Foreseeing the Future: The Scheming Movie Queen Married Me - Chapter 4

She bit off a large chunk of the ice pop and held it in her mouth; the cold was so intense it made the back of her head ache.

Lin Yunyi waved a hand in front of her eyes. “I’m talking to you. The concert—are you going or not?”

Dong Yao crunched down on the large shard of ice. The pain from a moment ago vanished, replaced by a comfortable sigh of satisfaction. “Not going. Not interested.”

Lin Yunyi: “If you’re not interested, why were you drawing her? And so sneakily, too.”

Dong Yao gave a light cough, feeling guilty.

“Anyway, I’m just not interested. Instead of wasting time traveling so far for a concert, I’d rather spend it being practical—drawing more pictures, recording more material, and editing more videos,” Dong Yao said.

Lin Yunyi gritted her teeth. “When the conversation is disagreeable, even half a sentence is too much.”

Throughout the boring afternoon, Dong Yao continued to draw while Lin Yunyi played on her phone.

After an unknown amount of time, Dong Yao put down her brush, stretched her aching neck, and glanced at her phone on the table. After a moment of hesitation, she picked it up.

She typed the name Gu Shiqiu into the search bar.

As she searched, she shook her head with a self-deprecating smile; truth be told, she hadn’t been able to settle her mind to draw all afternoon.

She hit search, and information about Gu Shiqiu popped up: actress and singer, representative works Hibiscus, Deep Winter With You, White Crane, The Legend of Sunset Clouds, and so on.

Dong Yao was reading intently when a fluffy head suddenly leaned over, startling her so badly she almost threw her phone across the room.

“What are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack!” Dong Yao quickly clicked the screen black.

Lin Yunyi: “I saw that. You were searching for Gu Shiqiu.”

Dong Yao avoided her gaze. “I wasn’t. I just got tired of drawing and wanted to find something to look at.”

Lin Yunyi leaned back, looking casual and unruly. “I say, Comrade Dong Yao, there’s really no need for this. Stanning a celebrity isn’t a crime; if you like her, you like her. It’s not a big deal.”

“Besides, you spend your whole day doing nothing but drawing. You should have some other hobbies. How old are you? You’re living like a seventy or eighty-year-old lady.”

Dong Yao felt stifled. “Who’s an old lady? I’m just not interested in entertainment gossip.”

“Oh? Not interested?” Lin Yunyi raised an eyebrow. “When it comes to Gu Shiqiu, searching online isn’t as direct as asking me. I know her far too well.”

Dong Yao didn’t fall for it. “Rather than me wanting to hear it, it’s more like you are dying to say it. I don’t want to hear it; keep it to yourself.”

Lin Yunyi grew anxious. “Don’t be like that!”

When it came to Gu Shiqiu, Lin Yunyi didn’t even need a drop of water; she could talk all afternoon—it was basically a seminar.

Usually, Dong Yao hated listening to this stuff, letting it go in one ear and out the other. But today, she couldn’t help but perk up her ears.

“Oh, I just remembered. Didn’t I say before that Gu Shiqiu hasn’t had a single rumored boyfriend since her debut? Actually, that’s not entirely true. It’s just that it wasn’t a rumored boyfriend, but a rumored girlfriend.”

Dong Yao’s expression froze. “What do you mean?”

Lin Yunyi made a “bent finger” gesture. “There’s a high probability… she likes women.”

Dong Yao’s heart skipped a beat.

Shock. Confusion.

She didn’t know why she was shocked; it wasn’t like it was anything to be stunned by. It was just an internet rumor. Even if it wasn’t a rumor—even if it were true—whether Gu Shiqiu liked women or men had nothing to do with her.

They were people from two different worlds; their paths would never cross.

Lin Yunyi: “This stuff is half-truth, half-fiction. Mostly because she’s never denied it. Regardless of her orientation, I support her. She’s not getting any younger; it’s time for her to be in a relationship.”

Dong Yao said nothing.

