After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 32.2

This was just a temporary adjustment period. Given time, she would naturally return to her former self, unaffected by Lan Jingli’s presence.

Noticing Tan You’s pensive mood, Lan Jingli quickened her pace slightly, leading them away from the dimly lit corridor and back into the bustling crowd. There, she spotted Aunt Wan attending to Wei Xueyin. Tan You must be worried and sent her most trusted aide to care for Wei Xueyin.

How deeply devoted! Lan Jingli thought with a sharp, sarcastic edge. Having her trusted housekeeper tend to her fiancée while she sneaks off to a dark emergency exit to “pour her heart out” to her former lover. Tan You truly knew how to play both sides.

********

Lan Jingli returned to the dressing room from the bar area and was immediately spotted by Wei Yixi, who was packing up.

“Oh my god, what happened to your lip? Did you cut it washing your face? Did you run into one of those crazy stalker fans? This is serious!”

Lan Jingli’s lip throbbed with pain. Remembering Tan You’s inscrutable expression and her relentless words, she scoffed. “I’d almost prefer it was a stalker fan.”

“Something’s up? Tell me about it.”

Lan Jingli unzipped her bag, grabbed a pack of tissues, and dabbed at her lip, staring at her disheveled, exhausted reflection in the mirror.

Seeing Lan Jingli’s silence, Wei Yixi grew anxious. “Don’t clam up on me. Today’s been a mess. Wei Xueyin—that… person, if you can even call her that was acting completely insane.”

Lan Jingli pressed her lips together until they were bl00d-red, her eyes lowered. She didn’t know how to explain it; repeating the story felt like tearing the wound open again. “There’s nothing much to tell. I think I can handle it.”

Wei Yixi’s breath caught in her throat, unable to rise or fall. Gasping for air, she finally managed to say, “Just be careful.”

“Alright, just wanted to let you know that Wei Xueyin will probably be taken back by Tan You’s people. Our argument earlier caused quite a stir, attracting the attention of the media. But I’m guessing the company, the Tan Family, and the Wei Family will all try to suppress the story. The only question is whether she’ll come back to cause more trouble.”

“I understand.”

Sensing the low mood in Lan Jingli’s voice, Wei Yixi guessed something significant had happened. But Lan Jingli was always a closed book, accustomed to silently processing her problems alone. Even if Wei Yixi grilled her, she wouldn’t budge. Still, it didn’t take a genius to figure out Tan You was involved.

“Hey, did Tan You come looking for you earlier?”

Lan Jingli was surprised by Wei Yixi’s intuition. “How did you guess that?”

“Naturally, it’s my divine foresight at work! Well, actually, I saw Aunt Wan. Put that together with your mood, and it’s not hard to figure out the gist of it.”

“That’s why I said there was nothing worth mentioning.”

“Then let’s play some games tonight after we get back. I’ll get you a gaming buddy—hearing a cute girl’s voice will definitely cheer you up.”

“A playmate?” Lan Jingli frowned. “No need, I’m fine.”

“You’re such a stick-in-the-mud! I’m not asking you to find a virtual boyfriend. Fine, I’ll check if Chairman Tan is still out there. If she’s gone, let’s sneak out right away.”

“Okay, go ahead and check,” Lan Jingli said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She picked up her bag and glanced around. “Where are Wen Fei and the others?”

“Waiting for us in the van. They invited us to their dorm for drinks and snacks—they’ve got everything ready.” Wei Yixi peeked out of the lounge, then crept out to check the bar area. “Chairman Tan isn’t here, and neither is that pest Wei Xueyin. Let’s get out of here!”

Lan Jingli nodded, pulling on her baseball cap. “Alright.”

“Why did Wei Xueyin come to argue with you? Her words were so bitter. Do you think she and Tan You are having relationship troubles?” Wei Yixi asked, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice.

Lan Jingli suddenly remembered a meme she’d seen online: If you chase after wealth and power without genuine affection, she will suffer. But if you, like me, give your heart wholeheartedly, your fate will be no better than mine.

So, Wei Xueyin is finally going to reap what she sowed, isn’t she? The thought alone makes me giddy. This calls for a celebratory toast.

“They shouldn’t have any trouble getting along,” Lan Jingli said, noticing Wei Yixi’s ever-widening grin. “Why do you look even happier than I do?”

“Of course! Unlike you, who keeps everything bottled up, my emotions are written all over my face. Take my advice: loosen up a little. Don’t suffocate yourself. Just because we’re happy today doesn’t mean disaster awaits us tomorrow.”

Lan Jingli sighed. “I hope so.”

