Against the Light - Chapter 160
Chapter 160: Someone's Trying to Kill Me
"Hey, that kid… isn't that Gu Xinran's daughter?"
"Yes, yes, that's Xiao Ye! She's so, so cute! Ahhh, I want to hold her too!"
"Who is this camerawoman, anyway? Why is Gu Xinran's daughter so close to her?"
"Who knows? All I know is I'm jealous!"
"Idiots…"
Fang Yi heard the group still muttering and shot them a glance. She huffed again, then turned to look at Xiao Ye, her curiosity piqued. She walked over and teased the little girl, "Little Milk Bun, do you remember me?"
"Auntie Fang!" Xiao Ye recognized her instantly.
"Wouldn't 'Sister' be better?"
"No," Xiao Ye refused decisively.
Lin Yuqing chuckled and secretly gave Xiao Ye a thumbs-up.
"Let's go. There are too many people around."
Fang Yi spotted Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan walking toward them and waved.
When Bai Yilan came over, she scooped Xiao Ye into her arms with a displeased expression.
"Mommy~" Xiao Ye seemed to sense her mother's unhappiness and wrapped her arms around her neck, beaming at her.
"Hmph." Bai Yilan glanced at her and snorted. This little thing, forgetting her mother the moment she sees a pretty face.
"You guys head back to the car first. I'm going to say hello to the director," Gu Xinran said to the group.
"Okay." They all nodded and left.
In the car, Xiao Ye pressed against the window, looking outside. "Mommy, Mama and Auntie aren't in the car yet," she called out anxiously to Yilan.
"It's okay. Mama will drive Auntie back later," Yilan said, stroking her daughter's little head.
Fang Yi, who was driving, was full of questions. "Sister Lan, are we going to the company or taking you two straight home?"
"Let's go home."
Fang Yi acknowledged and changed course.
Lin Yuqing waited by the car for a while. When she saw Xinran walking out from the set, she unconsciously straightened up and went to meet her.
"Get in." Gu Xinran gestured with her hand.
Lin Yuqing obediently got into the car.
Both of them tacitly sat in the back seats.
Gu Xinran turned to glance at her. "Are you waiting for me to drive?" She pointed to her own ankle.
Lin Yuqing was silent for a moment before getting out and moving to the driver's seat to start the car.
Gu Xinran watched her intently in the rearview mirror. They hadn't gone far when she said, "Pull over."
"Huh?" Lin Yuqing was startled but obediently pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"What's wrong, Sister Ran?"
Gu Xinran closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time.
"Sister Ran?"
"Lin Yuqing, are you still going to pretend with me?"
Lin Yuqing was shocked to hear this, and her expression changed abruptly.
Gu Xinran opened her eyes, her burning gaze fixed on her. "You know who I am." Her tone was exceptionally certain.
Lin Yuqing looked at her for a moment, then her expression relaxed, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly. "Xinran."
Gu Xinran also breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "It's me."
They looked at each other, their eyes gradually turning red.
"It really is you…" Lin Yuqing's voice choked with emotion.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I…"
"Yilan? Does she…?" Lin Yuqing asked in return.
Gu Xinran's lips curved into a slight smile as she nodded.
"Good, that's wonderful!" Lin Yuqing was visibly excited. She turned back to her seat, an irrepressible smile on her face.
She was genuinely happy for them, happy that they could continue their story in this world.
Afterward, the two of them talked for a long time about this new world.
"Xinran, Xiao Ye…"
"Xiao Ye probably doesn't have many memories of that life. She just occasionally remembers things in her dreams, but she forgets them when she wakes up."
"Even though she doesn't remember what happened between you two, she still remembers you. This might sound selfish, but as a mother, I'm grateful she doesn't have those memories. She's still so young and deserves a carefree childhood."
"I understand what you mean. I feel the same way," Lin Yuqing said with a smile, showing no signs of disappointment.
"In that world, she lost her family and her mothers. In this world, you two will make it up to her, right?"
"Of course," Gu Xinran promised solemnly.
"What about you? What are your plans?"
