Against the Light - Chapter 139
Chapter 139: Pregnancy Brain
【Wife, I'm heading out, muah~】
【Wife, I'm in the car, get some good rest~】
【Mm… I'm on my way to the company now. Miss you, muah~】
【I'll be at the company in about twenty minutes. What are you doing? Why aren't you replying to me?】
【You haven't replied to your little ancestor for thirty-one minutes. She's about to throw a tantrum.】
"Pfft…"
Opening the latest WeChat message from Xinran, Ye Nan burst out laughing.
Bai Yilan glanced helplessly at the phone in her hand. That idiot. Doesn't she know Auntie Ye confiscated my phone? Why is she still sending all this nonsense…
"Ahem, do you want to reply? Your 'little ancestor' seems about to throw a tantrum."
"…No." Yilan's pretty face flushed. What 'little ancestor'… how embarrassing.
Shi Qing propped her chin on her hand, watching her daughter's blushing face. The two of them were so sweet together; it was quite amusing.
Before long, the phone chimed again.
Bai Yilan glanced at the phone and stood up to go back to her room.
"Hey, hey, don't go. Aren't you going to listen to the message from your little ancestor?" Ye Nan teased with a smile.
Bai Yilan's face darkened.
"Look at her, she's getting shy."
"Stop teasing her," Shi Qing said, glancing at her.
"Hey, I know. I'm just messing with her a bit."
"Go prepare lunch. Your 'old ancestor' wants some soup today," Shi Qing said casually.
"???" What the hell was an 'old ancestor'?!
"Hold on, Sister Qing, some things are for the younger generation. We shouldn't try to copy them," Ye Nan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"? Are you saying I'm old?"
"No, no, no, no, I'm just saying, it's not quite appropriate…"
"When Xinran calls herself 'little ancestor,' she's clearly acting cute with Yilan to get attention. You as 'old ancestor'… hmm, it reminds me of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang."
"!?" Shi Qing froze for a second. The next moment, her eyes went wide, and she shot to her feet.
Ye Nan instinctively turned and fled without looking back.
Meanwhile, Gu Xinran had just arrived at the company and eagerly sent another message to Yilan. However, she still received no response. After fretting for a while, she could only console herself with the thought that Yilan was resting and hadn't seen the messages.
"Oh, my little ancestor, you've finally decided to grace us with your presence at work, have you?" Qu Qi welcomed her into the office, complaining all the way.
"How's Yilan?"
"She's doing great." As Gu Xinran replied, a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. The word 'happiness' was written all over it.
"Tsk, look at you. So, does this mean you have to work even harder to earn money for milk powder?"
Gu Xinran choked. So that's what she was getting at.
"Do you remember the movie The Yan Dynasty? I mentioned it to you before. It's in the preparatory stages, and they've already started casting the female lead. Go try out. Zhao Sheng is a renowned maverick director in the industry, often mentioned alongside Director Yu as one of the two great mountains. With her personally overseeing it, this film is guaranteed to be a success."
She remembered Never Parting, the film Xinran had shot before. It had a high chance of winning an award, but Bai Yiyue's interference had severely diluted the award's prestige, causing Xinran to miss out on the Movie Queen title. So this time, she wanted to choose a surefire film for Xinran to make another run for the award.
Gu Xinran nodded. She had discussed this film with Yilan before and knew a little about Zhao Sheng. She had already been planning to audition.
"Okay," she agreed without hesitation.
"Good, that's more like it. Remember, no matter what, you can't neglect your career!"
Gu Xinran smiled helplessly. "Okay, I know."
"What are you doing?" Qu Qi asked curiously, watching Gu Xinran take out her phone and stare at it incessantly.
"Yilan hasn't replied to me for almost an hour. I don't know what she's doing."
"?" You're this anxious after just an hour of no reply?? What happened to being career-minded???
"Get a grip. What can a pregnant woman do at home? If she's not replying, she's obviously sleeping. Now, get lost and read the script. Right now, this instant. And put your heart into it!" Qu Qi printed out the digital script from her phone, tossed it to Gu Xinran, and stared at her. She also confiscated her phone for good measure.
