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

Chapter 231 The Ship That Was Hit

"Tian Xiwei is already preparing for pregnancy, and you, her official girlfriend, aren't you planning on anything?"

Wang Churan looked at Zhou Ye and asked with a gossipy expression.

Zhou Ye chuckled twice upon hearing this.

"Now you know I'm your official girlfriend?" Her tone was teasing.

She paused, shook her head, and her expression became serious.

"I haven't planned on it, I haven't thought about it."

As she spoke, she hugged the cushion to her chest and rested her chin on it.

"I'm still a child."

Wang Churan looked at her and clicked his tongue twice.

A child older than myself —

Despite having the upper hand in every aspect, Tian Xiwei and Liu Haocun managed to get ahead.

She even had her home stolen by her best friend.

It's beyond saving.

However, Zhou Ye is indeed like a child, not naive, but rather he hasn't been corrupted by those messy thoughts.

He would only act like a child when he was with Li Ran.

Wang Churan smiled faintly, placed his hand on his lower abdomen, and gently rubbed it twice. The movement was very light, as if he was confirming something, or as if he was anticipating something.

She successfully snatched the prize last night, although she was a step behind Liu Haocun.

But if she really does get pregnant, I wonder what Tian Xiwei's expression will be then —

"Since you have no plans, I'm about to take action."

Zhou Ye chuckled and didn't say anything more.

After Wang Churan learned that Liu Haocun was pregnant, unsurprisingly, the news eventually reached Zhang Jingyi's ears.

But Zhang Jingyi didn't question Li Ran about anything; she calmly accepted the fact.

In fact, she and Liu Haocun had long planned to have a child with Li Ran first, as this was the only way to stop Tian Xiwei's advances.

Unfortunately, despite her efforts, nothing came of it, and Liu Haocun became pregnant instead.

-

But the result is still the same; at least now, Tian Xiwei's status in Li's mother's heart has clearly declined.

Zhang Ruonan also made a video call to Li Ran, but her reaction was different from Zhang Jingyi's.

She didn't remain silent or evade the question; instead, she asked him directly, "What are you planning to do?"

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, looking at her.

Her expression was calm, without anger, resentment, or even disappointment. She simply looked at him intently, as if waiting for an answer she would take seriously.

Compared to others, her position was extremely awkward, and all things considered, the two had only been dating for six months.

All she wanted to know was what place she held in Li Ran's heart.

Li Ran naturally knew what she was worried about.

"What? What should I do? She's the only girl I've ever pursued. What do you suggest I do?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruonan immediately understood Li Ran's intentions: he was still himself.

Her annoying younger brother who likes to contradict her —

She nodded, didn't ask any further questions, just hummed in agreement, and then, as if remembering something, added, "Is it time to start promoting 'Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World'?"

Li Ran nodded: "It depends on the production team's arrangements. It's already been confirmed that there will be several variety shows."

Zhang Ruonan nodded. "Okay, we'll talk when we meet."

She then hung up the phone.

Looking at the darkened screen, Li Ran suddenly felt that Zhang Ruonan had changed.

She used to say whatever came to mind, and when she was angry she would call him a jerk, and when she was unhappy she would say something sarcastic to him. But things are different now.

Li Ran had a feeling that she and Zhang Jingyi were brewing something—

Filming for "Glory" in Hengdian has finally come to an end.

The training room scenes, dormitory scenes, and interview room scenes were all filmed; all that was left were the match scenes on the field.

The film crew moved to Shanghai, where they will shoot most of the match scenes at the LPL's Shanghai home stadium, the League Arena.

This is the core of the movie, and also the part that Li Ran was most looking forward to.

After all, that place holds the glory of his past three years.

However, Li Ran did not immediately go to Shanghai with the crew, but instead took a vacation of more than a week.

This is only possible because of Li Ran. If it were anyone else, especially if they were the male lead in the production, they wouldn't have lasted a week, let alone a week.

Even a three-day holiday is impossible.

If the lead actor takes leave, the production crew will lose a day's worth of expenses.

Fortunately, it's still acceptable for "Glory," since it's not filmed around a romance between the male and female leads.

Since it's an e-sports ensemble drama, the production team can schedule Li Ran's scenes later and film the other actors' scenes first.

The film "Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World" is scheduled for release on New Year's Day, and Li Ran needs to cooperate with the promotion.

"The Sword and the Brocade" will also be broadcast in December, and Li Ran needs to promote it.

Of course, these are all minor matters. The reason Li Ran took more than a week off was because, unsurprisingly, an accident occurred.

That night, Wang Churan really got pregnant.

