After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 66

If you were to ask Jiang Tian.

In those brief seconds, was she jealous that millions of people had heard Qi Puzhi call her “wife” for the first time, or was she worried about the closet door being suddenly kicked open?

She would answer neither.

In that moment, she had already forgotten where she was, her mind completely consumed by that term of endearment.

And after Qi Puzhi uttered those two words, she had been eagerly awaiting Jiang Tian’s reaction.

But all she heard was dead silence on the other end of the line.

Assuming the worst, Qi Puzhi thought Jiang Tian was, like last time, moved to tears by her progress in expressing affection.

So Teacher Qi softened even further, deciding to push forward with gentle tenderness, asking, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“…”

The silence persisted, though faint coughs could be heard rising and falling in the background.

Instantly, alarm bells rang in her mind.

Qi Puzhi’s drowsiness vanished in an instant as Jiang Tian’s voice slowly came through clear, soft, and soothing: “It’s nothing. Did you just wake up, Teacher Qi?”

Not only did she acknowledge the term “baby,” but she also subtly reminded Qi Puzhi of the current situation.

In the next five seconds, Qi Puzhi’s mind spiraled into chaos, contemplating everything from the meaning of life to the origins of the universe.

Fortunately, her years in the industry had honed her ability to think on her feet.

A moment later, she responded in a teasing tone, “Hmm, is the show’s popularity high enough now?”

As if she had known all along that this was just the program team’s prank and had deliberately played along with those words.

It seemed logically sound. It seemed like she had salvaged the situation.

But, who would believe that?!

The ever-alluring, enchantingly glamorous Teacher Qi, using such a tender, sweet voice to call someone “wife.”

The usually aloof, cool and collected Bking Jiang Tian, upon hearing those two words, couldn’t hide the sweetness in her eyes, her rarely-seen dimples appearing, and even her ears turning red.

Who would believe they weren’t actually dating?!

The hashtags [#QiPuzhiCallsJiangTianWife] and [#QiPuzhiSaysWhatsWrongBaby] dominated the top of the trending list for three whole days.

Qi Puzhi’s Weibo comments section was subsequently flooded.

Top comment 1: [“Wife”]

Top comment 2: [“What’s wrong, baby?”]

Top comment 3: [“Privately, she indulges in both smoke and alcohol oh wait, no privately, she indulges in both ‘wife’ and ‘baby”]

Qi Puzhi’s film crew had a day off. She had originally planned to catch up on sleep in the morning and then meet Jiang Tian for dinner, with some cuddling and kisses thrown in.

But now, their date had turned into an emergency meeting.

When Zhang Hua sighed for the second time, Qi Puzhi remained unusually silent.

She felt a pang of guilt and unease.

Truthfully, if their relationship were exposed, it wouldn’t affect her much.

Her reputation as a playboy who flirted with anyone regardless of gender had never hindered her thriving career, thanks to her focus on films and running her own company.

Especially now, as acceptance of same-sex relationships grew in the country, with marriage legalization on the horizon.

But Jiang Tian was an idol. From what she knew, this industry, which relied heavily on fan support, strongly frowned upon early romance.

The door to the meeting room opened, and Jiang Tian walked in after finishing her last schedule.

Qi Puzhi met her gaze briefly before looking away somewhat awkwardly.

Then she heard the younger woman say, “Teacher Qi, can you step out with me for a moment?”

In the empty room next door, Qi Puzhi was pressed against the door by Jiang Tian. Before she could speak, a fierce kiss descended upon her.

It drowned out all the tangled thoughts that had been swirling in Qi Puzhi’s heart.

She was kissed until her eyes glistened with moisture when she heard the young woman coaxing in her ear, “What did you call me this morning?”

The next second, pressed against her, her rapid breath hitched as she instinctively murmured softly, “Wife.”

“Hmm.”

Jiang Tian responded in a low voice, her movements unhurried, her tone dripping with tender affection:

“Big sister, those two words sound so sweet coming from you.”

Qi Puzhi gasped lightly, trying to regain a shred of composure, “But”

“Let’s go public, okay?”

The words of apology she was about to utter were abruptly cut off by the young woman’s sudden request.

Qi Puzhi’s heart trembled.

