Chapter 91

Jiang Qiong recorded for the show for two days this time, editing two episodes, going on until evening. Only Xu Heran and Xin Nuo were left in the forest villa. The two of them sat on the balcony, eating while watching a group of beautiful girls on the forest path, chasing each other in a passionate “battle.” Occasionally, they added a few comments.

“Have you seen that variety show with Haya and Weining’s group?” Xin Nuo asked Xu Heran.

Xu Heran honestly replied, “I only watched the edited parts with the two of them.”

Because there were people she didn’t want to see.

Even without Nuo Nuo supervising, she was quite loyal to her principles. Truly a rare little pearl!

Xin Nuo held a white floral coffee cup, crossed her legs, and smiled as she looked at Xu Heran. “It’s okay. They only appeared in the first episode and were quickly eliminated. You can watch the whole series.”

Xin Nuo thought for a moment. “Starting from the second episode.”

Xu Heran made an “okay” gesture with her hand and explained, “I only watch it during meals. I’m busy with my studies and busy thinking about you, so I really can’t spare much time.”

“Hmph.” Xin Nuo chuckled softly. “Your gift for next year is a bucket of extra-large super glue.”

“No need,” Xu Heran said. “I’m open to it.”

“It’s not tiring to miss you, but it would be great if I could be with you all the time.”

Xin Nuo tapped her finger and felt a sourness in her heart. She whispered softly, “I want to be with you too.”

Xu Heran didn’t say anything. The finger wearing the ring hooked onto her finger.

The hands of the two slowly intertwined, fingers interlocked.

Downstairs, Jiang Xiaoqiong passed by and raised her hand. “Hey, you guys watching the show, come down!”

Xu Heran waved at the camera. “If you dare, come up here.”

Jiang Qiong put her hands on her hips but didn’t say anything. The pursuit team arrived after hearing the commotion, startling Woof Woof, who turned and ran.

“Jiang’er’s getting healthier and healthier.” Xu Heran watched Jiang Qiong’s sprinting figure and nodded in satisfaction. “Sister Cui should give Director Liu a commendation.”

“The fitness coach and Woof Woof Master.”

“Tonight, it’s just you and Jiang’er. She’s been running around for two days. Can you let her rest a bit?” Xin Nuo said helplessly.

Xu Heran immediately turned to look at her, “I’ve been working hard too. I’ve worked hard all night.”

“…”

“Shut up!”

Xin Nuo raised her hand and pinched Xu Heran’s mouth shut.

After Xin Nuo finished eating, Xu Heran went downstairs to accompany her to the airport.

“I’ll be back on June 6th. Wait for me.”

Before parting, Xin Nuo whispered.

Xu Heran reached out and gave Xin Nuo a hug.

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

“The Moon Rises Over the Willow Tree” is about to be released. Xin Nuo, Song Fenghua, and the male lead are going to the capital city to participate in a variety show and promote the movie.

The variety show is an outdoor show full of vitality. Celebrity guests need to play different roles, earn enough money, and finally pay for food and accommodation overnight.

The three of them arrived at a small town in the suburbs of the capital. The town had beautiful scenery and simple folk customs. They had to work hard within a day to earn the specified amount of money individually.

Song Fenghua held a card, her originally calm expression slowly froze. “I have to get up early to go fishing and then come back to sell fish?”

Xin Nuo patted her shoulder. “I’m going to the orchard. Do you want to switch with me?”

“It’s fine.” Song Fenghua shook her head slowly, her tone dry. “I can do it.”

“Don’t force yourself.” Xin Nuo smiled and patted her shoulder.

“I can do it.” Song Fenghua raised her hand and said firmly.

There are so many people in the world who go fishing. Why shouldn’t she be able to do it too? She’s definitely capable!

Early the next morning, as the sky was just getting light, everyone woke up.

Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua each climbed onto the back of a tricycle, gripping the handrails nervously, and moved forward with the sound of “pedal, pedal, pedal.”

After the tricycle drove away, a man sighed in relief.

“Old Wang, why are you so nervous? What’s the matter? Could it be that you’re a fan of one of these three actors and you’re nervous to see them in person?” someone joked.

“No, no.” The man named Wang waved his hand.

“Alright, if there’s none, then there’s none. Help me move these things inside. Be careful, don’t drop anything. Also, later on, bring in some firewood. We’ll need it tonight,” the person said.

“Okay,” the man named Wang nodded quickly.

The staff dispersed, and someone gave a meaningful look to the person who had just given instructions. “Why don’t you treat Old Wang more politely? After all, he used to be an assistant director. Be careful he climbs up in the future and doesn’t give you an easy time.”

