The Movie Queen's Beloved Crybaby Alpha - Chapter 36

Restrained yet scorching breaths brushed against Ye Qinglan’s ear, making her earlobes burn.

“W-what kind of status are you talking about?” Ye Qinglan decided to continue playing dead rather than turn to look at Ning Yunshu, gently nudging her with an elbow. “Alright, it’s getting late. Let me go and go to sleep.”

“No.” Ning Yunshu stubbornly refused to release her.

“If you won’t give me status, then I’ll just keep holding Sister while we sleep.”

“Ning Yunshu, are you even being reasonable?” Ye Qinglan smacked Ning Yunshu’s arms in frustration.

“Nope.” Ning Yunshu huffed and tightened her embrace.

Ye Qinglan sighed and finally turned to face her. “So eager for status, are you?”

Ning Yunshu nodded eagerly.

Ye Qinglan deliberately teased her. “Fine, then wait until after the variety show ends.”

In the darkness, Ning Yunshu’s eyes sparkled.

“Sister, are you serious?”

“Then take it as a joke.” Ye Qinglan made to turn away.

“No!” Ning Yunshu immediately stopped her.

“Sister always keeps her word, of course it’s true.”

“Then let me go and sleep properly.” Ye Qinglan said exasperatedly.

“No way. Since Sister won’t give me status until later, at least let me hold you while we sleep now.”

In short, she was shamelessly persistent.

Ye Qinglan, utterly helpless against her clinginess, simply gave up and closed her eyes.

“Then behave and sleep.”

Ning Yunshu was satisfied.

“Okay~”

The night passed without further incident.

Early the next morning, after freshening up, Ye Qinglan received a call from Yun Xi.

“Lanlan, are you up yet?”

“I’m up, Aunt Yun. I’ll grab breakfast and then come pick you up.” Ye Qinglan chuckled. “You should eat something too.”

“Ah, good! I just called to tell you not to rush.” Yun Xi laughed warmly.

Ye Qinglan smiled. “Alright, I’ll call you when I’m heading out?”

“Sure, sure.”

They hung up.

“Sister, breakfast is ready.” Ning Yunshu emerged from the kitchen carrying dishes.

“Coming.” Setting down her phone, Ye Qinglan headed to the dining table.

After breakfast, the two went their separate ways, Ning Yunshu to work, and Ye Qinglan to the hotel to fetch Yun Xi.

Yun Xi was already waiting by the roadside when Ye Qinglan’s car pulled up, and she climbed right in.

Seeing Ye Qinglan in sunglasses, Yun Xi grinned. “Ah, finally we can go shopping out in the open! Tell me what you want later, and Aunt Yun will buy it for you.”

Ye Qinglan laughed. “Xiao Shu gave me her card. Said all our expenses today are on her.”

“Good, she should pay. She’s the richest among us now, who else’s money should we spend?” Yun Xi nodded approvingly.

Ye Qinglan chuckled and drove them to S City’s largest luxury mall.

After parking, they strolled boldly into the mall.

Ye Qinglan wore only sunglasses, no hat or mask, and linked arms affectionately with Yun Xi. Yun Xi, having been away for years, was curious about everything, pulling Ye Qinglan along to ask questions, which Ye Qinglan answered with smiles.

They browsed nearly every store, emerging each time with shopping bags. Eventually, they arranged for the mall to deliver all their purchases to Ye Qinglan’s home.

During this period, Ye Qinglan’s popularity had already soared due to the filming of the movie “Ten-Day Operation,” so she was quickly recognized, and photos of her were even posted online.

The fan community immediately buzzed with excitement.

“Ahhhhhhh, everyone look who I ran into today! Lanbao is so beautiful! That figure, that aura I saw her in person, friends! [Photo][Photo]”

“Holy crap, is that really Lanbao? She never goes out except for work, like a total homebody. Who’s that with her? Her mom?”

“They don’t look alike at all, and she’s so young. Maybe a cousin or something?”

While the internet was abuzz with speculation, the two of them were happily shopping.

After buying quite a bit, they entered a café for coffee and a break.

Yun Xi scrolled through her phone, amused by the photos and comments about them online.

“Ah, young people these days have such good taste. I could practically be your sister,” Yun Xi mused.

“The angles are well-shot too. I like them.”

Ye Qinglan could only laugh at the remarks.

After updating Ke Ying on their situation, she turned to Yun Xi. “Where would you like to go next, Aunt Yun?”

Yun Xi thought for a moment. “Let’s visit the J.S store. I can check on Yunshu’s business here while we’re at it.”

“Alright,” Ye Qinglan agreed.

After resting, they headed upstairs to the J.S boutique. The store manager hurried over upon seeing Yun Xi.

“Madam Yun, what a pleasure to see you,” the manager greeted warmly.

Yun Xi waved cheerfully. “No need to fuss. We’ll just browse.”

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything. Should I contact Young Miss Ning for you?” the manager asked.

“She’ll come when she’s free. We’re fine on our own,” Yun Xi replied.

Taking the hint, the manager stepped back. Yun Xi then pulled Ye Qinglan along, having her help pick out anything that caught her eye.

“See if there’s anything your mother might like. I still haven’t given her a proper gift since returning,” Yun Xi said with a smile.

Ye Qinglan chuckled. “You say that, but Mom couldn’t stop talking about the things you brought last time.”

