The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 5

By the time Xu Zhiyan woke up, the sun had already begun its descent, painting the sky in hues of soft pink and deepening purple. The layered clouds looked like an oil painting, vibrant and full of life.

She had, of course, noticed the WeChat notification.

After a nap, she felt more at ease. If Shen Laoshi truly didn’t like her, then she’d simply keep her distance. No need to bother her unnecessarily.

That was what she thought.

But when she saw the “Hello” message Shen Buhui had sent over an hour ago, her heart clenched slightly.

Would she think I was ignoring her on purpose?

That would be a terrible misunderstanding!

Panicking slightly, Xu Zhiyan quickly replied. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she searched through her collection of reaction memes and sent a cute image of a kitten sitting up with its tiny fists clenched—an endearing mix of shyness and determination.

This makes it feel less awkward, right?

She wasn’t entirely sure.

After exiting the chat window, her eyes landed on Shen Buhui’s profile picture.

She hesitated for a moment before curiosity got the better of her, and she tapped into her profile and Moments page.

The profile picture was a striking shot of the horizon at sunrise, a burst of golden light breaking through the clouds—a powerful, almost poetic image.

But her Moments feed? Completely empty.

Neat. Clean. Nothing there at all.

I haven’t annoyed her enough for her to block me, have I?

She shook her head at her own thoughts.

Meanwhile, the internet was buzzing.

“According to insider reports, Director Cheng Xu’s new film’s lead actresses have already been decided! Shen Buhui, Lin Xueyan, Shang Qi… Who do you think got the role?”

“It’s rumored that Director Cheng’s upcoming project Symbiosis is a dual-female-lead film, and the main cast has already been finalized. Filming starts soon—are you excited?”

As she scrolled through Weibo, Xu Zhiyan noticed that several marketing accounts had already started speculating about the casting.

She skimmed the comments—many fans were already dismissing the rumors outright, demanding proper announcements.

But there were also plenty of people eagerly anticipating the film.

And out of all the actresses mentioned, Shen Buhui’s name appeared the most.

“The pressure just got even worse…” she muttered under her breath.

Switching accounts, she logged into her fan account and posted a quick update before catching up on unread messages.

Her friend Cherry Xiaomanzi had sent multiple texts.

Xu Zhiyan: Sorry, I’ve been busy with a part-time job lately, so I might not be online much.

Cherry Xiaomanzi: No worries! I thought you found a new obsession and were going to recommend them to me!

Given how similar their tastes were, if Xu Zhiyan had a new celebrity crush, Cherry Xiaomanzi would be eager to hear about it.

Xu Zhiyan chuckled and promised that if she ever found a new favorite, she’d share it right away.

Then, a sudden thought crossed her mind.

She and Shen Buhui…

This was a dual-female-lead film.

Judging by the script, their characters’ interactions would be quite intense. If the film gained popularity, would they… end up attracting CP fans?

Based on her past fandom experiences, it seemed very possible.

But then again, the other person involved was Shen Buhui.

Would that really happen?

Almost immediately, her brain supplied the answer: No way.

She had gone through Shen Buhui’s history. Whenever any RPS (Real Person Ship) rumors surfaced about her, she had always shut them down with cold precision.

That’s actually a good thing, she reasoned.

Even though she loved shipping characters, it was purely from an aesthetic standpoint. If people ever started shipping her with someone in real life…

Just imagining it made her feel so weird.

And if that someone was Shen Laoshi?

Even weirder.

Since Xu Zhiyan was about to start filming, Lin Ya had been making preparations for her. Although she hadn’t officially signed with an agency yet, Lin Ya couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter navigating the industry alone, completely unfamiliar with its inner workings.

So, she reached out to an old classmate.

That was how, by the time Xu Zhiyan heard the news, she found herself unexpectedly assigned a personal assistant.

“…I don’t think I need one?”

She was just acting part-time—surely a personal assistant was unnecessary?

Lin Ya disagreed. “You do. You’re still a newcomer, and there are many things you won’t know how to handle. Your dad and I can’t always be there to guide you. Having someone experienced to look after you is essential.”

At first, Xu Zhiyan still felt a little awkward about the idea of having an assistant. She was just a student—did she really need one?

But after hearing Lin Ya’s explanation, she realized she really was a complete rookie. There were so many things she didn’t know yet.

So, like a little chick pecking at rice, she nodded vigorously.

Lin Ya smiled in satisfaction. “That’s the right attitude.”

Xu Zhiyan didn’t bother asking who it would be. She’d find out soon enough anyway, and it wasn’t like her mom would set her up with someone unreliable.

Right now, the most important thing was—there was another dinner gathering tomorrow!

Unlike the previous small meeting, this time, it wasn’t just the leads and the scriptwriter. According to Director Cheng, the producers, investors, and other main cast members would be attending.

Just thinking about it made that familiar nervousness creep back.

Over the past few days, aside from their initial “hello” on WeChat, she hadn’t exchanged any messages with Shen Buhui. But when she saw Shen Buhui post a WeChat Moment the next day—a picture of a cat—she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least she didn’t block me.

—

That evening, as she arrived at the underground parking lot, she suddenly saw someone stepping out of a sleek black van.

She hadn’t reacted yet when her voice instinctively rang out.

“Good evening, Shen Laoshi!”

Her clear, crisp voice echoed through the open space of the underground parking lot, reverberating around them.

A second later, she realized how loud she had been.

Her face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

Underneath the black mask, Shen Buhui’s lips curled slightly—so faint and fleeting that it disappeared in an instant.

