Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 45.2

“Our scene will be outside the villa, so everyone can be creative,” the director reminded.

“Got it!”

As a few changed into their outfits, the staff started packing up and moving the vehicles to prepare for the upcoming shoot. Meanwhile, on a path in the park, two middle-aged men strolled with their hands behind their backs, glancing at the lively scene on this side.

“Filming, huh?” one of them asked.

“Haha, my daughter, isn’t she amazing?” the other man said with a smile.

“You’re the one who brought those idols onto the show, right?” the man said, shaking his head, “Corrupt. How can you get involved in all this nonsense?”

Director Liu shot his good friend a glare, disdainfully saying, “What do you understand? Don’t you know how much fun I’m having filming this?”

“Generous sponsor, directing with your orders, our show is quite successful!” Director Liu proudly said, “Heard your film project went bust again? Investors backed out again?”

“How’s life treating you, Li You? Don’t go around saying you know me when you’re out there, it’s embarrassing!”

Li You’s face darkened, and he waved his hand, “Don’t talk about those annoying matters. So, is this your reason for working with Universal?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a film in my hands, and a TV series too. I’ve been wanting to shoot them for a while. Universal’s supporting me, so I came over.” Director Liu grinned, “One of the conditions when we signed the contract was for me to direct 《Starlight Girls》 To be honest, it’s quite fun.”

Li You remained silent.

“Come on, let’s go take a look. These debuted girls aren’t bad,” Director Liu signaled him to follow.

Li You’s expression wasn’t too pleasant. “Not bad? All they are is idols. They might bounce around on stage, but once they stand in front of a camera…”

He seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, his face as dark as a pot bottom.

“What they are now, those idols were chosen by others. Can they be the same as the ones I picked? Besides, I’m just letting you have a look, not asking you to use them. You want them to act in your production, but will they even go?” Director Liu said disdainfully, “Your production team is both shoddy and poor! Are you going or not? If you’re not going, I’ll go myself.”

After Director Liu finished speaking, he ignored Li You and, hands behind his back, walked with his slippers on, strolling over like an old gentleman in the park. Li You glanced at him and followed along.

Xu Heran was the first to change into her outfit. She was wearing a lightly yellow colored traditional dress and had her hair styled in a youthful manner. She was tall, and the dress was short, revealing a fair and smooth portion of her calves, along with white sneakers.

“Ready?” Xu Heran announced with a microphone in hand. She saw Lin Weining behind the door putting on her shoes. Her eyes flickered, and she immediately assumed the role of a narrator.

“Long, long ago—”

Lin Weining looked up and shouted, “Wait a moment!”

Xu Heran didn’t wait; she raised her voice even higher.

“In a grand household, there lived a young lady!”

The young lady, still tying her shoelaces, hurriedly ran out. Lin Weining was wearing a pink dress, adorned with a crimson hairpin, and holding a fan she had once used for a performance on stage. The fan was decorated with pearls and tassels.

“This young lady, Miss Lin Weining, goes by the name ‘Ning Ning.’ She’s not only exquisitely beautiful but also dances gracefully. She’s particularly skilled in popping!”

Lin Weining immediately smiled, holding the fan in front of her face and blushing shyly.

Wearing a beggar’s attire, with smudges of ash on her face, Jiang Qiong dashed out, grabbing a handful of grass and sprinkling it in front of Lin Weining. “Fish, geese!”

“Ah!” Lin Weining laughed and dodged.

“This young lady is not only beautiful but also an exceptional dancer, especially in popping!”

Jiang Qiong burst into laughter, “Hahaha!”

She quickly took the microphone from the director’s hand and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xu Heran, watching the ancient young lady in a beautiful dress dancing street dance.

“Freestyle!” Jiang Qiong shouted. “As she dances, she’s singing the most popular song of that era, 《Stellar Catch》”

“Stellar what?” Jian Yueyin shook her head.

“You’re all picking on Weining.”

Lin Weining sang and danced at the same time, looking very happy. Xu Heran and Jiang Qiong burst into laughter, clapping their hands in high spirits. But when Xu Heran turned her head, she suddenly paused and quickly said, “Weining, your shoelace!”

“Ah!” As Lin Weining turned around, she stepped on her shoelace and accidentally fell to the ground. However, the lawn was soft, and she didn’t feel any pain at all.

“Why is the young lady performing such a grand gesture?”

