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

The recording of Peach Blossom Village was briefly paused again, inside Room 8.

Zhou Ye leaned back on the sofa and scrolled through his phone, while Hu Lianxin packed her luggage beside her. Meng Ziyi, holding a chocolate bar, stood at the door for a while before finally coming in.

"Xiao Ye, is Li Ran filming in Xiamen right now?" she asked casually.

Zhou Ye looked up and glanced at her indifferently. "Yes, what's wrong, Sister Meng?"

"It's nothing, I was just asking." Meng Ziyi lowered her head and patted Chocolate's head. The puppy rubbed against her and made a comfortable whimper.

Hu Lianxin stopped folding clothes and glanced at her. "Sister Meng, are you going to find Li Ran?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ye also raised his head, his gaze lingering on Meng Ziyi's face, his expression solemn.

Meng Ziyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, is that not allowed? I want to thank Li Ran for speaking up for me." Her voice was a little lower than before, but her tone was serious.

Hu Lianxin pursed her lips, unconcerned, and said, "Just thanking them on WeChat will suffice."

"I'd like to invite him to dinner," Meng Ziyi explained slowly.

Hu Lianxin looked up at her, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said softly, "Sister Meng, I'll go with you."

She then turned to Zhou Ye, "Coconut, are you going?"

Zhou Ye shook his head, turning his gaze back to his phone screen. "It's best for us to avoid each other for now."

Meng Ziyi opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately didn't.

Of course, her intentions went beyond simply inviting him to dinner; she also knew why Hu Lianxin wanted to come along.

She could have gone secretly by herself, but she was afraid that Li Ran wouldn't see her, so she sent him a WeChat message last night, but he hasn't replied yet.

……

Zhang Ruonan saw Li Ran sitting alone in a corner of the film set reading the script from afar, and her steps unconsciously became lighter.

She walked around the wires and prop boxes on the ground, stood in front of him, put her hands behind her back, clenched them into fists, and held them out in front of him.

Li Ran put down the script, looked up at her, a slight smile on his lips. "What's wrong?"

Zhang Ruonan opened her palm, revealing a White Rabbit milk candy, its white wrapper gleaming softly in the sunlight.

Her eyes crinkled into a smile, a hint of childlike smugness in her eyes: "Happy Children's Day, Li Ran! I'll treat you to candy."

Li Ran's lips curled slightly as he looked at the candy, but didn't immediately take it. "How childish."

He said that, but his hand reached out and took the candy. He unwrapped the candy, put the small white candy in his mouth, and the sweetness slowly melted in his mouth.

Zhang Ruonan sat down next to him and leaned closer to him.

"You should be secretly happy. Only your older sister would still treat you like a child and spoil you." She said this with a hint of arrogance in her tone, but her eyes were always on him.

Li Ran had a candy in her mouth, and her cheeks bulged slightly.

"It's quite sweet."

He said, then turned to look at her, "She just doesn't have as sweet a tongue as my sister."

Before Zhang Ruonan could react, he had already moved closer.

She instinctively wanted to say something, but her mouth was blocked as soon as she opened it. The candy was passed from Li Ran's mouth, and the sweetness melted on both of their tongues, mixed with the aroma of strawberries.

She froze for a second, her face flushed red, and she reached out to push him away.

"What are you doing!" she whispered, glancing quickly around. "We're on set!"

Li Ran was pushed back a little, but he wasn't annoyed. He just smiled at her. "Don't worry, no one's paying attention here."

He licked his lips. "But my sister's lips are quite sweet; they're even strawberry flavored."

Zhang Ruonan glared at him irritably, her heart still pounding.

"Aren't you afraid of being photographed without my consent?!" Her voice was low and a little nervous. "If you're not afraid of me being scary, your fans will curse me to death."

Li Ran leaned back in her chair, relaxed. "How could that be? My esports fans seem to really like you; after all, you're the current goddess of Hupu (a popular Chinese sports forum)."

Zhang Ruonan pursed her lips and didn't respond to the conversation.

She knew she had many male fans, and she also knew that those e-sports male fans were relatively friendly to her, but that wasn't the point.

"What about the CP fans?" she asked, looking at him. "And there are quite a few female fans of your dream now, Zhang Jingyi and the others have been criticized quite a bit."

