Against the Light - Chapter 145
Chapter 145: No One Protects Their Wife Better Than Me
Half a month later, filming for The Yan Dynasty was nearing its end. Gu Xinran had been exceptionally busy these past few days, reshooting various scenes.
Ever since seeing Gu Xinyuan on the show, she had immediately told Qu Qi to keep an eye on her. During this time, Gu Xinyuan hadn't caused any trouble, so Gu Xinran had let the matter fade from her mind, not paying it much attention.
Although she wasn't too concerned, Yilan had been on edge for days. And the little one in her belly had been moving with unusual frequency lately. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but whenever she saw Gu Xinyuan on TV, the little one in her womb would give a kick.
This afternoon, Yilan was curled up on the sofa for a nap. Ye Nan saw her and was about to cover her with a thin blanket when the woman jolted, waking up with a start.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Nan immediately sat beside her, asking with concern.
Bai Yilan shook her head. She had been dozing off and had a dream. It was so vivid that it had scared her awake.
She anxiously caressed her belly, recalling the dream she just had.
It was a storage room, small and dark, with only a sliver of light seeping in from under the door.
A small child was curled up by the door.
The door was suddenly thrown open, and the person who walked in was Gu Xinyuan. As the light flooded in, she could finally see the child’s face clearly—it was her Xiao Ye! Her delicate face was as pale as paper, her lips were chapped, and her large eyes were filled with terror. Tears welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall as she looked timidly at Gu Xinyuan.
Gu Xinyuan took out a slice of cream cake and held it in front of Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye licked her lips, clearly wanting to eat it, swallowing repeatedly.
Gu Xinyuan then produced a piece of paper, gesturing for Xiao Ye to press her handprint on it. Xiao Ye shook her head and retreated to the corner.
After several attempts to persuade her, Xiao Ye still refused to comply. Gu Xinyuan lost her patience and actually started hitting her!
She hit and cursed, kicked and shoved. Finally, she gave Xiao Ye a hard push. Xiao Ye’s forehead struck the corner of a table, and blood appeared instantly. But Gu Xinyuan left with a look of annoyance, completely ignoring the injured child.
The moment she dreamed of Xiao Ye hitting the table corner, Bai Yilan had woken up, her heart pounding violently. She was thoroughly frightened and kept stroking her belly, comforting both herself and the little one inside.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been waking up startled a lot these past few days. Why don’t we go to the hospital this afternoon and have a doctor take a look?” Ye Nan touched her forehead, worried.
“It’s okay, Auntie Ye.”
“We should still go. If you’re not resting well, it will affect the little one in your belly.”
“Be good. I’ll go with you.”
Unable to resist Ye Nan’s persuasion, Bai Yilan had no choice but to nod in agreement. It was true that she hadn't been resting well lately.
In the afternoon, Ye Nan called to make an appointment with a doctor, then drove Yilan to the hospital.
Gu Xinran finished filming early and called Yilan, only to be told she was at the hospital. Panicked, she changed her clothes and rushed over, even removing her makeup on the way.
In the hospital room, Gu Xinran peeked through the door before pushing it open and entering.
“Auntie Ye? What on earth happened? Why is she in the hospital all of a sudden?” Gu Xinran went straight to the bedside, sat down gently, and looked closely at Yilan. She was asleep, her brows slightly furrowed, as if her rest was troubled.
“Don’t worry. I saw that Yilan hasn’t been resting well these past two days and her spirits were a bit low. She even woke up startled from her nap this afternoon. I was afraid she might have prenatal anxiety, so I quickly brought her in for a check-up.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said it’s nothing serious, but she needs to adjust her mindset and not overthink things. Has something been on her mind recently?” Ye Nan asked.
“This…” Gu Xinran frowned slightly. If there was one thing Yilan had been most concerned about lately, it was probably the matter with Gu Xinyuan.
“It’s nothing. I’ll have a good talk with her when she wakes up.”
“Hey, whatever you do, don’t argue with her. The doctor said it’s normal for emotions to be unstable during pregnancy. If she throws a tantrum, you need to be patient with her. Right now, she and the baby are the most important.”
