Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 65

Chapter 65

After the Film Festival, Tao Hui sat in the passenger seat as Han Buji started the car. His phone began to vibrate, and he gestured for her to answer it.

Tao Hui stole a glance at the man beside her. Han Buji shifted gears with one hand while gripping the steering wheel with the other. A smile played on his lips, and even behind his sunglasses, the phoenix eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement.

Is he really that happy just because I confessed my feelings?

Tao Hui recalled the scene from the awards ceremony. The moment she finished recounting her five heart-fluttering moments, the Best Actor had strode onto the stage amidst the roaring applause, swept her into a princess carry, and kissed her forehead.

At that moment, Tao Hui had a premonition that their photo would inevitably go viral on social media.

But before she could return the microphone to the host, Han Buji had already begun striding away. Forced to struggle, she twisted her body halfway around, stretching her arm out like she was passing a baton in a relay race, desperately trying to hand the microphone to the host…

She knew she must have looked like a dehydrated fish flopping around, but when she saw the screenshot Miao Miao sent her after getting off the stage, Tao Hui wanted to smash her head against the Oscar statue.

No, maybe hanging herself with Sister Xun’s tie would be easier.

Tao Hui, feeling dejected, opened Weibo. As expected, the romantic trending topic was gone, replaced by a flood of “hahahaha” comments.

She numbly fastened her seatbelt, still cringing at the memory of her disastrous performance. Just then, Mother Han’s voice came through Han Buji’s phone on speaker: “Huihui, Auntie Zhang found a bunch of paper hearts while cleaning. Should we throw those away too?”

“Huh?” Tao Hui blinked, momentarily stunned. She remembered that a few days earlier, when Han Buji was away on a business trip shooting a commercial, Father and Mother Han had brought her back to their grand villa.

Bored with nothing to do, she had decided to learn how to fold paper hearts. She made a whole pile, picked out the best one to give to Han Buji, and left the rest on his desk in the study.

“Yes, Auntie, you can throw those away,” Tao Hui replied obediently, finally understanding what Mother Han was referring to.

Mother Han sounded delighted. “Alright, alright! No problem then. Bye-bye!”

But Mother Han didn’t hang up. Tao Hui heard rustling sounds, as if the phone had been tossed onto a soft surface like a bed or sofa. Then came a joyful shout: “Great news, honey! Huihui doesn’t want these! We can take them!”

Tao Hui: “?”

She looked at Han Buji, puzzled, and saw the Best Actor suppressing a laugh. At the same time, Father Han’s blurry voice came through the phone: “I want three! I’ll show Lao Jiang and the others our future daughter-in-law’s protective charms later!”

“Me too, me too! Find me a bottle, fill them all up, I’m posting this on social media!” Mother Han shouted excitedly.

Tao Hui: “……”

Now she understood where Han Buji had inherited his flamboyant habit of suddenly pulling out a little heart from his pocket to show off during award ceremonies.

Han Buji hung up the phone, glanced at the time, and said, “Let’s go somewhere.”

“Where?” Tao Hui asked, fiddling with the Oscar, clearly reluctant to put it down.

“To see my childhood sweetheart, my first love, what was it again? Oh, right, my fiancée,” Han Buji teased, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

Tao Hui had enjoyed making up stories about Han Buji’s love life, but hearing him say this, she immediately dropped the Oscar and pouted. “Is this Jiang Tian really that beautiful?”

Han Buji deliberately replied, “Mm-hmm, absolutely stunning.”

Tao Hui puffed out her cheeks, secretly thinking, Pfft, who are you kidding? She’s probably short, fat, ugly, and dark-skinned!

But that seemed unlikely. After all, her name was Jiang Tian—it sounded so cute. What if she turned out to be an adorable girl who kept calling him “Rebellious Gege”?

As Tao Hui imagined this, Han You’s face flashed through her mind. She shuddered and patted down the goosebumps rising on her arms.

A moment later, the car pulled over to the side of the road. Tao Hui peered curiously at the storefront: a minimalist space with pearl-white walls and a natural wood door. A small sign hung above the door, displaying the word “memory” in elegant cursive.

Tao Hui, who was terrible at English, immediately misread the word “memory” as “money.”

Money? she thought, utterly bewildered. This studio is called “Money”?

Wait, what’s going on here? A perfumer who can create such a soft yet profound cedar sandalwood scent, supposedly a wealthy second-generation heir like Han Buji, and rumored to have studied perfumery abroad—and this is her level?

Isn’t this just putting her desires on full display, naked and shameless?

Are people who’ve lived abroad always this direct?