“You’re overthinking it. With his past behavior, he wants to climb up?” the person scoffed, lifting his lip. “He’s cunning. He used to be reckless and even went abroad to gamble. Ever since he made a mistake and got kicked out of a project, no one dares to use him for any project, big or small. It’s just that our director is friends with him, and he’s feeling sorry for him, so he lets him do odd jobs.”

“Speaking of which, wasn’t the project he caused trouble in back then, ‘Shining Star Girls’? No wonder he’s so nervous.” The person patted his pocket and chuckled. “Hmph, when Old Wang first arrived, he even wanted to boss me around. Don’t be fooled by his current obedient behavior. Behind the scenes, he’s reporting to the director every few days. He thinks I don’t know.”

The person’s eyes shifted. “Oh, by the way, we’ll send boxed lunches to the staff later. You should have Old Wang do it.”

“Sure, you have a point.”

“I’ll treat you to dinner tonight!”

The small town was picturesque. Early in the morning, Xin Nuo went to the orchard to pick peaches and apricots with the local people. She filled two baskets and went with them to sell the fruits. At the market, an elderly woman selling vegetables struck up a conversation with her. She mentioned that the town was planning to develop tourism and that it would get better in the future. She also said that a big company had come to buy water from their area.

“Buy water?” Xin Nuo tilted her head in confusion.

“It’s spring water,” a younger townsperson laughed. “In the untouched ecological area behind us, the spring water is very sweet. Some people want to buy the water from our area.”

“I see,” Xin Nuo nodded, not paying it much mind.

About ten meters away from them, the town’s leaders greeted the people who had gotten off the car with smiles.

“Welcome, Manager Xing. Welcome to our town for your inspection.”

Xing Yu gave a polite smile. “Not at all, it’s a win-win cooperation.”

“With the support of national policies, our town is getting better and better. Moreover, we’re close to the capital city. Once your project takes off, many young people won’t need to go to the capital for work anymore. They can come back to work in our town directly. This is great for us.”

The town’s leaders attached great importance to this project. They took Xing Yu around to see the town’s scenery, explaining its history. Despite feeling impatient, Xing Yu maintained a gentle smile on his face.

This project was one he had wrested from Xing Jun’s hands. He was determined to do it even better than Xing Jun would have!

After returning to the company, he learned that their industry had been suppressed by Universal for a long time. In the national dairy and beverage industry, there were only a few giants. Universal’s Shining Star series and the Xing family’s products were both local brands in the city of Haicheng, but they radiated throughout the country. In such a big market, if one became strong, the other became weak. It all depended on individual capabilities.

After Xing Yu returned to the country, in order to seize power from Xing Jun, he first cooperated with Dream Entertainment through connections. He secured the endorsement of many top-tier stars under Dream Entertainment with a package deal, having them endorse various series of Xing family’s products. He also invested in Dream Entertainment to create a new variety show, with Dream Entertainment’s top star Mu Yiyao as the host. He managed to embed Xing family’s influence through 360 degrees, achieving some results.

He had accomplishments, which greatly pleased Long Xin, the current CEO of the Xing family. Long Xin entrusted this project to him, and thinking of Xing Jun’s expression at that time, he felt extremely proud.

Xing Yu had a smile on his lips. At that moment, someone nearby called out to him several times. Xing Yu immediately snapped back to attention, facing the skeptical expression of the town’s leader. He quickly said, “I’m sorry, I got distracted by the commotion over there.”

He sheepishly lowered his head. “I’m truly sorry.”

Xing Yu, young and handsome, pretending to be innocent by bowing his head, earned a chuckle from the town’s leader, who was a round older than him. Young people, well, they can be a bit unstable at times. The leader explained with a smile, “Those are the ‘perks’ brought to us by the city. Big celebrities are coming here to film a show!”

“When the show airs, our place might also become some sort of hotspot for social media check-ins,” the leader said with a smile.

“Big celebrities?” Xing Yu remarked casually.

“What were they called again? Two quite pretty young ladies and a young man. I glanced at them when I arrived, they looked really good!” the leader clicked their tongue and added, “Those young ladies have really grown up.”

“I see,” Xing Yu smiled faintly, and followed the town’s leader inside. He casually lifted his gaze and, amidst the bustling crowd, caught a glimpse of a face.

And those smiling, pitch-black eyes.

Xing Yu’s steps suddenly halted, his brows tightly knitted.

It’s her!

Could the other person be Xu Heran?

The one he had despised with a burning hatred for three whole years, the little princess of the Xu family?

