Against the Light - Chapter 29
Chapter 29: To Bear the Weight
Gu Xinran thought about it over and over, but something still felt wrong. She headed straight for Qin Qiong's bedroom.
"Tell me the details of what happened during the day again."
Qin Qiong had also been tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Hearing this, she sat up and carefully recalled the events.
"At the time, I was with Sister Xi's group, listening to Teacher Lu tell her story. Guozi was too lazy to listen, so she went to rest on the hammock. Yang Xue's group was all doing their own thing. I just happened to look up and saw Yang Xue seemingly chatting with Guozi. The two of them seemed to be having a pretty happy conversation. After that, Yang Xue left, and a moment later, the hammock collapsed."
"Did you see her do anything unusual?"
"I saw her deliberately walk out from behind the tree the hammock was tied to. Normally, there would be no reason for her to take a detour like that. But because the tree was in the way, I only saw her emerge from behind it, not what she did." Qin Qiong sighed.
"Did anyone else see?"
"Unlikely. That tree is in a rather remote spot. At the time, everyone was mostly gathered near the entrance, sitting in a circle and watching Teacher Lu. Besides, if someone had seen something, they probably would have spoken up, right?"
"Little Fairy, you…" Qin Qiong looked at her, a little uneasy.
"What is it?"
"Do you really believe what I'm saying?"
Gu Xinran chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "I believe you, because you want to be a good person."
"…I can't thank you enough for that."
"But it's useless for me to believe you. To accuse Yang Xue, we must have evidence."
"Evidence… that's a long shot. If I were her, I'd destroy the evidence the first chance I got. There's a pond right next to it. A quick toss would be enough to destroy all traces."
Gu Xinran nodded. She had thought of that as well.
She walked to the window and looked down. There were likely no cameras or surveillance outside; otherwise, her and Yilan's several nighttime "trysts" would have been discovered long ago. Yang Xue must have been well aware of this.
"Does this mean it's a dead end, and we just have to let it go?" Qin Qiong asked.
"Of course not."
"Huh?"
"Have you ever thought about why she would do this?" Gu Xinran gazed out the window, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
"She…" Qin Qiong paused, then suddenly looked up. "She… she's afraid of losing to us?"
"Correct. She's wary of us. She's afraid of failure, and even more afraid of losing to a team of unknown rookies. She can't afford to lose." Gu Xinran recalled her earlier discussion with Qu Qi. With Yang Xue's acting skills, she was hardly qualified to be called an 'Old Drama Bone,' yet she had entered the competition with that title. The reasons behind it were truly thought-provoking.
"Her team hyped her up so much before the competition. Now, with the finale approaching, she still hasn't had any standout performances. We, on the other hand, have emerged as a dark horse, breaking through the ranks. If she loses this competition, wouldn't all her team's previous efforts have been for nothing but to pave the way for others?"
"Losing to an Old Drama Bone would be understandable. But losing to us, of all people, is unacceptable."
Gu Xinran's few words sent a shiver down Qin Qiong's spine, a chilling coldness creeping over her.
"She's too sinister!"
"No, quite the opposite. She's incredibly foolish. An act like today's shows that she's already at a dead end and can only make a desperate gamble. It also proves that she has no confidence she can beat us at all."
Hearing Little Fairy's interpretation was like a sudden enlightenment for Qin Qiong. Not only did the knot of anger in her chest dissipate, but her confidence soared to an unprecedented high.
"I get it. Even if we can't get justice for Guozi over this, we have to crush Yang Xue with our skills in the competition and ruin her reputation!" Qin Qiong said fiercely.
"Exactly!"
"Don't think about anything else for now. Get some rest. We still have rehearsal tomorrow."
"Okay."
The next morning.
When Qin Qiong came into the living room, she immediately saw the sandwiches on the dining table. "Huh, Teacher Bai is up early again?"
"She went to pick up Guozi. I made breakfast. See if you like it." Gu Xinran came in from outside.
"Oh? Not bad. From the looks of it, it's about the same as what Teacher Bai makes." Qin Qiong picked up a piece and took a bite. "Mm! The taste is very similar too! Hey, I didn't know you could cook. You really are a treasure, Little Fairy."
