Chapter 60—Going Live

“What? Gu Beicheng went abroad?” Mu Ran was completely at a loss as to what An Lan was talking about.

The ever-busy president of Chengxing Group actually went overseas to seek medical treatment for her sake?

Unbelievable! Inconceivable!

“When have I ever lied to you!” An Lan exclaimed excitedly, plopping down beside Mu Ran. Her neat, short hair brushed against Mu Ran’s shoulder as her small hands gripped the woman’s arm.

“It’s true. The afternoon after your variety show ended, Gu Beicheng flew abroad. He didn’t want me to tell you—he was worried you’d be upset.”

“Why would I be upset?” Mu Ran chuckled softly, ruffling An Lan’s hair affectionately.

No wonder Gu Beicheng hadn’t contacted her these past two days.

Mu Ran’s beautiful eyes narrowed, and her lips curled up; the happiness radiating from her delicate face was impossible to conceal.

An Lan tilted her head, poking Mu Ran meaningfully. “So, have you and Brother Gu made it official?”

“Of course…” Mu Ran’s tone was drawn out, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Come on, out with it! Of course what? Are you together now?” An Lan was impatient, unable to endure Mu Ran’s teasing.

If her dear Mu Ran really got together with Gu Beicheng, it would be cause for universal celebration! That high-quality old ‘iron tree’ was finally blooming! With her Mu Ran and that man together, she’d never have to worry about food and clothes again!

“What nonsense are you thinking now?” Mu Ran eyed An Lan’s mischievous expression—her eyes fixed on Mu Ran, a sly grin on her lips.

She reached out, gave An Lan’s shoulder a gentle push, and poked her dimple. “Of course we’re not together. Stop letting your imagination run wild all day.”

There was a trace of exasperation and helplessness in Mu Ran’s voice, for she knew how much An Lan cared about her future.

In her past life, when she told An Lan she was going to marry Bai Zehan, the woman had nearly exploded, refusing to let her marry that scoundrel. Back then, she’d been foolish enough to ignore An Lan’s warnings, marrying Bai Zehan and stepping into an abyss.

“Alright, alright. Xiaoran, Gu Beicheng is worthy of you. He’s a decent man—a thousand times better than your ex. You must seize this chance.” An Lan once again spoke earnestly, worried Mu Ran might still have feelings for that scum Bai Zehan.

“Are you even listening to me?” An Lan waved her hand in front of Mu Ran’s face.

Seeing Mu Ran’s absent-minded look, An Lan assumed she was thinking of Bai Zehan again and grew angry. “Mu Ran, if you keep liking Bai Zehan, I’ll cut ties with you!”

Mu Ran, whose mind had been filled with Gu Beicheng’s face, came back to herself and looked at the indignant An Lan with a gentle smile, grabbing her hand. “Who says I like Bai Zehan? Right now, all I want is to ruin him!”

Feeling the chill and hatred emanating from Mu Ran, An Lan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Mu Ran stayed away from Bai Zehan, that was enough.

Still, she hoped Mu Ran could become ‘Mrs. Gu’ soon—after all, Grandpa Gu was pressing hard, and she needed to play her part as the wingwoman!

“Lanlan, how’s my work schedule looking?”

Mu Ran knew her place. Though the online negativity had decreased, she hadn’t fully cleared her name, and directors still wouldn’t cast her.

“Your top priority now is reputation management, Xiaoran. Start with some variety shows—preferably acting competitions—so directors can see your skills through the programs.” An Lan handed her a tablet. “Here are some show options. Don’t worry, I’ve avoided all the problematic ones you mentioned before.”

Mu Ran studied the information in front of her, then glanced up, admiring An Lan’s resourcefulness.

The shows she’d selected were all about to become hits!

Take “Actors’ Showdown,” for instance—everyone from A-list film stars to minor celebrities could participate and compete in acting.

The top five contestants in acting would be flooded with movie offers for the next two years.

But the show had a flaw: the competition wasn’t fully transparent, and those who ranked high were always established stars, while lesser-known actors were just there as fillers.

“What’s wrong, Xiaoran? Thinking of joining ‘Actors’ Showdown’?” An Lan noticed Mu Ran’s gaze lingering on that program, her expression thoughtful, and took it as interest mixed with hesitation.

“If you want to join, let’s do it. No need to worry—anyone can compete. If you shine, directors will come calling.”

