The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 7

“Sister Hui, let me carry that for you.”

Xiao Fang considerately reached out to take the items from Shen Buhui’s hands.

His hand had already extended naturally, but she evaded his grasp.

“I’ll do it myself.”

Xiao Fang then watched as Shen Buhui effortlessly pulled out a plump, golden pear from her bag, then clumsily began peeling it with a fruit knife.

“I can do it, Sister Hui,” Xiao Fang quickly offered.

“No need,” Shen Buhui replied, shifting slightly as she kept her head down, her expression serious as she continued peeling the fruit slowly and with difficulty.

It was evident that she was not accustomed to such tasks. Her movements were awkward and unfamiliar.

At last, a pear, peeled unevenly with bumps and ridges, was revealed.

Shen Buhui took a bite. The fresh, sweet juice instantly spread across her mouth. The pear was large and exceptionally sweet, its sugary taste flowing from her lips to her heart, softening her expression.

Xiao Fang found today’s events particularly strange. Unable to hold back any longer, he finally asked, “Sister Hui, didn’t you dislike pears?”

Without lifting her head, Shen Buhui responded, “Starting now—oh, no, starting yesterday afternoon—I like them.”

Xiao Fang: “?”

What was going on? Could someone’s preferences change so suddenly? He clearly remembered that just yesterday morning, she had disliked pears.

The afternoon training session began with firearm training, a necessary skill for both lead actors and supporting cast. Fortunately, as the main leads, Xu Zhiyan and Shen Buhui were scheduled for training at the same location.

By the time Xu Zhiyan received this news, she was already waiting inside the training facility.

She looked at the neatly arranged firearms with keen interest. “We can start as soon as Miss Shen arrives, right?”

The coach, hired by the director, nodded in confirmation.

Receiving the affirmative answer, Xu Zhiyan suppressed her excitement and took a seat, patiently waiting.

Five minutes later, the person she had been anticipating finally arrived.

She looked quite different from how she had appeared just two hours ago. This time, Shen Buhui had tied her long hair up in a high ponytail, revealing a slender, fair swan-like neck. With every movement, her ponytail swayed behind her, giving off a lively yet capable aura.

For convenience during training, she had also changed into sportswear.

Xu Zhiyan glanced at her, then subconsciously lowered her gaze to look at herself—

Same color.

Same style.

What an incredible coincidence.

Shen Buhui’s expression remained neutral, her gaze unreadable.

Xu Zhiyan stole a glance at her before cautiously speaking up, “I guess this brand really deserves its bestseller status—it’s selling exceptionally well.”

She gestured toward their matching outfits.

In the entertainment industry, wearing the same clothes as another celebrity was often frowned upon. Unethical media outlets frequently exploited such moments to incite comparisons, leading to one person being praised while the other was criticized. Additionally, different facial features and body types could create contrasting visual effects, making many celebrities avoid such situations altogether.

Although it was just sportswear, Xu Zhiyan worried that Shen Buhui—who was already somewhat distant toward her—might be displeased. Hence, she took the initiative to explain.

However, Shen Buhui simply smiled warmly. “It seems we have the same taste—we both like this white design.”

Seeing that there was no hidden meaning behind her words, Xu Zhiyan quietly sighed in relief.

She touched the end of her neatly braided hair and said, “Coach Chen has been waiting for us. Let’s head over.”

As Xu Zhiyan turned to leave, Shen Buhui’s smile slightly faded.

“The same taste,” she had said. But shouldn’t a response like that have prompted a remark about ‘fate’ or ‘kindred spirits’ instead?

Unaware that a mere matching outfit had led to such whimsical thoughts, Xu Zhiyan strode over to wake up the drowsy Coach Chen, and they officially began training.

Xu Zhiyan started by following the coach’s instructions for the proper standing posture. During the process, she occasionally glanced at Shen Buhui, who was training beside her, and discovered that her form was far more precise than her own.

Xu Zhiyan pursed her lips, a competitive glint flashing in her eyes.

Not long after, Coach Chen announced, “Alright, that’s enough.”

Xu Zhiyan turned her head.

Shen Buhui instinctively offered her a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, I had prior experience.”

“…” Xu Zhiyan bit her lip in frustration. Who was worried? She wasn’t worried at all!

However, under the pressure of an outstanding example, Xu Zhiyan quickly mastered this step as well.

Next was the proper grip technique for handling a firearm.

Xu Zhiyan soon realized—Shen Buhui was better at this too!

She observed the woman’s focused side profile. There was an inexplicable sharpness in her gaze as she held the gun, an added intensity that made her even more captivating than usual.

Xu Zhiyan thought to herself—she couldn’t be blamed for wanting to compare herself to Miss Shen. With such an obvious benchmark beside her, it was impossible not to.

The only problem was—she kept losing! So frustrating!

After the coach finished teaching the fundamentals of firearm handling, aiming techniques, and trigger control, a significant amount of time had passed.

Strictly speaking, the actors didn’t necessarily have to master proper gun handling. After all, they weren’t real marksmen, nor would they actually fire live rounds.

However, Director Cheng had always pursued perfection in his films. Even if the total screen time of gun usage was minimal, as long as it appeared in the film, or if the plot required it, the actors had to learn it properly.

Thus, Coach Chen followed the director’s instructions and taught everything from the ground up, leaving out no steps.

After completing a full demonstration of the sequence, he noticed that Xu Zhiyan’s grip on the gun was still somewhat incorrect. Just as he was about to correct her, his phone suddenly rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, he turned to Shen Buhui and said, “Watch her for me for a moment. If she does anything wrong, help her correct it.”

