Against the Light - Chapter 91
Chapter 91: Peaceful Times
In the evening, everyone accompanied Yu Hua on a leisurely stroll through the fields.
Seeing the endless farmland, Yu Hua was filled with emotion. She had grown up in the fields and still held a deep affection for the countryside.
As the group listened to Yu Hua tell stories of her youth, Bai Yilan deliberately fell a few steps behind and pulled Gu Xinran aside.
"What kind of dirt does Teacher Yu have on you?"
"Huh? None at all." Gu Xinran's eyes widened as she told a blatant lie.
Bai Yilan raised an eyebrow slightly, her hand naturally resting on Gu Xinran's waist. "Look at me and say that again."
"…" Gu Xinran decisively shut her mouth. This wife of hers was too wicked!
"It's nothing, really. Just… respecting a senior." Gu Xinran gave a hollow laugh and tried to turn away, but Yilan blocked her.
"That message… you sent it, didn't you?" Bai Yilan's elegant brows arched as she looked at her, a half-smile on her face.
"Huh? What?"
"Still pretending? Don't you know you're the worst liar?"
"I…" Gu Xinran choked, meeting Yilan's gaze before lowering her head in resignation.
Seeing her like this, the smile on Yilan's face widened. "You simp," she teased softly.
"Hey!" Gu Xinran tried to protest.
"Hm?"
"Ahem." Gu Xinran pouted. Forget it, I'll let my wife have this one.
"Are you two done flirting over there?" Yu Hua's voice called out. The pair glanced at each other and obediently hurried to catch up.
After their stroll, everyone returned to the small courtyard of Xinran's house for a tea party. They all gathered around Yu Hua, practically worshipping the ground she walked on.
"Teacher Yu, I'm really curious why you agreed to play the role of the King of Yue," Ruan Tang asked.
Upon hearing the question, before Yu Hua could even react, Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan, who were serving tea, felt their eyelids twitch. With perfect tacit understanding, they turned to slip away.
"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?" Yu Hua's sharp eyes were fixed on them, and she noticed their slightest movement immediately.
"Uh, to get you some fresh tea."
"They're asking you a question. Why did I come to play this role? Why don't you two explain?"
"Eh? Sister Lan, what did you two do?" The others were very curious.
The two exchanged a look, smiling wryly. "I regret inviting Teacher here," Bai Yilan muttered under her breath.
"I remember when Never Parting had just started filming, Yilan was still in Berlin, and Jin Shuang was leading the crew. They ran into a lot of trouble right from the start and couldn't hold on. When this one here heard that Xinran was in trouble, she flew back from Berlin without a second thought. After she got back, she called me, and the first thing she said was, 'Teacher, I need to borrow your crew.' Before I even knew what was going on, click, she hung up. Later, my crew told me that Yilan had taken more than twenty of them straight to the film base to back Xinran up."
"Wow, that's so cool!" Ruan Tang instantly turned into a little fangirl.
"Mhm, that sounds like something Sister Lan would do." Qi Qiuyan nodded, indicating she understood Yilan's character. She's fiercely protective of her own.
"And then?"
"Later, Teacher Zheng Yuan, who was originally cast as the King of Yue, fell ill. It was too short notice to find a suitable replacement, so these two put their heads together, and… heh." Yu Hua let out a soft laugh, glancing at the pair.
"So they came to you?"
"At the time, I told her, 'You've already run off with my entire crew, what do I have left? Just this old bag of bones. If you want it, you can have it.'"
Hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan looked at each other and smiled in unison. Thinking back on it now, they had indeed been a little unscrupulous~
"So you were tricked into coming?"
"Of course! If they had told me I'd be playing a vicious old mother, I never would have come." Yu Hua rolled her eyes without a care for her image, making everyone roar with laughter.
"Hey, Teacher Yu, since we're on the topic, could you spill some tea for us? Were those two all lovey-dovey on set?"
"Of cour—"
"Teacher, have some tea. Drink up." Gu Xinran opportunely held up the teacup, trying to shut her up.
"I haven't even said anything yet. What are you so guilty about?"
"I… I'm not. I just…"
"So now you're worried about saving face? What about the time you were crying and whining that you wouldn't feel better until Yilan gave you a kiss?"
"…!"
"???"
"Hiss!"
"I…" Gu Xinran was utterly speechless. "I did not."
【??? Am I shipping this? Am I really shipping this!!】
【Wait? Sister Ran crying and whining for Teacher Bai's kiss to feel better? Why can't I picture that scene?】
【Same, can't picture it, but I kinda want to see it! Oof~】
【Hahahaha Teacher Yu is the best, spill more tea, ahhh!!】
【I can't believe I'm getting my ship content from Teacher Yu's mouth???】
"That was because Xinran was too deep in character and couldn't get out of it. She wasn't crying and whining," Bai Yilan couldn't help but defend her.
