After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 41

Should I Give Tan Jizhu Another Chance?

The sound of the clapperboard faded into the endless mountains. Cameras and lights were swiftly shut off, and the bonfire, which was already dying down, was promptly extinguished. The staff of Journey of the Cultivating Heart were well-trained, efficiently packing and organizing everything. The festive gathering spot from moments ago instantly reverted to a desolate clearing, with not even a scrap of leftover food remaining.

Luo Jingyun watched the warmth turn to coldness, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart. No matter how much she might reminisce, the moment for things to end had arrived.

Tomorrow during the day, everyone would follow the production crew back to the transit hotel via motor-tricycles to reclaim their luggage. From there, they would take a green-skinned train to the provincial capital before finally boarding a plane home.

Back in the house, Luo Jingyun began packing her things. When she first arrived, she hadn’t been able to part with anything in her suitcase; it was only after a period of picking and choosing—and borrowing a woven bag from Park Soo-ah—that she had managed to carry everything she needed.

However, during her time in Tongxi Village, aside from sunscreen and some essential toiletries, she had hardly touched things like her eye masks, earplugs, or calming tea. Every day here had been so exhausting that she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

“Sigh, if I had known I wouldn’t use these, I would have brought more snacks instead,” Luo Jingyun recalled the events of the past weeks as she tucked her items back into the bag one by one. Packing her luggage felt like sealing away her memories.

Park Soo-ah still remembered that Luo Jingyun had chosen her as a teammate because she had proactively offered space in her bag. She asked jokingly, “If you hadn’t brought all those bits and pieces, I wouldn’t have lent you, my bag. In that case, would you still have chosen me as your teammate?”

“Not necessarily!” Luo Jingyun said brightly. “After all, you were the first one to say hello to me.”

“True. At that time, you even said you had watched the dramas I acted in.”

Luo Jingyun finished packing her last item and put her hands on her hips, feigning anger. “Soo-ah, the filming is over! Why are you still bringing up old accounts? You aren’t allowed to mention that again, or I’ll really get mad!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t mention it.”

Luo Jingyun gave a haughty hum. Over this period of observation, she had found that Park Soo-ah had always looked after her and treated her very well. Luo Jingyun wasn’t the type to let those who were good to her lose out, so she inquired, “Soo-ah, you were developing your career abroad before. Now that you’re back, have you signed with a domestic agency? What are your plans for your career moving forward?”

Park Soo-ah’s movements stiffened. “I’ve signed with a company… I suppose you could say I have a plan.”

“Eh? Which company? Actually, my family’s entertainment agency is quite good. Why don’t you jump ship to my side? Don’t worry about the contract termination fees; Sister Yun will handle it all for you.” Luo Jingyun patted her chest. “My Mommy Xian has a lot of connections in this industry. As long as you don’t do anything illegal or stupid, she can definitely make you a superstar in the future, whether you want to sing or act.”

“Uh…” Just as Park Soo-ah was wondering how to explain, a knock suddenly sounded at the door. She quickly changed the subject. “That’s strange. At this hour, who would be looking for us?”

Park Soo-ah had been feeling a sense of relief from a near-miss, but when she opened the door and saw it was Tan Jizhu, her mood sank back to rock bottom.

“Tan Jizhu, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Jingyun.”

“Jingyun doesn’t want to see you.”

Tan Jizhu used a bit of force to push past Park Soo-ah, who was blocking the door, and walked into the room. “Jingyun, I want to talk to you about something.”

“Hey, Jingyun didn’t let you in! How can you just trespass into someone else’s room?”

Luo Jingyun walked over and asked, “Tan Jizhu, is there something you need?”

Tan Jizhu said, “Yes. I want to talk about the matters we need to handle now that the filming is finished.”

The official announcement of their divorce had been posted, and everyone assumed they had already obtained the divorce certificate. Only a few insiders knew they had merely signed the divorce agreement.

Luo Jingyun didn’t want this matter to be too public. She turned to Park Soo-ah and said, “Soo-ah, I’m sorry. I need to discuss some things with Tan Jizhu. Could I trouble you to step out for a moment?”

“Jingyun?” Park Soo-ah had thought Luo Jingyun would stand on a united front with her, but she hadn’t expected to be sent away.

Luo Jingyun apologized, “I’m sorry. Please give me half an hour.”

Since Luo Jingyun had spoken, Park Soo-ah had no excuse to stay. This gave her a chance to think about how to explain to Luo Jingyun that she had known Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu for a long time. Thinking of this, Park Soo-ah glared at Tan Jizhu and left the room.

Only the two of them remained in the empty concrete room. Tan Jizhu moved forward hesitantly. “Jingyun…”

Luo Jingyun didn’t want to waste words and got straight to the point. “Journey of the Cultivating Heart is over. We leave Tongxi Village tomorrow. When we get back, whenever you’re free, let’s go get the divorce certificate finalized.”

It had finally come to this. Before filming started, Tan Jizhu had desperately wanted Luo Jingyun to leave the show; now, she wished the show could go on forever.

“Jingyun, I told you, I don’t want to divorce you.”

Luo Jingyun emphasized, “Tan Jizhu, we have already signed the divorce agreement and divided the assets. We also announced our divorce on public platforms. What is the point of saying this now?”

“There is a point; of course there is. I am willing to do anything as long as I can win you back. Jingyun, I’ve already bought back our old house. If you don’t like the decor anymore, we can renovate it. As for the public announcement, I can clarify it. I will let everyone know that the person I love most is you—only you. I will declare your presence on every occasion in the future.” After saying this, Tan Jizhu produced a bamboo basket from behind her. Inside the basket were nine red paper roses. “Jingyun, these are for you.”

