Chapter 8: The Film Empress Who Jumped Off a Building to Commit Suicide (8)

The overlooked corner of the photo pierced her memory like a shaft of white light. Bai Qian’s face darkened abruptly as she realized exactly what she had missed.

She slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over to the roadside.

Bai Qian seized the other woman’s restless hand, which was trying to burrow inward, twisted her head around, and fixed her gaze on Shao Zizhi, whose face had flushed a deep crimson. “Who gave you that slice of cake on the table?”

The photo was a selfie Shao Zizhi had casually snapped and sent her midway through the evening. Bai Qian had been consumed by anxiety at the time. Seeing no sign of a wineglass in the shot, she hadn’t given it a second thought.

Which was precisely why she had overlooked the Black Forest cake on the table behind the woman—a slice that had already been nibbled at once.

The girl still clung to a thread of reason, which meant this dose of the drug wasn’t as ferocious as the last one.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Bai Qian slowly unfastened her own seatbelt.

“Mm, it was Zhang Chao. He was sitting right in front… mm, he offered me a glass of orange juice first. I listened to you, didn’t… um, didn’t take it. Then he… mm, gave me that slice of cake instead. I, um, was starving, so I… mm, just ate it. Wuu, Bai Qian, I feel awful. It’s so hot… so uncomfortable.”

Zhang Chao was this world’s scum male protagonist.

Bai Qian wanted to press for more details, but Shao Zizhi had already unbuckled her seatbelt. Without giving the woman a moment to react, she slithered over from the passenger seat like a slippery little fish and planted herself squarely on Bai Qian’s lap.

The girl threw her arms around her without a care in the world. Her long, seaweed-like hair tangled with Bai Qian’s, and every breath carried the sweet, intoxicating fragrance wafting from her body.

That last shred of rationality dissolved in the rising heat. Shao Zizhi was so tormented she could scarcely keep her eyes open. Unconsciously, she pressed her face closer, her scorching cheek brushing against cool skin—like rain merging into the sea, or a fallen leaf returning to its root. She never wanted to part again.

Those coquettish whimpers made Bai Qian’s pupils contract sharply.

“Sister, help me… I feel so bad. Sister…”

As she pleaded, she leaned in with her feverish red lips to kiss her.

The lips that nearly met Bai Qian’s were diverted by the woman’s quick tilt of the head, landing instead on the corner of her mouth.

The unsatisfied girl refused to relent. With a pitiful pout, she lunged again toward those lips, mumbling in frantic desperation like a cornered beast: “Sister, please… please. Sister, kiss me… kiss me, okay? Sister…”

Bai Qian calmly gripped the girl’s delicate jaw and shoved her—now fully lost to reason—toward the center console.

It was like a fragile young rabbit caught by the throat in the talons of a ruthless eagle. Shao Zizhi wriggled and fought back. Tonight she wore a strapless gown, a deep crimson number that hugged her curves to perfection. As her struggles intensified, the fabric slowly slipped down her slender waist.

That exquisite arch of her back was mesmerizing enough already. Now it tempted Bai Qian to mar it with brutal marks.

Bai Qian’s voice began to quiver. “Sit back down properly. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No! I don’t want the hospital. I want Sister. Only Sister.”

The woman who normally barked “Bai Qian! Bai Qian!” now cooed “Sister” in that impossibly soft, melting tone, one after another. It was a test of endurance like no other.

Bai Qian’s breathing grew ragged. She let go, trying to drag the disobedient vixen back to the passenger seat that could at least hold her in check for now. “Shao Zizhi, be good. The hospital’s right nearby. I—mmph.”

The grip on her jaw vanished. Shao Zizhi surged back to life in an instant, crashing forward into Bai Qian’s arms once more.

This time, she wasted no breath on words. She went straight for those coveted lips and claimed them with forceful hunger.

Her ambush succeeded. She ravaged the mouth with wild abandon, like a gale ripping through, leaving chaos in its wake—scattered droplets of saliva tumbling through the air.

“Sister tastes so sweet.” The girl, sated for the moment, finally pulled back.

She started to rise, only for a hand to clamp onto her waist and yank her down again.

Her skin was so tender. The hand that refused to hold back any longer soon branded it with a trail of enticing marks.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Shao Zizhi, who had recklessly kindled the flames without sensing the peril closing in, answered meekly: “Home. I think… I can hold out a little longer.”

A slender hand slipped past her waist and upward, tracing the elegant butterfly bones hidden beneath the gown.

“But I can’t,” Bai Qian murmured.

Those pitch-black eyes, once so pure and steady, now held not a trace of calm.

Dark as storm clouds over a besieged city, they brimmed with a profound, spine-chilling depth.

Shao Zizhi was shoved back against the cramped center console. Her flailing hands were pinned above her head in the woman’s iron grip.

She whimpered, “It’s too cramped here. I don’t like it.”

The woman kissed her forehead encouragingly. “I like it. Like I said, don’t tempt me.”

“Wuwuwu, Sis, let’s go home. I won’t kiss you randomly anymore.”

The sound of the zipper being slowly pulled down was muffled amid the woman’s devilish whisper.

“Little girl, it’s too late.”

Shao Zizhi woke to find herself lying on the bed in her room.

Booze caused blackouts. So did the drugs last time. But this time, she remembered everything clearly: how she’d begged for kisses while under the influence, how she’d been utterly at the woman’s mercy in the cramped car, and finally how she’d bitten into the woman’s shoulder, sobbing out desperate pleas of “no.”

Shao Zizhi didn’t dare dwell on it. She took a deep breath and told herself it was fine—just like before. This was only Bai Qian’s kind help once again.

