The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 63

Dodging the flash of countless media cameras at the theater entrance, the premiere’s red carpet and interview segment lasted just over an hour. Only then did Xu Zhiyan and the others follow the director and host into the cinema after politely thanking the press.

The final cut of the film was already queued and ready to go. As the two female leads, Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui were naturally seated next to each other. In front of them sat the director, the producers, and several invited investors.

The lighting in the theater dimmed. Xu Zhiyan leaned quietly toward Shen Buhui, only now realizing just how excited—and nervous—she was.

“I wonder what the finished film will look like…”

They hadn’t been shown the final cut ahead of time. And while Xu Zhiyan knew the script by heart, the out-of-sequence filming and scattered scenes had never given her a clear picture of what Symbiosis would look like in its final, complete form.

Not to mention… this was her very first film. The first story she’d carried on her shoulders. And more than that, it was the project that had brought her and Shen Buhui together.

No matter how she looked at it, this film was deeply significant—and that made it impossible for her to stay calm.

“Believe in yourself.”

Shen Buhui covered her hand gently in the dark and whispered the words close to her ear.

As if in response, the screen lit up.

Ink-like swirls of black and white fluid bloomed across the screen, eventually merging into the film’s title: Symbiosis.

—“Where’s my brother?”

The crisp, slightly bratty voice of a young girl rang out—and the story began.

Xu Zhiyan said nothing else. She held Shen Buhui’s hand firmly and turned her full focus to the screen ahead.

The film lasted a full 120 minutes. Its pacing was even, the performances by all the actors compelling and completely on point.

When the final soldier’s silhouette collapsed in a sea of blood and corpses, Xu Zhiyan couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

“A-jie… in our next life…”

Lin Yin’s gaze stretched into the distance, into some unknown place. Memories of youth replayed, frame by frame, across the screen. She slowly closed her eyes, and a soft whisper fell from her lips, filled with aching regret.

“…Let’s fall in love again.”

As that final line faded, the screen dimmed to black.

Sniffles began to echo throughout the theater, one after another.

Shen Buhui silently handed Xu Zhiyan a tissue and gently patted her back.

Xu Zhiyan wiped her tears, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s such a sad story. Even watching it again, I knew I’d cry.”

She had cried her eyes out the first time she read the script. Cried even harder during the final shoot. And now, watching the completed film… she still couldn’t hold it in.

Shen Buhui simply gave her hand a quiet squeeze. Compared to the emotionally swept-away Xu Zhiyan, she appeared much more composed.

Once Xu Zhiyan had finally collected herself, people around them were beginning to rise from their seats. The sobbing in the theater had begun to quiet.

Still, with her sharp ears, Xu Zhiyan caught more than a few voices praising the film—and that comforted her a little.

When the lights came back on, Director Cheng turned from a quick chat with the media and noticed Xu Zhiyan’s reddened eyes. He paused for a beat, then gave her a knowing smile.

He patted her shoulder warmly. “Little Xu, you really gave a great performance. But don’t forget—there’s still dinner. Make sure you shine there too!”

At the mention of dinner, Xu Zhiyan blinked. Right. There was a post-premiere dinner party she’d completely forgotten about.

“How am I supposed to ‘shine’ at dinner?” she muttered under her breath, scratching her head as she watched the director walk away. “Eat more than usual?”

Still muttering, she pulled Shen Buhui along to the restroom to freshen up a bit before hopping into the car Zhao Yue had waiting outside.

In the car, Zhao Yue was already listing off the guest list for the evening gathering. When she got to the end, she said, “It’s nothing major, really. Just your standard industry dinner. If the movie’s a big hit, there’ll probably be a proper celebration banquet later.”

She knew full well that Shen Buhui wasn’t a fan of these kinds of social events. But it was the kind of thing every project had—a closing dinner to bookend production and release.

Shen Buhui’s expression remained calm, but she glanced at Xu Zhiyan, who was quietly sitting beside her. “I’m fine with it. Yanyan, just be careful with the drinking.”

Xu Zhiyan immediately recalled the last time she got drunk and all the embarrassing things she’d done.

Her mouth twitched as she met Shen Buhui’s amused gaze. She wisely chose to say nothing and pretend to be mute.

No way is she letting herself get that drunk again!

When they arrived at the private dining room, Xu Zhiyan noticed that most of the guests had already arrived.

After taking their seats, they waited for a bit longer. Xu Zhiyan glanced at the empty seat in the middle of the table, puzzled. “Who are we still waiting for?”

She looked around the table. The group didn’t look much different from the last time—they were all familiar faces. She couldn’t quite tell who was missing.

Across from her, Shen Buhui was watching the director on the phone, a flicker of thought passing through her mind—she had a guess.

Xu Zhiyan was starting to feel a little hungry. She casually grabbed an orange from the fruit platter, peeling it to nibble on while letting her eyes wander idly across the table.

“Want another one?”

The familiar female voice caught her off guard.

She turned and saw Zeng Yue beside her. After a slight pause, she politely declined, “No thanks, Sister Zeng.”

No one else seemed to be paying attention—most eyes were on the director, who was still chatting with Shen Buhui. Zeng Yue smiled warmly, but her words were a whisper laced with subtle edge: “You don’t mind that Shen Buhui has someone she likes?”

The question yanked Xu Zhiyan back to that awkward afternoon from before.

She pulled at the corner of her mouth and looked calmly at Zeng Yue, whose assumptions remained unwavering. “I don’t mind,” she said plainly.

Zeng Yue seemed about to press further, but Xu Zhiyan cut her off: “As long as she likes me now, that’s all that matters.”

