After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 41

As Shen Qing’s voice trailed off, she habitually swapped “I hope” for “you can.”

Her black hair fell straight, save for the subtle waves where Du Yaozhi’s fingers had just been lingering. Her face was cold and porcelain-pale, yet her earlobes, having been toyed with, glowed with an unfitting flush. The shape of the redness looked like a blurred thumbprint, appearing inexplicably provocative under the night sky.

Du Yaozhi’s eyes flickered, ripples forming in her heart.

Shen Qing… admitted she wanted to pursue her? And she’s serious!

Du Yaozhi’s heart skipped a beat the moment those words landed. Looking into Shen Qing’s eyes, she couldn’t detect a hint of falsehood.

Suddenly flustered, Du Yaozhi instantly dropped her seductive act. She scrambled off Shen Qing’s lap, ignored everything else, hurriedly packed her props, and grabbed her bag to leave. She stuck to her original plan of not looking back—except now, it looked less like a cool exit and more like a frantic escape.

Shen Qing calmly packed her belongings. She gripped her thermos and twisted the cap shut, her voice sounding crisp and cool. “Not going to finish ‘coaxing’ me?”

Du Yaozhi’s footsteps faltered. She kept her back turned, but her breath was scalding hot. She hadn’t intended to speak to Shen Qing again, but hearing the other woman initiate the conversation sparked her competitive streak. She tossed her long curls and raised her voice to seize the upper hand.

“When have I ever not considered your existence?”

I’ve been constantly overthinking your every move.

“Is that so?” Shen Qing paused for a moment. “Then what about my messages?”

Messages?

How did we get onto messages?

Frustrated, Du Yaozhi fished her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it with a few swipes, and opened her social apps. Immediately, she understood.

She offered a casual explanation. “I have two accounts. One for personal life, one for work and filming. I figured we were both in the group chat, so I didn’t bother adding you on this one.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Not that it matters. I’ll always pay ‘special attention’ to your messages anyway.”

Seeing no reaction from Shen Qing, Du Yaozhi decided to prove it. After all, it wasn’t like Shen Qing ever sent her anything serious.

As Du Yaozhi fumbled with her phone, Shen Qing stood a polite distance away, waiting quietly without prying. However, the moment Du Yaozhi pulled up her personal account and slowly turned the screen toward Shen Qing…

A flood of newly loaded messages instantly buried Shen Qing’s contact thread at the very bottom, completely out of sight.

Du Yaozhi:

The light from the screen reflected in Shen Qing’s eyes like a silent needle. Shen Qing blinked slightly and looked up.

Guilt surged through Du Yaozhi. Startled, she flipped the phone back toward herself and realized Shen Qing had actually reached out to care for her that day! She had asked where she was even earlier than the set producer had.

What the hell? How is this possible? Is this enchanting woman actually trying to woo me?

Du Yaozhi parted her lips in disbelief. “I”

“Du Yaozhi.” Before she could speak, Shen Qing lightly pressed a hand onto her wrist. She shook her head, cutting her off. “You’ve misunderstood me. I’m not asking you for an explanation.”

“I hope you’ll think of me, yes. But more than that, I hope you can carry fewer burdens.”

What did that mean? Du Yaozhi pricked up her ears suspiciously. What tactic is she playing now?

Shen Qing’s fingertips still rested lightly on her wrist, a cool sensation seeping into her skin. Her voice remained characteristically cold, but it had softened.

“Because you aren’t standing alone. You have Zhou Yue, Gong Lin, and Shu Yuanxiang. You aren’t by yourself. You have talent and allies fighting alongside you. You can afford to be more confident and transparent when facing what’s ahead, rather than exhausting yourself in a desperate pursuit of perfection.”

Shen Qing’s voice drifted slightly in the wind. She spoke slowly, each word landing with clarity.

“Regarding the set visit, that wasn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong. You don’t always need to use self-sacrifice as a way to make amends.”

Shen Qing was clearly referencing the incident at the wine party, and she wanted Du Yaozhi to take it to heart.

Du Yaozhi admitted it to herself: she had once used a near “self-destructive” method to gamble for a way out. But now, Shen Qing was telling her she didn’t have to do that. She didn’t have to carry the world on her shoulders.

Someone was with her. Someone was waiting behind her.

Du Yaozhi stood there, listening to the long-winded speech. She looked down for a few seconds, letting the wind toss her hair. For a moment, they stood in silence.

Finally, looking at the glowing screen, Du Yaozhi let out a sudden “pfft” and laughed.

How can some people stay exactly the same after all these years?

Even though Shen Qing could be a bit “wicked,” when it came to expressing “affection,” she still preferred to speak through silence. She liked proving things through actions, expressing herself quietly, hoping someone would read her mind while scrubbing her own name from the narrative.

Thinking back to how Shen Qing had tucked her hair earlier, Du Yaozhi couldn’t remember the exact words, but she could recall the cool touch of those fingertips and that brief yet lingering embrace.

This contradictory behavior actually looked quite charming on Shen Qing.

“I get what you mean. You want me to stop stressing so much, right? Teacher Shen, your way of pursuing someone is certainly… unique.”

Du Yaozhi’s tone was still teasingly sharp, but this time it was a joke; she had genuinely listened.

“But, I’d like to see just how you plan to do it.”

She’s either studying melodramatic novels or taking the longest route possible just to tell me she’s interested.

Shen Qing wasn’t in a hurry to answer. Instead, she countered, “Why don’t you guess?”

**

The next morning, Du Yaozhi went to the set as usual, only to be greeted by news.

A random, low-level staff member had been fired. The reason was a mystery.

