Chapter 38

Ever since becoming a top actress, Zuo Mingran's schedule was always jam-packed. During the few days of free time after her debut, it was because she had just finished filming her previous drama. Additionally, during that time, Zuo Mingran was in the midst of a passionate affair with Tang Wenbin, and they were discussing the possibility of divorcing Yan Yunyang. This was why she had asked for some time off from Shi Shuangxia.

Now, with no other excuse, the day after the wrap-up banquet, Zuo Mingran still hadn't fully recovered from her drunken state the day before when Shi Shuangxia hastily arrived and forcefully dragged her out of bed.

The feeling upon waking up with a hangover was not pleasant. Zuo Mingran sat on the bed, clutching a pillow, her eyes following Shi Shuangxia's movements. Her head felt as if it was being hammered, her temples throbbed with pain, and her throat was parched, as if she had been wandering through a desert for days without a sip of water.

The room had not been ventilated, and it was filled with a strong smell of alcohol. Zuo Mingran had spent the whole night inside, so it didn't bother her much, but when Shi Shuangxia pushed open the door, she was almost overwhelmed by the smell.

"Wow, how much did you drink?" Shi Shuangxia opened the heavy curtains, allowing the sunlight to shine through the window. The sudden brightness made Zuo Mingran instinctively close her eyes. "I don't remember. There were many people, and I lost track," she replied.

There was a thermos cup on the bedside table, and Zuo Mingran was extremely thirsty. Without thinking too much, she picked it up, unscrewed the lid, and saw that it was filled to the brim with water, the temperature just right. Without hesitation, she took a few big gulps. It was sweet and even turned out to be honey water specifically for relieving hangovers.

Shi Shuangxia glanced at her and said, "Get dressed. I've opened the windows."

Zuo Mingran silently wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. It was only then that she realized she was still wearing yesterday's clothes, having only taken off her jacket.

Fortunately, as a female celebrity, the clothes she wore underneath were not bulky, so sleeping in them for a night wasn't too uncomfortable.

After opening the window, the cold air immediately rushed in, completely dissipating the warmth in the room. Zuo Mingran had just woken up, and even though she was wrapped in a blanket, she couldn't withstand the cold air blowing towards her, causing her to shiver. Shi Shuangxia wasn't much better off. She entered the room with the heater already on but was still shivering.

Zuo Mingran regained some clarity and hopped out of bed while still wrapped in the blanket. She picked up a few clean clothes and said, "Forget it. Let's go downstairs."

The smell of alcohol in the room wouldn't dissipate for a while, so Zuo Mingran took the clothes and went to the bathroom downstairs. After she finished showering and changed her clothes, she came out. Angel also arrived, carrying her own suitcase, as she and Shi Shuangxia were about to go upstairs together to gather their luggage and leave.

It was already past three in the afternoon and Zuo Mingran's stomach was rumbling. He looked around but couldn't find anything to eat. He was about to go to the fridge to find something when he sensed something in the kitchen. He paused for a moment and then went in.

Inside the microwave was a bowl of lean meat and preserved egg congee, still warm in the warming mode.

There were no other people in the room, and Shuangxia and Anqi had just arrived, so there was no need for them to put the congee in the microwave. That left only one person who could have done it.

If this had happened a few months ago when he first arrived, Zuo Mingran would never have believed it. The busy CEO cooking breakfast himself and even putting it in the microwave to keep warm. That was a plot that could only appear in romance novels. As a seasoned homebody who had been living like Cinderella for over twenty years, she had long given up on dreams of becoming a princess.

But reality proved that some things were meant to be slapped in the face.

Thinking back to the cup of honey water that magically appeared by her side earlier, Zuo Mingran was now very clear about who put it there.

The heating in the house seemed to be a bit excessive, with warm streams flowing through her body. It was like the first rays of the sun shining down, bathing her in sunlight.

Smiling, Zuo Mingran quickly finished the congee and went upstairs to help Shuangxia and Anqi pack their bags.

The next few articles she had to rush were in different cities. There were variety shows, interviews, and endorsement shoots for products. She would be out for a long time with no chance to return in between, constantly shuttling between several places. She had to bring a lot of things, especially since most of the time would be spent on the road or in hotels. She had prepared two or three large suitcases alone.

When Zuo Mingran went upstairs, Shuangxia and Anqi were in the wardrobe picking out the clothes they needed to bring on the trip.

