Shrine - Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Spring in Beicheng was more precious than a top-tier celebrity, something that seemed to exist only in legends. Winter and summer would exchange a few words, and the resulting gap was a spring that vacillated between hot and cold.
Shi Ran returned to her home in Beicheng, a top-floor duplex, feeling listless. The spacious sky garden was exquisitely maintained. She leaned against the balcony door while Xiao Lin did a quick tidying of the garden, confirmed the security cameras were on, and then settled into the hanging chair beside the vines to deal with the day's work.
Progress on Non-Desire was not going well. Zhao Ansheng was an up-and-coming director with high aspirations, and she felt that any cuts would destroy the film's artistic integrity, so she stubbornly refused to yield. Shi Ran had two meals with her and managed to talk her into compromising. After another version was edited and submitted, it was shot down again during the technical review stage.
The reason was a rumor that when the first cut didn't pass, Zhao Ansheng had thrown down a threat, saying that at worst, she'd forgo the domestic release permit and send it directly to international film festivals.
Naturally, when this reached the ears of the higher-ups, it cost her dearly.
Zhao Ansheng had always been highly regarded by international film festivals and was already under strict scrutiny. Shi Ran called Zhao Ansheng, who was speechless. "I said that?"
"Have I lost my mind? Why would I say something like that while it's being submitted for review?"
Non-Desire wasn't just the passion project of the entire crew; it was also set to be a crowning achievement in both her and Shi Ran's artistic careers. They both had high hopes for it and wished they could be ostriches, terrified of making a single misstep. How could she possibly pour oil on the fire herself?
Shi Ran understood. Someone had made others believe Zhao Ansheng had said it. Furthermore, Zhao Ansheng had been very uncooperative during the initial cut, which made the rumor seem all the more like the truth.
"We have a mole on our crew," Zhao Ansheng hadn't slept well in weeks, and she yawned through tears. "They even reported my complaints about how ugly the censorship for the Spring Festival Gala skits was. Fuck."
She had sincerely tried to explain to people, but they immediately brought this up in return, scaring her into silence.
Shi Ran listened quietly and said coolly, "I'll figure something out."
Zhao Ansheng scratched her nose with the top of an earpick. "What kind of something?"
"There's a charity dinner at the end of the month," Shi Ran tucked her hair behind her ear and swayed the hanging chair. "I'll go have a chat."
Some investors who had dealt with the review board frequently would be attending. She would ask about the situation.
After hanging up, she opened WeChat again. Little Bread hadn't sent any messages. Shi Ran's lips curved slightly. While thinking about the charity dinner at the end of the month, she lazily searched for Ruan Ruan to see if there were any recent candid photos.
There were. A lot of them.
Shi Ran lowered her legs, planting her feet on the ground, and the swaying hanging chair came to a stop.
Ruan Ruan was on the entertainment trending list. Although it was a low-ranking topic, the discussion volume was not small. Paparazzi had secretly filmed a video and taken a few screenshots, claiming that Ruan Ruan was crying her eyes out in her residential complex late at night, supposedly due to a mental breakdown from cyberbullying.
Ruan Ruan sat on a wooden bench in the garden, her face tear-streaked but beautiful. With her exquisite makeup and coordinated outfit, she looked like a still from a hazy art film.
Shi Ran furrowed her brow and opened the comment section. She could already guess the direction public opinion would take.
"??? Cyberbullying? Who's cyberbullying her?"
"Didn't people just say she mispronounced a word? They made a couple of jokes about 'Sister Hikequke,' is it that serious? It wasn't that bad..."
"So dramatic..."
"She has no work to her name, yet she's always trending for one reason or another. facepalm.jpg"
"Her CP fans are crazy too, being obnoxious and starting fights everywhere."
"Her makeup and styling are all done, but instead of staying home, she just had to go outside to cry and get her picture 'beautifully' taken by paparazzi. It's like she's dancing on my intelligence."
"I only feel sorry for my gurl~ smirk.jpg"
"So good at playing the victim."
...
The endless stream of words seemed to have grown sharp, biting teeth, gnawing on a few photos, chewing on a video clip, and swallowing the glamorous helplessness and vulnerability on the screen.
In all her years since debuting, Shi Ran had rarely shown her preferences in public, and even more rarely had she shown vulnerability. Because in the panic-stricken world of the entertainment industry, sincerity was often a person's epitaph.
She pressed her lips together tightly and lowered her head to call Ruan Ruan.
No answer.
