After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 61

Qi Ke did not wait for the financial scandal of Puxing Entertainment, nor did he hear news of its plummeting stock prices.

Instead, he heard that three members of the Qi family had been summoned to the police station one after another.

Embezzlement, sexual harassment, and harm different charges, all with solid evidence.

A bad premonition rose in his heart, and he lashed out in a fit of rage at home.

Just as he was about to leave for the police station, he saw Zhang Yi stumbling through the Qi family’s front gate, his face bruised and battered, his eyes bloodshot as he flailed about like a madman.

“What’s wrong with you?” Qi Ke frowned. “You look insane.”

After Qi Puzhi and her group left last night, Zhang Yi had been left behind in the private room.

Still convinced he had been poisoned, even though he hadn’t died after hours of waiting, the sensations of rapid breathing, heart palpitations, and surging blood refused to fade, leaving him in a state of terrified delirium.

By now, the poison should have spread through his bloodstream, beyond saving.

Staggering and disoriented, he made his way to the parking lot but got into the wrong car.

Seeing three men in the backseat, he mistakenly believed this was another one of Qi Puzhi’s schemes to torment him. In a frenzy, he struggled and tried to fight them.

The drunken men, provoked for no reason, directly. then beat him savagely before tossing him like trash into a corner of the parking lot piled with garbage.

He lay there like a corpse all night, only to wake up and realize he was still alive. It was then that it dawned on him, Qi Puzhi had never poisoned him at all. She had just been messing with him.

But it was too late. His own mind had already destroyed him.

Qi Ke had no time to deal with him, nor did he care enough to ask further. As he turned toward his car, his vision suddenly blurred, and a sharp pain exploded at the back of his head, sending him crashing to his knees,

The bastard, now a raving lunatic, had struck him with a shovel from the garden.

“Why can’t I take the Qi name.” Zhang Yi slurred, his eyes blood-red as he raised the shovel high again.

Seeing Zhang Yi about to strike once more, Qi Ke screamed for help, rolling away in panic and clutching at his legs, the pain nearly making him pass out.

“Ah” In the midst of his agonized cry, Zhang Yi brought the shovel down hard between his legs, leaving a bloody mess.

Trembling, Qi Ke reached down with shaking hands to confirm it was gone.

The entertainment industry always had its share of scandals, big or small.

But the recent ones had been particularly explosive. One netizen complained, “I haven’t slept well these past few days, afraid that if I doze off for even a minute, I’ll miss something big.”

If it had been anyone else, it might not have been such a sensation. But the subject of these scandals was Qi Puzhi, a triple-crown actress with immense national recognition, hailed as the shining light of the domestic film industry.

Whether people followed the entertainment scene or not, everyone knew Qi Puzhi as a debauched playboy, indulging in pleasures both inside and outside the industry, with no regard for gender or morality.

When rumors first surfaced that her notorious reputation had been fabricated, that she had never actually engaged in such behavior, people laughed.

All those years of scandals. just illusions? Even if everything else was fake, this claim couldn’t possibly be true.

Aside from Qi Puzhi’s fans, no one was moved.

But when Qi Puzhi’s studio released a detailed compilation of evidence, some netizens began to sense something was off.

After a night of deep research, a well-known gossip blogger, one with a solid reputation for accuracy hesitantly posted: It might actually be true.

Still, many remained skeptical. After all, evidence could be fabricated, and years of ingrained impressions were hard to shake. Better to believe the worst than be fooled.

Until Qi Puzhi’s father and half-brother were arrested for attempted murder by deliberate car crash, drug poisoning, malicious defamation, and other charges, public opinion suddenly took a dramatic turn.

This wasn’t just some toothless lawyer’s letter warning, nor was it an emotional but baseless essay.

This was an official criminal case announcement issued by the police.

Just as netizens were shocked that Qi Puzhi had been targeted by her own father in such a way, an insider took to a forum to expose the mess that was the Qi family, detailing the vile actions the Qis had committed against Qi Puzhi and her mother.

For instance, Qi Puzhi’s grandmother, in her obsessive bid to mold her into the family heir, controlled every aspect of her life to a pathological degree. After Qi Puzhi rebelled and entered the entertainment industry, the grandmother went out of her way to sabotage her, trying to clip her wings.

