The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 27

What a complete disaster.

If there were a crack in the floor, Shen Buhui thought she’d happily crawl into it and vanish.

She went back into the room once more, returning the DVD she had just brought out to the very bottom of the drawer—firmly pressing it down for good measure.

“You mentioned learning from experience… Any recommended films?”

There was no way Shen Buhui was bringing up that phrase—”watching a movie”—again in front of Xu Zhiyan.

The flush on her cheeks hadn’t fully faded, yet her gaze was clear and composed, as if none of that had just happened.

Xu Zhiyan still felt a little… complicated inside. “I already looked it up online before coming.”

She had come fully prepared—from where to study experience to which movies were suitable for such study. Only after she’d done all her homework had she knocked on the door.

What she hadn’t expected… was Teacher Shen handing her that kind of “surprise.”

“……”

Shen Buhui suddenly had the urge to knock her on the head. “Then why didn’t you just say so earlier?”

Thanks to that, her dependable, senior image had crumbled completely in front of the person she liked.

Xu Zhiyan pouted, aggrieved. “But you didn’t give me time to finish.”

Well… she was feeling a little guilty too. Honestly, she’d gotten distracted watching Shen Buhui blush, and that had delayed her response.

This couldn’t go on, Shen Buhui thought. Best to change the subject entirely.

“Let’s not talk about it anymore. Just give me the name of the film—you can leave the searching to me.”

She might want to drop it, but the curiosity burning inside Xu Zhiyan hadn’t faded one bit.

“I still have another question.”

“Go ahead.”

Xu Zhiyan blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, “Jiejie, did you… bring that DVD yourself?”
Like… why would she even have that?

It was as if she didn’t understand the concept of embarrassment, blurting it out so openly.

But it wasn’t that Xu Zhiyan didn’t get embarrassment—it was just that she felt that, with how close she and Shen Buhui were now, there was no need for secrets.
And more than anything, she was really curious.

So curious that, whenever she thought about the possibility of Shen Buhui intentionally bringing that kind of disc… it made her chest feel all stuffy.

“……”

Shen Buhui sighed again. She was sure she’d sighed more times today than the entire past week combined.

“I brought it… because I knew this drama had a bed scene. I wanted to study up a bit.”

And so began another round of harmless nonsense. At this point, Shen Buhui was practically fluent in telling little white lies like this.

“Just like you thought of watching movies to learn, I had the same idea. We just… chose different kinds of films.”

“You get it now, right?” she asked with an expression of utmost sincerity.

Xu Zhiyan nodded.

But she still kind of wanted to say—was it really necessary to go that far just to prepare for a bed scene?

Her sharp eyesight had caught the large, bold title on the DVD earlier:
“Sexy Maid and Her Stunning Mistress’s Forbidden Life”
…Yeah, that was very direct.

Still, when she saw the flush on Shen Buhui’s ears, her heart softened, and she decided to let the matter go.

Shen Buhui let out a huge sigh of relief.

Without wasting another second, she turned on the TV and began searching for the title Xu Zhiyan had recommended.

“Want some watermelon? If you do, go ahead and cut it yourself—it’s been chilled.”

Even while fussing with the TV, Shen Buhui didn’t forget to look after her guest’s snacking needs.

Xu Zhiyan responded with a crisp “Got it!” She picked up the watermelon and carried it into the kitchen. While rinsing the fruit knife, she called out,
“Jiejie, do you like chilled watermelon too?”

She’d been to Shen Buhui’s place several times now, and almost every time, there was chilled watermelon in the fridge.

With her back turned, Shen Buhui was bent over, searching for the remote. At Xu Zhiyan’s question, a small smile tugged at her lips.

“Yes, I do,” she replied softly.

Xu Zhiyan beamed. She and Teacher Shen really did seem to have so many similar tastes and habits.

She cut the medium-sized watermelon in half and then carefully placed a spoon into the red, juicy flesh of each half. Carrying one in each hand, she walked back to the living room and sat down.

Shen Buhui had already pulled up the movie and paused it, waiting for Xu Zhiyan so they could watch together.

Outside, the summer sunset painted the sky in scattered hues—layers upon layers like a vibrant watercolor painting, beautiful to the eyes.

