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

Chapter 233 A Busy Schedule

Wang Churan's mother arrived at noon on the day of the examination.

Li Ran picked her up at the airport. She recognized Li Ran; she had seen him on her phone screen.

My daughter occasionally sends me photos of him, from the set or in his daily life; he looks handsome in every single one.

But the first thing she noticed when she saw him wasn't "He really is a teacher," but rather—this was the man who had made her daughter pregnant out of wedlock.

And it wasn't just his own daughter—

She didn't give him the cold shoulder as expected, but she wasn't enthusiastic either. She just glanced at him, nodded, and said one word: "Go."

Li Ran took the luggage from her hands and silently followed behind her.

He knew she was angry; anyone would be angry in that situation.

In the carriage, the Queen Mother sat in the back seat, without saying a word.

Li Ran calmly said, "Mom, let's go to the hospital first. Chu Ran has already been tested at the hospital."

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The Queen Mother didn't react much to Li Ran calling her "Mom," and simply nodded gently: "Okay."

When Wang Churan arrived at the hospital, she saw her mother, quickly went to greet her, and naturally took her arm.

"Mom, you're here." Her voice was soft, with a hint of coquettishness at the end.

The Queen Mother looked at her, and the light slowly moved from her face to her lower abdomen, which was still flat, but she knew that a tiny life had already made its home there.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but didn't, and just sighed.

Li's mother came out from the hall and greeted Wang's mother with a smile. Wang's mother smiled back, a faint but very polite smile.

The two mothers shook hands, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then walked inside together.

After the examination, everyone returned to the villa. Wang Churan and Liu Haocun linked arms, like sisters.

After exchanging a few words with Li's mother, Wang's mother went upstairs to rest.

She didn't say much to Li Ran, nor did she argue with him.

It's not that I don't want to argue, it's that arguing is pointless.

She was already pregnant, so should she abort it? She had considered it, but when she saw the smile on Wang Churan's lips as he lay on the ultrasound bed, she put the idea aside.

She's been through it all, and she knows better than anyone that marriage isn't a guarantee of a secure future.

She herself is an example. She got married, had children, got divorced, and raised her daughter alone. Only she knows how much hardship she endured.

She didn't care about the piece of paper; she only cared about whether her daughter was doing well.

At least within the Li family, Wang Churan will be financially secure for the rest of his life, which is better than anything else.

Her greatest wish in life was that her daughter would not repeat her mistakes.

In retrospect, although the path taken was not very honorable, the outcome was not too bad.

The Queen Mother left after only two days.

It's not that she doesn't want to spend more time with her daughter; it's that she has her own things to do.

The day she left, Wang Churan took her to the airport. The two of them stood outside the security checkpoint, neither of them saying a word.

"Mom, drive carefully." After a long while, Wang Churan spoke first.

The Queen Mother looked at her, reached out and straightened her collar, her movements very gentle, her fingertips gliding across her collarbone.

"Behave yourself in someone else's home, don't cause them worry, and don't act like a child."

She gave her instructions in a calm tone, as if she were talking about something very ordinary, but there was a deep concern in her eyes that only a mother would have.

She paused, then added, "Call Mom if anything happens."

Wang Churan nodded, her nose tingling slightly, but she held it back.

The Queen Mother glanced at her, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the security checkpoint.

Wang Churan watched her mother's figure disappear into the crowd, and stood there for a long time.

She didn't know if she was right or wrong, but she trusted Li Ran and believed he wouldn't let her down.

The following afternoon, when Li Ran's flight landed in Beijing, it was almost five o'clock. He dragged his suitcase out of the terminal, where Xiao Chen was already waiting at the exit.

After getting in the car, we drove towards the city center, but we got stuck in a complete traffic jam as soon as we entered the East Fourth Ring Road.

By the time I got home, it was completely dark.

He opened the door and went in. The living room light was on, and Zhang Ruonan was curled up on the sofa, wearing an oversized T-shirt, her hair casually tied up, sitting cross-legged, scrolling through her phone.

