After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 69

A hand circled around her waist.

Qi Puzhi’s breath hitched abruptly, her entire body freezing in place.

After a moment, confirming that the person behind her was merely habitually reaching out in their sleep, she let out a sigh of relief.

Returning her attention to her phone screen, she continued typing earnestly:

[Why is everyone so certain? It’s just a coincidence that I share the same surname as Teacher Qi [pitiful]]

She had already been banned from the forum and wasn’t sure if her reply would even go through.

Seeing the “Sent successfully” notification, Qi Puzhi’s tightly pressed lips relaxed slightly.

However, the next moment, she saw the post she had just sent:

[15555L (OP): [This ID has been blocked; content is not visible]

Qi Puzhi’s lashes trembled.

The thread, which had been active all night and had become a trending post, instantly received a flood of new replies:

[15556L: Teacher Qi, it’s so early in the morning]

[15557L: I bet Teacher Qi woke up and realized her cover was blown, then tried to say something no one would believe to salvage her alt account.]

[15558L: Agree with the above, lol.]

[15559L: Teacher Qi has been in the entertainment industry for six or seven years, she probably never imagined her carefully crafted persona would crumble like this, hahaha.]

[15560L: Who would’ve thought that the stunning and formidable Queen Qi of the domestic film industry would turn out to be a sweet, soft little bunny who can’t stand her ground in front of her girlfriend?]

[15561L: Aww, Teacher Qi is so cute and polite when she’s online in private.

When she sees bold new suggestions, she sends the [pitiful] emoji and says she’s too shy. When she fails to stand her ground, she apologizes with “Sorry, I’ve let everyone down.” Mom-fans are melting!]

[15562L: So this is what Teacher Qi is really like, hehe.]

[15563L: Aww, Teacher Qi is so sweet.]

Qi Puzhi clutched the blanket, helplessly watching the comments refresh endlessly.

She then opened Weibo and saw the top trending hashtag:

[Qi Puzhi: What to Do When Your Girlfriend Is Too Good [Explosive]].

Biting her lower lip, she seriously contemplated the possibility of quitting the industry right now.

The loosely draped arm around her waist tightened slightly, and the voice of the young woman behind her carried a hint of sleepiness.

“You’re up so early?”

Jiang Tian’s hand instinctively began massaging Qi Puzhi’s likely sore waist, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck through her long hair.

The woman in her arms seemed to stiffen for a moment before turning over to face her and murmuring softly, “Wife.”

Her voice was guilty and pitiful.

Jiang Tian grew a little more awake at the sound. Studying Qi Puzhi’s ambiguous expression, she asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

Qi Puzhi opened her phone and navigated back to the forum.

The post exposing her had already been pinned to the top, making it the first thing visible upon entering the thread.

Just as she was about to show the screen to Jiang Tian, her movements paused.

A new pinned post had appeared:

[15599L (Moderator): It has been detected that post 1285L has exceeded 5,000 upvotes and contains a prohibited link. Due to its severe negative impact, in accordance with Forum Rule No. 7, the following disciplinary action is taken and publicly announced:

Account suspension (ID: PokeMeIfYouDare; real-name verification: Jiang *) for 180 days.]

Qi Puzhi blinked slowly, processing the information.

Jiang Tian’s head was nestled against hers, and she had already seen the content as well.

Qi Puzhi had initially felt guilty and uneasy about accidentally exposing their private life in public.

But now, her guilt vanished as she leisurely interrogated Jiang Tian: “So that link was you tricking me?”

The “new thing” that had made the forum users exclaim “next-level” and “so skilled,” the one she thought would surely work this time, turned out to have been posted by Jiang Tian herself.

She had been waiting for Qi Puzhi to fall into the trap and take the initiative.

Jiang Tian acted utterly obedient, tilting her head to kiss Qi Puzhi’s ear in a placating manner. “I just saw that you were at a loss and wanted to offer some suggestions.”

Remembering what she had done under Jiang Tian’s guidance that day, Qi Puzhi’s ears flushed faintly red. Unable to suppress her slight irritation, she pinched Jiang Tian’s ear and chided softly, “Should I also praise you for being such a helpful netizen?”

Jiang Tian let her pinch, silently wrapping her arms around Qi Puzhi’s waist before lowering her head to taste her lips, her movements cunning.

“How does my wife plan to praise me?”

Moments later, intermittent gasps and choked sobs escaped the woman in the bedroom: “Now the whole internet knows.”

The younger woman coaxed gently, “Mmm, it’s all my fault.”

[15660L: Holy crap??? There’s actually a follow-up to this?? [shocked]]

[15661L: OMG… So that next-level ‘new thing’ was posted by Jiang Tian??]

[15662L: Tsk tsk, truly living up to the thread’s theme. Jiang Tian is really something, pretending to be a helpful netizen to trick her wife. Taking notes.]

[15663L: Suddenly, Teacher Qi seems more like a rabbit caught in a big bad wolf’s grasp LOL]

[15664L: This couple is so sweet. Teacher Qi’s username is ‘Poke the Dimple Hard,’ and Jiang Tian’s is ‘Poke Me All You Want’, how can they be this doting?? Bless this CP for existing T_T]

[15665L: The couple both getting exposed is hilarious too. If one falls, the other must follow, couple goals even in getting caught!]

