After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 45

A vibrant, crystal-clear fish tank. The drooping seaweed looked like a floating green mist, and the bubbles blown by the fish bobbed as they drifted to the surface.

Du Yaozhi lay in her motorhome, half-asleep during her lunch break.

Suddenly, a pair of deep blue, round eyes crashed into her field of vision. The little black kitten scratched the glass twice, staring hungrily at the small fish inside.

Du Yaozhi let out a soft laugh, her voice a bit raspy. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. “Are you hungry?”

The wind was strong outside, and the kitten loved following her around, refusing to leave. Afraid it would catch a cold, she had brought it into the motorhome for shelter.

“Meow!”

The kitten lunged at the tank with all its might. Thud. It hit the solid glass and fell onto the carpet in a failed heap. Having missed its prey, it looked at Du Yaozhi with a pitiful expression, meowing with hunger.

It stared at her without blinking. Its jet-black fur was as smooth as silk, save for a tiny tuft of silver-white fur on the tip of each ear, like snowflakes fallen in the dead of night.

Du Yaozhi shook her head with a smile, leaning over to scoop it into her arms. “You look so noble, yet you act so soft.”

She murmured under her breath, her fingertips lightly brushing the white tuft on its ear.

—Why does it feel so much like Shen Qing?

No. Shen Qing seduced her on purpose; she was nothing like a kitten!

Du Yaozhi shook her head vigorously, convinced she had made herself stupid with daydreaming.

“Come on, let’s go get you some food.”

Du Yaozhi clutched the kitten and pressed her remote key, opening the motorhome door.

There was a staff member named Xiao Yu tasked with feeding the cats. She used to run a pet shop and once had a house full of felines.

Crouching nearby, Du Yaozhi couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you switch to this industry then?”

Xiao Yu looked up. “Oh, that? It’s because the cats in my shop were being fed until they turned into pigs! They couldn’t be bothered with me. My wife pointed me in this direction, saying, ‘The cat actors on set are all slim, and they’re super enthusiastic when they see someone with food!’ So, here I am.”

Du Yaozhi smiled. “Do you run into cat actors every day in the studio?”

“Run into my foot! At most, I run into night-owl script supervisors who keep asking me to find the cinematographer to ‘playback the code’! In two years, I’ve only met this one cat!!”

Xiao Yu’s words were full of bitterness. “Besides, if someone in the crew is afraid of cats, finding a kitten becomes harder than ascending to heaven.”

“Is anyone in our crew afraid? They all seem to love cats.” When Du Yaozhi first filmed with the kitten, everyone nearby had their eyes light up with adoration.

Xiao Yu covered half her mouth and leaned in, scanning the area neurotically before looking at Du Yaozhi. “Teacher Du… you really don’t know?”

Du Yaozhi: “Hmm? Give me a hint.”

Xiao Yu gave her a sly look.

Du Yaozhi: “Oh. Teacher Shen.”

Xiao Yu clapped her hands, laughing until she leaned back. “Bingo!”

“Last time, Teacher Shen just stood in the distance, watching us from afar. That look, that aura—it was stunning!” Xiao Yu continued, “We wanted to bring the cat over to see her, but she left without a word. Later, we found out that Teacher Shen is actually afraid of cats.”

Shen Qing is afraid of cats?

Du Yaozhi really hadn’t expected that. Even after being together for so long, she had never heard Shen Qing mention it. Still, knowing one of Shen Qing’s little secrets made her feel quite happy.

Du Yaozhi curled her lips and tapped the kitten’s upright ear, praising it silently. You’re quite good at warding off temptresses.

Xiao Yu pushed the food bowl over. The kitten buried its head in the bowl, its whiskers twitching with every chew. It was adorable. It was a shame she only had a few scenes left with the kitten; she wouldn’t see it around the set much longer.

Du Yaozhi looked down, her lashes fluttering. Suddenly, the kitten seemed to remember something; it turned its head to look at Du Yaozhi and let out a call.