"Oh? Then who was it that couldn't stand to watch Lin Guo tug on her collar during a scene, deleted four kiss scenes down to just one, insisted on using camera angles to fake it, and just faded to black for the bed scene, not even allowing it to be filmed?"
"I…" Bai Yilan froze, never expecting the fire to turn on her.
"That was because…"
"Yilan was just trying to get past the censors! These days, you can't get approved if things are too explicit," Gu Xinran immediately chimed in to help.
"Tsk, tsk, look at these two."
The onlookers hooted and hollered.
"I see it's getting late, and Teacher has had a long day. Shouldn't it be time to rest?"
"I'm not tired. The scenery is beautiful, and I have people waiting on me. How is that tiring?" Yu Hua deliberately contradicted them, picking up her teacup and taking a sip.
Everyone was thoroughly amused by the tsundere old lady.
【Ahhhh I love Teacher Yu so much, she's too cute!!!】
【Hahaha Teacher Yu is Sister Ran's Achilles' heel. Besides Teacher Bai, she's the first person who can argue Sister Ran into silence!】
【I love watching Teacher Yu roast Ranran】
【The way Gu and Bai dote on each other is so shippable! Desperately trying to save each other's asses, hahaha, it's so sweet】
【Teacher Yu, stop exposing them, leave them a little dignity hahahaha】
"Everyone, it's really getting late. You should all go back and rest. Teacher, we've laid out the wool mattress for you. Shall you turn in for the night?" Gu Xinran thought, trying to get her to bed as quickly as possible before she could spill any more secrets with that loose tongue of hers.
Qi Qiuyan, ever perceptive, smiled and shook her head. "She's right, it is late. Teacher should rest. Shall we get going?"
"Okay."
Everyone tactfully dispersed. Only then did Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan breathe a sigh of relief, standing on either side of Yu Hua with their hands on their hips.
Yu Hua was savoring her tea when she noticed the two mountains looming before her. She looked up. "What?"
The corner of Gu Xinran's mouth lifted. "A palace coup." With that, she and Yilan took Yu Hua by the arms and escorted her back to the guest room.
【Hahahaha a palace coup, that's rich. These two are going to be the death of me!】
【Yu Mama is too cute, ahh!! I'm dying! So cute!! My image of her has instantly brightened up. She's no longer that vicious old mother!!】
【Hahaha a palace coup. Teacher Yu: Treacherous subjects are always trying to harm us!】
【These two have such great chemistry hahaha】
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
Over those two days, Yu Hua fully displayed her personal charm. Between her casual revelations of Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan's public displays of affection, her witty and humorous tone, and her slightly tsundere personality, her public image did a complete one-eighty. She shot to fame as the "National Mother" and was affectionately called "Yu Mama" by netizens.
Gu Xinran was focused on building the small wooden house. The show was about to end, and the renovation work was nearing completion. She was seizing every moment, preparing to finish it completely before the program concluded.
For the past two days, Yilan had spent most of her time helping Xinran with the house. Yu Hua would stand by with her hands on her hips, watching with the smile of a proud mother, looking as if she were watching her own daughters, her expression always one of utter satisfaction.
Qi Qiuyan and the others also took the opportunity to enjoy this rare pastoral life. At this moment, the Qi-Qi couple were walking hand-in-hand down a country path. The occasional glances they shared were so sweet you could feel it through the screen.
Thinking back to when they first arrived, the two hadn't been used to their relationship being exposed on camera. They had been so cautious, not daring to be too intimate. Now, however, they had become much more relaxed.
"Hey, look, isn't that Sister Lan? Their house is finished!" Qi Yuwei suddenly exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent, pointing ahead.
Qi Qiuyan looked over and saw that the second floor of the wooden house was complete, with an open-air balcony extending from it, furnished with a tea table and other things. Right now, the two of them were lying on a double rocking chair, basking in the sun, swaying gently. It was an exceptionally cozy scene.
"Xinran is truly amazing. To think she could build a small wooden house in just half a month."
"She is." Qi Qiuyan was also filled with emotion. She could even recall when they first arrived, how the house was just a dilapidated shack with a leaky roof. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it was the same place.
The two of them walked towards the wooden house together. As they entered the yard, they saw Yu Hua tidying up after the small animals, arranging their homes in a neat and orderly fashion.
After greeting Teacher Yu, they entered the house. A photo wall in the living room immediately caught their eyes. It was covered with selected photos from the show's recording, likely arranged by the production team. The beautiful memories of the three couples were all preserved here.
There was a graffiti wall, a toy corner—everything was there, exactly matching the blueprint Yilan had drawn in the yard back then. It was clear that Xinran had put a great deal of care into recreating the design.
With looks of amazement, the two went up to the second floor. Seeing the other pair looking so relaxed and content, they couldn't help but exchange a smile.
"Oh? You're here. Come, sit." Gu Xinran welcomed them and poured them some tea.
The four of them sat and chatted leisurely. An occasional breeze drifted by, accompanied by the long drone of cicadas. It was a picture of peaceful times.
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