After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 1

“You actually went and provoked Shen Qing?”

Zhou Yue stared at her phone, scrolling through the Weibo trending topics that were currently dominating the charts. She looked up, her face a mask of pure shock.

“She’s my ex. Does that count as provoking?”

Du Yaozhi was sprawled across the sofa, visibly tipsy, dangling a wine glass precariously from her fingers. Her porcelain-white legs were crossed, and the dim, amber light hit the beauty mark at the corner of her eye, lending her a look of decadent, disheveled glamour.

“Didn’t you two turn the page a year ago? Why is this resurfacing now just to smear you?” Zhou Yue frowned at the hot search list. “Someone is clearly pulling the strings here.”

The phone screen glowed, nearly overflowing with vitriol. Every word on the trending list seemed designed to tear Du Yaozhi down.

The comment section was a battlefield:

“Does this D-list actress really think she’s a superstar just because she has some clout? Acting like a diva in front of Shen Qing? Hilarious. She’s just a vase, pretty face, zero substance.”

“Even as a passerby, I can’t stand this. Who does she think she is? I already had a mediocre impression of her, but now? Totally disgusted!”

“Teacher Shen has a great temper, but this ‘vase’ actress has no talent and loves to cause drama. Who gave her the nerve??”

“No manners, no upbringing. She’s exactly the kind of person I hate seeing in the industry.”

“No notable works, just endless scandals. How is she still working? She must have a sugar daddy backing her.”

Du Yaozhi scrolled through the comments with total nonchalance.

“Alright, that’s enough. Stop looking,” Zhou Yue muttered, her brow furrowed in distress. She snatched the phone away. “These bot comments are ridiculous. So fake. They’re even claiming you threw cold water on Shen Qing, as if! Who would actually believe that?”

“I did,” Du Yaozhi said.

Zhou Yue froze. “What?”

“And I poured it from her head down to her toes using a crystal goblet,” Du Yaozhi added playfully. She seemed to be in high spirits, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgic satisfaction. “The way the water droplets slid down her jawline… it was actually quite beautiful.”

The “leak” had actually been somewhat kind to Du Yaozhi; it only captured a portion of the scene outside the hotel. It hadn’t caught the explosive moment of the dousing.

The video simply showed Shen Qing standing in the rain, her hair damp, silent and still.

Shen Qing was a natural darling of the camera. She was the only actress in the industry who carried a “cinematic aura” into real life. Because she was so breathtakingly beautiful, people instinctively read deep emotion into her slightest movements. Even in a blurry video, one couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for her.

Meanwhile, our female lead, Ms. Du Yaozhi, was seen lifting her vivid red dress, walking with an elegant swagger, and climbing into her car without sparing Shen Qing a single glance.

“My dear, I know you’re proud of your ‘black-and-red’ resilience,” Zhou Yue sighed, exhausted by her friend’s penchant for trouble. “But anyone else would be finished. Giving Shen Qing’s fans ‘tragic beauty’ material like that is enough to get you harassed out of the industry forever!”

Du Yaozhi’s messy hair clung to her neck. She just smiled. “What if they knew the material was actually titled ‘A Cold-Blooded Ex-Girlfriend’s Guide to Revenge’?”

The entertainment industry never cared about facts or truth. It only cared about what was explosive and eye-catching. She had always known that.

The ice cubes rattled against the glass, swirling in the red liquid. The clinking sound against the rim was rhythmic and persistent.

Just like a certain rainy night.

That was a moment of humiliation Du Yaozhi would never forget.

Back then, she had no reputation and no connections. To land a role she loved, she had forced herself to drink until she was stumbling drunk just to escape a filthy business dinner. In her haze, she had crashed right into an A-list star—someone who, at the time, was far beyond her wildest dreams.

Drenched by the piercing rain, she felt like she was suffocating. When she bumped into her, Du Yaozhi’s heart had tightened. The cold wind rushed into her lungs, making her forget how to breathe.

Du Yaozhi had never seen anyone with such striking features.

Dark hair falling loose, a straight bridge of a nose, and a sharp, cold jawline. When they collided, the woman’s brow knit slightly in a subtle frown. Her face was as perfect as a finely carved Western sculpture. When she looked at Du Yaozhi, that sense of sheer, beautiful aggression became even stronger.

“I’m sorry” Du Yaozhi’s body was burning. She tried desperately to apologize, but her voice was painfully hoarse.

Shen Qing stood there in the rainy night, her fingers gripping the handle of her umbrella. Her eyes, dark as deep pools, watched her.

“You’re drunk.”

Shen Qing lowered her gaze. Amidst the mud and the potential ugliness of the situation, she offered the most composed inquiry:

“Do you need my help?”

Du Yaozhi had never felt a sensation like it—as if she were being consumed by fire. The heat of that gaze spread to her throat; her heart hammered like a drum.

It stayed that way through the moving in, the flirting, the tension… even when they lay tangled together. The slight rustle of fabric, the warmth of shared breath, and the lingering scent of hair, Du Yaozhi could never forget that heartbeat.

But Du Yaozhi had been wrong.

The biggest mistake she ever made was loving Shen Qing. Or perhaps, looking back, it wasn’t love at all. It was hate.

