After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 9

“I think she’s trying to pursue you.”

Zhou Yue pulled Du Yaozhi into the lift, her pace brisk. Only after the doors had slid shut did she cut straight to the chase.

“Pursue me? In a serious way?”

The remark was so sudden that Du Yaozhi momentarily paused after pressing the floor button. She tilted her head, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. The cold overhead light of the lift cast a faint shadow beneath her curled lashes, lending a touch of melancholy to her soft, delicate features.

“Exactly!”

When Zhou Yue got excited, her words came out like a rapid-fire barrage. She grabbed Du Yaozhi’s wrist and launched into a frantic explanation. “That ‘What’s wrong?’ over the phone was so smooth it was lethal! And she picked up instantly!”

“Plus, after such an exhausting work schedule, she specifically drove out just to pick you up! This was the Lunaris launch! Xiao Lin-jie said their brand’s haute couture is incredibly demanding, you have to stand perfectly still during those long group interviews just to keep the dress pristine for the photos. Most artists are completely wiped out and collapse in their hotel rooms after the formalities, yet she came out specifically for you!”

“More importantly! When you coughed just now, she reached for her water immediately. When you took mine instead, I swear I saw her heart shatter into pieces. It’s a classic trope, isn’t it? The ‘regretful ex chasing the one who got away’!”

Zhou Yue continued her analysis, her eyes gleaming as if she’d stumbled upon a monumental secret.

Du Yaozhi, however, clearly didn’t take it to heart. She rested one hand on her bag strap and crossed the other over her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly. “‘Shattered’? How so? She looked perfectly composed to me.”

“Ah, you’ve got it all wrong!”

Zhou Yue clicked her tongue, adopting an air of mystery. “You’re both actors, and she’s a Grand Slam Best Actress winner! Of course she isn’t going to show any cracks to your face. But the subtle details behind your back don’t lie, you have no idea!”

“Whenever you looked away, the way she looked at you… it was something else!”

Du Yaozhi let out a dry chuckle. “Then she definitely wasn’t looking at me.”

“She was probably just thinking about work,” Du Yaozhi replied calmly, as if stating an objective fact that had nothing to do with her. “Or perhaps, she’s just messing with the ex-girlfriend she dumped exactly one year ago today.”

Ding.

The lift slowed to a smooth halt. Seeing the floor number light up, Du Yaozhi was the first to step out.

Her thoughts, however, began to drift.

If it weren’t for Shen Qing, Du Yaozhi might never have understood what it felt like to be ‘played.’ Usually, it was Du Yaozhi who did the playing. She had never imagined that a lover who was tender and intimate one day could suddenly become cold and detached after a brief business trip.

Du Yaozhi had doubted herself. Was she not good enough? Was she too clingy? Had Shen Qing simply grown bored? Or had Shen Qing never truly loved her at all?

She had combed through every possible reason, yet Shen Qing had still played her without warning.

Shen Qing had given her the ultimate intimacy only to follow it with an unbearable indifference, leaving Du Yaozhi feeling like a pathetic clown, pulled back and forth until her heart was frayed.

To this day, Du Yaozhi hadn’t figured out why.

It was as if Shen Qing were merely acting; the emotions had been switched off in an instant.

**

Shen Qing, why do you get to walk away unscathed?

Why are you always the one looking down from above?

The sound of high heels clicking against the corridor floor was sharp and clear.

As she walked, Du Yaozhi pulled out her keys. She looped her finger through the keyring, gripping it tightly as a vent for her simmering emotions.

Following behind, Zhou Yue noticed the tension in Du Yaozhi’s back.

Her earlier excitement evaporated, replaced by a sense of unease and hesitation.

After a long silence, Zhou Yue finally spoke, her head lowered and her voice much softer than before. “Did I say something wrong?”

“I don’t know the details of why you two broke up. If she hurt you, then I’d never have said those things!”

Her voice trailed off.

Du Yaozhi stopped in front of her door and turned back. Seeing the worry and self-blame written all over Zhou Yue’s face, she gave a helpless smile. “You… why are you blaming yourself again?”

She reached out and lightly tapped Zhou Yue’s forehead with her knuckle. “I was at a real low point back then and didn’t explain things properly. Why don’t you blame me for keeping you in the dark?”

“I could never blame you! We’re the ‘Ironclad Sisters of Hengdian,’ aren’t we?” Zhou Yue clutched her forehead and grinned.

Du Yaozhi turned back and inserted the key into the lock.

She let the key linger there for a moment. Staring at the slight gap in the door, she murmured, “It’s nothing, really.”

