Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Chapter 213 The Rebellious Lulu Xiao

Li Ran, wearing a mask and hat, waited in the departure lounge.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Lu Yuxiao, several messages, sent intermittently, from this morning until now.

"Li Ran, when are you going back to Beijing?"

"I went back to Shanghai after filming wrapped."

"Didn't you say you'd take me out? Where are you?"

"You stinky Li Ran, have you forgotten again?"

"Fine, ignore me then, I'll play by myself."

The last one was posted 20 minutes ago. It only contained one emoji: a kitten crouching in a corner, with the caption "Feeling wronged."

Li Ran looked at the kitten and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

He typed a few words and sent them. "No need, I'm going to Shanghai anyway."

The message was sent and the other party replied instantly; it wasn't text, but a voice call request.

Li Ran looked at the flashing avatar on the screen, smiled, and answered the call.

"You've arrived in Shanghai?" Lu Yuxiao's voice came through the receiver, filled with undisguised excitement. "Not on the plane yet," Li Ran explained.

"When are you arriving? I'll come pick you up!" Lu Yuxiao's voice was filled with excitement.

"No need, just send me the address." Li Ran's tone was indifferent.

"No, it's your first time in Shanghai, I'm worried about you. What if you get lost?" Her tone was serious, as if she were talking about something very important.

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh, and said somewhat speechlessly, "I've lived in Shanghai for three years, how could I not be familiar with it?"

"That won't work either. Send me your flight number, and I'll come pick you up," Lu Yuxiao said firmly.

Li Ran sighed and didn't refuse again. "Alright, I'll send you the flight number."

"Okay! I'll be waiting for you!" Lu Yuxiao said and hung up the phone.

Li Ran looked at the "Call ended" message on his phone screen and shook his head.

He put his phone in his pocket, squinted, found his flight information, glanced at the boarding gate, and then walked in that direction.

My phone vibrated again.

It was a message from Lu Yuxiao, containing only three words: "Waiting for you."

He made his way through the crowd, found his boarding gate, and sent a message to Zhou Ye.

"Ready to board."

Zhou Ye didn't reply; he's probably filming.

The boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker.

He stood up, lined up, had his ticket checked, and walked onto the covered bridge.

Li Ran walked into the plane step by step, found his seat, sat down, and fastened his seatbelt.

Outside the window is the tarmac, with rows of planes parked in the distance, gleaming silvery-white in the sunlight.

He took out his phone and sent Lu Yuxiao a message: "Boarding, arriving in two hours."

The other end replied instantly: "Okay! I'll be waiting for you at the exit! You'll see me as soon as you come out!"

Following this was a string of emojis—cats, dogs, smiley faces, hearts—densely packed together, taking up the entire screen.

Li Ran looked at the string of emojis and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

He switched his phone to airplane mode, put it in his pocket, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

In late September in Shanghai, the evening breeze already carried a chill.

The airport terminal was noisy with people, making the whole space feel chaotic.

As Li Ran walked out of the arrival gate, he immediately saw Lu Yuxiao.

She stood at the very front of the crowd of people waiting to greet them, tiptoeing, turning her head left and right, looking around like a little squirrel searching for food.

She was wearing a cream-colored knitted cardigan, her hair was loose, and she wore a light-colored baseball cap with the brim pulled low, but Li Ran still recognized her at a glance.

Li Ran quietly walked up to her and lowered his voice, "Beautiful lady, are you looking for someone?"

Lu Yuxiao turned her head sharply, her eyes wide open, her mouth opening and closing as if she was about to shout his name.

"Ah! Li————" She paused, swallowing back the word "burn".

She quickly covered her mouth, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"You startled me." Her voice was low, but the reproach in her tone was unmistakable. She reached out and gently patted his arm.

The two people exited the airport.

"Have you booked the hotel yet?" Lu Yuxiao asked Li Ran.

Li Ranshan smiled, looked down and swiped a few times on his phone to bring up an address.

"I own a house in Shanghai."

Lu Yuxiao took the phone, stared at the address for two seconds, then looked up at him, puzzled, and asked, "How come you still have a house in Shanghai?"

Li Ran smiled helplessly, took the phone back, and put it in his pocket.

"Don't you know I used to play in the LPL?"

Lu Yuxiao nodded. "I know, what's the big deal?"

She tilted her head to look at him, her expression serious as if she were waiting for a very important answer.

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh when he saw her serious expression.

"It's okay, I bought it around that time."

The car arrived, and the two people got in.

Li Ran told the driver the address, the driver nodded, and the car drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic.

