Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Chapter 205 Which of you has a problem?

In the evening, after a day of filming.

Li Ran stood at the hotel entrance, watching the two girls walk away hand in hand—Yitian Xiwei leaned her head on Li Yitong's shoulder, while Li Yitong turned her head slightly, seemingly saying something. The two walked very slowly.

The streetlights cast long shadows of them, which overlapped on the concrete ground, making it impossible to tell whose shadow belonged to whose.

Li Ran sighed softly.

His goal of gathering enough people to play Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game) seems like a long and arduous journey.

Back in my room, I swiped my card to enter and took a shower first.

He dried his hair as he came out, lay down on the bed, and picked up his phone.

The screen lit up, and he opened Lu Yuxiao's WeChat chat window.

There were several messages, sent intermittently, from the afternoon until the evening.

"Are you tired from filming today?"

"We have a new actor joining our crew today. His acting is terrible. We had to film one scene more than ten times."

"Have you had dinner yet? I ate a boxed lunch, it wasn't good."

"Li Ran, where are you?"

"You didn't sneak some food again, did you?"

"Stinky Li Ran."

The last one was posted 20 minutes ago. It only contained one emoji: a kitten crouching in a corner, with the caption "Fine, ignore me then."

Li Ran looked at the kitten and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Although there's no way to play Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game), at least I can still entertain Lulu Xiao at night.

He made a video call directly.

It rang twice, and then the other end answered.

Lu Yuxiao's face appeared on the screen, the lighting was dim, as if only a bedside lamp was on.

She looked at the camera, her lips slightly pouting, with a hint of dissatisfaction and a touch of grievance that seemed to say, "You finally remembered me."

"Why did it take you so long to reply?" Her voice was soft and sweet, like a complaint or a coquettish plea.

Li Ran leaned back on the pillow, held her phone up to her eyes, and smiled.

"I just finished showering and haven't checked my phone yet."

Lu Yuxiao snorted, "Fine, I forgive you then."

She started chattering away, talking about what happened on set that day, about the new actor with terrible acting skills, and how the vegetables in her lunchbox were too tough to chew.

She had a lot of expressions when she spoke; sometimes she frowned, sometimes she pouted, and sometimes she laughed to herself. Li Ran listened, occasionally humming in agreement and sometimes smiling.

He didn't interrupt or say anything; he just listened quietly, as if listening to a soothing lullaby.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Li Ran's eyelids began to feel heavy, and the light from the phone screen blurred in his vision. He closed his eyes, and he could still vaguely hear her saying, "And then, and then the actor said—"

The rest of the conversation was unclear.

Lu Yuxiao spoke for a while, then suddenly realized that there was no movement from the other side.

She stopped, picked up her phone and glanced at it—Li Ran was asleep.

He lay on his side, still holding his phone in his hand, the light from the screen reflecting on his face, illuminating his peaceful sleeping expression.

Lu Yuxiao stopped talking and just quietly looked at him on the screen, at his eyelashes, at the bridge of his nose, and at his slightly moving lips.

She rested her phone against the pillow, lying on her side facing the screen.

Looking at his face, she suddenly felt a mix of wanting to laugh and wanting to cry.

She couldn't explain why, she just felt like something was stuck in her chest—

In the middle of the night, Li Ran was awakened by the urge to urinate.

He opened his eyes. His phone was still lit up, and on the screen was Lu Yuxiao's face—she was asleep, her mouth slightly open, her lips a little dry, and her breathing soft.

Li Ran looked at her sleeping face and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

He didn't expect Lu Yuxiao to sleep with her mouth open, which is not a good habit.

He chuckled softly, tapped the screen, and ended the video call.

The next night, the night breeze was already cool, and moonlight leaked in through the gaps, falling in a thin line onto the carpet like a silvery river.

The light in Tian Xiwei's room was on.

Li Ran leaned back on the single sofa, relaxed, his gaze fixed on the person opposite him.

Tian Xiwei and Li Yitong snuggled together on the main sofa, very close to each other, sharing a thin blanket, their knees touching, their hair loose and hanging over each other's shoulders, like two cats huddled together for warmth.

There were half-eaten fruit and two cups of milk tea on the coffee table. The TV was on, but the volume was very low, and the picture was flickering. Nobody was watching it.

Li Ran looked at them and sighed. He felt a sense of helplessness, wondering if he was superfluous.

Tian Xiwei turned her head and glanced at him, a hint of doubt in her eyes. "Why are you sighing?"

He sat up straight, changed his posture, and slowly said, "Tomorrow, Xiao Hu and Coconut will come to visit the set."

Tian Xiwei paused for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly, a hint of wariness in her large eyes.

"What are those two doing here?"

What good things could come from their visit to the set?

"Visiting the set, what else could I be doing?" Li Ran shrugged, looking innocent.

He paused, then added, "Oh, by the way, tomorrow is Xiao Hu's birthday."

