Against the Light - Chapter 99
Chapter 99: Unyielding and Headstrong
For the past few days, the topic of Shi Qing being a homewrecker who drove the original wife to her death and seized the family assets had dominated the trending topics list. In addition to this, so-called onlookers contributed all sorts of negative stories, both true and false. In just a few days, the once-dominant tycoon had become like a rat in the street that everyone wanted to beat. She had fallen from her pedestal, becoming a topic of idle gossip for the masses.
Qu Qi released a lot of dirt on their rivals in an attempt to divert attention, but it had little effect. Netizens were far more interested in this shocking piece of gossip.
Bai Yilan said she didn't care, but her heart ached terribly. Gu Xinran saw it all, feeling both anxious and pained. However, she knew nothing about the inside story of what happened back then. Even if she wanted to clear Shi Qing's name, she had no idea where to start.
Right now, Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan were discussing countermeasures with the public relations team.
"This Bai Yiyue is too ruthless. It's been so many days, and she hasn't said a word. I heard that the power structure at Wei Yi has been in flux lately. Many people who spoke out for the big boss were directly taken down by Bai Yiyue and replaced with her own people."
"I'd say it's eighty percent likely that she was the one who leaked the dirt on Shi Qing. It was all to eliminate her opponents," Qu Qi speculated.
"There's more. Everyone who showed their face at the birthday banquet has been forced by Bai Yiyue to pick a side. Anyone who dares to defend Shi Qing now becomes an enemy of Bai Yiyue and Wei Yi," Fang Yi added.
"The industry is in a state of terror right now. That woman really can't be allowed to gain power. With just a little influence, she turns hostile and ungrateful. It's terrifying."
Everyone looked at each other in dismay.
"I feel so bad for the big boss. She dedicated most of her life to the company, only to be ruthlessly kicked out in the end."
"By the way, that little brat from the Xue family has been very active these past few days, teaming up with Bai Yiyue to deal with the big boss's trusted subordinates. Her intentions are as clear as day."
"The Xue family? Which little brat?" Gu Xinran asked.
"Xue Ziting. The only heir of the next generation in the Xue family. A sure thing. The head of the Xue family is away right now, so she's managing the company in their stead. That brat is probably trying to take this opportunity to prove herself and solidify her position."
"At the end of the day, Bai Yiyue's mother was from the Xue family. With Bai Yiyue now in charge of Wei Yi, it's practically like half of Wei Yi belongs to the Xue family. The Xue and Bai families are cousins, so this alliance makes their close relationship even closer. Ming Qian and Bai Yiyue also seem to have some sort of understanding. Tsk, for so many years, these three major families have been in a three-way standoff in the fashion world. Are these successors trying to break the stalemate and team up to dominate?"
"The big boss must really regret handing over power now, right?"
"You're naive. I think the big boss was forced to give up power. Just look at how well-prepared Bai Yiyue and the others were. I wouldn't believe it if you told me this wasn't premeditated."
"Where do you guys think the big boss is now? After such a huge falling out with Bai Yiyue, she can't possibly still be living at the Bai residence, can she?"
"I don't know. But she hasn't made a single public statement in so long. Could something have happened to her?"
Hearing this, Bai Yilan's heart trembled, and her expression changed instantly.
Gu Xinran patted her hand and glanced at the others. "I brought you here to discuss how to defend Shi Qing's reputation, not to spread baseless rumors."
Everyone exchanged glances and dared not speak carelessly anymore.
The speaker may not have meant it, but the listener took it to heart. The more Bai Yilan thought about it, the more worried she became. It had been so many days, and her mother had indeed not made any appearances. Could it be that she really…
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to her. At a critical time like this, if anything were to happen to her, Bai Yiyue would definitely be affected. After all, she was in power for so many years, and she certainly has more loyal subordinates than what we see on the surface. Bai Yiyue is more afraid of something happening to her than we are." Gu Xinran's tone was steady, as if she was completely certain, which gradually put Bai Yilan at ease.
Late at night, the Heart Entertainment PR team was still working overtime, racking their brains for a strategy.
Their boss had given them a do-or-die order: they had to restore Shi Qing's image.
"Sister Qi, isn't this task a bit beyond our capabilities? Just how many people did the big boss offend when she was in power? These people act like they want to tear her to shreds, spreading all sorts of exaggerated dirt. They're so low they're even throwing out brainless accusations like plagiarism from her early years just for an awkward smear campaign. How are we supposed to be a match for half the fashion industry?"
