After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 56

After only two hours of catch-up sleep, Du Yaozhi rolled out of bed, bleary-eyed, to a flurry of messages from Zhou Yue.

Du Yaozhi: Did you see Sister Lin?

Zhou Yue: More than that! I saw your arch-nemesis too.

Zhou Yue: She showed up for a set visit early this morning, all bundled up and incognito. And guess who she was visiting… yep, that minor actress I told you about.

Zhou Yue: She’s putting on this “kind-hearted senior” act in front of her, making the poor girl even more socially anxious.

Xu Wanxin. Du Yaozhi hadn’t forgotten about her for a second.

After Xu Wanxin had “hitched a ride” for a meal last time, the internet had been relentless in digging for the truth. Her fans tried to comfort her, but Xu Wanxin threw a tantrum instead. It damaged her reputation so badly that her scheduled appearances were paused, and she’d been lying low ever since.

Du Yaozhi: You mean… Xu Wanxin knows that actress?

Du Yaozhi felt a prickle of suspicion and keenly noted this piece of information.

Zhou Yue: Exactly! If you ask me, she’s trying to copy you and Shen Qing by becoming “contract lovers”

Heh, contract lovers? More like “kissing buddies” at this point…

Looking at her screen, Du Yaozhi’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.

Du Yaozhi: She couldn’t pull it off if she tried.

Du Yaozhi: She hasn’t even mastered the “Seven Stars” hickey yet. Her level is way too low.

[Zhou Yue:] Weren’t you spiralling with guilt yesterday? Why are you sounding so proud today?

Zhou Yue figured she’d let it go. It was probably just more of their “foreplay.” Women! They always had their own logic.

After finishing her chat with Zhou Yue, Du Yaozhi learned that the young actress was named An Dongling and had recently signed with Huasheng Entertainment. She searched online but found no trace of a connection between An Dongling and Xu Wanxin; not even the forums mentioned them.

Du Yaozhi had to set it aside for now, instructing Zhou Yue: Keep a close eye on her. Xu Wanxin is up to no good.

By the time she finished, it was time to find Shen Qing. But when she knocked on Shen Qing’s door, she realized one thing: Shen Qing was only about fifty per cent reliable as a “godmother.”

The carpet was covered in a layer of fuzz shredded by the little black kitten. The kitten was arching its back, pacing along the wall with its tail bolt upright, hissing and whimpering at Shen Qing. Shen Qing stood about half a metre away, wearing a rare expression of utter helplessness.

“What’s wrong?” Du Yaozhi frowned. She didn’t understand why her normally well-behaved kitten was suddenly so agitated.

As soon as the kitten saw Du Yaozhi, it ran over, meowing piteously.

Shen Qing glanced at the kitten and said, “We need to get Qingbao spayed.”

The kitten had gone into heat. She’d been crying all night and tearing up the room. Long-term heat cycles can lead to pyometra (uterine infection) in female cats, or even uterine prolapse due to congestion. Knowing this, Shen Qing had simply let the kitten have her way.

It looked like Shen Qing was bullying the cat, but in reality, the cat was bullying Shen Qing. Shen Qing hadn’t closed her eyes all night to take care of her; there were dark circles under her cold eyes, and she looked exhausted. All night, Shen Qing had tried to coax her while maintaining a safe distance, pulling out teaser toys and opening cans of cat food, only to have the kitten ignore her.

“And? Did it work?” Du Yaozhi asked as she listened to the explanation.

“No.” Shen Qing reached a final conclusion. “She just misses you. She wants to be with you.”

In other words, she wanted nothing to do with Shen Qing.

Qingbao was just like Shen Qing: both of them just wanted to cling to Du Yaozhi.

But why didn’t the kitten like Shen Qing? Was she picking up bad habits from Du Yaozhi because she saw her bullying Shen Qing all the time?

Du Yaozhi felt a pang of guilt. She immediately flicked the kitten’s ear and said in a soft voice, “Apologise to your mother, right now.”

Shen Qing looked up. “Mother?”

