I Betrayed the Aloof Movie Queen and Went Bankrupt - Chapter 5

It was the weekend, and Xu Youzhi heard her mother, Wang Qiuhua, unboxing packages. Stepping out quietly, she was intercepted by her mother, who instructed her to take the lychees on the table to their neighbors on the same floor.

Xu Youzhi gave an obedient nod.

Ding-dong—

A courier arrived at the door. Checking the name on the package, Xu Youzhi couldn’t recognize the sender. She opened it to find an exquisite purple box that looked like it contained treats. Instead, it held several common—yet suggestive—items: an eye mask, handcuffs… and a small, oval-shaped gadget she didn’t recognize.

“Zhizhi, help me grab some clothes hangers from the balcony,” Wang Qiuhua called out.

Responding, Xu Youzhi closed the box. Meanwhile, Wang Qiuhua had opened the gift package she prepared, placing a similar purple box on the table before heading into the bedroom to get clothes.

After Xu Youzhi handed over the hangers, Wang Qiuhua urged her to hurry and deliver the gifts. Helplessly returning to the living room, Xu Youzhi found two identical purple boxes on the table. Having completely forgotten about Li Qingshuang’s gift and assuming both were prepared by her mother, she grabbed one at random and headed out.

A knock sounded at the door.

Jiang Ruoxun frowned, pulling herself away to answer it. Expecting Xu Ling, she was instead met with Xu Youzhi’s exceptionally well-behaved, sun-like smile.

“Senior!!” Xu Youzhi grinned widely.

Looking at her, Jiang Ruoxun thought she looked like a bouncy, energetic puppy. She recalled how Xu Youzhi had smiled at Li Wuyi the previous night. Since Li Wuyi seemed quite gentle, she wondered if that was simply the type Xu Youzhi preferred.

“What brings you here?” Jiang Ruoxun asked with a smile.

Xu Youzhi lifted the gift box. “These are fruits sent by my dad. They’re for you.”

Jiang Ruoxun’s gaze shifted to the box. “Oh.” She tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, her red lips curving slightly as she took it. “Thank you for the gift.”

Xu Youzhi said she was welcome, but as she turned to leave, Jiang Ruoxun called her back.

“I have a gift for you, too.” She pulled a high-end brand lipstick from her bag. “I wasn’t prepared, but this lipstick is unused. Take it.”

Recognizing the brand, Xu Youzhi declined. “That’s a limited edition; it’s too expensive. I can’t take it.” Despite coming from a wealthy family and owning luxury goods, she followed the principle of not taking advantage of others.

This kid is unexpectedly well-behaved, Jiang Ruoxun thought, smiling warmly.

“Then what would Zhizhi like?” Jiang Ruoxun couldn’t quite read the girl. Recalling Ye Qinghuan’s advice—that “kids” like gentle older sisters—she softened her tone further, though her initial impression on Xu Youzhi had already been one of gentleness.

Xu Youzhi thought for a moment. “I can’t think of anything right now. I don’t really lack for much. If you ever feel lonely, Senior, just come find me to play.”

Jiang Ruoxun’s eyes darkened for a moment.

“Senior, I’m heading back now. My mom should have breakfast ready.”

“Alright.” Watching the girl leave, the corners of Jiang Ruoxun’s mouth remained tilted upward. Beneath her cool exterior, her heart felt like a volcano on the verge of erupting. She laughed at herself—why was she teasing her junior like this?

However, when she opened the gift box and saw its contents, her smile instantly froze.

Back home, Xu Youzhi received a message from Li Qingshuang.

Li Qingshuang: How was it? Exciting, right!

Xu Youzhi: What do you mean?

Xu Youzhi replied while eating an apple and watching TV, completely bewildered.

Li Qingshuang: The gift I sent you. I was too embarrassed to give it to the courier directly, so I packed it inside a large lychee gift box.

As Xu Youzhi wondered why her friend would be embarrassed, her brow furrowed. The half-eaten apple suddenly dropped onto the sofa.

She realized she had left Li Qingshuang’s gift on the table—and then likely delivered it to Jiang Ruoxun instead of the lychees!

Jiang Ruoxun emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in the misty scent of lavender. Her hair was freshly blown dry, the damp tips adding a “lotus rising from water” charm to her cold, elegant aura. She swapped her towel for a long, black silk robe. The cool fabric against her skin felt like frost meeting snow.

The doorbell rang. Checking the peephole, she saw a very anxious-looking “little creature.”

Jiang Ruoxun opened the door without a word. The girl looked frantic.

“Oh, Zhizhi,” Jiang Ruoxun said flatly, inviting her in.

“Senior… one of the boxes wasn’t actually meant for you. I accidentally brought both,” Xu Youzhi explained breathlessly.

