Fake Love with the Movie Queen - Chapter 21

Live Chat:

Why do I smell such strong tension between these three?

Could it be that the beauty has taken a liking to the award-winning actress, and Gu Nanxuan’s affections were unrequited?

Who would ever fall for a bad woman like Gu Nanxuan? Serves her right! spits

Qiu Qing’an tried to pull her arm free.

Jiang Mengxi noticed her movement and tightened her grip, whispering, “Don’t move yet. Play along with me for a bit.”

“If you want to take photos, then do it properly. Otherwise, it’s hard for me to cooperate.”

Qiu Qing’an didn’t know what Jiang Mengxi was up to, but she didn’t want Gu Nanxuan to misunderstand even more.

Jiang Mengxi had no choice but to let go. “You’re really no fun. No wonder you’d fall for someone as dull as Gu Nanxuan.”

Qiu Qing’an frowned slightly. “Nanxuan isn’t like what you say.”

Perhaps it was because she wasn’t as familiar with Jiang Mengxi, but she felt that Jiang Mengxi wasn’t the same as before.

“Once we finish taking photos, please leave. You’re already disrupting our program recording.”

A few tourists had started gathering nearby, waiting to take photos, and she didn’t want to delay things any longer.

Jiang Mengxi still wanted to say something.

“Done.”

Gu Nanxuan, standing at a distance, pressed the shutter and signaled that they could wrap up.

“So soon?” Jiang Mengxi turned her head. “I wasn’t even ready. If I look ugly in the photo, I won’t accept it.”

“Why don’t you take a look and see for yourself?”

Gu Nanxuan showed little reaction to her skepticism.

Jiang Mengxi walked over and took the camera from her hands to check the photos.

In the photo, she was tilting her head to speak to Qiu Qing’an. The two of them looked natural and harmonious, completely unlike the distance in their actual conversation.

Sunlight spilled over their heads, casting a golden glow on their faces, enhancing their already striking features.

Jiang Mengxi had to admit—whether it was the interaction, the lighting, or the composition—Gu Nanxuan had captured it all perfectly.

But she wasn’t about to concede so easily. Deliberately, she said, “I think it’s just average. Take a few more for me.”

Qiu Qing’an refused to humor her further. “Then take some solo shots.”

Jiang Mengxi gave her a pitiful, teary-eyed look. “After all these years apart, you won’t even take one photo with me?”

Live Chat:

Oh? So the beauty and the award-winning actress know each other? Their relationship doesn’t seem ordinary~

“All these years apart”? Suddenly, I have a bold guess.

Same here.

A confused viewer asked:

What guess?

A brief reply floated below:

Anonymous message.

Now, almost everyone caught on:

Is this the real person coming to confront her directly? This is getting intense!

But most were just speculating, unable to confirm whether Jiang Mengxi was the one who had sent the anonymous message the night before.

Qiu Qing’an ignored Jiang Mengxi and turned to Gu Nanxuan, her expression visibly softening. “After we finish here, let’s head over to Jiangjiang first.”

Gu Nanxuan nodded. “Alright.”

Jiang Mengxi watched as the two of them treated her like air.

Once their conversation ended, Qiu Qing’an didn’t even glance back, walking straight toward the camera set up nearby to help the new tourists with their photos.

Jiang Mengxi gritted her teeth, her meticulously made-up eyes brimming with resentment.

“Give me the camera.”

Gu Nanxuan reached out her hand. “Where do you want to take the next one?”

Jiang Mengxi was being ignored for the first time, and it left her extremely annoyed. She casually handed the camera over and said, “Forget it, I don’t want to take any more photos. Just send me the ones you just took.”

Gu Nanxuan took the camera back and replied, “We only sell physical prints here, no digital copies.”

This policy was in place to prevent people from editing the photos for improper gains, which could negatively impact Qiu Qing’an.

But Jiang Mengxi thought she was deliberately targeting Bai Yi. “What, just because I teased you a little earlier? No need to be like this.”

Gu Nanxuan found her attitude baffling. “Did you not read the notice on the sign?”

