After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 47

Qi Puzhi knew exactly whether it was Jiang Tian who was annoying or her period that was the real nuisance.

But she didn’t say it.

From Jiang Tian’s expression, it was clear that even if she didn’t say it, Jiang Tian already knew.

Pretending not to notice the teasing glint in Jiang Tian’s eyes, Qi Puzhi took her hand and led her toward the bedroom. “Alright, time to rest.”

She hadn’t overlooked the fatigue Jiang Tian was trying to hide.

As a top idol, Jiang Tian was currently at the peak of her career, with a packed schedule that left little room to catch her breath.

Qi Puzhi herself had once gone through a long period of working relentlessly, so she understood the feeling all too well.

Jiang Tian was genuinely exhausted and didn’t try to tough it out. She had already freshened up before coming over, so after taking off her outer clothes, she was in her sleepwear.

Watching the young woman pull back the covers and slip into bed, settling directly into the spot Qi Puzhi usually slept in, even nuzzling the blanket and sighing contentedly, “It smells like you, sis,” Qi Puzhi felt a subtle sense of her personal space being invaded.

The thing was, she didn’t dislike it. Instead, her heart felt a little fuller.

With the only pillow on the bed now occupied, Qi Puzhi said, “I’ll go get a pillow from the guest room.”

Just as she was about to leave, Jiang Tian reached out and grabbed her hand. Her eyes, hazy with sleep, looked pitiful as she asked, “Aren’t we going to cuddle tonight?”

After all, they had always shared a pillow when sleeping together before.

Qi Puzhi blinked slowly. “Alright.”

An embrace was so simple and pure, effortlessly bringing a joy that could heal everything.

With the soft, fragrant warmth in her arms, Jiang Tian murmured drowsily before falling asleep, “Just thinking about being able to hold you like this often. makes me feel so much more passionate about life.”

Her tired voice was low and unhurried, lingering softly by Qi Puzhi’s ear.

The chill that had settled in Qi Puzhi’s heart ever since her father called earlier that evening, demanding she attend his birthday banquet, seemed to warm just a little.

As Qi Puzhi gently stroked Jiang Tian’s long, wavy hair, she heard herself ask, “If one day you discover that I’m actually not a good person, would you still feel that same passion for life from such a simple embrace?”

Her voice was so soft and faint that, given how drowsy Jiang Tian was, she should have already fallen asleep and not heard Qi Puzhi’s murmured question.

Yet, after a moment, the young woman’s voice sounded by her ear.

She didn’t say things like, “Qi Puzhi couldn’t be a bad person,” or “I believe you’re a good person, sis.”

Instead, she said, “If Qi Puzhi is a bad woman, then I’ll just like bad women.”

Qi Puzhi had also been busy lately and was somewhat sleep-deprived. Unfortunately, her phone rang incessantly early the next morning.

Frowning slightly in her sleep, she reached her arm from around Jiang Tian’s neck and grabbed the phone from beside the pillow.

“What is it?”

The woman’s slightly hoarse, still-sleepy voice on the other end of the line made He Jing swallow the flood of words she had been about to say.

As a longtime fan, she immediately recognized Qi Puzhi’s voice.

Glancing at her phone screen, she confirmed she had dialed Jiang Tian’s number, not Teacher Qi’s.

He Jing blinked in confusion and stammered, “Tea Teacher Qi, are you with Jiang Tian.?” In a meeting?

Before she could finish her question, she heard rustling sounds from the other end, like the shifting of blankets and sheets, followed by her usually aloof teammate Jiang Tian softly calling out, “Sis.”

He Jing’s lips trembled slightly.

She felt she had stumbled upon something monumental.

A moment later, she heard Qi Puzhi say, “Sorry, I picked up the wrong phone.”

Her voice was clear and smooth, as if she had fully woken up.

Then Jiang Tian took the phone and calmly chatted with her.

The two were so composed and at ease that He Jing began to feel it was her own mindset that was problematic. Good friends shouldn’t be hastily misunderstood and labeled as lovers.

Reflecting on this, she felt a bit ashamed and put away her phone, unaware that on the other end of the line, the two were entangled, clinging to each other as they slept in until noon.

After lunch, while tidying up with Qi Puzhi, Jiang Tian asked, “What’s on your schedule today, sis?”

Qi Puzhi paused her movements, leisurely lifting her gaze to meet Jiang Tian’s. “Are you starting to check up on me now?”

The agreement stipulated that Jiang Tian couldn’t inquire about her arrangements.

Jiang Tian’s lips moved slightly before she replied, “No. It’s just that I’ve felt you’ve had something on your mind since last night, and I’m worried you might be facing some issues.”

She also sensed that Qi Puzhi’s earlier remark wasn’t meant to remind her of the agreement but to divert the conversation.

Qi Puzhi was somewhat surprised by her keen perception.

Under the young woman’s concerned gaze, she remained silent for a moment before speaking frankly, “Today’s plan is to go home and watch a good show.”

She said it lightly, her expression as composed as ever.

Jiang Tian stared at her, hesitating to speak further. As always when the Qi family was mentioned, she restrained the urge to probe deeper, showing her usual thoughtfulness.

In the end, she only said softly, “Don’t let them bully you, sis.”

Qi Puzhi curved her lips into a charming smile. “It’s been years since anyone bullied me, sis.”

Those people were nothing but clowns putting on a show, hardly even worth calling “bullying.”

After Jiang Tian left for her schedule, Qi Puzhi reapplied her lipstick, which had been smudged by kisses, in front of the mirror.

The woman in the mirror had delicate makeup, features as picturesque as a painting, and a serene expression.

For a moment, Qi Puzhi seemed to see her own obedient teenage self.

