Chapter 131: We Are Strangers

"It takes two to tango, wouldn't you agree, President Mu?"

Gu Beicheng ignored An Lan's pointed remark and turned to Mu Ran, leaning his long legs against the desk in front of her. The man stood tall, exuding a cold, aloof aura that was nonetheless deeply alluring. With his arms crossed over his chest, he tilted his handsome face toward the indifferent Mu Ran.

"Hmm? Is President Mu upset?"

Gu Beicheng pushed his luck, leaning in closer until his cold, refreshing scent enveloped her. He noticed the tips of her ears turning pink as she kept her gaze lowered to avoid him. She looked both haughty and adorable. Looking at her fair, smooth cheeks, Gu Beicheng felt an itch in his fingers, struggling to suppress the urge to reach out and pinch them.

"I am not upset. You must handle recruitment personally from now on. Don't let it happen again."

The flush on her ears began to fade. Mu Ran avoided meeting his eyes, focusing instead on An Lan, who was casually fiddling with a water cup.

"Did you hear me?" Mu Ran’s voice remained calm and steady.

An Lan shook her head; she was long accustomed to Mu Ran’s serious professional demeanor. Whether it was the Mu Ran of the past or the hypnotized Mu Ran of today, she was always the same—a rigid workaholic.

"Bring all these artists in." Mu Ran pushed the portfolio of artists toward An Lan.

An Lan caught it, glanced at Gu Beicheng—whose eyes were fixed solely on Mu Ran—and shook her head with a wry smile. "Xiao Ran, you're creating a battlefield today, aren't you? Fine, I'll call them in for you."

Before leaving, An Lan didn't forget to signal Gu Beicheng to be careful and not to provoke Mu Ran, before thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

"Ranran..." Gu Beicheng crouched in front of Mu Ran, suddenly grabbing her small hands and placing them on her own knees.

"Gu Beicheng, let go!" Mu Ran lowered her head, their eyes locking. The gaze they exchanged seemed to grow complicated in an instant. The man’s eyes were filled with a tender, provocative warmth, while the woman’s reflected astonishment, tinged with repulsion and detachment.

"Ranran, why not just stay in the company and manage things properly? Stop being an actress, okay?"

Gu Beicheng had selfish motives for saying this. He had read the script for Gu Xiao’s *Loop* from beginning to end; while there weren't many intimate scenes, there were kissing scenes. As he thought about this, his gaze fell onto the woman's full, glistening lips. Ever since Mu Ran had awakened, she had forgotten him and refused to let him get close. A kiss? He couldn't even get that now! How could he possibly let Ranran kiss another man?

His demeanor turned gloomy, radiating a chilly aura.

"What right do you have to control me? Let go." Mu Ran glanced coldly at his stern, dark face. She didn't struggle, nor was there any sign of offense in her eyes.

Catching the disdain in her eyes, Gu Beicheng curled his lips into a bitter smile. "Fine, as you wish."

He stood up, his tall frame looming slightly over her. He cupped her small face in his hands, his grip firm enough that Mu Ran could not break free. A moment later, his thin lips descended.

"Gu Beicheng, get away from me!" Mu Ran grabbed a tissue and scrubbed her forehead violently, her eyes glaring at the face that had just gotten its way.

"You're disgusting!" Just as his kiss landed, the voice in Mu Ran’s mind had been screaming, warning her that the one she loved was Gu Yan! Gu Beicheng was playing with her! She was supposed to hate him!

"Mu Ran, I know there is a voice in your head manipulating you. Get rid of it, baby, get rid of that voice." Gu Beicheng sensed something was wrong and grabbed the hand she was using to hold the tissue, clutching it tightly. "Baby, Ranran, forget that voice in your head. What he says isn't true—how could you not love me?"

His other large hand gently stroked her head. He stepped forward, wrapping her in his arms, and guided her hands around his waist. "Hold on tight." His voice was hoarse, laced with a strange magnetism.

The sharp pain in Mu Ran’s brain eased significantly.

"Gu Beicheng, I shouldn't hate you. I shouldn't." Mu Ran’s nerves relaxed, a trace of regret appearing in her eyes. She bowed her head, pressing it firmly against his stomach, her hands gripping his lean, strong waist tightly.