Lin Yuqing was silent for a moment, pressing her lips together slightly. "She once accompanied me as I grew old. This time, I want to accompany her as she grows up. Just like family would be enough."
"Is that okay?"
Gu Xinran chuckled and nodded. "Of course it is. But I was asking about your career. Do you still want to act?"
Lin Yuqing didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Gu Xinran smiled. "With you on board, Heart Entertainment will be unstoppable."
"Don't forget, in the public's eye, I'm the mistress you're keeping."
"Pah, keeping you? I wouldn't take you even if you threw yourself at me."
"…" That's harsh.
"Let's go. Time to go home for dinner. You haven't properly met Yilan yet, have you?"
"Does she have a problem with me?"
"Well… she's afraid you'll steal Xiao Ye away. As long as you don't get too close to Xiao Ye, she's actually very easy to get along with," Gu Xinran said with an innocent smile.
Remembering Yilan's stare from earlier today, which felt like being watched by a venomous snake, Lin Yuqing couldn't help but shiver.
Truly terrifying.
Gu Xinran gestured for her to move to the passenger seat while she took the driver's seat.
"Hey, is your foot better?"
"It's been fine for a while. I just didn't want to go back to work, so I pretended."
Lin Yuqing chuckled.
Before long, they arrived at Xinran's home.
They parked in the underground garage. The moment they got out of the car, both of them sensitively detected the presence of a camera lens.
Lin Yuqing glanced at Xinran, who remained unfazed and led her into the elevator.
With things like this, the more you act guilty, the more people will assume something is going on. It was better to face it openly.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator and reached the front door, they could hear Xiao Ye's cheerful laughter from inside.
They couldn't help but exchange a smile.
Gu Xinran opened the door. The moment she stepped inside, she saw her little milk bun running around the room with her bare little bottom, while Yilan chased after her with a diaper in hand.
Gu Xinran froze for a second and quickly turned to block Lin Yuqing, but she was too late.
When Lin Yuqing saw the little one in this state, she burst out laughing.
"Mama!" Xiao Ye ran over with her little arms outstretched. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped. Her expression went from delighted to utterly panicked in a second. She looked down, then turned and dove into Yilan's arms.
"Mommy! Pants, pants! My pants are gone!"
Bai Yilan, also flustered, quickly scooped the little girl up, covered her bottom, and rushed into the bedroom.
"This child," Gu Xinran said, shaking her head helplessly.
Lin Yuqing was also chuckling.
"What are you laughing at?" Gu Xinran shot her a look, her expression suddenly changing.
"Nothing. Did something happen just now?" Lin Yuqing replied smoothly, a look of confusion on her face.
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow. That was more like it.
"Is there anything you want to eat? I'll go cook," Gu Xinran said as she changed her shoes and entered the house.
"Anything is fine."
"Alright." After replying, Gu Xinran went to the bedroom for a look. Her little milk bun seemed embarrassed, her face flushed red. She clutched Yilan's clothes with both hands, not daring to walk out alone.
"Mama, is Auntie staying at our house?"
"No, sweetie. Mama invited her over for dinner."
"Oh." Hearing this, Xiao Ye seemed a little disappointed.
"I'm going to cook. Why don't you two go chat with her for a bit?" Gu Xinran looked at Yilan and gave her a nod.
"It's her."
Bai Yilan had long been mentally prepared, so she wasn't overly surprised now. She nodded and carried Xiao Ye out.
Seeing Yilan come out, Lin Yuqing stood up and gave her a deep look. "Sister Lan."
"Have a seat. Make yourself at home, don't be so formal."
"Okay."
"What's wrong with Xiao Ye?" Lin Yuqing asked with a smile, seeing the little girl facing away from her, burying her face in Yilan's embrace.
"I'm shy~" the little one responded in a tiny voice, then grabbed Yilan's hand to wrap herself up even more.
The two women looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Auntie can't tell anyone!" Xiao Ye suddenly turned her head to look at Lin Yuqing.
"Hmm? Okay, Auntie won't tell anyone."
"Pinky promise!"
"Okay."
The two made a pinky promise and sealed it with a thumb press. Only then did the little girl pat her own chest, as if breathing a sigh of relief.