Her hand rested on Jiang Tian’s shoulder as she lowered her gaze to meet hers. Though her voice was unsteady from their current actions, her expression was earnest: “Do you know what that would mean?”

Jiang Tian nodded.

She playfully disrupted the woman’s breathing, tasting her lips with a voice full of amusement:

“It means the whole world will know Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian belong to each other.”

“It means I can hold your hand and intertwine our fingers while walking down the street.”

“It means I can proudly show off everywhere that you’re my wife.”

Shivering, Qi Puzhi found herself momentarily speechless.

Who in the throes of passion wouldn’t instinctively want to flaunt it? She wasn’t immune to the temptation.

Tears of pleasure slid from the corners of her eyes as she clung pitifully to Jiang Tian, intermittently reminding her, “But you’re an idol.”

That morning’s phone call her tone and Jiang Tian’s reaction, were truths no amount of PR could convincingly mask.

Yet, if they stubbornly insisted they were just friends and refused to admit anything, it might still salvage the situation.

Right now, Qi Puzhi was being thoroughly ravished, while Jiang Tian wore a different kind of vulnerability.

She brushed lightly against Qi Puzhi’s lips, her demeanor docile and obedient, asking softly and sweetly, “Does big sister not believe in me? Do you think my career would end just because of our relationship?”

In truth, her solo album, released right after the group album by Fenghua, had outperformed even the group’s lead single.

Ever since For You, the song she performed on Stellar Path, went viral across multiple platforms, she had garnered a reputation and fanbase far beyond just idol competition followers.

This solo track, entirely conceptualized and created by her, was impeccable in both quality and vision. Riding on her previous acclaim, it broke out of the fandom entirely, reaching the point where any random young passerby could hum a few lines.

With these two successes as her foundation, her path as a solo artist was already taking shape.

Qi Puzhi didn’t fully understand these nuances, so her concern for Jiang Tian’s career was natural.

As the young woman patiently explained everything in a gentle, reassuring voice, the guilt in her heart gradually eased.

Later, unable to resist Jiang Tian nuzzling and whining softly in her ear like a puppy, Qi Puzhi finally surrendered. Amidst the overwhelming pleasure, as her mind blanked momentarily, she gasped out:

“Then let’s go public.”

During the inexplicable absence of the two protagonists, Zhang Hua and the PR manager had been tearing their hair out in discussion.

The online discourse had overwhelmingly shifted toward the two being in a relationship, making it impossible to gloss over.

When the office door opened, Zhang Hua initially just glanced up.

But then she noticed Qi Puzhi’s lips were unusually red, her eyes still carrying a certain post-passion glow, and the earlier guilt and gloom had completely vanished.

Without preamble, Qi Puzhi announced, “Let’s just go public.”

Zhang Hua: “…”

She glanced in Jiang Tian’s direction.

This girl really had Qi Puzhi wrapped around her finger impressive.

But as a top idol, instead of rushing to clear up the rumors, she chose to lean into them. It was hard to say who really had whom wrapped around their finger.

What to do when both of your only two artists were love-struck fools?

Zhang Hua sighed softly, “So, how do you two plan to go public? A Weibo post?”

A top idol and a triple-crown actress, Zhang Hua could already imagine Weibo’s servers crashing. Oh wait, they were already crashing today.

But then she saw Jiang Tian tap the table lightly with her slender fingers and say unhurriedly, “This Saturday’s Starry Night red carpet, I’m walking with Teacher Qi, right?”

Zhang Hua’s lips trembled, her pupils contracting slightly as she was rendered speechless.

Going public was one thing, but they wanted to make it a spectacle.

She turned her pleading gaze to Qi Puzhi, only to find the woman completely unfazed, her lips slightly pursed, her eyes faintly gleaming with anticipation.

These insufferable lovebirds!

Starry Night was an annual event where every notable figure in the industry was invited. It was always a frenzy of red carpet photos and media battles, a level of hype no other brand event could match.

Qi Puzhi, the shining star of the domestic film industry, and Jiang Tian, the current top idol, had been scheduled to walk the red carpet together as the grand finale.

It was impossible to miss the organizers’ intentions.

Ever since Qi Puzhi’s sweetly uttered “wife” went viral, netizens and fans alike had been on the edge of their seats, waiting for Puxing Entertainment to release a statement.

