After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 47

Without even looking up, Shen Qing said coldly, “She’s busy.”

The cold air from the hallway poured in, yet it couldn’t disperse the scorching tension between the two women.

Du Yaozhi’s red high-heeled toes lifted slightly, nearly pressing against Shen Qing’s calf. One hand gripped Shen Qing’s shoulder, and as she turned her head, she noticed someone’s breathing hitch for a split second.

Shen Qing, however, remained calm, her arm draped firmly around Du Yaozhi’s waist.

Gu Rong’er looked at Du Yaozhi, then at Shen Qing, her heart tightening. “Are you two teachers… practicing a scene?”

Why… why does it look like they’re about to kiss??! And that posture looks very suspicious!!

Alarm bells rang in Gu Rong’er’s head. They really were in that kind of relationship, just like she’d suspected that day!

“No. If we were truly rehearsing, we wouldn’t be doing it at the door.” Du Yaozhi used a clever bit of leverage with her foot, her heel barely brushing the hem of Shen Qing’s trousers.

She promptly brushed Shen Qing’s hand away, breaking free from her restraint. Shen Qing didn’t seem to stop her.

Du Yaozhi smoothed her hair and said composedly, “Is something the matter?”

“Yes.” Gu Rong’er glanced around. “We need to speak in private.”

“If… if it’s inconvenient for Sister right now, I can wait here.” Considering Shen Qing’s presence, Gu Rong’er added that last part specifically.

Du Yaozhi: “Can I be ‘not busy’ now?”

“That is your freedom.” Shen Qing withdrew her hand indifferently, no longer interfering.

Shen Qing turned to leave, her lips pressed into a thin line and her gaze icy. Her collar was slightly upturned, and her earlobe was a faint red from the weight of the heavy tassel earring.

Shen Qing was the one who pinned me against the wall first, yet she’s making that face… as if I’m the one abandoning her to go carousing? Du Yaozhi thought, speechless.

Fine. After all, the woman had rushed back from a thousand miles away just to see her.

“Shen Qing.”

Shen Qing turned around at the sound of her name. Du Yaozhi reached out and smoothed down Shen Qing’s upturned collar.

“I’ll deal with you tomorrow,” Du Yaozhi said with a casual blink, coaxing her.

After exiting the elevator, Du Yaozhi’s heels made a soft “shhh” sound against the hotel carpet. She glanced around; the layout of this floor was similar to hers.

Reaching a certain point, Gu Rong’er used her key card to open a door. “Please.”

Du Yaozhi didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded as she entered.

The rooms arranged for the “investor’s starlet” were indeed different; the treatment rivaled that of the leads—not just a single room, but a full suite. Gu Rong’er asked Du Yaozhi to wait on the sofa for a moment.

After a while, Gu Rong’er brought out two cups of warm tea. Setting them down, she found an opening and spoke slowly, “Sister… were you signed with Huasheng Entertainment before?”

Gu Rong’er rubbed the handle of her cup, pushing it gently toward Du Yaozhi as if they were just making small talk.

Du Yaozhi’s expression immediately sharpened. “Yes. It was a less-than-pleasant experience.”

She answered bluntly but kept her guard up, stating her stance on Huasheng while simultaneously testing Gu Rong’er’s attitude. It was common knowledge in the industry that the Tianrong Group and Huasheng Entertainment were on very good terms.

Gu Rong’er nodded in understanding. “I see. Some environments can be very suffocating. Especially that kind of environment.”

She paused, her voice dropping lower with a measured caution. “So, when I heard some rumors recently, I couldn’t help but worry for you, Sister.”

“Oh?” Du Yaozhi picked up her teacup, the steam rising in front of her. “What rumors are you talking about?”

“I don’t know the specifics; I just happened to hear something from Lin Song,” Gu Rong’er continued. “Apparently, Huasheng’s Miss Xu has been close with a variety show director lately. I don’t know what they’re up to, but I heard your relationship with Miss Xu wasn’t great… I’m afraid she’s hiding some malicious intent, so”

“So you came specifically to tell me? Is that it?” Du Yaozhi took a sip of water, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes.

It wasn’t surprising that Xu Wanxin would play dirty. What was surprising was that Gu Rong’er—whose family was long-time friends with Huasheng, would take this stance toward Xu Wanxin. It was quite rare.

“Yes,” Gu Rong’er nodded.

The silence lasted for a while as the steam from the tea began to fade. Gu Rong’er spoke again: “Sister… do you hate Miss Xu?”

