A Washed-up Movie Queen's Divorce Strategy [Rebirth] - Chapter 50

Although Ming Lang had visited Tao Yuan’s place a few times, she was relatively low-profile after that first visit—coming and going alone, silent and unnoticed. Han Xinyuan, however, had never been to such a place and lacked experience. She drove straight over in her Porsche 911. Unfortunately, West City was an old district filled with shantytowns and winding streets. Following the navigation’s constant left and right turns, she eventually got lost. Her flashy car drew countless onlookers along the way, and she finally ended up completely stuck in a dead-end alley, unable to move. Han Xinyuan stared at the pile of trash in front of her windshield, wanting to cry but having no tears.

If it had been two months earlier, Han Xinyuan wouldn’t have been so famous. She had filmed a few movies and taken on some TV dramas, but she rarely appeared in public, and even basic information about her was scarce. But as fate would have it, Han Xinyuan had joined a variety show recently to compete with Ji Chenli for Ming Lang’s attention. Unexpectedly, she became an overnight sensation; the ratings soared, and after the first episode aired, she stayed on the trending searches for days. The buzz was so high it couldn’t be suppressed even if she wanted to. With her current level of fame, she didn’t dare open her car door, fearing she’d be swamped by a crowd the moment she stepped out.

Hungry and exhausted, Han Xinyuan sat in the car for half an hour. During that time, several groups of people came by to marvel—a Porsche in a slum! Many people found it novel and took out their phones to snap 360-degree photos of her car. It wasn’t until half an hour later that the crowd finally dispersed.

Han Xinyuan breathed a sigh of relief. However, looking at the pitch-black surroundings without a single streetlight, surrounded by low, dilapidated old buildings, she realized she was trapped. She couldn’t call Ji Chenli, and in despair, she slumped over the steering wheel, thinking she would have to wait until midnight when no one was around to slowly find her way out.

Just as she was giving up, a figure suddenly flickered in her rearview mirror. She had a good memory; even from a distance and in dim light, she recognized the person instantly. Feeling as if she had found a lifeline, she hurriedly opened the door and got out. “Sister Tao Yuan!”

It was nearly ten o’clock. Tao Yuan had just settled the children into sleep and finished a thirty-minute video call with Ji Chenli. She was planning to take out the trash, wash up, and go to bed. She was startled when someone called her name near the trash heap in the middle of the night. Turning around, she didn’t notice Han Xinyuan leaning against the door at first; instead, she was blinded by the flashy sports car. Only when Han Xinyuan trotted over with a beaming smile did Tao Yuan realize—Oh, isn’t this that little girl who’s in cahoots with the one named Ming?

Tao Yuan was fiercely protective of her own. She always held the attitude that whoever her Chen-chen disliked was her enemy. Consequently, she didn’t give Han Xinyuan a warm welcome, merely nodding coldly. “It’s you.”

Han Xinyuan and Tao Yuan had only met once, on the day Ji Chenli was hospitalized. They had talked quite pleasantly then. Unaware that Ji Chenli had spoken ill of her afterward, Han Xinyuan greeted Tao Yuan warmly. Though they weren’t close, she offered a sincere smile. “This is great, Sister Tao Yuan. I finally found you.”

“Why were you looking for me?” Tao Yuan asked suspiciously.

Han Xinyuan was stumped. Her gaze shifted uncomfortably. “Nothing much. I brought some local specialties back from filming in the Northwest. I specifically brought some for Chenli… and you.”

“Oh. Thank you for the kind gesture, Miss Han, but Chen-chen isn’t here. It’s too late to entertain guests; please head back.”

“Huh?” Han Xinyuan had felt they got along well last time and expected a warm reception. She hadn’t expected Tao Yuan to be so cold. Seeing Tao Yuan actually turn to leave, Han Xinyuan grabbed her arm in desperation, offering a bitter smile. “Sister Tao Yuan, I… I think I’m lost. Could you please lead me out?”

As she spoke, her stomach let out a loud growl, booming in the silent night. Han Xinyuan instinctively covered her stomach, but it was too late. Tao Yuan looked at her with a half-smile, waiting for an explanation. With a flushed face, Han Xinyuan explained awkwardly, “I left in a hurry… didn’t eat enough tonight.”

“…” Since she had put it that way, Tao Yuan couldn’t very well turn a guest away. She got into Han Xinyuan’s car and guided her back to the orphanage.

Tao Yuan cooked exactly enough for the children every day, so there were virtually no leftovers. She had no choice but to boil a bowl of noodles for Han Xinyuan, adding a poached egg and a few stalks of green vegetables for garnish. Before serving, she drizzled a few drops of sesame oil, and the aroma filled the air.

Han Xinyuan was truly famished. At first, she tried to maintain her manners, but the more she ate, the more delicious she found Tao Yuan’s noodles. She finished a large sea-bowl of noodles, completely forgetting her manager and fitness trainer’s strict dietary warnings. She even drank the soup until not a drop remained. Covering her mouth, she gave a quiet hiccup and smiled bashfully while rubbing her stomach. “I’ve never eaten such delicious noodles. Thank you for the meal, Sister Tao Yuan.”

“…” Although Tao Yuan secretly wanted to kick her out, one does not hit a smiling face. Han Xinyuan’s attitude was good, so Tao Yuan simply stood up to collect the bowl. “Chen-chen really isn’t here. If you have nothing else, Miss Han, please head back.” With that, she took a flashlight and left the kitchen to go to the second floor and check on the children who might have kicked off their blankets.

“Then where did she go?” Han Xinyuan wasn’t giving up, following Tao Yuan persistently.

“Africa.”

“Africa?” Han Xinyuan gasped. “What is she doing running off to that godforsaken place?”

