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If it had been before, if Qin Xing had brushed her off like that, making her lose face and unable to back down gracefully, she would have definitely lashed out at him and stormed off. But not tonight. Chu Ran wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t know if it was from the cold or discomfort.
Qin Xing took a cigarette and put it in his mouth, but paused before lighting it. He pinched the cigarette between two fingers, took it out, glanced at her, “You came all this way just for this?” Chu Ran said nothing, her silent expression serving as the answer.
Qin Xing nodded, indicating that he understood everything. “Don’t dwell on that little bit of liking I had for you; it’s all in the past. Now, you and I just have a boss-artist relationship. I get you resources and pick scripts for you because I need to make money. Nothing more.” His tone was flat, revealing no hint of lingering affection or playing hard to get. Chu Ran had never been so humble.
“There’s a room full of people still waiting for me upstairs,” Qin Xing said with a slightly apologetic nod, walking towards the club.
“Qin Xing.” A gentle female voice called from behind. Chu Ran and Qin Xing both turned around. Chu Ran recognized the woman; it was Qin Xing’s ex-girlfriend. She quickly turned her head to see Qin Xing’s reaction. He stood by the main door, lit the cigarette he had in his hand, and waited for his ex-girlfriend. The two walked side-by-side, chatting as they entered the club.
Chu Ran didn’t know what his ex-girlfriend said, but Qin Xing smiled, a stark contrast to his attitude when talking to her earlier. Chu Ran let out a long breath, exhaling nothing but broken glass.
Once again, Chu Ran suffered from insomnia that night. At 3:30 AM, physically and mentally tormented, she turned on the light and got up to recite her lines to distract herself. The consequence of insomnia was a thick layer of powder used to cover her dark circles when applying makeup the next day. The stylist kept looking at her in the mirror. “Sister Ran, are you stressed lately and not sleeping well? This won’t do; your eyes look lifeless.”
Chu Ran went along with the stylist’s words, “These past few days have been critical scenes, and I was afraid of not performing well, so I stayed up a bit late memorizing lines last night, and then I just couldn’t fall asleep.” As she spoke, she flipped through her script again. The script was almost worn out from her constant flipping, so the stylist didn’t doubt Chu Ran’s lie at all.
Her current state, even the stylist thought was unacceptable, let alone Zhou Mingqian. Coincidentally, the scenes being filmed these few days were about the happiest period of the female lead’s life. Her complexion and eyes, no matter how one looked at them, had nothing to do with happiness. Even if she tried her best to act, she couldn’t achieve the desired effect. She had three consecutive NGs.
Zhou Mingqian privately called Chu Ran over to chat. “What’s going on today?” Chu Ran held a glass of lemonade with both hands, lowering her head and pondering for a moment. “It’s my personal reason, I apologize for delaying everyone. I’ll adjust as soon as possible.” The once arrogant person now actively showed weakness, so Zhou Mingqian couldn’t scold her anymore. He took a sip of water, “Is an hour enough time?” Chu Ran was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized that Zhou Mingqian was giving her an hour to adjust. She quickly nodded, “Enough, thank you, Director Zhou.”
Zhou Mingqian went to film other people’s scenes first. Chu Ran stood there for a while, then asked her assistant for her phone. She had been bottling it up all night, and if she didn’t clear things up soon, she would definitely get sick.
[Did you get back together with your ex-girlfriend?]
Qin Xing countered: [Don’t you have to film today?]
Chu Ran: [I’m on set. Six scenes today in total.]
She thought Qin Xing was trying to change the subject, but she was persistent about that question, so she asked again: [Did you get back together with your ex-girlfriend?] If it was true, there would be no need for her to humiliate herself again.
Qin Xing typed a paragraph of text, then deleted it all, and re-edited: [Since when does a boss’s private life need to be reported clearly to an artist?]
Chu Ran said gently: [I’m not asking you to report; it’s just that I was jealous all night and didn’t sleep well, which affected my filming state today. I just want to understand.]
Qin Xing: [She and I just happened to meet last night. She was going to another event, and we didn’t part on bad terms when we broke up, so saying hello is normal. You probably don’t know me well, but I never go back to old flames.] The first part was an explanation, but the last sentence was specifically for her. He never went back to old flames, which was essentially telling her that she had no chance.
As long as they weren’t back together. As for the last sentence, Chu Ran automatically chose to ignore it.
Back on set, Chu Ran’s lips curved slightly, and her spirits soared. She was like a different person compared to ten minutes ago. Zhou Mingqian frowned. Was she suddenly energized?
