Love Contract with the Queen Actress - Chapter 38

The subway rumbled through the underground tunnels, coming to a halt before the yellow starting line at the station.

The glass doors parted with a series of mechanical beeps, opening their embrace.

Just like countless mornings before, the subway entrance was teeming with people, crowds converging and dispersing, surging in and out like ants or worker bees, busily weaving the fabric of life.

Su Yuchen, as she had done countless times before, slung her canvas bag over her shoulder and moved with the crowd toward the entrance.

“Moving” was the operative word, she really couldn’t walk any faster.

Even though the morning rush had passed over an hour ago, the relentless tide of people showed no signs of thinning. Shoulder to shoulder, they descended the stairs, nudging and shuffling forward.

Su Yuchen’s field of vision was filled with bobbing heads. She wasn’t fully awake yet, her gaze absently fixed on the small butterfly hair clip of the girl in front of her.

The clip sparkled, adorned with tiny faux diamonds that shimmered with each step down the stairs, making it look like a dazzling little toy swaying ahead.

Like a kitten, Su Yuchen instinctively followed the glimmer, her mind adrift as she walked.

Beside her, two girls nudged each other with their elbows. “Wait… am I seeing things? Is that Princess Minglu?”

“No, you’re not hallucinating. I see her too. Oh my god, it really is Princess Minglu!”

“Seriously?” The girl pulled out her phone, disbelief written all over her face, and compared the tall beauty’s profile to her lock screen.

Then, in a hushed voice, she replied, “Holy crap, it really is Su Yuchen. Why is she taking the subway?”

“Ahhh, what do we do? I’m so excited!”

“Seeing Su Yuchen up close, her nose bridge is so high, her skin is so fair, and those almond-shaped eyes are just mesmerizing. We’re so lucky to run into her on the subway!”

“Right? She’s stunning.”

The whispers didn’t reach Su Yuchen, who was still engrossed in the butterfly hair clip.

She had a bit of a kitten’s temperament sometimes, especially when she wasn’t fully awake. Her eyes would latch onto something shiny, much like a cat fixated on a toy, completely oblivious to the world around her.

But the others nearby had already turned their attention to her, their eyes lighting up with recognition.

More and more murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“It’s Su Yuchen!”

“It really is her!”

“She’s even prettier than on TV, she looks like a regular college student, riding the subway and everything.”

“No, no, she’s even more beautiful than on TV. Guess the camera really does flatten beauty.”

“She’s so tall and slender, no wonder she has such an elegant presence in dramas.”

“Should we ask for an autograph?”

“Probably not. She might not want to be bothered.”

The girls chattered excitedly, many of them following Su Yuchen through security and into the station.

The security officer, who had been mechanically going through the motions with dull eyes, suddenly perked up when she looked up and saw the person in front of her.

“Are you…?”

The officer had clearly been watching the newly aired Chronicles of the Dynasty, which had already aired six episodes over the past three days.

The streets and alleys were abuzz with the theme song playing on loop, though Su Yuchen herself was unaware, no one had told her.

Shen Wu didn’t care about fame, nor did she bother checking whether the drama had become a hit after its release. She had never harbored unrealistic expectations of skyrocketing to stardom overnight, so she handed her Weibo account over to her company to manage, turning a deaf ear to the outside world and focusing solely on catching up on sleep.

After filming on the island, she returned home for a proper rest, taking a long break and barely glancing at her phone.

Today, she had just gone to Shen Wu’s place to feed the cat, cooked a meal for the still-groggy Shen Wu, and was now rushing back home.

Just as drowsiness was creeping in again, the security officer’s half-spoken words jolted her awake.

“Huh? Did I do something wrong?”

As a law-abiding citizen, Su Yuchen couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy at that moment.

But the security officer’s ears had turned bright red, which only left Su Yuchen even more confused.

Right then, someone’s phone nearby suddenly rang.

