After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 38

Qi Puzhi lazily turned over in bed.

Fresh from a shower, she felt clean and comfortable all over.

Lying face down on the pillow with her eyes half-closed, she was on the verge of falling asleep when she heard Jiang Tian emerge from the bathroom.

After waiting a moment and realizing Jiang Tian hadn’t come over, Qi Puzhi opened her eyes curiously, only to see Jiang Tian crouched by the wall outside the bathroom, wiping up water droplets from the floor with a tissue.

“…”

Qi Puzhi’s lashes fluttered slightly. She was about to close her eyes and pretend she hadn’t noticed, but Jiang Tian looked up just then and caught her in the act.

Their gazes locked directly.

Feigning nonchalance, Qi Puzhi turned over to avoid the stare.

Jiang Tian watched the woman’s back, her lips curling in amusement as she continued cleaning.

She dares to make the mess but won’t own up to it.

By the time Jiang Tian climbed into bed, Qi Puzhi lay motionless, her breathing even, as if already deep in sleep.

Jiang Tian gently draped an arm over her waist from behind, preparing to drift off as well, when Qi Puzhi suddenly spoke in a quiet voice:

“Jiang Tian, don’t you think.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Tian detected a note of seriousness in Qi Puzhi’s tone and straightened slightly in response.

Qi Puzhi opened her eyes and gazed at the bright moon outside the window. Softly, she said, “We’re still in a contractual relationship.”

At some point, the inequality between them had begun to fade into obscurity.

When facing her, Jiang Tian’s expression was often as gentle as spring blossoms swaying in the breeze, their stems too delicate to support any rebellious intent.

Yet that was all. In truth, Jiang Tian was well-versed in the art of rebellion.

She was never content with the narrow confines Qi Puzhi had drawn. Instead, she would press right up against the unspoken boundaries Qi Puzhi had set in the depths of her heart then stop there, never overstepping.

Jiang Tian knew Qi Puzhi hadn’t fully opened her heart yet, so she always kept her actions measured.

But she also knew that if she simply waited for Qi Puzhi to emerge from her shell on her own, they would remain stuck in their current state indefinitely. So she would occasionally push forward just a little.

Now, without either of them realizing it, their relationship had gradually grown freer, straying further and further from the unequal terms of their original agreement.

Jiang Tian’s arm rested lightly around Qi Puzhi’s waist, as if afraid of making her feel pressured.

Her lips parted slightly before she finally spoke: “Does jiejie mean what happened earlier?”

She had adhered to the final boundary but hadn’t strictly followed the “permitted exploration” Qi Puzhi had outlined.

Under the pretense of “needing moisture,” she had taken liberties beyond what was allowed.

What was meant to be a cautious venture into the damp upper regions had occasionally perhaps “accidentally”brushed against the flowing depths.

And afterward, while helping Qi Puzhi clean up, she had deliberately used just the right touch to coax another wave of pleasure from her.

When it came to reading Qi Puzhi, Jiang Tian had some confidence. If she sensed the other woman was enjoying it rather than resisting, if she judged the protests to be mere pretense, she wouldn’t hesitate to act.

But she wasn’t a mind reader. Now, she worried she might have misread the situation, that her actions had made Qi Puzhi uncomfortable.

At her words, Qi Puzhi turned over to face her.

Moonlight spilled over Jiang Tian’s profile, casting an almost sacred glow upon her.

In the young woman’s eyes was nothing but quiet concern, the fear that she might have crossed a line.

She looked at Qi Puzhi with such reverence.

“That’s not what I meant,” Qi Puzhi murmured, lowering her gaze.

After a pause, she finally asked in a voice barely above a whisper, “Jiang Tian, doesn’t this. wear you out?”

A person’s passion is always finite.

In this romantic relationship, Jiang Tian gave too much. Guessing her thoughts, understanding her, it was like dancing together, following her every step.

Sometimes advancing, sometimes retreating. Afraid of tripping her if too fast, or missing the beat if too slow.

Jiang Tian was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, having gotten everything she ever wanted since childhood. Now, she was at an age and stage brimming with confidence and ambition.

