The Paranoid Film Queen Hooked Me, and I Fell in Love. (GL) - Chapter 9

“I’m sorry, Xu Zhiyan.”

The unexpected apology caught her completely off guard. Shocked, Xu Zhiyan stood frozen, unable to process the moment.

Who was this standing before her?

The woman who had debuted at the pinnacle of success and, for the past five years, had remained a shining star in the industry.

The youngest-ever recipient of the Bai Chuan Award for Best Actress.

A performer whose acting could carry both acclaim and box office success.

A dream figure to countless fans, adored by millions.

Yet now, that Shen Buhui, wrapped in all her radiance and prestige, was standing in front of her, sincerely saying, “I’m sorry.”

Her gaze was earnest, her words unmistakable, her attitude incredibly gentle.

Xu Zhiyan couldn’t conceal the shock and confusion on her face.

Shen Buhui hadn’t needed to do this.

It had only been a misunderstanding—one that, quite frankly, many others might have shared. There were likely even worse speculations and unpleasant rumors about her in places she couldn’t see. It was natural—people interpret things through their own biases. Dirty minds see dirt everywhere.

But Shen Buhui, simply because she had harbored a moment of misjudgment under the influence of a bad mood, had now gone out of her way to apologize. That was what left Xu Zhiyan truly astonished.

Almost instinctively, she overlooked the fact that, given Shen Buhui’s close working relationship with Director Cheng, she should have already known the kind of person he was.

Xu Zhiyan unconsciously toyed with the fox plushie’s tail.

“…It’s okay,” she said after regaining her composure, her tone equally sincere.

She could understand how circumstances had led to the misunderstanding. More importantly, Miss Shen had never actually treated her poorly—never spoken harshly to her, never done anything unkind. On the contrary, she had helped her so much during their training earlier.

“Miss Shen, thank you for telling me the truth instead of brushing me off,” Xu Zhiyan said seriously.

When she first voiced her concern, she had worried that Miss Shen might turn it around and ask her what proof she had, or worse, deny it outright.

Yet she had done neither.

Instead, she had taken the time to explain the entire situation and even apologized sincerely.

Hearing that, Shen Buhui felt a slight unease deep inside. But with her impeccable acting skills, she remained composed, nodding calmly. “It was my mistake too.”

Xu Zhiyan suddenly let out a small laugh. “Well, as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up, that’s what matters!”

Relaxing completely, she finally indulged in what she had wanted to do for a while—burying her face into the plush fox’s soft fur. A moment later, she looked up, her smile warm and radiant.

“Knowing that Miss Shen doesn’t dislike me makes me really happy.”

…Is that so?

Shen Buhui gazed at her thoughtfully.

“…Does my attitude toward you matter that much?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Huh?” Xu Zhiyan still had a bright smile on her face, her expression a mix of surprise and joy. It didn’t seem awkward—if anything, there was a subtle charm in how candidly she reacted.

“Of course, it does!” she nodded enthusiastically.

Because she had taken down her loose braid during shooting practice, she had later tied it up into a small bun. Now, as she moved, the bun swayed slightly—a detail that only made her look more endearing.

But after blurting that out, Xu Zhiyan suddenly worried that she might have come across as too eager or abrupt. She quickly added, “Since this is my first time acting in a film, I was really concerned about getting along with my co-stars. I didn’t want any conflicts to affect the production. That’s why I cared about what you thought of me!”

Would this explanation make her seem professional and dedicated rather than childish? Xu Zhiyan secretly wondered.

…Was it really just because of the film?

A hint of inexplicable disappointment crept into Shen Buhui’s heart.

But seeing Xu Zhiyan looking so carefree, so bright and unburdened, she couldn’t help but feel happy as well.

If it’s just because of the film… that’s fine too.

With the misunderstanding cleared, their walk back was noticeably more relaxed.

Xu Zhiyan even took the opportunity to ask Shen Buhui for advice about acting.

And Shen Buhui? She answered every question with patience and clarity. Anything Xu Zhiyan wanted to know, she shared without hesitation.

By the end of the day, Xu Zhiyan had not only completed her training but also learned a great deal from Shen Buhui.

But most importantly…

They had cleared up a baseless misunderstanding!

By the time Xu Zhiyan returned to the hotel suite, Yuan Yuan was idly waiting inside. Seeing her walk in while humming softly, visibly happy, she couldn’t help but ask, “Had fun?”

She knew that training had ended at 5:30 PM, which meant this extra time must have been spent having fun outside.

Hugging the plushie, Xu Zhiyan nodded enthusiastically. “Very much!”

The vibrant red fluff of the plushie caught Yuan Yuan’s attention, and she exclaimed in surprise, “Zhiyan, did you buy this? It’s so cute!”

Xu Zhiyan grinned proudly, lifting the plushie up for her to see. “Cute, right? But I didn’t buy it.”

No girl could resist the charm of a soft, fluffy plushie—at least, Liang Yuan Yuan certainly couldn’t. She stared at it longingly before asking, “Then… can you tell me where you got it?”

Xu Zhiyan hesitated for a moment.

She had initially planned to say outright that Miss Shen had given it to her, but when the words reached her lips, something about it felt strangely… off.

Even though it was the truth.

“I won it at the arcade in a shooting game,” she explained instead.

“Well, technically, that does mean you didn’t buy it,” Yuan Yuan sighed. “I guess I’ll try searching for the same one online.”

Winning a plushie through a shooting game? That wasn’t something she could even dream of with her skills.

“Oh, right—Zhiyan, did you eat dinner outside?” Yuan Yuan asked suddenly.

“……”

Xu Zhiyan froze mid-action, her expression instantly turning blank.

