The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 35
Soft, warm lighting. A hazy golden glow.
They say beauty is best appreciated under a lamp—and the more you look, the more breathtaking it becomes. Under this gentle, natural light, the woman before her—already stunning on a normal day—looked even more divine.
Radiant. Alluring. Irresistible.
The black suit she wore gave her a touch of austere restraint, but her loosely tousled curls, those crimson lips, and the eyes that seemed to carry invisible hooks—all spoke of smoldering seduction.
And the best part?
This beauty… was her girlfriend.
The current Shen Buhui was nothing like the “cool and aloof” woman Xu Zhiyan had met just over a month ago.
Xu Zhiyan subconsciously flexed her fingers, realizing with some alarm that her self-control around Shen Buhui was growing increasingly fragile.
“Don’t worry about bringing it today,” she said. “I heard from Xiao Fang you had a late wrap last night. You should go back and rest for a bit. I’ll come get you for dinner later.”
At that, Shen Buhui dropped the arm she’d been resting on the doorframe and crossed her arms, giving Xu Zhiyan a once-over and smiling faintly.
“Alright,” she said. Then reached into her bag and pulled out a keycard, handing it over.
“My room key. I figure, as my girlfriend, you should have one.”
Xu Zhiyan blinked, momentarily stunned, then accepted the card.
“My key’s in the room. I’ll bring it to you tonight,” she said, looking at her.
“Mm. Go on then.” Shen Buhui’s expression returned to her usual calm, as if that earlier moment of stunning seductiveness had been nothing more than a flicker of illusion.
But Xu Zhiyan knew it wasn’t.
She lowered her gaze to the keycard in her hand—it felt like she was holding her entirely in her grasp.
Just like that day during filming, when she had held her by the waist—slender, soft, a perfect handful.
Xu Zhiyan let out a sigh and knocked herself lightly on the head.
Stop thinking like this every day. You’re seriously developing into a bit of a perv.
“Shen Buhui’s captivating dance stuns in fitted qipao—check out behind-the-scenes looks at the lead of Symbiosis! Don’t miss Liang Manye, everyone’s favorite goddess!”
【Damn!! My wife is going to kill me with her beauty!!】
【That body, that gaze, that swagger… I’m drooling~】
【Can’t wait to see Shen Buhui as Liang Manye! Hyped for Symbiosis!】
【Wait… did anyone notice the final shot in the video?】
【Sis above—is that what I think it is?! Is that our Direct Talk duo??!】
【……】
It hadn’t even been half an hour and the hashtag #SymbiosisCostumeReveal had already climbed the trending charts.
Xu Zhiyan refreshed her Weibo feed, lifting a brow. Clearly, they were riding Shen Buhui’s popularity wave—but she suspected the production team had pushed it too.
Compared to the earlier teaser clip that featured only Shen Buhui, the trending topic now had dozens of promotional accounts showcasing all the leads. Shen Buhui’s footage still made up the bulk, but others were getting attention too.
What surprised Xu Zhiyan was that alongside familiar names like Shen Buhui, Zeng Yue, and Qi Helin—whose popularity was expected—her own name was trending well too.
【The rookie’s military uniform look is so sharp. Total boss energy.】
【The contrast between her elegant hanfu and that strict, buttoned-up uniform is wild! I’m a face-lover first, bark later—count me in!】
【Y1S1 (to be honest), the sexual tension between the leads is absolutely insane!】
【Shipping Direct Talk CP is a good investment—young wolf x sultry older femme, spicy and perfect!】
【Follow the supertopic thread! Get in early and enjoy the sweet, sweet CP content!】…
As she scrolled further, she found entire threads pointing to CP supertopics created less than two months ago. Xu Zhiyan tapped into one and browsed for a bit—only to discover that a short two-minute BTS video had already spawned three or four different fan-edited versions of their storylines.
It was… a little fast.
Watching the entire behind-the-scenes video with the BGM perfectly timed to each cut, Xu Zhiyan’s fingers twitched with an itch to do something as she held her phone.
