Against the Light - Chapter 28
Chapter 28: To Wear the Crown
Early in the morning, the audience was already gathered in the live stream room. After all, the finals were getting closer and closer, and each day of the live stream was one less day to watch.
【Good morning, sisters! Let me see how many of you are here early in the morning to watch Teacher Bai like I am~】
【Pah, who the hell is Yang Xue? Teacher Bai is the model of a perfect wife! She can be a queen and a flirt, a master on the stage and in the kitchen!】
【Heh, if she's so great, why would Gu Xinran cheat on her with Yang Xue? The whole world knows Gu Xinran cheated with Yang Xue and dumped her! She's like some lonely, resentful wife, crying her eyes out every day.】
【? To the person above, I agree with you cursing out Gu Xinran, but insulting my Teacher Bai? You can just explode on the spot!】
【How do you know it wasn't that bitch Yang Xue who seduced her? Is it so hard to Photoshop a picture of them in bed these days?】
【What a stupid thing to say. Gu Xinran is trash, and Bai Yilan is an idiot. The two of them really deserve each other!】
【What the hell? Did Gu Xinran dig up your family's ancestral grave? She's not even here and you're still cursing her?】
【Damn it! You really think Teacher Bai has no fans?】
For the next half hour, the bullet comments exploded. Two factions went at it, one defending Yang Xue, the other defending Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan. Many onlookers who had just woken up saw this scene and chose to quietly watch the drama unfold, thoroughly entertained.
The bullet comments from some uninformed passersby were instantly drowned in a sea of curses.
Another half hour passed. The fans of Gu and Bai joined forces, pinning Yang Xue's fans to the ground and crushing them. Only then did the storm of insults gradually subside.
【Hey, that one from Teacher Bai's camp, the sister who cursed the fiercest, leave your WeChat. It's been a long time since I've had such a satisfying flame war. The last time was half a month ago, when I spent a whole night arguing with Luo Bing's idiot fans. It was awesome.】
【??? Are you that person who can't tell people from dogs?】
【…? Little trash?】
【Damn! So it was you!!】
【?? Luo Bing's little trash, did you see your master's wide-eyed acting? This? Just this? Why don't you keep up your cringey hype!】
【If your Gu Xinran is so badass, how come we haven't seen her on stage? Huh?】
The bullet comment section… exploded again.
Gu Xinran stretched lazily. Yesterday's sleep had been simply too comfortable. It had been a long time since she'd slept so soundly~
As soon as she sat up, she saw the small medicine bottle standing on the table, which made her even happier. She patted the bottle's head and got up to wash.
The three of them emerged from their bedrooms one after another, made eye contact, and wished each other good morning. When they reached the living room, they saw Lu Qing sitting at the dining table, her chin propped in her hand, smiling as she watched Bai Yilan cook.
"Teacher Lu, are you… here to freeload?" Lin Guo's mouth was as sharp as ever.
"No, I'm here to scout the enemy."
"Oh my, does that mean I have to kick you out?"
Lu Qing glanced at her. "I'm telling you, you guys are too lucky. You actually have someone personally cooking breakfast for you."
"You think every mentor is as lazy as you are?"
"Hiss! Do you want this script or not?" Lu Qing slapped the script on the table.
"Hey? Yes, yes, yes!" Lin Guo's face was all smiles. With a whoosh, she snatched the script, and the three of them tacitly gathered around to read it.
Lu Qing watched them with a smile. "Tsk, these kids have such a great attitude. No matter what rank they achieve, their futures will surely be bright."
Hearing this, Bai Yilan also smiled and glanced over at them.
"Oh my god, it's this scene. No wonder we need a sword dance." The moment Lin Guo saw the character names in the script, her head started to ache.
Qin Qiong also shook her head. "It's over, it's over. Historical dramas are already my weak point. This scene is notoriously difficult to act and is even used as a textbook example. It's one of the top ten most challenging performance pieces."
Gu Xinran didn't have a deep impression of these things. She read the script carefully and discovered that in this scene, all three characters had no lines. The performance relied entirely on gazes, movements, and body language. No wonder they found it difficult.
She flipped through the story synopsis and got the general idea.