Lu Yuxiao looked out the window, then suddenly remembered something. She glanced down at the address on her phone, then looked up at Li Ran with surprise in her doe-like eyes.

"No, you stinky Li—you live here?"

Li Ran leaned back in his chair, relaxed, and casually replied, "What, is that not allowed?"

Lu Yuxiao opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

She lowered her head, glanced at the address again, then looked up. "Wow, you're so rich."

Li Ran turned to look at her, smiled, and said, "I'm alright."

Looking at his profile, Lu Yuxiao suddenly felt a little dazed.

This man seems to have everything: fame, wealth, talent, and so many people who like him.

She turned her gaze away, leaned back in her seat, and looked out the window.

The night view outside the window was beautiful, but she stopped looking at it.

She wondered what would happen when they arrived at his house.

The car slowly drove into an upscale residential area along the Huangpu River, and Lu Yuxiao leaned out the window to look out.

In the night, the river water shimmered with tiny lights under the streetlights, while the Lujiazui area on the opposite bank was brightly lit. The Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center shone brightly in the night, like luminous towers.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then looked away and turned to look at Li Ran.

-

"Let's go to the supermarket to buy some ingredients first, and I'll cook for dinner," Li Ran asked her.

Lu Yuxiao's eyes lit up instantly, like two stars that had been lit up.

"Great! I've been wanting to eat your cooking for ages."

The two went to a supermarket near the neighborhood.

Li Ran pushed the shopping cart ahead, with Lu Yuxiao following beside her. She was like a child who had been put into a candy store, curious about everything and wanting to touch everything, but in the end she didn't take anything.

"What do you want to eat?" Li Ran smiled helplessly at her hesitant expression.

"I'll eat whatever you make," Lu Yuxiao replied matter-of-factly.

Li Ran shook his head, picked out a few items: pork ribs, green vegetables, tofu, a sea bass, and some seasonings.

Lu Yuxiao followed behind, pushing the shopping cart, occasionally tossing a bag of snacks or a carton of yogurt into it, her movements so fast it looked like she was stealing, as if afraid Li Ran would see and put it back for her.

Back home, Li Ran tied on an apron and went into the kitchen.

Lu Yuxiao then started walking around the house.

Living room, bedroom, gaming room, balcony – every corner is utilized. The balcony offers a great view, directly overlooking the Huangpu River.

After going around in circles, she felt it was just so-so.

It wasn't the luxurious mansion she had imagined; the decor was a simple, modern style, with a clean and uncluttered black, white, and gray color scheme.

She walked back to the kitchen, leaned against the door frame, and watched Li Ran's back as he stood in front of the stove.

"Li Ran, you look so handsome when you cook." She tilted her head, looking like a lovesick fool, with a smile on her lips and bright eyes.

Li Ran didn't turn his head, and his hands didn't stop moving.

"Watch your drool." He said casually, with a hint of teasing.

Lu Yuxiao subconsciously reached up and touched the corner of her mouth.

"There's no drool here, you're so annoying."

She didn't leave; she just leaned against the doorframe, watching him.

She suddenly felt that the scene was very heartwarming.

A man, wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen, while she stood beside him, doing nothing but watching, and felt at ease.

After dinner, the two of them snuggled up on the sofa.

Lu Yuxiao sat cross-legged, holding a cushion in her arms, resting her chin on it, and tilting her head to look at Li Ran.

"Where do you want to go tomorrow?" Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, looking relaxed.

"Disney," Lu Yuxiao answered quickly, as if she had already thought it through. "I bought the tickets this afternoon."

She took her phone out of her pocket, opened the ticket purchase page, and held it up in front of him.

Li Ran glanced at it, nodded, and did not refuse.

"OK."

He recalled being recognized at Happy Valley last time and silently prayed that his luck would be better this time.

Lu Yuxiao put her phone away, lowered her head, swiped her fingers across the screen a few times, then suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"By the way, was it Liu Haocun or Zhou Ye that you were running around with at the amusement park last time?"

Li Ran turned his head to look at her, his brows furrowing slightly.

Why are you asking that?

"Who is it?" Lu Yuxiao didn't answer him and continued to ask.

"Cunzi," Li Ran said without hiding anything.

Lu Yuxiao sighed and hugged the cushion even tighter.

"It feels so romantic, like something out of an idol drama." Her tone carried a hint of envy.

Li Ran couldn't help but smile when he saw her hopeful expression.

"What, you want to try it too?"

Lu Yuxiao shook her head vigorously, her head bobbing like a rattle drum.

"I think I'd better not, I'm afraid of getting scolded."

