The Security Guard Who Won the Heart of the Unattainable Actress - Chapter 44.1

Chapter 44.1

“?”

“This…”

“Absolutely impossible! It must be a publicity stunt!”

“It’s exploding… It really is explosive news.”

“I’m just a passerby, and even I know this artist is that staff member. Li Guang?”

“Who is this “Li Guang”? I followed a few Xiguang artists before, but I don’t know who this person is.”

“Oh my god, it’s Li Guang! My dead memories are attacking me. Isn’t this the young artist who called Ran Mingyue on that small web variety show earlier this year, claiming to know Ran Mingyue?”

“! It really is her!”

“I was just thinking what a pretty young lady, and then you tell me she has a bad history?”

“I’m dead. Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“………………”

“The moment I saw this person’s name, I was speechless! I apologize for my previous words right now. Yes, the blogger’s scoop is indeed explosive. The person leeching off Ran Mingyue’s popularity isn’t the blogger; it’s Li Guang. If this paparazzi hadn’t exposed her, we would still be in the dark, saying the staff member is so great! I’m speechless just thinking about it.”

“I apologize too, and I’m refollowing immediately. Anyone who has followed Goddess Mingyue for a while knows that this incident caused a stir back then. It was this Li Guang who called our goddess on a web variety show, claiming to know Ran Mingyue.”

Soon, under the “Gossip Source Circle” explosive post, replies from fans who had paid close attention to the past incident appeared.

“An irresponsible fan: Seeing the high level of attention now, I’ll irresponsibly share the background. Earlier this year, an artist named Li Guang participated in the web variety show I Know a Big Star and claimed to know our Teacher Ran Mingyue. She even pretentiously called Teacher Ran on the show. It rang twice and was hung up.”

“You can still find many clips of the video if you look now. That variety show was so obscure that no one watched it, so it might be hard to find. At the time, this artist, Li Guang, was heavily mocked. Her super-topic community was overrun with criticism. Anyone who paid attention before will definitely remember it. It’s my fault for not paying close attention. The staff member always wore a mask and sunglasses, so I didn’t recognize her.”

The tone of this comment clearly indicated a Ran Mingyue fan.

A huge number of nested replies quickly gathered under this explanatory comment. The comments now turned into a cascade of accusations, collectively condemning Li Guang’s shameless behavior of trying to piggyback on Ran Mingyue’s popularity.

One second ago, everyone was attacking the blogger for being unscrupulous and using a dedicated staff member for sensationalized, unethical photography, loudly praising the good relationship between Ran Mingyue and Er Xiong, and so on. The next second, all the arrows were pointed at the exposed name, Li Guang, calling for the production team to definitely fire this schemer with ulterior motives.

“Oh my god… If Ran Mingyue’s fans hadn’t come out to explain, we would still be helping them scold the wrong person.”

“DM me if you want to see the video. I’ve watched it. The scene was so awkward it made me curl my toes.”

“Sister, DM me!!! Or, would you consider posting the video publicly? It’s just a web variety show clip anyway.”

“Actually… this only proves that Er Xiong and Teacher Ran did know each other before?”

“No, no, no, how could they possibly know each other! Li Guang failed to piggyback on the popularity before, but she still hasn’t given up. Now she’s gone to a variety show that has Ran Mingyue and is working as a staff member. She must have pulled some strings to get in, right? How else could an artist possibly work as a mere staff member on another show!”

“So her being strong and capable, is that just a persona she deliberately put on?”

“For someone like Li Guang, who is desperate to get famous, it might very well be true.”

“Why should such a malignancy be kept around? She’s tried to piggyback more than once or twice!! Is this acceptable? I think the production team should also give an explanation. Why did they let an artist like that be Teacher Ran’s personal security guard?”

“It’s all a publicity stunt… We’ve been completely misled…”

“After all these years, our Goddess Ran finally has a relationship rumor. But this rumor is just someone else trying to piggyback. My heart is a rollercoaster.”

“Whose isn’t?”

The new account, “Gossip Source Circle,” gained over 100,000 followers immediately after releasing Li Guang’s information. The account was conspicuously displayed on the trending topics and was quickly approaching 200,000 followers.

