Usually, when Qin Ran and Yu Shuman trended together, Qin Ran would be eager to buy a top spot for ten days straight, just to show everyone how loving they were. But today, all she wanted was to buy her way out of the trending list as fast as possible, making sure Yu Shuman wouldn't see it.
Unfortunately, even if she tried to take it down now, it was already too late. The situation had blown up, and various headlines were flooding the trending list. Some claimed that Qin Ran was the real owner of Bunnyland, while others suggested that 99 Entertainment's boss was possibly hyping up her own businesses. And, of course, there was news about Yu Shuman quietly returning to Beijing.
In short, it was a complete mess. And knowing that anything related to Yu Shuman would eventually be compiled and sent to her by Little An, there was no way to hide it.
But Qin Ran thought, if she could avoid it for just one more day, that would be good enough.
Before Qin Ran could come up with an excuse, Yu Shuman walked out of the bathroom. Her hair was mostly dry but still a bit damp, and her face was slightly flushed from the steam. When she saw Qin Ran looking at her, she smiled.
But the next moment, Yu Shuman noticed something off about Qin Ran's slightly guilty expression. Confused, she asked, "What's going on?"
Qin Ran immediately tried to change the subject. "Oh, um, has Sister Li mentioned to you about Fashion Week? You'll need to take some time off for that."
"Yes, she told me earlier, and I've already cleared my schedule. The director and producer said they'd adjust the filming schedule, so I should be fine even if I attend Fashion Week."
If this had been before, the director would have thrown a fit, accusing Yu Shuman of acting like a diva, leaving the set before finishing filming. But now, he just nodded in acknowledgment, without a single complaint. Even the producer kindly told Yu Shuman to enjoy herself and not worry about the crew.
With the topic shifted, Yu Shuman began chatting with Qin Ran about Fashion Week. Meanwhile, Qin Ran played her role as the "helpless little lamb," lamenting that her English wasn't good—barely passing her level-four exam—and she didn't know how she'd manage. Yu Shuman, who had passed the level-six English exam with flying colors, confidently patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, Ran, my English is decent. While my accent might not be perfect, I can handle listening and writing. I'll be your translator when we go abroad."
She didn't even stop to think that with all of Qin Ran's assistants, it was highly unlikely they wouldn't have a translator on hand. If Wu Assistant heard this, she would probably sigh about how easily Yu Shuman was fooled, believing everything Qin Ran said.
That night, Qin Ran once again "wore out" Yu Shuman. By the next morning, Yu Shuman was so tired she could barely lift her arms. Qin Ran hummed a tune while making breakfast, and Yu Shuman lay in bed, idly scrolling through her phone. It didn't take long before she stumbled upon the news: the owner of Bunnyland was none other than Qin Ran.
Furious, Yu Shuman quickly got dressed and walked out of the room, seeing Qin Ran happily making breakfast. She approached with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Ran."
Hearing Yu Shuman's voice, Qin Ran immediately turned around, only to see Yu Shuman's unsettling smile. Even Qin Ran knew something was wrong this time. Cautiously, she served breakfast from the pan, turned off the stove, and gave Yu Shuman a tentative smile.
"Shuman, what's up?"
Yu Shuman showed her phone to Qin Ran, and right there, on the screen, was the glaring headline: Business records reveal Bunnyland and 99 Entertainment share the same owner, Qin Ran.
"You found out, huh…" Qin Ran's voice faltered. Yu Shuman's expression wasn't great either. She had intended to scold Qin Ran, but after thinking it over, she sighed. Although she knew she shouldn't interfere with how Qin Ran spent her money, as her lover and senior, she couldn't help but offer advice.
"Ran, you're going to run out of money if you keep spending like this. Bunnyland doesn't seem like a profitable business at all. What will you do if you lose money? You're still young, but you need to manage your finances more carefully."
Although Qin Ran was touched by Yu Shuman's words, seeing how upset Shuman was made her heart ache. Of course, she couldn't just tell her that all her money came from the system, which was as reliable as a never-ending windfall.
And knowing Yu Shuman as well as she did, she couldn't lie to her, especially since Yu Shuman knew full well that the real reason she opened Bunnyland was out of spite for that shop that charged five yuan for a shopping bag during one of their dates.
"Ran, I hope you won't act on impulse anymore, spending so much just because you're angry, especially on something like a claw machine arcade that's unlikely to make money."
Qin Ran nodded earnestly, moving closer to Yu Shuman and hugging her. "But Shuman, everyone really enjoys the place. Seeing how happy people are at Bunnyland makes me happy too. Especially when we went together, you had such a great time."
Yu Shuman couldn't help but pat Qin Ran's head, feeling a bit defeated. "Okay, you have a point."
