Winter Break

The biggest scandal in the entertainment industry over the past few days involved two female artists accusing a certain investor of coercion and illegal conduct.

One of the women recounted how she had been intoxicated at a dinner party, only to be taken to a hotel by the investor, where she was sexually assaulted without her knowledge. The other had been even younger, still a minor at the time, when after drinking a beverage at a gathering, she lost consciousness and woke up to find that the investor had already committed the assault.

Their accusations didn't stop at the investor; they also pointed fingers at their previous agency and their former manager, accusing them of being accomplices.

The scandal escalated quickly, especially because it involved a minor, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

The internet erupted with people eagerly following the scandal. In China, it was still quite rare for female celebrities to accuse investors and agencies so directly. Everyone knew the entertainment industry was rife with dark secrets, and by coming forward, these two women risked being blacklisted by other companies and investors.

Everyone was aware that coercion existed everywhere, and many simply turned a blind eye to it.

Now that these women had spoken out, some feared they might face retaliation.

Some kind-hearted netizens expressed concern:

[They're so brave for speaking out. I just hope they don't get blackballed or retaliated against by those in power.]

[I'm really worried about how this will end. Hopefully, they'll get justice.]

But, as usual, there were those with dark thoughts, eager to cast doubt on the women's motives:

[Pfft, what's there to pity? Didn't they benefit from the deals they made? They're just as complicit.]

[Exactly. It's just another case of money-for-favors. Now they're crying foul because their payments didn't go through.]

The internet quickly became a battleground, with decent people going to war against the malicious comments, resulting in a chaotic mess under the trending topic. However, a significant development soon shifted the tide. 99 Entertainment got involved, sending legal notices to those spreading slander, making it clear they wouldn't tolerate such behavior.

Many people were confused:

[What's 99 Entertainment getting worked up for? What does this have to do with them? Are they the moral police of the entertainment industry now, sticking their nose into everything?]

Someone quickly provided an explanation:

[Idiot, do your research! Those two actresses have already signed with 99 Entertainment—they're under their management now!]

[FYI, 99 Entertainment has always fiercely protected their own, like rabid dogs if needed.]

[Good job, I say. So what if they're like the moral police of the entertainment industry? There's no room for scumbags and coercion! The industry would be better off without them!]

[Haha, I love how people get so mad at 99 Entertainment but still have to bow down to them in the end. Got your legal notice? Why aren't you running your mouth now?]

Under the pressure of 99 Entertainment's legal actions and the wrath of angry netizens, the trolls quickly deactivated their accounts and disappeared. But it didn't matter—99 Entertainment's legal notices would still find their way to the culprits, and any damages won in court would go directly to the actresses.

Yu Shuman saw the trending topic about the two actresses speaking out against the investor. Thanks to the relentless efforts of internet detectives, the "mysterious investor" was quickly identified, with photos of him—barely censored—circulating everywhere. Yu Shuman quickly connected the dots and realized this was the same man she had encountered previously.

She hadn't known about his history of abusing other actresses, but when she called Qin Ran to vent her anger, she couldn't hold back: "I should've hit him harder last time! That scumbag isn't even human. One of the victims was a minor! How could he do something so vile?"

Qin Ran agreed, "Exactly, he should be locked up and left to rot."

The two cursed him for a while longer before moving on to lighter topics. "Manman, we get winter break tomorrow. I'll come visit you!" Qin Ran announced.

Yu Shuman hesitated. "But I still have work. You'll be bored if I can't spend time with you."

"I won't be bored. It'll be just like at home—you go to work, and I'll be there waiting for you, cooking dinner."

—As long as I get to see you and hold you, nothing else matters.

Qin Ran could only say this last part to herself. There was no way she could confess it out loud to Yu Shuman—she would be too embarrassed. But the first half of her words softened Yu Shuman's heart, and her tone grew more affectionate. "Alright, just let me know when you're coming so I can take time off to pick you up."

"Okay."

Although Qin Ran agreed, she couldn't bear to let Yu Shuman go through the trouble of picking her up, especially when she was already working so hard. The next day, after her final exam, Qin Ran, along with Wu Special Assistant and a bodyguard, headed straight to the airport to fly to the city where Yu Shuman was filming. When they arrived, an escort arranged by Wu Special Assistant was already waiting.

The closer Qin Ran got to Yu Shuman, the calmer her heart became. It was as if all the longing she had felt would soon be replaced by the warmth of their reunion, the moment when they could finally embrace each other again.