Though everyone knew it would be a denial, and though almost no one outside of die-hard fans would believe it, they still wanted to see the show.

But Puxing Entertainment had remained silent for days, and neither Qi Puzhi nor Jiang Tian had made any public appearances.

Just as everyone was growing restless, thinking they were about to be brushed off, news suddenly broke that Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian would walk the red carpet together at Starry Night.

Even the most jaded gossipmongers were practically dancing with excitement.

Who didn’t know that after the red carpet came the interview segment?

The entire internet was waiting with bated breath to see how the lovebirds would pretend to be strangers, how they’d spin some half-hearted denial.

And so, under the anticipation of millions, Starry Night finally arrived.

The official livestream’s viewership had already shattered records, with concurrent viewers nearly doubling last year’s numbers.

And just as Qi Puzhi and Jiang Tian were about to appear, the numbers surged again, pushing the servers to their limits. The chat was flooded with:

[Attention, everyone, she and her wife are coming!]

Under the spotlight of countless eyes, Jiang Tian stepped out of the car first.

She wore a long, rose-red gown that made her snow-white skin glow, her demeanor poised and ethereal. Facing the barrage of camera flashes, her cool, jade-like features remained composed and aloof.

Then she turned and extended her hand toward the car.

The livestream’s high-definition cameras ensured no one missed the way Jiang Tian’s expression softened instantly.

Her lips curved into a breathtaking smile, dimples appearing in her cheeks, her gaze tender as water.

As if she were looking at the most precious thing in the world.

A delicate, porcelain-white hand reached out from the car and rested in hers.

The woman who stepped out was the very definition of peerless elegance.

Her evening gown was also a resplendent red, matching Jiang Tian’s.

It revealed a stretch of flawless, ivory skin along her back, partially veiled by her long, dark curls, utterly mesmerizing.

And that stunningly beautiful face was simply made for the color red.

Their slender figures were beautifully accentuated by the evening gowns, their fingers intertwined as they stood together in perfect harmony so much so that thoughts of outshining one another faded away.

All that remained was the overwhelming sense of how perfectly matched they were.

[Genuine question, didn’t all the previous couples walk the red carpet arm in arm? Why are they holding hands like this?]

[Oh, that’s just how it is when you walk the red carpet with your wife.]

[Why are they both wearing red dresses? Is this a wedding ceremony where they bow to each other and then head straight to the bridal chamber? Mom approves!!]

[Does anyone else feel like this really looks like a wedding scene…?]

Every second on the red carpet seemed to stretch endlessly.

Though Qi Puzhi had walked countless red carpets before, the anticipation of their impending announcement made her unusually nervous this time.

Then, suddenly, Jiang Tian pulled her to a stop.

Puzzled, Qi Puzhi turned her head, only to meet the burning gaze of the younger woman.

“Sister, even though we agreed to announce it during the interview segment.”

“I want to kiss you right now. What should I do?”

Qi Puzhi’s breath caught in her throat.

Under the boundless night sky, the grand red carpet stretched beneath their feet, surrounded by dazzling, incessant flashes of cameras. Every movement would be witnessed by thousands.

Yet she was already lost, as if the world had narrowed down to nothing but the woman before her, draped in a flowing red gown, ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful.

And she wanted to kiss her.

Qi Puzhi felt as though she were being pushed forward by an irresistible force helpless, yet every motion was undeniably driven by her own longing.

Her slender arm reached out, its graceful curve hooking around Jiang Tian’s neck.

She closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly.

Tilting her chin up slightly, her crimson lips parted, the whisper of her voice unbearably alluring:

“Then kiss me.”

Her heartbeat raced even more wildly than the staccato bursts of camera flashes.

Jiang Tian stared at the woman’s enchanting plea, her own breathing ragged with barely restrained desire.

One hand cradled Qi Puzhi’s cheek, the other sliding around her back,

Her fingers met smooth, delicate skin, right where the intricate cutout of Qi Puzhi’s gown left her bare.

There was no time to dwell on how scandalously intimate this detail would appear to onlookers.

Amidst gasps and exclamations, Jiang Tian closed her eyes and leaned in, pressing her lips to Qi Puzhi’s in a reverent kiss.

Utterly intoxicated.