"Just ignore it," Li Ran said casually, as if the matter was not worth mentioning at all.

He looked down at the script, flipped to the page he had just read, pointed to a line, and asked her about the emotional handling of this scene.

Zhang Ruonan had no choice but to turn her attention back to the script, but the sweetness of the candy in her mouth was still there, and the aroma of strawberries spread from the tip of her tongue to her throat, and she couldn't swallow it all.

She looked down at the script, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw his fingers tapping on the pages, his knuckles clearly defined, his nails very short.

She suddenly remembered the sensation of that candy sliding between their lips when his lips touched hers—sweet and soft, like melting ice cream in summer.

Someone on set was calling for preparation. She stood up and mentally reviewed the contents of that page of the script.

"Let's go over there," Zhang Ruonan said, looking at him.

Li Ran nodded, put down the script, and slowly stood up.

The two walked side by side toward the filming location. Zhang Ruonan glanced at him sideways, the sunlight shining from the side, outlining a handsome profile on his face.

She smiled sweetly; the sweetness of the candy in her mouth had faded, but her heart was still filled with sweetness.

……

After filming one take of the afternoon's scenes, Li Ran walked out of the camera's view, and her assistant, Xiao Chen, went up to her and whispered that Hu Lianxin and Meng Ziyi had arrived and were waiting in the dressing room.

Li Ran nodded. He saw Meng Ziyi's WeChat message but didn't reply. He didn't expect her to still come.

Xiao Hu followed along, which surprised him a bit. He knew that Xiao Hu didn't like Meng Ziyi very much, and Meng Ziyi usually only got close to Zhou Ye.

Wang Churan was also in the lounge.

She sat on the sofa scrolling through her phone, while Hu Lianxin sat on the other side, with an empty seat between them. Neither of them spoke to the other.

Meng Ziyi sat on the chair opposite, holding a bag in her arms, glancing at the door every now and then.

Li Ran pushed the door open and came in, and Meng Ziyi immediately stood up.

"Li Ran, didn't you see the message I sent you?" she asked directly, her voice not loud, but with a hint of accusation in her tone.

Li Ran smiled faintly: "I saw it, so what?"

"Then why didn't you reply to me?" Meng Ziyi took a step forward, looking self-righteous.

Wang Churan looked up, rolled her eyes, and said coldly, "Why should I reply to you? Who are you?"

Meng Ziyi glanced at Wang Churan.

They weren't close, but she knew this was one of Li Ran's girlfriends. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Li Ran had already spoken.

"It's time to film your scenes with Sister Ruonan. Aren't you going to get ready?" He looked at Wang Churan, his tone indifferent.

Wang Churan pursed her lips, put her phone in her pocket, slowly stood up, and said to Li Ran, "I know."

She glanced at Meng Ziyi, said nothing, and walked out of the lounge.

Meng Ziyi watched her figure disappear through the doorway and let out a soft hum.

Li Ran sat down next to Hu Lianxin, looked at Meng Ziyi, and asked casually, "Sister Meng, what brings you to visit the set?"

Meng Ziyi's slight displeasure quickly dissipated. She sat down opposite Li Ran and smiled.

"Li Ran, thank you for speaking up for me." She said this earnestly, looking at Li Ran.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, relaxed. "You don't need to thank me. I don't want my fans to cause me any trouble."

Hu Lianxin listened from the side, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"Sister Meng, I told you you were overthinking it. Li Ran treats everyone the same, don't flatter yourself." She said this without looking at Meng Ziyi, fiddling with her phone.

Meng Ziyi gave an awkward laugh, but the smile only lingered on her face for a moment before disappearing.

"Anyway, I should still thank you." She looked at Li Ran. "I'll treat you to dinner tonight."

Li Ran nodded: "Okay, bringing a few people shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Meng Ziyi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized: "Okay."

Li Ran stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his pants. "You two can rest in the lounge. I'm going to film now. We'll talk tonight."

Meng Ziyi nodded and said nothing more.

Hu Lianxin looked at him and said, "You go ahead and get busy."

Li Ran walked out of the lounge, the door closing gently behind him.

The room was quiet for a while. Hu Lianxin leaned back on the sofa and glanced at Meng Ziyi.

