The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 58

When Xu Zhiyan came out of the shower, towel in hand as she dried her hair, she saw Shen Buhui sitting on the bed with her head lowered, seemingly focused on something.

“Were you waiting for me?” she asked, quickening her drying. “I’ll go blow-dry my hair—just a minute.”

Shen Buhui lifted her head and reached out a hand. “I want to hold you for a bit.”

Huh? Why was her usually composed girlfriend suddenly acting clingy?

A trace of confusion flickered across Xu Zhiyan’s face, but it was quickly replaced with a quiet, content smile. She stepped closer and sat on the edge of the bed as requested.

Taking the chance, Shen Buhui straightened up, leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around Xu Zhiyan’s waist through the blanket.

She rested her chin on Xu Zhiyan’s shoulder, nose gently brushing her neck. Breathing in, she caught the soft, fruity scent lingering there—it was the same scent she wore herself.

The darkness in her eyes softened slightly. Shen Buhui gave Xu Zhiyan a quiet squeeze before letting go. Her expression eased into a small smile as she looked at her girlfriend, who had no idea what had just happened but still obediently let her do as she pleased.

“All right,” she said softly. “Go dry your hair.”

Xu Zhiyan moved quickly—blow-drying her hair, applying some skincare, and tidying up before climbing into bed.

With the heating on, the room was comfortably warm—especially the bed, already pre-warmed by someone else.

The moment she slipped in, warmth wrapped around her like a soft cocoon.

She shifted her body, trying to roll over and face Shen Buhui, but suddenly felt something hard pressing against her lower back.

Reaching down to investigate, she pulled out a phone.

Handing it to Shen Buhui, she scooted a bit closer.

Shen Buhui took the phone and unlocked it with her fingerprint, intending to set an alarm for the next day. But the screen didn’t go black—it stayed on the last opened app: Weibo.

Leaning her head against her girlfriend, Xu Zhiyan casually glanced down.

Just one glance—and the username was fully in view.

“…‘Little Xu with a Sweet Tooth’?”

She read it aloud before she could stop herself.

Xu Zhiyan: “…?”

She lifted her head, eyes wide in disbelief. “You—you—you’re following my life account?!”

Caught red-handed, Shen Buhui was momentarily flustered. But rather than panic, she actually calmed down a bit.

“So what?” she countered. “Am I not allowed to follow it? Are there secrets on there I’m not supposed to know?”

The sharpness in her tone was unfamiliar—it didn’t sound like the usual Shen Buhui.

Xu Zhiyan: “……”

Well… technically, it wasn’t unreasonable. But something still felt off!

“I’m pretty sure I never gave you that account info,” Xu Zhiyan said after thinking it through. Which meant the real question was: how did Shen Buhui find it?

“No, you didn’t.” Shen Buhui’s lashes fluttered, and though she sounded defensive, she still said confidently, “I found it myself.”

“You’re my girlfriend. I know your life account—what’s so shocking about that?”

Under the blanket, her fingers curled into a tight fist, though her face remained composed.

“…” Xu Zhiyan was momentarily speechless. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that outrageous.

But then she quickly realized—that wasn’t the point! The issue wasn’t that Shen Buhui followed the account, it was how she discovered it.

After a moment’s hesitation, she voiced her doubt.

What she didn’t expect was Shen Buhui’s emotional outburst.

“You think I’ve been spying on your life, don’t you?” Shen Buhui’s chest rose and fell sharply. “You probably think I’m suffocating you, invading your space, right?!”

Xu Zhiyan: “…I didn’t—wait, that’s not what I meant!”

She tried to explain, but before she could say more, Shen Buhui grabbed a pillow and threw it between them, her expression furious, eyes tinged red at the corners.

“Fine! I knew you’d think that. Xu Zhiyan, go sleep in the study tonight!”

Before she could react, a pillow landed squarely in Xu Zhiyan’s arms, and the next thing she knew, she was being shoved out of the bedroom.

Now standing alone in the hallway with only a pillow in hand, Xu Zhiyan was still trying to process what had just happened.

They were literally cuddling two minutes ago!

She knocked on the door, but there was no response. Left with no choice, she shuffled off to the guest room for the night.

As for the study? Yeah, right—there wasn’t even a bed in there.

Inside the bedroom, Shen Buhui let out a long breath.

She knew she’d acted on impulse—overreacted, even.

She hadn’t meant to blow up like that. But when Xu Zhiyan started asking questions, all the rational explanations she’d prepared were pushed aside by a rush of emotion she couldn’t quite contain.

Shen Buhui suddenly thought of Xu Zhiyan’s biological father.

A wave of cold seemed to pour through her chest—so abrupt that she couldn’t hide it fast enough. Left without time for a perfect cover-up, she opted for the clumsy route of acting defensive, pushing Xu Zhiyan away under the pretense of anger.

She bit her lip. Her grip on her phone was so tight it looked like she might bend it out of shape.

After a while, Shen Buhui rubbed her brows. A lot had happened tonight. She needed to think carefully about how to face Xu Zhiyan in the morning.

—

Early the next day, burdened by the thoughts she hadn’t yet sorted out, Shen Buhui woke unusually early. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a long time before finally opening the bedroom door.

“What are you doing sitting here?”

