After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 46

Before Loving You, I Must First Become Myself

The rescue workers lifted Tan Jizhu onto the ambulance. Luo Jingyun strongly insisted on riding with her, but the doctor informed her that due to capacity limits, she could only take the next vehicle to the hospital for treatment.

Tongxi Village was remote, with only a small local clinic. The county’s medical resources were also insufficient; a gunshot wound—an exceedingly rare occurrence—was a particularly thorny problem. Thus, under the escort of police cars, the ambulance sped toward the best hospital in the province.

As soon as they arrived and before the vehicle had even come to a full stop, Luo Jingyun flung the door open and practically jumped out. The hospital doctors had already received word; they transferred Tan Jizhu onto a gurney and rushed her toward the operating room. With just one glance, Luo Jingyun saw that the white sheets were already stained crimson with blood.

Luo Jingyun followed at a run. Just as she was about to follow them into the emergency room, a nurse stopped her. “Ma’am, you cannot enter the operating room. We will do our best to save her; please wait outside.”

The heavy doors of the operating room closed, and the “In Surgery” light flickered on. The red glow cast a shadow over Luo Jingyun. It was only then that she realized that while holding Tan Jizhu earlier, she had been covered in blood. The red stains were embedded deep into the lines of her palms and wouldn’t wash away. Rubbing her hands forcefully only dislodged some dried scabs; the color remained stubbornly etched into her skin.

“Auntie, over here.” Chen Shidong and Liu Yuqi arrived with Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian. “Jingyun is here.”

After receiving Tan Jizhu’s call, Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian had immediately transferred the money to Sun Hua’s account as demanded. They then used their connections to apply for a flight path and arrived at the provincial hospital by helicopter.

Seeing the blood on Luo Jingyun, they rushed to her side, asking anxiously, “Jingyun, how are you? Are you hurt?”

Luo Jingyun shook her head and said, “I’m fine. Tan Jizhu took a bullet to protect me. All the blood on me is hers.”

Chen Shidong reminded them, “Auntie, when Jingyun was kidnapped, they hit her on the head. She should probably get a check-up.”

Hearing this, Lu Qiu urged, “Jingyun, since Jizhu is already in surgery, there’s no use worrying. Trust the doctors. You go get checked out first.”

“No, I’m not going. I’m staying right here until Tan Jizhu’s surgery is over.”

Lu Qiu grabbed Luo Jingyun’s hand to lead her away. “We don’t know how long the surgery will take. Waiting here is a waste of time. Go get checked.”

“I won’t go! I’m staying here! If they can’t save Tan Jizhu, I’ll make this whole hospital go down with her. And Li Deng and Sun Hua—I want them dead!”

Jiang Xian had already called a doctor over. Seeing her state, the doctor directly administered a sedative to Luo Jingyun before taking her for a full-body examination.

The blow to her head wasn’t serious—just a mild concussion that would fully recover with a few months of rest.

Lu Qiu stayed by Luo Jingyun’s hospital bed. As soon as she woke up, before Lu Qiu could even ask if she wanted water, Luo Jingyun shot out of bed like a launched projectile.

“Luo Jingyun! Where are you going? Get back here and lie down!”

Luo Jingyun stopped and asked, “Where is she? Where is Tan Jizhu?”

“Jizhu’s surgery was successful, but she needs rest. You can see her in a little while.”

“No, I want to see her now.”

Lu Qiu had no other choice but to take Luo Jingyun to see Tan Jizhu.

Just as they reached the door of the ward, Jiang Xian saw them through the window and walked out. “Yun-Yun, why aren’t you resting?”

Lu Qiu threw up her hands and said with a hint of sarcasm, “Isn’t she just dying to see her Tan Jizhu?”

Jiang Xian chimed in, “Oh my, you two really are connected. When Tan Jizhu woke up just now, the first thing she did was ask how you were.”

Luo Jingyun asked, “Is she okay?”

“There’s no danger to her life. The bullet went through her left shoulder. It didn’t hit the bone, but it’s a through-and-through wound, so she needs time to heal. She just fell asleep; do you want me to wake her?”

“No, let her rest. Knowing she’s okay is enough.” Luo Jingyun looked at the sleeping Tan Jizhu, feeling much more at ease.

Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu exchanged a look and teased, “Not in a hurry now, are we? Someone was quite dramatic while Tan Jizhu was in surgery.”

This time it was Lu Qiu’s turn to agree. “Indeed! Shouting about making the doctors go down with her if Jizhu wasn’t cured! Saying she’d make Li Deng and Sun Hua die in prison! So overbearing.”

“If the situation hadn’t been so urgent, I really should have recorded it. I’d play it every holiday. If you ever annoy me, I’ll post the video online as someone’s ‘cyber dark history’.”

The memories flooded back, and Luo Jingyun became embarrassed. “Oh, the second half of that was fine to say, but the first half… who said that? So cringey. Oh, my head is spinning, I’m going back to sleep.”

“Stop faking,” Lu Qiu grumbled, though she still supported Luo Jingyun. “If you’re really dizzy, go back and lie down for a bit.”

