After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 19

As the fireworks faded, the woman who had been so radiant and refined suddenly changed her expression. Her voice turned cold, like frost on a frozen stone.

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As the fireworks faded, the woman who had been so radiant and refined suddenly changed her expression. Her voice turned cold, like frost on a frozen stone.

“Li Li, do you smile so beautifully for everyone?”

“What?” Lan Jingli paused, realizing Tan You was referring to her earlier conversation with Shu Su.

“Do you smile at others often?” Tan You asked casually, her gaze fixed intently on Lan Jingli.

“I don’t smile at others often, just out of politeness,” Lan Jingli stammered, flustered. “That woman earlier was Shu Su, President Shu, the company’s CEO.”

Tan You was well aware of Shu Su’s position, but the scene had still grated on her.

“What did she say to you?”

“She said she hoped I’d have the chance to collaborate with her on a film.”

Tan You smiled faintly. “Shu Su is wealthy and talented, a director who commands the entire production. She’s skilled at using symbolism, and working with her would unlock much of your hidden potential.”

The snow’s reflection and the newly lit lights made the woman’s already pale eyes seem even more distant and gloomy. Lan Jingli hesitated. “Sister, you don’t want me to act in President Shu’s film?”

“How could that be?” Tan You’s voice was astonishingly gentle and composed. “I believe that one day you’ll stand under the spotlight, and I’ll be in the audience, applauding for you.”

The disappointment from the repeated takes surged up in Lan Jingli’s heart. She shook her head, feeling lost. Even her acting coach had said she lacked natural talent.

She tried so hard to convey emotion, but it always felt superficial, never truly reaching the depths.

“Sister, you don’t have to force yourself to comfort me,” she said, lowering her gaze with a childlike pout.

Tan You chuckled, a cold mockery in her tone.

“Do you know how much of the Tan Family’s assets I control?”

Ah, is she allowed to say that?

Lan Jingli had heard rumors of the Tan Family’s chaotic and terrifying dynastic drama—a family that seemed utterly devoid of warmth, cold and frightening.

The woman whispered an approximate figure in her ear. Lan Jingli’s eyes widened. She had imagined many things, but faced with such an astronomical number, she realized poverty truly did limit one’s imagination.

“How could anyone possibly spend all that?”

Tan You lowered her gaze and chuckled softly.

“And that’s just the beginning. But the point is, when I say you’ll be a great actress, it’s not empty flattery. I mean it sincerely. I don’t need lies to achieve my goals.”

Lan Jingli could obtain almost anything she desired in this world. If she wanted something, she would have it; she had never failed to get what she wanted.

And she never would.

Therefore, she spoke the truth not out of any particular virtue, but simply because she had no need to lie.

She indulged in games and interactions with people only because she found them amusing.

A strange yet familiar sensation washed over Lan Jingli, and she suddenly felt as if she were back in the mountains of her youth, the blue-white petals of black cumin flowers swaying in the distance.

In the drizzling rain, Tan You had said to her softly:

“Look toward the horizon.”

The rain and snow intensified. Aunt Wan opened the car door, urging them to hurry inside.

The Rolls-Royce’s white starlit ceiling resembled an endless snowfield. As Lan Jingli climbed in and removed her coat, Tan You’s cold voice cut through the silence:

“Why aren’t you wearing your necklace?”

“I took it off for the action scenes—didn’t want to damage it. It’s in my bag.”

“Put it on now.” Tan You leaned forward and fastened the necklace around Lan Jingli’s neck, a subtle fragrance lingering in the air.

Exhausted from the day’s activities, the two women sat in silence until Lan Jingli’s phone rang again. It was Shu Su.

Shu Su’s voice on the phone was mature and gentle, beginning with an apology.

“I’m sorry for getting your number without your permission. I originally asked your manager to bring you over because I wanted to talk about the film, but we unfortunately missed each other.”

