When a Scumbag Cannon Fodder Alpha Meets a Mad Movie Queen Villainess - Chapter 7

Shen Yuanyi cleared her throat and got up to pour herself a glass of water in the kitchen, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Are you going to Director Zhou’s villa party next week?”

“What? You got invited too?”

So she was planning to go?

Shen Yuanyi scratched her cheek. “Sort of.”

“Does the puppy want to go with me?” Qi Ning’an crossed her arms, fingers tapping rhythmically against her shoulders, a smirk on her face.

“…Yeah.” Shen Yuanyi tilted her head slightly in admission.

But in truth, she just wanted to confirm whether Qi Ning’an would be attending—whether the plot from the novel was unfolding.

By some twist of fate, Qi Ning’an had misunderstood her intention as wanting to go together. Well, it wasn’t unreasonable for the big villain to think that way.

“Sure, I’d love to go with the puppy.” Qi Ning’an’s smile didn’t fade as she tightened her grip on her phone. The surveillance feed showed Shen Yuanyi kissing the phone before getting up to fetch water in the kitchen, likely to cool down.

Shen Yuanyi: “You drive first. I’ll hang up now.”

“Mm.”

Hearing the dial tone on the other end, Qi Ning’an took a deep breath to steady her excitement. Her pupils trembled as she murmured, “Puppy, puppy, puppy…”

With a soft gasp, she leaned forward against the steering wheel, her face flushed, suppressing a giddy laugh.

She couldn’t wait to get back to the villa and savor Shen Yuanyi’s every move at her leisure.

Hurry home, hurry…

Shen Yuanyi drank the water she’d poured, her throat parched and her body inexplicably feverish. She touched her forehead—no fever.

Probably lingering effects from the drug she’d been given last night. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, opting for cold water to cool down.

The cold shower did help lower her body temperature. Spotting the bathtub, she couldn’t resist filling it with hot water for a long, relaxing soak.

Alone in the house, she could do as she pleased. Singing in the bathroom, she suddenly craved soda and stepped out naked to grab a can from the fridge.

Soon, she was back and forth between the bathroom and kitchen, bringing in a fruit platter, chips, and snacks—everything she needed for a cozy movie marathon in the tub.

Bliss!

Though it felt a bit like stealing—none of this truly belonged to her. It was all the original owner’s.

When Qi Ning’an returned home, the villa’s butler greeted her respectfully and asked what she’d like for dinner.

The elegant young lady handed her bag to the butler and replied calmly, “I’m tired today and don’t have an appetite. You can all leave early.”

The butler persisted. “Then I’ll have the kitchen prepare something and leave it in the fridge. You can heat it up later if you’re hungry.”

Qi Ning’an nodded.

Upstairs in her room, she closed the door behind her. With a click, the lights illuminated the previously dark bedroom, revealing walls plastered with photos and posters of Shen Yuanyi. She let out an excited, almost manic squeal.

The sight of Shen Yuanyi moving about naked in her house played clearly on Qi Ning’an’s screen. Burrowing under the covers, she stared unblinkingly, her pupils tracking every movement.

She bit down on her index finger, exhaling hot, ragged breaths.

Oblivious to the surveillance, Shen Yuanyi finished her bath and retired to bed.

Qi Ning’an watched her sleep, not looking away until dawn. Sunlight sliced through the curtains, casting a sharp beam into the room. Qi Ning’an threw off the covers, her hair wild, eyes bloodshot and rimmed with red.

The moment Shen Yuanyi woke up, she sent a message: “Good morning, puppy.”

Picking up her phone from the nightstand, Shen Yuanyi saw the message from the main antagonist and couldn’t help but smile. “Morning! Qi Ning’an, did you just wake up too?”

Having stayed up all night without sleeping, Qi Ning’an replied, “Yes, I thought I’d have to wait forever for your reply.”

“Lucky you didn’t have to wait too long. What a coincidence.”

“Quite the coincidence indeed.”

…

Noticing it was getting late and remembering her promise from yesterday to take acting seriously—not wanting to give the director and her agent the impression of being inconsistent—Shen Yuanyi sent Qi Ning’an a message: “Let’s chat later. I need to head to the set now. Bye.”

Ending the conversation.

The other side was understanding. “Talk later then.”

No unnecessary persistence.

Clutching her phone, she got out of bed and slipped into her slippers. Seeing Qi Ning’an’s messages again, she sighed—another day marveling at how nice the antagonist was, another day envying the original host.

Arriving punctually at the set by 8 a.m., Shen Yuanyi, who wasn’t particularly skilled at acting, managed to get through the scenes smoothly under the director’s guidance.

Time flew by, and as dusk settled, Shen Yuanyi returned home to rest briefly before receiving a call from Qi Ning’an. “Puppy, what are you up to now?”

Sitting on the sofa reviewing her script, Shen Yuanyi hesitated before answering truthfully, “Going over the script, preparing for tomorrow’s scenes.”

“Is that so, puppy?”

Shen Yuanyi could hear the disappointment in the other’s voice. Qi Ning’an had either called for a reason or simply wanted to chat with her—this canary of hers.

The original novel hadn’t detailed how the cannon fodder and the antagonist interacted before, but it was probably something like this between her and Qi Ning’an.

