The Beautiful but Obscure Star Is Targeted by a Scheming Movie Star - Chapter 20

After the rain, the sky resembled a mirror washed clean—a vast, clear expanse of azure with drifting wisps of clouds.

Ten thousand rays of golden light swept across the layers of grayish-green mountains, the tall and upright emerald pines, and the soft, tender green grass, illuminating the gentle and kind face in the photograph on the tombstone.

The spring breeze transformed into a tender caress, brushing against Tang Jingran’s pale cheeks.

“Director Mama, didn’t you always say you liked resting in the shade of the trees?” Tang Jingran, dressed in black, sat carelessly on the grass, his shoulder leaning against the tombstone.

“I think you’ll definitely like this place. You can come here to enjoy the shade whenever you want and look at the scenery in the distance.”

“You never liked being crowded around by people, so I selfishly came to see you by myself.”

“You wouldn’t believe it, but so many people like me now. My fans aren’t just bot accounts anymore, and I’ve made a lot of friends. Everyone is very kind.”

Tang Jingran talked on and off, but his voice gradually faded away.

His tightly pursed chin trembled slightly as he raised a hand to cover his eyes, murmuring softly, “The weather is really nice today.”

A light breeze rustled through the grass with a soft “shasha” sound as the sun slowly shifted southward.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Jingran stood up, patted the dirt off his clothes, and stretched. He flashed a smile at the photo on the tombstone.

“Director Mama, I’m leaving now.”

“I have to keep working hard to earn money. I’ll come to see you often.”

“I’m off.”

As the wind blew past the grave, the elderly woman in the photo continued to gaze at the departing youth with those same kind eyes.

“Hello, Uncle Yan.”

On the taxi ride back to the orphanage, Tang Jingran received a call from Yan Jun.

Having learned about Tang Jingran’s situation, Yan Jun remained silent for a moment.

Tang Jingran let out a small laugh. “What is it, Uncle Yan?”

Only after hearing that his voice sounded normal did Yan Jun speak up. “Ahem, I just wanted to see if you’d turned into a fountain of tears. I was ready to express-ship my shoulder over to you.”

“Stop, hold it right there.” Tang Jingran shrugged his shoulders and laughed. “Your way of comforting people is way too terrifying.”

“Hey, I offer my kindness, and you don’t even want it.” Even though Tang Jingran sounded fine, Yan Jun wasn’t entirely at ease. Tang Jingran was the type to shoulder everything alone and swallow his sorrows. Given his history of similar situations, Yan Jun added, “Xiao Ran, keep your phone on.”

“You still have me by your side.”

After saying it, Yan Jun made a ‘hissing’ sound. “Tsk, why does that sound so weirdly sentimental?”

Tang Jingran wanted to give a playful retort, but he simply lowered his head, leaning against the car window.

Outside, the scenery blurred past, and pedestrians walked in pairs, leaning on one another and smiling.

But none of that had anything to do with him.

The warm embrace he longed to rely on was gone forever.

Tang Jingran took a deep breath. “Mm.”

Yan Jun knew Tang Jingran was hurting, but words were futile now; he could only wait for the boy to move on at his own pace.

“That’s more like it. The company wanted you to continue working, but I pushed everything off for you,” Yan Jun said. “Just stay home and rest well for this month. And remember to answer your phone.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Looking at the disconnected screen, it was only at this moment that the reality of losing a loved one truly sank in.

From now on, he would never again feel the touch of that slightly rough, warm palm.

“Ranran, these are all the Dean’s things.” With eyes red from crying, Mama Zhang led Tang Jingran to Mei Run’s room, unable to stop herself from turning away to wipe her tears.

Tang Jingran picked up a notebook with yellowed pages and rough, frayed edges. It was filled with details about every child and the orphanage’s expenses.

Turning to a certain page, Tang Jingran’s hand paused.

Year XXX, December 31st. Weather: Heavy Snow.

Found a baby at the door today. A very beautiful child, but in poor condition. I hope the child survives. Since he was found during the New Year, let’s set his birthday for today. That way, the whole country can celebrate with him.

Year XXX, January 1st. Weather: Sunny.

The little fellow is recovering well and drank quite a bit of formula. I’ll name you “Tang Jingran.” “The scenery of a foreign land remains the same.” Even though you are far from home, I hope the scenery you encounter here will always be beautiful.

Year XXX, December 31st. Weather: Sunny.

The little fellow is one year old now. Today is his first birthday. I hope his future days can be just like today’s weather—growing up happy and bright.

Year XXX, February 8th. Weather: Sunny.

The little fellow is seven. Today, he actually dared to climb a tree. It’s just a child’s nature. I told him to be careful.

Year XXX, May 8th. Weather: Overcast.

Today, the little fellow was locked in a dark room by the other children. He’s covered in bruises. I must re-educate those children, and I must also teach the little fellow how to fight back. Must pay more attention to this child’s mental health.