She heard the door open, looked up, saw it was him, and smiled slightly.

"Why so late? Isn't it an afternoon flight?"

"It's rush hour, there's a traffic jam." Li Ran changed into slippers, placed her suitcase against the wall, and went over to sit next to her.

under.

Zhang Ruonan put down her phone, turned to look at him, and asked directly, "Is Lu Yuxiao also recording tomorrow? Aren't you two together now?"

"Yes, besides promoting 'Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World,' 'The Sword and the Brocade' will also be released soon, and we'll promote them together."

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, relaxed, with his hands behind his head.

"Didn't she say she was coming to see you?" Zhang Ruonan pressed.

"We're staying at a hotel," Li Ran said.

Zhang Ruonan nodded, paused for two seconds, and then suddenly changed the subject, "Wang Churan is pregnant too?"

Li Ran turned his head to look at her, his eyes shining brightly under the light.

He nodded and asked in return, "Why are you asking this? Are you also trying to conceive?"

He paused, a mischievous smile curving his lips. "That's right, you're the oldest among you."

Zhang Ruonan instantly lost her temper.

"Why are you complaining now that I'm too old and don't smell as good as my older sister anymore?!"

She kicked Li Ran in the side with considerable force and a fierce kick.

Li Ran reacted quickly, grabbing her ankle and preventing her from pulling back.

Her feet were small, her skin was cool, and her toes were painted with light pink nail polish.

"I didn't say that." He smiled and put her feet back on the sofa, his fingers gliding over her ankles with a soothing tone.

"Stop it, it tickles—" Zhang Ruonan quickly pulled her foot back and glared at him.

She leaned back on the sofa, her expression turning serious.

"I have no intention of getting pregnant now; my career is currently on the rise."

She paused, as if remembering something, "Jingyi initially had some thoughts, but after finding out that Wang Churan was also pregnant, she seemed to have lost those thoughts."

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

"You seem to have a good outlook." His tone was slightly teasing. He thought for a moment and continued, "Indeed, many of you are in the prime of your careers right now. These past two years have been especially important for you and Xiaotian. You need to be highly productive and secure your positions before talking about anything else."

His tone became serious, "Cunzi is currently embroiled in negative news, so this is a good opportunity to avoid it. Wang Churan also has quite a few dramas waiting to be aired, although they are all supporting roles, we can still see the market reaction—"

Zhang Ruonan didn't want to hear his analysis.

She interrupted him and asked the question she had been thinking about since yesterday.

"Isn't Tian Xiwei trying to conceive? She knew Wang Churan was pregnant, but wasn't she angry?"

Li Ran's expression stiffened slightly.

Why aren't you angry? You're practically ready to draw your knife.

Of course, he didn't want to tell Zhang Ruonan these things, especially why she was angry.

He reached out and scooped Zhang Ruonan up from the sofa, holding her horizontally in his arms.

Zhang Ruonan exclaimed in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's too late, let's take a shower first." He carried her towards the bathroom.

"What are you doing? I've already washed!" Zhang Ruonan struggled slightly in his arms, but the struggle was so light it seemed like she was just putting on an act.

"Then wash it again." Li Ran looked down at her, a mischievous smile curving his lips.

Zhang Ruonan glared at him, but he had already pushed open the bathroom door.

Li Ran returned to Beijing this time to record the latest episode of "Mao Xue Wang".

As the year draws to a close, his schedule is already packed—movie promotions, variety show recordings, plus filming duties with the "Glory" production team.

The first season of "The Sword and the Brocade" is about to be released, and the broadcasting platform has urged the production team to cooperate in the promotion several times.

The female lead, Lu Yuxiao, naturally had to be present, and Zhang Ruonan, who plays Pei Nanwei in the drama, also happened to be there for this promotional event.

The two of them decided to team up and appear on a variety show together, killing two birds with one stone.

However, the core is still the movie.

"Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World" is scheduled for release on New Year's Day. This is the first time that Li Ran and Zhang Ruonan have worked together as the male and female leads. The production team attaches great importance to this and has revised the marketing plan again and again. Finally, they have decided to launch a comprehensive marketing campaign, from variety shows to magazines to roadshows.

The original plan was to finish recording "Mao Xue Wang" and then fly to Changsha to participate in the recording of "Happy Camp".

This national-level variety show has been popular for over 20 years and is a must-appear program for countless celebrities during their promotional periods, so its influence is self-evident.

But the entertainment industry has changed. The "Clean Up the Scene" campaign was carried out swiftly, and "Happy Camp," which was plagued by negative news, was directly suspended for rectification. Several other programs on the station were also re-examined.

The revamped program is called "Hello! Saturday," and its premiere is scheduled for January 1st, which coincides with the New Year's Day period.

"Even if this love disappears from the world tonight" was also released on that day.

The recording of "Mao Xue Wang" took place in a renovated apartment.

Li Ran took Zhang Ruonan and went to the hotel to pick up Lu Yuxiao.

Today, Lu Yuxiao wore a cream-colored sweater, which made her look very lively and cute.

When she saw Li Ran, her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she called out "Li Ran" in a soft but sweet voice.

Zhang Ruonan stood next to Li Ran, wearing a light blue knitted cardigan, looking like a friendly older sister next door.

The three of them got out of the car and went into the apartment building.

Mao Buyi was already waiting at the door. When he saw Li Ran, he smiled and said, "Come in, Xueqin is inside."

Mao Buyi stepped aside to let the three of them go first, and followed behind.

The room's layout has changed somewhat since my last visit, and there are now many more product placements from various brands.

Li Ran was relaxed and composed. He changed into slippers, as if he were coming home.

This was Zhang Ruonan's first time here, and her reaction was completely different from Li Ran's. She stood in the center of the living room and looked around.

She tilted her head to look at the abstract painting on the wall, then leaned closer to look at the books on the coffee table, and even reached out to touch the lampshade of the floor lamp, like a curious cat surveying a new territory.

"This painting is quite interesting," she said, pointing to the painting on the wall.

Li Caoqin poked her head out of the kitchen, holding an apple in her hand. She took a bite and mumbled, "Bought it on Taobao, 9.9 yuan including shipping."

Zhang Ruonan was amused, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, watching her back, a slight smile curving his lips, the sunlight remaining fixed on her.

Lu Yuxiao's reaction was completely different from the previous two.

From the moment she entered, she was as quiet as a kitten led into a stranger's house, cowering in a corner, too afraid to move or speak.

She didn't sit down as casually as Li Ran, nor did she look at him with curiosity like Zhang Ruonan.

She simply stood beside Li Ran, neither too close nor too far, her gaze following him.

He walked to the sofa, and she walked to the sofa too; he sat down, and she sat down too, leaning against the sofa armrest, her hands on her knees, like a little follower.

When Mao Buyi handed her the drink, she reached out to take it and carefully said "thank you," her voice barely audible.

Mao Buyi glanced at her and said, "Don't be so nervous, just make yourself at home."

Lu Yuxiao nodded. Li Ran turned his head to look at her, smiled faintly, and didn't say anything more.

This girl is inevitably nervous in unfamiliar environments, but once she gets used to it, her exuberant personality kicks in.

Li Caoqin sat on the opposite single sofa, taking in all of this.

She didn't say it aloud, but silently made her own judgment.

Mao Buyi brought out a large plate of fruit from the kitchen. It was cut up and neatly arranged, with apples, oranges, and kiwis, and the colors were well-matched.

He placed the plate on the coffee table and sat down on the single sofa next to Li Ran.

"Li Ran, you'll cook again today? I've prepared all the ingredients." His tone was casual, as if it had been planned long ago.

"Okay." Li Ran smiled, stood up from the sofa, and rolled up his sleeves.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruonan followed, saying, "Let me help you."

She walked over to him, they looked at each other, said nothing, and went into the kitchen together.

Li Ran put on an apron, and Zhang Ruonan stood next to him, helping him wash vegetables and handing him seasonings.