“Whose gaze traverses the dynasties of a thousand years, the long-separated lament amidst the rise and fall of palaces…”

It was the theme song of Chronicles of the Dynasty, set as someone’s ringtone.

Hearing it, Su Yuchen froze for a moment before slowly turning her gaze toward the sound.

A middle-aged man held up his phone, grinning at her and giving her a thumbs-up. “Go, Princess Minglu! May your coup succeed!”

“…”

Coup? Succeed?

Why did that sound so… weird?

Su Yuchen was still half-asleep, barely coherent, and had no idea what the man meant by “coup.”

What coup? Just this morning, she had wrestled with One Yuan, declaring herself the boss to the little cat. The cat, unimpressed, had sidestepped like a crab, ready to challenge her for dominance.

So, if there was any talk of a coup, shouldn’t it be the kitten trying to overthrow her position as the boss?

Still muddle-headed, Su Yuchen turned back to the blushing security officer.

“Miss, is there a problem?”

The moment she spoke, the security officer clapped both hands over her face, as if overwhelmed, pressing one hand against her chest as if to keep her heart from leaping out of her throat.

“Ah! Your voice is really nice.”

The words only deepened Su Yuchen’s bewilderment, she genuinely didn’t understand.

Another security officer nearby looked over with sparkling eyes. “So, the voice in the drama really is yours! Your breath control is amazing.”

“……”

“Uh…”

After a moment of processing, Su Yuchen finally understood,

The talk of a “successful coup” and compliments about her voice… it was all because Chronicles of the Dynasty had aired and gained some traction.

But that was it. She had no idea just how popular it was, assuming it was just a coincidence that two people recognized her.

It was kind of embarrassing.

“Ah, thank you.”

Completely lacking the self-awareness of a celebrity, she had only worn a white cap when leaving the house today.

No mask, let alone oversized sunglasses, though she did own a pair of Shen Wu’s, with sleek white frames, a stylish design, and a brand-new runway edition.

But those were Shen Wu’s things. She couldn’t bear to wear them out.

Moreover, in the dead of winter, she wasn’t a celebrity, what was the point of wearing sunglasses?

For all these reasons, her fair and delicate face was completely exposed for all to see.

Pale skin, a tall and straight nose, long eyelashes, misty almond-shaped eyes, and the faint dimples that appeared when she spoke.

Every inch of her radiated beauty.

Su Yuchen’s looks were so striking that even before she became famous, she always drew attention, yet she still couldn’t shake off her slightly socially awkward nature.

“I’ll be going now…”

She nodded at the blushing security officer, pulled her cap lower, and hurried toward the ticket gate.

The security officer paused for a moment, then grabbed something and chased after her.

“Wait! Hold on! Your-”

The last word was muffled, left far behind, impossible to make out.

A socially anxious person’s escape was just that urgent.

She ran, the security officer chased, and other confused security personnel followed suit. In no time, a whole crowd of staff members was in pursuit.

Two transit police officers, unaware of the situation, saw their colleagues running ahead and dutifully raised their large metal batons, chasing fiercely while shouting, “Stop! Stop right there!”

If not for them, Su Yuchen might not have run. But under these circumstances, even the most composed person would be startled, let alone someone like Su Yuchen, who was already a bit socially anxious.

Bystanders watched with curious gazes.

“Hey, was that Princess Minglu running past?”

“You saw it too? Then I wasn’t just seeing things.”

Su Yuchen was terrified. A whole group was chasing her, and even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, the instinct to flee kicked in when being pursued.

She really was like a little kitten.

Silver ticket gates lined the end of the path.

Su Yuchen dashed to the gate, reached for her side, only to find the canvas bag she’d been carrying was gone.

If this were a comic, her waist would now be outlined with a dotted line and a flash effect.

“Ah…”

Only then did Su Yuchen remember, she’d left her bag at the security checkpoint.

And she finally understood why the security officer had chased her.

They were just trying to return her bag.

But why were so many people chasing her…?