Tian Xiwei pouted and complained, "Your scandals are still flying all over the internet, and you still come to visit the set? Isn't that just making things worse?"

Li Yitong listened from the side, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

She picked up her milk tea, took a sip, put it down, and slowly said, "Don't you and Li Ran have rumors going on? You're even filming a movie together, what are you afraid of?"

Tian Xiwei pouted unhappily, turned to look at Li Yitong, her big eyes filled with a hint of grievance, and said reproachfully, "Sister Tong—shouldn't you speak up for me?"

Li Ran quickly replied, "Sister Tong is just telling the truth."

Tian Xiwei snorted coldly, "Shut up and go back to your room."

Li Ran smiled helplessly and glanced down at the time on his phone—it was 10:30 p.m.

He slowly stood up. "I'll go back then."

As he spoke, he winked at Li Yitong without making a sound.

Tian Xiwei winked at him, then glared at him. "What are you trying to achieve? It's useless anyway, so hurry up and leave."

Li Ran turned and walked towards the door, but after taking two steps, he looked back again.

Li Yitong nodded slightly, the gesture was very small.

He looked away, opened the door, and went out.

The room was quiet for a while after he left.

Li Yitong leaned back on the sofa, turned her head to look at Tian Xiwei, her crescent-shaped eyes curving with a hint of mischief and curiosity.

"How does Li Ran manage to maintain such a harmonious relationship with you?" she asked casually, as if discussing some gossip.

Tian Xiwei sighed, a sigh even heavier than Li Ran's earlier one, carrying a sense of helplessness that said, "You don't understand."

"What harmony? We just argue whenever we meet." She paused, then suddenly looked up at Li Yitong, her big eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and wariness.

"Sister Tong, how did you know? I didn't tell you, did I?"

Li Yitong smiled, a smile that appeared exceptionally gentle under the lights.

She stretched out her hand and started counting on her fingers, her movements slow and deliberate.

"I'm just guessing. Don't say anything yet, let me guess who they are." She paused, her gaze lingering on Tian Xiwei's face for a moment.

"You, Hu Lianxin and Zhou Ye who are visiting the set tomorrow are definitely there too. Those who have been rumored to be dating Li Ran are probably—Zhang Jingyi, Zhang Ruonan, Liu Haocun, and Wang Churan."

After she finished counting, she looked up at Tian Xiwei and asked, "Am I right?"

Tian Xiwei opened her mouth slightly, her eyes wide open, like a little penguin stunned by a sudden question.

She paused for several seconds, stunned. "No, Sister Tong, I can understand if you can guess who the others are, after all, they've all had rumors with Li Ran, or have been paired with other celebrities. But Wang Churan—how did you guess?"

Li Yitong smiled, her crescent-shaped eyes curving into a beautiful arc.

Of course, she wouldn't say that it was Lu Yuxiao, that simpleton, who told her that.

"Just a guess. It's that simple. Put Li Ran's scumbag status into it. I don't believe Li Ran would be unmoved by a beauty like Wang Churan." She said it confidently, as if she were analyzing a logic problem.

Tian Xiwei smiled, a hint of helplessness in her smile. "Sister Tong, you're so smart. No netizens have spread any rumors about the two of them."

Li Yitong leaned back on the sofa, her hands behind her head, in a languid posture.

"Lu Yuxiao likes him too." She paused, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, her crescent-shaped eyes filled with a hint of envy and a touch of teasing. "Li Ran's life is truly enviable."

Tian Xiwei's expression turned suspicious.

She looked at Li Yitong and said, "Why would you, a girl, envy him?"

Li Yitong smiled and pulled her into her arms in a swift motion, as fast as the wind.

Tian Xiwei was startled and her body stiffened for a moment, but she did not break free.

Li Yitong's hair brushed against her face, making her a little itchy. The scent of shampoo wafted into her nostrils—a sweet, youthful fragrance.

"Because I also like to get close to beautiful women." Li Yitong's voice came down from above her head, with a hint of laughter, a hint of mischief, and a hint of ambiguous warmth.

Tian Xiwei's face flushed slightly, the blush starting from her cheeks and slowly spreading to her ears.

"Sister Tong, you're joking, aren't you?" Her voice lowered, and the last syllable sounded a little weak.

She remembered what Li Ran had said before—Li Yitong might be a lesbian.

She didn't believe it at first, but now she's starting to believe it a little.

But strangely enough, she didn't feel that much resistance.

The thought startled even herself.

Li Yitong released her, smiling and shaking her head. "I'm not kidding. I do like being close to pretty girls, but I still prefer guys."

Tian Xiwei breathed a sigh of relief, a very deep sigh, as if she had just escaped death.

"Sister Tong, you startled me. I thought you liked grinding." After she finished speaking, she found her own words a little funny and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

Li Yitong was amused by her and laughed out loud. The laughter was not loud. "I don't have that kind of fetish. I just like to hug and kiss beautiful women. It feels very comfortable, and I'm not afraid of rumors."

