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

When Li Ran changed out of her costume, put on her own clothes, and walked out of the dressing room, Zhang Ruonan was already waiting at the door.

"Come on, I'll take you to eat something delicious." Her tone was light and cheerful, clearly indicating that she was in good spirits today.

Wang Churan walked over from the other side. She didn't have any scenes to film today; filming wouldn't start until tomorrow.

She was wearing a loose white T-shirt and denim shorts, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking like a college student.

The three walked along the path next to the school and turned into a bustling food street.

The sun hadn't completely set yet, and the clouds on the horizon were tinged with orange-red.

There weren't many people on the street; most were students from nearby schools, and a few local residents.

The shops on this street are not big, and their facades are old, but the air is filled with the aroma of various foods, which, when mixed together, create a simple and rustic atmosphere.

Zhang Ruonan led them into a small shop with the words "Ah Zhen Sha Cha Mian" written above the door. The faded sign looked quite old.

"This is the most authentic one. I discovered it when I was filming 'Your Wedding' last time." She said as she walked in and found a seat by the window.

Three bowls of satay noodles were served, with a rich broth topped with a layer of red oil, and ingredients including shrimp, tofu puffs, and chewy noodles.

Li Ran took a sip of the soup, and his eyes lit up slightly.

"How is it?" Zhang Ruonan asked, looking at him.

"Not bad." Li Ran nodded.

Wang Churan also took a bite and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

She glanced at the two of them and casually asked, "How did the filming go today?"

Zhang Ruonan smiled, a hint of smugness in her voice: "It went quite smoothly, simpler than I imagined."

Li Ran picked up a piece of noodles with his chopsticks, looked up at her with a half-smile, and said, "Shouldn't you thank me? If I hadn't helped you get into character during our rehearsals, would you have been able to act so smoothly?"

Zhang Ruonan pouted and pointed to the noodles on the table with an air of self-righteousness: "Didn't I just treat you to satay noodles?"

"You think you can get rid of me with just a bowl of noodles?" Li Ran looked at her, the corner of his mouth curving into a meaningful smile.

Zhang Ruonan shrank back, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at him warily: "Then what else do you want to do? Li Ran, let me tell you, we're just acting."

Li Ran chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and looked completely innocent: "Girlfriend's classmate, I didn't say what I was going to do. Why are you so nervous?"

Zhang Ruonan glared at him, then retorted defiantly, "Boyfriend classmate, your smile was really lewd just now. And..."

She paused, glancing at Wang Churan, "One of your girlfriends is right here."

"Boyfriend's classmate" and "girlfriend's classmate" are the terms the two use to address each other after confessing their feelings in the drama.

Wang Churan was drinking soup when she heard this. She looked up, glanced at Li Ran, then at Zhang Ruonan, and a meaningful smile slowly appeared on her face.

She put down her bowl and slowly said, "If I weren't there, what would Li Ran want to do? Would you just agree to it?"

She paused, then made a move to stand up: "Should I leave?"

Zhang Ruonan quickly reached out and pressed her down, her face flushed with anxiety: "Chu Ran, don't misunderstand! I have no interest in Li Ran! Only you guys treat him like a treasure."

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh when he saw Zhang Ruonan jumping up and down in a panic.

"It's as if I'm making some unreasonable request."

He paused, glanced out the window, and his nostrils twitched slightly. "When I came over just now, I smelled that the oyster omelet from that shop next door smelled really good. Go buy two servings as compensation."

Zhang Ruonan was stunned for a moment, then realized she had been tricked. She glared at him and said, "You should have said so earlier! I thought you had ulterior motives!"

Li Ran chuckled and continued eating his noodles, saying, "You're the one who misunderstood, how can you blame me?"

Zhang Ruonan stood up irritably, grabbed her phone, and walked out.

She took two steps, then turned back and glared at him: "Two portions, huh? They're so salty they'll kill you."

Li Ran didn't even look up, just waved his hand.

……

Zhang Ruonan left the shop and walked towards the oyster omelet stall next door.

