Against the Light - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Mom Fan!

Early in the morning, Gu Xinran was woken by her phone ringing. The moment she opened her eyes, she subconsciously looked at the person in her arms. Yilan was still sound asleep, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. Gu Xinran quickly silenced her phone and gently smoothed her brow. She pulled the blanket up to cover Yilan's bare, fragrant shoulders and quietly got out of bed, heading to the living room.

The call was from Qu Qi. Gu Xinran called her back.

"Hello, Sister Qi, what's up?"

"Huge news!"

"Hm?"

"It seems Le Tao's upper management offended a big shot in the fashion world. All of Le Tao's artists have been collectively blacklisted by the entire industry! All their luxury brand endorsements have been replaced, their magazine covers have been pulled from the shelves, and even a few models who were about to walk in fashion shows have been disqualified. The boss of Le Tao is about to lose his mind!"

Gu Xinran was stunned. "Why so sudden?"

"I don't know either. It's like overnight, the whole country started boycotting Le Tao Entertainment. It's so satisfying!" Even through the screen, Gu Xinran could feel Qu Qi grinning from ear to ear.

Gu Xinran frowned. She wasn't particularly happy; in fact, she felt a faint sense of unease. If a company as large as Le Tao could be completely dismantled overnight, wouldn't her own fledgling company be even easier for someone to play with in the palm of their hand?

"Who did it?"

"The biggest shot in the fashion world, Shi Qing."

"This mogul is famous in the industry for being ruthless. She started as a designer, married into a wealthy family, and helped her husband take over the Wei Yi Group. After her husband passed away, she single-handedly propped up the massive family business. She's a true powerhouse."

"Find out how Le Tao offended her," Gu Xinran said.

"Yeah, I know. I've already had Fang Yi look into it. I've also told our people to keep a low profile when they're out. By the way, I called to ask if you want to seize this opportunity."

"How so?"

"Right now, Le Tao has bet everything on variety shows. Do you remember how our Never Parting was sabotaged by Picturesque Rivers and Mountains?"

Gu Xinran narrowed her eyes, instantly understanding Qu Qi's meaning. When Never Parting was forced to halt production, Le Tao's Picturesque Rivers and Mountains had started filming with great fanfare. They had deliberately chosen a similar female-led historical drama, planning to dominate the market during the summer prime-time slot, all to deal her a fatal blow.

Qu Qi's idea was to follow suit and invest in a variety show with the same positioning, launching it before Le Tao's show aired to capture the market first! Give them a taste of their own medicine!

If the variety show invested in by Heart Entertainment became a huge success, not only would they gain fame and fortune, but they could also completely crush Le Tao, turning it into the perfect stepping stone for Heart Entertainment!

"What do you think? Any thoughts?"

"Of course. I'll head to the company later and we can discuss it in detail."

"Okay."

"Hey, remember to keep an eye on this Shi Qing."

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Qu Qi replied before hanging up.

Gu Xinran returned to the bedroom. Yilan was still asleep. She tiptoed back to the bed, snuggled up to Yilan, and wrapped her arms around her, enjoying their cozy little world.

Bai Yilan was stirred awake by her movements. Feeling herself held tightly in an embrace, she couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

"Hm? How can someone so completely naked still have the nerve to laugh?" Gu Xinran couldn't resist teasing her.

"Go away, you're so improper."

"Haha, look at the state we're in. Let's find someone to judge who's the improper one here."

"Tsk!"

Gu Xinran smiled and nuzzled her nose against Bai Yilan's, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Morning."

"Mmm~"

Just as the two were sharing a tender moment, the doorbell suddenly rang.

They both froze and looked at each other.

Gu Xinran glanced at the clock. It was only nine. "Who would come at this hour?"

"Usually, no one comes over. Maybe it's someone to read the water meter." Bai Yilan was halfway through a stretch when she noticed her two milky-white little rabbits had playfully popped out. She immediately shrank back, her pretty face flushing red.

Gu Xinran burst out laughing and nuzzled her blushing cheek, finding it absolutely adorable.

"Yilan—"

A voice suddenly called from outside the door.

The smiles on their faces gradually froze. They stared at each other, simultaneously tilting their heads to listen.

"Yilan? Mom's here, open the door!"

Along with the voice, the doorbell rang again.

"Mo… Mom?" Gu Xinran slowly came to her senses, turning her head to look at the door in shock.

