After Transmigrating into the Role of the Villain Forced to Pamper the Heroine of an Angsty Novel - Chapter 26

“She wants to continue investing in my next film, so I asked her about it while I was at it.”

After saying this, Gu Ruolan stood up to throw away the apple core and wash her hands, though she seemed to take quite a long time at the sink. When she returned, Yu Youqing looked at her with a knowing smile. Not only had she washed her hands, but she had also washed her face; her skin looked even more translucent and smooth than before.

“So you’re no longer resistant to being associated with the Meng family?”

Gu Ruolan felt a sense of helplessness, but the intense aversion and fear she felt at the start seemed to have faded. “Can I even hide from them?” She didn’t sit back down; even after just eating an apple, she maintained her habit of standing for half an hour.

Yu Youqing sighed. “In this circle, it’s unavoidable. Your conditions are so good; it’s only natural for people to be drawn to you. As long as they don’t force anything, we’ll just deal with them the same way as always.”

In the past, Gu Ruolan would have darkened her face and ended the conversation right there. But tonight, she remained leaned against the wall, standing straight, her expression quite normal.

“Let’s hope so.” She gave a light sigh. She knew it would be difficult to completely sever ties with the Meng family now. She only hoped Meng Qiuran was a woman of her word and could keep Meng Xiayan at a distance.

Xing Qu arrived at the café ten minutes early. Meng Qiuran arrived right on time. He had already ordered a drink for her—a glass of juice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one she liked. She ordered the same set meal Gu Ruolan had chosen last time; she had thought the flavor was excellent back then.

Xing Qu’s family was a major advertising spender, mostly handling general contracts for joint placements. He listed several companies interested in cooperating. Meng Qiuran pretended to listen nonchalantly while actually analyzing and selecting each one.

“I think Mancheng, Lihang, and Hefeng are all quite good.” These were companies she had meticulously chosen, though she wondered if Xing Qu would notice the pattern.

Sure enough, Xing Qu looked a bit conflicted. He rubbed his chin and admitted, “They are good. But the problem is, Mancheng has a poor relationship with the Xie family, and as for Lihang and Hefeng…” He glanced at Meng Qiuran, “Their relationship with your brother is just average.”

He put it delicately. In reality, Mancheng was Xie Yuzong’s rival, and the other two didn’t get along with Meng Xiayan. This was exactly the result Meng Qiuran wanted: to have these parties check and balance each other so no one could dominate.

“What does that matter? There’s competition everywhere in business. Since your family is leading the joint placement, if there are conflicts, won’t you be there to mediate?”

Meng Qiuran acted as if she had great confidence in Xing Qu, which he found very flattering. “Of course! They’ll definitely listen to me.”

Out of the eight slots, six were now essentially confirmed, with one reportedly reserved for Jianian. Xing Qu’s final quote was eighty million. His family led the group, with three others joined in. Despite being rivals, since the individual amounts weren’t massive, neither Xie Yuzong nor Meng Xiayan raised any objections.

Jianian alone put up eighty million. Their annual marketing budget was terrifyingly high, and since Gu Ruolan was their spokesperson, their status was unique. Meng Qiuran’s twenty million filled the last vacancy, and she spent an additional five million to secure the title sponsorship.

Yuan Yi, unaware of the private dealings, simply marveled at her boss’s generosity and decisiveness. “You and President Meng are both so extravagant. You’re really showing great support.”

Meng Qiuran didn’t want to say too much, but she corrected Yuan Yi seriously: “I am not like my brother.”

Yuan Yi tilted her head. “Aren’t you both doing this because of Gu Ruolan?”

Meng Qiuran was tongue-tied. While that was true, it was still different. Yuan Yi found the distinction herself: “Oh, I know. You don’t like girls.”

Meng Xiayan and Xie Yuzong rarely visited Penguin TV due to their status. However, Meng Qiuran had nothing but time, so she frequently wandered over with Yuan Yi in tow. Riding on Xing Qu’s familiar face, she eventually became the most frequently seen “financial backer” among the sponsors.

