Qin Ran's reasoning made sense, so Yu Shuman could only tug her scarf tighter and quicken her pace, pulling Qin Ran along as they hurried to the parking lot.
The car had already been started, and the heater was running. It was Xiao An who had thoughtfully informed the driver ahead of time, so by the time they arrived, the car was already warmed up.
Standing next to the car was someone Qin Ran recognized as the bodyguard she had hired for Yu Shuman. Qin Ran's expression darkened slightly when she saw her, while the bodyguard looked apologetic. It was Yu Shuman who stepped in to explain, "I told the bodyguard to take a break and not follow me. The set is full of staff, and everyone just has assistants—if I bring a bodyguard, it'll look strange."
Qin Ran wanted to scold her, but it was too cold outside, so she decided to wait until they were back in the hotel room to speak her mind.
Once inside Yu Shuman's hotel room, they took off their scarves, shook off the snowflakes, and placed them on the sofa to dry under the air conditioner.
Now that they had settled in, Qin Ran wasted no time in beginning her lecture. She opened her mouth, and words poured out like a machine gun, "Shuman, how could you not bring your bodyguard? I hired her for a reason! I made sure to find one who wouldn't stand out too much, so she wouldn't look like a typical bodyguard. Just treat her like an assistant and keep her with you all the time."
Yu Shuman could only respond with, "Alright, alright, I get it." The phrase sounded suspiciously familiar to Qin Ran—she realized she had used the same dismissive tone with Yu Shuman before.
But since Yu Shuman said she understood, Qin Ran chose to believe her. If Yu Shuman still didn't keep the bodyguard close, she'd just remind her again. Since they hadn't seen each other in a while, and Yu Shuman had even taken time off for this visit, Qin Ran didn't order room service but instead opted for fresh groceries.
That night, Qin Ran made dinner for Yu Shuman, insisting that she rest up, knowing full well that Yu Shuman wouldn't take another day off the next day. With the director and producer having already delayed the production, and group scenes now being filmed, if Yu Shuman took more time off, it would only set the production back further. And if that happened because of her, Yu Shuman would undoubtedly feel guilty.
Still, Qin Ran slept in the same room with Yu Shuman, the two of them cuddling, sharing sweet words, and talking about their recent lives. They were just about to drift off to sleep when Wu Special Assistant called and woke Qin Ran up. Thankfully, it wasn't another scandal like last time involving Yu Shuman or 99 Entertainment.
Qin Ran answered the phone, a bit puzzled. "What's up?"
"Boss, some paparazzi took pictures of you and Miss Yu Shuman together today. They tried to sell them to us, and I bought them. Take a look."
Without hanging up, Qin Ran opened her messaging app to see several photos Wu Special Assistant had sent. Glancing at them, Qin Ran had to admit the paparazzi's photography skills were decent. The photos captured Yu Shuman smiling at her, snowflakes gently falling on her eyelashes. In the next frame, Yu Shuman closed her eyes, and Qin Ran was seen brushing the snow from her face.
Subsequent photos showed Qin Ran wrapping her scarf around Yu Shuman.
Qin Ran hadn't even noticed where the photographer had taken the pictures from—the clarity was impressive.
She questioned Wu Special Assistant, "Where were these taken? How are they so clear?"
Wu Special Assistant gave her an address, and Qin Ran nearly laughed in disbelief. Cameras these days were incredibly advanced, able to zoom in from great distances and still capture sharp images. No wonder productions went to such great lengths to avoid being photographed outside of the studio.
Yu Shuman, peering over at the photos, marveled at the photographer's talent, joking that such skill was wasted on paparazzi work.
Qin Ran, on the other hand, cut straight to the point, "There's no way this paparazzi only sold the pictures to you."
Wu Special Assistant hesitated before confirming, "That's right. I'm currently tracking the other buyers. Do you want me to intercept them?"
"No need," Qin Ran responded casually. "These photos just show a pure, innocent friendship between me and Shuman."
She glanced at Yu Shuman beside her, and Yu Shuman agreed, thinking there was no need to waste money on such trivial matters. Wu Special Assistant, however, understood Qin Ran's true intentions all too well. Qin Ran secretly hoped that people would start shipping her and Yu Shuman as a couple. Wu Special Assistant didn't expose her, simply replying with a "got it."
Indeed, Qin Ran wanted fans to pick up on the subtleties and start shipping her and Yu Shuman as a couple.
Why were people always shipping Yu Shuman with Rong Hua or Yu Shuman with Zeng Qian? The real couple was right here! Stop making up fake ships! Yu Shuman and Rong Hua had only worked together on one project and barely saw each other outside of sponsored events. And as for Yu Shuman and Zeng Qian, they'd only been on one variety show together and were currently filming one drama. What was there to ship?! The real deal was right here!
