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

Li Ran was caught off guard by her direct attack. He was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses from the unwavering gaze fixed on him.

He didn't respond to Wang Churan immediately. Instead, a playful smile curved his lips as he tentatively asked in a joking tone, "So you planned this all along?"

"No!" Wang Churan answered quickly, almost hastily, as if afraid of being misunderstood as having ulterior motives.

"What a coincidence to run into you today, but..."

She paused for a moment, her eyes still clear, and admitted, "I did follow you, right when you retired and dominated the trending topics."

She tilted her head slightly, seemingly carefully choosing her words, before slowly saying, "Actually, I wouldn't call myself a fan of yours. At first, I just had a bit of a crush on you. More likely, though..."

She paused, then suddenly laughed, a laugh so bright it was almost dazzling against the night sky.

"It's lust at first sight!"

She used that word on herself, and instead of feeling embarrassed, she laughed even louder, with a touch of candid slyness.

Li Ran just watched her speak quietly.

The river breeze ruffled the hair at her temples, and on her classic, distinctly oriental beauty, a bright and bold smile graced her face.

A corner of Li Ran's heart seemed to be touched by this brightness, and he silently echoed: Yes, it is quite beautiful.

At this moment, he had to admit that his "go with the flow" attitude was probably mixed with a bit of appreciation for "beauty".

He ignored Wang Churan's comment and instead casually tossed the question back at her, his tone teasing: "So you didn't even ask me if I have a girlfriend?"

Wang Churan readily complied, immediately smiling as she pressed on, her eyes gleaming with a knowing slyness: "So, Mr. Li Ran, do you have a girlfriend?"

Li Ran didn't answer. He glanced at his watch and naturally changed the subject: "Alright, it's getting late, we should go back."

After saying that, he actually turned around and walked towards the parking lot, leaving the unanswered question and the night scene by the river behind him.

"Hey! Li Ran!"

Wang Churan quickly caught up with him, her tone tinged with resentment and playful reproach, "You still haven't answered my question!"

Li Ran didn't stop walking; he simply turned his head and smiled at her.

"Sister Baizhou, we've only met for the first time today. Is the answer really that important?" He used that puzzling form of address again.

"It's important!" Wang Churan followed him to his side and walked alongside him, answering without hesitation.

Then, she seized on the key point in Li Ran's words again, "Also, why do you always call me 'Sister White Porridge'? It sounds weird."

Li Ran shook his head, glancing at Wang Churan's white BMW in front of him, and replied casually, "It's just my first impression, I think it suits you quite well."

"Your brain circuits are really peculiar," Wang Churan muttered under her breath, unable to resist rolling her eyes at him with her signature look. Her eyes held more helplessness than annoyance, but rather a familiar intimacy.

Li Ran saw the eye roll, chuckled, and offered no further explanation.

Some jokes are destined to be understood only by him, and now is not the time to decipher them.

The white BMW drove through the streets late at night and finally came to a smooth stop in front of the hotel where Li Ran was staying.

Wang Churan parked the car, turned to look at Li Ran who was about to get out, and suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of lingering laughter and straightforward expectation:

"Li Ran, if you ever want to be in a relationship, remember to look for me."

This is not about pressing for answers, but rather about leaving an open invitation and a place to sit.

Li Ran paused as he opened the car door, then turned to look at her.

They noticed that Wang Churan's eyes were exceptionally bright in the dim light, and he waited quietly for his reply.

Li Ran simply smiled in the end, his tone gentle but still without giving a definite answer.

"We'll see when the time comes."

He got out of the car, and before closing the door, he waved to her through the lowered window.

"Be careful on the road."

When Li Ran returned to his hotel room and went to the bathroom to wash up, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw a faint smile on his face, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Lust at first sight?" He repeated the phrase under his breath, a grin spreading across his face unconsciously.

The night is beautiful tonight. Some things don't need answers right now.

The next afternoon, Li Ran returned to the "Minglong Boys" crew. Although the narration work this time was not tiring, the journey back and forth still made him a little tired.

Fortunately, he didn't have any scenes scheduled for today, so he went straight back to his hotel room to get some rest and recharge.

After taking a shower, Li Ran put on a loose gray sweatshirt, nestled on the sofa, and opened a freshly delivered takeout order, preparing to treat himself...

With a soft "beep", the door was swung open.

He looked up and saw Zhou Ye push the door open and walk in, then gently close the door behind him.

She was still wearing the school uniform from the play, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking very youthful and energetic.

But when she saw Li Ran, her eyes and the tip of her nose started to redden, and her lips were pressed tightly together, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Li Ran was about to ask her, "Why did you finish filming so early today?", but before he could even say it...

"Wow……"

Zhou Ye watched as he suddenly burst into tears, not a quiet sob, but a loud, unrestrained wail, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Large tears welled up instantly, rolling down her cheeks and pattering onto the floor.

Li Ran was stunned, her hand holding the chopsticks frozen in mid-air.

He's only been gone for two days, what happened? In my memory, Zhou Ye was sometimes spoiled, but he rarely broke down in tears like this.

He subconsciously put down his chopsticks, feeling a little puzzled and amused. Why was he acting like a kindergarten kid who had lost a fight and was running home to complain to his parents?

Before he could figure it out, Zhou Ye had already walked over and sat heavily on the sofa next to him.

The next second, she threw herself into Li Ran's arms, wrapped her arms tightly around him, buried her tear-streaked face in the crook of his shoulder, and rubbed against him forcefully.

"Li Ran... Waaah... Tian Xiwei... she... she hit... hit me..." she sobbed, her voice choked with emotion.

Her shoulders were still trembling, and every accusation was accompanied by uncontrollable sobs, making her look extremely aggrieved.

Li Ran felt a helpless chuckle as she looked at Li Ran, who was being held quite tightly by her.

He raised his hand and gently patted her thin back, softly comforting her, "Alright, alright, stop crying, or you'll look like a little kitten. Tell me, why did she hit you?"

Hearing this, Zhou Ye hugged him even tighter, as if this would let Li Ran know that she had suffered a great injustice.

She buried her face deeper into Li Ran's chest, her voice muffled and choked with sobs as she began to accuse Tian Xiwei.

"She even called me... called me 'flat-chested'...!" Her sobs grew louder as she said that word, clearly a devastating blow to her.

"Then, she hit my chest... so hard... it hurt so much... Li Ran, she bullied me! She really bullied me!"

She repeated herself, as if to emphasize her status as a victim, then suddenly looked up at Li Ran with her tear-streaked face, her eyelashes wet and clumped together, her eyes red-rimmed, looking both pitiful and somewhat comical.

Li Ran pulled a tissue from the table and wiped away the tears on her face.

Seeing Zhou Ye still sobbing softly, he asked in confusion, "Did I hit you in the chest?"

"They even called you a tablet? What's going on with you guys?"