Chapter 20: The Twentieth Day of Wearing a Book – Buying the Apartment Next to Yun Shuning’s

“Don’t bother, it’s useless.” If it were before, Gao Jiangping would have been scolded by her for trying to grab her phone, but now, as Qiao Ling listened to the gentle and peaceful voice of Shu Yan in her earphones, she lazily glanced at him and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

“Why?” Gao Jiangping asked in confusion. He thought he should just buy her a new phone; after all, it hadn’t even been that long since she got it, and it was already lagging like this.

“Shu Shu doesn’t accept gifts during her evening live streams.” Qiao Ling spoke proudly. Being a fan of such a streamer was really something to be proud of. “Because Shu Shu knows that many of her fans have trouble sleeping, that’s why she takes time to stream at night. She doesn’t accept gifts or comments; she just wants us to get a good night’s sleep.”

Hearing her words, Gao Jiangping froze in place.

It wasn’t that he was stupid, but he never thought there would be a streamer who didn’t care about popularity or gifts. Especially considering how beautiful her voice was.

With a voice like that, if she were in their company, no matter her looks, he could make her a viral sensation in no time.

He quickly snapped back to reality and nervously asked, “You’re saying the evening stream is a benefit, which means she also streams during the day, right?”

“I’ll try to reach her in the day, that should work, right?”

“Daytime, huh.” Qiao Ling gave him a faint look. “You can send bullet comments, but the main content of her live stream is practicing calligraphy. She only looks at the bullet comments towards the end of the stream.”

“By then, there are so many bullet comments that it’s hard to read. If you send one then, Shu Shu probably won’t see it.”

Hearing this, Gao Jiangping let out a sigh of relief. “It’s okay, I’ll just send a few yachts. When gifts are sent, the bullet comments stop for a bit, and that should give the streamer enough time to see it.”

Listening to his naive words, Qiao Ling shook her head helplessly. “Theoretically, yes, but in practice…”

She turned her head and met his nervous gaze, then calmly spoke, “But Shu Shu’s stream has a gift limit. Each ID can only send gifts worth up to twenty yuan.”

“How is that possible?” Gao Jiangping looked desperate. “Doesn’t she want to make money?”

“Don’t use your crude money mindset to taint our Shu Shu.” Qiao Ling closed her eyes, basking in the voice in her earphones, her tone almost dreamy. “Shu Shu’s presence is a treasure to all those who suffer from insomnia.”

“Why are you in such a hurry to find Shu Shu?” She gave him a suspicious glance. “Don’t tell me you’re planning something bad?”

Gao Jiangping looked at her and sighed helplessly. “You should know about the radio drama project I’ve been working on, right? It’s already halfway through, but we still haven’t found the voice actor for the Saintess.”

“The Saintess? The Saintess Qiling?” Qiao Ling’s eyes immediately lit up. She was also a loyal fan of Qiming Chaoge.

Then she quickly realized. “You want Shu Shu to be the voice actress for the Saintess?”

Gao Jiangping nodded seriously. “Her voice is perfect for the Saintess—soft, serene, but with an ethereal quality. With just a slight adjustment, she would be the Saintess Qiling.”

“But how do we find her?” He started thinking seriously. “Private message on the back end?”

“Shu Shu’s back end messages are always closed.”

“Then should we ask the streaming platform?”

“Jinli Live is currently being acquired. The new company is taking over, and it’s a bit chaotic. We probably won’t be able to get through.”

While they were discussing, in Qiao Ling’s earphones, Shu Yan was gently bidding them farewell.

She took off her earphones with a pained expression. “Looks like I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“Well, I can’t waste the time either.” She suddenly turned toward him with burning determination in her eyes. “I’ll ask Shu Shu’s managers if they can get in touch with her. If not, I’ll try contacting the platform. As for you…”

“You can just stay out of the way.” She shot him a disdainful glance. “If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been asleep by now.”

Gao Jiangping: “…”

“I’m sorry.”

The next morning, as soon as he arrived at the company, he received a message from the manager asking to see him.

With a nervous expression, he knocked and entered the manager’s office.

