After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 31

Initially, a flurry of scandalous reports had flooded Weibo, claiming Du Yaozhi was having late-night trysts with CEOs and using her looks to seduce powerful men. The public perception of her, as the lead of Jin Luo, had nearly plummeted to rock bottom.

But then, Shen Qing herself posted a personal update.

[Shen Qing V: A lovely dinner.] Attached were several photos. One featured a dimly lit dressing room with props scattered about in a slight state of disarray. Yaozhi was crouching beside Shen Qing, flashing a peace sign. Shen Qing’s face was turned slightly to the side, her expression typically cool, yet she was leaning in toward Yaozhi in a gesture of silent cooperation.

The aloof Best Actress was a woman of few words, but her voice carried immense weight. The moment she posted, numerous other actors from the production followed suit, sharing the update. Even Director Chen Yinqing, who rarely bothered with social media, gave the post a ‘like.’

The official show account scrambled to keep up:

[Official Jin Luo Weibo: The script reading and crew dinner were a total success! Many thanks to our dedicated cast. The “rehearsal” between @ShenQingV and @DuYaozhiV in the dark was absolutely electric. Can’t wait for the official start of filming! Shen Qing V: A lovely dinner.]

Bloody hell? Did Shen Qing actually post? Am I seeing things?

So, it wasn’t about seducing investors at all; they were just testing out a scene?

So professional! Mind you… that’s a bit of a unique setting, haha. Well, done to the leads. Don’t those brainless haters feel silly now? The director and producer were right there. Imagine making up sordid rumors just because they were running lines in their downtime. Are people obsessed with picking on Du Yaozhi?  Our Yaozhi has always been a hardworking actress. Say no to malicious slander! Say no to baseless rumors against female artists!

Whoever is hating on her must really have a grudge. Those earlier trending topics were clearly paid for by someone.  Supporting Du Yaozhi! It’s rare to see such a dedicated actress these days.  +1, I’m a fan now. Totally in love with her! I adore high-end visuals who actually focus on their career! Looking forward to Jin Luo. Does Du Yaozhi have some kind of “Black Lotus” energy? The more people hate on her, the more I love her!

The trending charts did a complete U-turn. The sea of black PR against Yaozhi transformed into a wave of new fans gushing over the dinner photos.

#Shock! Jin Luo Crew Still Rehearsing During Dinner# #Du Yaozhi’s Professionalism#

Then, names the public hadn’t expected started to surface. Photos of Xu Wanxin showing up in front of the crew were leaked. Her arrogant, overbearing demeanour immediately sparked a fresh online frenzy.

#Xu Wanxin Crashes the Party# #Xu Wanxin Scrounging a Meal#

 The crew were rehearsing and having dinner. What on earth was Xu Wanxin doing there? She really crashed it. How rude, she doesn’t even know them. What are you on about? It was obviously pre-arranged. How could she just show up? Couldn’t the crew have invited our Wanxin for a cameo? Don’t make me laugh. Half the crew was there. Why would they invite a random outsider? As a mascot? Her fans are the worst for stirring up trouble. Finally quietened down, have you? You lot nearly ruined a genuine rehearsal by leaking it as a scandal. I’ve been tired of her for ages. Our Wanxin has had zero scandals and zero bad reviews in her six-year career. What’s wrong with her going to a restaurant? Can’t she eat too?  Oh, the hypocrisy. When she eats, she’s just eating; when anyone else does it, they’re “sleeping their way to the top.” Can we not do this to fellow female actors? Exactly.

While one group of netizens was busy tearing into Xu Wanxin’s motives, another group was focused on something else entirely.

 Is it just me, or is Shen Qing supporting Yaozhi’s elbow and following her around? So attentive.  Shen Qing and Du Yaozhi look stunning in the same frame. My eyes are blessed.  Qing-Bao rarely posts casual stuff, but she put the photo with Du right in the centre.  Is it just me, or is there a bit of a vibe between them? What have I missed??

Reply:  You missed the leaked photo where it looks like they’re snogging.

