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

The night in Peach Blossom Village was already deep, and the first episode had come to an end.

The preview for the next episode was still playing on the screen. It was edited very quickly, with a few shots flashing by. Li Ran saw himself dragging his suitcase into the village entrance. It was only a fraction of a second, and you wouldn't notice it if you didn't look closely.

Wang Churan leaned back on the sofa, still holding the empty can of beer in her hand. She shook it; it was empty.

She placed it on the coffee table, turned to look at Li Ran, and asked, "In which episode will you appear?"

Li Ran thought for a moment and said, "The second half of the second episode, since they've been recording for several days and I joined as a guest midway through."

Wang Churan nodded, put his feet on the sofa, and sat cross-legged.

Zhang Ruonan suddenly looked up from her phone screen as if she remembered something: "When is your and Jingyi's 'Lighter and Princess Dress' going to be released? It's been shelved for so long."

Li Ran smiled, leaned back on the sofa, and put his hands behind his head.

"At the end of July, Uku wanted to compete with 'You Are My Glory'."

He paused, then added, "It's been renamed now, called 'Ignite Me, Warm You'."

Wang Churan's eyes widened when she heard this.

"Huh? Competing with Dilraba Dilmurat's 'You Are My Glory'? Isn't that a Tencent drama? Aren't you the crown prince of Tencent?"

Li Ran was amused by her appearance and reached out to flick her forehead.

"Netizens call me the 'Penguin Prince,' why are you calling me that too? Don't you know what kind of prince I am?"

He withdrew his hand, his tone becoming more casual, "Although 'You Are My Glory' is produced by Tencent, it's available on both Tencent and iQiyi platforms."

Wang Churan rubbed his forehead, which had been flicked, rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were turned up.

She didn't continue the topic, changing the subject instead: "Are you and Tian Xiwei going to film a drama for iQiyi next?"

Li Ran was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Wang Churan waved his hand, with an expression that said, "I have a brilliant plan." He replied, "Don't worry about that."

She wouldn't say, and Li Ran didn't think much of it. Many of the staff at Wajiji knew about it, and he wondered where she had heard it from.

"There are two projects, but I only plan to participate in one," Li Ran explained.

Wang Churan nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

She glanced at the time; it was already 10 o'clock.

Then she turned her head and looked at Zhang Ruonan with a smile: "Sister Ruonan, it's so late, aren't you going home to rest? You have filming tomorrow."

Zhang Ruonan was taken aback.

She glanced down at the time on her phone, then at Wang Churan's face, which seemed to say, "You should go," and slowly stood up.

"Then I'll head back now." She picked up her coat from the sofa and walked towards the door.

Li Ran watched her retreating figure, then glanced at Wang Churan, who was already comfortably nestled on the sofa beside her: "Aren't you going back?"

Wang Churan pouted, frowned at him, and her expression instantly changed from self-righteous to aggrieved: "Then I'll leave?"

Li Ran smiled, nodded, and said in a light tone, "Take care..."

"Li Ran!" Wang Churan pounced on him, pinned him down on the sofa, straddled him, and looked down at him, her hair falling down on both sides of her face, like a kitten about to fight.

Zhang Ruonan walked to the door, glanced back, shook her head, and quickly opened the door and went out.

The door closed gently behind her. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

Inside the room, Wang Churan listened to the sound of the door closing, then slowly lay down on Li Ran's chest, resting her chin on his collarbone and looking up at him.

Her voice was very low, as if she were revealing a secret: "You don't have feelings for Meng Ziyi, so what about Zhang Ruonan?"

Li Ran's hand rested on her waist; he neither pushed her away nor hugged her tightly.

He thought for a moment and said, "Don't you already know? Don't you realize why I've been teasing her? Have you ever seen me tease Meng Ziyi?"

Wang Churan propped herself up slightly, looked at him, and her expression was somewhat complicated.

She knew, of course, that he hadn't teased Meng Ziyi. Li Ran treated Meng Ziyi with the same politeness he would show to a casual colleague—polite, distant, and keeping his distance.

It's different with Zhang Ruonan. He would take the initiative to provoke her, take a few more glances at her when she's eating with her head down, and when she says, "Is it fun for you to tease me?" he would neither admit nor deny it, but just smile.

