Chapter 44

Zuo Mingran couldn't help but laugh, but quickly stopped.

Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on the deputy general manager who was speaking, and no one noticed her small action, except for Yan Yunyang sitting next to her.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, especially with someone giving a presentation, they couldn't gather to whisper. In response to Yan Yunyang's questioning gaze, Zuo Mingran acted as he wished and directly pushed her phone over, using her index finger to tap on a comment.

Seeing the phone pushed in front of him, Yan Yunyang had a thought.

In today's society, a person's phone can be said to hold most of their secrets. As phones become more advanced, the means to "lock" these secrets also become more complex. In the past, there were only numerical or graphical passwords, but now it has been replaced with fingerprint and facial recognition.

Zuo Mingran casually handed him her phone without hesitation, even though she knew he wouldn't casually browse through it. However, Yan Yunyang still felt a strange sensation in his heart.

He deeply looked at Zuo Mingran, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Zuo Mingran didn't understand why, she just casually handed him her phone, without thinking too much about it. Seeing him smile, she thought he had also understood the funny point of that comment. But then she thought again, before Yan Yunyang smiled, he clearly didn't glance at the screen, so it didn't make sense.

However, this doubt was quickly cast aside, because the long-winded year-end summary by the deputy general manager finally came to an end, and a group of beautiful girls in dresses came up on stage.

On the other side, Yan Yunyang couldn't really see the deeper meaning of that comment. Firstly, he wasn't familiar with the world of fans, and secondly, whether or not photos were edited was never within his range of consideration, so naturally, he couldn't perceive the funny point.

There were more than one comment, although he didn't scroll down, he could understand from the ones visible on the screen that they were talking about the good relationship between Zuo Mingran and a female celebrity named Wen Feifei. This was the second time Yan Yunyang had heard this name, and after thinking for a moment, he returned the phone to Zuo Mingran.

As a public communication platform, Weibo naturally couldn't please everyone, and even if there were fan control comments, the comment section would still contain some unfriendly voices.

"Hehe, are you starting to promote the sisterhood? I'm afraid it's made of plastic."

"In the year 9012, fans wake up, do you want us to educate you about your master personally getting into a fight a few months ago?"

"I'm laughing so hard, this Weibo comment is the highlight of my year."

"Warning to certain fans, go die with your whole family, watch out for your master."

"Can't Zuo Mingran stop causing trouble and just be a quiet vase?"

...

On the way back, Zuo Mingran refreshed the comments while exchanging messages with Wen Feifei to complain about the situation. When she mentioned having a few days off, Wen Feifei became interested.

"Ranran, since we have free time, instead of wasting the holidays visiting relatives, why don't we go on a trip? It's winter, so we can wear more clothes and it'll be harder for people to recognize us."

Zuo Mingran, who was both a homebody and afraid of the cold, responded, "Forget it, I just flew back from out of town a few days ago. Besides, since it's winter, shouldn't we stay at home and hibernate?"

Wen Feifei replied, "Are you a turtle that needs to hibernate? If you're afraid of the cold, how about we go to the south? We're always working when we go out, either on set or in the studio, and we never have time to explore."

Zuo Mingran typed quickly, "The south? I don't think you've experienced the magic attacks of winter in the south."

In the next few minutes, Zuo Mingran explained in detail the differences between the physical attacks in the north and the magical attacks in the south. In the end, she concluded, "Staying at home, at least you have heating 24 hours a day. In the south, let alone heating, the house might not even be warmer than outside, and even down jackets won't save you."

Wen Feifei sent a crying emoji, "So are you planning to spend the New Year with President Yan in B City?"

Zuo Mingran was taken aback. She had forgotten about Yan Yunyang.

It was really no wonder she had forgotten, after all, theirs was a fake marriage. If it weren't for Liu Qinghe suddenly returning to the country, they would still be living apart. In her memories, the original host and Yan Yunyang had spent their first and only New Year together. They hadn't even been in the same city, so naturally, Zuo Mingran didn't include Yan Yunyang in her New Year plans.

