After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 64.2

Shen Qing stepped forward, calmly adjusting her leather gloves. She positioned herself between the cameras and Du Yaozhi.

Xu Wanxin let out a sharp yelp and stumbled to the ground. “I… I…”

“Allow me to tell you personally,” Shen Qing said, looking down at her with icy disdain. “Du Yaozhi is mine. You aren’t fit to touch her.”

A cold fragrance drifted through the air. Du Yaozhi’s ears burned, and she looked away. ‘Mine’? We’re just ‘kissing friends’ at best, she thought. Still, she decided to let Shen Qing have her moment of sweetness.

Xu Wanxin began to wail. “Shen Qing… you disgusting woman! I used to admire you! You’re both just as filthy as each other! Film it! Film everything!”

The paparazzi were terrified. No one dared to film this scene; even Qin Qian stood frozen.

“Useless cowards!” Xu Wanxin screamed, throwing a tantrum. “This is Shen Qing! Don’t you want the scoop?! The name ‘Shen Qing’ alone is enough to keep you in business for life!”

The cameras in the photographers’ hands began to shake. Faced with Shen Qing’s frost-bitten stare, no one dared to press the shutter. One man tried to slip away in the confusion, but Shen Qing caught him with a single look. His legs turned to jelly, and his equipment clattered to the floor.

“Fine,” Shen Qing said, her hands in her coat pockets. “If you have the nerve to film, by all means, try it.”

Du Yaozhi frowned. “Shen Qing!”

Shen Qing gave her palm a reassuring squeeze. “It’s fine.”

From the direction of the streetlights, a group of figures approached at a run. It was Gu Lin, followed by Gong Lin, Jing Ping, Xiao Yu, and the rest. Seeing the situation, they didn’t hesitate to rush forward.

Shen Qing stood her ground before the cameras. Zhou Yue jumped in front, shielding the dishevelled An Dongling. “Film me then, you vultures! What is there to see?!”

More people arrived, surrounding them in a protective circle. Du Yaozhi felt a wave of warmth. They had all said they were going away for the New Year, yet here they were.

Gu Lin was the first to start shouting at the paparazzi. “What’s so interesting about a young girl? Why are you trying to film her when her clothes are torn? Why don’t you film me instead?!”

Zhou Yue was moved to tears. “Lin.”

More and more people stepped in, blocking the malicious lenses. Even Qing Bao, the cat, jumped down from Xiao Yu’s arms and hissed at the cameras.

“Is bullying actors all you’re good for?” Gong Lin spat.

Jing Ping grabbed Gong Lin’s wrist and stepped to the front. “Exactly. Listen here, boys. Haven’t you had enough? Why not take some pictures of me? I’m much more photogenic than this lot.” She smiled at the crew members. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes!” came the resounding reply. Women from both film crews, some who knew each other, some who didn’t, formed a human wall.

“What, are you scared now? Film us!”

The paparazzi had seen enough. They abandoned their cameras and scrambled out of the factory, tripping over themselves in their haste to escape. Qin Qian tried to sneak out the back, but she was intercepted by Shen Qing’s security.

Everyone gathered around An Dongling. Once she assured them she was okay, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you… thank you,” An Dongling sobbed. “Nothing happened… I tore my own clothes, and the blood is theirs… but I’m so grateful…”

Shen Qing calmly removed her overcoat and draped it over An Dongling. “Keep the wind out.”

“That’s right, don’t catch a cold,” Gu Lin added, taking off her own hat and tucking it over An Dongling’s ears.

Soon, An Dongling was bundled up like a Christmas tree. She had Gong Lin’s scarf, Jing Ping’s blazer tied around her waist, and Shu Yuanxiang helped tidy her matted hair. Xiao Yu let her stroke the cat, and Zhou Yue playfully smeared a bit more tomato sauce on her face to lighten the mood.

Du Yaozhi looked at An Dongling’s feet. “We’re the same size, aren’t we?”

An Dongling’s shoes were ruined because of the hidden blade. Du Yaozhi was glad she hadn’t worn heels. She took off her own flat shoes and socks and knelt down to put them on An Dongling’s feet.

As they waited for the police, An Dongling suddenly remembered something. “My mother… she’s still in the hospital. She’s undergoing chemotherapy.”

“Which hospital?” Shen Qing asked.

An Dongling gave the address, her voice trembling. “But… I’m so sorry, I don’t have any money left.” She had failed to get the insurance payout she’d planned for.

Shen Qing didn’t even blink. “Don’t worry. I do.”

Zhou Yue was right; Du Yaozhi’s ‘kissing friend’ was indeed loaded.

“I’ll arrange for the best hospital and doctors,” Shen Qing added. “I’ll cover everything. You won’t have to worry about the costs or the care.”

