Against the Light - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Past and Present Lives

Gu Xinran and Lin Guo moved into a three-person room with Qin Qiong to make discussion easier.

Late that night, Gu Xinran lay with one arm pillowed under her head, still savoring the hug.

"Hey, hey, how did it feel?" Lin Guo whispered from the next bed.

Gu Xinran turned her head to look at her. Her eyes curved into a smile, and she nodded in thanks.

Lin Guo winked playfully back at her.

"I feel like you two are plotting something behind my back," Qin Qiong suddenly spoke up. Lin Guo jumped in fright, nearly springing up from the bed.

"What are you doing awake in the middle of the night?" Lin Guo shot her an annoyed glance. After saying that, she fell silent.

"Hurry up and sleep. We have important things to do tomorrow," she added.

---

Gu Xinran was awake almost all night. Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, she heard a noise from the living room. Draping a piece of clothing over herself, she went out and saw a figure busy in the kitchen. She couldn't help but lean on the railing and watch for a little longer.

"Teacher Bai, good morning."

"Hm? Morning." Bai Yilan looked up at the sound. When she saw it was her, her eyes instantly curved into a smile, but it vanished in a flash, making Gu Xinran think her eyes had been playing tricks on her.

"Are you making breakfast? Need any help?"

"No need. Go wake everyone up."

"Oh, okay."

Twenty minutes later, the group sat obediently at the dining table, looking eagerly at Bai Yilan.

"Waaah, Teacher Bai cooking for us herself is so touching!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you're not going to cry again, are you? Are you practicing a crying scene?" Qin Qiong glanced at Lin Guo with a look of disdain.

"Pfft, what do you know? I'm a 'highly sensitive person,' I get moved easily. Teacher Lu said it's because my emotions are easily stirred that I'm especially suited to be an actress!"

The others watched the two bicker with smiles.

Bai Yilan brought the plates to the table. Seeing the beautifully arranged sandwiches, everyone wore blissful expressions.

"Hey Teacher Bai, when you were in the other villa, did you make breakfast for them too?" Lin Guo asked curiously.

"No."

"Ooh~ Then it seems Teacher Bai must especially like us~ Hehe~" Lin Guo said, winking at Gu Xinran, only to find the other girl staring blankly at her plate, looking like she was about to cry. It scared her so much she quickly kicked her.

Gu Xinran lowered her head and coughed lightly. "Thank you, Teacher Bai."

She picked up a sandwich but couldn't bring herself to take a bite for a long time. In her past life, this was Yilan's specialty. She could always toast both sides of the bread to be perfectly crisp and crunchy, with a superb texture.

"Go on, eat."

Everyone nodded and happily enjoyed their breakfast.

【Hahahahaha I'm dying, Teacher Lu is too much. Look at Teacher Bai, getting up to personally make breakfast for her trainees. And her? Her? Her? She has her trainees make breakfast and then call her!! That's the difference!!】

【Teacher Lu is so real, no airs at all.】

【Movie Queen Yan next door not eating breakfast is also very real hahaha.】

【After watching everyone, Teacher Bai is still the most considerate!】

【Same, Teacher Bai is so cool and warm, she's totally my type!】

【Heh, you all carry on. Teacher Bai is calling me to eat.】

【Rivals, draw your swords!】

【A one-person blood petition for Teacher Bai to open a Weibo account, waaaah.】

【You might not believe this, but after watching this show, I've actually become a fan of a mentor [doge].】

Soon, everyone finished breakfast. The newcomers took the initiative to clear the dishes. At eight o'clock sharp, everyone sat together on the sofa, waiting for Teacher Bai's instructions.

"Have you all seen this movie?"

"Uh…" Lin Guo smiled awkwardly.

Gu Xinran didn't dare look at her. She suddenly felt the tension of being a student who hadn't finished their homework just as the teacher decided to do a random check.

"Then let's watch it once first."

The group secretly breathed a sigh of relief and obediently watched the movie.

As the movie progressed, Gu Xinran's expression gradually grew solemn.

The film told the story of a girl named Qiu Yuan with severe depression who, after a failed suicide attempt, was saved by a pair of sisters living deep in the mountains.