Fortified by that mental pep talk, she rolled out of bed and splashed water on her face. Only then did she truly calm down.

A knock came at the door, followed by Bai Qian’s perfectly ordinary greeting. “You awake? Breakfast’s out of the question now. I’m heading out to buy some groceries—what do you want for lunch?”

“I want pot-wrapped pork. And steamed hairy crabs.”

“Got it. I’ll pick some up.”

Shao Zizhi didn’t unclench her fists until the sound of footsteps faded away.

That was how it was. Bai Qian didn’t care one bit, so neither could she. Otherwise, what if Bai Qian decided they couldn’t even be friends anymore?

~~~

Bai Qian emerged from the supermarket and made a detour to the pharmacy.

The little girl had bitten her shoulder until it was a bloody mess. She’d patched it up crudely at dawn, but it still needed proper ointment.

Thinking back to the impulses she’d barely contained last night made Bai Qian want to sigh.

How had she gone and made a move on the female protagonist again?

At least the original plot showed the male lead never resorting to such sleazy tactics again after this.

Last night had actually eased her worries about the scumbag. The cake had come from Zhang Chao, and now Shao Zizhi knew his true colors. She’d be on her guard from here on out.

When it came to the protagonist protecting herself, Bai Qian wasn’t overly concerned—as long as she didn’t go full love brain, her female lead was someone she could count on.

In the original plot, the female protagonist had been set to join a top-tier crew next month, acting alongside veteran performers. She’d have learned a ton from them.

But the scumbag’s sweet talk had made her ignore all advice. In a haze of infatuation, she’d blown that golden opportunity and signed on for a bargain-bin Mary Sue idol drama that was way beneath her status.

It was the first mistake after her love brain kicked in—like that classic old song crooned, “One wrong step, a lifetime of regret.”

The female protagonist had no idea what that seemingly innocuous idol drama really signified, but Bai Qian, with her full knowledge of the original plot, knew all too well. It was the male lead’s offering to become the female tycoon’s boy toy.

The tycoon wasn’t an idiot. She could give the male lead what he craved, but he’d have to deliver something she deemed worthy in return.

Just offering his body was too cheap—especially in an industry overflowing with pretty boys. Relying on looks alone was laughably naive.

So the male lead had leveraged the female protagonist’s fame and buzz to turn his low-budget web series into a massive moneymaker.

The female protagonist lost a chunk of her casual fans because of it. Every time an influencer tallied up the worst shows ever, that one topped the list.

The price of selling out was a string of increasingly trashy scripts coming her way.

Even the hotly anticipated international film she was slated for next year sent regrets about “changes in collaboration.”

The director had her own principles. What had drawn her to the female protagonist was the drive and preparation she’d poured into past roles.

Now that the girl was slumming it, the director had no interest in working with her.

Meanwhile, having delivered a satisfactory result to the female tycoon, the male lead had successfully hooked up with her network.

The female protagonist still had value to him, so he had no plans to dump her just yet.

With the same playbook, the love-struck female protagonist fell for his honeyed words and starred in one trashy drama after another—none even scraping a three out of ten from online reviewers.

No reputation could survive that kind of repeated self-sabotage.

Her smiles grew sweeter under his tender care, but her career nosedived, never to recover its former glory.

In the end, once he’d drained her dry, the scumbag unceremoniously kicked her to the curb and threw himself fully into the tycoon’s arms.

Bai Qian, who knew how the original plot played out, understood that if Shao Zizhi could join that crew next month and steer clear of the love brain path, her toxic entanglement with the scumbag would finally be severed for good.

—The ambitious Scumbag Man, frustrated by his repeated failures, would inevitably set his sights on other prey if he wanted any chance of landing that wealthy merchant.

~~~

This time, though the two women never spoke of it outright, they shared a tacit understanding and both “forgot” about the previous night’s events, never mentioning them again.

Life slipped back into its familiar rhythm.

Filming on Double Beauties Case was still underway, so Bai Qian would head out in the morning and return in the afternoon. Some days, when shoots ran into snags, she’d come home even later.

Meanwhile, Shao Zizhi was busy preparing for Autumn Chill Cold River Waters, which was set to begin filming next month.

Bai Qian pushed open the door, carrying several pounds of crayfish she’d had packed up. Sure enough, there was Shao Zizhi, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with her script in hand.

“You’ve read that script back to front at least ten times now. Haven’t you had your fill yet?”

Shao Zizhi scooted over, making room for her.

The mere mention of acting lit a spark in her eyes. “This script is just so good. Every time I read it, I discover something new about the Female Emperor. Honestly, I’m so glad I took this role!”

Bai Qian peeled the crayfish and popped a plump, tender morsel into the other woman’s mouth before tackling the next one.

“Then film it well. This is your last project before the new year. Come spring, you’ll be joining the cast of Sha.”

“To be honest, I’m a little nervous. All the roles I’ve taken so far have been solid, but next year’s? The supporting cast is stacked with Film Emperors and Empresses, and even the bit parts went to national award winners. Bai Qian, what if I can’t handle it? I’m scared I’ll let myself down.”

Bai Qian’s hands were gloved and slick with chili oil, so she couldn’t reach out to ruffle her hair. Instead, she smiled softly, conveying her deepest hopes with the simplest words.

“Shao Zizhi, I believe in you. You’ll shine just as brightly as any star in that constellation.”

Shao Zizhi paused at her words, then set her script aside and leaned toward Bai Qian.

In the end, she pinned her against the arm of the sofa and asked earnestly, “Bai Qian, you look especially beautiful when you talk to me like that. So… can I kiss you right now?”