The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 43

Su Er couldn’t take it anymore and shifted a bit to the left. Sitting next to her, Xu Zhiyan had been holding the same posture since the class started.

—Both hands propping up her chin, her cheeks flushed pink, eyes fixed in one direction, and from time to time, a dreamy smile would spread across her lips.

No, to be accurate, she had been acting strangely ever since returning to campus after lunch.

Luckily, this class was on film history. The professor, probably due to age, didn’t like to call on students and only assigned reflection essays after class.

The moment the bell rang, Xu Zhiyan seemed to awaken from a dream, snapping out of her lovestruck daze.

Seeing her finally act normal again, Su Er leaned in. “…Home run?”

Xu Zhiyan glanced at her without saying a word.

Su Er grinned and whispered, “So that’s a yes.”

Xu Zhiyan’s face turned slightly red. She nudged Su Er. “Why are you so nosy?!”

Su Er clicked her tongue twice. Who could blame her for being curious—Xu Zhiyan’s girlfriend was just too surprising.

Unaware that Su Er had already guessed who her lover was, Xu Zhiyan coughed and tried to change the subject. “Let’s not talk about this. I’ve fallen behind on a lot of classes because of the filming. Let me look at your notes, and I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Xu Zhiyan didn’t really like discussing her private matters with Shen Buhui, even with close friends. It always felt like someone was peeking into a cherished treasure. Even if Su Er meant no harm, Xu Zhiyan was still especially protective.

“Sure,” Su Er said, pulling a notebook out of her bag. “But one meal won’t cut it. You have any idea how much I helped you chase her down? Shouldn’t I get compensated a little more?”

“Say the word, and I’ll treat you to whatever you want.” Xu Zhiyan replied generously.

…

After treating Su Er to lunch, Xu Zhiyan returned to the dorm, closed the bed curtain, and lay down with her phone in hand. She sent Shen Buhui a message.

They hadn’t chatted all morning.

When she woke up that day, it was already past ten. Shen Buhui had still been sleeping soundly beside her, her peaceful sleeping face making it impossible for Xu Zhiyan to wake her. They’d gone to bed far too late last night—nearly at dawn.

Still, that morning, Xu Zhiyan had gotten up in high spirits, packed her things, and slipped on a high-neck knit sweater—perfect for early autumn. Meanwhile, Shen Buhui was still catching up on sleep in her bed.

Xu Zhiyan: [Have you woken up yet? Have you eaten lunch?]

After sending it, she quickly typed another message, biting her lip.

Xu Zhiyan: [Do you… feel sore anywhere?]

Shen Buhui: [Just got up. Eating now. I feel great. /photo]

In the photo, Shen Buhui was eating lunch in a nightdress. Xu Zhiyan, suppressing her delight, saved the picture immediately.

The nightdress couldn’t fully cover the pale skin below, dotted with faint red kiss marks—trails left behind by Xu Zhiyan’s impulsive passion during the second half of the night. Her eyes darkened as she followed the traces disappearing into the soft fabric.

Those marks felt like a signature—a brand that declared “she belongs to Xu Zhiyan.” No one else could see, no one else could touch. That thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She reached up and touched the similar kiss mark on the back of her own neck, then licked her lips.

Xu Zhiyan: [I’m glad.]

Her gaze flicked to the water cup visible on the desk in the photo. She swallowed and added:

Xu Zhiyan: [Remember to drink plenty of water. It helps with recovery.]

Shen Buhui: […] Shen Buhui: [Xu Zhiyan, are you showing off now?]

The obvious post-lovemaking reminder made Shen Buhui’s hand pause mid-bite.

When had this girl become so good at flirting?

Xu Zhiyan: [I need to drink more water too ^_^]

After being scolded and sent off for a nap by Shen Buhui, Xu Zhiyan attended her afternoon classes with high energy.

