Chapter 40

If there was anything in his career that Wenmo could forget or pretend never happened, he would choose to completely erase the events of ten seconds ago from his and everyone else's minds.

The harsh white light poured down from above, much like his current mood. The passing nurses saw him standing hesitantly at the door and cautiously asked, "Sir, do you need anything?"

This was the single-patient ward area, where only the rich and powerful could stay. However, the man in front of them didn't seem like a bad person, and the nurse hesitated while clutching the alarm device in her hand.

Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, Wenmo put on a poker face and calmly said, "No, the air outside is nice. I'll come in later."

The nurse: "?"

Hospitals, no matter how clean they were kept, could never emit a pleasant and refreshing scent. They only had the distinctive smell of disinfectant. The nurse was full of doubts, but Wenmo's appearance was somewhat deceptive, at the very least, he had the look of an elite.

Thinking about the real-time surveillance cameras above, the nurse said skeptically, "It's cold outside, sir. If you don't have any business here, it's better to go back early."

Wenmo: "..."

Damn, he had never suffered such grievances in his life.

Wenmo felt cold and angry outside. Just a door away in the hospital room, Yan Yunyang leaned on Zuo Mingran's shoulder, appearing peaceful and harmonious.

In reality, the moment Zuo Mingran heard the door sound, she wanted to get up from the bed. However, Yan Yunyang was still leaning on her, unmoving at the sound of the commotion.

Worried about his injuries, she didn't dare to make any sudden movements that could potentially affect his wounds. So, Yan Yunyang didn't understand, and Zuo Mingran could only sit obediently. The door opened and quickly closed again. Though it was only a short moment, with only a few steps from the doorway to the bed, coupled with the reflection of a swift turning figure on the glass, it was easy to understand what had occurred.

An eerie silence filled the air, and apart from the time they got drunk together at the wrap party, this was the first time the most intimate action had taken place between them while both were sober.

Since learning some of the fragmented memories of what she had done while drunk from Angel, Zuo Mingran's mind gradually regained some of those broken memories. Although she hadn't remembered everything, some of the key points came back to her.

For example, the kiss between her and Yan Yunyang.

Just a fleeting touch, as light as if it never happened, yet it feels heavy as if it carries a thousand pounds.

She has never been the type to compromise herself, just like when she calmly accepted the fact that she had transmigrated into a novel. Once everything became clear, the following events seemed to flow naturally, no longer difficult to accept.

She had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Yanyunyang again, even thought about the possibility of treating this whole thing as if it were a dream, mutually agreeing that it never happened.

However, no matter how much she calculated, she never expected it to be in a hospital room.

After maintaining the same posture for a long time, her shoulders started to feel numb. Zuomingran sat there stiffly and calmly said, "Get up, your shoulder is numb."

A few soft laughs sounded from behind her, accompanied by a slight vibration in her neck and shoulder. Feeling the tingling sensation spreading from her limbs to her whole body, Zuomingran turned her face and looked back, just in time to meet Yanyunyang's gaze.

"Get up." This time, Zuomingran lifted her shoulder without any mercy.

Following her movement, Yanyunyang raised his head. His slightly long hair was messy, with a few strands falling in front of his forehead. Compared to his usual neatly groomed hair, Yanyunyang looked inexplicably younger with this messy appearance. His eyes slightly drooped, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Ignoring the bandages wrapped around his head, Yanyunyang now looked like a college student who had not yet entered society.

Leaning back against the pillow, his beautiful eyes were filled with a playful smile. He raised his uninjured right hand and wiped the corner of Zuomingran's eye, saying, "Your makeup is smudged."

Only then did Zuomingran remember that she hadn't removed her makeup yet. Amidst the chaos of the night, running on the road non-stop, and avoiding various media, she had somehow managed to keep her makeup on for nearly a day and night. It would be a huge problem not only for a female star, but also for an ordinary girl.

Fortunately, Shuangxia was not here, otherwise she wouldn't know how to handle the situation.

Apart from the hospital bed, the single patient room was also a suite, equipped with a separate living room and bathroom. Zuomingran took out a toiletry set from the bag that Shuangxia had given her, and after she finished tidying up, Wenmo was holding a stack of documents and talking to Yanyunyang.

