After Transmigrating into the Role of the Villain Forced to Pamper the Heroine of an Angsty Novel - Chapter 25

Just as Meng Qiuran sat in her car, another thought struck her. She scrolled through her contacts to find Xing Qu’s name and, after a moment of consideration, dialed him directly.

At this hour, Xing Qu should have been at work, but to her surprise, the call was answered almost immediately.

Then came Xing Qu’s voice, sounding both surprised and delighted: “Xiao Qiu, are you looking for me?”

Xing Qu had hung around with Meng Xiayan’s crowd for years. He was younger than Meng Xiayan but two or three years older than Meng Qiuran. At some point, he had started following the others’ lead in calling her “Xiao Qiu.”

However, in crowded settings or on occasions where the young lady was clearly in a bad mood, Xing Qu still had the sense to call her Qiuran.

Meng Qiuran pressed the bridge of her nose, ignoring the intentionally shortened distance in the address, and cut straight to the chase.

“Xing Qu, I’m calling to ask you about something.”

Meng Qiuran’s tone wasn’t that of someone asking a favor; it was merely a fraction softer than usual. Xing Qu didn’t mind at all. In fact, he felt a flicker of anticipation and excitement. “What do you want to ask?”

With one hand holding the phone and the other resting on the steering wheel, Meng Qiuran’s long fingers drummed lightly.

“Is your family planning to run ads on Penguin TV’s Light of Stars?”

“Of course! That’s Penguin’s big variety show for hitting their targets this year. They reached out to us before they even started the official promotion.”

It seemed reaching out to Xing Qu was the right call.

“How much are you planning to invest?”

“Huh? The specific amount hasn’t been finalized yet. This is a joint placement. They offered us a package, but the specifics have to be negotiated with a few other parties.”

It was too complicated to explain over the phone, and Meng Qiuran needed to rush over to her brother’s office.

“Are you free tonight? Let’s have dinner.”

This was the first time Meng Qiuran had taken the initiative to invite him. Xing Qu was hardly going to say he was busy.

“I’m free! Since you’re the one asking, I’m definitely free.”

“Seven o’clock tonight at Linda’s Café. I’ll send you the address in a moment.”

“Do you want me to pick you up?”

“No need, just be there on time. I have other things to do. Bye.”

After hanging up, she sent the address of Sister Lin’s café to Xing Qu.

Meng Qiuran arrived at the Meng Group near the end of the workday, but Meng Xiayan was still in a meeting with the investment department. His secretary called in, and he asked Meng Qiuran to wait outside for a moment.

Meng Qiuran had spent plenty of time here when she worked in the investment department and was quite familiar with Meng Xiayan’s secretaries.

The lead secretary was a serious, stone-faced woman whom the old man had picked for Meng Xiayan when he first joined the company. Meng Xiayan treated her with respect. However, this rigorous lady carried an intimidating aura that made no one want to get too close. Consequently, Meng Xiayan would dump many of his less critical errands onto the second secretary.

The second secretary, Jiang Ningyu, had just turned 30. She was gentle and efficient. Meng Qiuran used to chat with her often.

Jiang Ningyu poured her a cup of tea and had just returned to her desk when she noticed Meng Qiuran following her.

“What’s wrong?”

Meng Qiuran glanced at her brother’s office; there was no sign of the door opening yet.

She leaned against Jiang Ningyu’s desk and said in a conversational tone, “I heard my brother is planning to invest in ads for Penguin TV. Is that true?”

She had already left the company, so using “my brother” instead of “President Meng” indicated this was a private question. Jiang Ningyu hesitated, unsure if she should give a direct answer.

Meng Qiuran smiled. “Just a casual chat. You don’t need to reveal any exact figures.”

Jiang Ningyu gave a very slight nod. “There is an intention. We are currently in negotiations.”

“Is the budget high?” Meng Qiuran didn’t ask for the specific amount, knowing it would be inconvenient for Jiang Ningyu to say. By asking if it was “high,” she used a clever phrasing that gave Jiang Ningyu more room to maneuver.

Sure enough, the other woman nodded again. “It’s not low.”

Meng Qiuran saw the look of difficulty on Jiang Ningyu’s face and knew she wouldn’t get any more substantive information.

Just then, the door to Meng Xiayan’s office opened. Zhang Hen’an and several group leads from the investment department walked out, looking quite pleased with themselves. Meng Qiuran thought their reports must have gone well; otherwise, they wouldn’t look so upbeat.