Hate?

Du Yaozhi laughed. How long had it been since she’d thought of that word? “To be honest, I actually kind of miss her.”

“…” Gu Rong’er looked stunned. Miss who…?

Du Yaozhi crossed her long legs and leaned back against the sofa, holding her warm tea with a light smile. It was normal for a kid not to understand. After all, without a foolish little thing nearby constantly trying to stab her in the back, Du Yaozhi really wouldn’t feel quite like herself.

She was curious to see if Xu Wanxin’s methods had improved at all before she made her own move.

Gu Rong’er looked dazed, but seeing Du Yaozhi’s calm demeanor, her worry was replaced by a strange sense of confidence. She simply bit her lip and nodded. “In any case, please be careful with everything.”

Since Du Yaozhi seemed to have a handle on things, Gu Rong’er said no more. “That’s all I can share.”

“Mm.” Du Yaozhi tactfully set down her teacup and stood to leave. At the door, she turned back. “Thank you for the warning. But… can I ask why you’re helping me so much?”

And calling her “Sister” constantly. Gu Rong’er was very young and extremely well-behaved on set, doing exactly what Director Chen asked. Du Yaozhi found her easy to be around and didn’t see any hidden malice. But being cautious was never a bad thing; if she discovered Gu Rong’er had some ulterior motive, she would cut it off at the root immediately.

The room fell into a brief silence. Gu Rong’er seemed to struggle for a moment, then, as if making a final decision, she sat up straighter with her hands on her knees.

Du Yaozhi thought the conversation had reached a dead end. But after thirty seconds, Gu Rong’er looked at her with total sincerity and said, “Because I want to have a good relationship with you.”

Du Yaozhi: “A good relationship with me…?”

The sudden bluntness left Du Yaozhi momentarily bewildered. She couldn’t possibly like me too, could she??!

**

The next day, Du Yaozhi took a moment to see the little black cat one last time.

Its round eyes were moist as it rubbed its head against her palm, its soft body pressing tightly against her wrist. It let out a tiny whimpering sound, its claws lightly hooking onto her trouser leg, refusing to let go—as if it thought she was abandoning it.

“It’s time. We have to go.”

“Go on, your family is waiting for you.”

Thinking the kitten would have a loving owner and a warm home, Du Yaozhi gently nudged it away with the back of her hand, despite her reluctance. The staff put the cat into a padded carrier. Through the mesh, the kitten kept calling out to her. Even as the car started, that tiny shadow was still moving restlessly inside the box.

It’ll be okay, right?

Du Yaozhi felt a faint sense of discomfort. Watching the car drive away, an inexplicable unease washed over her.

“Teacher Du! You’re up!” the script supervisor shouted from a distance.

“Coming!” There was no time for second-guessing. She immediately pulled her emotions back and prepared to get into character.

The producer was busy coordinating with the lighting and set design teams. The French kiss was a necessity for the scene.

The plot: Jun Luo’s spiritual foundation had been damaged while sealing the Demon Abyss. Normal pills and spells were useless; she could only sit despondently by the bed waiting for death. Wen Jinyue couldn’t bear to see her like this and decided to use a forbidden technique to “Transfer Emotion.”

The script explicitly labeled it a lingering kiss. The explanation was that the transfer required a merging of breath and a weaving of emotional threads a kiss with no reservations, so that the demon Wen Jinyue could transfer her spiritual power to repair Jun Luo’s heart meridian.

Du Yaozhi had spent all of last night studying the techniques of French kissing. She’d told herself it was just a step-by-step process, but she lacked practice. She gripped her costume, glancing at Shen Qing out of the corner of her eye.

Shen Qing had no expression, simply waiting for the director’s command. She isn’t nervous about a French kiss? We’ve never been this intimate before.

“Clear the set!”

Du Yaozhi took a deep breath, suppressed her stray thoughts, and walked toward the camera.

“Action!”

Du Yaozhi entered the state immediately.

“You don’t plan on explaining to me?”

“I have nothing to explain. Life and death are fated. If Master doesn’t believe me, you can cut open my heart after I die and see if I was lying.”

“Xiao Luo, do you know the consequences of disobeying me?” Her tone turned heavy.

The next moment, Du Yaozhi tilted Shen Qing’s chin up, her hand on her neck, forcing her to look up and endure a kiss filled with punishment and possession.

