After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 50

On the night the second episode of “Cross-Dating” aired, Qi Puzhi finished discussing the collaboration with Jiang Tian’s father.

“You’re quite generous.”

At the dinner table earlier, after hearing her terms, Jiang’s father remained silent for a long while before speaking. After a pause, he looked at her and said in a low voice, “I don’t like taking advantage of others. Collaboration is about equivalent exchange. You’re offering too much. I know what it means. After you’ve sorted out your affairs and reputation, I’ll consider whether to accept that part on Jiang Tian’s behalf.”

He didn’t accept it outright, but he didn’t completely reject it either.

The attitude of Jiang Tian’s parents toward her was far more lenient than Qi Puzhi had imagined.

Qi Puzhi sighed inwardly. There was no need to guess how much effort Jiang Tian had put into this.

She walked out of the private room with Jiang’s father. As they passed the front desk, she noticed the large screen in the lobby playing “Cross-Dating.”

As luck would have it, it was the scene where Ye Su and Pei Ying kissed.

“…” Jiang’s father glanced at it, his expression darkening as if he were holding back a stifled breath.

Feeling awkward inside, Qi Puzhi maintained her composure on the surface, pretending not to notice. She calmly rode the elevator with him to the parking lot and bid him farewell.

Once in her car, she opened Weibo and, unsurprisingly, saw her name and Jiang Tian’s at the top of the hot search list.

Qi Puzhi stared at the trending topic for a while without clicking on it.

“Qi Puzhi Acts Coquettishly on Set, Demanding Jiang Tian to Comfort Her”

Her gaze fixed on the word “coquettishly.” Even though Teacher Qi had weathered many storms in the industry over the years, her chest tightened, and her cheeks flushed with heat at that moment.

She closed her eyes, mustered her courage, and clicked on the link, watching the so-called “acting coquettishly and demanding comfort” video clip.

It was from the end of their last shoot, when she had been too immersed in the scene to snap out of it and asked Jiang Tian to hold her again.

Qi Puzhi thought she had spoken very softly at the time, never expecting the on-set microphone to capture her voice so clearly.

And because her voice had been choked with tears, it truly sounded exceptionally coquettish, utterly pitiful and enticing.

The comments section was in an uproar:

“Help! What is our usually irresistible Teacher Qi doing… She’s killing me with cuteness!”

“Wuwuwu, Jiang Tian, she wants you to hold her”

“Jiang Tian is so doting, immediately hugging her tightly and gently patting her head.”

“Teacher Qi is like a little bunny begging to be petted. And Jiang Tian isn’t acting aloof at all. What’s with this out-of-character behavior?”

“To the comment above, maybe it’s not out-of-character. Perhaps this is how they are in private.”

Seeing so many comments expressing surprise at how cute Teacher Qi could be, Qi Puzhi hesitated for a moment before deciding to make an effort to salvage her image.

Using a burner account, she replied:

“Maybe she just hadn’t snapped out of the scene yet.”

Soon, she received numerous replies.

Qi Puzhi was prepared for a flood of backlash or sudden realizations from netizens.

But instead, the comments took an entirely unexpected turn, replying to her in a unified formation:

“Hold me again”

The perfectly aligned comments, complete with smug tildes, were visually striking.

Qi Puzhi: “…”

Fine. She logged out.

Of course, there were plenty of other voices in the comments section as well.

For instance: “Variety shows all have scripts. Just enjoy the fun, but don’t think a ‘bad woman’ can be whitewashed into an innocent little bunny.”

“Is this how Qi Puzhi usually acts to lure in younger people? All I can say is, Jiang Tian is in danger.”

The second episode was divided into two parts: one consisted of behind-the-scenes footage from the filming period, and the other was the edited first half of “Light and Shadow.”

Many had come expecting to laugh at the spectacle of an idol trying her hand at acting, only to be stunned by Jiang Tian’s unexpectedly natural and vivid acting skills.

