The Entertainment Industry's Famous Fraud Couple - Chapter 7

“Qin Chaomu!”

Shen Guai strode forward in a huff and flipped over the beach chair Qin Chaomu was lying on and Qin Chaomu along with it.

“…”

Fine sand flew everywhere, landing on Qin Chaomu. Despite the clumsy tumble, she didn’t get angry. She effortlessly rolled onto her side, propping her chin up with one hand.

With her phoenix eyes full of feigned affection and her crimson lips curved into a smile, her expression management was flawless, looking exactly like a model posing for a beach magazine.

Sand scraped against Qin Chaomu’s fair, tender thighs. She glanced down and traced the curve of her leg with a finger, the picture of elegance.

Qin Chaomu’s life motto was: even if she died tomorrow, her funeral portrait would have to be airbrushed with a filter.

“What is it now, my sweet?”

She twirled her e-cigarette in her palm before bringing it back to her lips.

The upward flick of her eyeliner didn’t carry its usual artificiality today instead, it held a hint of provocation and ambiguity.

Shen Guai’s gaze involuntarily fell toward the deep V-neck of Qin Chaomu’s chest. The water-blue swimsuit accentuated her figure perfectly.

It was just… too revealing.

Even as a woman, Shen Guai felt embarrassed to keep looking or perhaps, it was only Shen Guai who felt embarrassed.

Shen Guai stripped off her own leather jacket and unceremoniously threw it at Qin Chaomu’s face, “happening” to cover that deep V-neck.

“Smells nice~”

Qin Chaomu draped Shen Guai’s jacket over her legs, gripped it with both hands, and took a light sniff. With a look of intoxication, she said, “Mmm~ just like you~”

“Help me…”

If being ‘greasy’ were a crime, Shen Guai was certain Qin Chaomu would be sentenced to life without a wife.

“Qin Chaomu, did you go stupid from drinking expired milk? How could you say that you and I… mmm… cough cough…”

Qin Chaomu didn’t give Shen Guai a chance to finish. She shoved the e-cigarette into Shen Guai’s mouth, stood up, and scooped her up with one arm, hoisting her over her shoulder.

Losing her center of gravity, Shen Guai tried to struggle, but Qin Chaomu was dressed so minimally that Shen Guai couldn’t find a decent place to put her hands.

Whether it was the dizziness from being carried or the lingering peach-flavored mist from the e-cigarette, Shen Guai felt a wave of nausea.

“Ahhh, so sweet!”

The lighting technician on set saw them, abandoned his setup, and squatted on the ground to snap photos of the pair.

Sweet, my ass!

Unable to speak, Shen Guai could only curse in her head.

Frustrated and angry, she tried to wriggle free, twisting her body back and forth for ages to no avail, only to earn a sharp rap on the head.

“Keep moving and I’ll finish you off.”

Qin Chaomu’s voice was icy, sending a shiver down Shen Guai’s spine.

“Pah, pah, pah!”

Only when they reached a deserted corner did Qin Chaomu finally set her down.

Shen Guai yanked the e-cigarette out of her mouth, her head spinning with rage.

“Pah… cough cough…”

“Watch your mouth, idiot.”

Qin Chaomu snatched back her e-cigarette. The tip of her small, pink tongue pressed against the filter, her lips closing as she sucked the vapor into her mouth.

The peach scented mist swirled around her tongue, and behind the e-cigarette, the corners of Qin Chaomu’s lips curled into an imperceptible smirk.

“What did you call me?!”

“I said, you are an idiot~”

Qin Chaomu arched an eyebrow and stepped forward, pinning Shen Guai into a corner. Her phoenix eyes narrowed, the smile on her face vanishing, replaced by a deep sense of pressure.

“Qin Chaomu!”

The insults were on the tip of her tongue, but when Shen Guai saw Qin Chaomu’s cold, sharp stare, her voice grew weaker and weaker.

“I’ll give you one chance. Say it again.”

Qin Chaomu’s index finger hooked Shen Guai’s chin, her gaze dropping to Shen Guai’s full, pouty lips.

“Qin… Qin laoshi (Teacher Qin)…”

Qin Chaomu’s aggressive and dangerous aura actually struck a chord of fear in Shen Guai. She wanted to look away, but she refused to lose this psychological standoff.

So, Shen Guai widened her watery eyes and stared right back.

“To the public, we are a couple.”

Qin Chaomu’s gaze was complex, making it impossible to decipher her true thoughts.

She paused, then continued: “If you can’t keep your mouth shut and it affects me…”

“I guarantee I will make it impossible for you to survive in this industry.”

“I might not have the power to make someone a star, but I know a thing or two about destroying them.”

Qin Chaomu’s words were concise and sharp. This was the first time Shen Guai had seen her truly cold side.

If the old Qin Chaomu was like a fly harmless but annoying then the current Qin Chaomu was like…

A snake.

“I…”

The eight figure penalty fee became the weight that forced Shen Guai to submit. She didn’t know how to argue back.

With things reaching this point, faking a relationship in front of others could both quell the scandal of her insulting Qin Chaomu and allow them to gain fans together. Perhaps it really was the best solution.

Qin Chaomu carried a unique “Green Tea” fragrance clearly a cool, floral scent, yet it made Shen Guai feel dizzy and disgusted.

Do I really have to be tied to this woman in a CP (Couple Pairing)?

The thought of having to play the doting girlfriend to Qin Chaomu in public made Shen Guai’s heart sink. It was more painful than death.