However, the moment their lips actually touched, that familiar, unique cold fragrance of Shen Qing’s drifted into her nose. The touch was soft and slightly cool, sending a faint electric current through her mind, making her feel tingly and numb.

Everything started as usual. Du Yaozhi followed the steps, kissing Shen Qing bit by bit. But just as they were supposed to begin the French kiss, Shen Qing’s lips, which had been passively enduring—actually gave a subtle response.

It was no longer just a cool, soft field of snow; it turned into melting spring ice, guiding Du Yaozhi with an extremely slow but steady rhythm. She no longer dodged; instead, with a cold, tentative lingering, she lightly brushed against Du Yaozhi’s tongue.

Something’s wrong.

Du Yaozhi’s heart jolted, but she didn’t dare let her expression change. Shen Qing continued. The touch was incredibly light, yet it possessed an indescribable allure—like a snowflake falling into a burning palm, melting instantly but leaving a shivering chill.

It was as if she were telling her: That’s not how you kiss. If you kiss like that, you won’t feel anything.

Shen Qing’s breathing remained steady. The pressure of her tongue deepened just a fraction, her warm breath brushing against Du Yaozhi’s nose, intertwining with Du Yaozhi’s increasingly ragged breathing. Her kiss was cold yet lingering, like a silent language guiding her on how to kiss truly and deeply.

Damn it.

Du Yaozhi’s heart was so itchy she wanted to curse. This wasn’t in the script!

Her senses were infinitely magnified by the intense kiss. Her heart felt like it was being scorched by fire; her fingertips uncontrollably clawed at Shen Qing’s clothes, and her calves were so tense they almost cramped.

The director didn’t call “cut.” Du Yaozhi had to continue. On the surface, it was Du Yaozhi kissing Shen Qing. In reality, it was Shen Qing kissing her—using those seemingly passive but actually dominant lips to easily breach the defenses of her logic.

Du Yaozhi’s eyes grew wet. She felt her strength being drained away, her knees going weak. A strange heat in her lower abdomen made her panic, yet she couldn’t help but drown in it.

No, no, no—I was led astray by Shen Qing!!

Could it be she herself… who is falling for Shen Qing? Could it be she herself… who is feeling something for Shen Qing?!

Du Yaozhi’s breathing tightened instantly. She was furious with her own performance; how could an actress let off-screen emotions bleed through!

Du Yaozhi practically sprang away. “Director Chen, I’m sorry. My emotions were wrong just now; I didn’t handle it well. Can we go again?”

Director Chen was understanding and immediately rearranged the shot.

However, during the second take, Du Yaozhi’s rhythm was clearly chaotic, carrying a deliberate avoidance that made the kiss stiff and rushed. In the third take, she tried to reclaim dominance, but because her mind was unsettled, she ended up overacting.

After several takes, the effect was far worse than the first one, the one where Shen Qing had “taught” her with that out-of-control, natural intimacy. Du Yaozhi stood before the monitor, feeling ashamed. “I”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Director Chen saw that Du Yaozhi’s lips were practically chafed from the kissing. She patted her shoulder, her voice full of comfort. “No one is perfect. Every actor has moments like this where they get stuck in a rut.”

It was a difficult scene; you couldn’t blame Du Yaozhi. She had been working non-stop for days, and the tension of doing this scene with Shen Qing was normal.

“Xiao Shen, come here. We’ll hold for now,” Director Chen called Shen Qing over, then turned back to Du Yaozhi. “That’s enough for today. Go back and get a good day’s rest. Relax, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We’re not in a rush; we’ll wait for your state to return.”

Du Yaozhi nodded in silence. It was the first time she had stumbled in her performance and she had stumbled because of that “temptress” Shen Qing. Furthermore, she had actually had that kind of reaction to Shen Qing just now. It was absolutely unacceptable. She didn’t know why it was happening.

With complex emotions, Du Yaozhi walked off the set. She gritted her teeth, kicking a small stone by her foot, the winter wind chilling her to the bone. She walked to a deserted corner of the filming base, leaning against a cold wall and slowly crouching down, burying her burning face in her knees.

Why was I so proud back then? Why didn’t I practice? Why didn’t I kiss her back! A mix of shame, frustration, and anger at her own lack of resolve threatened to overwhelm her.

“Teacher Du! Teacher Du, something’s wrong!”

Du Yaozhi’s heart tightened, and she looked up sharply. “What happened?!”

Xiao Yu’s voice was tearful. “The kitten is gone!”

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