After Filming A Lesbian Movie With The Straight Girl I Like - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Still Needs to Be Fed by Wifey

 

The joint interview was released as scheduled. The preview included a clip of Qin Cong’an dancing, but only her back was shown. Everyone hoped the full video would reveal her face. In the end, they were told that only Xu Ling, as a super VIP, got to see it!?

 

“I can’t take it anymore, I’m dying from shipping them!”
“Ten years as a fan and I’m fainting from shock. Sis, turns out when you turn the charm on, this is what you’re like?! I was clearly shipping the wrong CP before!”
“Ahhhh who understands?? She’s totally frozen, not moving a muscle and acting all shy—how is this the same person from other shows?? @XuLing could you please respond!!”
“From now on, I’m a staunch AnLing shipper. I can even accept LingAn, since Lingyu types faster / yellow heart”

 

Fans analyzed every second of the 20-minute video frame by frame. Every rewatch seemed to reveal new shipping material.

 

“When she called her “An’an,” Xu Ling’s neck turned red, just like when she was watching her dance—super suspicious. So when exactly did she call her that?]
“Don’t tell me it was during a kiss (screams)]
“Help, it must be that! Why else would she blush so hard?! Ahhh can they kiss on camera please! Will there be one in the movie? @DirectorChang, please speak up!]

 

While some were shipping hard, others felt awkward, like the two weren’t familiar and were just “acting” for the camera.

 

The two kept their distance most of the time. It was only later that Xu Ling scooted toward the middle a little—but even then, they still stayed pretty far apart. Physical contact was almost nonexistent, less than any other male-female CP on the show. Even when the host asked them to compare hand sizes, they didn’t do it.

 

“Bet they already compared in private. Anyone who gets it is already blushing.”
“I think that unfamiliar vibe is actually fake.”
“Exactly, they’ve been to each other’s homes. Waiting for photos—videos would be even better @QinCongan @XuLing 🙏🙏”
“Do you really think they were far apart? Their upper bodies, maybe. But their knees were practically touching, okay? Mark my words: there’s something going on. Ask me what? They’ve slept together.’

 

Xu Ling was reading through all the comments, thinking—You’re screaming over just a kiss?—until someone boldly claimed they’d slept together.

 

—She was so shocked she nearly threw her phone.

 

No way. Hopefully, the fans were just being over-the-top and didn’t actually see anything real.

 

At that moment, Xu Ling was backstage at a magazine company, about to do another interview with Qin Cong’an. And of all times, she had to see this right now?! How was she supposed to face her?

 

Yi Huai pushed the door open and walked over, saw Xu Ling reading all the shipping buzz from the last joint interview, and sat down beside her.

 

“Xu Ling, are you a genius?” she asked.

 

“What?”

 

“I scolded you after the last interview. That was my bad,” Yi Huai said sincerely. “Maybe I’m just too old and out of touch. Didn’t realize people these days are into this kind of CP. I thought you were clueless, but turns out you really know how to get the shippers going.”

 

“……” Xu Ling looked at Sister Huai and thought You’re the one who’s clueless.

 

But to be fair, who would’ve guessed that she and Qin Cong’an actually had slept together? It sounded so ridiculous that no one in the industry would ever believe it.

 

Yi Huai glanced down at her phone and said, “Qin Cong’an really surprised me. She went right along with the host’s question and admitted you’d been to each other’s homes—such quick reflexes.”

 

Quick what? Xu Ling rolled her eyes. That woman must’ve had a brain glitch. She probably just confused someone else’s story as hers.

 

“So now we have to arrange a gathering,” Yi Huai continued. “The other team said it should be at your place.”

 

Xu Ling glitched.

 

“I know you live with your parents and it’s not convenient, so I had the company rent you an apartment. The gathering will be there.”

 

“The place is yours to keep afterward too—since your schedule’s packed, and your family’s villa is kind of far, this will be much more convenient.”

 

Xu Ling was still buffering, but she managed to ask, “The company bought me an apartment?”

 

“You wish. It’s rented.”

