The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love - Chapter 71 (END)

Xu Zhiyan arrived at school early that morning. After handing in her homework, she had just taken her seat when she heard Cao Yueyue apologizing.

She was momentarily stunned, then remembered what it was about.

Xu Zhiyan waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it. I’m not mad anymore. Just don’t gossip or make wild guesses about me again, okay?”

Cao Yueyue immediately promised again and again that she wouldn’t do it anymore.

Over the next few days, Cao Yueyue behaved herself and never brought up any similar topics in front of Xu Zhiyan.

But Xu Zhiyan hadn’t even noticed. She had been completely consumed by the words Shen Buhui said last Friday.

Shen Buhui didn’t want to be in a relationship!

Lying on her desk, twirling her pen, Xu Zhiyan was caught in a dilemma. If Shen Buhui never wants to date anyone in her entire life, should I still keep holding on?

But then, every time she thought of the serious look on Shen Buhui’s face when she said those words, Xu Zhiyan’s heart would swell inexplicably.

If she doesn’t want to date, then that also means… there will never be anyone else close to her except me.

Thinking of it that way, Shen Buhui not wanting to be in a relationship didn’t seem so unacceptable after all.

Xu Zhiyan tried her best to ignore the faint sourness in her heart and kept convincing herself.

“What flavor do you want?” Shen Buhui handed her the menu, watching Xu Zhiyan, whose tendency to space out had noticeably increased over the past few days. There was a trace of gentleness in her eyes.

“Spicy,” Xu Zhiyan said after a quick glance, deciding without hesitation.

They were sitting near the air conditioner, and the cool breeze felt heavenly in the sweltering heat.

It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was nearly full. Whether they knew them or not, many people would subtly glance at Shen Buhui.

Resting her chin in her hand, Xu Zhiyan gazed at Shen Buhui—so beautiful it was almost shocking. She then pinched her own face, which still carried a bit of baby fat. “Jiejie*, do you think I’m pretty?”

[*Note: ‘Jiejie’ means “older sister” in Chinese.]

“You’re pretty,” Shen Buhui replied without the slightest hesitation.

A bright smile spread across Xu Zhiyan’s face. Her eyes curved with joy. “I’ll definitely be even prettier when I grow up.”

Xu Zhiyan liked beautiful people and things. Just seeing them would lift her mood. Naturally, she thought Shen Buhui must feel the same way.

“So, Jiejie, I think you’re right. The best thing would be for the two of us to live together. Let’s just not fall in love with anyone, okay?”

Shen Buhui raised an eyebrow slightly, her dark eyes fixed on Xu Zhiyan. “Don’t be in such a hurry to give me an answer.”

But Xu Zhiyan wasn’t intimidated at all. She puffed out her cheeks. “Just trust me! I won’t go back on my word—and neither should you.”

As she spoke, Xu Zhiyan held out her hand, pinky finger extended. “Pinky promise! No going back, no breaking the deal!”

Shen Buhui gently patted her head. “What if you change your mind in the future?”

“I won’t,” Xu Zhiyan said, shaking her head. If it’s just the two of us in the future, she thought, I can keep my feelings buried deep down!

Shen Buhui smiled softly, extending her slender pinky to seal the promise.

Even if she regrets it later, I can still give her a choice when we’re adults, she thought.

After lunch, the two of them parted ways at the street corner and returned to their respective schools.

That afternoon, due to a sudden school event, No. 1 High School finished earlier than usual.

As soon as the teacher announced the end of the day, Xu Zhiyan slung her backpack over her shoulder and slipped away.

She was going to wait for Shen Buhui outside the high school gates.

She found a shaded spot under a tree and stood on a stone, tiptoeing and scanning the gate constantly.

Since she wasn’t allowed to bring a phone during school hours, Xu Zhiyan had no way of contacting Shen Buhui. She was also afraid Shen Buhui wouldn’t know she was there and might leave without her. So she kept a vigilant watch, not daring to let her guard down.

“There! Jiejie!” the moment she saw Shen Buhui in her blue-and-white school uniform, Xu Zhiyan bounced up and waved excitedly.

The stone under her foot nearly rolled away from the sudden movement, but Xu Zhiyan quickly stabilized herself. Then, like a nimble little fish, she weaved through the crowd and darted to Shen Buhui’s side.

Grabbing her hand in one swift motion.

“School ended early today?” Shen Buhui looked down and asked.

“Uh-huh!” Xu Zhiyan nodded, chirping happily like a little bird as she circled Shen Buhui. “It’s been so long since I waited for you after school.”

A few of Shen Buhui’s classmates noticed the pretty girl beside her and asked with a smile, “Shen Buhui, is that your little sister?”