The two sisters had depended on each other since childhood. The younger sister, Xiao Xia, had been withdrawn and taciturn since she was young. She had an ugly scar on her face and was a bit slow-witted. The older sister, Xiao Chun, took meticulous care of her. One day, the older sister told her, "I have to go on a long trip. I've buried a seed on the mountaintop. When this seed takes root, sprouts, and bears fruit, I will come back."

The younger sister believed her. From then on, she went to the mountain every day to carefully tend to the seed.

But as spring turned to autumn, the seed still showed no sign of sprouting. Xiao Xia continued to care for it meticulously, holding an umbrella for it on rainy days and watering it in the summer.

Qiu Yuan laughed at her for being foolish, saying her sister had abandoned her and run off, and she didn't even realize it.

Xiao Xia paid her no mind.

Qiu Yuan dug up the seed and discovered it was actually a stone. It would never take root or sprout, let alone bear fruit.

Xiao Xia still paid her no mind, burying the stone back as if it were a treasure.

Qiu Yuan realized something was wrong. She found a medical diagnosis in Xiao Xia's home and learned that Xiao Chun was already terminally ill and had likely already passed away.

Seeing Xiao Xia's persistence in nurturing the seed, Qiu Yuan was moved. Deeply touched by Xiao Chun's painstaking efforts, she resolved to help her weave this white lie. She taught Xiao Xia to read and write, taught her to be self-reliant, and took her to see the world outside the mountains. Xiao Xia gradually transformed from a withdrawn and isolated child into a cheerful and optimistic person, no different from anyone else.

During this time, Qiu Yuan's depression also gradually improved, and her passion for life and reverence for it were rekindled.

Many years later, she brought Xiao Xia back to the mountains, dug up the stone, and told her the truth. She told her how great her sister was, how she used the last glimmer of light in her life to weave a beautiful lie that ignited both of their lives.

---

The final scene of the movie froze on the small, round stone in Qiu Yuan's palm. The screen gradually faded to black, signaling the end of the film.

Everyone let out a collective breath, deeply moved.

Lin Guo wiped her tears. Turning her head, she saw Little Fairy still staring blankly at the screen, her face streaked with tears.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to cry so hard, do you?" She nudged her lightly with her elbow.

"I'm sorry." Gu Xinran took a deep breath, got up, went back to her room, rushed into the bathroom, took off her mask, and desperately splashed cold water on her face.

After a while, she gradually calmed down. She raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

How could it be? How could there be such a coincidence!?

The burn scar on Xiao Xia's cheek in the movie was almost identical to the scar she got from the mountain fire in her past life!

Moreover, there was a part in the film where Xiao Xia dug up soil from the foot of the mountain and carried it up to plant. This highly overlapped with her experience in her past life! She had once wanted to create a sea of flowers on the mountaintop to mourn her late wife. But the soil on the summit was hard, so she could only dig up soil from the foot of the mountain and carry it up every day. Day after day, for half a year!

Gu Xinran shook her head. She didn't believe this was just a coincidence. There couldn't be such a coincidence!!

Could it be! Yilan was also…

No, impossible. These things happened after Yilan passed away; she couldn't have known! Besides, if she had also been reborn, she would have recognized her long ago, not to mention she had already laid her cards on the table with her!

"Little Fairy? Are you okay?" Lin Guo knocked on the door outside.

Gu Xinran closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.

"Yeah." She washed her face again, put on her mask, and then came out.

"Are you… alright?" Lin Guo looked at her eyes, which were frighteningly red. She must have cried a lot.

"I'm fine." Gu Xinran shook her head and went downstairs with her.

"I'm so sorry." Gu Xinran apologized to the group and glanced at Bai Yilan. The latter didn't show much emotional fluctuation, just a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Teacher Bai, how are we assigning the roles?" Lin Guo asked.

"Any way is fine. There are no villains this time, I'm so happy!" Qin Qiong added, unable to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Bai Yilan smiled faintly and looked at them. "You all are very versatile, and these three roles are all very difficult. It's up to you."

"Little Fairy, which one do you want to play?"

"Either is fine. You guys pick, I'll take what's left." Gu Xinran was still a bit distracted, her hands tightly clutching a throw pillow.

"Are you… nervous?"