“Mr. Xing,” his secretary reminded him, urging him to leave this place quickly.

“I’m going to take a look,” Xing Yu signaled to his secretary with his eyes.

“Understood.”

At noon, after having a meal with the town’s leaders, Xing Yu returned to the hotel where he was being accommodated. He looked disdainfully at the simple surroundings as he listened to his secretary’s report.

“Mr. Xing, this program is produced by the Beijing TV Station. The guests invited for this episode are Xin Nuo, Song Fenghua, and Musen from Universal Entertainment,” the secretary glanced at Xing Yu’s expression, “Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua are former members of the original Shining Star Girls group.”

“I know,” Xing Yu’s voice squeezed through his clenched teeth.

How could he not know?

“This show will only be filmed until tomorrow morning. I checked, and it seems that Universal Entertainment’s own movie featuring these three is about to be released. They are the main cast,” the secretary said, “And there’s one more thing…”

Xing Yu glanced at him. “Go ahead.”

The secretary hesitated. “Do you remember Wang Heng?”

“Who is that?” Xing Yu had no recollection whatsoever.

The secretary’s voice grew quieter, “It’s… the former assistant director of Shining Star Girls.”

Suddenly, Xing Yu remembered, “Oh, him. Didn’t we just give him some money to send him away back then?”

“Yes, but it seems he’s fallen on hard times now,” the secretary said.

“Hard times?” A glint of light flashed in Xing Yu’s eyes. He waved his hand at the secretary, “Look into how dire his situation is now. If he’s not desperate enough, maybe we can give him a hand.”

“If he’s willing to seek revenge against those who brought him to this current state.”

Xing Yu smiled faintly.

The colossal figure of the Universal Group might be out of his reach for now, but he didn’t mind causing some trouble for certain individuals. Or perhaps… Xing Yu’s tongue slowly licked over his upper teeth.

If he couldn’t touch Xu Heran, were there others he could move against?

As long as it’s done cleanly, could he still find evidence on them?

Exiled overseas for two years, Xing Yu had repeatedly pondered over and grasped two things. First, keep a low profile. If it wasn’t him at the scene that day but some other manager, if he hadn’t impulsively answered that call from Xu’s father, he could have easily washed himself clean, feigned innocence, or even turned the situation around!

Second…

Xing Yu’s smile deepened, growing colder.

It must be thorough, without any traces left, otherwise it would end up like him—climbing back up.

Xing Yu took off his tie and threw it on the bed.

“Don’t use clean methods. I have friends I know from abroad who can lend a hand. Also, make sure there’s no evidence left behind.”

A chill ran down the secretary’s back, leaving them speechless for a while. Finally, under Xing Yu’s skeptical gaze, they took a deep breath.

“Understood, Mr. Xing.”

“Rest assured, once this is taken care of, I won’t let you down.”

The secretary lowered their head. “Thank you, Mr. Xing.”

On June 7th, the national unified college entrance examination.

All members of SGS gathered to see off the only high school students among them onto the battlefield.

After returning from the capital city, Laurel went back to school for intensive studying, walking into the school under the encouraging gazes of everyone.

“Why do I feel even more nervous than when I took the exam myself?” Xu Heran chuckled.

“Did you bless Empress Hua with the aura of a study god?” Jiang Qiong asked.

Xu Heran raised a finger. “I had my sister and my brother each send me a pen they often use, and I combined them with mine to bless Empress Hua!”

“Solid plan!” Haya immediately chimed in.

Lin Weining smiled and said, “I gave Hua Hua a ‘guaranteed success’ talisman I bought from a temple. It’s said to be quite spiritual!”

Song Fenghua was momentarily stunned. She turned her head and raised her hand to pat Lin Weining’s head.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Weining asked in confusion.

Xu Heran was even more puzzled. “Temples have these talismans?”

Xin Nuo laughed, “Keep up with the times.”

Lin Weining: “…”

“No worries, just seeking some peace of mind.” Haya consoled Lin Weining, “It’s definitely effective!”

Jiang Qiong whispered to Lin Weining, “I specifically made Hua Hua wear red underwear!”

Jian Yueyin, who was dividing water for everyone, interjected, “…Alright.”

“Hehe.”

The seven of them sat in the car, enjoying a rare moment of calm and relaxation.

“Nuo Nuo, now that your movie is out, are you also going to be on TV? Are you playing the empress role?” Jiang Qiong scrolled through her phone, seeing the promotion for Xin Nuo’s movie, and asked.

Xu Heran immediately cautioned, “Watch your words.”

