Chapter 40: Banal Plot Points

In a highly tense atmosphere, Yang Qi returned. Glancing at Xiao Ran, he then shot a look at his sister, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. For Xiao Ran, that smile wasn’t a good sign—it meant certain things hadn’t happened yet, and bringing them to light would only hurt people.

As Xiao Ran and Yang Qi sang birthday songs, Yang Wei, with a slightly red face, made a wish before blowing out the candles. After eating the cake, seeing it was still early, Yang Qi strangely pulled Xiao Ran aside and said, “A Ran, go for a walk with Xiao Wei!”
“It’s not quite right…” Xiao Ran could swear his mind had never worked this fast before. As he frantically tried to come up with a weak excuse, Yang Qi smiled deeply and said gently, “Well, today is Xiao Wei’s birthday. She’s the most important person today. Go with her!”
Brother! Your sister likes me, but I might not like her! Xiao Ran really wanted to clarify everything, but sometimes one can’t be that honest, no matter when, where, or who is involved—unless one has the confidence to fear no one.

At that moment, Xiao Ran suddenly understood a truth: in this world, if you don’t hurt others, someone will hurt you. To avoid being hurt, one must have the means to do so.

Under Yang Qi’s strange gaze, Xiao Ran helplessly went out with Yang Wei. That night wasn’t as touching as imagined, but for Yang Wei, with Xiao Ran by her side, it might become a memory for life.

They went to the seaside together, breathing in the sea breeze, but Xiao Ran’s thoughts were on another woman. Yang Wei’s beautiful body gradually moved closer to him, and as he inhaled her virgin scent, he felt confused—confused that he had fallen into passion at such a time.

As they sat on the stone bench behind the railing, their bodies getting closer and closer, a breathtakingly beautiful face flashed before Xiao Ran. In panic, he pushed Yang Wei away with all his strength, saying coldly, “Xiao Wei, don’t do this!”

Stunned, Yang Wei tilted her head slightly and looked at the man beside her under the faint yellow light from the street. A wave of sorrow swept through her. This man was actually very attractive; his slightly tanned skin wasn’t as bad as people thought, but it wasn’t meant for her.

Xiao Ran stared into Yang Wei’s eyes and suddenly saw sadness, suffering, and a glimmer of light beneath the starlight in those beautiful eyes. Her already pretty face now appeared even more pitiful. The sea breeze messed up Yang Wei’s long hair on her forehead.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran felt pity. Gently, he ran his fingers over her delicate face, smoothing out her hair disturbed by the sensual sea breeze. Then he tried his best to speak to her in the softest tone, “Xiao Wei, you know, actually I…”

Looking into those innocent eyes, Xiao Ran couldn’t find the right words. His intuition told him that saying those words would be a lifelong regret. A sad smile appeared on Yang Wei’s face as she reached out as if to stop Xiao Ran: “A Ran, there’s no need to say anything. I know, I understand everything. I saw it all that day at Lin Qingxia’s house!”
Xiao Ran was stunned once again and remained silent for a long time until Yang Wei lowered her head and said softly, “Take me home, okay? A Ran!”
This time, Xiao Ran noticed that Yang Wei was calling him A Ran, not Ran Ge as she had always done before. What did that mean? Xiao Ran didn’t know, nor did he want to know. His mind was in chaos, unsure of how to handle this situation.
When they returned to Yang Wei’s home, Yang Qi was already gone, probably deliberately creating a chance for the two of them. After dropping her off, Xiao Ran turned to leave, but Yang Wei suddenly stepped forward and grabbed him, her voice filled with sorrow, “A Ran, can you kiss me? Just as a birthday gift…”
Staring at Yang Wei, who showed no trace of her usual shyness, Xiao Ran gradually lowered his head. Her softly colored, sensual lips seemed to tempt him like the devil, filling him with desire in that moment…
Just as this was about to happen, a beautiful face flashed through Xiao Ran’s mind, instantly clearing his thoughts. His arms, which had been holding Yang Wei, gradually loosened. Looking at her increasingly sorrowful eyes, Xiao Ran slumped onto the sofa, speaking slowly but firmly, “I’m sorry, Xiao Wei. I can’t do it!”
“Do you really not like me at all?” Yang Wei’s trembling voice made Xiao Ran feel guilty, as if he had done something wrong. “Not even a little bit…”
Xiao Ran remained silent. He knew now wasn’t the right time to speak; whatever he said might hurt Yang Wei. But after careful reflection, he finally sighed, “Liking someone doesn’t mean loving them. I think you’ll understand in the future, and maybe even regret it.”
Yang Wei didn’t cry. It was hard for her to believe she hadn’t cried in such a situation. She was a quiet and reserved girl, not even remembering when she had started to like Xiao Ran. Perhaps it was because of their first meeting, or perhaps it was a choice made out of budding romance.
This time, she spoke openly because her intuition told her that if things continued like this, Xiao Ran would drift further and further away from her. So, she set aside her shyness and chose a method she herself couldn’t believe in to seize her first love. Yet, she knew she had still lost him.
Still, he left. Not long after he left, Yang Wei opened her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. If the heart were crystal, we could hear the loud sound of it breaking. It was just like what happened in TV shows or movies, showing that sometimes life is indeed more intricate and touching than fiction.