"So you still have feelings for Lu Yuxiao?" she said, her tone a little defiant and a little probing. "She seems to be the one you make happiest, right?"

Li Ran thought for a moment, then nodded without denying it.

"That's right."

He looked into Wang Churan's eyes, where the light reflected his own image, and a hint of barely concealed bitterness. "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

Wang Churan stared at him for two seconds, then let out a cold laugh.

"Jealous? I'm not jealous at all." She rolled her eyes. "I can handle it all."

She knew she had actively pursued Li Ran; others might not know, but Li Ran would celebrate their birthdays...

This year, although I spent my birthday with Li Ran, there was also the annoying Tian Xiwei.

……

Zhang Ruonan returned to her room. She didn't turn on the main light, but changed her shoes by the light from the motion-sensor light in the entryway. She draped her coat over the back of a chair and slowly walked to the bed and sat down.

The air conditioner was whirring, taking away the stuffy heat of the summer night from the room, but it couldn't take away the restlessness in her heart.

The air conditioner was whirring, taking away the stuffy heat of the summer night from the room, but it couldn't take away the restlessness in her heart.

She lay down, staring at the ceiling, her mind filled with what had just happened.

Li Ran said he had no feelings for Meng Ziyi.

He said this casually, without any hesitation or reluctance.

Meng Ziyi is so beautiful, yet he says he has no feelings for her.

And what about him towards himself? He likes to tease her, likes to see her speechless with chokes, and likes to glance at her more often when she's eating with her head down.

Do you like these things, or do you just find them fun?

What if he just thought it was funny and didn't actually like her? Wouldn't it be embarrassing if she said something she shouldn't have?

If we meet on set again, how will we film the movie?

How will Zhang Jingyi explain this?

She rolled over, buried her face in the pillow, and let out a muffled groan.

Zhang Ruonan, what are you thinking about?

How could you confess to that jerk? Don't you know he has several girlfriends? Don't you know Jingyi is your good friend? Have you forgotten how you used to berate him? Calling him a womanizer, saying he wasn't a good person...

How long has it been since you last said those words, and you've already forgotten them all?

She lifted her face from the pillow, took a deep breath, and then rolled over onto her back.

She hadn't forgotten; she remembered it perfectly...

On the night of Weibo Night, she hid behind Zhang Jingyi and watched Li Ran lead her out of the venue, thinking to herself... How could this person be like this?

When he learned more, he became even angrier and spent the entire night berating Zhang Jingyi for him.

At that time, she really hated him. She hated his womanizing, his sense of entitlement, and his nonchalant attitude of "that's just how I am" even when he had done something wrong.

But now? Does she still hate him?

She closed her eyes, and the image of him on set that afternoon flashed through her mind.

"Zhang Ruonan, I like you. Do you like me?"

This sentence keeps echoing in my mind...

She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

No, I can't think about it anymore.

She picked up the water glass from the bedside table, took a big gulp, and the cold water slid down her throat, but the heat still lingered in her chest.

She lay back down, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and stared at the cloud on the ceiling.

Which of Li Ran's words were true and which were false? Did he actually like her, or was he just amused by her?

She suddenly remembered what Wang Churan had just said...

I only like you, so I can only try to get along well with the others.

As she said this, she held onto Li Ran's arm, her voice as soft as cotton candy, but her eyes were serious.

She knew perfectly well that Li Ran had other people in his life, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be by his side, even if it was just one of them.

Zhang Ruonan, you don't want to become like that too, do you?

Won't……

She is neither Wang Churan nor Zhang Jingyi; she cannot be that carefree.

What she wants is a unique kind of love, the kind of unwavering devotion where "you're the only one in my eyes," not the little bit left over after sharing with others.

But that person is Li Ran!

She closed her eyes, and his face appeared in her mind again.

She rolled over again, buried her face in the pillow, and muttered, "Zhang Ruonan, you're hopeless."

That night, she tossed and turned, over and over.

She thought for a long time, staring at the ceiling, imagining Li Ran's face, and said fiercely, "If anyone's going to confess, it'll be him confessing to me..."