The Movie Queen's Beloved Crybaby Alpha - Chapter 76

Ning Yunshu had noticed something odd about Ye Qinglan these past few days.

Every evening, the moment she returned home, she would shut herself in the study, a space that, according to their established rules, Ning Yunshu was still forbidden to enter.

Thus, she had no way of seeing what went on inside.

Whenever she inquired, whether subtly or directly, Ye Qinglan would brush it off, claiming she was reviewing scripts in the study and getting into character.

Yet the study remained eerily silent, with no trace of lines being recited.

Ye Qinglan would then clarify that she was working on physicality, not dialogue.

After a few attempts, Ning Yunshu gave up.

If Ye Qinglan didn’t want to share, she couldn’t force it. Besides, she had a rough idea of what Ye Qinglan might be preparing for. With only a few days left, she didn’t mind indulging in a little anticipation.

When the day arrived, Ning Yunshu dressed in a white tailcoat, her slender waist and long legs accentuated by the elegant cut. Standing tall, she knocked on Ye Qinglan’s door and waited.

The door opened to reveal Ye Qinglan in a black, backless, cinched evening gown. Ning Yunshu’s breath caught before she quickly composed herself, lifting Ye Qinglan’s hand to press a gentlemanly kiss to its back.

“Sister, you look absolutely stunning today.”

For a moment, Ye Qinglan was transported back to that awards afterparty years ago the first time she had seen Ning Yunshu after so long.

Her tall frame was perfectly outlined by the tailcoat, neither too rigid nor too loose. Now, as she kissed Ye Qinglan’s hand and lifted her gaze with damp, shining eyes, heat spread from Ye Qinglan’s hand through her entire body.

Fortunately, her gloves masked the flush. With a playful twist of her wrist, she caught Ning Yunshu’s chin instead, leaning in with a smile. “Stunning, you say?”

Even with her chin held captive, Ning Yunshu nodded obediently.

Ye Qinglan’s lips curved as she pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“A reward for you, my knight,” she teased.

Ning Yunshu played along seamlessly. “The honor is mine, Your Majesty.”

Ye Qinglan shuddered with laughter, releasing her to straighten up. “Alright, enough joking. Shouldn’t we get going?”

“No rush. We’re waiting for Qin Yun to pick us up,” Ning Yunshu said, already leaning in for another kiss.

Ding-dong. The doorbell chose that exact moment to ring.

Ning Yunshu’s expression soured instantly, while Ye Qinglan bit back a laugh. Noticing the other’s pout, she relented, brushing a kiss over her lips. “Go on, be good and answer the door.”

“Fine,” Ning Yunshu grumbled, appeased, and went to open it.

Qin Yun stood outside, eyeing her before clearing her throat. “President Ning, you might want to touch up your lipstick.”

Ning Yunshu froze, then checked her phone’s camera, oh. A smudge of Ye Qinglan’s lipstick had transferred onto her mouth.

Behind them, Ye Qinglan failed to stifle a giggle.

Flushing, Ning Yunshu muttered, “I’ll go fix it,” and hurried to the bathroom.

Qin Yun wore a somewhat helpless expression before glancing at Ye Qinglan. “Miss Ye, have you finished packing up on your end?”

“All done,” Ye Qinglan nodded.

“Good,” Qin Yun replied, then turned toward the bathroom. Soon, Ning Yunshu emerged, putting on a composed front.

“Alright, let’s go. We shouldn’t keep the guests waiting,” Ning Yunshu said.

“Right,” Qin Yun responded in a strictly professional manner, entirely unfazed by her boss’s informal demeanor.

After all, she’d seen it plenty of times before.

Escorting the two to the hotel, they found Zhou Tiantian and Ke Ying assisting both sets of parents in welcoming guests. Noticing their arrival, Yun Xi clicked her tongue.

“You two are the stars of the show, yet you made us wait here for so long.”

“Stars always make a grand entrance,” Ning Yunshu retorted with a pout.

Yun Xi shot her a look before smiling warmly at Ye Qinglan. “Happy birthday, Lanlan.”

“Thank you, Aunt Yun,” Ye Qinglan replied with a smile.

Lin Xuesong chimed in, “Alright, Xiaoshu, no bickering with your mom. Today is yours and Qinglan’s birthday, you two are the main focus.”

Ning Yunshu grinned. “Of course. Let’s head inside first. Qin Yun can handle things here.”

Hearing this, Ye Qinglan turned to Zhou Tiantian. “Tiantian, stay and help Sister Qin Yun.”

Just as Zhou Tiantian was about to agree, Ke Ying interjected, “Let Tiantian stay by your side in case you need anything. Sister Qin and I can manage here, some guests aren’t as familiar with Tiantian.”

Ye Qinglan didn’t dwell on it, finding Ke Ying’s reasoning sound. “Alright then, Tiantian, come with us.”

“Oh, sure.” Though puzzled, Zhou Tiantian naturally complied with her superior’s instructions.

Entering the hotel, they arrived at the reserved hall, already adorned with balloons and streamers. On the stage, oversized balloon letters spelled out “Happy Birthday.”

As the two made their appearance, the crowd erupted in greetings.

