Qin Ran was taken aback at first. Her immediate reaction was to pat Yu Shuman on the back gently, then rest her head on Yu Shuman's shoulder, asking, "Manman, what's wrong? Are you upset about something? Tell me, and I'll help you solve it."
But Yu Shuman shook her head slightly, her voice soft, "No."
Qin Ran detected a hint of tears in her voice, and for a moment, she panicked, unsure of what to do.
All she could do was hold Yu Shuman in her arms, waiting for her to calm down. They stayed in each other's embrace for a long time before Yu Shuman finally spoke, "How will I ever repay you...?"
Qin Ran blinked, confused. "What?"
Yu Shuman let go of Qin Ran, stepping back to put some distance between them. She stood straight and looked directly into Qin Ran's eyes. Qin Ran could see the emotions in Yu Shuman's gaze, which seemed like a brewing storm over a restless sea, ready to erupt into a whirlwind.
How could someone's eyes hold so many emotions? Just by looking into Yu Shuman's eyes, Qin Ran knew she had so much to say. Her gaze carried a hint of sadness, but her slightly upturned lips still showed a smile. The sadness in Yu Shuman's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by overwhelming affection.
Qin Ran couldn't help but feel captivated just by seeing her eyes. She instinctively raised her hand to caress Yu Shuman's cheek. Her skin was soft and smooth, and Qin Ran felt like she couldn't take her hand away. Especially when Yu Shuman tilted her head toward Qin Ran's palm, Qin Ran could feel the weight against her hand.
"Xiao Ran, what should I do? I feel like I'll never be able to repay your kindness in this lifetime."
Again with those words. Qin Ran pursed her lips, clearly disagreeing, "What do you mean, repay? I never asked you to repay anything."
"But you've been so good to me, so good that I don't know what to do." Yu Shuman lowered her eyes slightly, as if basking in the warmth of Qin Ran's palm. She continued speaking to herself, "Sometimes, it feels like my life is just a dream. Do I really deserve this kind of treatment? You've been so good to me that it doesn't even feel real. What did I ever do to deserve being treated like this by you..."
Before she could finish, Qin Ran placed her other hand on Yu Shuman's cheek, cupping her face as if holding a precious treasure. She exerted a bit of force, compelling Yu Shuman to look at her, to see the sincerity in her eyes through the thin lenses of her glasses.
"Manman," Qin Ran said with a more serious tone, "look at me."
The two locked eyes, and Yu Shuman saw the emotions in Qin Ran's eyes. Unlike the brewing storm in Yu Shuman's gaze, Qin Ran's eyes were a storm in full force, her love overflowing like a deluge breaking through a dam. Yu Shuman was so moved by Qin Ran's gaze that she couldn't utter a word.
"Manman, you are worth it. There's no one else in the world more deserving of my love than you. The first time I saw you, at sunset that evening, I saw your smile. To this day, I can't deny that I fell in love with you at first sight. But all infatuations fade away; the only reason I can love you this much is because you're a person worthy of love. You're kind, warm, and friendly. Everyone is drawn to you and gathers around you, and I'm just one of them. I'm the lucky one because you acknowledged my love for you."
Yu Shuman knew Qin Ran loved her, but hearing such a straightforward confession still made her blush. For someone as socially anxious as Qin Ran to be driven to say so many loving words, she must love her very much. Yu Shuman couldn't hold back anymore; she kissed Qin Ran directly. During the kiss, Qin Ran's glasses got in the way, making it uncomfortable for Yu Shuman.
She reached out, carefully taking off Qin Ran's glasses. In the heat of the kiss, her fingers slipped, and the glasses fell to the floor, hitting the ground with a clatter. But the two were so absorbed in each other that they didn't bother to care about the fallen glasses.
It wasn't until they pulled away, gasping for breath, that Yu Shuman softly asked, "What about dinner?"
Qin Ran thought for a moment and then decided not to worry about it. "We'll eat later."
"Later" meant Qin Ran brought a small folding table to the bed, placed dinner on it, and let Yu Shuman eat while sitting on the bed. After they finished eating, Qin Ran finally had the time to pick up her glasses from the floor. She had spent several hundred yuan on them when she first bought them. But after wearing them for so long and with this accidental fall, the glasses naturally had to be retired.
Qin Ran chuckled bitterly. There was no helping it; the glasses were beyond repair. For the next few days, she would have to wear contact lenses.
A couple of days later, Yu Shuman packed her suitcase and prepared to join the set for filming. Qin Ran was so reluctant to see her go that she almost burst into tears. Clinging to Yu Shuman's coat, they kissed for a long while at the entrance until Xiao An called Yu Shuman from downstairs, asking why she hadn't come down yet. Yu Shuman reluctantly said her goodbyes and went downstairs.
