After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 28

Luo Jingyun Clearly Cared About Me Before

Holding the items she had bought, Luo Jingyun happily sat on the returning motor-tricycle. She scanned her surroundings, and after confirming that the production crew’s cameras were not recording, she handed the bottle of sweet water to Park Soo-ah.

“Here,” Luo Jingyun said, acting like a secret agent making a hand-off. “You didn’t tell me the brand, so I just picked one. This is the sweetest water I could find. See if it works for you.”

Park Soo-ah took the water, glanced at the label, and said in surprise, “Jingyun, this brand of water is my favorite.”

“Really? Then we truly have a great rapport; I managed to pick your favorite on the first try.”

“Yes, this was the drink I loved most during my training days. On cheat days during my diet, while everyone else went out for barbecue, I just wanted to drink this.”

Luo Jingyun shook her head. “Goodness, what kind of bitter life were you living before? It’s fine now; I’ve got your back. You can drink as much as you want. Well, actually, not too much, or you’ll get sick.”

With that, Luo Jingyun fumbled around and pulled out several bags of snacks. “Mm, these are the rations I bought for later. I’ll share some with you.”

Recalling the difficult years of training alone abroad, Park Soo-ah couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. Instead of taking the snacks from Luo Jingyun’s hand, she instinctively pulled Luo Jingyun into a hug.

“What are you two doing? Let go of each other right now!” Tan Jizhu, sitting opposite them on the tricycle, stood up and manually pulled the two apart. She had been staring at Luo Jingyun and Park Soo-ah since getting on the vehicle. The way they were whispering had already irritated her; she hadn’t expected them to embrace so brazenly!

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t stand up! This vehicle flips easily!” the driver warned anxiously, glancing through the rearview mirror.

“Sorry,” Chen Shidong said, quickly pulling Tan Jizhu back down. “Hurry up and sit.”

Luo Jingyun and Park Soo-ah were also bewildered, wondering what kind of fit Tan Jizhu was throwing.

Chen Shidong flashed them an awkward yet polite smile. “Jingyun and Soo-ah have such a good relationship.”

“…” Luo Jingyun felt a bit embarrassed, thinking that their every move might have been seen by the two across from them. She reached into her pocket, pulled out some snacks, and handed them over. “Sister Shidong—ah, no, Senior Chen, these are snacks I just bought at the canteen in the market. Let me share some with you too.”

“Thanks! Then I won’t be polite and will take a portion.”

There were four people in total on the vehicle. Having given some to the other two, Luo Jingyun took another portion out of politeness and handed it to Tan Jizhu, asking, “Do you want some?”

“You only thought of me after giving them to everyone else?”

Luo Jingyun was even more confused. “There has to be an order when handing things out.”

Tan Jizhu glared at Park Soo-ah and said, “This is truly insincere.”

Luo Jingyun had only asked out of politeness; she hadn’t expected Tan Jizhu to be so ill-mannered. She made a move to pull the snacks back. “You have a problem. Eat it or don’t.”

Chen Shidong quickly nudged Tan Jizhu with her elbow, reminding her, “Once this opportunity passes, it’s gone. If you’re going to eat, eat now.”

Luo Jingyun said, “Senior Chen, I reckon Senior Tan looks down on the snacks I bought and doesn’t want to eat them.”

Tan Jizhu directly snatched the snacks from Luo Jingyun’s hand. “I never said I looked down on them.”

“Hey, why are you snatching?”

“Didn’t you say you were sharing them with me?”

Luo Jingyun didn’t bother to argue further. She understood Tan Jizhu’s various behaviors less and less, secretly cursing her as a “psycho.”

After a bumpy ride back to the village, Luo Jingyun and Park Soo-ah were the first to get off. Chen Shidong looked at Tan Jizhu, who was staring blankly at the snacks in her hands, and asked, “Because Jingyun didn’t specifically bring something for you, didn’t think of you first when sharing, and hugged Soo-ah… you’re jealous, aren’t you?”