I hope life keeps getting better.

*********

In the hazy night, Chen Jiayang stood beside her pink Alpha minivan, waving enthusiastically.

“Hurry up! I’ve been waiting forever!”

“Such thoughtfulness! I’ll pay for the duck necks later,” Wei Yixi replied warmly. “And I’ll cover the takeout too.”

“Hmph! This is to celebrate your successful performance. Get in the car!” Chen Jiayang winked at Lan Jingli. “Slowpoke! I’ll treat you to an ice-cold cola.”

Lan Jingli tugged at the brim of her baseball cap. “How about marble soda instead? I’ll go buy some.”

“Hey, isn’t that stuff more expensive?”

Lan Jingli, already sprinting ahead, waved cheerfully, her usually cool, low voice now tinged with glee. “Don’t worry about it! I stopped saving money ages ago.”

Chen Jiayang frowned, watching Lan Jingli’s gleeful retreat. “What’s gotten into her? Is she possessed or something?”

“Not at all,” Wei Yixi countered, “she’s probably just had an epiphany.”

“Bullshit,” Chen Jiayang scoffed, glancing sideways at Wei Yixi. “A’Jing is clearly the type to be hopelessly devoted to love, a real sucker for it.”

“Sometimes enlightenment strikes in an instant, born from years of accumulated experience,” Wei Yixi said cryptically.

*********

Meanwhile, at the VIP exit, Aunt Wan opened the car door for the half-drunk Tan You, unable to resist scolding: “Honestly, you’re usually so sensible—why the sudden urge to drink?”

Tan You’s little cousin, who was supporting her, felt a pang of guilt, convinced she was responsible for Tan You’s drunken state. Especially since her older cousin had vanished for a while, only to return even more intoxicated, her expression dark and sickly, her face deathly pale, her eyes bloodshot, barely able to stand. Rumors had circulated within the family about Tan You’s serious illness, which the little cousin had dismissed. But this time, she was genuinely frightened.

“Aunt Wan, I’m the one who talked Older Cousin into trying it. It’s all my fault.”

“I wanted to drink it myself,” Tan You said weakly, her long lashes fluttering like the wings of a dying butterfly. A burning pain spread through her body.

“Let’s go home first. I’ve already called the family doctor.”

Tan You was about to get into the car when she froze, her eyes widening. Her little cousin, who was slightly nearsighted, followed her gaze and vaguely saw three young celebrities on the street, opening soda bottles, clinking them together, and drinking them down in one gulp, their laughter carrying far.

“Just some celebrities drinking soda. Nothing to see.”

Tan You’s fingertips trembled uncontrollably. The alcohol rushed to her head, and she bit her lip to endure it.

Noticing something was wrong, Aunt Wan helped Tan You into the car. This was the first time she had seen Tan You in such distress, and she didn’t dare delay. She arranged for another car to take the little cousin home, then quickly slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and sped toward Deep Mountain Estate.

In the Rolls-Royce, Tan You leaned against the seat, her feverish body heavy with exhaustion, and called the vice president of Yunshu Entertainment.

“I told you to reduce contact between those two groups and stop them from promoting their CP. Are you deliberately ignoring my instructions?”

On the other end of the line, the Yunshu Entertainment vice president sounded hesitant, still trying to negotiate. “Chairman Tan, it’s not that we haven’t tried to reduce their public appearances. We simply can’t stem this tide. The Lan Jingli and Wen Fei pairing is incredibly popular right now. You can check online. It’s truly viral.”

“I’m already looking,” Tan You replied, her head spinning as she scrolled through the Weibo Super Topic, her expression impassive behind her plain glasses.

[I saw Xiao Yu secretly knitting a scarf. Could it be for our Feifei?]

[Definitely! Check Feifei’s private Weibo account. She’s always loved soft, fluffy things.]

Meanwhile, others were using magnifying glasses to find more “sweet crumbs” of evidence.

[Mushroom Swimmer: Ahhh! Just-released photos! Did you notice Xiao Yu’s split lip? It’s a new injury, right after their live show. She and Feifei performed together late into the night!]

[Kitty: OP, you’re a true Sherlock Holmes! Thanks to you, I checked the photos and it’s definitely there. I’ve already imagined ten thousand words of forbidden scenarios!]

[Zhajangmian: Backstage, Feifei, jealous of Xiao Yu’s dazzling charisma and flirtatious behavior, couldn’t resist making a move. Through the thin door, their teammates, managers, and the audience remained completely unaware. They were overcome with passion, yet they had to stay silent…]

[Vortex Gravity: Upstairs, you’re the true god of my CP fanfic! This book is a masterpiece!]

