After Transmigrating into the Role of the Villain Forced to Pamper the Heroine of an Angsty Novel - Chapter 37

The main purpose of Xiang Jing’s call was to ask Gu Ruolan to come to the station. Passing messages through an agency inevitably affected efficiency. Moreover, Xin Qi didn’t seem particularly attentive, appearing more interested in using this opportunity to trade for resources for her company’s newcomers.

Xiang Jing had mentioned it to Gu Ruolan in person during a recording break, but her assistant was nearby, and Yu Youqing arrived shortly after, making it impossible to speak in depth.

Now that the ratings were high, she had to strike while the iron was hot. Although there was controversy last night, the storm hadn’t expanded, and after the behind-the-scenes footage aired today, the reversal effect was very obvious. Many new members signed up just to watch the footage, indicating that the attention surrounding Gu Ruolan’s variety debut was quite good.

However, Gu Ruolan’s attitude on the phone remained lukewarm, showing a visible ripple of emotion only when Lin Mengjia was mentioned. Xiang Jing knew this well; otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought up the “Movie Queen Lin” card.

“Sister Jing, let’s talk about this in person. It’s hard to explain clearly over the phone.”

Gu Ruolan agreeing to a meeting was the best outcome. Xiang Jing didn’t push further: “Ruolan, it’s best if you come alone.”

Gu Ruolan paused. Xiang Jing had made this request after careful consideration.

“I feel President Xin is quite busy lately. I’m afraid that relaying messages through her might not accurately convey the meaning to you.”

Gu Ruolan’s long lashes fluttered slowly. “I understand.”

The call didn’t last long, covering three main points: Penguin TV was very sincere about adding recordings; the semi-retired Lin Mengjia might be interested in a guest appearance; and Xiang Jing wanted to bypass Xin Qi to talk to Gu Ruolan directly.

After hanging up, Gu Ruolan put her phone back on the table. Meng Qiuran was still looking down, sipping her tea. If her posture of “not listening” hadn’t been so obvious, it might have looked natural.

Earlier, when she said she was going to the restroom, Gu Ruolan thought it was a coincidence that it provided space for Yu Yimeng’s call. This time, she stood up to leave again; Gu Ruolan easily guessed her intention. Since she had to focus on the call, she didn’t say much, and Meng Qiuran stayed in a way that minimized her presence, which Gu Ruolan found quite comfortable.

She curled her lips in a silent smile, thinking that the young socialite was actually quite polite—at least for now.

“It’s getting late. Shall we go?” Gu Ruolan suggested, seeing the fruit platter was nearly finished and they had no other topics to discuss.

Meng Qiuran assumed she had things to handle after the call. “Oh, sure.”

Sister Lin refused to take her idol’s money, but Gu Ruolan insisted on paying. In the end, Sister Lin gave a massive discount that was essentially “almost free, please come again.” Gu Ruolan had no choice but to pay the amount, which was far below the normal price.

Leaving the private room, she put on her large sunglasses again, her long hair draped over her shoulders to cover half her face, and her trench coat wrapping her figure tightly. Only her unique, standout aura was impossible to hide.

Meng Qiuran suddenly remembered their first meeting. That time, Gu Ruolan also had her hair down and head lowered, looking a bit frightening.

“Do you have to do this every time you go out?”

Gu Ruolan turned to her, and seeing the light teasing in her eyes, she pursed her lips helplessly. “I don’t want to do this either.”

“And yet you still dare to come out.”

Gu Ruolan felt a bit indignant. “I can’t just stay home forever and let others do everything for me.”

Meng Qiuran shook her head, walking slowly ahead. “The price of stardom.”

Gu Ruolan froze for a moment, letting out a sigh. If only everyone could treat actors as ordinary people. In the past, she used fewer disguises, but she was still recognizable if people looked closely. Once, she went to a mall and nearly couldn’t get out of the door, eventually requiring security’s help.