"Sister Meng, you haven't given up yet?" she asked, her tone indifferent, revealing no emotion.

Meng Ziyi remained silent for a moment.

"Why should I give up?" She looked up at Hu Lianxin. "Li Ran's willingness to speak up for me proves that I have a chance."

Hu Lianxin snorted coldly. "Meng Ziyi, Li Ran is speaking up for you not because of you, but because that's just who he is."

She looked at Meng Ziyi with a scrutinizing gaze, "He's like this to everyone. You're just a friend at most. Don't overthink it."

"If you don't believe me, see how he treats Zhang Ruonan and how he treats you tonight."

Meng Ziyi understood what she meant, but she still wanted to give it a try.

Li Ran was polite and courteous to her, would speak up for her, and would have her studio issue a statement when she was being criticized.

These things don't prove anything, but they do show that it's not entirely impossible. She didn't believe that Li Ran would look at her with empty eyes.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Hu Lianxin asked again, "Meng Ziyi, why are you so obsessed with Li Ran? You've seen it yourself, his womanizing ways."

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, but also a touch of curiosity.

Meng Ziyi shook her head, a slight smile curving her lips, a smile that held a hint of bitterness and a touch of determination.

"Who can really explain feelings?" she asked, looking at Hu Lianxin. "Aren't you the same?"

Hu Lianxin paused for a moment, then didn't reply.

Back then, with Li Ran, whatever I did was met with a response, but you…

At six o'clock in the evening, the sun in Xiamen had not yet completely set, and the sky was a thin layer of orange-red.

After finishing work, Li Ran changed her clothes and waited for Wang Churan and Zhang Ruonan to come out at the entrance of the film set.

"Meng Ziyi is treating us to dinner tonight, are you two going?" he asked casually.

Wang Churan nodded, her expression indifferent, but there was a hint of "I want to see what she's up to" in her eyes.

Zhang Ruonan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

She's Li Ran's girlfriend now, even though she was the last one to join the group. But they share some similar thoughts and don't want any new people to come into the picture.

Hu Lianxin and Meng Ziyi went ahead to the reserved private room to wait for them.

When Li Ran and his two companions arrived, all the dishes had already been served. The private room was small and simply decorated, but clean. Several cold dishes were laid out on the round table, with empty space in the middle for hot dishes. Beer and soft drinks were already opened.

The five people took their seats. Meng Ziyi sat opposite Li Ran, Hu Lianxin next to her, Wang Churan sat to Li Ran's right, and Zhang Ruonan sat to his left.

Hot dishes were served one after another, and the group ate and chatted, creating a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

Meng Ziyi never mentioned the purpose of her trip to Xiamen, only saying "eat vegetables, eat vegetables" and "this fish is good," as if she really just came to catch up with old friends.

Zhang Ruonan sat next to Li Ran, her chopsticks never stopping. She picked up a piece of fish and put it in Li Ran's bowl, then picked up a piece of green vegetable and a piece of pork rib. Li Ran ate with his head down, without saying anything.

Zhang Ruonan picked up another piece of fish, this time after removing the bones.

Hu Lianxin saw this, her chopsticks hovering in mid-air, forgetting to pick up any food.

These two are usually either bickering or arguing, but today Zhang Ruonan is acting like a completely different person, being as attentive as a girlfriend.

Are they really together?

Without hesitation, Hu Lianxin asked directly, "Zhang Ruonan, why do you keep putting food on Li Ran's plate?"

After she finished speaking, her eyes kept darting back and forth between the two of them.

Zhang Ruonan was stunned for a moment, her chopsticks stopping in mid-air.

Wang Churan spoke first, explaining, "Isn't it normal for a girlfriend to serve food to her boyfriend?"

After speaking, he glanced at Meng Ziyi's reaction and noticed that her expression stiffened slightly for a moment.

Hu Lianxin's suspicions were confirmed.

She put down her chopsticks, leaned back in her chair, looked at Zhang Ruonan, and her lips curved slightly, but there was no real smile.

She spoke slowly, her tone tinged with sarcasm, "Didn't you say you didn't like that scumbag Li Ran?"

Zhang Ruonan put down her chopsticks, turned her head to look at Hu Lianxin, smiled, and casually said, "But Li Ran is pursuing me shamelessly, and I'm also very troubled."