“Whatever, let’s not talk about that,” Lin Yunyi said. “I heard from your mom a few days ago that KS sent you a job offer. Are you really not going? Working there used to be your dream.”

“People change. I used to want to pluck the stars and the moon too.” Dong Yao pinched her pencil, twirling it nimbly between her fingers.

Lin Yunyi stared at her, her expression turning serious.

Dong Yao chuckled. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Lin Yunyi pursed her lips. “Is it because of your dad? It’s been so many years, actually…”

Suddenly, a sharp scream rang out from outside.

“The earthquake is coming! Run! Everyone run!” A middle-aged woman with tangled, messy hair and broken flip-flops was running back and forth on the main road, screaming incessantly about an earthquake.

Uncle Li, who ran the convenience store, poked his head out. “Aie, she’s started yelling again. In this heat, Auntie Yang, aren’t you hot?”

The woman known as Auntie Yang turned a deaf ear and continued running around the town.

The townspeople were used to Auntie Yang’s madness; no one gave her much of a reaction.

Dong Yao watched the person running and shouting in the street, her brow furrowing slightly.

What Lin Yunyi had been about to say was forcibly cut off by Auntie Yang’s shouting.

“Forget it. If you don’t want to go, don’t go. If you stay here, I’ll have a playmate. It’s fine,” Lin Yunyi said with a smile.

Dong Yao stood up. “I’ll walk Auntie Yang back.”

Lin Yunyi sighed. “Just let her be. Even if you walk her back, she’ll just come out again in a bit.”

Dong Yao didn’t listen. She chased after her and caught up with the woman. “Auntie Yang, let’s go home.”

Auntie Yang turned around and grabbed Dong Yao’s shoulders. “Run! Run! Earthquake! The houses are all going to collapse!”

Dong Yao’s tone was gentle, and she comforted her patiently. “The earthquake ended a long time ago. It’s safe now. You can go home.”

“Ended?” Auntie Yang’s eyes were clouded and confused. “Ended… ended. Can go home. It’s safe.”

Dong Yao: “Yes, it’s safe.”

After taking Auntie Yang home and returning, Dong Yao was covered in a layer of sweat. In this hellish weather, even a little movement felt like dehydration.

“Is she back?” Lin Yunyi asked while glancing up from her phone.

Dong Yao hummed in affirmation and stood directly under the electric fan. As the breeze blew, her body temperature began to drop.

“Her family doesn’t even care about her anymore, yet you walk her back every single time.” Lin Yunyi didn’t know what to say about her.

Dong Yao: “Auntie Yang used to be very good to me.”

Lin Yunyi sighed. “The world is unpredictable. Forget it, let’s not talk about this. It’s getting late, I should head back.”

Dong Yao nodded and watched her leave.

As 6:00 PM approached, it started raining again.

Dong Yao was bored as usual and turned on the TV as usual.

It was funny; she had followed this drama for two days, from the first episode to the fourth, but she hadn’t actually seen a single full episode. She fell asleep every time.

Today was Episode 5. She wondered if she’d even understand it starting from the fifth episode. Maybe she should just go online and start from Episode 1 again?

While Dong Yao was lost in thought, the commercials ended and the drama began. At 6:00 PM, accompanied by the sound of rain, her sleepiness hit her once again.

Before she slumped onto the table and fell asleep, her last thought was a muddled: What the hell? Does this drama have some magical hypnotic effect? It’s like an instant tranquilizer.

Someone walked over, and a soft blanket was draped over her.

Dong Yao half-opened her eyes.

Good grief. I’ve really seen a ghost. She was dreaming of Gu Shiqiu again. Three consecutive times falling asleep before the TV, and three consecutive dreams of Gu Shiqiu.

“Awake?” Gu Shiqiu looked at her. “Sleep a little longer; it’s still early.”

Dong Yao looked at the blanket on her and then at Gu Shiqiu. “Why do I always dream of you?”

Gu Shiqiu sat down. The sofa was already small, and her sitting there made it even more cramped.

