The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 59

When Xu Zhiyan and Qi Helin returned from outside, the sky had already turned a deep shade of blue. The sun had long since set.

Xu Zhiyan carried a bucket, silently hoping they weren’t too late.

“What happened here?” Shang Qi was in the lit courtyard feeding a cat that had wandered in from who-knows-where. She looked surprised to see the two of them, especially Qi Helin, both looking rather disheveled with a bucket in hand.

Shen Buhui, having heard the commotion, poked her head out from the kitchen window. Under the bright light, she spotted Xu Zhiyan, her face dotted with specks of mud, which stood out clearly under the incandescent glow.

“Did something happen?” she asked, frowning.

Qi Helin gave a slightly awkward smile.

Xu Zhiyan glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, handed the fish to Chen Xingguang, who had come running to take the bucket, and said casually, “It got dark, I slipped—just a small accident.”

And it really was just a small accident.

The riverside, still slick from earlier rain, had some especially slippery spots. Qi Helin, being completely inexperienced in fishing, was more of a hindrance than help. He refused to follow instructions and insisted on getting close to her. Of course, he slipped and fell flat onto the ground.

As for the mud on Xu Zhiyan’s face and clothes, that was courtesy of Qi Helin splashing it onto her when he fell, as he had been standing too close.

Upon hearing the explanation, Shang Qi quickly urged the two of them to go upstairs, take a shower, and come back down to help.

On the way up the stairs, Xu Zhiyan noticed Qi Helin subtly rubbing his backside with his left hand. She thought for a moment and immediately figured out what had happened.

Her lips curled into a small, almost imperceptible smile as she followed him upstairs.

Once all six of them had freshened up, Zeng Yue looked at the food, which was about to go cold, and asked the director, who was filming outside, “Director, when are the guests you mentioned supposed to arrive?”

Xu Zhiyan sat down next to Shen Buhui and rubbed her stomach—she was getting hungry.

The director glanced at the time. “They just got to the entrance of the village. They’ll be here in about ten minutes.”

Ten minutes wasn’t too long.

With nothing else to do, the six of them waited in the living room. The same stray cat that had wandered in earlier followed the smell of food and now lay curled up on the floor, its fluffy body resting against Xu Zhiyan’s feet.

Xu Zhiyan leaned toward Shen Buhui and whispered, “Jiejie*, can we get a cat when we go home?”

(*T/N: “Jiejie” means “older sister,” but here it’s used affectionately between close female partners.)

Shen Buhui glanced down at the cat snuggling beside Xu Zhiyan, then looked away nonchalantly. “You still have school, and besides that, you’re working too. I’m also busy with my job. We’re barely home most days—what would we do with a cat?”

She had a point.

Sure, they could leave the cat with someone else when they weren’t around, but it still didn’t seem quite right.

Noticing the shift in Xu Zhiyan’s expression, a hint of gentleness flickered in Shen Buhui’s eyes as she patiently continued to explain.

“Alright,” Xu Zhiyan said regretfully, “I guess we’ll wait until we’re not so busy.”

She bent down to pet the cat, satisfying her craving for feline companionship, and dropped the subject.

Out of the corner of her eye, Xu Zhiyan caught sight of Shen Buhui’s ever-serene, gentle expression, and her fingers momentarily paused in the cat’s fur.

The truth was, she hadn’t really been serious about getting a cat. That question had merely been a way to test Shen Buhui.

Not even allowed to keep a cat?

Her thoughts began to drift.

It wasn’t that Xu Zhiyan wanted to use these tests to find fault with Shen Buhui. She simply realized, almost suddenly, that perhaps she didn’t know her girlfriend as well as she thought. The idea that Shen Buhui might be keeping part of herself hidden triggered a desire in Xu Zhiyan—to uncover it all. That’s why she’d started making these small, subtle tests.

As the others stood up to welcome the arriving guests, Xu Zhiyan lingered at the back, reflecting on her own behavior. Why was she so determined to understand everything?

What if it caused misunderstandings? What if it led to conflict?

Xu Zhiyan placed a hand over her chest, trailing behind the group, and wondered if this stemmed from the moments of uncertainty that occasionally surfaced within her.

Or maybe, more accurately, it came from a small, inexplicable emptiness deep inside—a gap she desperately wanted to fill.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Shen Buhui, who had been keeping a close eye on Xu Zhiyan, noticed her subtle movement and asked with concern.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Xu Zhiyan quickly shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just hungry, that’s all.”

