The Movie Queen, a Flirty Omega, Has Been Plotting Against Me for a Long Time (GL) - Chapter 3

The banquet started at seven o’clock. Chu Zhou entered the ballroom at seven-forty, and the guest of honor usually makes a climactic entrance. Shen Qingli’s assistant had notified them that they would arrive at eight o’clock.

Perfect, she thought. She had twenty minutes to mentally prepare.

She was just about to grab a glass of wine to calm her inner turmoil when she noticed the tables were covered in photos of Shen Qingli. Not just the tables, but even the waiters’ aprons featured Shen Qingli.

The tablecloths, the dinner plates, the small cakes… everywhere a photo could be posted or a cutout could stand, there was Shen Qingli. She was ubiquitous.

And every time Chu Zhou saw Shen Qingli, the images of her intense interaction with the woman instantly flashed through her mind.

Her head felt huge, swollen with those intimate and passionate scenes. If she stayed any longer, she’d spontaneously combust.

Xixi noticed her restless demeanor and asked, “Miss Chu, are you a fan of Ms. Shen?”

Chu Zhou snapped out of it and shook her head slightly. “No.”

“Then why are you nervous?”

Xixi handed her a tissue. “You’re sweating.”

Chu Zhou: “…”

“Who planned this banquet? It’s so tacky.”

In her embarrassment and frustration, she had begun to attack the ballroom decor.

“Tacky? Or does CEO Chu dislike me?”

Chu Zhou was just thinking about who planned the banquet—she definitely needed to assign that person more work once things settled down—when a familiar, fragrant breeze wafted from behind her. The voice was low and teasingly gentle, not as sultry as it had been last night.

Huh??? What was she thinking?

Chu Zhou’s expression froze. She slowly picked up her wine glass. The process was quick enough for her to regain her composure, and she turned around with her face looking perfectly normal.

This was the first time she had seen Shen Qingli’s face so clearly. Whether at the bar or the hotel, she had been too drunk, only knowing the person was extremely beautiful, but hadn’t closely examined her features.

Seeing Shen Qingli again, she realized that some people are truly not photogenic; photos and posters don’t capture even a tenth of her beauty in person.

Shen Qingli wore a midnight blue, high-slit evening gown embedded with countless tiny chips, making it look like a starry sky. The hem lightly touched the floor, and her long legs were intermittently glimpsed as she walked, making it impossible to look away.

Last night, Shen Qingli was dressed more formally because she was signing a contract with Chu Yue. The outfit must match the occasion—this is true for ordinary people, and even more so for celebrities.

In the high-fashion gown, Shen Qingli looked even more sexy and mature, flawlessly perfect. Her appearance immediately captivated all eyes, including Chu Zhou’s.

Chu Zhou’s reaction was swift, mostly because the private, intimate images in her mind made her body flush, forcing her to become sober.

What did Shen Qingli just say? She asked if Chu Zhou liked her?

Chu Zhou immediately nodded. “Of course I like you, and…” and is there anyone who doesn’t like Ms. Shen?

Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Qingli said meaningfully, “So CEO Chu likes me, hmm~”

Chu Zhou: “???” She felt that this “like” was not what she thought it was.

With media present, she couldn’t possibly deny liking her, or within the hour, the hot search would be filled with various interpretations that would directly affect Chu Yue.

She smiled subtly and elegantly raised her glass. “Welcome to Chu Yue, Ms. Shen. I toast you.”

She straightened her back, pretending to be composed. Heaven knew how nervous and awkward she felt inside.

A heat was rising inside her, causing her heart to race.

Shen Qingli, however, was calm, acting as if she didn’t remember what happened last night, and confidently touched her glass to Chu Zhou’s.

Chu Zhou just wanted to finish the pleasantries quickly and find an excuse to leave. She couldn’t bear the awkward atmosphere for another moment.

She had made her appearance, toasted Shen Qingli, and the media had gotten their shots. Her mission was complete; it was time to go.

Unexpectedly, something went wrong. Someone nearby dropped their wine glass, and it fell right onto Shen Qingli’s skirt.

As the cup fell, the person instinctively reached out to catch it, causing the wine to splash upwards, landing squarely on Shen Qingli.

The cup that fell, however, didn’t shatter; it landed precisely on Shen Qingli’s skirt hem.

Meaning Shen Qingli’s million-dollar high-fashion gown was instantly ruined.

Shen Qingli was covered in wine, looking quite unsightly, especially as the surrounding media sped up their shutter clicks.

Chu Zhou frowned, took off her suit jacket, and quickly walked to Shen Qingli’s side, draping the coat over her.

At the same time, she told Xixi, “Prepare an appropriate outfit for Ms. Shen and meet me in the room.”

The hotel belonged to Chu Yue. As soon as she spoke, the hotel manager scurried over with a walkie-talkie. He first instructed the staff to prepare a room, then approached her and said, “CEO Chu, Ms. Shen, please follow me.”

Chu Zhou naturally put her arm around Shen Qingli’s shoulder and followed the manager.