Luo Jingyun gazed at them. “Did you fold these yourself?”

“Yes. I sat in on an art class a few days ago, and they were teaching the children origami, so I learned a bit. I’m still not very practiced at it.”

Luo Jingyun picked one up to examine it. Although the rose was made of paper, the layered petal effect was vivid and lifelike.

Putting it back, Luo Jingyun asked, “Why did you fold these?”

Tan Jizhu spoke softly. “Jingyun, you once gave me ninety-nine roses. Unfortunately, I didn’t care about them until they withered. Now, I regret it.”

Luo Jingyun wore an ambiguous smile. “Tan Jizhu, you don’t expect to win me back with a few paper roses, do you?”

“No, I don’t think that. I wanted to give you flowers that would never wither, but since conditions are limited right now, I could only use paper roses as a substitute.” Tan Jizhu pleaded, “Jingyun, my love for you will last forever. Now, I only beg you to give me a chance to pursue you again. I am willing to do whatever you ask.”

Luo Jingyun asked back, “And if I say no?”

The bitterness and heartache of the past days erupted as Tan Jizhu poured out all her emotions. “Jingyun, I am truly sorry. Even if you don’t forgive me, even if you say you’re tired of hearing it, I still have to say it: I love you. I have loved you all along. I only blame myself for not realizing my feelings sooner, which led me to be so cold to you.”

“Blame me, resent me, hit me, or scold me—I am willing to bear your anger. But I beg you, give me one more chance.” Tan Jizhu placed the bamboo basket in Luo Jingyun’s hand and gripped her hands tightly. “If you are willing to give me another chance, I will definitely love and protect you properly. Also, Jingyun, didn’t you always want a mutual marking? If you don’t trust me, you can perform a one-way mark on me. That way, you can leave whenever you want, and all the initiative remains in your hands.”

A one-way mark was perhaps the most sincere expression possible. If Luo Jingyun, as an Omega, performed a one-way mark on Tan Jizhu, an Alpha, then Tan Jizhu could never be with anyone else in the future. Everything she was proposing was exactly what Luo Jingyun had once asked of her.

Luo Jingyun looked at the weeping Tan Jizhu and felt as though she were seeing herself from a few years ago. In the face of love, no one can remain unscathed or walk away completely whole.

Even though she was firm in her desire for divorce, Luo Jingyun couldn’t say she had absolutely no feelings left for Tan Jizhu. She had seen everything Tan Jizhu had done during this time. There was no denying that she was the primary beneficiary of that substantial help.

At the same time, the joke Tan Jizhu made after rescuing her from the bamboo forest had made her think from another perspective and understand Tan Jizhu’s feelings back then. Previously, she had been immersed in a so-called “love bubble,” believing that as long as she gave all her love, she would receive an equal amount in return. But she had overlooked the most important thing: the person she liked wasn’t an object, but a person with their own agency; the other party was under no obligation to respond to that love.

Furthermore, her being with Tan Jizhu in the first place had been achieved through the unsavory methods of half-threats and leveraging past favors. Tan Jizhu’s impression of her had started from a negative score.

“Tan Jizhu, do you remember the question I asked you before? You’ve been repeatedly saying you like me lately. What is the reason you like me?”

This time, Tan Jizhu did not shrink away. She said, “Jingyun, I’ve already thought about this question. I like you simply because you are you; there is no specific reason that can be summarized. You said you liked me because you saw me putting 100% effort into the goals I wanted to achieve. When I intentionally lost a game just to make you happy, you said I had lost that trait and thus no longer liked me. But I won’t be like that. Whether you change or stay the same, as long as you are Luo Jingyun, I will like you.”

Having said that, Tan Jizhu lowered her head slightly, brushing her shoulder-length hair aside to reveal the gland on the back of her neck. “Jingyun, if you are willing, you can perform a one-way permanent mark on me right now.”

Luo Jingyun reached out her finger and lightly touched Tan Jizhu’s gland. This was the place that emitted the pheromones with a 98% compatibility with her own.

“Tan Jizhu, if I really do this, you will never have a chance to regret it. Even if I don’t stay with you later, you won’t be able to be with anyone else. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Tan Jizhu looked up at Luo Jingyun. “Jingyun, I’m sure. What you said is exactly what I want.”

Luo Jingyun was silent for a long moment, then stepped forward and embraced Tan Jizhu. It had been a long time since she had held Tan Jizhu in such an intimate embrace.

Should I give Tan Jizhu another chance?

Should I give myself another chance?

Luo Jingyun took a deep breath. “Tan Jizhu, perhaps, we could…”

Before Luo Jingyun could finish her sentence, Park Soo-ah suddenly burst into the room. Seeing the two of them embracing, she immediately pulled them apart.

“Jingyun, I don’t know what Tan Jizhu said to you while I was gone, but don’t believe a single word she says!”

Tan Jizhu, seeing this person ruin her big moment, said angrily, “Park Soo-ah, stop making trouble, okay?”

Luo Jingyun was puzzled. “Soo-ah, why are you saying that?”

“I’m making trouble?” Park Soo-ah glared disdainfully at Tan Jizhu, then turned to Luo Jingyun. “Jingyun, you must not believe anything Tan Jizhu says. I just saw Chen Shidong and Liu Yuqi, and I know everything now! Everything Tan Jizhu said is a lie to deceive you!”