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll retaliate? She’s Shen Qing. She’s not like the rest of us!” Zhou Yue’s voice snapped her back to reality.

In the oppressive darkness of the room, Du Yaozhi’s smile was bright. “Then Teacher Shen had better hurry. Any later and she’ll be too late.”

Zhou Yue:  This woman has officially drunk herself stupid.

Suddenly, a phone began to ring like a death knell. Zhou Yue’s hand shook; her expression soured the moment she saw the caller ID.

It was Du Yaozhi’s manager, Sheng Xiao.

Back when Du Yaozhi’s reputation wasn’t quite this bad, she had earned a highly anticipated supporting role through her own merit. Sheng Xiao had immediately snatched the opportunity away and given it to a well-connected starlet under the same company.

Sheng Xiao treated Du Yaozhi with nothing but arrogance. Every time Yaozhi tried to fight for a resource, Sheng Xiao would accuse her of failing to stick to the “sweet and innocent” persona the company had set. She would even decline offers behind Yaozhi’s back, then turn around and curse her for being ungrateful.

Sheng Xiao had offended so many people in the industry that Du Yaozhi often took the blame. To protect her other artists, the manager wouldn’t hesitate to manufacture scandals for Du Yaozhi to distract the public.

Zhou Yue knew all of this. Naturally, she had no love for the woman. “It’s your manager. You want me to pick up?”

“Yes,” Du Yaozhi said.

“But”

“It’s fine. I’ll handle it.” Du Yaozhi wasn’t afraid in the slightest.

Zhou Yue watched as Du Yaozhi pressed the speakerphone button. A sense of impending doom filled the room. The moment the call connected, a roar accompanied by static exploded from the speakers. The insults were more foul than ever before.

“DU! YAO! ZHI! You suicidal idiot! Who gave you the balls to mess with Shen Qing? Huh?”

Du Yaozhi was used to it. Her heart didn’t even flicker. Provoking her ex was just something she did in passing.

Sheng Xiao continued, “A single spit from her could drown you! Do you have a death wish? Do you think just because you have a pretty face you can dream of being a star? I’m telling you, it’s not happening!”

“The company was thinking that since your contract expires in two months, we’d let you carry the train for the newcomers, give you some background character role as charity. And this is how you repay me?! The higher-ups are breathing down my neck because of you!”

“Speak!! Are you deaf?” Sheng Xiao’s voice was venomous and shrill.

“One month,” Du Yaozhi corrected calmly. “There’s one month left.”

“Fine! Fine! You’re really getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you?” Sheng Xiao let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Did you really think you could just walk away scot-free once the contract is up?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Du Yaozhi asked. “How else should I leave?”

Sheng Xiao’s tone shifted from rage to a cruel, expectant sneer. “You’ve got a lot of nerve talking back. Don’t forget whose name is currently plastered all over the hot searches!”

In Sheng Xiao’s eyes, Du Yaozhi was already a “dead” asset. She didn’t even bother arguing further. “Here’s your final notice: 10:00 PM tonight, top floor of the Huating Hotel. Mr. Li—the one you acted so high-and-mighty with last time, will be there. You better keep him happy. Drink until he’s satisfied! Otherwise”

She chuckled darkly. “Expect to have zero legitimate work for your final month. You’ll be paying off breach-of-contract fines until you die, Du Yaozhi!”

Beep— Beep.

The long, mechanical disconnection tone echoed coldly in the dark room, sounding like a taunt.

“Is Huasheng Entertainment insane?!” Zhou Yue’s voice spiked with anger. “They’re sending you to Li Rongjin?! Everyone knows what kind of creep he is! Sheng Xiao is pushing you into a fire pit!”

Du Yaozhi stood up and began gathering her things. She checked the address on her phone and took a moment to fix her appearance in the mirror.

“Insane?” Du Yaozhi asked. “No, they’re perfectly sane. They know exactly how to squeeze every last drop of value out of me while doing Li Rongjin a favor.”

Like dogs wagging their tails, she thought with a cold smirk.

She studied her reflection, brushing her long, wavy hair away from her eyes. Beneath her stunning features were eyes that looked soft, almost vulnerable “bedroom eyes” that made her look fragile in the cutthroat world of fame.

Du Yaozhi hated them.

Shen Qing was different. Her eyes were beautiful, but cold. When people looked at Shen Qing, they felt like they were looking up at something unreachable. Even she had felt that way.

Du Yaozhi gave a self-deprecating laugh and turned away. She had already taken a sobriety pill and was ready to head out.

“Wait! Yaozhi!” Zhou Yue jumped up to grab her arm. “You’re actually going? Li Rongjin is a monster! On the surface, he’s all philanthropy and donations, but behind closed doors, he’s scum!”

“If it comes to it, just leave the industry! Don’t you have some savings?” Seeing Yaozhi remain silent, Zhou Yue began pacing frantically. “I’ll pick up some small roles, and we can move to a smaller city and work normal jobs. Anything is better than taking this abuse!”

“It’s okay, Zhou Yue. Thank you for caring.” Du Yaozhi patted her friend’s hand. “But I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Everyone wanted to watch the show. They wanted to see her scandals unfold, to see her fall, ruin herself, and be discarded by the world.

Fine. Du Yaozhi would make sure the show was worth watching.

And then, she would utterly destroy them all.

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