This time, Li Ran didn't tell his mother directly. Instead, he planned to take Wang Churan back to Changsha and also visit Liu Haocun.

Wang Churan was overjoyed after learning she was pregnant. Li Ran drove alone, while she chattered incessantly in the passenger seat.

She never stopped having snacks in her mouth, and she would even feed Li Ran from time to time.

The two chose to drive back to their hometown for two reasons: firstly, for privacy, and secondly, because Li Ran needed to relax and driving would help him calm down.

He was thinking about how to handle this matter, but what was most difficult for him now was how to tell the old man about it.

Not long ago, I brought home a pregnant girl, and now, not long after, there's another one.

Even with Li Ran's thick skin, he was somewhat at a loss for what to do.

When Tian Xiwei learned that Wang Churan was pregnant, she was furious.

Wang Churan was a clever little devil. After learning that she was pregnant, she immediately hid, leaving Wang Churan empty-handed.

He could only bombard Wang Churan with messages on WeChat, but in the end, Li Ran persuaded him to stop.

As for how they persuaded him, that's not important.

Tian Xiwei grew angrier the more she thought about it. Besides being angry at Wang Churan for stealing her away, she was even angrier at herself.

If she hadn't tried to be clever and invited Wang Churan that night, but instead worked hard on her own, she would be the one going back to her hometown with Li Ran now.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs." I made a mistake I shouldn't have made.

The navigation showed that it took more than eight hours to get from Hengdian to Changsha.

Li Kai's pace wasn't slow, but it was very steady.

He's not someone who likes to drive fast. Although he played aggressively when he was a professional player, he was also meticulous in his recklessness.

What's needed on the field is accurate judgment and calm operation, not blind recklessness.

The same applies to driving.

In the passenger seat, Wang Churan was already asleep, with a blanket draped over her lap, her head tilted towards Li Ran, her eyelashes casting faint shadows under her eyelids.

Her breathing was very light; she would occasionally furrow her brow, turn over, and fall into a deep sleep again.

Li Ran glanced at her, then continued to stare at the road ahead.

They set off at eight in the morning and arrived in Changsha at nine in the evening.

Li Ran didn't go straight back to the old house, but instead drove directly to the villa where he had celebrated his mother's birthday.

It's closer to the city center, which makes it easier for him to handle some things.

The main problem is that he wasn't prepared for how to face the old man.

As the car drove into the residential area, the security guard at the gate peeked out and raised the barrier.

Wang Churan was awakened by the sound of brakes. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the unfamiliar night view outside the window.

"Have we arrived?" Her voice was still hoarse from just waking up.

"Okay." Li Ran parked the car in the garage, turned off the engine, and unbuckled his seatbelt.

The two got out of the car. Li Ran took a suitcase out of the trunk, and Wang Churan followed behind him, her steps hesitant.

Li Ran pushed open the door, and the motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, casting a small, warm glow—a light that belonged to home. The room was quiet; no one was inside.

Neither of Li's parents were present. Li's father was probably busy, and Li's mother was likely still at the old house with Liu Haocun.

Wang Churan changed her shoes and stood in the center of the living room, looking at the unfamiliar furnishings—the sofa, the coffee table, and the garden outside the French windows.

Her gaze lingered on each corner for a second before shifting away.

She was nervous at first.

Although she usually acts carefree, speaks her mind directly, and rolls her eyes more skillfully than anyone else, it would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous about being brought into the house for the first time, especially since she was "pregnant."

Not to mention that there was another Liu Haocun ahead of her—who had already walked through this door.

So when she learned that Li Ran's parents were gone, she felt a sense of relief, but also a strange sense of loss.

The disappointment wasn't that "I came for nothing," but rather, "I was ready, but you weren't here."

She took a deep breath and suppressed her emotions.

Then, as if remembering something, she looked up at Li Ran with a coquettish smile on her lips.

"Li Ran, I'm hungry." Her voice was soft and sweet, with the last syllable drawn out.

Li Ran was putting her suitcase against the wall when she heard this and turned around to look at her.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine," Wang Churan tilted his head and thought for a moment, "As long as you make it."

Li Ran smiled, turned around and walked into the kitchen.

There were food items in the refrigerator, probably replenished regularly by the nanny: vegetables, fruits, meat, and poultry, all neatly arranged.

He took out a bunch of greens, a piece of chicken breast, and a few eggs, and began washing and chopping the vegetables.

Wang Churan didn't come in. She nestled on the sofa in the living room, turned on the TV, turned the volume down very low, and watched the flickering picture without actually watching it.