The setting sun bathed the entire street in a warm orange hue, and the air was filled with the aroma of fried food.

There were two or three people in line in front of the stall, all of them were local residents, elderly men and women, and no one paid any attention to her.

She stood at the end of the line, looking down at her phone, waiting for everyone in front of her to finish buying.

"Excuse me... are you Yu Yongci?"

Zhang Ruonan looked up and saw two young girls standing in front of her. They looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing T-shirts and shorts, and carrying backpacks. They were obviously students from a nearby school.

Their eyes sparkled with a mixture of cautious surprise and excitement, as they held up their phones.

Zhang Ruonan was recognized, but she didn't try to hide it. She pulled down her mask, smiled, and said, "Hello! I'm Zhang Ruonan, and You Yongci is the name of the character I play."

The two girls looked at each other, so excited they almost jumped up.

"It really is you! Sister Ruonan!"

One of the girls, with her ponytail, raised her voice an octave higher, "We absolutely love 'Your Wedding'! We watched it twice! We cried both times!"

Another short-haired girl nodded in agreement, but she was clearly more interested in something else: "Ruonan, are you with Li Ran? We're his fans! Little Flame! Are you guys filming a new movie at our school?"

Seeing the two of them looking excited and expectant, Zhang Ruonan couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, Li Ran is eating noodles next door."

She turned around and pointed in the direction of the satay noodle shop, "I'll take you there after I buy the oyster omelet."

"Really?!"

The short-haired girl almost jumped up, grabbing her companion's arm. "Thank you so much, Sister Ruonan!"

Zhang Ruonan smiled, and was about to say something when the stall owner's voice came from the front: "Miss, your two portions are ready."

She turned around and reached out to take the packaged oyster omelet.

"How much?"

"Two portions, totaling twenty-four."

Just as Zhang Ruonan was about to take out her phone to scan the QR code, the girl with the ponytail beat her to it, and her phone beeped as she tapped the QR code to receive payment.

"I paid!"

Zhang Ruonan was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at her: "Ah! I'll transfer it to you; I can't let you pay."

The girl with the ponytail waved her hands repeatedly, her face flushed, "It's okay, it's okay! I'll treat you to a meal! Consider it a thank you!"

Zhang Ruonan was both amused and exasperated: "But this is my treat for Li Ran, how can I let you spend the money?"

The girl with the ponytail's eyes lit up, and she said matter-of-factly, "Then I should be the one to pay! I'm Ran-ge's little flame! I'd be overjoyed to treat Ran-ge to something to eat!"

The short-haired girl next to him nodded in agreement, her face showing an expression that said, "Yes, yes, you're right."

Looking at the two people's sincere and enthusiastic expressions, Zhang Ruonan smiled helplessly and had no choice but to carry the packaged oyster omelets back with the two "little flames".

Inside the satay noodle shop, Li Ran was eating noodles when he suddenly heard light footsteps coming from the doorway.

He looked up and saw Zhang Ruonan walk in, followed by two young girls.

The two were peeking inside, their eyes scanning the shop before settling precisely on him.

"Brother Ran!" the short-haired girl called out first, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The girl with the ponytail had already taken out her phone; her hands were shaking.

Li Ran paused for a moment, then realized what was happening, put down her chopsticks, and smiled, "Hello."

The two girls looked at each other, their faces flushed with excitement.

Zhang Ruonan placed the oyster omelet on the table and winked at Li Ran: "Your fans, whom I met on the way, insisted on coming to see you."

The girl with the ponytail mustered her courage and took a step forward, her voice trembling slightly: "Brother Ran, we're your little flames! We've been following you since your professional gaming days!"

"We heard you were filming a movie at our school today, so we thought we'd see if we could bump into you...and we actually did!"

Seeing their nervous yet excited expressions, Li Ran smiled and stood up: "Thank you for your hard work. Would you like to take a picture together?"

The two girls widened their eyes simultaneously, then nodded frantically.

Zhang Ruonan took the phone and took a few group photos for them.