The two of them were still chatting as they stepped into the courtyard—only to immediately spot the two guests the director had mentioned.

—Lan Xingyu and Bai Xilin.

Seeing who it was, Xu Zhiyan instinctively turned her gaze to Chen Xingguang.

She remembered clearly that just a few days ago, these two were still publicly “shipping” themselves. Shang Qi had said Chen Xingguang was single—but Xu Zhiyan couldn’t help wondering whether he and Lan Xingyu had merely been a publicity couple or if they had actually dated.

If it was just publicity, fine. But if they had really dated… this was dangerously close to becoming a drama scene.

The thought brought on a strange, indescribable feeling in Xu Zhiyan, especially as a former fan of that pairing.

But Shen Buhui didn’t give her much time to dwell on it. After exchanging brief pleasantries with the guests, she tugged on Xu Zhiyan—who had already said she was hungry—and led her back into the house.

“You must be hungry from the road,” Shang Qi greeted the two guests warmly. “Dinner’s all ready. We were just waiting for you. Go wash your hands—then we can eat.”

Dinner was lavish. Not only was there fresh fish caught by Xu Zhiyan that afternoon, but also seafood, beef, and a variety of dishes, each looking and smelling absolutely delicious.

Tonight, Zeng Yue had made that seafood soup again.

Xu Zhiyan noticed her standing up and ladling a bowl for Shen Buhui with a bright smile. “Teacher Shen should be able to try some today, right?”

The other four people who knew the backstory paused slightly, their eyes subtly shifting toward the trio involved.

The steaming, fragrant seafood soup was placed in front of Shen Buhui. With a calm expression, she lifted the bowl and took a sip. “Teacher Zeng’s cooking really is excellent,” she said mildly.

Upon seeing Shen Buhui drink it, a fleeting gleam of joy flashed in Zeng Yue’s eyes. She then cast a glance at Xu Zhiyan—subtle, yet unmistakable.

Xu Zhiyan: “…?” Did she see that right? Was that a challenge in Zeng Yue’s eyes?

Quick on her feet, Xu Zhiyan grabbed a spoon and scooped herself a bowl of soup. After taking a sip, she flashed a sunny smile and gave a thumbs-up. “Teacher Zeng’s cooking is truly amazing. No wonder both Teacher Shen and I enjoy it.”

Tch, who needs your approval? You think you can replace Shen Buhui?

Zeng Yue’s relatively good mood took a sharp downturn. A wave of frustration welled up in her chest, especially when she caught Shen Buhui’s non-reaction—neither agreeing nor denying, which somehow made things even worse. She was practically fuming.

Lan Xingyu and Bai Xilin, unaware of the subtext, each tried a bowl of the soup after hearing the compliments. And sure enough—it was delicious.

Soon, the dinner table was filled with even more voices of praise.

Zeng Yue forced a stiff smile as she chatted with them, while Xu Zhiyan, secretly amused by the whole thing, helped herself to two full bowls of rice.

After dinner came the usual post-meal walk.

Qi Helin had wanted to join them, but his fall earlier that day had been no joke—his butt still ached terribly. Though he was eager, his body simply couldn’t keep up. In the end, only the other seven went out.

Since Lan Xingyu and Bai Xilin were the new additions, most of the conversation revolved around them.

Xu Zhiyan made an effort to chat with them a bit at the beginning, so as not to seem cold, but eventually her steps slowed, and she ended up walking side by side with Shen Buhui at the back of the group.

The two walked closely, their hands secretly entwined in the dim countryside path, accompanied by a gentle breeze. It was quietly blissful.

After nearly an hour of walking, the group made their way back in a lively stream of chatter.

Since the house only had three bedrooms, Lan Xingyu and Bai Xilin had to split up. One joined Zeng Yue’s room, and the other was assigned to Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui’s.

Xu Zhiyan led Bai Xilin into their room and pointed to the unused bed. Her tone was warm. “Xilin-jie, you can sleep on this bed tonight.”

Bai Xilin glanced between the two beds and hesitated, looking a bit embarrassed. “Will you two be okay sharing one bed? If not, I can ask the crew for a floor mat or something.”

Xu Zhiyan exchanged a quick glance with Shen Buhui before replying, “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry, Xilin-jie.”

Back when there were no guests, the two of them had always shared a bed. With someone else in the room now, they just had to be a little less affectionate.

Seeing that, Bai Xilin didn’t insist any further.

The three of them took turns showering. After a long day of travel and activity, they were all exhausted. Before long, they’d each drifted off to sleep.