Xu Zhiyan almost blurted out, Not her sister! But then she realized she couldn’t keep thinking about becoming her girlfriend all the time. On second thought… she kind of was like a little sister.

Still, a tiny bit of resistance lingered in her heart. Pouting slightly, Xu Zhiyan said nothing—wanting to hear how Shen Buhui would respond.

“She’s not my sister,” Shen Buhui said softly, gently swinging Xu Zhiyan’s hand in hers. “She’s family—and a friend.”

The girl who had asked the question blinked, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. Isn’t a sister considered family too?

Still, she didn’t press further. Instead, she offered a couple more compliments to Xu Zhiyan before slinging her backpack over her shoulder and leaving with her friends.

Xu Zhiyan tilted her head back, her little face beaming. “Jiejie, Jiejie, Jiejie…”

“You really want to be my little sister?”

“No way,” Xu Zhiyan said crisply.

Shen Buhui looked at the way she wrinkled her nose in mock defiance and couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head with helpless amusement.

Back at home, after finishing dinner—which they had cooked together—they sat across from each other, did homework for a while, then turned off the lights and went to bed.

Early the next morning, as soon as Shen Buhui woke up and turned on her phone to check the time, she saw a message waiting from the night before.

[Happy 18th Birthday, Shen Buhui!]

It had been sent exactly at midnight. The sender’s name was saved as Yanyan.

Her lips curved into a smile before she even realized it. She threw off the covers, walked to the window, and opened it to let in some fresh air.

Just as she opened her bedroom door, a lively figure suddenly popped out in front of her.

“Ta-da~! Happy birthday, Shen Buhui!”

Xu Zhiyan was holding a sparkling crown in her hands, smiling brightly. “Let me put it on you, okay? Today you’re my princess!”

The rhinestones on the crown shimmered delicately, the entire piece gleaming as Xu Zhiyan raised it up reverently, holding it toward her with both hands.

Shen Buhui’s smile deepened. Her heart had already melted. She bent down slightly, lowering her head so Xu Zhiyan could crown her.

“Thank you, Yanyan. Is this my birthday present? I love it.”

“As long as you like it.” Xu Zhiyan withdrew her hands, admiring Shen Buhui from every angle. No matter how she looked at her—from head to toe—Shen Buhui was flawless. “But this isn’t the real gift. Your actual birthday present is still to come.”

Shen Buhui nodded, lightly touching the crown on her head. Then she lifted the hem of her dress slightly and asked with a smile, “So I’m just a princess today?”

Xu Zhiyan looked up at her, pausing briefly before saying, “You could be a queen too.”

“If you’re the queen, then I’ll be the knight who protects you.”

Shen Buhui tousled Xu Zhiyan’s fluffy hair and laughed, “All right.”

All morning, Xu Zhiyan fussed over her, determined not to let her queen lift a finger.

Lunch was delivery, ordered by Xu Zhiyan. After they finished sharing the meal, she shooed Shen Buhui off to take a nap.

Since Shen Buhui didn’t like crowded social gatherings, Xu Zhiyan had never considered organizing a party for her birthdays. So, just like every other year, it would be a quiet day for just the two of them.

But this year felt a little different—after all, it was Shen Buhui’s eighteenth birthday.

Being thoughtful, Shen Buhui obediently went to take a nap, giving Xu Zhiyan some alone time to prepare her surprise.

Once the room fell quiet, Xu Zhiyan quickly grabbed her bike and rushed out to pick up the birthday cake.

She had specially ordered the cake in advance. Originally, she’d wanted to bake it herself—but being small, short, and not particularly skilled in the kitchen, her trial cakes had been too awful to bear. So she had given up.

After picking up the custom cake, she returned home and carefully practiced setting everything up in the kitchen before sitting on the couch, waiting for Shen Buhui to wake up.

At 3:00 PM, Shen Buhui finally emerged from her room.

“Is there anything special you want to do?” Xu Zhiyan jumped up and asked.

All morning, they had just done their usual routines, nothing particularly celebratory. So Xu Zhiyan was hoping for a new idea.

“Let’s watch a movie,” Shen Buhui suggested after a pause. “It’s been a while since we went to the cinema together. We’ve got the time now—want to go?”

Of course Xu Zhiyan had no reason to say no. The two of them grabbed a sun umbrella and headed out.

The whole time, Shen Buhui didn’t take the crown off her head. She’d even braided her hair to match it, and confidently walked around with Xu Zhiyan, crown and all.

The movie lasted almost two hours, and by the time it ended, it was past five.

Shen Buhui glanced at her watch and said teasingly, “What if we just eat out tonight?”

“No way!” Xu Zhiyan blurted out without thinking. “We have to go home. The cake I bought is still sitting there!”