Qi Ning’an would initiate calls to chat with this cannon fodder, never overstepping, always stopping at just the right point.

“You go ahead with your work. I won’t disturb you.” Qi Ning’an’s voice couldn’t hide its dejection.

Sensing this, Shen Yuanyi quickly set down the script and sat up. “I can chat with you while reviewing the script.”

“That wouldn’t be good. You’d get distracted.”

Even as she said this, Qi Ning’an’s voice remained downcast.

“Then how about half an hour…”

“Are you sure? You must be tired after a whole day of filming. Maybe we shouldn’t.”

The antagonist was so careful—what a considerate villain.

Shen Yuanyi insisted firmly, “It’s fine. Half an hour is nothing. I’ve already memorized all the lines. Maybe chatting with you, sis, will help me understand the character’s emotions better.”

“Puppy, you’re so sweet.”

“Does that make you happy, sis? I know plenty more sweet things to say.”

Qi Ning’an, watching the surveillance feed, replied, “It does.”

Then she proposed, “Puppy, let’s play a game.”

“Huh? What game?”

“Guess what I’m doing, and I’ll guess what you’re doing.”

“Mm… okay.”

Qi Ning’an: “I’ll go first.”

Shen Yuanyi had no objections. She got up and walked into the kitchen, phone in one hand, spatula in the other.

From the other end of the line: “I guess the puppy is sitting on the sofa.”

“Wrong.”

“Then…” Qi Ning’an smiled as she watched the surveillance feed. “On the bed in the bedroom.”

“Wrong.”

Shen Yuanyi seemed to grasp the fun of the game now. Smirking, she deliberately turned on the kitchen faucet.

“I know! The bathroom—you’re in the bathroom, puppy!!!”

Just as she had expected, the antagonist would surely guess she was in the bathroom. Shen Yuanyi shook her head, making the sound of clattering pots and pans again. “Wrong.”

“Then it must be the kitchen, holding a spatula, standing in front of the second cabinet with a stack of white porcelain plates laid out before you…”

Shen Yuanyi’s hand paused. Qi Ning’an had described so many details, as if she could actually see what she was doing.

A cold sweat broke out on her back as her eyes darted around the room.

Remembering that this house was bought by Qi Ning’an for the original owner and that she must have visited frequently, it made sense she’d be familiar with the kitchen layout.

Instantly relieved, she raised an eyebrow, put down the spatula, and sat on the sofa. “You guessed right, sis! You’re amazing!”

Qi Ning’an sounded genuinely surprised on the other end of the line. “Really? I got it right?”

Shen Yuanyi clapped, as if celebrating a victory in some competitive game. “Congratulations!” she said playfully.

“Now it’s the puppy’s turn to guess what I’m doing.”

Hearing this, Shen Yuanyi’s heart tightened with nervousness. Would she ever guess correctly?

Her fingers clenched, damp with sweat, and she swallowed hard. “I guess…”

She thought for a moment, glancing at the time on her phone—7:45 p.m. At this hour, Qi Ning’an probably wouldn’t be in her room, most likely resting on the living room sofa.

But she might also go to the kitchen, bathroom, or guest room to make the game more challenging by being somewhere unexpected.

Playing it safe, Shen Yuanyi ventured, “I think you’re sitting on the sofa… drinking tea?”

Who in their right mind drinks tea at night?

Curled up under the covers watching the surveillance footage, Qi Ning’an’s cheeks flushed as she saw the regret on her puppy’s face after mentioning tea.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she propped her chin on her hand, feigning astonishment. “Huh?! How did you guess? That’s spot on!”

Hearing this, confidence surged through Shen Yuanyi. She flicked her hair with her pinky nail and tossed her head. “Really? Just a wild guess.”

Qi Ning’an teased, “I’m starting to suspect you planted hidden cameras in my villa. That was too accurate.”

Shen Yuanyi hurriedly denied it, shaking her head like a rattle drum. “I absolutely did not install any hidden cameras in your villa!”

“Haha, just kidding. What would a puppy even do with hidden cameras?”

Thinking Qi Ning’an was referring to what others might do with them, Shen Yuanyi recalled news stories about criminals secretly recording hotel guests and selling their privacy.

The pure-hearted antagonist probably didn’t even know what hidden cameras were used for.

Clearing her throat, she explained earnestly, “Sis, some bad people install hidden cameras in hotels to spy on guests and record their private moments. So next time you stay at a hotel, make sure to check for any hidden cameras.”

“What? How awful!”

The innocent antagonist clearly didn’t know how to guard against such things. If someone recorded and leaked the star’s private moments online, it would cause a huge scandal and damage her reputation.

“You should always check your room next time you stay at a hotel, sis.”

Propping her chin on her hand, Qi Ning’an watched Shen Yuanyi on the surveillance feed, a smirk playing on her lips. “Then, puppy, do you check your own place for hidden cameras?”

Shen Yuanyi thought Qi Ning’an was asking whether she would inspect hotel rooms when staying outside. She recalled her days in the girl group—though they didn’t travel often for events and hotel stays were infrequent, she still made it a habit to check the room thoroughly.

“Yeah, I do. Just to be safe,” she replied.

“Oh? Really? I always thought you were the careless, absent-minded type,” Qi Ning’an said, the smile at the corners of her lips growing increasingly difficult to suppress.