After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 32

The good news: the “ship” momentum between Du Yaozhi and Shen Qing was flourishing, and they even had an official couple name.

The bad news: Yaozhi’s name came second.

Zhou Yue had once told her, with a look of conspiratorial intensity, that the order of names in a couple title was a big deal. If the positions were swapped, the rival fanbases would tear each other apart because the name at the back usually represented… well, the one “on the bottom.”

In reality, that was exactly how things stood. Yaozhi had never once succeeded in getting the upper hand with Shen Qing.

Previously, Shen Qing had teased her, claiming her “technique” was lacking. Truth be told, Yaozhi didn’t have any technique to speak of in the first place; she simply hated admitting that Shen Qing had her pinned, so she’d put on a show of being annoyed.

But this time, Yaozhi was playing Wen Jinyue. If she didn’t stand her ground now, when would she?

Squaring her shoulders, Yaozhi followed the staff and strode toward the venue. The opening ceremony was held in the heart of the film city, a world away from the dinky little productions Yaozhi was used to. Altars, red silk, steaming roast pigs, and heaps of fresh fruit were all laid out. The atmosphere was solemn yet celebratory, with investors and brand representatives out in force.

The leads stood at the front. Shen Qing and the third female lead, Gu Rong’er, were already waiting. Gu Rong’er was the “investor’s darling” whose casting was strictly under wraps until this very ceremony. She was playing the role of Lian Lan.

Yaozhi had spoken with Gu Rong’er twice and had done her fair share of probing. Although Rong’er was a pampered starlet, she was nothing like Xu Wanxin. Through their chats, Yaozhi had gleaned a bit of the “inside track” as to why her casting was announced so late.

Word was, it was a dispute over billing.

With a relatively unknown “niche” actress like Yaozhi playing one of the leads while the investor’s favourite played a supporting role, there was a risk of the hierarchy looking messy if the promotion was handled poorly. To balance it out, the investors decided to announce Rong’er at the ceremony itself to maximise her exposure.

As Yaozhi approached, Rong’er politely moved aside to give her a spot next to Shen Qing. “Miss Du.”

With her peach-toned makeup and innocent features, the girl looked incredibly sweet and soft-spoken. Yaozhi had principles: if someone didn’t cross her and treated her well, she’d return the favour. She gave a gentle smile and returned the greeting.

Rong’er seemed lovely, quiet and well-behaved. However, there was one thing Yaozhi couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Why does she keep looking at me?

Whenever Yaozhi glanced her way, Rong’er would instinctively look away, a pinkish hue dusting her cheeks. Was she really just that shy?

Yaozhi stole a look at Shen Qing out of the corner of her eye. Shen Qing stood tall and elegant, preparing for her speech, her expression as calm as a still lake. Yaozhi had no choice but to look away.

The media were out in force with their gear. Director Chen Yinqing and the producers took turns speaking, offering their congratulations on the start of Jin Luo. The ceremony followed the usual routine: speeches, unveiling the red cloth, paying respects to the four directions, and the group photo. The props team trailed them with cameras while Yaozhi kept a camera-ready smile plastered on her face.

Then, the media swarmed.

Yaozhi handled the appropriate questions with poise and grace. However, there were always those tabloid vultures looking for a scandal.

“Miss Du, there’s been a lot of talk online about your relationship with Miss Shen, especially regarding that leaked photo. Could you tell us what it’s like working with her?”

“Some netizens claim you’ve known each other for years. There are even rumours that Shen Qing reached out to you in that old video because she was pursuing you. How do you respond to that?”

“You have many intimate scenes with Miss Shen in this role. How do you feel about that?”

“If I may be so bold, what exactly is the nature of your relationship with Miss Shen?”

Yaozhi was suddenly buried under a mountain of microphones. It was incredibly cheeky. No matter how she answered, these tabloids would twist her words.

Just as she was wondering how to make her escape, she tilted her head and accidentally caught Shen Qing’s gaze. Those eyes were calm, like the moon reflected in a deep pool. After a moment of eye contact, Shen Qing walked straight toward her.

“Terribly sorry, but Miss Du and I have an opening scene to film. We’ll leave it there for today.”

Shen Qing circled Yaozhi’s slender wrist with her hand and gently pulled her out of the crowd. She didn’t offer any further explanation. Security quickly moved in to block the way as Shen Qing led Yaozhi away from the chaos.

