu Song meant to or not, she shook her head: “It was okay. Sister Xi’s actually really good to me.”

【I often wonder if Liu Song’s playing dumb.】

【Highlight: Liu Song pulling that pig-to-tiger act on that one variety show.】

Xi Xi looked awkward, unsure whether to take it back or apologize.

Instead, Liu Song happily took a bite of rice and praised Pei Wan: “Sister Pei’s cooking is amazing.”

That lit a fire under Xi Xi. She huffed, “Tomorrow, I’ll show you what I can do.”

Liu Song: “No need. You’re working hard already—get some rest.”

The nicer Liu Song was, the more contrary Xi Xi got. She came off as this refined, pampered beauty at first, but one day in and she’d morphed into the goofy big sis type—now all riled up at the slightest push: “You look down on me?”

Yan Muyu fanned the flames: “Yeah, Liu Song said Pei Wan’s cooking rocks, so obviously she wants her on kitchen duty tomorrow too.”

Yan Muyu sat down but hadn’t grabbed a bowl yet when her hand bumped into Qiu Chao’s reaching for more rice. Both jolted.

One was still in snarky mode, the other a natural actress—they both played it off like nothing happened.

Liu Song hurriedly clarified: “No, that’s not it! I just don’t want Sister Xi overdoing it—you said you were wiped out.”

Her voice was the kind that got freebies from the gods; her coquetry came effortlessly.

She rarely played it up, though. This time, egged on by Yan Muyu, she’d forgotten the cameras and scooted over to hug Xi Xi’s waist.

Xi Xi: …

Pei Wan picked up some food with her chopsticks as she spoke. “Sure, then tomorrow morning we’ll buy groceries for Sister Xi. Liu Song, you’ll come too?”

“Sister Xi definitely won’t get up,” Yan Muyu said.

Pei Wan let out an “Oh.” “Then who will buy them tomorrow?”

Qiu Siyuan came out at that moment. She supplemented the updated rules for the program. “Tomorrow we’re switching jobs, so we’ll redraw lots.”

【Is the Yan Muyu picking cow dung that I’ve been waiting for finally coming?】

【Director, just be the MC yourself.】

【I feel like one day could exhaust this group of female stars to death.】

“Wow, do you even see us as humans?” Yan Muyu said. “After this show ends, will we all end up on the agricultural channel?”

Qiu Siyuan raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that self-improvement?”

“Don’t ruin the mood while we’re eating,” Yan Muyu said.

She sat there casually, slouched a bit unevenly. The hair ribbon in her pocket slipped out halfway, and the follow cam cut to a close-up.

The camera shook as the women at the dinner table traded barbs. Xi Xi listened to Pei Wan’s suggestion and confirmed they would assign the lower job to Liu Song tomorrow.

Ding Yingxue interjected. “I don’t like eating carbs in the morning.”

“Then eat your sister’s,” Xi Xi said.

She came across as truly fierce, but under the flickering lamplight, her aggressive demeanor somehow didn’t grate.

By contrast, Qiu Chao—who sat quietly eating amid the verbal sparring—resembled a beauty rendered in meticulous ink painting.

The hall was drafty. The water jar in the courtyard reflected the stars overhead.

Cicada song faded into the distance, supplanted by particularly raucous frog croaks from somewhere nearby.

Qiu Chao snatched the chicken chunk Yan Muyu had her eye on right amid the heated bickering.

Yan Muyu didn’t hold a grudge. She propped her chin on her hand, watching the argument with the easy delight of a roadside onlooker munching on melon seeds.