After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 32

I Couldn’t Have Reached This Point Without Your Support

Luo Jingyun fell silent for a long while before asking, “Tan Jizhu, are you finished?”

Tan Jizhu had been an actress for a long time. She was a veteran at judging a person’s state of mind through their body language and facial expressions. However, ever since they signed the divorce agreement, she found herself understanding Luo Jingyun less and less.

No—perhaps she had simply refused to understand Luo Jingyun’s inner world from the very beginning. Now that she wanted to understand, she found herself utterly helpless.

In her panic, Tan Jizhu didn’t care that Park Soo-ah was standing right there. She said urgently, “Jingyun, everyone says that while fine horses are common, a ‘Bo Le’—a true judge of talent—is rare. You are my Bo Le. Without your support, I wouldn’t have made it to where I am today. My winning the Houtu Award for Best Actress is inseparable from your help.”

Luo Jingyun made a “stop” gesture. “Stop, stop, stop. I can’t take credit for those words. If you have something to say, get to the point.”

“No, you deserve it!”

Luo Jingyun clicked her tongue, her impatience growing. “Enough already. What’s the use of saying all this now?”

The Houtu Award ceremony was a memory Luo Jingyun didn’t want to revisit. Her early departure back then was partly due to her disappointment in Tan Jizhu, but even more so, it was due to disappointment in herself. Watching the young faces of the nominated actors scrolling across the big screen had felt like a stinging reminder of her own wasted youth.

“Jingyun, I…”

Luo Jingyun said coldly, “Regarding teaching the children piano—do you have anything else to add?”

“No.”

“Fine. You can go. I’ll consider the matter.”

“Then…”

“What’s with the ‘thens’? I said I’d consider it, not that I’d definitely agree.” Luo Jingyun motioned to Park Soo-ah beside her. “Let’s go.”

As Park Soo-ah followed Luo Jingyun back, she glanced back at Tan Jizhu. Even from a distance, she could feel the palpable grief radiating off the woman.

However, she felt no sympathy; instead, she felt a smug satisfaction. It was lucky that Tan Jizhu had been so blind before, giving her the chance to pursue Luo Jingyun.

After putting their things away, Luo Jingyun found a place to sit, fanning herself with a hat woven from bamboo. “Soo-ah, what do you think about what Tan Jizhu said just now?”

“My opinion?” Park Soo-ah thought for a moment. “I think she’s probably looking for opportunities to get close to you. She talks about teaching the kids piano, but then shifts the conversation to the Houtu Award. She’s clearly playing the emotional card.”

“Mhm, I can see that. What I mainly wanted to ask was about the piano lessons.”

“The piano? Didn’t you say the pitch was off and you didn’t want to play it?”

“I really don’t want to, but I thought about it carefully, and Tan Jizhu actually made some sense. Maybe because of the environment I grew up in, my attitude can be arrogant at times. Who’s to say one of these kids doesn’t have incredible musical talent? They might just need a spark to become a famous pianist in the future. But because of me—because I’m unwilling to play for them on an out-of-tune piano—that possibility might be completely cut off.” Luo Jingyun turned to Park Soo-ah. “Soo-ah, I don’t think that’s right.”

“Jingyun, I understand.” Park Soo-ah empathized. She stopped letting her jealousy over Tan Jizhu cloud her judgment and used her own story to validate the point. “When I was training abroad, the company didn’t plan on letting me debut. It was only because my leader insisted that I made it. When others in the group bullied me, it was the leader who stood up for me. I was once the one being protected; if I can become the protector and bring a different life to someone else, that’s a great deed.”

Luo Jingyun smiled. “Alright, then I’m going back to practice the piano.”

Since they didn’t have classes in the afternoon, Luo Jingyun sat at the piano to practice. As for fingering and rhythm, she knew them by heart; what she needed to practice now was how to ignore the sour notes when she hit them.

Park Soo-ah sat by her side, listening to the beautiful music Luo Jingyun played. At times it was like a continuous mountain stream, at others like the surging waves of the sea. Just as she was becoming immersed, a piercing, discordant note rang out, followed immediately by the chaotic sound of Luo Jingyun slamming her hands onto the keys.

“So annoying! This note is just too out of tune, I can’t stand it!” Despite her good intentions, it was difficult to put into practice. Luo Jingyun seemed possessed, repeatedly striking the discordant key. “I don’t believe it. I have to master this key!”

Seeing her spiraling toward madness, Park Soo-ah stepped forward to stop her. “Jingyun, calm down! You’re about to smash the piano.”

“Soo-ah, what should I do? This pitch has flown off to the ends of the earth.”

“How about… changing the piece?”

Luo Jingyun closed the piano lid in frustration. “But this is already the piece I could think of that uses that key the least.”

Unable to help further, Park Soo-ah could only offer comfort. “Jingyun, you’re tired today. Get some rest first.”

The sky had already grown dark. Luo Jingyun shut the lid. “Forget it, I’ll try again tomorrow.”

