After the Breakup, the Crazy Movie Queen Clings to Me Every Day (GL) - Chapter 7

A gentle swell rocked the water behind Lan Jingli as the solemn, distant bells of a mountain temple echoed through the air. Golden light shimmered, illuminating the dark night sky.

******

Her palms were slick with sweat. She cursed herself for being so impulsive, her head bowed like a prisoner awaiting judgment.

“Why?” Tan You asked idly, toying with a pale green jade ruyi sceptre.

Lan Jingli looked up, startled. “Why… what?”

“Why did you say you like me?”

“Because you have to say it when you like someone,” Lan Jingli stammered, “Saying it out loud makes a difference. It’s not the same as keeping it in your heart.”

Everyone experiences liking someone differently. The way you say it matters. Whether you say it half-heartedly or sincerely, and so does the timing. Whether you say it at the right moment, or too soon, or too late.

Even though no one had ever said they liked her, she was willing to be the first.

Tan You’s expression was calm and unreadable. “Why do you like me?”

Lan Jingli had never confessed to anyone before and wondered if this was how it was supposed to go.

Why did she like Tan You?

She’d never thought about it. When she was hungry, thirsty, sad, and guilty, Tan You appeared and told her, “Look to the horizon.”

Who would ever think a child abandoned in the mountains had a horizon to look forward to?

Tan You was so special. They walked and talked in the wilderness, until she suddenly left, becoming a lingering drizzle that had followed Lan Jingli for three long years.

“I just… really like you.”

Tan You looked Lan Jingli over. “What do you like about me?”

“Everything,” Lan Jingli said, feeling as though she was in a job interview. The interviewer was cool and detached, with an almost inhuman, purely rational air.

“For example? Write it down.” Tan You clearly didn’t believe in this kind of thing.

Lan Jingli’s eyes widened. Tan You gave a few quick instructions, and within a minute, someone delivered fresh paper and a fountain pen.

The woman remained aloof, simply motioning for the attendant to hand the pen and paper to Lan Jingli.

Lan Jingli took the pen, her mind was blank. It wasn’t the kind of anxiety she felt during an exam. She was worried her reasons would sound narrow, selfish, and utterly without insight.

She also realized she couldn’t find a single specific reason.

The only thing she knew for certain was this: to love a person, you must love them for who they are, not for who you wish they were.

After writing for a long time, she finally handed the paper to Tan You with a serious look. “I’m finished.”

In the hazy moonlight, Tan You glanced over the paper without much interest. “Do you see no flaws in me?”

Lan Jingli froze. The woman took the pen from her hand, and with a casual flourish, she wrote the number “60.”

“Sixty points. Keep up the good work.”

Tan You took the paper, rose, and left with graceful, effortless elegance.

“Sister, wait. You haven’t rejected or accepted my request yet.”

Tan You’s face was a remote, distant silhouette, like the unreachable snows on a mountaintop. Just as Lan Jingli was about to laugh at her own foolish hope, she heard the woman’s faint reply: “Fine.”

The word was as light as the evening’s snow, melting before it had a chance to fall.

Lan Jingli was completely frozen in place. Tan You took the VIP passage to leave. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

“Yes, of course,” Lan Jingli told herself to stay calm, taking a few deep breaths. “I’ll just tell my friends so they don’t worry.”

*****

In the mountain villa, a dense fog hung in the air.

The onset of Tan You’s illness filled her with a pure self-loathing. Her face was pale, but her lips were as red as a pomegranate flower, making her enchanting, seductive features appear even more breathtaking.

She would occasionally look over at Lan Jingli, whose clear, bright eyes were like a mirror. Her slender, graceful hands were a beautiful sight.

The woman lowered her thick eyelashes and took Lan Jingli’s hand, curling her fingers around it little by little, as if holding a rain-soaked fledgling bird. She felt the faint warmth of a living creature.

She had never been this close to another living thing, except perhaps for a time when she had cared for an injured bird.

The little bird had beautiful feathers, and she had painstakingly nursed it. But even with its injury, it refused to eat or drink. Two days later, its small body went stiff.

She was naturally aloof, and any hint of sadness, regret, or pity was fleeting.

But today, she felt that Lan Jingli was somewhat like that little bird: fragile, pure, and utterly dependent. She held the power over their stories, their destinies, their lives.

How strange it was, this desire to have complete and total control over a life.

Even if she didn’t love Lan Jingli.

In the dim light, Lan Jingli watched Tan You intently. The woman seemed to be experiencing both pleasure and pain, leaving her hesitant.

“Sister, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sick.”

“I’ll get a doctor.”

Tan You grabbed Lan Jingli’s wrist, her hand as cold as ice. “It’s no use. Only you can help me, Li-Li.”

“How?”

“Just like last time.”

In the soft light, the woman’s long, beautiful legs were as white as jade, unconsciously wrapping around Lan Jingli. Her pale ankles seemed fragile and delicate, as though they might break with a single touch.

Was this a seduction?

It was not vulgar in the slightest. There was no need for sweet words or too much physical contact. Just one delicate, fleeting gaze from those cold, alluring eyes was enough to make someone face death without fear.

Lan Jingli closed her eyes and bowed her head, her expression devout and nervous.

In the distance, red lotuses floated like a tide in the pond. Tan You’s eyes, flushed with passion, became as fiery and vibrant as a flame. Yet, with a detached coolness that bordered on cruel, she stopped Lan Jingli.

“Don’t kiss me.”

Before disappointment and humiliation could fully set in, Lan Jingli was pulled into a whirlwind of dizzying sensation by Tan You. Her thoughts were a chaotic mess.