Xiao Yu was practically melting from the cuteness. “It wants you to eat with it! Does it think a big human like you will go hungry just eating those little boxed meals from the crew?”

Supposedly, in a cat’s eyes, humans are just “super-mega-ultra-large cats.”

Though that theory was later debunked, the thought made Du Yaozhi’s heart stir, as if scratched lightly by soft fur. She reached out and carefully scratched the kitten under its chin.

If no one adopted it… could she take it in?

“Xiao Yu, if someone wants to adopt it, does it still have to go to the stray cat base?” Du Yaozhi asked hesitantly.

Xiao Yu: “Of course not! It would have a home of its own then!”

Du Yaozhi: “Really?”

Du Yaozhi had never owned a cat. After her parents divorced, she lived with Du Mingzhe, who made the house a mess with his constant smoking and drinking. Du Yaozhi used to lock herself in her airtight room, secretly learning to act by watching dramas on her phone.

In that windowless room, she would sometimes think of her mother. She heard her mother had remarried and had a kitten in her new home.

Is owning a kitten a happy thing?

Du Yaozhi didn’t know, but having a pet should feel like having a family, right? If she adopted the kitten, she would give it a cute name and fill the house with fluffy things for it to roll around on. The kitten loved teasing fish, so she’d take it to the pond in her neighborhood to “catch soup.” If it were hungry, she’d personally buy fish and pick out the bones; everyone praised her cooking, so even without seasoning, the cat would surely love it.

And the kitten seemed to like being with her, too. When she stroked it, its round blue eyes narrowed into slits of pure contentment.

Thinking of this, Du Yaozhi lifted her face happily. “Then I”

“Actually, this kitten was spoken for a long time ago.”

Du Yaozhi’s movement to stand up froze. Her hand, still stroking the kitten, stalled in mid-air, her fingertips curling unconsciously.

“It’s quite a coincidence. Right after we spoke to the stray base, they said someone had been looking to adopt a Ragdoll-type. The two sides hit it off immediately! They’ve already found the kitten a master!”

Xiao Yu’s cheerful voice made Du Yaozhi’s sequence of fantasies seem childish, even absurd. The joy that had been swelling in her chest felt like a popped balloon, turning into a bitterness she had to swallow back down.

Oh. I see.

It seemed she had really overthought it.

A cold wind blew, and the light in Du Yaozhi’s eyes dimmed. She patted the kitten’s head and said with a forced smile, “You’re going to have a home.”

At least you will have a home.

On the eve of the fan meeting, Du Yaozhi had practiced until her shoes were worn through and her legs were throbbing.

Gong Lin frowned with concern. “Can you manage?”

The word “can’t” didn’t exist in Du Yaozhi’s dictionary. She gave a playful smile. “I can even manage in high heels.”

Meanwhile, the internet was being flooded by another set of photos. Behind-the-scenes shots of Shen Qing at a brand event in A-City had been released, instantly igniting a frenzy.

Shen Qing’s makeup was cold and glamorous, and her deep blue mermaid dress made her look aloof and noble. Most striking was the long tassel earring on her left ear—just on one side. She looked like a hunting goddess from the deep sea, incredibly aggressive and eye-catching with every sway.

In the backstage area, Du Yaozhi scrolled through the comments with interest.

Holy sh*t! Shen Qing is killing me! A single-sided earring is so cool!

This look is so ‘Alpha’! Sister isn’t visiting the mortal realm today; she’s here to harvest my soul! AHHHH!

Am I the only one who noticed that earring is from the same high-end couture collection as the one Du Yaozhi wore for her last event?? Dig deeper, sisters, dig deeper!

Is it “Hunting” time?! They match so well! Qing-bao, please work harder to chase our Yaozhi! Daily prayer for ‘QingZhi’ content!

Is no one shipping ‘ZhiQing’? I actually think Du Yaozhi is the ‘Alpha’ one here!

Nice. Good eye, Du Yaozhi thought, using her burner account to give that last comment a like.

