After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 63

When Qi Puzhi woke up, night had already fallen outside the window, and she had no idea what time it was.

She couldn’t even remember when she had fallen asleep.

With difficulty, she turned over in the soft embrace, and the movement instantly made her acutely aware of the soreness in her waist and legs.

“Awake?”

Jiang Tian reached out to massage her waist, easing the stiffness with just the right amount of pressure.

“Mmm.” Qi Puzhi hooked her arms around Jiang Tian’s neck, lazily half-closing her eyes as she enjoyed the moment.

Then, remembering something, she murmured, “Don’t bother, your hands must be tired too.”

The younger woman’s voice was clear and smooth, betraying no trace of exhaustion: “I’m not tired. If you hadn’t passed out halfway, we could’ve kept going.”

Suddenly realizing how she had fallen asleep, Qi Puzhi’s drowsy eyes snapped open.

This woman had been utterly shameless this afternoon.

Yet the culprit showed no remorse whatsoever, instead pulling her closer, their soft skin pressing together as she sighed contentedly: “Just holding you like this makes me so happy.”

Qi Puzhi let out a faint, amused hum. “Oh, really?”

After the fact, she claimed mere hugs were enough, but in the moment, she had been like a ravenous wolf, insatiable, leaving Qi Puzhi’s bones nearly shattered.

Jiang Tian nuzzled against her ear, docile as a tail-wagging puppy, and with utmost sincerity, replied, “Mhm.”

Qi Puzhi hated how weak she was.

She knew full well the true nature of this little wolf cub, yet she still fell for the act, the way Jiang Tian misbehaved and then pretended to be sweet.

Always softening too quickly. Always feeling her heart flutter. It was truly infuriating.

But since the woman was hers anyway, Qi Puzhi decided not to dwell on it. Propping herself up slightly with the blanket, she sighed casually, “I want to shower.”

Jiang Tian had likely cleaned her up, but given the circumstances, a proper shower hadn’t been possible, leaving her skin still feeling slightly sticky.

She meant they should hurry home to wash up, but Jiang Tian suggested, “Want to come with me to the 17th floor? There’s a shower room there.”

The 17th floor of Puxing Entertainment was largely reserved for Feng Hua, Jiang Tian’s idol group.

It housed practice rooms, showers, and Jiang Tian’s personal studio.

To avoid disrupting their work, Qi Puzhi rarely visited, so she wasn’t very familiar with the layout.

It was nearly 10 p.m., so most people would have left by now. After a brief consideration, Qi Puzhi agreed.

She dressed in the clothes Jiang Tian handed her.

Drawing from past experiences, she first steadied herself on the edge of the bed before subtly bracing a hand against the wall.

She quietly hissed in pain.

The afternoon had been far too intense, with too many creative positions her back, waist, and legs no longer felt like her own.

Jiang Tian, knowing her pride, didn’t call her out. Instead, she clingily reached for Qi Puzhi’s hand, offering silent support.

They walked slowly, both understanding the unspoken reason.

Just as Qi Puzhi belatedly realized how bold it was to walk through the company so intimately, they turned a corner and ran straight into He Jing.

Reacting swiftly, Qi Puzhi released Jiang Tian’s hand and leaned casually against the wall, as if it were nothing.

Teacher Qi quickly composed herself, her smile poised and dignified.

As a long-time fan who had recently learned about the slander and persecution Qi Puzhi had endured, He Jing had been tearful for days.

Her motherly heart ached over and over for Qi Puzhi.

Now, seeing her in person, He Jing’s emotions were entirely focused on Qi Puzhi, and she didn’t even notice their previously intertwined fingers.

Overwhelmed, He Jing’s eyes reddened. “Teacher Qi, I’ll always support you!!”

She didn’t miss Qi Puzhi’s sudden lean against the wall, and her heart ached even more.

Teacher Qi had endured so much, years of hardship before finally overcoming her adversary, and even now, she worked herself to exhaustion, so tired she had to brace herself against the wall while walking.

Recalling recent news reports of people dying suddenly from overwork, He Jing was genuinely worried.