Gu Xinran sat on the sofa and obediently started reading the script.
"Huh? When Will the Swallow Return?"
"Mhm, that's right. The Yan Dynasty is the sequel to When Will the Swallow Return. There's quite a story behind the two leads, you know?"
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"The star of When Will the Swallow Return, Yan Qing, was a national goddess of her generation. She shot to fame with her superb acting skills and transitioned to directing at the peak of her popularity, where she continued to shine. She's the type who was born to be an actress, blessed by the heavens. She becomes whatever role she plays. The When Will the Swallow Return trilogy is her masterpiece and the work that cemented her status in the industry. The Yan Dynasty is the sequel, but by the time it was filmed, some time had passed. She was already married with children and had faded from the entertainment circle. Later, she threw her support behind her lover, Meng Shi, to star in The Yan Dynasty. Meng Shi is also a powerhouse actress. At her peak, all the young girls on the street chased after her, calling her 'hubby.' Her acting is impeccable." Qu Qi gave a brief introduction and found a few photos of the two for her to see.
"Back then, these two were the ideal type for so many young girls. No one ever expected them to get together. There's a seventeen-year age gap between them!"
Gu Xinran nodded, then suddenly raised an eyebrow. An age gap…
Why did she suddenly think of Xiao Ye?
"Sister Qi, have we been scouting for new talent at the film base recently?"
"Hm? Yes, we have. Haven't you always emphasized that fresh blood is crucial for the company's development?"
"Then have you come across someone named Lin Yuqing?"
"Lin Yuqing? Doesn't ring a bell. What about her?"
Gu Xinran frowned slightly. In this world, all her old friends existed. There was no reason for Xiao Qing not to be here. Perhaps she hadn't entered this profession?
"It's nothing. Just keep an eye out. If you meet this person, you have to tell me."
"How am I supposed to find her with just a name? There are so many extras waiting for work at the film base every day."
Gu Xinran thought for a moment, then picked up a pen and started sketching on a piece of paper, drawing a rough likeness of Lin Yuqing.
Qu Qi took it and glanced at it, her eyes lighting up. "This person is good-looking! Her features are very refined, very elegant. Hiss… she has the look of a star!"
"If you see this person…"
"Sign her directly?" Qu Qi asked, her eyes gleaming.
"Beat her to death on the spot."
"?????"
"Mm."
As noon approached, Gu Xinran stretched and put down the script. Taking advantage of Qu Qi's absence, she retrieved her phone and checked it. Yilan still hadn't replied. Even if she was sleeping, wasn't this a bit too long?
Feeling a little uneasy, Gu Xinran called Ye Nan's phone.
"Hello?"
"Hm? Yilan?" Hearing the voice on the other end, Gu Xinran felt a flicker of confusion and glanced at her phone again.
"Mhm."
"How are you? Still feeling sick? Why didn't you reply to my messages? I was about to throw a tantrum."
"Hmph, you. Instead of working properly, you keep sending all this nonsense. Didn't you know Auntie Ye confiscated my phone? She's been laughing at me all morning!"
"Uh…" Gu Xinran froze. Thinking about it, that did sound right. Auntie Ye was worried about the radiation from Yilan constantly being on her phone and had strictly limited her screen time…
"Auntie Ye saw all those messages I sent??"
"What do you think? And Mom, too. They saw everything."
"…" Gu Xinran covered her face. She could have cried at her own stupidity.
"You be good this afternoon and focus on your work. Don't get distracted all the time," Yilan urged earnestly.
"Okay, I know. What about you? How are you? Have you eaten?"
"I've eaten. I'll chat with Mom for a bit, then go take a nap."
"Okay, go on. Hey, give me a kiss~"
"No."
"Yilan~"
"Gu Xinran!" Qu Qi pushed the door open, catching her in the middle of her sweet-talking, and barked her name.
Gu Xinran jumped, nearly dropping her phone, and clutched her chest.
On the other end, Bai Yilan heard the commotion and let out a laugh. "Alright, get back to work. No more slacking off, muah~"
"You got it~" Only then did Gu Xinran hang up, completely satisfied.
