MGG - 7

Chapter 7: Adorable

Su Ling ran out, not expecting to see Guo Mingyan waiting eagerly at the door.

Guo Mingyan had been craning his neck outside, but once Qin Xiao ordered the door shut, he couldn’t hear anything from inside. Frustrated, he nearly clawed at the walls. Damn it, is Boss Qin going to beat her up? What if that beautiful face gets ruined?

When Su Ling emerged in a panic, Guo Mingyan’s eyes lit up. “Su Ling!”

He rushed over, asking anxiously, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Su Ling’s complexion was pale, and she felt nothing but disdain for Qin Xiao and his entourage. In both of her lifetimes combined, she couldn’t figure out what Qin Xiao saw in her.

If it was about beauty, Zheng Xiaoya and Tang Weiwei were equally stunning.

As for personality, hers was probably the least likable. Her interactions with classmates at school proved that—she wasn’t good at charming people, rarely spoke, and didn’t actively socialize.

Even her own family, like her cousin Ni Jianan, disliked her. So what exactly appealed to these powerful men?

Guo Mingyan assumed she hadn’t performed well and tried to console her. “It’s fine if you didn’t get the role. Dong Xu is also a director—he’s filming some Republican-era drama right now. Do you want me to introduce you?”

If Dong Xu heard this, he’d likely want to thank Guo Mingyan’s entire family. He treated his scripts with more care than his own father, meticulously selecting every actor. Guo Mingyan’s casual remark made him sound like a director who accepted favors.

Su Ling wanted no part of their world. “Thank you, but no.” She paused, then bluntly asked, “Young Master Guo, why are you being so nice to me?”

If another man had been asked this, he might have blushed, feeling exposed. But Guo Mingyan blinked, then answered straightforwardly, “You’re beautiful.”

There existed a breed of creatures called “face worshippers”—to them, beautiful people could do no wrong.

“But Tang Weiwei is also beautiful,” Su Ling countered. “Why aren’t you as enthusiastic about her?”

Guo Mingyan instinctively replied, “Beautiful my ass.” Realizing he’d just cursed, he coughed awkwardly. “I mean… she’s alright.”

Su Ling understood—it was all about differing tastes.

Fearing she might run into Qin Xiao again if she lingered at Qing Entertainment, she turned to leave. “Goodbye, Young Master Guo.”

She ran as fast as she could, as if chased by a vengeful ghost. Guo Mingyan watched her retreating figure, feeling regretful.

“Sigh, I didn’t even get to buy her clothes yet.”

How thick was fate’s cruelty?

Su Ling experienced it firsthand again in late May, when everyone was anxiously awaiting the audition results. Once more, she found herself at the center of swirling rumors.

The performing arts department buzzed with gossip.

Carrying books, Su Ling entered the classroom and immediately heard several girls talking. “Forget it, the role definitely went to Su Ling. We were just there to make up the numbers.”

“Hmph, acting all innocent like a good student, but in the end, isn’t she just using rich men to climb the ladder?”

“I thought something was off that day. That wealthy heir at the door said he’d give her resources, and Qin Xiao from Qing Entertainment even took her in for an audition. Looks like someone’s getting…”

Their voices carried loudly, not even stopping when Su Ling walked in.

Yun Bu’s eyes burned red with anger.

Most students simply enjoyed the spectacle. Su Ling, known for her soft personality, seemed to tolerate anything, which only emboldened them further.

Had it been Tang Weiwei, they wouldn’t dare say such things—Tang Weiwei was petty and vindictive.

In her past life, Su Ling had been cornered by malicious rumors. They called her shameless, accused her of sleeping her way to success. No one cared whether she was a victim or not. Now, in this life, similar vicious rumors resurfaced in a different form.

Su Ling’s body trembled slightly. Clenching her teeth, she strode up to the gossiping girls and slammed the stack of books in her hands onto their desk.

The loud thud silenced their chatter instantly.

Her tone was icy. “Do you feel happy tearing me down like this?”

One of the girls, Tan Qing, was startled by Su Ling’s aggressive move. Recalling Su Ling’s usual non-confrontational nature, she quickly regained her composure. “What we said is the truth.”

By now, it was five minutes before class started, and almost everyone had arrived. Students quietly sat in their seats, watching the unfolding drama.

Su Ling’s voice was clear and deliberate. “Tan Qing, last weekend, you got out of a Rolls-Royce. The man with you was in his sixties—not your father, was he?”

Tan Qing’s face flushed red. When she stepped out of the car, she had noticed Su Ling working part-time at the milk tea shop. Knowing Su Ling never gossiped behind others’ backs, she initially felt guilty but soon dismissed it. Who would’ve thought Su Ling would bring it up in class!

The room erupted in murmurs.

“You’re lying! You’re slandering me!”

Su Ling fell silent for a moment. She knew how much damage such accusations could do to a girl’s reputation—even if they were true. After a pause, she said, “Yes, I slandered you. Since you know how it feels to be slandered, please don’t do it to me anymore.”

