Against the Light - Chapter 58
Chapter 58: Reputation Damaged
For the past few days, Qu Qi had been keeping a close eye on Weibo. She was relieved to find that no negative news had surfaced after Gu Xinran went to the film set and caused a stir.
Lin Guo was at home, adjusting her state of mind, while Gu Xinran was engrossed in the web novel script. The more she read, the more she liked it.
Qu Qi agreed that Gu Xinran had a good eye. The novel indeed had great potential, featuring a female lead with a personality type that was currently popular, and was sure to be a huge success.
The two of them conferred and decided it was best to act quickly. Qu Qi took the lead in contacting the website to negotiate the rights.
Half a month later, Qu Qi returned with fantastic news: they had secured the rights. Since Gu Xinran's financial resources were limited, Qu Qi had also taken care of finding investors. After all, it's good to have powerful backing. Light & Shadow Entertainment had also reviewed the script and liked it, so they agreed to co-invest in the production with Heart Entertainment.
However, Light & Shadow was only providing capital; Heart Entertainment would retain full control over the production. This put Gu Xinran's mind at ease.
When she thought about production, her mind immediately went to Bai Yilan's film crew.
She had already discussed the matter with Jin Shuang before the rights were even secured. Jin Shuang, of course, had no objections, which reassured Gu Xinran even more. The members of Bai Yilan's crew were all top-notch professionals, and with an expert director like Jin Shuang on board, collaborating with this team would be a sure thing!
As for the female lead, the first person who came to mind wasn't one of her own company's artists, but Qi Qiuyan, whom she had seen on the stage of 【A Good Show】. Qi Qiuyan excelled in historical dramas, and she looked stunning in period costumes. While reading the novel, Gu Xinran had automatically pictured Qi Qiuyan's face as the protagonist.
She was definitely the most suitable choice!
On a side note, during this time, Lin Guo landed a good script for a leading female role.
With Gu Xinran's encouragement, Huo Jie also made a move into the fashion industry, with a great deal of help from Ming Zhen.
The studio also signed three new artists.
As for Ye Qihan, Gu Xinran had extended an olive branch, but she had yet to receive a definitive answer.
There was another piece of happy news: Fang Yi had graduated. On the day of her graduation, right after taking her photos, she came straight to the company to report for duty. With this tech guru on board, the studio's capabilities soared.
A month later.
Filming for Teacher Yu Hua's movie wrapped up. Gu Xinran made a low-key appearance at the press conference in her capacity as an actress.
The audience was now filled with anticipation—great anticipation!
During this time, Gu Xinran made repeated, sincere efforts and successfully persuaded Lu Qing to join Heart Entertainment as its dedicated acting coach, tasked with helping her train new talent.
The three newly signed artists were all minor extras Gu Xinran had scouted from various film sets. They had little acting experience and hadn't even attended professional academies, but without exception, they were all hardworking, dedicated, and passionate about the industry—qualities Gu Xinran valued most.
Meanwhile, production quietly began on The Ode to Mountains and Rivers, the new drama Gu Xinran had invested in. She had successfully convinced Qi Qiuyan to take on the leading role.
Seeing everything fall into place, Gu Xinran felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Watching these artists grow day by day was like watching a grove of money trees flourish. She could wake up laughing from her dreams.
One morning, Gu Xinran woke up and drew back the curtains. Outside, large, goose-feather snowflakes were drifting down, blanketing the ground in a clean, pure layer of white.
She opened the window, and a bone-chilling wind rushed in. The cold made her shiver, instantly waking her up completely.
Over the past two months, the company had finally gotten on track, and the artist management teams were becoming more established. Qu Qi handled external affairs, while internally, Gu Xinran had tentatively handed over the management of the artist teams to Fang Jinghai. Though new to the industry, Fang Jinghai had a quick mind. She had already become fully adept at overseeing the teams' operations, allowing Gu Xinran to step back completely.
Now, Gu Xinran's main focus was on scouting and cultivating new talent. After all, talent was the company's backbone, and she didn't yet feel comfortable delegating that responsibility.
Fang Jinghai was now based at the company office, and Fang Yi had taken her place as Gu Xinran's assistant and manager.
In the car, Gu Xinran glanced out the window, then over at Fang Yi, who was driving.
She sat with her arms crossed for a moment, then glanced at the rearview mirror and checked the time.
"My dear," she said with a sigh of resignation, "you've been driving for twenty minutes, and I can still see the gate to my apartment complex."
Fang Yi didn't dare to look at her. She focused intently on the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly and her back ramrod straight, not daring to let her guard down for a second.
"There's a piece of paper in my pocket. Take it out and have a look," Fang Yi said.
Gu Xinran looked baffled. She took it out, glanced at it, and rolled her eyes.
The paper read in bold black letters: 【New Driver, Please Be Patient】
"..."
"Sister Ran, it's not that I'm scared to drive, but it snowed today! Look how slippery the roads are. It's dangerous! I'm just thinking of your safety!"
Gu Xinran pressed her hand to her forehead. Fine, she thought. She remembered their last trip to Ping County, when Fang Yi couldn't even drive. She had only just gotten her license, so facing this kind of weather must be difficult for her.