"Exactly."
The PR team complained endlessly.
Of course, Qu Qi knew this was a tough nut to crack, but she had only herself to blame for boasting in front of Xinran earlier, and now she was being forced into a difficult situation by that unscrupulous boss!
"Hey, let's be reasonable. Wei Yi's former president is being smeared like this, aren't they worried themselves? Why hasn't anyone come forward to say anything? What's the deal with staying silent to avoid suspicion at a time like this? Is it really a case of 'a new ruler brings new ministers'?"
"That's right!"
"Huh?" Fang Yi suddenly let out a soft cry.
"I have an idea!"
"What is it?" Five young women turned to her, their eyes shining.
"We can't clear Shi Qing of the homewrecker accusation for now, but we can use Bai Yiyue. Since they claim Shi Qing drove Bai Yiyue's mother to her death, why would she bother raising the daughter of her enemy? Bai Yiyue isn't stupid, either. Being raised by her enemy and inheriting such a massive family business from her—it just doesn't make sense, does it? Sister Ran mentioned that at Shi Qing's birthday banquet, Bai Yiyue was holding Shi Qing's arm and affectionately calling her 'Mom,' which shows their relationship was quite good."
"That's true. Shi Qing is in this state, yet Bai Yiyue hasn't reacted at all. It's outrageous."
"Damn it! Let's drag her into this and force her to show her face! If she doesn't, she's a heartless, ungrateful, vicious adopted daughter!"
"Let's get her!"
The group, apparently driven to their wits' end, rolled up their sleeves and charged forward recklessly.
And so, the next day, when Gu Xinran woke up and opened Weibo, this was the scene that greeted her.
【Why Did a Once Loving Mother and Filial Daughter Turn Against Each Other?】
【Shi Qing Forced the Original Wife to Her Death? Why Would Bai Yiyue Acknowledge an Enemy as Her Mother?】
【Let's Talk About the Heiress Who Acknowledged an Enemy as Her Mother to Fight for the Family Fortune, Only to be Treated as Her Own by Said Enemy Mother】
【At Shi Qing's Birthday Banquet, Bai Yiyue Affectionately Held Her Arm and Called Her Mom. Was It an Act?】
【Vicious Adopted Daughter Confirmed? Old Photos Reveal the Deep Affection Between Mother and Daughter, Shi Qing and Bai Yiyue!】
Looking at the string of topics about Shi Qing and Bai Yiyue's mother-daughter relationship on the trending list, Gu Xinran's eyelids twitched. These topics forcefully twisted the narrative, turning Shi Qing into a pitiful old mother who had treated her adopted daughter as her own, only to be betrayed by that same daughter after losing power. Meanwhile, Bai Yiyue was mercilessly dragged into the fray, becoming a heartless, vicious adopted daughter.
"What happened?" Bai Yilan turned her head and saw her frowning at her phone, asking quickly.
"Hm? It's nothing." Gu Xinran's expression relaxed as she handed the phone to her.
"Bai Yiyue is the type to seek revenge for the smallest grievance. If she finds out Heart Entertainment is guiding public opinion, I'm afraid we'll be in for a hard time," Bai Yilan said worriedly.
"Don't worry. If it were your mother personally coming after Heart Entertainment, I really couldn't make any guarantees. But as for her, I am fearless," Gu Xinran said with a mysterious smile.
Bai Yilan raised an eyebrow. So, this person had little secrets now?
At the same time, in the Wei Yi headquarters, Bai Yiyue stared at the inexplicable surge of insulting topics about herself online, completely stunned. She had no idea what had happened.
"P-President Bai, many reporters want to interview you about this. You…" The assistant, Fei Fei, was trembling. She was well aware that this new, young President Bai had a strange temper and was very difficult to get along with.
Bai Yiyue glanced at her impatiently. "Get rid of them. You're bothering me with such a trivial matter?"
"Uh, but this concerns your and Wei Yi's image. If you don't make a statement… I'll go handle it right away." The young assistant was startled by her glare and turned to flee.
"What's going on?"
"Hello, President Ming." As soon as Fei Fei opened the door, she nearly collided with the newcomer and quickly apologized.