"I see I really can't let you have any free time. Escape from Death is starting its second season. Until a new role is confirmed, you're going on that variety show!"
"What?"
"Escape from Death. You were on it before. Remember? It's the show that launched your comeback. The production team was acquired by Heart Entertainment six months ago, and they've been preparing a brand-new show. The program outline came out recently. I've looked it over, and it incorporates escape rooms, which are super popular with young people right now. I think it sounds interesting. Since you're free anyway, go make an appearance for our own show."
"But I…"
"I'm not accepting any objections. I know your schedule best, and you have plenty of time right now," Qu Qi said with a charming curve of her lips, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"What about the other guests?"
"We have to bring back the original cast, of course—minus Luo Bing and the others. You, Huo Jie, and Shen Can must be there. That's what will create buzz. If Huo Jie can bring Yan Xi along, a real-life couple would be a huge draw. If not, we'll just bring in a few rookies. What do you think?"
"I…" Gu Xinran was resistant deep down. She didn't like making frequent appearances on variety shows; she wasn't trying to be a variety show personality.
"How many episodes you do depends on you. If we successfully land a spot in The Yan Dynasty, you'll go straight to the set. If we don't get the role, you'll have to film the variety show to fill the gap while we wait for a better opportunity."
Gu Xinran sighed under her breath.
"Don't sigh. This is just a stopgap measure. I know your goal right now is to win an award, and The Yan Dynasty is definitely the best target for that. That film is clearly aiming for awards. Besides that one, there's really nothing else recently that's caught my eye. Rather than filming some forgettable, mediocre movie, it's better to mentor our own rookies and help these little cash cows grow up faster. Don't you agree?"
Gu Xinran considered it for a moment. She really couldn't argue with that logic. She nodded. "Alright."
"Hey, have you ever played an escape room?"
"Nope." Gu Xinran shook her head decisively. It had been a long time since she'd engaged in these sorts of activities for young people. How would she know what an escape room was?
Hearing this, Qu Qi immediately grabbed her bag. "Let's go. I'll take you to try one."
"??? Is that really necessary?"
"Come on. It's a good chance to see what you're capable of. I don't want you embarrassing me when you're on the show."
"…"
Utterly helpless, Gu Xinran was dragged away by Qu Qi.
Qu Qi gathered a few rookies who were free and took Gu Xinran to an escape room experience center near the company. She even boldly chose a horror theme.
The group entered in a grand procession.
The seven of them put on blindfolds and were led by a staff member into a sealed room.
After taking off their blindfolds, Gu Xinran first scanned her surroundings. The room was dimly lit and exceptionally eerie. Worst of all, the walls were covered with bloody handprints of various sizes and all sorts of bloodstains, which was quite unsettling.
"Hiss… this is a little scary." Qu Qi instinctively grabbed Gu Xinran's arm.
"? Sister, weren't you the one who suggested we come play this?"
"Shh, don't talk."
"I think I heard a mouse!?"
"Ahhh—" At these words, Qu Qi let out a terrified shriek, hooking a leg around Gu Xinran, wishing she could just hang off her.
"…" The corner of Gu Xinran's mouth twitched.
"With guts like these? Who gave you the courage to play this?"
"I'm scared of mice!" Qu Qi retorted.
Oh, great.
Gu Xinran looked around. They were in a bedroom with a bed in the center. The sheets were slightly yellowed and stained with mottled bloodstains.
"Do you guys think there's something under that bed…" someone asked.
Hearing this, the others instinctively retreated to a corner, feeling a little safer with their backs against the wall.
"Should I go take a look?" A brave young girl, eager to try, moved toward the bed. She grabbed the bedsheet and yanked it off. The moment she did, she started screaming and turned to run without even looking.
Her scream set off the others, and soon the entire escape room was filled with shrieks.
Gu Xinran covered her ears. Qu Qi was wailing right next to her, the sound making her eardrums ache.
"Stop screaming! There's nothing there, it's just a doll! All of you, calm down!!" Gu Xinran was about to lose her mind. She felt that these people were far more terrifying than any ghosts in the escape room!
