After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 48

Thank You, My Love (Main Story End)

When she saw Tan Jizhu lying before her eyes, severely wounded, Luo Jingyun’s violently thumping heart told her that she still loved Tan Jizhu. And Tan Jizhu’s unhesitating choice to save her made her believe that the woman hadn’t come to choose her as a “second best” simply because pursuing Liu Yuqi had been hopeless.

Though her head was a bit concussed from the blow of a blunt club, her ability to think remained intact. Luo Jingyun sorted out the relationship between herself and Tan Jizhu in her mind and made a final decision.

The reason she did not go to collect the divorce certificate was not out of pity for her, nor was it out of gratitude. At the root of the kidnapping case, Tan Jizhu bore responsibility for Li Deng’s half of the trouble, while she herself bore responsibility for Sun Hua’s half. She would not offer herself as a reward simply because of the “suspension bridge effect” or a so-called life-saving debt.

Yet, not reconciling immediately was also not a matter of blaming Tan Jizhu. Just as she had said, she had already wasted too much time.

Tan Jizhu loved Luo Jingyun, and Luo Jingyun loved Tan Jizhu.

However, before pursuing love, Luo Jingyun needed to find her own life.

Once she confirmed that Tan Jizhu’s injuries were gradually improving, she brought everyone back together. After saying her goodbyes at the airport, she plunged herself into her work.

She had discussed it early on with their two mothers; they wanted to ensure Li Deng and Sun Hua paid the price for their actions. Before long, definitive news arrived. This time, the problem was finally pulled out by the roots.

All episodes of Journey of the Cultivated Heart had been broadcast, and the netizens’ evaluation of Luo Jingyun underwent an earth-shattering change. Through her hard work on the show, she successfully transformed her image from a do-nothing socialite into one of a grounded, diligent worker. This was a massive help for her subsequent career developments.

As Chen Shidong and Liu Yuqi went public with their relationship, the volume of fans shipping Chen Shidong and Tan Jizhu decreased significantly. Conversely, the “CP” fans of her and Tan Jizhu began to grow active.

Luo Jingyun saw those comments hoping for their remarriage and simply smiled, letting them pass.

Having adjusted her state of mind, Luo Jingyun threw herself into work. Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian customized a plan for her, letting her start with supporting roles to hone her acting skills before taking on lead roles.

Once Luo Jingyun switched into work mode, she practically lived at the film and television bases. It was only then that she realized how narrow her previous thinking had been. In the process of acting, she might be the eldest daughter of a Prime Minister’s manor one month, a wandering refugee the next, and a few months later, a scientist swimming in a sea of knowledge.

Each transformation of character allowed Luo Jingyun to gain more insights into life. However, once she stepped out of a role, she was still Luo Jingyun—the Luo Jingyun entangled with Tan Jizhu.

At first, Luo Jingyun didn’t pay much attention to the fact that Tan Jizhu always appeared at the same filming locations. After all, there were only a few major film bases in the country, and many crews shared the same sets; she simply assumed it was a coincidence. It wasn’t until she went to the desert to shoot outdoor scenes and encountered Tan Jizhu there for a magazine cover shoot that she realized something was off.

After the shoot ended, Tan Jizhu greeted her warmly. She questioned the other woman on what she meant by this. Tan Jizhu made excuses at first, but later laid her cards on the table: she was following her on purpose.

Luo Jingyun thought for a moment and then invited Tan Jizhu to her room that night.

They were both adults, and they had a 98% compatibility rate. Luo Jingyun figured that rather than enduring a shot of suppressants, she might as well make herself comfortable. From then on, although they hadn’t officially reconciled, she and Tan Jizhu had deeper levels of contact—more frequent than in the first three years of their marriage. It was mainly Tan Jizhu who put in the effort, though occasionally Luo Jingyun would suggest a change of pace and take the initiative.

During this time, Tan Jizhu suggested that she wanted a lifetime mark, but Luo Jingyun refused, citing it as “crossing the line.” Upon hearing this, Tan Jizhu stopped mentioning it.

In her second year of returning to the entertainment industry, Luo Jingyun successfully auditioned for the lead in a major production. The story followed a police officer working to solve human trafficking. Just as she was about to successfully rescue a victim, the victim killed the buyer’s entire family. As a police officer, she was the sole witness to the crime. She had to choose whether or not to tell the truth.