Meng Qiuran and Gu Ruolan’s cars were parked in different locations. After walking about two hundred meters from the café, they had to part ways. Neither had touched alcohol, and they weren’t close enough to feel the need to escort one another, so neither asked, “Do you need a ride?”

Once in her car, Gu Ruolan didn’t start the engine immediately. She took off her sunglasses and tied her hair into a neat ponytail. She checked her reflection; she looked normal. She thought of Meng Qiuran’s teasing again—feeling a bit miffed but unable to refute it.

Regardless, today was much better than that time in Berlin; at least her complexion was normal and she was healthy. On closer thought, she felt today’s interaction with Meng Qiuran was quite pleasant, at least not as exhausting as the previous few times. While there was still some unfamiliarity and defensiveness, it had eased significantly.

Perhaps it was because Meng Qiuran had helped her—and quite a bit, too. Whether she did it proactively or reactively, or whether it was a trivial matter to her, Gu Ruolan couldn’t accept it with a clear conscience without giving something back. Although Meng Qiuran asked for no reward, only saying to “keep being yourself,” Gu Ruolan wasn’t used to taking advantage of others.

Unfortunately, the thing the socialite wanted most—investment—Gu Ruolan couldn’t give her yet. She couldn’t just pick a random script because Meng Qiuran was in a hurry; if the quality was poor, it wouldn’t benefit anyone.

Thankfully, Meng Qiuran had only asked tonight, without applying pressure or forcing the issue. Gu Ruolan felt that the young lady was easier to get along with than she had imagined. Or perhaps the rumors painted her too negatively; maybe she wasn’t always so pampered and willful.

The current Meng Qiuran was gradually overlapping with the person she saw that night in Berlin, diluting the impression of the woman who troubled her at Qidu Mansion.

Bai Qiu. Gu Ruolan suddenly remembered the name as she put her phone in her bag. She smiled; it seemed that name suited her better after all. It would be fine if Meng Qiuran always remained as she was in Berlin.

Meng Qiuran also sat in her car, motionless. She didn’t know her impression score with Gu Ruolan had improved. She was currently distressed by the feeling of passivity—it was uncomfortable. Too passive.

She had no way of knowing Gu Ruolan’s movements; she had to rely on various inquiries just to catch a glimpse. If she hadn’t run into her today, she wouldn’t have known these details. Relying on guesswork and lagging information—how could that work?

She was used to gathering all materials for a comprehensive analysis before starting a project; that was the only way to ensure a win. Now, she could only watch Gu Ruolan from a distance and circle around her, unable to enter the inner core. She was forced to follow the plot passively, having to account for every possibility. This scattered her attention, allowing only for passive defense rather than a proactive strike.

Once or twice was fine, but if it continued like this, could she complete her mission? Meng Qiuran felt stifled and rolled down the window. The cool wind stimulated her nerves.

I need to arrange some of my own people by Gu Ruolan’s side.

The more she thought about it, the more necessary it seemed. But where to start? The people closest to Gu Ruolan were her assistant Xiao Yan and her manager Yu Youqing. Meng Qiuran couldn’t decide yet who was more likely to be replaced.

Gu Ruolan went to Penguin TV the next day. Xiang Jing went over the details with her again.

“Ruolan, strictly speaking, it’s not adding episodes, just recording more special features to be inserted into the key rounds.”

What Gu Ruolan cared about was Lin Mengjia. “What are the arrangements for Teacher Lin?” She hadn’t seen a specific schedule for Lin in the plan.

“That depends on you.”

Gu Ruolan was confused and skeptical. How could she possibly decide Lin Mengjia’s thoughts?

Xiang Jing had expected this. “Xinghe Company mediated this. Lin Mengjia is talking to them about a new script. She happened to see your critiques and approved of them; she also thinks the show’s mechanism is quite novel.”

Gu Ruolan realized the rumors were true; Xinghe intended to invite Lin Mengjia out of retirement. Xinghe also intended to sign newcomers and wanted to scout from the show. If there were suitable candidates, they could gain exposure through the show’s popularity.