Tan Jizhu nodded. “Yes.”

“Heh,” Chen Shidong let out a mocking laugh. “Why don’t you say that directly to Jingyun?”

“Does that even need to be said?” Tan Jizhu replied with some dissatisfaction. “Luo Jingyun was clearly very proactive and cared about me before. Now, she’s actually so indifferent toward me.”

“Before is before; now is now. Besides, since you know she used to be so proactive and cared about you, why can’t you be proactive and show some care?”

Tan Jizhu muttered, “But I’ve made it so obvious. If you can see it, Sister, how can Luo Jingyun not see it?”

“Fine, fine. Just keep acting reserved. When the time comes and Jingyun is pursued and won over by Park Soo-ah, let’s see where you go to cry.”

“Pursued by Park Soo-ah?” Tan Jizhu’s emotions became agitated. “Sister, are you saying…”

“You really didn’t see it? It’s so obvious that Park Soo-ah likes Jingyun.” Chen Shidong began to analyze. “I guess Soo-ah fell for Jingyun at first sight. Do you remember at the very beginning of the recording when the crew asked us to pack our luggage into woven bags? Jingyun couldn’t fit everything because she had too much, and it was Soo-ah who proactively helped her. And that hug just now—you don’t really think Soo-ah was moved just by those two bites of food, do you? And…”

“Stop,” Tan Jizhu interrupted Chen Shidong. “I did have some suspicions before. Since you’ve noticed it too, it’s not just my imagination. Where on earth did this Park Soo-ah come from?”

Chen Shidong continued to add fuel to the fire. “What does it matter where she came from? Since you and Jingyun are divorced, other people are naturally free to pursue her.”

“We aren’t divorced! Jingyun and I only signed a divorce agreement and issued a notice, but we haven’t officially received the divorce certificate yet.”

Chen Shidong shrugged. “Sure, sure, sure. Not divorced!”

Tan Jizhu knew her words were just self-deception and suddenly lost her spirit. “Sister, what do you think I should do now?”

“I think you should first see what Jingyun is thinking.”

“Then what is Jingyun thinking?”

Chen Shidong raised both hands and said sarcastically, “I think… Jingyun… doesn’t~ want~ you~ anymore~”

…

The apple task was complete. During this time, the villagers of Tongxi checked the condition of the fields and confirmed that planting could begin.

Before formal sowing, the seeds required some treatment.

Luo Jingyun and Park Soo-ah stood side by side; one poured the seeds onto the ground while the other poured insect repellent over them.

“Wow, look at this. Have I already developed muscles?” Luo Jingyun rolled her sleeves up to her shoulders, flexed her upper arm with effort, and showed off: “Soo-ah, look at the muscles on my arm.”

Park Soo-ah took a look. Luo Jingyun’s fair arm looked like a carved piece of art, but as for muscles… there really weren’t any.

“Mm, you’ve developed muscles. Very impressive,” Park Soo-ah lied through her teeth.

“Hehe, I really am amazing!” Luo Jingyun grabbed Park Soo-ah’s hand. “Quick, feel it. Experience my muscles.”

Park Soo-ah didn’t refuse and reached out to touch. Luo Jingyun’s skin was delicate and smooth, feeling like silk. Although Luo Jingyun applied sunscreen every day, the parts exposed by her short sleeves were inevitably touched by the sun, leaving a very faint tan line in the middle of her upper arm. It would likely return to normal after resting through the winter.

“What are you two doing there instead of working?” Tan Jizhu appeared carrying a shovel, her eyes fixed intently on Luo Jingyun.

Luo Jingyun flinched at the sudden voice. Seeing it was Tan Jizhu, she didn’t even bother to argue and simply rolled her eyes.

“Soo-ah, ignore her. Let’s start mixing the seeds.”

The two worked together to mix the insect repellent and the seeds. The originally brownish-yellow seeds were dyed red.

“Let’s go. Time to sow.”