________________________________________
The next time Chu Ran saw Qin Xing was the following week, at a charity gala. The Evergreen Group’s annual charity auction was held as scheduled. As a former artist of Evergreen Entertainment, she received an invitation. It was probably out of respect for the Chu family and Xiao Zhen, or perhaps for Shen Tang’s sake, that Zhao Chiyi set aside past grievances and gave her an invitation. Chu Ran carefully prepared and attended in elaborate attire. She heard from Yuan Yuan that Qin Xing would also be there.
In the red carpet waiting area, Chu Ran saw two newly signed young artists from her company; the two were to walk the red carpet together. She automatically ignored the male actor, her gaze fixed on Xu Yuan. Full of collagen, lightly made up, exuding youthful energy. As expected of a talented woman, her temperament was different from ordinary people, perfectly embodying the saying, “Poetry and prose in the heart give grace to the spirit.” She wasn’t old either, only 24. For some reason, seeing Xu Yuan, she felt a sense of weariness, like a bad student.
Logically, given Xu Yuan’s current status and experience, she shouldn’t have received an invitation to the charity auction. Without a doubt, it was an opportunity Qin Xing had secured for her to gain exposure.
Chu Ran asked her cousin, who was far away in London: [Do you know this person, Xu Yuan?]
Chu Xiaoyue: [Yes, doesn’t Meitang sign her?]
True. Anything related to Shen Tang, Chu Xiaoyue was like a signal tower; no signal went undetected, no news was missed.
Chu Ran asked: [What do you think of Xu Yuan’s appearance?]
Chu Xiaoyue: [As long as Meitang likes it, I think it’s good. Aren’t you an example? (dog head)]
Chu Ran was so angry her chest heaved, but she decided not to bother with this little brat. She put on an adult’s air and lectured her cousin: [Speak properly, don’t be so disrespectful. What about Xu Yuan exactly? My eyes are also blurry; I can’t tell if she’s good-looking or not.]
Chu Xiaoyue understood. Her cousin was treating Xu Yuan as an imaginary rival, and starting to lose confidence. She objectively evaluated Xu Yuan: [An eight-point beauty, a nine-point talent, and her English is incredibly fluent. But perhaps in Qin Xing’s eyes, ‘Ran Ran’ (again and again) is the most beautiful and best.]
Chu Ran’s heart sank. [Who is Ran Ran? Qin Xing’s ex-girlfriend?] So her name was Ran Ran. But what kind of name was that! She refrained from complaining.
Chu Xiaoyue: [The ‘Ran Ran’ (again and again) who has been smoothed down and had her arrogance suppressed, is ‘Ran Ran’.]
Chu Ran: “...”
Chu Xiaoyue: [I’m in class, do not disturb.] She exited the chat and left.
Chu Ran wasn’t angry with her cousin. Instead, she carefully reread her cousin’s messages from beginning to end. Becoming a talented woman was probably impossible. As for English, her spoken English was also good! She just never had the chance to show it. Chu Ran suddenly thought of Yuan Yuan. Maybe Yuan Yuan liked Shen Tang’s bodyguard, and was using learning English as an excuse to get close to him. This wasn’t a bad idea. After all, her persona as a “bad student” was already deeply ingrained.
Chu Ran asked Yuan Yuan: [How’s your English learning going?] She wanted to ask Yuan Yuan how much success she’d had with this little scheme.
Yuan Yuan: [I stopped learning ages ago, switched to Spanish :)]
Chu Ran: “...”
Another message from her cousin popped up: [Did Meitang go to the charity gala today?]
Chu Ran: [No. Yuan Yuan said Jiang Chengyu was afraid Shen Tang would get tired from flying, and he didn’t want her to be exhausted.] When would Qin Xing finally have such consideration?
It was almost her turn to walk the red carpet. Chu Ran handed her phone and cashmere shawl to her assistant. Inside the venue, Chu Ran searched for Qin Xing. He didn’t walk the red carpet, so he should have arrived long ago. She finally found him, sitting at a corner table, chatting with several industry bigwigs. A familiar figure sat beside him: Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan was like a child, sitting upright with her hands on her knees, listening intently to their conversation, occasionally chiming in. Her body language and facial expressions were perfect. She looked like a well-behaved and obedient child.
Chu Ran’s nose burned with a strong smell of vinegar, as if it emanated from her own nostrils. He was the boss, bringing new company artists to get acquainted with important figures; this was perfectly normal. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble to get invitations for Xu Yuan and the other artist. So, what exactly was she bothered about?
Chu Ran found her seat. The auction was still more than twenty minutes away; this was private socializing time specially reserved by the organizers for guests. People in the venue gathered in small groups, busy taking selfies, chatting and laughing. Only she sat there, with nothing to do. Her past misdeeds were simply too numerous to count. Even though she had turned over a new leaf, she still felt out of place. No friends, no one came to talk to her.
