The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 28

After Xu Zhiyan returned home, she spent half the night tossing and turning, and in the end, all her thoughts boiled down to one blazing mantra circling endlessly in her head:

—Don’t be scared. Just go for it!

She’s unmarried, I’m single—we’re just two single besties. What’s wrong with liking someone?

As for the “secret crush” Shen Buhui had once mentioned, Xu Zhiyan rested her chin on her palm, a flicker of concern flashing across her face.

A crush that lasted several years… that couldn’t have been easy to let go of.

But if it had gone on for years and still hadn’t worked out, didn’t that mean the two of them probably weren’t meant to be?

Xu Zhiyan clenched her fists in secret resolve. This wasn’t about lacking moral principles—someone like Teacher Shen, such a wonderful woman, would naturally attract anyone who got close to her. That was just a fact.

For someone so outstanding, having admirers was practically expected.

But… there was still one question.

Did Teacher Shen even like girls?

Other obstacles could be overcome, but orientation—now that was hard to pin down. Xu Zhiyan wasn’t confident enough to assume anything, nor did she dare make a reckless move.

Besides, when the story about Shen Buhui’s secret love came out, no one had ever clarified whether it was for a man or a woman.

Thinking about all this, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about what she did that evening.

That stolen kiss… it was kind of over the line.

But the atmosphere had been too perfect. She acted purely on impulse, swept up in the moment—and maybe, just maybe, it bordered on being a bit of a scoundrel.

At the memory, Xu Zhiyan touched her lips, unable to stop a smile from creeping onto her face.

Late at night, the world had gone still.

Inside Shen Buhui’s room, the light was still on. A soft amber glow wrapped the woman at the desk in warmth, casting gentle shadows and making her silhouette appear even more tender.

She held a photo in her hands—old and worn. The bottom-right corner was almost faded from being touched so often, the image there barely discernible.

In the center of the picture were two girls—one older, one younger.

Her pale, slender fingertip lightly tapped the smaller girl, a quiet, knowing smile tugging at her lips.

“Almost caught you,” she murmured.

That morning, after rushing to finish the scheduled scenes ahead of time, there was still a bit of time left. According to the director’s updated schedule, next up was the bed scene between Lin Yin and Liang Manye.

The director came over and crouched down beside the two of them, his voice filled with concern.

“You two went over everything beforehand, right?”

Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

“Don’t worry, Director. We’ve done our prep,” they assured him.

The director gave a small cough and, placing one hand on each of their shoulders, gave them an encouraging pat. “I trust you both. Let’s try to keep the NGs to a minimum, alright?”

Then he turned specifically to Xu Zhiyan, adding with extra emphasis,
“Especially you, Zhiyan. I believe in your explosiveness—you’ve got talent and potential in this kind of scene.”

He was referring to emotional and intimate acting—after all, Xu Zhiyan’s performance in such moments over the past few days had been impressively natural.

Xu Zhiyan: “……”

Shen Buhui wore an expression like she was watching a good show, her gaze resting on Xu Zhiyan with a half-smile.

“I’ll keep working hard,” Xu Zhiyan promised, a little wearily.

“Alright, you two get into character first—I’ll have the set cleared.”

Director Cheng Xu called over the assistant director and instructed him to clear the set. Aside from absolutely essential personnel, no one else was allowed to stay.

Even for the crew needed during filming, female staff members were preferred whenever possible.

If the scene hadn’t been so critical to the story—and if he didn’t feel the need to personally supervise as the director—Cheng Xu would’ve gladly handed it off to one of the assistant directors.

He was always careful with this kind of thing.

When it was time to start, he still couldn’t help but double-check with the two leads.

“You ready?”

Shen Buhui gave an “OK” gesture with her hand.

The director nodded and signaled for the cameras to start rolling.

Xu Zhiyan nervously rubbed the hem of her costume with one hand. Flashes of last night replayed in her mind like a film reel, helping her body slowly begin to relax.

If she hadn’t come to terms with her feelings last night, she might’ve just been nervous—nothing more. But now, with emotions stirring under the surface, she wasn’t just nervous… she was also a little guilty.

She silently gave herself a pep talk:
You’re a professional actress. A professional puts personal emotions aside when it’s time to work.

