Yu Shuman didn't prepare too many dishes, just three dishes and a soup: one meat dish, one light meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a winter melon and pork rib soup. The soup was a recipe she'd learned from her mother, with the pork ribs tender enough to fall off the bone. After they sat down, Yu Shuman served Qin Ran a bowl of soup and handed her a drink.
"My cooking isn't as good as my mom's, but I hope you'll manage."
"No… it's delicious."
To Qin Ran, Yu Shuman's cooking was the best in the world.
After they finished the meal, Yu Shuman tidied up and placed the dishes in the sink. Qin Ran offered to help with the washing, but Yu Shuman insisted it could wait until later.
"I won't fight you over the dishes like my mom would. I still need to cook dinner, so you can handle the dishes then!"
Yu Shuman's playful tone made Qin Ran smile, and she readily agreed. After eating, they settled on the couch to watch TV, snacking on fruit and chatting casually.
Yu Shuman handed Qin Ran a small tangerine, and Qin Ran obediently sat there, peeling and eating it.
The TV happened to be showing gossip about Yu Shuman's idol group, with the host confidently predicting their imminent disbandment. Qin Ran glanced at Yu Shuman, who was calmly eating a slice of tangerine. She was always straightforward, never one to avoid the truth.
Meeting Qin Ran's gaze, Yu Shuman nodded without hesitation, "Yes, we're going to disband soon. There's no point in hiding it. Groups like ours, formed from reality shows, don't last long."
"Sigh… I'm only telling you this, so don't go spreading it around." She had kept these thoughts to herself for a long time, feeling uncomfortable with the secrecy. Talking about it with others felt like gossiping about her group members, but with Qin Ran, she could vent without feeling guilty.
"The champion… she was an underground idol before joining Debut, Girls!, hoping to go solo. Now that she's stuck in a group, she's obviously not happy. I heard from Sister Li that her manager is already lining up solo projects for her. Then there's Ling Miaohan… she doesn't seem to enjoy being an idol, hates all the dancing and jumping around. She's been skipping practice a lot lately. Even I have my sights set on becoming an actress, so I haven't been giving the group my full attention. The other two members… well, Sister Li says they're also looking for their next moves."
"We're just five people with different goals who happened to come together. It's a miracle we've made it this far."
Yu Shuman's assessment was blunt and honest. She didn't hide her true thoughts, and she wasn't wrong. They were all in it for themselves, and it was clear the group wouldn't last. Disbandment was inevitable. Besides, their fanbase was made up of solo stans, not group stans, so it never made sense for them to be forced together.
Qin Ran didn't know how to comfort her, so she simply said, "Maybe you'll meet again at the top."
Yu Shuman chuckled, "I'll take that as a blessing."
That evening, after another meal together, Yu Shuman wrapped up in a coat and walked Qin Ran to the lobby. Qin Ran told her not to see her off any further and dashed into the cold night. Once she was out of the building and around the corner, Qin Ran got into Wu Tezhu's car.
As Yu Shuman had predicted, it wasn't even a month later—March was barely over and April hadn't yet begun—when the first member of their group went solo. It was, of course, the underground idol who couldn't wait any longer. With her departure, the rest of the group silently followed suit, each pursuing their own solo careers.
Yu Shuman soon received several scripts from Sister Li, who advised against her taking on a lead role right away. Debuting as a lead would draw too much attention; it would be better to start with supporting roles. Yu Shuman agreed and began reviewing the scripts. Sister Li offered her suggestions, but left the final decision to Yu Shuman.
Yu Shuman couldn't understand why Sister Li was being so kind to her, still echoing the words from their first meeting: "Just have fun." In the end, after much deliberation, Yu Shuman chose a supporting role in a historical romance drama, playing a villainous female character.
Sister Li reviewed the script and asked why Yu Shuman chose that role.
Yu Shuman blushed slightly, "My acting coach said my skills are still raw and one-dimensional. I should start with simpler characters, and this villainous role seemed straightforward. Plus, I think the character will resonate with the audience. And historical romances have been trending recently, so I'm hoping to ride that wave."
Sister Li nodded at her reasoning, offering no objections. "Alright, I'll talk to the production team. You should prepare by studying the audition script. You'll be auditioning in a few days." Gathering the remaining scripts, Sister Li left. She had been leaning towards a different role for Yu Shuman—a positive, authoritative female character in a big-budget fantasy drama with a top star as the lead. It would have brought even more attention.
