"What's wrong?"
What's wrong? Can't she see how upset I am?!
Qin Ran almost felt like shedding real tears in front of Yu Shuman. Left with no other choice, Yu Shuman comforted her until Qin Ran finally calmed down, ignoring the sourness in her chest. It wasn't just jealousy—it was practically solidified resentment, threatening to drown her.
After peacefully finishing their meal, Qin Ran went back to her room to change into something more comfortable. After getting dressed, she pulled Yu Shuman along. Yu Shuman had wanted to stay behind to help with some laundry, but Qin Ran quickly put a stop to that: "Manman, aren't you leaving yet? We're going to be late." Yu Shuman reluctantly gave up the idea of staying behind to do chores. Qin Ran dropped her off at the studio and stayed for a while but soon left out of boredom.
It wasn't that watching Yu Shuman was boring—she could watch her forever and never be bored.
The problem was that Qin Ran was too possessive. It made her uncomfortable when Yu Shuman wasn't paying attention to her. People really do become greedier, she thought. Before they got together, she wouldn't have dared to think like this. Back then, she was content just sneaking a glance at Yu Shuman from afar, and that would leave her feeling satisfied for the rest of the day.
But now that she could be by her side all the time, she felt uneasy whenever Yu Shuman wasn't focusing on her.
Back at the hotel, Qin Ran started washing the clothes she'd gotten dirty from her jealousy. She had become quite good at doing laundry by now—she'd done it countless times since she was little. Looking at her hands, she realized they no longer had the pampered appearance of a rich heiress from her previous life. They were calloused, like those of someone who had worked hard all their life.
Yu Shuman's hands used to look like this too, having crawled out of the mud to bloom like a hopeful flower.
"Hehe."
I raised her well, Qin Ran thought with pride. If it weren't for her, Yu Shuman's fate would have been the same as in the original novel. But now things were different. Yu Shuman was living well, and Qin Ran was largely to thank for it. She kept thinking about it while scrubbing her clothes and tidying up the room.
At lunchtime, Qin Ran went to eat with Yu Shuman, only to have Zeng Qian squeeze in. Holding her lunchbox, she sat with Yu Shuman and Qin Ran, looking a bit awkward around Qin Ran.
Scratching the back of her head, Zeng Qian awkwardly apologized, "I'm really sorry for what happened before. I wanted to apologize when President Qin was here last time, but I didn't get the chance. Now that I finally have the opportunity to sit down with you, I just wanted to say that I didn't know he was that kind of person. I read the news later, and although I'm just an ordinary person with little influence, if there's anything I can do to help, I'd be more than willing."
Her eyes sparkled with sincerity, and while Qin Ran couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, given Zeng Qian's usual demeanor, she leaned toward believing it was sincere.
After hearing Qin Ran's brief "hmm," Zeng Qian's excitement grew, and her voice became more enthusiastic. "And one more thing—I really think 99 Entertainment is super cool. Everything the company has done has been amazing! Even though some people call it the 'mad dog company,' I think it's awesome! President Qin, I really admire you. You don't care about what others think or the obstacles in your way—you just follow your own path."
Hearing the "mad dog company" comment made Qin Ran feel a bit awkward. It sounded like an insult aimed directly at her.
But Zeng Qian seemed genuinely sincere in her praise. Given that she was Yu Shuman's friend, Qin Ran forced a smile and said, "Thank you."
Zeng Qian, now even more energized, grabbed Qin Ran's hand in excitement. Qin Ran, who wasn't used to physical contact, immediately got goosebumps and helplessly turned to Yu Shuman for rescue. Yu Shuman, slightly frowning, pulled Qin Ran closer, prompting Zeng Qian to release her. Qin Ran quickly retreated, like a startled cat, hiding behind Yu Shuman.
Zeng Qian didn't notice Qin Ran's discomfort and cheerfully continued, "I knew it—you and Manman are perfect as best friends. I really admire your courage! Before, I asked Manman to arrange a meal with you so I could apologize, and she said we'd wait until we had some free time. I'm sure that was because of your kind advice, President Qin. You're really thoughtful!"
For someone with social anxiety like Qin Ran, meeting an overly friendly person felt terrifying. She could only manage a few "hmm"s and "ah"s in response. Before she knew it, she had agreed to a dinner with Zeng Qian after filming. After Zeng Qian was whisked away by her manager, Qin Ran looked at Yu Shuman, her eyes filled with tears.
So scary! So scary! Overly familiar people are terrifying!
Yu Shuman was warm and friendly too, but never to that extent.
Understanding Qin Ran's distress, Yu Shuman gently patted her head and comforted her in a soft voice, "Don't be scared. It's okay. Qianqian's just really enthusiastic. She means well."