At the dinner table, Xiao Ye was finally no longer shy. She scooted over to sit next to Lin Yuqing. "I want Auntie to feed me~"
"Hmm? You can clearly eat by yourself," Bai Yilan said, seeing right through her little scheme.
"Nooo~"
"Don't whine."
"Mommy~"
Bai Yilan rolled her eyes. This little one, the more she was told not to, the more she did it.
"Alright, let Auntie feed you. But only this once, okay?" Gu Xinran served the little girl a bowl of rice and handed it to Lin Yuqing.
"Okay!" The little girl immediately nodded excitedly.
Lin Yuqing ladled some fish soup for her, added some fish meat, carefully picked out the bones, scooped up a small spoonful, blew on it by her lips, and then brought it to Xiao Ye's mouth.
The little girl stared at her, completely captivated by her gentle actions. She unconsciously broke into a grin and gobbled up the food with a big "Aom."
Bai Yilan watched her daughter from the side, feeling incredibly sour. The food in her own bowl suddenly didn't seem so appealing anymore!
Just as she was feeling down, a spoon touched her lips. She snapped out of her daze and turned to see Xinran looking at her with eyes full of love. Yilan pressed her lips together, feeling a slight sense of comfort, and opened her mouth to eat.
Seeing this, the little girl also opened her mouth toward Gu Xinran. "Mama, I want some too!"
Yilan took the opportunity to feed the little one a bite of vegetables. Seeing her eat it with satisfaction, she finally cheered up.
As they were eating, Gu Xinran's phone suddenly rang.
"Hello?"
"Xinran, what's wrong with you? You actually took Lin Yuqing to your house??" Qu Qi asked.
"Yeah. We were photographed, weren't we?"
"Huh? You knew? Also, did you take your daughter to the set to see her today? Do you know what they're saying about her online?"
"Hmm?"
"They're saying she's manipulative, using Xiao Ye to get close to you, and leveraging Xiao Ye's affection for her to successfully get into Heart Entertainment. Netizens are tearing her to shreds. Oh, right, did she pass her audition today? The production team just contacted me and changed their tune, saying they found someone more suitable and will cooperate next time if there's a chance."
Gu Xinran frowned, displeased. She lost a role she'd secured just because of some rumors?
"I told you before, shelving her is the best option right now. Why are you insisting on going against the grain?"
"Stop trying to force her into the spotlight. Just wait a while. Let this blow over, and then we can talk, okay?" Qu Qi pleaded earnestly.
"I know. I'll think about it. I'm hanging up now."
Gu Xinran hung up the phone.
"Is something wrong?" Lin Yuqing asked.
"It's nothing. Eat."
Hearing her say that, Lin Yuqing immediately realized it must have something to do with her.
She didn't press further and continued feeding Xiao Ye.
After dinner, Lin Yuqing didn't stay long and got up to leave.
Gu Xinran saw her to the door. "Go home and get some rest for a couple of days. Don't pay any attention to the rumors online. I'll handle everything."
Lin Yuqing nodded. "Okay."
"Go on. Drive safely and send me a message when you get home."
"Okay."
"Goodbye, Auntie! You have to come see Xiao Ye tomorrow too~" Xiao Ye hugged Gu Xinran's leg, her little head peeking out to look at Lin Yuqing.
"Okay."
After seeing Lin Yuqing off, Bai Yilan took Xiao Ye to the bathroom for a bath. Gu Xinran finished cleaning up the dishes and sat on the sofa, fiddling with the remote control, thinking about how to win public approval for Lin Yuqing.
Bai Yilan quietly closed the bedroom door and glanced at the sofa. "What are you thinking about?" She came over, sat beside her, and started massaging her shoulders.
"Hmm? Nothing. Is Xiao Ye asleep?"
"Yes. I just checked Weibo. Those people online…"
"Sigh." Gu Xinran let out a heavy sigh.
They had both been victims of cyberbullying before and knew all too well that while those rumors might seem insignificant, and you might think they don't hurt, they were actually like rusty nails being driven into your body.
"The production team from the audition today changed their minds," Gu Xinran said.
