Turns Out Seducing the Movie Queen Can Break the Plot - Chapter 56

Opening her eyes, Jiang Chi was greeted by monotonous yet glaring whiteness.

White walls, white curtains, and the faint, lingering scent of disinfectant in the air.

“Sweetheart, you’re finally awake. You have no idea how worried I was. If the doctor hadn’t assured us you were just exhausted and suffering from sleep deprivation, your father would have summoned all the top specialists in the country.” Liu Ci stood up from the bedside, her face etched with concern. “Do you feel any discomfort?”

Jiang Chi’s head felt heavy whether it was from the aftermath of her fall down the slope or simply from sleeping too long, she couldn’t tell.

“Mom, how long was I out?” Her throat was parched, a clear sign she had been unconscious for quite some time.

“You’ve been asleep for two days.” Liu Ci persisted, repeating her question. “Are you sure you’re not hurting anywhere?”

“I’m fine.” Jiang Chi sat up on the hospital bed. “How did I get here?”

Liu Ci recounted the events as Bai Yuetong had explained them to her, how Bai Yuetong was the first to notice Jiang Chi’s disappearance, alerted the production team, and eventually found her in a weed-choked ravine.

The crew had immediately transferred her to the hospital. After confirming that aside from one significant abrasion, her injuries were minor and not life-threatening, they finally notified Jiang Chi’s parents. By the time the Jiangs arrived, Jiang Chi had already slipped into a deep slumber.

“Thank goodness you’re alright. Your father and I were beside ourselves with worry.”

Not once did Wen Wen’s name come up in the retelling. Jiang Chi’s expression dimmed slightly. Misinterpreting her reaction, Liu Ci pressed again, “Sweetheart, are you sure you’re not in pain? Don’t keep it to yourself, tell me if something’s wrong.”

Jiang Chi forced a smile. “Really, Mom, I’m fine. Maybe my brain’s still a little foggy from sleeping too long.”

“What about the show?”

Liu Ci adjusted the pillow behind her back, urging her to lie down again. “Filming’s been temporarily suspended. Coincidentally, in three days, the child of one of my friends is hosting a birthday party. You should come with me, it’ll be a nice change of scenery.”

“That friend’s child just returned from abroad to start their career. Since you’ve broken up with Su Jing, this is a perfect chance to meet them. I’ve seen them myself all my friends rave about them. Good-looking, polite, and outstanding in every way.”

Though framed as a casual introduction, this was undeniably another setup.

Had this been right after her awakening, Jiang Chi might have been open to it anyone but Su Jing would have sufficed. But now, she couldn’t fathom a future without Wen Wen.

No one else would do. It had to be Wen Wen.

“Mom,” Jiang Chi said earnestly, meeting Liu Ci’s gaze. “There’s someone I like.”

“Oh?” Liu Ci seemed surprised. “You know I’ve never pressured you about this. All I want is for you to be happy, healthy, and at peace, that’s what matters most.”

Jiang Chi knew. Since childhood, Jiang Qingyuan and Liu Ci had always prioritized her wishes. Though they had disapproved of Su Jing initially, they had only advised against it gently, never forcing their will upon her. Their message had always been clear: Mom and Dad will always support you.

How fortunate to be born into such a family.

“Mom, I—” Jiang Chi hesitated for only a few seconds before deciding to be honest. “The person I like… is a girl.”

Liu Ci froze momentarily, as if realizing something. Her expression turned slightly odd, but only for an instant. Just as she was about to speak, the sound of the door opening interrupted her.

“Oh, my precious granddaughter!”

“My darling grandchild!”

The hospital room door swung open as Jiang Chi’s paternal grandmother and maternal grandmother entered simultaneously, followed by her grandfathers.

All four retired elders, who had been recuperating abroad, had returned from overseas.

The two in the room were momentarily stunned. Liu Ci recovered first: “Parents, why have you all come back? Didn’t we tell you Chichi was fine?”

Her mother gave her daughter a reproachful look. “Whether she’s fine or not isn’t for you to decide. You and Qingyuan always just say ‘everything’s fine.’ I had to see for myself if my precious grandchild was truly alright.”

With that, she took Jiang Chi’s hand and stroked her face with tender concern. “Sweetheart, are you okay? Are you feeling any discomfort?”

No sooner had she spoken than the paternal grandmother chimed in: “I told you I had this uneasy feeling that night. I even called your mother specially to warn her to be careful. Who knew you’d end up getting hurt?”

