After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 33

The filming for the past few days hadn’t been particularly demanding—small scenes, no major emotional peaks. Because of the lighter schedule, the crew had approved a visitor’s pass for Zhou Yue, allowing her to come to the set for a visit.

“Hurry up, hurry up! Next shot is starting soon!”

On set, the assistant director was whispering into a walkie-talkie while the camera crew adjusted positions for the next take. Nearby, Shen Qing and Gu Rong’er were testing the lighting.

Du Yaozhi had already finished her scenes for the day. She was sitting with Zhou Yue in a temporary rest area at the edge of the filming zone, chatting. From there, they could see the hustle and bustle of the set without getting in the way.

“You seduce her, she seduces you—you two are even!” Zhou Yue sat in the lounge area, spitting sunflower seed shells into a tissue.

Du Yaozhi was speechless. “How on earth does that count as ‘even’?”

Zhou Yue picked up another seed. “Well, are you catching feelings?”

Du Yaozhi answered instantly. “No.”

It was true that Du Yaozhi didn’t feel the same sharp, confrontational hatred toward Shen Qing as before. Her stance had wavered the moment Shen Qing invited her to “use” her. From hatred to confusion, and then to this current state of hesitation, Du Yaozhi often found herself in a state of doubt.

She tested her; she doubted her words.

Yet, that doubt was gradually eroding through their daily interactions. Because Shen Qing really did seem different. She wasn’t the icy block of stone she used to be. instead, she was refined and aloof, with an occasional provocative edge, exactly like she had been when they first started dating.

Could there really be a hidden story?

But in all fairness, Du Yaozhi felt that aside from paying a bit too much attention to Shen Qing, wanting to understand her a bit more during physical contact, and wanting to tease her a bit when she was bored… she hadn’t actually caught feelings. Right?

After all, Du Yaozhi didn’t want to get hurt a second time. She didn’t want to be pushed away again. She still kept her guard up.

Zhou Yue didn’t overthink things as much as Du Yaozhi. She let out a bright laugh. “Then it’s fine! We’re not losing out at all. As long as you don’t lose anything in this life, you’re winning.”

“I once met a director who had zero reputation,” Zhou Yue continued. “On the first day of filming, the props broke and no one fixed them, the cameraman ran off, and the whole project went down the drain. I thought he was ruined, but guess what?”

“What happened?” Du Yaozhi asked.

“He switched careers to sales! Whenever he met a client, he’d tell that story to build rapport. He made a killing!” Zhou Yue’s tone rose with pride, as if she were the one who had made the fortune.

“That’s impressive, but what does that have to do with me and Shen Qing?” Du Yaozhi frowned in confusion, though she still listened intently to Zhou Yue’s nonsense.

“Think about it! You act with Shen Qing, you gain experience, and you squeeze every bit of value out of her. Once the contract is over, you fly away and become a powerful career woman. Isn’t that great?” Zhou Yue added, “As long as you don’t catch feelings, everything is negotiable!”

Du Yaozhi took a moment to reflect and actually found some sense in Zhou Yue’s ramblings. She nodded and asked further, “And what if she catches feelings?”

Zhou Yue:

Well, that would be a different story altogether.

“Then you just… hold your ground?” Zhou Yue offered tentatively.

Hold my ground? What kind of phrasing was that? It made it sound like she was on the verge of losing control.

Du Yaozhi immediately straightened her face and pretended to threaten her. “I’m going to text Sister Lin to come and get you.”

“Wait, no! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I finally escaped her clutches!”

Du Yaozhi, of course, wouldn’t actually take it out on Zhou Yue. “Fine, I’m just messing with you. Let’s keep talking.”

Zhou Yue breathed a sigh of relief and went back to gossiping about the set environment. “Your crew is huge. Everything is so orderly. Even the prop masters don’t have to help carry equipment. And the script supervisor only does script supervising! They even have professional software? We used to only have hand-held whiteboards.”

Zhou Yue looked into the distance and suddenly sighed. “Does Shen Qing only have one assistant? People in the industry say she’s so high-maintenance; I thought she’d have a whole circle of people carrying things for her.”

At the mention of Shen Qing’s name, Du Yaozhi’s eyes drifted toward the tall, fair silhouette in the distance.

She had heard stories of high-ranking stars bringing eight assistants to a set, making people hold every little thing for them. Du Yaozhi had assumed Shen Qing would be the same. But after working with her, she realized it was the opposite.