She said it with a soft smile, but it landed like a deliberate jab. Zeng Yue’s expression shifted—briefly flashing with envy and frustration.

Xu Zhiyan meant for her to misunderstand. She had no intention of explaining the full truth to someone who had clearly never stopped harboring feelings for Shen Buhui.

Their relationship was no one else’s business—especially not someone who was constantly trying to stir things up.

Just then, Qi Helin, apparently bored, leaned in curiously. “What are you two whispering about? Any idea who we’re still waiting on?”

Xu Zhiyan glanced over at him, and noticed—sharp-eyed as always—a faint red mark peeking out from his collar as he bent closer.

It reminded her of the morning’s hot search, and those strange comments that mentioned her.

She straightened and replied blandly, “No idea.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a commotion stirred near the entrance.

“Is that… Xie Ye?!”

Qi Helin turned to her in disbelief. “Wait, our film has investment from Xie Group?”

Xu Zhiyan hadn’t known who the man was at first, but the moment she heard Qi Helin say his name, it clicked.

Xie Ye—heir to the Xie Corporation.

She looked at the striking, sharply dressed man entering the room. He had the kind of presence that instantly screamed wealth.

“So that’s who the director was stalling for…” she muttered quietly to Shen Buhui.

But as she spoke, she keenly noticed a subtle shift in Shen Buhui’s expression the moment Xie Ye entered.

Her gaze flicked between the two of them, noting the change. Suspicion bloomed—but she decided to wait and ask about it later.

Meanwhile, the other investors had already stood up, beaming as they went over to greet Xie Ye.

As Xu Zhiyan waited for the dinner to begin, she clearly saw Xie Ye glance in her and Shen Buhui’s direction as he took his seat.

Beside her, Zeng Yue’s voice suddenly cut in again—this time with a bizarre, seemingly offhand comment: “President Xie is quite handsome, don’t you think?”

Xu Zhiyan: “…”

She stared at Zeng Yue, speechless.

What does whether he’s handsome or not have to do with me?

Zeng Yue didn’t seem to expect a reply from Xu Zhiyan. As Xu turned her head away, she caught a subtle, almost smug smile playing at Zeng Yue’s lips.

Once everyone had arrived, the dinner finally began.

As expected, there was some social drinking, but after Xu Zhiyan playfully brushed off a few rounds, the pressure eased, and she was left to enjoy her meal in peace.

Shen Buhui, who could hold her liquor better, had gone through the obligatory toast circuit with the director and producers before settling down to eat quietly beside her.

Just as Xu Zhiyan finished peeling a shrimp, a new presence appeared at her right—an empty wine glass quietly placed next to her plate.

“Xiao Xu,” Zeng Yue’s voice rang out pleasantly, “you and I haven’t had a drink together yet. Let me toast you—for such an outstanding debut performance.”

Xu Zhiyan looked at her, puzzled.

She had no idea what Zeng Yue was trying to pull tonight.

But with so many people watching, she couldn’t outright refuse a senior’s toast. No matter the motive—bring it on, she thought. She’d handle whatever came.

“Alright,” she said with a polite smile, setting down her chopsticks and wiping her hands.

However, instead of picking up the glass Zeng Yue had just placed in front of her, she reached for a different one—the empty glass that had been sitting untouched between her and Shen Buhui all night.

She’d heard a thing or two about shady tricks pulled at dinner tables like these. She didn’t trust anything handed to her directly by Zeng Yue.

Shen Buhui looked like she was about to say something but, seeing how smoothly Xu Zhiyan handled it, stayed quiet and let her proceed.

Zeng Yue acted as though she didn’t notice the sleight of hand. She calmly reached for the bottle nearby and poured red wine into the glass Xu Zhiyan had chosen instead.

The crimson liquid flowed into the stemmed glass, slowly filling it. Before long, the bottle was empty.

Zeng Yue raised her own already-prepared glass. “Cheers.”

Xu Zhiyan mirrored the motion. “To Sister Zeng.”

And then, she downed the glass in one go.

By this point, the dinner was in full swing. People were moving around the room, clinking glasses, chatting across the table. No one paid much attention to their quiet exchange, and thankfully, no one tried to rope them into another toast.

After a while, having finished a glass of juice, Xu Zhiyan started feeling warm.

She leaned closer to Shen Buhui and whispered, “I’m going to the restroom.”

Shen Buhui looked her over—her expression still clear, her speech normal—and nodded.

As soon as she stepped outside the private room, the fresh air rushed into her lungs. Xu Zhiyan rubbed her nose and flagged down a passing waiter to ask where the restroom was, following their directions down the corridor.

When she reached the restroom, the strange heat in her body still hadn’t eased.

She was grateful, at least, that she’d taken her makeup off after the premiere screening. At least now, if she washed her face, she wouldn’t end up looking a mess.

But after stepping out of the stall, the heat worsened. Her head began to swim, and her limbs felt heavy and unsteady.

In such a short time, her body had changed dramatically.

She staggered to the sink, bracing both hands against the counter, struggling to keep herself upright as she lifted her eyes to the mirror.

Her face was flushed. Her eyes were glassy and dazed.

Her body burned, her strength draining rapidly.

She splashed cold water on her face, and for a brief moment, the sharp chill cleared her mind.

“…Something’s not right.”

Breathing hard, Xu Zhiyan leaned on the sink, and her fingers fumbled toward the hidden pocket sewn into her dress. Empty.

Her phone wasn’t with her.

The clarity from the cold water evaporated as the heat surged back with a vengeance, overwhelming her senses. A soft, involuntary whimper escaped her lips. The world blurred, and her legs gave way—

She slid down the cool tile wall, her vision going dark.

And then, she lost consciousness.

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