Gu Xinran smiled.
"Aha, your Lin Guo is back in action!"
The two of them froze, exchanged a glance, and immediately got up to go outside. Just as they reached the door, they saw Lin Guo limping and hopping over, with Bai Yilan by her side, protecting her in case she fell.
"Ha! My Little Fairy, did you miss me~" Lin Guo opened her arms and gave Gu Xinran a big bear hug.
Gu Xinran patted her on the back. "I missed you terribly. Without you chattering in my ear, the world has become so quiet."
"Hmm? Are you sure that's missing me??"
Gu Xinran chuckled and looked at her foot. "How is it?"
"It's fine, just scraped off a layer of skin. It still hurts a bit to walk, but it'll be fine once it scabs over."
"Come and eat. Today you get to taste Little Fairy's cooking!" Qin Qiong eagerly ran over to help Lin Guo.
"Ah? Little Fairy can cook too? Then I have to eat more!"
【Ahhh, Guozi is back, that's great!!】
【Guozi's foot doesn't seem to be healed yet. What's their group going to do?】
【Allow me to offer another conspiracy theory. Could it be that they knew they couldn't beat the Old Drama Bones, so they resorted to this tactic to gain sympathy points?】
【The person above is a dumbass. Why don't you go fall and see if it hurts?】
【I'm speechless. What the hell, 'gain sympathy'? Anyone with eyes can see this group of rookies is not simple. That Little Fairy's acting can totally compete with the Old Drama Bones. Why would they need to use such a cheap trick?】
【Just get on with the competition already, this is so frustrating to watch.】
After breakfast, Bai Yilan flipped through the script. "What are your plans for today?"
Lin Guo glanced at the camera. "Can that be turned off?"
The three fell silent for a moment. "I'm guessing the barrage comments are now filled with a screen full of 'No'," Qin Qiong said.
"Sigh, then forget it. I was hoping to give everyone a surprise." Lin Guo let out a heavy sigh.
【No—No!!!】
【You can't turn it off!】
【No way!!】
【Sisters upstairs, calm down. Guozi said there's a surprise, what is it?】
【A surprise??】
After a short rest, they began their rehearsal. Gu Xinran changed into the long white robe Bai Yilan had worn the day before and held a longsword in a reverse grip. Seen from behind, she looked every bit the ethereal fairy.
【Whoa, whoa, so beautiful! Little Fairy can dance? That's so awesome! Is there anything she can't do!?】
【Ahhh, I'm taking Little Fairy home with me!!】
【Go, Little Fairy, go, go!!】
Lin Guo played the cross-dressing role of the Crown Prince, while Qin Qiong returned to her old specialty as a villain, playing the cross-dressing role of the Third Prince. The three of them exchanged a look, nodded to each other, and once they were ready, began to rehearse.
Liu Su entered gracefully and gave a curtsy to the two princes.
The Third Prince raised his wine cup, giving her a meaningful look.
"Cut. Qin Qiong, that look is too deliberate," Bai Yilan's voice rang out, startling the three of them.
"Oh my god, Teacher Bai, please don't yell 'cut.' It makes my heart skip a beat!" Lin Guo clutched her chest. It was the word she feared most when filming!
"Alright, alright. Qin Qiong, pay attention. The Third Prince's gaze is completely different from the beginning to the middle and later stages. Don't give too much away at the start. It needs to build up layer by layer."
"I understand."
"Guozi, you also need to be mindful of your character. A smile is fine, but don't grin foolishly, and definitely don't have a lovestruck look in your eyes."
"Ahem… okay!"
"Alright, begin." At Bai Yilan's command, they quickly got back into character and started over.
"Cut. Sorry, it's a habit. Qin Qiong, that look was better than before, but still a bit too much. Tone it down a little more."
Just the opening scene had required six NGs, and Qin Qiong was even pulled aside for individual coaching.
"Good, remember this feeling. Continue on." After Bai Yilan finished speaking, she turned around, only to find that the Little Fairy who was supposed to be performing was sitting on the floor, cupping her cheeks with both hands and looking at her with a face full of admiration.
"Hey, blockhead, it's your turn!" Lin Guo called out with a laugh.