Shen Qing personally tested the lighting for important scenes. During outdoor snow shoots, she’d stay with the director at the monitors to ensure the shot was perfect. She worked continuously with intense focus, rarely retreating to her trailer between takes, always staying ready for the next scene.

Shen Qing was incredibly professional. She didn’t feel distant while working, though her solemn, unsmiling expression was very serious.

No wonder she’s a Best Actress winner.

Du Yaozhi’s thoughts were still lingering on Shen Qing when Zhou Yue interrupted her.

“Oh, Sister Lin asked me to bring you a ‘Winter Survival Kit.’ She told me to learn from your preparation.” Zhou Yue saw an actor wearing a heavy coat and suddenly remembered. She began pulling a mountain of items from her bag.

Shu Yuanxiang saw them from a distance and ran over. “Are those for Sister Yaozhi? I’ll take them.”

Zhou Yue started counting them off like treasures. “These are heat patches for the knees, these are for the stomach, these are heated insoles, and this is a hand warmer…”

Shu Yuanxiang’s head was spinning. “I’ll put these in the trailer first.”

“A trailer? You have a trailer?” Zhou Yue’s eyes lit up as she looked at Du Yaozhi.

Du Yaozhi’s expression didn’t flicker. “It’s Shen Qing’s.”

Zhou Yue froze. “So… you two are sleeping together?”

Du Yaozhi’s throat felt hot, and she immediately shot back, “What do you mean ‘sleeping together’? we just rest in there together! We go back to the hotel at night!”

“I see.” Zhou Yue sniffled from the cold wind. “I was wondering how you could lose your ‘ground’ so fast. I thought you had more backbone than that.”

“You…” Du Yaozhi sighed helplessly, sliding her stool forward. “Just go sit up front. It’s warmer there, and you might actually learn something useful. I need to prepare for my next scene.”

Du Yaozhi truly hoped Zhou Yue would pick up some skills so she could report back to Gu Lin. Zhou Yue laughed. “Fine, fine.”

Watching her walk away, Du Yaozhi smiled softly, then stood up to head to the trailer to conserve her energy for the next shot. It was truly freezing outside. Even wrapped in a heavy down jacket, the wind seemed to seep into her bones, making her back feel numb with cold.

She intended to warm up by the heater. As she rounded a corner, she overheard a group of staff members whispering. She stayed back, pretending to pour water.

“That person at Teacher Shen’s house… are they really that sick? I heard they were transferred to Haicheng.”

“I heard they passed away a long time ago…” the other person’s voice dropped even lower. “It explains why Teacher Shen was in such a bad state that year.”

“Exactly. A year ago, a friend of mine on her business team said she looked like she was frozen solid. Cold as ice, taking three sleeping pills a day. There were even rumors it was because of a breakup, but that’s clearly fake. With her personality, she doesn’t seem like the type to even date.”

“Definitely fake. But what happened after? How did she suddenly get better?”

“Who knows? Regardless, the resource handovers were fast. Her team is entirely her own people now. It seems like before, she wasn’t the one making the calls on a lot of things…”

The footsteps faded away.

Du Yaozhi stood still, holding her cup. Her pupils trembled, her lips thinned, and her heart felt like it was being tossed in a storm. It wasn’t until the boiling water overflowed and scalded her hand that she snapped back to reality.

She turned on the tap, letting the cold water rush over her hand to force herself to stay calm. One year… why does the timeline in the rumors match up so perfectly with when we broke up? And the news about her reclaiming the Shen family resources is true.

Could it be… that Shen Qing didn’t stop loving me? Could it be that she just… couldn’t?

Du Yaozhi felt her hands turning to ice again.

No—I can’t let rumors fool me. I have to get close to her myself and get the truth out of her.

Just as she went to find Shen Qing, the assistant director blocked her path.

“Yaozhi, perfect timing.” The AD spoke rapidly, clearly stressed by a sudden change. “The weather forecast says there’s a blizzard coming in a few days. All outdoor scenes are suspended. The production meeting just ended—we’re moving all indoor scenes forward.”

“The next scene has been changed to the bath scene between you and Teacher Shen. The pool and the set are ready. Director Chen wants you two to head over now to get a feel for the environment.”

A bath scene? Now?

“Alright, I’m on my way.” Professionalism took over, and Du Yaozhi pushed her emotions aside.