“Happy birthday, Little Ning, Qinglan!”

“Happy birthday!”

The pair acknowledged each well-wisher with smiles. Soon, Xiao Wenjin, Wei Youning, and Xu Youyou approached.

“Happy birthday to you both,” Xiao Wenjin said warmly.

“Happy birthday,” Wei Youning and Xu Youyou echoed.

Ye Qinglan’s eyes curved with amusement. “Thanks, Little Koi, Sister Wei, Youyou.”

“Seriously, can you stop calling me ‘Little Koi’ in private?” Xiao Wenjin groaned.

“Why? You were so proud telling us your childhood nickname was ‘Little Koi,'” Ye Qinglan teased.

Xiao Wenjin sighed. “I just don’t want your Little Ning getting jealous.”

“Oh?” Ye Qinglan turned to Ning Yunshu with a playful grin. “Our Xiaoshu wouldn’t get jealous over something like this, would she?”

Ning Yunshu, who had indeed been jealous before, rubbed her nose awkwardly and shot Xiao Wenjin a look. “Director Xiao, spare me the teasing.”

“Pfft.” Wei Youning tried to stifle a laugh but failed, earning a reproachful glance from Ning Yunshu.

Quick to redirect, Ye Qinglan asked, “Speaking of which, you two seem close?”

Her gaze flicked between Wei Youning and Xiao Wenjin. Wei Youning hastily clarified, “Hold on, I just brought Youyou to thank Director Xiao for her help last time.”

“Really?” Ye Qinglan looked at her with a smile, raising an eyebrow playfully.

“Hey, you little rascal, even daring to tease your senior now?” Wei Youning couldn’t help clicking her tongue.

“She doesn’t just tease seniors, she doesn’t even spare the boss,” Xiao Wenjin chimed in with a complaint.

“So you’ve found someone to complain about me to, huh?” Ye Qinglan said, eyeing her.

Xiao Wenjin shrugged. “Learned from the best.”

Ye Qinglan was momentarily speechless, while Wei Youning asked, “What about Professor Du and Professor Xu? When are they and Professor Jiang arriving?”

“Professor Jiang has a concert and can’t make it. Professor Du and the others should be here soon. I also asked Professor Fang and Professor Zhang, but they’re busy. However, Director Xu and Screenwriter Jiang can come,” Ning Yunshu replied from the side.

“I see. Everyone’s so busy,” Wei Youning sighed.

“Little President Ning,” someone approached to chat just then.

Seeing this, Xiao Wenjin and the other two excused themselves to rest nearby, leaving space for the conversation.

The visitor was one of Ning Yunshu’s business partners. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, Ye Qinglan also greeted them politely and stayed by Ning Yunshu’s side to help with the socializing.

As more guests arrived to say hello, the two handled the interactions with ease.

Du Wenjun and Xu Chaoyang soon arrived. Noticing the two were occupied, they simply greeted them before turning to chat with Wei Youning and the others.

Once everyone had gathered, the birthday celebration reached its peak. A professional host took the stage, introducing the guest of honor for the evening. As the birthday song played, the two were invited to make a wish before cutting the cake.

Gazing at the towering six-tier cake before them, Ye Qinglan couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement. Together with Ning Yunshu, she cut a slice, and amid the crowd’s cheers, they fed each other a bite before handing the cake over to the staff for distribution.

When it came time for gift-giving, Ning Yunshu stepped forward on stage and accepted an exquisitely wrapped jewelry box from Qin Yun. Opening it, she revealed a dazzling set of sapphire jewelry shimmering under the lights.

Ye Qinglan recognized it instantly, it was the very set Ning Yunshu had once asked her to endorse, “Deep Blue Memories.”

Her face filled with surprise as Ning Yunshu spoke: “Sister, this is the original finished piece of ‘Deep Blue Memories.’ I designed it myself for you, carrying seven years of my longing for you, day and night. I never found the right opportunity to give it to you before, so today, I’m using my birthday as the perfect occasion. It was born for you, after all, so no one else could ever wear it as perfectly as you.”

Ye Qinglan’s eyes grew moist. Now she understood why Ning Yunshu had insisted on having her endorse the jewelry back then, even when she had been distant not just to elevate her status, but because this was something Ning Yunshu had personally designed for her.

With trembling hands, she accepted the box, forcing back tears as she managed a smile.

“Thank you, Xiaoshu.”

Ning Yunshu beamed. “As long as you like it, sister.”

Ye Qinglan closed the jewelry box and handed it to Zhou Tiantian, then took a beautifully wrapped gift box from her in return.

“Xiaoshu, this is my gift for you. Open it and see.”

Ning Yunshu had been burning with curiosity, she was desperate to know what Ye Qinglan, who had been holed up in the study for days, had prepared for her.

When she unwrapped the box, inside was a classically styled notebook. As she opened it, her fingertips trembled involuntarily.

There lay photographs she’d never seen before images that truly belonged to their youthful memories. Beneath each photo were recorded the experiences they’d shared during those times.

There was joy and tears, even the most trivial details of daily life.

Yet everything had been preserved.

This was the gift Ye Qinglan had given her, an eternal love entwined with time and longing.

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