Chapter 109 — Gu Xiao’s Incident

Gu Xiao scratched his head absentmindedly, then shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned slantwise against the deck railing.

“What about your variety show? Gu Beicheng, if you show your face now, won’t it affect the company?” he asked.

Gu Beicheng’s eyes darkened significantly. His gaze lowered, his thick and long lashes shielding those deep, obsidian eyes.

“What did you just call me?” The man’s thin lips pressed into a line, his chin lifted as he shot a cold, devil-may-care look at Gu Xiao.

“Big brother!” An alarm bell rang in Gu Xiao’s mind. He straightened up at once, pulling his hands from his pockets.

Standing aside, Mu Ran curled her lips in amusement. She hadn’t expected the usually impish and unruly Gu Xiao to be so wary of Gu Beicheng. Truly, every stronghold has its conqueror.

Sensing the rise and fall of the woman’s chest in his arms, Gu Beicheng’s cold expression softened. He tightened his embrace around her, his exquisitely handsome face turning towards Mu Ran. “Ranran, what do you think?”

He sincerely hoped she would continue to participate in the show with him. With that chance, he could ask Gao Mingliang to design more “couple” scenarios for them.

“Bei Bei, let’s withdraw. I think, for now, you shouldn’t appear with me on a variety show,” Mu Ran said, pressing close to him, her delicate face lifted, eyes shimmering, her small hands tugging at his shirt, swaying him from side to side.

How could Gu Beicheng possibly resist such a charming sight? How could he refuse?

“Ranran, don’t you want to be on the show with me?” Gu Beicheng’s tone lingered at the end. His warm, large hand cupped her small face, overflowing with tenderness.

“Zzz—” Gu Xiao couldn’t stand the lovey-dovey atmosphere between the two. How had his older brother turned into such a lovesick fool? What a disgrace!

Sensing Gu Xiao’s irritation, Gu Beicheng turned and shot him a frosty glare. “If you don’t want to be here, get lost.”

“Why should I?! It’s not like this yacht belongs to you two!” Gu Xiao gripped the railing tightly, staring straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the sparkling waves.

“It’s so beautiful here—why shouldn’t I enjoy the view? You two can fawn over each other all you want.”

“How do you know the yacht isn’t mine?” Mu Ran smiled lazily, her narrowed eyes spelling out the words, “This yacht is mine.”

“What?! You, a little actress, this rich? I can’t even afford the engine, and you—!” Gu Beicheng gave him a cold look, but his gaze soon softened as he focused on Mu Ran.

“Ranran, you haven’t answered me,” he prompted.

“Gu Xiao’s right. If you keep participating, even though the show’s full of drama, it’ll be bad for Chengxing,” Mu Ran said.

Although Chengxing Group was founded by Elder Gu, its glory days began after Gu Beicheng took over. The whole company relied on this exceptionally capable man. If the shareholders found out their CEO was mingling in the entertainment world—especially in a show courting public attention—they’d be up in arms.

Mu Ran didn’t want to cause Gu Beicheng any trouble. Even though she’d now founded SY Pictures, a film company could never quite break into the upper echelons of Imperial City society. She needed to work hard, be outstanding—not just for herself, but so she could stand by his side without reproach.

“Ranran, if anyone ever makes you suffer, I will never let them off,” Gu Beicheng said with domineering resolve. He understood her point, understood her intentions, and respected every decision she made. But if he couldn’t stay by her side, he’d find his own ways to protect her.

“Big brother, you’re overthinking things. Mu Ran suffer? She’s more likely to make others suffer!” Gu Xiao exclaimed.

Mu Ran was notorious for paying back every slight. Any artist who had crossed her, regardless of their status, was signed into SY and dealt with at her mercy. And then there was Qin Ranan, who’d openly challenged her—Mu Ran had exposed her fake heiress status with a DNA test. Most ruthless of all was Xue Xiaowan, who’d tried to stir up trouble online; Mu Ran had directly ruined the Xue family’s business.

No wonder Gu Beicheng admired her—her methods were just as ruthless as his.

“Careful behind you—don’t fall overboard. Didn’t Lin Chong warn you not to take any form of transport?” Mu Ran said kindly, having noticed how much Gu Beicheng cared for his stubborn younger brother.

“Don’t jinx me, will you! Does a yacht even count as transport?” Gu Xiao grumbled. “Big brother, did you know there’s a fortune teller by Mu Ran’s side? Superstitions are pointless, but that bald guy cursed me!”

The more Gu Xiao spoke, the more agitated he became. Still, despite his talk, his hands clutched the railing tightly.

“As long as she’s happy,” Gu Beicheng replied calmly. He’d looked into Lin Chong: raised in a temple, now running a tattoo parlor, genuinely devoted to Mu Ran. That put his mind at ease.

“Xiao Ran, are you there?” An Lan suddenly appeared from somewhere on the deck, her startled voice making all three of them jump.

“Ah—I—” “Splash—”

“What was that? Did something fall in the water?” The yacht rocked slightly as An Lan, gripping the railing, hurried over to Mu Ran.

“Xiao Ran, I’ve taken care of it. I told Director Gao Mingliang: You and Gu are withdrawing from ‘Immersive Scripted Game.’ Chen Xiaoyi and Movie King Mu Jingrong will take your place.”

“No. Mu Jingrong and Chen Xiaoyi can’t be in contact,” Mu Ran said, swaying her slender waist as she walked over to An Lan and hooked arms with her. “Lanlan, what I mean is, Mu Jingrong is too high-profile for this show—he should be on something bigger.”

