The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 54

On the way back, Qi Helin tried to clench his fist lightly. The motion pressed the newly formed blisters, and the pain made him furrow his brows tightly.

Watching Xu Zhiyan, who walked ahead, completely unaware of anything, he clenched his back teeth in frustration. He felt incredibly stifled.

He had totally shot himself in the foot.

Truth be told, Xu Zhiyan wasn’t doing much better. The hoe she used earlier had a rough wooden handle, and none of them had the foresight or experience to bring gloves. As a result, they all ended up with blisters.

But since they were filming a reality show, and to avoid unnecessary drama, none of the three had mentioned it—aside from Qi Helin’s initial complaint.

Although the three of them were walking side by side, Xu Zhiyan was clearly closer to Shen Buhui, who was in the middle.

Up ahead, someone was carrying a bag filled with live fish. Xu Zhiyan stepped closer to look and saw it was a netted catch.

She suddenly remembered something and turned to Shen Buhui, saying, “We still haven’t returned the net we borrowed from Granny Sun yesterday. I’ll take it back to her after lunch.”

The fish Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui caught yesterday were enough to last them a few more days, so food wasn’t something they had to worry about for now.

Qi Helin, upon hearing this, chimed in with a smile, “Zhiyan, you’re amazing. You caught so many fish, and now we all get to enjoy them without spending a cent.”

Xu Zhiyan glanced at him. “It wasn’t all me. Teacher Shen was guiding me the whole time.”

Qi Helin hadn’t been there and naturally didn’t know what really happened. Hearing her say that, he smiled and looked at her warmly. “Is that so? Still, you must be really skilled too. No need to be modest—I can tell.”

Xu Zhiyan: “…” That just gave her a full-body case of goosebumps.

Qi Helin was acting like he’d taken the wrong medicine today—everything he said came with a cringe-worthy attempt at tenderness.

The trailing camera shook slightly, then zoomed in meaningfully on the two of them.

Out of the camera’s view, Shen Buhui shot Qi Helin a cold glance. But Qi Helin, wholly immersed in his “CP pairing plan,” didn’t notice at all. He kept walking beside Xu Zhiyan, racking his brain for more things to say.

“Zhiyan,” Qi Helin softened his voice and asked with feigned curiosity, “Where did you learn to catch fish like that?”

Nowadays, it wasn’t uncommon to know how to fish—but net fishing was a whole different skill.

“I learned it from a friend when I was a kid,” Xu Zhiyan replied, slightly turning her body to avoid him, her tone indifferent.

“As a kid?” Qi Helin’s eyes lit up. Talking about childhood was always a good way to build emotional connection. He smiled, ready to dig deeper into the topic—when he suddenly noticed Xu Zhiyan’s face change.

She stopped abruptly, and the hand holding her basket nearly lost its grip.

Her childhood… A sudden jolt in her mind seemed to split open all the mental fog.

Xu Zhiyan slowly turned to look at Shen Buhui, who was watching her with concern. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and then, in a soft whisper that only Shen Buhui could hear, she said, “Pretty sister.”

Shen Buhui’s expression changed ever so slightly—just as Xu Zhiyan expected.

“You remembered everything?” Shen Buhui asked, her eyes meeting hers.

Xu Zhiyan nodded, a mix of emotions swelling in her heart.

Qi Helin’s mention of fishing had triggered her memories, and they matched up perfectly with the story Shen Buhui told her yesterday. She had only said those words to test her theory—but she got her answer right away.

Mindful of the others around them, Xu Zhiyan took Shen Buhui’s hand, suppressing all the emotions welling up inside her, and gave her a soft smile. “Let’s talk when we get back.”

Shen Buhui nodded gently, letting her hold her hand, seemingly forgetting they were still filming a show.

Qi Helin: “…”

Ignored. Again. Furious!!

When the three of them returned to the house, the other three hadn’t come back yet. Shen Buhui and Xu Zhiyan whipped up a simple meal. Once Shang Qi and the others returned with their bamboo baskets, the six of them shared a modest lunch before retreating to their rooms for a midday rest.

Everyone had been working hard all morning—they were genuinely exhausted. Even Qi Helin didn’t stir up any trouble during the meal.

Back in their room, Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui turned off the camera first thing. The two of them sat on the edge of the bed, facing each other, silent for a long moment.

In the end, it was Xu Zhiyan who broke the quiet.

“Sis, when did you recognize me?”