She paused briefly as she passed the woman who had dropped the wine glass, then continued forward without batting an eye.

Some incidents aren’t so simple. She didn’t know if this was aimed at her or at Shen Qingli.

But to bring it up in this setting would undoubtedly lead to baseless speculation by the media, so she said nothing.

Chu Zhou escorted Shen Qingli to the elevator. The elevator walls were mirrored on all four sides, and when she looked up, she saw their current position.

Only then did she realize how close she was to Shen Qingli. Her nose was filled with the distant, gentle citrus fragrance of the other woman’s body, bringing her back to the intimacy of last night.

All her pretense was betrayed by her bright red ear tips; her internal panic and shyness were completely exposed.

Shen Qingli met her gaze through the mirror, a knowing, half-smile on her face. Chu Zhou quickly averted her eyes, simultaneously removing her hand and taking a step back to maintain distance, indicating she had no other intentions.

Chu Zhou pretended to be relaxed as she looked up at the elevator display. The elevator dinged and quickly reached the twenty-eighth floor.

The hotel manager had, of course, arranged the Presidential Suite for her.

She was about to step past the manager, who was blocking the exit, when Shen Qingli called out, “CEO Chu, won’t you help me hold up my skirt?”

She immediately pulled back the step she had already taken, bent down, and lifted Shen Qingli’s skirt hem.

A smile curled Shen Qingli’s lips. She was clearly amused by Chu Zhou, who was obviously frantic inside yet maintained a proper expression on the outside.

The two entered the hotel room together, and the manager left, leaving only the two of them in the suite.

Chu Zhou opened her mouth and proactively apologized, “I apologize, Ms. Shen, for this accident.”

“Was it an accident?”

Shen Qingli asked in a calm tone, then casually took off Chu Zhou’s suit jacket, placing it on the back of the sofa. She walked to the side of the sofa, sitting on the armrest, her hand braced on the back, looking completely relaxed, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Chu Zhou slightly tilted her head, her gaze landing directly on Shen Qingli’s smooth, pale neck. Last night, when the woman tilted her head back, her neck was exposed to Chu Zhou just like this, exceptionally alluring.

Realizing what she was thinking, she inwardly cursed herself. Why am I still thinking about such nonsense at a time like this?

Shen Qingli’s tone clearly indicated she didn’t believe the incident was an accident.

Chu Zhou understood that she couldn’t simply dismiss Shen Qingli with the word “accident.” She took a step forward, pulled out her phone from her suit pocket, and made a call.

“Song Xiaoyang, thirty minutes. I want the entire sequence of events, cause and effect.”

Song Xiaoyang was the Chief of the President’s Office, managing her team and one of her most capable assistants.

After hanging up, she offered a smile. “Ms. Shen, would you mind waiting a little?”

Shen Qingli chuckled softly. “I’m not in a hurry.”

Despite saying that, Shen Qingli straightened up and walked toward her, step by step. Chu Zhou forced herself to remain still and not back away.

This woman was like a man-eating enchantress, slowly closing in on her.

She thought Shen Qingli wouldn’t do anything, and just as she smiled and was about to speak, Shen Qingli hooked the ribbon around her neck with a teasing smile.

“What are you doing?”

She swallowed nervously. Shen Qingli didn’t answer, but instead gave a firm tug, untying her ribbon. Her manicured fingertip traced Chu Zhou’s marked neck, sending a tingling sensation through her.

Shen Qingli seemed unaware of her discomfort and said softly, “It really does need to be covered.”

Chu Zhou’s subtle female Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, grazing Shen Qingli’s fingertip, making the atmosphere between them instantly intimate.

She quickly took a step back, picked up her jacket, and, not forgetting to snatch the ribbon, hurried out of the room.

“CEO Chu?”

She ran into Xixi, who was bringing the clothes, right at the door. She grunted, motioned for Xixi to take the clothes in, and quickly left.

She put on her jacket as she walked, and re-tied the ribbon using the elevator mirror.

Chu Zhou’s hands were trembling slightly. The ribbon was tied haphazardly around her neck, not as perfectly as the stylist had done, but possessing a messy kind of beauty.

And Shen Qingli, despite being splashed with wine, should have looked disheveled. Yet, even in her stained gown, she remained elegant and noble, breathtakingly beautiful.

Why am I thinking about Shen Qingli again? Chu Zhou asked herself inwardly, forcibly shaking the image out of her head.

An incident had occurred at the banquet, and the aftermath was under investigation. She couldn’t leave yet; she at least needed to give the public a conclusion.

The international movie queen Shen Qingli signing with Chu Yue attracted attention not only from other entertainment companies but also from fans. Public relations would spin this incident as an accident.

To solidify the narrative that this was an accident, she received word from PR that she would have to make another appearance with Shen Qingli shortly to prevent outside speculation.

But the tingling sensation on her neck and the warm feeling in her heart hadn’t subsided, and now she had to face countless camera flashes again.

Chu Zhou couldn’t help but feel that the banquet wasn’t welcoming Shen Qingli—it was tormenting her!