The story revolved around a struggle for the throne between a prince and the crown prince. The Third Prince had a spy organization that took in girls with tragic backgrounds. He trained these girls to be assassins and sent them to infiltrate every corner of the royal family to serve him.
One of these girls was named Liu Su. Her talent and beauty were both superior, so he sent her to the Crown Prince's side. Liu Su did not disappoint and was deeply favored by the Crown Prince, but she had mistakenly given her heart to the Third Prince.
The scene they had to perform was the climax of the drama—a banquet, which was also a long-planned assassination attempt.
The Third Prince had ordered her to perform a sword dance at the banquet to liven things up and find an opportunity to assassinate the Crown Prince. However, she began to waver because of the Crown Prince's genuine affection for her. During the sword dance, the three characters each had their own hidden thoughts, bringing their scheming out into the open!
"Well, well. I was just praising your good attitudes. What, you're losing it after reading the script?" Lu Qing's face was full of schadenfreude.
"Honestly, this scene is really too hard. Three days is too tight!"
"What are you afraid of? You have Teacher Bai. Don't you know who the director of this drama was?"
Lin Guo froze, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "That's right, how could I forget? It was Director Yu!"
"Ahhh, that's Director Bai's mentor!!" Qin Qiong also had a moment of realization, her eyes shining as she looked at Bai Yilan.
Bai Yilan smiled faintly and nodded.
"We're set. Let's eat!" Lin Guo breathed a sigh of relief, her tone becoming much more cheerful. She wasn't worried at all anymore.
The group obediently ate their delicious breakfast.
"Hey, Yilan, can we discuss something?"
The moment Lu Qing spoke, the three who were eating all paused in unison and turned to look at her.
"Hey, don't look at me like I'm a thief. You were all my students once!"
"I think that did happen." Lin Guo pretended to think about it seriously, and was promptly smacked by Lu Qing.
"I have no objections, but only for today," Bai Yilan said, having already guessed Lu Qing's intentions.
"Great, I'll go get them right now! Love you~"
"Teacher Bai, what did you mean by 'only for today'?"
"She came to learn that sword dance. When my mentor was filming this drama, I was also on set learning. So, no one is more familiar with this sword dance than I am."
Lin Guo was taken aback. "Oh my, if you don't teach them, won't we be guaranteed to win!"
Bai Yilan was helpless. "Put away those devious thoughts. Even if you won that way, people would say it wasn't a fair victory."
"Heh, that's true."
"So… we get to see Teacher Bai dance!?" Qin Qiong realized belatedly, her head snapping toward Bai Yilan!
"Sob, sob, sob, this is too amazing! I've never seen Teacher Bai dance before!!!"
"Me neither! Coming on this show was so worth it. I've tasted Teacher Bai's cooking, and now I get to see her dance!" Just as the two were marveling, they suddenly heard a gulping sound.
They turned their heads and saw Little Fairy staring straight at Teacher Bai, her eyes full of little stars!
Lin Guo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Hey, I'm serious, can you have a little more self-respect?"
"Ahem…"
At the same time, the bullet comment section, which had been a chaotic mess just moments ago, fell silent for a brief instant.
【Ahhh, is Teacher Bai going to dance!!!】
【Ahhh, my Teacher Bai, a treasure on earth!! I'm going to screen record the whole thing!!】
【Sob, sob, sob, Teacher Bai is the real Little Fairy!!】
【To that person who can't tell Gu Xinran's family from dogs, let's call a truce for now. I'm going to watch my wife dance!】
【Teacher Bai is too kind. She could have totally chosen not to teach the other groups.】
Twenty minutes later, Lu Qing, Yan Xi, and the members of their two groups had all arrived at Bai Yilan's villa. The members of the different groups chatted and mingled amicably.
Before long, Qin Qiong pulled the other two members of her group aside.
"In Sister Xi's group, Sister Qihan is playing Liu Su. She used to be a stunt double and has a background in martial arts, so learning the sword dance shouldn't be hard for her," Qin Qiong said.
"In Teacher Lu's group, Yang Xue is taking the lead. Yang Xue has studied dance and is especially good at it. It looks like it'll be tough to beat them on the sword dance," Lin Guo added.
