Chapter 136 — Playing a Ghost on a Variety Show

Li Gang had previously watched Mu Ran’s livestream, which boasted a total viewership of over one hundred thousand people. Since they were going to compete, she couldn't allow Mu Ran, a magnet for online traffic, to appear in the broadcast.

Her petty scheming was, of course, entirely transparent to Mu Ran.

"When does it start? I have a date later, so let’s make it quick."

Mu Ran looked at the calculating Li Gang with a blank expression. Her tone carried a sense of helplessness mixed with superiority; SY was guaranteed to win this contest.

The man lounging on the sofa, eyes half-closed in feigned sleep, felt his lips curve upward the moment he heard the word "date." His cold, sharp-featured face softened with indulgence and doting. He crossed his large hands over his lap, his aura becoming significantly gentler, though still intimidating enough to keep others at a distance. "Let's do it now. I have a date later, too."

Gu Beicheng’s dark eyes brimmed with tenderness and amusement. As his gaze rested on Mu Ran’s face, he noticed her expression remained impassive, yet the tips of her ears were turning a soft, cherry red. He knew she was shy.

Interesting... His Ranran still couldn't handle his teasing.

Forced to witness this display of affection between the two executives in the office, Li Gang felt her lips twitch uncontrollably, and her eyelids fluttered. Could these two be any more indirect? Why not just say they were going on a date together?

Li Gang dared not harbor any improper thoughts toward Gu Beicheng now—not out of fear of Mu Ran, but because the man himself radiated a chilling aura that seemed to scream, "If you dare to fancy me, you’ll die."

"Then let’s start now. My artists have arrived; we can begin the broadcast immediately." Li Gang picked up her phone, acting with "decisive efficiency" as she prepared to call her secretary and have all the studio’s artists come up.

Seeing the woman’s frantic rush, Mu Ran couldn’t help but laugh. "No need to be so hurried. I need to have the planning department director organize the contest flow first. It won't be too late to start the stream after that."

As she spoke, Mu Ran glanced at the time on her phone. Coincidentally, Lin Chong had sent her a message. After reading it for a few seconds, her lips curled upward, and she instinctively glanced at Gu Beicheng, who had been watching her the entire time from the sofa.

Lin Chong: [Ranran, it’s me, Lin Chong. I know you trust me deep down. There is a voice in your head right now driving you to do things you don't want to do. Just relax and follow your heart. Your mind has been controlled. Perhaps you’ve already guessed it: you’ve been hypnotized. This is a trial in your life; face it calmly, and after a while, everything will naturally smooth out.]

Below the long message on the WeChat screen, Lin Chong had attached a photo. It was a picture of Gu Yan.

But unlike the evil, cold, and sickly pale man in the airport photos, the man in this photo was beaten black and blue, looking utterly wretched. Yet, seeing his face, that demonic voice controlling her nerves echoed in Mu Ran’s mind once again.

The voice told her that this battered man was the one she loved most, and the culprit behind his torture was the man sitting leisurely on the sofa: Gu Beicheng!

Mu Ran shook her head twice, her consciousness blurring. Her brain throbbed with uncontrollable pain, a roar filling her ears as countless memory fragments flashed by. She saw memories of her and Gu Beicheng, memories of her and Lin Chong... but there was a void where memories of Gu Yan should have been!

Her brain warned her: the one she loved was Gu Yan.

Love him? My foot!

Mu Ran shook her head, forcing herself to sober up and ignore the false information her brain was feeding her. She was certain that Gu Yan was behind all of this!

After sending a reply to Lin Chong, Mu Ran placed her phone face-down on the desk and looked up at Li Gang, who was still busy giving orders over the phone.

"You look quite like a powerhouse woman in this moment," Mu Ran remarked, her tone laden with double meaning.

Li Gang froze, unsure how to react. She couldn't tell if Mu Ran was complimenting or insulting her.

"Haha," Li Gang offered a hypocritical laugh; it couldn't have been phonier.

"Director Mu, when will the planning department be ready?" Li Gang was growing impatient. The artists from her studio were still standing outside the SY building in the cold wind.

Mu Ran gave Li Gang a sidelong glance, then shifted her gaze toward Li Sancai, who was huddled in the corner behind the door. Her tone carried a sneer. "Sancai’s ankle is quite badly injured. Why don’t you take her to the hospital first, Ms. Li?"