Qin Ran continued snuggling up to her, managing to gloss over the issue after much effort. After a while, she led Yu Shuman to the table and served the breakfast she had prepared, trying to calm her down.
"Shuman, you were exhausted last night, and you sweat a lot. Have some soy milk—it's freshly made, not store-bought. I added a little sugar. Try it."
Yu Shuman looked down at the glass of soy milk, took a sniff, and recognized the distinctive aroma of fresh soybeans. She took a sip and found it thicker than store-bought versions, less smooth but still delicious.
Making soy milk from scratch was no easy task, requiring the soybeans to be soaked first.
Qin Ran's efforts helped distract Yu Shuman from the Bunnyland situation, though she still wasn't sure if Qin Ran had truly understood her concerns. It seemed like every time she caught Qin Ran spending recklessly, the issue would eventually be swept under the rug. And yet, despite her worries, Qin Ran didn't strike her as someone who was completely unaware of her financial situation—there must be a plan behind her spending.
With that thought in mind, Yu Shuman decided to let the matter go for now and enjoyed breakfast with Qin Ran.
Fashion Week was fast approaching, and even netizens who didn't normally care about it began wondering if their favorite stars would be invited. Every time a celebrity announced they'd be attending, their comment sections were flooded with excited messages from fans.
Of course, Ling Miaohan was set to attend as well. She posted on Weibo, hinting at "a brand new identity" that she would be unveiling, asking fans to "stay tuned." Just by reading the post, Qin Ran knew Ling Miaohan was likely planning to reveal her identity as the designer "Rose."
In this age, being mysterious could still attract a lot of attention. Fans immediately started speculating about what this "new identity" could be, with some even wondering if Ling Miaohan was going to marry Pei Qi and become "Mrs. Pei."
However, this rumor was quickly debunked by her fans, pointing out that Ling Miaohan was still too young to legally marry Pei Qi.
Meanwhile, the speculation around Ling Miaohan's cryptic post continued to grow, drawing significant buzz. Seeing this, Qin Ran felt annoyed and immediately called Sister Li, asking when they'd be releasing the news about 99 Entertainment's fifteen-person group for Fashion Week.
Sister Li understood right away and quietly reminded her, "Actually, it's a sixteen-person group. We have both Rong Hua and Yu Shuman. But I did hold back one invite, so it's really 14 plus 2, making sixteen in total."
"Whatever. Just release the news as soon as possible."
Sister Li agreed, and she moved quickly. Right as Ling Miaohan's trending topic was gaining traction, an even bigger bombshell dropped. 99 Entertainment's official account announced that a total of sixteen of their artists had received invitations to Fashion Week, thanking the brand partners for their generous invitations.
As soon as the announcement was made, the sixteen invited celebrities immediately reposted the Weibo post, expressing their gratitude and excitement. Yu Shuman's account, managed by Sister Li, was likely updated by Sister Li herself.
Suddenly, the internet was flooded with comments:
[Sixteen?! Are they running a wholesale business?"]
[Sixteen? Did 99 Entertainment rob the Fashion Week headquarters of all their invitations?]
[Last year, the entire entertainment industry only sent about twenty celebrities to Fashion Week. Now 99 alone is sending sixteen?]
[Other agencies: Solo ace. 99 Entertainment: Royal flush x3 plus a Joker.]
[I'm impressed. Truly impressed. Please spare an invite for my favorite celeb.]
Under the posts of the sixteen artists, fans were celebrating like crazy. Even fans who knew full well their favorite stars weren't big enough to receive such invites on their own were flooding 99's official account with messages of thanks:
[How is my favorite idol even worthy of joining 99 Entertainment, a company of absolute legends!]
[I knew it! I've been preparing for this day ever since they joined 99 Entertainment![
[Thank you so much! I've never felt like a well-fed fan until my idol joined 99 Entertainment.]
The solidarity between 99 Entertainment artists extended to their fanbases as well, who banded together to celebrate and promote the news. With so many resources to go around, there was no fear of their idol losing out, because 99 always had bigger and better opportunities lined up.
A company like this was impossible not to love.
Very quickly, the trending list was completely dominated by 99 Entertainment-related topics. If it wasn't about 99 itself, it was about their stars, such as #YuShumanConfirmedForFashionWeek# and #RongHuaConfirmedForFashionWeek#. With sixteen celebrities being sent to Fashion Week, all of whom had solid reputations and fanbases, the excitement was overwhelming. Fans were eager to boost the topic's engagement and spread the news even further.
Seeing Ling Miaohan's trending topic being pushed down, Qin Ran couldn't help but let out a satisfied hum.