After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 53

“Cut!”

The shoot was over, but Qi Puzhi’s hand resting on Jiang Tian’s cheek lingered for a moment.

Jiang Tian gazed at her, gently nuzzling into the warm palm, and asked softly, “Do you think they’ll meet again in their next life?”

Her tone was unexpectedly earnest.

Both of them knew well, this was just an improvised script born from their own experiences.

Fictional characters had no next life to speak of.

Qi Puzhi lowered her lashes, an inexplicable emptiness settling in her chest. She murmured, “I hope so”

An unnamed emotion surged in Jiang Tian’s heart, her nose tingling with unshed tears. Unable to resist, she leaned in and kissed her.

But after just a couple of kisses, she suddenly froze,

They were still on set.

Wen Zhi, who had been walking toward them, stopped in her tracks, eyes widening.

Gasps of surprise rippled through the surrounding crew members.

Had they developed real feelings on set?

Jiang Tian reacted swiftly. Pulling away, she deliberately recited her character’s line, “A-Ying…”

The crew sighed in relief, she must still be immersed in the role.

Qi Puzhi blinked, then quickly played along, laughing in a voice just loud enough to be heard, “Since you were so into the scene, I’ll let it slide this time.”

The indulgent tone of a seasoned actress.

Jiang Tian, as if just realizing her mistake, hurriedly apologized, selling the act perfectly.

Wen Zhi arched a brow, curiosity flickering in her eyes, before turning and walking back to her seat.

Jiang Tian and Qi Puzhi reviewed the footage together.

The love scene was shot with a dreamlike, poetic beauty.

The camera captured slender fingers interlaced, pressed against the pillow.

Beads of sweat trailing down skin, disappearing beneath the sheets. Teeth sinking into a delicate, porcelain shoulder.

Tousled, damp hair, flushed cheeks, and teardrops trembling on the edge of long lashes.

A dance of entanglement, of chaos.

It was tasteful, not explicit, yet brimming with raw desire.

Watching it, Qi Puzhi couldn’t help but clutch at Jiang Tian’s sleeve.

She had never filmed anything like this before. Seeing herself in such a state was…

Jiang Tian glanced at the woman’s adorably reddened ears, her gaze darkening.

“Perfect. This scene was nailed in one take,” Wen Zhi remarked casually. “Didn’t expect Xiao Jiang to be so skilled.”

She had initially worried that Jiang Tian, being a newcomer, might need guidance during intimate scenes, requiring multiple takes to adjust her movements and expressions.

Yet Jiang Tian executed it flawlessly, capturing the script’s atmosphere with precision, neither too much nor too little.

The same had happened during their previous kissing scenes.

As if she had plenty of experience.

Wen Zhi had chalked it up to modern youth, maybe 22-year-olds these days were just more experienced in love.

But after this love scene, a strange thought struck her.

Did these two actually have real-life experience together?

Their chemistry was too natural, their immersion too seamless.

The idea made Wen Zhi restless. She glanced over and saw Qi Puzhi still holding onto Jiang Tian’s sleeve, while Jiang Tian stood close behind her, so close her chin nearly rested on Qi Puzhi’s shoulder.

Their proximity was intimate, their beauty perfectly matched.

Wen Zhi silently turned her head away.

With Light and Shadow officially wrapped, the entire production team and cast gathered for a celebratory dinner at a restaurant. The feast lasted until ten at night.

For once, Jiang Tian had no urgent work to rush to, so she hitched a ride in Qi Puzhi’s car home.

Qi Puzhi said, “Let’s drop you off first. Where to?”

Jiang Tian named a residential area.

It was the same neighborhood where Qi Puzhi usually lived.

Qi Puzhi couldn’t quite tell whether Jiang Tian wanted to stay at her place or go back to her own apartment in the neighboring building.

She seemed somewhat concerned about this question but didn’t voice it immediately.

It wasn’t until Driver Jiang dropped them off and drove away that Qi Puzhi casually remarked, as if offhand, “Get some rest early when you get home.”

Jiang Tian replied, “You too, sis.”

So she really was going back to her own place.

Qi Puzhi’s expression remained unchanged, but as she turned away, she pursed her lips slightly and pulled her suitcase toward her own building.

Then, her arm was suddenly grabbed.

“How sad, sis didn’t invite me,” Jiang Tian’s voice came from behind.

“Now I can’t even find an excuse to cling to you.”

Qi Puzhi froze, turning back to look at her. Under the streetlight, the young woman’s faint smile was dazzling.

