The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 31

Xu Zhiyan was granted a one-week leave from school to shoot this film.

At Sichuan Film Academy, the opening ceremony is held two weeks after freshmen begin their semester. Some departments also host welcome events for new students, and attendance is mandatory unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Although her department—Performance Arts—didn’t organize a welcome event, Xu Zhiyan still had to return to school for the opening ceremony.

Fortunately, after the ceremony, she could extend her leave. Moreover, filming for this drama was already entering its final stage. Xu Zhiyan figured she wouldn’t be staying with the production crew much longer.

Which meant… she really couldn’t delay confessing her feelings any further.

“What are you thinking about?”

Shen Buhui placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to ask.

“You,” Xu Zhiyan blurted out instinctively.

Then she realized how ambiguous her words sounded. Trying to cover it up, she raised her water cup, but her eyes lifted subtly to observe Shen Buhui’s expression.

She wanted to see her reaction.

Shen Buhui paused, then chuckled. “Aren’t I right next to you? Still thinking about me?”

“I was wondering whether you’d attend Sichuan Film’s opening ceremony.”

Every year, the academy’s opening ceremony includes a segment where outstanding alumni are invited to give a speech and share their experiences. This year was no exception.

Just before she left school, Xu Zhiyan had caught a brief glimpse of Shen Buhui’s photo on the alumni honors board.

Recalling the call from her professor the day before, Shen Buhui’s lips curled slightly. “Do you want me to attend?”

Xu Zhiyan blinked, then replied without hesitation, “Of course I do.”

“Then I’ll go.”

Xu Zhiyan froze mid-motion as she set down her water cup. “That’s it? You’re just deciding like that?”

No second thoughts?

The makeup artist walked over slowly, carrying her kit. Outside the corridor, the once-quiet space resumed its usual bustle as the lunch break ended.

Shen Buhui ruffled her hair gently and explained, “It’s not that sudden. My professor called me yesterday—I was already planning to go.”

Xu Zhiyan looked up at her, cheeks puffed, feigning annoyance. “You’re teasing me again!”

She had actually thought she meant more to her than that.

That thought annoyed her, and in a flash of indignation, Xu Zhiyan reached out to tickle Shen Buhui.

It was something she had discovered just two days ago. They were sitting on the sofa watching TV when Shen Buhui had started teasing her again. Xu Zhiyan, with a guilty conscience, had blushed and lunged at her, pretending to “settle the score.” Somehow, she had touched a spot that made Shen Buhui burst out laughing.

That moment revealed her weakness—and Xu Zhiyan had remembered it well.

Now she was using the same trick again, reaching out to tickle her.

One tried to tickle, the other twisted her body to dodge, and the two of them tangled together in playful chaos.

The makeup artist, long accustomed to their closeness, didn’t think much of it. However, when she entered, she hadn’t closed the door properly. A sliver of space let a few sounds escape into the hallway.

Qi Helin glanced over and remarked to Zeng Yue, “Their relationship seems really good.”

He still remembered how Xu Zhiyan had gone out of her way to avoid him at the elevator.

Zeng Yue’s heart turned slightly cold, though her expression remained calm. “That’s because Teacher Shen has a good temperament.”

Would someone with a worse temper allow a junior to behave like that?

A chill flickered in her eyes. It was unclear what she was thinking.

A good temperament? Qi Helin thought of Shen Buhui’s unreadable, detached expression and didn’t dare agree.

The matter her agent mentioned still needed to be brought up with Xu Zhiyan at the right time.

The two of them, each harboring their own thoughts, chatted casually—neither truly saying what they meant.

Xu Zhiyan had no time to worry about what others thought of her. Right now, the only thing that mattered was how Shen Buhui saw her.

Su’er: [If you still can’t bring yourself to decide, why not test the waters again tonight?]
Xu Zhiyan sighed. Although she had already decided to be bold, the how and when were still undecided.

She couldn’t just throw caution to the wind and charge in blindly.

Xu Zhiyan: [Should I try your method—seduction?]

Su’er: […]

Su’er: [She might think you’re harassing her.]

She still didn’t know who Xu Zhiyan’s crush was, but to jump straight into a seduction attempt? Anyone would take her for a creep.

Xu Zhiyan immediately bristled: [Didn’t it work for you? Besides, I know my limits. I won’t go too far.]
Su’er thought to herself: If you’re already planning seduction, how is that not going too far?

Unaware of Su’er’s inner complaints, Xu Zhiyan lowered her head, focused on typing, and continued discussing her plan.

She hugged her phone, completely immersed in her “seduction” strategy, not noticing someone had come up behind her.

Only when her shoulder brushed against something did she jolt and quickly turn around.

At the same time, she instinctively hit the power button on her screen.

Shen Buhui saw her swift series of reactions, her gaze darkening slightly.

“Who are you chatting with?”

“Su’er. I was talking to her about school stuff.”

Xu Zhiyan stood up, gripping her phone tightly. She avoided Shen Buhui’s eyes and nervously rubbed her ear.

“Su’er?” Shen Buhui tilted her head, murmuring.

Lately, that name had been coming up quite a lot.

It was something that hadn’t happened before.

Mentioning someone else repeatedly in her presence, or staying glued to her phone instead of paying attention to her—none of this had happened before the semester began.

Jealousy crept up quietly, like ivy through the cracks of an old well, slowly winding its way around her chest.

“Do you two have a lot in common?” Shen Buhui asked softly.

Xu Zhiyan glanced at her, then admitted, “Mm. I told you, didn’t I? We just get along really well, so we have lots to talk about.”