“Oh, no worries at all,” Lan Jingli replied, a little bewildered. She had assumed Shu Su was one of those industry figures who favored unspoken rules, but it seemed she genuinely wanted to discuss the film.

Through the electromagnetic transmission, Shu Su’s laughter sounded particularly magnetic. “When would you be free? I know your band has been busy lately. I’d like to treat you all to dinner.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to Xi Xi about it and get back to you.”

“Great. Don’t forget to save my number.”

The car pulled into the deep mountain estate. Tan You stepped out without a word, glancing back at Lan Jingli, who was still on the phone.

After hanging up, Lan Jingli followed Tan You into the bedroom. As soon as she closed the door, she caught a flash of silver in her peripheral vision.

The woman was toying with a small silver knife, its tip resting precisely on Lan Jingli’s collarbone before slowly sliding downward.

“Sister?”

Lan Jingli’s uniquely textured voice made Tan You raise an eyebrow in satisfaction.

“Li Li, sit down.”

Despite the woman still holding a knife to her heart, Lan Jingli obeyed without hesitation, driven by an inexplicable, almost absurd sense of trust.

It wasn’t so much sitting as kneeling, draped across Tan You’s lap. The woman loomed over her, gripping her neck, poised to plunge the blade into her heart at any moment.

“Hurt yourself and didn’t even notice? Too busy chatting with someone else?” Tan You sneered softly, her fingers tightening around the knife hilt as the blade sliced through the fabric of Lan Jingli’s back.

Dark red bl00d, now congealed against porcelain-white skin, stood out starkly, a gruesome sight.

“Hurt?” Lan Jingli looked genuinely bewildered. “I was wearing protective gear.”

Tan You had instructed the servants to bring hydrogen peroxide, gauze, and other medical supplies earlier. She began cleaning the wound, relishing the soft gasp of pain that escaped Lan Jingli’s lips.

“Feeling the pain now?” Tan You leaned closer, the tip of her crimson tongue flicking across the wound like a snake’s forked tongue. A smear of fresh bl00d stained her already alluring lips, making them even more captivating. “You didn’t seem to feel a thing when you were on the phone.”

Tears welled in Lan Jingli’s eyes, a blush creeping across her cheeks and the tip of her nose. She felt the woman’s soft lips lingering, alternating between torment and tenderness.

A dark, inexplicable desire bloomed within Tan You like a spring vine. As she repeatedly wiped Lan Jingli’s wound, a strange, seductive flower seemed to blossom deep within her heart. This peculiar sensation made every nerve in her body tingle with unbearable tension.

“You’re not allowed to like anyone else,” Tan You said, her eyes like still water, her smile exquisite and beautiful. “Or I’ll kill you and turn you into a specimen.”

“Then will you only like me, Sister?”

“That depends on your behavior.” Tan You seemed reluctant to answer, so she picked up something else from the desk. “Is this yours?”

“It’s my MP3 player,” Lan Jingli said, her face flushing. She tensed, terrified Tan You would discover the secrets hidden inside and think her melodramatic.
“Keep it safe.” The woman leaned in and pressed a hand to Lan Jingli’s forehead. “You seem to have a fever. Go get some rest.”

“Does that mean I can stay tonight?”

“Tonight is an exception.”

In the quiet, pristine bedroom, Lan Jingli stubbornly fought off sleep, peeking through the gap in the blanket to watch Tan You work, practice calligraphy, think, and read.

It wasn’t until Tan You received a phone call that she had to leave late at night.

“Prepare the car,” Tan You instructed Aunt Wan before turning back to Lan Jingli to reassure her. “Go to sleep, dear.”

“Sister, will you be back tonight?”

Tan You only answered as she was about to leave. “No.”

Disappointment washed over Lan Jingli. As Aunt Wan came in to tidy up, she hesitated before asking softly, “Aunt Wan, can you tell me who Sister is meeting so late? I’m worried about her.”

Aunt Wan answered truthfully, “She’s meeting her first love.”