She just needed some background noise to fill the overly quiet air in the empty house.

While cooking noodles, Li Ran took out her phone and sent a message to her mother.

Without beating around the bush or laying any groundwork, he went straight to the point: "Mom, I'm back in Changsha. I brought Wang Churan with me; she's pregnant too."

.

After sending the message, he put down his phone and continued chopping vegetables.

The chopped scallions sizzled as they hit the pan, releasing a wonderful aroma.

Not long after, the phone lit up.

Li's mother didn't reply with a text message, but instead made a phone call.

The voice on the other end carried an barely suppressed excitement, and a hint of disbelief.

"What did you say? Wang Churan is pregnant?" Li Ran hummed in response, repeating what he had just said.

After a moment of silence, Li's mother said, "I'm coming over now," and hung up.

Li Ran looked at his phone screen and smiled helplessly.

Last time Liu Haocun was pregnant, his mother rushed to Hengdian overnight; this time she rushed to Changsha overnight. Is this how she acts whenever he brings back a pregnant woman?

The noodles are cooked, a very simple bowl of soup noodles. The greens are finely chopped, the chicken breast is shredded, and a poached egg is added, the egg white is tender, and the yolk is runny.

Wang Churan picked up the bowl and took a bite. He hissed because it was so hot, but his lips curved into a smile.

She didn't say anything like "delicious," but ate very carefully, even drinking most of the soup.

When Li's mother arrived, it was almost midnight.

She was wearing a dark trench coat, and her hair was a little messy; she must have gotten out of bed and rushed over.

When she entered, she glanced at Li Ran first, her gaze filled with reproach and helplessness, before finally settling on Wang Churan.

Wang Churan stood up from the sofa and softly called out, "Auntie."

Li's mother walked over, took her hand, and sat down on the sofa.

She looked at Wang Churan's face for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Are you tired? You've been traveling all day." Li's mother spoke softly, but her tone carried the natural concern of an elder for a younger person.

Wang Churan shook her head and looked at Li Ran.

"I'm not tired, Li Ran has been driving the whole time."

Seeing that her mother was about to start her "household registration check" again, Li Ran quickly interrupted her.

"Mom, let's contact the same hospital as last time. We need to schedule the check-up."

Li's mother nodded, said nothing more, took Wang Churan's hand, stood up, and walked upstairs.

"Come, let me show you the room."

She didn't look at Li Ran, and Wang Churan didn't turn around either. The two of them went upstairs one after the other, their footsteps making a soft sound on the stairs.

Half an hour later, Li's mother came downstairs.

She walked to the sofa, sat down next to Li Ran, and sighed.

"I thought Xiaotian would be next," she said to Li Ran, looking quite helpless.

"After that girl found out that Haocun was pregnant, she told me that she also wanted to try to conceive."

Li Ran naturally knew the truth: Wang Churan was pregnant because of what happened that night.

But he couldn't explain it, nor could he explain it clearly.

He just smiled awkwardly and didn't reply.

Ignoring him, Li's mother continued, "Even if it wasn't Xiaotian, I thought it would be Xiaoye. After all, you two are filming together now, so you spend a lot of time together."

She paused, then continued, "And the result? It was this girl."

Li Ran looked at her and asked, "Mom, what's wrong? Don't you like Chu Ran?"

Li's mother glared at him, her eyes carrying a hint of reproach, as if to say, "Don't try to pin this on me."

"Don't spread rumors about me. I was just expressing my feelings."

She paused, then her tone became serious, "The main thing is that I've only met this girl twice, and I don't really know her. This time she suddenly got pregnant, and I wasn't prepared at all."

She laughed first as she spoke, a laugh tinged with a self-deprecating sense of "what do I have to prepare?"

"I just told her I'd explain to her parents, and she said she could handle it herself. Now she's pregnant, and you haven't even met her parents?"

"Haocun, at least you've met their parents."

After thinking for a moment, Li Ran still offered an explanation, not to excuse herself, but to give her mother some peace of mind.

"Chu Ran's family situation is the same as Jing Yi's. She took her mother's surname, Wang, and her original name was Song Yameng. Her mother raised her alone—"

After listening, Li's mother remained silent for a few seconds.

"Alright, you should get some rest too." After she finished speaking, she turned around and went upstairs without waiting for Li Ran's response, heading towards the bedroom where Wang Churan had gone.

"Mom, didn't you tell me to rest? Why are you going in?" Li Ran asked, puzzled.

Li's mother turned around and glared at him, "Now that you're pregnant, if you sleep separately, I'm afraid you'll misbehave—"