After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 7

Putting down her phone, Qi Puzhi fell into deep thought.

Although this time, after being photographed, the paparazzi sent the photos to her company, clearly aiming for money.

But in the past, many paparazzi who took pictures of her chose to expose them directly, as if they weren’t after money at all.

While she didn’t care much about her reputation as a flirt, Jiang Tian was about to debut in a talent show. If their relationship were exposed, it would severely impact her career, given that idols aren’t supposed to date.

She needed to be even more cautious.

The alarm went off at seven.

Despite having slept only four hours, Jiang Tian showed no signs of exhaustion.

She first ordered breakfast, then freshened up and tidied the guest room back to its original state before she had stayed.

The door to Qi Puzhi’s bedroom across the hall was tightly shut, suggesting she wouldn’t be up anytime soon.

Just as Jiang Tian was thinking this, the door suddenly opened.

The woman was dressed in a robe, the collar loosely open to her collarbone, her hair slightly disheveled. Her freshly awakened face carried a drowsy softness, lending her usually enchanting features an unexpected purity and innocence.

Qi Puzhi lazily lifted her gaze and saw the young woman standing straight across the hallway, already dressed and groomed, looking as refreshing and delectable as a ray of sunshine.

But Qi Puzhi had no energy to appreciate it at the moment. It took her two seconds to react, her still-groggy mind clearing as she remembered letting Jiang Tian stay the night.

So, before the other could utter the word “sister,” she expressionlessly closed the door.

Watching the door shut again, Jiang Tian swallowed her greeting, stifling a laugh as she walked toward the living room, replaying the woman’s captivating appearance in her mind.

By the time Qi Puzhi changed and finished getting ready, breakfast had just arrived.

Jiang Tian watched her approach the dining table and asked softly while setting out the meal, “Sister, aren’t you going to sleep a bit more?”

“I have work in the morning.” Qi Puzhi had a slight temper when sleep-deprived, and the earlier moment had been a bit awkward. But she wouldn’t let her mood affect the younger woman, so she kept her tone as gentle as possible.

Jiang Tian tactfully didn’t press further.

The breakfast she ordered suited Qi Puzhi’s taste, and the two ate in silence.

Qi Puzhi asked, “You only slept a few hours do you have the energy to drive? I can have my driver take you.”

“It’s fine, sister,” Jiang Tian replied. “I’m well-rested.”

She had a vocal lesson later.

The resilience of youth so full of vitality without needing much sleep.

Secretly envious, Qi Puzhi got up and helped Jiang Tian clean up the remaining breakfast.

Her agent, Zhang Hua, was already waiting in the underground garage. When she saw Qi Puzhi and the young woman step out of the elevator, she couldn’t help but scrutinize them.

Once Qi Puzhi got into the car, Zhang Hua’s gaze lingered on the neighboring car as the young woman started it. “The one from last night? She’s quite pretty. A relative of yours?”

Qi Puzhi corrected, “New girlfriend.”

Zhang Hua scoffed, assuming she was joking.

The paparazzi outside Puxing Entertainment had already gone through two wives, yet Qi Puzhi this old tree had never once bloomed.

Ironically, rumors about her vibrant private life circulated in the industry as if they were real. Qi Puzhi hardly cared, letting the PR team debunk them a few times before essentially giving up.

Her acting was superb, her status in the film industry lofty, and her looks stunningly beautiful. These rumors hadn’t significantly impacted her career, so Zhang Hua had gone from frantic damage control to now treating them as jokes.

Then Qi Puzhi said, “Do you want to draft a contingency plan for a relationship exposure?”

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Zhang Hua burst into laughter and casually replied, “Sure.”

Knowing she hadn’t taken it seriously at all, Qi Puzhi lightly raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

Two days later, Jiang Tian received an email from Puxing Entertainment:

“Congratulations on passing the audition for ‘Stellar Journey’ and becoming a candidate for the girl group, joining the competition among 99 young women.”

She glanced at the schedule. The recording location for “Stellar Journey” was in City A, a two-hour flight from City B.

The show was set to begin in half a month.