She had missed quite a few lectures due to filming. Though she had received prior approval from her academic advisor—thanks to having accepted the role before the semester began—technically, freshmen weren’t allowed to take on acting jobs, let alone leave school for long stretches. It was like building a house without laying a proper foundation—completely backwards.

Fortunately, the first semester was mostly theory-based. With Su Er’s notes in hand, Xu Zhiyan figured she could catch up in time.

That evening, she made time to have dinner with Madam Lin.

It had been a long time since mother and daughter shared a meal. During dinner, Xu Zhiyan felt a rare warmth of maternal care. She had originally wanted to tell her mother that she was in love, but seeing how quickly Lin Ya rushed off after eating, she swallowed the words.

Forget it. She’d tell her another time.

Xu Zhiyan’s first few days back on campus were unusually fulfilling. Her schedule was on track—classes, meals, rest—all at regular times. Outside of that, she spent her hours glued to her phone, either messaging or talking to Shen Buhui.

Life felt just right.

The only thing Xu Zhiyan was dissatisfied with was that Shen Buhui seemed to be quite busy these past couple of days. No matter how much she wanted to see her, she just couldn’t find the time.

Bored, she scrolled aimlessly through her phone. Not even writing fanfiction could spark her interest anymore.

This led to Cherry Little Cutie complaining that she hadn’t produced any content for the Star Couple lately.

Star Couple?

Xu Zhiyan’s mind paused for a second before she realized who they were talking about.

…Had she already moved on that quickly? The thought made her feel a little guilty.

Cherry Little Cutie: Not only have you stopped updating, even “Guarding Love” hasn’t held a raffle lately! Ugh, I was hoping to win a signed photo!

With that reminder, Xu Zhiyan suddenly recalled that it had been a while since she’d seen any posts from that blogger on her timeline.

She opened the blogger’s profile and found that the most recent update was from last month—a repost of an edited video of the Bluntly Honest couple made by fans.

And the raffles? They had stopped way back in late August.

That was quite rare in all the years Xu Zhiyan had been following Guarding Love.

Xu Zhiyan: Maybe real life’s just been busy.

Cherry Little Cutie: Alright… but I really wanted a signed photo of the Star Couple! Ughhh, I’m so jealous of you!

Xu Zhiyan touched the tip of her nose and didn’t reply. The moment this topic came up, the other girl would start praising her insane good luck again.

Still, having won so many giveaways from Guarding Love, Xu Zhiyan couldn’t resist sending a quick message to check in.

Their past chats were mostly limited to winning notifications and shipping info—there hadn’t been much casual conversation between them.

Xu Zhiyan: Haven’t seen any updates from you lately—has real life been really busy?

She didn’t expect a quick reply. She thought she’d have to wait a while or maybe not get a response at all. But just as she finished drinking a glass of water and was about to exit the app, a message came in.

Guarding Love: More or less. Have you started following a new couple again?

Xu Zhiyan: “…”

Embarrassed, she scrolled through their chat history and realized—yes, every time she messaged, it was because she’d won something for a different CP.

No wonder that was the first question the other party asked.

Xu Zhiyan: Uh… no, I just noticed you hadn’t posted in a while and got a little worried. If you’re busy in real life, that’s totally fine!

Guarding Love: Thanks for checking in.

After getting an answer, Xu Zhiyan let Cherry Little Cutie know not to worry. Then, just as she refreshed her feed, she saw Guarding Love post a new tweet.

@GuardingLove: Real life’s been a bit hectic. But to celebrate a successful relationship—anyone want a signed poster? I’ll do a raffle.

Seeing that, and remembering Cherry Little Cutie’s dramatic cries, Xu Zhiyan left a comment:

Sugar Shipper Extraordinaire: I want the Star Couple—Chen Xingguang and Lan Yuxing!

After commenting, Xu Zhiyan noticed that others were also eagerly asking for signed items of the Bluntly Honest couple.

…Did their CP even have signed photos?