"No, Gu Beicheng, I hate you. I hate you."

Gu Beicheng caressed her cheeks lovingly, his cold eyes filled with heartache and guilt. "There, there. Don't think about it. Ranran, you are sick right now. Don't torture yourself over whether you love me or not. For now, let's just be strangers."

His eyes were bruised with exhaustion, his face weary; he was no longer the high-spirited, decisive man he once was. His Ranran was sick. She was experiencing the same pain he had once endured. Years ago, after Gu Yan had hypnotized him, Gu Beicheng had been in agony. A voice in his head had constantly manipulated him to hurt others. His heart had remained clear, but the contradiction was inescapable.

"What? Strangers?" Mu Ran looked up, her watery eyes shimmering with tears. Her movements were stiff, her expression devoid of color. Strangers? Hearing those words, her heart felt a violent, stabbing pain. A roaring sensation swept through her body. Strangers? Why did the word make her feel as if her heart were bleeding?

The man looked back at her, their eyes meeting unexpectedly. A smile touched his vacant, unfocused eyes, and his fingers gently traced her delicate nose and eyes. A mysterious light filled his brightening gaze. "We will start over. I will make you fall in love with me again. Ranran, that voice in your head..."

"I will forget it." Mu Ran looked up, her fox-like eyes flickering with a hint of docility and softness. Compared to the evil voice in her head, she trusted this man before her. She trusted her own heart.

"Xiao Ran, all the company's artists are here." An Lan led a group of young people in, bursting through the door without knocking. "Oh, damn, get out, get out!" Seeing the two embracing, An Lan reacted instantly, her face turning crimson with a smirk on her lips as she turned to push the artists behind her back out.

Hearing the noise, Mu Ran quickly pulled away, turning her face aside with a cold expression, too embarrassed to meet the man's doting gaze. "Go back and sit down, stop hovering around me." Her tone was hurried, her chest heaving, her eyes darting everywhere.

She stiffly turned a few pages of the folder on her desk and picked up her phone, repeatedly pressing the power button.

"Fine." Gu Beicheng stepped toward the sofa. Suddenly, he turned back, bent down, placed his large hand on her back, and pressed his cool, curved lips against her cherry-red ones.

"Mmm~" Mu Ran’s eyes widened, ripples forming in her usually alluring fox-like gaze. No! My head hurts!

*Pop.*

The man pulled away and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "There, there, it doesn't hurt." As he spoke, the strange, ethereal voice in Mu Ran’s mind vanished completely.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

*Creak.*

The door was pushed open again. An Lan held the handle with one hand and leaned her head in, only to lock eyes with Gu Beicheng’s sharp, dissatisfied gaze.

"Uh—" The air turned frigid. An Lan nearly lost her footing, shivering uncontrollably. "Xiao Ran, we're coming in."

Mu Ran glanced sideways at An Lan, her gaze eventually settling on all the artists pressed against the transparent glass wall outside. Her voice was cold: "Stop pressing against the wall and just come in."

An Lan scratched her head awkwardly, laughing twice. She had forgotten that the glass in Mu Ran’s office was made of a special material—you could see out from the inside, but you couldn't see in from the outside. The whole group had been lined up, staring inside!

"Hehe, Xiao Ran, just gossiping, just gossiping." An Lan stood by the door, one hand on her forehead, waving at the artists outside, her eyes telling them to pray for their own luck. "President Gu, sorry for the interruption. Xiao Ran, I have some things to do, call me if you need anything."

All the artists entered the room, and An Lan turned and hurried away. Whether she actually had things to do, Gu Beicheng and Mu Ran didn't know, but her desperate flight was certainly genuine.

"Hello, President Gu. Hello, President Mu."

Twenty young, vibrant, and handsome artists stood in two rows, bowing respectfully to Mu Ran and Gu Beicheng. They were all newcomers to the industry; just seeing their own boss was a rare honor, but they hadn't expected to borrow light from President Mu to see the elusive President of Chengxing, Gu Beicheng.

The physical beauty of these two... it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the top-tier visual icons of the entertainment industry.