After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 11

It took her a long time to squeeze out a single sentence: “She…

Du Yaozhi was on guard. She had spent a long time turning one question over in her mind: Why did Shen Qing do it?

Suspicious points she had previously set aside were resurfacing. Why answer her call? Why hand her water and show concern?

Was she planning to play that old game again? The one where she lures you in with intimacy only to freeze you out with cold violence?

Du Yaozhi paced the living room for ages before wandering back into the bedroom, still without an answer. But the invitation from Baoli was real. Even if it felt like a “pie falling from the sky” given her current reputation, she had to go.

Bread was more important than emotional trifles.

The brand’s PR team had provided a meticulous breakdown of the event. Their tone was sincere, even offering a few polite compliments to Du Yaozhi despite her recent scandals. For someone of her current standing, the level of respect they showed was remarkable.

However, the PR’s tone eventually turned tactful. “But Miss Du, this event focuses primarily on our new product launch. Regarding the red carpet, we don’t have a specific partnership arrangement in place for you at the moment… you may need to handle those arrangements yourself. If necessary, we can try to help put you in touch with the right people.”

The subtext was clear: there was a red carpet, but she had to source her own look.

The PR knew Du Yaozhi’s situation—an independent artist who had just broken her contract likely had a tight budget. The brand wouldn’t be footing the bill for her styling, but they framed it as professionally as possible.

“No problem. I’ll be there on time,” Du Yaozhi said. She held her phone with a calm, knowing composure. She had no reason to refuse such a sharp yet high-reward opportunity.

Moreover, Gong Lin would definitely be at an event like this. It was the perfect stage for Du Yaozhi to prove her worth.

The PR sounded relieved. “Wonderful. Thank you for attending. I’ll send over the time, location, itinerary, red carpet sequence, and backstage logistics map shortly. We look forward to seeing you.”

After hanging up, Du Yaozhi reviewed the details. For the red carpet, the brand had placed her in the middle of the first half. It was a strategic move: she had high buzz, but her actual status was low. Placing her there wouldn’t offend the industry veterans while ensuring the “heavyweights” in the second half maintained their prestige.

But this put the pressure squarely on Du Yaozhi. The first half was a high-traffic window for the media. Entertainment journalists wouldn’t miss a chance to grill a controversial star, so her look had to be flawless.

She thought of one specific studio: LADY A.

LADY A was a renowned styling house that worked with top-tier celebrities and held close ties with major brands, often securing high-end runway pieces. However, the studio also had a history with her rival, Xu Wanxin.

As the heiress of Huasheng, Xu Wanxin was never satisfied with the company’s internal stylists. She frequently splurged on famous names, especially LADY A. In fact, Du Yaozhi only knew about them because of her.

Her friend Zhou Yue had once commented: “I can’t believe they managed to make someone like Xu Wanxin look presentable.”

Unfortunately, Xu Wanxin had overheard. As the “Princess of Huasheng,” she couldn’t stomach such an insult, and she blamed everything on Du Yaozhi. Since then, she had targeted her with petty malice, intentionally spilling water on her to ruin her appearances, organizing cliques to bully her, and isolating her.

Du Yaozhi had endured it all. She didn’t want her friends to worry, so she never told them. Being from a divorced family where she was largely ignored, she had no relatives to turn to.

Back then, sometimes, the only person she had was Shen Qing.

She had nothing, and she was beyond saving.

She remembered a day when she was trembling, her hands and feet ice-cold. To humiliate her, Xu Wanxin had thrown away her shoes, leaving her to suffer the embarrassment. But Du Yaozhi was stubborn; she refused to let a single tear fall.

She had walked home barefoot. Her toes were bloodied from the pavement, but she gritted her teeth and kept going. She would never forget the fear and the shivering of walking through a rainstorm without shoes. It felt like being abandoned, forced to step over her own trampled pride and cold tears just to move forward.

When she finally reached home, soaked to the bone, her eyes stung with suppressed emotion. Her feet were a mess of mud and grit.

Shen Qing was there, looking as pristine and untouchable as the day they first met. She was dressed in perfectly tailored private clothes, the scent of expensive hair mist lingering around her. Even the light seemed to favor her, gilding the strands of hair on her shoulders.

Du Yaozhi stood in the shadows of the foyer. She drew her bruised feet together, standing there trembling, feeling as if a whole world lay between her and Shen Qing.

If you still care about me, at least don’t ignore me like this, Du Yaozhi had pleaded internally.

“Shen Qing,” she finally managed to choke out. She couldn’t take it anymore—it had been nearly six months. If Shen Qing didn’t love her, why keep her hanging? Why torture her?

Shen Qing’s response was like a shard of ice: “That is your business.”

“This is how the industry operates,” Shen Qing said ruthlessly. “If you cannot master the rules, you will always be at their mercy.”

Du Yaozhi felt every word pierce her. It was true; from beginning to end, she was nothing more than Shen Qing’s secret lover.

She didn’t cry. She just hated her.

She hated the cold gaze, the biting words, and the utter indifference that followed their “commitment.” Yet, she had loved her too, loved her for giving her a place to go. For giving her a home to return to on the days when she was spat upon and forced to walk barefoot.