Jiang Xian took the opportunity to hold Lu Qiu’s hand and said to her daughter, “Yes, rest more. Tan Jizhu is anxious for an answer from you.”

“What answer?”

“The answer to whether or not you’re getting a divorce.”

Everything today had happened so fast. Yesterday they were celebrating the end of the variety show filming; today they had lived through a kidnapping plot straight out of a TV drama.

In the face of life and death, matters of love and romance seemed less important. But now that things had settled into peace, it was time to give an answer to the thing she had been agonizing over.

Luo Jingyun pursed her lips. “Then let her wait a bit longer. I haven’t decided yet.”

…

Having slept for an unknown number of days, Tan Jizhu tried to find Luo Jingyun every time she woke up, but they kept missing each other. She could only stand outside the ward and watch Luo Jingyun sleep. When she was awake, Luo Jingyun was resting; when Luo Jingyun was awake, she was asleep.

When she woke up today, she went to see Luo Jingyun again, but unfortunately, the other woman was already asleep. Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu had left to handle the aftermath, leaving only the nurse doing rounds.

The nurse checked her over. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better.” Tan Jizhu mentioned, “Nurse, you don’t need to give me the painkiller today.”

The nurse confirmed, “No more? This is a gunshot wound; it will definitely hurt without it.”

“No more.” The painkillers had a sedative effect, making her want to sleep every time. It was because of the sleep that she kept missing the chance to see Luo Jingyun.

Following the patient’s request, the nurse didn’t administer the shot. Before leaving, she handed her a small vial. “Oh, right. This is the soothing pheromone your partner left for you when she came to visit. Though it’s not as effective as a painkiller, it should help a bit.”

Tan Jizhu held the transparent vial, imagining the scent of coconut that used to wrap around her.

As yesterday’s medication gradually wore off, the pain began to creep in. At first, Tan Jizhu could bear it, but eventually, it felt like her flesh and bone were being torn apart.

Unable to endure it further, Tan Jizhu opened the vial and released the soothing pheromones belonging uniquely to Luo Jingyun. The pain didn’t lessen much, but Tan Jizhu felt much happier.

Once her body adjusted to the pain, Tan Jizhu estimated the time and planned to visit Luo Jingyun. Before she could get out of bed, someone came to see her first.

“Look at you, able to get out of bed already.” Chen Shidong knocked and walked in. Seeing that Tan Jizhu was in decent shape, she asked, “How are you doing?”

“Nothing major.” Thinking about how everything had started because of her, she apologized to Chen Shidong. “Senior, I’m truly sorry about that day. I dragged you into it.”

Chen Shidong waved it off breezily. “It’s fine, no big deal. I was just thinking—a clichéd ‘choose one of two’ scenario only happens in dramas, yet I actually ran into it. The key is that he picked me as the backup… that’s not right!”

“Senior, I am truly sorry. Forced by the situation, I chose Jingyun. I could only choose Jingyun.” Tan Jizhu apologized again, but she did not regret her choice.

“I get it. Although I was a hair’s breadth away from death, I don’t blame you. If I were in that situation and someone made me choose between you and Yuqi, I would resolutely choose Yuqi. But I would have handled your funeral arrangements well; I’d have burned plenty of paper money for you every Qingming and Ghost Festival.”

Tan Jizhu knew Chen Shidong was using jokes to ease her guilt.

Chen Shidong pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, saying somewhat boastfully, “Well, because of this kidnapping, I’ve actually had some good fortune. You have no idea how comfortable my life has been these past few days! No matter what I say, Yuqi goes along with it! Not only did she agree to go public with our relationship, but she also agreed to marry me on an auspicious day next month! And—and! Yuqi even promised not to take any work for a year after we marry so we can travel and enjoy our world for two.”

“…” Though annoyed, Tan Jizhu listened out of respect.

“Oh, right, did you know? Yuqi even ordered a pair of wedding rings without me knowing!”

Tan Jizhu asked casually, “Oh, where were they ordered?”

“The place is so hard to book. If you tried to order now, you’d probably have to wait two years.”

Tan Jizhu wasn’t about to lose. She picked up the small vial and asked, “Senior, do you know what this is?”

The sudden shift in topic made Chen Shidong wary. She looked at the vial and asked cautiously, “What is it?”

“Oh, it’s just the pheromones Jingyun left for me. It smells so good.”

As expected! Chen Shidong’s face scrunched up into a grimace. “Oh, since it’s something as private as pheromones, you’d better cherish it. Don’t break the bottle.”

Tan Jizhu pulled the vial to her chest. “I will definitely preserve it. Even though modern society advocates for non-discrimination in all relationships, I still think AO (Alpha/Omega) pairings have a natural advantage.” Tan Jizhu said pointedly, “Don’t you agree, Senior?”

Chen Shidong’s mouth twitched, telling herself not to argue with a fool.

