The Movie Queen's Beloved Crybaby Alpha - Chapter 16

Thanks to the strong support she had found, Ye Qinglan’s gaming journey had become remarkably smooth.

When she finally grew tired and looked up at the time, she was startled.

Good heavens, it was already half past midnight.

If Ke Ying found out she had stayed up late right after coming home, she’d definitely get scolded.

She quickly put away her phone and said, “Alright, alright, that’s enough for today.”

Ning Yunshu seemed reluctant to stop, smacking her lips lightly. “Time to rest already?”

Ye Qinglan glanced at her. “It’s 12:30. Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

Ning Yunshu immediately looked pitiful and muttered softly, “I do…”

Ye Qinglan sighed helplessly. “Exactly. Go get some rest.”

“Okay…” Ning Yunshu pouted in response.

After a pause, she hesitated and looked at Ye Qinglan. “Then… goodnight, sis?”

Seeing her like this, Ye Qinglan sighed inwardly before reaching out to ruffle Ning Yunshu’s hair. “Goodnight. Go to sleep.”

Ning Yunshu instantly beamed. “Okay! Goodnight!”

With that, she floated happily back to her room.

Ye Qinglan watched her go, shaking her head in amusement before returning to her own room. After freshening up, she went to bed early.

For once, there was no morning whistle, but after a month of routine, she still woke up out of habit.

Just as she was about to roll over and go back to sleep, she heard faint noises from the living room.

Still half-asleep, she got up and stepped out of her room, only to see the kitchen light on and Ning Yunshu bustling inside.

Hearing the movement, Ning Yunshu turned in surprise, then set down what she was doing and walked over. “Sis? Why are you up so early?”

Ye Qinglan covered a yawn with her hand. “You slept so late last night. How are you awake already?”

Ning Yunshu smiled brightly. “I wanted to prepare lunch for you. But don’t worry, I’m used to sleeping less, so I’m still full of energy.”

Ye Qinglan frowned, about to say something, when Ning Yunshu cut in. “Alright, sis, do you want to go back to sleep or have breakfast first?”

After a moment’s thought, Ye Qinglan realized she probably wouldn’t fall asleep again anyway. “I’ll go wash up first.”

Ning Yunshu chuckled softly. “Okay, I’ll get breakfast ready.”

By the time Ye Qinglan finished freshening up and came back out, Ning Yunshu had already set out breakfast. The two ate together, after which Ning Yunshu went back to preparing the lunchbox while Ye Qinglan, with nothing else to do, lingered nearby, trying to help.

But Ning Yunshu wouldn’t let her, so she could only watch from the sidelines.

Once the lunchbox was ready, Ning Yunshu reluctantly got ready to leave for work.

Ye Qinglan smiled at her. “Go on. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Only then did Ning Yunshu nod. “Then wait for me, sis.”

With that, she left the house.

Whether it was her imagination or not, the apartment suddenly felt much quieter.

Ye Qinglan laughed at herself for overthinking it, stretched, and decided to go back to bed for a nap.

She slept until noon, reheated the lunch Ning Yunshu had prepared, and ate. After resting for a while, she did a yoga session. Seeing that there was still plenty of time, she decided to play some games.

Yesterday, with Ning Yunshu by her side, climbing ranks was as easy as drinking water. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there today, and with the higher tier, Ye Qinglan found it quite challenging to play.

Not landing and immediately getting eliminated was already something to be thankful for.

The more she played, the more frustrated Ye Qinglan became. After several hours, she hadn’t gained a single point and almost lost all the progress Ning Yunshu had helped her achieve.

She was so angry she almost wanted to smash her phone.

Just then, the sound of the electronic lock beeped, Ning Yunshu had returned at that very moment.

Ye Qinglan glanced over, her eyes filled with resentment.

Ning Yunshu paused, then looked at the phone in Ye Qinglan’s hand, seeing the word “Defeat” on the screen, and fell silent.

Then, she smiled and said, “I’m back. What would you like for dinner, sis?”

Ye Qinglan shot her a look and replied irritably, “Anything is fine.”

“Hmm, then… can I make a small request?” Ning Yunshu asked.

“What is it? Just say it,” Ye Qinglan said, puzzled.

Ning Yunshu grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. “After dinner, do you want to play games together? I love the feeling of playing with you.”

Ye Qinglan froze, instinctively replying, “But I’m not good at it. I’m terrible.”

“How could that be? You’re amazing, sis. And with you by my side, I feel like no one can beat me,” Ning Yunshu said with a laugh.

Ye Qinglan thought to herself that even without her, few people could defeat Ning Yunshu.

But hearing those words now, she mostly felt a sense of satisfaction.

Ye Qinglan coughed lightly and pretended to be indifferent. “If you want to, I guess it’s fine. But I have to sleep early tonight, I have work tomorrow.”

Ning Yunshu cheerfully agreed, “Got it! Then I’ll go cook, and after we eat, we’ll play.”

With that, she washed her hands and headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Once the meal was ready, Ning Yunshu called Ye Qinglan to eat. After finishing and washing the dishes, she stared at Ye Qinglan with eager eyes.

