Once this thought formed, it was hard to shake it off. She took a nap in the afternoon, and around three o'clock, Xiao An called, saying she was already waiting downstairs.
Yu Shuman picked up her small bag, went downstairs, and got into the nanny van.
Sister Li was there today too. This morning, after Yu Shuman's drinking last night, Qin Ran called everyone involved and scolded them thoroughly. There was no helping it—she was the boss, and when she scolded people, Sister Li had to listen too. So today, Sister Li came directly to work with Yu Shuman.
On the way, Sister Li asked, "You drank at the party?"
Yu Shuman blushed, remembering her drunken antics from the night before, and slowly nodded.
Sister Li sighed and started nagging, "You shouldn't drink anymore. This morning, Qin Ran scolded everyone involved for what happened last night. She even asked if she didn't give enough money, so why did you have to drink…"
Yu Shuman felt even more embarrassed and instinctively apologized, "I'm sorry…"
"I'm not blaming you. If you don't like the drinks handed to you, just refuse them. No one can make you drink. You know how much Qin Ran takes care of you, so why force yourself?" Sister Li opened up and started talking a lot.
What she mentioned made Yu Shuman even more concerned.
Even Sister Li knew how much Qin Ran took care of her… After Sister Li finished speaking, Yu Shuman couldn't help but ask, "Sister Li, do you also think that Qin Ran takes care of me a bit too much?" The way she took care of her, it was as if they weren't just sisters, but something else entirely.
Yu Shuman couldn't figure out what it could be, and after thinking for a while, she could only question if it was a "mother-daughter" relationship. Qin Ran's attitude toward her was really like a domineering mom doting on her beloved daughter.
But thinking carefully, there were differences. She had seen the affection between a father and daughter before, like when she participated in "Debut! Girl," where the TV station director showed affection for his granddaughter.
Affectionate, but restrained.
Qin Ran wasn't like that; she showed complete affection, wanting to spoil Yu Shuman endlessly.
Faced with Yu Shuman's question, Sister Li almost let something slip, "Of course she takes care of you! She…" Sister Li caught herself before saying too much and quickly rephrased, "She's your best sister. Of course, she looks out for you. In this industry, you can't overthink things. Seize the opportunities in front of you without hesitation."
Yu Shuman frowned and asked directly, "Sister Li, do you know something? Why did you change your words halfway through?"
Sister Li choked up. Sometimes, being too straightforward is a problem. She decided not to say anything further and, when pressed by Yu Shuman, deflected the question, "If you really want to know, ask your sister. I can't answer that. I don't want to get fired by the boss."
Sister Li had said this much, so Yu Shuman had to give up and stop asking.
She didn't ask any more questions, but the doubts in her mind only grew. Sister Li was busy and left after a while, reminding Xiao An to take good care of Yu Shuman.
Today's event was for their half-dead group, appearing on a variety show. They would only be on for a few minutes, and the shooting wouldn't take long. But there would be some screen time on TV, so everyone was happy.
This opportunity to appear on the show was said to have come from Ling Miaohan's side, and the other three members of the team had a better impression of her because of it.
Yu Shuman arrived at the dressing room early. Since they were just guest appearances, they shared a dressing room with others. Yu Shuman wasn't in a hurry to do her makeup, as the show's makeup artists would need to unify the look with the other guests. They would start once everyone from the group arrived.
Lucy was relaxed today, only needing to inform the makeup artists about Yu Shuman's usual makeup style to match it.
With nothing to do, Yu Shuman curled up on the couch, playing on her phone. After a while, the group's underground idol arrived, looking in high spirits. Seeing Yu Shuman, she immediately sat beside her to rest.
The underground idol was quite chatty, her mouth never stopping.
"Hey, Manman, did you know? I heard that we got this chance to appear on the show because of Ling Miaohan."
Yu Shuman nodded; she had heard a bit about it.
The underground idol looked around, seeing only Yu Shuman's assistant team, and then leaned in to whisper, "Let me tell you, Ling Miaohan and her company's boss, that Pei Qi… I think that's his name… they must be a couple! Think about it, I heard that at every event they both attend, they always sit together."
"And Ling Miaohan's resources, Pei Qi spares no expense. He even takes losses to secure things for her. Otherwise, where do you think we got this chance to be on the show?"
She seemed to be talking about Ling Miaohan, but Yu Shuman felt a string snap in her mind as she suddenly realized something.