She pinched Dong Yao’s nose. “Is it bad to dream of me?”

“It’s bad,” Dong Yao said, being somewhat shameless and reckless since she was in a dream. “Every time it’s a half-baked wet dream. Either it’s already over or it stops abruptly. Besides, you’re very pretty, but we’re both women, so… you know.”

Gu Shiqiu froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Are you indirectly telling me I didn’t work hard enough last night?”

Dong Yao was stunned. Have I really reached the age where I need to be in a relationship? Why else do I keep having these dreams?

Gu Shiqiu leaned in and wrapped an arm around her waist, their foreheads touching. They were so close she could feel the other’s breath.

There was a faint, pleasant fragrance lingering on Gu Shiqiu.

Gu Shiqiu’s voice was low and husky. “Today is a day off. We have plenty of time. I’ll work very hard.”

Dong Yao swallowed hard. The thought of pushing her away popped into her mind, but physically, she was completely unable to resist.

Whatever, let it be. It’s a dream anyway; no one else will know. But…

As Gu Shiqiu’s lips pressed against hers, Dong Yao’s mind went haywire.

Ding-dong. The doorbell rang.

Startled, Dong Yao gave her a hard shove. On the already small sofa, that push sent Gu Shiqiu tumbling straight onto the floor.

“Are you okay?” Dong Yao hurried to help her up.

Gu Shiqiu used her support to stand up, looking at her with amusement. “I’m fine. Wait a moment; it’s probably the takeout I ordered. I’ll go get it.”

With that, Gu Shiqiu walked toward the foyer. Dong Yao heard her exchange a few words with the person at the door. When she returned, she was carrying a tightly wrapped plastic bag.

Gu Shiqiu set the bag on the coffee table. “Didn’t you say you wanted BBQ earlier? I ordered some for you.”

Even though the bag was sealed tight, the aroma drifted out.

It smelled delicious. Dong Yao swallowed.

“Wait a second, I’ll go get some drinks.” Gu Shiqiu walked toward the kitchen.

She had just opened the fridge and taken out a bottle of Coke when she suddenly heard a sharp “hiss” of pain from the living room.

Gu Shiqiu rushed back. “What happened?”

Dong Yao was clutching her finger. In her haste to eat the BBQ, she had accidentally sliced her hand on a bamboo skewer while opening the plastic bag.

Seeing this, Gu Shiqiu pulled her hand over to inspect it. She breathed a sigh of relief; it was only a small cut.

“How can you be so careless?” Gu Shiqiu looked at her reproachfully. “Don’t touch anything else. I’ll go get a Band-Aid.”

Gu Shiqiu left, but Dong Yao stared at the wound, lost in thought.

Why does it hurt so much? The pain was almost identical to the feeling of being cut in reality. The sensation of pain was far too vivid.

So vivid… that it couldn’t possibly be a dream.

But if it wasn’t a dream, what was it?

Dong Yao’s eyes blinked rapidly. She took a deep breath. Don’t overthink, don’t overthink. Maybe the pain was just an illusion, or my subconscious thinks it should hurt, so it hurts in the dream.

Her gaze landed on the fruit knife on the table. After a moment of hesitation, she picked it up.

I’ll know if I try.

Since it was a dream, it definitely wouldn’t hurt. Dong Yao summoned her courage and prepared to make a cut on the back of her hand.

Just as she was about to strike, Gu Shiqiu emerged from the inner room with the Band-Aid. “What are you doing?”

Dong Yao glanced at her, pursed her lips, and decisively sliced the back of her hand.

First, she felt the sensation of the blade gliding across the skin and the flesh parting. Then, blood visibly welled up. Finally, came the pain.

Dong Yao’s brow furrowed as she hissed in pain.

The fruit knife fell to the floor with a clang.

Blood immediately stained the ground.

Dong Yao’s expression was blank. Part of that blankness was due to the pain, but most of it was pure shock.

Her ears began to ring.