After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 37

If It’s Broken, Throw It Away

According to the production team’s original schedule, filming was supposed to conclude after the guest-teaching segment at the school. However, due to Luo Jingyun’s proposal, the team coordinated to adjust everyone’s schedules, carving out a few extra days for the guests to learn about Tongxi Village’s intangible cultural heritage.

When Luo Jingyun first made the suggestion, she thought they would just be learning some basic weaving techniques. After all, she remembered many girls in elementary school braiding their own bracelets and necklaces; she naturally assumed it wouldn’t be difficult. However, after working with Liu Yuqi for some time, it wasn’t until the director laid out the requirements that Luo realized this perfectly aligned with Director Liu’s spirit of high standards, strict demands, and “if you can endure hardship, endure it to the death.”

“Everyone, we have already communicated with the villagers. Someone will be sent from the village to teach you how to make a bamboo basket. Of course, to give you a more immersive experience and to help the audience understand this craft better, every step must be done personally. From selecting the bamboo, cutting it, splitting it, and sanding the strips, all the way to the final weaving—you will experience every single step.”

“Sigh,” Luo Jingyun complained to Park Soo-ah beside her. “Yesterday we were teachers instructing others, and now we’re students again. The sense of ‘experience’ is definitely dialed to the max.”

Park Soo-ah smiled. “After all, life is a process of continuous learning.”

“That’s way too philosophical!”

While the two were joking, a villager stepped forward to explain the process to everyone. Peng Yi acted as the translator, converting the local dialect into Mandarin.

“Bamboo has always been an inseparable friend to mankind, possessing great economic and practical value. Before the rapid development of modern technology, it could be said to cover almost every aspect of human life: clothing, food, housing, and transportation. It can be used to build houses and furniture, or to hold water and rice. Because of its unique fragrance, bamboo-tube rice cooked over a fire is a true delicacy.”

Speaking of the scent of bamboo, Luo Jingyun was somewhat of an expert. Because Tan Jizhu was true to her name, her pheromones smelled of bamboo. Whenever passion flared, Luo Jingyun could always smell that crisp bamboo scent—as if it had been buried deep under winter snow for a long time, then brought out and pressed directly against the skin. It was sharp and aggressive, capable of penetrating through the surface of the skin and straight into the bloodstream.

Luo Jingyun had heard Jiang Xian say that the pheromones of Alphas and Omegas with high compatibility could even change due to emotional shifts. Jiang Xian’s pheromones had the clear fragrance of glutinous rice, while Lu Qiu’s were the elegant scent of osmanthus. They had fallen in love at first sight and successfully got together within days of meeting. At that time, they hadn’t even performed a mutual permanent marking, yet their pheromones had blended together to form a rich, sweet scent of osmanthus glutinous rice.

After hearing about that, Luo Jingyun could never look at the “Osmanthus Glutinous Rice” dessert on a dinner table the same way again.

She had once naively believed that, given her 98% compatibility with Tan Jizhu, their pheromones would one day blend as smoothly as her two mothers’. Unfortunately, that never happened, not even up until the divorce. Perhaps she should have realized this much sooner and chosen to divorce a long time ago.

“Because bamboo fears neither bitter cold nor scorching heat, and stands proud against snow and frost, many stories praise it for being upright and noble. And just as names suggest, many people use ‘Zhu’ (Bamboo) in their names.”

Luo Jingyun desperately wanted to refute this. She instinctively glared at Tan Jizhu, who noticed her gaze and looked back with a smile.

Luo Jingyun quickly turned her head away, refusing to look at her. She muttered inwardly: Where is this person ‘upright and noble’ like bamboo? She’s clearly as stubborn as a pig!

The villager continued the explanation. “There are many types of bamboo. We generally choose those with good fiber toughness and a fine texture so that the woven baskets are light and water-resistant. The best time to harvest bamboo is usually late summer or early autumn. Spring bamboo is too damp and spoils easily, so it doesn’t last; winter bamboo is too brittle and also doesn’t last long. You are lucky—now is the best time.”

