After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 34.1

The woman stood before the Alpha Nanny Van, the courtyard deep and the night thick. Her pale, delicate hands were slightly outstretched, as if echoing her earlier words, “Welcome home.”

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The driver, clad in a black uniform, released the parking brake and respectfully addressed Lan Jingli:

 “We’ve arrived at your destination. Please disembark.”

The starlight-colored nanny car had served its purpose. After Lan Jingli stepped out, it swiftly retreated from the villa grounds. The heavy wrought-iron gates swung shut, the old-fashioned copper lock and chain clanging into place, sealing the estate in silence and seclusion. It seemed that without the mistress’s consent, not even a bird could escape this place.

Lan Jingli had just roused from her exhaustion. Her hazy gaze sharpened instantly upon seeing Tan You. As she took in the familiar scenery every blade of grass and every tree; a faint mockery flickered in her eyes. The woman wore a black silk dress, resembling a seductive ghost from a supernatural tale, one who drained human essence. Her crimson lips were like bl00d, her eyes bewitching, as if tempting mortals to surrender.

Heh, so this is what my manager meant by an “urgent company matter.”

It made sense, though. Tan You was Yunshu Entertainment’s largest shareholder, and Yunshu Entertainment was a subsidiary of the Tan Group. Heh, it’s not unreasonable for my manager to “trick” me into serving Tan You.

“I never imagined Chairman Tan would resort to such underhanded tactics. Three days apart truly changes a person,” Lan Jingli remarked, her gaze lingering on the lush black seed grass thriving in the mansion’s courtyard, her voice laced with faint mockery.

Perhaps due to her addiction flaring, even in minimal clothing, Tan You felt a surge of heat behind her ears the moment she heard Lan Jingli’s voice. Her body trembled uncontrollably, as if caught in the throes of an orgasm. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she let out a soft, tinkling laugh like shattered pearls. Slowly approaching Lan Jingli, she lightly brushed her fingertips across Lan Jingli’s hair, relishing the sensation of the strands flowing like water through her palm and into her heart.

“Hmm, if you didn’t want to see me and refused to cheer for Wen Fei’s performance, I had no choice but to resort to this,” she sighed, her voice a coquettish murmur, dripping with seductive charm. “Li Li, you brought this on yourself.”

Seeing Tan You’s unwavering sincerity, Lan Jingli lowered her gaze and stepped back, letting the woman’s hand fall empty.

“I remember you saying you never lie, that you wouldn’t stoop to such a thing. What are you doing now?”

“Mm, I did say that,” Tan You replied, her voice soft and laced with a subtle, ambiguous, and muted yearning. “But this is you. It’s different.”

This was the first time Lan Jingli had seen Tan You display such vulnerability, like a docile cat nuzzling affectionately. In those beautiful, seemingly passionless eyes, only one person existed. She recalled how Tan You had looked at others in films, how deeply felt emotions could be convincingly portrayed, especially when Tan You genuinely wanted to convey them. Perhaps Lan Jingli had once been the recipient of such tender, lingering gazes from the woman, which had led her to become so deeply infatuated, willingly ignoring the fact that Tan You didn’t truly love her. But love was either there or it wasn’t. Lan Jingli was a person, a person with dignity, and she refused to be deceived by false affection for the rest of her life. This world might be full of deceit, where everyone wore masks and feigned sincerity. And while she craved love, she hadn’t sunk so low as to wag her tail and beg for scraps of affection, deluding herself with lies.

“What’s the difference? How am I any different from those No. 1s and No. 10s you keep at home? We’re all your lovers, all your dogs except I bite.”

“Li Li, those people mean nothing to me…”

“Tan You, you don’t need to explain. I don’t want to hear it,” Lan Jingli stated calmly. “Maybe I used to, but not now, not ever again. Save your breath.”

“But, Li Li, I just want you by my side.”

“Wei Xueyin will keep you company.” Lan Jingli waved her phone, a dazzling smile spreading across her lips. “I’ve already texted her to come over. Enjoy yourself.”

For the first time tonight, Tan You’s good mood shattered. Her brow furrowed slightly, as if struggling to comprehend Lan Jingli’s actions.

“Li Li, why did you call her here?”

“To watch your fiancée entangle with her former lover. Or maybe I hoped she could keep you in line,” Lan Jingli said, her voice drifting off as she realized how absurd it all sounded. Tan You had the privilege to do as she pleased.