Meanwhile.
Now that the film’s related topics had hit trending status, Qi Helin couldn’t ignore them even if he tried. Skimming past the “our gege is so handsome” comments, he dove into Weibo and quickly noticed something else—the CP fans for Shen Buhui and Xu Zhiyan were already gaining traction.
“Lin-jie, do you really think your idea about pairing me up with Xu Zhiyan is going to work?” he asked, sounding doubtful.
The woman he called Lin-jie looked sharp and capable, holding a tablet in her arms as she reviewed some documents. She glanced up and frowned.
“You don’t want to break up, and you can’t go public. But you’re still going out on dates every other day without dodging the paparazzi properly—it’s only a matter of time before something leaks.”
“You’re playing a prominent role in this film, and your character has plenty of interaction with the lead. Xu Zhiyan is a fresh face—perfect for deflecting attention and stirring up buzz.”
“I already mapped the plan out for you. Don’t screw it up last minute.”
Qi Helin raked a hand through his hair, frustrated.
“But I can’t even get close to her. And now she’s signed with Shen Buhui’s studio. If we’re talking about CP material, wouldn’t it make more sense to pair her with Shen Buhui?”
“Pair with Shen Buhui?” Lin-jie sneered. “Have you seen anyone who’s ever successfully faked a CP with her? She crushes those rumors herself before PR can even step in. No matter what’s gotten into her lately, signing a newcomer like Xu Zhiyan out of nowhere, one thing’s certain—Shen Buhui won’t play along with a CP stunt.”
“A rising actress at her peak and a complete rookie? That’s straight-up clout-leeching. It’s a bad look.”
“And as for Zeng Yue?” She let out a short laugh. “You think you can get away with a CP with her? She’ll gut you and wear your skin as a coat.”
Because once the fake CP hype fades, it’s about cleaning up and moving on—and no way was Zeng Yue going to hand over any benefits for free.
Lin-jie reached over and gave him a light smack on the head, exasperated.
“You just do what I told you. I’ll handle the later stages. Think of it this way—helping Xu Zhiyan rise a bit is basically you doing charity work. Don’t overthink it.”
Qi Helin rubbed his head. Thinking of the deal he’d made with his girlfriend—no breakup, no going public—he finally nodded.
He needed to rebrand anyway. Time to let fans get used to a “new persona.”
Xu Zhiyan had no idea she was already being targeted as someone’s career stepping stone.
As dinnertime approached, she took Shen Buhui’s room key and opened the door across from hers.
When she stepped inside, Shen Buhui had just emerged from the bedroom.
“What do you want for dinner?” Xu Zhiyan asked.
“Going out?”
Shen Buhui had clearly noticed how dressed up Xu Zhiyan was.
Xu Zhiyan nodded and reached out to fix the strap slipping from her girlfriend’s shoulder.
“Our first meal together as an official couple—let’s do something formal.”
Shen Buhui gave a light chuckle.
“A candlelit dinner? That formal enough for you?”
She’d just been joking. But when she saw the expression on Xu Zhiyan’s face, she paused.
“You’re serious about a candlelit dinner?”
Xu Zhiyan smiled.
“Yep. It’s a pity I can’t cook. If I could, I’d have made one myself. Would’ve been even more meaningful that way.”
Shen Buhui blinked, then lowered her voice with a quiet, “Mn.”
A candlelit dinner, then.
Neither of them knew how to cook, so the romantic atmosphere would have to be outsourced.
While Shen Buhui changed her shoes, Xu Zhiyan took the chance to frantically message Su’er:
【Emergency: Date restaurant recs—romantic candlelight vibes only—FAST.】
They ended up taking Shen Buhui’s car.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Xu Zhiyan stole a glance at her girlfriend behind the wheel.
I really can’t keep putting off that driver’s license test, she thought to herself.
It really was a bit fast.
Paired with the perfectly timed BGM, Xu Zhiyan watched the entire behind-the-scenes video, her fingers twitching eagerly on her phone, wanting to… do something.
