“Why is it raining?”

Cheng Youran stepped out of the car as Fang Liuyun, holding the contract, walked towards Director Meng, who was surrounded by a crowd. Another assistant, Xiao Su, opened an umbrella for her.

The film set was constructed inside an abandoned foreigner’s street, cordoned off with barriers. Fans, clad in raincoats, waited eagerly outside the barriers.

Most of them were fans of Yan Junze, holding up support banners and screaming his name. To her surprise, she also had her own fans.

Though only four or five in number, they were completely drenched, their hair wet and clinging to their foreheads, yet they carefully protected her support banners and photos.

“Do you have a marker?”

Cheng Youran asked Xiao Su.

“Yes!”

Xiao Su hurriedly replied, pulling a black marker from her backpack. Cheng Youran took the marker and walked towards her fans.

A group of young students, their faces flushed with excitement at her approach, called out her name, visibly flustered.

“May I give you an autograph?”

Cheng Youran cracked a joke.

“Yes, yes!”

“Can we take a photo together?”

“Quick, pinch me, am I dreaming?”

Fans of Yan Junze glanced over, their eyes tinged with a hint of envy. This was the advantage of having fewer fans; with Yan Junze’s massive following, signing autographs for everyone would surely exhaust him.

“Why don’t you guys have raincoats?”

After taking photos with them, Cheng Youran suddenly asked.

“The director said there were no more, but one of our friends just went to find him. We should be able to get some raincoats,” a young man nervously replied.

“Which director?” Cheng Youran asked, glancing over at Meng Lang not far away. The opening ceremony was about to begin, and he likely didn’t have time to deal with such trivial matters.

“The one with old-fashioned glasses and a rectangular face,” another fan added.

“I’ll go check. Xiao Su, take them to the car to stay dry,” Cheng Youran said with a smile. “It’d be troublesome if they caught a cold.”

The fans’ eyes turned red. They were all students who couldn’t afford plane tickets and had taken a seven-hour train ride to Nanwan. But hearing Cheng Youran’s concern, all their exhaustion and frustration seemed to melt away.

After watching them get into the car, Cheng Youran turned and walked into the set. Fang Liuyun had already handed the contract to Meng Lang. Cheng Youran approached her and asked, “Do you remember a deputy director with glasses and a rectangular face?”

“Yuan Xiaogang.”

Fang Liuyun thought for a moment and immediately recalled his name, then asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong? Did he give you trouble?”

Yuan Xiaogang was none other than Yuan Yifei’s uncle. Yuan Yifei had been detained and only released yesterday, so Yuan Xiaogang undoubtedly harbored some resentment.

“One of my fans went with him to get raincoats, but I have a feeling he’s not being genuine,” Cheng Youran said, scanning the set but not spotting Yuan Xiaogang.

“Let me call him.”

Fang Liuyun waved the crew contact list in her hand, but when she dialed his number, all she heard was a busy tone.

…

“Director, are we not there yet?”

The set was located in a deserted foreigner’s street. The front street was relatively bright, but the further they went, the darker it became, to the point where they had to use their phone lights to see the steps.

“It’s here.”

Yuan Xiaogang pointed to a pitch-black door, his eyes shamelessly scanning Tian Xiaohe’s figure. “Go inside.”

Even if Tian Xiaohe was slow to catch on, she now realized Yuan Xiaogang’s malicious intentions. She instinctively tried to run, but her hair was yanked violently by Yuan Xiaogang, who dragged her roughly through the door.

…

“No one’s answering.”

Fang Liuyun’s voice carried a hint of worry. A vague suspicion had begun to form in her mind, but it was so absurd that she couldn’t bring herself to believe it just yet.

“There’s still some time before the opening ceremony. Let’s look around first,” she suggested, opting for a middle-ground approach.

“Alright.”

Cheng Youran nodded. She wouldn’t feel at ease until she found that fan.

Fang Liuyun quickly turned and headed toward the car. Since filming would last for several months, Cheng Youran had brought a sizable team—over thirty people, including security, makeup artists, costume designers, and assistants. They didn’t even need to involve the crew.

Soon, more than thirty people stepped out of the car, including Ye Zhinan. The group split up and began searching the set, going building by building.

A scream came from a red building. Cheng Youran and Xiao Su, using their phones as flashlights, paused when they reached the front of the building.

Xiao Su, fresh out of school and inexperienced, panicked. “Sister Youran, what should we do?” she asked anxiously.

Cheng Youran picked up a stick from the pile of clutter near the door, her voice icy. “Send them your location and tell them that bastard has been found.”

With that, she gripped the stick and walked into the room.

The man, his back turned to her, tore off the girl’s T-shirt and tied her hands above her head. “Don’t scream. I’m just rubbing against you,” he muttered.

Assaulting someone on set? He wanted to, but he didn’t dare go that far. With a hint of regret, he reached to undo his belt.

Bang!

Cheng Youran swung a rod with all her strength, striking Yuan Xiaogang on the head. A thin trickle of blood appeared as he yelped in pain and released the girl. “Who the hell—”

“I’m your damn grandfather!”

Cheng Youran shot him a cold glare before stepping forward to wrap her arms around the trembling girl. She took off her coat and draped it over her shoulders, her voice soft and reassuring. “Don’t be afraid.”

Yuan Xiaogang cursed under his breath, a flicker of fear in his eyes. Without another word, he yanked up his pants and bolted from the room.

“Do you want me to call the police?”