The entertainment industry was a mess. Rising to the top wasn’t about hard work; it was about complex relationships and networking.

Shen Guai wanted a powerful backer, of course, but it could be anyone…anyone except Qin Chaomu.

Because Shen Guai truly, deeply hated her.

She hated Qin Chaomu’s pretentiousness, her tea-flavored aura, every single move she made.

Especially since she had given her first kiss to someone she loathed. It was like a stackable debuff it just made her hate Qin Chaomu even more.

“You’re very unhappy?”

The finger pinching Shen Guai’s chin tightened, making her eyes rim with red from the pain.

“No…”

Protesting now was like throwing an egg against a stone.

If Qin Chaomu said she could ruin her career, she definitely could.

“Are you thinking about enduring this humiliation for now, waiting for the day you surpass me, and then getting your revenge?”

Qin Chaomu’s voice was as seductive as a wild rose. She looked at Shen Guai, her smile deepening.

“N-no…”

Perhaps out of guilt, Shen Guai’s voice was tiny less of a sentence and more of a whimper.

It made Qin Chaomu’s heart skip a beat.

Shen Guai wasn’t that stupid. Instead of waiting for some vague, far off day when she might become a superstar, there was a much better way to deal with Qin Chaomu.

Didn’t Qin Chaomu want to be tied together as a CP?

Shen Guai would feign obedience, get close, and gather dirt on her. When the time was right, she’d deliver the fatal blow!

She would crush this annoying fly once and for all!

Shen Guai was the type of person who wore her heart on her sleeve. Right now, she was squinting her almond eyes and curling her lips into a wicked grin.

“Ouch! Qin Chaomu!!”

Qin Chaomu bent her index finger and gave Shen Guai a hard flick on the forehead, breaking her inner “villain monologue.”

“What did you call me?”

“Qin laoshi…”

Qin Chaomu withdrew her hand, rubbing her fingertips together as she leaned in closer. “If your agency didn’t teach you how to behave, I don’t mind teaching you for free.”

Shen Guai blinked, her “acting” instinct suddenly kicking in. She gave Qin Chaomu a solemn 90 degree bow, acting like a total sycophant, her slender fingers beginning to knead and massage Qin Chaomu’s shoulders.

“In that case, it’s really been hard on you, Qin laoshi~”

No matter how foolish Qin Chaomu was, she could hear the mockery in Shen Guai’s voice.

“Oh?”

Qin Chaomu grabbed both of Shen Guai’s hands with one hand, interlacing their fingers and pinning them against the wall above Shen Guai’s head.

With her other hand, she pinched Shen Guai’s cheek and smiled. “Then why don’t we start the lessons with… kissing~”

“Ahhh! Qin Chaomu! If you dare kiss me, I’ll haunt you as a ghost!”

Shen Guai blurted out, struggling to pull her hands free.

Unexpectedly, Qin Chaomu was only teasing and wasn’t using any strength. When Shen Guai jerked away, she lost her balance and fell directly into Qin Chaomu’s arms.

“…”

Shen Guai wanted to die right then and there.

“So impatient?”

“So many people want to throw themselves into my arms, but you’re the first one to be so proactive~”

Qin Chaomu had intended to stay serious, but Shen Guai was so hilariously clumsy that she couldn’t hold it back anymore. Clutching her stomach, she laughed until she was out of breath.

Laugh all you want! You’ll be crying sooner or later!

Shen Guai smoothed out her bird’s nest hair and sprang away from Qin Chaomu, pressing her back against the wall to maximize the distance between them.

Her gaze accidentally fell on Qin Chaomu’s lips. She couldn’t help but remember yesterday’s French kiss. No matter how much she hated the woman, her body didn’t lie Shen Guai’s face flushed bright red.

Feeling helpless, she looked down and saw the alluring view of Qin Chaomu’s chest and her prominent abdominal muscles.

Shen Guai swallowed hard. Images that weren’t exactly “PG rated” began to flood her mind.

Qin Chaomu has such a good body… and she could carry me with one arm, she must be… very capable, right?

If she ignored that annoying face, just based on the body… if Qin Chaomu knelt down and begged her in tears to spend the night together, should she reluctantly agree?

Looking further down, she saw Qin Chaomu’s fair, straight legs. The swimsuit was so short that her entire silhouette was laid bare to Shen Guai.

She works out that much?

Shen Guai’s first reaction was jealousy.

After this shoot, I’m going to the gym too, she thought.

Her second reaction was a racing heart.

The fuzzy mental image of the two of them became crystal clear, and the scene of her and Qin Chaomu “rolling in the hay” slowly featured Qin Chaomu’s stunning face.

Her third reaction was fury.

After daydreaming for a while, Shen Guai suddenly realized… in her fantasy, she was the one on the bottom!

Unacceptable!

Shen Guai decided being on the bottom was highly improper. She snapped out of her trance and looked up, meeting Qin Chaomu’s scrutinizing gaze.

Her face was scarlet. Fearing that Qin Chaomu had read her mind, Shen Guai felt a mix of shame and fear. She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind a tangled mess.

When she opened them again, Qin Chaomu had moved back. The woman was crossing her arms, her e-cigarette held between her fingers, staring at Shen Guai with utter confusion.

Seeing Shen Guai finally open her eyes, Qin Chaomu burst into a snicker. “Why did you close your eyes? Don’t tell me you were waiting for me to kiss you?”

“…”

The only thing more obnoxious than Qin Chaomu herself was her mouth.