“Mr. Lin, you wanted to see me?”

Lin Lesheng sat at his desk, smiling as he gestured for him to sit down. “Xiao Gao, come sit.”

Gao Jiangping nervously sat down, his tension growing as he met Lin Lesheng’s Buddha-like smile. He knew Lin Lesheng was famous for his “smiling tiger” persona, and with him acting so kindly today, he knew there was trouble ahead.

“I heard the Qiming Chaoge radio drama is already halfway through recording, but there’s still one character’s voiceover missing, is that right?”

“Yes.” Gao Jiangping straightened up, reporting seriously. “We already have a candidate. Once we contact her, she can join the recording. It won’t delay the company’s progress.”

“Oh?” Lin Lesheng dragged out the word in a suspicious tone. “Really found someone?”

Even though he hadn’t read the novel, he often heard his daughter praise the characters, especially the Saintess.

When he finally learned that Qiming Chaoge was being adapted into a movie, he coldly remarked that no one could truly portray the Saintess.

At that point, he realized the Saintess role, whether as a voice actress or an actor, would be hard to fill.

So, when he heard that only the voice for the Saintess was still missing, he had a sense of foreboding.

“Yes, this person is perfect for the role.” Gao Jiangping spoke with enthusiasm. “The moment she spoke, I knew she was the only one who could voice the Saintess.”

“Then send me her details. I’d like to see for myself.” Lin Lesheng was curious about the voice that had impressed even the picky Gao Jiangping.

Upon hearing the request, Gao Jiangping hesitated for a moment, a faint awkwardness appearing on his face. “She’s a streamer. I haven’t had a chance to get her details and contact information yet.”

“A streamer?” Lin Lesheng’s expression turned serious. He was older and not up to date with the current trends, so he rarely watched the popular live streams.

Even though he didn’t watch much, he had heard plenty of negative news about streamers.

“Isn’t a streamer’s voice modified with sound cards or pitch shifters?” He asked sternly. “Xiao Gao, I remember you’re known for being impartial. You wouldn’t be mixing business with pleasure, would you?”

Gao Jiangping blushed deeply, not knowing how to refute. He was a straightforward person, not one for flattery, so his current position didn’t match his abilities.

Faced with his boss’s doubts, he took a deep breath and pulled out the recording Qiao Ling had sent him the day before. “Mr. Lin, just listen to this voice and you’ll understand why I chose her.”

He pressed play.

In the empty office, a soft, warm voice like flowing water gently filled the room. Due to the spacious room and the phone’s speaker, the voice seemed to carry a sense of purity.

After about ten minutes, Gao Jiangping paused the recording. No matter how many times he heard it, he couldn’t help but get lost in it.

For a moment, the office fell silent.

Lin Lesheng’s face showed complete admiration. After a while, he came back to his senses and cleared his throat apologetically.

“I knew Xiao Gao, you’re always serious. I fully support your choice for the Saintess’s voice actress.”

“Then I’ll try to contact her.” Gao Jiangping finally relaxed and spoke quickly.

“Mm.”

As he reached the door, Lin Lesheng suddenly called out, “By the way… Xiao Gao.”

Gao Jiangping turned back in confusion. “Mr. Lin, is there anything else?”

“Just the name of that streamer and the audio you just played for me. Could you send it to me?” Lin Lesheng asked, a bit embarrassed. “That voice really makes you not want to miss it.”

“… Okay.”

---

“Mr. Yu, the doctor said you didn’t eat much today. Was it the food that didn’t suit your taste?” Secretary Ming stood by Yu Cheng’s bed, her smile brighter and more professional than any dedicated service staff.

A few days ago, Yu Cheng had been acting irrationally, not eating for three straight days.

If Secretary Ming hadn’t gone to his villa after noticing his absence from the office, Yu Cheng might have starved to death there.

She had been horrified when she saw how weak he looked at the time.

And when he woke up, he showed no signs of regret, instead demanding to be discharged from the hospital, saying he just wanted to see what it felt like not eating for a long time.

She nearly suffocated from the sheer absurdity of it.