“…”

In the moment Su Yuchen stood frozen, the crowd caught up. The transit police, batons raised, halted mid-swing when they saw her pale, panicked face.

“Prin… Princess Minglu?”

“…”

At this point, Su Yuchen wanted nothing more than to vanish into the ground. A socially anxious person had just experienced their first full-blown public mortification.

She’d heard of people rushing ticket gates before, but now it was happening to her, even though she hadn’t actually done it, the sheer spectacle, complete with two raised batons, made it seem more dramatic than any actual gate-crashing.

It felt like a trauma that would haunt her for life. Su Yuchen’s lips twitched. “I… I’m sorry…”

“I didn’t mean to run…”

Her explanation sounded utterly feeble in the moment.

The expressions of those who had been fiercely chasing her now shifted in layers, one after another.

First, there was a fierce expression, then it turned into astonishment. After the astonishment came a frozen moment of processing, until finally, the CPU in their brains kicked into gear, and their eyes and brows lit up with joyful smiles.

“It’s real, it’s Princess Minglu!”

“Her voice is just as lovely as on TV, it really is Princess Minglu!”

“I told you my left eye’s been twitching since I woke up today. I even complained about Lao Hu switching shifts with me and making me get up so early, but turns out it was good luck smiling on me!”

“I met the real Princess Minglu.”

“What’s Princess Minglu’s name again?”

“Su Yuchen, Su Yuchen!”

Their faces beamed with radiant smiles, little flowers practically blooming around them as they excitedly chattered right in front of Su Yuchen, the socially anxious introvert.

As the subject of their fervent discussion, Su Yuchen genuinely wanted to leave. Awkwardly, she pointed and said, “Um…”

She gestured toward her bag, which was still in the hands of the security officer.

“I… sorry, that’s my bag.”

The security officer finally snapped out of it. “Ah! Right, right, your bag.”

She handed the bag back to Su Yuchen, then mumbled in a small voice, “Um… could I take a photo with you?”

The others immediately chimed in, “I want one too!”

Even the burly guy holding the metal detector fork slammed it down with a thud and gruffly added, “Me too.”

“…”

They were all diligent employees who normally wouldn’t take photos with celebrities during work hours. But since they’d already chased her out, technically, it was still for work. A little detour wasn’t a big deal, everyone makes mistakes. Besides, this was Princess Minglu we’re talking about.

Click. Click.

The shutter went off several times.

The moment was frozen in the frame.

Su Yuchen was squeezed in the middle, surrounded by subway security and staff like a tiny captured kitten. Everyone wore blissful smiles, the most exaggerated being the transit officer, who still held two massive, gleaming metal forks like some kind of elite cat-capture squad.

As a socially anxious introvert, Su Yuchen, sandwiched in the middle, was pale with fright, clutching her bag tightly while forcing a stiff smile.

Unlike the crisp, uniformed professionalism of the staff around her, their “Security” badges gleaming, Su Yuchen looked like a freshly caught cream-colored kitten, her gaze darting nervously between the two giant forks before retreating in unease.

At the same time, the group photo was uploaded online, and the hashtag #SuYuchenApprehendedOnSubway# skyrocketed into the top 20 trending searches.

[LMAO, this is too ridiculous, Su Yuchen looks like she was actually apprehended.]

[I legit had a brain freeze when I saw this headline. Like, how did she get arrested out of nowhere? Oh, that kind of “apprehended.”]

[The two dudes on the sides look like fierce temple guardians, each holding a massive metal fork, like they’ve never smiled before. But here, their faces are creased with like 18 smile lines. Everyone else looks thrilled, like they just caught some major criminal… when in reality, it’s just a little white kitten.]

[I was genuinely terrified, okay? I saw this trending topic and thought something terrible had happened. The show just aired and already there’s a scandal, I was afraid the drama I was so excitedly following would get taken down. Turns out it was just a big misunderstanding.]

[LMAO, what kind of ridiculous trending topic is this? Even Su Yuchen was scared out of her wits, okay?]