She tiptoed out of bed, went to the living room, and peeked through the peephole. She was instantly dumbfounded!

Jiang Boyan! And Yilan's mother, Jiang Ning!

"Yilan?" Jiang Boyan knocked on the door and seemed to be taking out her phone, looking like she was about to make a call.

A chill ran down Gu Xinran's spine, and she hurried back to the bedroom.

"Jiang Boyan and your mother are outside!"

"Who??"

The moment Bai Yilan spoke, her phone rang, startling her into silence. She glanced down under the covers. Why did she suddenly feel like she'd been caught in the act??

"What do we do now??" Bai Yilan whispered, her voice laced with guilt.

"Should I answer it?"

"…" Gu Xinran fell silent. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy, not yet processing the situation.

"Do they have a key to your place?"

"No… I don't think so."

"You answer the phone first. Just say you're not home and get them to leave for now," Gu Xinran said after composing herself.

Bai Yilan nodded and answered the call.

Gu Xinran tiptoed into the living room, intending to check on the situation outside through the peephole. But as soon as her hand touched the door, it creaked open.

It was unlocked!

"???"

Gu Xinran stared blankly at the two people outside the door.

The two of them stared back at Gu Xinran, completely bewildered.

"Why-why are you here? And in your pajamas? Where's Yilan? Isn't she supposed to be on set?!" Jiang Boyan fired off a series of questions.

Gu Xinran opened her mouth but no words came out. She just gave an awkward smile.

Right now, the situation was just awkward. Extremely awkward.

Jiang Boyan glanced past her into the apartment and started walking towards the bedroom.

"Hey, wait!" Gu Xinran quickly tried to block her, but was brushed aside.

"Hey, you can't go in there, Yilan isn't dressed…"

Gu Xinran closed her eyes, wishing she could bite her own tongue off. She forced a smile. "What I mean is, Yilan hasn't gotten up yet. It's not appropriate for you to just barge in like this…"

Well, before she could finish, Jiang Boyan had already rushed into the bedroom.

"Hey, Sister, why did you come in? Wait a minute…"

Yilan's flustered voice came from the room. Gu Xinran rubbed her forehead, feeling helpless. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Ning staring intently at her. She quickly invited the woman in. "Aun… uh… please, have a seat." Gu Xinran opened her mouth, then hesitated. What was the proper form of address? Would 'Auntie' sound too distant? What about 'Mom'? Wasn't that too direct??

"Sister, get out first, I'm…" Yilan's embarrassed voice drifted from the room. The thought of Yilan being cornered in bed by Jiang Boyan didn't make Gu Xinran worried or jealous at all. In fact, why did she feel a little bit of schadenfreude!?

Gu Xinran poured two glasses of water and placed them on the coffee table.

"Please have some water." She glanced at Jiang Ning. Ever since she had entered the apartment, her eyes hadn't left Gu Xinran, sizing her up. It was quite embarrassing…

"Come, sit. You're not an outsider, don't be so formal." Jiang Ning patted the sofa with a cheerful smile, gesturing for Gu Xinran to sit beside her. She looked her up and down again. Tsk, tsk, she was so beautiful without makeup. Truly worthy of being called Little Fairy!

Little did Gu Xinran know that Jiang Ning had become a die-hard fan of hers while watching the variety show 【A Good Show】. She sat bolt upright, her expression serious. After all, this counted as meeting the parents, right…

"Ahem. Have… have you had breakfast? How about I make you something?" Gu Xinran's palms were sweating under her gaze. She was nervous, very nervous.

"N-no need, don't be so polite."

Gu Xinran frowned and stole a glance at Jiang Ning, noticing that she had unconsciously clenched her fists. Why did it seem like she was nervous too???

"Can… can I call you Auntie?" Gu Xinran asked, trying to figure out her current status.

"Just call me Mom. 'Auntie' is too formal."

"???"

In the bedroom, Jiang Boyan stood in the corner with her arms crossed.

"Are you done yet?"

"Almost, almost." Bai Yilan hurriedly got dressed. She deliberately chose a high-collared shirt to cover her neck, lest anyone see the love marks branded there.

"Done." Bai Yilan smoothed her hair in the mirror and fastened the top button of her collar.

Only then did Jiang Boyan turn around and look at her. "Tell me, why does it have to be her?"