Hearing this, Bai Yilan nodded. "That's to be expected. After all, Xiao Qing is still a newcomer. The production team doesn't need to take such a big risk on a controversial new actress."
"What did Qu Qi say?"
"What else could she say? She told me to shelve her, wait for the storm to pass, and then find a suitable opportunity for her."
"But you don't want to," Bai Yilan stated.
"No, I don't."
"I know what Xiao Qing is capable of. Her acting skills are on par with mine. If you give her a chance, she'll definitely soar."
"In our past life, she was implicated because of us and boycotted by the public. It wasn't until the LGBTQ+ community gradually gained acceptance that she slowly started to be accepted by people again. She finally got her chance and won the Movie Queen award that should have been hers long ago. But by then, she was already nearly forty."
"Thinking about it now, I still feel guilty toward her. If she hadn't been dragged down by us in that life, her talent and ambition would have been realized much sooner."
"I understand." Bai Yilan nodded and looked up at the television.
Coincidentally, the movie she had directed, Life Like Summer Flowers, was playing.
They watched the TV in silence. After a short while, Bai Yilan's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Xinran, since no one is giving her this opportunity, why don't we create one for her ourselves?"
"Hmm? You mean, we invest in a drama ourselves?"
"More than that. We write the script ourselves, we shoot it ourselves, and as for casting, we prioritize people from within Heart Entertainment. Heart Entertainment has built up a lot of talent in various areas over the years, right?"
"It's not that I haven't thought about it, but a good script is too hard to come by. Film and television works nowadays are becoming more like fast food. People watch them and forget them."
"We have a script." Bai Yilan paused and pointed at a scene on the TV. "An excellent script."
Gu Xinran was slightly taken aback and looked at the television.
"You mean… our past life?"
"Those are our real-life experiences. Nothing can touch people's hearts more than that."
"No." Gu Xinran shook her head, rejecting the idea.
"I know what you're worried about. You don't want me to know how you endured all those lonely years by yourself. You always say not to dwell on the past, but that past hangs over my heart like a nail. Sometimes I dream of scattered fragments, but I don't know what specifically happened, so I can only guess…"
"Do you understand that feeling?"
"I should know about those things." Bai Yilan took her wrist and squeezed it gently.
Gu Xinran pressed her lips together, lost in thought.
In bed, Gu Xinran rested her head on her arm, unable to sleep, still thinking about what Yilan had said.
She hadn't told her about their past life because she was afraid Yilan would blame herself. But if it was causing her to overthink things, then what was the point of hiding it?
Gu Xinran turned on her side, looked at Yilan's sleeping face, and gently raised a hand to caress her cheek.
Early in the morning, when Bai Yilan woke up, she glanced at the little milk bun in her arms. The little one was sound asleep.
She gently kissed her little nose and watched her for a while. Then she frowned. Xinran wasn't in bed. She thought she might be in the bathroom, but after a long time, she heard no sound from there, which made her a little puzzled.
She got up quietly, grabbed a piece of clothing from the rack to drape over herself, and went to the living room. She didn't see anyone. She checked the other rooms and finally found Xinran in the study.
Xinran was hunched over the desk, writing furiously, completely focused.
Bai Yilan didn't make a sound. She walked lightly behind her, took a look, and then draped the clothing she was holding over her.
"You were up all night?"
"Yeah. I wrote down every single thing I could remember about our past life."
Hearing this, Bai Yilan was about to pick up the papers, but Gu Xinran stopped her. "Wait until I'm finished."
"Okay. You should go get some sleep. Xiao Ye isn't awake yet, so she can sleep with you."
"Alright. No peeking."
Bai Yilan pouted and pulled her straight into the bedroom.
Three days later, in Qu Qi's office at the Heart Entertainment building.
"What? Make our own movie? And have Lin Yuqing star in it? Wow, sister! Why are you doing this? Why does it have to be her?" Qu Qi scratched her head in frustration.
"Didn't I tell you? Now is absolutely not a good time to launch Lin Yuqing. Why won't you listen?"
"I am listening. The filming period for this movie will be about four to six months. That's enough time for the controversy to die down, right? By the time it's over, the movie will be ready for release. What's the problem?" Gu Xinran analyzed rationally.