"Huh? Oh." Gu Xinran got up. The moment she stood firm, her expression changed. She took half a step back, curtsied again, and with a flourish of the longsword in her reverse grip, she began to dance. Every move was a complete mess, out of sync with the rhythm, missing the drumbeats. Even the sword dance itself was a struggle, let alone the performance.
Watching her finish, Lin Guo nearly died laughing, and Qin Qiong just facepalmed.
Bai Yilan opened her mouth. The two of them stared at her eagerly, waiting for her critique. After a long pause, all they got was, "Very good."
【??? Is Teacher Bai serious?】
【Hahaha, is she the first person to leave Director Bai speechless?】
【Holy crap, this is what you call a chaotic dance of demons, hahaha. Is this Little Fairy's Waterloo? Hahahaha!】
【Ahhh, go Little Fairy… on second thought, don't go. You're great at acting, but you really can't dance, sister!!】
【Everyone, you can have Little Fairy. I'm taking Teacher Bai!】
【…This group is probably done for.】
By the end of the day, Qin Qiong and Lin Guo were complaining endlessly. The number of NGs from today alone exceeded the total from all their previous days of rehearsal combined. Although it was exhausting, having Bai Yilan there to guide them meticulously was incredibly beneficial for both of them, and it actually ignited their fighting spirit.
Gu Xinran, on the other hand, was off to the side, focused on "practicing her sword," trying to figure out how to make her sword dance look as messy and chaotic as possible.
"Alright, let's do a serious run-through," Bai Yilan called to them.
"Okay!"
Gu Xinran took small, quick steps forward and curtsied. Just as she raised her hand and was halfway through a sword flourish, the longsword flew out of her hand and landed with a clatter right in front of Bai Yilan.
Everyone simultaneously looked at the ground. The scene was, for a moment, extremely awkward.
【Teacher Bai: I was terrified at that moment.】
【Hahahaha, Teacher Bai is stunned!!!】
【Teacher Bai: ??? If you have a problem with me, you can just say it. An assassination attempt is really unnecessary.】
【Hahaha, 'assassination attempt,' are you trying to kill me with laughter!!!】
【It's over, this group is really done for. I'm starting to worry if the audience will be in mortal danger when they perform on stage!!】
【Whoa, sister, don't say that. I managed to get tickets, and in the front row too. I'm trembling right now, I'm genuinely terrified.】
Bai Yilan took a deep breath and pursed her lips. Her first reaction was that Xinran was acting, but when she looked up and saw Xinran frown slightly, she realized that the slip might not have been part of the act.
"Let's call it a day. Go back and get a good rest. None of you should push yourselves too hard." Yilan emphasized the last sentence, giving Xinran a deep look.
They all nodded, stretching as they returned to their respective rooms to rest. The day's live stream also came to an end.
Back in her room, Gu Xinran quickly applied some ointment, then soaked a towel in cold water and placed it on her wrist as a cold compress. She truly hadn't expected the sword to slip from her grasp. Thankfully, it hadn't hit Yilan. The moment had scared her half to death! The name 'Yilan' had almost escaped her lips!
Just as she finished washing up, Lin Guo and Qin Qiong secretly came to find her. While the live stream was off, they seized the time to run through their lines. With Gu Xinran using her fingers as a sword, they went through the entire routine. They were all very satisfied with each other's performances and finally went to rest, content.
Late at night, the cast and crew of Flowers Falling at Grain Rain were once again filming a late-night scene.
They had been paying too much attention to the live stream during the day, and the filming schedule had fallen behind. The group had no choice but to work through the night to catch up.
"Sigh, my Little Fairy is great at everything, why can't she dance? Tsk." Ming Zhen was holding her phone, still savoring the memory of her Little Fairy's soul-stirring dance moves.
"Hey, you, Little Zhao, come here. Aren't you a dancer? You can teach my Little Fairy later."
"…" Excuse me, my surname won't be Zhao anymore.
"Sigh, Little Fairy~ Tsk~"
"Hey, when is Young President Ming's infatuation going to end?"
"Probably when Little Fairy takes off her mask. When she sees her face and realizes it's different from what she imagined, the shock will probably cure her, right?"
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Ming Zhen's ears were sharp. She heard them and scolded them in dissatisfaction.