She glanced at the table. The boxes were wide open. The items from the “other” box lay there quietly, exposed like a peeled onion. Xu Youzhi looked at Jiang Ruoxun; the older woman’s expression was incredibly unnatural.

Jiang Ruoxun glanced toward the items. “That one?”

Trying to play it cool, Xu Youzhi moved to pick up the box filled with “tools.” Jiang Ruoxun watched her feigned composure. Initially, she thought Xu Youzhi was just an innocent girl, but now she suspected the girl might be deeper than she let on.

“It’s fine, Senior. I’ll just take it back,” Xu Youzhi smiled, about to turn.

“Are you sure?” Jiang Ruoxun’s voice sounded incredulous. “Won’t you get in trouble if your mother sees that?”

Xu Youzhi let out a confused “Huh?”, her face a mask of pure ignorance.

Jiang Ruoxun fell silent. Does this kid really not know these are adult toys?

Just then, a message arrived from Li Qingshuang, explaining exactly what the items were. After reading her phone, Xu Youzhi looked up at Jiang Ruoxun. She felt as if she’d been struck by lightning; her entire body went stiff. She had never seen such things before—how was she supposed to know!

At that moment, Jiang Ruoxun began placing the items one by one on the coffee table. She sat back on the sofa, her black silk robe shimmering.

Xu Youzhi walked over tremulously, only to hear Jiang Ruoxun ask: “Tell me, what was your intention in giving me these?”

The woman smiled, her long, jade-like legs crossed. The air conditioning in the living room mixed with her cold temperament, making the room feel like an icy cave. Does she think I’m some ‘other woman’ and she’s trying to insult me?

Xu Youzhi stood stiffly, glancing at the black silk, the wavy hair, and the older woman’s nearly flawless face. It was like looking at a masterpiece.

“It wasn’t… I didn’t mean to send them,” Xu Youzhi muttered.

Jiang Ruoxun reached out, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the sofa. “Zhizhi, I thought you were simple-minded. Do you usually buy these? Or do you think my character is so bad that I deserve these things?”

Her voice was low and magnetic, acting like a set of handcuffs itself, making it impossible to struggle. Xu Youzhi’s face turned bright red.

Jiang Ruoxun smiled faintly. If the girl were doing this maliciously, she would have to teach her a lesson. But she looked genuinely unintentional. Who could bear to scold such a sweet-looking girl? Then again… could someone truly be so naive as to not recognize these items?

Xu Youzhi was mortified. She wanted to curl up and disappear. “Senior, let me explain! A friend sent it as a prank. I didn’t buy it myself!”

The whole situation with Li Qingshuang was a ridiculous misunderstanding. Xu Youzhi had made a joke about needing her “material needs” met, and her friend had mistaken it for “physical needs,” promptly sending over the “treasures.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ruoxun teased, her foxlike eyes sparkling.

“Senior, believe me!”

Xu Youzhi panicked, trying to close the box to take it away, but she was stopped.

“I believe you, of course,” Jiang Ruoxun chuckled. She knew you couldn’t judge someone solely by the surface, but her impression of Xu Youzhi fluctuated. “But if your mother sees this, you’ll be scolded, right?”

In Wang Qiuhua’s eyes, Xu Youzhi was a pure child with no such thoughts in her head.

“Probably,” Xu Youzhi bit her lip, looking aggrieved.

Remembering the smiles Xu Youzhi gave others, Jiang Ruoxun felt a pang of something—jealousy? Pettiness? —and decided to lean into the “gentle senior” persona. “Come here. Sit next to me.”

Xu Youzhi took one step and stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ruoxun raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll… I’ll sit here.” Xu Youzhi sat on the very edge, leaving two empty spots between them.

Jiang Ruoxun watched her, deep in thought.

“I’ll throw these away as soon as I get back,” Xu Youzhi said, her face still flushed.

“Leave them. You can keep them at my place for now. It would be awkward if you ran into your mother on the way out,” Jiang Ruoxun suggested kindly.

“Really?” Xu Youzhi’s cheeks burned, but she suddenly felt a surge of goodwill toward this “notoriously scandalous” senior.

“Of course. I’ve been home on leave lately and I’m quite bored. It would be nice to have a sister to play and chat with.” Jiang Ruoxun looked up lazily, flashing a breathtaking smile.

Xu Youzhi felt her ears grow hot. To be neighbors with a famous actress was one thing, but to be invited over to chat?

“Senior… you’re bored?”

Jiang Ruoxun hummed in affirmation. “Tired of filming all these years. I wanted a break, but I don’t have many friends around here. I was looking for a well-behaved, cute… friend like you.”