Although she didn't want to cause trouble, how could someone who had just come of age and started working hard be a pushover?

Li Ran was drinking soup when he heard this and choked a little. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth and looked at Zhang Ruonan with disbelief.

"Sister, is that so?"

Zhang Ruonan glared at him, her eyes carrying a hint of warning and a touch of coquetry.

"Wasn't it you who confessed your love to me at the beach? Wasn't it you who forcibly kissed me?"

Li Ran, feeling her gaze fixed on him, chuckled awkwardly, "That's right, you're absolutely right."

Zhang Ruonan snorted and placed a piece of pork rib into his bowl. "Weren't you the one who pursued me?"

Li Ran glanced down at the overflowing bowl of food and nodded: "I was the one who pursued you."

Wang Churan rolled her eyes, and Hu Lianxin rolled her eyes too.

It's rare for two people to agree on the same thing, so I'm too lazy to deal with them.

When people first get together, they're at their most affectionate, everything they say is sweet, everything they do is right, and they don't listen to anything others say.

Meng Ziyi sat opposite, watching Zhang Ruonan serve food to Li Ran, watching Li Ran eat with his head down, and watching the two of them bicker back and forth.

She suddenly realized that the food in her mouth didn't taste like anything anymore.

She also sent Li Ran a message, which he saw but didn't reply to. She wanted to invite Li Ran to dinner, and he came with three girlfriends.

She was practically throwing herself at him, yet Li Ran still barely acknowledged her. But what about Zhang Ruonan? He was the one who pursued her, the one who confessed his feelings, and the one who kissed her passionately.

How can the difference be so big?

She had also forcibly kissed Li Ran, but it was nothing...

She picked up her wine glass, stood up, and looked at Li Ran.

"Li Ran, I'd like to propose a toast to you. Thank you for speaking up for me." Her voice was a little lower than usual, but her tone was earnest.

Li Ran also picked up his wine glass, stood up, and clinked glasses with her.

They each took a sip of their drink. Meng Ziyi didn't say anything more, but lowered her head and picked up some food, eating very slowly.

……

When the dinner ended, Meng Ziyi was already drunk. She was slumped on the table, her face buried in her arms, her hair down, covering half of her face.

Hu Lianxin stood up to help her, but as soon as she touched her arm, she was flung away.

"I want Li Ran to help me up, not you." She raised her head, her face flushed, her eyes unfocused, but her voice was loud.

Li Ran had also drunk quite a bit, his cheeks flushed, but he was still lucid. He chuckled awkwardly and shook his head, about to speak, when Wang Churan stood up. (The online novel, "Hua Yu: Starting from Retirement, Sweeping Through the Domestic Entertainment Industry," by author Tao Qi Mo Li Hua, is available on Ke Le Novels.)

"Li Ran, you've been drinking too. Go back and rest first." She looked at Li Ran, her tone calm but unquestionable.

"Little Fox and I will take her back to the hotel. You need to help her; it won't look good if we get photographed." After saying that, she winked at Zhang Ruonan.

Zhang Ruonan immediately understood, stood up, and tugged at Li Ran's sleeve. "Li Ran, let's go back first."

Li Ran naturally knew what they were thinking and nodded.

Zhang Ruonan picked up his coat, and the two were about to leave when Meng Ziyi suddenly stood up. The movement was so sudden that the chair slid back a bit, making a piercing sound.

She crossed her arms, leaned against the table, and tilted her head to look at Meng Ziyi.

Hu Lianxin pursed her lips, looking at Meng Ziyi's expression, not knowing what to say.

No wonder this guy can get along with Zhou Ye; he's someone who looks shrewd but is actually a fool.

Li Ran turned around and looked at Meng Ziyi helplessly, saying, "Sister Meng, let's talk about it later. You're drunk, go back to the hotel and rest early."

After saying that, he took Zhang Ruonan's hand and prepared to leave.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Meng Ziyi rushed over.

When she rushed over, Wang Churan was leaning against the table looking at her phone. Before she could react, Meng Ziyi bumped into her, causing her to stumble to the side, her shoulder hitting the wall, and her phone almost falling to the ground.