“I know, Auntie Ye. Please don’t worry. Yilan and I have a very stable relationship. Even if she throws a fit, I’ll only spoil her,” Gu Xinran said with a smile.
“Mm.” Ye Nan nodded. That was very likely true.
Ye Nan glanced down at her phone, gestured to Gu Xinran, and stepped out to take a call.
Gu Xinran sighed softly, gently holding Yilan’s hand.
Before long, Yilan stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering. “Hm?” For a moment, she thought she was seeing things and blinked.
“You wrapped up so early today? Or did you sneak out?”
“Today’s scenes went very smoothly, so I finished early. Are you okay? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” Gu Xinran sat on the bed, helping Yilan lean against her while massaging her temples.
“Auntie Ye said you haven’t been sleeping well and that you woke up startled from your nap this afternoon?”
“Xinran, let me ask you, in our past life, was there a person named Gu Xinyuan?” Bai Yilan asked, getting straight to the point.
Gu Xinran was silent for a moment. Honestly, she was quite puzzled as to why she would ask such a question.
And from her tone, it seemed she already knew the answer.
“Yes.”
“Did she ever hurt Xiao Ye?”
“Yes.” Gu Xinran nodded.
Bai Yilan fell silent.
Gu Xinran held her from behind, unable to see her expression, but she could clearly feel her breathing grow heavier.
“How do you know all this?”
“Would you believe me if I said Xiao Ye told me?”
“???”
“What?” Gu Xinran’s mind was full of question marks as she looked down at her wife’s belly.
“I had a dream today. I dreamed of that scene.” Bai Yilan recounted what she had seen in her dream.
After hearing it, Gu Xinran was also filled with anger. She was surprised that Yilan could dream of such a specific event, but then she remembered that she herself had once dreamed of living alone in the mountains after Yilan’s death—something equally inexplicable. With that thought, she felt a sense of relief.
Gu Xinran stroked Yilan’s belly. This little one, not even born yet, had already learned to tattle to her mother. Wasn’t that just incredible?
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the hallway. Gu Xinran looked back just as Ye Nan returned.
“What’s going on outside?”
“It seems some celebrity got injured. There’s a crowd of fans and reporters. I’ve called the bodyguards to come up. If Yilan is alright, let’s go home. It’s quieter there.”
“Which celebrity?”
“I don’t know. I only caught a glimpse. Probably not very famous. I didn’t recognize them, anyway.”
Gu Xinran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How many celebrities did she even know?
They waited in the hospital for a while longer. Once things outside had quieted down, they left under the escort of bodyguards.
They had just stepped through the door at home when Qu Qi called.
“Hello? Sister Qi, what’s up?”
“Xinran, that Gu Xinyuan you asked me to keep an eye on seems to have gotten into trouble.”
“Oh? What happened?”
“Did you watch today’s show? Just now, during the live broadcast of Gu Xinyuan’s performance, someone in the audience shone a laser pointer in her eyes. After the performance, she was taken to the hospital right away. We don’t know if she was injured.”
“Someone shone a laser pointer in her eyes?”
“Yes, it was clearly deliberate. And now your Ran fans and her fans are fighting.”
“Why?”
“A while ago, her fans were comparing her to you, saying you two look alike and all that, trying to ride your coattails like crazy. The Ran fans weren’t happy about it and said she wasn’t worthy. One thing led to another, and they started arguing. I didn’t think I needed to intervene in these minor squabbles, so I let them be. But with what happened today, Gu Xinyuan’s fans are now claiming that your fans did it, pinning all the blame on them.”
“Her team is now blatantly trying to ride your popularity. But this situation is a bit tricky. It’s my fault. I should have stopped them when they started imitating your image, but I let them get a taste of success. They managed to get into the top ten by leeching off your fame.”
“I have a feeling this isn’t over. After all, in the eyes of those small teams, gaining fame through controversy is still fame. As long as there’s buzz, that’s enough,” Gu Xinran said calmly.