The group gradually calmed down and stopped screaming.
"That scared me to death." Qu Qi patted her chest, still shaken.
Gu Xinran looked up at the camera and made a cross gesture with her hands.
"I want out. I don't want to play with you guys anymore. You're too scary, really."
"Hey, no, no, no! You seem pretty brave. We really can't do this without you." Qu Qi threw her arms around her, forcibly keeping her there.
Gu Xinran was utterly exasperated.
That evening, Ye Nan prepared a sumptuous dinner. The three of them were chatting and laughing as they waited for Gu Xinran to return.
Before long, the door opened, and all three turned their heads to look.
Gu Xinran walked in, looking exhausted. When she took off her coat, the others were shocked.
The shirt she wore underneath was torn, and the collar, cuffs, and even the hem were wrinkled from being grabbed.
"Xinran?? What happened to you?" Bai Yilan was terrified and rushed over to inspect her from top to bottom.
"What did you say?" Gu Xinran asked, her voice unconsciously loud.
Bai Yilan was taken aback again and turned to look at Ye Nan and the others.
"Are you okay?"
"Ah, I'm fine." Gu Xinran watched Yilan's lips move to understand what she was saying.
"What's wrong with your ears?" Bai Yilan looked at her ears and reached out to rub them.
"Deafened by Qu Qi :)," Gu Xinran said with a wry smile. She hung up her coat, went to wash her face, then returned to the bedroom to change before sitting down at the dining table.
"What on earth happened? Didn't you just go to the company? Did Qu Qi nag you all afternoon?"
Gu Xinran rubbed her forehead and recounted how Qu Qi had dragged her to an escape room that afternoon. "The first room had some light, but after we left that room, it was pitch black the whole time. Those guys screamed their throats hoarse. Qu Qi was screaming in my ear the entire time; she nearly deafened me. I'm never going back to that godforsaken place again."
Hearing this, Bai Yilan's expression was complicated. She wanted to laugh but was trying hard to hold it in.
She would never have imagined, not in a million years, that things would take such a turn…
"Alright, I know you all want to laugh. Go ahead, don't hold it in." Gu Xinran glanced at their expressions; every one of them was suppressing a smile.
The moment she said that, Bai Yilan was the first to break, bursting into laughter.
Ye Nan was also overcome with mirth. Shi Qing was more composed, merely shaking her head with a light chuckle.
"Why the sudden urge to play an escape room?"
"It was Qu Qi. She said I have a gap in my schedule, and since the Escape from Death show that Heart Entertainment recently acquired is starting its second season, she wanted me to make an appearance for our own program. I told her I'd never played one of those things, so she dragged me there, saying she wanted to see what I was made of so I wouldn't embarrass her on the show. But the moment she got in there, she never stopped. She didn't solve a single puzzle and spent the whole time clinging to me, getting dragged along."
She wasn't sure who was embarrassing whom :)
"Then what about your clothes?"
"Later, a female ghost in white came out. Those guys were terrified and all hid behind me. Thinking back on it now, I'm just lucky they weren't strong enough to do more than just rip my clothes." Gu Xinran sounded utterly drained.
Ye Nan was laughing so hard she could barely contain herself, wanting to pound the table.
"You didn't get hurt anywhere, did you?" Bai Yilan reached out, wanting to pull at her clothes.
"Let's eat first. You two can go back to your room and check after dinner," Shi Qing intervened.
"Uh, okay."
"Eat more." Bai Yilan served her a bowl of soup. It had only been a day, but why did this person seem so… weathered??
Gu Xinran was truly hungry. She drank a full bowl of soup, praising Ye Nan's cooking profusely.
After they finished eating, they helped Ye Nan clear the dishes and then returned to their room.
Gu Xinran sat on the edge of the bed, letting Yilan lift her shirt and meticulously check her over. There were a few scratches on her neck, as if from fingernails. They were just a little red, without breaking the skin, which put her at ease.
"Honestly, that Qu Qi. Doesn't she know her own limits when it comes to being scared?"
"Oh, you have no idea. She really doesn't. She even specifically chose a horror-themed room. Isn't that infuriating?"