Usually, winter clothes are thick and numerous. Ordinary people could wear one piece of clothing for two or three days before changing, but Zuo Mingran couldn't. As a female celebrity, she had to ensure that every time she appeared in front of the camera, she was at the forefront of fashion. It would be best if she had a new look every time, a new feeling every time. In addition, she had to attend variety shows and interviews, which made the clothes she needed to bring more complicated.

There was already a small mountain of clothes piled up on the sofa next to the wardrobe. Zuo Mingran looked carefully and realized that they were even arranged by color and category, although it looked a bit messy.

Shuangxia and Anqi were busily discussing and picking clothes from the wardrobe, dividing and coordinating styles, each with their own tasks, as if they were in their own world.

Just as Zuo Mingran stepped in, Shuangxia seemed to have eyes on her back and said without turning her head, "Get out! Don't make a mess!"

Zuo Mingran: "..."

Quietly retracting her foot, Zuo Mingran leaned against the door frame and recited the weather forecast with a serious expression, "Recently, the lowest temperature in City L has reached minus ten degrees Celsius, the lowest in thirty years. The continuous blizzards have caused difficulties for citizens' travel..."

City Z was the next place she had to go for work, separated from City B by two or three provinces. Anqi, who had recently become her assistant, was honest and had already picked up two thick-looking clothes before Zuo Mingran had finished speaking, intending to put them in the suitcase.

But old habits die hard. Shuangxia knew what Zuo Mingran was about to do just from her standing there. Two thick clothes took up half of the suitcase, so Shuangxia reorganized it without taking the clothes out.

The late snowstorm had turned the entire City B white, and their previously scheduled flight was delayed due to the weather. As a professional agent, Shuangxia had obviously anticipated this situation and had already prepared several train tickets, even if the plane took off, they wouldn't arrive on time. The group rushed to the high-speed rail station, dealing with their luggage and boarding the train, and it was almost 7 p.m.

The winter night came quickly, and the sun had already set. Zuo Mingran took off her hat and mask, lifted the blackout curtain, and looked outside.

The snow was still falling, even bigger than when they had left. Bright streetlights pierced through the darkness from above, and large snowflakes floated down from the sky. Zuo Mingran couldn't help but take a photo and post it on her social media.

Approaching the Spring Festival, the train carriage was packed. When they were checking tickets before boarding, the media somehow got wind of it and rushed over with cameras. What was supposed to be an airport show turned into a high-speed rail show when it came to Zuo Mingran's carriage. But as a result, many people now knew that a celebrity was sitting in this carriage.

Zuo Mingran sat by the window, with Anqi on her right, while Shuangxia had to handle work and couldn't be bothered by Zuo Mingran's antics. So she sat with Zhuangbo.

The high-speed train departed on time. It had to be said that Shuangxia knew Zuo Mingran well enough. After only sleeping for about ten hours, Zuo Mingran was in a good mood. After signing autographs for the fifth person, she hugged a neck pillow and leaned back on the seat, letting out a long sigh.

Since becoming a big star here, this was the first time Zuo Mingran had traveled far. So she deliberately chose a window seat, but after the train left the platform, it was pitch black outside. After looking out the window for a while, Zuo Mingran sat up straight and boredly picked up a magazine to read.

Anqi looked at her phone beside her, and Zuo Mingran bumped her shoulder and whispered, "I haven't thanked you for sending me back last night. By the way, I didn't do anything after I got drunk, right?"

"..."

Anqi was stunned for a while, looking at Zuo Mingran's sincere face, she stammered, "Ji-Jing, it wasn't me who sent you back last night."

Zuo Mingran: "?"

This time, the one who stayed on the scene was Zuo Mingran herself. She gasped, trying hard to retrieve some forgotten memories from her mind. "It wasn't you? Then who was it?"

Angel said, "Ranran, last night you left with Manager Yan. It was too late, so Manager Yan asked the driver to take me home directly."

Her memory from the day before only stayed with her and Wen Feifei holding a microphone and making a scene. Everything that followed seemed to have been erased from her brain, completely forgotten.

Angel continued to say something, but the withdrawn Zuo Mingran couldn't hear anymore.

No wonder when she woke up this morning, her clothes were intact, except for her coat. She had thought it was because she had caused a scene while drunk and Angel couldn't control her, but she didn't expect it to be the reason.