The restaurant Su’er recommended was a French one—romantic and elegant, filled with soft music and gentle lighting. It was perfect for a candlelit dinner.
Xu Zhiyan had deliberately booked a high-seat private booth right beside the floor-to-ceiling windows. With soft piano melodies in the background and a view of the city at night, the atmosphere had a charm all its own.
Shen Buhui sipped her red wine and smiled.
“So this is what a date feels like.”
When they had gotten out of the car, they were fully bundled up—hats, masks, coats. But their hands had remained linked the whole time. Apart from the extra layers, they looked no different from any other couple in love.
Xu Zhiyan took a bite of steak, chewed and swallowed, then looked across at the woman sitting so comfortably and at ease.
“If you like it, we can do this more often. Dates, I mean.”
Exploring food, watching movies, strolling hand-in-hand through the streets… whatever other couples did, they could do too.
Shen Buhui set down her knife and fork, propped her elbow on the table, and rested her chin in her palm as she gazed at her.
“We should go on more dates. And we can do other things couples do too.”
Xu Zhiyan paused mid-cut.
Shen Buhui’s voice, cushioned by the slow, ambient music, sounded almost dreamily seductive.
“Hand-holding. Hugging. Kissing… we can do all of that.”
Xu Zhiyan froze, eyes locking on her girlfriend—her gaze then slipping to the now-empty wine glass.
A soft laugh drifted across the table.
“Don’t look at the glass—I’m not drunk.”
Shen Buhui tapped the rim.
“This little bit of wine? No way it’d get me drunk.”
Although… drunks always say that, don’t they?
Xu Zhiyan observed her carefully—seeing that she was still coherent—and relaxed a little.
“You agree, right? Yan Yan?” Shen Buhui continued, eyes narrowing slightly, urging a response.
She’d removed her makeup after returning from the film school earlier, but her bare face remained stunning. The faint flush of red at the corners of her eyes from the wine only made her look even more enchanting.
Xu Zhiyan swallowed. Then lifted her own wine glass and downed it in one go.
“…I do.”
Whatever you say—I agree.
She took a breath. The wine was slightly dry at first, but the aftertaste lingered with soft sweetness, leaving a light fragrance between her lips and teeth.
“But…” Xu Zhiyan hesitated, “don’t you think we’re moving a bit fast?”
Shen Buhui looked at her for a long moment, until Xu Zhiyan started to squirm under the weight of her stare—then finally looked away and chuckled softly.
“Where is your mind running off to? I said ‘in the future.’ I didn’t say we had to do all of that tonight.”
Xu Zhiyan: “……”
Fair enough. Got it.
She set down her utensils and stopped talking, worried if they kept this up, she’d reveal something she shouldn’t.
But then Shen Buhui blinked at her and added mischievously,
“Though if you do want to do those things now, that’s fine too. We are lovers, after all.”
Xu Zhiyan shook her head firmly, all seriousness.
“Nope. Step by step is perfectly fine.”
Shen Buhui saw how spooked she’d made her and gave a low, restrained laugh, finally deciding to back off.
Night had fallen, and the stars were scattered high above.
When they left the restaurant, masked up again, a flower vendor stood just outside.
Bundles of red roses glowed warmly under the streetlights.
“Pretty ladies! Want to buy a bouquet?” the girl asked brightly, noting their joined hands. She grinned at Xu Zhiyan.
“Hey, pretty girl—buy a bunch of roses for your girlfriend! They suit her perfectly.”
Xu Zhiyan looked up at Shen Buhui in the night.
Even under the black mask, her refined features couldn’t be hidden. She knew the vendor was just being playful, but she did feel that red roses truly matched Shen Buhui’s presence.
Last time, it had been pink tulips—soft and gentle. This time, red roses—passionate and bold.
Yet no flower, no matter how bright, could ever outshine that one dazzling smile from her.
Xu Zhiyan held out the bouquet.
“Here—this is for you, girlfriend.”
She tilted her head and smiled, radiating happiness.