On the way back, Luo Jingyun ran through her options and decided that when in trouble, find Mommy. She immediately dialed a voice call, and Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian appeared on the screen instantly.

“Yunyun, what is it?”

Luo Jingyun spoke as if filing a complaint. “Mom, I’ve been recording the show in Tongxi Village, and the school here doesn’t even have a decent piano. I want to donate two pianos to the village.”

Lu Qiu agreed immediately. “No problem. Our group was already planning to establish a support relationship with Tongxi Village. Donating things fits perfectly with our plan. Besides pianos, we can see if there’s anything else they need.”

“That’s wonderful!” Luo Jingyun was delighted. “Roughly when can they be sent over?”

Lu Qiu signaled to Jiang Xian. “Check how many of the pianos Yunyun usually plays are available in the country.”

Jiang Xian checked immediately. “I checked. The brand Yunyun usually uses is out of stock domestically. We’d have to ship them from the origin country.”

Lu Qiu asked, “Should we try a different brand?”

Luo Jingyun thought to herself that since she’d been playing that broken piano for so long, it didn’t matter if it wasn’t her usual brand.

Jiang Xian immediately checked other brands and confirmed they could be delivered. “Pianos are large items and can only be transported by road. It will take at least a week to arrive.”

“Huh? A week? The show will be finished by then.” Luo Jingyun asked, “Can’t you send them by helicopter? And maybe send me a little cake while you’re at it?”

Lu Qiu rolled her eyes. “Yunyun, do you hear yourself? Don’t you think that’s a bit too exaggerated?”

Luo Jingyun scratched her cheek. “Uh, is it that exaggerated?”

“Why don’t we just use a rocket to send them to you?”

“No, no, that’s too dangerous.” Luo Jingyun knew Lu Qiu was being sarcastic and quickly said, “If the new pianos can’t make it, just sending me a tuning kit should be fine. The piano here is really too out of tune.”

“Fine. That’s small, so it should reach you by tomorrow afternoon.” Jiang Xian noted it down and asked if Luo Jingyun needed anything else. She suddenly remembered something. “Oh right, Yunyun, the house you lived in with Tan Jizhu has been sold.”

Luo Jingyun wasn’t surprised. “It’s sold? Who’s the buyer?”

“What was the name again?” Jiang Xian thought for a moment. “I think it was Zhu Li.”

“Just as I thought!” Zhu Li was Tan Jizhu’s assistant. Tan Jizhu probably realized that if she used her own name to buy it, the mothers wouldn’t sell it to her, so she asked Zhu Li to help.

Lu Qiu sensed something was off. “Just as you thought what?”

Luo Jingyun had no intention of revealing what had happened between her and Tan Jizhu over the past few days. She diverted the topic: “Just as I thought—it sold! I told you I have great taste in real estate!”

After hanging up, Luo Jingyun grabbed her toiletries to take a shower. Park Soo-ah hesitated for a moment but decided to go outside to make a call.

Previously, she had always called Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu while Luo Jingyun was showering. However, Luo Jingyun’s showers had been getting faster and faster lately; last time, she had just hung up when Luo Jingyun returned.

She almost suspected Luo Jingyun knew something and had tentatively asked why she was showering so quickly.

Luo Jingyun had waved it off. “Oh, I heard the hot water in the bathhouse is limited. If I use too much, the people after me will have to use cold water. So, I simplified my routine. I used to shampoo twice, then use conditioner and hair oil… now I just shampoo once. It saves water, too.”

Park Soo-ah hadn’t expected such a humble reason and gave Luo Jingyun a thumbs-up. “You’re amazing.”

Carrying her phone outside, Park Soo-ah specifically chose the small hill behind the houses. This way, she wouldn’t be discovered by the other guests and could stay clear of nearby staff and villagers.

“Auntie,” Park Soo-ah greeted the person on the other end once the call connected.

“Soo-ah, besides the piano and tuning tools Yunyun mentioned, is there anything else you need us to handle?”

Park Soo-ah shook her head. “Nothing for now. We’re currently in the process of teaching the children at the school. Even though we aren’t in the same group, because of Jingyun’s persistence, we’re still teaching music together.”

Lu Qiu asked casually, “You aren’t in the same group? Then who is Yunyun grouped with now?”

“We aren’t a team anymore,” Park Soo-ah hesitated before saying, “Jingyun is currently grouped with Tan Jizhu.”

Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu were both blindsided. “What? Grouped with Tan Jizhu? Did Yunyun choose that herself?”

“No, it was because Tan Jizhu won first place in the farming segment and chose Jingyun as her teammate. Jingyun cited the difference between Alpha and Omega and refused Tan Jizhu’s request for teammates to live together, so she’s still staying with me. Later, when it came to dividing subjects, Jingyun said I can sing and she can play piano, which is why I can still stay with her day and night.”