Meanwhile, Qi Puzhi’s father, while currying favor with the grandmother, ruthlessly persecuted Qi Puzhi, yet played the role of a loving father in front of her, his two-faced hypocrisy utterly nauseating.

Reportedly, these were just the tip of the iceberg. And that wasn’t even mentioning how Qi Puzhi’s mother had succumbed to depression and taken her own life.

The insider remained anonymous, offering no proof of identity, yet their account was logically consistent and aligned with much of the evidence released by Qi Puzhi’s studio.

Moreover, they seemed intimately familiar with the Qi family, describing details with striking precision.

With no other gossip to chase, many simply took this as the real deal and began showering Qi Puzhi with sympathy.

What a tragic beauty strong yet suffering.

Some realized with a start: So when I used to call Qi Puzhi promiscuous, I was unwittingly playing right into her father’s hands, becoming a tool of his abuse…

Others chimed in: Exactly. And come to think of it, none of those rumors about Qi Puzhi were ever substantiated. But the moment some gossipmonger said it, everyone believed it. Why is that?

An anonymous but clear-eyed bystander replied: Why else? Human nature’s flaws and society’s misogyny mean people would rather see women dragged through the mud than watch them shine like the moon. That way, they can delude themselves into thinking they have the right to defile them.

Of course, most people weren’t inclined to such introspection. They simply marveled at how dark elite families could be before gleefully rushing off to the next keyboard-warring battleground.

Just as some worried that the Qi family’s wealth might shield its members from prison, the Qi empire suddenly crumbled.

A scandal involving over a dozen lives and the livelihoods of thousands surfaced, sending stocks plummeting.

Years of mismanagement had left the family business hollowed out beneath its glamorous facade, and with the first gust of wind, it toppled like a mountain.

Several people, including Qi Ke and Zhang Yi, were handed additional sentences as a result.

But Zhang Yi never got to enjoy his punishment. Over the years, working under Qi Ke, he had let even a sliver of power expose his rotten core, making plenty of enemies along the way.

A tiger fallen to the plains is prey to dogs, but Zhang Yi wasn’t even a tiger. The moment he fell, everyone rushed to kick him while he was down.

On the day he was summoned to the police station, someone barged in and snipped off that part of him, leaving him howling in agony, bashing his head against the floor.

Rumor had it the snipper did it just right, only fined 200 yuan and detained for ten days.

Qi Puzhi knew none of this.

Every step she took was lawful and justified, yet for the grievances she couldn’t legally avenge, it seemed the universe’s karmic curse had stepped in to settle the score.

Later, Zhang Yi, broken in body and spirit died in misery.

The day Qi Puzhi heard the news, she was working in her office.

After years of patient planning, the moment had finally arrived when forbearance was no longer necessary. Fortunately, every step had gone smoothly.

Once the final task was completed, she would have to catch up on the work she had neglected these past few days.

The heavy burden that had weighed on her heart for years was gradually lifting, finally allowing her some room to breathe.

The sunlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was just right. After signing the document in front of her, Qi Puzhi tilted her head slightly to glance at the young woman on the sofa.

Jiang Tian had already been looking at her. When their eyes met, Jiang blinked lightly, her bright eyes curving into a smile that was breathtakingly beautiful.

This woman had been clinging to her every day lately, finding excuses to visit her office whether there was business or not.

As a top celebrity, she shouldn’t have been so free recently.

Understanding that Jiang had likely made some sacrifices to accompany her, Qi Puzhi had earnestly told her it wasn’t necessary.

“No sacrifices,” Jiang Tian had declared firmly. “Don’t overthink it. I just want to see you.”

There was really no way to argue with her.

“Tired?” Seeing that Qi Puzhi seemed to have finished signing the documents, Jiang Tian got up and walked over, massaging her shoulders and neck.

Before Qi Puzhi could respond, her phone rang.

Both she and Jiang Tian heard the news of Zhang Yi’s death.

Qi Puzhi didn’t show any particular joy, merely responding with a faint acknowledgment.

A trace of weariness flickered across her features.

Over the past few days, those people had met their deserved fates one after another. But for any victim, this was only a small measure of solace.