[My Mental Health Seems Questionable: I vehemently opposed Teacher Zha’s retirement from the literary world back then.]

[Fish Cake Lover: Passing the pen to the master.]

After a long silence on the phone, the vice president cautiously spoke again:

“The company unanimously believes that this mild form of pairing is beneficial, Chairman Tan. May I ask why you want to stop it?”

Tan You was left speechless, unable to refute the argument for the first time in her life. She could only resort to wielding her authority. 

“Do as I say. Gradually reduce their joint appearances and tell the marketing accounts to minimize their joint press releases. Also, suppress any trending topics about them and cut off their traffic.”

As the vice president listened to the dial tone, she muttered helplessly, “That depends on whether the fans will let us.”

**********

Days of relentless snow and wind had cast a pall over the Tan Group headquarters. The employees wore gloomy expressions, not because of heavy workloads, but because Chairman Tan’s complexion had been alarmingly poor lately—pale, frail, and unnervingly somber. Though she hadn’t taken out her mood on anyone, the chilling, oppressive atmosphere she exuded made everyone afraid to breathe too loudly.

Only Shu Su, who came to find Tan You for lunch, seemed carefree. According to her, after so many years of friendship with Tan You, she had become immune to her moods. Leaning back on the genuine leather sofa in Tan You’s office, Shu Su watched the woman methodically handle her work. After an hour of waiting, she finally lost patience.

“Are you done yet? If you’re not in the mood, stop pretending to work. I’ve seen you staring at the same page of the agreement the whole time.”

Tan You glanced up at her, her expression utterly calm. “I’m still refining the terms of this agreement. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

“What terms? Is it related to a new business deal? Something complicated? Is that why you’re so unhappy?”

“It has nothing to do with business. It’s a personal matter.”

Tan You reviewed the conditions she had proposed, her mind inexplicably drifting back to her little cousin’s words: No matter how much time passes, in the eyes of the world, the lovers standing beside them will always be seen as mere compromises. The “her” in the movies—that’s the true love, the perfect match. The woman’s expression remained impassive. “I’m not unhappy.”

“For the past two months, you’ve been gloomy and withdrawn. Everyone in the company can see it.”

“It’s just a personal matter, nothing serious,” Tan You said, a flicker of regret and disgust flashing through her eyes. “I’ll sort it out as soon as possible.”

“I don’t believe you,” Shu Su replied. “There are too many mysteries surrounding you. For example, you were at the peak of your career in the entertainment industry, then suddenly retired after filming that mother-daughter movie. Why? I’m a director myself—I have a good eye for talent.”

Shu Su had long suspected something was amiss, but Tan You was too enigmatic, her personality too cold, for her to ever bring it up. A shadow fell across Tan You’s face. “That’s all in the past. There’s no particular reason I stopped acting.”

“If you say so,” Shu Su shrugged. 

“But the more you avoid talking about it, the more…”

“I’ve already healed,” Tan You said quietly, meeting Shu Su’s gaze. A faint smile softened the coldness in her eyes.

“Then what’s troubling you this time?”

“My little lover.”

“Finally admitting it! You’ve been so stubborn, refusing to confide in your strategist.”

“Are you good at this sort of thing?”

Shu Su froze. She’d had a few girlfriends, but they’d all pursued her. She genuinely liked them, and they’d parted amicably. When it came to chasing someone or dealing with relationship issues, she was completely clueless.

“Forget it. I really don’t know anything about this. I’ll go see my crush and ask her what young college students are thinking these days and how to pursue them. Then I’ll come back and give you some advice. How old is your little sweetheart?”

Tan You hadn’t intended to seek advice, but seeing Shu Su’s enthusiasm, she figured hearing someone else’s experience might be helpful. 

“Hmm, thank you. She’s probably just turned twenty, in her third or fourth year of college.”

“What a coincidence! My crush is around the same age. Maybe I can actually help you,” Shu Su declared decisively. “Just wait for my good news!”

Tan You watched Shu Su’s tall figure leave the office, then lowered her gaze to review the document she’d drafted herself. After repeated revisions, adding and deleting clauses, she called Aunt Wan to print it out.

Aunt Wan glanced at the document and gasped, her eyes wide with shock.

 “Miss, aren’t these terms too restrictive of personal freedom?”

“Print it, stamp it with my personal seal, and prepare the check,” Tan You said casually, seemingly unmoved by Aunt Wan’s gentle protest.

“Alright. Will you be giving this to Miss Lan today?”

“After the meeting. She has classes at the university this morning and figure training at the company this afternoon.”