The grandfathers stood at the foot of the bed. The paternal one scanned the room disapprovingly. “Where’s Qingyuan? Did he go back to work without even visiting Chichi? Always like this, such a workaholic. I’ve always said Chichi would suffer under your care.”

The maternal grandfather nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Young people these days only care about work and nothing else. I think Chichi should come live with us in America. Her grandmother and I can take good care of her.”

“No way,” the paternal grandfather objected. “She should come to Europe with me. The environment is better, more fashionable and romantic young people love it most.”

The maternal grandmother squeezed Jiang Chi’s hand. “Your grandfather’s right. Listen to Grandma and come to America. I’ll make sure you’re plump and healthy in no time.”

The paternal grandmother took Jiang Chi’s other hand. “Better yet, come live with me in Europe. Didn’t you love Grandma’s cooking most when you were little? I can make you different dishes every day.”

As the elders began bickering about where Jiang Chi should live, she watched the familiar scene unfold, feeling her heart fill with warm sunlight, just like in childhood.

Liu Ci stopped them with a sigh. “Parents, shouldn’t you ask Chichi what she wants first?”

The four elders fell silent immediately. The maternal grandmother was quickest to suggest: “How about this, she can stay with us in America for a few months first, then with you in Europe for a few months. That way Chichi won’t get bored.”

Before the others could respond, Jiang Chi spoke up first this time. Smiling, she addressed each of them affectionately before saying, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here in China.”

With one hand held by each grandmother, she looked from one to the other and answered their earlier concern: “Don’t worry, I’m completely fine. Just had a good long sleep.”

“As long as you’re alright,” the paternal grandmother said, stroking her cheek. “Chichi, have you lost weight again?”

Jiang Chi shook her head. “No, Grandma. I can step on the scale right now haven’t lost an ounce. I’ve been eating tons every day.”

“Being able to eat is a blessing. It’s when you can’t eat that worries us old folks,” Grandma said, then suddenly turned to Liu Ci. “What were you two talking about when we came in? The atmosphere seemed quite tense.”

Liu Ci looked hesitant, glancing at Jiang Chi without speaking.

Jiang Chi surveyed the four elders. She knew their health conditions and that they were open-minded, but she wasn’t sure if they were open-minded enough to accept her being gay.

She decided to be honest: “Well, I just came out to Mom.”

“Came out? What’s so special about that?” Grandma was the first to respond approvingly, then paused. She leaned closer to Jiang Chi to confirm, “What does ‘coming out’ mean?”

Jiang Chi explained, “It means… the person I like is a girl.”

Granny was the first to understand: “Same-sex marriage is legal now. When you two get married, I’ll have two precious granddaughters. How wonderful is that? What’s wrong with that?”

Grandma also caught on: “Right, I feel the same as Granny. Is your mother against it?”

Before Jiang Chi could respond, Grandma turned to scold her daughter: “A-Ci, I’m not trying to lecture you, but what era is this? How can you be less open-minded than us old folks? Didn’t I teach you that what matters most is our child’s happiness and health?”

Liu Ci smiled faintly: “Mom, I haven’t said anything yet.”

Jiang Chi chimed in: “That’s right, Grandma. Mom didn’t oppose it.”

Grandma looked puzzled: “Then why did it feel like you two were confronting each other earlier?”

Liu Ci walked over and placed her hands on Grandma’s shoulders: “I just wanted to say that although society is more accepting now and it’s legal, some people still hold prejudices. There will inevitably be societal pressures. I wanted to know if Chi-Chi has truly thought this through.”

In an instant, all eyes turned to Jiang Chi.

Looking at the concerned expressions on each elder’s face, Jiang Chi said earnestly, “I don’t care what others think. As long as my family supports me, no matter how tough the road ahead is, I’ll keep going.”

The hands holding hers tightened slightly as Grandma and Granny spoke simultaneously: “Family will always support you. You just keep moving forward.”

Grandpa and Granddad nodded in agreement.

Jiang Chi felt her eyes grow slightly moist. She nuzzled into Grandma’s embrace, then turned to do the same with Granny.

Suddenly, Granddad seemed to remember something: “Precious granddaughter, why did you break up with that man Su Jing? Did he treat you poorly? Tell Granddad, and I’ll go teach him a lesson!”

The hospital room erupted into another round of heated criticism against Su Jing. Jiang Chi suddenly recalled how, when she first brought Su Jing home, everyone in the family had disapproved. The elders had even listed every possible flaw Su Jing might have, all of which later proved true.

“I always said that boy was no good. But it’s good that you broke up. It’s never too late for anything,” Granddad concluded.

Yes, Jiang Chi agreed silently. It’s never too late for anything.