On his way away, Xiao Ran felt guilty for a long time, but emotions were not something he could control, especially those of others. Yet when he tried to recall the face that appeared at that critical moment, he couldn’t identify who it was—resembling Fang Ruoxin, yet also hinting at another familiar woman’s silhouette.
“Such a lack of focus! You’ve lived so many years for nothing!” he muttered to himself. He also knew that since arriving in this era, he hadn’t been with a woman for a long time.
The next day, while working in the studio, Xiao Ran suddenly heard a commotion. Just as he was about to scold those irresponsible people, he saw Yang Qi, face twisted in anger, and his heart trembled. He opened his mouth to speak, “Aqi…”
Yang Qi, his face ashen, said nothing. He simply pushed aside the security guards and rushed at Xiao Ran, delivering a heavy punch to his nose. Xiao Ran collapsed without warning, blood streaming all over the ground.
Yang Qi’s eyes were bloodshot, and he roared like a beast protecting its young, “You bastard! I treated you as a friend, yet you did this to Xiao Wei!”
Xiao Ran managed to get up from the ground, tears blurring his vision, as if expressing his belated apology to Yang Wei. He waved at the security guards holding Yang Qi, signaling them not to interfere, then stepped forward toward Yang Qi, ready to speak again: “Aqi…”
Bang! Another merciless punch hit Xiao Ran’s nose, causing the already flowing blood to gush even more. This time, he quickly stood up on his own, without anyone’s help: “Aqi…”
Bang! Yang Qi, stubborn to the extreme, refused to give Xiao Ran a chance to speak and knocked him down with another punch. This time, Xiao Ran didn’t fall; instead, he lowered his head, feeling as though his nose had gone independent, the pain as intense as if his spine had broken.
He raised his head again, but stayed silent, knowing it was pointless to speak. Yang Qi looked at Xiao Ran’s face, smeared with blood, and then at his resolute expression, realizing that this man was even more stubborn and determined than him.
With his fist clenched, he couldn’t strike anymore. Not only him but also the other workers watching were shocked by Xiao Ran’s perseverance, with gasps of surprise filling the air.
Watching Yang Qi’s anger subside, Xiao Ran suddenly felt extremely ridiculous. Without hiding it, he burst into laughter, his voice booming loudly in the silent studio.
Wiping his nose, which only made his face messier, his voice became hoarse: “Have you had enough? If not, keep going. If yes, listen to me!”
Yang Qi suddenly had a strange feeling—that the injured man standing before him was someone he could never surpass, because he knew he could never do what Xiao Ran had done. At that moment, the injured man’s calm tone sounded like an order, forcing Yang Qi to obey.

“It’s my fault for what happened to Xiaowei. But now there’s no turning back, and I can’t accept her either—someone else is who I like.” Xiao Ran smiled faintly. Only the devil knows how he could still smile at such a point. Moreover, that blood-stained smile was undoubtedly terrifying, as could be seen from the reactions of the other staff members.

“If anything happens to Xiaowei, I won’t let you off!” Yang Qi mustered all his strength to utter these harsh words under Xiao Ran’s pressure. After giving Xiao Ran a fierce glare, he left.

The other staff members didn’t come to disturb him. Only Fa Ge stepped forward, gently patted his shoulder, and asked, “A Ran, let’s stop shooting for today. I’ll take you to the hospital!”

It was then that Xiao Ran felt dizzy. His legs, which had seemed as strong as rebar moments before, suddenly turned into noodles. He swayed unsteadily. If not for Fa Ge supporting him, he would have fallen to the ground.

Zhou Runfa helped Xiao Ran out of the studio, where some quick-witted staff had already prepared a car. But as soon as they left the studio, a flash of light appeared before Xiao Ran’s eyes—two reporters were taking pictures. Suddenly recalling the relentless pursuit and rumor-mongering tactics of the paparazzi in the 21st century, he felt a surge of anger.

He was about to order the staff to snatch the cameras when Fa Ge actually waved at the two reporters. The middle-aged reporter obediently came over, approaching Xiao Ran with concern, “What’s wrong with Director Xiao? Is he okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”

“Thank you, but it’s not necessary. By the way, A Bao, why not not publish this story? What do you think?” Fa Ge was actually discussing this with the reporter! Despite having lost a lot of blood and not fainting earlier, Xiao Ran now felt like passing out.

Didn’t Fa Ge know how “skilled” these entertainment reporters were, turning a ten-percent issue into a hundred-percent one? As soon as he thought this, he saw the reporter agree as if it were nothing unusual: “I know!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporter took out the film from the camera and handed it to Fa Ge. Xiao Ran almost popped his eyes out in shock…

(Due to an error in this chapter, we plan to make some revisions to previous chapters in the near future. Thank you all for pointing it out.)