Two minutes later, amidst the overwhelming comments claiming Li Guang was leeching off Ran Mingyue’s popularity, a unique, fiery comment suddenly appeared.

“Anonymous Netizen 1: Speaking up against injustice with passion. Are you people bored or something to connect all these things? This perfectly fine young lady is working her job and getting abused by you like this? Go treat your mental illness if you have one! I can’t stand people who constantly demand explanations and tell people to get out of the entertainment industry if they don’t get one. What, is the entertainment industry your family’s property or something? F*ck, so annoying!”

Replies immediately poured in: “? What kind of eyes do you have? Did you read the earlier text? That aggressive defense looks exactly like the fan comments when Li Guang was attacked before. No way, sis, does Li Guang still have active fans?”

The anonymous netizen replied again: “Who’s your sister? Look clearly, I’m your brother! You’re young, so stop learning those bad habits of spewing nonsense online. Instead of clacking away on your keyboard, why don’t you go earn some more money, sis?”

This netizen who spoke up against injustice was immediately attacked by other fans: “Little kid, stop using the internet. You’ve been staring at the computer too much, and now your eyesight is bad, right? If you’re going to stan someone, why choose a leech?”

The anonymous good Samaritan was probably overwhelmed and quickly drowned in the wave of condemnation.

In the luxurious esports suite, someone looked at the constant stream of replies on their alt account and frustratedly muttered, “F*ck.”

Li Guang was still fast asleep, completely unaware that the outside world had been turned upside down. Resting at Ran Mingyue’s place, where it was warm everywhere, was undoubtedly the best choice in winter.

When she woke up, the room was dark.

She could only tell from the slightly parted curtains that the outside world was just turning dark.

Li Guang yawned lazily in bed. She didn’t need to check again; she knew she was in Ran Mingyue’s room.

She was well-rested and felt great… so happy!

There was no one beside her. Had Ran Mingyue already woken up? So fast? She truly had good energy, even though they stayed up all night together.

She got up and opened the curtains. It was indeed raining outside, looking very cold. If she had been sleeping in her own dorm, her hot water bottle would probably already be cold.

In the study, Ran Mingyue was on the phone. She looked serious, staring at her phone screen, occasionally glancing at the two giant photos projected onto the screen behind her.

The photos were already unclear, and they were even more so when enlarged onto the screen.

“An hour and a half ago, the photos of you and Li Guang were posted on Weibo’s trending topics. Your search terms, along with hers, have been in the top three on Apple TV, Douyin, and Little Red Book.” Shang Wenya’s face was far from the phone screen, and it was clear she was in a conference room.

“We couldn’t reach you, so we’ve already missed the golden time, and the public opinion has escalated,” Shang Wenya folded her hands, looking helpless and serious. “Can you give me an explanation now?”

“I’ll handle it,” Ran Mingyue said. “It’s not a publicity stunt, and there’s no leeching. Just make those two points clear.”

“What do you mean?” Shang Wenya raised an eyebrow. “If it’s not leeching, is she really your mysterious girlfriend? Mingyue, you need to know how crucial this moment is. Don’t mess things up.”

“I won’t. I know what I’m doing.”

Shang Wenya said, “Issue a statement in the company’s name, telling everyone that you and Li Guang have a purely ordinary relationship and that you genuinely didn’t know each other before. …Didn’t you know Li Guang was a Xiguang artist before? The production team didn’t even do a background check.”

“It’s all a coincidence,” Ran Mingyue rubbed her temples, but her brow was still furrowed after dropping her hand. She disagreed with Shang Wenya’s suggestion. “That won’t work.”

“Why won’t it work?” Shang Wenya raised her voice. Another person, Youli, Ran Mingyue’s personal assistant who was with her on the show, was brought into the call. “Lili, you tell her! Didn’t Li Guang always stick close to Ran Mingyue during filming?”

“…Yes, yes,” Youli, with two top superiors, trembled in fear. “Sister Wenya, but it’s normal because Er Xiong is Sister Mingyue’s personal security. It’s natural that they would interact more.”

