Against the Light - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Catching Them All in One Net
"Seriously? Are you for real? How did I never know you could act so well? Were you hiding this from me all this time?" Qu Qi was stunned and took a long moment to come back to her senses.
Gu Xinran's lips curved. "Cut the crap and go fight for it."
"Hey, wait, don't you know about this show…"
【Ha, if you can pull it off, I'll bust my ass to get you on…】 Her own voice suddenly echoed in her ears.
Qu Qi looked completely baffled. She turned her head and saw Fang Jinghai holding up a phone, giving her a sweet smile. She showed Qu Qi the screen, which was playing a video of Xinran crying—and it had recorded Qu Qi's voice!
"…You… you little rookie… you've… got some potential."
"Hehe~"
Qu Qi shot her a look, rolling her eyes. "Just you wait."
"Wait, I have one more condition," Gu Xinran said.
"You didn't say you had conditions before. You…"
【Ha, if you can pull it off, I'll bust my ass to get you on…】
"…" Qu Qi glared at Fang Jinghai in frustration. "Delete that!"
"Hmm… break a promise and you'll get fat. Fatter and fatter," Fang Jinghai said with a smile.
"You!" Qu Qi pressed her forehead in exasperation. This new generation of artists is so hard to manage!
"What condition?"
Gu Xinran leaned in and whispered something in Qu Qi's ear. Qu Qi looked shocked, glancing at Gu Xinran several times. "Fine, I'll see what I can do." She stood up and left the office.
Gu Xinran gave Fang Jinghai an appreciative look. The little fangirl immediately cupped her cheeks, her expression instantly turning lovestruck.
"Aren't you afraid of pissing off Qu Qi? What if she doesn't pay you?" Gu Xinran asked.
"My salary? Aren't you the one who pays me?"
Gu Xinran gave her a harmless-looking smile.
Two hours later, Qu Qi returned to the office, looking pleased with herself.
The moment she walked in, Fang Jinghai gave her a deep, ninety-degree bow. "Hello, boss!"
The greeting nearly gave Qu Qi a heart attack. It took her a moment to recover.
"I asked around. The show's format has changed a bit this season, so you have a shot."
"How? How did it change?"
"Quiet down! I don't want to hear your voice!"
"Mmph."
"You've seen past seasons, right? The production team used to handpick eighteen actors to compete in a collaboration-plus-elimination format. This time is different. This season, they want to promote new talent and bring some fresh blood into the industry. So, they've only invited nine veteran actors. The other nine spots will be chosen from a pool of thirty rookie actors to give them more screen time."
"So Yang Xue is just on the candidate list? She has to compete with the rookies for one of the official spots?" Fang Jinghai asked.
"No. And this is the weird part—she got a direct pass."
"??? Isn't the favoritism a little too obvious? With her acting skills, she couldn't even hold a gaze from one of the real veteran actors. How does she qualify as one!?"
"Never mind whether she deserves it or not. Let's focus on ourselves."
"If you want to participate, I can sign you up. But whether or not you can pass the preliminary round is entirely up to you."
"Oh, right. Luo Bing is participating too."
"Luo Bing? Isn't she a singer? Why is she on a professional-level acting competition?"
"Mhm. She's looking to break into acting. Didn't I mention that? Wait a minute, didn't I say I didn't want to hear your voice?"
Fang Jinghai looked aggrieved and mimed zipping her lips.
"Did Luo Bing also get a direct pass?" Gu Xinran asked.
"No, she's entering as a rookie, so she has to go through the preliminaries. For a singer, if she can just pass that first round and not mess up too badly on the show, it'll be a successful career move for her."
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Sister, we can get them all in one go!" Fang Jinghai said, a little excited, and pumped her fist at Gu Xinran.
Gu Xinran looked at her, a little puzzled. Did this little fangirl have a bit too much faith in her?
"Get them all? Get who? Are you planning to go after Luo Bing too?"
"No, please continue," Gu Xinran said, glancing at Fang Jinghai. The latter immediately got the hint and mimed zipping her lips again.
"Oh, and there's another change to the format. Previously, the three mentors just gave critiques and scores. This time, each mentor will form their own team. And the mentors aren't just professional actors; there's also a famous director and an acting coach. So, if you can pass the preliminaries and join a mentor's team, it's a fantastic opportunity to improve your skills. Can you imagine how fierce the competition is going to be now?"
"Wow, if that's the case, this season should be amazing to watch!"
"Mhm. But don't underestimate today's rookies. There are plenty of talented ones out there."
"So, after all that, do you still want to participate?" Qu Qi looked at Gu Xinran. She had expected her to back down after hearing how difficult it would be, but instead, Gu Xinran looked excited, even eager. What was up with that!?
"I'll participate."
"Ahem, Xinran, it's not that I don't have faith in you, but your situation is the exact opposite of Luo Bing's. You're supposed to be a professional actress. If you can't even make it past the preliminaries, you'll become a laughingstock."