Gu Xinran blinked. So much for a friendly exchange. Were the two of them actually scouting the enemy?
"Hey Guozi, who's playing Liu Su in your group? It seems like none of you three are very good at dancing, right?" Yang Xue asked with a smile.
"Hehe, it's me, of course~" Lin Guo puffed out her chest and pushed herself forward.
"Huh? You can dance? Don't kid me, you're famous for being uncoordinated," Lu Qing turned into a ruthless roasting machine.
Lin Guo pouted and shot her group members a look, pulling them aside. "This move is called showing weakness to the enemy. Let them think none of us can do the sword dance, so they'll let their guard down psychologically! Besides, I found out that the live stream was cut after Sister Wei and the others left yesterday. That means, in this whole world, only we and Teacher Bai know that Little Fairy is playing Liu Su. When the competition starts, Little Fairy will make a stunning appearance and definitely shock the entire audience!"
"…" Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was a real waste that this kid didn't become a spy.
【Hahaha, Lin Guo being uncoordinated is so real. Can she really learn to dance?】
【Why am I suddenly looking forward to this?】
【Seriously though, I think Little Fairy has a better aura for it. Wouldn't it be more suitable for her to play Liu Su?】
【Same. Can Lin Guo really carry a role like this?】
【Ahhhhhh my wife is so beautiful!!!】
Bai Yilan had borrowed a long-sleeved costume and a sword from the production crew. When she entered, she had already changed into the costume. A long white robe made her look as ethereal as an immortal, breathtakingly beautiful. The entire group stared, their eyes wide.
The bullet comments were filled with "Ahhhhh—" and "Wife is so beautiful."
Bai Yilan took out her phone, played the scene from the original drama, and turned up the music. Then, she calmed her mind, closed her eyes, and waited.
As the music from the drama began, she started to move. Her steps perfectly matched the drumbeat, at times swift and fierce, at others slow and graceful. Her right hand wielded the sword, her left hand danced with the sleeve. She moved with ease, her actions light and elegant. A turn of her head, a faint smile—every expression was perfectly executed.
When the dance was over, the crowd was completely stunned. This was the first time they had ever seen Teacher Bai dance! She was simply overflowing with ethereal grace!
"Wow, Teacher Bai, you dance so well!!" Lin Guo practically drooled, her eyes fixed on Bai Yilan, unable to look away. That figure was just too good! Heaven was so unfair. How could someone have good looks, a great body, a wonderful personality, and be so multi-talented!
"Alright, there are a few key points I'll explain to you. After that, you'll have to rely on your own practice and understanding."
"Okay!"
It took everyone the entire morning to learn this sword dance, which was already considered fast. After all, Ye Qihan and Yang Xue both had some foundation, so they could learn the individual moves quickly once they were broken down, though they were still a bit clumsy when putting them all together.
In the afternoon, Gu Xinran was ordered by Lin Guo to secretly practice the sword dance in her room, while the others took a break from their practice to relax.
Lin Guo was even clever enough to cover the camera in Gu Xinran's room with clothes, determined to carry the surprise through to the end.
In the bedroom, Gu Xinran practiced over and over. She had memorized all the key points Yilan had mentioned, and whenever she closed her eyes, she could recall Yilan's dance as if it were on a continuous loop. Her practice went very smoothly.
She could hear the sounds of everyone laughing and chatting outside. She poked her head out the window and immediately spotted Lin Guo leisurely lying in a hammock, sunbathing and swinging happily.
Gu Xinran stretched and went to the living room, where she saw Yilan sitting on the sofa, reading a book.
Bai Yilan glanced at her. "Rested up?"
"Uh." Gu Xinran gave a sheepish smile, feeling as if her little scheme had been seen through instantly.
She walked over to the sofa and sat down obediently. The atmosphere was suddenly very awkward.