She had little respect for their eye for projects—they were conventional and liked to “mark the boat to find the sword” (rely on outdated methods).

Zhang Hen’an and the others hadn’t expected to see Meng Qiuran here. Since she resigned, she hadn’t returned to the investment department once. After a brief stun, these seasoned office veterans quickly adjusted their expressions, greeting her cheerfully as if they were delighted to see her.

Meng Qiuran gave them a perfunctory smile and pointed toward the office. “I’m here to see my brother.” Without waiting for a reaction, she brushed past them and headed straight into Meng Xiayan’s office.

Once back in their own department, the group leads felt relaxed enough to gossip about her.

“I wonder if the young lady wants to come back,” the Group One lead said.

The others’ expressions shifted. “Surely not? She just went solo. Coming back so soon would be a loss of face.”

The Group One lead had technically supervised her and knew her better. “She doesn’t know much about the business. She’s a bit impulsive and likes to challenge high-risk projects. Without President Meng protecting her out there, it’s easy for her to suffer losses.”

The others nodded in agreement. While she was in the department, she had opposed several projects on the grounds of low ROI. But major investments don’t show results overnight. Young people just want to eat the pie immediately—they have zero patience.

Zhang Hen’an remained silent until the end. “Don’t overthink it. Even if she does come back, it might not be to the investment department.”

True. The investment department was a core unit; having her disrupt it once was enough. President Meng certainly wouldn’t repeat that mistake.

Meng Xiayan paused his work when he saw his sister. “Coming to see me at this hour—it can’t be for business, right?”

Meng Qiuran was still wearing her work suit. She had been in such a rush that she left her blazer in the car.

“It’s not exactly business, but I have some ‘explosive’ news I wanted to confirm with you.” She leaned lazily back in her chair, swiveling it side to side like an office worker slacking off.

“How explosive?”

“Have you heard? Xie Yuzong put sixty million into ad sponsorship for Penguin TV’s Light of Stars.”

Meng Xiayan’s face darkened. “I know.”

Meng Qiuran smiled at him. “So, are you planning to battle him?”

Meng Xiayan was surprised she was following this. “I’m still considering it.”

“You could just invest the same amount as him. A tie isn’t embarrassing, and it won’t make him hate you.”

Xie Yuzong had moved very fast. By the time Meng Xiayan heard the news, it was already late. It was a difficult position. If he invested more, Xie Yuzong would lose face; if he invested less, he’d lose face himself.

“But if we’re tied, if there’s a disagreement, the decision-making power…”

“I’ll invest a bit, too. If anything happens, I’ll definitely stand on your side.”

Meng Xiayan hadn’t expected her to not only follow the news but want to get involved. “Why would your tiny company invest in Penguin TV?”

“Don’t look down on my company, okay? We’ve already started turning a profit. Besides, I’ve been interested in the entertainment circle lately. Can’t I play around a bit?”

Meng Xiayan remembered something he hadn’t had a chance to ask. “Was buying The Starlight is Like You from Ding Shenhai also because you wanted to ‘play around’?”

“Mm-hmm. I bought it at a discount. Just call it an investment.”

Meng Xiayan pinched the bridge of his nose. His sister’s eye for investment was truly poor. Her first move was to buy a dead movie. Everyone at the dinner had made the situation clear, but she apparently hadn’t understood a word of it.

“You really are… such a waste,” he said helplessly.

Meng Qiuran pouted indifferently. “It’s my prerogative.”

Her eye for investment might be bad, but her suggestion was actually a viable strategy. If he also invested sixty million, he would technically be tied with Xie Yuzong on the surface, but if Meng Qiuran also invested, the siblings combined would actually surpass him.

“How much do you plan to invest?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but definitely not more than you.”

Meng Qiuran had come to steady Meng Xiayan and use him to keep Xie Yuzong in check. She had crunched the numbers; she could pull out sixty million if she had to, but it wasn’t necessary. This was just a variety show, and Gu Ruolan was only in two episodes. Her money needed to be saved for Gu Ruolan’s films.

The Movie Queen awards—that was her target. She couldn’t “pick up sesame seeds and lose the watermelon.” Her investment strategy was very clear. How much she invested would depend on the figures from Xing Qu’s side.