Tan You’s expression darkened, her face troubled. Her usually soft, charming voice turned cold as she turned to summon Aunt Wan. “Aunt Wan, tell Wei Xueyin to go home. I’m very busy tonight.”

“Miss, they’ve been watching her closely these past few days. Bringing her here might be more effective…”

“I said, she’s not coming.” Tan You’s voice was unusually stern, her snow-white chest heaving visibly, the collar of her black dress revealing glimpses of her collarbones.

“But Miss Lan sent her a text. We’ll have to explain later, which will be a hassle. It could easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings,” Aunt Wan pointed out, dutifully weighing the pros and cons for Tan You.

Tan You’s gaze remained indifferent. “If she needs anything, just give her more supplies.”

Aunt Wan, who had been waiting in the corridor, could only comply. She immediately called Wei Xueyin and, surprisingly, managed to dissuade the arrogant young woman with a few well-chosen words.

“Miss, she won’t be bothering you,” Aunt Wan reported before respectfully retreating into the distance.

From a distance, she glanced imperceptibly at Lan Jingli, seemingly surprised that she had managed to push Tan You to such a state of agitation. Tan You finally relaxed her expression, her voice regaining its gentle, magnetic warmth.

“Li Li, from now on, it will just be you and me. You don’t need to worry so much. Just wait a little longer.”

But Lan Jingli watched and listened coldly, unmoved. “I don’t care about all this nonsense. I’m leaving. My friends are worried about me.”

A gust of wind swept through the courtyard, causing the red lotuses in the pond to sway like waves. Tan You’s dark eyes lit up with a captivating brilliance. Those eyes, as black as ink, fixed on Lan Jingli as she emphasized slowly and deliberately:

“You’re safe here with me. They don’t need to worry. If you wish, I can personally inform them one by one to reassure them completely.”

“Inform or intimidate?” A flicker of wariness flashed in Lan Jingli’s eyes, like a startled little animal, her gaze filled with suspicion and distrust toward Tan You.

The woman noticed this and felt a sudden, inexplicable pang in her heart. She instinctively suppressed the feeling and continued to coax Lan Jingli with gentle words.

“Li Li, I’ll be good to you, and I’ll be good to your friends too as long as they behave themselves and stay your friends.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Of course I wouldn’t hurt them. I just want to make sure you only have eyes and a heart for me.”

Lan Jingli listened to Tan You’s words, feeling like the world had gone mad. “What do you even want?” She had never understood Tan You before, but now she was completely bewildered. If Tan You wanted to marry, countless wealthy heiresses were waiting to be chosen. What made Lan Jingli worthy of such a match? If Tan You was looking for a lover, countless people were throwing themselves at her feet, vying for her attention. Lan Jingli was just the most unremarkable among them. If Tan You claimed it was love… Lan Jingli laughed bitterly. She believed Tan You would treat her well and take care of her meticulously, but she didn’t believe it was out of love. Maybe it was pity, sympathy, habit, convenience, amusement, or the desire for control… Anything but love—genuine love for another person.

Tan You tried to move closer to Lan Jingli again, but as expected, Lan Jingli flinched away. “Li Li, I don’t want much. Just like it used to be.”

“Just like before, you’ll wait until you’re bored with me, then marry the next person?”

“I’m not playing games. And there won’t be a next person. You’re my first and last. Li Li, I promise you’ll be the only one for me in this lifetime. If you don’t like the terms of our previous agreement, we can revise it. Stay with me, and you can have anything you want.”

Tan You spoke with disarming sincerity, her gaze fixed on Lan Jingli. She resembled a bewitching ghost, meticulously setting a trap to lure a passerby into a night of unforgettable passion. But once that fleeting moment of ecstasy faded, your heart, your self-respect, and your very soul would be devoured into nothingness. Burdened by sorrow and resentment, you would wander the desolate earth, your life forever unresolved.

“How many times do I have to say it before you give up?” Lan Jingli shook her head gently, her voice unwavering. “I refuse. Even if you ask a hundred times, the answer will still be no.” She would never abandon her self-respect and self-love to please Tan You, retreating into this opulent mansion to live a sheltered life as Tan You’s captive, her gilded cage, her clinging vine. Even if it came at a price, she would choose to be a person, not a possession, a pet.