“This is too strange,” Lu Qiu said, looking puzzled. “Tan Jizhu wanted nothing to do with Yunyun before. Why is she suddenly rushing to be on our daughter’s team now?”

Jiang Xian spoke with the air of an expert. “Analyzing this from an Alpha’s perspective, I think she might be trying to win our Yunyun back.”

Park Soo-ah chimed in from the other side of the screen. “Mhm, I have that feeling too. I was nearby a few times when Tan Jizhu spoke to Jingyun. Her words were dripping with the intent of rekindling their past flame.”

“Rekindle a flame? She must be sick!” Lu Qiu lost her cool and started cursing. “When Yunyun was chasing her, she ignored her. Now that the divorce papers are signed, she knows how to regret? I said back then we should have cut the knot quickly—signed the divorce certificate right after the agreement. Look at this now, she just had to stall! We shouldn’t have let Yunyun participate in this variety show.”

Jiang Xian didn’t dare speak until Lu Qiu finished her rant. She then asked softly, “So what do we do now? The show is almost over; we can’t exactly call Yunyun back at this point.”

“Don’t call her back. Let her finish the recording. It’s not easy for Yunyun to finally want to focus on her career; we can’t hinder her like that.” Lu Qiu maintained some logic. “Once the show is over, even if it’s raining knives from the sky, we’re making them get divorced.”

Jiang Xian asked, “And if Tan Jizhu refuses?”

Lu Qiu glared at Jiang Xian. “What do I pay you for? What is our group’s security department for? If Tan Jizhu won’t go, just knock her out with a club and drag her to the Civil Affairs Bureau to finish the paperwork.”

“Understood!” Jiang Xian gave a salute. “Once the show is over, I’ll make sure our Yunyun successfully returns to being single!”

Lu Qiu turned back to the person on the screen. “Soo-ah, for the remaining days, please keep a close eye on Yunyun. Do not let Tan Jizhu get too close to her. When this is over, no matter what resources you want, we can provide them for you.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Hearing this, Park Soo-ah wasn’t as happy as she imagined. She realized that through her time with Luo Jingyun, she had unknowingly lost her heart. More than resources, she wanted Luo Jingyun’s affection. Unfortunately, Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian seemed like they would be difficult to deal with.

After hanging up, Park Soo-ah sat on the hill. The autumn evening breeze carried a chill against her face. She felt that while her future seemed bright, it was also filled with unknowns.

After sitting for an unknown amount of time, she saw Luo Jingyun walking into the courtyard from above and scrambled down the hill in a hurry.

Her movements were so quick that Park Soo-ah didn’t notice a figure stepping out from the darkness not far away.

Tan Jizhu had heard the entire conversation. She now knew Park Soo-ah’s true role and Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian’s attitude toward her.

A wave of regret flooded her heart. If only she had realized her love for Luo Jingyun sooner; if only she had performed better during that family dinner; if only she had mentioned Luo Jingyun’s name at the awards ceremony; if only she hadn’t signed that divorce agreement… things certainly wouldn’t have turned out like this.

But there are no “if onlys” in this world. What has happened cannot be changed. Tan Jizhu decided not to dwell on past mistakes; she resolved that, no matter what, she would win Luo Jingyun back.

The recording continued. Luo Jingyun took a deep breath before entering the music classroom, giving herself a mental boost. Once inside, she keenly noticed something different.

“Soo-ah, did you clean the classroom?”

Park Soo-ah picked up a stack of stools from a corner. “I didn’t. Why?”

“The classroom feels much cleaner, and the piano has been wiped down.”

The piano in the music room had been in disrepair for years. Luo Jingyun had been quite repulsed by it and had only given the lid and keys a cursory wipe, but now the entire instrument was much cleaner.

Luo Jingyun had a sudden hunch. She sat on the bench and played a short piece. Sure enough, the piano had been fixed.

“Soo-ah, the piano is fixed.”

Park Soo-ah was busy prying the stools apart and hadn’t heard clearly. She stopped and asked, “What’s fixed?”

“I said, someone tuned the piano.”

“What?” Park Soo-ah dropped what she was doing. “The piano is fixed?”

“Mhm.” Luo Jingyun played a quick arpeggio and concluded, “Listen, it’s perfectly fine now.”

Though Park Soo-ah couldn’t play piano, she was musical enough to hear the difference between how the piano sounded today versus yesterday.

“Jingyun, did your mom send the tuning tools?”

Luo Jingyun shook her head. “No. You heard when I called yesterday; they said the earliest they could get here was this afternoon.”

“Then who could have fixed it? Teacher Peng?” As soon as the thought occurred, Park Soo-ah dismissed it. “Impossible. If Teacher Peng knew how to tune, it would have been fixed long ago. He wouldn’t have waited until now. Could it be a staff member from the crew?”

“Maybe.”

Luo Jingyun simply nodded, seemingly agreeing with Park Soo-ah’s suggestion.

In truth, that wasn’t the answer in her heart, but she had no intention of voicing her suspicion.