Gu Xinran put her shirt down and grabbed her sleepwear. "I'm going to take a shower first. Wait for me~" she said, throwing a wink at Yilan.
"Go on, go on."
Bai Yilan paced around the bedroom a few times before sitting on the edge of the bed to rest.
When Gu Xinran came out of the shower, she walked to the bed and knelt, wrapping her arms around Yilan's waist and pressing her face against her lower abdomen. She held her breath, tilted her head, and listened intently.
Bai Yilan watched her with great amusement. She leaned down, pulled the collar of her nightgown down a bit, and looked at the red marks on her neck again. They had faded a lot after the shower.
"Alright, stop listening. It's only been a month. What could you possibly hear?"
"Of course I can. I heard her call me Mama."
"Oh, you. Stop being silly." Bai Yilan rolled her eyes at her.
Gu Xinran laughed and kissed her belly. "Be good, Xiao Ye. Grow up quickly. Mama can't wait to meet you."
"Mhm, alright. Our daughter says she understands."
Gu Xinran looked up, and the two of them exchanged a smile.
Gu Xinran got up and sat on the edge of the bed, pressing a kiss to Yilan's cheek. "Mwah, mwah, I missed you."
"Oh, you~"
"I really did. I don't know why, but not seeing you for a day made my heart feel like it was suspended in mid-air, unable to land."
"You're exaggerating." Bai Yilan chuckled and gave her a light punch.
"It's true!" Gu Xinran said, burying her face in the crook of Yilan's neck and hugging her tightly. "I can't be without you. I can't even go a moment without seeing you."
The nuzzling tickled Bai Yilan. "You clingy thing."
"Mmm~"
"Ready for bed?"
"Let's hug a little longer."
"You'd better be careful. If Auntie Ye suddenly comes to check on us and sees you like this, do you think she'll drag you away?"
Gu Xinran's movements clearly stiffened. After a pause, she reluctantly let go.
Her pitiful little expression made Bai Yilan burst out laughing. "Alright, I was just teasing you. Mom said that Auntie Ye shouldn't come into our room unless it's necessary, and she has to knock before entering. She can't just be so casual."
"Really?"
"Mhm."
Hearing this, Gu Xinran boldly hugged Yilan again, nuzzling her affectionately.
"Hey, what do you think we'll do if Xiao Ye is as clingy as you in the future?"
"Hm? That's absolutely not allowed. Here's the plan: once she's weaned, we'll have her sleep in her own room. We'll send her to kindergarten early to build her independence."
Bai Yilan rolled her eyes at that. You're all talk. When the time comes, we'll see who's clinging to whom.
They lay down, wrapped in each other's arms, and drifted off to sleep, filled with beautiful dreams of the future.
The next morning, under Bai Yilan's loud admonishments, Gu Xinran reluctantly left for work.
Yesterday, despite her fright, Qu Qi had been very professional and had started checking the schedules of several potential guest stars, actively contacting them.
Today, Gu Xinran had an interview, then studied the script for a while before clocking out early to go home.
A week later.
In the car, Gu Xinran kept looking around, feeling uneasy, afraid that Qu Qi was taking her to another escape room or some similar place.
"Sister Qi, where are we going?"
"What's with you? You've asked me that so many times since we got in the car. It's not like I'm going to sell you, am I?"
Gu Xinran pouted. Now she was the one getting annoyed!
"We're almost there, don't be anxious."
Gu Xinran carefully observed her surroundings. She only relaxed when she saw Qu Qi drive the car into a film studio.
"Xinran."
The moment Gu Xinran got out of the car, she was surrounded by a group of people, many of whom looked familiar. After a moment of thought, Gu Xinran realized they were the crew from Escape from Death.
Gu Xinran greeted everyone one by one.
"Hello, Sister Ran~" The show's director, Zheng Lin, ran over.
Gu Xinran looked at him and remembered that he had been involved in directing the last season of Escape from Death she had participated in. Two years had passed in a flash; time really flew.
Zheng Lin looked at Gu Xinran, also feeling emotional. Who would have thought that the last time he invited Gu Xinran on the show, it was just to fill a spot?