Li Gang followed Mu Ran’s gaze and looked down at Li Sancai, who was still sitting on the floor with clenched fists and a resentful expression. A surge of disgust rose in Li Gang’s heart. For years, she had doted on this half-sister, protecting her from childhood without ever holding a grudge against her for being the daughter of her father’s mistress. But Li Gang now realized that Li Sancai had been using her as a shield all along, all while refusing to listen to a word she said.

"She won't die," Li Gang scoffed, turning back to Mu Ran. "Director Mu, please let my artists into the building. It’s raining outside; I don't want them getting sick."

Mu Ran raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She hadn't expected the reckless and arrogant Li Gang to care so much for her artists.

"I didn't stop them from entering, but what is with the all-black outfits and sunglasses?" Mu Ran turned her computer screen toward the bewildered Li Gang, her tone amused. "Is this a mafia meeting?"

Li Gang’s artists were quite the sight: dressed in black, charging into the building in unison, giving off the impression of a gang coming to "smash the place up."

"Uh..." Li Gang’s lips trembled, her face falling in sheer embarrassment. She had told them to dress sharply for SY, but she hadn't told them to dress like a group of thugs.

"Let them in." Mu Ran glanced at Li Gang’s flushed face, a smile touching her previously cold eyes. She called the front desk secretary and instructed the security guards to let the artists in. "Ms. Li, the livestream starts in half an hour. Why don't you go to the lounge?"

Mu Ran’s tone was indifferent, yet Li Gang felt an inexplicable chill surrounding her. She felt so uncomfortable that she didn't even have the strength to refuse.

"I still hope SY will keep Sancai." Considering they shared a father, Li Gang set aside her pride, her tone turning into a mix of negotiation and a plea for Mu Ran to retain Sancai.

"Fine."

Mu Ran’s expression flattened, her cold, beautiful face devoid of emotion. Her slender, fair fingers toyed with the contract on the desk. Observing her, Li Gang guessed that Mu Ran must be calculating something. She took the initiative to be blunt: "From now on, her work will be arranged by your company. I won't interfere."

Mu Ran’s movements stopped, and her lips curled upward. "Very well. The company is currently organizing a reality show about escape rooms. Have her go play a ghost."

The woman’s voice was languid but carried an undeniable, coercive authority.

In the corner, Li Sancai braced herself on the floor, ready to stand up and protest to Mu Ran, but before she could, she felt three sharp, piercing gazes lock onto her. Her body went limp instantly. She was powerless to argue; she had given up. Who told her to be so blind as to provoke a tough nut like Mu Ran!

But playing a ghost on a variety show? Who would want a thankless job where you don't even show your face! That was work for extras! Li Sancai’s goal was to become a top film star and marry a business mogul.

"Li Sancai, if you want to marry some business elite, I suggest you don't stay at SY. Go straight to Chaoyang Pictures."

As soon as Mu Ran dropped the words, Li Sancai collapsed against the wall, breaking into a cold sweat. Chaoyang Pictures? She wouldn't go! That place was infamous in the industry for its "hidden rules." Every actress at Chaoyang was sent to the beds of various moguls by their agents. She was terrified! Her family background wasn't bad; she couldn't lower herself to become a plaything for those old men!

"Director Mu, is there any other option?"

Li Gang pursed her lips, her sharp eyes darting to the vacant-looking Li Sancai before she took a deep breath. Li Gang had a reason for wanting Li Sancai at SY. Although she held some shares in SY, she didn't own the company, and the dividends she received were minimal. Her own small studio didn't have the capacity to groom major stars yet. But in the future, if SY turned Li Sancai into a celebrity, she could poach her sister for her own studio, thereby expanding her company’s scale.

Now, however, Mu Ran was sending her to play a ghost—a role with no screen time. How was she supposed to make a name for herself like that?

"Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere?" Mu Ran raised her eyelids, her narrowed eyes flashing with a sinister glint.

Caught off guard, Li Gang’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly spoke, "I’m not interfering; I’m just suggesting. After all, artists make money for the company. If Sancai becomes a hit sooner, it will bring huge benefits to the company."

Mu Ran remained silent, her gaze unwavering, fixed on Li Gang as if she could see through to her very soul. Seeing through Li Gang’s intentions, Mu Ran picked up a folder and tossed it to her. "No need for suggestions. Li Sancai has signed a thirty-year contract. Whether she becomes a star or not, there is plenty of time to find out."

The implication was clear: even if Li Sancai became a star, Li Gang would never be able to poach her.