She paused mid-step, surprised to see Xu Zhiyan—who should have still been fast asleep—sitting at the dining table.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep,” Xu Zhiyan said with a pout, pointing at the breakfast laid out neatly on the table. “So I waited here for you. Let’s eat together.”

It wasn’t a time either of them usually got up. Shen Buhui’s heart softened in an instant. Had she been too harsh last night?

They ate quietly. After finishing, Xu Zhiyan scooted her chair over inch by inch until she was beside Shen Buhui, gently poking her.

“Still mad?”

Shen Buhui looked down at her. Despite clearly not being at fault, she was acting like she had done something wrong.

Shen Buhui opened her mouth, ready to recite the explanation she had prepared the night before.

“Wait, let me talk first,” Xu Zhiyan interrupted, raising her hand in a stop gesture.

She turned her chair to face her directly. Looking sincere, she said, “I thought about it last night. Maybe this happened because I haven’t given you enough of a sense of security.”

She was referring to the whole issue of Shen Buhui finding and secretly following her alternate Weibo account.

In truth, the matter wasn’t a big deal. Xu Zhiyan had just been curious about how Shen Buhui had found it—but she hadn’t expected such an explosive reaction.

Shen Buhui: “…”

She stared at her in silence, surprised that Xu Zhiyan had already constructed a logical and generous reason for the situation.

Xu Zhiyan tentatively reached for her hand. When she wasn’t pushed away, her lips curved into a soft smile. “I wasn’t upset that you follow it. I was just curious how you figured out it was me.”

She thought, Surely this gentle approach will earn me a straight answer?

The cool, collected front Shen Buhui wore melted slightly, and she lowered her gaze, looking somewhat aggrieved. “You told me yourself. That night we drank together… You were so drunk, just tapping all over your phone. I saw it when you switched accounts.”

Really?

Xu Zhiyan blinked. That might’ve happened… maybe? But Shen Buhui said it so sincerely—she didn’t feel like questioning it any further.

“Then I was wrong,” Xu Zhiyan admitted without hesitation.

“No, I was wrong too,” Shen Buhui said quickly. “I overreacted last night. I was just scared you’d think I was invading your space.”

She bit her lip, looking pitiful and innocent, her words carrying a subtle sting of self-blame.

Xu Zhiyan immediately shook her head. “I didn’t mean that at all. What you did just proves you like me. I’m happy—why would I complain?”

To show her sincerity, she leaned forward and pulled Shen Buhui into a hug, just like countless times before.

But facing away from Shen Buhui, a contemplative look crossed Xu Zhiyan’s face.

Some things couldn’t stand too much scrutiny. A tightly spun web, if tugged in just the right place, could unravel quickly.

Like how ice-cold watermelon only appeared in the fridge when she was around. Or how the takeout orders always seemed to include her favorite dishes. Or how things she casually posted about—TV shows, games, even random likes—would just so happen to turn up around Shen Buhui.

It couldn’t all be coincidence. And it definitely wasn’t as simple as Shen Buhui had said.

But rather than feeling alarmed by Shen Buhui’s possessiveness, Xu Zhiyan felt… a thrill. A strange, unexplainable satisfaction surged through her, flowing in her blood like something instinctual.

She released her from the hug, but kept an arm draped across her shoulder. With a playful, innocent smile, she said, “You’re not going to kick me out again tonight, right? It’s cold in the guest room.”

Shen Buhui grasped her slender wrist, stood up, and pulled her back into the bedroom.

“What are you doing?” Xu Zhiyan asked, puzzled.

“Come nap with me,” Shen Buhui said softly. “Didn’t you say the guest room was cold? You probably didn’t sleep well. I’ll warm the bed for you this time.”

And so, what was arguably the biggest—and only—argument they’d ever had in their relationship came to an end in less than twelve hours… with the two of them sleeping cheek to cheek.

—

Days without work always flew by too quickly. Before they knew it, it was time to return to filming for the variety show.

They flew to Rongcheng. When they arrived at the guesthouse, everything was just as they had left it.

No one else had arrived yet, so Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui unpacked in their room and then headed downstairs to start cleaning the courtyard with brooms in hand.

In less than half an hour, the others began arriving one by one.

After some brief greetings, the six gathered in the courtyard.

And once again, the director’s familiar voice echoed from the loudspeaker.

“Good afternoon, everyone! No need for introductions—you all know this place well,” he said with a smile. “Here’s what you need to know: Tonight, two guests will be visiting the house. You’re responsible for hosting them and making them feel welcome.”

Xu Zhiyan licked her lips. “Director, our fridge is empty. How are we supposed to host anyone like this?”

“Don’t worry,” the director replied cheerfully. “We kept track of the leftover ingredients from your last visit. You’ll get them back, along with the money you didn’t spend.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

To properly welcome the guests, the group quickly divided up responsibilities. The two best cooks—Zeng Yue and Shen Buhui—stayed behind to prep food in the kitchen, while the other four headed to the nearby town for groceries… and fishing.

Xu Zhiyan, walking beside Qi Helin, exchanged a knowing glance with Shen Buhui across the courtyard.

Then, leading the way, she brought Qi Helin to Grandma Sun’s house to borrow a fishing net—just like they had last time.

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