After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 5

A night had passed, and Shen Qing seemed entirely indifferent to the trending scandal.

She hadn’t started a public row, nor had she demanded the post be taken down. Instead, she’d simply sent a private message via her assistant, asking Du Yaozhi a single question:

“When you call me ‘Teacher’, do you really mean it?”

That cool voice felt a world away, yet it echoed as if it were right beside her, ringing through the living room and the bed they had once shared day and night.

Time seemed to slip back to long ago.

“Why do you call me that?” The question had been preceded by the soft rustle of dark hair against a cotton pillow.

“You taught me how to act. It’s only right I call you that,” Yaozhi had replied back then.

In her memory, Shen Qing had turned her head, her tone as casual as if she were commenting on the weather. “Are you quite sure you want to call me ‘Teacher’ while we’re in bed?”

It hadn’t sounded like a reprimand. It sounded like an invitation to fall further under her spell.

Shen Qing possessed a cold beauty and a voice that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat with effortless ease. Yaozhi remembered that she hadn’t answered at the time; she’d simply feigned sleep. Only now did she realize that Shen Qing had noticed.

Of course she’d noticed.

Du Yaozhi simply hadn’t wanted to make things explicit. Like a gift she was in no hurry to unwrap, she’d let the word “Teacher” sit there, allowing it to ferment, waiting for it to transform from a mark of respect into an intimate whisper.

And now, it had transformed again: from a whisper into a blade.

Du Yaozhi sat with her legs crossed, replying with practiced ease. “Of course. Isn’t it a common courtesy in the industry? Teacher Shen has such high billing and is so very distinguished; it’s only natural I’d address her that way.”

A heavy silence followed.

The assistant was likely still agonizing over how to tactfully relay such a provocative message to Shen Qing. Meanwhile, Du Yaozhi had already sauntered away. She was busy; she had no time for games with an ex.

Shortly after, the air in the Huasheng Entertainment office turned stifling. The Head of Legal sat bolt upright, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He swallowed hard, waiting for the woman across from him to begin the negotiations.

“My request is simple,” Du Yaozhi said. “A peaceful termination of my contract.”

Her pale, elegant fingers brushed over a recording device. She pushed it across the desk toward him, alongside a pile of prepared evidence.

She was dressed casually today: a black, waist-cinching knit top paired with wide-leg suit trousers. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, revealing a single cool-toned earring. Her posture was lean and her manner decisive—she embodied a mature, effortless elegance.

“I want a ‘Deed of Termination’ drafted within two days, explicitly stating that the contract is being dissolved due to a breach on the company’s part. It must state there are no exit fees. Furthermore, you will use Huasheng’s official social media accounts and press channels to issue a statement that we have parted ways amicably after ‘friendly consultations’.”

Du Yaozhi’s voice was flat, a mere statement of fact. Having finished, she looked directly at the man. “Do we understand each other? Or are you too dim to follow?”

The Legal Director looked down at the documents. “Miss Du, we understand the situation and are deeply sorry. Your agent, Sheng Xiao, was negligent and deviated from company policy. The company will certainly hold her accountable, but”

He adopted a stern, professional tone. “But this was the personal failing of an employee. In principle, the company can negotiate, but accusing us based on a recording of unknown origin… that seems somewhat inappropriate, doesn’t it?”

He was attempting to seize the upper hand, trying to intimidate her with sheer bluster. But if he expected to see a flicker of fear or hesitation on Du Yaozhi’s face, he was sorely disappointed.

“Inappropriate?” Du Yaozhi gave a sudden, sharp laugh.

She leaned forward, her face closing the distance. The mole at the corner of her eye looked strikingly alluring in the light. “At this stage, who exactly do you think is going to be intimidated by a solicitor’s letter?”

Her use of formal politeness only made the man’s skin crawl.

“Here is a comparison of my bank statements and the settlement sheets provided by the company over the last three years. Every single discrepancy is highlighted.” Du Yaozhi’s eyes were piercing as she calmly opened the file. “I suggest you finish reading before you reach a conclusion.”

The Legal Director froze. He took the documents and leafed through them, his movements coming to an abrupt halt on a specific page.

Du Yaozhi continued, her voice low but carrying a heavy weight of pressure. “You’re welcome to have the recording professionally verified. Given my current visibility and the time I have on my hands, I can afford to wait.”

After reviewing the file, the Legal Director leaned over to whisper to his secretary.

“Miss Du… we can certainly talk about the termination. But you must understand, a symbolic fee of at least a million is standard. A ‘zero-fee’ exit… Finance will simply never sign off on it.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. Every micro-expression was laid bare under Du Yaozhi’s gaze.