Yet she willingly signed that absurd agreement, waiting for her for years, only to fall into another long wait.

Why bother.

Qi Puzhi softly sighed these words under her breath.

The woman stood with her back to the moonlight, her mask cracking in the overly silent night. Her beautiful eyes dimmed with a haunting unease, trembling with something that made hearts ache.

As if questioning why she was worth it.

Jiang Tian couldn’t bear seeing her like this so fragile.

Her heart ached, her breath grew heavier, and she reached out to caress Qi Puzhi’s cheek.

Word by word, with utmost solemnity, she said, “But you are Qi Puzhi.”

Her fingertips traced the woman’s face, outlining her features.

She had seen this face in its youthful loneliness, in its stubborn defiance amidst hardship, and in its triumphant rise from setbacks to dazzling success.

All of it had filled half of Jiang Tian’s life.

“Sister, I’ve seen more of you than you could imagine.”

Jiang Tian whispered, “For any question like this. you being Qi Puzhi is my one and only answer.”

The young woman’s usually cool voice was now low and tender, each word resonating deep in Qi Puzhi’s heart.

Pursing her lips, Qi Puzhi stared at Jiang Tian without speaking.

“Besides.” Jiang Tian gently brushed the woman’s slightly damp lashes and murmured, “Sister, you don’t even realize how soft-hearted you are…”

She leaned in slowly, touching her lips to Qi Puzhi’s.

A tender press, devoid of restless desire or deliberate teasing.

Just pure, unadulterated closeness.

Yet the distance between them seemed even smaller than during their earlier moments of passion.

It sent shivers through their hearts, smoothing the turbulent folds of emotion.

“I’ll wait for you.”

The young woman’s sincere whisper made Qi Puzhi suddenly recall a night from years ago.

Back then, Jiang Tian had rested her head on her shoulder and murmured, “Sister, I’ll wait for you

Perhaps because of yesterday’s public altercation being live-streamed across the internet, Jiang Tian had barely stepped out of the car sent by the production team when she spotted a crowd of fans holding up signs supporting their CP.

Mixed in with solo fans, it was hard to tell which group was larger.

Unfazed, she greeted all the fans equally.

On this winter morning, the sky was still dim, shrouded in a hazy mist.

The young woman wore a simple long down jacket for warmth, her ethereal beauty a striking contrast against the fog.

Fans ahead immediately raised their cameras, snapping photos while exclaiming how stunning she looked.

Qi Puzhi stepped out after her, and Jiang Tian turned to offer a steadying hand.

“Thank you.” Qi Puzhi took her arm as she descended, smiling gently.

The woman’s flawless beauty, softened by that tender smile, made even the biting cold feel like a spring breeze.

A polite, courteous exchange, yet it instantly stirred up excitement among the fans.

“Ahhh!” A CP fan couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Get married already!”

By the car, the two women were stunningly beautiful and perfectly matched, their gazes intertwined with lingering smiles. Who wouldn’t want to ship them upon seeing this?

The CP fan couldn’t help but chant under her breath, “Oh my god, who wouldn’t ship this?!”

The Jiang Tian solo stan next to her, annoyed by the constant muttering, turned her head and said expressionlessly, “I don’t ship it.”

The CP fan met her gaze and realized it might be inappropriate to say such things so loudly in front of the actual person involved.

She hunched her shoulders slightly and mumbled guiltily, “You guys really don’t know how to enjoy things.”

The filming set had strict rules fans weren’t allowed inside, and indoor scenes couldn’t be observed from afar.

In the dead of winter, they had arrived early in the morning, and the biting wind was especially harsh.

In the end, the Jiang Tian solo stan was shivering so much that she reluctantly and indignantly, wrapped herself in the CP-themed scarf the fan kindly offered.

The scarf bore the names of Jiang Tian and Qi Rongzhi, with a big heart in the middle.

Seizing the opportunity, the CP fan added, “You have to admit, this scarf actually suits you.”

Jiang Tian solo stan: “So mad, but so warm.”

The first half of this chapter actually has a BGM: Let the Light In by Lana Del Rey ft. Father John Misty.