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

Li Ran released Tian Xiwei's hand, and she pounced on Li's mother like a happy kitten.

"Auntie!" She affectionately took Li's mother's arm, a sweet smile blooming on her face.

Li's mother was amused by her enthusiasm, reached out and patted the back of her hand, her eyes full of affection.

Li Ran stood there, watching this scene, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up: "Mom."

Li's mother glanced at him and said casually, "Alright, your grandfather is waiting for you in the study. I'll take Xiaotian to see your grandmother first."

Li Ran nodded and turned to walk towards the study.

The study door was ajar.

Li Ran gently pushed the door open, and the old man was sitting in a wicker chair by the window, holding a book in his hand. Sunlight streamed in from the window, casting a warm glow on him.

He read with great focus, occasionally turning a page with unhurried movements.

Li Ran remained silent and quietly walked to the chair next to him and sat down.

The old man turned two more pages before slowly closing the book and casually placing it on the desk next to him.

Li Ran then leaned closer: "Grandpa, are you done reading?"

The old man nodded, looking at him with a hint of a smile in his eyes: "Xiaolong said he'd bring a girl home this year, did he?"

"Xiao Long" is what he calls his mother; only the old man would still call her that.

Li Ran nodded: "My mom took her to see Grandma first, she'll come to see you later."

The old man asked, "What's the girl's name? Where is she from?"

"Her surname is Tian, ​​and her given name is Xiwei. She's from Shancheng."

As Li Ran spoke, he picked up the paper and pen beside him, wrote down the name stroke by stroke, and handed it to the old man.

The old man took the paper and examined the words.

"The name is nice."

He nodded. "Girls from the mountain town have their own personalities, which will keep you in check, you little rascal."

He paused, then reached out and lightly tapped Li Ran on the head: "However, this character is written rather terribly."

Li Ran chuckled sheepishly, "Grandpa, my handwriting can't compare to yours, but it's not that bad, is it?"

The old man smiled and didn't continue the topic.

He looked at Li Ran with eyes full of affection.

After a moment of silence, she slowly began, "A while ago, your grandma and I went to see that movie you were in. What was it called again...?"

Li Ran continued, "Sending You a Little Red Flower."

The old man nodded: "Yes, this is it. Your grandma cried when she saw it. She kept saying that she shouldn't have looked after you back then..."

Li Ran interrupted him: "Alright, Grandpa, I'm perfectly fine now, why keep bringing up those things?"

The old man looked at him, remained silent for two seconds, and then smiled: "Alright, let's not talk about it anymore."

He stood up: "Let's go, take me to see that girl."

Li Ran got up to help him, but the old man waved his hand and said, "I'm not that old yet. I'll be able to take care of my great-grandchildren when the time comes."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly and remained silent.

The old man was telling the truth. His health is indeed better than that of some young people.

The two entered the living room, where only Li's father was sitting on the sofa drinking tea.

Li Ran asked, "Dad, where are Mom and Xiaotian?"

Ignoring him, Li's father stood up and looked at the old man: "Dad, I'll take you to see your granddaughter-in-law. My mother likes that girl very much."

As she spoke, she helped the old man walk outside.

Li Ran stood there, smiled helplessly, shook his head, and quickly followed.

There is a sunroom on the west side, which the old lady uses specifically to keep her cats.

The old lady is a true cat lover. Over the years, she has adopted many stray cats, and they have all made their homes here.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, and a dozen cats lay or sat in various poses, creating a rather spectacular scene.

Tian Xiwei was squatting on the ground, carefully stroking the head of an orange cat.

The cat squinted comfortably and purred softly. Li's mother stood beside it, watching her with a smile.

When Li Ran and the other two walked in, Tian Xiwei raised her head, her gaze sweeping over Li's father and landing on the spirited old man in front of her.

She quickly stood up.

Li's mother called out to the old man, "Dad."

Then he gently nudged Tian Xiwei beside him.

Tian Xiwei immediately reacted, looked at the old man, and said in a clear voice, "Hello, Grandpa! I am Tian Xiwei, Li Ran's girlfriend."

The old man stood there, his gaze sweeping over her.

After a moment, he nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Then, he turned around and left with Li's father.

He didn't say a word from beginning to end.

Tian Xiwei stood there, stunned, her smile freezing on her face.

She glanced at Li's mother instinctively, her eyes showing a hint of nervousness.