A middle-aged woman from the props team was slowly exhaling a cloud of vapor while wiping down a camera tripod. “That Little Zhang guy is gone. Did you guys hear?”

A young prop master looked startled. “The one who loved spreading rumors about Teacher Shen and Teacher Du not getting along? Why’d he leave so suddenly?”

The older woman lowered her voice. “Why else? People kept hearing him badmouthing others behind their backs, and it finally blew up. If you walk by the river long enough, your shoes are bound to get wet. I’ll have some peace and quiet now that he’s gone.”

“True. Of all people to mess with, why pick a Film Queen?”

Du Yaozhi didn’t usually care for gossip, but as she walked past the tent, she caught the whole story. She couldn’t help but feel curious.

Having arrived during a gap in the schedule, Du Yaozhi headed over after finishing her sword dance practice. When the makeup artist saw her, she immediately beamed and led her to the chair. “Yaozhi, you’re here! Today’s look needs to be more bold and glamorous; it’ll really make that beauty mark under your eye pop. Sit, sit!”

Du Yaozhi frowned slightly and sat down. “What’s up with everyone? They’ve been huddled together since this morning. Did something happen?”

The makeup artist’s eyes lit up. “Let me tell you, it’s wild!”

“I’m listening.”

The makeup artist recounted everything she knew, her voice rising with excitement. “The group chat was exploding yesterday! Everyone was acting like Sherlock Holmes.”

Du Yaozhi had been worried her scenes were being cut, but hearing it was just gossip, she smirked. “Is the chat is that lively? Didn’t the executive producer catch you?”

Zhou Yue used to get lectured all the time, and Du Yaozhi would always have to come up with excuses for her. In the end, Zhou Yue could never kick the habit.

Lectures are fine, but the gossip must go on.

The makeup artist began mixing foundation. “The producer is ‘lurking’ in the chat. I bet she wants the tea too. Teacher Du, do you know what they’re saying? It’s hilarious.”

“What are they saying?” Du Yaozhi listened intently.

“They say Little Zhang provoked a woman who’s ‘heartbroken and devastated’ after being rejected! I thought to myself, isn’t that just Shen”

The door creaked open, and Shen Qing walked in silently.

Shen Qing had been filming a scene where her character, Jun Luo, collects morning dew for Wen Jinyue, so she had started early. She was now back for touch-ups. She looked at the makeup artist, her white silk skirt brushing the floor. “What are you chatting about?”

The makeup artist stammered, her cheeks flushing with awkwardness.

Du Yaozhi interjected smoothly, “We’re talking about the makeup. She needs to make me look a bit ‘heartbroken and devastated,’ otherwise the scene won’t work.”

Heart. Broken. Devastated.

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow and took a seat at the opposite mirror. She glanced at her reflection—she didn’t think she looked particularly devastated. She gave a helpless smile but said nothing.

Neither mentioned the previous night, nor did they talk much, yet the atmosphere felt fundamentally different.

The makeup artist found it incredible. A single sentence from Du Yaozhi was enough to silence Film Queen Shen? Even though it was a total lie, the Film Queen actually believed her?

The makeup artist’s heart fluttered. I’m definitely shipping the right couple!

Isn’t this just a total case of being henpecked?!!

Amidst the chatter, the walkie-talkie crackled: “All units attention! Ten minutes! We start Scene 20 in ten minutes.”

The executive producer ran in, shouting, “Stop guessing, everyone! It was a standard resignation. Focus on your work and stop gossiping, or we’ll be doing night shoots to catch up!”

“Ugh—” At the mention of night shoots, everyone shut up and got to work. Night shoots in the dead of winter were pure torture.

Soon, the air was filled with reports of “Props in position,” “Lights ready,” and so on.

Near the monitors at the edge of the set, Jing Ping and Gong Lin were watching.

Jing Ping rubbed her cold hands together, a playful smirk on her face. “Didn’t expect to see you here today. What a coincidence. Did you scout out my schedule?”

Gong Lin kept her hands in her puffer jacket pockets and replied seriously, “Monitoring my artist’s state is my job. Today is Yaozhi’s first scene with that pampered starlet, Gu Rong’er. I have to watch over her so there are no mishaps like last time.”

“So, you’re not denying that I’m your ‘Big Sister’ then?” Jing Ping teased, looking rather proud.

Gong Lin adjusted her scarf, her voice flat. “Right. I’ve recognized a ‘thief’ as my sister.”

Jing Ping chuckled. “You’re actually calling me sister to bridge the gap and show respect to your senior, right? I haven’t heard you call me ‘Teacher Jing’ once.”

Gong Lin was beyond annoyed. She was about to tell her to shut up when an unfamiliar voice chimed in.

“Excuse me… is calling someone ‘Sister’ instead of ‘Teacher’ how you show respect and get closer to seniors?”

Gu Rong’er’s voice was pure and sweet. She nodded slightly, her tone gentle and polite yet poised.

Seeing her, Gong Lin nodded in greeting. Everyone knew Jing Ping was Shen Qing’s manager, and Jing Ping recognized Gu Rong’er as well. She gave a breezy “Hi” and replied with a smile, “That’s right. Yaozhi calls me ‘Sister’ too. We all do. You can try it too.”

Gu Rong’er gave it serious thought and nodded. She turned to Du Yaozhi, who was walking over to say hello, and called out:

“Good morning, Sister.”

Gong Lin: 

Jing Ping:

Jing Ping was stunned. She immediately nudged Gong Lin with a trembling elbow.

“Can you explain to Shen Qing that this had nothing to do with me?”

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