The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 30

—Love demands bold confession; friends can’t beat the one who falls from the sky.

Xu Zhiyan had this line echoing endlessly in her head.

Right before leaving, she asked Su Er once more, uncertain,
“You’re sure that confessing boldly—regardless of the outcome—is a big step forward, right?”

Su Er, sucking on the strawberry-flavored lollipop her girlfriend had bought her, nodded vaguely.

“Absolutely. Look at me—textbook success story. And think about all those movies and dramas—aren’t they just full of examples like this?”

Thanks to this shared topic, the two of them had grown incredibly close in the past few days. Su Er, with her sweet and petite appearance, actually had a bold, outgoing personality—completely opposite her looks—and was incredibly easy to get along with.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyan had begun to treat her like a guiding light on her path to romantic victory. Su Er had basically become her personal love strategist, and the two of them had been inseparable.

Su Er bit down on her candy with a crunch.
“You going off to work is a blessing in disguise. My girlfriend’s finally going to get some breathing room—these past few days, you’ve been glued to me so much, she’s starting to suspect I’m about to cheat right after orientation.”

Xu Zhiyan: “……”

She looked at the clearly love-soaked Su Er and huffed.
“Just wait. I’ll bring you good news soon.”

Su Er waved her off. “Go on, go.”

Xu Zhiyan held up her phone meaningfully.
“Keep an eye on your messages!”

Even if her strategist wasn’t with her in person, remote support would do just fine.

Today, the studio car came to pick her up again—but this time, Shen Buhui didn’t come personally.

Xu Zhiyan scanned the inside of the vehicle and turned to Yuan Yuan, who was sitting quietly in the back.
“Is Teacher Shen really busy today?”

Yuan Yuan hadn’t seen Xu Zhiyan in a few days—it had felt like a mini-vacation. Now that she was back on duty, she was still in a bit of a relaxed mood.

But since she’d just come from set, she thought for a moment and replied,
“Seems like it. Xiao Fang told me they might be shooting until pretty late this afternoon.”

Xu Zhiyan nodded, satisfied. I knew it—Teacher Shen must be really busy. Otherwise, she definitely would’ve come herself.

She’d never noticed these things before. But now, with her heart stirred, she paid special attention to every little thing Shen Buhui did for her. Every small act became proof that she didn’t dislike her—maybe even cared.

“Can we stop at a shop on the way? I want to buy something,” she told the driver.

Once they arrived at the studio, Xu Zhiyan took her luggage straight to the hotel and waited for Shen Buhui to return.

As she went upstairs, she unexpectedly ran into Qi Helin in front of the elevator.

She glanced at the elevator, then at him, and gave a polite, distant nod.
“Hello.”

Qi Helin smiled naturally, not the least bit bothered by her coolness.
“Just started school, right? Why not stay a few more days?”

“My time off was limited. The director only gave me a few days—I didn’t dare push it,” she replied calmly.

Qi Helin looked at her standing there, straight-backed and composed, and was reminded of a recent discussion with his manager. He stepped forward.

“We’ve worked together for a while now. You get along so well with Teacher Shen—why are you so distant with me?”

It was mealtime, and no one else was around the elevator. Yuan Yuan had gone off to buy something on her request, so it was just the two of them.

Qi Helin took a step closer. Xu Zhiyan, holding a bouquet of flowers, instinctively took a step back.

“I’m just a newcomer—no one’s watching me. But you have a lot of fans. We should probably keep some distance,” she said tactfully.

She hadn’t forgotten the last scandal involving Qi Helin and a “mystery woman” going to a hotel. Nothing ever came of it—he deflected the media and moved on. But she remembered how wild his fans had gotten. The chaos was no joke, even if it had eventually faded.

Qi Helin didn’t seem to care.
“Teacher Shen has plenty of fans too.”

Xu Zhiyan: “……”

The moment he started comparing himself to Shen Buhui, she couldn’t help the flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

“But Teacher Shen’s fans don’t control her social life,” she replied coldly.

Unlike yours.

Qi Helin’s face stiffened slightly.

Xu Zhiyan glanced at the faint mark on his neck. Since they were alone in the elevator, she gave a blunt reminder:
“Helin-ge, when you get back, remember to dab some concealer on your neck.”

Otherwise, if fans caught a glimpse of that… it could stir up another frenzy.

Qi Helin instinctively touched the side of his neck, his expression shifting subtly.

They weren’t on the same floor. After that one line, Qi Helin stopped making conversation. Once he got off, Xu Zhiyan finally felt a wave of relief.

Back in her own room, she finished unpacking her luggage and remembered the reason she’d bought the bouquet. She quickly messaged Xiao Fang.

After getting the exact time Shen Buhui would return to the hotel, Xu Zhiyan touched up her makeup, grabbed the flowers she’d just bought, and set up a small chair behind her room door.

She deliberately left the door slightly ajar—just enough to hear movement outside.

Before long, she heard Xiao Fang’s voice from a distance.

Then—tap, tap—footsteps steadily approached.

Xu Zhiyan peeked through the crack, eyes shining. As soon as she saw someone approaching, she got into position.

Tap… tap.

“Surprise!!”

Xu Zhiyan popped out, holding the bouquet tightly to her chest, and flashed Shen Buhui a brilliant, glowing smile.

The sudden appearance startled Shen Buhui. But when she saw who it was, her body reacted before her mind did—she immediately stepped forward and hugged her.

“You came all the way here and didn’t even message me?”

She had waited on set for a while but received neither word nor hint. She’d assumed Xu Zhiyan was still on the way.

The hug was brief—so quick that Xu Zhiyan barely had time to savor it before it was gone.