The door gave a soft creak as it swung open to a silent, pitch-black interior, reminiscent of the many nights she had spent coming home alone to wait for Shen Qing.

“As for why we broke up?”

Du Yaozhi’s tone brightened again. It was as if she had thought of something hilarious; she turned and winked at Zhou Yue. “I can sum it up for you in one phrase.”

“And what would that be, Teacher Du?” Zhou Yue asked, intrigued.

“A woman’s words are as hollow as a ghost’s promise,” Du Yaozhi said.

“Hahaha!” Zhou Yue doubled over, clutching her stomach as she fumbled for her own keys. “What on earth, Yaozhi? Is there really no chance for you two?”

“Not a chance.”

Du Yaozhi shrugged dismissively. “Unless she makes some grand gesture, tells me there’s a sword hanging over my head, and insists we become a ‘contract couple’ acting all lovey-dovey and inseparable just to save the day. And if pretending to be her girlfriend was the magic pill that would make me famous overnight and skyrocket my career”

“Then, for the sake of that ‘magic pill,’ I might consider acting out a little romance and playing along.”

Du Yaozhi spoke casually, mostly spinning a tall tale to comfort her friend.

Zhou Yue was thoroughly amused. “Stop, stop! My stomach hurts from laughing. I need to get inside and lie down.”

“That’s way too far-fetched! It sounds like one of those brainless web novels Xiao Lin-jie reads.”

“Go on then, go rest,” Du Yaozhi replied with a smile as she headed into her own flat.

After saying goodbye to Zhou Yue, Du Yaozhi closed the door and flipped the light switch.

Leaning against the wall of the foyer, she bent down to kick off her heels and tuck them into the shoe rack.

Once she’d adjusted to being back on flat ground, she slipped into her slippers and padded into the living room.

Aside from the run-in with her ex, today had been a success. Du Yaozhi was quite satisfied with how her plans had played out.

The beer hadn’t been strong. Although Du Yaozhi had a low tolerance and the alcohol hit her hard initially, the effect had mostly faded after being out in the breeze.

There was a slight burning sensation in her stomach, but it was mild, nothing compared to the sharp pain she’d felt the day she confronted Li Rongjin and Sheng Xiao.

Actually, the day she confronted those dogs.

She poured herself a glass of warm water. Feeling a bit more settled, she sat down at her desk and opened her laptop to handle the final bits of business.

True to form, Huasheng had sent her an incredibly polite email. Every line was dripping with sincerity, clearly terrified that she might stir up trouble for them.

Du Yaozhi circled several parts of the official announcement. She insisted they clarify that “all rights and obligations under the contract are terminated” and change “personal career planning” to “mutual, friendly agreement.” She meticulously checked every detail before finally letting it go.

To minimize the immediate media fallout and avoid a sudden spike in her own visibility, she decided to have Huasheng send the update on a weekday afternoon, steering clear of peak traffic periods for scandals.

Once finished, she stretched her arms and stared blankly at the screen. It was late, but she wasn’t the least bit sleepy.

She turned to look at the night view through her high-rise window. Beyond the sheer curtains, the distant streetlights flickered like tiny stars. The roads were empty, with no cars in sight.

It felt like the silence that follows a wild, exhilarating celebration.

Only, tonight’s joy belonged to Shen Qing.

In fact, for a long time now, everything had belonged to Shen Qing.

If an ordinary artist had the luck, talent, and a standout look to go viral, the buzz usually only lasted a day or two on a single platform. Even if they maintained it, the average ‘golden period’ for such fame was only eighteen months. Without a constant stream of new content, they were easily replaced and quickly forgotten.

But Shen Qing was different. She didn’t need marketing. With her beauty, talent, and fashion sense, every photo she released caused a frenzy across all platforms. She was a permanent fixture in the public eye.

Even someone as obscure as Du Yaozhi could be dragged onto the trending searches and lambasted for a solid week just by being tangentially related to Shen Qing’s fame.

That level of influence was something Du Yaozhi hadn’t even dared to dream of during her days as an extra.

Her mouse hovered over the Weibo icon. After a moment of silence, she logged into a burner account.

She wanted to see exactly what this ex-girlfriend—the one who claimed she had changed, looked like now.

At the very bottom of the trending list, #ShenQingDuYaozhi was still hanging on.

However, the top tags marked “Hot” had changed, though the screen was still dominated by Shen Qing.

