After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 32

According to the recording process of Cross-Boundary Dates, the next episode would feature each pair’s first cross-boundary experience in each other’s professional fields.

The production team didn’t even bother pretending anymore, they specifically assigned a group to follow up on the scriptwriting collaboration between the two from last time. It was clear that Qi Puzhi’s subsequent filming experience with Jiang Tian would revolve around this very script.

The group members were all professional screenwriters who further refined Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian’s script, discussing and revising it with them.

During a work break, Qi Puzhi saw the detailed discussions the screenwriter had sent her, along with a screenshot,

At 3:30 a.m., Jiang Tian was still discussing the design of a particular line with the screenwriter.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Jiang Tian had been juggling magazine shoots, advertisements, and performances lately, her schedule packed to the minute. Yet she still found time to discuss the script in the dead of night, did she not care about her health at all?

At 8 p.m., an online meeting was held for the final draft of the script.

Everyone was relatively satisfied with the outcome, and the meeting concluded smoothly in just over an hour.

However, neither Qi Puzhi nor Jiang Tian left the meeting room immediately.

After the last screenwriter exited, Jiang Tian spoke up, “Sister?”

Qi Puzhi cut straight to the point, “I saw you discussing the script with the screenwriter at 3 a.m. the other day. Don’t you need proper rest?”

Jiang Tian replied slowly, “Sister, I can’t afford not to care.”

Qi Puzhi stared at Jiang Tian’s avatar in the meeting room, lips pressed together as she listened to the faint trace of amusement in Jiang Tian’s voice as she finished.

“Especially since I realized this might be our first mutual confession.”

After the script was finalized, the production team bound it into a booklet and mailed copies to Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian.

The night she received the script, Qi Puzhi read through it carefully.

She already knew the story beforehand, and as an actor who had starred in numerous films, she had read countless scripts.

But this one gave her a feeling unlike any before.

As she traced the plotlines and dialogues with her eyes, an inexplicable surge of emotion welled up in her heart, lingering and refusing to settle.

The impact was so intense it was as though she had already lived through the characters’ lives in the script, even before acting them out.

Even after finishing work and heading to the underground parking lot, Qi Puzhi’s thoughts remained entangled in the script. She sat motionless in the driver’s seat, lost in contemplation for a long while before snapping back to reality.

Subconsciously shifting gears to start the car, her still-burning heart suddenly turned cold, as if struck by some ominous premonition.

Her heartbeat quickened, and sweat beaded on her forehead.

The last time she’d felt like this, she had lost something precious.

Breathing slightly uneven, Qi Puzhi suddenly thought of something. She hurriedly unlocked her phone, fingers trembling slightly as she scrolled through her call log to dial Jiang Tian. Remembering that Jiang Tian was shooting an advertisement tonight, she switched to calling Zhang Hua instead.

“What’s up?” Zhang Hua answered quickly, her tone light.

Qi Puzhi paused before asking, “Is the shoot going smoothly over there?”

“Yeah, smooth as ever,” Zhang Hua said casually. “You know your little girlfriend, that natural talent in front of the camera. She’s practically made for this.”

“Is that so.” Qi Puzhi relaxed slightly. After hesitating, she added, “I have a bad feeling. Keep an extra eye on her safety these next couple of days.”

Zhang Hua scoffed on the other end, “What’s gotten into you, Lao Qi? Hitting that age where you start believing in omens? Planning to switch careers to fortune-telling after retiring from the industry?”

Qi Puzhi: “Seems like you were quite bored at the scene.”

But Zhang Hua’s teasing did briefly dispel the lingering gloom in her heart.

“Alright, alright, I’ll keep a close eye on her. You go do your thing.”

Only then did Qi Puzhi hang up the phone with peace of mind.

The advertisement shoot tonight went smoothly. With a wave from the director, they pushed through and finished the remaining scenes in one go.

When Jiang Tian pushed open the door to the restroom, she heard Zhang Hua say, “Your Qi Laoshi just called and told me to keep a close watch on you.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Tian was momentarily stunned, her tired eyes brightening slightly. “What did she say?”

Zhang Hua grinned. “What else could it be between young lovers? Don’t sneak any snacks.”

“…” Jiang Tian knew immediately that she was exaggerating.

Zhang Hua’s expression turned serious. “She said she had a bad feeling and asked me to pay attention to your safety.”

Jiang Tian paused mid-step, her brows furrowing slightly.

While filming the advertisement earlier, she had suddenly felt short of breath and tightness in her chest a few times. She had assumed it was due to overwork and forced herself to ignore it in front of the camera.

Though she believed in materialism, when it came to the person she loved most, there was always that nagging worry better safe than sorry.

Jiang Tian pulled out her phone and called Qi Puzhi, but no one answered for a long while.

Zhang Hua found the couple’s behavior tonight rather odd and had initially brushed it off.

But seeing Jiang Tian inexplicably persistent, repeatedly dialing the number when it went unanswered, she finally got through on the fourth attempt.

Only for the call to be picked up by a doctor.

Zhang Hua shot up from the sofa and saw Jiang Tian’s face drain of color.

When Qi Puzhi woke up, her head was still a bit foggy, and there was a faint sting on her scalp.

The smell of disinfectant was sharp and unpleasant. She shifted uncomfortably, and a young woman’s voice sounded softly by her ear: “Awake?”

Qi Puzhi opened her eyes and turned her head to see Jiang Tian looking at her with a pale face, her expression that of a pitiful puppy who had nearly been abandoned.