【Why do I feel like Little Fairy is so nervous? Look at her hands, she keeps clutching her pants!】
【Isn't it awkward for them to be like this? Someone say something!!!】
【Five minutes have passed, and Teacher Bai hasn't turned a single page! I think something's up! Teacher Bai isn't actually reading at all!】
【Doesn't anyone else think they look strangely harmonious sitting together? Teacher Bai really goes well with everyone!】
【She turned the page, she turned the page! Teacher Bai isn't the type to fall for just anyone, stop trying to stir things up.】
Afraid of the awkwardness, Gu Xinran also grabbed a book and started reading. The two of them ended up reading like that for over ten minutes. Gu Xinran's back was sweating. She straightened up and flipped a page in a business-like manner.
"Um… Teacher Bai…"
"Aiya!" Suddenly, a scream came from outside, followed by a chaotic series of shouts.
The two exchanged a look and stood up in unison to go outside.
From a distance, they could see everyone gathered around the hammock.
"What happened?" Gu Xinran hurried over.
"I don't know what happened. I turned around and saw Guozi fall!" someone answered.
Gu Xinran quickly went over and saw Guozi sitting on the ground, clutching her ankle. It looked like a bad fall.
"Guozi?" Gu Xinran knelt beside her, looking at her and then at the spot she was holding. "Here, let me see."
"Oww… it hurts!"
"Relax, don't move." Bai Yilan also knelt opposite Lin Guo, gently holding her leg and helping her slowly straighten it.
When they saw the wound on her leg, everyone gasped in unison!
It seemed that when she fell, her ankle had slammed into the ground. A piece of skin had been scraped off her outer right ankle bone, revealing a bloody mess.
Lin Guo was on the verge of tears from the pain, constantly hissing and gasping.
Gu Xinran took a deep breath, wrapped one arm around her waist, slid her other hand under the back of her knees, and with a burst of strength, lifted her into her arms.
【Eh? What's going on? Why is Little Fairy carrying Guozi in a princess carry? Are those two really a thing?】
【Hey, look closely, it looks like Guozi is crying!】
【Holy crap, Guozi is hurt!!!】
【Ahhh, look closely at Guozi's leg, she's injured! How did that happen!?】
【Same question, what happened outside just now? How did Guozi get hurt? Can the production team give an explanation?】
【Sorry for the conspiracy theory, but how could it be such a coincidence that Guozi is the one who got hurt?】
In the living room, Gu Xinran settled Lin Guo on the sofa. Bai Yilan went to get a clean towel and carefully cleaned the area around the wound.
Gu Xinran quickly went back to her room to get her first-aid kit. She glanced at the small medicine bottle on the table and, steeling herself, grabbed it as well.
"Sob, sob, Teacher Bai, it hurts so much!"
"Be good, bear with it a little longer. Try to see if you can move your ankle. Is it sprained?"
"I'll put some medicine on it and bandage it up first. Teacher Bai, please negotiate with the production team and ask if there are any professional medical staff. If not, we should send her to the hospital first," Gu Xinran said.
"Okay." Bai Yilan agreed. As she stood up, she saw the small medicine bottle in Gu Xinran's hand and was visibly stunned.
"Go quickly."
"Okay, right."
Gu Xinran skillfully applied medicine and bandaged the wound, her movements gentle and cautious, trying her best not to cause more pain.
"Sob, sob, Little Fairy, is there anything you can't do?" Lin Guo's attention shifted from the pain to Gu Xinran's hands. Those hands were truly beautiful.
Gu Xinran glanced at her. The girl's eyes were brimming with tears. "You, how did you suddenly fall?"
"I don't know. I was just lying in the hammock sunbathing, and suddenly it just fell! Little Fairy, my foot hurts so much. I'm not going to be crippled, am I?"
"No, don't worry. It's a physical injury. It'll stop hurting in a bit." Gu Xinran frowned and casually glanced at the crowd.
According to Lin Guo, she fell because the hammock suddenly collapsed. But she had sat in that hammock before, and it was tied very tightly. It was very strange.
"Stay here with her for a bit." After saying that, Gu Xinran left the villa and went straight to the hammock. She searched around and found the broken end of the rope. When she picked it up and looked at it, she was stunned.
The edge of the rope was perfectly flat! If the rope had snapped from being pulled too hard, the break wouldn't be flat! Unless… it had been deliberately cut by someone!
Gu Xinran took a deep breath as a wave of anger rose from the bottom of her heart.
