After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 15

After the media photos were taken, Du Yaozhi waited for Shen Qing to move first. She then lightly lifted her skirt, stepped back half a pace, and left the stage entirely to Shen Qing. Following a staff member, she returned to her seat.

Throughout the process, Du Yaozhi remained quiet and avoided stealing the spotlight, politely staying a social distance behind Shen Qing. Facing the host and Shen Qing, she kept a subtle smile, completely contradicting the “diva” behavior reported in the recent trending searches. She was poised, sensible, and capable of holding her own. Her face alone was enough to stun; standing next to Shen Qing, she didn’t seem the least bit out of place.

Following the schedule, there were model displays and the brand’s gala dinner. Du Yaozhi spent a long time chatting with Gu Lin. When nearby guests struck up quiet conversations, she responded with polite warmth.

It wasn’t until the free social hour that Du Yaozhi left her seat, requesting a glass of champagne from a waiter. Gu Lin walked her to the social area, but when a senior executive approached Gu Lin, she signaled for him to wait a moment.

She turned to Du Yaozhi. “I need to step away for a bit. Can you handle yourself, or do you want to head back to the seat and wait for me?”

“I’ll be fine,” Du Yaozhi said without hesitation, her eyes already fixed on a spot in the crowd.

Gu Lin nodded and parted ways, putting on a professional smile as she walked off with the executive. Du Yaozhi stayed put, her gaze sweeping casually over the crowd while precisely capturing valuable information and targets.

In fact, someone’s eyes had been on her for quite a while.

“Ms. Gong, I’ve heard so much about you.” Du Yaozhi looked at the woman walking toward her with a wine glass. Remaining composed, she said, “You’ve been observing me.”

“You knew?” Gong Lin held her champagne, looking at her with genuine interest.

“Yes,” Du Yaozhi smiled slightly. “After all, I submitted a rather unique ‘letter of recommendation,’ didn’t I?”

Du Yaozhi was right. Her self-pitch was the most unique Gong Lin had seen in over twenty years of industry experience. It was a well-reasoned, detailed account of her conditions and experience, polite in tone, yet radiating a powerful sense of confidence. It practically screamed; I can bring you a lot.

Moreover, the “attachment” included was one-of-a-kind, further convincing Gong Lin of Du Yaozhi’s ambition and capability.

“Then why didn’t you come to find me first?” Gong Lin sat in the empty seat beside her, watching the various industry players mingling. “You seem very sure of yourself.”

“I was more proactive when I was younger,” Du Yaozhi said calmly. “Later, someone taught me that waiting is the best form of proactivity. If the other party is willing to collaborate, they’ll naturally find me. Then, that waiting becomes my best leverage—my bargaining chip. It’s never too late to detail my strengths once that bridge is built.”

“Not bad. That’s a deep insight. Who taught you that?” Gong Lin took a sip of champagne and asked casually.

“A… very senior predecessor.” Du Yaozhi sat sideways, one leg elegantly crossed over the other. She rested her elbow on her knee, her chin in her hand, as she looked toward the head table in the distance.

Even from afar, Du Yaozhi could recognize Shen Qing instantly. Shen Qing was impossible to miss; she seemed to exist on a different frequency from everyone else. Her pale skin against the black velvet, the aggressive perfection of her profile—she was unimaginably noble.

Occasionally, the other woman’s gaze would sweep in her direction. Du Yaozhi’s hand trembled involuntarily. She immediately clenched her fist. Why haven’t I forgotten her completely yet?

Shen Qing had simply taken her in and taught her a few things about acting. Why wasn’t she forgotten? Didn’t it hurt when she was abandoned? Didn’t she feel the hate? Du Yaozhi refused to let herself “forget the pain once the scar had healed.”

Shen Qing was at the center of the head table, talking smoothly. She was surrounded by brand executives and heavy-hitting VIPs; in the blink of an eye, she was swallowed by the crowd.

Du Yaozhi watched her disappear and gritted her teeth. “But we have no intersection now.”

“Are you mourning that?” Gong Lin asked.

Du Yaozhi heard the probing intent in Gong Lin’s voice. Without getting annoyed, she countered, “In our industry, do we have time to mourn anything other than missed opportunities?”

As the old saying goes, the entertainment industry never lacks people; a constant stream of newcomers is always pouring in. But opportunities and resources are held by only a few. Working with one person today and shooting with another tomorrow is common. Sometimes, even if you’ve had a falling out with someone, you might be forced to collaborate again, acting friendly for the public.

Everyone is an actor, after all. As long as there is a chance, anything is possible.

“Well said.” Gong Lin nodded in approval. She had underestimated Du Yaozhi; the woman was far more outstanding than her resume suggested. She stood up, adopting a serious demeanor. “However, there is one thing I must clarify.”

“Please, go ahead,” Du Yaozhi said.

“I am a manager, but I am also an investor. I don’t care how pathetic your current state is or how explosive your scandals are. I only care about your future potential and how much value you can bring me.”

“This is my card; it has my direct contact info,” Gong Lin said. “I don’t know how your past agency treated you, but I’m not like them. You don’t need to show me your final hand yet. You can be more free, more confident.”

“You mean… that photo?” Du Yaozhi’s lips curved.

