No matter how much Qin Ran enjoyed watching the movie, it eventually came to an end. The screen darkened, and the long list of production credits began to roll. Though the main cast was small, the production crew was extensive, with special thanks sections filled with the actors' teams. Seeing how much space their personal teams took up, Qin Ran couldn't help but internally scoff: The acting wasn't great, but the perks sure are.
The couples around them left hand in hand, for them, the movie was just a pastime—what mattered more was being together. Qin Ran felt the same way, though she wasn't sure what Yu Shuman thought. Yu Shuman, however, stayed seated, waiting for a post-credits scene. But the cleaning lady spoiled the surprise for them: "There's no extra scene, girls. You should head out; I need to clean."
"Thank you, Auntie. We'll get going," Yu Shuman responded, pulling Qin Ran along as they left. On the way back to campus, Yu Shuman started discussing the movie with Qin Ran. The mall where the theater was located wasn't far from the school, so they decided to walk back, giving Yu Shuman plenty of time to chat. She was worried that Qin Ran might miss the subway if they took too long, but Qin Ran reassured her that she would be fine taking the subway back.
As they walked, they discussed the movie, but as usual, it was mostly Yu Shuman doing the talking. She had a lot to say and didn't hold back.
"Junior, didn't you think that one part of the plot was totally off? When the male lead accused the female lead of lying—it was so unrealistic! He literally caught her talking to someone else just a scene earlier, and then completely forgot about it. I bet the screenwriter didn't even review the earlier scenes. Who knows, maybe two or three different screenwriters worked on different parts."
"Yeah, that's possible."
It wasn't uncommon; Qin Ran had heard of shows where seven or eight screenwriters each handled different character arcs, leading to a disjointed narrative where the male and female leads seemed to have split personalities. And the screenwriters might have been brought in by the lead actors themselves.
Qin Ran had a lot of internal criticism but only voiced a few words. Yet, it was as if Yu Shuman could read her mind, picking up exactly where Qin Ran's thoughts left off.
"Exactly! That's why it turned out so poorly. Some people say that these days, actors have more power than directors and screenwriters. I wouldn't be surprised if that's true."
"Those rumors aren't baseless." Qin Ran agreed.
"And oh, the acting of the leads was so bad. I'm not trying to put them down, but they really had no acting skills. Their line delivery was weird too, like they hadn't even passed the basic Mandarin proficiency test. And the second male lead—he's been in the mainland for years, but his Mandarin still sounds so unnatural…"
Yu Shuman continued to vent her frustrations, until they were almost back at school when she suddenly said, "Junior, I think if I were in their place, I could do better." This time, it was Qin Ran who stopped in her tracks. She looked at Yu Shuman's back, and when Yu Shuman noticed that Qin Ran had stopped, she turned around. The streetlight above her cast a glow, making her look like she was standing under a spotlight on stage.
Yu Shuman radiated charm, looking as captivating as ever.
"Senior, do you really want to be an actress?"
Standing under the streetlight, Yu Shuman hesitated for a long time before finally admitting, "If possible, I'd prefer to be an actress. But I've signed with the company, so it depends on how Li Jie plans my career. Still, I think acting suits me better than singing and dancing."
"Even though you have no experience, maybe you're naturally more talented as an idol than as an actress."
Qin Ran's words made Yu Shuman pause for thought before she smiled and took a few quick steps forward, grabbing Qin Ran's hand and pulling her under the streetlight with her. "I was just saying, don't worry about it. My main goal is to make money; I'll just follow Li Jie's lead. Being an idol isn't bad either—I still get to be in the spotlight, right?"
She tugged Qin Ran along, walking a bit faster, occasionally checking the time, clearly worried that Qin Ran might miss the subway. But Qin Ran was already prepared for the possibility of missing it. After the movie ended and while taking a restroom break, she had messaged Assistant Wu, who was now waiting in a car at the university town subway station.
When they reached the station, Yu Shuman urged Qin Ran to hurry in. Only after seeing her pass through the turnstile did Yu Shuman rush back toward the school. Once Yu Shuman was out of sight, Qin Ran exited through the turnstile, took a different exit, and found Assistant Wu waiting by the curb.
Qin Ran opened the passenger door, got in, and buckled her seatbelt.
Assistant Wu hesitated before speaking, "Boss, what's the point of all this? Is it really necessary to keep up this act? I think you could just tell Yu Shuman the truth—she might actually be happy to know."
Qin Ran was silent for a moment before she responded:
"Don't ask what you shouldn't."
Assistant Wu was taken aback but quickly replied, "Understood," and then hit the gas, merging onto the road. She realized she had overstepped. Though she had been working with Qin Ran for three years, she had only recently become Qin Ran's full-time assistant after previously managing multiple clients. Assistant Wu was still adjusting, sometimes slipping back into her more casual approach.