“Yeah, this is my fault. You reminded me to pay attention, but I didn’t take it seriously.”
“Alright, now’s not the time for that. How is she? What about the person who did it? Is there any way to verify this? We can’t just let them sling mud at my fans like this.”
“Don’t think it’s that simple. What if she’s using this to create her own hype? Or what if the perpetrator is one of their own people? I have a feeling they’re trying to drag you into this. What exactly is your relationship with this Gu Xinyuan? Do you have some kind of grudge? You need to tell me everything you know.”
Gu Xinran thought for a moment and had no choice but to agree, laying out the entire history of her grievances with Gu Xinyuan.
Half an hour later, Gu Xinran finally hung up the phone.
During that time, Yilan had been by her side, listening to their conversation.
“So, does that mean the celebrity Auntie Ye saw at the hospital was Gu Xinyuan?” Yilan recalled the timeline Qu Qi had mentioned.
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow slightly. “It’s possible.”
“Tsk.” Bai Yilan sighed under her breath. She should have gone to take a look. She really wanted to see that two-faced monster with her own eyes!
“Let’s not worry about her for now. Qu Qi will handle it for me.” Gu Xinran reached out to smooth her little wife’s furrowed brow, signaling her to relax.
Bai Yilan picked up Xinran’s phone and logged into Weibo to take a look.
Ha, the news of Gu Xinyuan’s injury had shot straight to the top of the trending list.
She clicked on the topic and glanced at the comments. As expected, fans were furiously tearing each other apart.
【Heh, Gu Xinran’s fans are so stupid and vicious. Can’t stand to see someone better than her? They’d even stoop to injuring someone with a laser pointer. Have they no shame?】
【I was fucking watching the competition just fine when I suddenly saw my sister covering her eyes. I thought it was part of the choreography, but then I saw her run backstage after it ended and realized she was really hurt!!】
【Will you ever stop? Can any random nobody get hurt and blame it on Xinran? Haven’t you leeched enough popularity? You really think Ran fans are pushovers?】
【It hasn’t been easy for my sister to get this far. I’ve witnessed her growth and transformation firsthand. I hope this incident doesn’t leave her with any trauma. Hope she’s okay [Prayer hands]】
【Oh my god, her eyes were injured. My sister is so wonderful, and she just debuted. Why would someone do this to her? [Crying]】
【I’m gonna puke. Haven’t you guys played with laser pointers as kids? A little flash and you go blind? Are you guys ignorant or just brainless? Your precious sister is so delicate, huh. Hope she’s not okay [Prayer hands]】
【This girl has been copying Xinran’s style for the entire show. Her disgusting fans keep forcing the association between them to leech off Xinran’s fame. This girl can’t dance for shit and sings off-key. Doesn’t she have any damn clue how she got into the top ten? And now she wants to step on Xinran to climb higher? If you’re going to create hype, at least use some classier methods, okay?】
【Not saying anything else. Hope she’s not okay.】
【So, did the production team not investigate the person with the laser pointer? Was it really one of Gu Xinran’s fans?】
【Replying to the post above: Yes, the person admitted it. They couldn’t stand Gu Xinyuan imitating Xinran.】
【?? Where did they admit it? The production team said they haven’t even found the person yet, but in your world, they’ve already confessed? Are you that desperate to pin the blame? That’s kind of hilarious, lol.】
Bai Yilan wanted to scroll down further, but Gu Xinran took the phone from her. She glanced at it herself before closing Weibo.
“Leave this kind of thing for Qu Qi to handle. Can you just focus on resting and taking care of the baby for me?” Gu Xinran deliberately put on a stern face, feigning anger.
Faced with Xinran’s firm attitude, Yilan felt helpless and could only nod.
The next morning, they were having breakfast.
“I saw people scolding you online. What’s going on?” Shi Qing asked.
“It’s nothing, just some fans arguing with others.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, no, my team can handle it.” Gu Xinran quickly declined Shi Qing’s kind offer, briefly imagining what would happen if she let her handle it… Would she just take down the entire production team?
