After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 13

“The temperature on the island varied greatly between day and night. The clean, high-altitude sunlight filtered in, like an orange sea that enveloped Tan You’s unforgettable face.”

*****

Her eyes, usually sharp and detached, were now hazy and flushed, and in the pale golden light, they held a sacred, ascetic quality. The line between saint and sinner blurred in that moment.

“Jiejie,” Lan Jingli found herself calling Tan You over and over, gently stroking the woman’s silky, satin-like hair. It was more an act of comfort than an indulgence in simple physical intimacy. “Does this make it a little better?”

She still didn’t know what illness Tan You had, but she could genuinely feel the other woman’s pain.

Perhaps Tan You couldn’t completely open her heart just yet, but Lan Jingli believed that over time, the woman would learn to trust her.

“Li Li.”

Tan You’s voice became soft and hoarse, a mix of endurance and uncontrolled moans that was incredibly alluring. The red mole on her small, pale earlobe was a striking and beautiful sight.

In that silent, excruciatingly intimate night, Lan Jingli was devout and focused, while the woman, in her semi-conscious state, gave herself over completely, as if a decadent fire had burned away all her inhibitions.

When the haze of that passion faded, Tan You’s absolute calm and rationality returned. Her stunning, world-weary face was exquisite and beautiful, with an inorganic aesthetic, like a flower grown in a sterile environment—gorgeous yet immaculately proper.

“Li Li, that’s enough.”

“But Jiejie, you… you still…” Lan Jingli felt a mix of hurt and surprise. The woman’s eyes were still flushed, her lips parted and panting. She clearly wasn’t done yet.

“I said, that’s enough.”

“Okay.”

“Go back to your room. I need to take a bath.”

“Then get some good rest, Jiejie. Call me anytime if you need anything,” Lan Jingli said obediently before getting out of bed and leaving.

The next day, Lan Jingli woke up early and waited for Tan You in the dining room.

“Thank you, Jiejie.”

“I just want you to do what you love,” Tan You said, her eyes lowered, with a faint, knowing smile. “Will you still keep secrets from me next time?”

“Never again. I was wrong. I’ll tell you everything from now on.” Lan Jingli’s eyes lit up and her ears perked up like a meerkat’s, and she promised solemnly.

“You must keep your word.” Tan You said flatly.

Lan Jingli’s gaze was so obedient and harmless, with a natural docility—she was very pleased.

“Yes.”

*****

After breakfast, Tan You changed into a more professional suit. Its tailored fit and fine texture highlighted her cultivated, formal elegance.

“Xie Lan will drive you back later. My aunt and I have some business to discuss offshore.”

“Okay. When will I see you again?”

The corners of Tan You’s lips curved upward, as if even more pleased with Lan Jingli’s response. “According to our arrangement.”

“Okay,” Lan Jingli nodded emphatically. “I’ll bring some more osmanthus honey for you.”

The once-deserted practice room was now stacked with a pile of scripts. The company’s producer, who had always been arrogant, patiently introduced a new song to Lan Jingli and Wei Yixi over coffee. The contrast with their previous situation was night and day.

“Our agent has already rejected a bunch of unsuitable scripts for us. The rest are for us to choose from,” Wei Yixi whispered, gesturing to the stack of scripts.

“Don’t you think these people are being a bit much?” Lan Jingli furrowed her pretty brow. “Our acting and stage skills still need practice. I don’t want to be in bad movies.”

Hearing this, Wei Yixi sneered.

“You know as well as I do. People in this industry are masters at pandering to whoever holds the power. If you have no connections but you’re a purist, they want you to sell a smile. If you’re arrogant, they want you to bow your head. And when they encounter someone with real power, they can’t fawn and flatter enough.”

The practice room was mostly empty. They followed their usual routine of practicing songs and dances, and then took a two-hour class with their acting coach.

The entire day passed like this. It wasn’t until evening, during their bath and dinner break, that Wei Yixi found time to ask Lan Jingli.