After criticizing Su Jing, the elders grew curious about Jiang Chi’s current love interest and began asking questions.

Jiang Chi gave a bitter smile and simply said, “I don’t even know if she likes girls. If it works out, I’ll definitely bring her back for you to meet as soon as possible.”

If not for the unexpected turn of events, Jiang Chi had originally gone there to confess her feelings to Wen Wen. Looking back now, she had been completely consumed by overwhelming love and terrifying possessiveness, wanting to take Wen Wen away from Jiang Miao’s side. In the process, she had forgotten her earlier worries her fear that Wen Wen might see her as a creep.

Back in the escape room, Wen Wen hadn’t shown any aversion to homosexuality.

But not being averse didn’t necessarily mean she would like someone of the same gender.

Did Wen Wen like women?

That answer remained unknown.

And what Jiang Chi did know was that Wen Wen liked Su Jing…

Seeing her suddenly grow despondent, her grandmother quickly spoke up, brimming with confidence in her granddaughter’s charm: “No worries. No one could possibly resist our Chi Chi’s allure.”

The other elders chimed in agreement.

Noticing the time, Liu Ci asked, “Mom, Dad, when do you plan to head back this time?”

Her grandmother replied, “We discussed it on the way here. Since your birthday is coming up soon, we’ll stay until after your birthday banquet. It’s a good chance to spend more time in the country and dote on our precious granddaughter.”

Jiang Chi was ultimately dragged into attending the banquet. The event was a lively affair, filled with elegantly dressed men and women mingling amidst clinking glasses. Liu Ci introduced her to the host of the banquet and also to the host’s son, a genuinely handsome man. But Jiang Chi’s mind was occupied solely by thoughts of Wen Wen.

Politely declining the host’s son’s attempt at small talk, Jiang Chi excused herself from Liu Ci and was about to retreat to a quiet corner when she unexpectedly caught sight of Wen Wen standing right beside Jiang Miao.

At the sight of Wen Wen, Jiang Chi’s eyes lit up for a fleeting moment, only to dim again when she noticed Wen Wen’s gaze fixed in one direction. Following her line of sight, Jiang Chi’s eyes landed on Su Jing.

Su Jing was currently surrounded by a group of beautiful women, all seemingly curious whether about him or his injuries was unclear.

His wounds had mostly healed by now, and at the very least, his face had regained its handsome charm.

Jiang Chi’s steps faltered mid-stride. The person Wen Wen liked was Su Jing.

Her earlier joy plummeted into despair. Turning away, she headed toward the banquet hall’s balcony, but the familiar force suddenly surged back. Her feet changed course, and she marched straight toward Su Jing.

She pushed through the crowd of women encircling him, unable to keep the bitterness from seeping into her voice: “Brother, how could you be with other women when I’m right here.”

Her words cut off abruptly as the controlling force vanished. Jiang Chi turned her head and, sure enough, saw Wen Wen standing behind her or rather, Jiang Miao standing with an arm around Wen Wen’s shoulders. Noticing her gaze, Jiang Miao even waved at her with a smile.

Wen Wen must have come over because she was upset seeing Su Jing surrounded by all those women.

After only two seconds of dejection, Jiang Chi abruptly lifted her head and pushed through the crowd again this time, heading straight for Wen Wen. Ignoring the stunned looks around her, she grabbed Wen Wen’s hand and pulled her away from the banquet hall.

They walked for what felt like an eternity long enough for Jiang Chi to wonder why Wen Wen was so compliant, offering no resistance as she let herself be led. When Jiang Chi finally stopped and turned, she found Wen Wen staring at her with an amused, expectant look.

Jiang Chi belatedly felt a bit nervous and softly called out, “Sister!”

Her voice was so quiet it was like a claw lightly scratching at the heart. Wen Wen stared at her for a moment before speaking without much emotion, “You dragged me out in such a hurry, you’d better have something urgent to say.”

Jiang Chi: …

She didn’t have anything urgent.

Wait, actually, she did. Remembering something, she said seriously, “Sister, you saw it too just now. That man is always surrounded by women, laughing and chatting, he’s definitely, absolutely, one hundred percent a scumbag. Don’t like him. I can introduce you to a whole truckload of good men, and you can pick whoever you want!”

“Oh?” Wen Wen caught two key points in her words, her gaze shifting as she raised the most important one. “But what if I don’t like men?”

Jiang Chi immediately agreed, “Even better! I know lots of pretty sisters too! I can introduce them all to you!”

Wen Wen curved her lips slightly. “I really like ones like you.”

“So, do you like women?”

Support