Truly lonely

After some playful banter, Yu Shuman got straight to the point: "What gift did you get for my mom?"

She asked directly, without any room for negotiation, and it even sounded a bit stern. If it were anyone else, they might think she was being rude, demanding a gift like that. But Qin Ran knew Yu Shuman was just worried that she had bought something too expensive.

Qin Ran tried to brush off the topic, not wanting to admit it and even thought about lying. "I didn't get anything…"

"You're still trying to lie to me?" Yu Shuman's starry eyes fixed on Qin Ran as she squeezed her cheeks inward. Yu Shuman knew Qin Ran too well; her guilty reaction was a clear sign that she had indeed bought something. No way was she getting away with a lie.

Qin Ran had no choice but to confess, "Alright, I bought something, but it's not expensive."

Hearing Qin Ran admit it, Yu Shuman finally let out a small huff and released her grip, heading straight into the room to search. "Where's the gift? Let me see. And hand over the receipt."

Knowing there was no escape, Qin Ran reluctantly handed over the prepared receipt. "It's a pearl necklace and a down jacket. Neither of them is expensive. The jacket was just over a thousand, and the necklace only a few thousand. Really, it wasn't pricey." She deliberately downplayed the cost, even showing Yu Shuman a fake receipt.

The receipt wasn't illegal, of course, just a mock-up with low values for peace of mind. The real invoices were safely stored with Wu Special Assistant to avoid Yu Shuman finding out the actual prices.

After carefully inspecting the receipts, Yu Shuman finally relaxed.

"I was just worried you'd buy something too extravagant. I can't even tell my mom the real price. If she loses such expensive things and later finds out how much they cost, it'll break her heart."

Qin Ran muttered softly, "If it gets lost, it's no big deal… it's not that expensive…"

Luckily, Yu Shuman didn't catch her words, or she might have pulled on Qin Ran's ears for a good scolding.

With the receipts checked, Yu Shuman didn't ask to see the gifts anymore. With some time on their hands, they both started packing for their trip after Yu Shuman finished work. While packing, Yu Shuman noticed that Qin Ran had tucked a small bottle into the suitcase, hidden in the side pocket.

She sighed and grabbed Qin Ran's ear. "Why are you bringing this?"

Qin Ran mumbled, "I just thought I'd bring it… we're heading to the capital later, and you promised to play the claw machines with me. We'll need to rest, right? So maybe I'll use it…"

Her explanation was all over the place, but Yu Shuman could see through her intentions. Though her ears turned a bit red, she eventually let go. Qin Ran knew Yu Shuman would indulge her. Without missing a beat, Qin Ran leaned in and wrapped her arms tightly around Yu Shuman's waist, refusing to let go, resting her lips near her reddening ear.

Yu Shuman, feeling tickled by Qin Ran's closeness, instinctively tried to push her away. But remembering Qin Ran's fragile health, she didn't push too hard, leading to a playful back-and-forth that ended with them both tumbling onto the carpet. Yu Shuman, feeling the soft rug beneath her, couldn't help but say, "Get up, the carpet's dirty."

"We can shower afterward. Let me just hold you, okay…"

Qin Ran clung to Yu Shuman like a koala, resting her head on her chest. After a moment's hesitation, Yu Shuman gently cradled Qin Ran's head, threading her fingers through her hair, softly stroking it.

For a while, they just held each other in silence, breathing in sync. After some time, Yu Shuman finally spoke, "I'm sorry… I've been neglecting you, leaving you feeling lonely." Yu Shuman knew all too well that Qin Ran must have been feeling lonely, staying by herself in the hotel. She didn't even like coming to the set, fearing it would distract her from the role by making her think too much about Qin Ran.

Yu Shuman had noticed Qin Ran's sad, longing looks and felt the ache in her heart but had forced herself to ignore it. Eventually, Qin Ran stopped visiting the set, which brought Yu Shuman a strange sense of relief. She hated neglecting Qin Ran, and seeing her unhappy made her feel miserable too. But when working, she had to give it her all.

As an actor, she earned a high salary, and the production paid well. If she couldn't focus on her job, she might as well quit and go home to cuddle with Qin Ran all day. But Yu Shuman didn't want to be a kept woman. Even though she knew everything she had—her career, people's kindness—came from Qin Ran, she wanted to achieve something on her own. She had said it before—she wanted to be 99 Entertainment's biggest star and become a movie queen.

Qin Ran understood her ambition, her drive, and her dreams, which was why she stayed away from the set.