Feeling wronged, Qin Ran nodded in Yu Shuman's embrace. She knew Zeng Qian was harmless; otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to be friends with her for Yu Shuman's sake.
Qin Ran definitely wasn't the overbearing type who would say, "Woman, I forbid you from being friends with people like her! All your friends must pass my evaluation first! Do you even know what kind of person she is, daring to befriend my woman?"
That would just be obnoxious and sleazy enough to give Qin Ran chills. Instead, with her social anxiety, she'd tug on Yu Shuman's sleeve and plead, "Manman, don't trust her! She's no good! Don't be friends with her!"
But Yu Shuman had a good eye for people, and Qin Ran knew she wouldn't choose to be friends with someone bad.
After lunch, Yu Shuman went back to work, leaving Qin Ran to return to the hotel. She took a nap, then spent the afternoon aimlessly scrolling on her phone. At 2 p.m., the cleaning staff knocked on her door. Qin Ran, a bit puzzled since she had already tidied up the room herself that morning, let them in. The housekeeper changed the linens and cleaned the room thoroughly, disinfecting everything.
The housekeeper worked far more efficiently than Qin Ran had, and within no time, the entire suite was spotless. Even the teacups and dishes had been replaced with fresh, sterilized ones.
As the housekeeper finished up and left, giving Qin Ran a polite nod, she felt a bit dazed. What was the point of my cleaning this morning? She had completely forgotten that she was in a hotel, where housekeeping staff took care of all that.
Damn, my plan to come off as a perfect, domestic wife has failed miserably.
By 4 p.m., Qin Ran started ordering groceries on an app. One failed plan didn't matter—she had others. During this time, she needed to make sure Yu Shuman was well taken care of. She couldn't let Yu Shuman return home after a year only for her mother to notice that she'd lost weight.
Though Yu Shuman's mother didn't know Qin Ran was her boss, she'd definitely be upset if she saw her daughter thinner and would likely blame the boss.
But that would be her future mother-in-law! Qin Ran couldn't let her future mother-in-law dislike her. She had to ensure everything was perfect. Little did she know, Yu Shuman had already come out to her family, and her mother was well aware of their relationship.
After the groceries were delivered to the hotel, Qin Ran hummed a tune as she started cooking dinner. Once she was finished, she noticed there was still some time before Yu Shuman would be done with work. So, she sat on the couch and browsed the trending topics.
The morning's hot topics had faded, replaced by news about fashion week. Qin Ran paused, realizing that fashion week usually took place in February or March for spring/summer and September or October for fall/winter. Some luxury brands held their own shows outside of these times, and Yu Shuman had worn a dress from a July fashion show before.
The fashion week buzz didn't mean much to the general public, but for fans of celebrities, it was a highly anticipated event. Only a limited number of domestic stars received invitations, and attending international fashion week was a badge of honor for actors.
For fans, it was an even bigger deal. If their favorite star attended, it meant they had been recognized by international brands.
Although fashion week hadn't started yet, the trending topic #SpringSummerFashionWeekDatesConfirmed was already causing a stir. Fans of celebrities like Rong Hua were calm and confident: Our Hua will definitely attend fashion week this year. We're just waiting for the behind-the-scenes photos.
Qin Ran had little interest in fashion week. It was right after the Lunar New Year, and she didn't want to spend her holiday on it. However, something told her that Ling Miaohan might stir up trouble this time. After all, she had a secret identity as an award-winning fashion designer.
The thought of it made Qin Ran realize that she couldn't skip fashion week this year.
Not only would she go, but she'd take Yu Shuman with her. Ling Miaohan and Pei Qi had been trying to use Yu Shuman to elevate themselves. As Yu Shuman's beloved, Qin Ran couldn't just sit back and react passively. This time, she would attend fashion week and see what tricks Ling Miaohan had up her sleeve.
Qin Ran called Assistant Wu. "Did the fashion week organizers send me an invitation?"
"Yes, several luxury brands have reserved good seats for their top VIPs, and you've received several invitations. Also, some of the companies you acquired have spots available, and we can get one for Miss Yu Shuman."
Assistant Wu knew Qin Ran too well. She would never miss a chance to have Yu Shuman by her side.
Qin Ran nodded. "Get us two good seats and let Sister Li know to clear Yu Shuman's schedule for fashion week."
"Understood, boss."
Assistant Wu agreed and then gave an update on her own plans. With Qin Ran staying near the filming location to accompany Yu Shuman, Assistant Wu had decided to return to Beijing the next day. It was the end of the year, and there was a lot of work to be done. She had already arranged for another assistant to accompany Qin Ran in her absence.
Qin Ran didn't care much about Assistant Wu's whereabouts and simply acknowledged her plans.