The Movie Queen Always Wants to Kiss Me - Chapter 20 - Smiling Away Old Grudges

Smiling Away Old Grudges

Tang Anhe, oblivious to Cheng Muye’s true feelings, was lost in her own thoughts, murmuring under her breath.

“My sister always says I’m all looks and no substance. That aside from my acting, I’m nothing but a brainless, big-breasted ornament. I’ve long wanted to prove her wrong—to show her I can accomplish something. At least I was lucky enough to meet someone as capable as you. So, Brother Cheng, you’ve got to give it your all!”

So that was the reason.

And yet, her rambling words carried a kind of persuasive weight.

Just as Cheng Muye was about to respond with a with a few quiet words of reassurance, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared.

Shen Si.

His face was battered and bruised, but he still carried himself with that same refined, gentlemanly air. Without warning, he approached and dropped to one knee.

Startled, Tang Anhe’s hand trembled, the red wine sloshing over the rim of her glass and spilling down her chest, staining it crimson.

She wore a pure white, off-the-shoulder gown. The fabric turned translucent the moment the wine soaked in, outlining the soft curves of her full bosom.

In an instant, Cheng Muye shrugged off her jacket and draped it protectively over Tang Anhe’s shoulders.

Amid the flustered commotion, Shen Si remained calm. His voice was steady, almost reverent, as he declared:

“Miss Tang, do you remember me? I’m Shen Si. Tonight, you are as elegant and noble as ever—radiant, breathtaking. Would you grant me the honor of sharing a drink with you?”

No!

Tang Anhe covered her face, unwilling to look at him, inwardly rolling her eyes.

Is this guy here just to make a fool of himself?

She had just dirtied her gown. How could she possibly be in the mood to drink with him? Besides, they weren’t even close. She had no desire to exchange a few words with him, let alone share a drink.

Still, she knew she had to respond with courtesy.

“Mr. Shen, please forgive my clumsiness. I had a few drinks earlier and am already feeling a bit lightheaded.”

It was clearly just an excuse. To her surprise, Shen Si didn’t push further. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Cheng Muye at her side, his eyes carrying a challenge. “Since you can’t handle your liquor, why not let your bodyguard be given another chance to play the gallant knight?”

He was referring to the incident that morning. During the commercial shoot, when reporters had swarmed them, Cheng Muye had been there. That bold rescue had clearly left an impression.

“If I recall correctly, Mr. Bodyguard, you still owe me an apology drink.”

Shen Si rose to his feet, his handsome features softened by a smile, though his words were edged with hidden sharpness.

Cheng Muye caught the hostility in his tone. A faint smile curved her lips, her eyes flashing with disdain. “Mr. Shen, do you truly wish for me to drink an apology wine?”

Not in the slightest.

She might live like a wild creature, but one thing she could never shake was her severe allergy to alcohol. A little red wine she could manage, but the instant she touched white liquor, her skin would erupt in angry welts, itching until she could hardly bear it.

Shen Si knew this better than anyone, yet he acted as though it didn’t matter. “I do,” he replied evenly. “We agreed on an apology drink, at least three full cups to make amends.” As he spoke, he turned aside and called Zheng Ye over to serve as a witness.

Zheng Ye had come alongside Song Qiluo.

Both remembered the incident all too clearly and raised no objections. Song Qiluo, her displeasure from earlier still faintly lingering, spoke up at once.
“Xiao Cheng, you were indeed at fault earlier. It’s rare for Mr. Shen to be so magnanimous, willing to let such a slight pass. Come now, drink three cups as punishment, and let this matter end here.”

At her signal, a waiter poured out a full glass of whiskey and placed it before them.

Cheng Muye didn’t reach for it. Her gaze swept coldly over Song Qiluo, her thoughts sharpening. So, this is how she intends to start putting distance between us? Does she really have another agenda?

Song Qiluo, however, looked composed, her red lips curving faintly with sarcasm even as her voice remained soft. “What’s wrong? If you can’t drink, just take a symbolic sip.”

At last, Cheng Muye accepted the whiskey, cradling the glass in her palm without a word.

Tang Anhe, catching her unease, leaned in with concern. “Brother Cheng, what’s wrong? You can’t drink?”

Cheng Muye wasn’t the type to make excuses. She gave a small nod. “Yeah, I’m allergic to alcohol.”

“Then I’ll drink it for you!” Tang Anhe declared brightly, mischief sparkling in her eyes. She snatched the glass from Cheng Muye’s hand and drained it in a single gulp. “This time, the hero will be saved by the beauty!”

The group fell silent.

“…”

Song Qiluo clenched her fists in anger, forcing a smile. “Anhe, I never knew you could handle your liquor so well!”

Tang Anhe waved it off with a laugh. “Haha, I didn’t know I had that kind of potential either.”

A cold gleam flickered in Shen Si’s eyes as he poured another glass of whiskey for her. “Since Miss Tang can drink so well, she shouldn’t skip a single one of the three.”

