After Transmigrating into the Role of the Villain Forced to Pamper the Heroine of an Angsty Novel - Chapter 4

Scrolling through the news earlier was mostly a way to kill time and get a sense of the Movie Queen’s post-award activity. Meng Qiuran wasn’t even a casual celebrity fan; she would likely forget everything she read as soon as she clocked out tonight.

Of course, now that she had encountered the woman in the flesh, forgetting wouldn’t be so easy.

Meng Qiuran was someone who had seen her fair share of grand occasions. Although she was internally marveling at the sheer level of coincidence, her face remained neutral.

She gave a light chuckle, shoved her phone into her pocket, and greeted the woman who was staring coldly at her.

“Hello, Miss Gu.”

Her tone was calm and her expression relaxed, yet polite. She treated Gu Ruolan like a customer she had happened to run into. She didn’t act like a fan who had lost control upon seeing a star, nor did she show the worshipful face of someone like Yuan Yi. Her only moment of surprise had been the split second she recognized Gu Ruolan’s features.

Gu Ruolan’s complexion was poor. Aside from her natural coldness, she was clearly unwell, but the other woman’s reaction was truly unexpected.

Gu had thought that being caught out would lead to panic, hiding, or excuses, but she never expected this level of composure. Furthermore, the stranger seemed completely indifferent to her celebrity status.

Gu Ruolan cleared her throat and looked at Meng Qiuran. “What were you doing just now?”

Meng Qiuran curled her lips playfully. “Using the restroom. Playing on my phone.”

“I want to see your phone.”

What kind of request was that? Even a boss wouldn’t have that right. Are female celebrities really that big of a deal?

Meng Qiuran tilted her head. “Do you think that’s possible?”

Gu Ruolan’s face grew colder, the sweat on her forehead increased, and her ears began to feel warm.

She frowned. She couldn’t waste any more time here.

“If you took a photo of anything just now, I hope you will delete it. Otherwise…”

This time, Meng Qiuran fully understood. Oh, she’s worried I filmed her dry-heaving. Did she really think just because she was a star, the whole world revolved around her?

Meng Qiuran put her hands in her pockets and shook her head. “I didn’t film anything. I didn’t even know the person in the next stall was you. Even for the sink, I got here first.”

Gu Ruolan seemed to be seriously weighing the truth of these words, but she didn’t immediately step aside to let her pass.

Meng Qiuran recalled the rumors about Gu Ruolan’s bad temper; they seemed to be checking out.

The slight favorable impression created by her beauty was being eroded by this confrontation. Meng Qiuran felt her usual disappointment with the entertainment industry returning.

So what if she had a beautiful face? She was just another arrogant person using her status to be self-important.

Still, she proactively pointed out other evidence, gesturing to her uniform and name tag. “I’m an employee of this bar.” She then lightly tapped the door frame. “This is the staff restroom. You’re the one who wandered into the wrong place, not me intentionally peeking at you.”

After she said this, she noticed Gu Ruolan’s stubbornness falter.

Meng Qiuran pursed her lips, not intending to stick around. Just as her hand touched the door handle, she heard footsteps behind her. She thought Gu Ruolan was chasing her, but instead, the woman had ducked back into the stall.

The sound of dry-heaving returned, louder than before, sounding extremely painful.

Meng Qiuran hesitated for a moment, let go of the handle, and turned back.

Standing near the sink without approaching the stall, she asked, “How are you doing?”

Gu Ruolan didn’t make a sound, but the dry-heaving stopped, followed by the sound of a flushing toilet.

Then, Gu Ruolan emerged, looking even worse than before.

She looks quite weak.

Initially, Meng Qiuran thought she was drunk, but the scent of alcohol on Gu Ruolan was very faint—hardly noticeable if one didn’t sniff closely.

Moreover, her face was alternating between red and pale, and she looked like she was desperately suppressing something. It wasn’t the state of a drunk person at all.

Setting aside the misunderstanding for a moment, Meng Qiuran asked with concern, “Are you okay?”

Gu Ruolan waved her hand and said in a low voice, “I’m fine.”

Looking at her back as she washed her face, two words popped into Meng Qiuran’s mind: Putting on a front.