After covering the general theoretical knowledge, the villager led the guests to the bamboo grove for hands-on teaching.

The bamboo in the grove was mostly several meters high. While it was still bright daylight outside, the light inside the grove was much dimmer and the temperature significantly cooler. A cool breeze blew through, and Luo Jingyun couldn’t help but sneeze several times.

“Bamboo grows very fast. When selecting, don’t just look at how tall it is. You must judge the age of the bamboo by observing its patterns and color. Too old or too young won’t work. Judging is simple: deep color and deep lines mean it’s old; light color means it’s young.”

The theoretical knowledge was a bit boring. Luo Jingyun, carrying a small bamboo basket, felt her mind wandering and instinctively tapped on a nearby bamboo stalk.

The villager pointed in her direction and said, “This young lady looks like she has a lot of experience in picking bamboo.”

Luo Jingyun pointed to herself. “Me?”

Chen Shidong immediately chimed in, “Teacher, this young lady is extremely experienced in picking ‘bamboo.’ She picked the best ‘bamboo’ in one go.” As she spoke, she even gave Tan Jizhu a little shove forward.

Luo Jingyun instantly understood that Chen Shidong was teasing her. She hurried to deny it. “No, no, no. Actually, I don’t really know how to pick. But I do know that if you pick a bad one, you have to throw it away.”

The villager laughed heartily. “That is also a method. Picking bamboo is similar to picking watermelons; sometimes you need to knock on it and listen to the sound. If the sound is too muffled, it means there are bugs inside. If the sound is hollow or thin, it means the bamboo isn’t growing sturdily. Those can’t be used.” After saying this, the villager tapped a bamboo stalk nearby. “Listen, this kind of sound means it’s good bamboo. Of course, if you happen to cut a bad one, it doesn’t matter. Just like the young lady said, just throw it away.”

Clearly, the simple villager did not catch the double meaning in their words and focused solely on teaching.

“Alright, I’ve taught you all the tricks. Everyone can start practicing. The bamboo forest is very large, so please stay safe and it’s best to go in pairs.”

Because the bamboo forest was crowded and difficult to navigate, the production team did not send cameramen to follow. Instead, they gave each guest a GoPro to wear on their chest to film the scenery from their perspective.

Luo Jingyun said to Park Soo-ah beside her, “Let’s be a team.”

“Okay,” Park Soo-ah said happily. “Let’s start from over there.”

“Jingyun,” Tan Jizhu walked up to Luo Jingyun and said, “I want to be with you.”

Luo Jingyun politely refused. “Sorry, I’ve already agreed to team up with Soo-ah.”

“This isn’t a competition. Three people can be a group too.”

Luo Jingyun still refused. “No!”

Tan Jizhu grabbed Luo Jingyun’s hand and said in a tone that was almost like acting spoiled, “Jingyun, just add me. Let me be in your group.”

“Ugh—” Luo Jingyun pulled her hand away with a look of intense disgust. “Let go. I don’t want to be in a group with you.”

“But I want to be with you.”

Luo Jingyun raised the sickle she was using to cut bamboo. “Tan Jizhu, if you say one more word of nonsense, I’ll chop you down like a piece of bamboo.”

Tan Jizhu took a step back and compromised. “Alright, I won’t bother you then.”

“Hmph.” Luo Jingyun glared at Tan Jizhu, then turned to Park Soo-ah. “Let’s go, hurry up.”

Park Soo-ah complied and followed Luo Jingyun deeper into the bamboo forest. As she walked, she caught a glimpse of the look of loathing in Tan Jizhu’s eyes. She knew Tan Jizhu was jealous; Tan Jizhu was jealous of her.

Tan Jizhu also understood Park Soo-ah’s expression. This person had been calling her “Senior” so respectfully just a few days ago, but now her true colors were showing. Recalling the phone call she had overheard, Tan Jizhu showed a smile of determination.