 Bloody hell, did you see that?! My ship is REAL! Was that Miss Shen holding Yaozhi’s hand?? She’s totally in love!  Is this the “protective wife” energy we’ve been waiting for?! I can’t cope!

The air was filled with a faint, cool fragrance. Shen Qing’s silhouette was tall and aloof, her dark hair catching the breeze. She looked ethereal. Yaozhi, her wrist still held firmly, could only force herself to keep a steady pace.

“Those outlets specifically target soft-spoken artists. If you answer, they’ll maliciously edit your words to farm clicks. Next time, just walk away,” Shen Qing said once they reached a safe spot, letting go of her hand.

Was Shen Qing… explaining herself? But how did she know about that? Yaozhi was skeptical. She rubbed her wrist. “Has it happened to you?”

“Mhm.”

“And how did you handle it?”

“I don’t respond to media outlets I haven’t worked with before.”

Yaozhi was speechless. No wonder the press didn’t swarm her. Shen Qing stood there like an iceberg; the tabloids got nothing but the cold shoulder. She wouldn’t even give them a second glance.

Still, this gave Yaozhi an idea for a bit of “revenge.” Shen Qing had been so wicked, locking Yaozhi in that room to “teach” her how to be teased. Yaozhi had nearly lost her composure.

A slow smirk played on Yaozhi’s red lips. “Oh? I seem to remember someone specifically telling a reporter that they used to love drawing on a beauty mark, but never had the chance to do it consistently.”

“Who could that have been? I’m struggling to remember,” Yaozhi said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear and crossing her arms with a look of mock distress. Then, her smile widened. “Oh, it was you, Miss Shen! Silly me, how could I forget?”

“Was that a pre-arranged line between you and the media?” Yaozhi’s words were laced with thorns. She didn’t forget to tap her finger near the corner of her eye. “And the mark you drew looked remarkably like mine. Quite the coincidence, wouldn’t you say? I wonder how that happened.”

“You’re very lively today, Miss Du,” Shen Qing said with a faint smile.

“Naturally.”

Shen Qing’s voice was noble and measured as she spoke. “If you’re so desperate to answer the question about our relationship, you can tell me right now.”

“I think you’re the one who wants the answer,” Yaozhi countered effortlessly.

They were in the middle of this delicate back-and-forth when a familiar, innocent voice called out from the distance.

“Sister!”

Shu Yuanxiang leaned over, wiping her forehead and gasping for breath. “Finally found you, Sister Yaozhi! The costume department has finished steaming the outfits. They want you in Area A in fifteen minutes for a fitting. The belt and shawl need on-site adjustments, so we’d better hurry.”

“Right, I’m coming. Thanks for the run-around,” Yaozhi said, helping Yuanxiang up and gently patting her back to help her catch her breath.

“You should get going too, Miss Shen,” Yaozhi said, shooting her a wink. “If you’re late, I’ll be ever so worried.”

Worried that you’re scared of me.

With a smirk, Yaozhi walked away in high spirits.

The crew prepared until late afternoon. The lighting team was adjusting softboxes covered in blue gel. Someone shouted, “Another flag over here! The shadows are too heavy!”

“Move the key light to your right. No, no, too much! Just thirty centimetres, or the reflection on the sake bottle will be lost!”

“What about the ambient light, Sis?” another worker asked, out of breath.

“Keep the ambient light low—set it to ten. Don’t let it compete with the key light. Come on, hurry up! We’re about to shoot or the AD will be down our necks.”

The opening scene of a shoot is usually something simple and routine, it’s about a smooth start and good omens. Typically, they film individual snippets. The trouble was, most of Jin Luo consisted of high-stakes conflict, grand set pieces, or emotionally charged intimate scenes. There were very few “casual” moments.

Chen Yinqing, who knew the script inside out, was having a bit of a dilemma. Ultimately, she decided to stick with a “restrained” approach to let the actors find their rhythm. She settled on a moonlit drinking scene between the two leads.

Once the lights were set, the clapper loader stepped forward. Chen Yinqing looked at the two women. “Yaozhi, how do you read this scene?”