"But we've already invested in two variety shows and a TV drama. We don't have enough funds to invest in another movie. We'd have to wait at least two or three months for the capital to return."
"It's not as complicated as you think," Bai Yilan said softly.
"I'll direct this film. I'll bring my old team; about twenty people will be enough. As for the actors, we'll select them all from within Heart Entertainment. It'll be a good opportunity for the newcomers."
Qu Qi was stunned and utterly surprised. "You're going to do it yourself?"
"Yes," Bai Yilan nodded.
Qu Qi unconsciously sat up straight and looked at the two of them. "Um, if I may be so bold as to ask, is Lin Yuqing related to you two in some way?"
"Closer than family," Gu Xinran said bluntly.
Qu Qi's eyes widened. After a long moment, she nodded helplessly. "That could work. With you leading the team, the quality is definitely guaranteed. And selecting actors from within the company will save a huge amount of money. But there's still a very serious problem. Do we have a script? Our screenwriting team has been tearing their hair out every day and hasn't produced a single script that could be called top-tier."
Gu and Bai exchanged a look and smiled confidently.
Qu Qi caught their small interaction and couldn't help but take a deep breath. "No way?"
Gu Xinran took a manuscript out of her bag and handed it to her.
"You wrote this??" Qu Qi recognized Gu Xinran's handwriting at a glance, her mouth agape in shock, wide enough to fit an egg.
"Yes. Take a look and see if it fits the market."
Qu Qi nodded and quickly skimmed through it. At first, she was just casually flipping through, but the more she read, the slower she turned the pages, rereading every line several times. Before long, her eyes turned red, and large tears plopped onto the paper.
This was the first time Gu Xinran had seen Qu Qi cry in front of her. Although she knew why she was crying, she still felt a little flustered.
Bai Yilan handed Qu Qi a tissue. Without looking up, Qu Qi took it, wiped her tears and runny nose, and glanced at the two of them. "This is so damn sad, boohoohoo…"
After saying that, she continued reading.
The script wasn't long. It was a pure manuscript on A4 paper, less than ten pages in total. Qu Qi read it very slowly and cried very loudly…
Soon, many people outside the office heard the crying and gathered around, peeking through the glass door.
Gu Xinran turned her head, saw the group of people watching the spectacle, and waved them away.
"Hey, Sister Qi, could you keep it down a little…"
"Boohoo, boohoohoo, it's so sad, so sad, boohoohoo. Did you write this? How did you write such an amazing script?! A masterpiece! This is absolutely a legendary work!!" Qu Qi was extremely excited and suddenly grabbed Gu Xinran's hand.
Gu Xinran didn't react at first, but Bai Yilan raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze falling displeased on Qu Qi's hand.
"Ahem." Qu Qi sensed Yilan's gaze and immediately withdrew her hand with an awkward smile. She took out a mirror from her drawer, saw that her makeup was completely ruined from crying, and quickly fixed herself up.
"What do you think?" Gu Xinran asked.
"I don't see any problems. Should we have the screenwriting team come over and take a look, so we can all discuss it together?"
"Yes, that's fine."
Qu Qi took a deep breath, holding the few pages of paper as if they were a priceless treasure.
"So talented! My artist is a true jack-of-all-trades!" she praised Gu Xinran without reservation.
Gu Xinran smiled faintly, turned to look at Yilan, and held her hand.
After the script was finished yesterday, Yilan had read it and cried until she was out of breath. When the little one saw her mommy crying, she started crying too, a heart-wrenching wail. But thanks to Xiao Ye's interruption, Yilan was pulled out of her sad mood to comfort the little one.
Yilan nodded at her, signaling that she was fine.
Before long, the entire screenwriting team arrived. It was led by the star screenwriter Ye Xiaobei, and including her, there were six people, not counting the interns. All of them had produced good representative works in the past.
Qu Qi gave the script to them to read.
They passed it around one by one. The first person would read a page and pass it to the second. The last two, who hadn't even touched the script yet, suddenly noticed that the first person was crying!