The next morning.

Bai Xilin woke up very early. As she sat up in bed, her still-groggy mind registered the two people curled up on the bed nearby, their heads resting against each other as they slept.

Something about that position sparked a faint sense of familiarity in her hazy brain.

After slipping on her shoes and finishing her morning wash, Bai Xilin suddenly remembered why that sleeping posture looked so familiar.

It was the same way she and her ex-boyfriend used to wake up when they were still close.

She just hadn’t expected Shen Buhui and Xu Zhiyan’s relationship to be that intimate.

Thinking back to her brief interactions with Shen Buhui the day before, Bai Xilin was surprised—she hadn’t imagined someone like Shen could be so soft.

Just then, Xu Zhiyan woke up to see Bai Xilin’s gaze directed their way.

Instinctively, she turned her body slightly and pulled the blanket up to cover Shen Buhui’s face, shielding her from view.

“Xilin-jie, you’re up early,” Xu Zhiyan asked casually, as if nothing had happened.

Bai Xilin didn’t think anything of it. While drying her face, she replied in a low voice, “I’m used to going for morning runs.”

Xu Zhiyan nodded and watched her leave the room. Once the door closed, she gently pulled the blanket down from Shen Buhui’s face.

Beneath it, the person who was supposed to be asleep was smiling ear to ear.

“You’re awake?”

Shen Buhui reached over, wrapping her arms around Xu Zhiyan’s waist, nuzzling against her back like a sleepy kitten. “Mhm. Awake.”

She’d felt it when Xu Zhiyan pulled the blanket earlier. Then, hearing the two of them talk, she’d fully woken up.

She hadn’t expected Xu Zhiyan to do something so possessive—but rather than minding, Shen Buhui couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips.

Because of the guests’ arrival, the director seemed to finally remember that the show was meant to showcase tranquil countryside living. The day’s activities were peaceful and laid-back to the extreme.

After a leisurely breakfast, the cast received a task from the production team: to help some elderly villagers with limited mobility do their shopping. In the afternoon, they visited the east side of the village to watch a traditional embroidery performance. When they left, Xu Zhiyan was holding an embroidered handkerchief gifted to her by Grandma Sun.

The entire day passed in easy comfort.

Rubbing his now slightly less painful backside, Qi Helin sighed contentedly, “If only the director would plan activities like this every day. This is what countryside life should feel like!”

Chen Xingguang tapped his shoulder. “Still hurt?”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Qi Helin’s face. He glanced at Xu Zhiyan, who wasn’t looking in their direction, and muttered, “Not really.”

Chen Xingguang seemed relieved and stepped forward to chat with Lan Xingyu and the others.

Xu Zhiyan had noticed that Lan Xingyu seemed off today—something about her expression wasn’t quite right. But she didn’t give it too much thought until later that night, when she got up unexpectedly and overheard a quiet argument at the hallway corner.

“You broke up with me because you were already into Shang Qi, didn’t you?” The girl’s voice was cold and carried a familiar tone.

Xu Zhiyan, still half-asleep, paused mid-step.

Was that… Lan Xingyu?

She had noticed the ensuite bathroom in their room was occupied, so she’d stepped out to use the one down the hall—only to walk straight into this.

Chen Xingguang didn’t reply immediately.

Lan Xingyu’s voice rose, filled with fury: “Wow, Chen Xingguang. I knew something was off when you suddenly went cold on me. So you’d already found someone else!”

“I’m asking you—did you get together with Shang Qi before or after we broke up?”

“…After,” Chen Xingguang said quietly.

Lan Xingyu froze for a beat before responding, voice tight with bitterness, “Just you wait. Shang Qi doesn’t know you’re a jerk yet—but she’ll find out eventually. And when she does, she’ll leave you.”

Actually, she already knows.

Xu Zhiyan happened to glance up and met Shang Qi’s gaze from across the hall. Both of them looked away awkwardly, silently echoing the same thought.

What a mess…

The voices around the corner dropped even lower, and Xu Zhiyan didn’t catch the rest. Seeing Shang Qi made things feel ten times more uncomfortable, so she quickly retreated back into the room.

The bathroom was free now anyway.

The next day, Xu Zhiyan noticed that Lan Xingyu’s eyes were a little swollen. She had a pretty good idea why but didn’t say anything—she simply looked away.

That afternoon, after Lan Xingyu and Bai Xilin had left, Xu Zhiyan unexpectedly bumped into Shang Qi again—this time, in the bathroom.

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