When a Scumbag Cannon Fodder Alpha Meets a Mad Movie Queen Villainess - Chapter 28

When Shen Yuanyi held the Best Singer of the Year award in her hands, applause erupted from the audience. Standing on stage, her gaze immediately landed on Qi Ning’an seated below. All the prepared words in her mind suddenly vanished, leaving her speechless before the microphone.

Stammering, she uttered, “Qi Ning’an…”

Realizing her mistake instantly, she quickly shook her head and pretended to cough to cover her embarrassment. But with multiple cameras rolling and the ceremony being broadcast live, her slip of the tongue was inevitably caught by the audience.

Online, eagle-eyed netizens immediately picked up on it, sparking rumors:
“What’s the relationship between Shen Yuanyi and Qi Ning’an?”
“They seem… suspiciously close.”
“Secret lovers?”

Standing on stage, Shen Yuanyi felt her heart sink. I’m doomed. I’ve just dragged Qi Ning’an into trouble with her fans.

The host stepped in to smooth things over, brushing off Shen Yuanyi’s slip-up. She managed to mumble a few words of thanks before clutching her award and stepping offstage.

Too afraid to meet Qi Ning’an’s eyes—she must want to kill me right now—she berated herself for making such a huge mistake on such an important occasion.

Meanwhile, Qi Ning’an remained unfazed, her expression calm and even slightly amused, a faint smile playing on her lips. Few could maintain such composure in her position, and many couldn’t help but glance at her in admiration.

As the ceremony ended and attendees began mingling, Shen Yuanyi rose from her seat. The quickest exit required passing Qi Ning’an’s row, but she hesitated, opting instead to take the long way around—anything to avoid running into her.

But fate had other plans. Just as she was about to leave, a fellow celebrity she’d met once before intercepted her. “Ms. Shen, let’s collaborate next year if there’s a chance!”

Desperate to escape, Shen Yuanyi forced a smile and nodded politely, but the conversation dragged on, trapping her.

Then, a soft, elegant voice sounded from behind.

“Shen Yuanyi, congratulations.”

“It’s Ms. Qi! Wow—Ms. Qi, could I get your autograph?” The young star beamed excitedly.

Shen Yuanyi turned, reluctantly facing Qi Ning’an. She forced another smile.

“Shall we leave together?” Qi Ning’an reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Shen Yuanyi’s ear.

The brush of fingertips against her forehead sent Shen Yuanyi’s heart racing. Memories flooded back—her slip-up on stage, the dreams she’d had about Qi Ning’an, what had happened at the villa last time.

As Qi Ning’an’s hand neared her ear, Shen Yuanyi jerked her head away and took a step back. “I’ll stay a bit longer. You go ahead, Ms. Qi.”

Qi Ning’an’s hand lingered mid-air before she withdrew it, her expression carefully neutral, betraying none of her disappointment.

“Alright. Don’t stay too late.”

The starstruck actress, oblivious to the tension, chased after Qi Ning’an with pen and paper. “Please, Ms. Qi! I’m such a huge fan!”

Taking the pen, Qi Ning’an glanced back at Shen Yuanyi—still frozen in place—and deliberately let a trace of melancholy flicker in her eyes before signing her name with practiced ease and handing it back.

Shen Yuanyi saw that look in her eyes and was instantly overwhelmed with guilt. She clenched her fingers tightly. The little bunny had come looking for her, wanting to leave together, yet she hadn’t dared to face her.

Digging her nails into her palm, she took a deep breath. “Wait for me, Teacher Qi.” She ran up and followed behind the little bunny. “Let’s go together.”

It was a bit embarrassing to change her mind so quickly after saying she’d stay a while longer, but Shen Yuanyi didn’t care anymore. What if she ended up hurting the little bunny’s feelings?

“Mm,” Qi Ning’an responded.

The celebrity was still lost in the joy of having her idol sign an autograph, hugging the notebook and wiggling excitedly, completely unaware that Shen Yuanyi and Qi Ning’an had already left. When she finally realized, she stared blankly at the empty room. Had she paid even a little attention, she might have noticed the secret between Shen Yuanyi and Qi Ning’an—perhaps even recalling the moment on stage when Shen Yuanyi had suddenly called out Qi Ning’an’s name.

Shen Yuanyi and Qi Ning’an got into the same car, sitting in silence. Leaning against the soft seat, Shen Yuanyi pretended to be asleep, though her eyes occasionally flickered toward Qi Ning’an, who was also resting.

She still couldn’t face her properly. Just seeing her brought a flood of wild thoughts to mind.

Qi Ning’an, who seemed to be asleep, was actually wide awake. She noticed Shen Yuanyi stealing glances at her and took the chance to open her eyes when Shen Yuanyi looked away.

Sitting so close, she could smell the creamy scent of Shen Yuanyi’s pheromones. Her neck was right there—so close that Qi Ning’an could see her swallow, her throat bobbing, could see her wrestling with herself, either patting her cheeks or shaking her head.

Qi Ning’an’s lips curled into a faint smile as she gently rested her head on Shen Yuanyi’s shoulder, closing her eyes as if fast asleep.

The sudden contact startled Shen Yuanyi, stiffening her body. She didn’t dare move, only turning her head stiffly after a long moment to look at the person leaning on her shoulder before finally relaxing.

Ah, she must have fallen asleep. The little bunny had had a long day.

Her restless heart settled as she gazed out at the night scenery outside the window. A yawn escaped her—she was feeling drowsy too. The exhaustion of working nonstop for over ten days finally caught up with her, and she dozed off against the seat, Qi Ning’an still resting on her shoulder.

