After My Flash Marriage with the Movie Queen - Chapter 10

After coming to an agreement, the two of them drove to a nearby mall. Though “nearby” was relative—it still took almost twenty minutes to get there.

On the way, Zhao Xunyin mentioned that the villa was a bit far from the city center. “I’m planning to hire a housekeeper in a few days,” she said.

Shi Nanbei blinked. “A housekeeper? What for?”

“So, it’ll be easier when you come over,” Zhao Xunyin replied naturally as she drove. “I can’t cook, and since I rarely stayed in Chengdu before, I never hired anyone full-time—just a cleaning service once a week. But now that we’re married and you’ll be living here while studying, it makes sense to have a housekeeper and a driver.”

Older people really did think things through more carefully. No wonder everyone admired the movie queen’s thoughtfulness.

Shi Nanbei was no exception. She found Zhao Xunyin’s reasoning perfectly sound. Since she didn’t really understand such matters anyway, she nodded in agreement.

Just before they reached the mall, Zhao Xunyin suddenly remembered something. “By the way, do you have a driver’s license?”

Shi Nanbei was caught off guard. “What?”

“A driver’s license,” Zhao Xunyin explained. “Your school’s quite far from here. If you have one, there’s a BMW 3 Series in the garage that no one’s using. You could drive it to school, and come home on weekends or whenever you’re free.”

Then, as if realizing she might be making too many unilateral decisions, Zhao Xunyin added gently, “But if you don’t like the BMW, we can go to a dealership together and pick out something you do like. Or—if the villa’s too far for you—we could buy an apartment closer to your campus.”

Having money really did make love so effortless.

Unfortunately, Shi Nanbei’s attention wasn’t on that part at all. She muttered, “You do know Chengdu has housing purchase restrictions now, right?”

“I didn’t know,” Zhao Xunyin admitted, momentarily stunned. “But apartments shouldn’t be restricted, right?”

Shi Nanbei silently swallowed the rest of what she wanted to say. Finally, she advised earnestly, “Let’s not buy anything. It’s fine, really—I don’t live that far away. As for the car.” She paused for three seconds, grimaced, and suggested, “How about you just reimburse my taxi fares instead?”

Zhao Xunyin raised a brow, immediately catching on. “You don’t have a driver’s license, do you?”

Oh-ho—so there was finally something this little one couldn’t do.

“No,” Shi Nanbei confessed honestly.

“You never went to driving school?” Zhao Xunyin asked, a little surprised. “Most college students get their licenses during university.”

That question hit Shi Nanbei right in the soul. Covering her face in embarrassment, she admitted, “I did. But I failed.”

“Failed?”

“I flunked the second test three times. I’m retaking it right now.”

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

After a pause, she said decisively, “Then I’ll just hire a driver for you.”

Shi Nanbei tried to resist. “Really, just reimbursing my taxi fare is fine.”

Zhao Xunyin cut her off. “It’s not safe for a young girl to ride taxis alone. You’re so pretty—I’d worry.”

Hearing “you’re so pretty” made Shi Nanbei beam, her eyes crinkling in delight. For that moment, she was utterly bewitched—whatever Zhao Xunyin said was right. She nodded sweetly. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

When they arrived at the mall, Zhao Xunyin parked the car and, wearing only a mask, went upstairs with Shi Nanbei.

In the elevator, Shi Nanbei glanced at the casually dressed woman beside her—brown leisure jacket, relaxed posture—and whispered, “Won’t people recognize you like this?”

“Maybe,” Zhao Xunyin said with a light laugh. Still, as they stepped out of the elevator, she adjusted her mask more snugly and lowered her head a little, holding Shi Nanbei’s hand as they walked. At a glance, one wouldn’t notice anything unusual—just that the older woman had an unusually graceful air about her.

Zhao Xunyin had planned to take her to a restaurant called Little South Country, but as they passed the third floor, Shi Nanbei spotted a sign for Chongqing Hotpot Noodles and immediately dragged her that way.

Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Zhao Xunyin followed.

When the food arrived, Zhao Xunyin was alarmed by the bowl of fiery red noodles in front of Shi Nanbei. “You eat that spicy?”

Such a heavy palate for such a small girl.

Shi Nanbei, delighted to finally eat what she’d been craving, grinned like a child. “It’s not that spicy! Not the kind that kills you!”

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

She didn’t order anything for herself, only one portion for Shi Nanbei. Sitting in the corner, Shi Nanbei paused before eating. “You’re really not having any?”