Now, in the quiet, Yu Shuman whispered her apology, feeling guilty for only having one day to spend with Qin Ran during her break, leaving her to take care of everything else. Her guilt and love for Qin Ran mingled, filling her heart until it felt like it would burst.

Yu Shuman held Qin Ran tightly, so tightly that Qin Ran felt a bit smothered. But Yu Shuman's words, like gentle raindrops, seeped into her heart, making her snuggle even closer. When Yu Shuman apologized, Qin Ran didn't brush it off with, "It's not your fault, it's fine." Instead, after a long moment of whining and sniffling, she finally murmured, "I forgive you."

She had been so lonely. Without Yu Shuman, she was so terribly lonely.

That loneliness gnawed at her, bit by bit, hollowing out her bones until all she could think of was "I miss you." Qin Ran never thought of herself as a needy person, but now she realized how deep love could go. From the moment Yu Shuman joined the production, her longing had begun to grow. And when winter break finally came, she had hoped her yearning would ease. But having Yu Shuman close, yet feeling her far away, made it even worse.

But what could she do? Qin Ran was utterly in love with Yu Shuman. As long as they held each other, all the unhappiness melted away, leaving her only with warmth.

Hearing the sniffles in Qin Ran's voice, Yu Shuman felt even more guilty. For a brief moment, she thought about quitting, staying by Qin Ran's side forever, going everywhere together, living carefree lives while letting Qin Ran handle the business side of things.

Yu Shuman could even guarantee that if she did this, Qin Ran would be over the moon, planning extravagant trips around the world for the two of them. They could have a life many dreamed of—carefree, filled with fun, without any worries.

But Yu Shuman didn't want that. She wanted to soar in her own wide sky and support Qin Ran in return. If, one day, Qin Ran's career hit a rough patch, she wanted to be the one to say, "It's okay, I'll protect you." She wanted to protect Qin Ran, whether she was rich or poor.

That's what love is about, after all. It's like the vows in a wedding ceremony—through wealth or poverty, they'd always be together.

As she held Qin Ran, Yu Shuman gently stroked her head, soothing her as Qin Ran nestled against her, letting out soft, contented hums. After a while, Qin Ran sheepishly said, "Manman, isn't lying on the floor uncomfortable? And it's kind of dirty… We should probably get up."

Only now did she remember the floor was dirty. Yu Shuman chuckled. "It's not too bad, but you're right, let's get up and go shower."

Each went to their respective bathrooms in the master and guest rooms. After washing up and drying their hair, they lay in bed, idly watching TV. Qin Ran began planning with Yu Shuman about when they'd leave for home after finishing work. Once that was settled, their conversation wandered off into various topics. Yu Shuman suddenly mused, "Next semester, I'll graduate. I haven't even chosen my thesis topic yet."

"Take your time, Manman. You're so amazing—a little thesis will be no problem."

Yu Shuman smiled. "That's right. I'll get through it, no problem."

Even though she still had filming to do, she was confident she could manage her thesis too. She would just need to take some time off to go back to campus and consult with her professor.

At that point, the movie playing on TV became nothing more than background noise. Neither of them paid attention to it anymore. By the time Qin Ran drifted off to sleep, Yu Shuman thought briefly about the movie, realizing it was an old one. Before they knew it, both had fallen asleep to the sound of the movie. The next morning, when Qin Ran woke up, Yu Shuman was already gone but had left her breakfast.

Yawning, Qin Ran ate her breakfast and started making plans to go home. She also contacted Sister Li to have her fly in to help prepare some New Year's gifts for the crew.

When the day finally arrived for the crew to wrap up for the holidays, Sister Li arrived early, cheerfully directing the hired help to distribute 99 Entertainment's New Year's gifts to the staff. With everyone eager to get home, carrying their bags and packages, Sister Li kept things simple, giving everyone a small gift box.

The staff members, not knowing what was inside, politely accepted the gifts, smiling and thanking her. Once they were alone, they curiously shook the lightweight boxes, wondering what was inside, before finally opening them to take a look.

"Whoa, 99 Entertainment is really generous."

Inside the light gift boxes were two smaller boxes. One contained a gift card for 1,000 yuan, valid at a nationwide chain of supermarkets, while the other held a commemorative coin customized by 99 Entertainment. The coin itself weighed around five grams, and judging by the current gold price, it was worth over 2,000 yuan.

Other artists had given out small gifts as well, but 99 Entertainment's was by far the most thoughtful.

Qin Ran: Ah! I'm going to die without Yu Shuman's attention!

Yu Shuman: Come here and let me hug you.

Qin Ran: Full recovery!