This wasn’t the first time Jiang Tian had looked pitiful, but unlike the deliberately obedient act before, this time it was so genuine it made one’s heart soften.

Qi Puzhi’s voice was slightly hoarse as she spoke, raising a brow at her in feigned nonchalance. “Why are you looking at me with that widow’s expression?”

Jiang Tian pressed her lips together, silently staring at her, and simply held her hand.

Zhang Hua turned to call the doctor over.

Qi Puzhi had suffered a blow to the head, and broken glass had cut parts of her skin, but the injuries weren’t severe. The doctor said she could be discharged after a few days of rest and observation.

After checking her reflection in the mirror Jiang Tian held up, Qi Puzhi sighed in relief. “Thankfully it’s not bad enough to ruin my looks.”

Her body didn’t scar easily, so the small cuts on her face would likely fade soon.

If she were to film a scene now, she could easily play a battle-worn character without needing makeup.

“Jiejie is beautiful no matter what,” Jiang Tian murmured softly.

Zhang Hua couldn’t hold back any longer. “So how did you get into a car accident?”

Qi Puzhi’s expression darkened.

Someone had tampered with her car.

At first, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Shortly after she hit the road, a car, whether driven by an obsessive fan or a paparazzo, started tailing her.

Used to such situations, she deftly took a few detours, but unusually, she couldn’t shake them off this time.

The pursuer seemed equally familiar with the route, relentlessly speeding up as they gave chase.

Qi Puzhi had no choice but to accelerate as well, pushing the speed close to the upper limit of the urban road section. Finally, the car behind was shaken off.

Then, she realized the brakes had suddenly failed.

The first reaction of most people in this situation would probably be to find an uphill slope and try to let the car come to a natural stop.

At first, Qi Puzhi did the same. But just as she was about to reach that uphill section, she suddenly felt it was all too abnormal. as if everything had been arranged in advance.

The moment she sharply turned the steering wheel to make a U-turn at the intersection, a massive truck came speeding downhill from the opposite direction, driving straight against traffic on the uphill lane.

Had Qi Puzhi driven forward just then, she might not have survived.

Though her quick thinking helped her avoid a major disaster, a minor one was unavoidable. In the end, she crashed into a roadside railing and lost consciousness.

Qi Puzhi concluded, “Someone wants me dead.”

She uttered these words indifferently, as if it wasn’t the first time she’d experienced such a thing.

Having been in this industry for so long, she had seen all kinds of malice.

Zhang Hua wasn’t unfamiliar with such situations either. Frowning, she said, “I’ll have someone investigate immediately. Since their attempt failed, they’ll likely lie low for a while. It should be relatively safe during this period, but you should still be cautious when going out.”

“Mm,” Qi Puzhi responded casually, as if the incident had little effect on her.

Zhang Hua remarked, “You don’t seem like someone who just narrowly escaped death.”

Qi Puzhi paused, then smiled carelessly. “It’s nothing. At least it was me.”

Six years ago, she might have been utterly terrified, but now, she was almost numb to it.

When the accident happened, her first thought was: Thank goodness the ominous premonition was about me, not Jiang Tian.

“…” Naturally, Zhang Hua’s heart ached for her longtime friend. Hearing this, she felt a headache coming on.

Shaking her head, she left the hospital room, giving the lovebirds some space.

Jiang Tian had remained silent the entire time, her expression dark and unreadable, her face cold and devoid of emotion.

Qi Puzhi gently touched her cheek and said softly, “What’s wrong? I’m fine, aren’t I?”

Jiang Tian met her gaze, her lips trembling slightly before she whispered, “It shouldn’t have been you.”

She was referring to Qi Puzhi’s earlier remark At least it was me.

Her voice was filled with helplessness and sorrow, making Qi Puzhi’s heart ache.

Just as Qi Puzhi was about to say something, Jiang Tian leaned down, murmuring with closed eyes,

“Thank goodness you’re okay. Let me feel you, alright?”

Her lips pressed against Qi Puzhi’s with extreme gentleness, as though applying even the slightest pressure would shatter the person before her.

Jiang Tian had appeared composed all this time, but only now did Qi Puzhi realize the storm raging inside her.

Her lips trembled faintly as they kissed, her breathing heavy and uneven, as if she was desperately suppressing her emotions.

Qi Puzhi let her kiss and caress tirelessly, the lingering fear and unease buried deep in her heart after the accident now gently soothed and enveloped.

In this simple, intimate closeness, both souls found solace and comfort.

When the kiss ended, Qi Puzhi gazed at the beautiful face so close to hers, those reddened eyes, and asked softly, “Do you feel me now?”

She raised her thumb to lightly brush Jiang Tian’s lower eyelid, the slightly damp lashes tickling her heart.

“Yeah, but not quite enough,” Jiang Tian admitted, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears, yet her tone had already regained its usual composure. “We’ll talk about it next time.”

Qi Puzhi was momentarily taken aback before pinching Jiang Tian’s ear lightly, chuckling, “Can’t stay well-behaved for more than a few minutes, huh?”

Jiang Tian let her do as she pleased, then caught her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. “As long as you’re okay. I’ll be as good as you want.”

Watching the young woman’s reverent gesture, Qi Puzhi’s lashes trembled slightly.

An inexplicable mist rose in her heart, hazy and damp, seeping in quietly like a gentle rain.

After a long pause, she murmured softly, “Mmm.”