Chapter 7

Because she went to sleep early, Meng Shengsheng woke up quite early the next day.

She got out of bed shortly after six, took her time washing up, and went out for a half-hour morning jog, picking up breakfast on her way back. After eating, she opened a book to read for a while, but found herself checking the time on her phone more times than she could count. Because Wang Chuanze had said yesterday that he would be coming back, she couldn't focus on her reading at all.

It wasn't until after nine o'clock that the doorbell rang. Meng Shengsheng rushed to open the door, and as soon as she did, she saw the man she had only been able to video call for the past few days standing right there.

Meng Shengsheng gave a joyful cry and leapt into his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck. "You really came back! I missed you so much."

Wang Chuanze walked into the room with one arm around her waist and his other hand pulling his suitcase. "I knew you were starting school soon, so I specifically talked to the director and asked for three days off."

After closing the door, Meng Shengsheng climbed down from him. "Have you had breakfast? Are you hungry?"

Listening to her chatter and watching her bustle about trying to find him something to eat, he couldn't help but smile. "Don't fuss, I'm not hungry. Didn't you say we were going to the supermarket?"

Having finished reading the message Zhuzhu had sent her at four in the morning, Meng Shengsheng pushed him toward the bathroom. "You guys got up so early to catch a flight, aren't you tired? I'm not in a hurry. Go wash up and take a nap, and we'll go to the supermarket once you’ve rested."

Wang Chuanze went into the bathroom with a smile on his lips. After his shower, he dried himself off with a towel. As Meng Shengsheng was tidying up his suitcase, she heard him call out for her to pass him his clothes. She pulled an outfit from his luggage, handed it in, and leaned against the bathroom door to chat.

"How is it on set? Is anyone bullying you?"

Wang Chuanze had never been involved in the acting industry before and had no backing or connections. It was a murky business, and it was hard to guarantee that no one would be a bully, picking on him as a soft target.

Wang Chuanze walked out of the bathroom, dressed. "Worried about me?"

"Of course! That’s how it’s written in all the novels. My 'control group' sister encountered all sorts of difficulties after joining the entertainment industry, though in the end, the male leads and supporting characters who liked her would always slap the villains in the face for her... For example, did the director ever yell at you? Did the lead actor or actress get jealous of your looks and try to make things hard for you? Did any investors on set try to give you their phone numbers?"

When she worked as an extra at the film studio, she had seen certain minor celebrities who, despite their lack of fame, had massive tempers. She had once even witnessed a male celebrity, who had been scolded by the director, take his frustration out on his assistant by splashing a cup of coffee on him—it wasn't hot, but it was incredibly humiliating.

Of course, some people had tried to make things difficult for him, and others had even bribed crew members to drug his water, hoping to clear his position as the third male lead. He had simply bundled the person who drugged him along with the evidence he’d gathered and sent them straight to the police station. When the director found out, he had fired the person on the spot with a dark expression.

Losing a job, having to pay damages, and potentially facing jail time served as a deterrent to the malicious people on set. Combined with the director’s growing appreciation for his rapidly improving acting skills, no one else dared to be so short-sighted.

"Business cards? I think there was someone... let me think..." Wang Chuanze knitted his brows, appearing to recall.

"There really was one!" Meng Shengsheng watched him nervously, as if she were ready to bite him if he had done anything to betray her.

Wang Chuanze chuckled. "I'm kidding."

Meng Shengsheng lunged at him, fuming. "Wang Chuanze!!!"

After they fooled around for a while, Meng Shengsheng took the hairdryer and dried his hair, then pushed him into the bedroom to catch up on sleep. Wang Chuanze had initially felt he wasn't tired, but once he lay on the bed and smelled the familiar, faint scent on the pillows and blankets, a sense of peace and security washed over him, and he drifted off to sleep before long.

When he woke up again, he heard the sound of stir-frying in the kitchen. Wang Chuanze got out of bed to find that Meng Shengsheng had already prepared braised pork ribs and shredded potatoes, and was currently stir-frying chives with eggs in a pan. Seaweed was soaking in a bowl, suggesting she was also making seaweed and dried shrimp soup.

Meng Shengsheng turned around. "You're up. Are you hungry? Lunch will be ready in a minute."

Wang Chuanze leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth. "You've worked hard. I'll do the dishes later."

Meng Shengsheng felt her cheeks flush as she turned to dish up the chives and eggs. *Geez*, his face was truly lethal—even though they were like an old married couple, she still felt shy.

"I added a bit too much soy sauce to the sweet and sour ribs, so the color is a bit dark, but the taste is okay... By the way, now that you're an actor, do you need to lose weight? I've seen that many celebrities have to watch their sugar and diet to keep their figures..."

Wang Chuanze ate with great relish. He had been eating boxed lunches on set every day and hadn't had the time to cook for himself. Getting to eat Meng Shengsheng's home-cooked meal, he couldn't put his chopsticks down.