[Right? Her face went completely pale.]

[Small, helpless, and then asked for a photo.]

[Wait, why did she run then?]

[Uh, duh? Try having a bunch of people screaming and chasing after you, you’d run too, weirdo.]

[Speaking of which, isn’t Su Yuchen a celebrity? Why’s she squeezing onto the subway?]

[She’s really not like those pretentious types, so eco-conscious with her travel choices.]

[I’m totally becoming a fan. This girl gets it, treating acting like just a job and living a normal life off-screen. Love that for her.]

What they didn’t know was that Su Yuchen was genuinely broke.

Not driving was partly due to poverty, but also because she hadn’t managed to get her license.

There was another major reason: her father had died young in a car accident.

According to her uncle, her dad had suddenly come into money and bought a brand-new car, proudly showing it off to the family, only to die in a crash that very same day. Because of that, Su Yuchen had always found driving terrifying, and she increasingly preferred the eco-friendly, poor, and safe alternative of squeezing onto subways and buses.

Right now.

Su Yuchen leaned against the subway car wall, tucked into the gap between the door and the carriage, her cap pulled low as she caught her breath.

She’d run way too fast, her heart was still pounding erratically.

Her almond-shaped eyes peered out from under the brim, discreetly scanning the people around her.

She overheard someone say, “No idea why, but someone tried to force their way through the east gate earlier.”

Su Yuchen: “…”

She suppressed a sigh and instinctively tugged her cap even lower.

“LOL, you’re so behind. That was just a minor mix-up at the gate, they ran into Su Yuchen. It’s already been sorted.”

“Huh?! What, Su Yuchen rides the subway too? That’s so down-to-earth.”

“I can’t even imagine Princess Minglu squeezing onto the subway with us. Kinda get why there was a commotion at the east gate, if I saw Princess Minglu, I’d chase her too.”

Su Yuchen: “…”

So now she couldn’t even take the subway anymore…?

She couldn’t quite grasp why this was happening. Everyone just seemed… weird. No one had ever gotten this excited over her before.

And some had even said, right to her face, that they wanted to chase after the character she played.

What was going on?

“Look, look,” one girl shoved her phone in her friend’s face. “Check out these fan pics, Su Yuchen was wearing a white cap on the subway today…”

“Hmm, chestnut-brown shoulder-length hair, a white cap, a short white puffer jacket…”

The girls perfectly described Su Yuchen’s outfit from moments ago before suddenly falling silent, their gazes slowly shifting toward her.

“…”

Su Yuchen had no idea how she even made it off the subway. All she knew was that she’d signed what felt like a million autographs.

More than she’d ever signed in her entire life combined. Her wrist ached, sore and numb.

Her face felt stiff from smiling, she’d never had to pose for so many photos in a row before.

Most likely because it’s Saturday today, that’s why there are so many people.

Su Yuchen shook her wrist and stepped onto the escalator at the exit.

The electronic escalator creaked with the wear of time, groaning like an overburdened old ox.

Finally reaching the top of the long ramp, Su Yuchen’s white Martin boots touched the ground of Jing City.

As she looked up, she saw Shen Wu’s massive poster.

The hazy weather was somewhat gloomy, but that splash of vibrant color instantly lit up the eyes of passersby.

“Ah, it’s Shen Wu’s poster.”

“Shen Wu is so beautiful.”

Su Yuchen’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.

On the screen, Shen Wu stood amidst a sea of flowers.

Her crimson skirt billowed like waves of blossoms, forming a vast semicircle that showcased the advertised chocolate on the massive screen.

…

A luxury brand’s Valentine’s Day red rose chocolate, crafted at great expense.

In the enormous LED poster, Shen Wu’s hair danced lightly, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering, a smile playing at the corners of her lips, as if she naturally exuded a sweet fragrance that invited endless daydreams.

She looked so radiant that even the chocolate seemed more delicious by association.