[15666L: I can comment freely in this thread, while a certain couple got their accounts banned from replying. My superiority is fully displayed here (laughs mercilessly).]

[15667L: I really want to see them on a reality show, Their private personalities seem different from their on-screen personas. I wanna see their real relationship dynamic T_T]

[15668L: Supporting the above!]

[15669L: +1]

Qi Puzhi had originally planned to feign ignorance and indifference toward the online buzz, letting the matter fade with time and be forgotten by the internet.

But who knew netizens would take such delight in this kind of drama? The discussions and gossip never stopped, and the hashtag remained trending for three whole days.

Thus, later on, the usually reserved and cool-headed top celebrity posted on Weibo.

[Jiang Tian V: Teacher Qi says the parties involved deeply regret their actions and hope everyone can pretend nothing happened. Thank you for your concern.]

After this post also trended, the comments mercilessly exposed the truth:

Top Comment 1: [Full translation Teacher Qi: Wuwuwu, stop dragging me into this, it’s already so embarrassing. Why must I be humiliated over and over?]

Top Comment 2: [In Teacher Qi’s words: Sorry for letting everyone down. Accidentally got exposed. [pitiful]]

Top Comment 3: “How many times has the person above read this thread? They’ve perfectly captured the OP’s tone.”

Qi Puzhi had recently gone on an internet detox.

Don’t ask why. If you must know, it’s because whenever she opened Weibo, the comments that used to uniformly praise her as a radiant beauty, applauding her commanding and charismatic presence, had now shifted to calling her adorable and sweet.

Don’t ask why. If you must know, it’s because whenever she browsed a certain forum, threads with replies nearing a hundred thousand were filled with jokes about little white rabbits and big bad wolves.

To be honest, she felt a tinge of frustration toward netizens who couldn’t see past the surface.

Ignoring the fact that all of this stemmed from her own words in those threads, and sidestepping the existential question of whether she needed to update her self-perception, Qi Puzhi racked her brain for ways to restore her formidable image.

One day, she and Jiang Tian were both off work and lounged on the couch at home, watching a variety show.

It was Puxing Entertainment’s latest dating show, featuring three high-profile celebrity couples, broadcasting their real-life romantic dynamics in a live format.

Qi Puzhi had initially tuned in just for entertainment.

Nestled limply in Jiang Tian’s arms, she leisurely peeled an orange, occasionally feeding a segment to Jiang Tian and then herself.

But then she saw a certain award-winning actor giving his wife the silent treatment, scrolling through his phone and smoking after an argument.

She saw another couple, sweet and affectionate one moment, then bickering the next, declaring they’d sleep in separate beds that night.

Qi Puzhi was momentarily stunned, her orange-peeling hands pausing.

She turned to Jiang Tian. “Isn’t this a dating show? Why are these two couples constantly at odds?”

Only the remaining pair had been consistently sweet over the past few hours.

Jiang Tian took the orange from her hands, peeled off a segment, and meticulously removed the pith.

As she fed it to Qi Puzhi, she explained, “You’ve been offline lately, so you might’ve missed it. This show has been trending a lot because of how realistically it portrays arguments.”

Couples who appear extremely loving in public often only showcase their best sides.

But in a 24-hour live broadcast, it’s hard to maintain a facade at all times. Real couples frequently squabble over trivial matters, only to make up just as quickly.

Perhaps it was the raw authenticity of the live format that made this show far more popular than scripted ones.

The sweet moments felt sweeter, while the bittersweet ones resonated deeply with the audience.

Qi Puzhi hummed in acknowledgment, an idea forming in her mind.

Since this dating show had already set the expectation of “realness” among viewers, it seemed to align perfectly with a certain need of hers.

“By the way, the director of this show was at last night’s dinner and asked if we’d be interested in being guest stars,” Jiang Tian mentioned offhandedly.

Qi Puzhi blinked. “What did you say?”

Jiang Tian knew her too well. One look at her expression, and she could guess exactly what she was thinking.

“You want to go?”

Qi Puzhi pursed her lips. “You know how people online have been misinterpreting me lately, Since we’ve got some free time, it might be fun to join, don’t you think?”

Jiang Tian hesitated.

After over two years together, no one understood Qi Puzhi’s everyday demeanor better than she did.

“I have a feeling this might backfire.” she said carefully, choosing her words with caution.

Qi Puzhi caught the implication.

“What do you mean?” She sat up in Jiang Tian’s arms, fixing her with a piercing gaze, her lips curling into a faintly amused smile.

What else could Jiang Tian do? She could only hold the woman tighter and obediently say, “If my sister wants to go, I’ll gladly accompany her.”

Qi Puzhi let out a soft hum, about to say something more, when she was suddenly enveloped by Jiang Tian’s fervent kiss.

A few minutes later.

Jiang Tian looked at the woman in her arms breathless, the corners of her eyes flushed red, her gaze misty with vulnerability.

It was as if she could already foresee the frequent mishaps awaiting them on the variety show.

Brushing her thumb gently over Qi Puzhi’s cheek, she sighed softly, her heart melting with helpless affection. “Darling, I did warn you.”

Teacher Qi, forever lacking self-awareness: “This time, I shall reclaim all that is rightfully mine.” (Believing herself to be in dark mode) (Actually sounding like a little white rabbit)

Jiang Tian: (Too afraid to make a sound)