The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 68

The moment Zhao Yue’s personalized ringtone rang out, Xu Zhiyan jumped like she’d been caught red-handed. At the time, she was sneaking around behind Shen Buhui’s back, working on something utterly earth-shattering in secret.

Before answering the call, Xu Zhiyan had the foresight to hold her phone away from her ear.

“—XU ZHIYAN!!” Zhao Yue’s voice exploded out of the speaker.

“How many times have I told you?! If you’re gonna go off the rails, at least keep it under wraps! Pay attention to your image!”

Ever since the night before Xu Zhiyan’s 20th birthday—when Zhao Yue accidentally discovered that this rising star of the entertainment world was secretly writing fanfiction about herself—she had warned her countless times to stay hidden.

If Xu Zhiyan were writing normal fanfic, that would’ve been fine. At least if it ever leaked, it could bring her some good publicity.

Not that Xu Zhiyan needed any more popularity these days.

But the problem was… she wasn’t writing normal fanfic.

Zhao Yue had once privately skimmed through one of the story collections, and just thinking about it made her vision go dark.
It was so embarrassing, she could practically feel secondhand humiliation radiating off the screen.

“She was being careful,”

Just as Xu Zhiyan was about to defend herself, a calm voice spoke up behind her.

Shen Buhui appeared, standing beside her like a personal bodyguard, posture protective — ready to shield her girl from the wrath of Zhao Yue.

Even though Zhao Yue couldn’t see Shen Buhui’s expression, she didn’t have to. She already knew what these two lovebirds must look like right now — disgustingly in sync.

Zhao Yue: “…”
I really don’t want to talk to you gross couple right now.

Ever since two years ago, when Xu Zhiyan had suddenly confessed on stage during an awards ceremony, and then Shen Buhui — not to be outdone — doubled down on the PDA while accepting her Best Actress award moments later, Zhao Yue had been suffering.

While the public swooned over their romance, while fans screamed and cried over their perfect love story, only Zhao Yue was left working overtime in the dead of night, trying to handle the chaos their public love declaration caused.

“I didn’t know the fans had such sharp eyes!” Xu Zhiyan muttered defensively after ending the call.

She had already learned the gist of what had happened from Shen Buhui’s phone.

It all started when, in a burst of impulsive pride (and love), Xu Zhiyan had subtly bragged about her relationship in a vague post on her private alt account. Her fans — being the detective-level CP stans they were — had put two and two together and traced the account back to her. Shen Buhui, who had just attended an event, became the final clue that unraveled the mystery.

Zhao Yue had given her a full lecture, demanding a public explanation.

So, still blushing from the embarrassment, Xu Zhiyan logged into the alt account right in front of Shen Buhui — who watched with great interest.

The moment the page loaded, the screen was flooded with red dots and a blazing 99+.

— ??? Xu Zhiyan?! Is this who I think it is?!
— THE fanfic author I’ve been following is actually my idol?! [shocked.jpg]
— So the escape room play… it really had a real-life sequel, right? RIGHT?! [crazy blinking.jpg]
— Dead. Xu Zhiyan is a comedy queen in disguise!
— Sure, I knew celebrities had alt accounts… but I never imagined my idol’s would be exposed like this [emotionally conflicted.jpg]
— Xu Zhiyan, does Shen Buhui know you’re writing this kind of spicy, over-the-top fanfic about her?!
— Digging through her history is hilarious. Every couple she shipped tanked… and in the end, she was building the foundation of her own CP. I’m done!

…

The comments and DMs were endless. Xu Zhiyan only gave it a quick scan before her face flushed in embarrassment.

Being teased by strangers was bad enough. But now… her friends knew too.

The latest DM came from CherryLittleMischief — her close fan-fic buddy — who had sent over a crushing 99+ messages. Her soul left her body.

It was one thing to get exposed to the public… it was another to be found out by people she actually knew. This was ultimate social death.

Xu Zhiyan hastily sent Cherry a quick message: I’ll explain everything later! Then she logged into her main account and posted a half-hearted clarification tweet.

After that, she shut Weibo down entirely — not even checking what Shen Buhui had reposted.

Sweat trickled down her temples. Facing the woman she’d accidentally dragged into this, she muttered sheepishly,
“If I’d known…”

“If you’d known what?” Shen Buhui, sitting calmly on the sofa, looked up with amused eyes.
“That you’d get exposed? That people would find your alt?”

“No! I mean… maybe I wouldn’t have written it so… unhinged…” Xu Zhiyan huffed.

She rubbed her chin, deep in regret, and solemnly added,
“Next time, I’ll be more restrained. I’ll make sure to really hide my alt.”

This account was officially unusable now.

Just thinking about the pressure from so many people watching her every word, Xu Zhiyan realized she couldn’t unleash the full depth of her refined writing abilities under such scrutiny.