It might have also been because Qin Ran was so young that Assistant Wu couldn't take her seriously. But the moment Qin Ran said those words, Assistant Wu felt a chill, as if she were facing not a young girl but a seasoned veteran.
Assistant Wu was momentarily stunned, reflecting on how Qin Ran's methods were far more ruthless than those of her peers. Many thirty-something business leaders lacked the decisiveness Qin Ran displayed when she swiftly took over smaller companies, making Assistant Wu forget that Qin Ran was barely an adult.
Regardless, from Assistant Wu's perspective, there was no way Yu Shuman would dislike Qin Ran. After all, Qin Ran had done so much for her and spent so much money. As a friend and confidante, Qin Ran was unlikely to be rejected.
But Qin Ran was still scared—afraid that her relationship with Yu Shuman might change, that her senior might start to dislike her. If Yu Shuman found out about her wealth, she would undoubtedly ask where the money came from. And how could Qin Ran answer that?
There was no way she could give the same explanation she gave to those part-time job bosses when she quit, nonchalantly saying, "I won the lottery." She knew she would have to tell Yu Shuman the truth one day, but she wanted to delay that day for as long as possible.
After getting out of the car and closing the door, Qin Ran headed upstairs.
On January 3rd, Yu Shuman's makeup exams officially began. Qin Ran went to the school and waited outside the teaching building for Yu Shuman to finish. Although the third-year courses weren't many, it still took Yu Shuman the entire day to complete her exams. The teachers didn't come in person; instead, the counselor supervised the exams. When Yu Shuman and the counselor came downstairs, they saw Qin Ran sitting on a small chair by the water room. After saying goodbye to the counselor, Yu Shuman jogged over to Qin Ran.
Qin Ran nodded politely to the counselor, greeted them, and then left with Yu Shuman.
"How did it go?"
Yu Shuman winked playfully, "You didn't have to worry about me—piece of cake!"
After the exams, Yu Shuman resumed her usual routine, enjoying her last month of student life. Meanwhile, Qin Ran couldn't stop thinking about what Yu Shuman had said earlier. After some thought, she decided to let her senior pursue acting. If Yu Shuman wanted to be an actress, she should go for it. With Qin Ran around, there would always be a backup plan.
To give Yu Shuman the best possible support, Qin Ran did extensive research, even dragging Assistant Wu to the company to consult with an actress they had recruited. She asked the actress for advice on what new actors should be aware of and requested recommendations for advanced training courses. After conducting a lot of research, she finally felt confident about how to help Yu Shuman develop her acting career.
While Qin Ran was busy preparing for Yu Shuman's future, her agent, Li Jie, was still enjoying her vacation. The moment Li Jie got off the plane, she was greeted by the sight of the company's van waiting for her. Happy to be back, she hopped in, only to find herself sitting next to her boss, Qin Ran.
Li Jie's smile froze on her face. She wanted to tell the driver, "Take me home," but the driver stepped on the gas, heading straight for the company headquarters. Standing outside the building, Li Jie felt a bit dazed. She had just come back from a warm, sunny beach, ready to relax before getting back to work the next day. But here she was, fresh off the plane and already at the office, about to start working.
She didn't need to ask—she knew this was definitely about Yu Shuman.
"Boss, what's the situation with Yu Shuman this time?"
Li Jie's tone was still polite, given that she had just enjoyed a luxurious vacation. She couldn't exactly act ungrateful, could she?
Qin Ran explained the situation, and Li Jie frowned, "But Yu Shuman never mentioned wanting to be an actress. If I suddenly arrange acting training for her out of the blue, won't she find it strange?" Qin Ran's heart sank. She knew Li Jie had a point, so she waved her hand, "Let me think about it some more. If you have other things to do, go ahead."
Li Jie nearly rolled her eyes—what other things could she have to do? She had just landed and wanted to go home and sleep. But in front of Qin Ran, she kept up her cheerful demeanor, "Sure thing, Boss."
After Li Jie left, Qin Ran sat in her office, staring blankly at the "Chairman" nameplate in front of her. She didn't come to the office often, but the company had prepared a workspace for her anyway. After all, it would be strange if the chairman didn't have an office. Even though 99 Entertainment didn't have a formal board of directors, they still gave Qin Ran the title of chairman.
She thought for a long time about how to subtly guide Yu Shuman toward acting, and finally decided to use her boss alias. The alias was created specifically for Yu Shuman, and now was the perfect time for it to shine. So Qin Ran pulled out her phone, switched to the alias account, and saw that the last message was from Yu Shuman on January 2nd, sharing the news of her debut. She began typing her message.
[How have you been these past few days? I hear you'll be starting some commercial activities soon. Any thoughts on that?]
Qin Ran thought carefully before hitting send.
Li Jie: Is it possible that it's still not my work time?