Li Ran glanced at the time; it was already past nine o'clock.

He put down his phone, stood up, and stretched.

"Okay, I'll take you home first."

Lu Yuxiao neither spoke nor moved.

She sat on the sofa, hugging a cushion, her head down, her eyelashes drooping, making her expression unreadable.

Li Ran looked at her, waited a few seconds, and then a few more seconds.

She still didn't move.

"It's already past nine o'clock, aren't your parents worried?" he asked tentatively.

Lu Yuxiao looked up at him, her gaze resolute, and said, "I'm not going back tonight."

She paused, then added, "I've already told my parents."

Li Ran looked at her with some surprise.

As far as he knew, Lu Yuxiao's parents were both highly educated, and she was a well-behaved girl.

He couldn't imagine what she would be like when she told her parents "I'm not going home tonight"—would it be coquettish, unreasonable, or justified?

"Okay, you can stay if you want. There are guest rooms available."

A smile instantly bloomed on Lu Yuxiao's face, starting from the corners of her mouth and slowly spreading to her eyes.

"That's great!" Her voice was as cheerful as a puppy finally allowed to go out and play. She jumped up from the sofa, almost knocking the cushions to the floor.

Li Ran smiled slightly as he looked at her happy expression.

How did your parents agree to let you stay out overnight?

Lu Yuxiao pouted, "What do you mean by that? I'm almost twenty-three, not a child anymore."

Li Ran chuckled.

Indeed, Lu Yuxiao is already twenty-three, older than Cunzi and Xiao Hu.

But she gives the impression of a child who has just come of age, innocent, naive, and unaware of the ways of the world, like a flower that has not yet fully bloomed, with its petals tightly wrapped up, revealing only a little bit of color, making people want to wait for her to slowly open.

Lu Yuxiao added another sentence, her voice lower than before.

"I told my parents I was with my boyfriend, and they agreed."

Li Ran was completely stunned.

He blinked and looked at her, as if to make sure he hadn't misheard.

"No, you agreed just because you were with your boyfriend?"

Lu Yuxiao glared at him, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach.

"What, aren't you my boyfriend?"

Li Ran smiled at her serious expression. "Is this a confession?"

Lu Yuxiao looked at him, and the playful and reproachful look in her doe-like eyes was gone, replaced by a quiet, serious light, as if she were waiting for an answer she had been waiting for a long time.

"Didn't I confess to you a long time ago?" she asked back, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself.

She paused, then spoke again, "But you haven't answered me yet. Today, can you give me an answer?"

Li Ran looked at her; the living room was quiet.

He reached out and gently took her hand; her fingers were cold and trembled slightly.

"Haven't I already given you the answer?"

Lu Yuxiao looked at him and shook her head.

"I want you to say it yourself." Her voice was soft but firm, as if she were making a very important and unquestionable request.

Li Ran looked at her for a few seconds.

Those eyes held expectation, nervousness, fear, and something indescribable that softened one's heart.

"I love you."

When Li Ran came out of the bathroom, he was wearing a loose white T-shirt and dark gray lounge shorts, looking fresh and casual.

In the living room, Lu Yuxiao was nestled on the sofa, legs crossed, holding a carton of yogurt in her arms, scooping it out spoonful by spoonful.

"There are women's pajamas in the second bedroom, you can wear them," Li Ran said casually while drying her hair.

Lu Yuxiao turned her head, glanced at him, and nodded.

"Oh," she replied, put the yogurt on the coffee table, stood up, and walked barefoot on the carpet toward the second bedroom.

After a while, she came out of the second bedroom with a folded nightgown in her hand, walked up to Li Ran, and held it up for him to see.

"Whose is this?" she asked.

It was a light pink silk nightgown, soft in texture, with a delicate sheen under the light, clearly not new.

Li Ran glanced at it and casually said, "Jingyi wore it."

He paused, then added, "Aren't there new ones?"

Lu Yuxiao shook her head and hugged her nightgown to her chest.

"I couldn't find it."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, draped the towel in his hand over the back of the chair, and stood up.

"I'll go find it for you," he said, walking towards the second bedroom.

Lu Yuxiao followed behind him, still holding the nightgown in her arms, her steps light and quick, like a kitten following its owner.

Li Ran rummaged through the closet in the second bedroom for a while and found a brand new set of pajamas in the bottom drawer. It was made of white cotton, simple and elegant, without any patterns.

"This," he handed the pajamas to Lu Yuxiao, "is new, no one has ever worn it."

Lu Yuxiao took it, hugged it to her chest, looked down at it, then looked up and smiled at him.

"I'm going to take a shower now."