The script had two endings prepared. The director and the screenwriter each held their own views, and ultimately, they left the decision to Luo Jingyun as the lead actress.

Should she fulfill her duty as an officer and bring the killer to justice, or should she empathize and hide everything for the victim?

After learning the decision was left to her, Luo Jingyun agonized for a long time. She was actually more inclined toward the latter, but she felt that if she did that, she might face public criticism once the movie was released.

Tan Jizhu was by her side at the time, so Luo Jingyun asked for her opinion.

“Jingyun, don’t worry about what others say. Pursue the most authentic thoughts in your heart.”

“Even if I know it’s wrong and that I’ll be scolded, you still want me to follow my heart?”

“Jingyun, would you care about those things?”

Luo Jingyun shook her head. She no longer cared about external opinions.

Tan Jizhu held her hand and said, “Even if people really do point fingers at you, I will always be by your side, helping you block out those rumors.”

With those words, Luo Jingyun firmly chose the latter.

Once filming began, Luo Jingyun treated every scene with utmost seriousness. Whenever she found a part difficult to digest, she would ask Tan Jizhu. After all, this person was the youngest “Best Actor” winner; it would be a waste not to ask.

During an action scene, because the crew’s protective measures weren’t quite up to par, Luo Jingyun got injured. Because of this senseless misfortune, Luo Jingyun felt some resentment, but since the filming wasn’t even halfway through, she didn’t want to cause a fallout. Unexpectedly, Tan Jizhu found out somehow, came over to accompany her for her check-up, and gave the film crew a stern scolding. It could be considered as venting her anger for her.

The film finished shooting, went through post-production, and was successfully released in theaters. Unexpectedly, the public was very satisfied with the ending, believing that evil should meet its retribution. Luo Jingyun even received a nomination for Best Actress at the Houtu Awards.

When Tan Jizhu found out, she asked if Luo Jingyun could mention her name in the acceptance speech. Luo Jingyun used the same answer Tan Jizhu had once given her, saying it was still too early to think about acceptance speeches.

On the day of the awards ceremony, Luo Jingyun didn’t hold much hope because the competition was so fierce. However, she successfully won the Best Actress award. Because her birthday was later in the year than Tan Jizhu’s, she replaced Tan Jizhu as the youngest-ever winner the moment she won.

Following this event, the internet again heatedly discussed her past with Tan Jizhu. Some fans even began to dig deep into the timeline, piecing together every bit of their history.

Tan Jizhu found her that night and asked why she hadn’t mentioned her name in the speech.

Standing on the podium at that time, Luo Jingyun had been very excited. Although she hadn’t prepared a speech in advance, she had heard the speeches of the previous winners and adapted them to her own situation. It was the old routine: thanking the awards, the crew, the fans, and her family.

But she did not mention Tan Jizhu.

She did it on purpose. When Tan Jizhu asked her, she replied with a touch of vengeful satisfaction, saying she simply forgot.

Luo Jingyun replaced Tan Jizhu as the youngest winner of the Houtu Award, her fame momentarily peerless. Netizens who once thought Luo Jingyun wasn’t good enough for Tan Jizhu all changed sides, calling them a “power couple” and even reminiscing about their time together.

Seeing those comments, Luo Jingyun felt no great waves in her heart and simply scrolled past. She no longer grew suspicious or wavered in her decisions because of others’ words. However, when she saw Tan Jizhu’s disappointed expression when facing her, she felt as if she were seeing the self from years ago.

Over these few years, she had been shuttling between various film sets. Her rest time was spent either on commercial activities or improving her acting. Her flight mileage was more than Lu Qiu and Jiang Xian’s combined.

She did this not only for her career but also to retaliate against Tan Jizhu—letting the other woman experience what it felt like to be left in an empty house all those years ago.

Winning the award and intentionally omitting Tan Jizhu’s name was her way of returning everything she had suffered. She originally thought she would feel joy after successful revenge. But seeing Tan Jizhu in pain made her feel miserable as well.