“Oh?” She leaned back against her chair, a smirk playing on her lips. “Think carefully. If we settle now, you only lose an artist who’s currently mired in scandal, you might even get a boost in traffic out of it. But if I make a scene”

She paused for a calculated second, her eyes locking onto his. “Your losses. Huasheng’s share price, the PR costs, the future funding, I suspect they’ll amount to far more than a million, won’t they?”

Du Yaozhi had soft, classic features a quintessential Eastern beauty. Usually, when she smiled, she gave off the vibe of a kind older sister offering patient advice. The reality was the exact opposite.

This woman is terrifying, the director thought. The internet was tearing her to shreds, yet here she was, perfectly composed and armed to the teeth with evidence. If they let this drag on, the long-term damage would be catastrophic.

“One moment, please. I need to report this to the board,” he said, bowing his head.

“Of course,” Du Yaozhi replied brightly.

The company executives held an emergency meeting. Two hours later, the Legal Director returned in a hurry. The company had agreed to her terms, provided she kept the details strictly confidential.

The paperwork moved quickly after that. Within another half hour, the deed was finished. The termination agreement, bearing a bright red official seal, was handed to her with exaggerated solemnity.

Du Yaozhi gave a sardonic smile as she stood up. They had spent years suppressing her and using her as a foil for others; now that she had them by the throat, they were suddenly the soul of politeness.

“Good efficiency.” Tucking the document under her arm, she strode out, the assistant holding the door for her.

Sheng Xiao was standing by the door, her face ashen. she looked utterly exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept a wink. She stared at the doorway, her eyes tracking Du Yaozhi with a mixture of terror and naked desperation.

“Yaozhi! Yaozhi, listen to me… I was wrong, I really was. Could you put in a good word for me? Please! Just forgive me this once!” she cried, scrambling after her.

A common lapdog, Du Yaozhi thought. She walked past without a word, her expression blank. She didn’t grant Sheng Xiao so much as a glance.

The past was finally over. Her stupidity, her cowardice, and her misplaced kindness—it was all behind her.

By the elevators, the staff were whispering.

“Look, isn’t that Du Yaozhi? Xiao Liu looked a right mess when he was stamping those papers earlier, did she actually manage to pull it off? Just like that?”

“Scandals everywhere and she walks away clean? Where did she get the clout? She’s always been so low-key.”

“The negotiations must have collapsed! The director looked like he’d seen a ghost, and Admin just went after Sheng Xiao looking for blood. Xu Wanxin is going to be livid.”

“Blimey! I thought she was finished, but she looks like she’s having the time of her life.”

“Quiet, here she comes!”

“What are you all so scared of? Has she actually bagged a sugar daddy or something? She’s clearly got some tricks up her sleeve,” a rough male voice said, his tone jarringly loud.

Du Yaozhi had been looking straight ahead, but the phrase “tricks up her sleeve” made her chest tighten. She froze. Her footsteps came to a halt. She turned her head, her gaze freezing the man with a cold, piercing stare.

The man had been trying to get a look at her, but finding himself caught in her line of sight, he looked away frantically, burying his head.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Zhou Yue. Du Yaozhi suppressed her anger, turned away, and stepped into the elevator. She tucked the agreement under her arm and answered. The signal was patchy, but at least she was alone. The confined, private space offered a small sense of security.

She leaned the back of her head against the lift wall and took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Huge news! Massive gossip!” Zhou Yue’s voice was so excited it practically hit the ceiling.

“Mhm?” Du Yaozhi looked up at the floor numbers descending. “What could possibly make you this happy?”

“Hahaha! You’ll love this. Guess who I saw on my way back from the set?”

Du Yaozhi guessed every name she could think of but came up short. Eventually, she gave up.

“It was Xu Wanxin! There was a fan site photographer outside the studio with a massive lens, snapping away in her direction. Xu Wanxin thought she’d gone viral for her looks and was posing like a madwoman, waiting for the compliments.”

“Turns out, the photographer was snapping the billboard of your ex! They were shouting, ‘Shen Qing looks absolutely divine in this!’ I nearly died laughing.”

Zhou Yue was laughing so hard she was practically crying. “Oh, the best part? Someone caught a photo of Xu Wanxin rolling her eyes in a huff. It’s all over the internet. Talk about embarrassing!”

Xu Wanxin was the young daughter of Huasheng’s founder. The company was always cleaning up her messes and paying to bury her scandals. But after being arrogant and spoiled for so long, a fall was inevitable.