Now, she was no longer just a secretary. She had evolved into a personal assistant, with no raise in salary, yet plenty of complaints from her boss.

“No, the food is great.” Yu Cheng looked at him, showing no awareness of being a patient at all. “I just simply don’t want to eat anything.”

Hold it in, don’t get angry. He’s your boss, the one who pays your salary.

“Then, is there anything you would like to eat?” He took a deep breath, smiled more gently, and asked softly.

“Don’t give me that look, it’s too fake and kind of creepy.” Yu Cheng glanced at him, speaking sarcastically.

“…You’re right.” Secretary Ming smiled in agreement, but his expression didn’t change at all.

Right now, he just wanted to disgust him.

“If you’re in a bad mood, I can turn on Miss Yun’s live audio for you, would that be alright?”

Because of Yu Cheng’s instructions, he had been paying attention to what Yun Shuning was up to recently. Finding out that she was live streaming, which platform she was on, and what her stream room was called, wasn’t particularly difficult.

So, after finding this out, he reported it to Yu Cheng.

During these days, he could stay in the hospital quietly, and the audio had played a big part in that.

Secretary Ming watched him silently, knowing that Yu Cheng had tacitly agreed to his suggestion. He pressed the play button on the speaker.

To be honest, ever since hearing Yun Shuning’s live stream, he had quietly joined her fan group and sent twenty yuan worth of little red flowers every day without fail.

He especially enjoyed listening to her streams when he was around Yu Cheng, because the sound system here was world-class, able to bring out the audio to its fullest potential.

Listening to Yun Shuning’s stories with this sound system was the peak of enjoyment.

Being around Yu Cheng, saying he slept well would be a lie.

Since becoming his secretary, he hadn’t been able to sleep well at all, and his hair was falling out in clumps.

At this rate, he might end up with a receding hairline like his dad.

Thankfully, Yun Shuning’s voice had saved him, allowing him to maintain his sleep and keep his thick, shiny black hair.

Listening to the sound flowing through the hospital room, Secretary Ming closed his eyes, becoming more and more calm.

However, the sound system was too good, perfectly replicating the deep, hidden pain and longing in Yun Shuning’s voice.

If he hadn’t known about her story with He Yan, he probably wouldn’t have noticed these things. But he did know.

And Yu Cheng knew too.

Listening to the sound in the room, Yu Cheng slightly furrowed his brows.

During these days in the hospital, he couldn’t numb himself with pain or alcohol, so he found himself unconsciously remembering past events.

The days of being humiliated and mistreated, when everyone looked at him like garbage, occasionally kicking him to remind him that they didn’t want to associate with trash.

At those times, the only thing that could make him push those emotions away was Yun Shuning’s voice.

But hearing her voice always made him uncontrollably jealous of He Yan, a bitterness that was even harder to endure than physical pain.

No matter what, he couldn’t be happy.

Secretary Ming had been watching him closely and noticed his expression. He quietly pressed the pause button on the speaker. “Mr. Yu, would you like to rest now?”

“You tell me, how do I get what I want?” Yu Cheng suddenly spoke, his voice dangerous and mysterious.

Since he was jealous, shouldn’t it be easier to just get it?

Even though he was sitting in a hospital bed, weak and frail, his presence still carried a sense of unspoken danger, as if he could pounce at any moment.

After spending several days with him, Secretary Ming understood him better. He now felt that when Yu Cheng spoke of “getting something,” it was probably about Yun Shuning.

But the mention of heroically rescuing a beauty had left him with a huge mental scar. So, his mind raced, trying to figure out a way to use force without breaking the law.

“How about you try surrounding and blocking her off?” That should be legal.

Though, this sounded like he was asking for debt.

Yu Cheng shot him a look that seemed to say he was an idiot.

Secretary Ming quickly realized his mistake and tried to recover: “If you want to pursue a girl…”

“Pursue?” Yu Cheng gave him a cold glance. “Forget it, fine, let’s call it pursuit. What’s next? What should I do?”