Chu Ran picked up the auction catalog for the evening, pretending to study it intently. She resisted the urge to look back at Qin Xing. She didn’t meet Qin Xing face-to-face until the end of the banquet.
On the way back to the hotel, Chu Ran asked her cousin: [Tell me, if I express my feelings properly, will Qin Xing still pay attention to me?]
Chu Xiaoyue: [After all this, you haven’t even started pursuing him? Isn’t his heart already in someone else’s plate?]
Chu Ran didn’t reply to her cousin, instead, she asked the driver to go to Qin Xing’s apartment. At the next intersection, the driver changed course. Chu Ran had been to Qin Xing’s apartment building before. At that time, they hadn’t fallen out yet. When they came to Shanghai for an event, the driver would drop Qin Xing off at his apartment first, then take her to the event venue.
Once downstairs, Chu Ran took a deep breath before calling Qin Xing. The call connected, and she heard a commotion on the other end, along with the crisp sound of mahjong tiles.
“What is it?” The chaotic sounds faded, followed by the sound of a door closing. It seemed he had gone into a room to take her call.
Chu Ran: “I’m downstairs at your place.”
The phone suddenly went silent. Qin Xing also showed no intention of speaking. Perhaps, he didn’t know what to say. Of course, it wasn’t out of the question that he was using silence to reject her. Chu Ran’s accumulated courage deflated in those few seconds of silence. He didn’t need a proper confession from her; rather, he probably disdained it.
“Why are you downstairs at my place in the middle of the night instead of going back to your hotel?” His voice came after a few seconds. She heard the sound of a lighter. “Are you drunk?”
Chu Ran: “Not drunk. Do you... have guests?”
“Yeah, a few friends I just met in the industry, and Xu Yuan and them.”
Chu Ran ‘oh’-ed. “I want to say a few words to you in person.”
“Not convenient.”
Chu Ran’s heart ached. “Then I apologize for disturbing you, Mr. Qin.” She was about to hang up the phone. “Wait for me.” He was the one who hung up. So, he still couldn’t bear it? He still had some feelings for her, right?
Chu Ran leaned against the car door, feeling lost. At one in the morning, she was waiting here to confess to him. Soon, Qin Xing’s figure appeared in sight. It was cold, and he had put on a dark trench coat over his shirt. Chu Ran stood up straight, adjusting her breathing.
Qin Xing’s tone was not gentle: “Chu Ran, you’d better have something serious to say tonight. If it’s like the last two times, where you can’t even speak properly, I’ll block you directly. From now on, your resources, your dramas, you can find them yourself if you have the ability. I won’t bother with you anymore.”
Chu Ran took off her mask, her attitude more sincere than ever. “I know I wasn’t a good person before and I hurt you deeply. Can you forgive me?”
Qin Xing looked at her, saying nothing. Chu Ran met his gaze: “Qin Xing, I like you. I don’t know when I started liking you, but suddenly one day I realized that no one could ever be as good to me as you were. Seeing you being good to others makes me so sad, and I was sad all night tonight. I kept waiting there, waiting to see if you would come over to find me, and introduce me to a few people too. But you never came. My previous confessions to you weren’t me making fun of you.” She was incoherent. She didn’t know what she was saying anymore. She reached out, her fingers poking into the buttonhole of his overcoat, then curling, pulling on the hem of his coat, swaying it a few times.
Chu Ran’s voice was hoarse: “Please forgive me, okay?”
Qin Xing turned his face away from her, looking at the hazy night. Standing there motionless, saying nothing. Chu Ran wasn’t sure if he had softened. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as you’ve forgiven me and are giving me a chance to pursue you.”
Qin Xing finally turned his face. “Chu Ran, I...” The rest of his words were muffled by Chu Ran’s hand. Her cold palm tightly covered his mouth, his warm breath fanning against her hand. “Don’t say anything, I’ll just take it as you’ve forgiven me. You’re not allowed to speak.” With that, Chu Ran choked up, tears falling. This time, it was her turn to turn her head away.
There was a long silence between them. Chu Ran released her hand and wiped away her tears. Qin Xing lowered his gaze, buttoning up his trench coat one by one.
Chu Ran broke the silence, “I plan to learn English.”
Qin Xing nodded. “Alright. I’ll tell the finance department. The relevant training fees will be reimbursed by the company. Keep your receipts.”
Chu Ran: “...” She didn’t retort.
“You should go up now, don’t let your friends wait too long.” Before leaving, Chu Ran took out a pack of something from her coat pocket and placed it in his hand. “Good night.” She pulled open the car door and got in.
Qin Xing looked at the item in his hand. A pack of new flavored spicy strips.
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