She paused, stood up, and straightened her disheveled clothes. "Alright, I'm going back now."

Tian Xiwei grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

"Why go back? Li Ran is gone. We'll sleep together tonight."

Li Yitong tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "Okay."

It looks like Li Ran will be sleeping alone again tonight.

Li Ran returned to her room, took a shower, and then lay on the bed, wondering why Li Yitong hadn't come yet.

I was just about to send her a message to ask when Li Yitong sent me a message.

"Xiaotian asked me to sleep with her, you can sleep by yourself."

Li Ran stared at the line of text, dumbfounded.

He blinked, looked at it again, and made sure he wasn't mistaken.

He typed, his fingers tapping the screen rather heavily, as if he were venting something.

"No, which of you two is the lesbian?"

The message was sent, and the other party replied quickly.

"Who knows? Get some rest, goodnight, you scumbag brother."

It also included an emoji of a kitten lying on a pillow with its eyes closed, captioned "Goodnight".

Li Ran stared at the kitten in silence for a long while.

Which of these two is the problem?

He had already had intimate contact with Li Yitong and had entered her body.

Li Yitong's behavior doesn't seem like she's gay!

Is it a one-size-fits-all approach?

Xiaotian understood this even better, and it was even less likely. Had he been changed?

The following morning, sunlight streamed through the eaves of the antique-style buildings in Hengdian, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A scene was being filmed on set. Li Ran and Tian Xiwei stood in front of the camera, one cool and aloof, the other sweet and charming; they looked quite well-matched.

Li Yitong sat under the sunshade in the rest area, looking down at her phone, occasionally glancing up at the direction the camera was shooting.

When Zhou Ye and Hu Lianxin walked in, they saw her immediately.

The two paused for a moment, then looked at each other—Li Yitong, whom they certainly knew.

People in the industry, even if they haven't worked with each other, have at least heard of each other.

I never expected to see her on the set of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

"Sister Tong." The two approached and greeted each other with smiles, their attitude polite yet slightly tentative.

Li Yitong looked up, saw them, stood up, her crescent-shaped eyes curved in a smile, like a lazy cat curious about everything.

Hello everyone!

"Hello, Teacher Li." Hu Lianxin and Zhou Ye responded with smiles, their address formal but their tone natural.

Li Yitong's gaze fell on Hu Lianxin's face, paused for a moment, and then she smiled.

"Xiao Hu, happy birthday today!"

Hu Lianxin was stunned for a moment; she hadn't expected Li Yitong to know her birthday.

She blinked, glanced subconsciously at Zhou Ye beside her, and then smiled and thanked him, "Thank you, Sister Tong."

She paused, then asked, "How did Sister Tong know my birthday?"

"Oh, Li Ran mentioned it yesterday," Li Yitong said casually.

Her gaze fell on the direction of the film set, where Li Ran was rehearsing his position. He was wearing a black robe, his hair was tied up in a high bun, and his brows and eyes were cold and stern, giving him quite the aura of the Moon Lord.

Zhou Ye frowned slightly.

She knew Li Ran's character too well—he wouldn't mention another woman's birthday to a woman he wasn't very familiar with for no reason.

Unless, the woman is no longer "very familiar" with him.

She looked at Li Yitong with a scrutinizing and wary gaze.

"Sister Tong, are you very familiar with Li Ran?" She asked casually, but her eyes were constantly observing Li Yitong's expression.

Li Yitong noticed Zhou Ye's wariness.

She didn't panic, nor did she try to explain; she simply smiled, her tone remaining relaxed. "It's alright."

She paused, as if remembering something, and added, "I also know you're all his girlfriends."

Upon hearing this, Hu Lianxin and Zhou Ye exchanged a glance.

There was surprise, wariness, and a hint of knowing "I knew it" in his eyes.

The way they looked at Li Yitong changed. It was no longer the polite and courteous distance they had maintained before, but a more direct and ruthless scrutiny—could this be another Meng Ziyi?

"Huh? How did you know?" Hu Lianxin asked.

Li Yitong smiled, her crescent-shaped eyes curving into a beautiful arc.

She didn't keep them in suspense and gave the answer directly: "Lu Yuxiao said so; she's in another film crew."

Hearing Lu Yuxiao's name, Zhou Ye's brows still furrowed.

It wasn't that she didn't believe it, but she felt that things weren't that simple.

Lu Yuxiao, that little fool, could indeed be tricked into revealing information, but the question is—why would Li Yitong want to know these things?

She looked at Li Yitong and said directly, "Sister Tong and Li Ran—"

"There's nothing between us, don't overthink it." Li Yitong shook her head, interrupting her, her tone firm, as if she were clarifying a trivial matter.

I only slept with him once.

She silently added a sentence in her mind, but didn't show it on her face.

She didn't want to worsen her relationship with Li Ran's girlfriends—she was still hoping to get closer to them.

These girls are all her type.

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