Tan Jizhu continued to gloat. “Senior, when we were filming, you were always worried someone would fall for Sister Yuqi. Since she’s a Beta, you couldn’t leave your pheromones on her to claim her. You must have been so frustrated. Even though you’re getting married and have rings, you can’t leave pheromones on each other. How about this—I endorsed a perfume before; I’ll have them mix a scent with pheromone-like qualities for you two?”

“Ha, don’t bother yourself,” Chen Shidong retorted. “Pheromones are too primitive. I don’t believe I need to ‘claim’ Yuqi. An Alpha who only thinks about marking their partner like territory is just crossing the line.”

“Yes, yes,” Tan Jizhu said, completely unfazed, continuing to show off. “I also think Alphas shouldn’t always think about marking others; that’s just possessiveness. That’s why when I’m discharged, I’ll have Jingyun give me a permanent mark. That way, everyone will know I belong to her. That is true love.”

Although she wouldn’t admit it, Chen Shidong was indeed jealous. Betas couldn’t be marked, nor could they mark others. She really wanted Liu Yuqi to bite into her gland and mark her permanently, but the two of them simply couldn’t show off the way Tan Jizhu and Luo Jingyun could.

Chen Shidong resisted the urge to squeeze Tan Jizhu’s wounded shoulder and instead just patted her lightly. “Heh, so lucky. Congratulations then.”

The movement pulled at her muscles, causing pain, but Tan Jizhu maintained her smug expression. “Yes, congratulations to me.”

Chen Shidong pulled out her trump card. “But I heard that you and Jingyun haven’t even seen each other these past few days. Has your misunderstanding been resolved? Is she really going to mark you permanently?”

“…” After seeing Chen Shidong out, Tan Jizhu decided not to wait any longer. She was going to wait by Luo Jingyun’s bed until she woke up.

Just as she stepped out the door, the figure she had been longing for walked toward her.

“Jingyun!”

Luo Jingyun observed her shoulder and asked, “Jizhu, are you okay?”

Tan Jizhu raised the vial with joy and said, “I’m fine. I’ve already used the pheromones you gave me. Thank you.”

“I’m glad they helped.” Luo Jingyun hesitated for a moment. “Then you should continue to rest. If you need more, tell the doctor, and I’ll provide more pheromones.”

“Jingyun,” Tan Jizhu stopped her. “Jingyun, I’m mostly recovered now. Can we talk? About the two of us.”

It had finally come to this. Luo Jingyun nodded. “Okay, let’s talk.”

Considering the injury to Tan Jizhu’s shoulder, Luo Jingyun helped her back to bed and pulled up a stool to sit on Tan Jizhu’s left side.

Tan Jizhu spoke from her heart. “Jingyun, I truly love you. It’s not for any other reason. I just love you as a person.”

“Mm. I know.” Through Tan Jizhu’s firm choice of her during the kidnapping, Luo Jingyun already knew her heart.

Tan Jizhu asked cautiously, “Jingyun, then we… let’s not get divorced.”

Luo Jingyun nodded, but her gaze drifted elsewhere. “Yes, we don’t need to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau for the paperwork.”

“That’s wonderful! I’ll treat you well from now on. The past five years were my fault, but for the next fifty years, I will give all my love only to you.”

“Jizhu, I’m only saying I won’t divorce you. That doesn’t mean I want to reconcile with you.”

The smile froze on Tan Jizhu’s face. It took a moment for her to react. “Jingyun, what do you mean? What do you mean you won’t divorce me, but you won’t reconcile?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Luo Jingyun explained. “Jizhu, so much has happened. We can’t act like none of it happened. When the divorce agreement was signed, the news of our divorce was already posted on social media. If we say we’re not divorcing just a few days later, the public will think we are playing with them. In our industry, you know better than I do how much public opinion affects one’s career.”

“I don’t care! Jingyun, I don’t care about public opinion! If you’re worried, you can blame everything on me. Say I was the one who went crazy and insisted on the divorce, then begged for you back.”

Luo Jingyun shook her head. “Jizhu, I know how important your career is to you. Don’t do that.”

“No! I don’t care about my career anymore! That’s what I want to do! Jingyun, I was wrong before, and I realize it now. Can’t you give me another chance?” Tan Jizhu tried to grab Luo Jingyun’s hand, but because the other woman was on her left side, it felt as though something stood between them, preventing a true connection.

Luo Jingyun noticed Tan Jizhu’s movement and quickly supported her. “Jizhu, your shoulder wound hasn’t healed. Don’t be impulsive.”

“So, is it only because I’m hurt that you’re pitying me and won’t divorce me?” Tan Jizhu let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Jingyun, you don’t need to pity me. Li Deng, the man who kidnapped you, is my biological father. Even if I hate him, that’s an ironclad fact that can’t be erased. My being injured is just paying back a debt.”

“Jizhu, I don’t pity you,” Luo Jingyun said softly. “I was also at fault for forcing you to marry me back then. Perhaps neither of us truly knew how to love someone.”

Tan Jizhu coughed a few times, a metallic taste of blood rising in her throat. She asked, “Jingyun, do you still love me?”

Luo Jingyun nodded. “Jizhu, I still love you. But before loving you, I must first become myself.”