So, her earlier mention of going home had just been to tease her, having noticed her concern.

Being seen through so easily left Qi Puzhi feeling a little embarrassed.

After a brief silence, she huffed lightly, “Suit yourself.”

Jiang Tian’s smile only deepened.

The way she looked at Qi Puzhi made it seem as though every reaction, every expression of hers was something to savor all of it endearing.

Under such a gaze, anyone would easily grow spoiled or let their guard down.

So, Qi Puzhi later thought, it was somewhat forgivable when she contradicted herself and asked, “So do you want to come to my place?”

Jiang Tian happily followed her home, suitcase in tow.

The moment they stepped inside, Jiang Tian noticed two matching pairs of slippers neatly placed side by side.

Unlike before, when only Qi Puzhi’s slippers were left by the door for convenience, while the other pair was tucked away in the shoe cabinet to avoid dust.

Seeing Jiang Tian eyeing the slippers as if she’d uncovered something, Qi Puzhi felt a twinge of self-consciousness at having her little scheme exposed.

Combined with being called out earlier downstairs, it only added to her fluster.

That fluster, mixed with the lingering effects of the alcohol from the celebratory dinner, made her head spin. Instinctively, her usual flirtatious demeanor surfaced effortlessly.

But before she could spout some bold words, her expression stiffened.

She had already confessed to Jiang Tian, that she was the only one.

“Sis, if you won’t admit you want me to come over often, what smooth-talking excuse were you just about to feed me?”

Jiang Tian had already gently pressed her against the door, noses brushing.

Qi Puzhi was a little annoyed. How was this girl like a mind reader, always seeing right through her?

No way was she letting this little wolf cub get the upper hand. Qi Puzhi quickly plotted her next move.

A few seconds later, she blinked lazily, tilting her head slightly. Her rosy lips parted near Jiang Tian’s ear, her voice laced with a sly smile:

“Even if I invited you over every day, would you have the luxury to enjoy it?”

“…” Jiang Tian thought of her globe-trotting, packed schedule and wilted pitifully.

Seeing the young woman’s earlier teasing dominance dissipate, Qi Puzhi couldn’t help but smirk.

She lightly pinched Jiang Tian’s chin and kissed her lips.

“It’s fine” Her voice was low and alluring between the soft press of their lips. “Sis will spoil you today.”

Fueled by the alcohol, her words were bold and provocative.

Jiang Tian’s breath hitched, her beautiful eyes reddening under the spell.

But Qi Puzhi was all talk and no action.

When Jiang Tian followed up by asking if they should shower together, she blinked, ears reddening, and froze again.

A conflicted expression, both hesitant and aware that refusing would be a self-inflicted embarrassment.

Jiang Tian could tell at a glance that Qi Puzhi had been too caught up in the moment to tease her, with no actual preparation in mind.

Having grown somewhat accustomed to Qi Puzhi’s habit of stirring things up without following through, Jiang Tian decided to kindly remind her this time what it meant to play with fire.

She pressed Qi Puzhi against the door, kissing her fervently, then carried her all the way to the bathroom, effortlessly turning on the bathwater along the way.

Dazed by the kisses, Qi Puzhi only regained some clarity when she heard the running water.

Thinking Jiang Tian was serious, Qi Puzhi tightened her arms around her neck, her heart pounding nervously.

Not just because she was far less bold in bed than her teasing suggested.

Mostly because the only adult film she’d ever watched happened to be set in a bathroom, wild enough to leave an indelible impression on her younger, more innocent self.

She truly wasn’t ready.

Jiang Tian set Qi Puzhi down, seating her on the bathroom counter.

An extremely suggestive position.

The slow unzipping of the jacket was starkly audible in the quiet bathroom as Jiang Tian leisurely helped her out of it.

Glancing down, she saw Qi Puzhi’s lashes trembling, her lower lip bitten pitifully, clearly unprepared yet unwilling to reject her. The sight softened Jiang Tian’s heart while amusing her.

Leaning in, she brushed a light kiss on Qi Puzhi’s forehead, her usually cool voice laced with tenderness. “Go take your bath, sister, before the water gets cold.”

Carrying the jacket, she stepped out but paused before leaving. “I’ll set fresh clothes by the door for you.”

Qi Puzhi stared blankly at the closed bathroom door, taking a moment to collect herself.

Her fingers, braced against the counter, curled slightly as she pressed her lips together, her rapid breaths gradually steadying.

Feeling rather embarrassed for failing to follow through after stirring things up, she silently resolved to expand her film repertoire.

The more respectable and kind.