Their movements were so synchronized, as if they had done it countless times before—she handed him scallions, he chopped them; she handed him ginger, he smashed it; she handed him garlic, he peeled it.

He barely said a few words from beginning to end, but every step he took was perfectly timed.

Li Xueqin sat on the sofa, rested her chin on her hand, looked at them for a while, then looked away and turned to Lu Yuxiao beside her.

"Xiaoxiao, how did you meet Li Ran?" she asked.

Lu Yuxiao paused for a moment, then blinked.

"When we were filming 'The Sword and the Brocade,' he helped me get the role of Jiang Ni."

Li Caoqin said "Oh" without interrupting her, and then asked some new questions from time to time.

Lu Yuxiao continued, and before she knew it, she had talked about it from beginning to end—how nervous she was on the day of the audition, and how she held the incense upside down, and Li Ran laughed at her; how she caught a cold while filming, and he had someone bring her medicine; how she cried on the day filming wrapped, and he handed her a tissue.

She spoke in great detail, so much so that Li Caoqin felt as if she were listening to a love story that had been told for a long time, yet every detail was still vividly remembered.

Li Qin did not stop her, letting her speak freely. She was not afraid of being filmed and published.

This program is produced by Wajijiwa Entertainment, and she knows perfectly well what can and cannot be broadcast.

After listening, she just smiled and said, "Li Ran may seem like a playboy, but he's actually very serious about everyone."

""

The aroma of braised pork wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the fragrance of scallions, ginger, and garlic, filling the entire living room.

Mao Buyi was already seated at the table, with the bowls and chopsticks neatly arranged.

The four of them sat down around the dining table and began their lively conversation.

After dinner, the group snuggled up on the sofa and played games.

During the final promotional segment, Li Ran talked about "The Sword and the Snow" and "Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World".

Zhang Ruonan added from the side, and Lu Yuxiao nodded quietly, occasionally adding "Yes".

When it was almost time, Mao Buyi stood up, stretched, and said, "That's it."

In the evening, the car drove into the residential area and parked in the underground garage.

The three of them got out of the car and walked towards the elevator. Zhang Ruonan walked in front, her pace unhurried, with Lu Yuxiao following behind her.

Li Ran walked at the very back, carrying Lu Yuxiao's suitcase in his hand. The wheels rolled across the ground, making a dull thud.

The elevator doors opened, and three people walked in. Zhang Ruonan pressed the floor button, and the shadows of the three people, of different heights and in different postures, were reflected on the elevator wall.

No one spoke.

Zhang Ruonan skillfully entered the password, and the door lock clicked open.

She didn't go inside; she stood in the entryway and looked back at Li Ran.

"I'm going to sleep at Jingyi's place tonight."

Li Ran nodded, neither trying to stop him nor asking any questions.

He bent down and placed Lu Yuxiao's suitcase against the wall, then straightened up, thought for a moment, and added, "In a few days, I'll have Xiao Chen find a good apartment in the neighborhood."

Zhang Ruonan was about to turn and leave when she heard this and stopped.

"I don't want to."

She spoke quickly, as if she had prepared this answer long ago.

Li Ran looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Everyone has one; if I don't give it to you, it'll seem like I'm discriminating against you."

Zhang Ruonan did not refuse again after hearing this, but simply said "Whatever you want" in a flat tone, revealing no emotion.

She opened the door, walked out, and the door slowly closed behind her. The motion-sensor lights in the corridor turned on, illuminating her receding figure. Her footsteps grew fainter and fainter until they disappeared.

Lu Yuxiao had been curled up on the sofa with her legs crossed and her phone in her hand since she entered the room. She heard Zhang Ruonan leave, but she didn't look up or say anything.

She was just scrolling through her phone—or rather, pretending to.

A short video on the screen had been playing over and over again, but she wasn't watching it at all. Her fingers were mechanically swiping across the screen, her gaze fixed on the screen but unfocused.

I don't know what I'm thinking, maybe I'm not thinking about anything at all.