“Now that I’m gone, I suppose there’s no one left to act as her lightning rod,” Du Yaozhi mused. The thought of Xu Wanxin fuming was amusing, but the mention of Shen Qing made the smile fade. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her phone.

“Exactly. She deserves it,” Zhou Yue said, then paused as the realization hit her. “Wait… what do you mean, ‘now that you’re gone’? Bloody hell, don’t tell me the termination went through!”

Du Yaozhi’s smile returned, finally relaxing. “You caught me.”

Zhou Yue sounded like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. “Bloody hell! That’s massive! Do you know how big that is? It’s the best news ever!”

“It is a relief,” Du Yaozhi said, getting into the driver’s seat and buckling her belt. She started the engine. “Coming? Dinner’s on me.”

They met at the old barbecue joint. It was nearly midnight, and while the main streets were packed with stalls, this place was tucked away behind the main road, offering good privacy. They’d secured a small private booth.

Zhou Yue tossed her coat and mask onto the sofa. “I’m stifled! Finally made it, you’ve no idea how bad the traffic was.”

“Right, tell me everything. Did those Huasheng bastards give you a hard time? What were the terms? Did they try to blackmail you with the exit fee?” Zhou Yue rattled off questions like a machine gun.

“No. I have too much leverage right now; they couldn’t touch me.” Du Yaozhi pushed the menu toward her. She leaned back into the sofa, a slow, triumphant air about her. “Have a look. See what you want.”

“You’re a genius. From now on, you’re my idol, Zhizhi! You’re incredible!” Zhou Yue was incoherent with excitement, nearly lunging across the table to hug her. She ticked off a dozen items on the menu. “I’ve barely eaten while pulling those all-nighters. The wardrobe mistress’s outfits were practically falling off me. On a day like this, we need ice-cold beers and at least twenty skewers of beef!”

“No, thirty!”

Giddy with joy, Zhou Yue pulled out some beers she’d brought along and handed one over. “Here! I asked for them extra cold. Nothing beats skewers and beer. Let’s celebrate properly!”

Du Yaozhi looked at the canned beer, condensation dripping from the side. She hesitated before taking it. The moment her skin touched the metal, a piercing, wet chill surged through her.

She had a sudden moment of vertigo. She realized she’d never actually told Zhou Yue that she was alcohol intolerant. Back when she was desperate for minor roles, she’d lied to Zhou Yue, saying she was a heavy sleeper and a strong drinker, just so her friend would take her along to events. She’d drink until she was legless and miserable, then she’d go and find her.

Only she knew her body couldn’t handle it.

Du Yaozhi would straddle Shen Qing, leaning down to press her face against hers. She’d complain that she was burning up, and Shen Qing would gently feel her forehead. Once Shen Qing realized she’d been drinking, her voice would turn cold, demanding to know who had made her do it.

And Yaozhi would stubbornly insist: “I drank because I wanted to.”

The flash of heartbreak in Shen Qing’s eyes in those moments always made Yaozhi feel invincible. She’d used her own scars to find Shen Qing’s weakness, watching the other woman lose her composure for her sake. That feeling of being favored had become a twisted sort of pleasure.

But now? It was a cruel joke that the person who cared most about her health was her ex-girlfriend.

Shen Qing. Again.

Irritation, anxiety, and a heavy sense of oppression surged within her. Why was her entire world suddenly full of her ex? They were over. They were never supposed to see each other again.

Infuriating.

Du Yaozhi snapped the ring pull with a frustrated “psst,” foam spraying out. She tilted her head back and took a long swig, the line of her throat looking elegant and sharp.

“Cheers,” she said.

“Cheers!”

As the cans clinked and the scent of beer filled the air, Du Yaozhi felt a sudden, unprecedented sense of freedom. She didn’t have to care about anything. She didn’t have to follow anyone’s rules. She could just be herself and leave all the love, hate, and drama behind. She smiled, the mole at the corner of her eye dancing with a bright, slightly wicked edge. She looked like a survivor.

The food arrived quickly. A ravenous Zhou Yue alternated between beer and meat, looking perfectly content. Under the influence of the alcohol, a faint flush crept into Du Yaozhi’s cheeks. She ignored it, picking up a skewer of duck tongue and chewing slowly.

Just as they were getting into the meal, a piercing row erupted outside the booth. It was followed by the sound of things being smashed, and a woman’s voice screaming in a pitch that was almost unrecognizable.

It was a voice Du Yaozhi knew only too well.

She stopped chewing, her ears pricking up.

Xu Wanxin. Her nemesis had arrived.

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