Ye Qinglan couldn’t withstand that gaze and opened the game, inviting Ning Yunshu to join.

Sure enough, with Ning Yunshu on the team, Ye Qinglan once again experienced what it meant to be carried to victory.

Ning Yunshu single-handedly dominated the match while Ye Qinglan happily followed behind, picking up equipment, securing kills, and climbing ranks.

They played until 10 p.m., finally recovering all the lost points and even gaining a bit more.

Putting down her phone, Ye Qinglan stretched with a satisfied sigh, her earlier gloom completely gone, replaced by sheer delight.

“Alright, that’s enough for tonight,” Ye Qinglan said, glancing at Ning Yunshu.

But she met Ning Yunshu’s warm, affectionate gaze and immediately felt flustered, quickly looking away.

“You should rest early too. I have to go out tomorrow morning for costume fitting photos, I don’t know when I’ll be back, so don’t prepare lunch for me,” Ye Qinglan said rapidly.

Ning Yunshu didn’t call out her awkwardness and simply replied, “Okay, got it.”

Hearing this, Ye Qinglan hurried back to her room, moving as if she were fleeing.

Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and let out a long exhale.

If this continued, she would inevitably fall for Ning Yunshu’s gentle advances.

Though her reservations had faded, surrendering so easily felt like letting Ning Yunshu off too lightly.

Hmm… though, if she were honest, reconciling would probably benefit her more.

At that thought, Ye Qinglan quickly shook her head.

No, given the current circumstances, it’s not possible. She’s just starting out in the film industry and hasn’t established herself yet. If she were to reconcile with Ning Yunshu now, never mind the gossip outside, even a secret relationship would be unfair to Ning Yunshu.

She needs to wait a little longer at least until she’s firmly established and has enough credibility, so people won’t immediately assume she’s relying on Ning Yunshu’s influence.

Even if public opinion might still twist things in the end, at the very least, she and Ning Yunshu should be together openly.

After all, she’s already waited seven years. Holding out a little longer isn’t impossible, it’s just hard on Ning Yunshu.

Though she often says Ning Yunshu owes her, Ye Qinglan knows better than anyone that it wasn’t Ning Yunshu who kept them apart for seven years.

In fact, Ning Yunshu herself was a victim in all this.

At this thought, Ye Qinglan rubbed her temples and stepped into the bathroom.

She’d find a chance later to properly explain things to Ning Yunshu.

There shouldn’t be any more misunderstandings between them.

After freshening up, Ye Qinglan turned in early.

The next morning, Zhou Tiantian came to pick her up, coincidentally running into Ning Yunshu as they left the apartment. Standing in the elevator, Zhou Tiantian tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible while listening to their conversation.

“Sister, if you finish work early and I’m still at the office, wait for me at home. If it’s late, just send me a message, and I’ll cook later,” Ning Yunshu murmured, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ye Qinglan.

Ye Qinglan smiled helplessly. “No need. If I come back late, you should eat first. Don’t wait for me.”

“It’s fine, I’m not in a hurry,” Ning Yunshu shrugged.

Ye Qinglan sighed. “Alright, but if it gets too late, eat without me. Understood?”

Only then did Ning Yunshu obediently agree. “Okay, got it.”

When the elevator reached the underground garage, they parted ways as their cars were parked in different spots.

“I’m off to work. See you later, sister.”

“See you.”

The moment they separated, Ye Qinglan turned to find Zhou Tiantian staring at her with an expression that screamed unspoken words.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qinglan asked, puzzled.

Zhou Tiantian quickly shook her head. “Nothing, it’s just… President Ning seems so down-to-earth.”

Ye Qinglan curved her lips slightly. “Why would she put on airs at home? I don’t control her. Come on, let’s not keep Director Xu waiting.”

With that, she strode briskly toward the car.

Zhou Tiantian hesitated but, as Ye Qinglan was her boss, didn’t dare say anything more and hurried after her.

When they arrived at the filming location, they found they were the first ones there. Director Xu Su was chatting with the cinematographer and waved when she spotted Ye Qinglan.

“Director Xu,” Ye Qinglan greeted politely as she approached.

Humble, diligent, and exceptionally hardworking during training, Ye Qinglan had gradually won over Xu Su, who had initially been skeptical about her being “placed” in the project, to the point where the director now held her in high regard.

“Qinglan, you’re here early?” Xu Su asked cheerfully.

Ye Qinglan smiled. “Didn’t want to risk being late, so I left a bit earlier.”

“Mm.” Xu Su seemed quite satisfied, then smiled and said, “Not everyone has arrived yet. Go change your clothes first. We’ll see how many people show up later. If it’s not enough, we can start by taking all your solo shots first.”

“Alright, I’ll go now.” Ye Qinglan didn’t say much more and turned to walk toward the dressing room.

Xu Su watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.

The cameraman chuckled and remarked, “This young actress, Ye, is really down-to-earth.”

Xu Su smiled faintly and simply replied,

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have kept her.”

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