Just as she stepped out, she saw David walking toward them. Instinctively, Meng Qiuran turned back, gripped the handle, and stood there like a sentinel.

David looked worried. Meng Qiuran’s mind raced—what reason could she give to make him use the guest restroom nearby?

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Meng Qiuran blinked, realizing David’s urgency was about finding her, not needing the toilet.

But she still didn’t move, blocking the doorway.

“Is the boss throwing a fit?”

David shook his head. “A few reporters suddenly showed up outside, acting like they’re waiting for someone. The boss asked if any ‘special guests’ had come by. I haven’t seen anyone, so I wanted to ask if you had.”

A special guest?

Meng Qiuran immediately thought of the person behind the door.

The Silver Glow Movie Queen, flushed and emerging from a bar restroom, hair disheveled, clothes messy… Meng Qiuran had already written the headlines for the paparazzi in her head.

She shook her head. “Haven’t seen anyone.”

David didn’t doubt her. “Then I’ll go help out front. Hurry up.”

By “help out front,” he meant helping the boss drive the reporters away.

Meng Qiuran felt the person inside about to come out. Without a second thought, she turned around, opened the door, and pushed her back inside.

Gu Ruolan rarely had such close physical contact with anyone outside of filming. The moment the door was suddenly forced open, she nearly crashed into the woman. She could feel the other’s breath on her forehead; the physical sensation was sharp.

She instinctively retreated several steps. The flush on her face was either from before or something new, but the look of indignation was unmistakable.

“What are you doing?” Her tone was thick with defensiveness, this time tinged with reproach.

Meng Qiuran suppressed her annoyance and told her: “My colleague just said there are reporters outside. They’re probably waiting for you.”

Gu Ruolan’s face darkened. She still hadn’t managed to shake those people off.

Seeing her reaction, Meng Qiuran didn’t need to ask anything else.

Gu Ruolan looked at her, considered for a moment, and took out her phone to make a call.

“Xiao Yan, I’ve run into some trouble. A few reporters have been following me since the Lindo. Now they’re guarding…” She looked at the uniform Meng Qiuran was wearing. “…guarding the outside of Lasac Bar. I can’t get away.”

After a few more words, Gu Ruolan hung up. She crossed her arms and retreated further into the room. It seemed she wasn’t planning on leaving now.

Meng Qiuran could have left, but thinking of David’s rushed appearance earlier—what if someone else came in?

Perhaps it was the sudden sympathy from seeing how weak she looked, or perhaps it was a distaste for reporters manufacturing hype out of thin air, but she found she didn’t want Gu Ruolan to be photographed.

“Hey, when will your friend arrive?”

Gu Ruolan turned her head to look at her but didn’t answer.

“If it’s going to be a long time, I’m afraid you won’t be able to wait it out,” Meng Qiuran reminded her again. “This is a staff restroom, a public space. Someone could walk in at any moment.”

Gu Ruolan bit her lip, clearly struggling to control her physical discomfort. At first, she thought she had eaten something she was allergic to, but the longer it went on, the stranger the symptoms became. She was starting to feel a different kind of impulse.

She wasn’t naive. She had heard of the sordid affairs in the industry. She tried her best to maintain a distance, but she couldn’t stop such things from existing.

Tonight’s victory banquet was grand and bustling, and she was the center of attention. But she had left early near the end, letting Yu Youqing and Xiao Yan cover for her, so she could rush out to see Jiang Sinian one last time.

She was in a hurry because Jiang Sinian said they were leaving Berlin at midnight tonight.

Xiao Yan had to rush over from the banquet and deal with the reporters outside; it wouldn’t be done in a few minutes. Not only would she miss Jiang Sinian, but she might also lose her composure.

Gu Ruolan struggled internally. If she stayed here, she would become increasingly vulnerable. If the person in front of her tried anything, she might not even have the strength to resist. But if she went out now, she would almost certainly run into those reporters.

She recognized those people—some of the most unscrupulous entertainment media outlets back home.

They specialized in selling celebrity scandals. They would use photos to bargain with stars, take a payout, and then frequently break their word by selling the photos to other outlets while claiming they weren’t the source of the leak.