#Shen Qing Lunaris Launch# #Inner Circle Red Carpet Finally Has a Goddess# #Shen Qing Lunaris Goddess Look: Every Frame a Masterpiece#

Du Yaozhi scrolled down mechanically, her expression neutral. But when she hit one particular tag, she stopped.

#Shen Qing’s Ethereal Teardrop Makeup is a Total Win#

She gripped the mouse, hesitating to click.

Someone on a film set had once cried to her about how “stalking” an ex online felt like a stabbing pain in the heart, yet they couldn’t stop themselves from peeking into the other person’s life. Du Yaozhi hadn’t understood it then, but she did now.

The person who gets dumped carries the weight of a massive void. They constantly second-guess themselves, tearing their own identity apart and scrutinizing every fragment to find fault. It’s a never-ending cycle; even a bloody, painful truth would be easier than this torture.

Du Yaozhi tightened her grip on the mouse.

Shen Qing, what have you done? Are you really doing that well without me?

Spying is an uncontrollable withdrawal symptom, a compulsion to return to the source of former warmth.

Du Yaozhi didn’t want her wounds reopened. She didn’t want to think about that person anymore. The cursor hovered unsteadily on the screen before she suddenly clicked the link.

Let it end. Let it be over once and for all!

She’s Shen Qing; of course she’s doing fine. Why am I looking for evidence of her suffering just to make myself feel better?

I might as well see it clearly and give up for good.

Shen Qing didn’t love her anymore. It was as simple as that.

She clicked through. Under the top comments was a video posted by a major fan account.

In the video, with her perfect proportions and stunning fashion presence, Shen Qing walked the red carpet in an exquisitely designed “Moon Goddess” haute couture gown. The long train trailed behind her, her aura cold and elegant.

Camera flashes exploded like a storm. Entertainment reporters surrounded her, and Shen Qing gave a faint smile to the cameras.

That teardrop mole, so similar to Du Yaozhi’s own perfectly accentuated the beauty of her eyes. It was a look so breathtaking it could only be described as divine.

The comments were a chorus of awe.

【AAHHH! This is what peak elegance looks like! Goddess level!! This teardrop look is everything! Every screenshot is art.】

【Help!! The fashion! It’s insane! I can’t handle this. Is this really just a candid shot?】

【Qing-bao is a literal goddess! It feels so good to be her fan, every photo is a masterpiece. My friend saw this and became a fan instantly! 】

【If Shen Qing wanted to date me… I’d marry her in a heartbeat! 】

At the end of the video, people were crowding in to ask her questions.

Someone held up a microphone and asked, “Teacher Shen, we noticed this is your first time trying this teardrop style, and it’s stunning! Does it have a special meaning for you?”

Shen Qing had been bypassing almost everyone, but she stopped specifically for that question. “It’s something I’ve always liked, but I never had the chance to express it before.”

“If possible, I hope to convey my feelings this way.”

The familiar eyes, the familiar tone.

Shen Qing was so beautiful that it was impossible to ignore her gaze. You could be looking at a screen, yet it felt as though she were looking right back at you.

Du Yaozhi’s heart raced. For the first time, she had lost the “ex-stalking” game.

And she had lost spectacularly.

She slammed her laptop shut, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.

Why?

Why, Shen Qing?

Why choose now of all times to say those things?

Just when I was finally moving on.

Just when I finally managed to stop caring about you…

I worked so hard for that.

That night, Du Yaozhi tossed and turned.

She only managed to drift off just before dawn, finally succumbing to the exhaustion of a long day.

But she dreamt of Shen Qing again.

A nightmare.

In the dream, they were separated by an unbridgeable distance, yet Shen Qing walked toward her and kissed her with a desperate intensity.

Midway through the kiss, a faint sting came from her lip.

Du Yaozhi was hurt. Drenched in sweat, she shoved Shen Qing away. “Shen Qing! What are you pretending for now? What do you want from me? Did you ever even care about me?”

A damp sensation climbed up her throat. A drowning feeling, like being submerged in the deep sea, flooded her nose and mouth. The force of her own recoil seemed to pull her into the tide, making it impossible to breathe.

She instinctively reached out to grab the person beside her. In her panic, she accidentally tore a corner of Shen Qing’s haute couture gown.

She froze. That torn corner began to twist, and the world around her turned surreal and distorted.

Du Yaozhi sank in terror. she watched as Shen Qing’s pristine white dress became tattered and ruined by her own hand.

Shen Qing’s dark, deep eyes stared straight at her. Her moist lips parted slightly, her breath hitching, her eyes clouded with shadows. “Why are you two living together?”

“Are you… together now?”

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