After taking the photos, the girl with the ponytail cautiously asked, "Brother Ran, can I get your autograph?"

"Okay." Li Ran took the notebook and pen she handed him, signed his name, thought for a moment, and added "Good luck."

The short-haired girl asked cautiously, "Could you sign a coconut? I'm a fan of the Wildfire CP."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, "Okay."

After taking photos with Zhang Ruonan and Wang Churan respectively, the two young fans left satisfied without causing any further disturbance.

After watching the two leave, Zhang Ruonan sat down and pushed the oyster omelet in front of Li Ran: "Here, this is for you, it's a gift from a fan."

Li Ran raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

"They insisted on paying, saying they were happy to treat you to something to eat."

Zhang Ruonan mimicked a little fan's tone, deliberately using a high-pitched voice, and said, "I'm Ran-ge's little flame..."

Li Ran was amused by her appearance, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of oyster omelet, and tasted it.

He swallowed his food and said calmly, "So you treated me to a meal, and then made my fans pay for it. Who paid for it then?"

Zhang Ruonan pouted, "Your fans are too enthusiastic, what can I do? I'll treat you to a meal next time."

She paused, then added, "However, your fans are quite well-behaved! Unlike some top-tier celebrities' fans, who criticize even the actresses their idols work with."

Wang Churan chuckled. "Sister Ruonan, who are you subtly implying something about?"

"Just a quick remark, I didn't name anyone!" Zhang Ruonan waved her hand.

She then looked at Li Ran and added, "When I first said I wanted to work with you as the male and female leads, I was indeed worried about being criticized by your fans."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, "No, sister, my fans are all very well-behaved, okay!"

The company manages Li Ran's fan group and doesn't want a repeat of the situation where "fans' actions lead to idols paying the price" that happened with Xiao Zhan.

As darkness fell outside the window, streetlights began to illuminate the scene one by one.

The three sat in the small shop, chatting idly.

……

As night deepened, the city lights outside the window cast blurry patches of light on the glass.

Li Ran came out of the bathroom, his hair still wet. He casually dried himself with a towel in one hand, and picked up his phone from the bedside table with the other...

Doorbell rang.

He went over and opened the door; Wang Churan was standing outside.

She changed into loose loungewear, her hair was down, and she wasn't wearing makeup. Her clean-cut face looked even more beautiful in the dim light of the corridor.

"Come in!" Li Ran stepped aside.

Wang Churan glanced at him with a playful expression, then went inside and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Li Ran closed the door, looked at her, and asked, "Why the expression?"

Wang Churan raised her head, her gaze fixed on his face, and began with a sentence...

"And you said you have no feelings for Zhang Ruonan."

Li Ran paused for a moment, then smiled.

He sat down next to her, his tone languid: "So what if I am? Are you jealous?"

Wang Churan scoffed and rolled her eyes: "I can't be bothered with your affairs."

She paused, a meaningful smile playing on her lips: "If you really manage to get her, you should be worried about Zhang Jingyi."

Li Ran didn't respond to that, but just looked at her with a half-smile on his lips.

"You're so sure Zhang Ruonan will agree?"

Wang Churan leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said confidently, "I can guarantee you, she's definitely interested in you."

She began to analyze, "Otherwise, why would she keep following Zhang Jingyi? Every time we invited her to a gathering, she never missed it?"

"Who's the nice person who hangs out with their best friend and boyfriend every day?"

"Also, haven't you noticed that she really likes to bicker with you now? It feels like she's trying to get your attention. Before, she would just keep her head down and eat without saying a word."

Li Ran listened without refuting, only smiling.

Seeing his noncommittal expression, Wang Churan tilted her head, her brows furrowing slightly, and her tone carrying a hint of confusion.

"But Zhang Jingyi is quite strange... Why does she always call Zhang Ruonan along? Is she trying to find an ally? It doesn't seem like it."

She looked at Li Ran, waiting for his answer.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, tapped his fingers lightly on his knee twice, and then slowly said, "Jingyi should have noticed that I'm interested in Zhang Ruonan."

