After Wu Special Assistant coordinated with Sister Li, she quickly arranged Yu Shuman's schedule. But that old fox Sister Li, her eyes twinkling with mischief, came up with a sneaky idea and took advantage of a break in Yu Shuman's work to give Qin Ran a call.
Qin Ran, who was in the middle of washing Yu Shuman's clothes, shook off the water from her hands, wiped them with a towel, and then answered the phone. "Hello, Sister Li, what's up?"
Sister Li started off with some small talk, even asking how Yu Shuman had been the past few days. Hearing Sister Li's tone, Qin Ran immediately knew that she was asking for a favor. Normally, Qin Ran would spar with her, but right now, she was busy washing Yu Shuman's clothes—particularly her undergarments.
Last night, Yu Shuman had been very hesitant, absolutely refusing to let Qin Ran help wash them. After all, even between lovers, washing such intimate items was a bit too embarrassing. But Qin Ran, stubborn and persuasive, argued that she was there to take care of Yu Shuman, and washing clothes was just part of that care. Plus, Yu Shuman was so busy with work every day, so why not let Qin Ran handle this small task?
After much back-and-forth, and after Qin Ran had pinned her down on the bed and kissed her thoroughly, Yu Shuman finally, albeit reluctantly, agreed. This morning, as Yu Shuman was heading out the door, she cast a conflicted glance at her undergarments soaking in a basin. Qin Ran had to practically usher her out the door, reassuring her to focus on work, before Yu Shuman finally left for the day.
Qin Ran took this job seriously, carefully heating water, mixing it with cold to the perfect temperature, and soaking the clothes with a specialized laundry solution to ensure they were clean but also gentle on Yu Shuman's skin.
So, when Sister Li called, trying to beat around the bush, there was no way Qin Ran would allow that.
"Spit it out," Qin Ran said directly.
Sister Li chuckled, dropping the formalities and going straight to her request: "Boss, I bet you've got plenty of invitations to Fashion Week, right? And the company probably has some guest invites too? Well, I'm not asking for much, boss, but could you hook me up with a few?"
"You know how our 99 Entertainment artists are like hungry little birds, always envious of other stars attending Fashion Week on Weibo. Surely you can't stand seeing them left out, right? I mean, it's just you, Yu Shuman, Wu Special Assistant, and maybe a couple of bodyguards, right? That leaves plenty of space, doesn't it?"
"Boss, please, be generous. Eight or nine tickets would be perfect!"
Sister Li knew that Fashion Week invitations were hard to come by, so she rattled off her request in one breath, afraid Qin Ran might refuse. She even joked about asking for "eight or nine" tickets, though she was hoping for just two or three.
But Qin Ran? She was no ordinary boss—she was the chosen one, bound to a system of wealth. Eight or nine tickets? Qin Ran waved her hand, "Alright, enough with the flattery. I'll have Wu Special Assistant send them over. You and President Li can figure out who to bring. I'll give you fifteen tickets. Whoever you want can go."
Sister Li couldn't believe her ears. "Did I hear that right? Fifteen?!"
In her mind, two or three tickets would have been a blessing. Even with Qin Ran's influence, five seemed like a stretch. After all, only a handful of stars from the entire entertainment industry made it to Fashion Week each year. But Qin Ran had casually offered fifteen.
Sister Li didn't doubt Qin Ran's words. There was no need for a boss of her stature to joke about something like this.
Still in disbelief, her voice trembled as she asked again, her words almost garbled. "Fifteen?"
Qin Ran, exasperated, replied, "Fifteen. Divide them however you like."
Sister Li took a deep breath and immediately started gushing, "Boss, you're amazing! Fifteen tickets—wow! I won't hold back then. I'll keep one for myself to experience the Fashion Week vibe too."
"I already said, do whatever you want. Now scram."
"Yes, ma'am! I'll be off now." Satisfied, Sister Li hung up and quickly reached out to Wu Special Assistant. True to Qin Ran's word, Wu Special Assistant delivered the fifteen tickets without issue. With Yu Shuman and Rong Hua already having their own tickets, Sister Li now had fifteen to distribute freely.
As Sister Li began mentally calculating who to bring, she thought, Ah, having such a generous boss comes with its own troubles—so many deserving artists, but only fifteen tickets! With all our talented and beautiful stars, someone's bound to cry if they don't get a ticket.
While Sister Li was deep in her happy dilemma, Qin Ran returned to her task of washing Yu Shuman's delicate garments. With quick, efficient hands, she finished the job and hung them in the bathroom to dry. Later in the afternoon, when the cleaning lady arrived to tidy up, she noticed that the bathroom towels and linens needed changing, but Qin Ran blocked the door.
The cleaning lady looked puzzled. "Miss, I need to clean the bathroom. Could you please let me through?"
Qin Ran, still guarding the door, insisted, "There's no need to clean this bathroom today."
