After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 45.1

Many years later, Pei Ying would still fondly remember those days.

It was her first time falling in love, and she had assumed the emotional walls she’d built over the years would inevitably make her hold back.

Yet, without realizing it, she had thrown herself into love with reckless abandon.

The love Ye Su gave her was sincere, fervent, and pure, like the warm sun of June. It didn’t require effort to seek; its warmth was simply there.

In that warmth, any hesitation or unease was scorched away without a trace.

The theater was packed to the brim, and as the curtains fell amidst cheers and applause, they stole a quiet glance at each other.

In the cramped dressing room, with hurried footsteps passing outside the door, they embraced and kissed.

On the soft bed and couch of their cozy little home, they indulged in the pleasures of the world.

During the quiet moments when the stage was empty, Ye Su would sometimes lead her to the piano and play the melodies she had composed just for her.

Though no longer dressed as lavishly as when she had first run away from home, the simplicity of her clothes did nothing to hide the noble, ethereal aura around her.

Her fingers danced across the black and white keys, each note a devout confession of love to Pei Ying.

The elegant profile of the young woman. The stage lights. The slightly disheathered set after the performance.

Pei Ying gazed at the scene, etching every detail into her heart.

She thought, I hope I remember this even in my next life.

When the song ended, Ye Su tilted her head and asked with a smile, “A-Ying, did you like it?”

Pei Ying blinked lightly and gave a soft “Mm.”

Ye Su reached up to brush away the faint dampness at the corner of her eye. “A-Ying has been crying so much lately.”

Pei Ying bit her lower lip, but before she could speak, the young woman’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. “Though it pains me to see A-Ying’s tears. they really are adorable. Especially at that time exceptionally adorable.”

Pei Ying, mildly annoyed, reached out to cover her mouth.

Ye Su’s warm breath brushed against her palm, and she took the opportunity to press a kiss there.

Then, she gently pulled Pei Ying’s hand down, interlacing their fingers and giving them a playful swing. “We should go home.”

In that voice brimming with tenderness, Pei Ying understood, for the first time so deeply, what home truly meant.

She and Ye Su were still just scraping by in the chaotic little theater of a mixed-up town, diligently saving what little money they could, unsure when life might take a drastic turn or where the future would lead.

Amidst all that uncertainty, their little home had once been and perhaps should have remained, just a temporary shelter to weather the storms.

But now, it was a sanctuary for both body and soul.

Pei Ying’s eyes curved slightly as she repeated, “Let’s go home.”

Ye Su gazed at her, leaned in to kiss the corner of her lips, and murmured, “Why is it that when A-Ying says this, it feels especially heart-stirring?”

Pei Ying smiled, already accustomed to her endless stream of sweet nothings.

Those sweet words lingered all the way home, winding around her heart.

To the warmth of Ye Su pressing her against the door and kissing her.

To the shiver of skin meeting the cool air as clothes slipped halfway off.

And to the tears that swayed gently in her eyes, the ones Ye Su had called exceptionally adorable.

The glow of the lamp flickered in her vision, the chill of the night swirling with scorching heat, sweat trickling over skin in that fevered embrace.

While reading a script once, Pei Ying had come across the phrase “love unto death.”

At the time, she had dismissed it as an exaggerated, pretentious flourish meant to sound profound.

But now, in this breathless, trembling moment, she thought If this is what it means to truly feel alive, then why not call it love unto death?

It’s almost shameful to admit. In over twenty years, she experienced the first fervent blossoming of life in a love she had once scorned.

And Ye Su was the sole participant and witness to this blossoming.

She even savored it with delicate care, treasuring it deep within her heart.

Later, after bathing, she lay on the bed bathed in silvery moonlight, her body clean and refreshed.

Pei Ying heard herself ask greedily, “Ye Su, will you remember me?”

The question was inexplicable, even a mood-killer. It was as if she were saying that despite their current passion, they would inevitably part ways, scattered among the sea of people.

Yet Ye Su seemed to understand.

She found Pei Ying’s hand, held it, and said solemnly, “Even if I were to forget you… I don’t think I’d ever lose the instinct to chase after you.”

Pei Ying gazed at her under the moonlight, smiling more beautifully than the moon itself.

“I believe you,” she said.

The opera house closed every year during the Qingming Festival in early April.

Busy with rehearsals and performances every day, they rarely had five days of leisure.

On the first day, the two of them lazed around in bed all day. By the time Pei Ying’s waist ached and her legs felt weak, she thought it was a bit absurd, they couldn’t keep this up for the remaining days.

Hearing this, Ye Su chuckled as she massaged Pei Ying to ease her soreness, then suggested, “How about we go on a trip?”

“We could go boating, attend a concert, play games at the market, and sample all kinds of local snacks.” Born into privilege, she knew exactly how to enjoy life.

As a rare pianist, the opera house paid her handsomely.

And Pei Ying, as the star performer, also earned a substantial income, having saved quite a bit over the years.

Financially, they were quite well-off, a trip was entirely within their means.

Pei Ying was momentarily stunned.

She had never traveled before. When she fled her home in the south to this small northern city, she had been too unsettled in unfamiliar places to appreciate anything, feeling only the unease of drifting without roots.

But hearing Ye Su describe it, she felt a flicker of longing.

Ye Su noticed her hesitation. With a faint smile, she added fuel to the fire, “Honestly, I don’t mind either way. Even if every day were just like today, I’d be happy. I just don’t know if A-Ying can handle it.”

Pei Ying: “…” Today had been nothing but thatwho could endure it?

She let out a soft hum. “Let’s go.”

Rainbow City wasn’t far from Ebony City.

Though less prosperous, it was breathtakingly beautiful, a rare water town in the north.

During Qingming, a fine drizzle fell from the sky, rippling across the lake in endless circles.

Their small boat drifted leisurely, shrouded in the misty rain, as if lost in the heart of the lake with no destination in sight.

Under the open canopy of the boat, Ye Su and Pei Ying admired the scenery outside.

“Even though the rain is inconvenient, it somehow makes everything more beautiful,” Ye Su mused.

Pei Ying murmured in agreement.

Once, while fleeing, she had crossed a river on a boat in chaos. Back then, the rocking vessel had made her feel as ephemeral as a mayfly.

Now, with her heart at peace, even boating felt like a delightful experience.

These days had been utterly carefree.

During the day, they strolled the streets under a shared oil-paper umbrella, popping into quaint little shops to browse for trinkets and sample Rainbow City’s local delicacies.

At night, they indulged in each other’s embrace at the inn.

The idyllic days seemed endless. But the more beautiful they were, the more an ominous premonition gnawed at Pei Ying’s heart.

Those who have lingered too long in darkness always fear that light is a trap.

On the third evening, they picked out beautiful cheongsams together and scheduled a photoshoot at the studio for the next morning.

On their way back to the hotel, they happened upon a street adorned with lanterns and decorations, where a masquerade ball was being held.