"Hello." Gu Xinran shook the director's hand.
"Ha, Sister Ran, did you miss me?" Fang Jinghai popped out from somewhere, waving at Gu Xinran.
"Hm? What are you doing here?"
"Ah, wasn't I a camerawoman for this team before? I thought that for this shoot, I could go with everyone and also take care of you guys. Sister Qi already approved it."
"I was wondering why I hadn't seen you these past few days." Gu Xinran nodded. Qu Qi's arrangement was to her liking.
"Come here." Gu Xinran called Fang Jinghai to the side.
"You were involved in planning the whole show, right? Give me some spoilers?"
"No way!" Fang Jinghai refused flatly.
"But I can give you a hint. A few episodes have a horror theme, the really dark kind~" Fang Jinghai said with a mischievous grin, even wiggling her eyebrows at her.
"Sigh, this little assistant is no longer on my side. It's time for a replacement."
"Hey, hey, hey, no, no, no!"
"Who are the other guests? Can you reveal that?" Gu Xinran asked again.
"Sister Huo, you, Sister Can—the original cast is all here. As for the others…"
"Sister Qi, find me another assistant."
"Hey, don't! The main thing is, it's going to be broadcast live online. If I tell you beforehand, there'll be no surprise, right? Then if you don't show any surprise on the show, won't people say we're scripted?" Fang Jinghai was worried sick.
"Are you questioning my acting skills?"
"…Of course not!"
"Oh, come on, Sister Ran, just bear with it for a little while!"
Gu Xinran sighed. What else could she do?
Before long, the director called Gu Xinran over and locked her alone in a temporarily constructed room.
Gu Xinran stood with her hands on her hips, turning in a circle and looking at the camera on the wall. Oh, so it's starting already?
The room looked like a study, with only a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf, but the bookshelf was empty. On the wall next to the door was a nine-by-nine grid, with some numbers scattered inside. It looked like a Sudoku game.
"Sister Ran, if you don't get out of the room in three minutes, something very scary will happen. The countdown starts now," the director's voice announced.
Gu Xinran nodded in understanding, her gaze falling on the grid on the wall.
She picked up a pen from the desk. Just as she was about to start solving the puzzle, she suddenly frowned and looked down at the lock on the door. This lock clearly needed a key to be opened. So what was the point of solving this puzzle?
Recalling her trip to the escape room with Qu Qi, where she had seen several such impressive-looking but ultimately useless puzzle setups, Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow. Could this also be a distraction meant to waste time?
She thought carefully about what the director had just said: something terrifying would happen if she didn't get out in three minutes. He had set a three-minute time limit and provided such an obvious Sudoku puzzle. He must have wanted people to immediately focus all their energy on solving the puzzle within three minutes, thereby wasting precious escape time!
With this thought, Gu Xinran was certain it was a red herring and gave up on solving the puzzle.
She turned to the camera and pointed at the door lock. "Everyone, look here. See this? It's a key lock. So even if I solve the puzzle on the wall, it's useless. I still have to find the key. The production team really underestimates me." After speaking, Gu Xinran sighed, shook her head, and confidently began searching every corner for the key.
Outside, the production team was stunned by her actions, not knowing whether to laugh or cry as they looked at each other.
"Why did no one tell her she's not supposed to leave through the door she came in from…"
"My dear sister! You're supposed to use the combination door on the side! It's a combination door!!!" Fang Jinghai slapped her forehead, almost dying of laughter at Gu Xinran's misplaced confidence. She was even there, authoritatively explaining to everyone why she wasn't solving the puzzle…
Help me!!
Qu Qi, watching Gu Xinran's performance on the monitor, burst out laughing. Hah, and you laughed at me for being a coward!
In the blink of an eye, most of the time had passed.
Gu Xinran had searched every possible spot, but there were very few places to search in the room. Having found nothing, Gu Xinran was bewildered. She stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, looking around, when she suddenly froze. "Why is there a combination lock here? Wait, is this a door? So I'm supposed to escape through this door? Huh?"
Gu Xinran pondered for half a second. "So I still have to solve that Sudoku to figure out the code???"