“Personal security, my foot!” Shang Wenya was angry. “Didn’t you realize she had ulterior motives? You let her get so close to you, knowing you can’t have any scandals right now!”

“Why are you taking your anger out on Lili?” Ran Mingyue said. “Li Guang and I knew each other from the advanced training class. What’s the problem? Li Guang never intended to use me for a publicity stunt. So, the statement can’t be released that way.”

If her company released such a statement, Li Guang would naturally be the most affected.

If they really claimed she and Li Guang didn’t know each other before, it would solidify the narrative that Li Guang’s previous call to her, which was hung up, was true.

Even if she emphasized that Li Guang hadn’t deliberately come to her side to piggyback on her popularity, people would continue to discuss it that way.

“Only by completely distancing yourself can we ensure you get the new movie role,” Shang Wenya said in a hushed tone. “You know how quirky Director Qi is!”

“I can pass on the role,” Ran Mingyue said. “I only have one condition: don’t let everything be blamed on her.”

“What do you mean, ‘blamed on her’? Are you crazy?” Shang Wenya had a fiery temper. As Yaochi’s top manager, she had a lot of power. Wasn’t she used to calling the shots with everyone? Only with Ran Mingyue could she not.

Seeing that Ran Mingyue’s expression wasn’t good, Shang Wenya had to pause and calm her emotions. “This is the best solution, don’t you know that? You cannot have even a single speck of scandal attached to you, not one.”

“The premise for clarifying is that it is a scandal. Didn’t you consider another possibility?” Ran Mingyue said. “Perhaps, it’s not a scandal.”

Her gaze was fixed on the two photos on the screen.

Aside from the low pixel quality, they looked quite well-matched.

Several messages popped up on her phone, and Ran Mingyue read them one by one.

Shang Wenya seemed startled, speechless for a moment.

The sliding door of the study was gently pushed open, and Li Guang, wearing a white sweater and pajama bottoms, appeared in the doorway.

She looked a little confused. She had been looking for Ran Mingyue and finally found her in the study.

Li Guang didn’t see the phone standing in front of Ran Mingyue, so she walked directly to Ran Mingyue’s side. “Sister Mingyue, why did you wake up so early? I didn’t see you when I got up.”

Li Guang’s hair, messy and fluffy from sleep, spread out like romantic seaweed. She rubbed her eyes as she walked, so her eye corners were slightly red. Her entire focus was on Ran Mingyue, utterly dedicated.

Shang Wenya silently watched the explosive scene, a question mark slowly appearing in her eyes.

Youli naturally felt she had stumbled upon a major secret in the industry. She even stopped breathing, said “Sorry, I have something to do on my end,” and then pretended to quickly exit the group chat.

“!” Li Guang finally noticed the phone in front of her and immediately made eye contact with Shang Wenya.

“Sister Wenya!” Li Guang greeted her reflexively, then fixed her hair. After saying that, she immediately realized she must have interrupted Ran Mingyue’s discussion with them and tried to leave.

“Where are you going?” Ran Mingyue grasped Li Guang’s wrist. “Stay here.”

“Huh?” Li Guang stopped blankly. She felt Shang Wenya’s gaze on her seemed a bit off.

She looked up and saw the two photos of her and Ran Mingyue on the screen.

Isn’t this the photo the paparazzi took that night?!

Connecting this with the content she vaguely overheard outside Ran Mingyue’s study, Li Guang knew these two photos must have been leaked.

Why did they have to be leaked at this very moment?

Shang Wenya ground out, “Don’t tell me you’re serious?”

“I can explain! I can explain!” Li Guang said anxiously, speaking up so quickly that she didn’t give Ran Mingyue a chance to explain.

“I was just… just staying at Sister Mingyue’s place temporarily,” Li Guang said, while simultaneously realizing how she looked on camera.

Ran Mingyue was holding her hand, making them look especially intimate. Especially since she was wearing Ran Mingyue’s clothes, Ran Mingyue’s clothes.

