After Transmigrating into the Role of the Villain Forced to Pamper the Heroine of an Angsty Novel - Chapter 20

Meng Qiuran was arranged to wait in Gu Ruolan’s room. Since Xiao Yan had to stay by Gu Ruolan’s side, Yu Youqing had to entertain the young socialite herself.

She sat in the same spot as her last visit, though the person across the coffee table was now Yu Youqing.

“Is Miss Meng here today to watch Ruolan film?” Yu Youqing set a cup of tea gently in front of Meng Qiuran, studying her surreptitiously.

Meng Qiuran sat back leisurely, her long legs crossed, the loose fabric of her trousers swaying slightly to project an air of relaxed comfort. While not as exaggerated as Gu Ruolan’s, her legs were certainly something that would spark envy in any ordinary person.

“One of my subordinates is a die-hard fan. She clamored for me to visit the set and express some support.” She took a slow sip of tea; it tasted the same as last time.

Yu Youqing gave an understanding smile, and after a moment, she proactively found a new topic. “I heard Miss Meng is also interested in film investment?”

Meng Qiuran’s eyes flicked up. Unlike her calculated attempts to get close to Gu Ruolan, she didn’t quite trust even Gu Ruolan’s manager. After all, in the original book, Gu Ruolan would have a very ugly falling out with her agency and even be sued for a massive breach of contract fee. She didn’t believe this manager was entirely blameless.

However, she didn’t yet know what exactly transpired between their current pleasant cooperation and that future ruthless betrayal, so she didn’t dare judge who the villain was just yet.

She gave a perfunctory curl of her lips. “I have some capital on hand and am considering looking for projects with a high ROI.”

Yu Youqing, having dealt with many big-shot investors, didn’t show much excitement. She simply smiled politely and said, “Then it seems our Ruolan has a good chance.”

Meng Qiuran smiled silently, her eyes harboring unreadable emotions.

Neither of them mentioned that night at the bar, and Yu Youqing certainly didn’t bring up the reward she had forced upon her. During the recent photo scandal, Miss Meng had remained a calm bystander; Yu Youqing had enough social savvy to take the hint.

Miss Meng’s proactive set visits suggested she was interested in Gu Ruolan. But what kind of interest? Yu Youqing couldn’t quite tell. She felt conflicted: if they could latch onto the Meng family, they wouldn’t have to worry about resources. But knowing Gu Ruolan’s personality, she would never willingly be a puppet in someone else’s hands. If things turned sour and led to a messy fallout, the retaliation would be even worse.

She sighed inwardly and carefully tested Meng Qiuran’s attitude.

“Ruolan’s next project hasn’t been finalized yet, mainly because she can’t find a good script.” Yu Youqing gave a helpless smile, speaking with a touch of familiarity. “She has very high standards for herself and refuses to take on those meaningless ‘capital-laundering’ dramas.”

Capital-laundering. Anyone who plays with capital knows what that means. Although Meng Qiuran didn’t touch the entertainment industry at her old job, she had heard plenty of big shots talk about the inner workings.

Yu Youqing had no idea Meng Qiuran understood this perfectly. She assumed Miss Meng was still a wealthy but naive rookie in the world of investment, so she considered how to tactfully explain the term.

But just as she began, “Actually, ‘capital-laundering’ is industry slang, the formal term is—”

Meng Qiuran raised a hand, signaling she didn’t need to explain. “I know.”

Yu Youqing was stunned. Seeing the other woman’s quick reaction and composed demeanor—without a hint of confusion or the need to think—it was hard to believe she didn’t actually know.

Meng Qiuran watched Yu Youqing’s hesitant, calculating expression over the rim of her teacup and found it a bit funny. She wasn’t like this that night in Berlin; there wasn’t a trace of the intimidation she showed when she was forcing hush money on her back then.

“It’s right to be picky about scripts. After all, an actor’s time is money, and the audience’s time is money too.” Meng Qiuran had been poisoned by many mindless dramas in recent years; not only was it a waste of time, it was an eyesore.

She often wondered: In this day and age, does anyone actually want to make a good movie?

Although Gu Ruolan’s pickiness made the mission difficulty skyrocket, Meng Qiuran respected her approach. Sometimes she was conflicted—wanting to finish the task and leave, yet also wanting Gu Ruolan to stick to her principles and be herself.

“What scripts are currently under consideration?”

Yu Youqing shook her head helplessly. Scripts were sent over constantly, especially after she won the Silver Glow award. But the only one Gu Ruolan truly cared about was Director Lin’s “Double Female Lead” script. President Xin had already refused to let her take that one, and Yu Youqing didn’t want to go looking for trouble, so she didn’t mention it to Meng Qiuran.

“All kinds of genres. she’s still picking through them slowly.”

The conversation continued indifferently until Gu Ruolan returned, and Yu Youqing withdrew from the room.

Gu Ruolan, having removed her makeup and returned to her original self, looked a bit tired, but she remained polite toward Meng Qiuran. Since Meng Qiuran had waited this long, she must have serious business, so Gu Ruolan didn’t beat around the bush.

“What is the reason for your visit today?”

“Remember my subordinate, Yuan Yi? She saw the photos of your argument with Xu Anying and was worried sick. She insisted I come take a look.”

Gu Ruolan was stunned. There was a lot of information packed into that one sentence. Yuan Yi, though a subordinate, could move Meng Qiuran; the incident with Xu Anying had leaked, meaning there was a spy on set; and Meng Qiuran was here today specifically for this.

