Chapter 11 – The White Moonlight

After waiting for a while, Gu Lanyi finally arrived.

Compared to Li Ran, who only brought one suitcase, Gu Lanyi’s entourage was far more elaborate.

She had an assistant with her, her agent came along as well, and they brought three suitcases and a bag.

But that was to be expected—Gu Lanyi wasn’t some small-time star like Li Ran.

She had tens of millions of fans and was only slightly less famous than Gu Lan, the grand slam-winning film queen.

Gu Lanyi usually played supporting roles and was jokingly dubbed the “everlasting supporting actress” within the industry.

To transition her image, she had started shedding her usual cool and aloof persona and began exploring various kinds of roles.

This time, in Green Hills, she played the third female lead—a distinct and tragic character.

As for Li Ran’s familiarity with her, it naturally came more from Han Xuzhou.

In the Yancheng circle, people often said Gu Lanyi and Han Xuzhou had known each other since long ago, and that she was Han Xuzhou’s “white moonlight.”

The reason Han Xuzhou agreed to let Li Ran take Shen Yuwan’s place in marriage was because she bore some resemblance to Gu Lanyi.

In short, Han Xuzhou treated her as a stand-in.

Li Ran had looked through Gu Lanyi’s photos before but couldn’t find any real resemblance between them.

Now that she saw her in person, she still didn’t see any similarities.

Gu Lanyi wasn’t a talkative person, and Li Ran was more of a laid-back type, so apart from greeting each other once, they hadn’t exchanged any more words.

Instead, it was the system that wouldn’t shut up.

006: “She and Han Xuzhou are textbook stand-in literature.”

Li Ran: “?”

006: “It’s not that Han Xuzhou treats you as her stand-in—only a blind person would think you two look alike. You’re obviously better looking. It’s actually her who treats Han Xuzhou as a stand-in.”

Li Ran’s pupils widened. That juicy?

006: “When Gu Lanyi was in university, she dated Han Ansu. They broke up for various reasons. You know who Han Ansu is, right?”

Li Ran: “Of course. When I married Han Xuzhou, I memorized the Han family relationship chart. Han Fuyang’s second son, Han Anhuai’s younger brother.”

006: “If you remember, Han Ansu actually looks a bit like Han Xuzhou—about thirty percent resemblance. But obviously, the villain is the hottest one. So when Gu Lanyi first got close to Han Xuzhou, it was simply because she was treating him as a stand-in.”

Li Ran: “…” Oh damn.

Li Ran: “So that was in the beginning. What about now?”

006: “Now, it’s partly because she’s genuinely fallen for him—but she hasn’t realized it yet. She still thinks she’s using him as a substitute. Hmph, that man is the ultimate villain—how many women can resist his charm? Also, she wants to leverage his power and connections to get resources. But Gu Lanyi loves pretending to be all noble and pure. She would never admit to that.”

In the entertainment industry, Gu Lanyi’s public persona was that of a cold and ethereal beauty, untarnished by worldly affairs.

She had been keeping up that image for so long, she probably believed it herself by now.

Having ambition isn’t a bad thing, but she went out of her way to hide it.

006: “Oh right, one more important thing.”

Li Ran: “What?”

006: “She’s got stinky feet. Athlete’s foot for years, can’t find a cure.”

Li Ran slowly turned her face toward the car window.

She kept repeating in her heart, It’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal.

Lots of people have foot odor.

But when it came to Gu Lanyi, it just felt… unimaginable.

Picture this: Gu Lanyi on a romantic date with Han Xuzhou, sweet atmosphere building—then suddenly, a waft of that pungent sour stink. Who could keep the mood going after that?

Even Han Xuzhou’s classy aura would take a hit.

From the rearview mirror, Ren Xuan glanced back and could only see Li Ran’s shoulders shaking ever so slightly.

“Ranran, is the AC too low?”

Li Ran was wearing a V-neck short-sleeve T-shirt and jeans—not exactly thin clothing.

Why was she trembling like that?

Li Ran quickly cleared her throat. “No, no, I don’t have smelly feet…”

Ren Xuan paused, “What?”

Gu Lanyi and her assistant and manager, on the other hand, were clearly more sensitive to her words.

Gu Lanyi’s most closely guarded secret was her foot odor. If that got out, it could seriously damage her image.

Li Ran bit her tongue. Why did I have to slip up now?

She hurried to explain, “I was reading a novel—just got my words mixed up. I’m not cold.”

Ren Xuan nodded and then turned to Gu Lanyi. “Master Gu, let me know if you feel cold.”

“Mm.”

Having finished the gossip, Li Ran closed her eyes to rest. The bumpy ride continued until they reached their destination.

They drove directly to the entrance of a scenic village.

The place was surrounded by mountains and water. Just past the entrance, a large lotus pond came into view.

Vibrant green leaves, dotted with bright red flowers.

Bamboo rafts floated on the lake, and the distant mountains rose and fell in layers.

“This village is called Baima Village,” Ren Xuan said as she led them in. “It’s a famous longevity village—many elders here are over a hundred years old.”

Their lodging was a guesthouse rented from a local by the production team. A wooden sign outside read Peach Blossom Inn.

It was a two-story bamboo building with a large courtyard, its walls covered in climbing roses.

Inside, there was a bamboo pavilion furnished with a tea table and bamboo chairs.

Everything radiated tranquility. They hadn’t even settled in yet, and Li Ran already felt like she had fallen in love with the place.

This trip was already worth it.

Just as they were about to enter, Gu Lanyi spoke up: “I still have a few words I’d like to say to Master Li. Could we have a couple minutes alone?”

Ren Xuan paused her steps and nodded in agreement.

Gu Lanyi motioned to her assistant and agent to leave.

Only Li Ran and Gu Lanyi remained in the courtyard.

Gu Lanyi: “Mrs. Han, there’s no need for all this.”

Li Ran: “?”

“As fellow women, I really dislike those catty rivalry dramas. Let me be honest—Han Xuzhou might be a treasure in your eyes, but to me, he’s nothing. There’s no need for you to join this show from afar just to warn me to stay away from him.”

Li Ran’s expression was complicated. No wonder the system said she loved acting high and mighty.

She really did act like that.

“Master Gu, you’ve misunderstood. I’m part of the show too. I joined on Master Gu Lan’s recommendation.”

Gu Lanyi clearly didn’t believe her, only offering a faint smile.

“In any case, I’ve said my piece. Rather than trying to make things hard for me, why not have Han Xuzhou stay away? My career was built through my own efforts. I really dislike being associated with him—and I have no interest in married men.”

Li Ran: “…”

Li Ran: “Does Han Xuzhou often pester her?”

006: “Not at all. The villain only has his eyes on business—he’s a workaholic. He’s never chased after any girl. The only time he approached Gu Lanyi, he offered her resources in exchange for fake dating rumors. Even that one time at the airport—he was picking up a business partner. Gu Lanyi recognized him and threw herself into his car.”

006: “All that ‘built with her own ability’ talk? That role as third female lead in Green Hills? She begged Han Xuzhou for it.”

Li Ran: “…” Now that’s some world-class acting.