Su Yuchen gazed up at Shen Wu’s poster, reminiscent of that time by the seaside.

Yet it was so different. Back then, on the island’s boardwalk, just thirty-some steps would have brought her to stand beside Shen Wu.

This time, the distance felt so much greater.

Shen Wu’s bright smile held the chocolate in her palm.

Finally, Shen Wu’s image gradually faded, replaced by a black silhouette. The silhouette, with hair flying, bore a question mark, as another product slowly appeared beside it.

It was the companion piece in the series, the white rose chocolate.

Then, text appeared over the silhouette: Who is the white rose?

Who is the destined white rose to the red rose?

See you on February 14th.

“Ah, Xin Qiao is stirring up drama again. Shen Wu endorsing the red rose chocolate, and teasing us about who the white rose is, such a cliffhanger!”

The reactions of passersby to the ad were similar. “I heard that once the white rose is confirmed, the two will film a joint commercial.”

“Wow, I’m looking forward to it.”

Clearly, the chocolate brand Xin Qiao was a master at marketing, knowing full well that consumers cared less about the product reveal and more about who would be the face of this couple’s chocolate.

In other words, who would pair up with Shen Wu as on-screen lovers and film the ad together.

Then, another passerby chimed in: “Do you think it might be Su Yuchen?”

Su Yuchen, standing nearby, stiffened.

Her companion waved a hand dismissively. “No way. You know Fu Mozheng, right? Today, there were paparazzi shots of her leaving the set to visit Xin Qiao’s headquarters, they even got a full-face shot.”

“Huh? That’s quite a coincidence, getting a full-face shot?”

“Exactly. Full makeup, full styling. Fashion bloggers were dissecting every piece she wore in the comments, excluding that bucket bag, her outfit alone cost nearly 100,000.”

“Damn, that’s the Fu family heiress for you, pure extravagance.”

“So, I think the white rose is Fu Mozheng.”

The group chattered back and forth as they passed by Su Yuchen.

The sky was slightly dim, and Su Yuchen stood in a corner, so none of them noticed that one of the subjects of their discussion was right beside them.

Just as they were walking away, another voice carried over.

“Hey, isn’t today the premiere of Love or Marriage Season 6?”

“Right, right, that’s exactly why I didn’t agree to have dinner with my crush today. I just plan to buy some snacks and beer and go home to binge-watch ‘Love or Marriage’ tonight.”

“Hey hey, I’m coming too! I’ll get the beer. Today I really want to see just how intense the drama gets!”

Their voices grew fainter and fainter, fading completely after they turned the corner.

Su Yuchen looked back at the big screen, where Shen Wu was still smiling, holding up the chocolate in the advertisement.

That smile was beautiful and lingering, evoking endless sweet memories in her heart.

At the very least, Shen Wu and I have so many wonderful memories together!

…

Noon had passed.

Su Yuchen returned to her family’s old apartment building.

As she stepped onto the worn and mottled concrete stairs, she suddenly felt like she was stepping back onto solid ground.

After all these days spent in front of the camera, the glamorous facade was wiped away.

Returning to the dust, she was still Su Yuchen.

She climbed the stairs step by step.

The old building was dilapidated from years of neglect. The motion-sensor lights flickered intermittently, barely illuminating the way at night.

The walls bore various aged marks, along with abstract doodles left by children using all sorts of writing tools. School-aged kids had scrawled in childish handwriting: “XXX is a big meanie,” “XXX and XXX from No. 18 Elementary School are secretly dating,” “XXX, I’ll definitely marry you when I grow up,” and so on. These scribbles, layered over time, obscured the original white of the walls beneath years of grime.

Finally reaching the old green-painted security door, Su Yuchen fished out her key, turned the lock, and stepped inside, only to see her uncle sprawled in the living room, loudly cracking sunflower seeds.

Spotting Su Yuchen, her uncle hurriedly swept the seed shells together with his foot and turned off the blaring short video on his phone.

“The big star is back!”

