After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 10

Her understanding of Luo Jingyun was far from enough.

Luo Jingyun was coaxed just like that, cooperating with Tan Jizhu to post a clarification on social media platforms. Deng Mei contacted Chen Shidong’s manager, and the two of them released their statements first; Luo Jingyun reposted Tan Jizhu’s information a few minutes later.

“This should be enough, right?” Luo Jingyun showed Tan Jizhu the screen confirming the post was successful.

Tan Jizhu said with relief, “Jingyun, thank you.”

Luo Jingyun tapped her own lips with her finger. “Just saying it is useless. If you really want to thank me, you should show some actual initiative.”

Tan Jizhu walked up to Luo Jingyun. She was five centimeters taller than Luo Jingyun, but she never needed to lower her head when they kissed; Luo Jingyun would always proactively stand on her tiptoes and wrap her arms around her.

Even though they had kissed many times, every time she kissed Luo Jingyun, accompanied by the coconut-scented pheromones, Tan Jizhu always felt as if she were eating coconut jelly—the sweet, fragrant, and soft lips closing and opening, their tongues tangling together, yet she could never truly swallow it into her stomach.

The scent of coconut began to spread through the room, but before it could dissipate into the entire space, a fresh scent of bamboo intertwined with it. Their 98% compatibility caused both of them to gradually lose their rationality. Tan Jizhu pulled Luo Jingyun by the waist, deepening the kiss.

Ring, ring, ring…

Just as the two were preparing for the next step, the sound of a phone ringing interrupted their movements.

Tan Jizhu pulled back. “I… I need to take this call.”

“Don’t go,” Luo Jingyun played the spoiled brat and wouldn’t let go. “Just let it ring.”

“We just finished the PR work; it might be an emergency.” Tan Jizhu patted Luo Jingyun’s back and went to answer the phone anyway.

The caller was Chen Shidong. Tan Jizhu hesitated for a moment but chose to tell Luo Jingyun the truth.

“It’s Chen Shidong calling. If you mind, I’ll go to another room to take it.”

Luo Jingyun curled her lip. “Tch, I thought you were going to say if I minded, you wouldn’t take it at all.”

“Jingyun, it might be important. I’ll take it first.”

Just as Tan Jizhu was about to leave, Luo Jingyun called out to her, “Wait. If you’re going to take it, take it in front of me. We’ve already clarified everything anyway. If you take it behind my back, won’t it make my clarification just now look like a joke?”

“Alright.” Tan Jizhu answered Chen Shidong’s video call right in front of Luo Jingyun. “Senior, is something the matter?”

“Jizhu, I’ve really caused you trouble today. I didn’t expect this to happen either. It’s my fault for not being careful enough.”

Tan Jizhu comforted her, “Senior, don’t worry about it. Places like airports are always staked out by paparazzi; it’s impossible to guard against everyone.”

“I’ll definitely be more careful next time. By the way, did you explain things properly to your ‘better half’?”

Tan Jizhu looked up at Luo Jingyun, who was standing there with her hands on her hips like a little teapot. “Yes, I explained. She even helped us clarify things later.”

“That’s good then, as long as there’s no misunderstanding.” Chen Shidong started chattering away on the other end of the phone. “But Jizhu, you’re really something. You’ve been married for three years and never show any public affection. No wonder people misunderstand.”

“I… I just don’t want to expose my personal privacy to the public.”

“I’m not ‘the public.’ We’re so close, and yet you haven’t introduced me to your partner. You’re really keeping her like a hidden treasure.”

“I…”

Before Tan Jizhu could think of an excuse, Luo Jingyun preemptively appeared in front of the camera. She flashed a sweet smile. “You must be Sister Shidong. I’ve always heard Jizhu mention you before, but she never took me to see you. I finally get to see you over video today. You are so beautiful, Sister.”

A smile played on the corners of Chen Shidong’s mouth. “You must be Jingyun. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You are exceptionally beautiful as well.”

Luo Jingyun was confident in her looks and accepted the compliment wholeheartedly. “Thank you, Sister. People do often praise my looks.”

