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

"coconut?"

Li Ran tentatively called out, the sound sounding somewhat abrupt in the quiet room.

"Um."

Zhou Ye's voice was very soft, almost a hum, and it was impossible to tell what emotion he was expressing, but at least he responded.

Li Ran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that they were willing to respond meant there was still room for communication, and the problem shouldn't have reached its worst point yet.

He walked to the bedside, sat down next to Zhou Ye, and reached out to pull her into his arms.

Zhou Ye struggled symbolically for a moment, then let him hold him.

Li Ran said, "Don't be angry, okay? Just ignore her."

"Hmm." Zhou Ye's response remained simple.

Li Ran continued, following her train of thought, "You see, things aren't actually that complicated. After this film is finished, you'll probably see each other very little, and with time, some things will just fade away..."

"Um."

Another "hmm" came, and Li Ran began to have doubts; this reaction seemed a bit off.

Based on his understanding of Zhou Ye, he knew that at this point she would either continue to ignore him with a cold face or directly lash out and refute him. How could she so calmly agree to several "hmm"s in a row?

He deliberately brought up a more sensitive topic to probe: "So, about the coconut, how about we hold off on the official announcement we talked about before? Let's wait until things stabilize a bit more?"

"Um."

This time, Li Ran's brows furrowed completely; this was extremely unusual.

He pinched Zhou Ye's chin and, with a little force, forced her to turn her face to face him.

"Are you possessed by a ghost?" Li Ran asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously, but a chill ran down his spine.

Zhou Ye raised his hand and forcefully slapped away the hand that was pinching his chin. His face finally showed some expression as he glared at him angrily: "You're the one who's possessed!"

"You're not angry?" Li Ran was even more surprised.

"Of course I'm angry!"

Zhou Ye's voice rose slightly, but he quickly lowered it again, though he still emphasized, "I'm furious!"

Li Ran was even more surprised and asked, "Then why do you agree to everything?"

Zhou Ye smirked and said coldly, "What's the use of getting angry? Li Ran, let me ask you, what's the use of me yelling and screaming at you right now?"

"Can you make me give up on Tian Xiwei immediately, instantly, and completely?"

Without waiting for Li Ran's reply, she continued, "Just like back then, we clearly agreed that you and I would play the male and female leads, but what good did it do?"

"You still went back to your professional career without looking back! Can I change your mind?"

She looked up at Li Ran, her gaze deep, and said firmly, "So, instead of wasting energy getting angry with you and damaging our relationship, let's save it."

"What do you mean?" Li Ran's heart skipped a beat.

Zhou Ye said clearly, word by word, "What I mean is, as long as I don't mention breaking up, as long as I still hold the title of girlfriend, Tian Xiwei will always be nothing but a nobody."

"What kind of people are those who come crawling to you?"

She raised her chin slightly, and continued with a touch of arrogance, "I have plenty of time and ways to make her lose interest and leave you on her own."

"Instead of throwing a tantrum, which would only push you further away and benefit her for nothing."

Li Ran was completely stunned. He looked at Zhou Ye in front of him and felt somewhat unfamiliar with him.

This is no longer the simple, straightforward, happy little dog who would only cry and complain when wronged, but a wise person who can calmly analyze, knows how to be patient, and even begins to plan.

This change surprised him and even made him a little uneasy, but he quickly suppressed this feeling of unease.

In any case, the best outcome he wants right now is for Coconut not to break up with him.

As for Tian Xiwei, filming for "Minglong Boy" is about to wrap up, and she has plenty of time and space to slowly reassure and communicate with him about the upcoming reshoots for "So Cute Us".

Seeing this, Li Ran didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer and changed the subject, saying, "That script wasn't very good to begin with, and it didn't help either of us; it was just a waste of time."

"Besides, my aunt wouldn't let me act in that kind of drama."

Zhou Ye scoffed, "You didn't tell me who your aunt was back then! A freshman like you should be lucky to even get a role!"

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's get some rest! We have filming tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ye suddenly broke free from his embrace and pushed him away, saying, "Go back to your room and sleep."

"I'll hold you tight and promise I won't move," Li Ran tried to bargain.