Though it was sudden for a winter day, the work was more important. She understood the scheduling change; as someone who started as a minor actor, she knew exactly how much money was lost every time a scene was delayed. Besides, if it snowed for the next few days, it would only be colder. Getting it over with now was for the best.

The set was located in an indoor studio. Steam rose from the water, and soft lights under prop peach blossom trees cast a hazy glow. The water looked clear, with prop petals floating on the surface.

When Du Yaozhi arrived, Shen Qing was already there. She was standing by the pool, frowning slightly as she dipped the back of her hand into the water to test it. Hearing footsteps, Shen Qing turned. Seeing it was Du Yaozhi, she spoke naturally: “Wait a moment. The water is a bit cold.”

Her tone was casual, as if discussing an ordinary technical detail. Du Yaozhi walked over and reached out to test it herself.

Cold? It was practically icy.

Even with the studio insulation, it was still winter, and the water held a distinct chill. If they jumped in now, forget about acting, their bodies wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“I’ll tell the prop masters to heat it up again,” Du Yaozhi said, turning to find someone.

“Wait,” Shen Qing stopped her. “Heating takes time, and the temperature is unstable. It’s worse when it fluctuates.”

As she spoke, she naturally leaned down, rolled up her thick sleeve, and submerged her entire forearm into the water. “It’s more accurate to test it like this.”

Actors needed to know the temperature they were facing to prevent involuntary physical reactions, and using skin was more reliable than a thermometer. It was a common practice.

Shen Qing’s exposed forearm was slender and long, her skin as white as fine jade, her texture flawless. There was an undeniable air of elegance about her. Yet, she was strictly professional, even using her own body to ensure the most comfortable environment for her co-star.

Watching her arm submerged in the water, Du Yaozhi felt a slight ripple in her heart.

Is she testing it because she’s professional… or because she cares about me?

“How is it?” Du Yaozhi asked, her voice unintentionally tight.

Shen Qing didn’t answer immediately. She held the position for a moment longer before slowly straightening up and shaking the water from her hand.

“Still too cold. We can’t film yet.” Shen Qing reached a conclusion, her tone calm. “I’ll go talk to Director Chen and the props team to get it to the right temperature. You have a sensitive stomach; you can’t catch a chill.”

That last sentence was said so naturally, as if it were just an afterthought, yet it sparked a complex swirl of emotions in Du Yaozhi.

“You… you still remember my stomach issues?” Du Yaozhi asked suspiciously.

Carrying stomach medicine, brewing tea for her—was it possible Shen Qing had remembered all this time? If that were true, then maybe the rumors were true as well.

Shen Qing remained unfazed. “It’s only right for a girlfriend to remember.”

Du Yaozhi felt a sudden warmth in her chest. She shifted her posture, crossing her arms to hide her reaction. “You didn’t remember before, but you do now? You’re so kind to your current girlfriend, but I bet you were quite average to your ex.”

Du Yaozhi raised an eyebrow, beginning her casual probe.

“What?”

“Don’t you understand the saying, ‘One person plants the tree, another enjoys the shade’?” Du Yaozhi continued. “You’re so considerate now; I imagine your ex-girlfriend deserves a lot of the credit for training you.”

The air went still. Steam swirled around them, their gazes locked, and even their breathing felt heavy with subtext.

Shen Qing suddenly leaned forward. She was so close that Du Yaozhi could see her long, thick lashes and smell the faint, cold fragrance of her perfume. There was no anger, no pressure only a thick sense of ambiguity.

Shen Qing lowered her voice, her cool tone wrapped in a trace of a smile. She enunciated every word: “Are you… trying to test me?”

Du Yaozhi’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected to be called out so directly.

How did you know?

“Because I’m the one who taught you,” Shen Qing wanted to say.

Just then, the assistant director ran back over, looking apologetic and frantic. “Teachers, there’s a change. Group B finished early, so we need to move up the schedule for this studio. Director Chen wants to film a solo shot first to save time while the water gets to the right temperature for the duo shots. What do you two think?”

The implication was clear: one of them had to get into the cold water now, and they’d film the shared scene once it warmed up. The AD looked at Shen Qing and quickly looked away; she couldn’t afford to offend someone of that stature.

Finally, she looked at Du Yaozhi, looking troubled. “Miss Du, what do you think?”

Du Yaozhi looked at the pool of water, already feeling the chill in anticipation. But she didn’t hesitate. She began unzipping her heavy down jacket. “I don’t mind”

Before she could finish, Shen Qing interrupted, her voice clear and cool.

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll go in for her.”

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