So…
With a sparkle in her eyes, she made a decision: new account, new start!

Glancing at Shen Buhui, who remained calm and unbothered even as the internet lit up with wild comments, Xu Zhiyan couldn’t help but feel relieved.
“Thank goodness it was my alias that got exposed.”

At least Shen Buhui wasn’t unmasked.

If the world found out both of them were behind these wild fics, she couldn’t even imagine the kind of stares they’d get — both inside the industry and from fans.

Just picturing it made her scalp go numb.

She could be bold about public declarations of love — but public humiliation? Not happening.

With that in mind, Xu Zhiyan decided she’d stay home for a few days. Since she was already in her senior year of college and mostly out on internships, she didn’t even need to return to campus.

Just as Shen Buhui got up to make lunch, she heard Xu Zhiyan’s muttered relief. That calm little smile on her lips instantly froze.

A bad feeling stirred in her gut.

—

Sometimes, Xu Zhiyan really wanted to curse her own mouth — why did all the bad things she joked about always come true?

When she got yet another phone call from Zhao Yue, she didn’t even flinch anymore. She was numb to it.

This time, though, she wasn’t the main target of Zhao Yue’s yelling. But even so, Zhao Yue managed to sneak in a few scoldings just for her.

When the call finally ended, peace returned to the house.
Xu Zhiyan clicked her tongue.
“Yue-jie must be seriously overworked. Otherwise, no way she’d dare yell at you.”

Shen Buhui rubbed her temples.
“I really didn’t do anything.”

But after listening to the full story, Xu Zhiyan started to feel a little guilty.
“…Actually, maybe it’s still kinda… my fault?”

After fans tracked down Xu Zhiyan’s alt, it didn’t take much for them to draw connections. Given how affectionate the two had been in public, it was only natural for people to start wondering — if Xu Zhiyan had a secret account… maybe Shen Buhui did too?

With that logic, the rest was easy.

“…Seriously?” Xu Zhiyan growled.
“If they’re that smart, why don’t they use their brains somewhere useful?!”

Shen Buhui scrolled through the endless barrage of “LMAO”s under her posts and said with amusement,
“Maybe… because it makes them happy.”

Their eyes met — united in suffering — a rare moment of shared helplessness.

Holding her phone, Xu Zhiyan stared at her freshly registered new alt account, confident:
“This time, I’m giving them an opportunity. But next time? I’ll be buried so deep, they’ll never find me again.”

She even changed her writing style for camouflage!

Her eyes sparkled with the thrill of a challenge. She was determined to outsmart the internet.

Just like her design coursework — which she had kept secret for years without anyone around her finding out. If she could pull that off, she could definitely protect a little alt account.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it before.
She just… hadn’t taken it seriously.

Shen Buhui narrowed her eyes slightly, suddenly suspicious.
“You sound… very experienced?”

Xu Zhiyan’s survival instincts kicked in immediately.
“Well, of course I’m experienced — dealing with them!”
Them, as in netizens. Not you, baby. Never you.

Shen Buhui, satisfied, looked away.

Xu Zhiyan let out a tiny sigh of relief behind her back.
How is my girlfriend so sharp? If she wanted to keep a secret, she’d have to work fast and hide better.

Little did she know — behind her back, Shen Buhui’s lips curled up in a silent smile.

She wasn’t stupid — and when it came to Xu Zhiyan, her intuition was a hundred times sharper than anyone else’s.

She’d known for a while that Xu Zhiyan was hiding something, tiptoeing around her. She’d even planned to confront her about it.

But then she realized — even Zhao Yue was in on it, helping Xu Zhiyan cover it up.

That could only mean one thing:

It was for her.

And so, Shen Buhui chose to let it go. One eye open, one eye shut. But honestly… Xu Zhiyan was taking way too long. Shen Buhui sighed inwardly.

Still, watching her girlfriend nervously scrambling to cover her tracks, stammering sweet nothings to stay safe — it was all so endearing.

They sat with their backs to each other, lost in their own thoughts — and yet somehow, the air around them shimmered with a quiet harmony and sweetness.

—

A few days later, while Shen Buhui was away filming a commercial, Xu Zhiyan quietly called Zhao Yue.

“Yue-jie, just one more favor. Please?”

Zhao Yue, still buried under the fallout of the couple’s recent online chaos, nearly passed out from the stress. Hearing that voice, she instinctively wanted to say no.

She didn’t even need to ask what was happening — she could tell Xu Zhiyan was cooking up another scheme.

After two years of working together, Xu Zhiyan knew exactly how to hit where it hurt.

“Come on, help us out~” she cooed. “Don’t you want to see us get our happy ending?”

And then — the killer blow:

“Just imagine—family reality shows, couple variety shows. So many new income streams! I’ll even help convince her for you.”