"Meng Ziyi, what are you doing!" By the time Wang Churan regained his footing, Meng Ziyi had already grabbed Li Ran's arm.

Seeing this, Wang Churan pulled Meng Ziyi away from Li Ran.

She tried to slap him back, but Li Ran grabbed her wrist with lightning speed.

"Alright." Li Ran's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of warning.

Wang Churan was not about to give up easily; his hands and feet were being grabbed.

She raised her leg and kicked Meng Ziyi in the shin. Meng Ziyi cried out in pain, took two steps back, and fell back into the chair.

"Li Ran hit me..." Meng Ziyi covered her calf, tears falling like little pearls.

Li Ran felt a headache coming on.

He released Wang Churan's hand and was about to comfort Meng Ziyi when Wang Churan's hand was already empty.

She slapped him hard across the face, the sharp sound echoing in the private room.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do!" Wang Churan looked down at Meng Ziyi, her voice icy. "You troublemaker, what are you pretending for? Who is Li Ran to you? Going to complain to him?"

She crossed her arms, her chin slightly raised, like a cat that had won a fight.

Li Ran truly did not expect Wang Churan to actually hit someone.

"Wang Churan, that's enough." His voice turned cold, tinged with anger.

Wang Churan rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and stood to the side without saying a word.

That expression seemed to say, "We've already started fighting, what are you going to do about it?"

Li Ran felt a headache coming on.

It's been a long time since I've seen a scene like this. The last time was when Coconut and Xiao Hu teamed up to beat Li Gengxi, but he didn't see it with his own eyes.

This time, it really happened right before my eyes.

The private room was silent for a few seconds. Meng Ziyi sat in the chair, covering her face, tears still falling, but she didn't make a sound.

Zhang Ruonan stood next to Li Ran, looking at this and that, unsure of what to say.

Hu Lianxin leaned against the table, arms crossed, with an expression that said, "It has nothing to do with me."

Wang Churan stood at the very edge, her face still bearing a trace of lingering anger.

Li Ran sighed, his gaze falling on Meng Ziyi, who was still sobbing, before turning to Zhang Ruonan.

"You and Chu Ran should go back to the hotel first."

Zhang Ruonan nodded and looked at Wang Churan.

Wang Churan snorted coldly, turned around and left the private room. Zhang Ruonan quickly followed him out and closed the door behind her.

The door closed, and the private room fell silent...

Li Ran sat on the chair for a while, watching Meng Ziyi lower her head and wipe away her tears. Hu Lianxin stood beside her, arms crossed, with a cold expression.

He stood up and pushed his chair back to the table. "Where did you two book your hotel? I'll take you back first, and we can talk again when we get there."

Hu Lianxin pursed her lips and said in a flat voice, "The hotel next to your film crew's."

She glanced at Meng Ziyi, then quickly looked away, as if even looking at her for a second was too much of a bother.

Li Ran nodded and looked at Meng Ziyi: "Sister Meng, let's talk about it back at the hotel."

His tone was flat, as if he were talking to a business partner he wasn't very familiar with.

Meng Ziyi has stopped crying so much.

She looked up, her eyes still red, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, her voice soft as if she were pleading, "Li Ran, my legs hurt..."

Hu Lianxin rolled her eyes, her eyes so big and round that they looked like they were going to pop out.

"Meng Ziyi, if you act again, I won't hesitate to slap you too." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word carried a fierce edge.

Meng Ziyi glanced at her but didn't dare to reply.

Li Ran helplessly shrugged, too exhausted even to sigh.

"Alright, let's talk back at the hotel." With that, he turned and walked out.

It wasn't that he was cold-blooded or heartless; he didn't dislike Meng Ziyi, but he didn't have any other feelings for her either.

Li Gengxi is more attractive than her...

At least Li Gengxi knows what she wants and won't pester him like this.

What about Meng Ziyi? She seems to simply want to prove to everyone that she can be one of them too.

At the door, Xiao Chen was already waiting in his van. The window was rolled down halfway, and the light from his cigarette flickered briefly in the darkness before being extinguished.

Li Ran walked over and opened the car door. "Zhang Ruonan and Wang Churan went back?"

Xiao Chen nodded and explained, "Teacher Zhang went back to the hotel first and told me to wait for you here. Ran-ge, who's fighting again?"

