Chapter 126 — Playing Both Sides

The plane landed safely.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely apologize for the fright you have experienced. The aircraft has safely returned to the Imperial Capital. Please check your luggage and personal belongings before departing. Finally, we wish you a pleasant life and thank you for the trust you have placed in our Imperial Capital Airlines crew. Thank you."

The passengers, filled with relief, gathered their belongings and headed toward the cabin door.

"Thank you, thank you."

"Thank you..."

The chorus of gratitude from the passengers was constant. Some even asked to see the captain to express their personal thanks.

The chief flight attendant had not been hypnotized by Gu Yan, so she knew that for the latter half of the return journey, it was Captain Gao who had been flying the plane, not the pilot who had previously obtained the position through connections. Because this was difficult to explain to the passengers, the crew could only shake their heads and decline. However, the passengers were reasonable; since there were regulations to follow, they did not press the issue once they realized they could not see the captain.

In first class.

"Ma'am, please wake up. The plane has returned safely to the Imperial Capital, and we can disembark now."

Cheng Tong, the first-class flight attendant, leaned over slightly and reached out to gently pat the woman who was sleeping soundly. But no matter how she called, the woman would not wake up.

"Ma'am?"

Cheng Tong felt a surge of concern. Mu Ran was a public figure, and they certainly could not afford for anything else to happen to her. The flight attendant raised her voice and leaned in closer, but the woman remained unconscious, showing no reaction whatsoever.

"Let me handle it. You go wake up the bald man."

Just as the flight attendant turned to summon her colleague, a man suddenly appeared behind her. His voice was full of mirth, yet it carried an eerie and irresistible quality.

"Uh, sir, it's you."

Cheng Tong shivered involuntarily. She gripped her skirt tightly, her heart pounding. The tall, handsome man standing before her exuded a sinister aura that made her feel deeply unsettled.

The man stopped speaking and lowered his head to meet her gaze.

"What?" Gu Yan stared at the obstructive flight attendant, his expression grim and his eyes as cold as thin blades.

"Nothing, nothing at all. I'll go call that gentleman." Cheng Tong trembled, feeling a chill run down her spine. When the plane had been buffeted by turbulence and made its rapid descent, she had briefly interacted with this man, and even then, he had made her skin crawl.

What a miserable day this had been!

Cheng Tong ducked aside and gently patted the back of Lin Chong’s hand, softly reminding him to wake up. But the bald man, sprawled carelessly across his seat, was in the same state as Mu Ran; no matter how she called him, he wouldn't budge.

Suddenly, Cheng Tong felt a cold, piercing gaze on the back of her head. "Sir, is something the matter?"

Gu Yan curled his lips coldly, leaning toward the woman who stood perfectly straight. The icy pressure forced her to hold her breath. "Sir, you..."

*Snap.*

A snap of fingers.

Gu Yan glanced coldly at the flight attendant, who was standing frozen with her eyes shut tight, and his murderous intent deepened. Was he not handsome? Why was this woman cursing him in her heart, calling him a terrifying demon?

Although Gu Yan was displeased, he did nothing to the flight attendant. He bent down, scooped Mu Ran up into his arms, and prepared to disembark.

"Phew—"

Feeling the bloodthirsty aura that had been probing her mind gradually fade, Cheng Tong slowly opened her eyes. She stole a glance toward the exit where the man had left, only to lock eyes with Gu Yan as he turned back.

Instantly, Cheng Tong went numb, her mind screaming for her mother. Was that passenger a ghost? Why was he so terrifying?

"If he doesn't wake up, give him a slap."

With that, Gu Yan left the plane, carrying Mu Ran.

"No, no need to slap me, I'm awake!" Lin Chong suddenly sat up and scratched his bald head. He looked at the lovely flight attendant before him, his face flushing red as he chuckled, "You’re so pretty; if you went into the entertainment industry, you’d definitely be a huge star."

Cheng Tong shook her head and offered a faint smile, her eyes filled with sincerity and determination. Having experienced the turmoil of the flight, she felt an even deeper love for her job. Enter the entertainment industry? No, surviving in that world was too difficult for someone like her, a person with no family connections or background.

