The Cold Queen is My Exclusive Little Snack - Chapter 33

Love makes people foolish, blind, and impulsive.

Even Chu Shiyin. Especially Chu Shiyin.

Chu Shiyin wasn’t one to pay much attention to entertainment news. It felt like extra work to her. Hearing about the “Xingqing” pairing was purely accidental.

During the midday break, two young actresses in the theater huddled together, their heads bent over a phone, chattering excitedly. They whispered secrets while their darting eyes kept glancing at her.

It was obvious they were gossiping about something related to her. Since they didn’t approach her directly, Chu Shiyin pretended not to notice.

Just before going onstage, the two actresses couldn’t contain themselves any longer. After some playful shoving, one of them finally mustered the courage to approach her with her phone, asking about… Zuo Xingning’s “rumored romance.”

They showed Chu Shiyin photos and comments, gushing endlessly about how “perfectly matched” the pair were.

Matched?

Objectively speaking—undoubtedly, they were a perfect match.

Age, appearance, family background… Zuo Xingning and Jiang Shuqing were compatible in every way.

But Chu Shiyin couldn’t be objective.

She casually shattered the two young actors’ fantasies. “Just friends.”

“But…”

“It’s almost time to go on stage. Focus.”

Chu Shiyin made it clear she didn’t want to discuss it further. The two actors exchanged a glance, ultimately silenced by her imposing aura.

The unpleasant interlude ended there. At this point, Chu Shiyin felt only a mild irritation, like a mosquito bite—annoying, but easily ignored if she didn’t dwell on it.

She quickly composed herself, immersing herself fully in her performance.

Tonight was the final performance of the play Ephemeral Bubble. Together with the other actors, she delivered a performance brimming with emotion and flawless execution, leaving the audience spellbound.

As the curtain fell, Chu Shiyin’s gaze darkened along with it.

The suppressed emotions surged back with sudden force.

In an instant, all she saw was the dimly lit audience.

During the performance, the two empty seats that had been vacant for the past two days were finally occupied. The person was bundled up tightly, as if terrified of being photographed or recognized—someone who clearly wanted no connection to her.

Zuo Xingning.

Chu Shiyin stroked her hair, studying those beautiful, radiant tea-colored eyes.

She asked, “Are you afraid of us being exposed?”

Afraid?

To be honest, while Zuo Xingning was thrilled to be dating Chu Shiyin, the thought of going public made her heart tremble.

Zuo Xingning considered herself fairly brave, but when it came to Chu Shiyin, she turned into a coward.

After a moment of silence, Zuo Xingning admitted, “A little.”

Hearing this, Chu Shiyin’s lips curled into a cool smile. “Very honest.”

“Of course I’m honest,” Zuo Xingning retorted, swiftly grabbing Chu Shiyin’s retreating hand and pressing it against her cheek. “Now isn’t the right time to go public.”

“When will be?”

Chu Shiyin rarely indulged in such playful banter, but Zuo Xingning took it as a genuine question. “When I’m a bit more famous?”

“It’s too early now. I’m still too obscure. If I get attacked, no one will defend me. Plus, I can’t shake off this ‘bloodsucker’ label.”

Chu Shiyin’s expression remained impassive. “Mentoring and signing artists is my job. It’s not ‘bloodsucking.’ Besides, you earned every opportunity yourself.”

“Aiya, you can’t explain that to outsiders,” Zuo Xingning said, nuzzling her cheek against Chu Shiyin’s palm. “Going public too soon would only confirm the ‘bloodsucker’ narrative.”

“As for you, Jiejie, you’d be accused of ‘tarnishing your legacy.’ And me? I’d probably be branded a ‘femme fatale’ or something equally ridiculous.”

“Late integrity?”

Chu Shiyin’s face, which had softened at being called “my woman,” stiffened again. Her voice turned icy. “Do you think I’m old?”

Zuo Xingning fell silent, turning Chu Shiyin’s head toward the mirror.

To fit her character tonight, Chu Shiyin’s makeup was different from her usual style. Her eyebrows were deliberately drawn thicker and more unruly, and small freckles dotted her face, giving her a wild, untamed beauty.

Zuo Xingning stared into the mirror, almost forgetting what she wanted to say, mesmerized by Chu Shiyin’s beauty.

Realizing she had been silent for too long, she cleared her throat and asked, “Jiejie, look at this face. How can you even say the word ‘old’?”

Chu Shiyin only saw the young, radiant face beside her. She lowered her gaze. “I’m six years older than you.”

“So what if you’re six years older? It’s not like you’re sixty! Even if you were sixty years older, I’d still chase after you when you’re seventy-eight.”

“Why seventy-eight?”

Zuo Xingning replied with mock seriousness, “Because if I were under eighteen, it would be illegal.”

Chu Shiyin’s lips twitched, trying not to laugh. “You’d really go for a seventy-eight-year-old grandma?”

“What choice do I have?” Zuo Xingning sighed dramatically. “It’s not my fault I was born so late.”

Chu Shiyin’s lips curved into a faint smile.

