After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 47

The winner of this year’s Houtu Award for Best Actor is…

After Luo Jingyun left, Tan Jizhu was the only one left in the ward. She felt that the wound on her shoulder was no longer as painful; instead, it was replaced by a pain in her heart. This kind of pain was something even the pheromones Luo Jingyun left behind could not soothe.

Later, as the schedules of the two gradually aligned, every time they met, Luo Jingyun would ask about the condition of her wound. Tan Jizhu began to worry that not getting a divorce was merely a delaying tactic used by Luo Jingyun—that she only said it so Tan’s injury would heal quickly. Consequently, she used external forces to deliberately prolong the healing time of her wound.

When the doctors and nurses discovered this, they asked her what was going on, but she just played dumb. Later, the doctor informed Luo Jingyun of the situation, and the latter came over directly to confront her.

“Tan Jizhu, what are you doing? Are you deliberately tearing your wound open to act pitiful for me?”

Tan Jizhu remained silent.

Luo Jingyun issued a final ultimatum: “I originally intended to wait for your wound to get a bit better before returning with you. Since your injury refuses to heal, then I can only leave first.”

Left with no choice, Tan Jizhu stopped her little tricks and waited for the wound to improve. Her physical constitution was good; although it hadn’t fully healed, she had recovered to the point where she could handle long-distance travel.

Now, back in the big city with its towering buildings, the time spent filming Journey of the Cultivated Heart felt like a dream. She began to miss the rolling mountains, the endless wheat fields, and the exhausting but fulfilling life. However, all of that seemed as unreachable as a mirage.

Tan Jizhu obtained the keys to the house she once shared with Luo Jingyun from Deng Mei. When the divorce agreement was signed, this house belonged to Luo Jingyun. Tan had personally packed all her belongings and turned to leave without a hint of lingering attachment. Later, Luo Jingyun’s two mothers packed up Luo’s things as well and put the house up for sale after an appraisal.

Fortunately, she realized her feelings for Luo Jingyun in time and did not let the house fall into the hands of others.

Opening the door, various memories flooded into her mind. At first glance, the home looked no different from when she left, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that many traces of daily life were missing. Luo Jingyun had once contributed so much to this home, like a spring rain moisturizing things silently; Tan hadn’t realized how precious it was while she had it, only recognizing its importance after it was lost.

Following her memories, Tan Jizhu bought back the miscellaneous items as much as possible to restore them to their original state, trying to recreate the appearance of the home before Luo Jingyun left.

The vast house was gradually filled again, but because one person was missing, it still felt empty. To increase the sense of human presence, Tan Jizhu stayed in this house as much as possible outside of work.

During the deep nights when she slept alone, Tan Jizhu was often startled awake by nightmares. In her dreams, she always saw that gunshot hitting Luo Jingyun. Large patches of blood stained Luo Jingyun’s body, while the woman only looked at her coldly and said, I hate you. Upon waking, looking at the scar left on her shoulder, Tan Jizhu still felt a lingering fear.

However, she also had beautiful dreams. She dreamed that she and Luo Jingyun stayed in Tongxi Village, living a self-sufficient life. But the moment she woke up and reached for the other side of the bed, her beautiful dream shattered and turned back into a realistic nightmare.

The turning point that stopped the nightmares was learning of the deaths of Li Deng and Sun Hua. As a family member, the police contacted her regarding how to handle the remains. She hadn’t intended to involve herself, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to tell her mother, Tan Jing, before making a final decision.

Upon hearing the news, Tan Jing showed no emotional fluctuation, only saying: “They brought it upon themselves. We don’t want the bodies. If there are any organs that can still be used, donating them can be considered as accumulating some merit for them.”

Tan Jizhu hid in her mother’s embrace just like when she was a child, confessing the mistakes she had made.

Her mother was as gentle as ever, lightly wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Jizhu, although you know you were wrong, that doesn’t mean Jingyun has to forgive you.”

Tan Jizhu felt lost. “Mom, then what should I do to make Jingyun forgive me and make her love me again?”

“You have the best teacher right by your side. You only need to learn her way of loving.”