Year XXX, September 16th. Weather: Cloudy.

Today I discovered animal ears growing on the little fellow’s head… I have given him a private education regarding this.

Year XXX, July 20th. Weather: Sunny.

The little fellow is in his tooth-changing phase. I found him hiding his teeth. After asking, I found out he thought he was sick and would die soon. What a truly lovely little fellow. Taught him about the cycle of life and the facts about losing baby teeth.

Year XXX, June 25th. Weather: Sunny.

The little fellow is exceptionally loved by small animals; they must be kindred spirits. Sigh, I wonder what the future holds for this child. For now, I can only protect him within my capabilities.

Year XXX, June 8th. Weather: Sunny.

Over ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. The little fellow is an adult now. Time flies so fast. Today he finished his college entrance exams. I wish him success. Seeing his smile, I suspect he did well. (The little fellow grew so fast; he’s almost a 180cm handsome young man now.)

Year XXX, October 1st. Weather: Sunny.

The little fellow’s first day in the entertainment industry. I hope his journey is smooth. I’ll learn how to use a smartphone so I can be his first fan. Keep learning new things.

Year XXX, December 31st. Weather: Light Snow.

The child, who has been working for a year, came home for the New Year. We celebrated his birthday together. Wishing for all to be well and smooth.

Page after page recorded “Little Jingran’s” growth. Large, scalding tears finally broke free, crashing heavily onto the words “Little Fellow” in the notebook.

They created tiny craters on the paper, causing the ink to bleed.

Tang Jingran could no longer hold back his sobs.

A breeze from the window flipped the notebook forward several pages.

Year XXX, May 12th. Weather: Sunny.

Felt a bit dizzy today. I was so busy I forgot to take my medicine.

Year XXX, June 3rd. Weather: Sunny.

Recently, I’ve been feeling dizzy and can hardly stand. I’ll go to the hospital for a checkup once this busy period ends.

Year XXX, June 15th. Weather: Light Rain.

I think it’s time for me to leave. I’m not conflicted about it; birth, age, illness, and death are just the natural laws of the universe. I’m only worried about Ranran. That child is sensitive and keeps everything inside. If someone is even a little bit nice to him, he remembers it for a long time. But I hope he can look forward. Don’t get trapped in the past. Ranran, look forward. Everything will pass.

Outside the window, the traffic flowed endlessly, and the breeze swept leaves toward the sky.

Tang Jingran wiped his tears, closed the notebook, and placed it in a nearby cardboard box. He turned to Mama Zhang. “Mama Zhang, I’ll take these things of Director Mama’s with me. You can handle the rest as you see fit.”

Mama Zhang nodded with red eyes. “Good, good, good.”

Standing at the main gate, Tang Jingran held the box and turned to look at the home where he had lived for over a decade.

“Director Mama, I will look forward.”

Mama Zhang reached out with trembling arms and pulled Tang Jingran into a tight hug, her voice choking. “Ranran, remember to come home and visit often. We mothers, are all waiting for you at home.”

Tang Jingran’s heart trembled. He freed one hand to hug her back tightly.

“I will.”

Tang Jingran took a car back to his home in City A. He placed Mei Run’s belongings in a separate room.

“Goodnight, Director Mama.”

Tang Jingran was actually a person with a lot of style in his life. He liked to keep his home spotless, then go to the supermarket downstairs to buy groceries and reward himself with a delicious meal.

On his way home, he would buy a few flowers or plants to decorate the coffee table in the living room, making the home orderly yet cozy.

Afterward, he would curl up on the sofa with a cushion or something else to watch TV, occasionally letting himself go by letting out his ears and tail.

Of course, sometimes he would play with his own tail until he was panting and covered in sweat.

On this day, after cleaning the house and eating his fill, Tang Jingran finally posted an update on WeChat Moments.

[Wish Me Rich: Money come, money come, money money come!]

Attached was a picture of the God of Wealth.

Within moments, a flood of comments and likes appeared.

[Yan Jun: Yo, count me in.]

[Bai Wensheng: Hahaha, I’m here to rub off some of that good luck!]

[Ying Chen: May your wish come true.]

[Jing Xianmeng: Teacher Tang, how can you have such a cute gap-moe!]

[Jiang Nannan: I want it, I want it, I want it too.]

City A, as the lights began to glow.

A high-end bar.

The explosive DJ music teased the nerves of those swaying on the dance floor, while blue, purple, and dark red lights flashed across seductive faces.

A man with an outstanding aura sat in a booth, half his body hidden in the shadows, revealing only a sharp jawline. His expression was unreadable.

Everyone in the bar stole glances at this cold, distinguished man. Many wanted to curry favor, but after seeing how the previous person was treated with icy indifference, they didn’t dare approach.

Finally, a delicate-looking boy mustered the courage to walk forward, but halfway there, he was intercepted by a tall man with a playful voice, flirtatious peach-blossom eyes, and a wolf-cut hairstyle.