But when it came to her lips, Gu Ruolan only said one thing: “Thank you for your concern.”

“I’ll say it again: if you need help with anything, tell me. I’m very happy to solve problems for you.” Her tone didn’t lack sincerity; she sounded like she genuinely wanted to put in some effort. But she wasn’t as eager as Meng Xiayan, who seemed to be waiting for her to beg for a favor.

However, the moment Gu Ruolan thought of the rumors about the siblings, her mind sharpened. She could not, and would not, allow herself to become a pawn in their sibling power struggle.

Gu Ruolan took a silent breath and offered a visible smile. “Thank you for the reminder. I will be careful.”

Meng Qiuran thought helplessly: Gu Ruolan rejected my kindness again. She really was stubborn, unwilling to owe even a small favor.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of Xu Anying. If it were that woman, she’d probably be clinging to her by now, rattling off a list of demands.

Seeing the flash of disappointment in Meng Qiuran’s eyes, Gu Ruolan was surprised, but she soon rationalized that it was likely disappointment at failing to secure her as a “pawn.”

Still, she asked out of curiosity: “Why do you always want to help me?”

Perhaps because of that night in Berlin, Gu Ruolan still distinguished her from Meng Xiayan, feeling her motives wouldn’t be too malicious—even though Miss Meng’s reputation was indeed poor.

Meng Qiuran met her eyes, her gaze turning serious as if weighing or calculating something. But quickly, she resumed her indifferent and nonchalant facade, saying with a half-smile, “What if I said I just want to help you unconditionally and make sure you live well? Would you believe me?”

Gu Ruolan pursed her lips. If she didn’t have her acting skills, she might have instinctively shaken her head.

Meng Qiuran saw the disbelief on her face. She wasn’t angry, only smiling helplessly. Who would believe it? In this day and age, people who are selflessly good to others are practically extinct. If not for the system’s task, Meng Qiuran admitted she wouldn’t be doing something so “stupid” either.

Meng Qiuran stood up. Before Gu Ruolan could speak, she proactively took her leave.

“Yuan Yi’s concern has been delivered, and my sincerity has been expressed. I won’t hang around here and waste your rest time.” She looked at Gu Ruolan for a few extra moments, suddenly remembering her drinking from her thermos on set, and curled her lips. “There are many eyes and ears on set. You must be cautious.”

If those photos were actually leaked to the media, it would be much more trouble than the previous blurry ones. After all, the witnesses and evidence would all be there.

“I understand. Thank you.” This “thank you” sounded more genuine; Gu Ruolan knew the details Meng Qiuran mentioned were key.

In the next room, Yu Youqing kept replaying Meng Qiuran’s behavior in her head, feeling increasingly unsettled.

“Xiao Yan, where is that name tag from Berlin I gave you?”

Xiao Yan, busy organizing items for tomorrow’s shoot, stopped her movements. After a long while, she stammered, “I’m sorry, Sister Qing. I lost it.”

When she went to investigate back then, Meng Qiuran had just resigned. Other employees had said the bartender was temporary and only worked for a very short time. Since neither Yu Youqing nor Gu Ruolan asked about it again, she had forgotten about it.

Yu Youqing frowned, her face darkening. “What’s wrong with you? So careless. You didn’t watch things closely on set yesterday, and today nearly had another problem.”

Xiao Yan felt wronged. She was Gu Ruolan’s assistant, but she couldn’t be glued to her twenty-four hours a day. And as for actors arguing—that was essentially about resources; how much responsibility could she take for that? Yu Youqing couldn’t be harsh with Gu Ruolan, so she blamed her. Xiao Yan grew more depressed the more she thought about it.

Hearing the door open next door followed by conversation and footsteps, Yu Youqing knew Meng Qiuran had left. She stood up, straightened her clothes, and looked at the head-bowing Xiao Yan. “Keep a close watch on set for the next few days. Don’t let Xu Anying find another opening.”

After she left, Xiao Yan looked up and rubbed her red-rimmed eyes. She hadn’t actually lost the name tag, but she hadn’t brought it to the film set either; she had left it at her mother’s house. She hadn’t thought it mattered, but now it seemed it might have value.

Meng Qiuran didn’t let Gu Ruolan walk her far this time, and her refusal was quite unique. She said, “Don’t walk me out, lest you have to go looking for your down vest again.”

A flash of surprise crossed Gu Ruolan’s face, only to see Meng Qiuran smile lightly. “I know you don’t want to get sick by accident and affect the filming. I don’t want to cause you trouble either.”

With that, she headed downstairs with a light step.

When Yu Youqing entered the room, Gu Ruolan was still looking out the window, but the direction she was looking was different from before. In the past, she loved looking at the vast distance, but today, she was clearly looking down at the street below.

“Why didn’t you see her off?”

Gu Ruolan turned back. “She said not to.”

There wasn’t much guilt in her voice, more like an old friend who had visited and knew the way. Yu Youqing couldn’t read her emotions, so she asked directly, “Ruolan, regarding the script… do you want to ask her for a favor?”

An actor can only shine in their acting, but at the investor level, they are truly powerless. Even if the agency steps in, it might not be enough to turn the tide. But Miss Meng was different. Even if she wasn’t directly involved in the investment, who would dare not give the Meng family face and let Xu Anying act so brazenly?

Gu Ruolan frowned and considered for a moment. “Sister Qing, if the script must be changed according to Xu Anying’s demands, I will consider terminating my contract.”