She had no interest in listening to work-related matters, so she casually tied up her scattered hair behind her head and picked up the hat and mask on the sofa, preparing to leave. Yanyunyang seemed to have anticipated what she was going to do early on, and spoke before she could say anything, "Wenmo brought lunch, they were all made according to your taste."

Zuomingran tilted her head and followed his gaze, looking at the three dishes and one soup placed on the coffee table.

"Mine?"

Yanyunyang nodded, and Zuomingran immediately said without hesitation, "You guys still have work to discuss, I'll just go out for some fresh air. You're busy."

"There are reporters outside." Yanyunyang casually opened the contract, speaking as if he had full control over the situation. "Once you step out, it will be breaking news within ten minutes."

Zuomingran: "..."

Considering the consequences of becoming a hot topic in her current situation, Zuomingran silently took a step back and smiled. "I suddenly feel like the wind outside is particularly noisy today. I think I'd better not go out."

Wenmo lowered his head to suppress his laughter, trying not to burst out laughing. Yanyunyang warned him with a glance, and Wenmo instantly wiped the smile off his face and said seriously, "Mr. Yanyun, this is the email they sent."

Yanyunyang calmly replied, "I know, let them proceed according to the original plan."

Wenmo pushed his glasses and asked, "Mr. Yanyun, about the car accident, Ms. Liu said they have almost finished investigating. Does that mean..."

They were not avoiding Zuomingran at all while they spoke. Wenmo's words carried a hint of veering on the legal edge. No matter how bold Zuomingran was, she was still a law-abiding youth. This was the first time she had encountered real-life drama outside of TV shows, and she couldn't help but feel that she might be killed for knowing too much in the next second.

But before she could imagine the next plot, Yanyunyang's words shattered all her fantasies.

"Leave it to the police to handle."

"..."

Zuomingran calmly swallowed the xiaolongbao in her mouth. Artistic works really need to be close to life and not rely on assumptions. How could there be so many illegal and immoral things in real life? Didn't she see that they were actively cracking down on crime now?

Wenmo quickly left. With Yanyunyang needing to stay in the hospital for a short period of time, he had to hold down the fort at the company. Fortunately, the initial confusion had settled down by the time Yanyunyang woke up, and everything was back on track.

However, Zuomingran was completely unaware of all this.

Food really can solve all the problems. If it doesn't, then have another meal.

With a plain face, her slightly curled long hair tied up behind her head, and wearing the men's slippers provided in the hospital room, Zuomingran sat on the couch and ate xiaolongbao without caring about her image. Aside from her overly beautiful face, there was no way to associate her with the so-called superstar.

Yanyunyang glanced at her, and Zuomingran lifted her head, their four eyes meeting. The long-lost winter sunlight shone through the glass, leaving a small halo on the floor. The profiles of the two of them were exposed to the gentle sunlight, casting long shadows on the ground.

After a while, Zuo Mingran raised the small steamed bun in her hand and asked seriously, "Do you want to eat too?"

Yan Yunyang chuckled and climbed up the pole, saying, "Then I want to eat meat."

Zuo Mingran: "...It's all gone."

For several days in a row, Zuo Mingran stayed in the hospital with Yan Yunyang. Compared to other places, the hospital was much quieter. At least the media couldn't enter, and even though the city was in chaos, it didn't affect them at all.

However, the internet was interconnected, and although Zuo Mingran couldn't leave, she didn't miss out on anything important.

For example, the famous Yan Group seemed to be considering a change in leadership, and naturally, the person who would take over was Yan Yunyang, who was still lying in the hospital bed.

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. Those who had mocked Zuo Mingran to the heavens were now waiting for the day when she would be kicked out of the wealthy family. However, to their surprise, Zuo Mingran not only lived well in the wealthy family, but was even about to become the mistress of the Yan family.

Whether it was Yan Yunyang's car accident or the power transition in the Yan Group, it was undoubtedly difficult for gossip tabloids to find out the truth. The only way was to find Zuo Mingran, who was tied to Yan Yunyang.

Zuo Mingran was also aware that she was now a walking headline in the eyes of those reporters. To catch her would mean a year-end bonus. It was like a modern version of the Tang Monk's flesh.

Under these circumstances, it was best for her to stay in the hospital under the pretext of taking care of the patient.

