Against the Light - Chapter 97
Chapter 97: A Harmonious Facade?
Late at night, in the president's office of the Wei Yi Group.
Bai Yiyue sat in her chair, gently stroking the desk before her.
She picked up the photo of Shi Qing that was on the desk, glanced at it, and then tossed it, frame and all, into the trash can.
A knock sounded at the door. The corner of her lips curved up, and she answered.
"President Bai, may I come in?" Ming Qian pushed the door open and entered.
"Stop teasing me."
Ming Qian walked over and sat down in front of her. "Although Shi Qing compromised this time, I can't shake the feeling that something's not right. That woman is unfathomable, and she's uncommonly ruthless. You can see that from her attitude toward Bai Yilan all these years. Even a vicious tiger won't eat its own cubs, but she… she could abandon her own biological daughter, treating her like a stranger when they meet. I find it hard to imagine she'd give up real power just because of a little bit of dirt on her."
"Times are different now. The internet is so developed, public opinion can destroy a person. Being the other woman who drove the original wife to her death… that's enough to ruin her reputation completely."
"Sigh, and to think I even contacted the Xue family, preparing to join forces to pull Shi Qing down. She certainly knows when to quit. Otherwise, we would have made sure she ended up despised by everyone, with a miserable old age." After speaking, Ming Qian narrowed her eyes.
"I won't let her off so easily. If it weren't for her back then, how could my mother have fallen ill with depression and passed away?"
Ming Qian looked at her and gently patted the hand she had on the table.
"We don't even need to lift a finger. Think of how many enemies she's made over the years. Now that she has no real power, those people will naturally take care of it for you."
"But you still need to be careful, not just of her, but also of that Gu Xinran. I saw her today, and the feeling she gave me was completely different from before. It's like she suddenly became a different person," Ming Qian warned.
"Oh, I'd almost forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. You clearly already ruined her, yet she managed to make a comeback. She really can't be underestimated."
"Luo Bing, Yang Xue, Ye Ting, and Le Tao… they all fell at her hands. It's so frustrating." Ming Qian was slightly annoyed. She had originally planned for the Ming family to take a step into the entertainment industry and had secretly cultivated some forces, but unexpectedly, they were all defeated by Gu Xinran. It was clearly so easy to succeed before, crushing Gu Xinran completely, yet Gu Xinran managed to turn the tables. It was truly baffling.
"Heh, that old hag is really something. At the banquet today, she actually made a point of mentioning Gu Xinran. On an occasion like this, Gu Xinran has no right to be present. Does she think that by mentioning her, she can pull some connections for Gu Xinran? And Bai Yilan, did you see her? She almost cried today. She's been a crybaby since she was little, and she hasn't changed one bit after all these years." A trace of disgust flashed in Bai Yiyue's eyes.
"Trying to pull connections for Gu Xinran? But that doesn't quite make sense. They're not related in any way, what reason would she have… Could it be for Bai Yilan?" Ming Qian analyzed.
"Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan remarrying is probably a done deal. Before handing over power, she pulls connections for Gu Xinran, paves the way for Heart Entertainment, and plans for Bai Yilan's future… Tsk, that makes sense." Ming Qian muttered to herself for a moment, then said with certainty.
"How touching. After all these years of playing the loving mother in front of me, in the end, it was all for her own daughter. If I had actually been fooled by her back then, the one sitting in this position today would be Bai Yilan, wouldn't it?" Bai Yiyue's gaze gradually turned venomous.
"In that case, I'll let her watch how her most beloved daughter is ruined by my hands." Bai Yiyue looked at her own hand, clenching it into a tight fist.
The next morning, Gu Xinran opened her eyes and looked at the person beside her.
She thought Yilan was still asleep, but when she looked up, she saw her staring blankly out the window with open eyes, looking preoccupied.
Gu Xinran turned on her side, wrapped her arms around her waist, and buried her face in her hair. "Why are you awake so early?"
Bai Yilan came back to her senses, turned her head to look at her, and placed a light kiss on her forehead. The corners of her lips curved into a beautiful arc as she said softly, "Good morning."
"Hm? Morning~" Seeing Yilan smile, Gu Xinran's heart relaxed. She had thought she was thinking about her mother and hadn't slept well.
Bai Yilan casually touched her forehead. Gu Xinran saw this, sat up against the headboard, and had Yilan rest her head on her lap. She began to gently massage her temples.
Seeing Yilan's expression relax, she finally felt at ease.
"I don't have any work today. Why don't we go out for a walk? It'll be good to clear our heads," Gu Xinran suggested.
"Okay."
The two embraced and lazed in bed for a while longer before getting up to wash and get ready.
They went out after breakfast.
Gu Xinran took Yilan to the mall where she had publicly confessed to her by playing the piano. This place also held many of their memories.
It was on that day that she had mustered the courage to confess to Yilan and earned the chance to officially date her. Thinking back on it now, her heart still fluttered with a little excitement.
The two stood on the second floor, leaning on the railing and looking at the piano in the lobby below, reminiscing about that romantic confession.
"I really regret it. I shouldn't have confessed last time," Gu Xinran suddenly sighed.
