Bad Luck

Hearing what Yu Shuman said, Qin Ran chuckled, "So has he changed for the better or for the worse?"

"For the better," Yu Shuman answered honestly. "The director used to be too irritable, yelling at people all the time. The whole crew felt gloomy. Now that he's stopped yelling, the atmosphere has improved. Even Qianqian said so when we were chatting. She thinks the director is much more likable now."

—Ugh, it's you again, Zeng Qian!

Qin Ran felt a pang of jealousy when she heard Zeng Qian's name and quickly spoke ill of her to Yu Shuman. "Manman, you shouldn't get too close to Zeng Qian. After what happened at her birthday party last time, it's clear that the people she hangs out with aren't great. If that guy was invited, it means she's in the same circle as him!"

Yu Shuman laughed, "Actually, that guy was invited by Zeng Qian's assistant. She had played a supporting role in one of his invested dramas before. At the time, Qianqian didn't realize what kind of person he was because he behaved decently in front of her."

Qin Ran silently grumbled in her heart: Of course, he only behaved because Zeng Qian comes from a well-off family with some connections. That guy is a coward, bullying those he thinks are weak. If he had known I was the boss of 99 Entertainment, he wouldn't have dared to mess with me! When he saw it was Shuman who hit him, he didn't even dare make a sound and ran off!

With all these thoughts racing in her mind, Qin Ran only let out a noncommittal, "Mhm."

But Yu Shuman seemed to know Qin Ran better than anyone, easily seeing through her simple response.

"You're too low-key. You hardly ever make public appearances. The only picture circulating is that one with me, right? You never show up in the news, and you don't even have a verified account. If you did, that scumbag wouldn't have dared to mess with you! Xiaoran, sometimes it's necessary to let people recognize you so that no one with bad intentions tries to get close."

Qin Ran could imagine Yu Shuman saying this while playfully punching the air with a fist.

Lounging on the sofa with her ear pressed to her phone, Qin Ran responded, "Okay, I get it." She had social anxiety, and even at partner events, she avoided being photographed. That was probably why that jerk didn't recognize her. He'd never seen her face in the media. Maybe if it were his parents attending, they would've known better, but him? He had no idea who he was dealing with.

Sadly for him, his parents couldn't attend those events anymore either.

"Qianqian wants to apologize to you, but she's too scared. She asked me to check if you'd be open to having dinner with her."

"Are you going?"

Qin Ran's first concern was whether Yu Shuman would go. If she wasn't going, Qin Ran wouldn't consider it. Yu Shuman laughed softly, "If you go, I'll go with you."

Qin Ran pretended to hesitate, mumbling for a while before finally saying, "You guys focus on filming for now. We can talk about it when there's some free time." It sounded like a refusal, but Yu Shuman knew that Qin Ran was actually agreeing, just placing importance on her rest time.

"Alright."

Yu Shuman suddenly remembered something, adding, "Oh, Xiaoran, my mom said she wants you to come home with me for New Year's dinner."

"Sure!"

Qin Ran responded immediately, completely unaware of the gravity of the situation. She thought Yu Shuman just meant a simple family dinner. She didn't realize that after Yu Shuman came out to her family, her mother had asked her to bring her significant other home to meet them.

It was probably for the best that Qin Ran didn't know. Otherwise, she would've been planning her escape the moment she heard about it.

After hanging up the phone, Qin Ran started thinking about what gifts to bring Yu Shuman's mother. Last year, she had given her a light coat and a brooch. Maybe this year she could get a thick coat and a pearl necklace? She could just say the necklace was fake, made of plastic, and only cost a few dozen bucks. The coat could look a little pricier, but she'd say it was only around a thousand… or maybe just three hundred!

Feeling satisfied with her decision, Qin Ran called Wu Special Assistant to clear her schedule and accompany her to pick out the gifts.

A few days later, exam week arrived. With fewer classes, Qin Ran had more free time, but without Yu Shuman around, she ended up spending more time at the office. She'd go to work in the morning, stay there most of the day, and only leave for her exams. Without exams, she just kept busy with work.

Having gotten used to living with Yu Shuman, Qin Ran now found the house eerily quiet without her.

In her free time, Qin Ran would shop for gifts with Wu Special Assistant, who brought along their newly hired bodyguard—a tough-looking woman who radiated a sense of security.

They returned to the same store as last year, where the staff immediately recognized Qin Ran. The employees greeted her with smiles, though there was a hint of pain behind them. Pain because they knew they'd have to deal with another set of odd requests, but joy because Qin Ran was an easy-spending customer.

As long as the price was right, they were happy to meet any request.

After placing her order, Qin Ran was about to leave when someone walked in. She squinted her eyes and recognized the man—it was the rude jerk from Zeng Qian's birthday party. At first, he didn't notice her, busy talking to the staff.

"My mom bought this gemstone here. We don't need it anymore. How much will you give us to take it back?"

He spoke quickly, trying to pressure the staff into buying it back while other customers were present. Clearly, he was just as rude as before. After delivering his speech, he finally noticed Qin Ran.

At first, he didn't recognize her, but after a moment, he shouted, "Aren't you that little actress from before?! You went and snitched on me to Yu Shuman! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess—"

Wu Special Assistant immediately stepped between Qin Ran and the man, frowning. The bodyguard acted even faster, stepping forward to block him.

As an excellent bodyguard, she'd been briefed on the situation and knew all about the man's past conflicts with Qin Ran.

"Sir, please respect yourself and keep your distance from President Qin. Don't be as rude as you were last time."

The man might not recognize Qin Ran's face, but the title "President Qin" rang loudly in his ears. Recently, his father had been grumbling non-stop at home, talking about how they'd somehow offended the boss of 99 Entertainment, which caused their business to plummet. He hadn't dared tell his father that he was the one who'd crossed Yu Shuman, but when his dad found out, he'd whipped him with a belt and frozen his credit cards.

With no money to his name, life had become unbearable. That's why he'd stolen his mom's jewelry to sell for cash. His family wasn't extraordinarily wealthy—they'd only invested in a few TV dramas, earning a small profit. If they'd known he'd offend someone powerful, they would've never let him get involved in the industry.

Now, he realized he hadn't just offended Yu Shuman—he'd crossed President Qin herself. His eyes widened, and he stammered, "President Qin, President Qin… I didn't know… please, forgive me! I was blind and foolish. Have mercy on my family, please…"

Qin Ran couldn't help but laugh. "You talk as if I'm some evil landlord from the old days. I don't have the power to do anything to your family. You'd be better off fixing things yourself." With that, she left the jewelry store, Wu Special Assistant protecting her from behind.

As they stepped outside, she could still hear the man calling out, "President Qin!"

Qin Ran felt a wave of frustration. She was tired of slowly targeting his family bit by bit and asked Wu Special Assistant, "Did Sister Li get the information?"

"Yes, we've contacted several actresses he took advantage of. Two of them are willing to come forward and file charges."

Qin Ran smiled slightly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's sign those two actresses to 99 Entertainment and give them the best legal team we have. I want that scumbag to reflect on his actions from behind bars." There were people like the director, who just had bad tempers. For them, Qin Ran might be willing to give a second chance, especially for Yu Shuman's sake. But scumbags like this guy? She couldn't wait to see him gone.

With people like him, she didn't even want to see their faces again.

Sigh, I'm still too nice. That disgusting man even got to call me President Qin in person. Just hearing it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.