"When I'm not around, no one can control you, is that it?" A sudden voice made not only Ming Zhen but everyone else freeze. They followed the sound and were even more dumbfounded.
"Sister… Sister Lan??"
"Huh? Yilan? What are you doing here??" Ming Zhen even rubbed her eyes theatrically.
"Not happy to see me?" Bai Yilan smiled.
That smile left everyone stunned speechless.
The director… smiled!!!
Before, everyone had tried their hardest to make her laugh, but she had remained indifferent. Who would have thought that after participating in a show, she would actually come back smiling!
"Of course I'm happy, I even dream about it, right everyone~" Ming Zhen laughed heartily and shot a look at the crowd, who immediately chimed in with agreement.
"Wait, that's not right. Shouldn't you be at the recording site right now? Why are you here? And with a suitcase??" Ming Zhen turned her head and saw the rolling suitcase behind her, and a bad feeling instantly washed over her.
"You… you're not recording anymore??"
"I withdrew from the competition."
"Withdrew!!??" everyone exclaimed in unison.
"Wh-why? Wait, if you withdrew, what about my Little Fairy? How are they supposed to win now!!"
Bai Yilan frowned.
"Your… Little Fairy?" Are you sure?
"How could you withdraw at such a critical moment! No, you get back there!!!"
"Does Little Fairy know you withdrew yet? When she wakes up tomorrow and finds you gone, how devastated will she be? You can't just give up on her because her dancing is bad, ahhh!!"
"…" Bai Yilan looked disgusted and even took a step back to put some distance between them.
"Huh? Sister Lan! You're finally back!!" Jin Shuang flew over like she had just seen her lifeline.
"What's wrong with her?" Bai Yilan glanced at Ming Zhen.
"Oh, she's having an episode. Poisoned by Little Fairy. If she doesn't see her for a second, she loses her appetite for food and drink."
Bai Yilan cleared her throat, lowered her head, and secretly bit her lip. Don't laugh, don't laugh…
"Yilan, hurry back. You can't just watch them lose!"
"…I think I'll just go home." With that, she coolly pulled her suitcase and walked away.
The next morning, the barrage comments exploded.
【I saw on Weibo that a mentor withdrew from the competition. What's going on?? It's the finale, and someone is quitting?】
【?? Who withdrew??】
【? Same question.】
The barrage was abuzz with discussion. It wasn't until the live stream started that the interior views of the three villas appeared on screen.
Lu Qing stretched and wished the audience good morning.
Yan Xi was already up and washing her face.
Only in Bai Yilan's villa, Teacher Bai, who would always be up early to prepare breakfast for everyone, was nowhere to be seen.
【What the hell????】
【No way? Teacher Bai???】
【What the hell is going on?】
【Wait, wait, wait, Teacher Bai? Withdrew?? Why!!】
【Does Little Fairy's group know that Teacher Bai withdrew? What are they going to do for the competition now?】
On screen, Lin Guo entered the living room. Seemingly noticing something was amiss, she went upstairs and knocked on Bai Yilan's door.
"Oh no, this is bad! Teacher Bai isn't in her bedroom, and even her luggage is gone!!!"
"What?" Gu Xinran opened her door at the sound and came out to look. Indeed, the room was empty, the quilt folded neatly. She probably hadn't even slept here last night and had left in the middle of the night.
"How could this happen? Where did Teacher Bai go?" Lin Guo panicked and quickly ran out to ask the staff.
Ten minutes later, the group sat on the sofa, stunned.
"Why, why did Teacher Bai withdraw… Was it because of too many NGs yesterday? Or was Little Fairy's dancing too awful?"
"…" Gu Xinran's brows were tightly furrowed. Lin Guo had her accident yesterday, and today Yilan withdrew. To say it was a coincidence seemed a bit far-fetched. If she had withdrawn voluntarily, she could understand. But she was afraid it was involuntary…
"Could it be!" Qin Qiong suddenly exclaimed, looking at Gu Xinran. The two exchanged a look.
"What? Could it be what?" Lin Guo was bewildered.