Yuan Yuan instinctively reached out and caught the plushie before it fell to the ground. Confused, she asked, “What does that mean? Did you eat or not?”

“…I didn’t.”

Not only had she not eaten—Miss Shen hadn’t eaten either.

Realizing this, Xu Zhiyan felt an overwhelming urge to smack herself on the forehead.

Miss Shen had taken the time to bring her to the arcade, but she hadn’t even thought to ask her if she wanted to eat? Or better yet, invite her for dinner?!

How could she have just obediently followed her back the moment she said, “Let’s go”?

Yuan Yuan hummed in acknowledgment before asking, “So, do you want to go downstairs to eat, or should I bring something up for you?”

Xu Zhiyan mumbled, “I’ll just eat here.”

“Got it.”

After the door closed behind Yuan Yuan, Xu Zhiyan threw herself onto the bed and covered her face in frustration.

“I wonder if Miss Shen is hungry…”

At that very moment, across the hall, Miss Shen had just finished peeling a pear and was taking a large bite.

Compared to the pear massacre at noon, her peeling technique had significantly improved—at the very least, the surface of the fruit was no longer full of uneven patches.

Watching her enjoy the fruit, Xiao Fang couldn’t help but swallow her saliva at the sight.

“…Do you want a pear too?” Shen Buhui glanced at her with mild amusement.

Xiao Fang hesitated for a moment before nodding honestly, albeit a bit embarrassed.

Her gaze drifted toward the fruit plate on the coffee table, waiting for permission.

This was routine—whenever Shen Buhui bought more food than she could eat, she wasn’t stingy about sharing. If someone around her needed something, she would usually offer. However, there was one strict rule: whether it was food or personal items, no one could take anything without her explicit permission.

So, out of habit, Xiao Fang looked expectantly at the fruit bowl.

“You’re not allowed to eat anything from there.”

Shen Buhui’s voice was calm but unmistakably firm.

Xiao Fang looked up in surprise.

She watched as Shen Buhui casually picked up her phone and sent her a red envelope. Then, taking another bite of her pear, she said, “Go buy one yourself.”

…Alright, then.

Xiao Fang opened the message, saw the amount, and beamed. “Thanks, Hui-jie! You’re the best!”

Shen Buhui waved her off, signaling for her to leave.

Just as Xiao Fang reached the door, she suddenly remembered something. Instinctively, she turned back and asked, “Jie, have you had dinner?”

“……”

A brief silence.

…Yeah, that was a no.

Xiao Fang nodded knowingly, already used to this. “I’ll bring something up for you, then?”

Shen Buhui: “Mm.”

After Xiao Fang left, Shen Buhui focused on finishing her pear.

Honestly… pears weren’t that bad. They were sweet, after all.

After showering, Xu Zhiyan lay on her bed, flipping through her script for a while. Then, as always, she indulged in her nightly entertainment—scrolling through Weibo.

This time, though, after logging into her fan account, she immediately followed Shen Buhui’s profile.

She had been so busy these past few days that she had completely forgotten to do it earlier.

Shen Buhui’s feed mostly consisted of brand advertisements, with little to no personal content. Xu Zhiyan scrolled through a bit and quickly got a general sense of it.

Even so, despite the official, polished nature of her posts, her fans still flooded the comments with “Goddess,” “Wife,” “Husband”…

After watching a few videos, even Xu Zhiyan had to admit—Shen Buhui definitely deserved both the “wife” and “husband” titles from her fans.

She could be seductive, charming, sharp, and undeniably cool.

But in private, Miss Shen was actually quite gentle and proper.

After browsing for a while, Xu Zhiyan finally noticed a new message from Cherry Little Brat.

[? Have you fallen for Shen Buhui now?]

It seemed she had noticed the new following notification.

Xu Zhiyan had a habit—even though she used a fan account, her following list was strictly limited to only the celebrities she supported and a few close friends from the fandom.

Over the years, she had shipped quite a few pairings and had always used this same account. She had witnessed plenty of fandom disputes, but thanks to her unwavering attitude and status as a prominent content creator, things usually settled down before they escalated.

Now, her timeline existed in a delicate balance. Each fandom stuck to their own content, indulging in their ships in peace. No drama, just sugar.

So the moment Cherry Little Brat saw the new follow, she immediately messaged her.

Xu Zhiyan: [Fallen for? I just have a good impression of her. Consider me a new fan.]

Cherry Little Brat: [I KNEW IT! My wife’s charm is irresistible!!]

Xu Zhiyan: [??? Your wife?]

She frowned at the screen.

Cherry Little Brat: [Do we even have love left between us? I told you before—Shen Buhui is MY WIFE!!]

Cherry Little Brat was clearly upset. Her following list wasn’t as exclusive as Xu Zhiyan’s, but she was very particular about who she followed. And she distinctly remembered telling Xu Zhiyan about her wife before!

Xu Zhiyan: [I know you like her, but she’s not your wife.]

She had never really reacted to the countless “wife” comments under Shen Buhui’s posts. But now that someone she personally knew was calling her that, she couldn’t explain why, but it felt different.

Cherry Little Brat: [If she’s not my wife, then what? YOUR wife?! I don’t care—she’s MY WIFE MY WIFE MY WIFE!!!]

The endless spam of “wife” was so irritating that Xu Zhiyan’s annoyance peaked. She simply swiped out of the chat without replying.

As her gaze drifted, her eyes landed on the fox plushie sitting by her bedside.

Strangely, the annoyance in her heart faded a little.

She picked up her phone, opened the camera, and snapped a picture of the plushie.

After a moment of hesitation, she switched to her personal account and posted a simple Weibo update:

“Goodnight, sweet dreams, my fox.”