After she was taken away by Lin Ya and Xu Qingyi, her name and surname were both changed. At this point, aside from her appearance, it would be nearly impossible to recognize her as the same girl from the past.

“I recognized you right from the start,” Shen Buhui looked away, recalling the first time they met again in that private room.

“From the beginning?” Xu Zhiyan asked in shock.

She had assumed Shen Buhui only realized it later, after they got to know each other better. She never imagined that when she herself had known nothing, the other had already recognized her.

Shen Buhui nodded, as if expecting her to say something more. But Xu Zhiyan’s focus went in a completely different direction.

“Then I’ve been behind you this whole time!”

Xu Zhiyan suddenly stood up and began pacing by the edge of the bed.

“How could I be so dumb? I only remembered everything because of your reminder,” Xu Zhiyan muttered, a sudden sense of competitiveness rising within her. She looked at her girlfriend, all aggrieved, and asked, “Jiejie, am I really silly? Were you anxious waiting for me to remember?”

Not really.

The once quiet atmosphere was immediately disrupted by Xu Zhiyan’s outburst. Shen Buhui couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re not dumb or silly,” Shen Buhui stood up, looking at her with a smile. “After all, how old were you back then? I’m five years older than you. Of course I’d remember better than a little brat. It’s normal that you forgot.”

She gently placed her hands on Xu Zhiyan’s shoulders, coaxing her to sit back down on the bed.

Xu Zhiyan caught onto one particular word and raised a brow. “Who are you calling a little brat?”

Her gaze swept over, and she patted the bed. “Seems like I haven’t shown you what I’m capable of these past few days. You’ve forgotten how impressive I can be.”

The implication being—Could a little brat make you this happy?

Shen Buhui: “……”

She gave Xu Zhiyan a little push. “Is this really the time to joke about this?”

Though her tone was righteous, her ears were unmistakably tinged red.

Xu Zhiyan licked her lips. She was mostly trying to ease the tension between them.

Her eyes shifted thoughtfully. She felt she needed to properly sort out their current relationship.

Shen Buhui noticed and quietly sat beside her, letting her fall into contemplation.

After a while—

With all the threads connected in her mind, Xu Zhiyan took a deep breath and looked squarely at the other person involved.

“Jiejie, tell me…” She caught Shen Buhui’s gaze and flashed an innocent-looking smile. “Don’t you think this is a classic story of childhood sweethearts reunited—both qingmei and tianjiang?”

In novels and dramas, there’s often a debate that “childhood sweethearts can’t beat fated love.” Online, fans of both tropes fought endlessly over which was better.

As a frequent internet surfer, Xu Zhiyan hadn’t missed that ongoing debate.

Now that she and Shen Buhui had found each other again, their relationship seemed wrapped in layers of romantic destiny.

No matter how she looked at it, it was the kind of sweet love story that made her heart flutter.

Shen Buhui gave her a look. “So that’s what you were thinking about all this time?”

Xu Zhiyan picked up on the hint of bashfulness in her voice and smiled slyly. “That’s part of it—but not all.”

She stroked her chin, thinking that since Shen Buhui had recognized her from the very start, then all those little acts of care, that warmth, that unmistakable favor—it all made sense now.

But still…

Xu Zhiyan suddenly said, “Actually, I realized thinking too much about it doesn’t help.”

“Look, we’ve already recognized each other. But even before that, we were already the closest to one another.”

She beamed at Shen Buhui, her smile radiant. “So now, it’s just closeness on top of closeness. That thought alone fills me with happiness.”

Shen Buhui asked, “So… do you love me a little more now?”

Without warning, Xu Zhiyan hugged her tightly, their soft bodies melding together.

“Maybe a little,” Xu Zhiyan replied. “But Jiejie, aren’t you silly? The one I love most is the you now.”

“It’s because of who you are now that I feel something deeper for that childhood friend. If it hadn’t been you, then that beautiful sister from back then would have remained just a cherished memory. But because it’s you, the person I love the most is still you.”

Shen Buhui had wanted to say that, to her, that friend was never “just” a friend—but looking into Xu Zhiyan’s eyes, she felt no need to say it anymore.

Xu Zhiyan didn’t quite understand why Shen Buhui seemed uncertain, or why her question carried a trace of hesitation, but what she could do was hug her tightly and give her a secure, unwavering answer.