Shen Buhui’s qipao was buttoned all the way up, not a thread out of place. She reclined against the bed frame, adjusting her posture before softly asking,
“Shall we begin?”

Her voice was low, but they were close enough that Xu Zhiyan heard every word clearly.

With a sharp clack of the clapperboard and a firm “Action!” from the script supervisor, both actresses snapped into their roles, slipping into the emotional current of the scene like seasoned professionals.

This bed scene wasn’t just about intimacy—it was layered with longing, desperation, and the painful tension of two people who still loved each other, but were slowly drifting apart.

Despite the director’s earlier praise, Xu Zhiyan stumbled a little at first. Her emotions didn’t quite reach the right depth; the performance felt stuck just below the surface.

She exhaled, visibly winded from the physical effort the scene required.

“Take your time, no rush,” Shen Buhui said gently, offering her reassurance.

Xu Zhiyan kept her eyes closed, trying to steady herself, and nodded silently at the words.

Behind the monitor, the director didn’t push her. He simply furrowed his brows and waited patiently for her to reset.

After a few minutes, Xu Zhiyan signaled that she was ready, and the clapperboard came down once more.

This time—it was unexpectedly perfect.

The camera crew worked diligently behind them. Xu Zhiyan was now straddling Shen Buhui. Her black military uniform contrasted sharply with the pale skin beneath her, her left leg assertively pushing apart Shen Buhui’s sleek, elegant thighs.

The red qipao had ridden up in the motion, revealing a glowing stretch of porcelain-white skin.

Black and white—strong and soft—the stark contrast of colors and body language was so striking, it held the eye captive.

Following the flow of the scene, Xu Zhiyan let out a soft, breathy gasp—barely audible, yet indescribably seductive.

Shen Buhui lay flat on the bed, her chest pausing mid-breath as if momentarily captivated by the temptation before her.

The woman straddling her gave a slight smirk. Her fair, slender fingers grasped Shen Buhui’s chin, tilting it upward and exposing the graceful curve of her neck.

“Tonight… you’re not getting away.”

As soon as the words fell, her free hand grabbed at the silk fabric—ripping through it with a fierce tug. The delicate material tore easily, revealing the soft, alluring lines of her collarbone.

Xu Zhiyan narrowed her eyes, and the desire in her gaze thickened—undeniable, inescapable. She tilted her head, then leaned down hard, sinking her teeth into that tempting stretch of skin.

“Riiip—”

The sound of fabric tearing echoed sharply—the costume was completely undone.

“Cut!”

The word—sweet release—was finally called, and Xu Zhiyan rolled onto her back, sprawled on the bed, trying to relax her tense body.

So embarrassing! She’d actually… gotten aroused.

She flung a hand over her eyes, not daring to glance at the person next to her.

The director took one look at the two women on the bed and, like the seasoned pro he was, waved off the rest of the crew, giving the leads a chance to breathe and come back to themselves.

Once everyone had cleared out, he hummed a little tune to himself and strolled away with hands clasped behind his back.

Nice—very nice. Today’s shoot went better than expected.

A low chuckle brushed against Xu Zhiyan’s ear, sending a shiver through her.

“What’s this?” Shen Buhui teased. “Can’t even look at me now?”

She mimicked Xu Zhiyan’s pose, lying beside her on the bed—shoulder to shoulder, side by side.

A muffled voice finally emerged from beneath Xu Zhiyan’s hand.
“I’m… shy.”

“You didn’t seem shy at all just now.”

Shen Buhui turned her head slightly, eyes gleaming with amusement.
“You were pretty… fierce.”

…Fierce?

What kind of strange word was that?!

Xu Zhiyan dropped her hand from her face and declared righteously,
“That was acting!”

Everything she’d done—every bit of passion, every intense look—had been for the sake of the character, and nothing else!

Shen Buhui turned her head to look at her.
“If you know it was just acting, then what are you being shy about?”

Xu Zhiyan huffed indignantly,
“Can’t a girl feel a little shy after the fact?”

That made Shen Buhui laugh.

“Okay, okay—permission granted.”

She was genuinely looking forward to this side of her. Being shy after the scene wasn’t so bad, either.