Qin Qiong's expression was complicated. During yesterday's rehearsal, Little Fairy had deliberately hidden her skills, so she wasn't a threat. But Teacher Bai had been constantly helping them correct their mistakes, making her undoubtedly the Fairy Group's greatest asset. If Teacher Bai was gone, the Fairy Group had almost no chance of winning.
Considering what had just happened to Lin Guo yesterday, she couldn't be blamed for overthinking.
In the office, as soon as Qu Qi walked in, she saw Fang Jinghai slumped over her desk, looking utterly dejected.
"? Why are you here so early?"
"Sister Qi, Teacher Bai withdrew from the competition."
"???"
Qu Qi was stunned for a moment, then a look of understanding crossed her face. She nodded. "Oh."
"'Oh'? Aren't you surprised? Why do you think Teacher Bai withdrew? Was it really because Sister Ran's dancing was so bad that she lost confidence?? If she's not there, how can Sister Ran's team win!! They've come so far!"
"I'm actually not surprised at all." Qu Qi put down her bag and sat down properly in her chair.
"Why??"
"The reason is simple. The finale is tomorrow. After the finale, win or lose, the mysterious Little Fairy will take off her mask. Tell me, when everyone sees that Little Fairy is Gu Xinran, how should the person sitting in the audience—her mentor and ex-wife—handle herself?"
"And, will people question if the show was rigged? That Gu Xinran only made it to the finale because of her connection to Bai Yilan. All of Xinran's hard work would be crushed by those two words: 'rigged show'."
"This…" Fang Jinghai frowned.
"But, if she just withdraws like this, won't people still question if she already knew Little Fairy was Sister Ran when the secret is revealed tomorrow?"
"This is where we need to step in and steer the direction of the public commentary."
In Bai Yilan's villa, Lu Qing and the others rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing that Bai Yilan was truly gone, they were also very surprised.
"How about I guide you? The competition is tomorrow. For now, just try to stay calm. Maybe Teacher Bai had an urgent matter to attend to," Lu Qing said.
"Thank you, Teacher Lu. Even without Teacher Bai, we will still compete well," Gu Xinran said.
"That's good."
"Um, Teacher Lu…" Gu Xinran called Lu Qing aside, borrowed her phone, and walked over to the nearby pond. She quickly dialed Fang Jinghai's number.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Jinghai, it's me."
"Little… Little Fairy Sister!!"
"Go find Yilan immediately, either at the film set or her home. Let me know that she's safe, and whether she's been threatened."
"Okay!!!"
After Lu Qing and the others left, Lin Guo was still very down, while Qin Qiong kept staring at the camera.
"Let's rehearse again," Gu Xinran said, standing up.
"Teacher Bai isn't here, there's no one to correct our mistakes. There are still several parts I don't understand," Lin Guo pouted.
"We have to win even if Teacher Bai isn't here. That's the only way to make her efforts these past few days worthwhile!" Qin Qiong stood up, walked straight to the cameras, and unplugged all of them, forcibly cutting off the live stream.
"Qin Qiong, what are you doing?"
"Didn't you want to stun everyone in the finale? Come on, let's start rehearsing."
"But…"
"Don't worry. The parts you don't know, Little Fairy will teach us."
"??? What?"
"Little Fairy?"
"Yes, I'll teach you." Gu Xinran nodded. She remained incredibly calm, her gentle yet firm gaze inexplicably reassuring.
【?? Why did they cut the live stream!?】
【Same question. Also, I really want to know what happened to Teacher Bai.】
【Go, Fairy Group! I love you guys!!】
【Yesterday Lin Guozi got hurt, today Teacher Bai withdrew, and the show still hasn't given an explanation. I wouldn't believe it if you told me there's no foul play. Is the Fairy Group just not allowed to win?】
【My heart aches for the Fairy Group, but I'm also looking forward to their performance. I hope they can face it with a calm mind.】
An hour later, a fully disguised Fang Jinghai found Bai Yilan's film set.
When she saw Bai Yilan's figure from a distance, tears of excitement almost fell. She shot over like a rocket.
Bai Yilan was just about to go film a scene when her path was blocked by a girl wearing a black mask and sunglasses. The girl was even holding a stick, looking like she was up to no good.
"Teacher Bai, if you're being threatened, blink!!!" Fang Jinghai asked in a muffled voice.
"…?"
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