The two of them looked at each other, confused. Then, the second person started crying too!
One after another, it was as if they had been infected with some kind of virus. The scene was a bit strange, and also a bit funny.
When the script finally reached them, the last two eagerly read it together, and then… they started crying together…
Qu Qi tapped on the table, looking at the blubbering group. "Hey, can you guys pull yourselves together? Why are you crying like this?" she scolded them with a look of disdain, completely forgetting what a mess she had been just a moment ago.
"Sister Ran, who wrote this story? It's so well-written, so real! It gave me goosebumps!" Ye Xiaobei took a deep breath, reluctantly passing the last page to the next person, her eyes shining as she looked at Gu Xinran.
"Hey, Sister Ran, there's something strange here. Some of the scenes are a bit like Life Like Summer Flowers," one of the screenwriters pointed out.
"This film is positioned as a companion piece to Life Like Summer Flowers. We want to reinterpret the story of Life Like Summer Flowers from the perspective of love."
"Oh." The screenwriter nodded. "If Director Bai is directing, then there shouldn't be any problem, since Life Like Summer Flowers was your own concept. As a companion piece, giving the original script a new form of life, I think that's a great idea."
"Did Sister Lan write this too? She's so talented!"
"No, Xinran wrote this," Bai Yilan said. Seeing the group's eyes light up with admiration for Xinran, she couldn't help but feel a little proud.
"Has the cast been decided? This script really tests an actor's skills. Is Sister Ran going to star in it herself?"
"No, I want to use Lin Yuqing. Her acting is more than enough to carry this role. Besides, her current situation is similar to the character in the script, trapped in a storm of cyberbullying. I also want to use this opportunity to send a message with this film, calling on everyone to resist cyberbullying."
"I think that's very meaningful. The market needs more films with this kind of depth right now. My only concern is the casting, but if Sister Ran has this much faith in Lin Yuqing, then I have no objections, because I trust Sister Ran," Ye Xiaobei was the first to state her position.
"I also trust Sister Ran and Teacher Bai. With the two of them leading the team, there's no reason not to."
"Right, I agree."
In the end, the entire screenwriting team expressed their high approval of the script, which gave Gu and Bai a sense of reassurance, allowing them to proceed with more confidence.
Afterward, they discussed the details of the film. They made some minor adjustments to adapt it into a movie. With Yilan present, she also offered her own ideas and concepts for the cinematography from a director's perspective, which Gu Xinran noted down one by one.
"Oh, right, has the title been decided?" As the discussion was winding down, Ye Xiaobei suddenly remembered that she didn't know what the movie was called.
"There's one option: I Once Loved You Deeply." Naming things was a huge challenge for Gu Xinran. She had revised it countless times and only came up with this one option. It was also what she wanted to say to Yilan—that in her past life, she had still loved her deeply even after she was gone.
"Hmm… I feel like the word 'once' isn't quite right. It sounds like you loved her before, but not anymore. What about changing it to 'still'? I Still Love You Deeply. It fits the character in the story well, who guards her lover's cenotaph for a lifetime, until she dies, wanting to be with the orchids she loved."
"Yes, I vote for 'still'," Qu Qi said, raising her hand.
Gu Xinran turned to look at Yilan, nodded, and accepted the idea. "Okay."
"Alright, you guys continue to finalize things here. Since it's decided, I'll go prepare the materials to register the project," Qu Qi said.
"Okay, as soon as possible."
The variety show Dear Baby was gradually coming to an end. For the past two episodes, due to the boycott against Lin Yuqing, many netizens had flooded the official blog, stating they didn't want to see that camerawoman on the show anymore. Xu Yi's team couldn't withstand the public pressure. Fortunately, Gu Xinran, in her capacity as the boss, directly told Lin Yuqing to rest at home and not participate in the upcoming recordings.
When the show aired, Xu Yi even made a point of panning the camera to the new cameraman. When the audience saw that the cameraman had indeed been replaced, they were satisfied and stopped causing trouble.
