The Movie Queen And Her Rival Just Went Public! - Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Su Cancan pressed her fingertip against one of the snowflake’s petals, the cold metal leaving a faint indentation on her skin. In the car window, she saw Shen Luoyan’s gentle profile reflected back at her. Her gaze drifted upward. “Happy June 1st, Teacher Shen.”

The reflection showed the corners of Shen Luoyan’s mouth curving upward. Su Cancan took out her phone, snapped a photo of the brooch, and sent it to Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin: ? Where did that come from? When we went to the brand to order it, didn’t they say it was already sold out?

Liu Yimin knew how much Su Cancan loved this snowflake brooch. After the shoot, the two of them had negotiated with the brand together, and Su Cancan had been upset for days when told it was gone. The impression it left was deep, so she recognized it instantly.

Su Cancan: Hum-hum~ My Children’s Day gift~

A Children’s Day gift?

Liu Yimin typed the words into the chat, but before hitting send, her thoughts became chaotic.

Su Cancan was out filming today; the only person she could have seen was Shen Luoyan. Even if the two had shifted from rivals to friends, would friends give each other seven-figure gifts?

Something was wrong.

Liu Yimin: I feel like there’s a catch. Why would she give you such an expensive gift? You didn’t prepare a return gift. If her fans find out later, it’ll be trouble. We don’t know what her ulterior motives are…

Liu Yimin laid it out plainly. Su Cancan wasn’t stupid; she understood immediately. The bucket of cold water snapped her out of her joy.

Liu was right. Shen Luoyan’s kindness was palpable, but that didn’t mean it was purely altruistic. If she accepted such an expensive gift and they ever ended up at odds again, it would be used against her. She’d be criticized even more harshly.

“Um…” Su Cancan spoke hesitantly. With so many cameras around, Shen Luoyan couldn’t be playing tricks, right?

“What’s wrong?” Shen Luoyan responded instantly.

Su Cancan clenched her fist. “Nothing. I just suddenly feel a bit tired. Could you turn the volume down a bit? I want to rest for a while. But you keep driving, I’ll do it myself.”

She ultimately swallowed her doubts. She told herself that no one was foolish enough to spend that kind of money just for a prank, and she was willing to take a risk on Shen Luoyan.

Shen Luoyan didn’t know Su Cancan’s inner turmoil, nor did she realize that adjusting the volume was just a random excuse. Her habit was to act whenever Su Cancan expressed a need. So, even though Su Cancan said she’d do it herself, Shen Luoyan’s hand reflexively reached for the control screen.

Their hands met at the same spot.

Su Cancan watched the screen as the music volume lowered. The moment she withdrew her hand, she brushed against Shen Luoyan’s fingertips. Startled, she retracted her hand like she’d been electrocuted, clasping them together in her lap.

Shen Luoyan also felt a current travel from her fingertips to her heart. The tingling sensation gave her goosebumps for no reason. She stole a glance at Su Cancan and, seeing her eyes closed, thoughtfully adjusted the air conditioning temperature.

With her eyes shut, Su Cancan’s thick black eyelashes trembled slightly, the shadows beneath them flickering. She tried her best to hide the fluster she felt after that brief touch, but sensing a burning gaze on her, her “feathers” shook violently, amplifying her inner tension.

Shen Luoyan either didn’t notice or was kind enough not to point it out. After pretending to sleep for a while, Su Cancan actually drifted into a light nap.

She was someone with poor sleep quality who rarely dreamed, yet during this two-hour drive, she had a different kind of dream.

In the dream, she and Shen Luoyan met in high school. Because their personalities complemented each other—one an arts student, one an academic—and they weren’t competitors, they became best friends. Time flew, and they followed their respective paths. She was still that peerless top scorer of the Gaokao, and she followed her dreams to become a radiant superstar.

She was the female lead of The Rising Sun; she was the Golden Branch Award Best Actress.

The story continued, but the dream ended abruptly.

Su Cancan lifted her heavy eyelids and looked out the window. For the first time, she felt a slight annoyance at her “special skill” of waking up exactly upon arrival.

She chuckled softly. Dreams and reality really were opposites.

The beautiful “what-ifs” were no longer important.

“We’re almost there.”

Early summer brought many tourists to the seaside for vacations. A short queue had formed at the ETC gate. Shen Luoyan slowed down behind the car in front and called Su Cancan’s name softly.

“Mm.” Su Cancan’s voice wasn’t groggy; she was wide awake, even a bit cold.

Shen Luoyan frowned slightly. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Su Cancan remained silent.

Was it bad? Being friends for years and achieving their dreams together was wonderful.

Was it good? It was completely detached from reality. The truth was that they were strangers, or perhaps there was a misunderstanding that made them rivals for years.

Since Su Cancan didn’t speak, Shen Luoyan could only guess. She asked tentatively, “Is there something making you unhappy?”

“No,” Su Cancan inhaled deeply before speaking. “Do you think the things that appear in dreams exist in a parallel universe? Is there really a parallel universe?”

She finally asked the question haunting her mind.