"Hm??" Bai Yilan raised an eyebrow. Regretting a confession after making it? Was this person asking for a beating?
Gu Xinran looked at her, her eyes curving into a heart-melting smile. "I should have just proposed directly."
Bai Yilan froze, then pursed her lips in a light smile. Before she could speak, she heard…
"It would have saved so much trouble," Gu Xinran muttered under her breath.
Bai Yilan had sharp ears and heard her. She tugged on her sleeve. "We're not even married yet, and you're already saying I'm troublesome, aren't you?"
"How would I dare? Look at you, ready to resort to violence at the slightest disagreement." Gu Xinran propped her cheek on her hand, watching her with a grin.
Bai Yilan scoffed lightly and silently lowered her sleeve.
Just as the two were playfully bickering, Xinran's phone rang.
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow slightly. A call at such an inopportune time had to be Qu Qi. She picked up her phone and looked. Sure enough, it was.
"Hello? Sister Qi, what's wrong?"
"Hm?" Gu Xinran's expression changed slightly.
"Okay, I'll be right over."
Gu Xinran hung up the phone, her brows furrowing unconsciously.
"What happened?"
"Do you remember Huo Jie? I thought her aura was fantastic, so I had her try to transition into the fashion world. She was supposed to have a cover shoot today. She went, but she was kicked out. And that magazine explicitly stated they will no longer work with any artists from Heart Entertainment."
"No longer work with artists from Heart Entertainment?"
"Mhm."
The two talked as they walked out. In the car, Gu Xinran smoothly helped Yilan with her seatbelt.
"Yesterday, Shi…" Bai Yilan paused.
"President Shi made a point of mentioning you at the banquet, clearly trying to pull connections for you. But she just handed over power, and someone is already proposing to stop working with Heart Entertainment. This is too…" Bai Yilan's brows were tightly knitted, a deep worry showing in her eyes.
"You have a point. These people aren't showing any mercy at all. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Heart Entertainment's artists don't have many dealings with the fashion world for now, so I'm not too worried about that. What I'm worried about now is President Shi. After losing her real power, will she be able to live well in the Bai family?"
Bai Yilan pressed her lips together. This was what she was worried about, too.
Gu Xinran turned to look at her, patted her hand, and gestured for her to relax for now.
Before long, the two arrived at the company.
Qu Qi was pacing around the room. When she saw the two arrive, she quickly pulled them into the office.
"What's the situation now?" Gu Xinran asked.
"First, tell me what on earth happened at the birthday banquet yesterday! How did you offend Wei Yi's new leader? Do you know what Heart Entertainment is facing right now?"
"We could very well become the next Le Tao…" Qu Qi was unusually flustered. In her mind, Wei Yi was a great demon king that couldn't be touched.
"It's not that exaggerated. Calm down first. We don't have many resources in the fashion world to begin with. If we lose them, we lose them. Have Huo Jie come back. She's had enough time to settle and grow recently. Her fame and exposure have increased a lot. She can come back to act and accumulate more experience."
"No, no, no, you don't realize the situation we're in. It's not just that small magazine announcing they'll never work with Heart Entertainment anymore. It's Bai Yiyue, the new leader of Wei Yi Group, who has put the word out in the industry: Wei Yi will never work with Heart Entertainment!"
"Do you know how Le Tao died? It was because Shi Qing put the word out in the industry that Wei Yi would never work with Le Tao. The response was immediate. In just a few days, the entire fashion world was boycotting Le Tao. She also restricted Le Tao's development in various aspects, making it difficult for them to move forward and pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy. And now, we are about to be—no, we might already be—jointly boycotted by the fashion world!"
Gu Xinran frowned, gradually understanding.
But she still couldn't figure it out. The moment she gained real power, with so many other things to do, she chose to suppress Heart Entertainment first. Was this new leader too idle?
"What the hell? Aren't Shi Qing and Bai Yiyue as close as mother and daughter? You were invited to the birthday banquet yesterday, and I thought we'd finally be able to latch onto a golden thigh. Well, great. We accidentally latched onto the wrong one. The old saying is true: it's better to bully the old than the young." Qu Qi said anxiously.
"What are you even talking about?" Gu Xinran said, annoyed. "Calm down! Don't fall into disarray!"
"Listen, Bai Yiyue has just taken power, and her foundation is unstable. She doesn't have Shi Qing's level of influence or ability. At most, Heart Entertainment will only lose the fashion market. Our foundation is in the entertainment industry, which is completely different from Le Tao." Gu Xinran was exceptionally certain. At yesterday's banquet, after Shi Qing announced she was handing over power, almost everyone present was shocked. Bai Yiyue's speech didn't receive much of a response, which meant that with her current reputation and ability, it would be difficult for her to win people over for the time being. So even if she wanted to suppress Heart Entertainment, there was nothing to be afraid of for now!
Beside them, Bai Yilan zoned out. She had taken Qu Qi's words to heart and was clearly stunned.
So, Bai Yiyue and her mother weren't as harmonious as they appeared on the surface? Were they… seemingly united but secretly divided?
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