But Xu Zhiyan thought for a moment and decided that watching a movie was better with the curtains drawn—it just set the mood.

She walked over to the window and drew the curtains shut, making sure not a sliver of light escaped. The room dimmed instantly, leaving only the soft glow of the ceiling’s incandescent lights.

Shen Buhui got up and switched them off with a quiet click. The room darkened entirely, save for the gentle glow from the television—just enough to make out the silhouettes of furniture and avoid bumping into things.

“This is how you’re supposed to watch movies!” Xu Zhiyan said with satisfaction.

Only then did Shen Buhui suddenly realize—this was her first time watching a movie with Xu Zhiyan.

And as everyone knows, sometimes movie-watching is an essential part of a couple’s date.

She laid two cushions on the carpet and silently made a mental note of this small milestone.

The two of them sat on the floor, backs resting against the couch. On the low table in front of them sat the freshly cut watermelon halves. Xu Zhiyan shifted her seat a little, adjusting into a more comfortable position, then focused intently on the screen.

The movie was a bit dated, but because of its subject matter, it featured several bed scenes. Still, since it had made it to the big screen, nothing was crude or vulgar. Instead, the scenes were suggestive yet restrained, leaving much to the imagination. According to online reviews, every frame was tastefully provocative.

Xu Zhiyan was filled with anticipation. She silently hoped that this last-minute cram session would help her perform well during tomorrow’s shoot.

Shen Buhui also focused, both of them fully immersed in the film, so much so that the watermelon before them was completely forgotten.

As the story progressed, the moment they had come for was nearing.

When the two leads, reluctant to part, finally moved to the bed, Xu Zhiyan suddenly felt the air around them grow inexplicably warm.

Uncomfortable, she shifted her shoulders, subtly glancing sideways—Shen Buhui was sitting so close, her bare shoulder nearly brushing against hers.

As the clothes on screen began to fall away, Xu Zhiyan felt an intense dryness in her throat.

Abruptly, she stood up, her sudden movement drawing Shen Buhui’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Her voice came out a little hoarse.

“It’s just… a little hot. And I’m kind of thirsty. I’ll go get some water.”

The room was dimly lit. When Shen Buhui looked up, she realized she couldn’t clearly make out Xu Zhiyan’s expression. She smiled quietly and said,
“Bring me a glass too, will you?”

“Okay.”

The air conditioner’s cool breeze wrapped around them, dry and refreshing—there was no reason to feel hot.

But the AC couldn’t cool the heat clinging to her heart.

Shen Buhui leaned back slightly. She wasn’t sure if watching a film like this in a closed space, just the two of them—both women—was a good idea or a terrible one.

Especially considering the less-than-innocent thoughts running through her mind.

The water came quickly. It was cold to the touch. Shen Buhui lifted the glass and drank it all in one go. When she set the empty glass down on the coffee table, it made a soft clink.

When Xu Zhiyan sat back down, she noticed that the scene on the TV was the exact one she’d left it on.

Shen Buhui said considerately,
“I paused it on purpose. Can’t let you miss the good part—after all, this is educational.”

Xu Zhiyan: “……”

She gave a helpless hum in response.

So, what came after the clothes were shed? Naturally—skin against skin, tangled bodies, limbs woven together.

Xu Zhiyan sat stiffly, watching the screen, and suddenly felt a wave of regret.

Why did she insist they study together?! She could’ve just told Shen Buhui the name of the movie, and they could’ve learned separately!

And what was with this movie? Wasn’t the censorship bureau strict these days? How did this script even get approval?!

She mentally grumbled nonstop—but her eyes still wouldn’t leave the screen.

To be fair, the director had done a phenomenal job. The scenes were subtle but seductive, filmed with nuance. The actors’ performances felt incredibly real.

Just as her body was finally starting to relax, she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder.

“I’m a little tired. Mind if I lean on you?” Shen Buhui’s voice came from beside her.

Xu Zhiyan… of course she couldn’t say no. Not only that, she even adjusted her posture slightly, moving her shoulder to give Shen Buhui a more comfortable spot to rest on.

“Go ahead.”

A flicker of mischief flashed through Shen Buhui’s eyes.

Finally, that intense scene was over.

Xu Zhiyan wiped her forehead—sure enough, a fine sheen of sweat had gathered there.