Just as Tao Hui was reeling from the shock, the door bearing a “Money” sign swung open from the inside, revealing a stunningly curvaceous woman to Tao Hui and Han Buji.

The woman wore a sapphire-blue mermaid dress, her skin so pale it seemed to glow. Her figure was even more striking than a model’s, and her features hinted at mixed heritage, with light amber eyes and slightly wavy hair.

Far from the cute, innocent type Tao Hui had imagined, this was a sultry beauty.

Alarm bells blared in Tao Hui’s mind as she immediately turned to check on Han Buji. To her relief, his gaze wasn’t fixed on the woman at all; he was looking down, scrolling through his phone.

“Han Buji, where’s the stuff?” the woman asked, her voice a husky, seductive drawl.

Han Buji finally looked up, but only glanced at her before turning to Tao Hui. “This is Jiang Tian,” he said.

Jiang Tian’s gaze shifted to Tao Hui. Suddenly, she darted back inside, returning moments later with an autograph board. “Rabbit, I’m such a huge fan! Can I get your autograph?”

“Huh?” Tao Hui blinked, staring into Jiang Tian’s light-colored eyes. “You… you’re Rabbit Fur too?”

“No, I’m a die-hard Wei Chun fan, but among female stars, you’re my absolute favorite. I even watched Drug Enforcement Storm—it was amazing!” Jiang Tian stubbed out her cigarette. Whatever was mixed with the tobacco made it surprisingly pleasant, with a hint of orange.

Wei Chun… isn’t he that masked, wildly arrogant singer? Tao Hui thought.

Tao Hui had never been drawn to men who exuded that reckless, youthful vibe. She hadn’t expected a glamorous beauty like Jiang Tian to be into that type either.

Jiang Tian continued to gush, “If only I could go to the Film Festival! I’d get to see my idol up close. He must be so gentle, sunny, handsome, and utterly captivating… Tao Hui, you’ve seen him, right? Isn’t he exactly as I described?!”

“…Ah? I don’t know… He always wears a mask,” Tao Hui replied, unable to bring herself to tell Jiang Tian that her idol was far from gentle and sunny, and actually seemed rather aloof and disdainful.

Jiang Tian shook her head. “Even with a mask, he must be incredibly handsome. My idol is a little human heater, a winter sun.”

After a moment of silence, Tao Hui decided to change the subject. “What about Han Buji? Don’t you like his type of male star?”

That can’t be right! Tao Hui thought, feeling indignant. The Han Meimeis are always bragging online about how 9.5 out of 10 women adore Han Buji!

Besides, her boyfriend is so handsome and gentle!

My boyfriend is the real sweetheart—a little sun in winter!

“Him?” Jiang Tian glanced dismissively at Han Buji, arms crossed. “I don’t like him. He looks just like Uncle Han—cold and unapproachable. I’ve been scared of both of them since I was little.”

Tao Hui’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Jiang Tian.

Uncle Han is so kind! Wake up, beauty! Are you suffering from some kind of cognitive distortion?!

Han Buji clicked his tongue softly. “Is the perfume ready yet?”

“Yep! Come on, let’s go inside and I’ll show you.” Jiang Tian snapped her fingers and turned toward her studio.

The studio smelled incredibly fresh, like a freshly mowed lawn after a rain. The scent instantly improved Tao Hui’s impression of Jiang Tian.

But Tao Hui had never imagined a perfumer would have such a personality. As she and Han Buji followed Jiang Tian, Tao Hui tugged on Han Buji’s sleeve, pulling him closer. Leaning in to whisper in his ear, she asked, “She’s so beautiful! You two must have been like adorable little dolls when you were kids. Did you enjoy playing with her a lot?”

Han Buji tilted his head to listen to Tao Hui, then straightened up and chuckled. “Not really. I watched a horror movie called Ghost Doll Hanako when I was a kid, and I’ve been a bit traumatized by dolls ever since. Plus, she always wears a white dress.”

Tao Hui couldn’t help but laugh.

“What, jealous?” Han Buji turned and ruffled Tao Hui’s hair, then quickly kissed her lips. “My girlfriend is the cutest.”

Tao Hui blushed and glanced up to see Jiang Tian staring at them with a blank expression.

Jiang Tian pointed to the tablet computer lying nearby, her face mirroring Meng Xue’s indignation. “Give us single dogs a break! I’ve already had my fill of romantic fluff just watching the Film Festival awards ceremony!”

Tao Hui noticed a white box in Jiang Tian’s hand, tied with a beautiful grass-green satin ribbon and adorned with a card. In Han Buji’s handwriting, it read:

“Create a fragrance for my girlfriend, one that captures the essence of love. P.S. She loves fruity scents.”