She tugged at the corner of her lips, unsure whether it was mockery or sorrow she felt.

The Qi family villa was built lavishly and imposingly, as if afraid that even a hint of simplicity would make it seem insufficiently wealthy, unworthy of the Qi family’s elite status.

By the time Qi Puzhi arrived, the birthday banquet hadn’t yet begun. She was summoned to the study by Qi Ke.

“I know you dislike those relatives. But it’s been so long since we’ve seen you, and your father genuinely wants to see you.”

Qi Ke, in his fifties, carried himself with an air of refined elegance. He looked at Qi Puzhi with apparent affection, his words tinged with just the right amount of apology.

He was pretending, but Qi Puzhi was even better at it.

After an exchange of affectionate father-daughter pleasantries, Qi Ke finally got to the point.

He began earnestly, “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with the Jiang family’s daughter lately. You know there’s been deep-seated animosity between the Jiang and Qi families for generations. This puts your father in a difficult position.”

“Difficult” was an understatement, the Qi family’s collateral branches had already started using this to challenge his authority, claiming he was unfit to lead the family.

Qi Puzhi hummed in response, as if reflecting on his words.

Seeing her seemingly compliant attitude, Qi Ke pressed further, “Actually, your grandmother’s condition has been worsening lately. Although her will leaves most of the Qi family assets to you, the Qi family is such a large clan, and everyone depends on those resources to survive. If they get nothing, the backlash from their resistance could be significant.”

After years of pretense, he had finally spoken these words today.

Having failed to eliminate her, he was now playing the emotional card.

Qi Puzhi lifted her gaze to meet his, as if considering his words. “Are you suggesting I should distribute the family assets?”

The woman on the sofa appeared serene and obedient, as if frozen in time from over a decade ago. Yet, in the industry, she was known for frequently confronting the media, showing no signs of submissiveness.

Over time, Qi Ke gradually found it hard to discern whether her docility was reserved solely for him, out of attachment to their only familial bond, or if her gentle nature was genuine, and her assertiveness toward the media was merely a facade of bravado.

“I’ll help you,” Qi Ke said with a smile. “I’ll make sure they’re convinced, without causing you too much loss.”

His words sounded so pleasing.

“Is that so?”

Qi Puzhi replied indifferently. Her tone seemed to lean toward agreement, yet she stopped short of outright approval, leaving room for Qi Ke to speculate.

Knowing he couldn’t push too hard all at once, Qi Ke didn’t press further. Instead, he inquired about her recent well-being and casually brought up the car accident.

“The car accident.” Qi Puzhi seemed to shudder at the memory. “I almost died.”

She frowned. “It seemed to be the work of an obsessive, deranged fan.”

This was the conclusion reached during the initial investigation. The clues were logically consistent and interconnected, likely fabricated evidence planted by Qi Ke himself.

As she spoke, Qi Ke couldn’t help but sigh with feigned distress, as if deeply shaken.

Having said enough, Qi Puzhi had no desire to endure his clumsy acting any longer. She glanced up at the clock and reminded him, “The banquet is about to begin.”

Qi Ke nodded, then thought of something. “Did you bring a dance partner? If not, I know some promising young talents.”

“With the demands you’ve placed on me, must you trouble me about dancing too?” Qi Puzhi replied with a resigned smile. “I’d rather not dance.”

On the surface, she was refusing to dance, but her words subtly hinted at her inclination to accept Qi Ke’s earlier proposal.

Delighted inwardly, Qi Ke kept his composure and shook his head with an expression of helpless indulgence, as if dealing with a stubborn daughter, and let her be.

The birthday banquet was well-attended, with many faces familiar to Qi Puzhi.

Holding a glass of red wine, she sat on a corner sofa, as one person after another came to speak with her.

The jovial uncle who smiled warmly, Qi Puzhi already had evidence of his embezzlement.

While exchanging polite pleasantries, she mentally recalled, what had the lawyer said about the possible sentence? Over a decade? Or life imprisonment?

“Can’t remember?” The uncle grinned amiably, continuing the earlier topic. “No rush. My son Chenchen hasn’t graduated yet.”

He was referring to his son’s desire to enter the entertainment industry.

“Yes, no rush.” Qi Puzhi couldn’t recall the exact number of years and decided not to strain her memory.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t remember everything. The perpetually gloomy second uncle, for instance, his crimes would likely land him about twelve years.

The second uncle’s son, around ten years.

She hadn’t taken a single sip of the red wine in her glass. As she swirled it, the deep crimson liquid rippled and surged.

In the opulent hall, everyone was impeccably dressed, dancing entranced in the ballroom as music filled the air.

No one would care about what had once transpired in this hall, or whose unbearable despair this villa represented.

They were even so utterly at ease.

She lowered her gaze, a flicker of world-weariness in her eyes.

These wicked people. had enjoyed their freedom for far too long. It was time for them to face the fate they truly deserved.

By the time the banquet ended, it was nearly eleven, and guests were gradually departing.

Qi Puzhi declined Qi Ke’s offer to stay the night.

Compared to the brilliantly lit Qi family hall, the villa’s courtyard outside felt somewhat desolate.

Under a moonless, gloomy night, the streetlights cast a dim and feeble glow.

Qi Puzhi walked out leisurely with her bag in hand. Having worn a mask all evening, she couldn’t help but feel weary at heart.

As she turned the corner and headed toward where Driver Jiang’s car was parked, a pair of Martin boots came into view.

Looking up, she saw a young woman with her coat slightly open, long hair flowing in the night breeze, gazing at her with a clear and gentle smile.

“You.” Qi Puzhi was slightly taken aback.

No moonlight was needed, the young woman’s eyes were bright enough on their own.

She said, “I’m here to pick you up.”