“That’s different. Hmm, what about this necklace? Let’s take a look.”

“Right away, madam,” the clerk responded promptly, presenting the selected necklace.

Yun Xi examined it, then held it up to Ye Qinglan. “Yes, this is nice. Wrap it up.”

Ye Qinglan found it both amusing and exasperating, Yun Xi asked for her opinion but ended up buying whatever she fancied without hesitation. Not that bargaining was necessary, since it was their family’s business.

As they continued browsing, Ye Qinglan’s phone rang.

“Who is it?” Yun Xi asked curiously.

Glancing at the screen, Ye Qinglan replied, “It’s Xiaoshu.”

“Answer it. Maybe she’s done with work,” Yun Xi said, tilting her chin.

Ye Qinglan nodded and picked up the call.

“Sis, where are you guys now?” Ning Yunshu asked immediately.

“At your boutique. Are you finished?” Ye Qinglan countered.

“All done. I’ll come get you right now,” Ning Yunshu responded eagerly.

“So soon?” Ye Qinglan was surprised. “I thought it wasn’t until evening?”

“I missed you.”

Ning Yunshu’s coquettish reply instantly made Ye Qinglan’s ears turn red, especially since Yun Xi was standing nearby, giving her a meaningful look.

Ye Qinglan’s face burned as she cleared her throat. “Well, come over then.”

She quickly hung up after speaking.

Yun Xi teased with a smirk, “Yunshu’s coming?”

“Yes,” Ye Qinglan replied stiffly, nodding.

“Relax, relax. This was bound to happen sooner or later.” Yun Xi patted her shoulder before leading her to the lounge area of the boutique, where a staff member promptly served them tea.

As they waited, it wasn’t long before they heard the staff greet in unison.

“Good afternoon, Chairwoman!”

The synchronized voices drew the attention of other customers in the store.

Hearing the commotion, Ye Qinglan and Yun Xi looked up to see Ning Yunshu striding toward them.

“Well, well, our busy little Chairwoman finally freed up?” Yun Xi joked.

Ning Yunshu sighed in exasperation as she sat beside Ye Qinglan. “I finished early. Nothing urgent this afternoon, so I thought I’d join you two.”

“For me or for Lanlan?” Yun Xi prodded deliberately.

Ning Yunshu rolled her eyes and took a sip of the water Ye Qinglan handed her.

“You already know the answer.”

“Tch.” Yun Xi feigned disgust.

“Alright, since she’s here, let’s grab lunch. I’m starving.” Yun Xi grabbed her bag and stood up.

“Sure, any preferences?” Ning Yunshu asked.

“Hot pot. I’ve been craving it since I was abroad,” Yun Xi decided immediately.

Ning Yunshu turned to Ye Qinglan. “Sis, any good hot pot places nearby?”

Ye Qinglan nearly forgot both of them had been away for years and probably had no idea where to eat.

“Fine, I’ll take you to a good one.”

“Great, we’ll follow Lanlan’s lead.”

The three stepped out of the J.S boutique, and the moment they did, Ye Qinglan’s sharp instincts picked up on cameras pointed their way. Ning Yunshu naturally looped her arm through Ye Qinglan’s and grinned at Yun Xi.

“Mom, can you still handle spicy food?”

“Of course! Don’t underestimate me.”

Subtle flashes of camera lights flickered barely noticeable, but unmistakable to someone as attuned to them as Ye Qinglan. She glanced at Ning Yunshu, who simply smiled and nodded.

Sure enough, before they even reached the hot pot restaurant, photos of them had rocketed to the top of trending searches.

[J.S Chairwoman Spotted Privately with Actress Ye Qinglan at J.S Boutique.]

The accompanying photo showed the three exiting the store, Ye Qinglan in the middle, Yun Xi and Ning Yunshu on either side, with Ning Yunshu clinging affectionately to Ye Qinglan’s arm.

Of the three, only Ye Qinglan wore sunglasses.

The comments exploded.

Chive Omelette: Wait, who with who? How are these two together?
Rippling Waters: Holy crap, I can confirm, I just saw them!
Melon Farmer: Fun fact: Ye Qinglan’s breakout film Dawn was funded by J.S. Without them, it wouldn’t have been made. Read between the lines.
Lemon Spirit: Hold up, what’s this implying? Some shady connection between them?

The entertainment industry has no real feelings: Hmph, what else could it be? An ordinary internet celebrity becoming a film queen there must be some capitalist backing her, right? Probably got pushed up by connections, yet still pretending to be some pure exception in the industry.

Lanbao, Fly High: Hey, upstairs, watch your mouth. A dirty mind sees filth everywhere. If it were that kind of relationship, would they openly appear together in public? Also, if your eyes are useless, you might as well donate them. Can’t you see the woman next to Lanbao looks just like Little Ning’s CEO?

First in Line for Gossip: You know what, now that you mention it… Could it be Little Ning’s sister or mother? Damn, now I’m even more curious about their relationship. Someone needs to dig into this ASAP! I’m dying to know!

In an instant, the entire internet started digging into their relationship.

Meanwhile, the people involved were already seated in a hotpot restaurant, placing their orders.

While ordering, Ning Yunshu glanced at the online buzz and smiled faintly.

Let the netizens keep digging for a while longer.

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