“I mean it, it’s not just a polite compliment. I remember when you and Jizhu filmed that story about high school girls being detectives. I originally watched it for Jizhu, but I ended up being captivated by you. I thought since we are both in the entertainment industry, maybe we’d have a chance to collaborate, but I’ve waited so long and there’s been no opportunity. Also, I feel like you haven’t really filmed much in the last few years.”

“That…” If a conventional compliment on her looks would have made Luo Jingyun think this was some “green tea” tactic by Chen Shidong to advance by retreating, the words that followed left her momentarily unsure of how to respond. Either Chen Shidong’s acting was too good, or she was genuinely feeling regretful for the years Luo Jingyun had wasted.

“I… it’s not that I don’t want to act,” Luo Jingyun struggled to find a suitable reason, “it’s mainly that I haven’t encountered the right script.”

“I see. I thought maybe it was because you’re too beautiful and Jizhu felt insecure, so she didn’t dare let you show your face too often.” Chen Shidong made a joke. “Alright, I’m relieved to see you two are fine. I won’t disturb you any further. Bye.”

Chen Shidong hung up the phone decisively, and before long, Tan Jizhu’s phone screen went black.

Luo Jingyun looked at the reflection of her and Tan Jizhu’s faces on the screen, recalling what Chen Shidong had just said. Throughout this day, many people had brought up the issue of her vague future plans. When Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian said it, Luo Jingyun could dismiss it as them simply not wanting to see her idle. But the words of Chen Shidong and the netizens forced Luo Jingyun to start wondering if she really had squandered her career over these past few years.

Tan Jizhu put her phone away and noticed that Luo Jingyun had been silent for a while. She asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Ah, nothing.” Luo Jingyun adjusted her sleeves. “I thought Chen Shidong would be a ‘green tea’ type, but she actually seems quite nice.”

Tan Jizhu agreed, “Senior is a very good person. She helped me a lot back then, so I’m very grateful to her.”

“Mm, she really is quite nice.” Luo Jingyun looked at the person beside her. If Tan Jizhu really won the Houtu Award for Best Actress, she would be one of the most sought-after stars, whereas she herself was just a second-generation socialite relying on her family background. No wonder so many people shipped the “power couple” pairing of Tan Jizhu and Chen Shidong.

Luo Jingyun asked herself: if she didn’t have such a superior family background and her two mothers to support her, could she have achieved the status that Chen Shidong and Tan Jizhu held today?

Tan Jizhu could tell Luo Jingyun was brooding. Worried that she was still affected by Chen Shidong, she quickly asked, “Jingyun, do you want to continue?”

Luo Jingyun, caught in her self-doubt, didn’t react for a moment. She asked with a bewildered look, “Continue what?”

“What we were doing just now.”

“What were we doing just now?”

Tan Jizhu suspected Luo Jingyun was doing it on purpose, but she didn’t intend to hide it and spoke plainly, “Kissing. Do you want to continue kissing?”

Luo Jingyun blinked. “Oh, right. We were kissing just now.”

Tan Jizhu stared at Luo Jingyun with burning eyes, waiting for her next move.

“The atmosphere was quite good just now, but it’s a pity it was interrupted.” Luo Jingyun stood up with a slight look of regret. “Let’s do it next time.” With that, she left the living room.

What? Tan Jizhu’s hand was already halfway raised, and yet Luo Jingyun just left like that?

What was going on today? Luo Jingyun had given her the cold shoulder twice. The first time was because she was angry, but what about this time? Was she still angry?

Impossible. If Luo Jingyun were angry, she would definitely cause a massive scene. Even if she left, she would slam the door heavily to show her dissatisfaction; she would never be silent like she was now.

Tan Jizhu looked in the direction Luo Jingyun had gone, suddenly realizing that her understanding of Luo Jingyun was far from enough.

The villa district at night was brightly lit. The property management seemed intent on satisfying the owners by using high-powered streetlights to turn the dark night into day. However, wherever there is light, there will be dark places.