Jiang Tian pointed to the note. “This is the buyer Han Buji’s request.”

Tao Hui took the box, gently touching the ribbon with her fingertips. As she read Han Buji’s words, she smiled and met his gaze.

“Alright, alright, you two can go now. Stop showing off. I want to watch Wei Chun’s live recording in peace,” Jiang Tian said, waving her phone. “Han Buji, if the video isn’t perfectly clear, I’m quitting on your wedding perfume.”

Han Buji chuckled. “I think you’d better hurry up, then.”

Tao Hui saw Jiang Tian freeze for a moment, then raise an eyebrow with a knowing look. “Fine, then. I’ll be waiting for the wedding invitation.”

Han Buji pulled Tao Hui out of the studio and into the car before she could ask, “What does that mean? What wedding invitation?”

Han Buji’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he pointed to the gift box in her hands. “Why don’t you open it and see?”

“Oh.” Tao Hui was genuinely curious about what kind of perfume Jiang Tian had created to capture the “scent of love” Han Buji had described.

Untying the green satin ribbon, she slid open the white box like a drawer. Inside lay dried dark green herbs and a small, transparent glass bottle.

Resembling a test tube from a laboratory, the bottle contained a pale green liquid that looked particularly elegant.

Tao Hui picked it up, removed the cap, and rolled the rollerball across her wrist. A scent both familiar and unique wafted up.

It was her sweet lychee perfume, Han Buji’s cedar sandalwood, and a hint of rose.

Looking back, it felt as if she had slept in Han Buji’s arms every night, waking each morning to the mingled scents of their bodies lingering on the sheets.

Han Buji leaned forward, bracing himself against the seat, his nose brushing against hers as their breaths mingled. He whispered, “Satisfied?”

Tao Hui felt Han Buji’s fingers caressing hers. She nodded slightly, “Sa… mmm.”

Her unfinished words were swallowed by a passionate kiss. Tao Hui’s hand rested on Han Buji’s chest, feeling his heartbeat. Just as she was about to respond, he abruptly pulled away.

Still dazed, Tao Hui blinked open her eyes to find Han Buji already back in the driver’s seat, buckling his seatbelt.

“?” Tao Hui tilted her head, her eyes wide. “Han Buji? You said you didn’t like your childhood sweetheart, but now that you’ve seen her, you can’t even kiss me properly!”

Han Buji steered the car out of the parking space, chuckling. “What’s that little head of yours thinking? We’ll kiss properly when we get back. We’re a bit pressed for time right now.”

“Pressed for time to go where?” Tao Hui asked, puzzled.

“The Civil Affairs Bureau,” Han Buji replied without looking back. “Let’s grab a marriage certificate before they close.”

“W-what marriage certificate?” Tao Hui exclaimed, shocked. “You haven’t even proposed yet!”

Han Buji glanced at Tao Hui with a smile. “I’ve already given you the ring. What are you waiting for?”

Tao Hui stared blankly at her hand. A ring had indeed appeared on her ring finger, the diamond sparkling in the sunlight. “Are you a magician?” she murmured to herself.

“You could say that,” Han Buji replied with a grin.

“Is it very expensive? It looks so big,” Tao Hui said, her ears flushing as she lifted her hand to examine the diamond ring closely.

“Not as expensive as the necklace,” Han Buji said.

“The necklace? You mean the long one that can magnetically attach to yours? Are the gemstones on it real?!” Tao Hui whipped her head around to stare at Han Buji.

“Of course,” Han Buji confirmed.

“But you said your friend made it…” Tao Hui asked, “Was that another lie?”

Han Buji kept one hand on the steering wheel and ruffled Tao Hui’s hair with the other. “Silly girl, my friend is a jewelry designer.”

“How come all your friends are so amazing?” Tao Hui pouted, swatting away Han Buji’s hand. “I don’t have any cool friends like that. Just Miao Miao, the food-obsessed one, and Sister Xun, who always stops us from eating too much.”

“Mrs. Han, your husband is more amazing than all of them combined. Isn’t that enough?” Han Buji chuckled.

The sunlight was warm, and a faint fragrance of perfume filled the car. In the back seat, two Oscar statues leaned intimately against each other.

Tao Hui squinted comfortably in the sunlight, thinking, This must be what happiness feels like.

As if sensing her thoughts, Han Buji turned to her and said earnestly, “I’ll make sure you always feel this happy, Tao Hui. Will you marry me?”

“Okay,” Tao Hui replied with a gentle smile.