Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

After wrapping up filming, Tao Hui was summoned back to the company for a meeting. It wasn’t until the afternoon that she dragged her luggage home, escorted by Zhou Xun’s car.

The house remained unchanged—Miao Miao had kept it spotless. After so many days in hotels, everything felt comforting upon returning.

Tao Hui hummed as she turned on the humidifier, boiled a pot of water, and scooped two generous spoonfuls of honey yuzu tea into the teapot. She carried the freshly brewed concoction back to the living room.

The sweet fragrance of honey yuzu mingled with the humidifier’s orange essential oil, filling the air.

Outside, snowflakes drifted gently. Inside, warmth enveloped Tao Hui as she closed her eyes in contentment, stretching lazily before collapsing onto the sofa with a delivery box.

The package had been waiting at the gatekeeper’s station for days, sent by her Little Fanboy. Tao Hui sliced through the tape with a fruit knife.

The fanboy had mentioned it was a handmade trinket from a friend.

Curiosity piqued, Tao Hui wondered: Do college campus bros, beyond sports and video games, actually craft handmade items? And a necklace, no less?

Could it be one of those “artistic” necklaces—a massive iron chain dangling a tree root, looking like raw materials slapped together?

The delivery box was opened, and surprisingly, inside was a deep blue velvet gift box that looked quite genuine.

Tao Hui used her fingertips to lift the beige ribbon, then opened the box, and froze completely.

Holy shit! This is bad! Little Fanboy went and robbed a jewelry store!

The necklace inside was incredibly lavish, emitting a dazzling, blinding sparkle.

The meticulously crafted silver chain hung a pendant slightly smaller than an egg. Pendants of this size usually went for an exaggerated style, but the one in Tao Hui’s hands didn’t.

The silver filigree shell was exquisitely detailed, with blue gemstones embedded in the intricate patterns. Inside the hollow shell sat a round sphere encrusted with diamonds. If displayed in an exhibition with proper lighting, one word would sum it up: opulence.

Is this… a handmade trinket?

She’d never seen such an eye-catching design even at Paris fashion shows!

Tao Hui felt uneasy, convinced Little Fanboy might have actually robbed a jewelry store. Panicking, she quickly called him.

“Teacher Tao?” Little Fanboy’s warm, sunny voice came from the phone.

Tao Hui waved the necklace, its tiny gems catching the light. She glared at the phone and demanded, “Little Fanboy, tell me the truth. Did you… go rob a jewelry store?”

“Hm?” The puppy-like voice on the other end sounded perplexed.

Tao Hui sighed. “The necklace you sent looks too extravagant. It’s covered in gems. Are you sure your friend made this? Are these real stones? It’s too valuable for me to accept.”

After a moment’s silence, Little Fanboy chuckled. “No, the gems are synthetic. My friend’s craftsmanship is excellent, but it’s really not expensive. Just a small decoration. If Teacher Tao likes it, that’s fine.”

Tao Hui still felt uneasy about accepting such a costly gift. She and Little Fanboy were just gaming friends; there was no need for such lavish exchanges.

The boy on the other end insisted repeatedly, “It’s really not expensive.” He added that his friend had insisted on giving it to him, and he’d only sent it because he couldn’t wear it during their video calls.

Convinced by his earnest tone, Tao Hui asked for his address, planning to send a Christmas gift in return.

After hanging up, Tao Hui carefully placed the necklace back in its box and poured herself a cup of sweet honey to soothe her throat.

As the sweet honey slid down her throat, Han Buji’s image suddenly materialized in her mind.

His gentle features framed a helpless smile as he said, “Tao Hui, you really shouldn’t drink.”

Was this the day she’d gotten drunk? Could this be a hallucination? That look in Han Buji’s eyes—pure indulgence!

Hack! Tao Hui shuddered at her own thoughts, slapping her forehead.

Indulgence my ass! Check Weibo—Han Meimei’s furious rant about “Never CP” still clung to the eighth trending spot. Then look at your own follower count—those tens of thousands you gained by piggybacking on the Best Actor’s popularity these past few days.

Tao Hui set down her cup with a soft clink against the table.

Han Buji undoubtedly thought she was deliberately exploiting his fame. After all, Curry Entertainment—the agency she worked for—had perfected the art of using fabricated celebrity pairings to boost their artists’ profiles.

If not for his gentlemanly image, Han Buji might have throttled her already.

Life was tough, Tao Hui sighed.

Well, better focus on picking a gift for the Little Fanboy.

Choosing presents for strangers was tricky—no height, weight, or preferences to guide her. Sending food seemed risky without knowing his tastes.

Tao Hui thought about it for a while, picking out a fragrance that matched her mental image of her Little Fanboy.

The base notes included coconut, rice, and mango, creating a sun-kissed milky scent. She remembered a young celebrity she’d worked with in an ad campaign who wore this exact fragrance. The makeup artist had raved about how popular it was among younger men.

Tao Hui felt satisfied with her choice—after all, her Little Fanboy had always been the epitome of a bright, puppy-like charm in her mind.

After selecting a fragrance for her Little Fanboy, Tao Hui was about to close the browser window when she spotted a woody scent. For a moment, she swore she could smell the cedarwood and sandalwood from Han Buji’s body.

Should I get Han Buji a bottle too?

This woody fragrance was also the shop’s signature product, often sold out.

Tao Hui hesitated. She thought about the jacket Han Buji had left on her bed, the white blanket he’d covered her with during her fever, and the scar-healing ointment he’d brought…

Fine, I’ll buy it. We were friends for a few days, after all.

To our brief friendship!