To prevent the candidates from being affected by external gossip and rumors, the entire recording process would be under strict closed management, with only one hour each Sunday allowed for phone calls, using phones provided by the production team.

This aspect adhered to the rigorous standards of past talent shows.

The total duration of the program would be three months.

Originally, Jiang Tian had planned to leave for the recording without informing her parents, but given the three-month lockdown, she had no choice but to tell them.

“What?” Her father’s face darkened. “You want to wade into the murky waters of the entertainment industry?”

“We’re not short on money, why not do something else? Why the entertainment industry?” her mother pleaded earnestly. “Even if you must enter, acting would be better. Follow the path of that girl from the Qi family. Singing and dancing how uncouth.”

“I’m just letting you know so you don’t wonder where I’ve disappeared to for three months,” Jiang Tian said nonchalantly, taking a sip of tea.

“You!” Her father raised his voice. “Jiang Tian, we’ve never interfered much with your rebelliousness all these years. How can you push it even further?”

They had tried to interfere before. But Jiang Tian had always been fiercely independent—once she set her mind on something, nothing could change it.

“What’s the matter, Dad?” Jiang Tian looked at him innocently. “Afraid that if I appear on screen, the obedient daughter persona you’ve carefully crafted for me in your social circles will shatter?”

She set down her teacup, feigning hurt. “Dad, am I really such a disappointment for not living up to the exaggerated image you’ve painted?”

Her father pressed his lips together, his tone softening. “In any case, you’re not going. Look at that girl from the Qi family, she was so well-behaved as a child, but now, after entering the entertainment industry, what has she become? Promiscuous, indiscriminate, with a scandalous private life.”

“Have you seen it with your own eyes?” The pitiful expression Jiang Tian had adopted earlier faded, replaced by a slight frown. “You talk as if it’s fact, but isn’t it all just hearsay and baseless rumors?”

Her father’s expression soured. “Jiang Tian, since when do you know so much?”

“You’ve never seen concrete evidence, yet you readily believe the rumors about her and join others in mocking her,” Jiang Tian said slowly, her voice low. “If I debut in the future and someone spreads malicious gossip about me, there’ll be plenty of people like you rushing to believe it, using it as a cautionary tale for their children.”

“By that logic, would you be happy?”

“The Qi family is wealthy and influential,” her father argued, frowning. “If the rumors were false, wouldn’t it be easy to refute them? If it were you, I’d have already hired someone to control the narrative.”

“You know how chaotic the Qi family is,” Jiang Tian murmured, tracing the rim of her cup. “And even now, there are still rumors circulating about you having an affair and a secret love child. Our family has money and power, yet those rumors persist, why haven’t they been cleared up?”

Her father stiffened, quickly glancing at her mother, whose expression had indeed turned stormy. He suddenly felt a headache coming on.

“You little brat, full of cunning schemes.” Father Jiang pointed at Jiang Tian angrily. “I think it’s good for you to go quiet for three months in that talent show. Stop stirring up trouble here and see if the entertainment industry can tolerate someone as high and mighty as you.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Dad and Mom.” Jiang Tian curled her lips and wisely made a quick exit.

Leaving the Jiang residence, Jiang Tian noticed the opposite Qi family’s villa gate wide open, with people coming and going as if hosting some event.

From afar, she saw a man standing before Mr. Qi. The two bore some resemblance, looking almost like father and son when standing together.

But the Qi family had many descendants, so this wasn’t particularly unusual probably just some nephew.

With practiced ease, she turned her gaze toward the window of the east-side bedroom on the third floor of the Qi family villa.

She didn’t know when it started, but every time she returned home, she would habitually look up at that spot.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like years ago when she stood here, gazing at that window.

There would be a girl as ethereal as a celestial being, resting her chin on the windowsill, her eyes fixed on the void, seemingly enveloped by boundless loneliness.

Once the recording for Stellar Path began, they wouldn’t see each other for three months.

Jiang Tian considered trying to wait for Qi Puzhi again, but lately, Qi Puzhi hadn’t attended any galas, too busy to even catch her breath.