Whether or not Shen Buhui would agree… that was a later problem. Right now, she just needed to get Zhao Yue on board.

Zhao Yue paused, tone dead serious:
“You want me to use work as an excuse to get you out again, right? Fine.”

“No, no,” Xu Zhiyan quickly corrected.
“This time it’s both of us. You tell Shen Buhui she has a photoshoot. I’ll send you the full plan file. Just follow it.”

Zhao Yue: “…Fine. Not like it’s the first time I’ve done something like this.”

Xu Zhiyan immediately sent over her carefully detailed plan, then picked up the custom item she’d prepared from the tailoring studio. After giving it to Zhao Yue with endless reminders, she rushed home.

Pacing around, she mumbled to herself,
“Now, how should I set the scene?”

It didn’t take long for inspiration to strike.

—

A week later, when Shen Buhui was notified of a surprise photoshoot gig by Zhao Yue, she blinked in confusion.

“I don’t remember seeing that on my schedule?”

Zhao Yue replied smoothly, “Xu Zhiyan booked it. Ask her.”

At that, Shen Buhui’s suspicions vanished completely. A smile tugged at her lips.
“She probably forgot to tell me. Alright then, let’s go.”

Zhao Yue followed behind, shaking her head with a sigh.
Look at that. Total double standard. All it takes is Xu Zhiyan’s name and she’s ready to go, no questions asked.

If only I had that kind of power.

If Shen Buhui could hear her thoughts, she’d probably let out a soft snort and say:
“Not in this lifetime.”

—

The location for the shoot was outdoors.

When Shen Buhui heard this part of the plan, she glanced up at the blazing sunshine and frowned slightly.

“Is Zhiyan coming too?”

Zhao Yue nodded.
“Yes, this photoshoot is for both of you.”

As Shen Buhui followed Zhao Yue into the styling room, she noticed how few people were around. Before she could voice her suspicion, Zhao Yue calmly followed the script Xu Zhiyan had given her:
“This magazine shoot is confidential — so only a minimal crew is present.”

Catching the trace of doubt in Shen Buhui’s gaze, Zhao Yue added coolly,
“What, you don’t trust me? Or you don’t trust Xu Zhiyan?”

That line immediately shut down any lingering suspicion.

“Of course I trust her,” Shen Buhui replied with ease.

But when her hair and makeup were done, and she stepped into the changing room only to find a single dress hanging on the rack, even someone as composed — and trusting — as Shen Buhui couldn’t deceive herself any longer.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She forced herself to walk closer, her voice carefully neutral:
“Is today’s shoot themed… around weddings?”

“…I think so.”

Zhao Yue had been caught off guard by the sight of that wedding dress too — and now couldn’t help but silently curse Xu Zhiyan’s “brilliant” mind. Way too obvious.

Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all — Xu Zhiyan — was nervously reciting lines in a separate room.

In her twenty-some years of life, she didn’t have many embarrassing moments — but the ones she did have were… unforgettable.

Chief among them: the time she bailed mid-confession.

That memory still made her skin crawl with secondhand shame.

So this time, she was going all in.

She’d scouted the perfect proposal location, made a flawless plan, recruited outside help — everything was ready.

The thought gave her a little boost of confidence.
This time, she was going to give Shen Buhui the perfect proposal.

With purposeful steps, Xu Zhiyan slipped on her dress and walked out.

She, too, wore a wedding gown — one she’d made herself.

It was her very first attempt. Admittedly amateur — the stitches a little loose, the design a bit too simple — it was far from perfect. But before she could make something worthy of Shen Buhui, she needed experience. Practice.

And this one, for all its flaws, would do for now.

When she stepped out, she found the crew — including Zhao Yue — all standing off to the side.
But no sign of Shen Buhui.

That was odd. Xu Zhiyan had chosen this sunflower field specifically for the proposal — even arranging for temporary dressing rooms to be built under a canopy so it wouldn’t raise suspicion. But now… no Shen Buhui?

“Where is she?” she asked Zhao Yue.

Zhao Yue casually pointed outside with her chin.
“She kicked us all out after seeing the dress. Changed by herself and went outside.”

What she didn’t say was that the moment Shen Buhui laid eyes on the gown, she had ordered everyone to leave the room.

Hearing that, Xu Zhiyan lifted the hem of her dress and made to rush outside. But before she reached the door, she paused and turned back.

“You saw her… in the wedding dress?”

Zhao Yue: “…”

“No!” she huffed. “Why would I want to look? You two are insufferable!”

Xu Zhiyan flashed a triumphant, sweet smile and turned to leave.

“Jie!”

The moment she called out, Shen Buhui turned.

There she stood — radiant in pure white silk and lace, the gown hugging her figure just so. Elegant, delicate, breathtaking.

