The Cold and Distant Actress is Too Obsessive - Chapter 52

Xu Youyan groggily opened her eyes. The window was covered by thick curtains, not letting in a single ray of sunlight. She tilted her head and saw Bo Zhoucheng’s flawless profile.

Perhaps due to the exhaustion from the previous night, Bo Zhoucheng was sleeping soundly, her brow relaxed.

Xu Youyan’s gaze unconsciously drifted downward, catching faint traces of marks. Feeling a little guilty, she pulled the blanket up to cover them, then snuggled closer, wrapping an arm around Bo Zhoucheng’s slender yet firm waist.

Let’s sleep a little longer. It’s not like there’s anything urgent to do anyway.

With that thought, Xu Youyan closed her eyes again. She had no idea how long she dozed, until the tranquility was broken by a slight stirring beside her.

Bo Zhoucheng had woken up. Rubbing her temples, she looked down and saw Xu Youyan holding her.

“Yanyan, good morning.” Bo Zhoucheng’s voice was soft, still laced with sleep, making her sound rather adorable.

“Good morning.”

Xu Youyan had been awake for a while but didn’t feel like getting up. Now that Bo Zhoucheng was awake too, they rose together.

Outside the yard were several bags of fresh ingredients. Bo Zhoucheng opened the door and set them aside.

“What’s this for?” Xu Youyan had a vague idea. Since they were out to enjoy themselves, they might as well make the most of their remaining time. Staying cooped up inside all day didn’t seem right.

“Outdoor barbecue,” Bo Zhoucheng said with a blink. “You’ve always wanted to do this but never had the chance.”

Having lost years of memories, Xu Youyan couldn’t possibly recall this, but she nodded anyway, pretending she remembered.

“Then I’ll help you.”

Xu Youyan wasn’t skilled at such tasks, so she could only handle the basics, like sorting the vegetables.

Watching the faint wisps of smoke rising from the villa’s yard, one of the men finally let out a long sigh.

“Are you sure this is the place?”

A man in camouflage gear, holding a camera, took a deep drag of his cigarette.

The group had been hired last minute to take photos. Though the job felt somewhat unethical, the high pay had swayed them.

“Should be. The layout of the house in Xu Youyan’s photo matches this villa.”

Another man took a sip of an energy drink, scrutinizing the villa’s yard. He noted that the place was quite secure getting a shot would require climbing the wall.

“If we get caught doing this, we’re in deep trouble.”

Though they had years of experience as paparazzi and had staked out celebrities before, this was their first time attempting to shoot inside a private yard.

One of them quickly spotted a section of the wall.

“Quick, give me a hand!”

At his call, the other two hurried over.

“Boss, wouldn’t it be easier to go after those top male celebrities? Their scandals are a dime a dozen. Going after Bo Zhoucheng is just asking for trouble.”

Two of them hoisted the third up by his thighs, lifting him toward the wall.

“What do you know? How many scandals or rumors has Bo Zhoucheng ever had?”

“Well. none, I guess,” the man hesitated before answering.

“Exactly! The rarer, the more valuable. Plus, there’s a big shot buying her dirt right now. If we manage to snap something, we’ll make a killing.”

Even at the risk of being blacklisted, the sum of money was enough to make a few people take such a gamble.

The camera was discreetly set up by the wall, and the scene the man had anticipated appeared in the lens.

Xu Youyan speared a piece of soft, tender winter melon with her fork. The melon exuded a delicious aroma, having been stewed with meat for quite some time, and was now thoroughly infused with flavor.

“Want a taste?”

Xu Youyan raised an eyebrow as she said this, forcing Bo Zhoucheng to helplessly open her mouth. Just as she was about to bite into the winter melon, Xu Youyan suddenly pulled the fork away.

She leaned her face in instead, and Bo Zhoucheng’s lips ended up pressed against her cheek.

“Youyan, you.”

This was the first time Bo Zhoucheng had been teased like this, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit shy and flustered.

Her voice even trembled slightly.

“That’s your own fault for being slow and missing the winter melon.”

Xu Youyan hugged Bo Zhoucheng from behind, laughing happily. It had been a long time since she’d played around like this. The last time she’d teased someone like this was back when she was an idol.

Back then, she and her teammates had been quite playful with each other.

But her teammates had been much quicker-witted than Bo Zhoucheng, always skillfully dodging her tricks.

Bo Zhoucheng, wearing an apron, was busy flipping the meat roasting over the charcoal fire. Being hugged from behind made her feel a bit ticklish.

“Youyan, I’m grilling meat.”

Bo Zhoucheng sighed helplessly. Xu Youyan was reluctant to let go and lingered for a moment longer before finally preparing to release her.

Suddenly, she noticed something moving on top of the wall. At first, Xu Youyan thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she let go of Bo Zhoucheng’s waist and squinted for a closer look.

There, on the wall, was a dark object, swaying ever so slightly.

“Bo Zhoucheng, someone’s filming us.”

Having been a female celebrity for so many years, Xu Youyan immediately recognized what it was.

But she didn’t raise an alarm. Instead, she reached out and gently grasped Bo Zhoucheng’s wrist.

“On the left side of the wall, do you see it?”

Bo Zhoucheng followed the direction she indicated and indeed spotted a dark figure. With decades of experience in the industry, both of them could instantly tell whether it was a person or not.

Judging by the posture and the occasional slight movements, there was no doubt it was one of those paparazzi lurking around.

“Why are they everywhere?”

Bo Zhoucheng frowned, visibly displeased.

Xu Youyan wasn’t about to let it slide. She strode over with her long legs, intending to chase them away.

“Don’t bother with them.”

She had only taken a few steps when a hand grasped her wrist. Xu Youyan looked at Bo Zhoucheng in confusion.

“Let them film if they want.”

“I love you it’s nothing to hide.”

Though Bo Zhoucheng’s words were touching, Xu Youyan was still furious.

“This is our privacy!”

“I know.”

Bo Zhoucheng nodded, pulling out her phone. The call connected quickly.

“Someone’s filming me. Get them out of here.”

After a brief instruction, it wasn’t long before screams echoed from the direction of the courtyard, growing fainter as they faded into the distance.

“That should take care of it.”

Xu Youyan was momentarily stunned before realizing that there had always been people guarding them.

“Mm.”

She nodded happily. Now, they were truly alone. She wrapped her arms around Bo Zhoucheng.

“I don’t think there’s anything shameful about us, Bo Zhoucheng. I never intended to hide our relationship.”

“It’s just.”

Xu Youyan began to explain her earlier behavior.

“I just don’t want our privacy to be overly exposed.”

Bo Zhoucheng raised her hand and gently ruffled Xu Youyan’s hair.

“I understand, but as actors, as celebrities, we always have to go through this, don’t we?”

Ever since her first movie became a blockbuster, Bo Zhoucheng had been playing a game of wits with the paparazzi.

The drivers who worked for her were all skilled in shaking off pursuers and using misdirection.