The scene was so heartwarming that even the driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but sigh. “Miss Qi and Miss Shen really get along well. The Qi family might have a new master soon.”

The drive was smooth, and they arrived at Shen Yuanyi’s apartment first. “Miss Shen, we’re here.”

Qi Ning’an opened her eyes and pressed a finger to her lips. “Take a taxi back,” she whispered.

The driver paused. “Understood,” he replied quickly before stepping out of the car.

Now, only Shen Yuanyi and Qi Ning’an remained inside. Staring at the sleeping puppy’s face, Qi Ning’an couldn’t resist pulling out her phone to snap a few photos. Opportunities like this were rare—she hadn’t updated her photo collection in a while.

Then, she leaned close to the puppy’s ear and exhaled softly before darting her tongue out to quickly lick Shen Yuanyi’s cheek. Seeing her eyelids twitch and her breath hitch, Qi Ning’an thought she’d been caught—but Shen Yuanyi merely turned her head, lips puckering slightly in sleep, and Qi Ning’an relaxed.

Countless times, she told herself to stay calm, yet her fingers still betrayed her, brushing against Shen Yuanyi’s lips. The softness felt like touching a marshmallow, and the rosy hue made them look delicious—probably strawberry-flavored.

Qi Ning’an’s heart pounded as she leaned in closer, their lips now just centimeters apart, noses touching.

Shen Yuanyi happened to open her eyes at that very moment, their gazes locking. “Qi Ning’an.”

They were so close—was this a dream?

“You’re awake.” Qi Ning’an only hesitated briefly before speaking as usual.

She calmly put distance between them, as if she hadn’t been the one leaning in until their lips nearly touched.

“You, just now…” Shen Yuanyi didn’t know how to bring it up, her fingers twisting nervously.

The innocent little bunny was probably just checking when she’d wake up. Where had her own thoughts gone?

Hastily trying to smile through the awkwardness, she rubbed the back of her head. “Sorry, sorry. Are we at my place? I’ll get out now.”

“Shen Yuanyi, aren’t you going to invite me in? It’s so late.” Qi Ning’an’s bright eyes met hers.

Shen Yuanyi felt her heart skip a beat.

Seeing her hesitation, Qi Ning’an said, “Alright, next time then.” The fleeting disappointment in her eyes didn’t escape Shen Yuanyi’s notice.

She wanted to invite her in, even have her stay the night—but what if she did something strange to this pure little bunny?

She didn’t want to refuse. “Sorry, my place is just too messy.” The flimsy excuse was clearly a rejection. She wondered how the bunny really felt.

“Qi Ning’an, goodbye.” Shen Yuanyi jumped out of the car. The cold wind rushed into her collar as she wrapped her coat tighter, waving like a penguin before turning to trudge through the snow.

Inside the car, Qi Ning’an pressed her lips together, trying to mask her frustration with a smile—but couldn’t manage even that.

This wasn’t how she’d imagined it. She’d thought the little puppy would invite her in after all.

But an invitation wasn’t necessary. She’d visit the puppy’s home herself.

Waiting in the car until late, she watched the lights go out upstairs before taking the elevator to Shen Yuanyi’s door. The key turned smoothly. Inside, she spotted the clothes Shen Yuanyi had just changed out of on the sofa. Darting over, she picked them up, inhaling their scent before nuzzling them against her cheek with visible satisfaction.

On the table sat Shen Yuanyi’s unfinished juice. Her throat moved as she set the clothes down, picking up the mug to drink from the exact spot Shen Yuanyi’s lips had touched—an indirect kiss. She was kissing the puppy.

Sound asleep, Shen Yuanyi had no idea someone had entered her home and finished her abandoned juice.

The spacious living room became Qi Ning’an’s playground as she rummaged happily, uncovering unexpected treasures.

At dawn’s first light, she erased all traces of her presence, even refilling the mug with juice from the fridge so Shen Yuanyi would notice nothing amiss.

The door clicked shut softly behind her.

Shen Yuanyi woke clutching her chest, gasping—another dream about Qi Ning’an after so long. Just seeing her really did scramble her thoughts, filling her head with nothing but filth.

After a shower, she absentmindedly drained the juice from the mug on the table, completely missing the faint lipstick stain on its rim—now transferred to her own lips.

Gathering the clothes from the sofa into the washer, she didn’t notice the stray strands of hair that didn’t belong to her.

Everything seemed perfectly normal as sunlight streamed in through the opened curtains. She stretched lazily.

Before she could even appreciate what a beautiful day it was, her manager called. “Shen Yuanyi, check Weibo immediately.”

“What’s wrong?” Shen Yuanyi asked unhurriedly.

“You’ve gone viral.”

At first glance, that sounded like good news.

But her manager’s tone suggested otherwise. Shen Yuanyi opened Weibo to find herself bombarded with countless messages.

“Shen Yuanyi, what’s your relationship with Qi Ning’an? Why did you suddenly call each other’s names at the awards ceremony? Spill the tea!”

Netizens had dug up footage of Qi Ning’an visiting the film set. While everyone assumed she was involved with Yan Yue and visiting the set for her, Qi Ning’an had officially denied the rumors the next day. Looking back now, if she hadn’t clarified things immediately, she would’ve been facing a breakup with her girlfriend.

The internet was flooded with comments like “We ship it!” and “They’re totally together!”

The top trending topic on Weibo was: #Unknown actress and A-list movie star’s romance exposed#