After breakfast, Gu Xinran changed her clothes, ready to leave.
Today was her last scene. If things went smoothly, she could finish early. She had already informed Qu Qi that after this scene, she would be able to stay with Yilan until after the birth, taking a short vacation. So today, she was full of energy. She didn’t even cling to her wife before leaving in the morning, departing quite briskly.
Shi Qing also went to the company for a meeting, leaving Ye Nan at home to accompany Yilan.
Yilan was still thinking about yesterday’s events. She asked Ye Nan for her phone back and immediately logged into Weibo.
After a day of fermenting, the incident was still occupying the number one spot on the trending list. Bai Yilan scanned it briefly and realized things weren’t as simple as she had thought. It was now obvious that paid trolls had entered the fray. Anti-fans were desperately trying to stir up conflict between the two fanbases. Xinran had already posted on Weibo telling her own fans to stay silent, stating that the innocent need not prove their innocence and that everyone should avoid pointless arguments. She also warned her fans to be civil in their speech.
As a result, the comments on Weibo were now almost completely one-sided. Gu Xinyuan’s fans were controlling the narrative, hurling all sorts of vile language at Xinran. Even she had been insulted by some extremist fans.
Reading it made her blood boil.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you getting so angry just from looking at your phone? You need to be careful, you can’t let your emotions fluctuate too much,” Ye Nan said, noticing her obvious distress. She immediately rushed over to remind her, taking the phone from her hand and glancing at it. “My, the things these kids say online nowadays are so nasty. Their manners are terrible.”
After reading, Ye Nan also frowned. She had seen this yesterday but hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it was a minor issue that Xinran’s experienced team could handle. Who would have thought that in just one night, the scolding would get this bad?
She looked up and saw Yilan’s cold expression. When she got angry, she was exactly like her mother. Ye Nan shook her head helplessly. “Don’t worry, public opinion can’t be rushed. How about this, I’ll call Qu Qi and ask how they plan to solve it. If they can’t, I’ll step in, okay?” Just as Ye Nan was about to make the call, another Weibo notification popped up.
【Gu Xinyuan’s eyes suspected to be burned; she insists on returning to the set to continue recording [Crying]】
Seeing this message, Ye Nan was dumbfounded. Burned? From a quick flash of a laser pointer?
Bai Yilan also saw the message and was visibly stunned for a moment. She took a deep, silent breath, imagining in her mind how things would unfold from here.
It would be nothing more than Gu Xinyuan playing the part of a dedicated professional, earning the sympathy of her fans and winning over the general public. In that case, Xinran and her fans would be stuck with the blame for the laser pointer incident for good.
At this thought, a wave of resentment rose in Bai Yilan’s chest.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t get worked up, don’t get worked up. I’ll handle this. I’ll call Sister Qing right now.” Ye Nan quickly had Yilan sit down, poured her a glass of water, and gently patted her chest.
“Auntie Ye, could you do me a favor?”
“What is it?”
Meanwhile, Gu Xinran was on set filming. During a break, she noticed that all the staff members looked indignant, chattering amongst themselves. Curious, she leaned in to listen and realized they were also following the incident.
“Sister Ran, why won’t you let the fans fight back? The Ran fans are about to burst from frustration, just having to take the abuse!”
“Exactly! I can’t even open Weibo anymore. I’m so angry, so incredibly angry.”
“Just seeing Gu Xinyuan’s face makes me want to slap her. The words ‘green tea’ are practically written on her forehead!”
“Alright, alright, you all be good. It’s not worth getting so worked up over someone like that.” Gu Xinran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing everyone defending her like this warmed her heart.
“Hey, have you guys seen Weibo? That person was discharged from the hospital. They said her eyes were ‘suspected to be burned,’ but she didn’t seem to care at all and immediately went back to the recording studio to work. She’s really selling that dedicated professional persona well.”
“Ugh, that’s so disgusting. Her eyes were burned from a laser pointer flash? And if they were burned, why isn’t she getting treatment? The first thing she does is rush out to grab attention and ride the hype? I’m going to be sick.”