Yaozhi offered her interpretation openly. “I see this as a scene of surface-level drinking that is actually a subtext of emotion and strategy. Jun Luo uses the alcohol as a pretext to bring up a conflict, and Wen Jinyue has to capture those rare glimpses of genuine emotion amidst that ‘half-drunk’ state.”

“Mhm, not bad.” Chen Yinqing nodded in approval. “In this scene, Jun Luo is passively hinting at her feelings. Wen Jinyue needs to be natural; the emotions should be slow, as if they’re being coaxed out. Do you follow?”

Yaozhi nodded seriously.

Chen Yinqing sat behind the monitor. “Let’s do a dry run and see how it looks.”

The clapboard snapped sharply. “Jin Luo, Scene 1, Take 1. Action!”

The green of the bamboo grove was saturated in blue tones, woven into a hazy nightscape by the soft blue lights. As the wind rustled the leaves, it created a profound sense of lonely isolation.

The bamboo creaked; the moonlight was intoxicating.

Yaozhi, dressed in a crimson gauze gown, walked forward with measured steps. The red was strikingly vivid, yet against her porcelain skin, it added a touch of languid softness. As she pressed her lips together, she looked effortlessly alluring.

She carried a white jade sake flask toward the bamboo daybed. Catching sight of the other woman’s back, Yaozhi gave a faint smile. With a careless flick of her sleeve, she sat down beside her. Her wide sleeve brushed against the back of Shen Qing’s hand like a stray feather.

Yaozhi met her gaze with a softened look. “The ‘Immortal’s Brew’ is potent. You’ve only just recovered; how can you drink such strong spirits?”

Shen Qing, her eyes covered with white silk, paused. Her fingertips hesitated, her lips pressed together, and she lowered the porcelain cup in a gesture of profound melancholy.

“Master taught me how to sense spiritual energy and identify all things… yet she never taught me how to dissolve the sorrow in my heart. I truly… do not know what to do.”

Yaozhi arched an eyebrow, her breathing hitching slightly. “Oh?”

“You cannot see, and your emotions are famously cold. Where does this sorrow come from?”

Yaozhi leaned in imperceptibly, her hand coming up to touch Shen Qing’s cheek. Her thumb traced the line of Shen Qing’s face, moving upward until it caught the edge of the white silk blindfold, teasing it as if she were about to pull it away. Her gaze became sharp and cold, as if trying to pierce through to the other woman’s soul.

“Unless… you’ve lied to me?”

There was a perfect edge of suspicion in Yaozhi’s voice. On the surface, she was flawless, but internally, she was tense, waiting for Shen Qing to react.

The air solidified. Every member of the crew held their breath.

As Yaozhi’s fingertips touched the edge of the silk, Shen Qing’s body stiffened for a fraction of a second. But then, she tilted her head up slightly, exposing her most vulnerable state to the other woman.

Behind the silk, Shen Qing’s eyes were cold yet fractured. Her lashes fluttered and closed, conveying a sense of delicate frailty and melancholy. Her slightly parted lips and the subtle movement of her throat spoke volumes of Jun Luo’s internal turmoil.

After a brief silence, she suddenly laughed. It was a light, airy sound, carrying a sense of resigned, vulnerable seduction.

“Master… get me drunk,” she whispered, her voice floating up like moonlight through a mist, chilled and captivating. “Get me drunk, and I shall give you your answer.”

Yaozhi’s heart gave a sudden, violent lurch.

“Cut!”

Chen Yinqing clapped her hands immediately, her voice full of delight. She hadn’t been wrong about them. “Excellent! Yaozhi, your eye contact was superb! So natural! That’s a wrap on this one!”

The lingering coolness of the other woman’s skin remained on her fingertips. Yaozhi slowly withdrew her hand as she snapped back to reality.

She had been worried that acting opposite Shen Qing wouldn’t feel natural—that the emotions wouldn’t be “coaxed out” properly. As it turned out, she needn’t have bothered.

Shen Qing was terrifyingly good at being the passive one. The way her lashes fluttered, that display of vulnerability… it was bloody irresistible. How could anyone not feel something?

Seeing Shen Qing still holding that same expression even after the “cut,” Yaozhi gritted her teeth inwardly. She felt as though her very soul was being lured out of her body!

Since when did Shen Qing become so good at this?

Devious ex-girlfriend. Devious teacher.

Who was testing whom, anyway?

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