"Have you forgotten how badly she hurt you last time? It's true what they say, once the wound heals, the pain is forgotten, isn't it?"

"You finally managed to let everything go and study abroad, but you came back for her. You just escaped the abyss, and now you want to jump right back in. What can I possibly say to you?"

Bai Yilan rubbed her brow. Great, here we go.

"You're so carefree, but have you thought about Mom? She's getting old, yet she's still worrying about you all the time. A while ago, she was worried you wouldn't get over the divorce, and now she has to worry you'll make the same mistake again. You're a grown woman, can't you just…"

"Sister!" Bai Yilan's head was starting to ache from the nagging.

"Sister~ Xinran isn't the same person she used to be. If you've paid any attention to Weibo or her shows, you should have realized it. She's mature, responsible, and ambitious. She's someone worth entrusting yourself to."

"Fine, let's see if Mom buys that." Jiang Boyan shot her a look and turned to leave.

The moment she stepped into the living room, she froze on the spot.

She saw Jiang Ning and Gu Xinran chatting as happily as could be. The old lady was roaring with laughter, her mouth wide open in a grin. She held Gu Xinran's hand, showering her with praise.

"Sister, what were you just saying?"

"…?" Jiang Boyan slapped her forehead. She had forgotten—her own mother was Little Fairy's mom fan!!

At noon, Gu Xinran showed off her skills, stir-frying a few dishes.

Once she realized Jiang Ning was her fan, her nervousness completely vanished. She had a wonderful time chatting with the old fangirl. Thankfully, Jiang Ning liked to browse the internet, so she already had a completely new understanding and impression of Gu Xinran's character.

"Hey? Ranran, your cooking is so good. How come you couldn't do it before?"

"Uh… well, after my divorce from Yilan, I reflected on my mistakes and turned over a new leaf, so I learned how to cook again."

"Hmph." Jiang Boyan snorted, a smile that didn't reach her eyes on her face.

"You'd better fix your attitude and humbly learn from Ranran. You're so old and you can't even cook a proper dish. How are you ever going to get married!" Seeing someone disdain her idol's cooking, Jiang Ning immediately fired back!

"…??" Jiang Boyan was speechless. Am I a fake daughter?

"Ranran, you eat too. Eat more, look how thin you are." Jiang Ning looked at Gu Xinran, growing fonder of her by the second.

"Okay." Gu Xinran smiled, a warmth spreading through her heart. It had been a long time since she had felt such care from an elder.

After the meal, Jiang Ning held Gu Xinran's hand and urged her to treat Yilan well. Then, she grabbed Jiang Boyan and prepared to leave. Gu Xinran felt quite embarrassed and tried her best to make them stay.

Jiang Boyan pulled Bai Yilan aside to remind her to think thrice before making any decisions. Halfway through her lecture, Jiang Ning grabbed her by the ear and dragged her away. As a final blow, the old fangirl even grumbled, "You're in the way, don't you know?"

Jiang Boyan was furious. She got it now. She was definitely the fake daughter! :)

After they left, Gu Xinran couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't expect your mother to be so adorable."

"Yeah." Upon hearing the word 'mother,' Bai Yilan's eyes dimmed slightly.

"What's wrong?" Gu Xinran took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Nothing."

Gu Xinran didn't press further. She thought back for a moment on her own, then suddenly frowned.

Wait a minute.

Jiang Ning, Jiang Boyan.

The mother and daughter both had the surname Jiang, but Yilan…

If they were a family, why did they have different surnames? And in terms of appearance, Yilan and Jiang Ning didn't look alike at all!

Gu Xinran's eyelids twitched as a bold guess formed in her mind.

"Yilan?"

"Hm."

"They… they aren't your blood relatives?"

Bai Yilan was silent for a moment before nodding.

"She's my adoptive mother. I've been fostered in her home since I was a child."

"Fostered? Then what about your biological parents?"

Bai Yilan pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Gu Xinran's heart clenched. She gently squeezed her hand. In her past life, Yilan had also had a distant relationship with her relatives. She had been fostered in another family's home since she was young, living under someone else's roof, never having truly experienced life with her own kin. Her reserved, quiet, and somewhat insecure nature had been formed in that environment. She hadn't expected it to be the same in this life. Fortunately, the Jiang mother and daughter treated her well.

Starlit Scrolls