Tan Qing, who had been panicking, was stunned by Su Ling’s unexpected leniency. Looking at the face that sparked jealousy and spiteful whispers among girls, she felt an odd mix of emotions.

Su Ling bent down to retrieve her books from their desk. Tan Qing muttered softly, “Okay.”

Back at her seat, Yun Bu wanted to applaud. “Lingling, you were amazing just now! You were glowing!”

Su Ling didn’t respond for a long while. Yun Bu reached for her hand—it was ice-cold.

Then she heard Su Ling exhale deeply, whispering, “I was so nervous just now.”

Unable to hold back, Yun Bu burst out laughing. Oh, Su Ling probably doesn’t realize it—she’s incredibly adorable.

This outburst had an unexpectedly good effect. At the very least, no one dared openly gossip about her anymore.

At the end of May, Qing Entertainment released the audition results. The list of successful candidates shocked everyone—it included Yun Bu, Tang Weiwei, and Zhou Man. Su Ling’s name was conspicuously absent.

While Tang Weiwei’s selection was expected, Yun Bu and Zhou Man baffled everyone. Yun Bu’s acting skills weren’t outstanding, and Zhou Man lacked both talent and looks.

Zhou Man herself was stunned, followed by overwhelming joy. She glanced at Su Ling, diligently annotating books at her desk, her eyes brimming with smugness.

So what if she was pretty? She still didn’t make the cut.

The entire department envied and resented these three. Meanwhile, rumors about Su Ling cooled down.

Su Ling was genuinely happy for Yun Bu’s success. Yun Bu loved acting, and Qing Entertainment’s resources were excellent. Even a minor role would benefit her immensely.

Yun Bu floated on cloud nine. “How did I get picked? Why me of all people?”

The pie had truly fallen into her lap.

Calculating the timeline, Su Ling figured Yun Bu wouldn’t encounter trouble anytime soon. She gave Yun Bu plenty of advice, encouraging her to gain confidence and work hard.

Then Su Ling visited a temple near Z University.

She didn’t believe in Buddhism before, but after living a second life, what was there to disbelieve? With utmost sincerity, she prayed for two lucky charms—one for Yun Bu and one to send back to distant L City.

She intended it for Ni Haoyan.

In a week, Ni Haoyan would take the college entrance exam.

One thing weighing heavily on her mind was that, in his past life, Ni Haoyan had failed the exam miserably. A top-ranking student, he inexplicably ended up at an average second-tier university, studying construction cost estimation.

His mother had once boasted endlessly about his consistent top-five rankings. His failure shocked everyone.

When Ni Haoyan received the package, he thought his eyes deceived him upon seeing the sender’s delicate handwriting.

Ni Jianan came out of the bathroom drying her hair and saw him staring blankly at the package, refusing to open it.

He looked as though he were holding a mountain of gold—or perhaps a ticking bomb.

“What did you buy? Let me see.”

Her brother reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “I’m going to my room!”

Ni Haoyan bolted into his room and slammed the door shut.

Ni Jianan, left with nothing to see, picked up her hairdryer and cursed under her breath. “Ni Haoyan, stop being so stingy! Is looking at it going to cost you a piece of flesh?”

Ni Haoyan ignored her completely. Opening the package, he found a bright green lucky charm inscribed with auspicious words.

“Superstitious nonsense.” To him, the garish green charm was hideous. Disgusted, he held it as if it were a hot iron.

“Damn it, fine. If I don’t take it, she’ll cry again.” He stuffed it into his pocket.

Later that night, Ni Haoyan decided to call her.

The phone connected after two rings. Her voice was soft, always tinged with a smile, exuding gentleness. “Ni Haoyan?”

Suddenly, his throat felt dry. Clearing it, he finally spoke. “What kind of garbage did you send me?”

“Hmm? You mean the lucky charm? I think it’s quite effective. Maybe it’ll bless you.”

“I rely on my abilities, not superstitions!”

“Yes, I know you’re very talented.” Su Ling praised him sincerely. For a moment, silence filled the other end.

“Hello? Ni Haoyan? Are you still there?”

“I’m listening.”

“Well, I wanted to ask you something. Under what circumstances do you think someone might fail the college entrance exam badly?” Recalling his fiery temper, she quickly added, “Of course, I believe you’ll do well. It’s just… a friend of mine has a younger brother who failed last year. I wanted to ask on her behalf.”

Ni Haoyan pondered. “If you’re in a bad mood, you won’t perform well.”

Su Ling reflected deeply. So why was Ni Haoyan in a bad mood during his previous life at this time?

Unable to recall, she casually asked, “Are you in a good mood now?”

Ni Haoyan grew irritated. “Mind your own business!”

Her voice softened. “Oh, sorry. I won’t interfere. I hope you’re happy.”

Ni Haoyan hung up abruptly. Flopping onto his bed, he buried his head in the blanket and tossed his phone aside.

—Are you in a good mood now?

Well… it’s… decent enough.