“You could prepare some surprises for her, like sending gifts, taking her to see fireworks, or watching a movie…”

“Do you think any of that’s possible?” He spoke icily.

Secretary Ming suddenly realized that Yu Cheng’s relationship with Yun Shuning was not close enough for that yet.

At this stage, it was still Yu Cheng’s one-sided crush.

“How about creating more opportunities for contact?” Seeing Yu Cheng’s gaze, Secretary Ming hesitated before continuing, “For example, you could live next door?”

“Then buy the place next to hers, and after a while, I’ll go stay there for two days.” Yu Cheng shrugged, speaking as if reluctantly, as though it was beneath him to do that.

“Alright, I’ll go prepare it.” Secretary Ming smiled politely. “What about dinner tonight…?”

“Whatever,” Yu Cheng replied. As soon as dinner came up, he turned back into his lazy self, indifferent to oil and salt. “Go ahead and take care of it. I’m going to sleep.”

It was only three in the afternoon. Your routine is really something.

Secretary Ming gritted his teeth, then walked out numbly.

Yu Cheng may be hard to please, but he’s really generous to those around him. His salary was two to three times that of other secretaries at similar companies, which was one of the reasons he was willing to work beside Yu Cheng.

Another reason, which might sound strange, was that he genuinely felt Yu Cheng was lonely.

No matter how crazy Yu Cheng got, he had never truly harmed anyone—he only hurt himself.

He had heard about the things Yu Cheng’s relatives did, so he didn’t think Yu Cheng had gone too far. After all, they were all still alive, right?

To him, Yu Cheng was like someone who didn’t know how to love. If he didn’t know how to love himself, how could he possibly love someone else?

With Miss Lin Wan, it was like he was holding onto his only redemption from childhood. With Miss Yun Shuning, it was like he was longing for something.

But he was just a secretary. He couldn’t say too much, and even if he did, Yu Cheng wouldn’t listen.

He’d better focus on preparing the house purchase—it shouldn’t be too hard, and getting it done earlier meant he could rest sooner.

---

“A radio drama voice acting?”

This morning, Su Muqing knocked on her apartment door. She hadn’t expected him to act so familiar after just one day, treating them like neighbors.

In a while, she would be going live, so she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t heard. Plus, she could hear the knocking at a relaxed pace, knowing that if she didn’t open the door, he would keep knocking until the end of time.

She originally thought he was just coming over to greet her, but instead, he brought breakfast. As soon as she opened the door, he raised the food container and said they needed to discuss something work-related.

“Yes,” Su Muqing had prepared herself to enter her apartment and even brought a pair of indoor slippers with her.

After changing into the slippers, he washed his hands and skillfully arranged the breakfast on the table.

“Last night, the person in charge of a radio drama couldn’t get in touch with you and had to contact me, the live room administrator. They said they want you for voice acting in a radio drama,” he said with a smile, showing faint innocence in his eyes. “I went to bed too early and didn’t see the message. When I saw it this morning, I came straight here to find you.”

Su Muqing was the manager of her live room, as his name was the same as his initial, with no attempt to hide it.

When they first met, they exchanged names, and at that time, he had already introduced himself by his live room nickname.

In her presence, Su Muqing always pretended to be an innocent, sunshiny sheep with no secrets.

Voice acting? Yun Shuning’s expression didn’t change, but her mind was quickly thinking.

As an actress, she had a good grasp of lines, so voice acting was a simple task for her.

However, in this world, she couldn’t approach the profession of a voice actor, much like she couldn’t enter the entertainment industry. A person’s voice is part of their acting ability; it can sound sad and painful or lively and cute.

She couldn’t let anyone know that she excelled in this area.

However, if it was just voice acting for a character, and the character aligned with her current situation, she might consider it.

Although she was somewhat tempted, her current persona didn’t really leave her in the mood for such things.

“Shushu, you won’t mind me being too familiar, will you?” Su Muqing said, blinking nervously at her, like a little puppy who had just arrived at a new home, eager to please.

Yun Shuning knew he was a good actor, but each time she saw him, she was amazed at how much better he could be. He really sparked her acting instincts.