**

Du Yaozhi asked Gu Lin to help her book an appointment at LADY A. She was going to prepare thoroughly for this comeback.

LADY A was fully booked, but Du Yaozhi arrived exactly on time. The studio was tucked away in the city’s most prestigious creative park. Passing through the designer gates, the city noise vanished instantly. Large floor-to-ceiling glass reflected the swaying trees, and sunlight dappled the stone paths.

Just as she stepped onto the stairs, the frosted glass doors swung open. Someone walked out, laughing and talking.

“What a coincidence. Oh. it’s you.”

Xu Wanxin looked surprised, standing arrogantly on the steps. She looked exquisite, her left hand resting on her right elbow as she scanned Du Yaozhi from head to toe. “You’re coming here too?” She glanced at the sign, her face full of disdain.

Xu Wanxin. Again? Talk about a narrow road.

Du Yaozhi didn’t want to waste time. “Move, please. You’re blocking the way.”

“I’m blocking the way?” Xu Wanxin gasped mockingly, looking at her assistant. The assistant gave a derisive smirk. “My apologies. I suppose I should make way for the ‘independent artist,’ Miss Du.”

“I just hope you like whatever clothes I left behind.”

Xu Wanxin shifted her weight, opening a small gap, but she clearly had no intention of leaving. She was as bratty as ever, but the current Du Yaozhi wasn’t about to play along. Without looking up, she walked straight forward.

Tch. She dares to ignore me? I’ll show her!

Xu Wanxin’s expression soured. She gave her assistant a look; she was determined to make Du Yaozhi pay. As they crossed paths, the assistant suddenly stepped back. Xu Wanxin flashed a wicked smile, lifting her heel to trip Du Yaozhi from behind.

But Du Yaozhi had anticipated it. She pivoted at the exact moment Xu Wanxin moved, dodging the trip and stepping firmly onto the decorative bow on Xu Wanxin’s shoe.

What?

Xu Wanxin’s foot twisted. Losing her balance, she shrieked as her head snapped back toward the steps. At the critical moment, Du Yaozhi grabbed her wrist with precision and yanked her back up.

Du Yaozhi looked at the terrified assistant and smirked. “Miss Qin, it seems Miss Xu isn’t used to wearing high heels. You should keep a closer eye on her; wouldn’t want her to have a nasty fall.”

“Don’t touch me!! You… you piece of trash! What do you mean by that?!”

“Your tongue is sharp, Miss Xu, but be careful not to sprain your ankle. If you can’t walk, all those clothes you picked will go to waste.” Du Yaozhi smiled and let go, leaving a flustered Xu Wanxin to steady herself.

The assistant, Qin Qian, rushed to help, only to be barked at by Xu Wanxin. Amidst the chaos, Du Yaozhi walked into LADY A without a backward glance.

She was met by a mid-level stylist who was polite and efficient. After a few pleasantries, the stylist showed her several sample dresses. “These are classic styles, safe choices, perfect for smaller events.”

Du Yaozhi’s gaze swept over the rack. She frowned slightly and shook her head. “Thank you. These designs are classic, but they aren’t what I’m looking for.”

“How about these?” The stylist wasn’t surprised and led her deeper into the showroom. The lighting here was softer, highlighting each carefully displayed garment. The air smelled of high-end fragrance. The clothes were breathtaking.

Du Yaozhi did a full circuit, giving credit where it was due, but she still shook her head. The stylist was stunned. Usually, D-list artists were thrilled just to get this far.

“Can I see your lookbook for this season?” Du Yaozhi pointed to the slim tablet in the stylist’s hand.

A short while later, the stylist returned to the office and slumped into her chair. A colleague looked up and laughed. “Finally finished? That was fast.”

“Yeah. She didn’t like the samples, so I showed her the lookbook.” The stylist pulled a tea bag from her desk.

“Typical. These small-timers always want the lookbook. They look down on the standard stock and want to rent brand-name pieces, but they have no idea how hard those are to get. Brands check your image and the rent is sky-high. They just want to show off. So young, so naive.” The colleague continued typing. “Next time, just find an excuse to get rid of her. Don’t waste your time.”

“I didn’t push her away. I took the job.” The stylist took a sip of her tea.

“You’re that bored?” The colleague froze, turning around in shock.

“I looked at her. Her features are extraordinary, and her frame is perfect, she’s a natural clothes hanger. She can pull off high fashion.”

The colleague was still dismissive. “So what? No big brands are inviting her. Without exposure, even the best clothes are a waste.”

“She has an invitation to the Baoli Gala.”

“What?” The colleague’s eyes nearly popped out. “Baoli? Her?”

The stylist continued drinking her tea calmly. The colleague’s gaze wavered. “She probably can’t afford it, right?! She just left her agency and she’s in the middle of a scandal. Last time we had an artist who couldn’t pay, finance had to chase them three times. If you don’t reject her now, you’re just asking to be scammed.”

“On the contrary,” the stylist smiled. “She paid the full deposit immediately. And the styling fee she offered… was this much.”

The stylist typed a string of numbers into a calculator and pushed it over.

“How much?”

Seeing the shocking figure, the colleague’s pupils contracted. It took her a long time to squeeze out a single sentence: “Is she really that rich?”

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