An Dongling finally slumped in relief, her tears no longer born of despair. “Truly? Then I can rest easy…” She sat on the ground next to Zhou Yue, leaning against her, the tremors finally subsiding.

“‘Kissing friend,’ could you do me a favour?” Du Yaozhi looked at Shen Qing with a smile. Her bare feet were cold on the hard ground, and she remembered she had one last bit of ‘unfinished business.’

Shen Qing frowned slightly with concern. She leaned down, gesturing for Du Yaozhi to climb onto her back. She stood up steadily, holding Du Yaozhi’s legs. “Where do you want to go?”

“To see an old friend, of course.” Du Yaozhi wrapped her arms around Shen Qing’s neck.

“Very well.”

Halfway there, Du Yaozhi turned back and called out one last time.

“An Dongling!”

“I’m here…” An Dongling replied, choked with emotion.

Du Yaozhi gave her a small smile. Barefoot and carried by Shen Qing, she said simply, “May your path be smooth from here on.”

The streetlights above were so bright. An Dongling brushed her fringe back and nodded firmly. “Yes. A smooth path.”

Xu Wanxin tried to run, but she was blocked by Gu Rong’er’s people before she could even reach Shen Qing’s perimeter.

Gu Rong’er looked at her with a pale, expressionless face. “Xu Wanxin, I warned you. Why would you do something so cruel?”

Xu Wanxin tried to bluff. “Get out of my way! Rong’er… you’ll help me, won’t you?”

“No, Xu Wanxin. You’ve done too much evil. You are no longer my friend. I’m here today to hand over the evidence.” Gu Rong’er’s voice was steady. “As of today, the Tianrong Group is severing all ties with Huasheng Entertainment.”

Xu Wanxin looked at them, panicked. “You can’t have enough evidence! You traitor! Even if you have recordings and bank statements, it doesn’t matter unless Li Rongjin talks! You can’t touch me!”

“That’s why,” Gu Rong’er said, “I’m giving the evidence to the right person. To justice.”

She walked up to Shen Qing, and her assistant, Lin Song, handed over a thick file. “Miss Shen… everything I did was to get this evidence to you. I couldn’t get close to you otherwise, so I had to…”

Shen Qing looked at her, having already deduced her intentions. “You didn’t want to give it to your ‘sister’ instead?”

“Eh?” Gu Rong’er blinked, looking at Du Yaozhi. “Miss Du… do you mean…”

“So that’s what you meant with all that talk about McDonald’s,” Du Yaozhi said, feeling a bit embarrassed. It turned out she was just trying to show her loyalty.

Du Yaozhi patted Gu Rong’er’s head and hopped down from Shen Qing’s back. She pulled a lipstick from her pocket and toyed with it, a lazy, flirtatious smile on her red lips. Under Xu Wanxin’s horrified gaze, she tapped her phone screen.

A recording began to play. It was Li Rongjin and Sheng Xiao discussing ‘shadow contracts.’ The evidence was now complete.

“Where is the evidence? It’s so hard to guess, isn’t it?” Du Yaozhi teased.

“This is impossible!!!”

Xu Wanxin turned deathly pale. She collapsed and crawled towards Gu Rong’er, grabbing her trouser leg. “Rong’er, I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again! Help me!”

Gu Rong’er closed her eyes and pushed her away, unable to look at her.

Xu Wanxin then turned to Du Yaozhi, her face a mess of tears and snot. “Du Yaozhi, I’m begging you! Let me go! I’ll never bother you again!”

Du Yaozhi’s voice was deceptively gentle. “Do you remember how you humiliated me?”

Xu Wanxin had once thrown away Du Yaozhi’s shoes and forced her to walk home barefoot. Du Yaozhi still had the scar on her heel. She would never forget.

“I won’t make you walk all the way home. Just take off your shoes and walk barefoot to that tree over there. Then I’ll forgive you. How about that?”

Xu Wanxin immediately scrambled to take off her shoes. “I’m doing it! Look! I’m doing it!”

She stepped onto the sharp stones and metal shavings, each step feeling like a knife to her soles. She looked back at Du Yaozhi.

“Further,” Du Yaozhi prompted.

“Fine, fine…”

The once-mighty socialite was now stripped of all protection. She was finally tasting the bitterness she had inflicted on others. When she reached the tree, she turned back, hoping that once she got through this, she could find a way to make Du Yaozhi pay.

“Are you satisfied now?! Let me go!”

“Hmm,” Du Yaozhi said nonchalantly. “I’m satisfied. You can go.”

Xu Wanxin felt a flicker of hope for a comeback.

But then Du Yaozhi’s lips curled into a sweet, mocking smile. “I was just kidding.”

“The police are right in front of you,” Du Yaozhi said loudly. “Xu Wanxin, give yourself up.”

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