Knock, knock, knock!
Knock, knock, knock!
The urgent knocking woke Lin Shuwen up.
She opened her eyes and glanced at her phone—it was already 11:30 in the morning.
She yawned, walked to the door, and peered through the peephole. It was a delivery guy knocking.
(PS: Back in 2013, packages were still delivered right to your door, unlike now when only JD and SF deliver to your doorstep while everything else goes to pickup lockers or convenience stores.)
Lin Shuwen quickly opened the door.
“Luo Ming, right?” the delivery guy asked.
“Yeah.”
“Last four digits of your phone number?”
“4396.”
“Got a package for you. Sign here.”
Lin Shuwen signed and brought the package inside. It was some skincare products and clothes she’d ordered for Luo Ming.
Luo Ming’s wardrobe was embarrassingly sparse—just two outfits he rotated between—and his skincare routine consisted of nothing but a cheap moisturizer. Guys needed to take care of their skin too, after all.
Lin Shuwen would never admit that this was her way of making up for all the trouble she’d put him through.
She changed into the new clothes, tried out the men’s face wash and moisturizer she’d never used before, and headed downstairs. She grabbed a bowl of sliced noodles at a local hole-in-the-wall eatery nearby.
Being from Shanxi, Lin Shuwen naturally loved noodles.
It was just that whether in Shanghai or Beijing, she could never find truly authentic noodle dishes, so she’d switched to rice instead. But when she was back in Shanxi, noodles were a must.
Hand-pulled sliced noodles with aged vinegar—there was nothing more fragrant.
After lunch, Lin Shuwen went to the office. The company was closed today, but she wanted to put in some extra effort. Luo Ming was already making waves on her end—she couldn’t afford to fall behind!
Meanwhile, Luo Ming was being dropped off at the airport by Lin Shuyue. Their flight was at 1:20 PM, and it was currently 12:20—perfect timing.
“Alright, sis, you can head back now. I can manage from here.”
“Wenwen, thank you for this.”
“Don’t mention it, sis. Without your invitation, I wouldn’t have gotten this favor from Director Zhu. You know I prefer acting over singing, and this opportunity from Director Zhu means a lot to me. So really, I should be thanking you.”
Lin Shuyue shook her head. “Sisters don’t need to thank each other like that. Have a safe trip!”
“Thanks! I’m off, then!” With that, Luo Ming put on his mask, pushed open the car door, and headed toward the terminal.
Lin Shuyue watched “Lin Shuwen’s” retreating figure, a small smile forming on her lips. She was growing fonder of her younger sister by the day.
Luo Ming met up with Sister Shan and the others at the terminal and boarded the plane right away.
At 3:30 PM, everyone arrived back at Lin Shuwen’s place.
“Wenwen, you’ve got a relatively light schedule next week—only two gigs. One is the opening ceremony for the Celebrity Sports Tournament, and the other is a preview screening of Director Liu’s film.
The sports tournament opening ceremony is Monday night, and the film preview is Saturday night.”
“Why are they holding a celebrity sports tournament in November? It’s freezing out there. Who holds a sports event in this weather?” Luo Ming couldn’t help complaining.
Sister Shan frowned. “Didn’t I tell you about this last month? It’s modeled after a South Korean variety show. This is the first season, and since there are some ice events, they need colder weather, so they scheduled the opening for November. You forgot that quickly?”
“Uh, well, I’ve been under a lot of pressure writing songs lately, so my memory’s been slipping a bit.” Luo Ming made up an excuse on the spot.
To his surprise, Sister Shan actually bought it, swallowing the lecture she was about to give.
“Anyway, get ready tomorrow. You don’t need to dress too flashy—just look energetic. In this show, you’re an athlete, not a model walking the runway.”
Luo Ming nodded to show he understood.
“Oh, and one more thing—Chuchu, bring out the scale.”
Chen Sichu shot Luo Ming a glance and scampered off to get the scale.
“Step on.”
Luo Ming obediently stepped on and glanced at the number. He couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Sister Shan’s face immediately darkened. “You’re laughing at 54.5 kilograms? Starting tomorrow, you’re running 10 kilometers a day. No high-calorie foods whatsoever. You’re not getting any leniency until you’re back to your original weight.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
As soon as Sister Shan was gone, Luo Ming collapsed onto the sofa, putting on a face of utter despair while inwardly laughing his head off.
“Wen Jie, don’t be sad—I’ll run with you,” Chen Sichu offered.
“That’s not important right now. Tell me more about this Celebrity Sports Tournament. What’s the deal with it?”
“Like Sister Shan said, it’s copied from a South Korean variety show. A few entertainment companies are co-hosting it over here. All celebrities under 30, regardless of gender or status, have to participate, and each person has to enter at least one event.”
“When exactly does it start? Right after the opening ceremony?”
“No, no—the opening ceremony is just for filming. The actual competitions are in mid-December.”
“What events did Sister Shan sign me up for?”
“400-meter sprint and archery.”
“What? She wants me to run the 400? Doesn’t Sister Shan know my resistance and wind drag are higher than most people’s?” Luo Ming complained.
The Chen sisters paused for a moment, then it took them a few seconds to catch his meaning.
Chen Sichu’s eyes widened in realization! No wonder Wen Jie always stared at her chest when they ran—it must be because Wen Jie thought she ran so fast due to having a smaller chest, meaning less weight and wind resistance.
Once that clicked, Chen Sichu shot “Lin Shuwen” a look of pure grievance.
She was already self-conscious about it—she hadn’t grown a single bit since middle school. Wen Jie was already so blessed in that department, and yet she still had to rub it in. So unfair!
Chen Junmiao felt a bit awkward too. If Chen Sichu was an A-cup, then she was an A-plus—not quite reaching B territory.
But Chen Junmiao didn’t really care much about that. As a makeup artist, she knew how to play up her strengths and downplay her weaknesses.
“Wen Jie, Sister Shan said running starts tomorrow, so how about we start the diet tonight?” Chen Sichu said in her usual tone.
“Huh? No need, right? Let’s start tomorrow!”
“We should start now. The sooner you diet, the sooner you’ll get back in shape.”
And so, Luo Ming’s dinner that night became a vegetable salad with boiled chicken breast, seasoned with just a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
After days of eating well in Beijing, this meal was absolutely unbearable.
He barely managed to finish it and sent the Chen sisters off. Then he dialed Lin Shuwen’s number.
Lin Shuwen was still at the office, studying code related to Plants vs. Zombies.
She didn’t even realize it was past 7 PM until Luo Ming’s call came in.
“Unless something unexpected happens, we should be swapping back tomorrow morning. Wenwen, let’s quickly exchange intel!”
Lin Shuwen hummed in acknowledgment and started filling him in on the past week.
Nothing major had happened at Zhuo Guang—everything was running smoothly. She specifically mentioned that she’d bought Luo Ming some clothes and skincare products.
Luo Ming felt a twinge of guilt upon hearing that. She’d bought him clothes and cosmetics? Maybe gaining all that weight hadn’t been the best idea…