Of course she knew the sweet allure of the power Tan You promised, but that wasn’t enough to make her willingly submit to being transformed and tamed. Everyone had their own life to live. She might be cheap and insignificant, but she would never compromise her dignity.

“Li Li, I don’t want to force you,” the woman said, her cool, restrained demeanor suddenly tinged with a bewitching allure—a hint of wildness beneath her composed facade. Her crimson lips parted slightly, her breath carrying the delicate fragrance of orchids and gardenias, her voice as soft as flowing water, melting into the very marrow of one’s bones. “I want you to love me freely, of your own accord.”

“My feelings for you might not be pure,” Lan Jingli said, tilting her head.

The woman, who had been so composed moments before, froze visibly. Her pale fingertips curled unconsciously, as if even the light around her had darkened, becoming ghostly. “What are you saying?”

“What I mean is,” Lan Jingli continued, her voice light and carrying a sense of liberation, “I don’t love you. I only love the Tan You I imagined. I was wrong to confess to you without understanding the situation properly.”

The Tan You she loved; beautiful, gentle, always her guiding light and distant horizon even if that distant horizon never loved her back, she would never regret it. She had already declared that Tan You dead.

She had pondered this for a long time, realizing that the person she loved most in the world might just be a beautiful illusion born from her own heart. Yet, so many people, so often, found themselves unable to escape the grasp of that phantom. At this thought, Lan Jingli couldn’t help but close her eyes. In recent days, she had already stripped away that love, driven by confusion and despair, and felt little of the heart-wrenching pain she might have expected. But repeatedly baring her true feelings before Tan You was far from easy. The Tan You she had once loved had occupied a sacred altar within her heart. On the day they reunited, she gazed at Tan You with her eyes, while her heart still clung to that beautiful illusion. The person I love unconditionally will love me unconditionally in return. But these two fragile bubbles could never truly merge. Lan Jingli found it laughable that she had dared to chase unconditional love, yearning for someone to love her for who she truly was.

Lan Jingli’s words seemed to casually dismiss their entire relationship, even denying her very existence. Tan You’s raven-feather lashes lowered slightly, her face pale, and she remained motionless for a long moment. Noticing Tan You’s lack of reaction, Lan Jingli exhaled in relief, forcibly suppressing the strange emotions stirring within her. She turned and walked toward the tightly locked gate.

“I didn’t tell you to leave,” the woman’s voice carried an eerie coldness.

Lan Jingli’s figure was partially obscured by the towering four-meter-high gate. She could feel the air of freedom, yet she remained trapped outside its territory. Tan You’s jade-white face bloomed with an expectant, hopeful smile. Her crimson lips resembled fresh bl00d, while her skin glowed with the pallid light of a waning moon. She seemed to quickly regain her composure after her brief emotional lapse, speaking softly, “It’s alright, Li Li. I’ll help you forget her and learn to love the real me.”

With graceful steps, she approached Lan Jingli, her long hair swaying in the breeze, the vivid red mole on her earlobe standing out against her pale skin. Lan Jingli stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Tan You could so casually disavow her former self. Was that Tan You so inferior to the present one?

“You’re truly unreasonable,” Lan Jingli muttered.

“I’ll give you the chance to understand me, and you’ll let me understand you better. How does that sound?” Tan You’s patience today was remarkable, her tone a stark contrast to her usual cold, businesslike demeanor. “Come inside with me. We can discuss the rest later.”

Lan Jingli refused to let Tan You touch her, standing motionless before a patch of overgrown green velvet poppies, her silent refusal clear. The standoff stretched on. Lan Jingli stood ramrod straight, her delicate, refined face shadowed, radiating an indescribable sharpness.

“You don’t want to come inside with me?” Tan You returned to the white jade steps, looking down at Lan Jingli with a condescending gaze.

Lan Jingli remained silent, knowing Tan You’s irrational arrogance made arguing pointless. Tan You watched the girl’s stubborn, haughty demeanor, feeling a surge of heat spread from her limbs to her fingertips. She hadn’t taken her s3x addiction suppressants in a long time, partly out of unwillingness and partly because they were ineffective. Each dose offered only fleeting relief, followed by an even more intense, relentless craving. It was as if her mental addiction had triggered an incurable physical addiction, sinking deep into her bones, twisting and turning, beyond her control, making her yearn for another solution.