“Hi, baby.” The man leaned down slightly toward the boy, looking at him deeply. He pointed his finger at the man in the corner. “That’s my friend. I brought him here to drown his sorrows because he’s in a bad mood.”

As he spoke, he stuffed a stack of cash into the boy’s pocket and lightly patted his shoulder. “Don’t go disturbing him, baby. This is for your drinks.”

He even gave the boy a wink.

The man before him was dashing and suave. Being approached so closely made the boy’s face flush instantly; he nodded quickly and hurried away.

Once the person was gone, Liu Yefei grabbed a drink from the table, took a large gulp, and sat down boisterously on the sofa, looking at Gong Yingxiao with a critical eye.

“Tsk. I finally come back to the country and ask you to have dinner with me, and this is the face you show me?”

The two were childhood friends who had been in the same schools until university, where they went their separate ways to pursue their interests.

Don’t be fooled by Liu Yefei’s flirtatious looks and light tone; he was someone who pursued art with selfless devotion.

Because of his childhood love for music, he had defied his family’s wishes to develop his career abroad alone. He had successfully carved out a path for himself and made a name in the music industry, only recently deciding to return home.

In a way, the two were very similar—both were the type who wouldn’t stop until they reached their goals.

Gong Yingxiao was currently looking at Tang Jingran’s WeChat post. Seeing the familiar God of Wealth photo, the corners of his mouth twitched upward unconsciously.

But when he saw Ying Chen’s comment and like, his brows furrowed deeply. He didn’t dare to leave a like himself, and in a fit of irritation, he turned off his phone screen.

Out of sight, out of mind.

“Tsk, what’s up with you?” Liu Yefei scanned Gong Yingxiao. This bastard was actually smiling at his phone just now?

Even though this guy looked refined, he was a ruthless character to the core—quite thin-blooded and cold.

In all the years he’d known him, the number of times he’d seen him smile could be counted on one hand.

Usually, when this guy smiled, nothing good followed. But that smile just now… it was almost tender?

Hiss, damn, he was getting goosebumps.

“You aren’t in love, are you?”

Only then did Gong Yingxiao look up and grant him a glance. “None of your business.”

“Oh.” Liu Yefei nodded cooperatively. “Seems like you got dumped.”

Otherwise, given this bastard’s personality, if he had a partner, his nose would be pointing so high it would pierce the sky.

Gong Yingxiao: “…”

Gong Yingxiao’s expression became cold enough to be used as a freezer. He didn’t want to sit here listening to Liu Yefei’s nonsense any longer. “I’m leaving.”

Before he could stand up, he heard Liu Yefei’s blatant mockery. “I heard from Guo-Guo that someone didn’t take a liking to you?”

“Even a guy like you has a day like this? Ahahaha!”

Gong Yingxiao ignored the mockery, looking at him with confusion instead. “Who is Guo-Guo?”

“Your manager, Jiang Guo. Tsk, look at you, you never call him that.” Liu Yefei shook his head. “So unromantic. Everyone outside calls him that.”

Gong Yingxiao’s face darkened. “Be normal. I want to vomit.”

“Hey, you’re actually acting disgusted.” Liu Yefei stood up and plopped down next to Gong Yingxiao, pulling him back down to sit. His eyes were full of gossip and a desire to see a good show, completely devoid of sympathy for his friend.

“Hey, tell me, what does that person look like? Even you couldn’t land them?”

Gong Yingxiao pushed Liu Yefei away, face full of disdain. “Get away from me.”

Liu Yefei: “…”

This bastard really had too many issues.

It really was the right choice for that person not to like you.

With a temper like yours, who could stand you?

“Tsk, I’m just trying to analyze what you did wrong as your best friend, so I can think of a way for you.” Liu Yefei didn’t give up and continued his earnest persuasion: “So you can soon…”

Gong Yingxiao interrupted impatiently. “Noisy.”

Just then, he answered a call from Jiang Guo.

“Hello.”

“Where are you?” Jiang Guo heard the noisy environment on the other end, but Gong Yingxiao almost never went to bars.

“Liu Yefei is back. He’s treating,” Gong Yingxiao explained simply, then asked, “What is it?”

“I’m asking if you’re going to a social gathering at the International Hotel tomorrow,” Jiang Guo said. “Several investors want to talk to you about your transition to behind-the-scenes work and the new dramas they’ve recently invested in.”

“How about it? Do you have time?”

Ever since Gong Yingxiao expressed his intention to move behind the scenes, many people had sought him out, mostly wanting to pull him into their network or secure an investment.

“Not interested…”

“Oh, by the way, I just contacted Yan Jun. I heard he’s taking Jingran there too,” Jiang Guo continued. “It seems Jingran successfully auditioned for a role in one of those dramas.”

“What did you just say? I didn’t hear…”

“What time?” Gong Yingxiao interrupted him.

“I’m going.”