“Because I wanted to surprise you!” she said sweetly.

Then she held the bouquet forward.
“Jiejie, this is for you!”

The fragrance of tulips lingered in the air. Shen Buhui looked at the clustered pink blossoms, her expression softening visibly.

“What made you think to bring me flowers?”

Xu Zhiyan replied, “When I saw them at school, they reminded me of you. So when I got here today, I couldn’t wait—I had to get a bouquet just for you.”

“Do you like them, Jiejie?”

Shen Buhui lowered her head and inhaled deeply. When she looked back up, her face was full of warmth.
“I love them. I really do. This is the most beautiful and touching bouquet I’ve ever received.”

Xu Zhiyan’s smile stretched so wide, it felt like her joy might float her right off the floor.

Xiao Fang, who had quietly been standing in the background the whole time, finally spoke up with the takeout boxes in her hand:
“Teacher Xu, have you eaten yet? I ordered a little extra just in case.”

Xu Zhiyan grinned. “Perfect timing!”

The three of them entered Shen Buhui’s room. As soon as the takeout containers were opened, Shen Buhui noticed the obviously portioned dishes.

“So… you two were in on this together,” she said, immediately putting the pieces together.

She had thought it strange earlier—why Xiao Fang’s voice had suddenly grown louder in the hallway, and now, with this spread of food… it all made sense.

Xu Zhiyan threw a glance at Xiao Fang and leaned on Shen Buhui’s arm, playfully whining,
“It was all my idea! Don’t be mad, okay?”

She clung to her like a boneless kitten, sticky and affectionate, eyes fixed on Shen Buhui’s face to catch any flicker of reaction.

Shen Buhui shot Xiao Fang a mock glare—but with a smile on her lips, the gesture lacked any real threat.

And inside, Xu Zhiyan’s heart bubbled with uncontainable happiness.

Xiao Fang, seeing that her task was complete and not intending to be a third wheel, scratched her cheek and said,
“Well then… I’ll head back to my room?”

Shen Buhui gave a slight nod of approval.

Once she left, only the two of them remained in the room.

As before, they shared their food. After finishing her drink, Shen Buhui got up and went to the bathroom.

The moment she was gone, Xu Zhiyan quickly pulled out her phone and messaged Su’er on WeChat.

Xu Zhiyan: She’s not uncomfortable with me touching her!!

They had talked about this before. Given Shen Buhui’s personality, if she didn’t mind such intimate physical contact even off-camera, then there might just be a chance.

Su’er, likely with free time, replied quickly:
Su’er: One time isn’t enough to draw a conclusion. I suggest you try a few more times. Keep pushing the boundary of what’s acceptable between friends. If she still doesn’t mind, I think you’ve got a real shot.

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes lit up. Without realizing it, her thoughts wandered to what success might look like.

Su’er: Of course, make sure your physical gestures don’t come across as creepy. Otherwise, it would be really…
The rest was left unsaid, but Xu Zhiyan instantly got the message.

Xu Zhiyan: No way! I’ll definitely be mindful!

When Shen Buhui came out and saw her chatting on her phone, she didn’t pay it much attention. After sitting down, she began to ask about Zhiyan’s university life.

Upon hearing that Zhiyan had made a close friend, Shen Buhui’s gaze deepened.

“So, the two of you have been spending time together every day?”

Xu Zhiyan didn’t catch the warning signs and replied cheerfully,
“Yes! She’s really nice!”
She even helps her chase after people—definitely a great friend!

Shen Buhui’s expression faltered.
“Zhiyan, I know it makes you happy to find a friend who clicks with you, but you should always be cautious. Even as roommates and friends, you’re still competitors.”

That kind of situation wasn’t uncommon. Part of her words stemmed from jealousy, but she was also genuinely concerned.

Xu Zhiyan nodded.
“I understand. But Su’er doesn’t like acting. After graduation, she’ll probably take over her family’s business.”

And pair up with her perfect partner to fly off together in success.

Shen Buhui: “……”

“Well, that’s good,” Shen Buhui said, though the words were clearly forced.

But the thought of Xu Zhiyan eating, sleeping, and spending nearly every moment together with those roommates made Shen Buhui feel like something sharp had pierced her heart. It was unbearably painful.

Why should they get to enjoy the privileges that she had worked so hard for and still hadn’t obtained?

…It was maddening. But there was nothing she could do.

The closer Xu Zhiyan grew to her, the more dissatisfied Shen Buhui became with the current status quo.

The beast inside her was endlessly greedy, impossible to satisfy.

It felt like a deep, bottomless well—perhaps only the overwhelming, all-consuming love from Xu Zhiyan could ever fill it. Or maybe, she’d simply remain insatiable from chasing it in vain.

It was truly pathological… If one day she were to finally gain her beloved’s love, would she really be satisfied?

Looking at the blissfully unaware Xu Zhiyan, Shen Buhui lowered her eyes in restraint.

“Zhiyan, have you considered moving out next semester?”

As a graduate of Chuan Film Academy, Shen Buhui was well aware of the school’s policy on first-year students living off-campus.

Xu Zhiyan scratched her cheek and nodded.
“I’ve thought about it. If it weren’t for the school’s rule against moving out during the first semester, I would’ve applied already.”

Hearing this, the dark cloud of jealousy in Shen Buhui’s heart lifted slightly. It was just one semester—she could endure that much.

Besides, who knew how much time she’d actually spend in the dorm this semester anyway?

Looking at the completely trusting expression on Xu Zhiyan’s face, Shen Buhui’s lips curved into an unbelievably gentle smile.