They had originally planned to arrive at the set of The Ode to Mountains and Rivers by ten o'clock, but the two of them dawdled and didn't get there until noon, just in time for everyone's lunch break.
Gu Xinran treated everyone to a nice meal out of her own pocket, then headed straight for the makeup room to find Jin Shuang.
As she reached the door, she heard what sounded like Jin Shuang on the phone, so she waited outside. She could vaguely make out Jin Shuang talking about a certain scene she was struggling to shoot, saying she couldn't help the actor get into the right mindset.
Was she looking for someone to give her on-the-spot advice?
Gu Xinran smiled, but then her brow furrowed. The kind of person Jin Shuang would humbly seek advice from...
A moment later, the voice inside fell silent, and only then did Gu Xinran knock.
"Come in."
"Oh, Sister Ran."
Gu Xinran entered the room. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you on the phone just now."
"Oh, it was nothing. Just a friend."
"She's still up so late?" Gu Xinran asked with a smile.
"It's the middle of the day. How is that late?" Jin Shuang asked, confused.
Gu Xinran frowned. Wasn't she on the phone with Yilan?
"Have you been in touch with Yilan recently?"
"No. Sister Lan seems pretty busy. I called her last month, and she said she was preparing for exams."
"Did she... say when she'd be back?"
"She didn't give a specific date, but she definitely won't be back this year."
Gu Xinran nodded.
"It's almost the New Year. You should let everyone off for the holiday early."
"Aren't you a benevolent boss?"
Gu Xinran chuckled and left.
This was New Year's Eve, the first one Gu Xinran would celebrate since arriving in this world.
She had given everyone the day off a day early, letting them all enjoy the holiday and reward themselves for a year of hard work.
After waking up, she washed her face, applied some light makeup, brewed a cup of coffee, and sat down at her computer.
The night before, Qu Qi had sent over this year's business summary and next year's development plan, and she was now reviewing it carefully.
The most anticipated project this year was the investment in The Ode to Mountains and Rivers. Filming was already nearly halfway complete. It wouldn't be ready for a New Year's release, but making the summer prime-time slot shouldn't be a problem.
Having Lu Qing personally mentor the new artists was a huge weight off her mind.
Unfortunately, things with Ye Qihan weren't progressing. They had spoken a few times, and it was clear she was disheartened by the entertainment industry. The chances of signing her seemed slim.
She spent the day reviewing documents.
She picked up her phone and glanced at it. Thankfully, it was on silent; otherwise, the constant notifications from her colleagues would have driven her mad.
Messages were flying in the company group chat. Gu Xinran skimmed them and saw that everyone was trying to coax Qu Qi into sending out red envelopes.
She watched stealthily for a moment, managed to snatch a red envelope, and then made a quick exit.
At 7:30, a reminder from Qin Qiong popped up in their 'sisters' group chat: the TV drama Sisters was premiering tonight. It dawned on Gu Xinran, and she quickly turned on the television.
She settled onto the sofa and watched quietly. After more than half a year of nonstop work, she could finally set everything aside and relax.
She thought back to her time in the mountains. Every New Year, she would watch other families decorate their homes with festive lanterns, while her own doorway remained desolate. Yet, she never felt lonely. She knew Yilan was watching over her from the heavens, keeping her company.
She took out her phone and checked Bai Yilan's Weibo page. There were no new posts. Given the time difference, she was probably still asleep.
After a moment's thought, she opened their private messages and sent one to Bai Yilan: 【Happy New Year】
After closing the chat, she went to her own Weibo page and posted a New Year's greeting to her fans, which immediately drew countless comments and likes.
She closed the app, but then refreshed her feed out of habit. The top trending topic immediately caught her eye.
【Feasting on Human Blood】
Gu Xinran clicked on it, ready for some drama.
And was left completely stunned.
Today's Deep Dive: 【Qi Qiuyan, how does that human blood taste? Building your fame on someone else's suffering—doesn't your conscience ache!? See Weibo @Ye Xiaobei, the original author who was driven to suicide by a plagiarist. If anything happens to this author, you can wait to be canceled into oblivion!!】
The comment section below had exploded.
【You're the one feasting on human blood! Using this to get clicks? Piss off, you damn marketing account!】
【What's wrong with Qi Qiuyan? What does this have to do with her?】
【What's going on? Can someone fill me in?】
【Damn, why are you blaming the actor for what some idiot author did? She's just doing her job. This is a classic case of disaster striking out of the blue for Qiuyan.】
【??? I'm completely lost. Can someone please explain what's happening? Thanks.】
Gu Xinran immediately clicked on Ye Xiaobei's Weibo profile. The top post was a suicide note. Between the lines, it conveyed the helplessness and anguish of having her work plagiarized and then watching the plagiarist skyrocket to fame. It mentioned she had developed depression as a result. The post ended with a final farewell: a simple 'good night.'
In the comments below, everyone was begging her not to do anything rash. People had even called the police, hoping to save the desperate author.
After reading it all, Gu Xinran's hands were trembling. Her concern wasn't about the copyright issues or the future of The Ode to Mountains and Rivers—it was for the author!
Having attempted suicide herself, she knew the depths of despair that could lead someone to that point. She couldn't bear to see a young life be lost like this!
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