When she arrived on set, Yu Shuman was in the middle of filming. Like last time, Qin Ran stood far back with Wu Special Assistant, quietly watching Yu Shuman from a distance. She was filming a group scene where the ten residents were gathered around the dead security guard's body, discussing what to do next. Yu Shuman, playing the role of the young heiress, gazed at the body with a smile, her calm demeanor making her seem all the more eerie, especially knowing that she was one of the killers.

With her gentle smile and the prominent black mole under her lip, she looked like a blood-soaked flower from the underworld.

"What's there to do? Just leave him. Eventually, someone will find the body when it starts to rot," Yu Shuman said lightly, as if she were talking about something as insignificant as a broken toy.

The lead actress frowned, taking a deep breath before speaking. "If everyone trusts me, I can handle it."

After she spoke, the second female lead stepped forward. "What are you saying? Of course, we trust you! We're all here together because of you!"

Qin Ran watched the scene unfold, impressed by the subtle but powerful performances. Each actor's tone and actions were restrained, but their unwavering conviction shone through their eyes, especially the lead actress, who looked like she was ready to take an oath.

Qin Ran watched for a while longer until the director finally called "cut."

She thought the take was good, but the director shook his head, speaking in a much gentler tone than the last time Qin Ran had visited. "Let's take a short break, find what can be improved, and we'll go for another take in a bit."

His tone was much better than before. If this had been the old director, he would've already started shouting. The actors, too, seemed more at ease, smiling as they agreed and got ready for the next take.

As she came out of character, Yu Shuman spotted Qin Ran and waved at her with a smile. Lucy, the makeup artist, pressed her hand down, "Hold still, Manman, I'm still working."

"Oh… sorry, Lucy."

"It's fine, we're almost done."

Yu Shuman sat obediently, keeping still as Lucy touched up her makeup. Unlike the last time Qin Ran had visited, where Yu Shuman had been easily distracted, this time she remained focused on her work, discussing ways to improve the scene with the other actors. When the director called "action," she immediately returned to her role.

Yu Shuman had grown a lot since then. Still, being temporarily ignored by Yu Shuman left Qin Ran feeling a bit off. She knew Yu Shuman was doing the right thing by prioritizing her work, and she admired her for it. After all, Qin Ran was the one intruding on her job.

But knowing that didn't make it any easier. Even though she understood Yu Shuman wasn't deliberately ignoring her, it still stung a little.

Yu Shuman continued filming with the other actors, which meant there were bound to be several retakes. With so many people involved, it was easy for someone to make a mistake—if it wasn't a facial expression that was off, it was someone's line delivery. The group scene ended up taking three hours to shoot. When they finally wrapped, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yu Shuman spoke briefly with the director, then turned and ran toward Qin Ran.

Qin Ran, who had been feeling a bit down just moments ago, lit up as soon as she saw Yu Shuman's smiling face and the way she rushed over. She almost wanted to open her arms wide and hug her, but the thought of being on a crowded set stopped her, and she quickly dropped her hands.

Qin Ran could be awkward and overthink things, but being around Yu Shuman always lifted her spirits. She kept her hands to herself, but her face still beamed with joy.

To her surprise, Yu Shuman didn't care about appearances and immediately threw her arms around Qin Ran in a bear hug. "Xiaoran! I'm done for the day! Let's go!"

Her voice was loud enough to turn heads, and staff members glanced over at them. Qin Ran felt a bit embarrassed, worried their relationship might be exposed and cause trouble for Yu Shuman's career.

However, the people around them didn't show any strange reactions. In fact, they smiled warmly at what they assumed was just a close friendship between two girls. Qin Ran relaxed, finally letting herself return the hug, wrapping her arms around Yu Shuman's back.

"Yeah, let's go."

When they stepped out of the studio, snowflakes were gently falling from the sky. Large flakes landed on Yu Shuman's eyelashes, causing her to close her eyes. Qin Ran reached out to brush them away.

Yu Shuman shivered, pulling her coat tighter around her. Underneath her coat, she was still wearing her costume, no wonder she was freezing.

Qin Ran took off her own scarf and moved to drape it over Yu Shuman's shoulders. Yu Shuman protested, "Xiao ran, are you trying to freeze yourself? You know you're more prone to getting sick than I am!"

—One day, I'm going to shake off that "frail" label for good!

Qin Ran grumbled, "But I'm dressed more warmly than you. Just wear the scarf, okay? If you catch a cold, you won't be able to shoot your scenes."