What Qin Ran didn't realize was that you couldn't force people to ship something just by pushing it into the spotlight.
With Qin Ran's tacit approval, the hashtag #99EntertainmentBossVisitsYuShumanInIntimateDisplay# quickly rose to the top of the trending charts. However, the headline had a somewhat misleading tone, causing people unfamiliar with 99 Entertainment to assume the "boss" was some middle-aged man. Upon clicking in, they discovered it was actually two young women interacting closely. Some comments even questioned:
[Which one of these young ladies is the boss? They both look so young]
Qin Ran didn't sleep well that night. Early the next morning, she called Wu Special Assistant and asked her to buy some takeout. As a loyal and hardworking assistant, Wu Special Assistant obliged and went out to buy the exact order of soup dumplings that Qin Ran had requested. However, when she knocked on the door, there was no answer for a long time. Finally, Qin Ran opened the door, looking grumpy. She muttered a "thanks" as she took the food, then shut the door.
At that moment, Wu Special Assistant knew that Qin Ran had seen the comments on the trending topic.
To Qin Ran's dismay, the responses weren't anything like the passionate shipping comments she had hoped for. There was no "Wow, these two are so cute together!" or "This isn't just friendship, it's love!" or "I'm making this my OTP, don't stop me!"
Instead, the top comments were:
[What's the media even doing? Don't they know these two are best friends? Before I clicked, I thought it was some middle-aged guy.]
[The title makes 99 Entertainment's little Qin seem like a forty- or fifty-year-old man. Ridiculous.]
[So what if they're close? They've been best friends for years. What's wrong with that?]
[This is 'intimate'? I've been even closer with my bestie. Should I trend too?]
[Honestly, that 'ruthless' company boss doesn't look all that ruthless]
Wu Special Assistant wasn't sure which top comment would be the one to make Qin Ran lose it, but any one of them had potential. For once, Qin Ran's meticulously crafted plans didn't unfold as she had anticipated. Instead of the buzz she'd hoped for, the topic simply introduced her to more netizens, who now recognized her as: Oh, so that's the boss of 99 Entertainment!
Qin Ran had kept such a low profile that many had forgotten what she even looked like. Now, with this rare appearance featuring her and Yu Shuman in some beautiful photos, the internet was buzzing. But soon enough, Yu Shuman's fans began to derail the conversation, turning their focus to how stunning she looked in the photos.
[This is what you call a lash queen! She's too gorgeous!]
[That snowflake landed exactly where it needed to. So perfect!]
Other keen-eyed fans recognized Yu Shuman's on-set makeup from the drama she was currently filming and began dissecting it in detail:
[Wait, is this makeup from that drama with the director who always talks too fast?]
[Yeah, looks like they tweaked it a bit. It looks even better now!]
[This kind of strong makeup, combined with the falling snow, adds a touch of fragility to her look]
[Fragility? Are we talking about the same Shuman? She could probably power-walk through a blizzard while carrying a suitcase]
The only comfort Qin Ran could take from the situation was the fact that everyone was gushing over how beautiful Yu Shuman looked. The pictures were so captivating that even Qin Ran wanted to set them as her phone's wallpaper. Every time she saw Yu Shuman's face, it made her feel warm inside.
That photo of Yu Shuman looking like a deer in headlights was still the background of her burner social media account. Sometimes, when she took screenshots of fans talking about Yu Shuman in her fan groups, she'd send them the high-definition pictures they asked for. Qin Ran was nothing if not generous—she made sure every fan who asked got a copy.
As Qin Ran continued to scroll through posts in a mix of frustration and secret admiration of Yu Shuman's beauty, Yu Shuman finally woke up. Qin Ran quickly saved the pictures, turned off her phone, and immediately stuck close to Yu Shuman, practically trailing her every step.
After Yu Shuman had finished getting ready, she joined Qin Ran at the dining table.
Breakfast was abundant. Although Qin Ran had only requested soup dumplings, Wu Special Assistant had gone the extra mile, bringing wonton soup, century egg congee, and pan-fried dumplings. Yu Shuman, with her great appetite, managed to eat quite a bit, though the meal still left her feeling stuffed.
Afterward, Yu Shuman brought up the trending topic. She had evidently skimmed through it after waking up and found it amusing.
"They're all so cute with their comments. I had no idea our relationship seemed so pure in their eyes."
That one sentence was enough to break Qin Ran's heart. She was so startled that she dropped a pan-fried dumpling into the vinegar sauce, splashing some on herself. Yu Shuman quickly grabbed a napkin to clean it up.
"Ran Ran, how did you get so clumsy?" she teased, dabbing at the stain. "You should change your clothes. I'll wash this one for you. Don't worry, it'll dry quickly in the air conditioning."
When she looked up, she saw Qin Ran's pitiful, pouty face.
Qin Ran: Why won't they ship me and Shuman? Why?!