Meng Qiuran was quick to react, instantly switching to an expression of sincere apology: “I’m truly sorry. I had no idea the quality of this zipper was so poor.”
She reached out, opening her palm to let Gu Ruolan see the torn-off zipper clearly, proving she wasn’t exaggerating.
Gu Ruolan took both the garment and the zipper, giving them a close look. “Thank you for the quality check. It was very timely.”
With that, she handed the items to Xiao Yan, intending for her to return them.
Xiang Jing urged, “Xiao Yan, hurry and find another set.”
Gu Ruolan frowned slightly, but Meng Qiuran took the initiative to speak up: “I don’t think much of the clothing quality today. First the pattern is wrong, then the quality is defective.”
Xiang Jing apologized, “My apologies. It might be an oversight by the staff.”
“If she actually went on stage, wouldn’t someone else have to bear the consequences of their oversight?”
As Meng Qiuran said this, she stole a glance at the silent Gu Ruolan, her tone carrying a hint of standing up for her.
Xiang Jing was in the wrong, but the priority now was to find suitable clothing. “Ruolan, I will investigate this thoroughly and give you an explanation.” She urged Xiao Yan again: “Hurry and get a new one.”
Gu Ruolan was also worried about the costumes provided by the program team. One error could be called an accident, but having problems twice in a row made it hard to guarantee the next one would be fine. If she hadn’t checked for issues herself… the consequences would be troublesome.
But since Xiang Jing had said so, it seemed inappropriate for her to insist on wearing her own clothes.
Amidst her hesitation, Meng Qiuran’s voice rang out again: “Why not just let Miss Gu use her own clothes? It’s an improvisation anyway; wearing her own clothes would be comfortable.”
Except for Gu Ruolan, everyone else present was stunned. Wearing her own clothes? Wouldn’t she look completely out of place with the others on stage? Especially since Gu Ruolan’s usual style was essentially an “off-duty” look.
Xiang Jing looked conflicted: “I’m not intentionally opposing the idea, but I’m afraid that might not be suitable. Today is the grand finale. The performance segment is meant to be the icing on the cake; while it doesn’t need to be too forced, it shouldn’t be too casual either.”
Meng Qiuran turned to look at Gu Ruolan and saw that she seemed to agree with Xiang Jing’s point, though she hadn’t explicitly stated her stance. This wasn’t quite Gu Ruolan’s usual style; although she was a bit cold, she rarely beat around the bush and preferred to be clear. Her delay in speaking likely indicated an internal conflict.
Meng Qiuran didn’t have time to analyze exactly what Gu Ruolan was conflicted about, but one thing was certain: Gu didn’t want to wear the clothes Penguin TV prepared anymore. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited this long without stating a position.
“How about this: we go out and buy a set immediately. Surely that works?”
This time, even Gu Ruolan looked at her.
“We might not be able to get haute couture on short notice, but this season’s new arrivals from the top brands will surely be fine.”
Meng Qiuran generously provided the business cards of her regular image consultant and several store managers from top-tier luxury brands. “I know you surely have your own channels, but take these as backups.”
Next, she turned to Yuan Yi: “You go along with them. If anything comes up, just use my name.” She then said to Xiang Jing: “You arrange for a staff member from the station to go too; they’ll understand the requirements better when selecting a style.”
Finally, she looked at Gu Ruolan: “You can choose via video call. Is that okay?”
It was a decent solution. The only problem was that it might take some time.
“It’s possible, but I’m afraid we won’t make it in time.”
“Don’t worry. It’s fine if it’s a bit late.”
The moment Meng Qiuran said that, Xiang Jing’s expression changed. Who says it’s fine? But since the financial backer had spoken, she didn’t dare refute her.
“It’s the final episode. Quality and safety are the most important. Besides, it was the program team’s oversight that indirectly caused this issue. Surely you can’t be blamed for it?”
The words were directed at Gu Ruolan, but the corner of Meng Qiuran’s eye was clearly fixed on Xiang Jing.
“Miss Meng is right. It really is our problem.” Xiang Jing didn’t hesitate further and called Xiao Mi to come over.
Xiao Yan, Yuan Yi, and Xiao Mi rushed from Penguin TV straight to Xinghang Avenue—a place crowded with luxury brands and a frequent shopping destination for celebrities.
Gu Ruolan mentioned a few brands, and they headed to those stores first. Even through a video call, Gu Ruolan’s aesthetic sense hadn’t faltered; after a quick scan, she soon selected an outfit.
Meng Qiuran whispered from the side: “Pick two more sets.”
Gu Ruolan turned to look at her, and Meng Qiuran gave a helpless smile. “Since they’re already there, just in case.”
Although off-the-rack items from a store weren’t as prestigious as special editions, when combined with accessories and Gu Ruolan’s own temperament, the look still possessed a unique flavor that was no less impressive than so-called “custom” pieces.
Recording was delayed by half an hour, but because Meng Qiuran was resolute, Xiang Jing had no choice but to coordinate.
As Meng Qiuran left the dressing room, she gave Xiao Yan a meaningful look. Whether it was nerves or a guilty conscience, she thought she saw Xiao Yan’s shoulders tremble.
Returning to her seat, she asked Yuan Yi: “What was Xiao Yan’s reaction when you were picking out the clothes?”
“She didn’t have much of a reaction. She just followed along silently and rarely offered an opinion.”
Meng Qiuran looked at her: “She wasn’t proactive at all?”
Yuan Yi recalled for a moment: “I can’t describe the specific feeling, but I got the sense she wasn’t very happy.”
Meng Qiuran nodded and asked no further.
Gu Ruolan’s improvisation today was a segment of traditional opera. Meng Qiuran hadn’t expected her to know how to do that. It didn’t look like something she’d learned at the last minute; it was quite polished.