OP:

Yaozhi’s fans weren’t pleased: What do you mean “snogging”? Can we stop with the wild guesses? Can’t you see our Yaozhi is being very reserved? It’s just a professional relationship.

Yaozhi hadn’t had many fans to begin with; her likes and shares used to be in the low hundreds. But after the nationwide smear campaign, her visibility had skyrocketed overnight. After people dug up the side-profile photos with Shen Qing to debunk the scandals, she had even gained a following of “wild” fans who proactively defended her online a true miracle in the industry.

Some even said that a cold, elegant star like Shen Qing was a perfect match for a “Black Lotus” like Yaozhi. The chemistry was off the charts.

This, however, deeply annoyed Shen Qing’s fans, who rushed to protect their idol.

 Is our Shen Qing not reserved? At the end of the day, certain “infamous” stars just love to cling to her fame. Chemistry? With whom? Please stop treating a professional collaboration with our Qing-Bao as a ladder to the top. Qing-Bao is just helping with the promotion. Being professional is her trademark. Don’t over-analyze, thanks. In what world is Du Yaozhi a match for Best Actress Shen? Is she trying to ride her coattails?  I’ve heard she isn’t straight. Probably been plotting this for ages, hasn’t she? How manipulative.

Manipulative? Who were they calling manipulative?

Yaozhi’s fans were livid. In a fit of pique, they dug out countless detailed photos from the set. They even went through the old video where Yaozhi was accused of “acting like a diva,” frame by frame.

They captured a still from the grainy footage. It was blurry, but as Yaozhi turned to walk away, a hand was visible in the bottom right corner. The fingers were long, the knuckles well-defined, and the skin was strikingly pale.

It looked exactly like Shen Qing’s hand.

Looking at the slowed-down GIF, Shen Qing’s hand had instinctively reached out to grab Yaozhi’s sleeve before checking itself and pulling back, her fingertips curling in silently.

 See for yourselves! Yaozhi’s fans threw the evidence back at the opposition.  Your Shen Qing was the one reaching out. Why are you talking about her being “reserved”?

 If you ask me, it looks like your Shen Qing is the one chasing our Yaozhi!

 Someone find out what their deal is, for heaven’s sake!!!

For the last two days, the internet had been absolutely saturated with the names of Shen Qing and Du Yaozhi. The whole web was in an uproar, trying to decipher their relationship.

Some said they were together. Some said it was just a PR stunt. Others were convinced Shen Qing was definitely chasing Yaozhi. Between the lingering look in the leaked photos, the personal Weibo post, the center-frame photo, and Shen Qing supporting Yaozhi’s elbow, the more people dug, the more they found.

Jing Ping looked at her tablet, then at the perfectly calm Shen Qing in front of her. She had a massive headache. “My lady, would you like me to read a few of these out to you?”

Shen Qing didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no either, so Jing Ping started anyway.

“‘Omg, I’m shipping it! She reached out! She wanted to grab her! She’s chasing her! She’s totally in love!'”

“‘No way? We all got Yaozhi wrong. She wasn’t being a diva to Shen Qing; they’ve clearly known each other for ages and have a special bond?'”

“Shen Qing! What did I tell you? You haven’t been taking your ‘herbal medicine’ at all!” Jing Ping put on a high-pitched, exaggerated voice.

“It’s the opening ceremony. I haven’t got time to listen to you read those,” Shen Qing said calmly.

Jing Ping grinned. “Oh? Finally feeling a bit shy, are we?”

“Read them to me later.”

Jing Ping:  You actually like listening to this??

The production crew had picked an auspicious day to send a car for them. The vehicle swayed as it carried the group toward Hengdian World Studios.

Yaozhi remembered the first time she’d attended an opening ceremony. She and Zhou Yue had been mere extras, standing at the back of the crowd. Even on tiptoes, they could only see the blurred silhouettes of the main cast and the slow curls of incense smoke rising from the altar.