She would be filming the political intrigue drama first. The big-budget movie had only released some news, and the official casting would take more time. Yu Shuman had informed the director earlier, and he was understanding, saying he would arrange her filming schedule. She could take leave to audition for the movie when the time came.
Left alone once more, Qin Ran resumed her usual routine of shuttling between work, school, and home, adding in trips to visit Yu Shuman during summer vacation. But before the summer came, trouble found its way to Qin Ran. To be precise, it wasn't a direct attack on her but a scheme that led to Qin Ran encountering trouble.
The person behind it was, unsurprisingly, Ling Miaohan, who finally couldn't sit still and sought help from the national wealthiest man she had once saved.
Qin Ran couldn't believe how straightforward the richest man in the country was in targeting her. His tactics were so obvious that Qin Ran found it boring. The trouble he caused was elementary—Yu Shuman's suspense drama, which was about to air after passing review, suddenly had issues getting a slot on the platform.
Before filming started, the producer had already secured a streaming platform and even attracted sponsorship from the platform. But just when the show was about to air, the platform suddenly claimed its schedule was full and offered alternative time slots that were less than ideal.
Most TV shows air at 8 p.m., regardless of the day, as it's considered prime time. Ideally, this suspense drama would air on Friday or Saturday at 8 p.m., which are universally recognized as the best time slots. Even if not on Friday or Saturday, any other day at 8 p.m. would still be acceptable.
But the platform offered a noon slot at 12 p.m.
Who airs a drama at noon? Did they think the show was so eerie that it needed to be aired during broad daylight to add some "yang" energy?
It was utterly absurd.
Faced with the platform's actions, the producer considered switching to another platform. However, they had signed an exclusive agreement with the current platform, and switching would incur a hefty penalty. The producer was intimidated by this penalty and dared not make a move.
To be honest, the money was just a drop in the bucket for Qin Ran. It wasn't much at all. But she was unwilling to pay a large sum to someone causing trouble. Sure, her money might as well have come from the wind, but giving it to the enemy? She wasn't that foolish.
Qin Ran went through the contract carefully and found no loopholes. But even without loopholes, she could turn the tables by suing the platform. The producer, however, was hesitant because suing would mean shelving the show for the time being. And with the exclusive agreement in place, it would be hard to overturn the situation.
Qin Ran glanced at the producer. Sitting across from her on the couch, the producer was visibly uneasy, but he forced a smile. "President Qin, what do you think we should do?"
The reason he came to Qin Ran was that someone hinted that if they edited out Yu Shuman's scenes, the show would receive all the treatment it deserved. If it were any other actor, cutting out their scenes would be no big deal. But the problem was—it was Yu Shuman!
If he dared to cut out Yu Shuman's scenes, Qin Ran would probably kick the entire production team out the next second. He still remembered how Qin Ran had dealt with him and the director before. He wasn't about to provoke her again. Only the person who tied the bell can untie it. The producer felt this had something to do with Qin Ran, so he came to her for help.
It was also his way of showing loyalty: Look, even when someone threatens me, I won't touch Yu Shuman. I came to report it right away.
"What else can we do? Sue them directly."
"But, but there's the exclusive streaming agreement..."
Qin Ran sneered, "Doesn't the exclusive streaming only cover domestic platforms?" Her words made the producer's eyes light up. Initially, he thought this drama could be aired on TV since it's a proper, serious show. But one of the scenes wasn't very politically correct, and he was a bit worried. Plus, the genre was more suited to younger audiences. How many young people still watch TV for dramas these days?
Qin Ran also noticed the producer's hesitation. She threw the contract onto the coffee table. The folder made a loud thud on the marble surface, causing the producer to shudder.
"And it's not just limited to domestic streaming platforms. Why not sell it to an overseas platform?"
The producer wiped the sweat off his brow. "But, but we can't get in touch with the overseas platforms." In truth, he was just a small-time web series producer. Getting recognition from a major platform like this was already great. He couldn't dream of foreign platforms. Besides, there were many platforms overseas, but only one or two were well-known domestically. And those were global giants, way out of his league.
Qin Ran scoffed. "You might not be able to, but don't forget you have me."
The producer was stunned. Huh? Does President Qin have contacts with foreign companies?
Qin Ran: You think you can mess with me using petty tricks? I told you not to underestimate the protagonist's halo; even the national wealthiest man's brain has turned to mush...
Turns around: Manman, Manman, what would I do without you? Waaaah...