“She learned many artistic skills when she was young. She has the fundamentals for opera and dance.”
Meng Qiuran didn’t doubt Yuan Yi’s words at all; she was just curious why someone as multi-talented as Gu Ruolan was always so low-key.
Sure enough, once the performance segment ended and the mentors demonstrated their various specialties, the applause was nearly constant. Yet no one could deny that Gu Ruolan had once again managed to stun the entire room.
The applause didn’t die down for a long time. The cameras panned over the audience repeatedly, trying to capture as many genuine emotional reactions as possible.
On stage, Gu Ruolan finished her journey with this variety show. Below the stage, Meng Qiuran could finally breathe a sigh of true relief.
Another crisis averted.
She slumped into the back of her chair, feeling a bit dazed. It was like the sudden release of a breath held during a long-distance sprint—a mixture of bewilderment and exhaustion.
Because the lighting positions had been adjusted today, it really was inconvenient for Gu Ruolan to look at the audience, but if she truly wanted to, she could have.
After the recording ended, the mentors didn’t rush to leave. Everyone was exchanging farewells, and some students came onto the stage to take photos with them.
The production team had organized a dinner for tonight; one had to admit Penguin TV was being thoughtful. After taking photos with the students, Gu Ruolan hesitated and glanced toward the audience.
To her surprise, Meng Qiuran’s seat was already empty.
“Teacher Gu, can I take a photo with you?” Yuan Yi’s voice came from behind. Gu Ruolan retracted her gaze and saw the girl with her flushed face. She habitually looked toward Yuan Yi’s side but didn’t see Meng Qiuran’s figure there either.
“Of course.” Gu Ruolan smiled and signaled for her to come closer.
Yuan Yi had brought a selfie stick this time and was much calmer than before: “This shot will definitely look much better.”
Gu Ruolan simply smiled, waiting patiently for her to adjust the angle. After the photo, Yuan Yi thanked her politely and prepared to say goodbye.
Gu Ruolan thought for a moment and proactively called her back: “Yuan Yi, thank you for helping me buy clothes today. When are you free? I’ll treat you to dinner.”
Yuan Yi was overwhelmed with flattery. Being able to help Gu Ruolan had made her happy enough; she had never dared to dream that her idol would proactively offer to take her to dinner. “I… I was happy to do it… you’re welcome.”
Yet in her heart, she desperately wanted to go to that dinner; it was a rare opportunity that might never come again.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Gu Ruolan offered another sincere invitation: “Just give me a chance to thank you for your years of support.”
With an idol saying that, anyone who refused would be a fake fan.
“Thank you, Teacher Gu!” Yuan Yi wished she could bow a few more times on the spot. “I’m free anytime—oh, except during work hours.”
Gu Ruolan’s smile faded slightly as she looked around: “Why didn’t I see your boss?”
“She said she had something to handle and left early.”
Meng Qiuran had taken a call a moment ago and then left in a hurry. She hadn’t said where she was going, only told Yuan Yi to go home on her own. That meant she was leaving Penguin TV and wouldn’t be returning.
Gu Ruolan gave a slight nod.
The dinner for tonight originally had a scheduled break, but because of the wardrobe incident, the recording had run overtime. Consequently, everyone went straight to the venue after removing their makeup.
Gu Ruolan sat in the nanny van, looking out the window as usual, lost in thought. It was the peak of rush hour, so the traffic was congested and progress was stuttering. Normally, this kind of stop-and-go rhythm would make anyone irritable, but Gu Ruolan was entirely unaffected.
Her mind was indeed a bit restless, but not because of the traffic.
After some deliberation, she finally picked up her phone, found “Bai Qiu’s” name, and sent a message.
Gu Ruolan: [Thank you for helping me solve the clothing issue.]
After typing it, she felt it sounded a bit stiff and hesitated to send it. But that was exactly what she wanted to express, and no other flowery words seemed appropriate. After a thought, she added a smiling face emoji at the end.
As she pressed send, she felt as if some pressure had been lifted.
When Meng Qiuran received this thank-you message, she was currently speaking with a few hoodlums. She read the message, her eyes landing finally on that smiling emoji.
It looked so peaceful that she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Associating it with Gu Ruolan made it quite amusing. She replied quickly, then flipped her phone face-down on the table and continued her business.
Gu Ruolan thought she would be busy, but the reply came back quickly.
Bai Qiu: [It was nothing. As long as you don’t mind that I used too much force and tore the clothes.]
She also attached an emoji—a grimacing-laugh face.
Gu Ruolan curled her lips and locked the screen. A moment later, another message came from Meng Qiuran.
Bai Qiu: [Are you free lately? Let’s grab a coffee.]
Gu Ruolan remembered the previous incident, and the curve of her lips diminished.
Gu Ruolan: [Can’t do coffee. My stomach has been uncomfortable lately.]
She refused again, but this time she gave an explanation.
So her stomach hurts. Meng Qiuran didn’t push. She replied saying they’d schedule for another time and told her to drink plenty of hot water.
The atmosphere at the dinner was good, and Gu Ruolan stayed for quite a while before leaving. Xiang Jing saw her out and asked with feigned casualness: “Is your next movie finalized?”
“Yes, it’s basically settled.”
“No wonder your fundamentals were so back in form today; it turns out you were preparing in advance.”
The second lead in Xinghe’s movie had an opera background, which Gu Ruolan happened to have practiced as a child. Even before the contract was officially signed, she had started practicing on her own.
Gu Ruolan gave a small smile. Whether the contract for this movie would be signed smoothly still depended on President Xin’s final attitude.
But there was no need to tell Xiang Jing that; she didn’t want her conflict with the company to become common knowledge.
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