Meng Xiayan basically agreed to the sixty million. Her goal achieved, she had to rush to the café. “I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

Meng Xiayan was used to his sister’s playful nature, but her investment style was truly giving him a headache. He now fully believed those profits she mentioned were earned by sheer luck of following trends.

After signing the contract with Light of Stars, Gu Ruolan went nowhere, spending most of her time at home.

At seven that evening, Yu Youqing arrived at Gu Ruolan’s house carrying several bags of fresh vegetables and fruit. The large house was empty save for Gu Ruolan. She was wearing loose white loungewear, her hair casually tied back, completely without makeup—yet she was still breathtaking at first glance.

Yu Youqing praised her as she put the groceries away. “If you started a random livestream right now, your popularity would explode. Believe it or not?”

Gu Ruolan shook her head, zero interest. “I have social anxiety.”

“Movie Queen Gu Ruolan having social anxiety—how many people do you think would believe that?”

Gu Ruolan washed an apple and took a small bite. “It’s enough that I believe it.”

“Where’s Xiao Yan?” Yu Youqing had been busy for a while and hadn’t seen anyone come to help.

“She said she had something to do at home this morning. I told her she could head back.”

Yu Youqing frowned, leaning one hand against the dining table. “She’s been acting strange lately, always saying she has things to do. She’s not you—how could she have so many ‘things’?” She paused. “You have fewer ‘things’ than she does.”

Gu Ruolan didn’t care much. “Recording doesn’t start for three days anyway. There’s nothing for her to do if she comes over.”

Speaking of the show, Yu Youqing’s expression softened. “Xiang Jing called President Xin today to thank him. She said the moment the news of you joining went out, the sponsorship slots were basically gone in seconds.”

Gu Ruolan was always clear-headed about such industry flattery. She admitted her variety debut was a gimmick, but “gone in seconds” was an exaggeration.

Seeing her disbelief, Yu Youqing spoke with data: “Xie Yuzong signed for sixty million. I heard the Meng Group made a statement and is basically putting in sixty million as well. Add the eighty million Jianian already negotiated, and wouldn’t you say it’s about the same as ‘gone in seconds’?”

True. That was two hundred million resolved instantly.

Yu Youqing’s tone rose with pride for her artist’s influence. “The Xing family will likely continue to cooperate this time as well; that’s at least another several tens of millions.” She looked at Gu Ruolan, who was focused on her apple, and dropped the name she had saved for last: “I heard… Meng Qiuran is also interested.”

At the sound of that name, Gu Ruolan’s movements slowed. After swallowing the last piece of apple, she turned her head to look at Yu Youqing. The manager nodded, as if reading her confusion.

“It’s likely an investment made for your sake.”

Gu Ruolan hadn’t felt much when hearing about sixty or eighty million; she had never been interested in who had more money. But… why was Meng Qiuran following her again? Hadn’t she claimed she only wanted to invest in movies? Hadn’t she wanted to see her win awards?

So what was with sponsoring a variety show now?

Yu Youqing didn’t know they had met privately, but first she had taken over a failing movie to preserve Gu Ruolan’s reputation, and now she was following her to be a show sponsor—who couldn’t see the intent?

She washed her hands and sat next to Gu Ruolan. “It seems she isn’t doing this to help her brother, otherwise there would be no need for separate sponsorships.”

If the previous movie was something Meng Xiayan couldn’t conveniently appear for, this ad sponsorship was something the Meng Group was doing openly. Meng Qiuran’s insistence on a separate investment meant it was for herself.

The apple in Gu Ruolan’s hand was now very small, but her movements grew slower. She understood the implication in Yu Youqing’s words.

“Ruolan, has she expressed anything to you?”

Gu Ruolan remembered that night in the café—the way the woman leaned back lazily into the sofa, her aura seemingly switching between idle and sharp at will. But the deepest impression was those playful eyes and those blunt words.

She had said: “I definitely don’t have any ‘other ideas’ about you.”

In that moment, Gu Ruolan had believed her. But now, it seemed a bit shaky.

Seeing her hesitation, Yu Youqing guessed something. Although this was the artist’s private business, an artist’s relationship status needs to be reported to the company in a timely manner—especially for someone of Gu Ruolan’s stature who has zero relationship history. If they didn’t prepare in advance, a sudden leak would absolutely flip the company upside down.

“Ruolan, what did she say to you?”

Gu Ruolan steadied her nerves and turned to Yu Youqing. “She said she wasn’t interested in me.”