Even the die-hard fans of Qi Puzhi, who had already prepared mocking posts about Jiang Tian being completely overshadowed by Qi Puzhi’s acting, were momentarily silenced.

Was this really the performance level of a newly debuted idol? She acted as if she were Ye Su herself, with every movement feeling completely natural and seamless.

With both female leads delivering outstanding performances, more viewers were able to immerse themselves in appreciating the plot and the finer details of the visuals.

In that poignant era, there was the hand that reached out only to let go in front of the dilapidated building, the tender kiss and tears by the bedside, the courage to plan an escape together, only to have the beautiful dream shattered the very next day.

The episode ended precisely at the point where Pei Ying and Ye Su parted ways, leaving many fans in tears.

[Wuwuwu, please don’t tell me it’s a tragic ending! I’m going to send the screenwriter a box of knives!]

[Hey, upstairs, have you forgotten? The screenwriters are Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian themselves.]

[I’m so heartbroken. Can Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian just get married in real life to comfort me?]

Fresh from performing at a certain TV station’s anniversary celebration, Jiang Tian changed her clothes and prepared to head to the hotel booked for “Cross-Date.”

He Jing, aware of her schedule and recalling the incident when Qi Puzhi had mistakenly answered her call that morning, couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s so nice that you and Teacher Qi have become such good friends after joining the variety show.”

And intimate friends who even shared a bed.

As a long-time fan of Qi Puzhi, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity and asked Jiang Tian, “Close friends always share secrets before bed. Does Teacher Qi ever talk to you about her love life?”

She was referring to intimate details like how skilled her exes were in bed or why they broke up.

With someone like Teacher Qi, who seemed to have had countless exes, it felt like they could talk all night.

Seeing Jiang Tian hesitate, He Jing realized she might not be comfortable sharing, but then she heard Jiang Tian softly say, “Mm.”

Since they were essentially “dating” before bed, it could be considered “sharing about love.”

He Jing was slightly taken aback, noticing that Jiang Tian’s usually aloof expression had softened after that “Mm.”

She opened her mouth, thinking that even someone as seemingly detached from worldly affairs as Jiang Tian enjoyed hearing gossip from her girlfriends.

Qi Puzhi had been too busy recently to ride to the hotel with Jiang Tian and didn’t arrive until 11 p.m.

As soon as she entered the room, Jiang Tian rushed to greet her like an eager puppy. Qi Puzhi gently pushed her away and whispered, “Let me take a shower first. I reek of alcohol.”

Jiang Tian studied her, noticing her flushed cheeks, and couldn’t help but ask, “Did you drink a lot, sister?”

She had been negotiating a crucial collaboration that evening, and amid the toxic drinking culture, she had no choice but to drink more than usual.

Feeling dizzy and heavy-headed, Qi Puzhi didn’t answer her question and instead repeated softly, “I’m going to shower.”

As Qi Puzhi set down her suitcase and made to enter the bathroom, Jiang Tian helplessly pulled her back, both amused and concerned, reminding her, “Sister, you haven’t even grabbed your change of clothes yet.”

Qi Puzhi stood still, staring blankly at her for a moment, then silently went to her suitcase to get her clothes.

Jiang Tian prepared the bathwater for her. When she came out, she found Qi Puzhi crouched motionless in front of her suitcase, not holding a single piece of clothing.

Her figure looked utterly pitiful.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly walked over, crouching beside Qi Puzhi as she asked with concern, “What’s wrong, sister?”

Only when she saw Qi Puzhi’s face did she realize it was full of gloominess.

Having never seen Qi Puzhi wear such an expression before, Jiang Tian froze for a moment before simply scooping her up into a horizontal carry.

She sat on the bed, settling Qi Puzhi on her lap.

Jiang Tian looked up at the woman’s flushed face, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze as she coaxed softly, “Can you tell me what’s bothering you?”

After a long moment of locked gazes, Qi Bule finally spoke: “You won’t let me take a bath.”

Her voice was soft and pitiful, the end of her words trailing off.