“When did you buy a cake?” Shen Buhui asked, pretending to be surprised.

Xu Zhiyan giggled and tugged her hand. “While you weren’t paying attention, of course!”

“Hurry up, Your Majesty.”

She let go of Shen Buhui’s hand, stepped back, and gave her a clumsy, dramatic knight’s bow.

Shen Buhui couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth. She carefully placed her hand into the one Xu Zhiyan had offered.

Without paying any mind to the curious looks from passersby, the two of them walked home hand-in-hand, full of joy.

“But the cake’s not for now,” Xu Zhiyan warned as she placed it carefully on the dining table. “You can’t open it until dinnertime.”

Looks like this little rascal is planning to cook me a birthday dinner, Shen Buhui thought.

As she watched Xu Zhiyan tying on an apron, Shen Buhui smiled and nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Then she stepped forward and helped tie the straps at the back, stepping back to say, “Be careful, okay?”

She returned to the couch, gently straightening the now slightly tilted crown on her head, her eyes never leaving the figure bustling around in the kitchen.

Being loved wholeheartedly like this… feels amazing.

Suddenly, Xu Zhiyan peeked her head out of the kitchen.

“No peeking! I have to preserve the mystery!”

Obediently, Shen Buhui turned her head away.

About half an hour passed before a soft “It’s ready” called Shen Buhui’s attention back. She turned her head.

Xu Zhiyan emerged from the kitchen, carefully holding a steaming bowl of noodles.

She placed the bowl in front of Shen Buhui and gently pushed it forward. “Longevity noodles,” she said.

“I made them myself. Try them, Jiejie.”

Shen Buhui paused for a moment, her gaze lingering on the fragrant bowl of noodles for a long while before she finally looked up and met Xu Zhiyan’s expectant eyes.

“Happy birthday, Jiejie,” Xu Zhiyan said with a warm smile. “You have to eat cake on your birthday, of course—but longevity noodles are important too.”

She lifted the lid from the cake. The first thing to appear were two small figurines holding hands—one big, one small—standing together atop the pink frosted surface. It was sweet and heartwarming.

“When did you learn to make noodles?” Shen Buhui lowered her gaze, her voice slightly hoarse.

Xu Zhiyan was best at making porridge. She could handle some basic dishes, but noodles? Until now, she’d only ever made instant ramen. Creating noodles from scratch—from mixing flour, kneading the dough, rolling it out, to finally cooking a full bowl of longevity noodles—was a major task for her.

In fact, even Shen Buhui herself had never attempted it before.

“I started learning over half a month ago,” Xu Zhiyan confessed, stealing a glance at her, unsure how Shen Buhui was feeling. “There were a few times when your school had exams and you weren’t home—I practiced in secret then.”

For her eighteenth birthday—her coming of age—Xu Zhiyan had wanted to do something with her own two hands.

A gift was a must. Cake, of course. But then she remembered how the elders in her hometown used to talk about longevity noodles and their symbolism, and suddenly, she really wanted to make them for Shen Buhui.

Luckily, it turned out pretty well.

Seeing that Shen Buhui didn’t seem upset by the uneven noodles, Xu Zhiyan urged her, “Eat up, Jiejie. If it sits too long, it’ll get mushy.”

Shen Buhui hesitated for a second, then suddenly reached out and pulled Xu Zhiyan into her arms, holding her close, burying her face in the girl’s slender shoulder.

“Thank you, Xu Zhiyan.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly love you more… you showed me I could.

She picked up a noodle, and carefully, seriously, began to eat.

Across the table, Xu Zhiyan stared at her, clearly nervous. “Well? How is it? Does it taste okay?”

“It’s delicious. Really, really good.” Shen Buhui looked at her gently between bites. “It’s the best bowl of noodles I’ve ever had in my life.”

Xu Zhiyan let out a breath of relief, her eyes curving into delighted crescents. “If you like it, I’ll keep making it for you.”

“For the rest of my life,” she promised.

“Mm.”

For a lifetime.

Shen Buhui looked up at Xu Zhiyan—radiant and warm—and that warmth seemed to reach all the way to her heart.

They would be together for a lifetime. Always.

Then, all of a sudden, another thought crossed Shen Buhui’s mind. Her eyes widened slightly, as if startled by the possibility, and she glanced away from Xu Zhiyan.

Only to meet her gaze at the same moment.

Their eyes locked.

The chopsticks in Shen Buhui’s hand paused. A thought struck her: Maybe… when Xu Zhiyan becomes an adult, I can give her another choice.

And give myself one, too.

Even though she wasn’t sure what her feelings would be by then.

Let time answer that question.

—The End—

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