Shen Buhui nodded.

Xu Zhiyan could only watch as Coach Chen swiftly grabbed his phone and rushed out of the room.

“Doesn’t this count as using work hours for personal matters?” she asked, turning her head.

Shen Buhui chuckled. “How do you know the call isn’t work-related?”

Xu Zhiyan pouted. “I’m just guessing,” though she had no real basis for it.

After spending over an hour training together in close proximity, Xu Zhiyan had started feeling more at ease around Shen Buhui and was no longer as tense as before.

“Alright, focus on your training,” Shen Buhui reminded her. “Didn’t you hear Coach Chen? I’m supposed to keep an eye on you.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhiyan immediately straightened up and resumed her practice.

Shen Buhui stood slightly behind her to the right, and with just a glance, she could see Xu Zhiyan’s fair, delicate profile.

The neatly braided hair she had tied earlier had loosened slightly due to movement, causing a few strands to slip free and sway gently with her motions. The sight was oddly distracting, making her heart feel somewhat restless.

Shen Buhui quickly retracted her gaze, turned toward the target ahead, and—bang—hit the bullseye.

Xu Zhiyan looked over enviously at her marksmanship, then took a deep breath, steadied her grip on the gun, and pulled the trigger.

A gunshot rang out—bang!

She had missed the bullseye by a slight margin, but it was still a significant improvement from before.

A faint sense of relief spread across Xu Zhiyan’s face.

The next second, a familiar scent lingered near her nose. She instinctively tensed.

She could clearly feel a warm presence pressing in behind her.

Xu Zhiyan didn’t dare turn around.

Then, Shen Buhui’s slightly husky voice sounded right next to her ear.

“Your posture was incorrect.”

The warm breath brushing against her ear sent a tingling sensation down her spine. Xu Zhiyan felt an urge to move but found herself frozen in place.

Shen Buhui stood right behind her. She had never been in such close contact with someone before, making her feel slightly uneasy. However, she managed to keep her voice steady.

Xu Zhiyan felt the body behind her lean in slightly. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the gun handle.

“Not like this,” Shen Buhui murmured. As she spoke, she extended her hand from the side, gently adjusting Xu Zhiyan’s grip.

The grip of the gun was only so big, and since Xu Zhiyan’s hand was already holding it, when Shen Buhui placed her hand over hers, there was inevitable contact.

From an outsider’s perspective, it looked as though her hand was completely enclosing Xu Zhiyan’s, their fingers fitting together perfectly.

Xu Zhiyan’s fingertips trembled slightly.

Shen Buhui, seemingly unfazed, remained focused on correcting her posture, carefully guiding her fingers to the proper placement.

Once everything was adjusted, she loosely held onto Xu Zhiyan’s hand, leaned in slightly, her lips nearly brushing against the faintly reddened ear beside her, and whispered,

“Fire.”

Bang!

A perfect bullseye.

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her lips curving into an uncontrollable smile.

“I hit the bullseye for the first time! Miss Shen, you’re amazing!”

She instinctively stepped back to create some distance, then looked at Shen Buhui with pure admiration written all over her face.

The warmth in her arms vanished instantly as Shen Buhui withdrew her arm.

“No, it’s because you learned well.”

She glanced at the bullet hole left in the bullseye and added, “I only helped adjust your posture. The aiming and shooting were entirely your own achievement.”

Xu Zhiyan shook her head. “It’s because Miss Shen taught me well.”

Eager to experience the thrill of hitting the bullseye again, she immediately prepared for another shot. The earlier awkwardness and subtle nervousness had completely faded from her mind.

For a while, the training hall echoed with the continuous sound of gunfire.

Shen Buhui: “……”

She watched as Xu Zhiyan happily indulged in her practice but ultimately chose to say nothing.

By the time Coach Chen returned, Xu Zhiyan had already mastered various techniques and significantly improved her accuracy.

Coach Chen nodded approvingly. “Your training has gone well—especially those minor grip issues from before. They’re all gone now. Keep up the good work.”

Beyond the line of sight of both Shen Buhui and Coach Chen, Xu Zhiyan’s fingers trembled slightly at the praise, and a faint heat crept up her ears.

She stammered, “I-It’s all thanks to Miss Shen’s guidance.”

Shen Buhui glanced at her.

Coach Chen, unaware of the exchange, simply checked their progress before nodding in satisfaction. “You’ve both done well. That’s all for this afternoon.”

Once they stepped out of the training facility, Xu Zhiyan finally had a chance to check her phone. The screen displayed 5:30 PM.

It was still too early for dinner, yet she wasn’t sure what to do in the meantime.

Shen Buhui had already pulled on a cap, lowering the brim so that her eyes were obscured. She asked, “Why aren’t you leaving?”

Xu Zhiyan glanced at the orange-hued sunset in the sky, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I was just thinking about what to do next.”

Shen Buhui checked the time—it was indeed still early.

Normally, by this time, she would have already gone home for a shower and some rest.

But now… She glanced at Xu Zhiyan, who seemed completely oblivious. A shadow flickered across her eyes.

“If you’re not too tired, I know a nearby place with shooting games. Would you be interested?”

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes lit up in an instant. “Really?”

Faced with her expectant gaze—resembling that of an eager, wet-pawed puppy—Shen Buhui found herself utterly defenseless.

She gave a slight nod, then pulled up her mask, motioning for Xu Zhiyan to follow her.