Shrine - Chapter 39
Chapter 39
It took Ruan Ruan half a glass of wine to process this. The DJ's thumping bass felt like a pacemaker in her chest, making her insides tremble, along with all her emotions.
Shi Ran said that since she'd decided to get involved, she wasn't going to settle for just one bite of the cake. Knowing that Shrine was being developed into a sustainable IP, she would naturally want to carve up the entire thing for maximum profit.
So, when she decided to invest in Shrine, she deepened her partnership with Xin Chen and they co-founded a management company. Xin Chen was the big boss, while Shi Ran's team was one of the behind-the-scenes shareholders, and there were likely others. Behind every film was a tangled web of interests, with investments easily reaching eight or nine figures—a world far too vast for a small fry like Ruan Ruan to comprehend.
But she should have realized sooner. Shi Ran and her team wouldn't have thrown their money in just for the sake of 'mutual help' with Ruan Ruan. Even if Shi Ran had wanted to, her colleagues wouldn't have let her be so impulsive. Therefore, Shi Ran's involvement in Shrine was a purely commercial, capital-driven move.
They were using Xin Chen's connections in the review and approval process to seize the dual-female-lead market, produce their own shows, and promote their own people. They had also secured the rights to Shrine's merchandise and games, opening the door to even more industries down the line.
It was unclear whether Shi Ran had thought of signing Ruan Ruan when she founded the company. Probably not. But when the resourceful Little Bread came knocking on Xin Chen's door for help, there was no reason for Shi Ran to refuse.
Though they were indoors, Ruan Ruan felt a draft blowing through the hall, winding past Shi Ran's dazzling earrings and sending a chill straight to her eyes.
She narrowed her eyes and asked Shi Ran, amidst the clinking glasses of this glamorous world of fame and fortune, "You knew when I went to see Xin Chen?"
"Xin Chen manages the company. She assumed I had already discussed it with you and that I'd sent you to her to go through the motions," Shi Ran said, her arm resting on the railing as she gently caressed her wine glass. "She was a bit confused at first. I don't know if she was speculating about our relationship, but she asked me about it after she had dinner with you."
Xin Chen had asked her whether Ruan Ruan's cut should be the same as the other artists' or a little higher.
Shi Ran had been a little surprised at the time but didn't show it. After a moment's thought, she guessed what Ruan Ruan must have been thinking, so she played it cool and just said ambiguously that Xin Chen should decide.
And on Xin Chen's end, having received that reassurance from Shi Ran, she actively pushed forward with the contract. Loaning Ruan Ruan the money in advance to pay the termination fee to her former company was no problem at all.
And just like that, everything fell into place.
"But you didn't tell me," Ruan Ruan said, biting her lower lip. "You watched me run around, busy with the signing, and I even asked you to help me review the contract."
"The contract came from your company." She looked at Shi Ran, her gaze soft, and fell silent.
It was a classic case of 'the wool comes from the sheep's back,' but she wasn't sure who the little lamb was in this scenario.
And at this decadent, glittering banquet, Ruan Ruan had spent the first half of the evening observing the artists recommended by the brand, little knowing that others were likely observing her—the one recommended by Shi Ran.
A singer, eager for their big break, performed on stage, while the surging undercurrents below were the very dance floor Shi Ran had built for her.
"I didn't tell you. But signing a contract rashly without doing your due diligence—that's your own negligence. Right?"
It was a very cold statement, but the addition of that last word revealed a timely hint of humanity that seemed uncharacteristic of Shi Ran.
The upper echelons of any circle were a game of capital. Now that Ruan Ruan had truly set foot in it, she understood that no one was obligated to warn her about the pitfalls ahead. She was lucky this lesson came from Shi Ran; otherwise, she might have been eaten alive.
Ruan Ruan was smart. With a couple of flutters of her eyelashes, she knew Shi Ran was telling the truth. She glanced around and asked in a low voice, "Do they all know?"
"The brand representatives know. As for the others, even if they don't know, they've guessed." Everyone in this circle was sharp as a tack.
"Don't be nervous. Plenty of artists open their own management or production companies. It's very common to bring newly signed talent to these things to get their faces out there."
That seemed right. Ruan Ruan had seen it before at red carpet events—big stars who had become bosses walking the carpet with their newly signed young actresses, taking backstage photos, and so on. They were far more affectionate than she and Shi Ran were being.
Ruan Ruan processed this on her own, her heart still feeling as if it were being squeezed, alternating between tight and loose. Shi Ran's indifferent gaze made it clench, while her relaxed breathing allowed it to release.
The music below switched to another song. Ruan Ruan saw a brand executive enter and greet Zhong Yi, who was downstairs, with cheek kisses.
He then looked up and raised a hand to greet Shi Ran. Shi Ran smiled and returned the gesture with a small wave.
Suddenly, Ruan Ruan felt that Shi Ran was very far away. In Shucheng, they had been close. The Shi Ran who teased the kitten was close. The Shi Ran playing on her phone was close. The Shi Ran memorizing her script was close.
The Shi Ran of Jiangcheng was distant. Looking at her now, Ruan Ruan felt like she was watching someone in slow motion.
She mulled it over for a moment, then used her words to pull Shi Ran back to her. "You said you're a shareholder in Dianxing Entertainment, right?"
"Mm." Shi Ran turned her head airily to look at her.
"The biggest one?"
"No."
"And Xin Chen runs the company, not you."
"Mm."
Ruan Ruan pressed her lips together, took a sip of wine, and said in a soft voice, "Then you're not my boss."
"Xin Chen is."
Shi Ran flashed a smile, her eyes bright and teeth pearly, but it vanished a few seconds later. Her gaze was cold. "Whatever you say."
"Let's go. We're heading back." She languidly pushed herself away from the railing and gracefully departed.
The hotel's shower gel carried the scent of the brand's perfume, as if trying to extend the night's abandon into the privacy of the room. The discarded gowns, one black and one red, were hung in front of the bathroom, overlapping like two slender and beautiful skins.
And the naked souls, having shed their painted facades, rested on the soft, large bed.
With her long hair half-dry, Shi Ran leaned down to kiss Ruan Ruan. Ruan Ruan had drunk quite a bit, and all her senses were magnified. She tried to rein in her flustered gaze as a thin sheen of sweat beaded on her neck, more delicate than any highlighter the makeup artist had applied.
The path traced by a bead of sweat became a highlight on her body, drawing the eye, inviting a kiss.
She felt herself being bewitched by Shi Ran—one moment the distant Shi Ran, the next the Shi Ran right before her eyes; one moment the Shi Ran who said she liked her, the next the Shi Ran who said, "Call me Boss."
How could Ruan Ruan withstand it? She came quickly, her wrist pressing against Shi Ran's collarbone as she whispered, "Boss."
Beneath her wrist, Shi Ran's breathing rose and fell, heavier than usual. She knew Shi Ran was aroused again.
So she slid down a few inches, lowered her head, and took the plump peak into her mouth. Her right hand crept up Shi Ran's neck, gently caressing the nape.
"Boss." Aroused, Ruan Ruan was like a kitten, murmuring and kissing her.
She knew exactly how to please Shi Ran, her actions hitting closer and closer to the mark.
Shi Ran's long hair swayed gently. Then, she let out a rushed, faint sigh, a small sound escaping her lips despite herself.
That unintentional trailing note was both charming and unexpected.
"Boss has come," Ruan Ruan murmured, pressing her lips together. She spoke softly, obediently, against Shi Ran's chest.
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