But now that Wen Feifei had brought it up, Zuo Mingran held her phone and thought for a moment, then turned her head to look at Yan Yunyang beside her.

The sky was completely dark now, and it had started snowing again. As the car passed by streetlights, the light cast shadows on his face, enveloping his handsome features in a halo that quickly disappeared.

At the end of the year-end party, someone invited them to go to another place, but everyone could see that it was just out of respect for Yan Yunyang, the big boss. After all, no subordinate wants to have their boss sitting next to them during a party.

Zuo Mingran imagined that scene and felt that she would probably die of embarrassment. Fortunately, Yan Yunyang knew this too, so he found an excuse and left with her first.

I don't know if it's my own illusion, but Zuomingran always felt that everyone present breathed a sigh of relief when they left.

Yunyang Yan calmly looked at the shadows reflected on the car window. In fact, he noticed it when Zuomingran looked over, but Zuomingran had been silent, so he wasn't sure if she was looking at him or outside the window.

His phone kept vibrating, and when Zuomingran snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that Wenzhifei Fei had sent several messages because she hadn't responded.

After thinking for a moment, Zuomingran whispered, "Where are we spending the Chinese New Year this year?"

She didn't say who she was referring to, but besides the two of them in the car, there was only Wenmo who was trying his best to lower his presence.

Yunyang Yan smiled lightly, "In City B."

This answer was also within Zuomingran's expectations. She leaned forward on the passenger seat's backrest and turned her head to look at Yunyang Yan, her eyes shining brightly, "Then we need to prepare for the New Year's goods quickly. Can you make dumplings?"

Yunyang Yan's smile deepened, "I can learn."

The two of them chatted happily, completely unaware of Wenmo, who was driving.

Furious, Wenmo turned the steering wheel and decided not to oppose the blind dates arranged by his mother this year.

***

Preparing for the Chinese New Year was a completely unfamiliar territory for Yunyang Yan in his past 20 years of life. When he was a child, everything was prepared by the servants at home. After all, both adults were busy with work, and if not for the sound of firecrackers outside, they might never have remembered the Lunar New Year. When he lived independently, he would spend New Year's alone most of the time, occasionally being dragged by Wenmo to have a few meals.

Zuomingran was different. As a homebody who rarely left the house, the Chinese New Year was one of the few times she went out. Although she didn't know how to cook, she couldn't stop her mother's enthusiasm for buying New Year's goods. Every year, her mother would drag her along, and over time, she naturally remembered what needed to be prepared.

They wasted no time. With only a few days left until Chinese New Year's Eve, they listed the items and quantities to be prepared the previous day. Early the next morning, Zuomingran got out of bed.

Even though it was her room, Yunyang Yan still maintained his usual sleeping and waking time and was aware of Zuomingran's late nights and late mornings. When he saw her coming downstairs, he was slightly surprised and subconsciously looked at the wall clock in the living room.

It was a quarter to nine in the morning, which was the earliest Zuomingran could wake up according to her biological clock.

"What do you want to eat?" Yunyang Yan got up and walked towards the kitchen, grabbing some things from the refrigerator. "How about eggs and toast? Do you want coffee or milk?"

Zuomingran tied her hair up with a hair tie and anxiously said, "Let's not eat, let's leave now. It will be crowded later."

Yunyang Yan acted as if he hadn't heard and quickly made a simple breakfast, saying, "You must eat breakfast."

Zuomingran couldn't do much by herself, especially since Yunyang Yan was still in his casual clothes. Reluctantly, she sat down at the dining table and urged him, "I'll eat breakfast now, you go change."

Yunyang Yan responded and went upstairs unhurriedly.

However, plans change, and when Zuomingran finished her breakfast and Yunyang Yan came downstairs in a different outfit, they saw Liu Qinghe standing outside, about to press the doorbell.

It had been a while since they last saw Liu Qinghe, and for a moment, Zuomingran couldn't react. It was Yunyang Yan who reached out and hugged her shoulder as he stepped forward, saying, "Mom."