Everyone knew that in these finals, the role of Liu Su was the most crucial! Guozi had joked and told everyone she would be playing the role, and then this happened. No matter how you looked at it, it couldn't be a simple coincidence!
This time, it was likely that Guozi had taken a blow meant for her!
Gu Xinran calmed herself. She had expected that winning this competition wouldn't be easy, but she never thought someone would resort to such blatant sabotage!
Bai Yilan accompanied Lin Guo to the hospital, temporarily halting the recording. Gu Xinran sat in the living room, her expression dark.
Seeing Bai Yilan's villa go to a black screen, the live stream room also exploded.
【What on earth is going on? This is killing me!】
【The production team still hasn't said anything. Did Guozi really just fall on her own?】
【Sorry, I can't help but think it's a conspiracy. After all, this group of rookies has a really high chance of winning. For Guozi to get injured at this critical moment is a fatal blow to the group!!】
【To the conspiracy theory sister, give it a rest. If the veteran actresses were capable of something like this, they wouldn't deserve to be called veterans.】
【We demand the production team release the video of when Guozi got hurt!!!】
【I second the request to release the video. It would also clear the names of the veteran actresses and stop the conspiracy theories!!】
In the living room, Gu Xinran was deep in thought with her eyes closed. She sensed a figure moving nearby and opened her eyes to see Qin Qiong pacing the room restlessly. "What's wrong?"
"I…" Qin Qiong subconsciously glanced at the camera in the corner.
Gu Xinran narrowed her eyes, realizing she probably had something to say that couldn't be said out loud. She immediately pulled her upstairs and into the bathroom.
"I saw it."
"What?"
"Before Guozi's accident, I saw Yang Xue go near the hammock. Not even five minutes later, the hammock collapsed!"
"Yang Xue? Are you sure you saw clearly?" Gu Xinran asked urgently.
"I'm sure! It was her, and only she went near the tree the hammock was tied to! But now, even if I know someone tampered with it, I have no way to prove it! I have no evidence, and no one will believe what I say." Qin Qiong looked frustrated, hitting her own head in anger.
Gu Xinran's expression turned grim. When Qin Qiong glanced at her, she was so startled that she didn't dare to look again!
That evening, Bai Yilan returned to the villa. She turned on the living room lights and immediately saw Xinran sitting upright on the sofa, her eyes cold and her expression serious.
"Guozi is fine. She needs to stay in the hospital for observation but can come back tomorrow. Don't worry," Bai Yilan said, assuming she was worried about Lin Guo.
Gu Xinran didn't respond.
Bai Yilan walked over and sat down on the sofa, remaining silent for a moment. She looked at her, then at the small, costumed medicine bottle on the table that was still pouting cutely, and her brow gradually relaxed.
She picked up the bottle, sprayed some of the medicine on her hand, then took Xinran's hand and evenly applied the medicine to her wrist.
Gu Xinran was startled and instantly came back to her senses. Even her gaze softened considerably as she watched Yilan's movements, dumbfounded.
Yilan didn't speak, focusing on applying the medicine for her. Her wrist hadn't healed properly, and after carrying Lin Guo today, it must have been very painful.
Gu Xinran closed her eyes, a wave of warmth washing over her heart.
"A blade that shines too brightly will inevitably attract envy," Bai Yilan said faintly.
Gu Xinran frowned, mulling over the meaning of her words. She realized that Bai Yilan already knew Lin Guo's injury was no coincidence.
"So, does Teacher Bai mean that I should tone it down because of this?" Gu Xinran sat up straight, unconsciously clenching her fists, her gaze burning as she looked at her.
Bai Yilan didn't respond. Instead, she took her hand, gently uncurled her clenched fingers, and continued to apply the medicine with single-minded focus.
After a while, she finished applying the medicine, pulled down her sleeve for her, and capped the bottle.
"Get some rest." With that, she stood up to go upstairs.
"I have something to say, too."
Bai Yilan's steps paused, and she turned to the side to look at her.
"To wear the crown, one must bear its weight!"
Bai Yilan was slightly taken aback. She looked at her, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes. After a long moment, the corner of her lips curved up slightly, and she turned to go upstairs.
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