“Harder.”

*****

The next day, in the car back to the company after training, everyone else was sleeping soundly. Lan Jingli splashed some cold water on her eyes, looked at the phone number she’d gotten last night, and after a long hesitation, finally dialed.

The phone rang five times with no answer, so she dutifully hung up. Tan You had told her that she wouldn’t answer calls if she was busy with important work. If the phone rang five times, she should just hang up.

She figured Tan You must be working.

Tan You’s all-black phone had vibrated five times. She glanced at the caller ID and casually put the phone down.

In the winter tea room, steam gently rose from the water. Knowing Tan You didn’t drink tea, Wei Yaozu had only had fresh spring water brought in and left to cool after being boiled.

Wei Yaozu was the newly appointed chairman of a state-owned enterprise. His position was extraordinary, and while others would defer to him, Tan You treated him like a senior elder—respectful but not constrained.

“Your uncle and I had dinner last month. I heard from him that you were able to take control of the Tan family all on your own?”

“You flatter me,” Tan You smiled politely. “My uncle and I don’t see each other often.”

“They’re all worried sick about your marriage. Do you have anyone you like now?”

Tan You responded calmly and impeccably. “Not yet, and I’m not considering it at the moment.”

Wei Yaozu carefully observed the person his daughter, Wei Xueyin, had been in love with for seven years.

Tan You had inherited the Tan family’s good looks, even surpassing them. Her serene and ethereal demeanor was especially captivating.

She was graceful, refined, and coolly distant, but her eyes were so clear and indifferent that they made her impossible to read.

Wei Yaozu was well aware of the Tan family’s power. It was impossible to do business in shipping, trade, industry, entertainment, or real estate without going through them.

He understood Tan You’s talent and future potential. He had seen with his own eyes how many people had sent others to her over the years, hoping to win her favor.

But Tan You had rarely appeared in public all these years. While there were rumors of her being a woman of many affairs and lovers, he estimated that she must still have a soft spot for Wei Xueyin, her first love.

“We held you back,” he said with a bitter smile. “You and Xueyin were childhood sweethearts, and you were so close. We were so foolish to break you two up even after you were engaged.”

The woman’s voice was as clear as jade. “There was no holding me back. It’s not too late now.”

“Xueyin is here today, too. I know you’re busy, but it would be good for you two to see each other and say hello.”

Wei Xueyin opened the mahogany door of the tea room and stood there, looking at Tan You, unable to speak for a long time.

“Youyou.”

“Xueyin, it’s been a while.” Tan You nodded with a smile.

“Youyou, are you still mad at me?” Wei Xueyin’s heart ached. She wanted to reach out and hold Tan You’s hand, but she hesitated.

“You’re overthinking it,” Tan You said, glancing at her watch. “I have to get back to work. Please excuse me.”

Wei Xueyin stood in front of Tan You, her beautiful face looking haggard. “Youyou, can we still see each other?”

“If you want to.”

“Could I ask you to dinner tomorrow night?”

“Sure.”

Wei Xueyin lowered her gaze, then suddenly looked up and said, “Youyou, I want to get into the entertainment industry, too. To walk the same path you did.”

“If you like it, then of course you can.”

Aunt Wan had already stepped forward to open an umbrella for Tan You, shielding her as she walked outside.

Wei Xueyin remained where she was, her eyes filled with confidence. She knew Tan You. The more she cared, the cooler she acted. No one could compare to the deep bond they’d shared since childhood.

Aunt Wan looked at Tan You, who seemed to be in a good mood.

“You seem happy?” she asked.

“Are you trying to pry into my business now?”

“Miss Lan flew back today. Will you make an exception to see her?”

Tan You sat in the back of the Rolls-Royce, her eyes slightly closed. “No need.”

Aunt Wan understood that Tan You didn’t want to see her, so she said nothing more and drove into the street.

The car stopped at a red light. Tan You’s gaze drifted from her computer screen to the window, where she happened to see Lan Jingli walking out of a bar.

A pretty young woman followed behind her, looking at Lan Jingli shyly but with warmth, and handing her a box of chocolates.

Tan You’s eyes grew darker as she watched Lan Jingli hesitate before accepting it.

Aunt Wan gasped. “Isn’t that Miss Lan? Should I invite her into the car?”

“No need. Tell her to come over later.”

******

The air around the villa was kept fresh and clean by the wind blowing from the deep mountain forests and the natural lake.

Aunt Wan handed Tan You a delicate, small velvet box. “The highest-grade black opal, set into a necklace as you requested. It has a GPS tracker inside.”

The stunning jewel, as vibrant as a nebula, was framed by a silver chain shaped into a cage, embracing the koi-shaped gem—a symbol of a colorful and dazzling life.

It now lay lightly in Tan You’s palm as she waited for Lan Jingli to arrive.

“What did you do today?” she asked, trimming an Arctic gentian flower she intended to preserve.

“After training, I went to a bar to get a friend’s guitar,” Lan Jingli said, softening her voice as she noticed the tired expression on the other woman’s face. “And a friend gave me some chocolate.”

“Just a friend?”

“Mhm. You seem very tired, Sister. Were you busy at the company all day? You didn’t have time to answer my call.”

“I was too busy,” Tan You said with a small smile. “Li-Li, didn’t you say you love me? Prove it.”

“How?”

Under the cascading chandelier, the woman in a long black dress was bathed in a soft glow. She approached Lan Jingli, slowly and deliberately pulling off her silk gloves.

She gently stroked Lan Jingli’s neck with her right hand, while her left hand held out the dazzling black opal necklace.

“Put this on.”