Then, a mist gradually gathered in her eyes, eventually forming glistening teardrops that trickled down from her crimson-tinged outer corners.

So it was just the nonsensical, adorable fussing of a drunk.

Jiang Tian gazed at her, looking utterly wronged, and initially thought to defend herself with, “I was just running your bathwater.”

But she couldn’t hold back.

Her eyes darkened, her breathing grew heavy, and with one hand cupping the back of Qi Puzhi’s neck, she leaned in and kissed her directly in that upturned position.

Qi Puzhi, who had been pitifully shedding tears while waiting for Jiang Tian’s explanation, was caught completely off guard by the kiss.

Before she could react, her lips and tongue were already being gently but wantonly explored.

For a moment, she even forgot to cry.

Already weak and limp, she was soon pressed against the bed, kissed into a daze, her grievances vanishing without a trace.

The pitiful look on her face had transformed into a different kind of pitiful.

In the heated atmosphere, Qi Puzhi felt a subtle touch and, even drunk, couldn’t forget her slight obsession with cleanliness: “I haven’t bathed yet”

Oh no.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Tian had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, after that subconscious murmur, Qi Puzhi inadvertently recalled why she had been upset earlier.

So, grabbing Jiang Tian’s hand, she abruptly reverted to Qi Bule, choking back sobs as she accused in frustration, “Not only won’t you let me bathe, but you won’t apologize either, and you’re touching me all over.”

The utterly wicked Jiang Tian showed no remorse, gazing intently at her, knowing that this scene would vanish completely once Qi Puzhi sobered up.

Qi Bule was truly hard to please.

Touching her made her angry, but if Jiang Tian obediently stopped, she’d get angry too, looking as aggrieved as if she’d met a heartless scoundrel.

Finally satisfied, it seemed some of the drunkenness had dissipated along with it. Lost in a daze, she stopped crying and fussing.

Jiang Tian’s eyes were also tinged with a lovestruck red as she lowered her head to kiss the corner of Qi Puzhi’s lips, sighing helplessly, “You’re satisfied now.”

Lately, it had been because there wasn’t time to bathe, leaving her to make do through clothing every time.

She’d never heard of a “top” having it this rough.

She held and soothed her for a while, and once Qi Puzhi seemed to be gradually calming down and no longer upset, Jiang Tian got up to run the bathwater for her again in the bathroom.

She even fetched her clothes and helped her into the bathroom a full-service package.

While waiting for Qi Puzhi to finish her bath, Jiang Tian sat on the spot that had just been filled with fervent heat and suddenly felt a stir in her heart.

She realized that Qi Puzhi’s earlier grievances might not have been just drunken fussiness.

Lately, Qi Puzhi had been rushing around every day, and Jiang Tian knew she was about to confront her family.

Even though she hadn’t had much contact with Qi Puzhi growing up, just from watching from afar, she could sense that the Qi family had likely hurt Qi Puzhi deeply.

Tonight’s grievances might have stemmed from emotions long suppressed deep within her heart, unconsciously released while intoxicated in the presence of someone who loved her wholeheartedly.

Jiang Tian pondered this until her chest ached with sorrow, and it took her a long while to realize that Qi Puzhi had been in the bathroom for far too long.

“Sister?” she called out tentatively outside the bathroom, worried that something might have happened to Qi Puzhi.

After a moment, Qi Puzhi responded vaguely.

Relieved, Jiang Tian asked, “Haven’t you finished yet?”

She checked the time, it had already been an hour. Usually, Qi Puzhi would be out in half an hour.

Having sobered up after her bath, Qi Puzhi bit her lip and unconsciously scratched the white tiles on the bathroom wall, trying to speak calmly to the person outside the door, “Could you go to sleep first?”

Jiang Tian: “…”

Her brow arched slightly, knowing the woman had sobered up and was now feeling awkward.

“No,” Jiang Tian replied in a sweet tone, though her words were merciless. “I can’t fall asleep alone.”

Qi Puzhi: Solemnly declare, Qi Bu Le is not me. Thank you.