Against the Light - Chapter 44
Chapter 44: Burn Scars
Inside the car, everyone was in high spirits. Having vented their frustrations, they felt utterly refreshed.
Qu Qi was in complete awe of Fang Yi. Her photo-editing skills were just too incredible. The pictures she'd altered were seamless; if the real people hadn't been standing right there, even she would have believed those ugly photos were what they looked like before plastic surgery.
This was nothing short of genius!
"Hey, classmate Fang Two Dog."
"???"
"If you call me that again, your ugly photos will be on the front page of Weibo tomorrow."
"…" Qu Qi grumbled in defeat. "Classmate Fang Yi, what kind of job are you planning to find after you graduate?"
"Haven't decided. I prefer a more free and easy kind of work. Like, the type where I can lie at home, move my fingers, and make money."
"With your photo-editing skills, that's no problem at all!" Qu Qi complimented her without exaggeration.
Fang Yi chuckled. "Oh, that's just the beginning."
"Hey, Sister Ran, you've gained a lot of fans this time. A lot of people in your comments section are saying your manager is so alpha and cool. Huh? And some people are praising my editing skills. Hey, am I about to get famous?" Fang Yi looked at her in pleasant surprise.
"Do you want to debut? I can manage you!" Qu Qi immediately offered.
"No, no. Being a celebrity is too much trouble. You have to be so cautious and watch out for rivals. It's exhausting just thinking about it."
"Just focus on finishing your studies for now. We can talk about the future later," Gu Xinran said.
"Okay!" Fang Yi sat up straight and replied obediently.
"Also, while your editing skills are excellent, don't just casually photoshop ugly pictures of others in the future. This is your weapon. You can use it to protect yourself, but not to hurt others, understand?"
Hearing her earnest advice, Fang Yi couldn't help but stare at her for a moment.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just think you're a really good person, Sister Ran. You're truly different from those celebrities who would do anything to chase fame and fortune," Fang Yi said with emotion.
Gu Xinran smiled.
"So, is this matter over now?" Fang Yi asked.
"Of course not. I've already had our legal team get in touch. Compensation for emotional distress, compensation for reputational damage—he won't get away with owing a single cent. The hospital director will also have to make a public apology and clear Xinran's name!" Qu Qi said proudly.
"Awesome! Sister Xinran, next time someone gives you trouble, just tell me. As long as they use the internet, I can dig up their family's ancestral graves! I'll keep an eye on that troll, too. I'll definitely find them for you!" Fang Yi patted her chest, making a guarantee.
Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Qu Qi was in a good mood today, so she treated everyone to a big meal at a hotel before dropping Fang Yi back at her school.
As she was leaving, Gu Xinran felt a little reluctant to part with her. She got out of the car and walked with her for a bit, which moved Fang Yi to tears.
Back at the hospital, the crowd of onlookers had yet to disperse. Reporters, having caught wind of the news, had also rushed over, surrounding the hospital three layers deep. The director was completely encircled by the crowd, unable to leave.
"Please give us an explanation. Did your hospital really leak a patient's private information?"
"Did Gu Xinran have plastic surgery or not? If she did, please show us her records! If not, please issue a public apology!"
"Can you explain your hospital's actions in exploiting a celebrity's reputation? Why did you forge plastic surgery records? Was it purely for publicity? Why target Gu Xinran?"
The reporters fired off questions one after another. Annoyed by their relentless questioning, the director turned and ducked back into the hospital.
At the same time, on Yu Hua's film set, everyone had fallen silent.
Gu Xinran's words about not blindly following the crowd had left them feeling a little awkward. They didn't know Gu Xinran very well; their hostility toward her stemmed solely from her divorce from Yilan. Back then, Yilan had been the darling of the crew, and everyone doted on her. The fact that Gu Xinran had not only won her over but also betrayed her was something they found hard to accept.
"Sigh, people change. You all can't keep looking at people with the same old perspective," Zheng Ying said, nodding with a hint of appreciation. Ever since the audition, where she had witnessed Gu Xinran's rapidly improving acting skills and her calm, composed attitude in the face of adversity, her opinion of Xinran had changed.
"What are you all doing, so idle?" Yu Hua came out for a stroll and saw a group of people huddled around a phone, chatting, with not a single one of them doing any actual work.