“Jingli, how did you get to know Xie Lan anyway?”

Xie Lan came from a prominent family and looked down on everyone. She never shared her private life. Aside from singing and holding concerts, her fans couldn’t get a single piece of news about her, let alone a photo with a friend on Weibo.

Lan Jingli considered her words carefully.

“My girlfriend knows her. We just happened to be on vacation together.”

Thinking of Tan You, she felt a bit lost, as if she were still on that overly humid island, with white mist swirling through the mountains and the elegant, ascetic woman speaking to her in a gentle, soft voice.

Wei Yixi, who was drinking water, nearly spit it out. “Jingli, what kind of ordinary person knows Xie Lan? The island Xie Lan was on is private. You can’t go there without an invitation. So many people would kill to get one.”

“We just happened to know each other,” Lan Jingli thought. Tan You probably didn’t want their relationship to be public.

“You’ve redefined the word ‘ordinary.’”

“Tell me, how should I show my gratitude?”

“Usually, it’s a romantic candlelit dinner, but for someone in your girlfriend’s position, she doesn’t lack anything.”

Lan Jingli’s heart sank. It was true, Tan You lacked nothing, and even if she worked her fingers to the bone, she still had nothing.

She couldn’t help but think that if it were Tan You’s first love, a woman who was a perfect match for her, she would have been able to prepare a romantic dinner worthy of Tan You.

As for her, the most she could afford was fried rice… but even though she could only afford fried rice, she still craved Tan You’s affection.

She felt impossibly greedy.

The following Saturday, Lan Jingli worked non-stop, completing more than ten high-intensity backup dance performances. After she got back, she took a shower, changed her clothes, and took a taxi to the deep-mountain villa.

The last two kilometers were inaccessible to taxis, so she got out, paid the fare, and slowly walked the rest of the way.

The snow-capped green mountains were in the distance, the wind was free, and the girl in the prime of her youth had a beautiful face with a fragile, flickering kind of beauty.

When Lan Jingli arrived at the villa, Tan You wasn’t back yet. She was led by a servant to a reception room to wait, but unexpectedly, several other young women were already sitting there.

When they saw Lan Jingli, they all smiled in unison.

They held themselves in a way that showed they considered themselves too important to talk to Lan Jingli. Fortunately, Lan Jingli was used to such condescending neglect and didn’t mind. After sitting for a while, she went to the restroom to remove her makeup.

“Hey, have you guys heard? This little star from the entertainment industry, who hasn’t even debuted yet, who comes to Ms. Tan’s place all the time.” The girl wearing the number fifteen access card cautiously shared what she had discovered over the past few days.

“What an over-the-top thing to say. Just her? Aside from a face, she has no right to be here. She’s overestimating her place.”

“Exactly. She’s just a kept girl, a pretty face from the entertainment industry. There’s no way Ms. Tan would actually be serious about her.”

“How about we make a bet?” the girl with the number one access card tapped on the table, attracting everyone’s attention.

“A bet on what?”

The girl with the number one access card smiled brazenly. “Let’s bet on how long it’ll be before Ms. Tan gets bored of her.”

The bet was interesting, and the others all chimed in.

“I bet three months? Or maybe six?”

“That long? I thought a pretty face who uses her looks to get ahead wouldn’t last a month.”

The women giggled and laid down their wagers. The stakes were high, from sports cars to luxury goods. When Lan Jingli came back, she heard their clamoring.

One of them was shaking her head and saying,

“If you ask me, the person who’s the best match for our Ms. Tan is still her first love. They’re a perfect match, a match made in heaven.”

The sentiment was met with unanimous agreement.

******

Aunt Wan accompanied Tan You as they walked into the main hall from the other side. Hearing the women’s chattering, she frowned deeply.

“Miss, I’ll go tell them to be careful and not to talk nonsense.”

The woman’s cool, stunning face held a hazy expression, and her eyes seemed fixed only on the larkspur outside the window, which looked like white jade butterflies.

“There’s no need. It’s a very interesting bet.”