Unable to hold back, she nagged, “Teacher Qi, please take care of your health and get more rest. Working too late will take a toll on your body.”

Qi Puzhi looked at the sincere concern in the eyes of this junior and fan of hers, unsure whether she felt more touched or guilty.

Teacher Qi had indeed been busy all afternoon, and her body was indeed struggling to keep up.

But the nature of that busyness was far from what He Jing imagined.

Not wanting to dismiss He Jing’s kindness, Qi Puzhi nodded solemnly, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself.”

As she spoke, she secretly pinched someone’s waist.

Jiang Tian endured it without a change in expression, glancing up at the ceiling to avoid accidentally letting her amusement show.

He Jing turned back every few steps, reluctant as she watched her idol walk away with slightly unnatural steps alongside her teammate.

Something felt off.

But she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, so she decided not to dwell on it for now.

Perhaps due to Qi Puzhi’s recent dramatic shift in public perception, Cross-Dating, already a highly popular show, broke viewership records with its latest episode.

Coincidentally, this episode featured the heartwarming conclusion of Ye Su and Pei Ying overcoming hardships to spend the rest of their lives together in happiness…

And it also showcased an exquisitely filmed love scene between the current top idol and the triple-crown actress.

The hashtag [Qi Puzhi Jiang Tian Love Scene] surged through the trending charts, dominating the top spot for days with an overwhelming lead in popularity.

Though the scene was shot with poetic subtlety, some viewers remarked that with two women who could easily be called the most stunning faces in the entertainment industry, bold details were unnecessary.

Just their gazes, their interlaced fingers, the light brush of their lips, it was enough to ignite imaginations of passionate, romantic entanglement.

And yet, the microfilm offered far more than that.

The discussion around Light and Shadow even began to surpass the hype for Cross-Dating itself.

One particularly sharp and unconventional question raised by CP fans was:

Since Light and Shadow’s script was written by Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian themselves, did the dynamics of their love scene reflect their real-life relationship?

The debate over who was the “top” in the Jiang-Qi pairing had long been a hot topic in CP circles.

One was a captivating, dominant beauty who flitted freely through admirers, while the other was a cool, aloof, and younger Bking type, either could plausibly take the lead.

Initially, fans were almost evenly split on the issue.

But after watching Light and Shadow, the consensus became overwhelmingly one-sided,

Just look at Teacher Qi’s pitifully flushed eyes, her innocent yet alluring expression. And then there was Jiang Tian’s tender yet commanding advance, like a restrained young wolf.

Too natural. Too practiced.

The debate was settled with a resounding verdict: Teacher Qi was a born bottom.

Especially in the behind-the-scenes footage released by the show, where the two watched the playback together after filming, Qi Puzhi’s reddened ears and the way she subtly tugged at Jiang Tian’s sleeve were highlighted in the edit.

Fans couldn’t help but exclaim: For heaven’s sake, if Qi Puzhi had appeared on a variety show even once before, would so many people have misunderstood her as a heartless playgirl? She’s such a sweetheart!

After this episode of Cross-Dating aired, Jiang-Qi shippers had been riding high, their confidence unshakable.

But suddenly, they grew afraid.

If the food in your own house was too delicious, if the sugar was too plentiful, perhaps that was a terrifyingly blissful thing.

However, if there’s too much, so much that it feels overwhelmingly real, even the most devoted shippers can start to feel uneasy.

For instance, it began with paparazzi snapping photos of Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian leaving Puxing Entertainment late at night together, with Qi Puzhi wearing Jiang Tian’s clothes.

Then, someone revealed that the limited-edition watch on Jiang Tian’s wrist, one of only two in the world was bought by Qi Puzhi in a lavish splurge.

Later, there were more photos, this time of Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian seemingly vacationing together in the U.S.

In private chat groups, shippers whispered to each other, Oh my god, could they actually be real?

And that night, He Jing accidentally stumbled into the ship’s supertopic and had a sudden epiphany in the dead of night.

Perhaps Qi-sensei leaning against the wall while walking late at the company wasn’t due to exhaustion from work.

It might, just maybe, have been from another kind of exertion.