Wearing a bright red dress, a large red flower on her head, and two spots of red rouge on her cheeks, Haya walked out, smiling and bending down to grip Lin Weining’s waist, helping her up.

Lin Weining patted the grass off her skirt with a smile, but she noticed the tall girl in front of her squatting down, pinching her loose white shoelace, and skillfully tying it into a bow.

“Thank you,” Lin Weining said.

Haya helped re-tie the shoelace of the other shoe and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“Haya, what’s all over your face and head? Are you a courtesan or a matchmaker?” Xu Heran raised the microphone and asked. “And why is a courtesan appearing at the young lady’s house?”

“That’s right!” Jiang Qiong held the microphone and pushed Xu Heran forward. “The little maid who noticed the young lady missing went out to search and saw an unknown red object in front of the young lady, so she couldn’t help but shout.”

“Hey!” Xu Heran jumped forward and pulled Lin Weining behind her. “Where did this little sprite come from?”

Haya posed artificially, her voice soft and alluring. “Today is the young lady’s father’s eightieth birthday. This one was invited to dance as a courtesan to celebrate.”

The young lady almost dropped her fan. “I’m only eighteen, and my father is already eighty?”

The courtesan’s eyes darted around as she quickly came up with an explanation.

“Oh, it seems you’re not the real daughter.”

Xu Heran was shocked.

What did it mean by “seems you’re not the real daughter”?

Seeing the atmosphere turn silent, Jiang Qiong raised the microphone. “I heard that the courtesan is here to perform songs and dances. The young ladies, who are equally skilled in dancing, have a challenge in mind. They’ve decided to have a dance-off right here to see whose dancing is more outstanding!”

“…,” Haya said.

“…,” Lin Weining said.

Xu Heran, enjoying the spectacle, didn’t mind stirring things up and asked with a grin, “Young lady, what kind of dance are you going to compete with the courtesan in?”

Jiang Qiong exclaimed, “Stripping—uh!”

The director covered Jiang Qiong’s mouth.

“They’ve decided to perform the dances they’re each skilled at!” Laurel and Jian Yueyin took over Jiang Qiong’s role, as the director ushered Jiang Qiong to the side.

Haya pondered for a moment, then adopted a martial arts stance, turned her body sideways, and shook her shoulders at Lin Weining. Her face’s two spots of red rouge and the large red flower on her head shook along, shaking, shaking.

“Seeing the courtesan’s dance moves so splendid, the young lady couldn’t resist joining in,” Jian Yueyin said.

Lin Weining widened her eyes and was forced to shake along with Haya… but her movements were more reserved.

“Hahaha!”

Jiang Qiong lay on the grass, laughing heartily with the crew.

“What on earth is this?” The two directors standing behind the crew with their arms crossed had a baffled expression.

What’s so funny about this to the young people?

Without waiting for Jian Yueyin’s cue, Xu Heran joined in automatically. Standing between the two, she shook and said, “Young lady, courtesan, the three of us are so in sync that we actually love the same dance. How about we all debut together and form an ancient version of the Silk Bandits!”

Lin Weining’s face turned crimson, and she picked up the fan to cover her face.

“Just then, the mansion’s chef ran over to the garden, shouting that something bad had happened!” Jian Yueyin added Laurel to the chaotic scenario.

Laurel held a rolling pin in one hand and wore an apron, running over from the side. “Something’s wrong, trouble’s brewing!”

Lin Weining quickly asked, “What happened?”

How would I know what’s wrong!

Laurel gave a deadpan look, gripping the rolling pin tightly. “Um… Young lady! Your father…”

Xu Heran, Lin Weining, and Haya immediately chimed in, “He-!”

“He discovered that the treasures in the mansion are missing!”

The three of them immediately displayed surprised expressions. In order to show her shock, Lin Weining even took a step back and was supported by Xu Heran and Haya.

“Let’s go, we need to go check it out!” Xu Heran said.

The four of them held hands and spun around on the grass, even raising their legs high to pretend stepping over the threshold.

“Father! Father, what’s happened to you—?” Lin Weining exclaimed.

The musician with a guitar, dressed in a blue dress, hurried forward. “Your father is alright, it’s just that the treasures have been stolen. He got so anxious that it affected his health. If the treasures aren’t recovered, I’m afraid… the situation could turn bad!”

Lin Weining was heartbroken. “Who did it?”