Tan Jizhu suddenly understood. She realized that the “best teacher” Tan Jing referred to was Luo Jingyun. Luo Jingyun had spent two years pursuing her and another three years married to her. Perhaps she needed to put in the same amount of time and the same experiences to win Luo Jingyun back.

After a long period of depression, Tan Jizhu found a goal again. She knew Luo Jingyun liked the way she worked hard for a goal, so she decided to continue developing her career while pursuing Luo Jingyun.

Although Luo Jingyun’s side no longer proactively offered her opportunities, as the newly crowned youngest Best Actor, she still had many choices. When coordinating work with Deng Mei and Zhu Li, she made only one request for the upcoming film crew: it wasn’t about the script content or the character’s history, but that the filming location had to be close enough to where Luo Jingyun was.

Tan Jizhu had thought about directly joining the same crew as Luo Jingyun, but she worried that being too obvious would provoke Luo Jingyun’s disgust. Fortunately, there were several large film and television bases in the country; filming in the same one and staying in the same hotel was a reasonable excuse. It was only once, when she used the excuse of a magazine shoot to follow Luo Jingyun into the desert, that her intentions were directly exposed.

However, it was a blessing in disguise; Luo Jingyun finally gave her a few glances. The other party told her to come over during her heat to help resolve her needs.

Hearing this, Tan Jizhu was so excited she couldn’t sleep. She reflected on her past inadequacies during such times and looked forward to how she could make Luo Jingyun comfortable in the future.

She complied with every one of Luo Jingyun’s demands, going fast when told to go fast and slow when told to go slow. When changing positions, she even thoughtfully tucked Luo Jingyun’s fallen hair behind her ear.

This relationship lasted for about a year. Finally, at the end of one session, Tan Jizhu summoned the courage to ask, “Jingyun, we’ve helped each other so many times, and our pheromone compatibility is so high. Should we perform a mutual lifelong marking?”

After it was over, Luo Jingyun was unusually cold. She packed her handbag and refused: “No.”

“Why?”

Luo Jingyun didn’t look for any excuses, stating directly: “Because I haven’t decided to reconcile with you. Marking each other like this wouldn’t be good for either of us.”

Tan Jizhu did not give up. “Then what if you just mark me one-way?”

Luo Jingyun frowned. “Tan Jizhu, I come to you only to resolve my physiological needs; you know this. By proposing a marking, you have crossed the line.”

“Jingyun, I’m sorry.”

“If you annoy me like this again, I will consider finding someone else,” Luo Jingyun said, walking to the shoe cabinet to change her shoes.

Tan Jizhu followed closely. “Jingyun, I’m sorry. I won’t make such overstepping requests again.”

“Mm,” Luo Jingyun put on her shoes and glanced at Tan Jizhu. “It’s good that you know. I’m leaving now.”

To maintain their physical relationship, Tan Jizhu didn’t dare make any more excessive demands, striving only to make Luo Jingyun comfortable.

Aside from that aspect, Luo Jingyun would occasionally ask her questions about acting, and she would guide her through them one by one.

She saw all of Luo Jingyun’s hard work. Once, when Luo Jingyun was accidentally injured during an action scene, Tan ran back and forth caring for her, criticizing the crew for not having proper protective measures.

In the third year after they signed the divorce agreement, Luo Jingyun received a nomination for the Houtu Award for Best Actor.

Just like Luo Jingyun had done years ago, Tan Jizhu cautiously asked before the award ceremony began: “Jingyun, if you win, could you mention me during your acceptance speech?”

Luo Jingyun said calmly: “It’s just a nomination. It’s too early to think about an acceptance speech now.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Tan Jizhu understood Luo Jingyun’s perspective; the competition that year was indeed fierce, and not many people were betting on Luo Jingyun. Having too much hope could easily lead to even greater disappointment; she didn’t want Luo Jingyun to feel too much pressure.

But a miracle happened to favor Luo Jingyun; she won the Best Actor award that year.

Tan Jizhu was an award presenter for that session, but unfortunately, she was presenting a different award. Sitting offstage, she watched Luo Jingyun, dressed in a sharp trouser suit, walk steadily onto the stage. The wind from her movement swirled the petals on the carpet. As Luo passed by her, Tan desperately wanted to stand up and embrace her. But in the eyes of the public, she and Luo Jingyun were divorced; she couldn’t act impulsively.