"Hm? Oh, no." Gu Xinran put the pillow aside and placed her hands properly on her knees.

"Can I play the older sister? I really want to be a good person!" Qin Qiong looked at them eagerly.

"I want to try Qiu Yuan. I've never tried the role of a caring big sister," Lin Guo said.

After they spoke, they both looked at Gu Xinran.

"I'll play… the foolish little sister?"

"Is that okay?" The two of them had mischievous smiles.

"Okay." Gu Xinran agreed. She had no problem playing any of the roles.

"Teacher Bai, we've decided."

"Okay. This performance will be in the form of a stage play. The time span and the psychological changes are of utmost importance. First, try to understand the characters based on your own interpretations," Bai Yilan instructed simply.

"Okay." The two groups each found a place to discuss their thoughts.

【Holy crap, this movie is such a tearjerker!】

【Damn it, I thought I'd dodged the premiere, the reruns, and all the recommendations, but I ended up falling for it on this live show. I don't want to watch something so angsty, ahhhh!!!】

【I'm wondering if I'll be taken out of the moment if Qin Qiong plays the older sister...?】

【Is this really Teacher Bai's debut film? It's so well-made! Even now, it could wipe the floor with a bunch of other directors.】

【My wife is just that awesome!】

【Person above, get lost slowly, won't see you out.】

Twenty minutes later.

"How about we run lines?" Lin Guo suggested.

Gu Xinran, of course, had no objections. After all, in the scenes they were supposed to perform, she had no lines at all.

"Then let's go in chronological order. I'll go first," Qin Qiong said, putting down her script.

"You can go off-script after watching it just once? That's amazing!" The veteran actresses from the other group, hearing there was a performance to watch, all looked over.

The three didn't say much, each finding their state of mind and getting into character.

Qin Qiong messed up her hair, making herself look a bit disheveled, and looked at Gu Xinran.

Gu Xinran stood before her, head down, looking at her own fingers. Her gaze was unfocused and wandering, as if she was half-listening. Her whole demeanor seemed foolish, and she got into character in almost an instant.

Qin Qiong was startled. She raised a hand to smooth the hair on Gu Xinran's forehead.

"Xiao Xia… Tomorrow, sister has to go on a long trip." She said, paused, and took a breath, as if suppressing her sad emotions.

When Xiao Xia heard this, her hands immediately grabbed Qin Qiong's sleeves. Her large, innocent eyes were full of pleading.

"Don't… don't go…"

"I'm not going, I'm not going, sister isn't leaving. Sister is just… going out for a bit. Um… Sister buried a seed on the mountaintop. While I'm gone, can you help me look after it?" Xiao Chun gently stroked her sister's hand, her eyes filled with tears, yet she maintained a smile.

"S-seed?"

"When it bears fruit, sister will come back."

Xiao Xia furrowed her brow as if thinking hard. After a long moment, she slowly nodded and said okay.

The veteran actresses watching from the side were dumbfounded. They exchanged glances, feeling immense pressure. These newcomers got into character way too fast, didn't they?

"Not bad, Little Fairy. You really become whatever you act," Lin Guo said with a thumbs-up.

Gu Xinran smiled faintly.

"Let's do another scene, the one where I dig up the stone."

"Okay."

Lin Guo took a piece of candy from the fruit bowl, placed it on the floor, and covered it with a piece of paper. "This is the seed."

"Okay."

Gu Xinran nodded, squatted on the floor, and looked at the "seed," instantly getting into character.

Her gaze was focused. She tilted her head, looking at the seed piously.

Qiu Yuan stood behind her with her arms crossed, watching for a while. "Hey, stop being foolish here. Your sister abandoned you, didn't she?"

Xiao Xia ignored her, reaching out a finger to gently stroke the soil.

"You've been planting this for over half a year. If it could really grow, it would have taken root and sprouted long ago. It must be a bad seed, right?" Qiu Yuan walked to her side and looked with a frown.

"Hey? Did you hear me?" Qiu Yuan looked at her, sighed, and squatted down.

"I want to see what's really in here." Saying that, she poked around, dug the stone out from under the paper, and held it in her palm. She was stunned for a moment, then chuckled. "You fool, this is just a stone. It can't bear fruit. You've been tricked!"