The beautiful woman Nuo belongs to Little Pearl, thank you.

“Yeah,” Xin Nuo said, “But I have very few scenes in that drama. They don’t even need me for the promotion, I play the role of the second female lead.”

“Thanks to your movie release, Manager Cui was willing to give us some time off.” Jian Yueyin stretched lazily and smiled.

“Everyone’s busy except for Little Pearl,” Jiang Qiong teased on purpose.

“I’m busy too, you know?” Xu Heran said.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had trouble finding Xin Nuo to hang out with.

“Wait until you graduate next year,” Xin Nuo chuckled softly.

“It’ll be even busier,” Song Fenghua nodded.

Everyone understood Cui Qi’s personality very well, and they all laughed heartily.

After two days of the college entrance examination, Laurel refused to share her emotional journey with everyone. After sleeping for a day and a night, she regained the vigor of a mature student and took everyone to a roadside barbecue stall to eat. She pulled Haya, Xu Heran, Jiang Qiong, and a somewhat reluctant Jian Yueyin into staying up late to play games.

On June 10th, “Moonlight at the Willow Top” premiered in Hai Cheng, simultaneously released nationwide.

After the film crew and main cast were interviewed by the press, various prominent individuals, film critics, audience members, and the Universal Entertainment group, mixed in among them, were invited to watch the film.

“Moonlight at the Willow Top” had a simple story, mainly focusing on friendship and family bonds between two men and a woman, spanning from the ages of 18 to 48. The story was heartwarming and straightforward, told eloquently.

When Wu Yun and Yu Yue, the two girls, were wearing ballet costumes and chatting and joking in the practice room surrounded by falling phoenix tree leaves, stretching their legs, Xu Heran raised an eyebrow in an appreciative manner.

“People who learn dance have good flexibility,” Jiang Qiong couldn’t help but comment.

The first half of the story focused on the two girls, while the latter half followed Wu Yun as she married and built her life, accompanying the male lead through a lifetime of experiences.

At the story’s end, “Moonlight at the Willow Top,” Wu Yun, who had exchanged heated words with the male lead over a trivial matter, went out to find him. Suddenly, she turned around and saw the male lead standing under a tree with a gentle smile.

And from behind the tree, Yu Yue, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, walked out with a smile.

In an instant, the scene zoomed out, showing a sunset on a certain date, year, and month. Three smiling young people gradually walked away on the cobblestone path lined with falling phoenix tree leaves.

As the film concluded, the film crew and cast thanked the audience. When rising from their seats, Xu Heran overheard someone excitedly speaking to their companion.

“What’s going on? I feel like the chemistry between the two girls is better than the main couple! I remember I used to ship the envelope CP too!”

Xu Heran: “?”

When they got home, Xu Heran picked up her phone to read the reviews of “Moonlight at the Willow Top.” She specifically looked at the comments from regular viewers.

“Parting the dark clouds to see the moon! You are the clouds, you are the moon. This life, both wind and moon are for you. You are the joy of youth, silently in love and never spoken. Moonlight at the willow top, meeting at twilight. Do you know I love you? #CloudMoonCPisreal#”

Xu Heran: “??”

“She loves her so much, every smile of hers is for her. Whenever she falls, as long as she thinks of her, she gains courage. But Cloud doesn’t know, the brilliance of the moon has always been on her. Sob sob sob, so heartbreaking!”

“Ah ah ah, I’m shipping this! Moreover, Fenghua’s first role was with Nuo Nuo. She said in an interview that Nuo Nuo taught her acting and gave her courage. Without Nuo Nuo, there wouldn’t be Yu Yue in the movie! This is the real version of Cloud and Moon! The CloudMoon in the movie became a reality, but the real CloudMoon won’t! Cloud and Moon, get together soon!!!”

Xu Heran: “???”

“Either I’ve gone crazy or the world has gone crazy!”

Xu Heran put down her phone, gave a cold smile, and then appeared in the dressing room of the Beijing Grand Theater with Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua during the next break.

Song Fenghua whispered, “Little Pearl’s look is off.”

“Ignore her,” Xin Nuo laughed. “She’s been acting strange these past two days.”

Xu Heran touched her hair and asked her assistant, “What color is this?”

“Black, of course. Ranran, your hair quality is really good, and you have so much hair. How do you take care of it?” the assistant said enviously.

“Early to bed, early to rise, leads to a happy life,” Xu Heran said. “And happiness.”

Assistant: “?”

“Alright.”

“Why are you dressed like this?” Xin Nuo playfully asked Xu Heran. She was wearing all-black attire, sunglasses, a mask, and a black baseball cap, sticking close to her like a bodyguard.