“What notice?”

Jiang Mengxi glanced to the side and saw a large sign hanging in front of the photo studio that read:

This shop only sells physical prints~
We apologize for any inconvenience~

The words were bold and impossible to miss—unless, of course, one was blind.

And apparently, Jiang Mengxi was that “blind” person.

“What’s the point of having such a rule?” she asked, confused.

“To prevent certain people with ulterior motives.”

Gu Nanxuan emphasized the words “ulterior motives” deliberately, hinting at something.

Jiang Mengxi clearly caught the implication and scoffed. “Fine, then print two copies for me.”

Gu Nanxuan took the camera and went back inside to process the photos.

The shop had a computer where the photos could be quickly selected and printed.

Jiang Mengxi followed her in, watching as she worked on the computer.

“This one, and this one,” she said, standing uncomfortably close.

Gu Nanxuan could barely stand the strong perfume and held her breath, swiftly confirming the selections.

“Hey, I wanted these two,” Jiang Mengxi protested.

Gu Nanxuan walked over to retrieve the printed photos and handed them to her. “All sales are final—no refunds or exchanges.”

Jiang Mengxi wanted to get angry but found she couldn’t. She reached out to take the photos, but Gu Nanxuan suddenly pulled them back and extended her other hand.

“Five yuan per photo, ten yuan total. Payment first, then the photos.”

Jiang Mengxi was about to argue when she noticed a few new tourists entering the shop. Without even taking photos, they placed money on the counter and lined up to wait for Qiu Qing’an to take their pictures.

Jiang Mengxi: “…”

Seriously? Were these tourists that cooperative?

She turned back to Gu Nanxuan.

Gu Nanxuan waved her hand. “Money.”

Jiang Mengxi said dryly, “I don’t have any.”

“?”

Gu Nanxuan withdrew her hand and the photos, her gaze turning slightly dangerous.

“How did you even get in here without money?”

As far as she knew, most of the mini-games in the tourist area required tickets, which could only be purchased using the park’s special “cash.”

There were plenty of places in the park to exchange for this “cash.”

Every printed photo had a cost—these two photos alone cost four yuan.

If Jiang Mengxi didn’t pay, they’d be operating at a loss.

And Gu Nanxuan never did business at a loss.

“A beauty like me shouldn’t need something as crude as money, right?”

Jiang Mengxi swept her disheveled hair back, revealing her alluring features and perfectly curved figure, then shot Gu Nanxuan a flirtatious glance.

Gu Nanxuan remained unfazed, her expression indifferent. “I don’t see it.”

“You have absolutely no taste at all!”

Jiang Mengxi was genuinely angry this time.

Gu Nanxuan responded calmly with an “Oh,” then said, “I think my taste is just fine.”

Jiang Mengxi knew she was referring to Chou Qing’an and couldn’t deny it. She flared up for a moment but quickly fizzled out.

“Whatever, I won’t argue with you.”

“Tch.” This time, it was Gu Nanxuan’s turn to click her tongue.

She had pretty much figured out Jiang Mengxi’s personality by now.

“So, are you going to pay or not?”

“How can I pay if I don’t have any money?”

Jiang Mengxi crossed her arms, looking haughty, without a shred of guilt for not bringing any cash.

Gu Nanxuan took out her phone and snapped a few unflattering close-ups of Jiang Mengxi’s flared nostrils.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang Mengxi sensed something was off and quickly backed away.

Gu Nanxuan connected her phone to the computer. “Of course, I’m exposing someone who tried to take a ‘freebie photo shoot’ so no one else can freeload.”

She opened the photos, adjusted the size, and zoomed in to ensure every passerby could see clearly.

The livestream audience saw it too:

Wow, Gu Nanxuan is ruthless—taking ugly photos just because she didn’t get paid.

How is she so skilled at this? Does she do it often?

Better keep our voices down when criticizing her from now on, or we’re screwed if she catches us.

Some weren’t fazed:

It’s not like she can reach through the screen and take my picture, right?