When Luo Jingyun stood before the microphone, she delivered her acceptance speech excitedly. She thanked the award committee, the crew members, her two mothers, and the fans who had always supported her—but she did not mention Tan Jizhu.

After the award ceremony, when Luo Jingyun called her to her room alone, Tan still went happily. Without any hint of resentment, she just asked in a joking tone, “Jingyun, why didn’t you mention me a little bit at the ceremony?”

Luo Jingyun had just finished finding relief, but her eyes were very clear. “This is my moment of glory. Why must I mention you?”

“That’s true,” Tan Jizhu could only nod. “You were born in a later month than me, so now you are the youngest Best Actor. This is a very significant moment; you really shouldn’t have mentioned me.”

Luo Jingyun leaned in and asked, “What, are you unhappy?”

“No.”

“Tell the truth.”

“I am indeed a little bit unhappy.”

Luo Jingyun continued to press: “Only a little bit?”

“Very unhappy.”

Luo Jingyun sneered. “It’s right that you’re very unhappy. It’s time you felt exactly how I felt back then.”

At that moment, Tan Jizhu finally understood what empathy meant. She understood why Luo Jingyun had proposed a divorce to her after the award ceremony three years ago.

Ever since the divorce announcement was posted on social media, the public believed they were truly divorced. Tan Jizhu really wanted to throw their marriage certificate out to prove they were still legally married, but she knew doing so would make Luo Jingyun angry.

She could endure remaining anonymous, but as Luo Jingyun became more visible to others, the number of rivals around her increased.

Park Soo-ah was one of the most threatening, but fortunately, by pulling some strings, Tan created an opportunity for the leader of Park Soo-ah’s former group, leading the two of them to end up together.

Tan Jizhu resolved the enemies she had detected while remaining vigilant against those she hadn’t, all while continuing to develop her own career. Luo Jingyun was already excellent; she had to work hard to be just as excellent as her.

In the fifth year after they signed the divorce agreement, Tan Jizhu and Luo Jingyun were both nominated for the Houtu Award for Best Actor.

Not only were they “ex” partners, but Luo Jingyun had snatched the title of youngest Best Actor from Tan Jizhu’s hands, and now the two were competing for a second win. As soon as the news broke, it immediately set the internet ablaze.

Tan Jizhu knew Luo Jingyun wanted to win fair and square, so she never mentioned anything about withdrawing her nomination. She only asked cautiously: “Jingyun, if I win the Best Actor award this year, can I mention you in my acceptance speech?”

“Whatever you want,” Luo Jingyun said, pulling up the covers, appearing completely indifferent.

Tan Jizhu continued, “Jingyun, if you win the Best Actor award this year, can you mention me in your acceptance speech?”

“There are other nominees besides the two of us. Why are you so sure the winner will be one of us?”

“I’m just speaking hypothetically.”

“Stop with the hypotheses. Let’s sleep; I’m exhausted.”

Tan Jizhu didn’t dare say more, only waiting for the day of the award ceremony with longing.

She and Luo Jingyun were from two different film crews; whether walking the red carpet or taking their seats, they were not near each other. Yet, Tan Jizhu could always find Luo Jingyun among the crowd of glamorous stars.

The order of the ceremony was fixed, starting with the announcement of some behind-the-scenes awards. In these five years, Chen Shidong had done as she said, marrying Liu Yuqi and making the announcement public. Later, she and Liu Yuqi went abroad for further studies—Chen Shidong studied screenwriting while Liu Yuqi studied directing. After completing their studies, the two returned and filmed an environmentalist movie. That movie was also nominated this year and swept both the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards.

Tan Jizhu applauded, genuinely happy for Liu Yuqi and Chen Shidong’s achievements.

The awards were presented one after another, and soon it was the most thrilling moment.

“We are about to announce the most important award of the day, the Best Actor award.” As the camera cut to the nominees, the host joked: “The competition this year is exceptionally fierce! We have highly respected seniors, as well as two juniors who were each the youngest at the time of their first win. Who will be the one to take it home today?”

“Then, without further ado, the winner of this year’s Houtu Award for Best Actor is…”