Unfortunately, Xu Zhiyan had no idea that Shen Buhui’s mind had already wandered far ahead. After her emotions and body had gradually calmed down, she recalled the question that had been on her mind since last night.

“Jiejie, you’ve acted in so many dramas—worked with both men and women. Do you prefer men more or women more?”

Shen Buhui propped up her head with one arm. Her neatly styled hair had come undone during the earlier scene, and a few strands now hung softly by her cheek.

She glanced sideways at Xu Zhiyan, a little amused.
“Do you mean in terms of acting partners? Or ideal type?”

“Ideal type!”

Realizing she’d answered too quickly, Xu Zhiyan quickly tried to cover it up with a casual smile.
“I was just curious… That’s all…”

Shen Buhui pretended to be nonchalant, pausing thoughtfully before answering,
“…Girls.”

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes lit up.
“So your orientation is toward women?”

Shen Buhui nodded.

In an instant, joy bloomed across Xu Zhiyan’s face like a spray of dazzling starlight—bright, vivid, and mesmerizing.

Shen Buhui found it hard to tear her eyes away.

Xu Zhiyan, completely unaware of the look in her eyes, was already quietly planning the next step of her pursuit in her heart.

Orientation confirmed—step one complete. On to the next.

But… what was the next step?

She sighed to herself. The road ahead is long… and filled with challenges.

Shen Buhui lowered her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Xu Zhiyan’s flawless profile. Her voice dipped low as she asked,
“What are you daydreaming about? Why so curious all of a sudden?”

The distance between them shrank rapidly with her sudden movement—so close, Xu Zhiyan was instantly reminded of last night.

Flustered, she turned her face slightly, avoiding Shen Buhui’s eyes.

“I told you… I was just curious. No reason.”

She murmured softly, almost whining.

She sounded like a big, lovable dog being pinned under her owner—clingy, flustered, yet utterly endearing.

Shen Buhui’s heart melted instantly. She couldn’t bring herself to tease her anymore.

She already understood what Xu Zhiyan meant. That was enough… wasn’t it?

Sitting upright, Shen Buhui shifted the mood back to practical matters.
“Are you heading home later? Want me to arrange a ride for you?”

Though it was phrased as a question, her tone left little room for refusal.

Xu Zhiyan pouted, memories resurfacing.
“You can arrange it—but don’t pull a stunt like last time. You said you were sending someone, but you showed up instead.”

Especially last time… when she’d still been sore from filming.

Shen Buhui reached out and ruffled the wig Xu Zhiyan was wearing. Though it was soft and fluffy, it wasn’t quite the same as touching her real hair. A faint tinge of disappointment crossed her mind.

“Alright, alright. This time I really will just send someone.”

Xu Zhiyan didn’t argue further.

Author’s Note:

Little Xu: Hmph! You’ll find out how bold I really am soon enough! This was just the beginning!

Also, I’ve opened a new story idea about a mermaid—feel free to bookmark if you’re interested~ ( :з」∠ )

《When She Captured a Mermaid》

When Lin Xiji first laid eyes on the stunning creature that only existed in myth, she was struck speechless by its beauty.

A human form with a shimmering fishtail—glowing with silver scales.

When people speak of mermaids, they speak of cruelty, desire, beauty, vanity… every word tied to temptation.

From the very first glance, Lin Xiji gave in to her bottomless greed and longing—
She wanted it.

By any means necessary, she would have it.

Even if the creature seemed so pure, so translucent, so divine it felt blasphemous to even desire it.

…

Siying was a mermaid of the deep sea.

She knew how deceitful, greedy, and cruel humans were—there was no species more vile.

And yet, the moment she met Lin Xiji… just one look, and her genderless body began to take on the traits of a woman.

From then on, she became hers.

Even though Lin Xiji cloaked herself in gentleness and innocence, no matter how harmless she pretended to be, Siying could still see through it—could still sense the greed and desire simmering beneath her calm, elegant exterior.

And yet, she still wanted her.

—

The most elite predators often appear in the guise of prey.

A story of seduction and reversal.

—

Madwoman × Madwoman
A love story between two beautiful lunatics—
The only difference: one hides her madness, the other wears it openly.