Baffled, the cleaning lady tried to reason with her, but after a few back-and-forth exchanges, she realized that Qin Ran was serious and eventually left with her cleaning supplies.
Qin Ran let out a huge sigh of relief. There was no way she was letting the cleaning lady see Yu Shuman's and her own private garments. As someone socially anxious, showing such personal items to anyone else was out of the question!
With Yu Shuman in her life, Qin Ran felt more relaxed than ever. The director had also mellowed out recently. Even though Qin Ran didn't spend much time on set, the director knew she hadn't returned to Beijing, so he gave the entire crew a break to adjust and recharge.
This allowed Qin Ran and Yu Shuman to spend some time together, taking a break to explore the city. The main economic driver of the city was its massive film studio complex on the outskirts, which also doubled as a tourist attraction, raking in hefty admission fees from visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the movie magic.
Luckily, it wasn't a holiday season yet, and the crowds were fairly sparse. After thinking it over, Yu Shuman decided to take Qin Ran on a stroll through the tourist area. Being part of a film crew came with certain perks, like free access to the attractions.
Yu Shuman, who had a bit of a frugal streak, wasn't going to pass up the chance for a free visit!
Another reason was that Qin Ran's recent physical activity had significantly dropped. While Yu Shuman worked and could take walks around the film base to stay active, Qin Ran, being the socially anxious introvert that she was, avoided hotel gyms filled with people and spent most of her time holed up in their room, barely moving.
Yu Shuman wanted to get Qin Ran moving, so she brought her to the park. With the size of the place, they would easily rack up 20,000 to 30,000 steps in a day, not to mention the various interactive experiences that would give Qin Ran a good workout in the winter chill.
At first, Qin Ran was quite enthusiastic, following Yu Shuman around. They even ran into some of Yu Shuman's fans. Since this was supposed to be a casual date, Qin Ran and Yu Shuman hadn't brought any bodyguards, as they didn't want to spoil the mood. However, the fans, even though few in number, quickly recognized Yu Shuman.
Qin Ran, who had been pushed aside, was amazed at how sharp these fans were. Despite the winter weather, Yu Shuman was bundled up in a thick coat, a large round hat, oversized glasses, and a scarf covering most of her face. Yet, the fans spotted her immediately.
Yu Shuman shot Qin Ran an apologetic glance, but Qin Ran just waved it off. It's fine, she signaled. With that, Yu Shuman turned on her professional charm, smiling warmly and speaking gently to the fans. "Please don't crowd. Let's not disturb other guests. Let's move over to the side."
Her fans, being mostly young girls, obediently followed her lead. After all, when your idol is a sweet and nurturing "sister" figure, it feels only natural to listen to her.
There were only five fans, all of them young and full of energy. They surrounded Yu Shuman with gleeful excitement, each taking turns asking for selfies and autographs while sweetly calling her "Sister Manman." Afterward, they lingered, reluctant to leave, but they were well-behaved fans, and after getting what they came for, they politely prepared to say goodbye.
Seeing such well-mannered fans tugged at Qin Ran's heartstrings.
They loved Yu Shuman just as much as she did. Although their feelings were different, the fact that they adored Yu Shuman made them friends in Qin Ran's eyes. Plus, Qin Ran's ongoing plan to build up CP (couple pairing) fans wasn't fully complete, and these five seemed like the perfect candidates to lead the charge.
Qin Ran approached the five fans and greeted them warmly. At first, they hadn't noticed her, as they were too excited about meeting Yu Shuman. But once she joined in, they recognized her immediately—this was the same Qin Ran who had been trending with Yu Shuman recently as the CEO of 99 Entertainment. The fans, excited yet polite, enthusiastically greeted her.
Qin Ran gently nudged Yu Shuman aside and began chatting with the fans. After confirming that they were all "on the same team" (meaning fellow fans), Qin Ran asked, "So, how long are you girls here for?"
"Today's our last day," one of the girls answered. "We're heading home tonight—if we don't, our parents will come to drag us back themselves."
Hearing that, Qin Ran couldn't help but laugh. She understood how it was, being a teenager and navigating parental expectations. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Do you have any plans this afternoon?"
The girls shook their heads. "Not really, just planning to wander around a bit more and then have dinner before heading home."
Qin Ran smiled, feeling a sudden urge to give these loyal, respectful fans a memorable experience. She picked up her phone and made a call to one of her assistants stationed nearby, then turned to the girls. "How would you like to be part of a little social project this afternoon? My assistant can take you around for a bit, and we can even help with your travel arrangements afterward. Of course, we'll need to let your parents know first, and if they're okay with it, we can move forward."
The girls' eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement. "What kind of project?" one of them asked.
Qin Ran grinned. "You'll be making your own short film."
Cleaning Auntie: I need to clean.
Qin Ran: No way!!! (Defends the small clothes to the death)