After a moment of silence, Cheng Youran asked carefully. If it weren’t for the girl’s emotional state, she would have reported it immediately.

Tian Xiaohe’s face was streaked with tears. She hesitated before shaking her head. “Sister… I just want to go home. Can you… can you not tell anyone?”

—She just wanted to go home.

“Alright.”

Cheng Youran said softly, “I won’t tell anyone.”

She respected the girl’s decision. Yuan Xiaogang wasn’t a minor figure—he was a well-known deputy director in the industry. Who would believe that he would harass a fan visiting the set?

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would have found it hard to believe as well.

…

“Why hasn’t Cheng Youran arrived yet?”

A middle-aged man with a protruding belly spoke up, his tone filled with dissatisfaction. “Is she throwing her weight around? It’s not like she’s the only one who can play this role. Mr. Li has already said that if we replace the female lead with Gu Yao, he’s willing to consider investing 300 million.”

That was 300 million!

Everyone present fell silent, their eyes turning to Meng Lang.

Meng Lang knew the comment was directed at him. The investors had been pushing for Gu Yao to take the female lead role, and he had been resisting the pressure, refusing to give in.

Just then, Yuan Xiaogang came running over, sweating profusely. Meng Lang quickly called out to him, “Have you seen Youran?”

Cheng Youran…

Hearing the words of one of the investors in the crowd, Yuan Xiaogang’s wildly pounding heart suddenly calmed. He touched his head, and his hand immediately came away stained with blood. He spread his palm for everyone to see. “Director Meng, Cheng Youran is a lunatic!”

“I kindly reminded her that the opening ceremony was about to start and that everyone was waiting for her. But she was calmly touching up her makeup and not only ignored me but also hit me with a stick.”

Meng Lang’s expression turned grim, his voice icy. “Yuan Xiaogang, you’d better take responsibility for what you’re saying.”

“Let me see,” one of the investors said, examining Yuan Xiaogang’s injury with a meaningful tone. “Oh, he’s really hurt. Xiaogang is usually so mild-mannered—who else would hit him?”

“I remember Cheng Youran hit Gu Yao on the Cannes red carpet a few years ago. Does she have some kind of anger disorder or something?”

Meanwhile, Cheng Youran was completely unaware of all this. After comforting Tian Xiaohe, she had Xiao Su accompany her back to Donghai City immediately. Accompanied by Fang Liuyun, she rushed to the opening ceremony location as fast as she could, but she was still three minutes late.

“The star of the show has arrived.”

“Finally here, huh? How impressive.”

Several investors spoke with sarcastic tones. Cheng Youran glanced at Yuan Xiaogang beside her, suppressing the anger in her heart. “I had something to deal with. Sorry for being late.”

The middle-aged man with the protruding belly turned to Meng Lang. “You heard what she said, right? Someone who throws their weight around like this—I don’t dare let her be the female lead. Either replace her, or we pull our investment.”

Hearing this, Cheng Youran abruptly looked up. She spoke word by word, “What did I do? Shouldn’t the question be what Yuan Xiaogang did?”

Yuan Xiaogang instinctively adjusted his glasses and immediately retorted, “Then tell us, what did I do?”

Cheng Youran fell silent. She had promised Tian Xiaohe not to tell anyone, and she wouldn’t break that promise. No one would want their pain exposed to the public, especially someone as young as her.

After a long pause, she finally said, “Yuan Xiaogang, you know exactly what you did. Don’t push me.”

Yuan Xiaogang pretended not to understand, shrugging his shoulders.

“Alright, alright, you’re the only one who knows what’s going on,” a producer who was close to Yuan Xiaogang said with a laugh.

A hint of mockery flashed in Fang Liuyun’s eyes. She could see it now—what they wanted wasn’t an explanation, but a result.

—A result where the female lead was replaced.

She stepped aside and made a phone call.

After discussing among themselves for a while, the investors sent the producer forward. He picked up the contract on the table, tore it in half, and bowed to Cheng Youran. “There’s no need to sign the contract. It hasn’t been stamped or signed yet anyway. We apologize for wasting your time.”

But his tone carried no hint of apology. With an air of superiority, he announced the result.

—Even though she had been prepared.

Cheng Youran’s eyes still reddened involuntarily, her shoulders trembling slightly, yet her back remained straight. She wasn’t sad for herself—she just felt she had let down the expectations of many people, and that made her deeply upset.

…

[Warning! Your wife’s mood value has dropped to 30!]

[Warning! Your wife’s mood value has dropped to 20!]

[Warning! Your wife’s mood value has dropped to 10!]

“How much longer to Nanwan?”

Lu Zixiao sat in the back seat, his voice cold.

“Mr. Lu, it’s just ahead.”

The SUV turned onto a narrow path and drove for three or four minutes before coming to a stop. Before the car had even fully stopped, he opened the door and stepped out, his long legs hitting the ground.

Lu Zixiao spotted Cheng Youran in the distance and walked toward her.

“Sir, this is a film set. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter,” the security guards immediately surrounded him.

Gao Qiao, who was following behind Lu Zixiao, quickly pulled out a few thousand yuan from his wallet and scattered it into the air. The security guards instantly swarmed to grab the money.

Without any further obstruction, Lu Zixiao reached Cheng Youran and gently embraced her.

Cheng Youran felt someone’s arm wrap around her waist, pulling her into a familiar embrace. It carried a faint chill from the rain. A deep, resonant voice came from above her head: “I’m sorry I’m late.”

=^_^=