She didn't understand why Yu Shuman had passed on that opportunity, but with Qin Ran's instructions to follow Yu Shuman's wishes, she let it go. If Yu Shuman had made her choice, that was that.
Sister Li advised Yu Shuman to continue her acting classes while she left to handle the negotiations. She texted Qin Ran about Yu Shuman's decision, knowing better than to call, lest she interrupt Qin Ran during a lecture. Losing money was not on Sister Li's to-do list.
Qin Ran responded with a simple acknowledgment, but Sister Li knew that Qin Ran would go to great lengths to support Yu Shuman.
True to form, before Yu Shuman even joined the cast, 99 Entertainment had already started pouring resources into the project. Wu Tezhu approached the production team, speaking directly with the director and producers. Their artist was bringing funding to the table, and although it was a low-budget web drama, 99 Entertainment ensured that every aspect, from costumes to set design, was top-notch. Their artist, in particular, was to be treated exceptionally well.
The producers certainly didn't mind the extra money and even suggested expanding Yu Shuman's role. Wu Tezhu declined, stating that the original script's screen time was sufficient. After sending off their generous benefactor, the producers and director exchanged glances, stunned at how agreeable this investor was.
With the funding 99Entertainment was providing, Yu Shuman could have been the lead, but instead, she was just playing a villainous supporting role. The industry already knew 99 Entertainment had deep pockets, but this was on another level.
That night, the director woke up in the middle of the night, unable to help but wonder: Would 99 Entertainment consider hiring a director like him?
The idol group officially disbanded, though it was already an unspoken fact. Yu Shuman took a leave of absence from the group's management, who barely acknowledged her departure, and followed Sister Li to the audition.
The director, editor, and producers were all very polite to Yu Shuman. She completed her audition smoothly and received an offer to join the cast the very next day.
Excitedly, Yu Shuman called Qin Ran and her mother to share the good news, warning them that she would soon be on set and might not always be available to take calls or respond to messages. Both of them gave her the same encouragement: "Go for it."
Yu Shuman packed a suitcase with her belongings, including the makeup and skincare products Xiao An had prepared for her, and headed to the filming location.
As a complete newcomer to the world of television, Yu Shuman felt a bit shy. Fortunately, Sister Li had prepared everything for her, including small gifts for the crew. When Yu Shuman arrived, she handed out the gifts and bowed to everyone, saying, "I'm looking forward to working with all of you for the next two months."
"Likewise, we're happy to have you, Manman. Let's work well together!"
The warm reception left Yu Shuman feeling both surprised and grateful. She was given a room at a nearby hotel, a spacious executive suite. While Xiao An helped her unpack, Yu Shuman sat on set, studying the script the director had given her.
The drama was an adaptation of a novel, set in a fictional ancient world without any fantasy elements. In the original book, the female lead was a time traveler, but in the drama, she was rewritten as a native of the world. The story followed her as a poor village girl who, after saving an injured young general on the battlefield, nursed him back to health. The general lost his memory, and the two lived a peaceful, loving life together until one day, the general regained his memory and took the heroine back to the capital. There, she used her medical skills to rise to prominence and eventually became the general's lifelong partner.
It was a straightforward story, but with a significant twist: the young general already had a wife.
His wife was none other than the emperor's sister, a noble princess. The three of them had grown up together, with the general eventually marrying the princess for the emperor's sake. Although the general had no romantic feelings for her, the princess had once loved him deeply. Feeling betrayed, she initially schemed against the heroine, but finding no support from anyone, she was eventually abandoned by both the emperor and her husband. The general eventually divorced her, and she spent the rest of her life in a temple, cut off from the world.
The princess didn't have many scenes, but she played a key role in opposing the main couple. Her downfall came early in the story, and after her retreat to the temple, only a few scenes required her presence. Although her character was disliked and her fate tragic, Yu Shuman chose to take on the role.
Yu Shuman sat quietly near the director, her thin script in hand, studying it diligently. Although it was only a small role, it was her first, and she was determined to give it her all. One reason she chose this role was because of the extensive etiquette training she had undergone, with her teachers praising her dedication. She wasn't sure if she could portray a princess convincingly, but she wanted to test her skills.
This role was her chance to see how far she had come in her training and acting lessons.