How could she possibly think of explaining that she and Ran Mingyue had no relationship when she was wearing Ran Mingyue’s things from head to toe?

Who would believe her?

Ran Mingyue said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll handle this matter.”

As soon as Ran Mingyue spoke, Li Guang almost clapped a hand over her mouth.

Stop talking!

Although Li Guang hadn’t checked how the internet was specifically talking about her, she could imagine.

Since Shang Wenya had to personally ask Ran Mingyue for a solution, the situation must be quite serious now.

It must have been a huge upheaval during the two or three hours she was asleep.

“I wasn’t intentionally photographed. That night, I couldn’t sleep, and Sister Mingyue accompanied me for a walk…” Li Guang said. “I’m sorry. I can clarify the situation. I’ve caused trouble for you.”

Li Guang still remembered what she overheard earlier—Shang Wenya had said Ran Mingyue couldn’t have any scandals right now.

“You had better—” Shang Wenya was cut short by a look from Ran Mingyue.

“Come here,” Ran Mingyue pulled Li Guang, who was standing in front, behind her. “I’m leaving the call now. Contact me on WeChat if anything comes up.”

Ran Mingyue didn’t give Shang Wenya a chance to speak again and exited the video chat directly.

With the phone muted, Li Guang looked at the two photos on the screen again. Her first reaction was to pick up her phone and search her and Ran Mingyue’s names.

The first, second, third… Why were there so many search terms!

Li Guang looked at her phone screen in astonishment, frozen for a long time. Clearly, her current public image was exactly the same as when she was attacked before.

But there was a slight difference between then and now.

At that time, Ran Mingyue was abroad. Even without a response from her, the issue slowly died down.

This time, she and Ran Mingyue were on the same show, and the public opinion was escalating, even affecting the production team.

Li Guang had already seen many comments calling for her to quit the show, and some were even highly ranked.

Just when filming ended, Wang Rou even told her that she was the audience’s top choice and that they hoped she would become a special guest.

How did everything change in an instant?

Ran Mingyue noticed Li Guang’s disappointment and reached out to place Li Guang’s phone on the table. “Don’t look at it.”

Li Guang was silent for a moment, then mumbled, “I’m sorry. Everything will be fine by the next time we film.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Ran Mingyue said. “If anyone should apologize, shouldn’t it be me? If I had found this paparazzi earlier, you wouldn’t be getting attacked now.”

“No, it’s not,” Li Guang shook her head, trying to figure out what to do about this situation.

She didn’t want to affect Ran Mingyue… People had misunderstood her. Would the production team really think she was the kind of person who would latch onto Ran Mingyue for a publicity stunt and fire her?

No.

She had signed a contract!

“I’ll go back and figure out what to do,” Li Guang said worriedly. “I need to think of a statement that everyone will accept.”

Ran Mingyue frowned. “I told you not to worry about this.”

Li Guang walked towards the door, needing to return the clothes. Ran Mingyue followed behind her. “Li Guang.”

“Li Guang,” Ran Mingyue called her again. Seeing Li Guang only shake her head in refusal, Ran Mingyue reached out to hold her hand. “You can’t go out. There might be a lot of paparazzi taking photos soon. How about moving in with me for a while?”

“Move in together? How can I do that?” Li Guang turned back in surprise. “I’ll just change my clothes and go back.”

She was outwardly calm, but her mind was in turmoil.

The memory of the previous cyber-bullying flooded her mind. Experiencing this situation again today, Li Guang suddenly realized that only two months had passed.

Only two months.

Ran Mingyue saw that Li Guang was heavily affected by this incident, her mood visibly deteriorating.

She wanted to comfort Li Guang. When Li Guang refused to let her hold her wrist, Ran Mingyue gently touched the back of Li Guang’s hand with her fingers. “I don’t care about these things.”

“I care,” Li Guang said. She turned her head, searching Ran Mingyue’s eyes. As expected, they held only determination, without a trace of fear or panic, completely different from her own emotions.

“I care,” Li Guang said. “I don’t want to affect you. I told you before that I’m afraid of being involved with you.”

“Just because of that?”

Yes, just because of that.

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