"Then what I was doing just now…"
"Hey, this part won't be aired, right? Are you guys recording? Can we cut this part and record it again? Won't this make me look really stupid?" Gu Xinran looked at each camera in turn, trying to negotiate with the director's team.
Outside, everyone was about to split their sides laughing. "Alright, time's up. Lights out," the director ordered.
"Hey~"
Inside, Gu Xinran was frantically trying to solve the puzzle when the light above her suddenly went out, plunging the room into darkness.
The director's team immediately switched to the night-vision camera to observe her reaction. To everyone's surprise, she didn't scream or make a fuss like the other guests, nor did she instinctively crouch down or lean against a wall for security. Instead, the first thing she did was cover her ears with both hands…
"What kind of reaction is that??"
Everyone was baffled, except for Qu Qi, whose face was dark.
Scare her! Scare her as much as you can!!
Fang Jinghai went forward and opened the door. Gu Xinran quickly walked out, breathing a sigh of relief.
Fang Jinghai looked at her and sighed heavily. "Sister Ran, you really are an escape room black hole. You can't even find the door, how can we expect you to solve puzzles?"
"…" Gu Xinran shot her a look, her face flushing slightly.
"You recorded that just now? Can we discuss this? Can we re-record it? It makes me look too stupid. I'm not this stupid, really." Gu Xinran found the director, trying to get another chance for herself.
The director suppressed his laughter. "No."
"I might not be smart, but I'm not this stupid, right? Give me another chance."
"Pfft…"
"Just one more chance, please."
The director's team was about to die from laughter.
"Sister Ran, stop talking. The cameras are still rolling."
"???"
"Hahahahaha—"
"…"
On the way back, Qu Qi couldn't stop laughing the entire time.
"That's enough out of you!" Gu Xinran repeatedly shot her dirty looks.
"Pfft~ Okay."
Gu Xinran sighed in resignation. Just thinking about the audience's reaction when this part aired…
It's over. My lifelong reputation is ruined!
To Gu Xinran's surprise, the production team was incredibly efficient.
The moment she walked through the door at home, she saw the three of them gathered around the coffee table, clutching a phone and laughing their heads off.
"What are you looking at that's so funny?" Gu Xinran walked over and craned her neck to see. Her face immediately darkened.
The screen was playing her performance in the escape room.
At that moment, she was pointing at the lock on the door, confidently declaring that it was a key lock and she had to find the key…
The very cheeky post-production team had even frozen this frame, zoomed out to the door next to it, personified the door with three giant exclamation marks above it, and drawn two Q-version hands waving on either side, accompanied by the caption: 'Sister Ran, I'm over here…'
【Hey, this part won't be aired, right? Are you guys recording? Can we cut this part and record it again? Won't this make me look really stupid?】
As she said this line, the frame froze again, and a shower of the character for "stupid" fell from the top of the screen, all landing on her head.
"…" So annoying, but I still have to keep smiling.
"Stop watching. What's so good about it?" Gu Xinran raised her hand to snatch the phone, but as soon as she reached out, she was stopped by the collective glare of all three.
Next was the clip of Gu Xinran chasing after the director, trying to get a re-shoot, along with her own self-deprecating comment, 【I might not be smart, but I'm not this stupid, right?】
The three of them nearly choked with laughter.
Gu Xinran's face was dark. She felt like her life had hit rock bottom.
Ye Nan scrolled down and looked at the comments.
【Hahahaha Ran Zai wanted to look smart, but her ability didn't allow it.】
【LMAO, I'm dying. Director, please give Ran Zai another chance, hahaha. Look at her pitiful little puppy eyes. Chasing after the director is just too much, hahahaha.】
【How can she be so confident? Hahahahaha.】
【Excellent, that's my Sister Ran.】
【The human black hole, Gu Xinran.】
【OMG, we finally found something Ran Zai is bad at!!! She's not an all-rounder anymore!! She's finally human!】
【Ahhh, I'm so excited for this show!!】
【Xinran, Huo Jie, Shen Can, even without knowing the other guests, this lineup is already worth screaming for, ahhh!!!】
【Same, so excited! When does it air? I want to watch it, ahhh—】
【This show really hit the jackpot. In the first season, none of these three were famous. In the second season, all three are huge stars!】
【I can't, I'm still laughing so hard. I've only rewatched this clip of Ran Zai like five, six, seven, eight times, hahaha.】
【They say pregnancy brain lasts three years, and I believe it now. But why is it Teacher Bai who's pregnant, but Xinran who's got the brain fog?】
【Hahahaha, to the person above, it's because they're so in love~】
"Pfft…" The comment about pregnancy brain made everyone burst out laughing.