The most stimulating part of the film had passed. The scenes that followed were still instructive, but compared to what she had just endured, they were nothing. Not enough to truly shake her anymore.

An hour and a half later, the movie ended, and Xu Zhiyan let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Jiejie… shall we watch another?”

She secretly hoped Shen Buhui would say no.

But the moment the credits rolled, Shen Buhui had already straightened up. Brow furrowed, she spoke with the air of a dedicated scholar.

“You can’t learn much from just one film. Let’s watch a few more.”

“More?”

Shen Buhui thought for a second, then added kindly,
“If you’re worried this takes too long, we can just skip to the parts we need to study. That way, we’ll maximize what we can learn in a shorter time.”

Xu Zhiyan gaped, completely stunned.

She was already barely surviving a full-length film. If they skipped around and only watched those scenes, she feared she’d spontaneously combust—even in a room cooled to 24 degrees.

“Let’s not… Maybe we just stick to one at a time.”

Shen Buhui smiled softly and agreed.

To be honest, she was having a hard time with it too.

It’s not like adults are devoid of desire—she used to be able to suppress it because Xu Zhiyan had felt far away. But now that she was right here, so close, and in an atmosphere like this, Shen Buhui was probably more uncomfortable than Xu Zhiyan.

But it had taken so long just to get to this point—this rare opportunity. If enduring this discomfort would help open Xu Zhiyan’s heart, then she’d take it gladly.

She put on another movie. This one was a contemporary drama.

As Xu Zhiyan watched, she gradually sensed something wasn’t quite right.

Wasn’t this one even more… explicit than the last?

Especially that outfit… It reminded her of the DVD cover she’d glimpsed earlier—something about a sexy maid and her stunning mistress. Was this really going to help them prepare for tomorrow’s shoot?

Still, the movie was already playing, and it would’ve felt awkward to stop it now.

Xu Zhiyan forcibly swept away the yellow-tinged images flashing in her brain and forced herself to watch with a serious, “research-focused” mindset.

Half an hour passed, and she finally started to appreciate the film.

“I didn’t expect it to be so beautifully shot,” she whispered to the woman beside her. “The emotional arc is actually kind of heartbreaking.”

At first, she’d thought she’d accidentally picked something inappropriate and mistaken it for a proper film.

But there was no response beside her.

Xu Zhiyan turned her head and discovered—at some point, the person leaning against her shoulder had quietly fallen asleep.

When had she dozed off?

Then she remembered the dark circles she’d seen under Shen Buhui’s eyes earlier and suddenly understood.

Carefully, Xu Zhiyan reached for the remote with her free hand and lowered the volume until the TV was barely audible.

The movie had moved into a scene of heartbreak and separation—so much sweetness and tenderness before, only to be followed by pain and sorrow.

But Xu Zhiyan found herself repeatedly turning away from the screen, her gaze landing again and again on Shen Buhui’s sleeping face.

The room was dim, her features blurred by shadow, yet there was an unmistakable softness and allure to her.

Bathed in the faint light of the television, Xu Zhiyan’s eyes remained fixed on her. From her smooth forehead, to her closed eyes… from the graceful curve of her nose to the perfect shape of her lips.

For the parts she couldn’t see clearly, she called on her memories to fill the gaps.

Her lips had always been beautiful—whether a soft, natural pink or painted in sultry crimson. Xu Zhiyan loved them all.

But more than how they looked… what truly stayed with her was how they felt.

She felt like she was under a spell, slowly leaning forward.

The anguished cries of the movie’s leads faded into the background—muffled and distant, like a hazy soundtrack to her own confusion and longing.

She licked her lips. The dim atmosphere, the weight of unspoken feelings, and the clash between memory and vision—all of it stirred something deep within her, pushing her to do something she’d never dare to do otherwise.

Xu Zhiyan held her breath, lowering her head little by little.

The distance between them narrowed. Her heart pounded louder and louder—so intense that she feared it might wake the sleeping woman beside her.

She closed her eyes and leaned in, bridging the final inch.

Their lips met.

Soft. Familiar.

The touch sent a jolt through her—like a fireworks display erupting in her mind. But as the dazzling sparks faded, a surprising calm settled in her chest.

And with the fading glow of those imaginary fireworks… came a rare and powerful clarity.