“Little Pearl is protecting you.”

“I think Little Pearl is about to get scolded,” Xin Nuo warned her. “Don’t mess around, the audience doesn’t know you’re here. Don’t cause trouble.”

“Understood!”

Xu Heran raised her finger nonchalantly.

Beside them, Song Fenghua looked at her trying to be cool, and her gaze suddenly recalled something from the past. She couldn’t help but squint her eyes, her gaze slightly dimmed.

Moonlight at the Willow Top, ah.

“Xiaofenghua, have some milk tea.” Xu Heran had slipped away from school to come here. She had arrived in Beijing along with Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua. Xin Nuo rarely came to Beijing before due to her frequent filming schedules, so Xu Heran brought them a famous specialty from the school cafeteria – milk tea.

“We’re about to go on stage, stay here.” Xin Nuo said, “Honestly, just stay.”

Xu Heran continued her attempt to look cool.

As they entered the venue, cheers erupted in the cinema. Xu Heran gave a faint smile, blending in with the bodyguards, pretending to be an emotionless bodyguard herself.

Being tall, no one initially noticed her. Later, someone caught a glimpse of her side profile and murmured, “This female bodyguard looks so handsome,” while secretly taking a photo of her.

Xin Nuo and Song Fenghua answered questions from the press and left before the movie started. Xu Heran immediately followed the bodyguards, quietly joining Xin Nuo’s side.

“Aren’t you supposed to stay backstage?” Xin Nuo said with a smile.

“Xu Heran is staying put, I am Xu the bodyguard.” Xu Heran’s tone was cold. “Please watch your step and don’t flirt with the bodyguard.”

Xin Nuo shook her head and laughed. Their schedule here was over, and they walked outside the theater. Many fans were waiting for them, wanting to take photos and shake hands. In the crowd, Xu Heran even spotted someone holding a sign that read “CloudMoon SZD.”

Xu Heran: “Getting annoyed.”

“Thank you, everyone. Please support our movie. Thank you!” Xin Nuo, dressed in formal attire, walked alongside Song Fenghua towards the direction of the car. Amid the crowd of excited fans, bodyguards formed a protective circle, leaving only Xu Heran and two other bodyguards trailing behind them.

Just as Xin Nuo was passing a corner, a girl suddenly screamed and rushed out of the crowd, falling to the ground.

“Who pushed me?” She asked angrily.

“Are you okay?” Xin Nuo quickly bent over, trying to help her up.

Initially, the girl on the ground was irritated, but when she looked up and saw Xin Nuo’s gentle smile, all her anger dissipated in an instant. She quickly smiled and said, “I’m fine, Xin Nuo, you—”

“Ah—”

“Who’s pushing from behind!”

“Don’t crowd!”

“Ah!”

Another girl fell to the ground, and the bodyguard circle was pushed aside by the crowd. Amidst the chaos, a masked man rushed forward, holding a shiny new fruit knife in his hand, aiming it straight at Xin Nuo’s face.

“Ah—”

The girl on the ground turned pale with fear, and screams echoed around. Instinctively, Xin Nuo raised her arm to shield herself, and in her blank mind, two words flashed.

“Xu Heran.”

“Bang!”

“Bang bang!”

“Smack.”

In an instant, fear blurred Xin Nuo’s hearing, and for a moment, she even thought she had lost her sense of pain. The surroundings fell into a deathly silence. Xin Nuo’s fingers trembled slightly, and she was embraced by the terrified Song Fenghua. She slowly lowered her hand and looked down.

On the ground, the man with the knife had his right hand twisted and limp in the air, his head pinned to the ground by a hand with prominent veins. Blood slowly flowed from the side of his face.

The sunglasses on Xu Heran’s face had fallen off at some point, and her eyes, which were usually bright and radiant, now resembled rolling thunderclouds in the midst of a storm. The purple pattern on her eyes resembled lightning, splitting the darkness beneath her gaze.

Xu Heran released her grip and kicked the fruit knife away. She then raised her foot and stepped on the man’s only intact hand.

“Crunch.” 

The man raised his head in agonizing pain, revealing a face covered in blood and flesh, horribly pale. “Don’t! Please, don’t, I’m begging you!”

What right do you have to beg me!

How dare you!

The girl clenched her teeth, restraining the wild beast roaring inside her, a trembling hand lifting the man’s head. She stared at his contorted nose bridge, her voice unbelievably deep.

“Want to die? Don’t be so troublesome.”

“I’ll teach you.”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
Proofreader: Ruu

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