Bai Yilan turned to look at the pitiful creature and patted her head. "Alright, alright, be good. I know you're being silly on my behalf. Love you, muah~"
"…" Gu Xinran pouted. This was the one kiss she really didn't want!
"When does this show air? I want to watch it too," Ye Nan asked.
"I don't know. It should be soon. It's going to be broadcast live online."
"Hey, hey, there are clips of the other guests. Let's take a look." Ye Nan said, clicking on a recommended video.
The screen showed Shen Can, facing the same situation as Gu Xinran. After entering, she wandered around for a bit before finding the combination door on the side. She even pointed at the lock and asked the camera, 【Is it this door? How do I get out of here…】
When she looked up and saw the Sudoku puzzle, an expression of dawning realization crossed her face. 【What's this, Sudoku? I'm doomed. I've been bad at math my whole life. The sight of numbers makes me sleepy. If you really left me alone in a room like this, I could probably sleep for a whole day.】
Then, she was forced to start studying the Sudoku. She sat in the chair, propping her chin on her hand and staring at the wall. For a full three minutes, she didn't write a single thing. Not only that, but her eyelids actually started to droop.
When the lights in the room were suddenly turned off, she had no reaction. Under the night-vision camera, she had already closed her eyes.
A crow flew across the screen…
Someone pounded heavily on the door. Shen Can's eyes flew open, and only then did she realize the room was pitch black. A delayed scream escaped her, and the sound of the banging door scared her so much that she dove under the table.
"Pfft, hahaha, looks like this one's not too bright either."
"Be good, Xinran. Let's not play with her. You're not smart enough as it is; don't let her lead you astray," Ye Nan said worriedly, wiping away tears of laughter.
"I…" Gu Xinran choked. Who said I wasn't smart!
After a brief summary, Ye Nan clicked on another clip. It was Huo Jie.
Huo Jie was much calmer. After entering, she immediately found the combination door on the side, looked at the Sudoku puzzle on the wall, and began solving it without hesitation. The pen in her hand never stopped moving as she calculated methodically. She was just about to finish when time ran out, and she failed to escape within the limit.
"This one's not bad. Tsk, you all might have to rely on her."
"Auntie Ye, I'm very capable too." Gu Xinran wouldn't have it. This was just a small mistake! She had simply overestimated the production team's tricks!
"Yilan."
"Alright, alright, you're very capable, very capable. Let's not be so sensitive," Bai Yilan said, hugging her comfortingly.
"…" My lifelong reputation…
That night, Gu Xinran came out of the bathroom drying her hair. She saw Yilan lying on the bed reading a book, not noticing her, and couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
Bai Yilan had seen her come out long ago. Hearing her sigh, she couldn't help but smile.
Gu Xinran sat on the edge of the bed, looking glum. "I feel like my career has hit its Waterloo."
Bai Yilan found this highly amusing. Such a small thing, and it was already her Waterloo.
She sat up and took the towel to help her dry her hair.
"Do you need some comfort?"
"Hm? How will you comfort me?"
Bai Yilan smiled and pushed her down, making her press her cheek against her lower abdomen.
"Hm?" Gu Xinran was confused.
"Shh. Can't you hear her telling you, 'Go, Mama, go'?"
Gu Xinran froze slightly and looked up at her.
Yilan's eyes curved into crescents, reflecting the soft light.
A warmth spread through Gu Xinran's heart. She wrapped her arms around her, couldn't resist kissing her belly, then looked up at her and held her tightly.
"Gently, don't press on the baby."
"Mmm~"
Comments
Post a Comment