In a corner of the city, an inconspicuous storefront was bustling with noise. The sounds of poker cards, mahjong, and chips hitting the tables were incessant.

“Fuck! How did I lose again!” A middle-aged man threw his remaining chips onto the table. The dealer opposite him used a long stick to hook them in, collecting everything.

Li Deng carefully counted his remaining money. In just a few hours, he had spent half of the money Luo Jingyun had given him. He had originally hoped to make a windfall on the gambling table using this capital, but he hadn’t expected to lose so much.

“That’s how it is at the gambling table—fortune is unpredictable, money comes and goes. Come on, come on, keep playing.” The dealer at the table beckoned him.

Li Deng looked at the money in his hand and hesitated. Finally, he decided not to play anymore.

“So stingy!” The dealer showed an impatient expression. “If you have no money, then get lost!”

Infuriated by this, Li Deng cursed, “You say I have no money? Do you know who I am?”

The dealer asked mockingly, “Oh? And who are you?”

“I am Li Deng.”

The dealer rolled his eyes. “Never heard of you.”

Li Deng was so angry he wanted to flip the gambling table. He slapped his palm down and stood up, but a group of gambling den bodyguards stood up in unison. He had intended to act tough, but he hadn’t expected the other party to be even tougher. However, with everyone watching him, he couldn’t find a way to save face. Just as he was thinking of how to bluff his way out, he noticed that the television in the gambling den happened to be playing entertainment news. Tan Jizhu was surrounded by numerous reporters, answering questions.

“I’m telling you, I am that brat’s father! Do you know who I am now?”

Someone below countered, “You’re her father? You just said your surname is Li, but her surname is Tan. You don’t even have the same surname. Stop dreaming.”

“That brat changed her name to her mother’s surname behind my back. Truly heartless—I raised her for so many years for nothing.”

The crowd only laughed; no one believed that this wretched man could be the father of the glamorous female star on the television.

The dealer gave a final order, “Stop talking about that nonsense. Do you have money to continue or not? If not, get lost!”

“Pah! Bad luck today. I’ll come back next time.” Li Deng was about to leave the gambling den dejectedly when he was stopped by someone.

Li Deng clutched the remaining money in his arms and blustered, “Beat it! Don’t touch me!”

“Are you really Tan Jizhu’s father?”

Seeing that the person was asking about this, Li Deng became much more confident. “Could that be a lie? If it weren’t for that brat taking her mother and running away behind my back, would I have fallen to this state?”

“Do you know how much money this person called Tan Jizhu has now?”

Li Deng took a random guess at a number. The other man laughed. “If you add two more zeros, it’s still more than that.”

“What?” Li Deng counted on his fingers. “That much?”

He had thought the money that brat Luo Jingyun gave him was quite a lot, but compared to what Tan Jizhu had, it was a mere drop in the bucket. He knew Tan Jizhu had become wealthy after entering the entertainment industry, but he hadn’t expected her to be this rich. He was her biological father, yet she didn’t give him a single cent—truly unfilial! No wonder they wouldn’t let him see Tan Jizhu; they must have conspired together.

The man opposite him suggested, “The daughter is so rich, yet she doesn’t give her father a cent. That’s really too much.”

“Exactly!”

“Since you are her father, you must know where she lives, right? Just go and ask her for it.”

“This…” Li Deng showed a difficult expression. “If I could ask for it, wouldn’t I have gone already?”

The man showed an understanding expression. “That’s true. Big stars like her definitely have many bodyguards protecting them; others can’t even get close.”

“Then what? Does that mean I won’t get any money?”

The man continued to suggest, “If you can’t ask Tan Jizhu, you can ask her mother.”

“Right! There’s still that bitch.” Thinking of this, Li Deng scratched his nearly bald head. “But I don’t know where her mother lives either.”

The man said, “I know which residential complex she lives in, but I’m not sure which specific building. If you can recognize Tan Jizhu’s mother among the people entering and exiting the complex, we can follow her into the house and then carry out an extortion.”

A glint appeared in Li Deng’s eyes. “That’s a great idea!”