Shen Buhui’s smile grew gentler, but her gaze dimmed. “Is it boring being with me, Yan Yan?”

“How could it be?!”

“Then why are you still chatting with a friend all the time?”

She hated using the word “friend,” but compared to calling Su’er her roommate, which was even more intolerable, Shen Buhui reluctantly settled for that.

Xu Zhiyan shook her head firmly to show her sincerity and stuffed her phone into her pocket, vowing not to take it out again.

Seeing her goal achieved, Shen Buhui’s previously downcast expression disappeared instantly.

Xu Zhiyan: ??

That was… a little suspicious.

Later that evening, in the hotel room.

Xu Zhiyan had been looking forward to this moment. She pulled out a dress from the wardrobe—one that had never seen the light of day—and took a picture to send to Su’er.

Once she received praise and encouragement, her confidence seemed to grow along with it.

Before heading into the bathroom, she sent a WeChat message to Shen Buhui:

[Do you have some time later? I have a few small questions about the script I’d like to ask.]

Shen Buhui: [OK, come on over.]

Relieved, Xu Zhiyan untied her ponytail, letting her black hair fall loose, and stepped into the bathroom.

She took her shower quickly—after all, she hadn’t come tonight with the genuine intent to offer herself, but rather to test the waters.

The jasmine-scented body wash gave off a faint, elegant fragrance. It wasn’t overpowering, and Xu Zhiyan had always liked it.

After drying her hair and changing into her nightdress, she picked up her script—covered in notes for appearances’ sake—and headed across the hall to knock on the door.

Knock, knock.

She tugged uncomfortably at the hem of her nightdress, a little surprised that the person inside was taking this long to answer.

Just a few seconds later, the door creaked open from the inside.

A familiar scent drifted out with the air.

Xu Zhiyan froze slightly.

The woman who appeared had clearly just stepped out of the shower—her long hair still damp and clinging to her back, water droplets glistening faintly on her skin.

What truly stunned her, however, was the nightdress she wore—it was the exact same one as hers.

Xu Zhiyan: “……”

That moment of shock lasted only a second, but as Xu Zhiyan took in Shen Buhui’s bare skin, partially exposed without a robe, a sudden surge of possessiveness overtook her.

She pushed the door open and stepped in after her without thinking.

“It’s freezing out there… so cold…” she blurted out incoherently.

It was midsummer. Even with central air conditioning in the hallway, it was nothing compared to the comfort of a cooled hotel room. What she said made absolutely no sense—but neither of them seemed to care.

Shen Buhui glanced at the woman now wrapped in a robe, who was wearing the same lilac lace nightdress. Under the soft lighting, the silk shimmered faintly with a sensual elegance.

A strange thought crossed her mind.

She had specifically chosen this outfit in a half-hearted attempt to lure the person now standing before her. But what about Xu Zhiyan?

Xu Zhiyan stammered, “Should… should you put on a robe or something?”

Her tongue finally straightened itself out. She remembered that the nightdress came with a matching robe.

Shen Buhui casually brushed back her damp hair and shook her head. “It’s hot. I don’t want to wear one.”

Since that was the case, Xu Zhiyan couldn’t press her.

Her gaze darted around nervously, deliberately avoiding lingering on Shen Buhui’s pale skin. Eventually, her eyes landed on the woman’s still-dripping hair.

Frowning, she asked, “Why didn’t you dry your hair?”

“I’d just stepped out of the shower when I heard the knock,” Shen Buhui replied warmly. “I figured it was you, so I didn’t bother.”

Following her gaze to the hairdryer on the dresser, Xu Zhiyan said, “Then let me dry it for you. It’s bad for your health to leave it wet.”

She set the script down and picked up the dryer.

Shen Buhui had already found a comfortable position on the sofa, sitting obediently as she waited for Xu Zhiyan to join her.

But from Xu Zhiyan’s angle, all she could see was Shen Buhui’s back—smooth, pale, and flawless, like fine white jade. The sight was so striking, she found it hard to look away.

Especially the delicate butterfly-shaped shoulder blades, poised as if ready to take flight. They adorned her back like a work of art—sensual and beautiful.

She was momentarily disoriented. Had she… been seduced by her?

Wasn’t she the one supposed to be doing the seducing tonight? And Shen Buhui hadn’t even done anything intentionally seductive.

Forcing herself to look away, Xu Zhiyan knelt behind her with the dryer in hand.

She plugged it in and sat upright, one hand gathering Shen Buhui’s hair, the other flipping on the switch.

The soft hum of the dryer filled the room.

Gently, she ran her fingers through Shen Buhui’s hair as she dried it, her expression unusually focused.

Facing forward, Shen Buhui sat with her eyes closed, fully immersed in the quiet comfort of the moment.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyan’s hands continued to move—but her mind was adrift. She thought of her plan for the night and felt a little lost.

She had come under the pretense of seducing her—of subtly probing her feelings—but now it seemed like Shen Buhui was effortlessly more alluring than she could ever be. The plan hadn’t even officially started, and she had already been thrown off course.

What now?

Shen Buhui opened her eyes and asked the silent girl behind her, “Why aren’t you saying anything? What are you thinking about?”

Still caught in her thoughts, Xu Zhiyan responded without thinking, “I’m thinking about how to seduce you.”

Shen Buhui raised an eyebrow.

—Crap!

Panic exploded in Xu Zhiyan’s chest. What the hell did I just say?! How did she blurt out her actual thoughts like that?!

“So…” Shen Buhui’s voice was soft, teasing. “You came over tonight to ask about the script for Nightglow?”

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