The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 38

Zeng Yue returned to her dressing room with icy hands and feet, her once-gentle, radiant face now completely cold.

The atmosphere in the room had become heavy, tense—almost freezing.

Her assistant shot her cautious glances, not daring to speak.

“Get me a glass of warm water.”

Just as the assistant thought the tense silence might stretch on indefinitely, Zeng Yue suddenly spoke.

She hurried to pour warm water into a glass and brought it over.

The chill on Zeng Yue’s face was gradually fading. She took the glass and downed the water in one go.

The smooth, clear glass was still warm in her palm, but her mind kept drifting back to the scene she’d accidentally witnessed just moments ago.

“Xu Zhiyan…”

Clang—

Her eyes darkened, and the glass shattered into pieces as she hurled it to the ground.

…

The kiss ended.

Xu Zhiyan slowly released her hand from behind Shen Buhui’s head. At some point, the arms that had wrapped around her neck had also fallen away.

Shen Buhui’s forehead still rested against hers, the heat of their breathing lingering in the space between them.

Xu Zhiyan gently stroked the side of her face and asked in a low voice,
“How was that? Do you think I’ve improved?”

To ask something like that right after kissing her—truly shameless.

Shen Buhui shot her a soft, lazy glare, one that carried absolutely no threat.

Xu Zhiyan chuckled quietly. Her gaze was caught on Shen Buhui’s flushed lips. She couldn’t resist leaning in and giving them another teasing kiss.

“I think I’ve definitely improved,” she said, answering her own question.

The room was still steeped in a haze of intimacy and lingering heat. It took a while before Shen Buhui gradually pulled herself back from that indulgent state.

She reached up to tidy her hair, then turned her head slightly to look at Xu Zhiyan.
“What’s up with you today? Did something happen while I was gone?”

Xu Zhiyan casually stepped back and dropped into a chair, slouching like she had nothing to hide.
“Hmm? Nothing happened. Everything was just fine after you left.”

Shen Buhui stared at her for a moment, then looked away—perhaps a little suspiciously—but said nothing.

“…Good.”

From behind, Xu Zhiyan watched as Shen Buhui carefully applied lipstick in front of the mirror. Then, all of a sudden, she asked,
“Hey, I saw in one of your past interviews that a host asked about your ideal type… but you never answered.”

As Shen Buhui turned her head, confused, Xu Zhiyan tilted her own with a faint smile.

“So now, would it be fair to say… your ideal type is someone like me?”

She lifted her chin just a bit, clearly pleased with herself.

But her eyes—those dark, searching eyes—were fixed on Shen Buhui, watching her every reaction.

The corners of Shen Buhui’s lips curled upward despite herself.
“Do you always have to be this full of yourself?”

Xu Zhiyan gave her lips a light tap.
“Mhm.”
The meaning was obvious.

“Alright, alright,” Shen Buhui relented.
“Fine—my ideal type is someone just like you.”

Xu Zhiyan pouted slightly, clearly dissatisfied.
“You say it so casually. It sounds like you’re just brushing me off.”

Shen Buhui raised an eyebrow, smiling.
“I said it, didn’t I? Whether you believe me or not is up to you.”

Xu Zhiyan spun in her chair and lowered her head so her expression was hidden.
“Hmph, of course I believe you. After all, the fact that I’m your girlfriend now is the best proof of all.”

Yes—being Shen Buhui’s girlfriend was the clearest proof.

Shen Buhui definitely liked her.

With her head still lowered, Xu Zhiyan pretended to be playing with the swivel chair. Shen Buhui couldn’t see her face, and her earlier suspicion about Xu Zhiyan’s behavior began to ease. But that last sentence caught her attention. Her eyes flickered slightly, and a thought began to form.

Later, when Xu Zhiyan left to film her scene, Shen Buhui quietly pulled aside her assistant Xiao Fang to stay with her on set. Then, she turned to call out to Yuanyuan, gesturing for her to come over.

“Hui-jie, is there something you want to talk about?”

As Xu Zhiyan’s assistant, Yuanyuan’s tasks usually fell into two categories: whatever Xu Zhiyan directly asked of her, or instructions from her manager, Zhao Yue.

Xu Zhiyan was still a rookie with just two months in the industry. Other than this current film, she didn’t have any other projects lined up. Most of her future schedules would depend on the movie’s promotion period. So on regular days, Yuanyuan’s main job was simply taking care of her.

And now she was being summoned by the big boss herself.

Shen Buhui appeared relaxed, her tone gentle.
“It’s nothing serious. I just wanted to ask—has anything happened while I was away? Has Yan Yan been acting strange?”

Something happened?
Yuanyuan immediately thought of Qi Helin’s sudden visit to Xu Zhiyan the other day.

“I don’t think so?” she replied, scratching her head. “If something really did happen, Zhiyan would’ve told you, right?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Yuanyuan answered firmly.

Shen Buhui narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression unreadable.

“Alright then,” she said, suddenly smiling. “I just didn’t want her to bottle things up and keep them from me. If there’s really nothing, that means everything’s fine.”

“Anyway, you can go. I was just asking casually.”

After Yuanyuan left, Shen Buhui tapped her fingers against the table, frustration rising in her chest.

She wanted to know everything that happened when Xu Zhiyan was out of her sight—but what was she supposed to do if no one was cooperating?

…

That night, back at the hotel, Xu Zhiyan slipped across the hallway into the familiar room next door—Shen Buhui’s.

Even though she no longer needed to study scripts or rehearse scenes with her, ever since they started dating, if they didn’t have a date, she still made a habit of spending time in her room before bed.