She explained quickly to the puzzled An Lan. Since Chen Xiaoyi was signed to SY, Mu Ran felt responsible for the young girl, not wanting her to fall prey to the entertainment world’s darkness. Besides, Mu Jingrong—her second brother—seemed highly interested in Chen Xiaoyi. Though breaking up a pair was frowned upon, Chen Xiaoyi was only eighteen!

“Ranran, didn’t you once say that at SY, everyone’s equal, regardless of status?” Gu Beicheng stepped forward, his strong arm possessively encircling her waist, kneading her side affectionately. “Ranran, what do you say?”

His eyes sparkled with amusement, a faint smile playing on his lips. Since Mu Jingrong had signed with SY, Gu Beicheng was sure he’d keep his promise and help Chen Xiaoyi develop.

“You’re right, but…” Mu Ran bit her lip, brows furrowing. She was simply worried Mu Jingrong might cross a line—Chen Xiaoyi was still so young.

“Don’t worry, Mu Jingrong isn’t as much of a beast as you imagine,” Gu Beicheng reassured her, his long fingers smoothing her brows and tracing the peach-blossom tattoo at her brow’s end.

“Yes, yes, Xiao Ran, it’s all sorted. Don’t worry, leave the company matters to me—just focus on being a superstar! Bring me back two Best Actress awards by year’s end!” An Lan said. She had no idea about Mu Jingrong and Chen Xiaoyi’s situation—she just wanted the Movie King to mentor a newcomer.

“By the way, was there something that just fell into the water when I got here?” An Lan shook her short hair and peered over at the sea.

Night had deepened, the moon shone brightly, its light rippling gently along the calm surface.

“Isn’t someone struggling over there?” An Lan pointed at a patch of water where unusual splashes disturbed the surface.

The couple behind her exchanged glances, their lips parting in unison. “Gu Xiao!?”

Before they could recover, another splash sounded.

“Lanlan! Get up here! I’ll find security!” Mu Ran broke free from Gu Beicheng’s embrace, running to the railing and peering down.

“It’s fine—I’m a good swimmer! Don’t worry, Xiao Ran! No need to call for help, SY’s gala can’t afford another accident! Gu Xiao can’t swim, I’m going to save him!” With that, An Lan turned and dove toward the struggling figure.

A few minutes later, she clambered back onto the yacht, soaked through, dragging an almost lifeless Gu Xiao behind her.

“Gu Xiao!” “Gu Xiao!” Gu Beicheng and Mu Ran rushed over to the bedraggled man, their faces etched with guilt.

They hadn’t even noticed him fall in…

“I’ll get Mu Lang.” Gu Beicheng gently patted Mu Ran’s tense shoulder, leaning in to whisper hoarsely in her ear, “Baby, don’t be afraid, he’ll be fine.”

“I told him not to take any form of transport! At worst, he could die; at best, be crippled!” Mu Ran’s voice trembled with both anger and fear. She and Lin Chong had warned Gu Xiao countless times, even sending Lin Chong personally to reason with him. But Gu Xiao—

“It’s alright—he’ll be fine.” Gu Beicheng shot a glance at the pale-faced man on the ground, noticing the black water on his face. His heart, usually so hard, softened. Gu Xiao, for all his rebelliousness, always listened to him. His hair had just been blue—now it was black. Gu Xiao wouldn’t die. He’d faced many setbacks, but never mortal danger.

“Axiao, wait for me.” With those weighty words, Gu Beicheng turned to find Mu Lang. The signal was poor, so he strode out urgently—luckily, Mu Lang was just coming up to the deck for a smoke.

“Gu Xiao! Wake up!” An Lan, her face dripping, shook Gu Xiao’s body violently, water from her hair splattering onto his face.

“Gu Xiao! You idiot! You can’t die!”

“What’s happened? Gu Xiao?” Mu Lang hurried over, glancing at the grim Gu Beicheng, then quickly kneeling beside the man lying on the ground.

“Mu Third Brother, Gu Xiao drowned!” An Lan cried, clutching Mu Lang’s clothes, her face wet with tears or seawater—one couldn’t tell.

“Lanlan, calm down, don’t worry, it’ll be okay. Leave it to me.” Mu Lang patted her shoulder, signaling her to relax, then looked up at Mu Ran and Gu Beicheng.

Seeing guilt and self-reproach in their silent eyes, he asked no questions—there was no time for them.

“Axiao!” Mu Lang slapped Gu Xiao’s pale, swollen face, then placed both hands on his chest and began CPR.

With a gasp, Gu Xiao arched up, coughing out water in torrents.

“Hurry! Mouth-to-mouth!” Mu Lang shouted.

“I can do it! I learned how!” Mu Ran quickly adjusted her skirt, knelt in front of Gu Xiao, and prepared for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“No!” Gu Beicheng’s voice was low and firm, pulling Mu Ran aside. “You stay put.”

“Bei Bei! But it’s Gu Xiao!”

“It’s alright, I’ll do it.” Gu Beicheng forced a slightly awkward smile, stroked Mu Ran’s cheek, then turned, leaned over, and slowly lowered his head toward Gu Xiao’s lips.

The scene was almost too much—Mu Ran and Mu Lang both frowned in unison. How would Gu Xiao ever face Gu Beicheng after this?

“Brother Gu, let me.” An Lan came over, her actions swift and decisive. She took a quick breath and pressed her lips to Gu Xiao’s.