Like tape that had been stuck for years, peeling it off would always leave behind traces.

Far from cathartic.

Seeing Qi Puzhi lower her gaze and remain silent for a long time, Jiang Tian’s heart ached in shared sorrow.

She bent down, picked Qi Puzhi up, sat herself in the office chair, and settled Qi Puzhi in her lap, enveloping her completely.

Instinctively, Qi Puzhi wrapped her arms around Jiang’s neck and leaned lazily against her.

Since the night of the private room conversation with Zhang Yi, Qi Puzhi had shed some of her pretenses around Jiang Tian, allowing herself more freedom to reveal negative emotions and relax.

Nestled in the crook of Jiang’s neck, the young woman’s crisp, clean scent eased some of the heaviness in her heart.

After a moment, she let out a soft sigh and quietly answered Jiang’s question from several minutes earlier: “I’m a little tired inside.” Her voice was pitiful and carried a hint of dependence.

Jiang Tian’s heart melted with tenderness. She leaned down to kiss Qi Puzhi’s chin.

Gently tucking Qi Puzhi’s loose hair behind her ear, she said slowly, “Then let me take you away, okay?”

Qi Puzhi looked up at her curiously. “Away to where?”

Jiang Tian picked up her phone from the desk, tapped on something, and scrolled through it. “You have a business trip to the U.S. next week, and I happen to have work there too. If you can spare a day after your meetings, I’d like to show you around.”

Qi Puzhi knew Jiang Tian had grown up in the U.S., and the place she lived happened to be in the same state as her business trip destination.

So, “showing her around” here would undoubtedly be more interesting than an ordinary tour.

Feeling a spark of anticipation, she reached for her own phone to check her upcoming schedule.

Jiang Tian, still holding her from behind, rested her head on Qi Puzhi’s shoulder, intending to review the schedule together.

But unexpectedly, the moment the phone unlocked, it opened directly to Qi Puzhi’s chat with Zhang Hua.

There, the ever-inquisitive Teacher Qi had written: Do you have that kind of video? Not as wild as the last one.

The resource-rich Zhang Hua declared: “Come on, I’ve got 1TB of resources, everything you could want. Looking for something aesthetic? Describe the scenes.”

Qi Puzhi abruptly turned off her phone, meeting Jiang Tian’s meaningful gaze reflected in the black screen.

She flipped the phone face down, her ears burning, lips parting slightly as if to say something.

“Bathroom, sofa, floor-to-ceiling windows, swimming pool, office. So these are the scenes you like, sister?”

The young woman’s photographic memory felt particularly unhelpful at this moment.

She gently nibbled on Qi Puzhi’s desperately flushed ear, leisurely reciting the reply Qi had sent to Zhang Hua.

“…” Qi Puzhi shivered at the bite, murmuring in self-defense, “I just randomly thought of a few.”

“Sister has quite the imagination.” The cool voice carried a knowing smile. “The last scene happens to be achievable right now.”

Qi Puzhi looked at the bright, elegant office before her with its pristine floor-to-ceiling windows, unable to stop herself from biting her lower lip.

This was where she worked, received guests, sometimes held meetings, where she did all manner of proper and respectable things.

Coincidentally, her phone vibrated just then.

Clutching at this lifeline, Qi Puzhi opened her phone, hoping it was work-related so she could escape.

Instead, it was Zhang Hua:

[I’ve got just what you’re looking for [smug]]

[[Office Passion Play.mp4][Luxury Rooftop Pool XXX.mp4]

Qi Puzhi’s hand trembled.

Jiang Tian swiftly rescued the teetering phone from her grasp, her fair fingertip hovering perilously close to the screen over [Office Passion Play.mp4], neither touching nor withdrawing.

Qi Puzhi’s thick lashes fluttered nervously as she watched the dangerous proximity between that fingertip and the screen, when she heard the woman beneath her whisper: “Whatever they do in there, we’ll do too.”

The young woman’s lips brushed against her soft, crimson ear as she murmured, low and coaxing:

“Dare you, sister?”

I’d call this blind-box style intimacy

Qi Puzhi: You’d better have picked something decent (smile)

Zhang Hua: (sudden chill down the spine)