Tao Hui sent the bottle meant for Han Buji to her own address. No need to bother Zhou Xun with delivery to his office. If she hadn’t come home, she might’ve forgotten—Han Buji lived right across from her!

As she pondered, she suddenly heard faint voices coming from the hallway.

Tao Hui’s building only had two units on the first floor—hers and her neighbor Han Buji’s.

In a strange impulse, Tao Hui didn’t put on her slippers. She crept barefoot across the carpet to the door, peering out through the peephole.

Sure enough, Han Buji stood in the hallway with Wu Yue, who was preparing to leave.

Wu Yue waved and said something with a smile. Han Buji nodded slightly, and Wu Yue patted his shoulder before taking a step toward the stairs. Suddenly, he stopped, turned back, and whispered something in Han Buji’s ear.

Tao Hui rolled her eyes.

Are you two crazy? There’s only the two of you in the hallway, yet you’re whispering!

Wu Yue covered his mouth as he spoke to Han Buji. Suddenly, both men turned to look in Tao Hui’s direction.

Tao Hui, hiding behind the security door, froze under their gazes. If not for her remaining rationality, she might have thought they’d seen her.

She stared at them in confusion, but when she saw Han Buji’s expression, she froze completely.

His gaze was gentle and relaxed, with a lazy smile lighting up his face. The drooping eyelashes carried a hint of helplessness, yet also revealed a trace of indulgence.

It was the perfect lover’s gaze—not too intense to be cloying, not too faint to be insipid.

Tao Hui recalled that day she’d been drunk, the honey water he’d given her, and Han Buji’s tender words: “Tao Hui, you really shouldn’t drink alcohol.”

She crouched on the floor, covering her face with one hand while fingers touched her burning ears. In a mumble, she muttered, “Is the God of Wealth weeping on my door that handsome and dashing? Even the Best Actor can’t resist him? Standing outside my door, sending electric sparks at Lord Guan?”

After Han Buji’s interruption, Tao Hui lost all interest in Snow Tea. She felt utterly drained.

Sliding into a pair of pink slippers, she shut herself in the bathroom for a long, hot bath.

The hot water eased Tao Hui’s momentary panic. She didn’t understand why simply meeting Han Buji’s gaze through the peephole had made her so anxious.

Was it guilt from being caught spying? Or shame from exploiting his fame these past days to boost her own popularity?

Her heart had raced until she sank into the bathtub, where the water finally brought some calm.

Halfway through her bath, her phone began singing loudly from the living room.

When the first ring sounded, Tao Hui didn’t even open her eyes, too lazy to answer.

The second ring met the same response—she ignored it completely.

Only after the fifth ring did Tao Hui finally open her eyes. Resigned, she stood up from the bathtub, wrapped herself in a bathrobe, and walked to the living room.

“Hello, Sister Xun,” Tao Hui said, her voice carrying a hint of laziness.

“Hui ah, my dear, you finally answered! Do you know you’re trending again?” Zhou Xun’s roar came through the phone.

While other celebrities constantly fretted about paying for trending topics, Tao Hui couldn’t escape them even if she tried. She’d grown sick of hearing the term “trending” lately. Unlike before, when such news would make her bristle with anxiety about her career’s impending second downfall, she now faced it with weary resignation.

Perhaps emulating Han Buji’s calm demeanor, Tao Hui asked from behind her bathrobe, “What’s the topic this time?”

Zhou Xun on the other end was taken aback by Tao Hui’s composed tone. He exclaimed with relief, “My artist has matured! Gained composure!”

After that, Zhou Xun spoke in a maid’s tone, urging her: “That trending topic might be paid for. It mentions something from long ago? I didn’t quite understand it. Go check it out—the company needs to know the situation. If someone’s trying to stir up trouble, we need to handle it quickly…”

“Something from long ago?” Tao Hui suddenly raised her voice.

Zhou Xun, who had just praised his artist’s composure, jumped at Tao Hui’s sudden outburst. “Anyway, someone’s looking for you! See if you recognize them!”

Someone was looking for her!

Someone had found her!

Tao Hui’s phone clattered to the floor. Memories of childhood—shouts, shattered glass, the tea table split by an axe, her mother’s body covered in bruises…

The nightmare returned.

The warmth from the bathroom vanished instantly, replaced by the chill of Yan Han’s icy winds and Bingchuan’s frozen seas.

Pressing a hand to the birthmark on her neck, Tao Hui’s eyes welled with tears as she shakily picked up her phone.

That person had really come for her. That person had found her!

No, she’d been careful. She’d always covered her birthmark. That person couldn’t have found her.

Tao Hui’s hands were icy and trembling. After several attempts, she finally unlocked her phone with her fingerprint, logged into Weibo, and saw the trending topics.

1st: Chuan Yu tycoon Li Sijin

2nd: Tao Hui’s phone number

3rd: Tao Hui dials wrong number

“?” Tao Hui blinked.

Yan Han and Bingchuan had vanished, replaced by Tao Hui’s utterly bewildered expression.

She clicked on the video for the top trending topic and saw a man with slicked-back hair wearing gold-rimmed glasses. When he opened his mouth, out came a voice Tao Hui knew all too well—a seductive male voice.

“Fuck! If I’d known that was my favorite female celebrity calling me, I wouldn’t have hung up! I wouldn’t have said all those fucking things! Now I regret it! I fucking regret it! She’s blocked my number!”

Tao Hui: “?!?!”

The voice in the video continued, “Rabbit, I’m your fan, Rabbit Fur! I got too fucking excited! I’ve got a publicly traded company, a mansion, and a sports car! Wanna be my girlfriend?”

Author’s Note:

Han Buji: She doesn’t want to. Bang!