Xu Heran immediately raised her hand. “Young lady, your father used to be a renowned hero in the martial world. Many figures from the martial world have come to celebrate his eightieth birthday, and among them is a notorious thief! I’ve heard that she’s an incredibly skilled thief, capable of stealing anything. It must be her!”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Dressed in black and wearing a half-mask, Song Fenghua finally appeared. “It’s not me.”

“Why isn’t it you? Do you have any evidence to prove it’s not you?” Xu Heran’s words were logical and well-founded.

Song Fenghua paused. “Um… at the time of the incident, I was talking to a beggar.”

Jiang Qiong popped up. “That’s right, this thief came to find me today. I thought she was going to give me some money, but not only did she not give me a single coin, she even stole my bowl when she left!”

“What!” Everyone was shocked, looking at Song Fenghua.

You could be such a person!

Jiang Qiong lay on the grass crying, looking pitiful and wronged. “The bowl I’ve depended on since I was little! It’s been with me for so many years. I remember every single chip on its rim, those were the glorious years we spent together!”

“This is too horrifying! You actually wouldn’t spare a beggar’s bowl! It must be you who stole the master’s treasure!” Xu Heran exploded in anger. “But a skilled martial world thief like her must have incredible agility. How can we ordinary people be her match!”

“Fear not, I’ve got this!”

A melodious voice rang out, and a figure walked onto the lawn. She was dressed in white, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, a headband securing her forehead. She held a long sword, and two small mustaches were stuck above her mouth.

Xu Heran exclaimed with delight, “It’s actually the renowned young hero of the martial world, Hero Xin! She’s definitely capable of defeating the thief and retrieving the master’s treasures!”

Song Fenghua shook her head helplessly.

“It really wasn’t me!”

“Hey, is it you or not? Do your words count!” Haya said, “Enough with the talk, let’s fight!”

Jiang Qiong fanned the flames, “Yeah, fight!”

Xin Nuo smiled faintly. She stood on the lawn, suddenly drew her long sword, raised it up, her arm and the sword parallel.

As the wind brushed by, a strand of black hair fluttered at the corner of the girl’s temple. She stood upright, a hint of sharpness in the downturn of her eyes, her long eyelashes lightly raised, a fierce glint passing through her eyes.

“Please.”

Both directors standing behind the crew members spoke simultaneously, “Oh?”

A crew member tossed a prop sword to Song Fenghua again. The two girls exchanged a glance and half-heartedly clashed their swords together.

Jiang Qiong immediately declared, “During their battle, several differently colored pouches fell from the thief, along with a beggar’s bowl and a certain young lady’s pink belly band!”

The girl in pink attire: “???”

Song Fenghua: “???”

“What did you do to the bowl!” Jiang Qiong shouted, “Have you no conscience!”

“I, little beggar, shall take you on then! Seeking vengeance for the bowl!” Jiang Qiong exclaimed.

“Suddenly, the thief looked towards the kitchen maid. It turns out the kitchen maid was her childhood friend. They grew up together, training together. However, one became a thief, and the other became a kitchen maid. Seeing that the thief couldn’t stand against the hero and the beggar, the kitchen maid couldn’t stand idly by and joined the battle.” Laurel held her guitar and said with a smiling expression.

Xu Heran chimed in, “Right, the kitchen maid pulled out her nunchaku.”

Laurel raised two rolling pins and asked, “What about the ‘chu’?”

“Come quick!” Song Fenghua urged urgently.

Watching them engage in a chaotic brawl, Lin Weining hastily said, “Stop fighting, everyone, stop fighting!”

Haya exclaimed in shock, “She stole your pink thingy, and you’re actually defending her! Are you two in cahoots?”

“…,” Lin Weining slowly lowered the raised fan in her hand. She took a deep breath and said, “Actually, that pink thingy isn’t mine, and I, also, am not the mansion’s young lady!”

She turned to Xu Heran, who was watching the spectacle, and said, “She’s the real young lady! The pink thingy belongs to her!”

Xu Heran: “???”

“What, you stole my pink thingy?” Xu Heran looked at Song Fenghua in shock.

Song Fenghua’s ears felt warm, and her face turned red. “I didn’t steal it!”

“Then why did it fall from you—wait a minute!” Xu Heran looked at the smiling Xin Nuo, “Could it be?”