"Look, a stone. Do you recognize it?" Qiu Yuan weighed the stone in her hand.

Xiao Xia stared at her blankly. After a moment, she suddenly snatched the stone from her hand. "This is… sister!" she said fiercely, then carefully reburied the stone.

"You…" Qiu Yuan was stunned. After a moment, she clutched her chest. "You scared me to death. That burst of power was too strong, wasn't it?"

"Hahahaha." Qin Qiong let out an unkind laugh from the side. That moment had startled her too!

"Oh my, my poor heart…" Lin Guo patted her chest, calming herself for a while before looking up at Bai Yilan.

"Teacher Bai, how did we do?"

Bai Yilan rested her chin on her hand, thinking. Finally, she looked at Gu Xinran. "What do you think of Lin Guo's performance?"

Gu Xinran looked at Lin Guo. "There's a bit of a problem."

"Huh? What's the problem?" Lin Guo was completely baffled.

"This character is set as a patient with severe depression, but your expression and tone just now had a sense of schadenfreude. I think the reason she would say something like 'your sister doesn't want you anymore' is more likely because she has had a similar experience herself. So when she says that line, she should be very sad, because it would make her think of herself."

After Gu Xinran finished, she looked at Bai Yilan. The latter's lips curved up slightly, and she nodded at her.

"I see. I was thinking the original actress's expression was a bit too sad," Lin Guo said, frowning in thought.

"Hey Little Fairy, how do you understand it so thoroughly? Didn't you also just watch it once?"

Gu Xinran smiled. Before she could speak, Lin Guo had a look of sudden realization. "Oh~ I get it~" It's your wife's movie, after all. Of course you'd watch it with extra care!

"Okay, let's go again!"

【Hahahaha look at those veteran actresses watching, they're stunned.】

【Qi Yuwei: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here??】

【Hahaha are these people really newcomers? They get into character so fast. And Little Fairy's understanding of the role is so thorough. It's not even her character, but she's so meticulous?】

【This Little Fairy is really something. I feel like their group is going to take down the veteran actresses.】

【I'm so excited, I even think they could win the championship!】

【My Wei is scared to death hahaha.】

The afternoon was spent in rehearsal.

By evening, Lin Guo and the others were ready to rest, but they saw the veteran actress group was still practicing hard. They couldn't stand for that; they couldn't lose! So they started practicing again.

Gu Xinran was mentally and physically exhausted. She felt that if she kept acting, she'd really become a fool. However, every time she was about to suggest a break, she saw the other two's high spirits and couldn't bear to dampen their enthusiasm.

The two groups just kept competing like that.

"Hey, are you guys hungry?" Bai Yilan had been watching all afternoon, to the point of aesthetic fatigue.

"Not eating!" Lin Guo huffed, glancing at Qi Yuwei, who was playing the same role of Qiu Yuan. The two were competing.

"…I'm hungry." Gu Xinran raised her hand in surrender. She was really hungry. She hadn't eaten much at noon, and her stomach was starting to hurt.

Bai Yilan smiled faintly. "Alright, everyone take a break. Let's eat first."

【Ahhh why does Teacher Bai's smile always have a hint of doting affection? If only she would smile at me like that, ahhhhh!!!】

【Waaah Teacher Bai is so gentle, she's the model of a good wife and loving mother!】

【Waaah, I want to marry her.】

【Wife, look at me!!】

【I hope Teacher Bai's team wins. I want to protect that smile. Teacher Bai, you should smile more! It's so beautiful, waaaah.】

【Once again, I'm on my knees begging Teacher Bai to open a Weibo account!】

"Let me tell you, I will not lose to you. I definitely won't act this role worse than you!" Lin Guo was now at odds with Qi Yuwei.

"Heh, young one, you still have a lot to learn!"

"Alright, you two. How about you compete at the dinner table?" Bai Yilan said.

"I'll eat one more bowl of rice than her!" Lin Guo declared.

"…I'll eat two more bowls than you!"

"Have you two graduated from kindergarten yet?" another veteran actress retorted unhappily.

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone happily finished their meal, and Gu Xinran again took the initiative to help clear the dishes.