Ming Qian waved her hand, signaling for her to go about her business, then closed the door and sat down at the desk.
"I saw what's happening online. You're really not composed enough. Why did you leak the dirt on Shi Qing?"
"It wasn't me. I don't know who leaked it. Those few paparazzi have managed to clear their own names completely."
"Now's not the time to talk about that. Who on earth is dragging me into this?" Bai Yiyue was completely baffled.
"Think about who you've offended recently."
"Heart Entertainment?"
"From the looks of it, these tactics seem very much like Gu Xinran's handiwork," Ming Qian said.
Bai Yiyue raised an eyebrow, her anger flaring. "Is Heart Entertainment trying to declare open war on Wei Yi? They're so clueless about the situation."
"Gu Xinran is not who she used to be. You must not let your guard down."
"You think I'm made of paper, too?"
Ming Qian glanced at her and shook her head helplessly.
"What has Shi Qing been up to recently?"
"What else could she be doing? Drinking tea, reading books, and walking her bird at home."
"Her silence makes me a little uneasy," Ming Qian said.
"Has she scared you witless? A few days ago, I might have had some reservations. But now, nearly sixty percent of the company's shareholders are my people—people who were suppressed by Shi Qing for years and couldn't get important roles, people who hate her to the bone. Even if Shi Qing showed up here right now, this company has nothing to do with her anymore."
Ming Qian shook her head. "How can you overturn the foundation she built over thirty years in a single night?"
Bai Yiyue waved her hand impatiently. "Let's not talk about her. As for this Gu Xinran, does she really think my reach isn't that long?"
In a suburban manor, Ye Nan reported the situation on Weibo, looking at Shi Qing with an expression that was caught between laughter and tears.
Shi Qing was also a little surprised, clearly not having anticipated such a development.
"I checked. It's Heart Entertainment's PR team guiding the direction of public opinion to force Bai Yiyue's hand. It must be the young miss's idea, right?" Ye Nan deliberately mentioned "young miss," carefully watching Shi Qing's expression.
Shi Qing shook her head slightly. "Yilan is stubborn. After suffering such a huge grievance for so many years, she won't forgive so easily."
"So you know you've wronged her. You still deliberately ignored her at the birthday banquet the other day, even though you were secretly watching her from backstage for a long time," Ye Nan muttered under her breath.
Shi Qing shot her a look, and Ye Nan immediately fell silent.
A moment later, Ye Nan glanced at Shi Qing. "Sister Qing, should I go and remind Heart Entertainment to stay out of this? With their current strength, even without you at the helm of Wei Yi, they're still throwing an egg against a rock."
Shi Qing pondered for a moment, then shook her head slightly, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "No need. The current Wei Yi is an excellent springboard for Heart Entertainment."
In the afternoon, as Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan were about to leave, the phone rang just as they reached the door. Gu Xinran picked it up and saw it was a call from Fang Jinghai.
"Jinghai, what's up?"
"Sister Ran, the West Source Film Festival opens next month. Our movie, Never Parting, has received nominations for a few awards. You and Sister Lan will have to attend the ceremony."
"Okay, I got it."
"Oh, one more thing. I just received news that designers in the industry are a bit hesitant to work with us now. Some of the designers we were familiar with have all made various excuses. It sounds like Wei Yi is putting pressure on them, and they're in a difficult position. Also, Er Gou just found out that Bai Yiyue has already extended her reach into the entertainment industry. She's secretly funding Le Tao and Zhang Xian, our old enemies, giving them strong support on various levels. It looks like she wants to use Le Tao to deal with us. That movie invested in by Le Tao, Picturesque Rivers and Mountains, which was released at the same time as ours, also received a nomination this time," Fang Jinghai reported in a calm tone.
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow slightly. That was a ruthless move. The woman was indeed vindictive.
"Got it."
"Sister Qi asked me to remind you to be careful these next two days. Wei Yi has hired a lot of paparazzi, probably hoping to catch some dirt on you."
"Mm."
"That's all for now. Oh, right, one more thing. Sister Ran, I admire you so much!"
Caught off guard by Fang Jinghai's sudden declaration, Gu Xinran couldn't help but smile helplessly. "Alright, stop with the flattery. Have Fang Yi keep a close watch on things."
"Yes!"