Lin Chong chuckled, "Didn't Mu Ran promise that if you wanted to get into the industry, you could sign with SY?"

Lin Chong was impatient and spoke his mind without beating around the bush. He had been thinking that if this flight attendant signed with SY, he might have a chance to get to know her better. This woman’s destiny was perfectly aligned with his own! She was his soulmate!

Perhaps the man’s gaze was too intense, as Cheng Tong felt a bit embarrassed. "Sir, the plane has landed. You can disembark now."

"Landed? Damn it, Mu Ran!" Lin Chong slapped his own forehead hard and looked left and right, but Mu Ran was nowhere to be seen.

"Sir, the lady you were with has been unconscious the whole time. No matter how I called her, she wouldn't wake up, and she has already been carried away by that other gentleman."

Lin Chong immediately jumped up, grabbed his thermos from the floor, and waved at Cheng Tong. "Thanks! Let’s meet again if fate allows!"

Before Cheng Tong could respond, the man’s shadow had already vanished from the first-class cabin.

"Xiao Ran!"

Lin Chong was frantic, looking everywhere. He happened to see Mu Ran on the escalator nearby, held intimately in Gu Yan’s arms. The man jumped up and down in distress, worried that Mu Ran had already been hypnotized by that wretched villain, Gu Yan! It was his own incompetence—a single snap of that man's fingers had been enough to knock him out!

Airport Exit—

Numerous media personnel were lying in wait with all sorts of equipment to catch Mu Ran. Although she wasn't a trending superstar—not even a third-tier celebrity—she was the big boss of SY, and more importantly, she had an intimate relationship with Gu Beicheng, the president of the Chengxing Group! If they could capture the scene of Mu Ran and Gu Beicheng reuniting after surviving the ordeal, it would surely be another headline.

"Mu Ran! Is that Mu Ran?"

"It really is!"

"Thank goodness, Mu Ran got off the plane safely—that means the whole flight was safe!"

"You've got big-picture thinking, keep shooting! I just saw Gu Beicheng of the Chengxing Group in the airport!"

Reporters scrambled to take photos.

"Wait, who is this man holding Mu Ran?"

"Yeah, why is he carrying her out?"

"That's not Gu Beicheng. But this guy is good-looking too. Keep shooting, don't worry about wasting film!"

The paparazzi were crouched in various poses, snapping photos. Suddenly, they looked up in unison at the tall man walking out with Mu Ran in his arms. The man’s looks rivaled those of current idol stars; dressed in black, he had a robust and tall physique.

Wait!

Did he just kiss the woman’s forehead?

Who exactly was this man? Why was he being so intimate with Mu Ran?

"Gu Yan, are you looking to die?"

A group of men, led by Gu Beicheng, blocked Gu Yan’s path. Their gazes fell simultaneously on the face of the woman sleeping soundly in his arms.

Everyone walking through the airport terminal was shocked by the scene. The paparazzi immediately grabbed their gear and began filming Gu Beicheng and his group, eager to get right under their feet for the perfect shot.

"Quick, quick! Get to Weibo and grab a spot! Post it! Post everything we've got! Tell the marketing accounts to write articles immediately! Write that Mu Ran couldn't hide her promiscuous nature, that she's playing with the feelings of the Chengxing president, and that she's two-timing!"

The speed of the paparazzi and marketing accounts was lightning-fast. #MuRanTwoTiming# climbed to the top of the Weibo entertainment charts.

#ActressMuRanArrivesSafelyAtAirport#
#MuRanCaughtDatingMysteriousManAbroad#
#GuBeichengCuckolded#

Numerous related hashtags dominated the entertainment and general trending lists. Mu Ran was just a minor celebrity, yet she had generated such massive traffic? On Weibo, those indifferent to her began attacking her for being shameless, accusing her of using the plane's disappearance and safe return to chase clout. Even prominent figures from various fields in China—literature, jewelry, politics—posted condemnations of her "clout-chasing" behavior.

In the current situation, people should be focusing on all the passengers of the flight that had been reborn from the brink of disaster. What was Mu Ran, anyway? All this talk of two-timing and being cuckolded... it was all just tawdry gossip.