Shen Buhui hugged her back, resting her chin on Xu Zhiyan’s slim but steady shoulder, deeply inhaling the familiar scent that was uniquely hers. Her face softened with a smile.

After a while, Xu Zhiyan finally let go, the space between them widening once again.

Their gazes remained locked, brimming with silent affection, until Xu Zhiyan suddenly pressed a hand to her rapidly beating heart.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she murmured, covering Shen Buhui’s eyes. “One more look and it’s a foul.”

When the heart is stirred, desire naturally follows. It wasn’t strange she was thinking such thoughts.

And after several days of no intimacy, she truly was yearning for it. But considering the place and time weren’t quite right, she had to hold herself back.

God knew how she managed to sleep every night hugging Shen Buhui without giving in.

She pulled out her pajamas and urged Shen Buhui, “Let’s nap first. We can talk more tonight.”

After a full morning of hard labor, they really were exhausted. Hearing her words, Shen Buhui didn’t argue. She slipped under the covers with Xu Zhiyan, and the two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms.

That afternoon, after waking from their nap, the trio who had completed the vegetable planting task decided to help local villagers in exchange for more supplies. The other three joined them.

During the afternoon’s work, Xu Zhiyan noticed several subtle but frequent interactions between Chen Xingguang and Shang Qi.

By the time the six of them returned and finished dinner, they all moved their lounge chairs into the yard under the swaying trees to enjoy a moment of peace.

Xu Zhiyan’s chair was beside Shen Buhui’s. She had just turned to speak to her when she noticed—through the shadows—Chen Xingguang and Shang Qi secretly holding hands.

Xu Zhiyan: “……?!”

She stiffly turned her head and blinked, trying to process what she just saw.

Last night, it seemed like a one-sided crush. How were they suddenly holding hands tonight?

She pretended not to see it and turned to chat with the others instead.

Later, when she went to the bathroom, she ran into Shang Qi there. Her acting didn’t quite catch up in time—her expression was a little odd.

While adjusting her hair in front of the mirror, Shang Qi smiled. “You saw, didn’t you?”

Xu Zhiyan looked at her, inexplicably nervous.

She wasn’t sure why—she shouldn’t be the nervous one. But perhaps it was Shang Qi’s calm and poised attitude that made her feel like some nosy girl spying on a couple.

Shang Qi dried her hands. “Relax. It’s no big deal.”

She added meaningfully, “Look, I know about you and Shen Buhui too. And I haven’t said anything, have I?”

Xu Zhiyan: “……!”

“When did you find out?” she asked.

Shang Qi shrugged. “The vibe between couples is hard to hide. Even if you try to suppress it, I’ve been around long enough. A few extra glances were all I needed.”

Xu Zhiyan glanced at her, and seeing the sincerity in her expression, she started to believe her.

But she still couldn’t help but ask, “…Is Chen Xingguang single?”

She was nervous—worried she’d unknowingly admired a scumbag again.

Shang Qi was caught off guard for a moment before bursting into laughter. “He’s single, don’t worry. I have standards.”

Single. That’s good.

Xu Zhiyan thought, It’s better to ship a fake CP than deal with a cheating jerk.

Shang Qi noticed her obvious relief and didn’t leave right away. She leaned casually and suddenly felt like chatting.

“You had a crush on him before, didn’t you?” Based on Xu Zhiyan being new to the industry and the little game they played the night before, Shang Qi guessed, “I mean, like a fan crushing on a celebrity?”

Xu Zhiyan looked at her and grumbled, “Sort of. I used to ship him in a CP.”

Realizing the situation, Shang Qi chuckled. “Ah, I see. Got it.”

Looks like I accidentally caused a fan to lose their fantasy, she thought.

“But you’ll need to get used to it,” Shang Qi added with a shrug. “You’re in this industry now. You’ll find that people often aren’t who they appear to be on screen. There’s too much illusion and reality mixed together. Don’t be fooled so easily.”

Seeing the much-younger, innocent-looking Xu Zhiyan, Shang Qi couldn’t help but offer a rare bit of advice.

Xu Zhiyan nodded gloomily. Shen Buhui was right—no CP can compare to the real one I have.

She decided: tonight, she’d write like mad—transform into a heartless code machine—and finally get down her old “white moonlight double life” story idea!

If she couldn’t act out her midday dream herself, at least fictional Xu Zhiyan could do it in her place.

With that thought, all her frustration over her CP fantasy collapsing vanished.

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