Li Ran didn't get in the car, glared at him, and said, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

Xiao Chen chuckled sheepishly, "It's not like I haven't seen it before. Ran-ge, tell me, who beat whom this time?"

Li Ran said helplessly, "Why are you so gossipy now?"

Before long, Hu Lianxin helped Meng Ziyi out of the hotel.

Meng Ziyi walked with a limp, leaning on Hu Lianxin, and it didn't seem like she was faking it.

Wang Churan must have put a lot of force into that kick; that bruise on his calf will probably be quite large tomorrow.

Li Ran glanced at them, opened the passenger door, and got in.

He didn't help Meng Ziyi up, or even open the car door for them.

The back door was opened and closed again, and Hu Lianxin helped Meng Ziyi sit down.

……

Back at the hotel, Hu Lianxin helped Meng Ziyi walk ahead, while Li Ran followed behind, his hands in his pockets, never reaching out.

He was afraid that if he reached out, it would be misunderstood again, and Meng Ziyi would have some inappropriate thoughts.

Meng Ziyi walked with a limp, leaning on Hu Lianxin, taking each step very slowly.

Hu Lianxin didn't urge her, she just supported her like that, her face expressionless.

When they arrived at the room, Hu Lianxin used one hand to swipe the room card. The door opened, and she helped Meng Ziyi inside, all the way to the bedside where she sat down.

Li Ran leaned against the wall in the entryway, arms crossed.

He looked at Meng Ziyi and spoke first: "Sister Meng, let me apologize to you on behalf of Chu Ran."

His tone was flat, businesslike, and without much expression. He paused, then softened his voice slightly, "Now, do you have anything to say?"

Meng Ziyi sat on the edge of the bed, glanced up at him, then looked at Hu Lianxin standing next to her, and said nothing.

The meaning was expressed very clearly.

Li Ran understood what she meant and turned to Hu Lianxin: "Xiao Hu, you go back to your room first, I'll come find you later."

Hu Lianxin pouted, stood still, but crossed her arms and looked at Meng Ziyi, looking just like a hoodlum.

"Meng Ziyi, just say what you want to say. I won't leave." Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was firm.

Meng Ziyi lowered her head, her eyelashes drooping. Occasionally, she would look up at Li Ran with wet, pleading eyes, like a small animal drenched in rain.

She didn't say anything, she just looked at him.

Li Ran felt a little soft-hearted looking at her.

He wasn't giving it to her; even a beautiful woman looking at him like that couldn't keep him completely indifferent.

But he also knew that this kind of soft-heartedness was the worst thing he could do. If he gave her a little response, she would take it as hope and then fall deeper and deeper into it.

He shook his head helplessly, walked over, grabbed Hu Lianxin's wrist, and led her outside.

"Okay, I'll come find you in a bit." His voice was low, but his tone carried an air of unyielding authority.

Hu Lianxin was half-pushed and half-pulled out by him, her steps hesitant. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned her head and stared at Meng Ziyi, her eyes full of warning.

"Meng Ziyi, you'd better not have any ulterior motives." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clearly enunciated. "Otherwise, I wouldn't mind..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but you can easily guess what that unfinished sentence was.

Li Ran pushed Hu Lianxin out and closed the door behind him.

After Hu Lianxin left, the room fell into a brief silence.

Li Ran stood at the door, neither going in nor sitting down, but leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed yet somewhat aloof.

"Sister Meng," he gave a wry smile, "what exactly do you want to tell me?"

Meng Ziyi raised her head, her eyes already brimming with tears.

Her eyes were wet, with tiny drops of water clinging to her eyelashes. Her lips were slightly pouting, and her voice carried a hint of grievance and coquettishness at the end: "Li Ran, my calves hurt."

She bent down and slowly rolled up her trouser legs.

The area on his calf was a large purplish-blue, with dark bruising showing through the skin. The edges were starting to turn yellow, while the center was still a deep purple. It looked painful.

Wang Churan really put all his strength into that kick.

Li Ran frowned, stared at the bruise for two seconds, and then took out his phone to send a message to Xiao Chen.

He didn't speak while typing, and his expression was indifferent, but he worked quickly. After sending the message, he put his phone in his pocket and looked at Meng Ziyi.