Feng Yang, a titan of the literary world, posted a long article on Weibo, naming Mu Ran and accusing her of hogging public information resources.

"What is this trash they've written! Handle the PR immediately!"

Shen Mubai, standing behind Gu Beicheng, stared at the chaotic storm surrounding Mu Ran on Weibo with hawk-like intensity. He barked orders at his secretary, demanding they resolve the situation at once. Mu Ran was a passenger on that plane too; what did it mean to "hog public information resources"? It wasn't as if she had asked for those photos to be taken!

It was another rumor! "Get those deadbeat paparazzi hiding behind the pillar out of my sight!"

"Gu Yan, are you f***ing looking to die? Didn't you hear Beicheng? Put Mu Ran down, you piece of trash! Have we been too lenient with you all these years? Don't push your luck. You know damn well why we haven't kicked you out of the Imperial Capital yet!"

Shen Mubai was burning with rage. Seeing Gu Yan’s provocative, smug face, he couldn't hold back and launched into a tirade filled with profanity. That scumbag Gu Yan had actually laid hands on Mu Ran!

"Shen Mubai, look at yourself. You look like a shrew."

After speaking, Gu Yan tightened his arms around the woman, even lifting her slightly higher and sniffing near her face. Seeing Gu Beicheng’s dark, stormy expression, Gu Yan was overjoyed. The internal thrill and the pleasure of revenge made him even more reckless.

"Gu Yan, put her down. You cannot touch her."

Gu Beicheng stepped forward, closing in on the man with the wicked smirk. Seeing Gu Yan’s face again, Gu Beicheng’s inner ferocity and rage were churning, but he couldn't act! He was afraid! Yes, Gu Beicheng finally had something to fear. He was afraid this man would hurt Mu Ran!

"Mu Ran is mine, Gu Beicheng. She is mine! Heh heh." The man curled his lips, and a sinister laugh bubbled up from his throat.

"Beicheng, go for it! Take Mu Ran back! Hurry!" Shen Mubai wished he could rush up and punch that disgusting piece of filth, Gu Yan, to death!

"Don't move!" Gu Beicheng raised his hand, signaling Shen Mubai and the bodyguards to hold their positions. Gu Yan had Mu Ran. Gu Yan was a sinister, unpredictable person, and Gu Beicheng couldn't gauge what he was planning to do.

"President Gu! President Gu! Hurry and take Xiao Ran back! She’s been hypnotized by that man! President Gu!"

A man, drenched in sweat with a gleaming, bald head, hurried toward them and shouted a warning: "President Gu! You can't let Gu Yan get close to Mu Ran!"

Shen Mubai exclaimed: "What? Hypnotized?"

Gu Beicheng’s aura was overwhelming, his gaze filled with bloodthirsty intent as he glared at the triumphant Gu Yan.

"Hypnotized? Ranran has been hypnotized by you?"

Gu Yan could hear the grinding of teeth in the other man's voice. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his eyebrows and curled his lips, his gaze wicked. "Yes. I can't read Mu Ran's mind, just as I can't read yours. But you are all too weak; you were easily hypnotized and manipulated by me. Gu Beicheng, I’m back!"

As his words fell, everyone present went silent, trembling slightly. Gu Yan was truly too insidious. In his current state, he looked like a poisonous snake with its fangs bared, and Mu Ran in his arms looked like a delicious, defenseless meal to be toyed with.

"Since you want her, take her. But don't be sad."

Gu Yan walked up to Gu Beicheng and carefully placed Mu Ran into his arms, his gaze lingering longingly over the young woman's features. Once she was no longer in his arms, Gu Yan felt an instant, hollow emptiness in his heart.

"Gu Beicheng, she is beautiful. She doesn't belong to you—she belongs to me! Heh heh."

The man laughed maniacally and turned to leave with a carefree air.

Gu Beicheng held the young woman in his arms as if she were a precious treasure. A moment later, he turned his head and gave a silent signal to Shen Mubai.

Shen Mubai understood, taking a group of bodyguards and quickly leaving through another exit.