Wang Churan was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening slightly.

Li Ran continued, her tone as calm as if she were analyzing the relationships between characters in a script: "She probably thought... it's better to keep an eye on things than to be outside and not know what's going on."

"It will also allow Zhang Ruonan to see my shortcomings clearly..."

He paused, and the curve of his lips became somewhat subtle.

"But what she didn't expect was..."

Wang Churan continued, his voice carrying a hint of sudden realization mixed with a touch of schadenfreude: "Too clever by half."

The two exchanged a glance.

Li Ran didn't speak, but his expression clearly indicated his agreement.

Wang Churan lay down on the bed, clicked his tongue twice, and said gloatingly, "Zhang Jingyi's plan was... but she ended up getting herself caught in it."

She glanced at Li Ran, her tone suddenly becoming meaningful: "So, is Zhang Ruonan interested in you now because of who you are, or because you've been with us for too long and want to join us?"

Li Ran didn't answer the question. "Why think so much? Just let things take their course..."

The city lights outside the window flickered in the night, and only a bedside lamp was on in the room, casting a warm yellow glow that enveloped the silhouettes of the two people.

The curtains were drawn tightly, shutting out the night and the hustle and bustle of the city.

Li Ran gently placed one hand on Wang Churan's waist, guiding her to adjust her posture.

With his other hand supporting her knees, he gently lifted her up...

His movements were unhurried and deliberate, with a natural sense of control, as if he were doing something perfectly ordinary.

Wang Churan had her back to him, her long hair slipping down her shoulders, revealing a section of her fair nape.

She could feel the warmth of his palm through her thin pajamas; it wasn't hot, but it made her back feel slightly numb.

"Like this?" she asked, her voice much softer than usual.

Li Ran didn't answer, but simply adjusted the position of her arm slightly.

Wang Churan paused for a moment.

She could feel the tips of her ears burning, and the heat was spreading along her earlobes to her cheeks.

She was glad that her back was to him... he shouldn't be able to see her expression right now.

"Li Ran," she began, her voice trembling with a hesitation she herself didn't even realize, "this is too..."

Before she could finish speaking, she pursed her lips and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

Li Ran paused for a moment, then tilted his head slightly to look at her.

From this angle, he could only see her profile and a small patch of her earlobe tinged with pink.

"Is this movement uncomfortable?" he asked, his tone carrying a mischievous smirk, as if he already knew the answer.

Wang Churan gently shook her head, her hair swaying with the movement.

She lowered her eyes, staring at the bedside table in front of her, her voice even softer than before: "A little... Xiu Chi..."

The last two words were almost squeezed out between clenched teeth, as if afraid of being heard.

Li Ran smiled, a low laugh that resonated from his chest, carrying a warm breath that brushed against the back of her neck.

"You still have moments of shyness?" he said, his tone clearly teasing.

Wang Churan bit her lower lip and didn't reply.

She's not usually like this.

Outspoken and uninhibited, she dares to say and ask anything, even asking questions like "Do you want me to help you out?" without batting an eye.

But now, with him half-embracing her like this, her heart was beating irrationally fast.

It reminded her of the scenes in the countryside where adults would hold this child...

Now Li Ran is the adult, and she is the child...

"Who have you played like this with?" she asked, her voice regaining some of its usual crispness, but the ending tone still sounded a little unsteady.

Without hesitation, Li Ran casually replied, "Little Hu."

Wang Churan was stunned for a moment.

Then she straightened up and turned her head slightly to look at him.

The blush on her face hadn't completely faded, but her eyes had already changed...

There was a hint of defiance in her eyes, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"The little fox can," she said, looking into his eyes, enunciating each word clearly, "and so can I."

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh when he saw her like this.

"Then why were you shy just now?" he asked.

Wang Churan opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself unable to find the right words.

She glared at him, her eyes filled with anger, embarrassment, and a hint of awkwardness at being seen through.

"I'm just... not used to it." She turned her face away, her voice muffled.