Though she had verbally agreed not to linger, Tan Jizhu naturally wouldn’t give up so easily. She stealthily followed Luo Jingyun’s footsteps, fearing that something might happen between Park Soo-ah and Luo Jingyun where she couldn’t see.

Tan Jizhu didn’t dare follow too closely. If Luo Jingyun discovered her, the loss would outweigh the gain. She maintained a safe distance; even if she were spotted, she could make an excuse that she was just cutting bamboo.

Seeing Luo Jingyun and Park Soo-ah pick out good bamboo and start cutting, Tan Jizhu also found a stalk nearby and began observing while she worked.

However, in a moment of distraction, when she looked toward Luo Jingyun again, there was no one there.

Tan Jizhu was confused for a moment, then hurriedly dropped what she was doing and ran over.

“Jingyun! Jingyun!”

No one answered. Tan Jizhu could only keep walking forward, but the deeper she went into the forest, the denser the bamboo became. Stalks were packed tightly together, making it nearly impossible to see the path ahead.

Tan Jizhu reasoned that since Park Soo-ah was sent by Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian to protect Luo Jingyun, Luo Jingyun certainly wouldn’t be in any danger. If she continued searching aimlessly and got lost herself, it would only cause more trouble. With that thought, Tan Jizhu returned to where she had come from and focused on finishing her task.

After cutting enough bamboo to fill her basket, the sky was already growing dark. Tan Jizhu walked to the edge of the bamboo grove, where several other guests were already waiting.

Chen Shidong was chatting with Liu Yuqi. Seeing Tan Jizhu come out alone, she walked over to gossip.

“How come you’re alone? Where’s Jingyun?”

Tan Jizhu shook her head. “She’s with Park Soo-ah. Haven’t they come back yet?”

Chen Shidong wanted to mock her, but she was afraid that if she laughed too loudly, Tan Jizhu would suggest some bizarre idea to torture Liu Yuqi again. She simply replied that they hadn’t returned and went back to talking with Liu Yuqi.

After waiting a while longer, Park Soo-ah finally appeared, arriving late. Tan Jizhu was the first to react. She walked up to Park Soo-ah, looked behind her, and asked, “Why are you alone? Where’s Jingyun? Wasn’t she with you?”

Park Soo-ah instantly became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. “What? Jingyun isn’t back yet?”

“I’ve been waiting here and I haven’t seen her.”

“How is that possible?” Park Soo-ah’s voice began to stutter. “Just… just now in the bamboo forest, Jingyun and I were cutting bamboo, but she said the bamboo in that area wasn’t good and kept going deeper. As we walked, we got separated. I looked for her for a while but couldn’t find her, so I… I thought she had already headed back.”

“If you couldn’t find her, why didn’t you look longer? What if Jingyun is in danger?” Tan Jizhu’s tone became stern. “Forget it, I’m not wasting time with you. I’m going to find her myself.”

“Tan Jizhu!” Park Soo-ah called out to her. “I’ll go with you. This is my fault. If I hadn’t come back, I might have found her.”

“You—” Tan Jizhu was angry, but she knew that more people meant more help. She found the others. “Sister Shidong, Jingyun went out to cut bamboo and hasn’t come back yet. I’m worried about her. Can you come with me to find her?”

Upon hearing this, Chen Shidong immediately said, “What? Jingyun hasn’t returned? Quick, quick, quick, I’ll go get Yuqi and have her bring more staff members to help search.”

The staff gathered several villagers, and a large group set off toward the bamboo forest. They pulled the footage from Park Soo-ah’s GoPro to identify the general area where she and Luo Jingyun had separated and headed in that direction.

In late autumn, the sun sets early, and the distant mountains blocked half of the remaining light. Inside the bamboo forest, the stalks were several meters high, completely shielding what little light was left.

Tan Jizhu grew more and more anxious. Initially, she had been patient enough to push the obstructing bamboo leaves aside, but now, frustrated, she simply used her sickle to hack them away.

“Jingyun! Luo Jingyun, where are you!”