“Godmother,” Du Yaozhi corrected instantly.

Shen Qing’s expression remained cool as she brought up the old issue: “When are we getting her spayed? Her vaccinations are up to date, and she’s heavy enough. Let’s do it soon.”

She was picking a fight with the kitten again.

Du Yaozhi couldn’t help but smile. She had intended to nag Shen Qing a bit, but she found it quite amusing that this “ice queen” would actually bicker with a kitten behind closed doors. Besides, Shen Qing was thinking of the kitten’s well-being.

So, Du Yaozhi let her off the hook and nodded seriously. “I’ll go make the appointment.”

**

The filming schedule was halfway through, and they had just finished a scene involving “feeling the pulse.”

While thinking about An Dongling and Xu Wanxin, Du Yaozhi suddenly remembered that the “scoop” about her and Shen Qing holding hands at dinner hadn’t leaked yet. She had searched online, but there wasn’t even a whisper of a rumor. The confidentiality was impeccable.

During a break, Shen Qing was replying to messages. Du Yaozhi naturally strolled over and stood beside her.

Shen Qing looked over. “What is it?”

Du Yaozhi glanced at Shen Qing’s phone, then looked up and cleared her throat.

Shen Qing obediently held out her phone with a straight face. “I wasn’t looking at collars.”

Tsk, who’s asking about the collar!

Du Yaozhi lifted her chin arrogantly. “This time, it’s about holding hands.”

“Hurry up.” It wouldn’t be good if those junior actors started gathering around later.

Shen Qing paused for a moment before giving Du Yaozhi her hand. Du Yaozhi didn’t think much of it—they’d already kissed, so holding hands was nothing.

After a while, Du Yaozhi asked casually, “Where are the photos of us holding hands from that night?”

“We’re saving them for the promotion period to coordinate with the drama’s release,” Shen Qing explained. “Otherwise, it might steal the spotlight from your Fashion Gala.”

December was the most prestigious month for fashion events, bringing together top stars, designers, and brands. The red carpet would be live-streamed nationwide; the looks and the buzz would directly dictate fashion resources for the end of the year.

Gong Lin had been working hard to secure resources for this event. Since Du Yaozhi currently had plenty of hype but no major works to her name yet, it was a difficult negotiation. Gong Lin had only managed to finalize it by using years of accumulated connections.

Actually, it was mostly because both Du Yaozhi and Gong Lin were stubborn; they didn’t want to rely on Shen Qing or Jing Ping to solve their problems.

Shen Qing: “Do you want to see them?”

Du Yaozhi: “No.” She was the one being teased in all of them; what was there to see?

“I’m just worried they might leak early,” Du Yaozhi made up an excuse. “But then I thought about the day of the audition. Remember?”

Du Yaozhi slowly led Shen Qing into the trap she’d set. “The night before, my manager sent me a list of suspected female leads, but you weren’t on it. There weren’t even any rumors or ‘insider leaks.’ How did you manage that?”

“Strict control of information within the crew and non-disclosure agreements.”

Du Yaozhi: “What about online? Not even a single whisper.”

Shen Qing: “Some technical-level cleanup.”

Du Yaozhi nodded. The An Dongling matter is probably the same.

Shen Qing sensed something and asked calmly, “Are you trying to bribe me?”

Du Yaozhi didn’t say a word. Her fingertips slid across the back of Shen Qing’s hand. Then, she interlaced their fingers, her pads brushing against Shen Qing’s cool knuckles. Their hands fit together perfectly, and a warmth spread through their touching skin.

Having her intentions seen through, Du Yaozhi straightened her back and met Shen Qing’s gaze with a hint of defiance. “It’s a reward for you.”

Shen Qing gave a faint smile. “A reward with fingers interlocked?”

**

The Fashion Gala was indeed important, important enough that even the film crew was willing to let people go.

After being tipped off by Gu Rong’er, Du Yaozhi asked Gong Lin to keep an eye on things, only to find out that Gong Lin and Jing Ping had been monitoring the situation for a while. They hadn’t said anything to avoid distracting Du Yaozhi from her acting.