Xu Zhiyan frowned. She didn’t recall ever signing anything together with Shen Buhui.

Ten minutes later, Guarding Love posted another update: a raffle for a double-signed poster of the Star Couple. The only condition for entering? Commenting:

“Wishing the blogger and their partner a long and happy life together!”

Xu Zhiyan typed out the cheesy blessing, then immediately felt like she’d just been fed a whole bucket of dog food.

Xu Zhiyan: I already commented for you. If I win, the poster’s yours.

Cherry Little Cutie: Ahhhh I love you, girl! Thank you, thank you, hearts and sparkles!

Cherry Little Cutie left her own blessing in the comments too, but given her lack of luck with Guarding Love, she didn’t have high hopes. Hearing Xu Zhiyan’s promise, though, made her incredibly happy.

After all, Xu Zhiyan’s success rate with Guarding Love’s raffles was nearly perfect—so much so that people could reasonably suspect the platform was rigged in her favor.

But since most of Guarding Love’s raffles were drawn manually and at random, maybe the blogger just found her username pleasing? After all, Xu Zhiyan had previously mentioned that she didn’t personally know the blogger.

When she exited Weibo and sent a message to Shen Buhui, she could immediately sense that her girlfriend’s mood felt just a little bit off.

Xu Zhiyan: Busy today?

It was Friday, and she hadn’t seen Shen Buhui for several days—she missed her.

With that in mind, she smiled to herself. Her girlfriend must be feeling off because she missed her too, right?

Shen Buhui: I’m done with work for today. Do you have time tonight? Let’s have dinner together.

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes lit up.

Xu Zhiyan: Yay!!

That evening, it was once again Shen Buhui who came to pick her up. The early autumn night had already lost its summer heat, and Xu Zhiyan wore a light knitted top and a baseball cap, waiting by the car.

With her tall and striking figure, she attracted glances from passersby—even if they couldn’t see her face clearly, they couldn’t help but look.

Xu Zhiyan watched from a distance, then jogged over happily.

“Why were you waiting outside?” she asked, tugging on Shen Buhui’s hand with a soft pout.

“If I wait outside, I get to see you the moment you arrive,” Shen Buhui said, withdrawing from her thoughtful daze and looking at her.

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Then that’s okay.” If she was waiting outside, then let her be outside. Let others look—no matter how much they looked, Shen Buhui was still her girlfriend.

With that thought, Xu Zhiyan instinctively glanced at the bit of skin exposed at her collarbone. The kiss marks had already faded.

Shen Buhui noticed the direction of her gaze and hooked her pinky around Xu Zhiyan’s, whispering, “Little rascal.”

“…” Xu Zhiyan puffed out her cheeks. How am I a rascal?!

“Where are we eating tonight? I saw a hotpot place nearby yesterday that looked really good. Wanna go?”

“Not hotpot tonight. If you really want to try it, we can go next time.”

That was fine too. Seeing that Shen Buhui had something planned, Xu Zhiyan climbed into the passenger seat without question.

Sitting beside the person she liked, their phones connected to the car’s Bluetooth, a soft and romantic love song playing in the background—Xu Zhiyan rolled down the window slightly, letting the cool night breeze brush her face. She felt blissfully content.

But as the car kept driving and eventually turned into a residential neighborhood, Xu Zhiyan started to feel something was off.

“…Aren’t we going out for dinner? Why are we heading this way?”

Parking the car downstairs, Shen Buhui smiled gently. “We are going to eat. I’m cooking tonight. I want you to try it.”

You’re cooking?!

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes widened. “You—you said you didn’t know how to cook!”

Pulling her by the hand as they walked, Shen Buhui said, “Not knowing doesn’t mean I can’t learn, does it? I picked it up recently—just for you, you heartless girl.”

Xu Zhiyan didn’t even get a chance to react before her attention zeroed in on those three words.

Heartless?!

When was she ever heartless?!

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