Gong Lin had intended to confirm tomorrow’s schedule with her, but seeing her looking so pleased, she decided to wait until after the fan meeting.

After all, Du Yaozhi was supposed to have a French kiss with Shen Qing tomorrow. It was better for Du Yaozhi to find that out a little later.

“Are you waiting for Teacher Shen?” Gong Lin asked.

“Of course not.” Du Yaozhi sank lazily into the soft sofa, her fingertips idly twirling a lock of hair over her shoulder. Her tone was certain. “Shen Qing won’t be coming today. I need to hurry up and enjoy my peace and quiet.”

Gong Lin was confused. How is she so sure? Why did I think I saw Jing Ping come back? Was I seeing things?

“Yaozhi! Yaozhi! Look here!”

“Sister, you’re so beautiful!”

“We will always support you!”

Below the stage were waving light boards and enthusiastic shouts. Standing on stage and looking at those sincere faces, Du Yaozhi felt the fatigue of the past few days dissipate in the warmth.

She interacted with the fans with a smile. It was the first time she realized she had so many supporters. After the interaction segment came the promised sword dance.

The music started. Du Yaozhi stood with her sword, her crimson robes fluttering without a breeze. The venue instantly went silent.

Her wrist flicked, the sword light flashing like silk—sometimes flowing like water, sometimes sharply shaking out a field of moonlight. Every spin on the wires, every thrust and parry, perfectly showcased Wen Jinyue’s elegance and tenderness.

Sweat dampened the hair on Du Yaozhi’s forehead, but her eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she had truly merged with the character.

It was breathtaking. It was thrilling.

At the final pose, Du Yaozhi caught her breath and stepped lightly onto the stage, slowly sheathing her sword.

“HOLY CRAP!!! YAOZHI!!!”

“That was amazing! Totally worth the trip!!”

Fans of the original novel were even more ecstatic: “So beautiful! Wen Jinyue has truly come to life!!! This is exactly the Wen Jinyue in my heart.”

After a brief silence, a mountain-toppling wave of screams and applause erupted. The sound was enough to pierce the clouds. Fans were jumping with excitement, many with tears shimmering in their eyes, waving their rose-pink light boards frantically, expressing their shock and joy.

Du Yaozhi watched the sea of responses, her chest heaving slightly. She knew she had truly saved this scene—and her reputation.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Du Yaozhi said with a smile, her voice carrying through the microphone with a slight post-dance breathiness that made her even more charming. “To show my gratitude, I’ve prepared a little surprise. Who wants my flower bouquet?”

“I DO!!!!!” The synchronized roar was deafening.

“Then catch!”

Du Yaozhi tied the sword tassel from her hand onto the bouquet and threw it toward the fan section in a graceful arc. In truth, she had prepared a similar surprise for every fan; this part was just to share the joy and excitement.

At the moment of the toss, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. The colorful bouquet, trailing the long tassel, traced a dazzling arc through the air and fell into the excited crowd. Fans jumped and laughed, reaching out to grab it, the bouquet bobbing amidst a sea of hands and passion.

But in the chaos, the bouquet was bounced high and somehow cleared the front railing, falling toward a dark, dimly lit corner at the back of the seating area, hidden in shadows.

“Oh no!” The fan who had almost touched it let out a cry of regret.

“It’s okay, I’ll go get it.” A staff member saw the situation and jogged over, but just as they were about to pick it up, they realized the bouquet hadn’t hit the ground at all.

Someone had caught it.

A scream suddenly erupted from someone in the crowd.

“TEACHER SHEN! AHHHHHHH!!”

“Is that Shen Qing? Holy crap!!”

“It really is Teacher Shen!  Everyone, look!”

Shen Qing, discovered in the shadows, gave a helpless smile and took a step forward. Clutching the bouquet, she looked at Du Yaozhi on the stage, the eye-catching single tassel earring swaying.

“Do you want me to throw it again?”

You seemed to have thrown it to me.

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