Only then did Zuomingran come back to her senses and smiled at Liu Qinghe, saying, "Mom."

The planned departure had to be postponed as Zuomingran hung her coat on the coat rack by the entrance and turned to prepare coffee in the kitchen.

Liu Qinghe had come alone. She looked at Yunyang Yan sitting across from her and spoke gently, "There's nothing much I can do here anymore. Coincidentally, the company has contacted me to go back, so I plan to leave in the next two days."

Yunyang Yan calmly asked, "So today is a farewell?"

Liu Qinghe paused for a moment, nodded, and said, "Yes."

In the kitchen, Zuomingran stared blankly at the coffee machine in operation.

Liu Qinghe must have something to discuss with Yunyang Yan since she came over alone. It wasn't appropriate for her to go upstairs directly in front of the two of them, so she decided to slip into the kitchen to make coffee.

The kitchen was a distance away from the living room, and once the kitchen door was closed, she couldn't hear any sound. Leaning against the kitchen counter for a while, feeling a bit bored, she realized that she had left her phone in the pocket of her coat and couldn't bring it with her.

After waiting for a while, while Zuomingran's mind wandered aimlessly, the kitchen door was opened from the outside, and Yunyang Yan stood at the doorway, saying, "Let's go, aren't we in a hurry to buy New Year's goods?"

Zuomingran exclaimed and looked outside, asking, "What about Auntie?"

Yunyang Yan said, "She left first." He paused for a moment and then looked at her with a smile, saying, "Why are you calling her Auntie now?"

Zuomingran blushed rare and pushed him towards the door, saying, "You talk too much, let's go, let's go."

After they left, Zuo Mingran realized that there was a bigger problem waiting for them. Although there was a car in the garage, neither of them could drive - one didn't know how to, and the other was injured and couldn't. It was also not easy to call Wen Mo back, who was already on vacation.

The two of them stood facing each other for a while. Zuo Mingran took out an unused mask from his bag and handed it to Yuanyang. "We can only take a taxi."

Both of them had been on the trending topics a few times, although there were few high-definition photos of Yan Yunyang circulating online. However, Zuo Mingran couldn't be sure if any of his fans would recognize him. After all, during the few months on set, Yan Yunyang had made quite an impression, who knows if any fans who came to visit might see them.

However, taking a taxi was not an easy task. First, it was not easy to find a taxi during the Spring Festival, and second, the residential area was located in a wealthy neighborhood, where taxis rarely drove by. The two of them stood in the cold wind for about ten minutes, attracting the attention of the security guards.

When the security guard looked over again, Yan Yunyang said, "Let's call a designated driver."

Zuo Mingran was taken aback. "Can you call a designated driver during the day as well?"

Yan Yunyang remained silent for a moment and asked, "Are there no sober people during the day?"

Zuo Mingran: "..."

With a reasonable argument, Zuo Mingran couldn't argue back.

***

Happy days always pass by in the blink of an eye. Zuo Mingran hadn't even fully escaped from the festive atmosphere of the New Year when her own New Year vacation was coming to an end.

Shi Shuangxia did as she promised and didn't give her any new jobs since their last discussion. Earlier, they had considered taking on a TV drama, so the new year's work schedule only lasted until the reality show that needed her as a flight attendant. In between, there were some other filming jobs, not many, but quite time-consuming.

Shi Shuangxia was busy with the affairs of her studio and directly sent the work arrangements to Zuo Mingran to handle on her own.

The first job after the New Year was to go out of town for a shoot. Since there were fans picking her up at the airport, Zhuang Bai and An Qi came early in the morning to help her with her styling.

The weather was still cold, and Zuo Mingran and Zhuang Bai argued whether she should wear a jacket. Zhuang Bai insisted, "Don't worry, there's heating in the airport, you won't be cold. We'll go straight to the car after coming out, you won't freeze, I promise."

Zuo Mingran rolled her eyes at him. "I don't believe you. You said the same thing at the awards ceremony last time, but why didn't I see you wearing just a thin hoodie when you went with me?"