Gu Xinran hung up and saw Yilan looking at her with curious eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"What did Jinghai mean by 'I admire you so much'?" Xinran hadn't tried to hide her phone call, so she had heard everything Fang Jinghai said.
Gu Xinran pursed her lips and smiled, continuing to be mysterious.
That afternoon, Gu Xinran took Yilan to see a play. They were spotted and photographed by paparazzi in the audience, but the two of them paid it no mind, even putting on a grand display of affection for the cameras.
As a result, before the play was even over, both of them were sent to the top of the trending list.
【Gu Xinran Ignores Wei Yi's Business Boycott, in High Spirits Watching a Play with Her Wife】
【Gu and Bai Together! A Huge Wave of Dog Food is Coming!】
Gu Xinran couldn't be bothered with any of that. At the moment, she and Yilan were enjoying the play.
"What do you think of this actor?" Gu Xinran looked at the young actor on stage with eyes full of appreciation.
"His emotional control is excellent, his line delivery is very strong, and his stage presence is very stable. Not bad. What, are you thinking of poaching him?" Bai Yilan praised him without reservation.
Gu Xinran smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow, not answering.
"Why are you acting so strange today, always secretly laughing? Just how many secrets are you keeping from me?" Bai Yilan placed her hand on the back of Gu Xinran's and gave it a light squeeze.
Gu Xinran clasped her hand in return, stopping her violent act.
This one, she thought, who did she learn this from? Is she starting to get violent? Is she asking for a spanking?
The people in the adjacent seats had long since recognized them. Seeing their loving little interaction, they secretly took a photo and posted it online, serving up fresh, hot content for the vast number of netizens.
For the next half-month, Gu Xinran took Yilan out everywhere. They were either watching plays or listening to musicals, visiting film sets to see the rookies act, or deliberately showing up in public to feed the paparazzi some dog food. They lived a very leisurely life, having completely cast the battle with Wei Yi to the back of their minds, not paying it any attention at all.
Bai Yilan had initially been very worried about Shi Qing, but after Fang Yi hacked into Wei Yi's internal network, she learned that Shi Qing had already left the Bai residence and had other places to live. Knowing she was likely safe for the time being, Bai Yilan also relaxed and went along with Gu Xinran's actions, joining her in showing off their love to the very end.
On the other hand, the various powers on Wei Yi's side made a lot of noise. One day, this company would announce it was cutting ties with Heart Entertainment; the next, another would declare it would no longer use Heart Entertainment's artists. They created quite a spectacle, but the effect was minimal, very much a case of loud thunder but little rain.
Wei Yi's official Weibo account was incredibly lively these days. Onlookers, who loved nothing more than a good drama, flocked to the official account to express their "pity" for Bai Yiyue. For example…
【Hahahaha, Bai Yiyue is truly miserable. She's seriously treating them as an opponent to suppress, but they don't care at all and are showing off their love life left and right. Isn't that infuriating?】
【Ranran is posting updates of her travels every day now, she couldn't be happier. Thanks to President Bai for working so hard to suppress them, letting us Gu-Bai girls eat our fill of dog food. Please keep up the good work, President Bai! bows】
【With all due respect, Wei Yi's successor is the worst I've ever seen, and the worst of the worst at that. Just think back to when President Shi gave the order, and both the fashion and entertainment industries joined forces to boycott Le Tao. They had them subdued in a week. And now? This? Is this it? President Shi must be rolling in her grave!】
【Sorry, I'm seriously about to laugh my head off. Bai Yiyue told the fashion industry's designers not to take orders from Heart Entertainment, but she doesn't know that Ranran and Teacher Bai are top-tier designers themselves. The clothes they design are countless times better than what's on the market. You couldn't buy them even if you had the money! Chan Ye is just trash in front of them! You can't even hit a snake's weak spot. The Wei Yi empire is doomed in your hands.】
【I second the comment above, but I feel like it ultimately has to do with Heart Entertainment's business model. Heart Entertainment may not have many artists, but each one is a powerhouse. The main thing is that they have little interaction with the fashion world; they focus on acting without distractions. So no matter how turbulent the fashion world gets, it doesn't affect them. Besides, Bai Yiyue's influence really isn't as valuable as President Shi's. Why should people in the entertainment industry offend the soaring Heart Entertainment for her sake?】
【No matter what, just one sentence: Sister Ran is awesome!】
In the suburban manor.