The work entered its final stage. At first, Luo Jingyun could find joy in the hardship, joking that she was a “celestial maiden scattering flowers” while throwing the seeds. But as she sowed more and more, her arms and wrists began to ache from the repetitive throwing motion. Eventually, she had to use a wicker tray to fling the seeds out.

After finishing and walking onto the field ridge, Luo Jingyun complained to Park Soo-ah, “I thought sowing would be easy, but I didn’t expect it to be this tiring.”

Park Soo-ah wiped her sweat. “Our hard work won’t be in vain. Next year, this place will be full of wheat.”

The body was weary, but the soul felt as if it had transcended time and space. Luo Jingyun seemed to see the endless dark earth, after a winter of dormancy, covered in golden stalks of wheat the following spring. That was hope, and that was the harvest.

Luo Jingyun suddenly asked, “Soo-ah, where do you think you’ll be next year?”

Park Soo-ah froze for a moment. According to her agreement with Lu Qiujiang Xian, as long as she took good care of Luo Jingyun on this show, she wouldn’t have to worry about future resources. Perhaps she would be filming on a set, or perhaps she would be interacting with fans at a music festival.

Initially, she had only thought of herself as a servant to a young mistress experiencing life, but through her time with Luo Jingyun, she had discovered the other woman’s shining qualities. She didn’t want to treat this program as just a mission; she didn’t want to lose contact with Luo Jingyun after the show ended.

Park Soo-ah didn’t answer but asked back, “Jingyun, what about you? Where will you be next year?”

Luo Jingyun asked herself the same question. In the spring of next year, where would she be?

Previously, she hadn’t thought about why the show was named The Journey of Cultivating the Heart. Thinking about it now, it was indeed the most fitting theme.

Throughout the entire farming process, it wasn’t just about giving the land a new beginning; it gave Luo Jingyun experiences she had never had in the first 24 years of her life.

“No matter where I am, I will be striving for my own future.”

It was time to clear away the old stubbornness and start a brand-new life. She wanted to color her bleak resume with the golden hue of trophies.

The setting sun bathed everyone in a layer of golden light. Taking advantage of the natural light, the production crew conducted post-interviews for everyone.

Once total darkness fell, Liu Yuqi gathered everyone to explain the next steps of the filming.

“Congratulations to everyone for completing the farming tasks. We look forward to the harvest next year. I believe your hard work will surely lead to fruitful results.”

“Alright, our program must continue recording. The next segment involves going to the Tongxi Village Primary School as teaching assistants. Since we are halfway through the recording and you’ve spent so much time with your teammates, I believe you have become good friends. However, to spark more chemistry between the guests, we will be breaking up every team and reshuffling everyone before the next task begins.”

“Reshuffling?” Park Soo-ah quickly grabbed Luo Jingyun’s hand. “Jingyun, why is there a reshuffle this time? Our ranking is last; will we be separated?”

“Don’t worry,” Luo Jingyun comforted her. “The two of us won’t be separated.”

Tan Jizhu and Chen Shidong’s team was first; they would surely choose each other. The other four had already formed their own clique and would likely stay together. Therefore, she and Park Soo-ah shouldn’t be separated. This teammate-swapping segment likely wouldn’t result in any actual changes.

Perhaps guessing Luo Jingyun’s thoughts, Liu Yuqi said, “This time it is mandatory—you must change teammates. Everyone’s teammate cannot be the same as before. The order for choosing teammates will follow the speed of the field plowing. Since Jizhu and Shidong were the fastest this time, please use Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who chooses their teammate first.”

Chen Shidong waved her hand. “No need for that trouble. I’ll give the opportunity to Jizhu and let her pick first.”

Tan Jizhu didn’t offer any polite refusal. “Thanks, Sister. Then I’ll choose first.”

Liu Yuqi said, “Alright, Jizhu, who do you want to choose as your new teammate?”

Without any hesitation, Tan Jizhu raised her hand and pointed. “I choose Luo Jingyun.”