After coaxing Chu Shiyin into a better mood, Zuo Xingning chuckled and resumed their earlier conversation. “It’s not that I don’t want to go public, but once we do, my actions will reflect on you, Jiejie.”

“The public doesn’t know me yet. They’re easily swayed by rumors and gossip. Any mud they sling at me will become a new stain on your reputation, since we ‘share the same blanket,’ after all.”

“Fans’ love is precious, but their hatred is easily earned. You have many career-focused fans, Jiejie. I imagine they believe you should be with someone worthy of you, not some obscure nobody like me.”

“The difference in our status is too great. It would look like I’m dragging down your career.”

“You’ve never said it, but I know you care deeply about ‘Second Hand.’ If even a few familiar fans turned against you, it would hurt you, right?”

Chu Shiyin: “……”

“See? I knew it.”

Zuo Xingning, acting as if she’d guessed everything correctly, continued, “But ultimately, the problem lies with me. I’m just not good enough.”

She feigned a sigh, watching Chu Shiyin’s expression. “Jiejie, you don’t look down on me, do you?”

“No,” Chu Shiyin replied helplessly. “Who taught you all this?”

When Zuo Xingning first signed her contract, she was a blank slate, completely clueless about the industry’s intricacies.

“Sister Siya gave me just a tiny bit of advice,” Zuo Xingning said, shifting her chair and wearing an expression that practically begged for praise. “The rest I figured out myself. Jiejie, don’t you think I’m really quick on the uptake~?”

“Yes,” Chu Shiyin replied with a soft laugh. She must have spent all her free time thinking about these things.

Sensing she had successfully coaxed Chu Shiyin, Zuo Xingning immediately seized the opportunity, leaning in close. “Then give me a kiss.”

Chu Shiyin glanced at her but didn’t move.

No problem, Zuo Xingning thought. For me, no refusal means consent.

She stood up and plopped herself into Chu Shiyin’s lap, planting a kiss on her cheek. “My dearest Jiejie,” she cooed, “don’t be mad anymore~”

Chu Shiyin sighed, helpless against her. “I’m not mad.”

Just a little unhappy. She understood everything Zuo Xingning was saying, but an inexplicable frustration and stifling feeling lingered.

Here I am, a grown woman, being coaxed by someone six years younger…

“I’m sorry,” Chu Shiyin said, holding her close, feeling a pang of defeat. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me…”

“I do,” Zuo Xingning purred mischievously, whispering in her ear with a honeyed voice. “Jiejie, you’re—jealous.”

“Jealous?” Chu Shiyin raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled. “Was I?”

Chu Shiyin truly didn’t understand, but Zuo Xingning assumed she was just embarrassed. “Alright, alright, no~ Just pretend I’m talking nonsense~”

With that, Zuo Xingning found Chu Shiyin’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “I acted a bit poorly today. It was just a play, after all. Being photographed together isn’t a big deal, but I guess I felt guilty.”

“I always feel like I’m going to reveal something whenever I’m in the same space as you.”

“As for Jiang… why weren’t we afraid of being photographed? Because it’s all fake! What’s there to fear when it’s all an act?”

“Have you been getting along well with her lately?” Chu Shiyin’s gaze deepened. “I heard you were the one who helped Jiang Shuqing get her role?”

Sniff, sniff

Zuo Xingning buried her face in Chu Shiyin’s neck, inhaling deeply. “Still saying you’re not jealous? I could eat dumplings with this scent.”

Chu Shiyin shot her a sideways glance, but the coldness in her eyes had dissipated, leaving it utterly lacking in intimidation.

At least, it had no effect on Zuo Xingning, who teased her again before finally explaining.

“You know about Xu Yang, Jiejie. After she was arrested, her role in the production crew became vacant. I was worried they’d drastically adjust the filming schedule and delay my plans to celebrate your birthday, so I recommended that… what’s-his-name to the Director.”

“As for the set visit… she was just bored.”

“Lately, the atmosphere between her and Zhongli Yan has become increasingly strange. I heard Zhongli Yan keeps chasing after her, staging ‘accidental’ encounters and all that. What’s-her-name’s set visit was just using me as a raft—a place to hide from him.”

“The set is always swarming with paparazzi and occasional tabloid reporters. Zhongli Yan is practically a public figure. If he wants to avoid being in the news, he has to steer clear of places like that.”

After rattling off her explanation, Zuo Xingning suddenly remembered something. “Wait, Jiejie, didn’t I already tell you all this?”

Chu Shiyin frowned. “When?”

“The night before your birthday!” Zuo Xingning gestured wildly. “I came to see you that evening, and I told you everything while we were chatting.”

Chu Shiyin fell silent.

She remembered now. The night before her birthday, Zuo Xingning had clung to her, chattering incessantly about all sorts of things. But Chu Shiyin… hadn’t registered a single word.

A warmth spread behind Chu Shiyin’s ear. She patted Zuo Xingning and calmly changed the subject. “Let’s go downstairs first.”

Zuo Xingning slid off Chu Shiyin’s lap, tilting her head.

“We should probably leave soon,” Chu Shiyin said, avoiding her gaze. “There are likely reporters waiting outside the theater. Go find Siya and have her take you to the car to wait.”