That photo taken from a corner of Shen Qing’s car, showing a unique seat-perforation design reserved for only a select few—was enough to prove the “falling out and acting like a diva” scandal was a lie.

“I always like to give the people I admire a reason to choose me,” Du Yaozhi said as she stood up. She accepted the card, tucked it away, and smiled brightly. “However, that wasn’t my final hand.”

Du Yaozhi thought to herself: if that counted as decent leverage, then what would her entire past with Shen Qing, everything involving her cold-hearted ex-girlfriend, look like to those people? Gossip? A bargaining chip? Something scandalous or world-shaking? Was it love, or just “Shen Qing’s charity to Du Yaozhi”?

Du Yaozhi stopped thinking about it. She would never play that hand. She took one last look at Shen Qing’s back, bid farewell to Gong Lin, and turned away.

Since she’s a flower on a high peak, let her stay there forever.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Du Yaozhi had achieved her goal. She wasn’t in a hurry to return to her seat, wandering the banquet hall alone for a while to observe the crowd.

Gu Lin was still talking, occasionally clinking glasses or letting out a polite laugh. Everyone was in pairs or groups; it seemed no one would bother her for the moment. The hall was growing colder. With the temperature dropping outside, people on the terrace often left the windows open while they talked. The November chill poured in, overwhelming the already insufficient heating.

Assistants were beginning to drape warm shawls over their artists, though the cold didn’t dampen the social fervor of the industry insiders. Fine goosebumps broke out on Du Yaozhi’s arms, and her shoulders turned a faint pink from the cold. Whenever she got chilled, her stomach would start to ache.

She knew she couldn’t stay there. She had heard from Gu Lin that the brand would have some warming supplies near the signature board area, so she decided to go borrow something. She took a quiet route. Most people were busy socializing, so as she walked further out, the crowd thinned until she was alone.

Rounding a corner, she was almost there. She quickened her pace, mentally rehearsing how to politely ask the brand PR for help. But as she turned the corner, she froze.

Shen Qing was standing alone in the shadow of the signature area, looking slightly up at the wall. The moonlight filtered through the semi-transparent canopy, falling perfectly across her black hair. Hearing movement, Shen Qing turned and saw who it was.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to stagnate. Du Yaozhi pulled her shoulders inward, hugging her arms, and sniffed. Seeing her face-to-face, she realized Shen Qing hadn’t put on that beauty mark at the corner of her eye today.

“Good evening,” Shen Qing said, not looking away.

Du Yaozhi, who had intended to pretend she hadn’t seen her, was stunned. It felt like something was stuck in her throat. Shen Qing actually took the initiative to greet her.

“Good evening,” Du Yaozhi put on her “acting” smile. She lowered her hands and straightened her back, tilting her chin up. “Meeting again, Teacher Shen?”

She used a mocking tone to seize back the initiative. With her willow-leaf brows and exquisite, soft features, she looked entirely unthreatening, yet her smile didn’t reach her eyes. The muscles in her face didn’t even twitch.

She was effectively saying: Meeting again, ex-girlfriend.

Shen Qing looked at Du Yaozhi, then at the designated supply area nearby, immediately understanding her intent. “The emergency supplies the PR prepared are all gone for today.”

How did you know I wanted to borrow something? Du Yaozhi frowned, looking at her. Hearing they were gone, her expression fell for a split second before she turned away with a wave. “Then forget it.”

Shen Qing remained impassive but called out to her: “Are you cold?”

Du Yaozhi stopped. She turned her head back slowly, hesitantly. “Are you… asking me?”

An ex-girlfriend who hadn’t cared about her one bit before or after the breakup was actually asking if she was cold? This was as shocking as if Zhou Yue had analyzed the situation and concluded that Sister Gu Lin also liked women.

“Yes. I have a spare shawl,” Shen Qing blinked, adding, “It’s new. I haven’t used it.”

They stood a distance apart, the cold wind flowing between them. Du Yaozhi looked at Shen Qing, yet she couldn’t see through her.

“Teacher Shen should keep it for herself,” Du Yaozhi refused, her tone feigning concern. “After all, if you catch a cold, it’ll have a huge impact on your work. If you come looking for me then, I won’t be able to handle it.”

“And what about you?” Shen Qing ignored her jab, asking instead.

“What?” Du Yaozhi was suspicious; a string in her heart vibrated.

Shen Qing’s tone was cool but left no room for argument. “If you get sick, won’t that one come looking for you?”

That one? Who?

Du Yaozhi was baffled. She stared into Shen Qing’s eyes, desperately trying to see to the bottom of them to figure out what she meant. Shen Qing looked at Du Yaozhi’s frozen, red shoulders, her voice maintaining its usual steadiness. She was noble and rarely bowed her head, yet as Du Yaozhi stared at her, she glanced away, a flicker of loneliness passing through her eyes.

“Have you… misunderstood something?” Du Yaozhi asked hesitantly, her brow furrowed.

She felt that ever since Shen Qing had said the phrase “not the same as before,” she had somehow turned into a different person. She had become just like she was when they first started their relationship, distant yet considerate, always hiding her thoughts.

“Wait for me here for a moment,” Shen Qing said, avoiding the topic. “It won’t be long.”

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