But she didn’t see Gu Ruolan during the first few visits; she learned after some inquiries that Gu would only arrive on the day of official recording. Yuan Yi, following by Meng Qiuran’s side, waited with bated breath until the day she finally had the chance to see her idol up close.

“Don’t go fainting from excitement today; I can’t carry you,” Meng Qiuran joked with Yuan Yi on the way to Penguin TV.

“Ahhh! Sister Qiu, I’m so nervous!” Yuan Yi shed her usual playful confidence, fanning herself constantly and breathing through her mouth.

“It’s not your first time seeing her. Stay calm.” Meng Qiuran thought to herself that the movie filming cycle would be even longer later; she could look as much as she wanted then.

“It’s different,” Yuan Yi explained with grand gestures. “Before, I was just looking at her, but this time, she might actually see me.”

Gu Ruolan didn’t know Meng Qiuran was coming today. She rarely communicated directly with the program team after signing the contract.

The mentors invited for this show were all artists with representative works in the film industry, having won at least one significant award. The contestants were all newcomers with acting experience who had debuted within the last three years.

Unlike other guests who spent time on skincare or working out before the show, Gu Ruolan spent her time at home watching the past works of all the contestants, making notes and analyses for each performance.

Recording began at 1:00 PM. Yu Youqing went to Gu Ruolan’s house before lunch, finding her alone as usual. “Where’s Xiao Yan? Not here yet?” Yu Youqing put her bag down and looked around, dissatisfied.

“There was nothing to do this morning, so I told her to come later.” Gu Ruolan had just showered; her skin was glowing with translucent moisture and a hint of pink, making one want to gently pinch her.

“Even if there’s nothing to do, she shouldn’t be missing at this hour,” Yu Youqing pointed to her watch. “She’s losing her sense of time!”

Gu Ruolan smiled, not wanting to make an issue of it. “Have you had lunch?”

Yu Youqing followed her into the kitchen and saw Gu Ruolan take out a bowl of fruit salad. “This again?”

“I have to be on camera this afternoon; it’s better to be cautious.” She couldn’t eat foods that might trigger allergies or things with too strong a flavor.

“I’m going to make some instant noodles.” Yu Youqing skillfully found the food she had left in the cupboard previously. “You’re too disciplined; this pack hasn’t been touched.”

Originally, this time slot was reserved for a film shoot, so Gu Ruolan maintained a high level of self-discipline in her diet, routine, and other life details.

By the time the noodles were half-finished, Xiao Yan finally rushed in. Yu Youqing greeted her with a cold face. “Xiao Yan, why have you been coming late and leaving early lately? You can’t start slacking just because Ruolan’s schedule changed.”

“I’ve had some things going on at home lately, I—” Xiao Yan explained, panting.

“Family matters shouldn’t constantly affect your work.”

At that moment, Gu Ruolan came out of her room, having changed. “Sister Qing, Xiao Yan has special circumstances, and it’s not like I had anything going on anyway.” She looked at Xiao Yan and said softly, “Try not to be late in the future.” She truly disliked tardiness, but she felt Yu Youqing’s rebuke was a bit harsh.

At Penguin TV, Xiang Jing paid special attention to her, assigning a staff member named Xiao Mi specifically to coordinate with Gu Ruolan. Xiao Mi was also thrilled to be so close to her, her voice trembling with excitement. But Director Xiang had instructed her to ensure the recording went smoothly.

“Teacher Gu, all the mentors are recording the opening part today; almost everyone is here,” Xiao Mi introduced the situation as they walked. “The sponsors have sent representatives as well.”

Yu Youqing smiled. “The ‘Gold Masters’ are interested in the opening recording now?”

Xiao Mi didn’t really understand either, but she pushed up her glasses and said subtly, “Well, the eldest Miss Meng is… always unique.”

The smile on Yu Youqing’s lips faded. She instinctively looked at Gu Ruolan. Sunglasses covered most of Gu’s face, hiding any change in expression, but her hand at her side swayed a few times.

Xiao Mi took Gu Ruolan to the dressing room first. This variety show was a competition of acting skills, but every mentor appearing was a big name. No one wanted their styling to be mediocre. Xiang Jing had already considered this and spent a fortune to hire a hair and makeup team that usually only worked with film crews.

