Against the Light - Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Wife, I'm Here!
"Sister Qing, will Bai Yiyue get desperate and drag the young miss down with her?" Ye Nan asked worriedly.
If Bai Yiyue recklessly exposed Yilan's identity, and with the matter of her mother being a third party still unexplained, what if Bai Yiyue hired an online mob to stir things up…
"If she had any brains, she wouldn't do something like that. More than anyone, she wants to erase Yilan's existence." Shi Qing wasn't too concerned about this. After all, Yilan and Xinran had excellent reputations and numerous fans. Once her identity was exposed, the public would surely compare her to Bai Yiyue. For Bai Yiyue, that would be true public humiliation.
Shi Qing offered a brief explanation, and Ye Nan's eyes suddenly lit up in understanding.
"Hey? Since she's afraid of the young miss's identity being exposed, why don't we…" Ye Nan was about to suggest they expose it themselves and let public opinion punish Bai Yiyue, but the words died on her lips when Shi Qing shot her a cold glare. She immediately fell silent.
Shi Qing was quiet for a long moment before her expression softened slightly. If she could, she would rather Yilan didn't have this identity. Then, mother and daughter wouldn't have been separated for over twenty years, meeting again like strangers.
Meanwhile, at Heart Entertainment headquarters.
Jiang Boyan had finished examining Lu Qing's injury but couldn't find anything wrong. However, Lu Qing kept insisting it hurt and that she was uncomfortable. At a loss, Jiang Boyan could only instruct Lu Qing not to move around and to rest for a few days to see how it went.
After coming out of the lounge, Jiang Boyan chatted with the others for a bit, reminding Yilan to come home for a visit when she had time. Bai Yilan nodded in agreement.
Gu Xinran, standing nearby, chuckled softly.
Jiang Boyan looked at her and asked her to take good care of Yilan before leaving.
Lu Qing wanted to see her off, but Jiang Boyan had ordered her not to move. She had no choice but to obey the doctor's orders, watching wistfully as the other woman left.
"Well, well, Teacher Lu, your eyes are about to fall out," Gu Xinran teased her.
"Get lost," Lu Qing shot her an annoyed glance.
The two stayed at the company for a little while longer before heading home.
In the car, a smile played on Gu Xinran's lips.
Bai Yilan turned her head to look at her. "What are you smiling about?"
"Hm? I just saw Jiang Boyan telling you to visit home more often, and it made me think of Xiao Ye."
"Hm?" Bai Yilan was slightly startled. It had been a long time since she'd heard the name Xiao Ye. A flutter went through her heart, and she couldn't help but sit up straighter.
"She, ah, was raised in someone else's home. After she started university, she left and, after getting together with her Auntie Lin, she just…"
"Wait, wait, what? What Auntie Lin?"
"Eh? I haven't told you about this?"
"What is it?"
"Er…" Gu Xinran fell silent, gathering her thoughts for a long moment.
"Spit it out, you're killing me!"
"Er, well… you know how a daughter grows up and makes her own choices. Xiao Ye, she, fell for Lin… um, Lin Yuqing."
"!? Who? Say that again!"
"Lin Yuqing??" Bai Yilan was stunned. She actually knew that person—a close friend whom Xinran treated like a sister.
Bai Yilan did a quick calculation in her head.
"Lin Yuqing is… sixteen years older than her, right?"
"Ah." Seeing Yilan's eyes widen in shock, Gu Xinran couldn't help but chuckle.
Bai Yilan was dumbfounded, utterly speechless.
Her precious baby was with someone sixteen years her senior?
"Wait, with such a big age gap, you didn't do anything about it??" Bai Yilan was still trying to process it.
"I… how could I? Xiao Ye liked her."
"You… forget it. You've only ever known how to spoil her. I can't count on you at all."
"I…" Gu Xinran looked aggrieved.
She glanced sideways at Yilan, who was genuinely huffing and puffing with anger. The sight was strangely cute, immediately reminding her of the sweet times the three of them had spent together as a family in her past life.
"Alright, don't think about her. We agreed not to dwell on the past. Since you miss her so much, why don't we…"
"What?"
"Why don't we hurry up and bring her into this world?"
"You… pfft." Bai Yilan instantly understood her meaning. Her pretty face flushed, and she shot her a light glare.
Gu Xinran burst out laughing. Seeing Yilan's shy expression made her heart pound. So adorable!
Gu Xinran glanced at her a few more times, looking like she wanted to say something but was holding back.
Bai Yilan sensitively caught her somewhat lecherous gaze and immediately grew wary. She unconsciously scooted closer to the car door and raised a hand to cover her collar.
"What are you thinking about now?"
"Ah? Nothing," Gu Xinran said with a sheepish smile, turning her head to focus on driving.
For the next few days, online discussions about Bai Yiyue remained heated. She was practically being flamed into oblivion by Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan's fans, yet she acted like a coward and didn't make a peep. Netizens mocked her for being so obedient—when they told her to get out of the entertainment industry, she actually did.