Startled, everyone immediately scattered to get back to their tasks.
"Hey, Su Yu, let's go."
"Doesn't anyone else think that photo-editing young lady is amazing?!" Su Yu's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"…? Oh, you mean the one with short hair. She has a great presence, and her editing skills are insane. Whoever becomes her girlfriend will be the happiest person alive. She could make any photo of you look prettier than a level-ten beauty filter!"
"Exactly! Is she Xinran's assistant? Hey, once Xinran joins the cast, does that mean we'll get to meet this goddess?!"
"Ahhh, I'm suddenly looking forward to Gu Xinran joining the cast soon!" Su Yu practically drooled.
"Hey, hey, hey, aren't you a self-proclaimed member of the 'Ultimate Anti-Gu Alliance'?"
"Oh, come on, who wouldn't love such an amazing young lady? Besides… well… didn't Director Zheng say we shouldn't look at people with the same old perspective…" Su Yu argued.
"My, my, my, something doesn't sound right. Are those words that could actually come out of Su Yu's mouth?"
"Has our little cutie's heart been stirred? Hahaha~"
The group couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"What are you all talking about? You seem so happy." A voice suddenly came from outside. Everyone jumped, and when they turned to look, they became even happier.
"Lanlan! What are you doing here?"
Bai Yilan smiled and greeted everyone. "I came to see you all."
"Aww, that's so nice!"
"What's wrong with Su Yu?" Bai Yilan looked at Su Yu, puzzled. Usually, whenever she visited, the girl would practically cling to her.
"Oh, she's been captivated by the short-haired young lady. Don't mind her."
Bai Yilan smiled. She had also seen Xinran's Weibo livestream and knew about the short-haired girl with amazing editing skills. Seeing Su Yu's slightly star-struck expression, she shook her head helplessly. The mention of her reminded her of Ming Zhen. Why was it that everyone around her was being captivated by the people around Xinran???
"Is Teacher here?"
"She is. She was just here cursing people out a minute ago."
Bai Yilan went to the break room, knocked, and entered after getting a response.
"Teacher."
"Hm?"
When Yu Hua saw her, her brow instantly relaxed. She beckoned for Bai Yilan to sit beside her.
"Have you made up your mind about that matter?" Yu Hua closed her script, a little worried.
"I have. I came here today because there's something else I'd like to ask of you."
Yu Hua thought for a moment. "Gu Xinran? Don't worry. If I wasn't going to protect her, she would have been kicked off my set long ago."
"Oh, please. Others might not know you, but I do. If she didn't have some skill, would you have even cast her?"
Yu Hua shot her a sideways glance. What kind of person was this, undermining her like that!
"What is it? Go on."
"My crew… they've been with me for many years. While I'm away, could you let them come to your set to learn and help out?"
"That's not a problem. I'm a bit short-staffed anyway."
A smile spread across Bai Yilan's face. "Thank you, Teacher."
Yu Hua waved her hand. "Anything else?"
"No."
"You're not going to ask me to look after Gu Xinran?" Yu Hua asked with a smile. For the past two days, Zheng Ying had been brainwashing her, saying that this Gu Xinran was different from before, that she had changed a lot, and that the cheating rumors were false. She had even shown her 【A Good Show】, which had also slightly changed her opinion of Gu Xinran.
"You're someone who cherishes talent. I don't even need to say it. Besides, I trust that she can take care of herself."
Yu Hua smiled.
"Have you told your family? Your mother actually agreed?"
"Yes. My mom spoils me."
"Alright, go on then. It's good to go out, study, and improve yourself."
"Yes. Thank you, Teacher."
The incident of the Perfect Plastic Surgery Hospital maliciously smearing Gu Xinran continued to escalate.
For three whole days, the topic never left Weibo's trending list. Many of Gu Xinran's fans gathered outside the hospital, which had already been ordered to suspend its operations.
Under pressure, the person in charge of the hospital decided to issue a public apology in hopes of quelling the storm.
At the press conference, besides the hospital's representatives, Gu Xinran's side was represented by Qu Qi herself.
The apology was eagerly reported by multiple media outlets and livestreamed on several online platforms, making for a grand spectacle.
Both parties took the stage.