 

“Oh.” Xu Ling went back to worrying about the gathering. Wait a minute… What if Qin Cong’an was the one who wanted to go to her place, and that’s why she went along with the host’s question? Why? And why not her own home?

 

She asked that out loud.

 

“Probably got stuff to hide,” Yi Huai said, remembering how Xu Ling asked about Qin Cong’an and Xie Jing before. “Maybe letting people into her house would expose her connection with Xie Jing—of course she wouldn’t allow that.”

 

Right after she said it, there was a crack.

 

Yi Huai looked up to find Xu Ling holding an eyeshadow palette—or, it used to be one palette. Now it was two broken halves.

 

“Dang, strong grip. How come you lost to Qin Cong’an in the strength game?”

 

“Ha…ha.” Xu Ling gave a dry laugh. “The quality was just too flimsy.”

 

Yi Huai didn’t dwell on it. “So it’s Thursday night. Gu Qi and Wen Qianning will come too. Director Liang’s attending. Director Chang said she’ll try her best, but she’s shooting right now, so probably won’t make it.”

 

Xu Ling wasn’t even listening anymore. Her mind was fried. She looked back down at her phone, reading more shipping comments. She didn’t know whether to pity herself—or pity the fans.

 

Today’s interview was another joint one. Since they wore their own clothes this time (no styling team involved), Xu Ling just happened to sneak a peek backstage at what Qin Cong’an was wearing.

 

Her outfit was a dark navy color, probably provided by a brand sponsor. So Xu Ling deliberately picked a matching undershirt in the same tone.

 

This time, they were asked to bring their go-to items for going out or shooting. The point was to let fans sneak a peek at what female celebrities used in daily life.

 

Xu Ling arrived at the studio carrying her tote bag. Qin Cong’an wasn’t there yet. While she waited, the stylist touched up her hair and makeup.

 

Since she didn’t need to match any character this time, her makeup was full, and her hair was nicely done.

 

When Qin Cong’an walked in, Xu Ling couldn’t stop staring at her face. With the full glam, she looked even more distant and untouchable—like those days when Xu Ling had only admired her from afar: cool, unreachable, but incredibly magnetic.

 

Qin Cong’an sat down. Xu Ling immediately caught a whiff of citrusy fragrance on her. Different from the usual green tea notes—it had hints of white jasmine. Very pleasant.

 

“Hi,” Xu Ling greeted as soon as she sat down, but her voice betrayed her nerves.

 

“Mm.” Qin Cong’an barely reacted. “Your scent is annoying.”

 

“……” Xu Ling sniffed herself. “You don’t like it?”

 

Qin Cong’an replied, “I don’t like it on you.”

 

Xu Ling froze, subtly scooted away, and reached into her bag for… who knows what.

 

The producer signaled “Start,” and the off-camera cue began.

 

After self-introductions, they got to the main segment—showing off what was in their bags. They took turns. Xu Ling went first.

 

Her bag was large. She started with mosquito repellent and anti-itch cream. “We were filming in a pretty remote area. These two were lifesavers. We both got bitten a lot, ended up with so many bumps—these helped a lot.”

 

Qin Cong’an nodded with a soft tone, “Xu Ling was really thoughtful. She prepared these in advance and even helped me apply the medicine—some places are hard to reach by yourself, and she took care of them.”

 

Xu Ling thought: What nonsense is she spouting now? Where could mosquitoes bite that’s hard to reach?

 

Let’s just say it was the back. She did wear tanks during filming, so her back was exposed… But in her memory, she only ever applied it to her arms and ankles—places Qin Cong’an could’ve easily reached herself.

 

“Don’t zone out. What are you thinking about?” Qin Cong’an tapped her arm to remind her they were still filming.

 

Xu Ling was terrified but finally understood—Qin Cong’an was just in full promo mode. On or off camera, she was like two different people. A second ago, she said she hated her scent, and now she was pretending to be close. But still, not too close—just barely brushing arms, like last time.

 

Qin Cong’an retracted her hand and pulled out a glass jar of pudding.

 

Xu Ling looked confused. “Why’d you bring that?”