She flopped onto the couch, hugging a big bowl of chilled watermelon, and sighed contentedly.
“Watermelon tastes the best when I eat it here.”

Shen Buhui set down her spoon and smiled.
“Are you sure it’s not just because someone’s eating it with you?”

Xu Zhiyan grinned.
“Exactly! But it has to be you. Sharing food I love with the person I love? That’s peak happiness.”

“You really do say ‘love’ at least ten times a day,” Shen Buhui teased, amused.

Though to be fair, the phrase she heard the most was “I love you, jie.” Shen Buhui lowered her gaze slightly, feeling unexpectedly warm inside.

“Isn’t it right to say what you feel? What’s the point of hiding it?”

Xu Zhiyan scooped another bite of juicy, sweet watermelon into her mouth.
“Whether it’s food or people—it’s all the same.”

“For example, I love you, jie, and I’ve never once hidden it. If I didn’t say it out loud, how would anyone know how much I care?”

She rambled on without pause, and Shen Buhui found herself suddenly dazed.

—“I love jie the most! I want to play with jie forever!”

—“If anyone bullies you again, I’ll set the dogs on them! Don’t be scared, jie!”

—“You’re so pretty, jie. I don’t even want to play with the other kids—I only want to be with you!”

One childish voice after another echoed in her ears, slowly overlapping with the crisp, bright voice speaking now.

Xu Zhiyan waved her hand in front of her.
“Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

Snapping back to her senses, Shen Buhui gently caught the hand that was about to pull away and placed it into her palm.

“I heard you,” she said with a soft smile. “And I remember everything you said.”

But sometimes, the word “like” didn’t need to be spoken so boldly.

For someone like her, the feelings buried deep in her heart couldn’t be easily voiced.
Because if she said them out loud—what awaited might not be warmth, but panic and retreat.

Lowering her head, Shen Buhui played with Xu Zhiyan’s slender fingers. Her smile was gentle, but there was something in it that couldn’t quite be seen through.
Xu Zhiyan accidentally caught a glimpse of her expression—and for a moment, she was stunned.

But when she looked up again, Shen Buhui’s smile had already returned to normal.

“Yan Yan,” she said thoughtfully, “there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Xu Zhiyan snapped out of it. “Go ahead.”

“This afternoon, I asked your assistant about something,” Shen Buhui said naturally. “You seemed a little off earlier, and I was worried, so I asked Yuanyuan if something happened.”

“But she didn’t say anything.” Shen Buhui looked into her eyes, smiling gently, understandingly.
“I get it. She’s your assistant, after all. Even if I asked, she’s not supposed to just talk about your private matters.”

Xu Zhiyan remembered what Yuanyuan had told her earlier and didn’t take it to heart.
“She mentioned it to me. I know you were just concerned. If you want to ask anything, just ask.”

She didn’t feel like she had anything to hide. And Shen Buhui wasn’t just the boss signing Yuanyuan’s paychecks—she was her girlfriend. From any angle, asking was perfectly fine.

“But let’s leave it,” Shen Buhui said, her voice light.
“I think Yuanyuan did the right thing. This way, whether it’s me or anyone else, no one can just casually pry into your life.”

“That’s different!” Xu Zhiyan suddenly raised her voice. “You’re my girlfriend—you have that right!”

Final word.
“If you ever want to know anything, just ask her directly. I’ll tell her to answer.”

Objective achieved, Shen Buhui smiled and patted her head.
“Alright. Got it.”

Then, pulling out her phone, she blinked playfully.
“Since you’re my girlfriend, you also have the right to check in on me. Whether it’s asking Xiao Fang or going through my phone—feel free.”

Xu Zhiyan tried to keep a straight face but failed—grinning with barely-contained glee.

She trusted Shen Buhui. She didn’t actually need to check.
But there was a difference between not needing to and not being allowed to. After all, when someone offered openness first, it proved they had nothing to hide.

Xu Zhiyan loved that feeling.

She looked at Shen Buhui, a soft emotion swirling in her eyes.
She wanted to kiss her again.

Somehow, Shen Buhui caught the message just from her gaze and immediately said,
“No. Not happening.”

Staring into Shen Buhui’s firm expression, Xu Zhiyan put on her most pitiful face.
But Shen Buhui reached out and flicked her forehead.
“Your moves this afternoon were too intense. It broke the skin.”

“Huh?” Xu Zhiyan’s face filled with worry. “Does it hurt?”

Shen Buhui gently touched the corner of her lip. It stung a little—but as long as she didn’t move it, it was fine.
“It doesn’t hurt now, but if you kiss me again, it will.”

Xu Zhiyan: “…”

Embarrassed, she turned her face away and muttered,
“Fine. I won’t kiss you, then.”

Shen Buhui saw her sulking, and the urge to tease her grew stronger.

“Didn’t someone say earlier their technique had improved?” Shen Buhui smiled as she brushed her fingers across her lips.
“Well, this is proof—clearly, you need more practice.”

“After all, pride leads to setbacks, and humility brings progress. Don’t you agree?”

Xu Zhiyan’s ears turned red. She didn’t reply at first—but then, catching Shen Buhui’s playful, starry-eyed smile, she suddenly straightened up—

—and planted a kiss right on her forehead.

Then, without giving Shen Buhui a chance to respond, she bolted toward the door, calling out behind her:

“Goodnight! I’m going back to practice!”

She couldn’t kiss her lips tonight…
But who said she couldn’t kiss other places?
Tonight she’d go home and study even harder!