After My Flash Marriage with the Movie Queen - Chapter 64

Although the crowd at the airport was a little larger than expected, thankfully they had their assistants with them. It wasn’t easy to slip away from such a mob, but with the help of airport security—and their assistant, who happened to be a former soldier—they managed to squeeze out a path and escape unscathed.

The moment they got into the nanny van, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Thankfully, most of the fans were there for Shi Nanbei. If Zhao Xunying’s fans had shown up too and blocked the entire airport, the situation might’ve been far harder to handle.

Inside the car, Shi Nanbei let out a long, dramatic sigh. She turned to Zhao Xunyin, looking dazed and wide-eyed like a sheltered girl seeing the world for the first time.

“So, this is what it feels like to be a celebrity,” she said earnestly. “When they all surrounded me, I was so nervous.”

Zhao Xunying: “…”

Why do I not see nervousness at all, and instead see excitement—and maybe a bit of shy glee?

Shi Nanbei’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Zhao Xunyin. “They all recognized me! So next time someone asks for my autograph, should I sign your name? Or mine? Or maybe I should just write ‘Zhao Xunyin’s wife’?”

Zhao Xunyin couldn’t help but laugh. She reached out, pulled her “little wife” properly into her seat, and said coolly,

“Just sign it: Zhao Xunyin’s wife.”

“Oh.” Shi Nanbei answered obediently, then after a pause, she bit her finger and tilted her head up to ask, “But if I write that, won’t they think I’m completely under my wife’s thumb?”

Something in that sentence made Zhao Xunying’s beautiful face twist slightly. She looked at her adorable wife for a few seconds before replying softly,

“Don’t worry. They won’t think that.”

Because they already believe I’m the one completely under your thumb, she thought wryly to herself.

Ah, how ironic. Who would’ve thought that the once proud and aloof Zhao Xunying would one day be the one accused of being henpecked?

Truly, life is full of surprises.

“That’s good then,” Shi Nanbei said cheerfully, instantly satisfied.

“Good girl.” Zhao Xunyin ruffled her little wife’s hair with a smile.

Since their flight to Kuala Lumpur wasn’t until the next afternoon—and it was Shi Nanbei’s first time in Shanghai—Zhao Xunyin decided to take her sightseeing after leaving the airport. That evening, they dined at a revolving restaurant with a panoramic view of the city. Thankfully, they’d reserved a private room; otherwise, given Shi Nanbei’s current popularity, they might have been mobbed again.

After dinner, it was still early, so the two of them, hand in hand and shamelessly affectionate, went to see a movie together. Despite having been married for nearly three months, it was actually their first proper movie date. Shi Nanbei’s face stayed flushed with excitement the entire time, and even in the dark of the cinema, Zhao Xunyin could see the brightness in her eyes.

The film was a cliche romance—Zhao Xunyin could guess the ending after the opening scene—but Shi Nanbei was completely engrossed. Before entering, she had insisted on buying the largest bucket of popcorn and two cups of soda.

They booked a couple’s seat in the back row, cuddled up close, whispering to each other as they watched.

To be honest, ever since she’d debuted and won her Best Actress award, Zhao Xunyin hadn’t enjoyed something so ordinary and carefree—watching a movie in a theater, holding popcorn, without a schedule or cameras. Still, she remained fully disguised: hat, sunglasses, and mask. To hide Shi Nanbei’s highly recognizable face, she also made her wear the same.

Before they entered, Shi Nanbei grumbled in protest, “I’m not even that famous. If I cover up like this, people are gonna think I’m crazy.”

Zhao Xunyin gave her a cool look. “I’ve been going out like this for years. Are you saying I’m crazy?”

Shi Nanbei: “…”

No, I didn’t say that! Don’t twist my words!

Three layers of denial later, she reluctantly put on the disguise. But the moment the theater lights dimmed, she gleefully tore it all off again.

Zhao Xunying: “…”

Forget it.

As the movie went on, Zhao Xunyin began to feel drowsy. She’d been busy with back-to-back schedules lately and hadn’t had much rest. Curled up in the cushy couple’s seat, watching a tired old love story, it wasn’t long before sleep crept up on her.

Meanwhile, the little wife in her arms was completely immersed. Halfway through the movie, when the leads were forced to part tearfully, Shi Nanbei’s voice trembled with sympathy.

“That’s so sad!”

Startled by her comment, Zhao Xunyin blinked awake and murmured reassuringly, “It’s fine. They’ll get back together later.”

But Shi Nanbei only sighed with regret. “Then what about the second male lead? Doesn’t that mean he won’t end up with the heroine?”

Zhao Xunying: “…”

Why do I even bother?