“I know, right? And her fans are all feeling so sorry for her. What age group are these fans? How do they have zero common sense?”
Gu Xinran also checked Weibo and frowned slightly. If Yilan saw this, she would surely get upset again, wouldn’t she?
With that thought, she called Ye Nan.
“Hello? Xinran? What’s wrong?”
“Auntie Ye, where’s Yilan? She’s not on her phone, is she?”
“No, she’s sleeping. She’s being very good. Her spirits are good today, too, and she’s sleeping quite soundly. Did you need her for something?”
“Oh, then it’s nothing. Thank you for your hard work.”
Gu Xinran hung up and let out a silent sigh of relief.
“Well now, what’s with all of you? Did someone owe you money?” Director Zhao Sheng heard the commotion and came over to take a look, only to see the staff members practically ready to curse someone out. She was puzzled.
“Director Zhao, someone is trying to frame Sister Ran.”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s nothing.” Gu Xinran stood up and walked over, glancing at the staff members to signal them not to speak out of turn. They all lowered their heads in unison, their faces full of grievance.
“Is something wrong?” Zhao Sheng pulled Xinran aside and asked with concern. Having worked with Xinran for this period, she had gotten to know her relatively well. The more she learned, the more she felt she was a hidden gem, and she had come to admire her greatly.
“It’s nothing, Director Zhao. Just some personal matters. My team can handle it.”
“That’s good. Go get some rest. We’ll shoot the final scene this afternoon.”
“Okay.”
Gu Xinran lay back in a rocking chair, closing her eyes and replaying the incident in her mind. Fang Yi had already investigated Gu Xinyuan’s background. The user ‘Salted Fish Without Dreams,’ who had previously sent her private messages threatening her to quit the industry or be ruined, was confirmed to be Gu Xinyuan. This proved that she hadn’t changed at all over the years; she was still consumed by jealousy, unable to stand seeing Gu Xinran doing better than her.
To be able to feign this level of innocence now meant she must have a very professional team operating behind her.
But what she couldn’t figure out was, with Gu Xinyuan’s personality, how could any professional team have taken a liking to her? Was this really an era where looks were all that mattered?
Or perhaps someone else knew about her relationship with Gu Xinyuan and was deliberately promoting her, hoping to make a big deal out of it?
Gu Xinran’s head ached from thinking. She kneaded her temples, about to rest for a bit, when she heard the staff members whispering again.
“She really went back to the recording studio.”
“Is this production team sick? She came back, so what? Why are they welcoming her like a hero? Do they have to be so obvious about who they’re favoring?”
“I’m done. I’m not watching this trashy show anymore. I quit after the last round when the girl I was rooting for was eliminated by Gu Xinyuan. The rigging is too obvious. Gu Xinyuan is clearly the show’s royalty. Who knows what kind of backing she has.”
“These live comments are so disgusting. They just keep dissing Xinran. What age group even watches this show?!”
“Turn it off, turn it off. Let’s get some rest. Don’t look at this upsetting stuff.”
“Huh? What’s going on???”
“What?”
On the screen, everyone in the studio suddenly froze. The camera panned to the entrance, and the live comments instantly exploded.
“HOLY SHIT AHHHHH!! Teacher Bai! It’s Teacher Bai!!”
“???” Before anyone else could get excited, Gu Xinran shot up from her chair. “What Teacher Bai?”
“Teacher Bai went to the recording studio for C Position Debut! And she brought a bunch of people with her, look!!”
Gu Xinran’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately ran over and grabbed the phone. One look, and she nearly fainted.
On the screen, Yilan was wearing a trench coat, her hands in her pockets, the coat concealing her pregnant belly. Having not worn makeup for a long time, she had applied a light, cool-toned makeup this time. Her expression was frosty, her eyes cold, and in an instant, she had returned to being the long-unseen, noble, and aloof great director.
“AHHHHHH Teacher Bai must be there to stand up for Sister Ran, she must be!!!”
Comments
Post a Comment