"No way." Zhou Ye's attitude was firm. He stood up and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the door.

"This is your punishment. Last night... I was too tired, and I want to rest well today."

She wasn't very strong, but she was determined, and she pushed and shoved Li Ran to the door.

Looking at her stern face, Li Ran knew that there was no chance tonight, so he could only smile helplessly and follow her lead out the door.

"Good night." Zhou Ye stood inside the door, said this, and then closed the door without hesitation.

Li Ran stood outside the tightly closed door, touched his nose, shook his head and chuckled. Although he had been kicked out, at least the situation hadn't worsened.

He turned and walked towards his room.

However, Li Ran was unaware that after Zhou Ye closed the door, he buried himself in the bed with a forlorn expression.

She was far less calm and resourceful than she appeared.

She finished filming her scenes early in the afternoon and returned to the hotel alone. She cried for a long time, the word "breakup" constantly swirling in her mind.

She couldn't bear this humiliation, and she couldn't imagine sharing the person she liked with someone else.

However, as the thought of breaking up became clearer, another, sharper pain also struck, and she still couldn't bear to let go.

She recalled all the moments she shared with Li Ran, his occasional tenderness, and how hard she had worked to win him back. Was she really going to give up like this?

She felt lost and helpless, and desperately needed an outlet to confide in. She absolutely couldn't mention it to her family, so after much thought, she could only call her best friend, Hu Lianxin.

The moment Zhou Ye heard Xiao Hu's familiar voice after the call connected, her pent-up grievances burst forth again. She choked back tears and poured out everything that had happened, hoping to get comfort from her best friend.

On the other end of the phone, Hu Lianxin listened quietly, but her emotions rose and fell with Zhou Ye's narration, a complex and indescribable feeling.

When she heard Zhou Ye say he wanted to break up, she was even a little happy. Wouldn't that mean she could be with Li Ran openly and legitimately?

But when she heard that there was another Tian Xiwei, her feelings became complicated.

Will Li Ran choose her? Tian Xiwei seems more difficult to deal with.

Although Hu Lianxin is somewhat love-struck, she is smarter than Zhou Ye. From her own perspective, Zhou Ye and Li Ran absolutely cannot break up.

Not for any other reason, but simply because Zhou Ye is easier to deal with than Tian Xiwei, with Zhou Ye in front of her, she can better hide herself. She can't lose the title of official girlfriend and best friend.

So, when Zhou Ye finished crying and asked her what to do, Xiao Hu started brainstorming and rationally analyzed the situation for her "best friend".

"Coconut, don't rush into this. Breaking up is a last resort; once you use it, there's no going back. Do you want to see Li Ran with her? Does that disgust you?"

Zhou Ye wiped away his tears. "Of course I don't want to! Xiao Hu, what am I going to do?"

Seeing that she had taken the bait, Hu Lianxin began her brainwashing techniques, claiming that everything she did was for her best friend's happy life and that she had no selfish motives whatsoever.

"Coconut, look, Li Ran's attitude is ambiguous right now. He clearly can't bear to part with either side. The more you make a fuss, the more you'll push him toward Tian Xiwei."

"Men are sometimes just like that; the less you care, the more they think about you."

"You need to change your perspective. What's your biggest advantage right now? It's that you're his legitimate girlfriend! That's the title, the official wife, the matriarch of a wealthy family!"

"Don't worry about whether there are wildflowers or colorful flags outside. As long as you hold onto this position, you will be invincible."

Zhou Ye thought about Li Ran's family situation and realized she was right, but she still felt wronged. "What can I do if I don't want to?"

Hu Lianxin was speechless upon hearing this. If we're not sisters, what am I supposed to do? I'm already a mistress on the side, what more do you want? This is really difficult!

Finally, she comforted Zhou Ye, "Coconut, for now you can only endure it, endure it until Tian Xiwei can't take it anymore and leaves Li Ran on her own..."

Hu Lianxin did this not only for Li Ran, but also for herself. If her relationship with Li Ran were discovered in the future, and Zhou Ye was still the same as he was now, then everything would be over.

Zhou Ye needs to get used to Li Ran's womanizing ways so that she can gradually develop and eventually take over the whole situation.

……