After all that fuss, it turned out she wasn’t sad over the love story between the male and female leads at all.

Shi Nanbei muttered under her breath, “Hey, look at that second male lead—he’s so handsome. Especially those eyes, they’re gorgeous! Did you see his abs when he got out of the shower? He’s got an eight-pack! And those V-lines—so sexy!”

Zhao Xunying’s mouth twitched. “…”

Was her wife here to watch the movie, or just to drool over the male actors?

She thought about it for a while, took a deep breath, and in the end couldn’t stop herself. Leaning close to her wife’s ear, she whispered, “So what, I’m not good-looking enough? My eyes aren’t pretty? My V-lines aren’t sexy enough?”

Good-looking, yes. Pretty, yes. Sexy—undeniably.

But when Shi Nanbei heard Zhao Xunyin’s low murmur by her ear, her mind immediately flashed back to that night in the hotel: Zhao Xunyin pinning her down, arched brows, red lips, a teasing voice, the tantalizing swell of her chest, the sinuous, tight curve of her waist.

No, she couldn’t think about that. If she kept going, Jinjiang’s censorship system would definitely step in again.

Shi Nanbei coughed. “So, are you going to say ‘we’ll talk about it later’ again?”

Zhao Xunying froze. “?”

When she finally realized what Shi Nanbei meant, she almost burst out laughing. It took everything she had to hold it back. Clearing her throat, she said, “No. This time, I’d say it’s within sight and reach.”

Shi Nanbei: “?”

Did she just flirt with me again?

Shi Nanbei’s heart secretly skipped a beat. By the time the movie ended, both of them seemed to have reached a tacit understanding—not to wander around afterward but to head straight back to Zhao Xunyin’s apartment in Shanghai.

The moment they stepped inside, they were in each other’s arms, kissing hungrily.

It had been a while since Zhao Xunyin had last seen her wife, and naturally, she wanted to make up for lost time in all the usual marital ways. But right when things were heating up, Shi Nanbei suddenly stopped her, pushed her away, and pointed to a photo on the wall behind her.

“That girl on the wall—who is she?”

Zhao Xunying’s expression froze. “Me.”

Shi Nanbei gave her a look that could only be described as are you serious?

“I know it’s you. I meant, who are you playing in that photo?”

The large photo covering the wall was a still from years ago—a photo shoot where Zhao Xunyin had played a seductive fox spirit.

She’d played many roles in her career, but few that she actually liked. And that fox spirit wasn’t one of them.

The apartment had been decorated entirely by her longtime best friend, An He, whose taste was, to put it mildly, questionable. For some reason, An He had chosen to enlarge that particular photo and plaster it across the living room wall.

When Zhao Xunyin first moved in and saw it, she’d been furious. She’d immediately called An He and yelled, “Are you insane? Why on earth would you print that photo of me and stick it on the wall? I have so many gorgeous photos, and you picked that one?”

An He had replied breezily, “Oh, come on. Think about it—sure, you’ll always be beautiful, but this kind of sultry, wicked charm? You only pull that off once in a lifetime! You have to keep it for the memories.”

Zhao Xunyin had stared silently at the wall. “…”

As much as she hated to admit it, An He kind of had a point.

Since this apartment was her personal retreat, Zhao Xunyin had never brought anyone else over before. Shi Nanbei was the first. She hadn’t yet had a chance to explain the story behind that photo when her wife, in a deep and thoughtful tone, said firmly,

“So, this is what you like, huh.”

Shi Nanbei touched her chin, studying the huge portrait on the wall, then glanced back at the award-winning actress standing before her.

“I always thought, after all the roles you’ve played, you’d prefer the heroic swordswoman type, or maybe a mysterious sorceress. But I never expected you to like the seductress type.”

Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Consort, your tastes are rather peculiar—don’t you think?”

Zhao Xunyin was silent for three seconds. She’d wanted to explain that the photo wasn’t her doing, that it was An He’s idea—but when she saw her wife’s bright, eager expression, she couldn’t bring herself to ruin it.

Instead, she curved her lips into a smile. “Yes, Your Majesty. This concubine does have a taste for this kind of thing. Do you think that makes me a little bit naughty?”

Shi Nanbei shook her head solemnly. “Not at all. I’ve always known my beloved consort to be very naughty.”

Zhao Xunyin burst out laughing, her teasing grin turning wicked. In one swift motion, she pinned Shi Nanbei against the wall, lifted her chin with a finger, and murmured with a smirk,

“If we’re going for something exciting, we might as well go all the way.”

Her red lips brushed Shi Nanbei’s ear as she whispered, “Tell me, Your Majesty—would you like to see your concubine play the fox spirit tonight?”

Shi Nanbei: “?”