Shen Luoyan froze for a second. She only snapped back and hit the brakes when the car got too close to the one in front and the collision warning beeped. Due to inertia, both women, held tight by their seatbelts, leaned forward and were pulled back into their seats simultaneously.

“Sorry.”

The cabin was quiet. Su Cancan didn’t think Shen Luoyan had anything to apologize for; it was her question that was too abrupt. After driving for nearly four hours with high mental tension, anyone would be startled by such a silly question.

She shifted her body. The jacket draped over her slid down, and the sudden exposure of her skin to the cold air caused her to shiver. “Don’t be. I was just talking nonsense.”

Shen Luoyan stared through the windshield, her lips pulled into a line. After a few intersections, she spoke.

“I think parallel universes from dreams do exist.”

It was rare to hear such whimsical ideas from a steadfast atheist. But no one knew that on countless quiet nights, she too had fantasized about a parallel universe—one that could soothe her childhood pain, comfort the bitterness of her growth, and heal the various troubles of her adult life.

She affirmed herself: “Yes, I believe so. Every choice can generate a parallel universe. In some universe, we both have the best ending.”

Su Cancan’s arms were still hidden under Shen Luoyan’s jacket. Hearing the slightly sorrowful yet hopeful tone, an inexplicable sourness flowed through her heart. She realized that she wasn’t the only one—even the powerful Shen Luoyan had regrets and sorrows.

She reached her hand out and draped the jacket over her stomach. “Yeah. But life right now is pretty good too. I’m satisfied.” Shen Luoyan didn’t argue.

The silver-white SUV sped along the provincial road. The scenery shifted and receded rapidly. A few minutes later, Su Cancan saw a vast stretch of azure in the distance.

The last time she had been to the seaside was a year and a half ago for a film shoot. That production had been grueling; the director had high standards, but the investors provided limited funds. Consequently, the actors had to film day and night, leaving no time to appreciate the scenery, let alone feel the holiday atmosphere.

Thinking of that drama made Su Cancan’s eyelid twitch. It was strange that there had been no news after so long. Feeling suspicious, she quickly messaged Liu Yimin.

Su Cancan: Do you remember Midsummer Tomorrow? Even with meticulous editing, it should have been out by now. Did the project run into trouble?

After waiting a while without a reply, Su Cancan lowered the window to breathe in the uniquely salty, humid sea air.

“We’ve arrived. I’ll contact the crew for the specific filming location, then we can get out.”

Just as Su Cancan was counting the waterbirds resting on the sea, the navigation announced they had reached the address provided by the crew. Looking at the golden sand and the sea shimmering under the scorching sun, Su Cancan blinked rapidly.

Getting tanned like coal for twenty million? No way!

The crew’s reply came quickly—a long, unparagraphed page that was clearly a pre-edited copy-paste job.

Shen Luoyan read it word for word: “Congratulations on starting the third segment of your journey. At this station, we will spend two happy days and one night at the romantic seaside. As always, we have prepared exciting showdowns and warm, sweet games. So, let’s begin with a very simple ‘Couple’s Chemistry’ game.”

Hearing “simple chemistry game,” Su Cancan’s eyes turned into perfect circles. After the first two recordings, she couldn’t convince herself that the crew hadn’t dug a pit for them.

She pulled on her seatbelt to lean toward Shen Luoyan, stretching her slender neck. Shen Luoyan wasn’t a total blockhead; seeing her effort, she tilted her body and moved the phone closer.

Their temples brushed against each other. Su Cancan quickly read the content on the screen: “Couple’s Chemistry Challenge: Work together to dig up three clues about this challenge’s staff members within the designated beach area. After finding the staff based on the clues, complete the specific chemistry mini-game they assign. Once finished, the staff will provide the room card for this trip and special props for tomorrow’s activities. Get moving!”

As she finished reading, Su Cancan gave up the struggle and let the seatbelt pull her back into the passenger seat.

The crew hadn’t mentioned that outdoor activities would start immediately upon arrival. While filming with Youyou and Xia Yue, she hadn’t intended to outshine anyone in looks; privately, she preferred comfortable, casual styles. For this shoot, she had randomly picked a plain long dress and flat shoes. While her lower body was covered, everything from the neck up was unprotected and in immediate danger of the sun.

The gentle sunlight now seemed malicious. She was just a small hothouse flower, wobbling on the edge of wilting.

“Oh, right.” Shen Luoyan remembered something. She reached her long arm to the back seat and fished out the box containing the question cards. “The crew prepared sun protection products for us. See if there’s anything we can use.”

She had also brought her own sun protection, but opening and closing the suitcases in the back was a hassle. She planned to check the crew’s offerings first.

Su Cancan listlessly reached into the box. Like a Russian nesting doll, the sun protection items were in a smaller box inside the large one. She opened the lid without much hope, glancing sideways.

Hey, the crew isn’t that cold-hearted.

Inside the box lay two sets of sun protection gear. One was a “fairy-style” set—pure white from the sun hat to the sunglass frames to the sun shirt. The other was covered in small yellow ducks, incredibly cute.

The two women saw the items at the same time and locked eyes.

“Teacher Shen