This time, Xu Wanxin had sought out a variety show director. This director was well-known in the fashion world for being “sharp-tongued” and “good at creating buzz.” He had been specially invited to the gala. There was no telling what Xu Wanxin had planned for Du Yaozhi.

Gong Lin: “He’ll likely try to photograph you to create a scandal that explodes online.”

Hiring a variety show director just to take ugly photos of her?

Du Yaozhi shook her head, seeing through it immediately. “That’s definitely a smokescreen, or just one part of her plan.”

Gong Lin remained cautious. “Why do you say that?”

Du Yaozhi held up a mirror and smiled. “The reason is right here.”

Gong Lin actually thought there was something written on the mirror and leaned in to look, only to see a beautiful face.

Gong Lin:Right. An excessively beautiful woman.

No wonder they say a face can get you anywhere in entertainment. When Du Yaozhi was being hated by everyone, the whole world called her a “talentless vase,” but even then, the unedited photos from her fan meetings were everywhere. There was no room to criticize her looks.

Furthermore, the stylists and makeup artists were all Du Yaozhi’s people. Xu Wanxin couldn’t get to them, and she wasn’t that stupid anyway. Not to mention, Du Yaozhi had dared to take a photo with Shen Qing. Shen Qing was a famous “photo killer” she was so exceptionally beautiful that taking a photo with her was practically asking for trouble. Du Yaozhi had not only taken the photo but had also reaped the benefits of their “contract couple” sweetness.

“I’m just joking with you.” Du Yaozhi laughed and tucked the mirror away. “I don’t like using looks as a conversation piece or comparing myself to others. The entertainment industry is a garden where a hundred flowers bloom; everyone has their own unique spark.”

Du Yaozhi was an actress. If there was a comparison to be made, it should be about work and talent.

Gong Lin naturally knew Du Yaozhi wasn’t that shallow, but she had her own concerns. “What if she really tries to attack from that angle?”

Du Yaozhi looked intrigued. “Then I’ll handle her.”

Gong Lin glanced at Shen Qing in the distance. “The same way you ‘handled’ that one?”

The marks on Shen Qing’s neck had faded, and she was currently speaking with the director, looking as composed as ever.

Du Yaozhi: How did everyone find out about that?

Gong Lin: “Last night I went to discuss the plan with Jing Ping, but she got drunk. She spent the whole night complaining to me, telling me not to worry about this.”

“I asked her why, and she said she couldn’t say, but then she started venting about Shen Qing, calling her a wicked woman who only has money.”

It was impossible not to worry. Du Yaozhi wouldn’t let Xu Wanxin strike first. Besides, she had no idea what Shen Qing was planning. Shen Qing never told her anything.

A ripple of emotion stirred in Du Yaozhi’s heart. She calmed herself down, intending to take the initiative. “Is my dress for that day finalized?”

Gong Lin: “Yes, it’s settled. It took some time, and we’ve kept it under wraps.”

Du Yaozhi didn’t end the conversation there. Instead, she looked at Gong Lin with a meaningful glint in her eye.

Seeing her eager expression, Gong Lin suddenly had a bad feeling. “Is… is there a problem?”

Du Yaozhi: “I have an idea.”

Seeing her serious tone, Gong Lin assumed she was being earnest and leaned in. Du Yaozhi leaned over and whispered a few words in her ear.

Gong Lin jumped. “You… you’re serious?” You’re not just trying to prank her, are you??

“Actually—that mirror earlier? I was looking at you.” This was the first time Du Yaozhi had asked someone else to help her with something “wicked,” and she felt a bit embarrassed.

Gong Lin: Jing Ping was wrong to say Du Yaozhi was well-behaved.

That evening, Jing Ping was grumbling about Shen Qing. She was about to go to Gong Lin’s room to pretend to cry and drink her sorrows away, only to find Gong Lin arriving with the wine herself.

“Wanna see who’s more miserable?” Gong Lin looked at Jing Ping, sounding a bit tipsy. “I think I’m feeling pretty miserable myself right now.”

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