The woman spoke with such natural ease, yet her seemingly relaxed demeanor sent a chill down Aunt Wan’s spine.

 “Miss, have you been secretly assigning others to monitor Miss Lan’s every move behind my back?”

“Having more hands makes things easier,” Tan You said, looking up at Aunt Wan. “Haven’t you always disliked these underhanded tactics?”

Aunt Wan fell silent, speechless. So Tan You was aware of how shady this was?

*******

At Yunshu Entertainment, Shu Su, breathless, stopped Lan Jingli, who was on her way to a posture class.

“Just a minute, Jingli. I wanted to let you know that I have to go on a last-minute business trip to another city, so I can’t make it to dinner tonight.”

Lan Jingli looked at Shu Su’s slightly flustered appearance with surprise, then smiled gently. “Su Su, we can reschedule. You could have just told me on WeChat, you didn’t need to come all the way here.”

“I know,” Shu Su said, her gaze fixed on Lan Jingli. “But I wanted to tell you in person.” She glanced at her phone. Her flight was taking off in an hour and a half. “I’m running late. I’ll catch up with you when I get back.”

After Shu Su left, a voice murmured from the shadows behind Lan Jingli:

 “You two seem pretty close.”

Turning to see Wen Fei, Lan Jingli replied, “We get along well. Su Su’s been really supportive of me.”

“Supportive, huh?” Wen Fei deliberately let her hand slip, spilling coffee onto Lan Jingli’s coat.

“Ah, I’m about to be late for my posture class.”

Wen Fei smiled, unbuttoning her black-and-white coat. “I’ll replace your coat.”

“Alright, thanks,” Lan Jingli replied.

“I’ll have Jia Yang wash your clothes and bring them to you later.”

“Why Jia Yang?”

Wen Fei’s brow twitched. “Just don’t worry about it,” she said coolly.

“Okay, I’m off to class now. Bye!”

“Bye,” Wen Fei murmured, watching Lan Jingli’s retreating figure for a long moment before finally turning away.

Outside Yunshu Entertainment, Tan You and Shu Su’s cars passed each other, one arriving just as the other left, avoiding a meeting.

Tan You stepped out of her car and headed straight for the dance studio, where she saw Lan Jingli already practicing. The sight suddenly reminded her of a time she had passed by this same studio and glimpsed a new trainee struggling in front of the camera, her composure vanishing, replaced by the awkwardness and nervousness of a student. She had only glanced briefly, recognizing a familiar face but unwilling to recall the specific details of that familiarity.

The studio was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, and the mirrors lining the walls were spotless. The posture teacher was training Lan Jingli in standing, walking, sitting, and various poses, correcting any improper posture. Before the session ended, she gave Lan Jingli final instructions on how to relax gracefully and naturally. But Lan Jingli’s posture had always been excellent. From the first time Tan You saw her, she had been as supple and resilient as a blade of grass saturated with water, radiating a wild, natural vitality. Thus, any adjustments needed were extremely subtle, making the task doubly challenging.

As Lan Jingli glanced back, Tan You caught sight of her sweat-dampened bangs framing her face, her eyes glistening with a beautiful, watery sheen. It momentarily reminded her of a time when they had just finished making love, and Lan Jingli had gazed at her with that same focused intensity, her eyes brimming with tears. Those days of intimate embraces and intertwined bodies now felt like faded old photographs, distant and surreal.

For two full hours, Tan You watched Lan Jingli, until… she saw Lan Jingli emerge wearing someone else’s coat, carrying a faint fragrance. A sweet, fruity scent with woody undertones, both alluring and aloof. It was Wen Fei’s signature perfume, YSL’s Mon Paris. In the introductions to their Weibo Super Topics, there was a photo of Wen Fei wearing this exact black-and-white coat. The description also mentioned that Wen Fei habitually used this perfume, applying it six hours before leaving the house to let the woody base notes linger, then spritzing it again just before stepping out to enhance the sweet, fruity top notes.

Lan Jingli had already stopped avoiding wearing other people’s clothes. The thought of someone else coveting and touching what belonged to her made Tan You’s good mood vanish completely.

“Li Li, come to my office.”

At the same moment, Lan Jingli’s good mood also evaporated. Seeing Lan Jingli’s hesitation, Tan You sighed softly.

“Li Li, after much consideration, I believe a written agreement will put both our minds at ease.”

“What do you mean?”

Tan You produced a document, looking down at Lan Jingli from her superior position. “Our relationship agreement. If you’ve reviewed it and find no issues, sign it.”

“Relationship agreement, or a contract to be kept?”