But the scariest thing is not this. Zuo Mingran paused, pondering before asking, "Besides this, is there anything else I don't remember?"

Thinking about the reason why she fled last night, Angel's face turned red. Without her speaking, Zuo Mingran herself had already guessed most of it.

Taking a deep breath, Zuo Mingran covered her eyes with her hands and said in resignation, "You don't need to say it. Let me be alone."

If it was just the events before getting drunk, she could still cope with it. Now it seems that she's fortunate to be busy with work outside of B City for a period of time. Otherwise, if she were to encounter Yan Yunyang, who knows how awkward it would be.

No sooner had she thought of it than her phone buzzed a few times, and a new message popped up automatically.

"Be careful on the way, send me your location when you arrive."

"Did you drink the porridge in the microwave?"

"Don't drink too much alcohol next time."

The notes were from Yan Youqian.

The three consecutive messages almost overwhelmed Zuo Mingran's already fragile heart. She flipped her phone over, pretending she hadn't seen anything, and covered her face muttering, "Drinking is fun for a moment, but it leads to disaster."

Angel didn't hear what she said clearly. Seeing her covering her face and furrowing her brow, she thought something had happened and quickly asked, "Ranran, what's wrong with you?"

Zuo Mingran turned her head to look at her, her eyes filled with heartache and despair. "Angel, listen to me. You must never get drunk in the future, understand?"

Angel nodded in confusion. As they whispered and talked here, Shiyu Xia couldn't help but look over her shoulder after noticing Zuo Mingran's expression. She raised an eyebrow and sent a message to Angel.

Three minutes later, Shiyu Xia put down her phone, showing a look of "I knew it".

*

While Zuo Mingran was pretending to ignore the messages, Yan Yunyang had just left his house.

Liu Qinghe was waiting for him in the car. When she saw him come out of the elevator empty-handed, she couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Didn't you say you were coming back to get something important? Why did you come out empty-handed?"

Yan Yunyang's expression didn't change. "I remembered wrong. Wen Mo has already taken the thing."

Liu Qinghe knew exactly what he meant. She glanced behind her and didn't see Zuo Mingran, so she asked in confusion, "Where is Ranran?"

Yan Yunyang started the car and replied, "She's not at home. She went out to work."

Liu Qinghe smiled faintly and didn't dwell on the topic.

The company's affairs had reached the final confrontation stage. The other party was clearly at their wit's end, and many of their recent decisions had provided them with great convenience. Originally, they were supposed to go to tie up loose ends in two days, but something happened suddenly in the evening today. They had to rush to the neighboring city overnight.

The municipal snow clearing vehicles were working non-stop, clearing the snow on both sides of the road. In this heavy snow, everyone was driving as carefully as possible.

Liu Qinghe silently looked at the night scenery outside the window. After a while, she spoke, "How are you planning to spend the Chinese New Year this year? Are you going to stay in B City?"

It had been many years since she had seen her biological son, to the point where the sense of distance between them couldn't be eliminated no matter what. She couldn't imagine how Yan Yunyang had spent those festive New Year's Eves in those lively atmospheres.

Now that he had completely fallen out with the Yan family, even though some people would consider the identity of the Yan family's CEO and not say anything face-to-face, it would be uncomfortable for them to sit together harmoniously and celebrate the New Year.

As a mother, she didn't want her son to bear this pain.

The consecutive streetlights flew by from both sides. Yan Yunyang calmly replied, "I'll spend it with Ranran."

Liu Qinghe didn't expect him to answer like this. She smiled and lowered her head, touching the bracelet on her wrist. "The weather in B City is too cold. Since this matter can be resolved before the new year, why not take Ranran out for a trip? Let's go to a unfamiliar place. I can see that she's having a hard time hiding from the media every day."

This remark reminded Yan Yunyang, and he calmly responded, "It depends on her plans."

Liu Qinghe smiled and stopped there, not continuing the conversation.

*

Being on the high-speed train for nearly five hours, after the initial sobriety wore off, the delayed symptoms of alcohol intoxication came back to haunt Zuo Mingran. She leaned on Angel's shoulder and fell asleep. As the train passed through a tunnel, Zuo Mingran suddenly opened her eyes. All she saw was the endless darkness, and her heart pounded in her chest, as if something was happening silently and invisibly.