The smile on Xin Nuo’s face gradually faded, “…No!”

“Oh my god! Unbelievable!” Xu Heran shouted, “You dare steal my pink thingy, are you secretly in love with me?”

Xin Nuo: “No!”

“I’ll give you two choices, either marry me or defeat me in a fight!”

Laurel immediately added a setup for Xu Heran, “As it turns out, this young lady disguised herself as a maid because being a young lady requires embroidering and dancing every day, but she only wanted to practice martial arts. Luckily, the master is now eighty years old, his vision is blurred, and he can’t distinguish between real and fake, so they were able to switch identities. Now that the real young lady’s pink thingy has been stolen, she’s furious and determined to defeat this hero, then tie her up and marry her!”

Xu Heran’s eyes lit up, and she took the prop sword from Song Fenghua’s hand.

“Make way, I’m about to use my skills!”

Everyone promptly stepped back.

Xin Nuo blew her bangs and spun the sword in her palm. She swept the sword into a graceful arc, grasping the hilt in her palm. Her left hand rested behind her back, while her right hand held the sword diagonally, pointing toward the ground.

The girls chuckled.

“Come then.”

“Wow—”

The vividly colorful members nearby were all captivated by Xin Nuo’s movements and aura.

What’s happening?

Xin Nuo actually possessed this skill?

Amidst the astonished crowd, Li You released the arm he was holding, his gaze growing more serious.

Next, everyone was treated to Xin Nuo’s mesmerizing solo performance. The longsword in her hand seemed to come alive, its movements deft. If her playful exchange with Song Fenghua had been mere jesting, facing Xu Heran, her steps suddenly took on a serious demeanor.

Xu Heran continuously retreated. “Nuo Nuo, you even know swordplay!”

“Yes, I’ve learned a bit,” Xin Nuo raised an eyebrow. “Call me a hero!”

If she held a silver-edged blade, at this moment there would have been flashing steel, a glint of silver, and a spray of fresh blood. Unfortunately, what they held in their hands were toy swords, devoid of the shimmer of blades. The plastic made no one feel any pain when struck.

Graceful as a startled swan, elegant as a wandering dragon.

It was quite a sight.

However…

Suddenly, Xu Heran threw away the toy sword and grabbed hold of the blade of Xin Nuo’s prop sword. She yanked her towards her by the sword, then let go of the sword, clasped her wrist, encircled her waist, and pulled her into her embrace.

“Foul play!” Xin Nuo protested irritably. “I hit you where it hurts!”

“Definitely not!” Xu Heran grinned playfully. “Anyway, I’ve got you!”

Xin Nuo lowered her head, a cold smile on her lips. “Your hand is bleeding, bloodied and dripping!”

Xu Heran opened her hand, revealing her palms clean and unblemished.

Xin Nuo huffed and spun the sword in her hand, gracefully sheathing it. Despite being held by Xu Heran, her movements remained graceful and agile, flowing seamlessly.

“Damn it!”

Director Liu exclaimed in surprise, “Did she practice before?”

Li You, hands behind his back, spoke with a trace of sarcasm, “All for show. Many female stars practice flashy sword moves for action scenes.”

Next to him, Director Liu raised an eyebrow.

“You want to test the acting skills, right?” Li You shook his head. “Let’s go. Is the fish stew in your pot ready? If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t come bother you in this scorching heat.”

“You’re a stubborn old duck,” Director Liu laughed heartily, patting Li You’s shoulder. The two of them strolled side by side and turned back around a corner. Li You glanced back again, looking through the crowd.

The ending of the SGS group’s variety sitcom was that the big boss, Jian Yueyin, the Ten-Fingered Piano Devil, appeared to resolve the situation, defeating everyone. According to the boss herself, she used soundwaves for a mass mental attack, high damage, wide range. So the victory was hers! The victorious boss took away the true treasure of the Lord, his daughter as beautiful as flowers and jade, living together henceforth, wandering the world.

“Why is it me?” Xu Heran was shocked. She turned to Xin Nuo and extended her hand, “You must come save me!”

The hero ripped off the fake mustache on her mouth, coldly smirking, “No.”

“Farewell then.”

Amidst laughter, the filming for this episode of the group’s variety show concluded. On various major music platforms, the weekly music charts showed that 《Stellar Catch》 ranked first across the board. With a sweeping posture, SGS declared their debut.