However, during these last two recordings, Xiao Ye was clearly not as happy as before. Every time she excitedly ran to Lin Yuqing's tent, only to find someone else sitting inside instead of her Auntie Lin, her excited little face would fall. It was heartbreaking to watch. Many of Xiao Ye's "auntie fans" started arguing with the anti-fans again, turning the bullet-comment section into a chaotic mess.
Finally, Gu Xinran made a statement on Weibo, saying that if the arguments continued, she would have no choice but to withdraw from the show with Xiao Ye. After all, her original intention for joining the show was to help Xiao Ye become bolder and to bring some joy to those who liked her. It was certainly not for the endless quarrels that were emotionally draining everyone.
Her fans felt for her and collectively went silent, no longer engaging in pointless arguments. The anti-fans continued their attacks, but with no one responding, it was like punching the air. Before long, the criticism gradually died down.
In this less-than-harmonious atmosphere, the show welcomed its final episode.
Xiao Ye overcame her psychological fear and made a big cream cake with her mother to reward the camera crew. The atmosphere was supposed to be happy, but it changed instantly when Gu Xinran deliberately smeared cream on her little face. The little one's mysophobia was as strong as ever, and she burst into tears on the spot. Gu Xinran, on the other hand, was laughing her head off beside her. Netizens collectively tagged Bai Yilan, calling for her to come and stand up for Xiao Ye.
In the end, the production team showed footage of Xiao Ye from the first episode two months ago and edited it with clips from the present. Although it had only been three short months, the comparison clearly showed that the little one had grown up quite a bit. She was a little taller, her features were becoming more refined, and most importantly, she smiled more. Compared to the first episode, her personality was much more lively and cheerful. She had truly grown.
At the very end, the bullet-comment section was finally harmonious. Everyone wished Xiao Ye well, hoping she would grow up safe, healthy, and happy. They also wished Xinran's family eternal happiness.
"Sister Ran, how about you call cut?" Xu Yi looked at Gu Xinran, feeling a bit reluctant to part. She remembered asking Sister Ran to call cut on the first episode, and it felt like it was just yesterday.
"Alright." Gu Xinran agreed and clapped her hands.
"Dear Baby is officially over," Xu Yi continued. After speaking, she panned the camera one last time to record Gu Xinran's home before turning it off.
"Thank you all for your hard work," Gu Xinran said, bowing slightly to the camera crew.
"You've worked hard too, and so has Xiao Ye. She's grown so much during this time," Xu Yi said, giving Xiao Ye a thumbs-up.
Xiao Ye walked over and hugged her, seeming to sense the impending separation.
"Oh, you're finally willing to hug me?" Xu Yi was a little surprised and patted the little one's back.
"Auntie, will Xiao Ye not be able to see you anymore?" Xiao Ye's little brows furrowed, looking like she was about to cry.
"Of course not. Auntie is your mama's employee now. Whenever you want, Auntie will be there at your call."
"Really?" Xiao Ye's eyes lit up, and she turned to look at Gu Xinran.
"Yes. These aunties are all Mama's colleagues. If Xiao Ye misses them in the future, just invite them over to play," Gu Xinran said, stroking Xiao Ye's head.
"Thank you, Mama!"
"Good girl."
There was a knock on the door. Xiao Ye perked up and immediately ran over. "Is that Auntie Lin?" she asked through the door.
Seeing her excited little state, Xu Yi sighed helplessly. If she hadn't told Xiao Ye that her Auntie Lin would be coming to see her today, the little one would have been moping all day.
Xiao Ye opened the door and saw Lin Yuqing standing outside. Her little eyes immediately curved into crescents, and she opened her arms for a hug.
Lin Yuqing smiled back at her and bent down to pick her up.
"Did Auntie Lin see Xiao Ye?"
"I did," Lin Yuqing said, holding up her phone and giving it a little shake.
"Did Xiao Ye do a good job?"
"A very good job."
"This little one, she was so happy knowing you were coming today," Xu Yi said as she walked over.
"For the last two episodes, Sister Ran couldn't cheer her up no matter how much she tried. She was just so gloomy."
Lin Yuqing pressed her lips together slightly. "Xiao Ye, did you pretend to be happy just because you knew Auntie Lin was watching you?"