The hospital director bowed deeply to Gu Xinran, who was sitting in the audience.
"Regarding our hospital's malicious defamation of Ms. Gu and the damage done to her reputation, I, on behalf of the hospital, offer my sincere apologies."
"For the immense trouble caused to Ms. Gu due to our staff's negligence in leaking her cosmetic surgery records, I once again offer my sincere apologies."
Watching him bow again, Qu Qi raised an eyebrow. She took a document from the file folder in her hand and unfolded it for the cameras.
The director had only handed this over after being threatened with a lawyer's letter. She had already reviewed it and knew there was nothing explosive inside, which was why she chose to reveal it on such an occasion.
"This is the record of Xinran's cosmetic procedures on file at this hospital. Now, I'd like to ask this gentleman, the director, to read aloud exactly what procedures Xinran underwent at your esteemed hospital." Qu Qi handed the paper to the director.
The director glanced at her, accepted the paper awkwardly, and broke into a sweat as he read it.
"The procedure Ms. Gu underwent was…"
"Scar removal."
As soon as those two words were spoken, an uproar swept through the audience.
The reporters exploded. A simple scar removal procedure was twisted into major plastic surgery, and they even defamed her with those ugly pictures? Was this something a human being would do?
"Garbage hospital!"
"You have no medical ethics! You're not fit to be doctors!"
"You not only hurt Gu Xinran, but you also deceived the public! Apologize, pay compensation, and shut down!"
The reporters were incensed, their shouts and curses filling the air.
Gu Xinran's expression remained placid, but the hand in her pocket unconsciously tightened around that piece of paper.
Although the director had said it so casually, when she saw that file, she had been utterly shocked!
The original owner hadn't undergone a simple scar removal surgery!
In that file was a scanned photo of the original owner, and that photo showed what she looked like before the scar removal!
On her left cheek and right forearm were two very distinct red birthmarks. The shape of those birthmarks was identical to the scars left by the mountain fire in her previous life!!!
When she saw that photo, Gu Xinran couldn't describe the shock she felt. Her mind was a chaotic mess! Even now, it hadn't calmed down!
Why did the original owner have such birthmarks? What was the connection between her and this person?
She had always thought she was just a soul in a different body, but now she realized there was a strange connection between her and this body.
It was like… a past life, and a present one!
After she died in her past life, she was reincarnated and became the Gu Xinran of this life. But because she was born with the scars of her past life, she was bullied and tormented, making her sensitive and fragile deep down.
Until she met Yilan.
After meeting Yilan, her excellence made Gu Xinran feel even more inferior. Coupled with the baseless provocations from haters and threats from her family, the mounting pressure slowly changed her personality…
After the divorce, she completely lost control!
After the fight with Luo Bing, she had arrived in this world, and the memories of this body's original owner had quietly faded away. It was as if she no longer wanted to recall that unbearable past, choosing to deliberately forget and avoid it, allowing Gu Xinran to take control of this body with the memories of her past life!
At this thought, it was like a revelation for Gu Xinran!
She had heard before that after people die, they are reincarnated. They cross the Bridge of Helplessness, drink Granny Meng's soup, and forget everything about their past lives.
But sometimes, people would see scenes that felt familiar, yet they were certain they had never seen them before. Some called it a past life, others called it a dream, but no one could explain why.
But Gu Xinran felt that she could explain it now.
Having figured this out, Gu Xinran suddenly trembled and shot her head up!
She took out her phone and searched for stills of Xiao Xia from Life Like Summer Flowers. Looking at the burn scar on the little girl's left cheek, which was almost identical to hers, she remembered Yilan saying that the film was born from one of her dreams.
Could it be…!?
Yilan could dream of the scene where she was burned by the mountain fire in her past life! And she had a clear reaction when she saw that dress! Also, the house she designed in the mountains—that was the home they had built together in their past life!
The more Gu Xinran thought about it, the more excited she became. Her throat bobbed as she told herself to calm down.
If Yilan was also reincarnated, would she have some kind of mark on her body to prove it?
Just like the burn-scar birthmarks on her own face!
Gu Xinran's brow furrowed sharply, and she shot to her feet, her body trembling slightly!
The people around her were surprised by her action, only to see her turn and leave without a word, running out of the conference hall!
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment