Frivolous - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

In less than a year, Chen Ran experienced a meteoric rise from obscurity to stardom, followed by a violent crash to the bottom. She held the record for the fastest building of a pedestal and the swiftest collapse of a house.

In the early hours of the morning following the exposure of her prison record, Yu Zhou called her.

“When did this happen? Sister, why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you tell me back then?”

Chen Ran heard the nasal tone in Yu Zhou’s voice, sounding as though she had just been crying. She forced a light laugh and said, “How old were you even back then?”

“But there was the Yu family, wasn’t there?”

“Yu Zhou,” Chen Ran called her name firmly, “The Yu family and I… have nothing to do with each other.”

“But she wouldn’t have just ignored it.”

The “she” was Yu Lanzhou.

“I know she wouldn’t have ignored me, but my brain was stubborn back then. I didn’t contact you all.”

“I’m sorry, Sister,” Yu Zhou apologized, her voice no longer able to hide her sobs.

Chen Ran said gently, “You aren’t still thinking about those things you said to me, are you? No, Yu Zhou. It wasn’t because of those words, truly. You don’t need to apologize to me; it really wasn’t because of you.”

“Anyway, isn’t it all in the past now? It’s fine. It was just… what it was.”

“And now? Do you need her help now?”

“I do. I need it. But Yu Zhou, this help shouldn’t be requested by you on my behalf. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I… I understand. But…” But I still don’t want you to be with her.

The next day, Su Ping’an came to Chen Ran’s room and found her curled up on the wooden floor. The cramped room had almost no furniture. She walked over slowly and crouched beside her.

“Bands are already reaching out to Chou Fang. You don’t need to worry about them.”

“Also, I saw reporters lurking at the neighborhood entrance. Don’t go out for the next few days. Be careful with your privacy when ordering delivery. I bought some of your favorite groceries and put them in the fridge; remember to cook…”

Su Ping’an kept rambling, but eventually, she knitted her brows and said, “Why don’t you come to my place instead? Just to hide out for a while.”

“No.” Chen Ran stared at her with hollow eyes. “You know who I’m waiting for in this state.”

And you know that because I got too close to you, I completely lost any possibility with her.

Su Ping’an nodded and stood up, retreating a few steps with a look of helplessness. She truly couldn’t stay by Chen Ran’s side for too long. “I understand. Take care of yourself. I’ll come back in a few days.”

When Su Ping’an returned a few days later, Chen Ran was in the same position, with the same expression, only her face was paler. She was holding her phone as if waiting for a single call.

Chen Ran didn’t dare sleep for long. She was terrified that Yu Lanzhou would call and she would miss it. She was afraid. Many times in her dreams, Yu Lanzhou called to ask about her; she would cry and pour out her grievances, only to wake up with a face full of tears and realize it was just a dream.

One number called Chen Ran several times, but whenever she answered, there was silence. Chen Ran’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed. Each time, she patiently asked the person on the other end, “Is it you?”

The person didn’t answer. A few seconds later, they hung up.

When the call came for the fourth time, Chen Ran heard a man’s voice: “Hello, Chen Ran. I’m Zhuang Wang. Regarding your career, I can help you make a comeback. Contact me if you’re interested.”

Zhuang Wang, CEO of Starry Entertainment.

Chen Ran knew exactly what he was after. This man was the same kind of filth as Lei Xinyi; he had sent people to test her when she first debuted.

Chen Ran enunciated every word: “Go. To. Hell.”

“Chen Ran, are you insane? I’m asking out of the goodness of my heart. Don’t go biting people like a rabid dog!”

“I said, go to hell.”

“A killer dares to talk like that? Just wait until you’re finished!”

“I’m waiting.”

Chen Ran hung up instantly. What if Yu Lanzhou called while the line was busy? What if?

Su Ping’an entered and sat beside her. “Chou Fang and Shi Qi are at the same company now.”

Chen Ran hadn’t spoken for days. Now, with swollen eyes, she managed a single syllable to Su Ping’an: “You…” Her voice was parched. She paused before continuing, “What about you?”

“Me? I’ve made enough money anyway. I’ll just be like this for a while.” Staying near you. Waiting to see if Yu Lanzhou would care. To see if she would come.

“Go back,” Chen Ran’s voice was so faint Su Ping’an almost didn’t hear it; she had to guess by the shape of her lips.

But what was that flash just now? Something was wrong with Chen Ran’s mouth—an unnatural, bloody red.

Su Ping’an knelt beside her. “What happened to your throat?”

“Nothing.”