On the evening before she was set to leave for recording, Qi Puzhi unexpectedly called her first.

“Sis.” Jiang Tian had just finished dance practice, her voice slightly breathless.

“Are you busy?” Qi Puzhi toyed with an exquisite box in her hand.

“Just finished.” Jiang Tian tugged at her collar to let the heat dissipate faster.

“If you’re free now, I have something for you.”

Jiang Tian agreed immediately.

Shortly after the car arrived downstairs at the dance studio, Qi Puzhi saw Jiang Tian emerge and slip into the car, her body carrying the fresh scent of a recent shower.

Qi Puzhi tilted her head and couldn’t resist ruffling Jiang Tian’s hair, casually remarking with a smile, “You smell so nice.”

Jiang Tian blinked. “Do you like this shampoo’s fragrance?”

Qi Puzhi thought she was about to recommend it, but then Jiang Tian added, “Then I’ll keep using it next time.”

Qi Puzhi chuckled softly. “Are you nervous about starting the recording?”

Jiang Tian said, “Sis, I thought you’d forgotten.”

Her expression carried a hint of “With so many sisters around, you actually remembered I’m going to record?”

Qi Puzhi paused, recalling the new scandal that had trended on the hot search list yesterday.

No wonder Jiang Tian said that.

But their relationship agreement meant she didn’t need to explain further.

So she simply smiled and replied, “If I’d forgotten, why would I bring you a gift?”

Jiang Tian watched as Qi Puzhi retrieved an elegant gift box from the car’s storage compartment.

“Hold out your left arm.”

Qi Puzhi took out the watch from the box and carefully fastened it around Jiang Tian’s slender, fair wrist.

Jiang Tian lowered her gaze, watching the woman’s thick lashes flutter lightly as she adjusted the watch, then trailing down her straight nose to her red lips.

Qi Puzhi could feel her gaze and steadied herself, focusing solely on adjusting the strap. “How does this tightness feel?”

Jiang Tian swallowed. “Perfect.”

She raised her left arm, examining the watch under the car’s interior light, utterly enamored.

Qi Puzhi didn’t even need to ask, Jiang Tian’s expression and movements made it clear the gift was a hit.

With a smile, she said, “They’ll confiscate your phones once you enter the program. You can use this to check the time.”

“Thank you, sister.” Jiang Tian looked up at her, “I’ll cherish it.”

She herself loved collecting watches and could tell at a glance that this was a limited-edition piece from a high-end luxury brand’s latest release.

Not only was it expensive, but it also took some effort to acquire. She never expected Qi Puzhi to give her such a gift.

Jiang Tian leaned in closer, resting her hand on the edge of the seat, her eyes curved into a harmless smile. “Sister, giving me such an extravagant gift before I leave, does that mean you’ll miss me?”

Qi Puzhi was momentarily taken aback, then amusedly pinched Jiang Tian’s ear. “How are you still pushing your luck?”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Jiang Tian gazed at her. “It’s just that I can’t return the favor right away…”

Qi Puzhi raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a flirtatious glint. “Then use yourself.”

It was just her habitual teasing, but the young woman’s eyes darkened after those words, taking on a dangerous edge.

Qi Puzhi met her gaze, her heart inexplicably racing.

She shouldn’t have let the night slip into this kind of atmosphere.

So much so that when Jiang Tian extended her left hand now adorned with the watch to gently lift her chin, and when those soft lips pressed against hers, Qi Puzhi’s lashes fluttered, but for a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to push her away.

Just like last time, Jiang Tian lingered briefly before pulling back properly.

Qi Puzhi exhaled in relief. After all, she was still just a kid so innocent.

Her expression remained composed, her emotions completely hidden, and she even managed to curve her lips into a calm smile. “That’s about right.”

Jiang Tian lowered her eyes, concealing the amusement in them.

Without alcohol, the award-winning actress wouldn’t accidentally reveal any bashfulness like last time.

Qi Puzhi: The kid’s so innocent.

Jiang Tian: Mhm.

Later…

Qi Puzhi: Hmph.