Does Grandpa not like me?

Just as Li's mother was about to explain, the old lady had already taken Tian Xiwei's hand.

"Girl, don't be nervous."

The old woman's voice was gentle, with a slight southern accent, "The old man is very satisfied with you. That's just his nature; he's a man of few words."

She glanced in the direction of the door and smiled, "If he really didn't like it, he would have just left without even looking back."

Tian Xiwei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The old lady looked towards the doorway again, where someone was still standing. Li Ran hadn't left and was leaning against the doorframe, looking in their direction.

"Li Ran, come here and let Grandma take a look."

The old lady waved to him, "Look, have you lost weight?"

Li Ran walked over with a smile and stood in front of the old lady: "Grandma, I've gained weight, I haven't lost any."

The old lady raised her hand and carefully touched his face, from his forehead to his chin, as if to confirm something.

"You look more energetic now..." Her voice choked with emotion.

Seeing this, Li's mother quickly stepped forward: "Alright, Mom, it's the New Year, let's not think about unhappy things."

She then looked at Li Ran: "Alright, take Xiao Tian back to her room to pack and see if she needs anything."

Li Ran nodded and took Tian Xiwei's hand: "Grandma, I'll take Xiaotian back to her room first, and then I'll come down to keep you company later."

The old lady nodded and smiled at them.

Li Ran's room is on the second floor, facing south, and gets plenty of sunlight.

As soon as Tian Xiwei entered, she began to look around. The room wasn't large, but it was decorated very warmly.

There were some books and trophies on the bookshelf, and a picture of Li Ran as a child hung on the wall. He looked cute with his chubby face.

Li Ran was already lying in bed, and took out his phone to reply to messages.

Tian Xiwei looked around, then finally sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him: "Li Ran."

"Um?"

"Why did Grandma's mood change so drastically when she saw you?"

Li Ran's fingers paused.

He looked up at her and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he put down his phone, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling.

"When I was little, my parents were busy with work, so I lived with my grandparents."

His voice was calm.

Tian Xiwei listened quietly.

"When I was nine years old, I was quite naughty and fell into the fishpond in front of the yard."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Later, that fishpond was filled in."

Tian Xiwei waited for him to continue.

Chapter update reminder: Chapter 133, Past Events, available here.

"After being pulled out of the water, he remained in a coma for five years."

Li Ran spoke casually, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

Tian Xiwei was stunned for a moment.

"Oh, he was in a coma for five years..."

She repeated it subconsciously, then suddenly realized, "No, you've been in a coma for five years?"

She turned around and looked at him in surprise.

Li Ran nodded, his expression remaining calm: "What else did you think?"

Tian Xiwei looked at him, unsure of what to say.

Li Ran reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"Isn't everything alright now?" he said, lowering his voice. "It's all in the past."

He paused, then explained, "That's why I was so nervous when I came in. Grandma remembers this every time she sees me, and she can't help but cry."

Tian Xiwei nestled in his arms and remained silent for a while.

Then she softly hummed in agreement and hugged him tightly: "It's all in the past."

……

Sunlight streamed in through the window, spreading a warm patch of light across the floor.

Li Ran stared at the ceiling, his gaze distant.

He didn't actually tell the whole story.

Sometimes he wonders whether his soul belongs to this world or comes from another.

The two worlds were exactly the same until the age of nine. The deviation began with that drowning incident.

I was not unconscious in my previous life.

Meanwhile, the version of himself in this world had been in a coma for five years.

He thought that perhaps the soul of this world had drowned and traveled to that world, and then returned.

But it's all just speculation.

No matter what, he is still Li Ran.

It's not anyone else.

……

That night, Li Ran's room fell silent, the air thick with an ambiguous atmosphere...

Nestled in Li Ran's arms, Tian Xiwei suddenly looked up at him and asked, "Li Ran, when are you planning to have a child?"

Li Ran was taken aback for a moment, then looked at her helplessly and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? We're still so young."

He paused, then added, "Besides, your career is just starting to take off. 'So Cute Us' just finished airing, and more people are getting to know you. Isn't it inappropriate to be in such a rush to have a child now?"

Tian Xiwei snorted and said, "During dinner just now, Mom and Grandma both said they wanted to hold the baby. I agreed."

She looked at him with a hint of self-assurance in her eyes: "Besides, Grandpa and Grandma are getting old."