 

“It’s for you.” Qin Cong’an opened the lid, pulled out a tiny spoon, and handed it over. “Guess who made it?”

 

Xu Ling had a bad feeling. “…Don’t tell me you did?”

 

Qin Cong’an nodded sweetly, her smile like a lovestruck girl.

 

Xu Ling nearly trembled. Was she insane? Making pudding now? And bringing it to a show, just for her?

 

It should have been a sweet gesture, but with that expression, Xu Ling actually wondered if it was poisoned.

 

“You’re not eating? Don’t you love sweets?” Qin Cong’an sounded disappointed.

 

“I’ll eat! I’ll eat.” Xu Ling feared if she didn’t, Qin Cong’an would pull out a hammer next.

 

Xu Ling took a bite—hadn’t even pulled the spoon out of her mouth yet—when Qin Cong’an suddenly opened her mouth and went, “Ah~”

 

Xu Ling almost choked. The pudding was supposed to be smooth, but it felt like choking on sour yogurt.

 

“Ahhh~”

 

Bracing herself, Xu Ling scooped another spoonful and fed it to her. Qin Cong’an gobbled it up and licked her lips.

 

“Is it good?”

 

“Mhm.” Xu Ling didn’t even taste it and didn’t dare look at her—just wanted to put the jar away.

 

Qin Cong’an rested her chin on her hand, eyes fixed on her as Xu Ling awkwardly introduced her next item: her perfume.

 

“This is new. Top notes are citrus and grapefruit, middle notes of jasmine, and a woody-earthy base. Smells really summery. Wanna try?”

 

“Sure.” Qin Cong’an offered her wrist.

 

Xu Ling, gritting her teeth, grabbed her hand and sprayed twice. Totally unnecessary, but hey—this was promo.

 

Qin Cong’an didn’t expect her to do that but didn’t react. Instead, she grabbed Xu Ling’s hand in return, sniffed it, then released it and smelled her own.

 

“Smells good. I like it too.” She looked very focused.

 

“Didn’t you say earlier you didn’t like it?” Xu Ling tried to trip her up.

 

“When did I say that?” Qin Cong’an looked confused, lifted Xu Ling’s hand again to sniff deeper. “I like it. Either you misheard or misunderstood.”

 

Xu Ling quickly snatched her hand back. She couldn’t win.

 

Next up, Qin Cong’an pulled out a squishy toy shaped like a slice of toast.

 

“Oh, that’s for stress relief. I’ve been stressed lately, so I’ve been squishing it a lot. Sorry it’s a bit ruined and messy.”

 

“……” Xu Ling went silent. Why are you stressed? And why is it toast-shaped? Why do I feel sore all of a sudden?

 

“Your turn.”

 

Xu Ling pulled out a compact powder. Super ordinary but very effective. What could Qin Cong’an possibly do with it?

 

After her intro, Qin Cong’an picked it up, opened the mirror to look at herself—didn’t do much else. Just had to touch it.

 

Xu Ling clearly had more stuff, so she just dumped all her makeup products out instead of alternating.

 

Qin Cong’an, like a curious kid, examined every item.

 

When she opened Xu Ling’s lip gloss, Xu Ling was terrified she’d apply it herself—but she only looked at it, clearly not understanding a thing.

 

Qin Cong’an’s bag was way simpler. Aside from the pudding and stress toy, she had sunglasses and lipstick from her endorsement deals, tissues, and… a black senior phone.

 

Xu Ling was stunned. “Where’s your phone?”

 

“I’m cutting out useless information,” Qin Cong’an said serenely, voice almost ethereal.

 

“Since when?”

 

“Can’t remember. Not important enough to remember.”

 

“……” Xu Ling couldn’t understand. She quietly pulled out her own phone. Hers had a colorful Sanrio-themed case. Bright, cheerful, and totally clashing with that black senior phone—like two different generations.

 

Then the producer asked: “Can we see your lock screens?”

 

Qin Cong’an’s wallpaper was a default system image.

 

Xu Ling’s lock screen showed a mix of green shades and a small stream flowing through. It was the final scene from their movie—Jian Yu and Wen Xi climbing to a high place. The shot didn’t include their characters, but Qin Cong’an would definitely recognize it.