It was normal for movie kings and queens to bring their own makeup artists to a show, but since everyone’s status was similar this time and Gu Ruolan was the focus of the promotion, everyone was secretly watching her setup. To their surprise, Gu Ruolan didn’t make any special requests for herself, so the others couldn’t ask for much either. Consequently, everyone came to the station to get ready, making the dressing room very busy.

Yuan Yi had been staring toward the backstage area ever since she heard Gu Ruolan was in makeup, wishing she could turn into a giraffe. Meng Qiuran was much more leisurely, appearing to have no expectations for Gu Ruolan. She looked up at the ceiling for a bit, then checked if the stage floor had any reflections. She even did a lap around the stage, as if checking something. Everything looked normal; it shouldn’t be a hardware issue.

Satisfied with the stage surroundings, Meng Qiuran had just returned to her spot when Yuan Yi grabbed her arm, nearly pulling her off balance. “Sister Qiu, my palms are starting to sweat.”

Meng Qiuran realized she wasn’t exaggerating; sweat was starting to appear on Yuan Yi’s forehead and the tip of her nose. She took a tissue from her pocket and handed it to her. “Wipe it off. You can’t see your idol looking like this.”

At her words, Yuan Yi grew even more nervous, wiping her face haphazardly and nearly turning herself into a “little calico cat.” Meng Qiuran couldn’t stand to watch, shook her head, and took out a clean tissue. She wiped the parts of Yuan Yi’s face that were clearly smudged, feigning disdain. “Go touch up your makeup and take a few deep breaths.”

When Gu Ruolan emerged, this was the scene she witnessed. A young girl was flushed red, her eyes closed as Meng Qiuran helped wipe her face. Meng Qiuran’s back was to her, so she couldn’t see her expression, but she could guess from the girl’s face. After a moment, the girl bowed her head and hurried away, and Meng Qiuran only turned around after watching her figure disappear.

By the time she turned, Gu Ruolan was already walking onto the stage under Xiao Mi’s guidance. At the other end of the stage were the mentor seats—seven in total. Gu Ruolan had originally been placed in the center, but she proactively said that wasn’t right. Since she was just a guest, she’d sit on the side. Finally, after communicating with each mentor, the program team decided to arrange the seating by age, which was a fresh take.

Those sitting in the mentor seats were naturally all high achievers. Ordered by age, the 27-year-old Gu Ruolan truly had to sit at the very edge. But because of this, it only further highlighted the fact that she was young and successful.

Today she wore a slim-fit black blazer over a modified Chinese-style white shirt—a very, very pure white with a faint wisteria pattern on the placket. The collar could be said to have no opening at all, but it didn’t diminish her charm in the slightest. Ankle-length slate grey suit trousers made her fair ankles look like soul-snatching hooks.

As the mentors took their seats, the lighting technicians were still adjusting angles, with occasional uneven beams of light crossing in front of them, yet they couldn’t ruin this stunning picture.

Meng Qiuran heard the nearby staff whispering: “Teacher Gu is truly elite. A living textbook of ‘cold and abstinent’ beauty.”

She was dressed very cleanly. Aside from a classic Jianian watch, she wore no eye-catching jewelry. Her studs held only tiny diamonds, but they made her small earlobes look even more adorable.

“Ah!” Yuan Yi rushed back, her hard-earned composure crumbling the moment she saw Gu Ruolan. She stumbled and slumped directly onto Meng Qiuran’s shoulder.

Meng Qiuran turned her head and looked at her helplessly, signaling her to stand up straight. Yuan Yi stood up unsteadily and whispered, “I’m sorry, my idol is just too beautiful. My legs turned to jelly.”

Meng Qiuran kept her face turned toward her, pouting. “Look at you, so spineless.”

What Gu Ruolan saw was a different picture: the girl leaning intimately and casually on Meng Qiuran, and then Meng Qiuran making a face at her. She saw it clearly; the girl wasn’t Rosa. She was a different type from Rosa altogether.

Gu Ruolan: The girl by her side is different every time…