None of your business, Tao Yuan thought as she walked ahead. Reaching the children’s dormitory, she checked each one, tucking small hands back under the covers and picking up stray clothes and socks to put in her basket.

She moved very quietly to avoid waking the children. The flashlight was off, and the faint moonlight spilled into the room, bathing her in its glow. Seeing the maternal love in Tao Yuan’s eyes, Han Xinyuan thought that while this woman looked ordinary and had a bit of a temper, she possessed the silent, vast compassion of the Bodhisattvas her grandmother worshipped in the shrine.

Having lost her parents early, Han Xinyuan had only faint memories of them. In this moment, she couldn’t help but think that if her mother were still alive, she would be just like Tao Yuan—worrying late at night about her daughter catching a cold and getting up to tuck her in.

Inexplicably, Han Xinyuan felt a twinge of envy toward Ji Chenli.

They were both orphans. Although she had grown up with no lack of food or clothing, she felt Ji Chenli’s life was a hundred—a thousand—times better than hers.

Ji Chenli didn’t have parents, but she had Tao Yuan. Tao Yuan had protected her well, giving her the same love and care a mother would. Thus, while Han Xinyuan had spent her life searching for someone who could give her a sense of security, Ji Chenli had become reliable enough to give security to others.

Only someone who has felt secure since childhood has that kind of capital. Han Xinyuan didn’t. She had been losing things since she was a child, which only made her more desperate to grab onto things that belonged to her.

Once Tao Yuan finished tending to the children and stepped back out, Han Xinyuan asked, “Did Ji Chenli grow up here too?”

At the mention of Ji Chenli, a smile appeared on Tao Yuan’s face, and she opened up. “We grew up together. She was both cowardly and mischievous as a kid. Every time she got into trouble, she’d come find me, and then the old director would punish us both.”

They walked into the courtyard, and Tao Yuan pointed to a stone stool in the corner, laughing. “See that? She used a small hammer to chip it away bit by bit when the adults weren’t looking. That missing corner is Chen-chen’s masterpiece.”

Tao Yuan was sincerely proud of Ji Chenli. She remembered every little bit of mischief Ji Chenli had done as a child and spoke of them with a tone of pride.

Han Xinyuan leaned in to look at the stool. Sure enough, a corner was missing. She imagined a young Ji Chenli squatting on the ground with a little hammer, her bottom wiggling as she did her dirty work, and couldn’t help but laugh. Her voice carried a hint of affection she didn’t even notice: “Chenli, you were quite a brat when you were little.”

“What didn’t she dare to do back then? Climbing trees, scaling walls, playing pranks… she feared nothing. When she finally grew up, I thought she’d find a good husband and live a happy life, and I’d be satisfied. Who knew…” Tao Yuan glared at Han Xinyuan and snorted, “Who knew she’d run into a thing like the one named Ming!”

Tao Yuan held a grudge against Ming Lang, and by extension, everyone associated with her. Han Xinyuan could only pretend not to hear and focused on the chipped stone stool. After staring for a while, she made a decision. She bid Tao Yuan farewell, sped home, and began researching preparations for going to Africa.

She hadn’t realized it before, but the more she thought about it now, the more she appreciated Ji Chenli’s virtues. Han Xinyuan was a selfish person; once she decided something was good, she would use any means to make it hers. It was true for Ming Lang before, and it was true for Ji Chenli now. Since Ji Chenli was divorced, even if Ming Lang still had lingering feelings, the prize would go to whoever was more capable. They were students of the same master; was she, Han Xinyuan, any worse than Ming Lang?

The bystander sees clearly while the participant is blind. Now that she had stepped out of her old obsession, Han Xinyuan felt she must have been blind to ever fancy Ming Lang. Clearly, Ji Chenli was the one she wanted most.

Ming Residence, Study.

Ming Lang sat behind her desk, her right index finger tapping rhythmically on the surface. Her face was frosted with a layer of ice, her lips pressed tight, and her brow carried its usual cold indifference. However, her eyes were like dark ink. A row of men stood before her; their looks were ordinary—the type that would disappear in a crowd—but their bodies were sturdy and their stances exceptionally stable. They were clearly life-long martial artists.

Any one of these men, if hired individually, would be a top-tier guard that elite families would scramble for. Now, they stood in a row with their heads bowed, faces pale, not even daring to breathe loudly.

“You lost her?” Ming Lang finally spoke. The rhythmic tapping stopped abruptly as she swept her gaze over them.

At that single glance from Ming Lang, these top-tier guards all felt their knees go weak in unison.

“Eldest Miss, it was our failure. We are willing to accept punishment,” the leader said through gritted teeth, struggling to speak under Ming Lang’s blade-like gaze.

Ming Lang said nothing, only staring at him.

The air in the study seemed to be sucked dry. Everyone lowered their heads even further. The leader’s back was soaked with sweat. He stole a glance and only saw Ming Lang’s hand resting on the desk.

Her shirt sleeve was slightly raised, revealing her wrist. It was a hand that belonged entirely to a woman—well-maintained with delicate skin—but it was very thin. A thin layer of skin tightly outlined the bones. The wrist was so slender it looked like it could be snapped with one hand, yet the moment that hand moved slightly, the guards acted as if they were facing a great enemy. The sweat on the leader’s back turned to ice, as if he had suddenly been dropped into a cellar.

“Twenty-four hours,” Ming Lang said.

The men were all stunned.

“Within twenty-four hours, find her.”

“Yes…” The leader seemed slow to react. It took a few seconds to snap back. “Yes, yes! Thank you, Eldest Miss!”

“Get out.”

They retreated with practiced silence.

Ming Lang’s hand clenched into a fist on the desk, her nails unconsciously digging into the flesh of her palm.

Chenli, where on earth are you?