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

After Li Ran finished speaking, he stopped looking at her, turned around and walked straight towards Zhou Ye, his back view crisp and clean.

Hu Lianxin stood frozen in place, her gaze fixed on his retreating figure, while his brief words echoed repeatedly in her mind.

What does that mean? Does it mean he and Zhou Ye aren't dating? But they were so intimate. If they were a couple, why would he say these things to me? Or...?

Amidst the chaotic speculation, a barely suppressed sense of joy quietly surfaced.

At least he didn't reject her outright, and even left some room for ambiguity. Does this mean that she... also holds some weight in his heart?

The thought made her cheeks flush slightly.

She knew very well that her liking for Li Ran was not a passing fancy; she had been attracted to his clean-cut appearance from the first time she saw him.

At first, I only had a slight liking for him, but later I secretly learned about his past and saw the sharpness in his eyes when he first appeared, the bright smile when he held up the trophy, and the tightly pursed lips and tears he held back when he lost...

Those images pieced together a more authentic version of him, and made her fall deeper and deeper into his heart.

Hu Lianxin took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly. Tonight, she was determined to get to the bottom of things with Li Ran; she didn't want to wait a moment longer for those questions weighing on her mind.

She raised her hand and rubbed her face, as if trying to dispel all her hesitation. The blush on her face gradually faded, and her expression returned to calm.

She straightened her hair, looked at the two people not far away, and finally followed them, each step feeling like it was treading on her heart.

She knew it was unfair to Zhou Ye, but feelings never follow reason, and she couldn't deny her feelings for Li Ran.

She sighed softly, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute determination. Perhaps, she could only blame the light for being too bright, so bright that she could no longer see any other direction.

Zhou Ye, holding the pine flower cake he had just bought, saw Hu Lianxin approaching and his eyes lit up as he went to greet her.

"Xiao Hu, have a taste! Look how well the icing is applied, it must be soft and fragrant," she said, handing over the box of pine flower cakes, her fingertips still adorned with fine white coconut shreds.

Hu Lianxin stopped and used a bamboo skewer to pick up a small piece and put it in her mouth. The delicate texture of the rice cake mixed with the fragrance of pine pollen melted on her tongue, sweet but not greasy.

She smiled and said, "Thank you, coconut. The cake is so soft and the floral flavor is just right. It's really delicious."

Li Ran leaned against a pillar beside him, watching Xiao Hu's hair sway lightly as she talked with Zhou Ye, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

To be able to adjust one's state so quickly requires really good mental fortitude.

As night deepened, the moon hung high in the sky outside the window.

Hu Lianxin lay on her side on the bed, gazing at Zhou Ye, who was fast asleep beside her. Her breathing was even and gentle, and there was a faint smile on her lips, as if she was having a sweet dream.

Hu Lianxin carefully lifted the blanket, afraid that the slightest movement would disturb Zhou Ye. She moved very lightly, slowly moving her body off the bed and tentatively stepping her feet onto the cold floor.

After confirming that Zhou Ye hadn't been woken up, she tiptoed out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.

After leaving the room, Hu Lianxin breathed a sigh of relief and walked to Li Ran's room, gently knocking on the door.

Li Ran gently opened the door a crack and saw that the person who came was Hu Lianxin, who had arrived as promised. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he slowly pulled the door open to invite her in.

He looked at Xiao Hu, who walked in and sat straight on the bed, his expression unreadable. "You're certainly quite bold!"

Having figured it out, Hu Lianxin lost her initial awkwardness and said in a gentle voice, "Shouldn't I say you're bold? Your girlfriend is right next door, and you still dare to let her best friend come to your room at night."

Li Ran was slightly taken aback. "You've changed quite a bit! You were so shy this afternoon, but now you're so direct."

He walked over and lay down on the bed. Seeing this, Hu Lianxin gently nestled into his arms. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

Li Ran's lips twitched slightly. "So you knew everything?"

"Hmm, at first you just said you and Coconut were just friends, which made me like you. Then you gradually attracted me and even helped me sign up for Wajiji. Wasn't that just trying to woo me?" She stared at Li Ran without blinking.