Every stitch and seam — lovingly sewn by Xu Zhiyan herself.

Seeing her like that, Xu Zhiyan felt as if electricity had run through her body. She was completely overcome.

Swallowing hard, she stood frozen for several seconds before daring to step forward.

Shen Buhui, who had been waiting patiently, greeted her with a luminous smile.

Behind her back, she gently tightened her grip on the object in her palm. Her lashes fluttered as she said softly,
“You’re here.”

“…Mm. I’m here.”

The smile on Shen Buhui’s lips deepened. She didn’t ask where the camera crew was — just turned her palm and looked at Xu Zhiyan with gentle seriousness.
“I have something—”

“Wait—!”

Xu Zhiyan suddenly cut her off, lifting her dress as she turned and ran back toward the prep area.
“Hold on, I need to go get the photographer!”

Shen Buhui: “…”

The smile on her lips stiffened.

For a split second, she’d actually thought Xu Zhiyan was going to run off again—just like the time she made her surprise confession onstage and bolted halfway through.

Watching that slender figure disappear out the door, Shen Buhui flexed her fingers slightly, easing the tension in her wrist that had been holding something behind her back.

This time, she was determined not to let Xu Zhiyan beat her to it.

By the time Xu Zhiyan returned, drenched in sweat and dragging the photographer along, she was breathless but beaming.

She smiled at the woman who had been patiently waiting in her wedding dress.
“Jie, time to start the shoot!”

Shen Buhui nodded, amused and curious.
Let’s see what other tricks she has up her sleeve.

She stood where she was, willing to indulge Xu Zhiyan’s whims for now.

But clearly, Xu Zhiyan had no intention of dragging this out again. She had learned from the last time — no more long speeches, no more stalling. Just get to the point before anything goes wrong.

So the moment Shen Buhui gave the signal, Xu Zhiyan took a deliberate step back, dropped to one knee — fast, precise, and confident.

“Jie… marry me!”

She held out the ring she had prepared, her eyes full of hopeful anticipation.

Shen Buhui: “…”

Behind her back, the engagement ring she had designed and hidden slipped further into her palm.

She had planned to propose today.

She had even been proud of herself — thinking, this time, I’ll get ahead of her.

But now?

She was officially one step too late. Again.

Xu Zhiyan blinked when she noticed the silence. Though she was certain there wouldn’t be any answer other than “yes,” her heart still skipped anxiously.

Just for a moment — in that fragile pause — she imagined a thousand different reactions. She had already started making excuses for Shen Buhui in her head.

“Jie…”

“…You beat me to it. Again.”

A soft voice cut through her panic.

Shen Buhui opened her palm, revealing the ring she’d designed herself.

“I had it custom-made,” she said gently. “The moment I saw the wedding dress in the dressing room, I was going to take the chance to propose. But…”

She looked at the woman kneeling in front of her, a fond exasperation flickering in her eyes.

“…you still beat me.”

Xu Zhiyan lifted her head and saw the sparkle of the ring — literally sparkling. The diamond had been cut into her favorite shape and was set perfectly on a band clearly crafted with intention and care.

Compared to that, the ring in her own hand… looked kind of like a toy.

She’d poured all her energy into the wedding dress. Designing a ring had completely slipped her mind.

Smiling sheepishly, she stood up, took back her own ring, and — under the astonished gaze of the crew — slipped Shen Buhui’s ring onto her own finger.

“It’s fine,” Xu Zhiyan said with a mischievous little grin. “We can call this… a synchronized proposal.”

“I want to wear the ring you designed for me.”

Her eyes scanned over Shen Buhui from head to toe.
“You’re wearing the wedding dress I made, and I’m wearing the ring you made.”

Their tokens of love, exchanged in this perfectly timed moment, made Xu Zhiyan’s heart race with excitement and joy.

Shen Buhui blinked. “You made this dress?”

Xu Zhiyan nodded, proud.

In that instant, everything clicked for Shen Buhui.

She paused, blinking back the emotion that rose unbidden behind her eyes.
“You’ve been planning this… for a long time, haven’t you?”

Two years.
A proposal in the making for two whole years.

Dressed in a wedding gown, Shen Buhui tilted her head, taking in every inch of Xu Zhiyan’s face — from her eyes to the curve of her lips — with reverent care.

Then, slowly, she held out her hand to the woman who had waited so long.

“Well then,” she said with a soft smile, the breeze dancing around her skirt and the sunflower petals behind her swaying like sunshine,
“I guess I’ll let you be first this time.”

Xu Zhiyan looked up and heard her say, with tender certainty—

“I say yes, Xu Zhiyan.”

Off in the distance, the photographer pressed the shutter.

Time froze.

Under a blue sky filled with drifting clouds, in a sea of sunflowers, they stood in each other’s arms — both wearing white, both smiling, both homes.