After the meal, Wang Chuanze conscientiously washed the dishes. Meng Shengsheng leaned over the back of the sofa, chin in her hands, watching him. After some thought, she decided to tell him about the "golden finger" she had discovered.

"It's true. I can remember the general content after just one serious reading. That thick Pharmacopoeia, I've basically memorized the whole thing."

After finishing the dishes, Wang Chuanze sat down beside her, brow furrowed in silence. Meng Shengsheng didn't sit up, simply leaning against him.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Hmm... every cause has an effect. This ability of yours certainly didn't appear out of thin air... The only thing I can think of is that your 'control group' sister must have acquired some kind of ability that we ordinary people can't counter; the most likely scenario is that she also possesses some special power... But since we don't plan on having any contact with that family, we don't need to worry too much. Still, it's better to be cautious. Since you have this advantage, put it to good use and become an excellent traditional Chinese medicine doctor in the future."

Thinking about it, Meng Shengsheng felt that what he said made a lot of sense.

Wang Chuanze didn't dwell on the topic, instead saying, "You have military training when school starts, right? Do you need to buy sunscreen?"

Meng Shengsheng burst out laughing. "The environment really does change a person! You actually know about sunscreen now. Later, when I buy face masks, we'll use them together."

Wang Chuanze turned to look at her. "You little ingrate, who do you think I'm doing this for?"

Meng Shengsheng giggled foolishly, rubbing her head against him and trying to bluff her way out of it so he would forget what she had just said. Wang Chuanze patted her back. "Let's go. I'll accompany you to the supermarket."

When Wang Chuanze was filming on set, she had personally visited the school and discovered that the apartment she rented was very close to campus. It only took about ten minutes to walk from the apartment to the teaching area, which was faster than walking from the school dorms. However, since most universities required freshmen to live on campus, and the process to apply for off-campus living was cumbersome, she didn't plan to pursue it, only coming over to do laundry when she didn't have classes.

In his previous life, Wang Chuanze had accompanied Meng Shengsheng to start university, so they both knew exactly what needed to be bought.

"Bring the foam mat; it can be rolled up. You’ve got a suitcase of clothes, that should be enough. If it's not enough, you can come back and swap them out... You have to bring the curtains we bought yesterday, too..."

Seeing Wang Chuanze preparing to bring the basins and buckets from home as well, Meng Shengsheng said, "Those are for home use. They should sell them at school; I can just buy them there."

Seeing that the packing was done and he intended to go to school with her, Meng Shengsheng raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to drop me off?"

Wang Chuanze looked back at her. "What's wrong? Can't I go?"

The school would be full of eighteen or nineteen-year-olds, vibrant and full of youthful passion. Did he not need to stake his claim?

Meng Shengsheng crouched on the floor, organizing her clothes in the suitcase. "It's not that you can't go. I'm just worried about affecting your future career."

"You don't need to worry about that. Our relationship is normal, and I've already reported it to the company. There's nothing to hide. Let's go once you're packed."

Once they arrived at school, the two of them immediately became the center of attention. They were both so incredibly good-looking that they would have looked like they were on a runway even if they were wearing burlap sacks. Meng Shengsheng noticed many people secretly pointing their phones at them to take photos; she estimated that their pictures would be on the campus website before long.

However, Wang Chuanze had received professional training in his previous life. As long as he didn't want to be caught, no one could get a clear shot of his face. He also deliberately helped shield Meng Shengsheng from the lenses. As a result, when many people checked their photo albums later, they found that they hadn't captured their faces, only their backs or side profiles.

Because today was registration day, the school was chaotic with teachers, students, parents, and freshmen, all busy with their own affairs, so not that many people were paying attention to them. They managed to complete the registration process smoothly.

Meng Shengsheng barely had to lift a finger during the registration. In the sweltering heat, Wang Chuanze made her wait under a tree while he ran back and forth to handle the paperwork. Seeing him drenched in sweat, she went to a small shop to buy a bottle of iced water.

When he returned, he was carrying blankets, mats, and pillows, so loaded down that his face was barely visible. Even when she offered to help carry things, he refused. Meng Shengsheng pulled the suitcase, looking back every so often to ask if he could see the road, worried he might trip in the stairwell.

"Building 3, Room 319..." Meng Shengsheng was quite satisfied with the dorm assigned to her. Student dorms didn't have elevators, and if it were on a higher floor, she would be exhausted from climbing stairs every day.

When they reached the dorm, the door was already open. The room had four beds, all loft-style with desks underneath. Two of the beds were already made, but no one was there. Looking closer, she saw the students' names and ID numbers posted on the small lockers next to the desks; the school had already assigned the beds, so they didn't have to fight over them.

As Meng Shengsheng was laying out the mat on her bed and Wang Chuanze was helping her wipe down the desk, another girl walked in, followed by her parents. The three of them smiled and nodded in greeting to Meng Shengsheng and Wang Chuanze. Her mother immediately began helping the girl organize her bed, and her father started wiping down her desk and chair—everyone was busy.