"I've asked my assistant to buy the medicine; it will be delivered later."

Meng Ziyi nodded, looked at him, and slowly said, "Can you help me apply it? It's inconvenient for me to do it myself."

As she said this, she stared at him intently, looking utterly pitiful.

Li Ran thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

"OK."

Just one word, without any unnecessary hesitation or deliberate distancing, as if agreeing to an ordinary request.

Meng Ziyi raised her head and smiled. The smile was very light, and there were still traces of tears in the corners of her eyes, but the curve of her lips was real.

"Thank you, Li Ran."

"It's what I should do, after all, he is the king..." Li Ran didn't finish his sentence.

"Li Ran, I don't want to talk about these things." Meng Ziyi interrupted him, her voice not loud, but her tone firm, as if she didn't want those unpleasant names to appear in this room where there were only the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Li Ran fell silent and quietly watched her.

Meng Ziyi took a deep breath, as if she were inhaling all her courage into her lungs.

She looked up at Li Ran, who was standing against the wall, and asked the question she had been holding back for a long time: "Do you also hate me? Do you think I'm a bit dramatic...?"

Li Ran shook his head, his tone very serious: "Sister Meng, you have a great personality. Although your way of speaking is a bit... well, I wouldn't say I dislike you."

Meng Ziyi looked at him without looking away.

"That doesn't mean you like him, right?" She finished the sentence for him.

Li Ran was silent for two seconds, then nodded.

He didn't argue or make excuses; he simply nodded quietly.

Looking at his calm face, Meng Ziyi suddenly smiled, a smile that contained a hint of bitterness and a touch of relief.

"Don't you have feelings for me? Am I not pretty enough, or do I have a bad figure...?" She paused, then didn't finish her sentence.

She thought of Zhou Ye, and of Li Ran's favoritism towards him—something she could never reach.

But body shape is clearly not the main issue... Zhou Ye's body shape is not as good as hers.

She didn't say it aloud; some things are better left unsaid.

Li Ran shook his head. "I just don't feel anything."

"Maybe this is my problem; I completely follow my feelings."

Meng Ziyi remained silent.

This feeling is the hardest thing; it has no requirements, no conditions, it all depends on what Li Ran thinks.

She can change her personality, learn to cook, become less talkative, and refrain from being difficult...

But she couldn't change Li Ran's feelings; it was something she could never reach no matter how hard she tried.

The room remained quiet for a long time.

After a long while, Meng Ziyi raised her head again and looked at Li Ran. Her eyes were still red, but there were no more tears. There was only a quiet calm, as if she had made a decision.

"I have no chance, is that it?" She paused, then added, "Even if I don't ask for a title, I don't ask to be like Zhou Ye and the others..."

"Sister Meng," Li Ran interrupted her, her voice low but earnest.

He looked at her with a slight smile on his lips. It wasn't a perfunctory or polite smile; it was a genuine and gentle smile tinged with tenderness.

"You're very good. You don't deserve this treatment from me."

Meng Ziyi looked at him, her gaze fixed on him. "Li Ran, whether it's worth it or not isn't for you to decide."

Her voice was soft, but every word was clear: "I think it's worth it, it is worth it."

Li Ran sighed softly, a sigh tinged with helplessness.

"Sister Meng, I can make promises to Zhou Ye and the others." He looked at her and said seriously, "But I can't make any promises to you."

"I don't care."

Meng Ziyi looked at him, her tone earnest, "I only want you."

"Meng Ziyi, you don't need to do this." Li Ran's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "I..."

Meng Ziyi didn't wait for him to finish speaking.

She slowly stood up, walked to him, and hugged him.

Her limping gait had also stopped, clearly indicating that she had been faking it.

Her face was pressed against his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat, steady and neither too fast nor too slow.

She closed her eyes and felt his hand hovering in mid-air. After a long while, it gently landed on her shoulder.

She didn't speak or cry; she just held him, as if holding something she had been waiting for for a very long time. Now that she had finally received it, she didn't know what to do with it.

Li Ran's hand rested on her shoulder, neither pushing her away nor tightening his grip.

Meng Ziyi buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled, "Li Ran, tonight you belong only to me, okay?"

……