Li Ran shook his head and chuckled, "You changed your tune pretty quickly."

Tian Xiwei chuckled, her eyes crinkling with joy, and said with a touch of smugness, "Of course, after all, I've already given them the 'change of address fee'!"

She raised her wrist and held the jade bracelet out to him.

"Is it pretty?"

Li Ran looked at the bracelet, which her grandmother had worn for decades, and now it was on Tian Xiwei's wrist.

He was touched and nodded, saying, "It looks good."

"How did you manage to trick my grandma into giving it to you? You know, she didn't even pass it on to my mom."

Tian Xiwei lightly punched him, pouting slightly in dissatisfaction, and said reproachfully, "What do you mean you tricked me? Grandma gave it to me herself!"

She glared at him and continued to press, "Tell me quickly, when are you planning to have children? I promised Grandma I would give her at least two big, healthy grandsons."

Li Ran said helplessly, "Let's wait another two years. What's the rush now?"

"You're not worried, but Grandma is!" Tian Xiwei glared at him.

Li Ran recalled his past life; it was already 2026, and his grandparents were still in excellent health. He figured it would be the same in this world.

He looked at Tian Xiwei and sighed softly, "Alright, next year or the year after."

Tian Xiwei immediately laughed and reached out to hug his neck.

"You said it, you can't go back on your word. If you dare to lie to me, I'll tell Grandma."

Li Ran nodded with an awkward smile: "I'm not lying to you."

Li Ran paused for a moment, then feigned ignorance and asked, "What other people?"

Tian Xiwei looked at him calmly and said, word by word, "Just Zhou Ye and the others."

"Now that I have Grandpa and Grandma's approval, are you still planning to leave it at that?"

She paused, then said firmly, "You can only marry me now."

Li Ran didn't say anything.

Whether I marry her or not, it doesn't conflict with being with them, right?

That red booklet, in the end, is just a booklet.

Whether you have feelings or not, it doesn't matter. If you don't have feelings, it's all for nothing.

Besides, he didn't say when he would get married.

He thought for a moment, then explained, "I haven't thought about what to do. Breaking up is out of the question."

Tian Xiwei looked at him and knew in her heart that it was impossible to get Li Ran to only be with her.

Putting aside Zhou Ye's status as his "first girlfriend," Zhang Jingyi also holds a significant place in Li Ran's heart.

Moreover, Li's mother told her that afternoon that she had already met with Zhang Jingyi's mother.

He also said a lot.

She had already accepted it.

But I still want to ask Li Ran.

She sat on Li Ran's lap and gazed into his eyes.

"Li Ran, I can ignore everyone else and I don't demand to get married right now."

She paused, staring at him expressionlessly: "But you have to grant me one request."

Li Ran, stared intently into her large eyes, slowly nodded: "Go on."

Tian Xiwei snorted, her tone tinged with both reproach and helplessness: "You must give me a son first."

Li Ran chuckled wryly, then joked, "No, are you after my family fortune?"

Tian Xiwei knew he was joking, so she pouted and said coquettishly, "Will you say yes or no?"

Li Ran smiled and nodded: "Okay, I promise you."

Tian Xiwei happily kissed him on the cheek.

Then she nestled into his arms and whispered, "Li Ran, don't blame me. I'm doing this all for the sake of our future children."

She paused for a moment: "Think about it, I've seen far too many of these dramas about wealthy families fighting over inheritance."

Li Ran chuckled and said, "You're overthinking things. Don't worry, there are no dramatic scenes in my family. My dad and I are both only sons in our family."

Tian Xiwei disagreed with this.

"You're the only son in your family now. Can you guarantee you'll only have one child in the future?"

She looked at him and added seriously, "You've dated six people now, and you've even got your eye on Zhang Ruonan. I won't even mention Lu Yuxiao; can you honestly say you have no feelings for her?"

Li Ran shook his head, his face solemn, and slowly said, "You've really misunderstood me."

"I only have a slight liking for Zhang Ruonan, but I don't have any romantic feelings for her. I haven't spoken to Lu Yuxiao except during the audition."

Tian Xiwei gave a soft hum: "Just because you don't have any ideas now doesn't mean you won't in the future."

She paused, then changed the subject: "By the way, was Grandpa a soldier before?"

Li Ran didn't hide anything and nodded: "Grandpa participated in the Flower Garland at the Foot of the Mountain..."

……