Fortunately, the single-person ward also had a small suite with all kinds of things. Ignoring the hospital environment, it could be called a hotel. Shi Shuangxia also sent some daily necessities, along with some instructions. Without work, Zuo Mingran lived a comfortable and happy life. Not only did she have three meals delivered to her door, but to avoid her boredom, Wen Mo also brought her a laptop that she could play games on.

As they say, a happy heart makes a plump body. With nothing to do every day, besides eating and drinking, Zuo Mingran had gained several pounds silently after two weeks. On the other hand, Yan Yunyang, who ate the same food and had at least some exercise by walking a few steps every day, wished to lie in bed for twenty-three hours a day. Not only did he not gain weight, but he even lost some.

Truly, some people have all the luck.

Zuo Mingran listened to Shi Shuangxia's nagging and secretly cursed in her heart. She cast furious glares at Yan Yunyang beside her. If her gaze could materialize, Yan Yunyang would have been riddled with holes long ago.

Shi Shuangxia kept talking, and Zuo Mingran didn't dare to argue back. She could only nod her head while promising that she would lose weight within a week.

Shi Shuangxia was both angry and helpless as she said, "You, you."

Zuo Mingran smiled mischievously at her and casually handed her a candy, saying playfully, "Eat candy, eat candy, don't be angry."

Unlike the relationships between other managers and artists, although they weren't relatives, after years of being together, they had become both mentors and friends. Shi Shuangxia even treated Zuo Mingran as her own little sister.

Zuo Mingran had a tall figure and, according to normal standards, even if she gained another ten pounds, she would still be considered relatively slim. But as a celebrity, she lived under the scrutiny of the camera, and the standards for weight were naturally much stricter. Adding the debuff of looking ten pounds heavier on camera, in order to appear slim on screen, apart from photo editing, the only option was to lose weight, to the point of being thinner than the average person's healthy standards.

The candy in her mouth was sweet and juicy. Shi Shuangxia sighed in her heart, waved her hand, and said, "Go away, don't be in the way here."

Zuo Mingran felt as if she had been granted amnesty and quickly bounced away. Yan Yunyang was sitting on the sofa, looking at his emails on the computer. Zuo Mingran walked over with her phone, casually bumped his uninjured leg with her foot, and he instinctively moved a little to the side without even lifting his head. It seemed like a well-practiced movement that had been done countless times.

Shi Shuangxia, who happened to see this scene, said, "..."

What happened to their fake marriage?

Although she had anticipated it and had indeed hoped for them to eventually be together, when it really came to this point, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration, as if her hard-earned cabbage had been snatched away by a pig. She completely had the mentality of marrying off her daughter.

Shi Shuangxia quickly shook off the goosebumps on her body. Although she was in her thirties and could barely be called a leftover woman, she didn't want to become a mother in middle age.

Half a month later, although there were occasional discussions online about the matter, the heat had almost disappeared compared to the initial fervor.

Zuo Mingran privately asked Shi Shuangxia about it, and as expected, in addition to their PR department handling the matter, the Yan Group had also hired a specialized company. The various media outlets had also been informed in the follow-up work, which was why the matter had quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

The reason they didn't want the matter to escalate was simple. As for the Yan Group, Zuo Mingran didn't fully understand it, but she could vaguely guess some of the situation. After all, when she was in the hospital, Wen Mo and Yan Yunyang had conversations without avoiding her. The car accident wasn't a coincidence, but she couldn't reach the details of what had actually happened.

Shi Shuangxia didn't really care about this matter. She handed Zuo Mingran a few carefully selected scripts and said, "I've read these scripts, and they are all quite suitable for you."

As soon as Zuo Mingran heard the word "suitable," she had a bad premonition because she knew that when she selected scripts based on her standards, it was clear what kind of scripts she would end up with.

Sure enough, in the notebook that Shi Shuangxia brought over, there were two ancient books, one Republican-era book, and two modern books, spanning a total of five thousand years. Surprisingly, there were still quite a few similarities, the most obvious being the romantic storylines. The timeless idol drama scenes, from ancient times to the present, it's no wonder Shi Shuangxia said they suited her.

This was also one of the advantages of the original owner - knowing that her acting skills were lacking, she had the self-awareness to not try to steal the spotlight in more skill-demanding scripts.

Acting was still impossible for her. Her acting skills hadn't undergone any qualitative changes due to transmigrating. Compared to the original owner, there wasn't much difference. Although being a star could earn her a decent amount of money, as the saying goes, being moderately wealthy brings peace. With her current savings plus the dividends from her previous investment in Yan Yunyang, she had enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life. She could pick up her old profession as a renowned screenwriter without any problems.