 

Xu Ling thought she’d say something. But she didn’t. She just let Xu Ling explain the story behind the photo alone.

 

Finally, both pulled out merch from the film: a thermos and an umbrella, printed with little details from the movie—wildflowers they picked, sunsets they watched—then they wrapped up with movie promotion and finished recording.

 

They had to take some duo and solo shots after. Qin Cong’an asked to go first, finished, and dashed off. Xu Ling couldn’t even catch her. But it was fine—she’d be at her place on Thursday.

 

After work, Xu Ling sat in the dressing room, swinging her legs and holding the pudding Qin Cong’an gave her. Did she really make this herself? Xu Ling doubted it. Was she really that free? She didn’t even eat sweets.

 

When Li Yan liked her, she’d make desserts for her—but Li Yan also liked sweets herself. Qin Cong’an, on the other hand, rarely touched sugar.

 

So what did she mean by all this? Did she… like her?

 

Xu Ling wasn’t sure. She chalked it up to one of life’s great delusions.

 

Only when she reached the bottom of the pudding did she finally taste something. Turns out, it wasn’t just that Qin Cong’an scared the taste out of her—it really had almost no flavor.

 

That’s when Xu Ling believed she did make it. Qin Cong’an probably found it sweet enough, but to Xu Ling it tasted bland. So wait—Qin Cong’an really made her pudding?

 

Oh, right—she switched to a senior phone. Without digital distractions, she probably had tons of free time to learn desserts and even dance!

 

Xu Ling packed up some of her things and moved into the company’s rented apartment. Her parents were reluctant to see her go.

 

The new place was in a fancy downtown neighborhood, conveniently located near the airport. It was bright, cozy, and decorated just the way Xu Ling liked. Spacious and comfy for one person.

 

On Thursday—the day of the gathering—Xu Ling lay on the couch watching the newly released joint interview video at exactly noon.

 

From the camera’s POV, Qin Cong’an was even scarier. Her face was turned toward her nearly the entire time. Her gaze would shift from Xu Ling’s eyes, to her lips, to even her collarbones.

 

Honestly, Xu Ling thought Qin Cong’an was trying too hard—it came off fake. She figured fans wouldn’t buy it.

 

But after reading the comments, the front page was full of CP fans screaming “I’m dead from shipping!!”

 

Fine. The shippers weren’t bothered. If anything, they wanted them to start making out on camera.

 

“An’an is being even more proactive now. Let me guess—maybe she realized Xu Xu’s slow-brain didn’t get her hints before, so now she’s stepping it up”
“Made pudding!! True fans know An never eats sweets, let alone makes them—this is a first!”
“Still needs wife to feed her, eating from the same spoon ahhh what kind of love-crazed maniac is this.”

 

Xu Ling was full of question marks. Slow-brain? Just ship the CP, why the personal insults?! And since when did she get a nickname like “Xu Xu”??

 

Some people stayed rational:

 

“Too fake, I can’t ship it. Xu didn’t even know Qin switched phones—it’s obvious they don’t talk off-camera.”
“Right? The only part that felt genuine was when An said she’s detoxing from digital noise. She looked so tired. Poor thing.”

 

Xu Ling thought both comments were spot on. One was factual, and the other noted how exhausted Qin Cong’an seemed. Watching again, she realized Qin Cong’an did look drained.

 

What “useless information” was she detoxing from? What pushed her to that point?

 

Xu Ling suddenly felt exhausted too. She kept scrolling until one top-liked comment caught her eye:

 

“True An fans know—she almost never gets bitten by mosquitoes. So why did Xu say both of them get bitten easily? There’s only one explanation—An got bit because she was sticking close to Xu! This is hard proof!!”

 

Xu Ling genuinely didn’t know that about Qin Cong’an. She’d seen a lot of her material, but not co-star interviews. She’d never heard that before.

 

Seeing someone analyze it so thoroughly—and reach the correct conclusion—Xu Ling was so shocked that her finger slipped… and accidentally liked the comment.