While SGS fans spread the news, a marketing account that had recently started rumors about the rising idol’s affair with the movie emperor, only to delete the post and apologize, suddenly emerged again, releasing new information. It claimed that SGS members had confirmed homosexual relationships, with a secret early romance within the team. He had evidence!

Pointing directly at Xu Heran and Xin Nuo.

The SGS members gathered by Cui Qi sat together, looking at the news.

“Why is it him again?” Haya said. “Won’t they ever stop? Are they fixated on us?”

Xin Nuo smiled faintly, “Seems like this marketing account is from Dream Entertainment.”

Cui Qi nodded, her expression darkening, “This person contacted me privately, asking for money, threatening to expose the so-called secret relationship.”

Xu Heran held a straw in her mouth, her long legs on the carpet, and chuckled, “Exposure? I want to see that.”

“No worries, I think I know what he’s talking about,” Xin Nuo smiled and said to Cui Qi, “Sis Cui, I’ll send you something, you forward it to him, and convey my regards to Emperor Mu on behalf of both me and Zhuzhu.”

Everyone’s curiosity was piqued, and they looked at Xin Nuo, only to see her sitting quietly on the couch, a gentle smile on her face.

Xin Nuo lowered her eyelashes, her gaze harboring a stormy sea, cold and dangerous. The slender girl raised her hand, fingers propping up her cheek, lost in thought.

Speaking of which, at this time, Mu Yiyue should be about to start shooting, right? The brilliant Emperor Mu, the filming of the first street-fighting movie was about to begin. What was it called again?

She couldn’t remember the title, only that the director was Li… Li You?

Yes, this movie funded by Dream Entertainment, starring Emperor Mu, was a martial arts film that crammed in a bunch of Dream Entertainment artists. Once it aired, it garnered praise from countless people, hailed as the annual martial arts fantasy masterpiece. With its incredibly bizarre plot, it won the title of the king of bad movies that year, infuriating Li You so much that he hadn’t made a movie for three years.

Well, quite interesting.

Xin Nuo was still looking down with a smile when a small head popped up on her leg.

Xu Heran tilted her head back, seriously observing Xin Nuo’s expression. Finally, she lowered her gaze, patted Xin Nuo’s knee, and sat back.

Great, Nuo Nuo wasn’t angry and seemed to be in a good mood!

Xin Nuo hesitated for a moment, then glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, lifting her hand to pat the back of Xu Heran’s head.

What’s up, silly.

Beside them, a few people who were busy scrolling through their phones suddenly burst into laughter one after another. Haya raised her phone and said to Cui Qi, “Hahaha, Sis, I think you don’t need to step in. Someone has already replied for you.”

“Huh?” Cui Qi quickly took out her phone.

Within the industry, everyone knows: “Shocking Expose! New hot girl group just debuted, and the members’ same-sex relationships within the group are actually real! Mind-blowing!! The blogger has already obtained evidence, and in the evidence, a certain member admits in person that the other is her girlfriend, with indecent behavior involved! One of them has just come of age, while the other is only sixteen. A same-sex relationship within the team, and an early romance at that! Regarding such matters, the blogger is truly speechless. For idols who are so unconcerned about their fans’ feelings, and who don’t cherish their own reputation, what do you all think?”

The initial responses below were: “So shameful, they just debuted and are already doing this kind of thing, and it’s same-sex, disgusting!”

“These people don’t deserve to debut. I strongly demand that everyone boycott them!”

“Expose them! Let’s all boycott together!”

Not long after, the responses below changed:

“Blogger, I look down on you. Just say it outright: SGS, Xu Heran, Xin Nuo. Directly and openly!”

“No other meaning, can’t you at least buy some higher-quality water armies? This way, we won’t even be in the mood to argue with you.”

After a while, someone else spoke up.

“Huh? Seriously? It’s already this late, and there are still people who don’t know about the SGS couple?”

“Hehe, everyone don’t be so straightforward, learn from me. What? Such a thing actually happened, and there were indecent acts! Oh my, so shameful, quickly share it, expose them!”

“That’s right! Hurry up and share, expose them together!”

“Let me see, how indecent is it?”

“…”

The blogger seemed to be stuck by the replies, not responding for a while. Then a comment from behind rose to the top, directly claiming the number one spot.

“I’m her mother! I haven’t said anything! Mind your own damn business, asshole——”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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