After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 6

The winter sunlight streamed in through the diamond-shaped window, and for some reason, Lan Jingli was reminded of Tan You.

*****

Bright and pure, brilliant but without warmth.

“She really came back? Doesn’t that mean none of us have a chance?” the trainee said with a frown.

Tan You had been in the entertainment industry for only three short years, filming four movies, yet she had left an indelible mark on the film world—something only a person with both discipline and talent could achieve.

After that, she had quickly retired, secluding herself in the mountains, rarely appearing in the public eye. Her nature was cold and aloof.

Yet she drew countless lovesick men and women who vied for her attention. To this day, a hashtag on Weibo was still a trending topic: #OneLookAtTanYouAndYourLifeIsRuined.

“You might only get a chance to be her ‘canary in a cage.’ If you had the chance, would you take it?”

“Yes, I would. I believe I could be promoted to the real thing. Even just once in a lifetime would be enough.”

“How pathetic. If you really had the chance, you’d be crying tears of joy.” Wei Yixi rolled her eyes at her, then mysteriously pulled out her phone and motioned for Lan Jingli and the others to come look.

“The paparazzi didn’t dare take a picture of them meeting, they just released an old one. It was taken down five minutes after it was posted. The Tan family’s control is terrifying. Luckily, I saved it.”

The photo showed a blurry, indistinct wave of blue grass, vast and beautiful. Bright, golden sunlight poured down without reservation. Tan You, with her black hair and snow-white skin, was only visible in a slender, elegant side profile from the back.

The face of the girl beside her was blurred on purpose. She was looking at Tan You with her heart in her eyes, almost reaching out to hold her hand.

It was impossible to know who had taken the photo, but even from the back, you could feel that Tan You was smiling.

It wasn’t that perfunctory, impatient, and reserved business smile, but a genuinely happy one.

So this is what Tan You was like when in love?

When she loved someone, she would genuinely smile.

The Tan You that Lan Jingli knew was always melancholy, mysterious, and silent, preoccupied with her thoughts. From then until now, she couldn’t imagine Tan You ever smiling with genuine joy.

It made sense; a person can’t imagine what is beyond their own knowledge.

“Doesn’t Tan You not allow people to just take her picture?” the trainee asked.

“Can’t you tell her first love asked for it to be taken? How is that ‘someone else’?”

Lan Jingli understood that it was because she was loved, which gave her the freedom to be reckless.

She had never been favored by fate, so she was always cautious.

The trainee’s perspective was much more optimistic and positive. “The photo doesn’t really show anything. What won’t these media outlets make up to get attention?”

“Tan You and her first love are just a perfect match. They come from the same kind of background—a match made in heaven,” Wei Yixi concluded.

“What’s so perfect about that?” Lan Jingli abruptly stood up, shouting the words as if it were the only way she could catch her breath. Her intense gaze startled the two people there.

Wei Yixi said in a small voice, “I’m just giving you a heads-up. We’re little fish. We shouldn’t blindly fall for a powerful, beautiful boss like her. Dating a normal person costs money, but dating someone like her could cost you your life.”

Lan Jingli didn’t say a word. She walked to the cabinet, turned on the stereo, and started singing and dancing along to the beat with them.

After six hours of practice, all three of them were exhausted and were about to head back to their rented apartment to shower and eat, but their agent burst in at that moment.

“There’s a cocktail party tonight. The three of you are going to go and mingle with people. They’re all big players in the industry.”

“But we just finished practicing. We haven’t even rested,” Wei Yixi immediately retorted.

The agent ignored her, only saying that someone would be coming to do their hair and makeup and that a car would take them there.

Before leaving, she gave Lan Jingli a meaningful look. She couldn’t quite figure out this proud kid.

She wondered if the girl had managed to get in with Tan You. If she had, why would Tan You still let her be an unknown trainee? If she hadn’t, Lan Jingli should have been kicked out a long time ago.

*****

An hour later, the company’s styling team arrived with a rack of clothes. After measuring the three of them, they chose subtle yet sexy silk gowns with a high side slit, paired with a pillow-cut gemstone brooch.

Sitting in the car on the way to the party, Lan Jingli wanted to send a message to Tan You, but she suddenly realized she didn’t have any of her contact information.

If Tan You didn’t contact her, she might never be able to find her.

She still remembered the day she and Tan You were separated for good. It was a foggy morning. They had promised to go to the mountains to fly a kite together, but a black luxury car arrived, took Tan You away, and carried her off to another world.

It was a bright world that Lan Jingli was not qualified to enter.

Tan You seemed to have said, “Wait for me,” and yet it was as if she hadn’t. In the dead of night, during her many difficult and unbearable times, she would remember the woman telling her to “look to the distance.”

And so, she moved toward the distance, either by moving forward or by waiting.

What was the point? Sometimes she would ask herself if it was worth it—waiting for an elusive dream for a year, then two, only to have a brief encounter with her. It seemed so pointless.

Perhaps a person’s luck is a fixed amount, and once it’s used up, it’s gone.