Meng Qiuran observed her privately and noticed something was wrong; a sense of desolation had appeared on Gu Ruolan’s face.

This… isn’t necessary.

Weren’t stars and paparazzi supposed to be old acquaintances and rivals?

“If you don’t want to be photographed, I can take you out.”

Gu Ruolan was startled, as if she had never considered the stranger would say such a thing.

Seeing her look of disbelief, Meng Qiuran didn’t get angry; instead, she found it a bit amusing.

She thought these stars were actually quite pitiful—trapped in a tiny restroom, caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to trust anyone, yet forced to keep up appearances.

“I can take you out through the back door. If you go through the back alley and circle around two blocks, you can get to the Lindo Hotel.”

Gu Ruolan believed the route she described, but she didn’t want to go back to the Lindo.

“How far is it to the Senli from here?”

The Senli was where she was staying. She had to get back as soon as possible to avoid any further accidents.

“It’s one extra block away.”

Gu Ruolan raised her eyes to look at the other’s face, then stared at her name tag for a moment. It only had three letters: QIU.

“What is your name?”

Seeing her defensiveness finally ease slightly, Meng Qiuran said casually, “Everyone calls me A-Qiu. Like the sound of a sneeze.”

Gu Ruolan was stunned for a moment, then actually wanted to laugh, but her physical discomfort prevented her from thinking too much.

As if seeing through her doubts, Meng Qiuran said, “You can take a photo of my name tag and send it to your assistant or manager. Just don’t take a photo of my face—I have portrait rights too.”

Gu Ruolan hesitantly raised her hand and indeed only photographed the tag.

Xiao Yan replied that she had received it and was on her way.

“Put your sunglasses on and you’d better change your hairstyle,” Meng Qiuran had already taken off her uniform vest and handed it over. “Then put this on.”

Gu Ruolan casually tied up her long hair. It was only then that Meng Qiuran saw that her neck was also bright red.

Clad in the bartender’s uniform, Gu Ruolan was led out of the staff restroom by Meng Qiuran.

Meng Qiuran was half a head taller than Gu Ruolan. Coupled with the fact that she was intentionally shielding her and taking the staff passage, they didn’t attract much attention.

Exiting through the back door, the alley was a bit dirty and smelled of rotting trash. The ground wasn’t as smooth or clean as the front entrance.

Gu Ruolan was in no state to care about these things. Her legs were beginning to feel weak, her whole body was burning, and the feeling of discomfort was more pronounced than before.

Wearing a white shirt and a small waistcoat, Meng Qiuran held her with one arm.

“Hang in there.”

Gu Ruolan bit her lip. “I’m fine.”

Still putting on a front even now. Meng Qiuran shook her head to herself and increased the strength of her grip to make it easier for Gu Ruolan to walk.

She knew this area well, and since it was night, no one noticed them.

Arriving at the Senli, Yu Youqing was already waiting. With arrangements made in advance, Meng Qiuran and Gu Ruolan entered the elevator without any hindrance.

Yu Youqing took Gu Ruolan from her, though she was still wearing the bartender vest. It wouldn’t be completely safe until they were back in the room.

Meng Qiuran had planned to leave at the entrance, but Yu Youqing pulled her along, insisting she come up.

Unsure what Yu Youqing wanted, Meng Qiuran actually just wanted her vest back—it was her work uniform, after all.

Back in the room, Gu Ruolan was already somewhat dazed, but she managed to maintain her reason. She looked at Meng Qiuran and whispered a few words to Yu Youqing.

“Alright, alright, I’ll handle it. Don’t worry. Let Dr. Lin check you over first; leave the rest to me.”

Yu Youqing emerged from the bedroom. Meng Qiuran was sitting on the sofa, looking quite relaxed.

“Thank you for your help.” Yu Youqing handed the vest back to her but kept studying her.

Meng Qiuran took the clothes and stood up. “Since everything is fine now, I’ll head out.”

“Wait a moment.”

Meng Qiuran turned back. Yu Youqing walked over. “Name your price.”

Meng Qiuran raised an eyebrow, and Yu Youqing’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Hush money?”

There was a look of approval in Yu Youqing’s eyes, but what she said was: “It’s a reward.”