After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 18

The winter solstice sky dawned late. Last night, Lan Jingli had laid a piece of sweet flag on her windowsill and arranged three sunflowers on top, their golden faces swaying in the breeze like a gilded fan.

********

Today marked her third day playing a supporting role in the action scenes of the film crew, and she was already at work before the first light broke.

Director Ji, a seasoned academic with several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films under his belt, was particularly fond of action films. He held his student actors, especially Lan Jingli, to an even higher standard.

He scrutinized every shot and movement, demanding meticulous precision.

“How’s the preparation for the forest fight scene going?” Director Ji asked, summoning the action choreographer to his side. He approached Lan Jingli, his eyes sharp with scrutiny.

Lan Jingli nodded, a hint of nervousness in her voice. “It should be fine.”

“Good. Make sure it’s perfect. We might need multiple takes, so stay warm.”

The director lingered, studying Lan Jingli. The girl was tall and graceful, strikingly beautiful, and pleasing to the eye. But he worried she might be all show and no substance—a pretty face without the skill to back it up.

The scene was a frenetic chase and struggle. Lan Jingli, playing a supporting character, had stolen a precious artifact from the main cast and had to roll, tumble, and engage in various combat maneuvers through the damp, chilly forest.

The fight scene was filmed repeatedly for over an hour. Lan Jingli, wearing protective gear, darted through the trees, tumbled down slopes, grappled with the lead actor, knelt, and was thrown to the ground again and again.

Thanks to the protective gear, most of the inevitable collisions and scrapes were mitigated.

But the number of retakes was relentless. Lan Jingli must have fallen at least fifteen times on the muddy, root-strewn ground. Hearing the director’s shouts, she drew on her inner resolve, determined to get it right.

“Another take! That move was beautiful.”

“Get up faster this time!”

“Cut! One more take—more intensity in your eyes!”

“That won’t do. Again!”

“No good!”

After each retake, the makeup and wardrobe team rushed over to touch up Lan Jingli and the other actors, wiping off the wet mud and clinging leaves.

During these brief breaks, Wei Xueyin repeatedly brought Lan Jingli sips of ginger tea. When she returned, she noticed the director speaking with someone, addressing them respectfully as “Director Shu.”

As soon as the scene wrapped, Wei Xueyin rushed over to give Lan Jingli a heat pack, making Wei Yixi wonder about her unusual attentiveness.

All three of them were part of the same film crew, though Wei Xueyin and Wei Yixi had milder roles without any action scenes.

“Want me to give you a massage?” Wei Yixi asked, her heart pounding as she watched Lan Jingli’s strenuous movements, worried she might have hurt herself.

“Thanks, I’m fine,” Lan Jingli replied, glancing at the radiant woman standing nearby. “Who’s that?” she whispered.

Wei Yixi draped a coat over Lan Jingli’s shoulders. “Shu Su, our big boss. Our manager told us to be sharp around her.”

Shu Su was the CEO of Yunshu Entertainment and a rising star director. Her indie film about dockworkers had been nominated for an award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Seeing Shu Su approach, Lan Jingli clutched her disposable paper cup, trying to steady her trembling hands.

“Director Shu, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Lan Jingli.”

“Lan Jingli,” Shu Su said, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration. “That name sounds so familiar. If I remember correctly, we should have met long ago.”

Lan Jingli smiled sheepishly, her fair face still flushed from the exertion of the shoot.

The trip to Tan You’s secluded mountain estate had actually been arranged by her manager to introduce her to Shu Su. But then she’d met Tan You… and everything else had slipped her mind.

“I’m so sorry, President Shu. I completely forgot about that meeting.”

“No worries. It’s never too late to get acquainted,” Shu Su said, her gaze lingering on Lan Jingli. “Would you be interested in playing the lead in one of my films in the future?”

“Huh?” Lan Jingli was taken aback, struggling to process Shu Su’s sudden offer.

“I have my own criteria for casting,” Shu Su explained, her smile gentle and disarming. “You possess a quality I admire. I hope we can collaborate someday.” She gestured toward a table laden with warm milk tea and pastries. “My assistant brought these over. Please, help yourselves.”