Xiao Ye's lips trembled, and she turned to hug Lin Yuqing's neck.
"Xiao Ye missed Auntie Lin. So, so much." As she spoke, her tone changed, as if she was choking back a sob.
Lin Yuqing quickly and gently stroked her little body. "There, there. Auntie knows."
Xu Yi was stunned. This little one had been so happy just a moment ago. Was it really as Lin Yuqing said, that she was pretending to be happy because she knew she was watching today's show? Wow, that was too heartwarming!
"Auntie Lin, can you come see Xiao Ye often in the future?" Xiao Ye's nostrils flared slightly as she pouted, trying not to let her tears fall.
"Don't cry. Yes, I can. From now on, Auntie will come to see Xiao Ye often and watch Xiao Ye grow up."
"Pinky promise!" Xiao Ye held out her tiny finger in front of Lin Yuqing.
Lin Yuqing smiled dotingly, also extending her hand to make another pinky promise with her.
Xu Yi stood by with a doting auntie's smile, her grin nearly reaching her ears. She was completely oblivious to the fact that this was a freaking beautiful age-gap CP! They were so shippable!!!
"Where's Xiao Ye?" Gu Xinran looked around the room but couldn't find her.
"Ah, over here, over here, Sister Ran," Xu Yi quickly called out.
Gu Xinran came out and saw the little one being held by Lin Yuqing, a look of pure contentment on her face. It was something else.
"Come here, let Mama hold you." Gu Xinran opened her arms.
"Go on." Lin Yuqing handed the little one over. Xiao Ye reluctantly pulled her hands back and wrapped them around Gu Xinran's neck.
"You can head straight to the set. Yilan is there. I'll drop Xiao Ye off at her grandma's and then head over," Gu Xinran said.
"Huh? Mama, I want to go to the set too!" Xiao Ye's ears twitched as she heard the keyword.
"No, you can't. Mama is going to work."
"I want to see Mommy!" Xiao Ye frowned, her tone righteous.
"Mo… Say that again?" Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow, the word 'disbelief' written all over her face.
"Mmm, I miss Mommy. Mama, can you take me to find Mommy, please? Please, Mama, please~" Xiao Ye hugged Xinran's neck and swayed back and forth, her milky voice about to melt Gu Xinran's heart.
"Alright, alright! You're getting better and better at whining!"
"Hehe, thank you, Mama~"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Hey, Auntie, hold me!" Xiao Ye opened her arms toward Lin Yuqing.
"Huh?" Gu Xinran was taken aback. "Why do you want Auntie to hold you?"
"Isn't Auntie going to the set too?" Xiao Ye blinked her beautiful big eyes, a cunning look on her little face.
Gu Xinran's eyelid twitched. "I knew you were up to no good. 'See Mommy,' my foot. Hmph."
"Heehee, Xiao Ye really wants to see Mommy!"
"Oh, spare me." Gu Xinran shot her a look and reluctantly carried her back into the room.
"Ah, Mama, I want to go to the set!"
"Be good. Let's change your clothes first. We can't go out in your pajamas."
"Mmm, thank you, Mama~"
"Hmph, you're just a sweet talker."
"Then why don't Mama give me a kiss and see if I'm sweet?" Xiao Ye puckered her little lips.
Gu Xinran glanced at her with a look of disdain, her heart suddenly jolting!
"Who did you learn this from? Hey! You absolutely cannot say things like this to anyone else! You can only say it to Mama and Mommy, do you hear me!" As she spoke, she turned and shot a fierce glare at Lin Yuqing.
Lin Yuqing had her back to her, waiting for the elevator. She didn't see the glare, but she inexplicably shrunk her neck, feeling a sudden chill.
"Mmm, I hear you~"
"Ahem, um, Sis-Sister Ran?" Xu Yi suddenly called out.
"Yes?"
"Can… can I go to the set with you guys? I want to move into film and television in the future, so I want to go sh-… ahem, take a look. I want to learn from Teacher Bai."
"Sure, go ahead." Gu Xinran nodded readily.
Xu Yi nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Sister Ran." Inside, however, she was ecstatic. I can openly ship the age-gap CP now!!
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