Chu Shiyin glanced down at her performance outfit. “I’ll change and be right there.”

“Okay~?”

But… were we even talking about that?

Zuo Xingning scratched her head, about to ask, when suddenly everything went dark.

Chu Shiyin kissed her quickly, urging, “Go find Siya.”

“…Okay~”

Her mind went blank. Zuo Xingning instantly forgot what they had been discussing. She obediently grabbed her coat and scarf from the back of the chair, waved, and said, “See you later~~”

As soon as she turned away, her eyes curved into crescents with laughter, her steps light and buoyant.

So Chu Shiyin gets jealous too… jealous of me.

She loved seeing the mature and composed Chu Shiyin act “childish” for her.

Only in moments like these did the invisible gap between them seem to vanish.

“Dating Chu Shiyin” wouldn’t feel like a delusion.

Zuo Xingning chuckled softly to herself, walking away without looking back.

Yu Siya, who had been waiting by the door for ages, stared in silence.

“Xingning,” she called out, stopping her. “Where are you going?”

“Sister Siya?” Zuo Xingning exclaimed, startled to see her. “When did you get here?!”

“Hmph,” Yu Siya glanced at her watch, a cold smile playing on her lips. “Twenty-five minutes ago. Didn’t you ask me to pick up the flowers from the Flower Shop?”

The unspoken implication hung in the air: If I’ve been here since getting the flowers, then I saw you kissing Chu Shiyin just now…

Zuo Xingning’s cheeks flushed crimson. Deciding to avoid the topic, she quickly changed the subject. “Sister Siya, Jiejie said to take me to the car to wait for her.”

“You’re staying with Shiyin again tonight?” Yu Siya seemed about to say something, but ultimately clamped her mouth shut. “…Fine, I’ll take you.”

With that, she turned and opened the dressing room door behind her. When she emerged, she held a bouquet of blue irises, which she thrust into Zuo Xingning’s arms.

Zuo Xingning stared down at the flowers she had ordered for Chu Shiyin, her mind blank.

Yu Siya handed over the flowers without another word, brushed past Zuo Xingning, and headed straight for the theater’s back exit.

As they passed, three words drifted through the air:

“Control yourself.”

“You mean Siya was the one who came into the dressing room while we were kissing?”

Chu Shiyin put down the hairdryer and kissed Zuo Xingning’s still-warm hair. “Just noticed? I recognized her the moment she entered.”

“……” No wonder you weren’t worried at all, Zuo Xingning thought resentfully as she stalked away. “So I was the only one freaking out.”

Chu Shiyin caught up, wrapping her long arm around Zuo Xingning’s waist. “What were you worried about? Do you really think I’d lose control like that?”

Zuo Xingning shot her a rare, defiant glare, refusing to answer.

“Alright, I admit I went a bit overboard this time,” Chu Shiyin said, stroking Zuo Xingning’s upper arm. “Speaking of which, I forgot to ask—is there a ship name for us online?”

“Of course there is!”

Zuo Xingning’s face lit up at the mention. She dashed into the bedroom, grabbed her phone charging by the bed, and showed it to Chu Shiyin. “It started during the Escape to Freedom livestream! Our Chuchu Dongxing is the real deal!”

Chu Shiyin paused, unfamiliar with the term. “Chuchu… Dongxing?”

“Exactly! Your Chu, my Xing—Chuchu Dongxing, Chuchu Dongxin (everywhere, my heart is moved),” Zuo Xingning said proudly, having been part of the group that coined the ship name. “Isn’t it way better than Xingqing?”

Chu Shiyin smiled. “It’s pretty good.”

Flattered by the compliment, Zuo Xingning’s tail wagged with excitement, eager to show off.

Just as well, she hadn’t logged out of her alt account on Weibo. She clicked directly into the Chuchu Dongxing hashtag, glanced around haphazardly, and handed the phone over.

“Here~”

Chu Shiyin took the phone and instinctively swiped, refreshing the page. Suddenly, a post from earlier that afternoon shot to the top.

Her eyebrows twitched slightly as she read aloud, “Is Chuchu Dongxing the best ship to stan?”

“Exactly, exactly…”

Wait a minute!

Zuo Xingning’s expression froze, and she reached out to snatch the phone back.

Chu Shiyin nimbly dodged. “Can’t I see? The poster is Xiao Host, probably one of our biggest fans.”

Zuo Xingning’s face flushed even redder. “Give it back! I just remembered I need to reply to a message.”

“Just a sec, almost done.” Chu Shiyin tapped on the poster’s profile picture. “How coincidental! She also has a long-haired lion cat, almost identical to Tuantuan.”

“White cats all look the same,” Zuo Xingning stubbornly insisted.

“True enough… But if I click here, I can edit her profile directly. Xingning, this looks like you.”

“……”

Zuo Xingning gave up resisting and turned her back to sit on the edge of the bed.

Chu Shiyin followed, crouching down in front of her, her eyes still fixed on the phone.

“The username is—’Did CSY and ZXN kiss today?'”

She leaned back, her lips bumping upward. “They did.”

“And they did other things too.”