Ignoring her, Su Ping’an squeezed Chen Ran’s chin to check. Chen Ran twisted away. “It’s really nothing, just a bit of torn skin.”

“How did it happen?”

Chen Ran instinctively glanced at the table. Su Ping’an walked over and saw a broken needle. With tears of utter disappointment, she said, “Chen Ran, you really… you might as well just…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say the word “die.” When she first met Chen Ran, even though the girl was living an exhausting, numbing life, she didn’t hurt herself like this.

“It wasn’t me. It was in the delivery food. I swallowed half and spat it out.”

Seeing that Chen Ran didn’t look like she was lying, Su Ping’an grabbed her arm. “Come with me. We’re calling the police.”

Chen Ran brushed her arm away and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll just cook for myself from now on.”

Su Ping’an’s hand remained frozen in mid-air. She shouted, “Chen Ran! Can you please… not make me feel so powerless? I’m begging you. Truly.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry to me for?!” Su Ping’an knelt before Chen Ran again, snatched the phone from her palm, and demanded, “What are you sorry for?! It’s been almost a week, Chen Ran! A week! Have you received a single call from her?!” Her tone was bordering on a breakdown.

“Are you sure she’s really a gentle, soft-hearted person? Do you know how many people she nearly drove to unemployment and suicide when she ran Yu Shen?!”

Chen Ran had heard of those incidents. She leaned her head against the wall and shook it, as if to say: I’m not sure, but I love her.

Su Ping’an shoved a photo in front of her eyes. Chen Ran’s gaze froze. In the photo, Yu Lanzhou was walking side-by-side with a woman. You could only see the woman’s profile, but from her aura, the frame of her glasses, and the sandalwood beads on her wrist, who could it be but Zhou Jingting?

“She’s in London now. I don’t need to tell you who the other person is.”

“That rumor you’re worried about—the pact they have for when they turn 36 is most likely true. During those years when Yu Jizhi was in poor health and Yu Lanzhou was in power, Zhou Jingting helped a lot. Once Yu Jizhi took back over, Yu Lanzhou was expected to enter a political marriage anyway, making her and Zhou Jingting impossible. To rebel against Yu Jizhi, Yu Lanzhou went and adopted a girl directly.”

Su Ping’an truly couldn’t understand how Chen Ran had concluded that Yu Lanzhou would come for her. As a bystander, she saw zero possibility between them.

“Chen Ran, I just want you to see clearly. People like Yu Lanzhou might have a heart, but it was given away long ago.”

Chen Ran seemed to snap awake; her expression was no longer so clouded. It was true. There was no reason for Yu Lanzhou to help her or see her. Why would there be?

“Life isn’t just about love. What about the music you love? The milk tea you like? You have to live for yourself.”

Su Ping’an pulled her up. “Come with me for now. We’ll go to a safe place to wait for her. Then I’ll leave for a while if you’re willing, wait for me to come back for you.”

“I want you to know you don’t just have Yu Lanzhou.” Su Ping’an pressed her body close to Chen Ran’s in a near-embrace, resting her head on Chen Ran’s hollowed collarbone. “Wait for me, okay?”

Chen Ran’s expression softened. Su Ping’an settled her on the sofa and began packing her clothes. She took Chen Ran to a house with floor-to-ceiling windows and moonlight.

“It’s a friend’s house; she’s abroad. You can stay here peacefully. The housekeeper is someone I hired before she’s a good person, you can trust her. Tell her whatever you want to eat.”

After settling everything, Su Ping’an pressed the key into Chen Ran’s palm and squeezed her hand. “Wait for me.”

After the door closed, Chen Ran placed the phone with the photo on the coffee table, staring at it repeatedly. She opened her private messages; most were text-based hate:

• Does blood not drip on the killer’s head while she sleeps?

• He was so close to living, and you killed him.

• Chen Ran go die Chen Ran go die Chen Ran go die.

• Your birthday is coming up, right? Who has a birthday on 5/14? (Note: “514” sounds like “I want to die” in Chinese). Go die quickly, don’t forget to atone.

• That boy’s life was bitter enough, he finally got a chance to live…

• Killer, come out and apologize! Get out of the industry!

• Stay away from Su Ping’an!

And countless ghostly, bloody images.

Closing her phone, she looked up at the moon. The moonlight was pure for thousands of miles, without a speck of dust. She wanted to eat the moon. To eat Yu Lanzhou. Or be eaten by the moon. Be eaten by Yu Lanzhou.

Chen Ran felt despair for herself. Age, background, the way they met, the timing. Her body, her breath, her wrists, her eyes. Everything felt hopeless.

If only she were Zhou Jingting. A Zhou Jingting with an elite family background and a matching age. The Zhou Jingting Yu Lanzhou liked. If she were Zhou Jingting, she would never let go of Yu Lanzhou, even in death.

But she was Chen Ran—the Chen Ran who would always be unlucky. Everything was a forced pursuit, a connection she insisted on creating with Yu Lanzhou.

Under the moonlight, Chen Ran’s eyes were crystal clear. She lowered her head and scrolled through her phone, finding two photos from over a year ago. They showed a spotless room and a tiny scratch, less than three centimeters long, on the wallpaper.

That was when she had just returned to Beijing from Zou Yiyi’s house in Hanglin. She didn’t want to live a life of self-torment anymore, so she found a job singing in a bar and used all her savings to move from a damp basement to a room above ground.

She had cleaned the basement room until it was perfect, but remembered a small scratch on the wallpaper in the corner—she had accidentally nicked it with a utility knife while opening a package. It was a surface-level scratch, barely visible.

She sent a photo to the landlord, Li Nan: “Hi Landlord! Sorry, I accidentally scratched a bit of the wallpaper. How much should I compensate you?” “We’ll see when I inspect it.”

On the day of the inspection, Li Nan walked around the room five or six times, unable to find a single flaw. Finally, she found the scratch Chen Ran had pointed out. “This won’t do. This wallpaper was very expensive to install. Now that it’s ruined, the whole thing has to be replaced.”

“Does the whole room need to be redone?” “Of course. Plus, I might not find this exact pattern. With labor costs and the fact that I can’t rent it out during repairs, your 3,000 yuan deposit definitely won’t be enough.”

Chen Ran almost laughed in frustration. “For 3,000, I’ll call the police. Besides, I’m moving out twenty days early. If that’s how it is, I’ll stay here until the contract officially ends.”

But Chen Ran didn’t really want to go that far; she had a fear of the police.

“Oh, we can talk about it. I’ll call the technician later. If he still has this pattern, we’ll just replace this section. He should have some. Tell you what—I’ll return 1,000 of your deposit now. I’ll handle it these few days. If he has it, I’ll return another 1,500. If not, the whole room gets redone and I’ll have to hire cleaners to scrub the place. 2,000 probably won’t even cover it, but I won’t ask you for more.”

Chen Ran looked at Li Nan’s face; it seemed the word “scoundrel” was written across it. But she was too tired. That trip back to Hanglin had been too exhausting. She didn’t want to argue anymore—at least not today.

So, at that time, Chen Ran was left with almost nothing but that 1,000 yuan. She took the subway back to her new home at night, hugging her knees with a hollow mind. When she snapped out of it and called Li Nan to ask about the wallpaper, her number was blocked.

During her work breaks, Chen Ran went back to the rental property over a dozen times to corner Li Nan. She finally caught her while she was showing the room to new tenants.

After the potential tenants left, Chen Ran asked, “Is the wallpaper changed? Did you hire cleaners? Where are the receipts?” “Not yet. It’s none of your business.” “How is it not my business? My 2,000 yuan is still with you.

If you aren’t changing it, give it back.” “That pattern is gone. I called the guy, but he’s too busy to come lately.” “Give me a date. I need to see you spend that money.” “Why are you being so se-san-dian (silly/ignorant)? I’ll change it when I’m in a good mood, and I won’t if I’m not. If you have so much time, come check whenever you like.”

Se-san-dian. She was calling her stupid and foolish. But Chen Ran’s upbringing wouldn’t let her curse back. What a filthy face. Chen Ran felt waves of nausea in her stomach and heart. At the same time, she felt the powerlessness of being toyed with.

This was the second time. If she didn’t leave this place, she was afraid she would go insane or die of bitterness. Before leaving, she told Li Nan, “Just wait. Wait for the day I die in your house.”

The moonlight gradually disappeared behind another building. Chen Ran rose from her memories, as if she had things to do. She messaged Su Ping’an: Where is your motorcycle parked? I want to go for a ride and practice guitar. Su Ping’an replied: At my place. I’ll ride it over tomorrow. Do you want me to come with you? Chen: No, I want to be alone for a bit to clear my head.

The next afternoon, when Su Ping’an handed her the keys, she said, “Happy Birthday.”

Chen Ran pursed her lips and gave a slight nod. Carrying her guitar and riding the motorcycle, she went to a florist and bought three bouquets. She took them to the park, sat on a bench for a while, left two bouquets there, kept one for herself, and rode away.

While on the road, Chen Ran once again heard the sharp screech of a motorcycle sliding across the ground. It was the echo of this unlucky fate reaching its end.

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