Her role didn’t have many places to play with, so she could only focus on micro-expressions and details.

“Too familiar…?” She spoke awkwardly, as if hearing the term for the first time, “No, not at all.”

Upon hearing her answer, Su Muqing’s eyes lit up.

“But I prefer to be alone,” Yun Shuning’s voice was soft and gentle, but with an unshakeable distance.

Su Muqing hid the sadness in his eyes, now resembling a big dog that needed to be petted. “Then I won’t disturb you again, Shushu.”

Normally, anyone seeing him like this would’ve said, “It’s fine.”

But Yun Shuning was not just anyone. She nodded at him politely, as if treating a newly met stranger, warm and courteous.

“Thank you for the breakfast.” She smiled faintly, but her smile was merely a thin veneer, like a low-quality mask. “And for the voice acting matter, please kindly decline for me.”

“I have no relevant experience, so I won’t waste their time.”

Su Muqing saw her expression, and the sincerity and passion he had maintained collapsed, his gaze darkening.

That smile really made him want to rip it off her face.

Just a moment later, he realized his loss of composure and quickly regained his bright smile. A person couldn’t have just one weakness, and Yun Shuning was no exception.

He smiled and said, “Such a shame, that person seemed really anxious.”

It’s okay. Her weakness, he could take his time figuring out.

“Seems like this voice acting is related to his career development,” he sighed and shook his head, “I wonder if the company will punish him if he can’t find someone.”

Yun Shuning saw through his probe because his words now seemed like an open scheme, no longer hiding his thoughts.

How should she respond to fit her persona?

No, the most important part of her persona was her obsession and love for He Yan. All her actions stemmed from that core.

But a complete person should not just have one side; she should be more multifaceted, with more depth.

The real her had many flaws: greedy, liked to read people’s hearts…

But none of those flaws belonged to the current Yun Shuning, so she needed to find a flaw that seemed suitable for her persona, one that wouldn’t be too annoying.

Being soft-hearted would work. Besides, her heart wasn’t that hard.

And she did have some interest in this radio drama.

Since Su Muqing had set the stage for her, it would be rude not to step up.

Su Muqing noticed her silence and focused on her lips as they tightened.

He saw her hesitation and found her weakness.

“Shushu, I think you should personally refuse,” he said, his eyes full of lingering amusement. “I don’t know much about it, I’m just the messenger.”

“Alright,” Yun Shuning’s voice was so soft, it was almost a sigh.

Hearing her response, Su Muqing smiled even brighter. “Then let’s add each other on WeChat. I’ll send you his contact details later.”

With a satisfied look, he bid her farewell. “Shushu, I’ll leave you to it now. Don’t forget to eat the breakfast. I waited in line for a long time to get it.”

“I also made sure the seller didn’t add coriander.” He looked at her with sparkling eyes, as if waiting for her praise.

“Thank you,” Yun Shuning replied calmly, her eyes showing no emotion, her voice still as gentle and distant as always.

Su Muqing noticed her expression, and his smile stiffened for a moment, but he quickly grew more determined, smiling even brighter. “Shushu, goodbye.”

As soon as the door closed, Yun Shuning’s expression turned cold.

Talking to Su Muqing was so tiring. Every word had to be carefully considered, afraid of him discovering something off.

But his visit had brought her some good news. She was curious about the character that made someone go out of their way to find her.

She speculated that maybe the person in charge had just cast a wide net, sending messages to anyone who seemed right.

But the likelihood of that was small. Finding her was actually very difficult. If they were casting a wide net, they would’ve given up when they couldn’t find her and wouldn’t have gone through the effort to contact the live room admin.

That meant there had to be another reason: her voice during her live stream must have matched the character’s persona perfectly.

The feeling that only she could embody.

She believed that her voice was highly recognizable and difficult to imitate.

No matter how she thought about it, she glanced at the breakfast on the table and decided to eat first before making any further decisions.

Normally, she wouldn’t eat food of unknown origin, but given her current persona and Su Muqing’s excellent disguise, it was better to eat.