"I'm an actress. Of course I need to be recognized for my acting. Do you want me to be a variety show personality for the rest of my career?"
Qu Qi covered her face. "You can cry on cue, I'll give you that, but…"
"Just try to get them to agree to my condition."
Seeing her surprising persistence, Qu Qi hesitated for a moment. "Alright, I'll try to make it happen for you."
"What condition?" Fang Jinghai asked curiously.
Gu Xinran smiled at her.
When Gu Xinran got home, she went straight to the bathroom for a shower. Over the past few days, she had completely adapted to this body, and showering no longer felt so awkward.
As her hand passed over her back, she froze, surprised to discover a scar.
She examined the scar carefully in the mirror. It was about an inch long, a straight line, like a puncture wound. It was a very obvious scar, hard to conceal, and it looked like it was several years old.
She frowned, thinking back. When she'd looked through the closet, she recalled that none of the formal dresses were backless. The original owner must not have wanted anyone to see this scar.
It made sense. What actress would want people to see her scars? Most would probably have a hard time even accepting that they had one.
After her shower, feeling refreshed, she went back to her bed. She had just sat down when her phone buzzed. It was a WeChat notification: she'd been added to a group chat called 【Escape Squad】. The only other members were Shen Can and Huo Jie.
【Shen Can: I gotta say, Ranran, you're something else. You even managed to hook up with Yang Xue? She's famous for being an innocent little fairy! The type who never gets into relationships or stirs up drama.】
Never gets into relationships or stirs up drama? That was a strong persona to build. No wonder such a cliché publicity stunt was so effective.
【Huo Jie: Stop talking nonsense. It's obviously not true.】
【Shen Can: Hey, it was just a joke~ I know Ranran only has eyes for Teacher Bai! Right?~ You've got to keep trying, I want to see you two get back together~ By the way, if you ever need me, just say the word. I still owe you one!】
A warm feeling spread through Gu Xinran's chest. She hadn't expected to make two friends on the show. It was worth it.
Her Weibo chimed with a notification. Gu Xinran glanced at it and almost couldn't believe her eyes.
【Yang Xue's Team Responds to Rumors, Hopes the Matter Will Be Dropped】
Gu Xinran stared at the headline, stunned. Hopes the matter will be dropped? Wasn't that basically an admission of guilt? This was their "innocent little fairy"? What an insult to actual fairies!
Three days later.
Qu Qi's office.
"Sister Qi, you're the best! You managed to get a spot even with such fierce competition!" Fang Jinghai said, fawning over Qu Qi while fanning her.
"Mhm. It was thanks to Xinran's brilliant idea. The production team thought it was a great gimmick and agreed right away."
"But, Xinran," Qu Qi added, a little worried, "the fact that they agreed so quickly might not be a good thing. You know what I mean, right?"
"I know. They just want to see me make a fool of myself so they can stir up controversy and boost the show's ratings. Either way, I have a feeling this won't end well for me."
"It can't be that bad…" Fang Jinghai said, looking scared.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Whoa, they're efficient. The show's promotional poster is already out. Hey? No way!" Qu Qi, who had been scrolling on her phone, suddenly shot up and stared at Gu Xinran with wide eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"The… the mentor is…"
Seeing her utterly shocked expression, Gu Xinran started to panic. Don't tell me one of the mentors is another one of my enemies?
"Ahhh! It's Teacher Bai!!!" Fang Jinghai shrieked with excitement after a quick glance.
"? Who!?"
"Teacher Bai! Bai Yilan!! Look, the three mentors for this season are: three-time Movie Queen Yan Xi, senior acting coach Lu Qing, and the acclaimed director, Bai Yilan!"
"It really is Teacher Bai!!"
"But that's so weird. Didn't Teacher Bai retire from the industry? Why would she join this show? Besides, Yang Xue is on it too! Won't it be incredibly awkward for her?"
"Exactly! And look, the comments on the official post have exploded. Everyone's talking about Director Bai. Tsk, this is too much of a coincidence. First, Yang Xue's so-called 'proof,' and now they've dragged Teacher Bai into it. Once Xinran shows up, you'll have the 'scumbag,' the ex-wife, and the 'mistress' all in one place. The ratings are going to be insane!"
"…Stop talking," Fang Jinghai said, quickly nudging her and glancing over at Gu Xinran.
Qu Qi looked over and shivered. Gu Xinran's expression was dark, her eyes filled with a murderous glint.
"Xin-Xinran? Are you okay?"
Gu Xinran's gaze turned cold, and she was furious. To use something like this as a publicity stunt, and to drag Yilan into it! Just talking about it was hurtful enough to Yilan, let alone forcing her to be a part of it!
She couldn't imagine how Yilan would face Yang Xue. She couldn't imagine the kind of pain someone like Yang Xue could inflict on Yilan. And she couldn't bear to imagine what the netizens would say about it all.
What was the point of a show that built its success on the suffering of others, that used people's pain as a gimmick!
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