Two people who truly love each other shouldn’t be so calculating. Love should not be used as a sharp blade to stab the other. Three years of time… the revenge was more or less enough. She thought about finding a time to sit down and have a good talk with Tan Jizhu, to clear everything up and reconcile.

Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu were both career-minded. They advised her to strike while the iron was hot and strive for higher goals. So, after some discussion, they planned two large-scale historical films for her. Pre-production training and formal filming required a lot of time. To immerse herself in the characters and scripts, Luo Jingyun had almost no time to attend to her real life.

Tan Jizhu still came to stay with her wherever the crew was located, and Luo Jingyun proactively enjoyed Tan Jizhu’s services. She often wanted to speak, but felt it wasn’t quite right to say such things right after that kind of activity, so she kept delaying. As a result, she delayed it until the two films finished shooting, which was two years later.

Another awards season arrived. One of the films Luo Jingyun shot was released successfully, achieving a double harvest in box office and reputation. The Houtu Awards nominated her once again. This year, Tan Jizhu was also nominated.

The film Tan Jizhu starred in told the story of a rural woman leading her village to prosperity—a journey even more arduous than what they had experienced in Journey of the Cultivated Heart.

Once again, Tan Jizhu asked her about the acceptance speech.

Although she was ready to reconcile with Tan Jizhu, she didn’t want to give a “spoiler” and brushed it off casually.

Tan Jizhu then asked if she could proactively mention her at the awards ceremony if she were the one to win.

She simply said, “Whatever.”

In her heart, Luo Jingyun still hoped those words would be said by her own initiative. However, she had Tan Jizhu as an opponent, and she had consulted the other woman on some of her acting issues. So, whether she could win this year was still an unknown.

The awards ceremony began. First, several behind-the-scenes awards were announced. Looking around, she found they were all familiar faces. Chen Shidong won Best Screenplay, and Liu Yuqi won Best Director.

There was also Park Soo-ah. After the recording of Journey of the Cultivated Heart ended, she had signed a contract with the entertainment company managed by Jiang Xian. To thank her for taking care of Luo Jingyun during that period, Jiang Xian and Lu Qiu gave her many resources. Park Soo-ah did not disappoint; with her outstanding strength, she brought significant profits to the company, making it a mutually beneficial relationship.

Luo Jingyun heard that Park Soo-ah’s former girl group captain from abroad had also come here to develop her career, and the two had become lovers. She was sincerely happy for her good friend. Later, Park Soo-ah went abroad to study music composition and sang a song for a movie, winning this year’s award for Best Score—a true success in both career and love.

Seeing one familiar person after another at the ceremony, Luo Jingyun realized it had already been five years since they filmed Journey of the Cultivated Heart. With Lu Qiu’s donations and help, Tongxi Village had escaped poverty. The young and middle-aged laborers were willing to stay and build their hometown, forming a virtuous cycle.

The two children Luo Jingyun had taught to play piano were now continuing their studies at a music conservatory.

Luo Jingyun suddenly remembered Liu Yuqi saying she would send them flour made from their harvested wheat the year after recording. She recalled there was such a package; she had left it at home after receiving it, and didn’t know if it had expired by now.

A few more awards were announced, and finally, it was time for the most anticipated category.

Luo Jingyun clenched her hands, waiting for the host to announce the result.

“Alright, without further ado, the winner of this year’s Houtu Award for Best Actor is…” The host opened the envelope and announced: “Luo! Jing! Yun! Congratulations on her second-Best Actor win!”

Luo Jingyun couldn’t believe her ears. Only when she saw the big screen showing her alone did she realize it was all true. She stood up and hugged the members of her film crew. With the stride of a victor, she walked toward the stage. Winning the award for the second time, she was noticeably much calmer.

“Thank you to the Houtu Awards for this recognition, for awarding me this honor once again; thank you to every member of the film crew—my winning this award is inseparable from your dedication; thank you to my fans for your support along the way—when I was lost and helpless, it was you who gave me strength; thank you to my two mothers, who occupy such an important part of my life.”

Speaking to this point, Luo Jingyun took a deep breath. The audience took advantage of her pause to applaud in celebration.

Luo Jingyun calmed her emotions and said, “Finally, I want to thank one more person. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the constant support and help she has given me. Thank you, my love—Tan Jizhu.”