The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 22

“Would you be willing to massage it for me?”

Without hesitation, Xu Zhiyan placed her hand on Shen Buhui’s abdomen and began gently massaging.

As she worked, she asked, “Is the pressure okay? Does it feel uncomfortable?”

“This feels nice,” Shen Buhui murmured, adjusting her posture slightly to make it easier for Xu Zhiyan to continue.

Xu Zhiyan hummed in acknowledgment, focusing on easing her discomfort.

Since it was summer, the fabric of their clothing was thin. Her hand moved in a steady rhythm over Shen Buhui’s stomach, and the flimsy material between them barely provided any barrier to the warmth of each other’s bodies.

For Xu Zhiyan, not only could she feel the lingering heat from Shen Buhui’s body, but she also clearly noticed the difference in texture—firmer, less soft than her own.

Instinctively, she gave a small squeeze.

“…Mm.” Shen Buhui tensed slightly.

Realizing what she had just done, Xu Zhiyan froze mid-motion, her words coming out slightly flustered. “I—I was just curious about what your abs felt like.”

Shen Buhui glanced at her with an unreadable expression.

No matter how she tried to explain it, Xu Zhiyan felt like she sounded like a complete pervert. But she wasn’t ready to give up on her defense just yet. “Really, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just wondering if it feels the same as mine.”

At that, Shen Buhui let out a soft laugh, her previously serious expression melting back into its usual warmth. “I was just teasing you.”

Xu Zhiyan exhaled in relief. She had been genuinely worried that Shen Buhui would take her for a shameless flirt. After all, that particular spot was a bit sensitive.

“So, did you get the answer you were looking for?” Shen Buhui asked.

Xu Zhiyan replied honestly, “It’s a little firm but feels nice to the touch.”

Cough. The last part was purely her personal opinion.

Shen Buhui grinned mischievously. “Want to touch it some more?”

“N-nope!” Xu Zhiyan shook her head so fast she almost resembled a rattling drum. “I’ll just keep massaging your stomach.”

And so, she continued the gentle motions until they arrived at their destination.

By the time they reached the top floor of the hotel, they were supposed to part ways like usual.

But just as she turned to unlock her room, Xu Zhiyan hesitated and asked, “Is Xiaofang in the hotel?”

Without missing a beat, Shen Buhui responded, “No, she won’t be back until later.”

Xu Zhiyan frowned slightly before saying naturally, “I’ll stay with you, then. Since you’re not feeling well, it’s inconvenient for you to be alone.”

Shen Buhui’s lips curled into a soft smile. “Alright. I’ll trouble you, then.”

Xu Zhiyan subtly furrowed her brows before stepping into the room behind her.

Once Shen Buhui settled on the sofa, Xu Zhiyan went to fetch a cup to pour some hot water. After fumbling with the machine for a moment, she realized it was broken. She quickly called the hotel’s front desk before turning back to Shen Buhui. “I’ll boil some water for you instead.”

With that, she picked up the kettle and headed toward the kitchen.

Since she had frequently visited Shen Buhui to ask for advice, she was already quite familiar with the layout of her hotel suite. Except for the bedroom and bathroom—both highly private spaces—she had been in nearly every other part of the room before.

That familiarity made her movements calm and efficient as she moved around.

Meanwhile, as soon as Xu Zhiyan entered the kitchen, Shen Buhui swiftly pulled out her phone, sent a quick message to Xiaofang via WeChat, and then casually set it back down, as if nothing had happened.

In the kitchen, Xu Zhiyan began preparing ginger date brown sugar tea. She carefully washed the dried ginger and red dates, added them to the pot with brown sugar, and let them simmer for about fifteen minutes.

This was something Lin Ya always drank during her period, and every time she did, she seemed much better afterward. Xu Zhiyan figured it must be effective.

Since it would take a while for the tea to finish brewing, she returned to the living room and sat beside Shen Buhui once again. Holding out her fair hands, she tilted her head slightly and asked, “Do you want another massage?”

There was no way Shen Buhui would refuse an offer like that.

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”

Xu Zhiyan’s lips curled into a small smile, and her movements were already practiced and smooth as she resumed massaging.

Xu Zhiyan’s hand applied just the right amount of pressure, neither too much nor too little, and she massaged in a smooth, steady rhythm. Shen Buhui had never experienced such relief before. All she wanted to do was lie back and enjoy the comfort, letting out soft moans, but she had to maintain her composure and couldn’t let herself give in completely.

After a while, noticing that Xu Zhiyan didn’t seem to tire, Shen Buhui asked with concern, “Is your hand getting sore? If it is, you can stop.”

Xu Zhiyan shook her head. “It’s fine, I’m not sore.”

It wasn’t just that her hand wasn’t sore—it felt completely immersed in the act of massaging.

Although Shen Buhui’s menstrual cramps weren’t terribly painful, she still experienced a constant, dull ache in her lower abdomen whenever it came around, which could be quite exhausting. When she mentioned that a massage would help earlier, it had been a little white lie—she only wanted to get closer to Xu Zhiyan. To her surprise, Xu Zhiyan’s touch was unexpectedly soothing.

Looking down at Shen Buhui, who couldn’t help but make soft noises under her touch, Xu Zhiyan’s heart softened. In that moment, Shen Buhui seemed like a content cat lying on its back, purring in pleasure as it let its owner gently rub its belly.

After drinking a full cup of the ginger date brown sugar tea Xu Zhiyan had made, Shen Buhui let out a satisfied sigh.

“This is really good,” she said, giving Xu Zhiyan a thumbs up.

Xu Zhiyan, thinking ahead to their evening scene, considered for a moment before suggesting, “Sister, why don’t you rest on the bed for a while? I’ll wake you up when it’s time for dinner.”