Yu Shuman was shocked by the thought that popped into her head. Instinctively, she felt it was impossible, but everything made sense if she followed that line of thought. She looked at the underground idol beside her, her heart pounding.
She casually asked, "If someone spares no effort to support a newcomer, spending a lot of money just to make her happy, is it because they like her?"
The underground idol thought Yu Shuman was talking about Pei Qi and Ling Miaohan and nonchalantly replied, "If that's not love, I'll eat my hat."
"Ah… yes… that is love," Yu Shuman muttered. The underground idol sensed something was off and asked, "What's wrong? You don't have a thing for Pei Qi, do you?" Yu Shuman quickly shook her head, instinctively denying it, "How could I? I hardly have any interaction with him."
The underground idol laughed, "True, but don't fall for Pei Qi. There's no benefit in liking him. His heart is all on Ling Miaohan. How can we little artists without any background compare to Ling Miaohan? She's the eldest daughter of the Ling Group, and the current CEO of Ling Group is her brother."
"So that's how it is."
Yu Shuman looked as if she had just found out. She had only known Ling Miaohan was a rich heiress, not her exact identity. Now, even that was out in the open.
The underground idol, seeing Yu Shuman's clueless expression, was exasperated, "Do you rarely check the trending topics? How could you not know? Just a few days ago, Ling Miaohan was scrutinized for wearing such expensive dresses and jewelry. Then, the official blog of the Ling Group admitted that she's the CEO's younger sister. This was on the trending list for a long time."
Yu Shuman truly didn't know. It was probably when Qin Ran was deliberately keeping her away from the news during those days. At that time, Yu Shuman wasn't in the mood to check the trending topics. The underground idol laughed, "It's because of her family background that she can dress so well. But you're different, with a rich bestie. How does it feel to wear that jade pendant yesterday? I saw someone estimating its value at a 'small goal' online, and I was stunned."
Yu Shuman's eyes widened, "How much?"
"A small goal! Recently, one sold in Hong Kong for that much, and I heard it was bought by a mysterious wealthy person. Yesterday, it was hanging around your neck. That mysterious wealthy person must be your bestie, right?"
Yu Shuman shook her head, "It shouldn't be. The brand probably lent it to me for promotion."
"Even if it was just lent to you, it's still amazing! A jade pendant worth a small goal… I'd love to see what it looks like." The underground idol said enviously, but Yu Shuman broke out in a cold sweat. She thought about how casually she and Qin Ran had handled the pendant at the party last night. Thankfully, it hadn't been damaged; otherwise, they couldn't afford to pay for it.
Well… she couldn't afford it, but Qin Ran probably could. Still, it would hurt even if she could pay. Yu Shuman had never asked Qin Ran how much inheritance she had received. After all, that was a very private matter, but she knew that no matter how much money you have, it could eventually run out, especially with Qin Ran's extravagant spending.
Thinking about Qin Ran, she recalled her previous suspicion.
It's a bit embarrassing and a bit self-indulgent, but Yu Shuman wondered at that moment: does Qin Ran like her? If Qin Ran liked her, then everything would make sense, and her extraordinary care for her would have an explanation.
It wasn't just the mutual help between junior and senior, best friends, or close sisters, but rather one person's adoration for another. If that's the case, accepting Qin Ran's help would be too shameless. And… Yu Shuman didn't know how to face Qin Ran.
Yu Shuman didn't dislike Qin Ran, not even if she suspected Qin Ran had feelings for her as a woman. She couldn't bring herself to dislike Qin Ran. Qin Ran was only 20 this year, still a child. Even if she had such feelings, it might just be the stirrings of adolescence, and she might not even understand what they meant.
Yu Shuman made plenty of excuses for Qin Ran, all because she wanted to protect her junior. But as for liking her… does she like Qin Ran?
Thinking about this made Yu Shuman feel lost. She saw Qin Ran as her lucky star, someone she unconsciously depended on. Without her junior by her side, she would even lose the courage to stand on stage.
But ultimately, Yu Shuman didn't even know if Qin Ran liked her or not.
She sat on the couch, deep in thought, barely paying attention when the underground idol next to her tried to chat. The underground idol noticed she was preoccupied and didn't stay long. Just then, the show's makeup artists arrived, so she stood up to greet them on behalf of their group. She considered herself the leader of the group, given she had won the championship when she debuted.
Sister Li: Caught in the middle, taking the heat from both sides, and constantly on guard not to spill secrets. It's tough being an employee… but at least you can enjoy the drama!