Neither of them was willing to back down, and in the end, An Qi intervened and found a compromise. She suggested that Zuo Mingran wear an extra layer of clothing under her hoodie and use some hand warmers. She could then take off the jacket once they were inside the terminal.

After finishing the styling, the group headed to the airport. Zhuang Bai was bored and watching variety shows on the dashboard, while Zuo Mingran, who was dozing off, suddenly remembered that she had a reality show to participate in.

In her previous life as a homebody, she had watched various reality shows and understood that most of them were scripted by the production team, and the participating celebrities just needed to follow the script. The basic process was similar to acting, with the difference being that some reality shows had attractive storylines even if they were scripted. Plus, if the guests had good chemistry, it would be easier to become famous.

Having seen pigs run, but not eaten pork, this would be her first time participating in a reality show. Acting as if she didn't care, Zuo Mingran called An Qi and asked, "What's the name of the reality show I'll be participating in in April?"

As an assistant, An Qi was well-versed in Zuo Mingran's work arrangements and didn't need to look at her reminders. She immediately replied, "It's called 'Escape Game.' Sounds like it's a room escape adventure program."

Zuo Mingran froze after hearing the four words "Escape Game." She couldn't believe it and asked, "Are you sure it's 'Escape Game?'"

An Qi was guessing what kind of program it was when Zuo Mingran's question made her uncertain. "Let me check."

She took out her tablet and opened the work schedule, handing it to Zuo Mingran. "It is indeed this show, Zuo Mingran. Is there a problem with it?"

Looking at the words on the tablet, Zuo Mingran's eyes went black. It wasn't just a problem, it was a big problem. The female lead Yin Ruxin was a regular guest on this game!

In the original book's storyline, Yin Ruxin quickly established her image and gained a large number of fans through this show. It was after the show aired that Shi Shuangxia discovered this hidden gem and convinced Yin Ruxin to sign with her studio. From then on, Yin Ruxin's path to stardom began.

Of course, all of this was part of the later storyline. After all, "Escape Game" hadn't officially started yet, and Zuo Mingran was participating in the third episode of the show.

Zuo Mingran carefully recalled the original book's storyline. However, no matter how she thought about it, she could be sure that this part was not in the original book. In other words, this matter was a complete butterfly effect caused by her taking over the original host's body. It was a means for the plot to forcibly create a connection between her and the female lead, Yin Ruxin.

Pressing her forehead and thinking for a moment, Zuo Mingran felt that she could completely understand the forced approach of the plot. After all, as the strongest antagonist in the early to middle part of the original book, her purpose was to make the female lead's life difficult. But now, she didn't even know if the female lead had a round or flat face, let alone cause any trouble for her. Comparing it to the original book's plot, she was deviating more than just eight hundred miles.

An Qi was still watching her with concern, ready to call Shi Shuangxia if anything seemed off.

Zuo Mingran silently repeated the phrase "Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it" in her mind, then turned to An Qi and said, "It's fine. I'm actually quite timid, so I never expected Xiajie to offer me this job."

This excuse was believable enough, and An Qi had always been straightforward with her. She reassured Zuo Mingran, saying, "Don't worry, Ranyue. There will be cameramen following you for this reality show, and I'll be there too. Just think about it, having three or four people with you, what is there to be afraid of?"

Zuo Mingran took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, there's nothing to be afraid of."

So what if the storyline is forced? It hasn't caused any substantial harm to her after all this time. It's just arranging for her to meet the female lead. How she chooses to interact with the female lead is her own business. She couldn't possibly be forced to beat Yin Ruxin on the spot.

After opening up her mindset, Zuo Mingran suddenly felt refreshed, even looking at Zhuang Bai, who didn't want her to wear too many clothes, in a favorable light.

The car arrived at the airport, and Zuo Mingran tightened her coat as she stepped out of the vehicle. When the cold wind whistled past her ears, it seemed like something important flashed through her mind.