"Oh?" Li Ran drawled, his smile widening. "So it's not that you're shy, but that you're not used to it?"

Wang Churan took a deep breath, turned her head, and looked up at him: "Yes, it's just not used to. You'll get used to it after a few more times."

Only after she said it did she realize how ambiguous her words were.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow at her, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement.

Wang Churan's face turned red again.

"I...I didn't mean that," she said, her voice rising a half octave.

"What do you mean?" Li Ran asked, looking completely innocent.

Wang Churan glared at him, feeling that his feigned ignorance was even more infuriating than before.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her racing heartbeat, and tried to make her tone sound normal: "I mean... practice, the kind of practice where we rehearse a scene. Don't get the wrong idea."

Li Ran nodded and said seriously, "Oh, rehearsing the scene, I understand."

His expression clearly showed that he didn't understand anything.

This action might have just struck a nerve with Wang Churan...

On the star.

Anyway, the hotel carpet was beyond repair, and Li Ran truly understood that...

The meaning of the saying "Women are made of water".

I'll have to ask Xiao Chen to help me change rooms tomorrow. Luckily, I wasn't in bed just now, otherwise I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Li Ran looked at Wang Churan nestled in his arms and said softly, "Did this happen to be lit for you today?"

Wang Churan blushed slightly, glared at him, and said, "You still dare to say that? It's so embarrassing..."

She didn't know if it was because of Li Ran's bold actions or because Li Ran mentioned Hu Lianxin, that little fox.

To Wang Churan's surprise, she originally thought that she and Li Ran had already been quite open with each other.

I didn't expect the little fox to be even fiercer...

……

The following morning.

Li Ran and Zhang Ruonan had just finished a scene together and were walking side by side toward the rest area.

The crew was adjusting the camera positions in preparation for the next shoot, while the props team carried things back and forth. Occasionally, someone would nod at them as a greeting.

Zhang Ruonan unscrewed a bottle of water, took a sip, and turned to look at him: "When are you going back to Beijing?"

Li Ran thought for a moment: "My flight is tomorrow night. We need to take graduation photos on the 19th."

"Are you coming back on the 20th?"

"The night of the 20th, I guess," Li Ran said.

Zhang Ruonan nodded, said "Oh," and didn't say anything more.

Li Ran glanced at her, somewhat curious: "Why are you asking this?"

Zhang Ruonan pursed her lips, her tone carrying a hint of self-righteousness: "The male lead took leave as soon as filming started, can't I even ask him about it?"

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly: "Didn't you already know? We're taking graduation photos, and Cunzi and Coconut's birthdays are on the 20th."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruonan's eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile curved her lips: "They share the same birthday, what are you planning to do?"

Li Ran smiled helplessly at her gossipy expression: "What's it to you? Are you gloating?"

Zhang Ruonan blinked, looking innocent. "I'm just curious. I heard Jingyi say that the two of them even fought."

Li Ran sighed: "Why does Zhang Jingyi tell you everything?"

Zhang Ruonan thought for a moment, then tilted her head to look at him: "She's probably afraid that I'll fall for you, so she's told me a lot about your scumbag behavior."

Li Ran looked at her and suddenly leaned a little closer.

"So, have you fallen for me?"

Zhang Ruonan was taken aback.

Li Ran's face was so close that I could see the curve of his eyelashes.

Sunlight shone from behind him, casting a warm glow on his face. His eyes held a hint of a smile, a touch of seriousness, and something else that was hard to define.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Then she suddenly took a step back and almost tripped over the electrical wires on the ground.

"What are you doing!" she glared at him, her cheeks visibly turning red.

"Li Ran, let me tell you, I'm... Jingyi's best friend..."

Li Ran smiled, turned around, and looked at her calmly, saying, "Xiao Hu and Coconut used to be best friends!"

In his mind, he added: Well, at least the two of them still know how to team up against others.

He turned and walked towards the rest area, his back view calm and composed.

Zhang Ruonan stood there, watching his back, her heart still pounding.

She took a deep breath, patted her burning cheeks, and quickly followed after him...