This time, unlike before, his expression held not just the usual sycophantic deference to authority but also an irrepressible glee.

Su Yuchen nodded politely and took off her bag.

Her uncle rushed over to hang it up for her and even deftly placed a brand-new pair of slippers in front of her.

“Change your shoes, change your shoes,” he urged repeatedly, his voice dripping with enthusiasm.

“…”

Su Yuchen gave him a look as if she’d seen a ghost and hesitated. “I paid the rent for the past few months.”

“Ah! Forget about the rent!”

“We’re family, no need to be so formal or keep such close accounts.” His voice trailed into the kitchen and back, his movements so swift it was as if his chronic rheumatism had vanished.

His face beamed with a smile. “Yuchen, now that your work is done, why didn’t you come home sooner? Your mother and I missed you terribly.”

“…”

“Missed me?” Su Yuchen couldn’t help but point at herself.

She nearly blurted out: Missed me? Fine, but don’t scare me like that.

Her uncle rubbed his hands together, grinning. “You must’ve been swamped with work lately. What would you like for dinner? I’ll call your aunt to cook for you.”

“…”

“No need. Aren’t you going back yet?”

Su Yuchen frowned but changed into her old slippers, neatly arranging her shoes by the door.

Her uncle’s smile seemed permanently etched onto his face. “What kind of talk is that, Yuchen? It’s rare for you to come back so early. Let’s have a family meal together. Should I call your aunt now to start cooking?”

“Really, it’s unnecessary,” Su Yuchen said, hanging up her coat. “I came back early to watch a variety show, it’s premiering today.”

“Even better!” Just as her uncle was about to pull out his phone in excitement, Su Yuchen quickly stopped him. “No, no. My mother isn’t well. I don’t want too many people here. Let’s do it another time.”

“…”

Her uncle’s small eyes darted shrewdly. “Alright, fine. Whatever you say.”

Su Yuchen put away her things and glanced toward the bedroom door.

Gu Yinfeng lay on the bed, eyes closed as she breathed in oxygen, her breaths so faint and fragile it seemed a mere gust of wind could scatter them away.

After closing the door, she stepped back and saw her uncle still standing there, wringing his hands as he watched her. Her brows instinctively furrowed slightly.

“Uncle, you’re not… Ah, I’ve told you so many times, I won’t meet that guy from the tobacco bureau, and I won’t meet anyone else either.”

Her uncle had sharp, unkind features, small eyes, high cheekbones, and thin eyelids that always carried a calculating glint. His current behavior only made her suspect he was up to something.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Su Yuchen to think this way. Her uncle, who had always been cold and sarcastic, suddenly grinning at her with exaggerated enthusiasm, anyone would find it hard not to suspect an ulterior motive.

“Of course, of course!” Her uncle laughed, suddenly waving his hand as if shooing away a fly, vehemently denouncing the man. “That nobody from the tobacco bureau, already so old and dragging a kid around, of course he’s not good enough for you! No, he’s not even fit to polish your shoes!”

As if he hadn’t been the one singing the man’s praises just days before.

The sheer discomfort and whiplash of it all was overwhelming.

“…”

Su Yuchen’s expression had been one of utter bewilderment since she walked in, and it still hadn’t faded.

Seeing her silence, her uncle barreled on enthusiastically, “Yuchen, you’re so famous now! A big star! That forty-year-old with a kid is definitely not worthy of you.”

“Who?”

“What fame?”

Su Yuchen felt a headache coming on. Everything today had been bizarre.

“You! You really don’t know?”

Her uncle pulled her over to look at his phone. “You… the Princess of Minglu! You’re insanely popular! Now when I go out to buy groceries, even Xiao Zhang and Ah Fa bow and scrape, begging to give me free produce! Xiao Kai’s classmates all know her aunt is the Princess of Minglu, they’re begging our family for autographs!”

“…”

Su Yuchen was still struggling to process it until she picked up her phone.

And saw the data from her personal fan page.