Xiang Jing saw that Gu Ruolan was somewhat moved. “The audience also approved of your performance in the last episode. Those initial comments were mostly spontaneous fan behavior. Once the show’s reputation ferments naturally, the positive reviews will completely drown out those unpleasant voices.”

Gu Ruolan understood this after years in the industry. But the part that made her uncomfortable wasn’t just the comments, but the way the company and Penguin TV handled the incident. President Xin being a beat behind wasn’t a first, and Penguin TV kept the “reversal” for the behind-the-scenes footage—clearly wanting to use the controversy to stir hype first, then use the footage to attract new members. She just felt her sense of loneliness was growing.

“If Teacher Lin confirms her participation, then I agree as well,” Gu Ruolan said, pushing the decision to Lin Mengjia. “And, I will only record the parts Teacher Lin is involved in.”

Xiang Jing hesitated but nodded. “Fine. I’ll go talk to Lin Mengjia.”

As Gu Ruolan was about to leave, Xiang Jing called out, “Ruolan, how are you considering the contract renewal?”

“You care about that too?”

Xiang Jing looked down to organize files. “I heard several companies are fighting for you, but you seem uninterested in all of them.” She looked up. “I’m just curious.”

Gu Ruolan curled her lips. “Because none of them are quite right.”

Xiang Jing walked her downstairs, saying she would notify her once Lin Mengjia’s schedule was confirmed.

Lin Mengjia’s status was high, but she wasn’t arrogant. Since she was interested, she didn’t make things difficult. With Xiang Jing coordinating, the time for the first special recording was soon set.

When Xin Qi found out, she was both surprised and unsurprised. If Gu Ruolan had refused, it would have been a headache because the newcomer resources would have been lost. But the fact that Gu Ruolan bypassed them to talk to Xiang Jing directly made her feel a sense of the girl wanting to break free.

Meng Qiuran had planned to spend the day considering investment plans at the office. Although the money in her account kept increasing, she was a person of plans, and the next stage of investment couldn’t be sloppy.

However, Yuan Yi told her that Gu Ruolan had gone to Penguin TV.

“What? She’s recording today?” Meng Qiuran checked the calendar. “Isn’t the final episode a long way off?”

“I just saw the latest news in the group. They said it’s a temporary special recording, and Lin Mengjia is there too.”

Penguin TV was focusing on a “surprise drop” this time. Unlike their previous hype machine, they hadn’t breathed a word about Lin Mengjia, planning to reveal the surprise after recording but before airing.

Meng Qiuran grabbed her coat and left the office without a word. “Yuan Yi, come with me to Penguin TV.”

Although Yuan Yi really wanted to see the recording, her boss seemed even more interested than she was.

At the scene, none of the other sponsors had arrived except for Meng Qiuran and the people from Xinghe. Meng Qiuran didn’t find Gu Ruolan on stage; a staff member told her she was still in the back preparing. She breathed a sigh of relief. She made it in time.

But soon, her gaze was drawn to another person on stage. Since learning that Lu Youyou had transmigrated too, she had searched for her news online several times. But Lu, like Lin Mengjia, was very low-key and almost never appeared at public events.

She stared at the person on stage whose back was turned to her for a long time. The person appeared busy, with people coming and going while following her instructions.

Meng Qiuran turned. “Yuan Yi, do you know that person on stage?”

“That should be Lin Mengjia’s manager? I’m not entirely sure.”

Meng Qiuran smiled. “How can there be something you aren’t sure about?”

Yuan Yi felt helpless. “Aside from being an expert on Gu Ruolan, I don’t know much about others.” She looked at the stage again. “And Lin Mengjia has been semi-retired for years, she rarely comes out. It’s normal for me not to be familiar.”

Because they hadn’t known Meng Qiuran would suddenly arrive, her usual seat was taken. A staff member indicated there were seats in the front row and invited her over.

Meng Qiuran kept her eyes on her original spot. “No. I want to sit there.” Her tone was resolute. The staff member had no choice but to coordinate a seat swap.

Miss Meng really is something—why is she so fond of such an out-of-the-way corner?