Shi Ran's eyes darkened slightly, and she called An Lu instead. The last time they spoke, she had told An Lu to let Ruan Ruan make her own work-related decisions, and An Lu hadn't bothered her since.
This time, An Lu answered quickly. On the other end, there was the sound of breathlessness and movement, as if she were walking to a break area.
"You want to ask about the crying incident, right?" An Lu got straight to the point. "I asked. She had just finished a magazine shoot that day. She said her cat ran off, and she couldn't help but cry while looking for it. She found it later."
Shi Ran recalled that Ruan Ruan had said she was exhausted after a full day of shooting for the magazine and couldn't wait for her to finish work, telling her to go to bed early.
"Mm, what's your plan?"
"If we explain on Weibo that she was looking for her cat, the discussion might continue. I don't think it's a big deal. A few comments won't cause any real harm." An Lu didn't recommend falling into the trap of having to prove herself. She had already spoken with the media to suppress the story.
"Right now, we're focusing all our efforts on handling another matter," An Lu added.
Shi Ran remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"The magazine saw the trending topic. Her makeup and styling were photographed, which counts as a premature leak on our part. Plus, it's tied to negative news, which isn't good for the upcoming issue. Fortunately, our relationship with them is decent, so they didn't hold us accountable, but we do have to do a reshoot."
She was exhausted. The chain reaction of events had caught them off guard, and she hadn't had time to comfort Ruan Ruan. Luckily, Ruan Ruan was holding up well and didn't seem too affected by the online comments. When she heard about the reshoot, she agreed without a second thought.
She even agreed to stay for dinner with the magazine's director to offer a formal apology.
Shi Ran reached up to touch the side of her neck and slowly exhaled.
If it were her, none of this would be a big deal. But Ruan Ruan was sensitive—she had been from the very beginning. On the surface, she was timid and quiet, but in reality, she saw everything.
She was a little worried, so she asked An Lu, "So where is she now?"
"In the studio for post-production dubbing."
Shi Ran nodded. Even though the other person couldn't see, she didn't want to reply verbally. She just moistened her lips, her voice crisp and cool. "She hasn't told me herself, so you should also act as if I don't know. Arrange her upcoming schedule, but leave the end of the month free for me."
An Lu didn't ask why, just said "okay" and ended the call.
Shi Ran sat in the hanging chair, her forearm hanging down, loosely holding her phone.
Her mind was filled with Ruan Ruan.
In the flowerbed to the side, a trembling branch with delicate blossoms poked its head out from the vines, like a little cat officer standing in a crowd.
Frail, yet full of life. Smiling, kind to others, and inconspicuous, but once she made an impression, it was hard to forget.
When the sun had set behind the western hills, Ruan Ruan called Shi Ran back.
Her voice was soft and cottony, sounding a little tired, with a hint of coquettishness. "Hello?"
"Finished with work?" Shi Ran smiled faintly.
"Mhm." Her voice was slightly hoarse. Ruan Ruan cleared her throat.
"Going to eat?"
"Dei~"
Shi Ran's breath hitched slightly. She asked again, "Are your mother and brother still around?"
"No," Ruan Ruan said, lying back lazily in the backseat. "Xiao Qi went with them to Jiangcheng."
Before leaving, her mother had sent her a WeChat message, apologizing for almost losing Xiao Hei and reassuring her that they hadn't touched anything in the house.
Ruan Ruan replied that she shouldn't worry too much and asked her to let her know when she got the results of her follow-up check.
"That's perfect, then," Shi Ran wanted her to have a change of scenery and relax. "There's a charity dinner here in Beicheng at the end of the month. Will you accompany me, okay?"
"Okay?" was a phrase she rarely used, but when she said it, it seemed to carry a snowy mist, like the white vapor that forms when you run into a heater in a world of ice and snow. Ruan Ruan's heart skipped a beat. She unconsciously rubbed her cheek and answered in a small voice, "Okay. Tell me the specific time, and I'll ask An Lu if I have work."
"Mhm, you should ask." Shi Ran's tone was gentle, as if coaxed from between her lips and tongue.
Just as she had before, she had secretly made arrangements for Ruan Ruan, but this time was different. She didn't inform her directly. Instead, she let Ruan Ruan ask, let her choose. When Ruan Ruan found out she was "coincidentally" free at the end of the month, perhaps she would feel a small, pleasant surprise.
Bound by so many interests, they were often not in control of their own lives. They didn't even have the time to be willful when they or the person they liked were in a bad mood. Before they could meet, they still had to complete their work properly.
But it was precisely because of this that every reunion was all the more worth looking forward to.
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