The two groups wanted to practice more, but Bai Yilan stopped them. "That's enough for today. Practice again tomorrow. You can choose to go for a walk or watch some happy shows together to relax. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves; it will affect your performance."

"Then… the three of us will go for a walk." Lin Guo grabbed her two group members, about to leave.

"No."

"Ahem, Sister Lan, you rest. We'll go for a walk too." The three from the veteran actress group were also plotting to go out and rehearse secretly.

"Little Fairy and Deng Jia stay. The rest of you can go out," Bai Yilan said while fiddling with the TV.

"Ah, Xiao Xia is a key character. How can we run lines without her?" The two groups wailed in unison.

Bai Yilan picked up her water glass, smiled at the two groups, and took a sip, looking completely harmless and not at all scheming.

Gu Xinran couldn't wait to rest. Hearing this, she immediately walked over to the sofa, sat down, and massaged her legs.

"I advise you all to rest well too. Teacher Bai has led so many film crews; she knows best when a person can maintain their best state. Even if you force yourselves to rehearse over and over, if the result isn't what you want, it will just damage your confidence, won't it?" Gu Xinran also advised.

"Sigh, alright, let's call it a day then." Lin Guo relented and also sat on the sofa, stretching. After being in such a high-energy state for so long, she really did feel a bit tired now that she had suddenly relaxed.

Bai Yilan found a very relaxing entertainment variety show, and everyone watched it with great enjoyment.

Compared to the other two villas where everyone was rehearsing lines late into the night, the atmosphere in this villa was incredibly warm and cozy.

When the variety show ended, Bai Yilan glanced at the time. It was already eleven o'clock.

"Alright, it's getting late. Go back and rest. Little Fairy and Deng Jia, take the two double rooms. The rest of you, sleep separately."

"…Teacher Bai, you don't have to be so cruel, do you?"

Bai Yilan returned a serene smile.

【Teacher Bai is so warm, so considerate of her trainees.】

【Ahhhhh I can't take it, the more I watch, the more I love her.】

【Sigh, what does one live for, if not for someone like Teacher Bai?】

【Does anyone else think Teacher Bai is super versatile? She has strong CP vibes with everyone. This kind of gentle, warm-hearted big sister is just too appealing, waaaah.】

【+1, I want one.】

At night, Bai Yilan had her usual insomnia. Ever since seeing Xinran on this show, she found herself unconsciously paying attention to her. Only when she was focused on work during the day could she truly calm down.

In front of the villa, she stood where Gu Xinran had once painted, recalling the expression on her face when she watched the movie today: shock, sadness, grief welling up from within, sobbing uncontrollably.

A normal person watching this movie would at most feel very sad and shed a few tears, but her reaction was too extreme, wasn't it?

As she was thinking, she suddenly heard very light footsteps. She turned around and frowned slightly.

"Why aren't you resting yet?"

"There's something I can't figure out, and I wanted to ask Teacher Bai," Gu Xinran said in a low voice.

"Hm?"

"This movie is really amazing. Where did the inspiration come from?"

Bai Yilan was silent. She turned back around and looked up at the starry sky. "A dream."

Gu Xinran's heart skipped a beat!

"In this dream, was there a woman who, in order to save a piece of clothing, had her face disfigured by a mountain fire? She lived alone deep in the mountains. Every day, she carried a basket on her back, dug up soil from the foot of the mountain, and carried it up. She planted orchids on the summit, wanting to create a sea of flowers there," Gu Xinran asked, her eyes red and her voice trembling.

Bai Yilan whipped her head around to look at her, her eyes full of confusion. Although she often had this dream, it was only in fragments, not as detailed as what she had described.

Seeing her expression, Gu Xinran was almost certain she had guessed correctly!

"Do you… do you know… Xiao Ye?" Gu Xinran asked, her voice choked with sobs.

Bai Yilan looked at her deeply, pursed her lips, and shook her head slightly. "I don't."

"It's late. Go back to sleep." Bai Yilan turned around, her back to her.

Gu Xinran was silent for a long moment, then took a deep breath, telling herself not to be hasty. She nodded, said goodnight, and left.

Bai Yilan looked down at the ground beneath her feet, where the outline of that piece of clothing could still be faintly seen.

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