“Mr. Shen, you give her too much credit. That girl can’t hold her liquor at all! If she takes another, she’ll end up making a fool of herself in front of everyone.”

Song Qiluo’s tone may seem like a joke, yet her words were meant to stop her. Tang Anhe, however, accepted the glass without a hint of gratitude, lifting her chin with unrestrained bravado. “Don’t underestimate me. I can drink.”

“Stop drinking! You’re already drunk!”

Cheng Muye snatched the cup from her hand and slammed it back onto the tray carried by the waiter. The sudden force sent a splash of wine flying, spattering onto Zheng Ye’s shoulder, as he sat closest.

“Mr. Zheng, I’m terribly sorry! Let me help you clean that up!” The startled waiter quickly pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe him down.

“It’s fine.” Zheng Ye remained as genial as ever, waving him away.

Taking the handkerchief, he dabbed at his own shoulder, then turned to Shen Si with a calm smile, as though nothing had happened. “Mr. Shen, no fight, no friendship. Since Miss Tang has already drunk a cup on Mr. Cheng’s behalf, why don’t we all raise a glass together and laugh away our grudges?”

His words were both reasonable and sincere, pleasing to the ear. Especially that final line—it carried an effortless grace, a cavalier spirit as light as drifting clouds and gentle breezes, the noble bearing of a true gentleman.

No matter how one looked at it, he was utterly endearing.

Tang Anhe, slightly tipsy, her cheeks flushed, gazed at him with eyes full of admiration and affection.

Cheng Muye caught the look and felt a sharp pang of bitterness. For a fleeting moment, she almost wished she had simply forced herself to drink—at least then Zheng Ye wouldn’t have had the chance to step in as peacemaker. All of this, after all, was Shen Si’s doing. Her fury simmered, and she shot him a withering glare, her eyes icy and clear, as if warning: Don’t ruin this for me.

Shen Si understood perfectly yet pretended otherwise. With deliberate casualness, he added, “Seems our Mr. Leading Actor is showing quite the chivalrous side. Very well, I’ll extend Mr. Leading Actor the courtesy.”

The words dripped with suggestive undertones.

Even if there had been no such intent, he had skillfully woven a thread of ambiguity into them.

Tang Anhe, prone to overthinking, felt her cheeks burn hotter, her heart racing. She lowered her gaze in shy panic, her lovely face blooming like a ripe peach, suffused with a faint, intoxicating charm.

Cheng Muye’s irritation only grew. Without a word, she turned and strode out, leaving the air inside stifling behind her. Tang Anhe hurriedly followed, but Song Qiluo quickly called her back. Turning, she caught sight of Song Qiluo speaking to Zheng Ye, admiration flickering openly in her eyes.

Truly pathetic!

The thought spat through her mind, though she wasn’t even sure whether it was aimed at the girl—or at herself.

Shen Si trailed after Cheng Muye, his tone softened now, stripped of the earlier sharpness. “Sis, are you okay?”

Cheng Muye ignored him, leaning back against the wall as she pulled out a cigarette and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with smoke.

As the haze spread between them, Shen Si frowned. “Sis, smoking’s bad for your health.”

She let out a short laugh. “Hah, what’s it to you?”

“You’re a girl. Can’t you do things girls are supposed to do? You weren’t like this before.”

She had once been a sweet, delicate little princess who wore pleated skirts with effortless grace. Her voice had been soft and gentle, her eyes sparkling with a smile even before her lips curved which was utterly endearing.

Lost in the memory, Shen Si’s expression softened. “Sis, I know you don’t like me. That’s fine. I can accept it. But I want you to have a normal, romantic life. That’s Aunt Su’s wish as well.”

Aunt Su was Cheng Muye’s biological mother.

She was a gentle, graceful woman, her slender fingers once embroidering Qingming Shanghe Tu masterpiece that fetched an astonishing price. Her name was equally lovely—Su Ruoye. Rumor had it she came from the prestigious Su family of Jiangnan, with distant ties to the great poet Su Shi. Had fate not led her to Cheng Muye’s father, she would have lived a proud and blissful life.

But alas, in this world, nothing was more tragic for a woman than to fall into the hands of the wrong man.

Su Ruoye met Cheng Xiu.

This melancholic, amorous man fell deeply for her at first sight, offering a lavish dowry to marry her and even severing ties with his family for her sake. Such sincerity was rare indeed.

Yet while his melancholy and passion were genuine, so too were his cowardice and incompetence. When she endured the hardship of bearing a daughter and could have no more children, he faced her parents’ relentless attempts to separate them with nothing but helpless sighs and quiet surrender.

In the end, they divorced. That year, she was seven.

She followed her mother out of that gilded cage, only to find she could not escape fate’s cruel hand.

That weak, incompetent man still loved her mother, clinging to her for six long years… until at last, he drove her to commit suic*de in despair.

The memory of her mother’s sudden death only deepened Cheng Muye’s hatred for her father. Even so, if that were all, she could have endured it. As long as he was still alive, she remained a child with a parent. Hatred, in time, would eventually fade. But he should never have…he should never have…