After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 56

It was a scroll.

Unfurling slowly in the night, adorned with the dance of wind, flowers, snow, and moonlight.

Originally, it possessed a sacred and untouchable splendor.

But under the scorching heat, amid the rhythms and undulations of life, the scroll willingly succumbed to the mundane world, luring mortals into a perilous realm of ecstasy.

There, no one could escape.

Jiang Tian had studied the piano since childhood but had never held a paintbrush.

Yet, as if guided by instinct, she quickly grasped the shared mysteries between the two arts.

Beneath her fingers were not the black and white keys but something more vivid and fervent, snow-white and crimson.

Though the scroll had no strings, it trembled faintly under her touch, emitting a long, lingering sigh.

In that moment, the wind, flowers, snow, and moonlight on the scroll surged with that sigh.

The wind blew misty and elusive, causing the delicate flowers to tremble and bloom even more vibrantly.

The snow was delicate, the moon hung high.

With every light step, traces were inevitably left behind.

Though the snowy night was bitterly cold, Jiang Tian felt a warmth coursing through her limbs, almost unbearable.

She needed a place to find relief.

Following a murmuring stream, she finally discovered a winding path that seemed to lead to a secluded dwelling.

Yet she lingered for a while, unable to find the way.

The mistress of the secluded abode had noticed her long ago.

After waiting impatiently for some time, she grew restless, yet the visitor had not arrived.

Glancing up and seeing Jiang Tian’s hesitation, she couldn’t help but feel surprised.

“This isn’t your first time here. Why are you so hesitant?”

Her misty, watery eyes fixed on Jiang Tian, who stood amidst the snow, ethereally beautiful, with lively features that spoke of innate intelligence.

In the past, this person had always been composed and confident, as if the world were her playground, with no place beyond her reach.

Today, however, she seemed uncharacteristically clumsy.

Jiang Tian paused, pursing her lips slightly, her expression still calm and collected. “This is indeed my first time here.”

Seeing the mistress’s disbelief, Jiang Tian continued, “Whether it’s painting or visiting today… it’s all unprecedented.”

“But I clearly invited you that day,” the mistress said, seemingly incredulous, yet trembling slightly at Jiang Tian’s somewhat awkward approach.

In the cold snowy night, Qi Puzhi’s breath came out warm, scorching the corners of Jiang Tian’s eyes until they flushed red.

Though usually composed, Jiang Tian couldn’t help but feel urgency now.

So she asked, “Could you extend the hospitality of a host.”

It was hardly proper for a guest to demand warmth from the host.

Jiang Tian was not ignorant of the ways of the world, but she knew that she was not the only one feeling restless.

“You.” Qi Puzhi looked at this person, thinking that perhaps what she was about to shelter was not the seemingly pure and celestial maiden before her.

Behind that maiden, there was likely a wolf’s tail quietly wagging.

It was very possible that this visitor meant no good.

In such a perilous situation, she should not soften her heart toward someone like this. Sheltering her might only be inviting a wolf into her home.

Yet, standing in the boundless expanse of pure white snow, bathed in the moonlight, the person’s eyes were clear and pure to the extreme.

The faint smile on her face was captivatingly beautiful, cleansing the emptiness and loneliness that had long lingered in Qi Puzhi’s heart.

She thought, no one could refuse this person. And so, her compromise was entirely understandable.

Thus, Qi Puzhi reached out and took Jiang Tian’s hand.

Guiding her to her hidden sanctuary.

She offered warmth, handed her hot tea, and bestowed boundless comfort upon this visitor who had endured the harsh cold.

But soon, Qi Puzhi realized that this was no tale of kindness.

It was yet another story of the farmer and the snake.

Jiang Tian had just warmed up from the cold, her body radiating heat, and now her true nature was revealed.

She occupied her dwelling, greedily devouring everything in her path.

She even attempted to repay kindness with betrayal, seeking to steal her very breath.

Outside, the world was frozen in ice and snow, leaving Qi Puzhi with no escape route.

She was always caught and brought back by Jiang Tian.

She truly couldn’t understand.

Warm tears fell from Qi Puzhi’s flushed eyes as she choked back sobs, accusing and pleading.

She even begged Jiang Tian to let her go.

How could a moment of kindness have led to such a pitiable state?

Her fingers clutched helplessly at the fabric, unable to devise any plan of escape.

It should have been humiliating. It should have been filled with hatred.

But day after day.

Qi Puzhi quietly found herself sinking deeper.

Because outside the window, the snow had cleared, and though the breeze remained chilly, it carried the first hints of warmth.

Jiang Tian was not yet satisfied, but she finally recovered a trace of kindness in her heart and decided to offer some respite to this poor soul who had shown compassion only to meet with misfortune.

She pushed the door open and prepared to leave with a flick of her sleeve.

But the woman’s hand tugged at the hem of her robe.

Jiang Tian turned back and saw the woman’s eyes shimmering with emotion, her lower lip bitten shyly.

“The weather outside is still cold. Could you stay a few more days?”