Jiang Mengxi saw her own enlarged nostrils and distorted face on the computer screen and could no longer maintain her earlier composure. She lunged for the mouse, gritting her teeth.

“If you print those, you’re dead! I’ll buy up all your scandals and spread them everywhere!”

“Oh, go ahead.”

Gu Nanxuan dodged leisurely with the mouse in hand.

In the chaos, Jiang Mengxi’s hand hit the keyboard, pressing some random key. The nearby printer whirred to life, churning out sheets.

Both of them froze.

Jiang Mengxi watched in horror as the printer spat out her own unflattering photo, her expression stiffening.

“That wasn’t me printing it.”

Gu Nanxuan let go of the mouse, stepping away from the computer with an innocent look.

She had only meant to scare Jiang Mengxi—who knew it would actually print? This wasn’t her fault.

Jiang Mengxi snapped out of it, rushed forward, yanked the photo out, and tore it to shreds.

She glared at Gu Nanxuan. “Delete the ones on your phone too!”

Gu Nanxuan: “Can’t. I forgot my phone password.”

Such a blatant lie—Jiang Mengxi didn’t buy it and tried to grab her phone.

Gu Nanxuan naturally wouldn’t let her.

But smartphones are sensitive. As she dodged, the front camera scanned her face and automatically unlocked.

The screen lit up instantly, revealing a gallery packed with photos.

Jiang Mengxi caught a glimpse and suddenly stopped. “Wait.”

“Why do you have so many photos of Zhu Ningyue on your phone?” she asked.

And a whole collection of unflattering ones at that.

Gu Nanxuan locked her phone again, blacked out the screen, and slipped it into her pocket.

“Why should I tell you?”

Jiang Mengxi scrutinized her. “You’re not secretly into someone else behind Qing’an’s back, are you?”

She remembered her promise to keep quiet and kept her voice low.

Gu Nanxuan looked at her like she was an idiot. “You take ugly photos of people you like?”

And here Jiang Mengxi had the nerve to say she had no taste—her own taste was certainly… unique.

Jiang Mengxi nodded. “Fair point.”

She seemed to have thought of something and tentatively suggested, “How about sending me a few of her photos?”

Gu Nanxuan almost didn’t catch what she was saying and gave her a puzzled look. “Why do you want her photos?”

Jiang Mengxi curled her red lips into a charming smile. “I think she’s quite my type. I just want to take a look at a few photos.”

Gu Nanxuan didn’t believe for a second that she’d be interested in a few unflattering shots. “No.”

Jiang Mengxi wasn’t ready to give up.

“What are you two talking about?”

Qiu Qing’an returned with the camera after finishing the shoot and saw the two of them standing on either side of the computer.

“Nothing much. She just won’t give me the photos,” Jiang Mengxi said, playing the victim first.

Gu Nanxuan replied tersely, “She didn’t pay, so of course I can’t hand them over.”

Including the one Jiang Mengxi had torn up earlier, they were already down six yuan.

Even if Jiang Mengxi paid now, they could only charge for two photos—meaning they’d still be losing two yuan either way.

Qiu Qing’an guessed that Jiang Mengxi probably hadn’t entered by playing the little game like Bai Yi, so she wasn’t aware of the rules here.

She suggested, “You can exchange some ‘cash’ with the staff at the scenic area. We’ll hold onto the photos for you.”

“Too much trouble. Forget the photos.”

Jiang Mengxi had walked all the way from the entrance in high heels and had been arguing with Gu Nanxuan for a while. Her feet were aching unbearably now.

She pulled out the chair in front of the computer and sat down without a second thought.

“Ask the other visitors around to exchange for you.”

Having been stiffed after the photo session, Gu Nanxuan wasn’t about to let the loss slide. Her tone turned cold.

“No.”

Jiang Mengxi had already been thwarted twice by her and wasn’t about to back down now.

“Unless…”

She draped an arm over the back of the chair and lazily turned her gaze to Gu Nanxuan.

“You call me ‘big sister.’ How about that?”