With Xiaofang not there and Shen Buhui not feeling well, Xu Zhiyan felt it was her responsibility to take care of her.

After wiping her mouth, Shen Buhui nodded. “Alright, thank you.”

Frowning slightly, Xu Zhiyan couldn’t help but grumble, “Sister, you told me not to be polite with you, but now you’re being so polite to me.”

In the short time since they arrived, Shen Buhui had already said “thank you” twice.

Shen Buhui laughed softly, watching Xu Zhiyan pout in a slightly wronged way. She quickly corrected herself, “Then I’ll leave it to you, Yanyan.”

Xu Zhiyan’s face flushed slightly as she nodded silently.

She was still not quite used to being called “Yanyan.”

The entire day was spent in Shen Buhui’s room, with Xu Zhiyan keeping her company. While Shen Buhui lay in bed resting, Xu Zhiyan kept herself busy outside, playing with her phone. At lunchtime, she ordered a light meal, and after eating, Shen Buhui felt much better and chatted with her about the script. It wasn’t long before Xiaofang arrived at the hotel.

When Xiaofang walked in, Xu Zhiyan had just finished brewing another pot of ginger date brown sugar tea.

Xiaofang greeted her with a smile, thanking her politely. “I really appreciate Xu laoshi’s care for our Jie.”

Xu Zhiyan waved her hand dismissively. “It’s no trouble at all.”

Before Xiaofang could say anything else, Xu Zhiyan stopped her and handed her the teapot. “This is the tea I specially made for Sister. Make sure to put it in a thermos and bring it with you.”

Xiaofang nodded eagerly as she accepted the teapot. “Okay, I’ll make sure to do that!”

Satisfied that Xiaofang understood, Xu Zhiyan turned to Shen Buhui, who was still sitting quietly. “Sister, since Xiaofang is here, I’ll be heading back now.”

After Xu Zhiyan left, Xiaofang began searching for a large thermos and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Jie, has Xu laoshi been here with you the whole day?”

“Yes.”

Xiaofang couldn’t help but click her tongue in admiration. “Xu laoshi is such a good person.”

She had stayed with someone all day, making sure they were comfortable and cared for. What’s more, her Jie hadn’t been so sick that she couldn’t get out of bed, but still, it was impressive.

Shen Buhui nodded approvingly.

But then Xiaofang paused, remembering something. “Wait a minute, I was in the hotel all day, too. But Jie told me not to come up.”

Hmm… that was a bit suspicious.

Her thoughts were running wild as she poured the tea into the thermos.

That night, the majority of the scenes they had to shoot were scheduled for after dinner, but fortunately, they would be finished before midnight.

Xu Zhiyan felt relieved.

Not only would she and Shen Buhui be on set, but Qi Helin, whom she hadn’t seen for a few days, would also be there.

Xu Zhiyan glanced at him again.

The reason behind this was the gossip currently circulating outside.

A paparazzi had caught Qi Helin checking into a hotel with a girl late at night. After the news broke, his fans swarmed to criticize him, accusing him of everything under the sun.

The main arguments were the usual: the photos were too dark, the identity of the person wasn’t clear, and there was nothing wrong with a guy hanging out with a friend. The paparazzi was being unethical and invading his privacy.

…To be honest, Xu Zhiyan was a bit curious.

Because when she usually saw him on set, he seemed like a perfectly normal guy. Xu Zhiyan knew that some male celebrities had a perfectly polished public image but led questionable private lives. However, she hadn’t heard anything bad about Qi Helin recently.

Shen Buhui walked up to her and sat next to her, her shoulder brushing against Xu Zhiyan’s. Noticing Xu Zhiyan staring at Qi Helin, she asked, “What are you looking at him for?”

Xu Zhiyan snapped back to reality, squinting her eyes with a hint of gossip in her voice. “I’m just wondering if the rumor that came out about him yesterday is true.”

This was her first time up close to such gossip, and Xu Zhiyan was curious.

Shen Buhui, seeing her curiosity, gave her an answer. “It’s true.”

“Eh?” Xu Zhiyan turned to her, puzzled. “How can you be so sure?”

“Xiaofang saw it happen and told me about it.”

Xu Zhiyan thought for a moment. “Then won’t his fans go crazy once they find out?”

Qi Helin was a typical idol-turned-actor. He had been in the industry for years, staying fairly unknown, but after switching to acting, his talent began to shine, and he landed a key role in this competitive film. After all, Director Cheng picked people based on suitability, not their background.

But there was no denying that a lot of Qi Helin’s success had come from his fanbase.

Shen Buhui didn’t comment. “Maybe.”

She didn’t want Xu Zhiyan’s focus lingering on someone irrelevant, so she changed the subject. “Are you prepared for the scene later?”

Xu Zhiyan replied confidently, “You mentioned it a bit earlier, and I’m ready.”

Shen Buhui smiled at her reply.

After filming a scene with Qi Helin, Xu Zhiyan felt she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She quickly grabbed her skirt and rushed to the bathroom.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a familiar voice from outside.

“Shen Buhui, you weren’t like this before.”

It was Sister Zeng Yue’s voice, and she had mentioned Shen Buhui.

Xu Zhiyan instinctively held her breath, not daring to move.

After asking that question, she faintly heard Shen Buhui’s voice respond with a questioning tone.

Then Zeng Yue’s voice came again, this time with a deeper, more serious tone. “Your attitude toward this newcomer really makes me wonder if you truly have someone you like.”

Xu Zhiyan’s breath caught in her chest, and she suddenly remembered that interview from half a month ago.

The questioning continued, and Zeng Yue’s voice was filled with even more confusion.

“Do you still like that person?”