Even Zhao Yue, who had been beside her, was caught off guard by the sheer enthusiasm of the greeting. Reflexively, she greeted back, “Good evening, good evening.”

Xu Zhiyan awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sneaking a glance at Shen Buhui, whose face was mostly hidden by her mask.

God, that was such a dumb way to say hello.

A soft, muffled voice came from behind the mask.

“Good evening.”

Hearing the response, Xu Zhiyan’s smile immediately brightened.

Shen Buhui took a few steps forward, then paused.

Seeing that Xu Zhiyan was still standing in place, she tilted her head slightly and asked, “Not coming with me?”

Zhao Yue’s eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise.

Xu Zhiyan, realizing she was being invited, instantly replied, “Yes, yes! I’ll come with you!”

She didn’t know why Shen Laoshi’s attitude seemed slightly better today, but whatever the reason, she wasn’t going to overthink it.

There was still plenty of time to figure it out.

—

By the time they arrived, the private dining room was already filled with people.

As soon as they stepped in, all eyes naturally turned toward them.

…Or rather, toward Shen Buhui.

But still, Xu Zhiyan straightened her posture, squared her shoulders, and put on her best social smile.

Director Cheng was the first to speak up. “Look, our leading ladies are here.”

The single word “both” subtly redirected some of the attention that had been entirely on Shen Buhui, shifting part of the focus onto Xu Zhiyan as well.

Xu Zhiyan: “…”

Maintaining her composure, she put on her best, most natural smile. “Good evening, everyone.”

After her introduction, Director Cheng ushered her to a seat.

To her left sat Shen Buhui.

To her right sat Wu Xiaozhong, the screenwriter.

Wu Xiaozhong gave her a friendly smile before turning her attention elsewhere.

And then, Director Cheng took the stage.

Once everyone had arrived, he went around making introductions. After all, there were producers and investors present, along with the other key actors.

After the formalities, the dishes started arriving, and the conversation naturally shifted to casual chatter.

Since Xu Zhiyan had studied the script thoroughly, she already knew that besides the two lead actresses, the most important supporting roles were Lin Yin’s third brother and a key female supporting character.

Across the table, Zeng Yue and Qi Helin clinked glasses, exchanging toasts with ease. Watching them, Xu Zhiyan finally felt a sense of reality settling in.

She had truly stepped into the entertainment industry.

The people she had once admired from afar, separated by a screen, were now sitting right in front of her.

Just as she was lost in thought, she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.

Turning her head, she met Shen Buhui’s silent gaze.

With her mask removed, Shen Buhui’s flawless, porcelain-like skin was illuminated by the soft lighting, almost glowing. The sheer visual impact made Xu Zhiyan momentarily forget to breathe.

Shen Buhui leaned in slightly and murmured, “The director is calling you.”

“!?”

Xu Zhiyan immediately snapped her attention back to Director Cheng, only to find him smiling at her knowingly.

“Looks like our two leads are bonding well,” he said with clear amusement.

Xu Zhiyan: “…”

She responded with a polite smile, pretending nothing had happened.

But Director Cheng didn’t dwell on the moment. Once she was focused again, he got back to business.

“Before filming starts, you two will need to undergo some specialized training.”

Xu Zhiyan straightened her posture and listened carefully.

Sure enough, he began outlining their pre-filming tasks, which included skill training essential for their roles.

She mentally calculated the time remaining. One week before filming started… it should be enough, right?

Turning her head slightly, she found herself locking eyes with Shen Buhui.

A brief moment—then both of them looked away.

Xu Zhiyan caught glimpses of Shen Buhui continuing to converse with the director, her familiar low, husky voice slipping into her ears effortlessly.

Her mind flickered back to their first meeting—the cold, jade-like clarity in her voice then was still etched into her memory.

Without another word, Xu Zhiyan pushed back her chair and stood up.

As she stepped out, Shen Buhui’s gaze subtly followed her.

She didn’t say anything, but once the door clicked shut behind Xu Zhiyan, her eyes quietly returned to the table.

No one else seemed to notice the brief disappearance.

—

Outside the dining room, Xu Zhiyan accepted the warm ceramic cup from the waiter, smiling. “Thank you.”

The waiter, seemingly taken aback by the stunning young woman in front of her, blushed slightly. “It’s my job.”

Xu Zhiyan didn’t pay much attention to the reaction. She had gotten what she came for, so she quickly turned back toward the private room.

—

As she stepped inside, a certain pair of eyes flickered toward the doorway.

Seeing that she had returned safely, Shen Buhui’s gaze dropped once more.

Xu Zhiyan quietly took her seat again.

The next thing she knew, a porcelain cup filled with fragrant warmth was being nudged toward her from the side.

She looked down at the drink, then up at the hand that had just pushed it forward.

The pale, elegant fingers belonged to Shen Buhui.

Dark, thick lashes quivered slightly as Shen Buhui lifted her gaze to her.

She didn’t speak, but the silent inquiry in her eyes was clear.

Xu Zhiyan whispered, “I noticed your voice sounded a little hoarse. This is pear juice—it helps soothe the throat.”

Inside the glass cup, warm translucent pear pulp floated in golden liquid, carrying a faint but unmistakable sweetness.

For a moment, Shen Buhui simply stared at her.

Then, without a word, she lifted the cup and took a sip.

A trace of soft warmth lingered on her lips.

When she looked up again, her usually cool, composed eyes seemed to carry a hint of something else—something delicate, something barely perceptible.

Xu Zhiyan almost thought she had imagined it.

Then Shen Buhui spoke.

“It’s very sweet.”

Her voice was huskier than before.

Xu Zhiyan blinked. Wasn’t that too hot to drink so fast?