When it finally came time for the “red envelopes,” Yaozhi had been so nervous she’d gripped hers tightly, terrified she’d hold it upside down and bring bad luck. In small productions, the envelopes usually contained a lottery ticket for the actors to scratch. Yaozhi hadn’t known the etiquette back then and asked Zhou Yue if she should scratch it immediately.

Zhou Yue had said, “Of course! You want the good luck to kick in now! Scratch it straight away.”

The luck hadn’t kicked in, but the script supervisor certainly had. He’d arrived out of breath and clearly inexperienced, stammering that the envelopes had been mixed up. The one with the logo belonged to Miss Gu Lin of the creative team. Zhou Yue had stammered her apologies, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.

Yaozhi had handed her own envelope to the supervisor. “This one doesn’t have a logo, but it’s fresh. It’s full of good vibes, please give it to Miss Gu Lin with my best wishes.”

Gu Lin had stepped in with a smile to smooth things over, saying it was no problem at all. And just like that, the three of them had become friends a friendship that had lasted years.

Gu Lin used to say she’d saved that “good luck” for Yaozhi, hoping she’d find a good partner one day. Yaozhi had replied that she’d rather focus on her career—that was what mattered most. As it turned out, that year had been the absolute nadir of her career. Yaozhi didn’t drink and didn’t know how to flatter people; people mocked her for not knowing the “rules” of the industry and refused to give her auditions.

Yaozhi had vowed that if she ever got her big break, she would do everything in her power to change that toxic culture.

As if by fate, she met Shen Qing.

Shen Qing had a sort of magic that made people fall for her. She was distant and hard to approach, yet she could always see right through Yaozhi’s wavering and internal struggles. Shen Qing would watch from a distance, maintaining a respectful boundary without ever calling it out.

Shen Qing understood her. She understood her softness, but also the ruthlessness she kept hidden. It was as if Shen Qing had walked the same difficult path herself.

Yet when Yaozhi tried to look into Shen Qing’s past, she found that the woman had lived a life that others could only dream of. Her resources and background were unimaginably privileged.

Of course. The “Flower on the High Ridge,” as bright as the moon—how could her past be anything but perfect?

After that, Yaozhi stopped trying to peek into Shen Qing’s history. Even after the breakup, she refused to let herself doubt.

But when Shen Qing rehearsed her lines over and over, lowering her eyes and imbuing the word “hardship” with such a bittersweet, lingering ache… Yaozhi found she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to understand her. Like a wildness or a desire etched inside a flower bud, it was being coaxed out by Shen Qing, bit by bit—blooming, burning, only to be suppressed and extinguished in the winter cold.

If I had understood her just a bit more back then… Would the ending have been different? If I understood her now… would I be able to tell if her words are true or false? If there really is more to the story…

The wheels hit an uneven patch of road. A jolt nearly sent her temple into the cold windowpane. Yaozhi finally pulled her thoughts away from the misty glass and stopped her aimless wandering.

The car arrived at the site shortly after.

Thanks to Xu Wanxin, Yaozhi had managed to generate an incredible amount of hype for the show. Combined with Shen Qing’s star power, the number of fans and media present was staggering, even though the venue had been changed twice at the last minute.

The moment they stepped out, the fans lined up along the road began to scream.

Bloody hell, Shen Qing is gorgeous. My wife looked at me! AHHH, I can’t breathe!  Is that Gu Rong’er?! Is she playing Lian Lan? Du Yaozhi!!! Happy filming! Hope it goes smoothly! one young fan shouted at the top of her lungs.

Yaozhi’s heart warmed instantly. In the past, she’d only encountered “anti-fans” who did nothing but curse her and tell her to leave the industry. She’d never had a genuine fan cheer for her like this.

Yaozhi quickly smiled and waved at her. But as she got closer, someone else screamed, “I’m living for the ‘Qing-Zhi’ kiss! Please, my OTP, you have to make it a proper, passionate one!”

Yaozhi froze.

Wait. ‘Qing-Zhi’ what on earth is that? Surely that isn’t her and Shen Qing’s couple name, is it?

Yaozhi began to wonder. Are we really that ship-worthy? Why does it feel like the whole world is full of our CP fans?

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