Gu Xinran, however, maintained a fearless attitude. She went about her work as usual, recommending her company's artists at appropriate events and personally fighting for performance opportunities for them, proving herself to be a truly good boss.
Jin Shuang's new drama, which she was directing solo, began filming. Bai Yilan was invited to oversee things, while Gu Xinran turned down new scripts and instead joined a talk-show-style variety program. The two of them were busy with their respective work.
The show Gu Xinran chose this time was much more relaxed. She binged previous episodes and found that it mostly involved sitting in a studio with other guests, reading viewer comments, and playing the role of a wise big sister or an experienced senior.
The show had already aired for two seasons, but compared to other variety shows, audiences seemed to prefer more intense, challenging programs. As a result, its ratings had always been dismal.
However, with Gu Xinran's participation, everything changed.
On the day of the premiere, the servers crashed due to the sheer number of viewers, sending the show straight to the top of the trending topics.
After the first episode ended, the variety show dominated three trending spots, the most eye-catching of which was 【Gu and Bai, hurry up and remarry!】
Countless onlookers urged them online, hoping the two would get back together soon.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Jin Shuang had gone to film on location and had taken Yilan with her. Gu Xinran had to stay in the city to record her show and couldn't get away, which worried her to no end.
In the car, while waiting at a red light, Gu Xinran picked up her phone and fiddled with the navigation.
Her phone wallpaper was a picture of Yilan from behind, looking cool and formidable.
Gu Xinran gazed at Yilan's photo for a moment longer. When the light changed, she reluctantly put her phone down.
These past few days had felt like an eternity to her. She could only rely on photos to soothe her longing. The signal where Yilan was filming was so poor that video calls and even phone calls were a problem. It was just too difficult!
So, in order to visit the set sooner, she had negotiated with the program's crew and other guests to record next week's episode in advance. The moment she left the studio, she headed straight for the film set.
As Gu Xinran was driving, her phone suddenly rang. A glance showed it was Yilan!
Surprised, Gu Xinran quickly pulled over to the side of the road, cleared her throat, and answered the call.
"Hello? Are you done with work?"
"Yeah, just finished a scene. Taking a break now. What about you?"
"Me…" Gu Xinran paused.
"Ahem, I'm on a break too, waiting to record the show," Gu Xinran said, a sly glint in her eyes.
"Oh, that's tough. Hey, didn't you forget to say something?" Bai Yilan had waited for a while, but the other woman hadn't said anything, so she couldn't help but ask.
"Hm? What is it?" Gu Xinran deliberately played dumb.
"Oh, I'm going to sleep then. Good afternoon."
"Hey, no, no, no! I miss you, I miss you, I really miss you~"
Bai Yilan's soft chuckle came from the other end.
"Are you on set right now?" Gu Xinran asked.
"Yeah, I am."
"Mm… then you should go rest. Don't work too hard, and take care of yourself."
"Okay."
"Oh, right, I have to record the show in a bit, so my phone will be off."
"Got it. You should rest well too."
"Mhm~ Mwah~"
"Go on."
The two sweetly ended the call.
Gu Xinran let out a breath and, without exaggeration, wiped her forehead. She really wasn't good at lying, especially not to Yilan.
Knowing that Yilan was still on set put her at ease, and she silently calculated her itinerary. She would get to the airport, take a two-hour flight to Luyang City, and from there, it would be at least a three-hour bus ride to the filming location. It was 1:30 PM now, so she estimated she could see Yilan by seven o'clock at the latest.
The thought of holding Yilan's hand while strolling through the desert and stargazing that night made her heart race with excitement!
The afternoon's journey went much as she had planned. At seven in the evening, she arrived as she wished at the crew's filming location—the Luyang Desert.
The sky had already turned completely dark. Above, countless stars seemed close enough to touch. The night air was cool and dry. After walking for a while, Gu Xinran felt as if she had sand in her mouth. This climate was certainly not suitable for living.
Gu Xinran's feet sank into the sand with each step. She sighed with emotion, thinking about how Yilan had been living in such an environment for half a month. It must have been really hard on her.
Gazing into the distance, she saw a few small tents and quickened her pace.
As she approached the tents, she heard Jin Shuang's familiar voice. Overjoyed and excited, Gu Xinran took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and then ceremoniously tapped on the tent flap.
"Excuse me, is anyone here?"
"Eh?" a soft exclamation came from inside.
Seeing a figure walk toward her, Gu Xinran couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling.
Jin Shuang lifted the tent flap. When she saw Gu Xinran, her expression was bizarre.
Gu Xinran had been thinking that this was a reunion of old friends. Even if you're not happy to see me, you don't have to smile so awkwardly…
"Sister Ran? Why are you… here??" Jin Shuang was so agitated her voice cracked.
Gu Xinran frowned. Seeing Jin Shuang's abnormal reaction, she had a faint feeling that something wasn't right…
"I'm here to visit the set. Where's Yilan?"
"She… at this time, she's probably…"
"At your place."
"???"
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