“No. I’m dieting.” Zhao Xunyin smiled faintly. As an actress, she was strict about maintaining her figure—whether resting or filming, she never ate dinner, at most nibbling on a bit of salad—without dressing, of course.

“You’re not fat at all,” Shi Nanbei said seriously, eyeing her, then looked down at herself with a sigh. “Why do I feel like I’m the one who’s bigger?”

Zhao Xunyin rested her chin on one hand, idly toying with her phone with the other. Her expression was relaxed; it had been years since she’d enjoyed such a simple moment. Spending time with this little girl was surprisingly fun.

“I have to look good on camera,” she teased gently. “You don’t. Now eat up—after this, we still need to get your toiletries.”

Shi Nanbei thought about it and nodded—made sense. She’d read online that actresses were strict about their weight, but she’d assumed a movie queen like Zhao Xunyin wouldn’t need to worry anymore.

Turns out, being a star wasn’t easy at all.

After they finished—well, after Shi Nanbei finished—Zhao Xunyin took her to the supermarket. While they shopped, Zhao Xunyin called her assistant from that afternoon, asking her to start looking for a housekeeper and driver.

Shi Nanbei only half-listened, soon wandering off to pick out towels and toothbrushes. When Zhao Xunyin hung up and looked around, she realized Shi Nanbei had disappeared—only to find her squatting at the end of the aisle, carefully examining towels.

As Zhao Xunyin turned to walk over, two girls behind her caught a glimpse of her face. Even with the mask, her fans recognized her instantly.

“Excuse me, are you Zhao Xunyin?” one of them asked timidly.

Zhao Xunyin was a little surprised to be recognized here, but since they were quiet and respectful, she nodded pleasantly. “Yes.”

The two fans almost squealed. Zhao Xunyin quickly pressed a finger to her mask in a gentle shh, her voice soft and kind. “I’m just out shopping—please don’t post about it, alright?”

Who could refuse when the movie queen herself asked so sweetly? The two girls nodded furiously. “We won’t, we promise! I’ve liked you for years, Zhao Xunyin—Queen Zhao! Could you sign something for us?”

Zhao Xunyin smiled. “Of course, it’d be my honor.”

The girl sheepishly handed her a lipstick. “Sorry, I didn’t expect to meet you here! I don’t have pen or paper—could you sign on my shirt with my favorite lipstick?”

Zhao Xunyin chuckled and took it gracefully, signing her name in smooth, elegant strokes on both girls’ shirts. The fans left, thrilled, turning back every few steps to wave.

When they were gone, Zhao Xunyin finally headed toward Shi Nanbei.

She arrived just in time to hear the girl muttering to herself:

“Should I get the blue square towel or the pink long one? Blue feels deep and melancholic, but pink is lively and cute, ah, both consorts are equally lovable—how’s an emperor supposed to choose?”

Zhao Xunyin: “…”

This little girl really was dramatic.

Standing behind her, Zhao Xunyin deliberately lowered her voice, imitating the haughty tone of the empress she’d once played in a movie. “In this subject’s humble opinion, Your Majesty should take both.”

Shi Nanbei, lost in her own roleplay, froze at the sudden voice responding to her script. Startled, she fell straight onto the floor. When she turned, cheeks flushed red, there stood Zhao Xunyin.

Seriously? How old was she—still sneaking up to eavesdrop?

Shi Nanbei huffed, “Consort, what’s the meaning of this? Are you here to frighten your emperor?”

Zhao Xunyin didn’t break character. With perfect poise—and zero regard for her public image—she gave a graceful curtsey. “Your Majesty, this concubine is your empress, not one of those lowly court ladies.”

It was the first time Shi Nanbei had ever improvised a scene with someone, and it completely sparked her inner drama queen. She cleared her throat, saying solemnly, “Naturally, I know. The Empress is the rightful wife—the rightful wife.”

Under her mask, Zhao Xunyin’s lips curved upward, but she couldn’t resist teasing further. “Is Your Majesty troubled by which consort to favor?”

“Oh—right.” Shi Nanbei remembered what she’d been struggling to choose. Pulling Zhao Xunyin down beside her, she sighed at the shelf of towels. “I just don’t know which to pick.”

Zhao Xunyin took one look and said decisively, “Then take them all.”

“All of them?” Shi Nanbei blinked. “Wouldn’t that be wasteful?”

Zhao Money-to-Burn Xunyin smiled. “Your Majesty rules the realm. Naturally, all should share your grace equally. Favor must be distributed fairly.”

Shi Nanbei: “…”

Well, that did sound good—like she really was the emperor. With a dramatic wave of her hand, she declared, “Very well. Wrap them all up!”