Su Muqing had no reason to tamper with these things. If he did, it would only make them more sophisticated.

This level was too low for him to bother with.

Yun Shuning glanced at the relatively lavish breakfast on the table, nodded thoughtfully: if she remembered correctly, many of the ingredients here were good for the throat.

Su Muqing really didn’t want to hide his admiration for her voice at all.

After finishing her meal, she saw there was still some time before the live stream, so she decided to add the director of the radio drama on WeChat.

Her friend request was sent, and it was almost immediately accepted. The prepared text was sent to her.

“Shuyan, I’ve been in the radio drama industry for so many years, and your voice is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. It’s so perfect, so…”

As expected of a cultured person, Yun Shuning thought as she looked at the long string of words, feeling like her voice had transcended from the human realm straight to the immortal world.

At the end of the message, Gao Jiangping said in an exceptionally humble tone, almost as if crushed to the dust, that he wanted her to voice the Saintess in Qiming Chaoge and added that as long as the compensation wasn’t excessive, he could accept anything.

Yun Shuning wasn’t planning to agree easily. Things that come too easily often feel cheap.

Moreover, based on her current persona, rejecting was the most reasonable thing to do.

If the director was just trying his luck, then even if she agreed, she might not get the role.

“Thank you for your invitation, but I don’t have relevant experience and am not good at this. Please look for someone else.”

On the other side, Gao Jiangping was focused on his phone. Seeing the reply, he didn’t give up at all. In fact, he became even more determined.

He had searched for Shuyan’s information earlier that morning and discovered that she wasn’t someone who cared much about money or seemed to have any particular hobbies.

If he had to say, practicing calligraphy might count, but he felt she seemed to do it with an inexplicable devotion. It didn’t seem like a true passion but more like she had been influenced by others.

So, he had already prepared himself for multiple failures.

“It’s fine. This role is especially suited to your voice. You just need to speak normally.”

After sending the message, he remembered what the manager had told him and decided to lower his tone and play the victim:

“This project is really important to me. The voice acting is already halfway done, but we haven’t found a voice for the Saintess. If I can’t find someone in the next two days, I might face unemployment. You’re the only one who fits the role. I’m not asking you to agree directly, but I’d appreciate it if you could at least give it a try.”

He was too honest, not knowing how to make a sob story, so he just stated the situation truthfully, exaggerating the consequences a little.

“But wouldn’t an amateur drag you down?” Yun Shuning asked, while calmly adjusting her live-streaming equipment.

“Impossible, you don’t need to be professional at all. Your voice is enough,” Gao Jiangping quickly typed after seeing her reply. “Also, the Saintess’s appearances are few. If you agree, we can finish all the recording in two days at most.”

“Sorry, it’s almost time for my live stream. After it’s done, I’ll read the original work and get back to you.”

“Okay, take your time. If you need to know anything, feel free to ask me anytime,” Gao Jiangping’s reply was extremely humble.

He was willing to be as humble as necessary just to get Yun Shuning to agree.

Yun Shuning looked at his reply and gained a deeper understanding of his desperation.

This person really wasn’t good at negotiating. From the start, he showed all his cards, making it hard for her to continue rejecting him.

Today’s live stream was particularly lively. After last night’s sleep-stream, the popularity of the stream had taken another step up, and the number of fans had reached about 5,000.

Although it didn’t sound like much, she was still a beginner who had only started streaming a few days ago, and she was doing something that many people found boring—practicing calligraphy. Given that, she was already very satisfied with this number.

The gifts hadn’t stopped since the beginning. Since she only checked the stream towards the end, she never saw any disputes or the harassment from other streamers’ fans. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have taken it to heart.

Looking at the sea of small red flowers, Yun Shuning smiled and shook her head, starting today’s calligraphy practice.

She genuinely liked this state. She could help her fans in the live stream, and they were willing to give her heartfelt thanks.

It was so nice.

This was something that had been out of her reach in her past life.

After the live stream ended, she took out her phone and searched for Qiming Chaoge. Looking at the synopsis of the story, her eyebrows lifted slightly: It’s interesting.