Was she lucky?

Had she ever lived a good life? She didn’t know, but if she could just forget the bad days, every day could become the best day.

“You should understand that the Tan family’s love and expectations for you have always been selfless,” Tan You’s uncle, Tan Yifan, said, raising his wine glass with a seemingly kind smile. “Accept this arranged marriage and get the full support of the board. Only then will your decisions within the group flow truly unimpeded.”

Tan You looked at the family crest, a symbol of power, the stacks of stock transfer agreements, and the asset sheets for all the Tan family’s global holdings.

“The price was secretly set a long time ago,” she said, her words a precious commodity.

“You’re the most outstanding of our young generation. The future is all yours. How can there be a secret price?”

“Uncle, have you ever tasted what it’s like to be discarded?” the woman slowly lifted her gaze, asking an out-of-place question.

The man in the sharp suit’s expression subtly changed. “Your father was a wastrel of the Tan family. We will not acknowledge those so-called illegitimate children.”

Tan You lowered her head and laughed. “Is it because I’m a little bit useful?”

“Still dwelling on your mother selling you to the Tan family?” Tan Yifan shook his head. “She was just a low-class bar girl who bewitched your father. Marrying him, giving birth to you, and getting a sum of money in return was a smart deal. Besides, considering she earned merit by giving birth to you, we’ve already arranged for her properly.”

“Arranged for her properly?” Tan You’s dark eyes deepened. “When she left, she was critically ill. Is that what you call proper?”

“Tan You, as long as you’re willing, you will be the rightful head of the Tan family.”

Tan You still remembered the way the family had so quickly abandoned her after she got sick, a stark contrast to their current fawning demeanor.

The woman spoke indifferently. “I prefer the way you coldly cast me into the mountains and left me to fend for myself.”

The man was about to say something else, but Tan You politely pushed away the gin and tonic in front of her. “You’ve forgotten, Uncle. I never drink. Please excuse me.”

“Tan You, a marriage with the Lin family has no downsides. You’re not still pining for Wei Xueyin from the Wei family, are you?”

The graceful and frail figure of the woman paused for a moment before continuing to walk away.

Coming out of the top-floor reception room, Tan You held the railing, descending the stairs with elegant steps.

The hall below was a blur of exquisite clothes and jewelry. The champagne tower was seven or eight stories high, and the sparkling wine poured continuously.

This seemingly grand party, inviting so many prominent figures, was in reality just another spectacle the Tan family had staged to see her.

The long-dormant emotional turmoil intensified the physical pain in her body. Her already pale face lost all its color. Her fingertips clenched tightly, almost piercing her skin, forcing her to use an inhibitor to calm down.

This dazzling world of glitz and glamour held not an ounce of interest for her, until she unexpectedly caught sight of a tall, captivating figure.

Under the mix of warm and cool lighting, the girl’s superior bone structure was undeniable. Her elegant and refined demeanor made her unforgettable.

Tan You could tell that Lan Jingli’s socializing and flattery in the crowd were only superficial.

A look of insincere politeness flickered in those proud, clear eyes, but for someone so young and beautiful, even a temporary act was a satisfying display of being worldly.

Tan You was certain her judgment was correct. Lan Jingli was special. The thought of breaking that proud spirit and making her willingly submit was intriguing.

“Someone would like to see you on the third floor,” a waiter in a white shirt and black vest said, approaching Lan Jingli.

The middle-aged man who was enthusiastically discussing the current political climate with Lan Jingli looked displeased. “Who’s bold enough to try and steal my company?”

The waiter was not fazed. “Perhaps you’d like to think about it.”

Although puzzled, Lan Jingli had no choice but to follow the waiter upstairs, unaware that the previously arrogant middle-aged man’s face had changed dramatically, fearing he had spoken out of turn.

The waiter led Lan Jingli all the way to the end of the third floor, where a pristine bay window stood.

Even though the temperature was comfortable, the woman wore a wool coat, her eyes weary and her spirits low.

“Sister, why are you here? I thought…”

“You thought what?” Tan You’s eyes held a soft light, as if she already knew the answer.

The news that Tan You would be meeting her ex-lover had made Lan Jingli restless all night, but now that she saw Tan You, she didn’t have the courage to ask.

A silence fell between them, as if a strange mist had enveloped them, each lost in their own thoughts.

Lan Jingli looked at the woman who had once told her to “look to the future” and suddenly found an immeasurable courage.

This woman believed she had a bigger future, that she could win against fate.

If Tan You was betting on Lan Jingli to win, then why should she be afraid of losing?

This city had a population of 1.2 million, with its tight-knit social circles. They might appear in the same square, look at the same moon, and gaze up at the same city lights, but that didn’t mean they would ever cross paths—

Just like the probability of her and Tan You meeting was perhaps only one in a million.

Lan Jingli stared at Tan You and was unable to look away. She felt that if she were to leave her, her gaze would have nowhere to land.

Looking at the woman’s cool smile, it seemed as though she had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

“Sister, I like you very much. Would you be willing to officially date me?”