She said in a slightly reproachful tone, "If you had said from the beginning that you and Coconut were a couple, I wouldn't have liked you. But now that I'm like this, you have to take responsibility."

Li Ran was completely confused upon hearing this. "Stop, what are all these things?!"

"Aren't you overthinking it? I admit I did have some feelings for you at the beginning, but that's all."

"You're making me sound like a scumbag. It wasn't you who came over and kissed me this afternoon." Li Ran didn't want to be labeled for no reason. Although that was indeed what he thought, he hadn't actually made any moves yet.

Hu Lianxin was taken aback when she heard this, and it seemed to be true. However, she was already nestled in his arms. She glared at Li Ran and said fiercely, "I don't care, you have to take responsibility. Who told you to start flirting with me?"

Li Ran was puzzled. When had he flirted with her? But seeing her unreasonable attitude, he said, "So what do you want? To tell Coconut that her boyfriend seduced you, and then you forcibly kissed him?"

"don't want."

Hu Lianxin hadn't really figured out how to face Zhou Ye yet. She just liked Li Ran and didn't intend to take him away from Zhou Ye.

"That's fine, don't tell her yet." Hu Lianxin didn't dwell on it too much and looked up as Li Ran slowly approached.

Li Ran looked at the face that was approaching and understood what she meant, so he gently kissed her.

Just as he was about to take the next step, Hu Lianxin suddenly grabbed his hand, "Not tonight, Coconut is still next door."

Hu Lianxin already knew Li Ran's thoughts and didn't dare to stay any longer, afraid that Coconut might suddenly wake up. "I have to go back. It will be hard to explain if Coconut wakes up later."

Seeing this, Li Ran had no choice but to let go of her. Anyway, the dishes were already on the table, so he wasn't in a hurry.

"All right."

When Hu Lianxin returned to the room, Zhou Ye was still fast asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief, lifted the corner of the blanket, and slowly lay down.

The night was quiet, with only the moonlight flowing through it.

Two days later, in the afternoon, inside the Wajiji Entertainment building.

Li Ran pushed open the heavy glass door of the artist department, followed closely by Hu Lianxin, who was carrying a shoulder bag. She had just signed an artist cooperation agreement with the company, and her face still showed lingering excitement as she looked around with bright eyes.

The two walked across the flower bed downstairs. Li Ran opened the passenger door of the black supercar, and as Hu Lianxin bent down to get in, the ends of her hair brushed against his cheek, leaving a faint scent of gardenias.

"Li Ran, I'm entrusting myself to you from now on."

She fastened her seatbelt, turned to look at Li Ran starting the car in the driver's seat, a sly smile playing on her lips, and drawled out, "You have to take responsibility for me to the end."

Li Ran paused on the steering wheel, a hint of helpless chuckle in his voice: "Taking responsibility is natural. But even though there was a last-minute change in the roles for 'The Dragon's Roar,' you don't have to immediately take on the second female lead role in 'You're Beautiful When You Smile,' do you?"

As he spoke, he tapped his fingertips lightly on the steering wheel, and the car slowly merged into traffic. "I already told you not to pick it up. I just went out for a moment, how did you end up signing it?"

"Huh? What's wrong with this play?" Hu Lianxin's smile faded a little.

"The male lead is Xu Kai, who became a sensation with 'Story of Yanxi Palace,' and the female lead is Cheng Xiao, a popular girl group idol. I feel this drama is going to be a hit!"

Li Ran looked at her lowered eyelashes, sighed, and drove to the intersection. When the red light came on, he turned around and looked at her seriously: "Initially, the male lead approached me, but after reading the script, I found problems. The popularity won't be low, but if it airs, the entire e-sports community will probably criticize it."

Hu Lianxin bit her lower lip and slowly said, "I don't know much about your e-sports circle. The company has already crammed in several newcomers, hasn't it? Besides, I'm just an actress. If there's a problem with the script, the audience will criticize the editor, not me, right?"