Zuo Mingran had already made plans for herself, but she needed the right timing to tell Shi Shuangxia.

She put the scripts away and said, "Let me read them first and I'll give you a response in a couple of days."

These scripts were not urgent, and Shi Shuangxia didn't doubt her. They began discussing their upcoming work.

Due to the car accident, the few planned promotional articles they had agreed upon had to be canceled and compensated for. The remaining advertisements and magazine shoots were all postponed. After all, the brand side was clear on what they wanted - Zuo Mingran's popularity. This unexpected incident didn't tarnish her popularity. On the contrary, it greatly increased her exposure and generated more topics. So even though the dates were pushed back, the other side was still willing to wait.

As the New Year approached, there were a lot of things to handle. Zuo Mingran's contract with the management company only lasted until early next year. Shi Shuangxia officially brought up the topic of terminating the contract and discussed the follow-up arrangements with the company.

Meanwhile, Zuo Mingran was worried about something else.

One of the main reasons the original owner was heavily mocked online was because she had been an actress for so many years, appearing in numerous TV dramas and movies, even in some supporting roles, yet she didn't have a single notable award, nor even a nomination.

Although, with the original owner's acting skills, it would be a miracle if she did win an award. Zuo Mingran knew this very well, but her confidence wasn't enough. Many members of the team were anxious, so after careful consideration, they arranged for her to receive a Best Supporting Actress award.

Zuo Mingran didn't even have time to object before the Best Supporting Actress award was set in stone. She was only one step away from taking the trophy home.

When she told Yan Yunyang about this, she couldn't help but make a self-deprecating remark, "I hope that the netizens will go easy on me during the New Year and not criticize me too harshly. It would be embarrassing if they start attacking my comments."

Yan Yunyang seemed to be working, sitting at his desk and reading something. His phone was right in front of him, in the infamous death angle.

Clearly, death angles were for other people. Some people still looked handsome even with the camera pointed at the back of their heads.

Zuo Mingran secretly started taking screenshots.

Yan Yunyang glanced up at her and smiled. "Your manager is not an imprudent person. She must have her reasons for choosing to do this."

Zuo Mingran rested her chin on her hand, her expression unchanged as she saved the edited photos. "That's true. The award is for a movie I filmed a year ago. I didn't have much screen time in it; I was just a vase. The director spent a year on post-production before releasing it, and now I'm lucky enough to benefit from it."

Yan Yunyang nodded and asked, "Didn't you say you have an interview tomorrow?"

"I just finished the shoot and came back. Originally, we agreed to take only ten sets of photos, but I don't know why the photographer suddenly added two more outfits." Zuo Mingran sighed and said in a bitter tone, "The interview is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and after that, I have to catch a plane."

Yan Yunyang furrowed his brows. It was already ten o'clock at night, and with the time needed for removing makeup and other pre-sleep routines, she would have to wait until eleven at the very least.

"Then you should rest earlier."

Zuo Mingran nodded and lay on the bed, holding her phone, rolling from one side of the bed to the other, waving at the camera. "I'll go remove my makeup now. You should go to bed as well."

The screen returned to the chat interface, and Zuo Mingran held her phone, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

Video calling the other person was both inexplicable and expected. She didn't know who initiated it first, but it seemed to have become an established norm between them. She had thought that Yan Yunyang would have already fallen asleep by the time she returned today, but as soon as she sent him a message, he immediately sent a video call invitation.

Angel had accidentally stumbled across it once and since then, whenever she finished work and returned to the hotel, she would run as fast as she could, never staying in Zuo Mingran's room for a second longer, fearing that she might see something she shouldn't.

She flipped over and got off the bed, her phone sliding down due to inertia. Zuo Mingran reached out to catch it, and the screen jumped to the home screen, with a photo of her and Yan Yunyang as the background. It was a picture taken on the day she was discharged from the hospital, with her holding onto Yan Yunyang's arm and taking a selfie near the window. The sunlight shone on them from behind, and Yan Yunyang still had gauze on his head, forced to work in front of the camera.

As for why she had set this picture as her phone's wallpaper, Zuo Mingran thought it was probably because it was their first picture together outside of the media's lenses.