Shi Qing listened as Ye Nan read the netizen comments from Wei Yi's official Weibo, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She took a sip of clear tea, rinsing her mouth.
"She's been in the entertainment industry for years, after all. She's too good at guiding public opinion. Bai Yiyue is probably going to be furious this time."
"That child's temperament is too poor, quick to anger and jealousy. Gu Xinran saw this weakness and is deliberately provoking her. Once she takes the bait, she will be digging her own grave," Shi Qing said calmly, having already seen through Gu Xinran's clever scheme.
"Then do you think she will take the bait?"
Shi Qing pondered for a moment. "That depends on the abilities of that girl from the Ming family."
Ye Nan was very curious. "Sister Qing, if she really does take the bait, what do you think her next move will be?"
Shi Qing raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "Right now, isn't there a golden opportunity to suppress Heart Entertainment?"
Ye Nan thought for a moment, silently calculating the dates in her head. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her. "The West Source Film Festival?"
"She's secretly funding Le Tao now, probably intending to use it as her springboard into the entertainment industry. Le Tao's nominated work and Heart Entertainment's work have been in competition with each other since filming began. If they can win a prestigious industry award, they could indeed one-up Heart Entertainment," Ye Nan analyzed.
Shi Qing smiled faintly.
"If she really succeeds, Wei Yi will never be able to set foot in the entertainment industry again."
"Why… Hiss!" Ye Nan was startled. With Shi Qing's hint, she had a sudden realization!
Over the next few days, the official Weibo accounts of various companies were all promoting their artists and nominated works, building up hype for the film festival.
Heart Entertainment and Le Tao, those sworn enemies, were now completely at odds.
Le Tao released stills from Picturesque Rivers and Mountains to attract attention. Just as netizens were about to start drooling, Heart Entertainment next door dropped a bombshell.
It was a behind-the-scenes clip from the filming of Never Parting, showing Bai Yilan in costume, running lines with Gu Xinran.
The onlookers said they had to watch it several times before they dared to believe it was Teacher Bai. She was a great director, and her acting was superb too. This wife-and-wife pair was simply multitalented!
Afterward, the official Weibo account of 【Chan Ye】 tagged Le Tao and released a set of haute couture gowns specially designed for the nominated actors of Picturesque Rivers and Mountains.
Netizens rushed over, and just as they were about to praise how beautiful the design sketches were and how amazing Chan Ye was, Heart Entertainment next door released a set of their own design sketches. There were six in total, each one exquisite and detailed. Any single one of them could have easily crushed 【Chan Ye】's designs.
And that wasn't all. Heart Entertainment also included a very cheeky caption: 【The boss and her wife designed gowns for each other, but they probably had too many ideas in their heads and couldn't decide which one to pick. So they just drew six, made a die, and decided to roll it on the day of the ceremony to choose their outfits. Should we say that being talented means you can be willful? [doge]】
Netizens flooded Heart Entertainment's official Weibo, praising how beautiful the design sketches were and saying they looked forward to the finished products.
A luxury perfume brand posted on Weibo, offering to unconditionally provide Le Tao's artists with their newest perfume, which wasn't even available on the market.
This time, the onlookers had learned their lesson. After seeing Le Tao post its thanks, they all tacitly went to Heart Entertainment's Weibo to wait.
Sure enough, less than five minutes later, Heart Entertainment's official Weibo posted a photo. The picture was of a bottle of 【Liushen Florida Water】, with the caption: 【Friends who are afraid of mosquito bites at the venue can get closer to our boss. When it comes to repelling mosquitoes, we are professionals [doge]】
The comments section immediately exploded.
【Damn, hahaha, this is brilliant. I knew Heart Entertainment would never let me down.】
【Are you serious about using Liushen for an awards ceremony? Hahaha, being a boss has never been so humble.】
【Hahaha, I'm so excited for the awards ceremony now. Are the two companies going to get into a fight on stage?】
【Xinran is a big boss, after all. The other side is using luxury perfume, and you guys are giving her Liushen Florida Water. That's so disrespectful to our President Ran, isn't it?】
【Xinran is truly unyielding. Forget Le Tao, even your master Wei Yi can't beat her. Go to sleep.】
Amidst the enthusiastic cheers and anticipation of the online onlookers, the West Source Film Festival drew ever closer.
Comments
Post a Comment