“Thank you, President Shu,” Lan Jingli and the other two actors replied in unison.

Shu Su’s smile remained sweet as she glanced at Lan Jingli a few more times before pulling Director Ji aside to discuss business in another lounge.

Lan Jingli had just finished filming her scenes for the day and was about to help Wei Yixi rehearse her lines for the next scene when a discreet black luxury car glided into the production crew’s parking space.

Several bodyguards blocked everyone’s view, and in the dim evening light, only shadowy figures could be seen entering the office.

“Hey, what are you staring at?” Wei Yixi noticed Lan Jingli’s distraction and waved the script in front of her face.

“Nothing, I just thought…” Lan Jingli trailed off, realizing she was probably just missing Tan You and imagining things.

They hadn’t been in contact for a full fourteen days. Since that day, she’d occasionally sent Tan You WeChat messages, receiving only two-word replies: “Busy.”

I should understand, she thought. But somehow, the little wild grass in her heart drooped, burrowing deeper and deeper into the earth, sinking heavily downward.
********

Meanwhile, Wei Xueyin burst into the office, breathless and beaming.

“You’re here, Youyou!”

She’d been worried Tan You wouldn’t come when she sent the message.

“Mm.”

“I still have scenes to film late tonight, so I can’t leave yet.”

“That’s fine. I have things to take care of later too.”

“Then stay and see the surprise I have for you before you go.”

Even in the dead of winter, Cold Jade flowers bloomed. Tan You, clad in a black coat, emerged from her office, the small red mole on her fair earlobe alluringly prominent. Her already pale skin seemed to glow like jade against the dark fabric, as if ink had been splashed across polished stone.

By the time Lan Jingli realized it, she was already standing beside Tan You.

“Sister, what brings you here?”

Tan You didn’t answer, only smiled faintly as she gazed at Lan Jingli.

Suddenly, all the lights on the film set went out. The remote and poorly equipped location plunged into darkness, as pitch-black as a haunted house.

“Power outage? Be careful.” The momentary night blindness made Lan Jingli instinctively grab Tan You’s hand, immediately regretting the impulsive gesture. Fortunately, Tan You didn’t pull away. Lan Jingli felt a flicker of relief.

Tan You remained calm, as if she had anticipated this.

“Probably just a temporary outage. It’ll be back soon. Don’t be scared.” Knowing that night blindness often impairs balance, she tightened her grip on Lan Jingli’s hand reassuringly.

Though Lan Jingli’s vision remained pitch-black, she could feel the woman’s warmth radiating from their close proximity, her faint fragrance enveloping her like a comforting blanket.

“Sister, do many people not fear the dark?”

She suddenly recalled a story Zhuangzi had told: During a great drought, two small fish lay stranded at the bottom of a dried-up spring, blowing bubbles of moisture onto each other to keep each other alive.

Quietly, she tightened her grip on Tan You’s hand, wanting to share her warmth.

“Are you still scared?” Tan You asked.

Lan Jingli followed Tan You’s warmth with her gaze. “Just afraid of being alone in the dark, unable to see or touch anything.”

“You won’t be. I’m here with you.”

As Tan You spoke, the misty sky erupted in a dazzling display of fireworks. Like azure shooting stars, they burst into smoky blue blossoms that bloomed and shattered in an instant.

“Sister… did you set off these fireworks for me?”

“Do you like them?”

The scene felt like a replay of yesterday. Lan Jingli suddenly recalled a saying: All beautiful things in this world are curses, because they can never be forgotten, nor can they ever be truly possessed. To witness them even once is to regret it for a lifetime.

Unless a miracle occurs.

But now, a miracle had indeed occurred. She tasted the sweetness of light once more.

At that moment, Tan You’s phone vibrated. She answered, hearing a gentle voice ask, “Youyou, will you marry me?”

“Mm-hmm,” Tan You replied, glancing at Lan Jingli, who was clasping her hands together as if making a wish. “We’ll talk about it in detail later.”

After hanging up, Tan You casually asked, “Li Li, what did you wish for?”

“I wished that every year would have a day like today, and every day would have a moment like this.”