“No, I don’t want to join ‘Actors’ Showdown’. There will be even better shows in the future. I’ll choose this one.”

An Lan leaned over to see where Mu Ran’s finger pointed. “‘Immersive Script Shark’?”

“Immersive Script Shark” was a script-based variety show. Each episode, six guests drew scripts at random, adopted the roles, and performed the content.

The scripts ranged from mystery and romance suspense to horror, warmth, and tragedy.

“This is a good show—also a chance to showcase your acting. Plus, it’s not a competition, so the pressure isn’t too great. There are already two regular guests, and I looked into their backgrounds—they’re both low-key up-and-comers with decent personalities.”

To avoid a repeat of the drama from “Love Journey,” An Lan had investigated every guest, including the rotating ones. None were big stars, so the atmosphere would be relaxed.

Mu Ran browsed through An Lan’s detailed character analysis chart, and when she came across certain names, her lips curled and her eyes sparkled.

Though these two regulars were still unknowns, in two years they’d both be top-tier domestic actors.

“Xiaoran, this show is produced by Chengxing Pictures. The pay is excellent—one million per episode, four episodes total, and filming starts next Thursday.”

Mu Ran nodded. “Alright, this one it is.”

With that, she was about to return to her room to sleep. For some reason, since her rebirth, she’d found herself especially fond of sleeping.

An Lan was exasperated by Mu Ran’s laziness—she’d only been up for two or three hours, and now she wanted to sleep again. Was she giving up on life?

“Xiaoran, come back here! Even though ‘Immersive Script Shark’ starts in a week, you’re not allowed to slack off. Go livestream—build up your popularity!”

An Lan hopped off the sofa, grabbed Mu Ran’s hand, and pulled her back down, her expression stern as she ordered her to start a livestream.

“Livestream? Are you trying to kill me? What would I even do?” Mu Ran was full of worry. She admitted that short videos and livestreams were all the rage, but she had no idea what to broadcast—just stare blankly at the camera?

“Game streamer, or beauty streamer? Pick one. You go live in half an hour.” An Lan ignored Mu Ran’s look of despair, unyieldingly instructing her to pick a streaming direction. All the while, she used her tablet to contact the director of “Immersive Script Shark” and finalize the contract.

“Have you decided?” An Lan asked, glancing up after signing the electronic contract, only to find Mu Ran still silent.

“Mu Ran, snap out of it! If you don’t stream today, you’re not allowed to sleep!”

Jolted awake, Mu Ran rubbed her eyes. “I’ll be a beauty streamer. I don’t have any special talents anyway.”

“Hold on.” An Lan immediately jumped up and dashed out of Mu Ran’s house. Three minutes later, she returned, arms full of a ring light and phone stand.

“Let’s go live now. I just contacted someone at the streaming app’s backend—they’ll send us a ton of traffic. When you’re live, don’t act aloof. We’re going for a down-to-earth vibe from now on, no more goddess out of reach act, got it?”

“Do you really have to take this so seriously? It’s just a livestream,” Mu Ran muttered under her breath, not daring to defy the woman bustling around with the equipment.

“Go live!” At An Lan’s command, Mu Ran’s downturned lips immediately lifted into a dazzling smile, her switch to ‘business mode’ so fast it amazed An Lan.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Mu Ran. Welcome to my livestream!”

Sitting beside her, An Lan’s eyes widened. Was this really Mu Ran’s first time streaming?

She was so natural! Her pacing, her ability to engage—absolutely top notch!

An Lan shook her head in awe and gave the woman in front of the camera a big thumbs up.

The livestream chat exploded—

“My Mu Ran is actually streaming!”

“Xiaoran, is this really your first time?”

“Xiaoran, are you really done with ‘Love Journey’? I wanted to see you with Teacher Cheng!”

Mu Ran smiled gently. “Yes, this is my first livestream. From now on, I’ll stream regularly. You’re all welcome to join me.”

“That’s right, ‘Love Journey’ really won’t continue. Each of us respects the director’s decision. Of course, I’m disappointed too. I’m grateful for all your support.”

“Teacher Cheng has returned to his normal life. If there’s a chance, we’ll reunite.”

More messages flooded in—

“Xiaoran, I really like you! Your skiing is amazing!”

“Mu Ran, I love freestyle skiing. My coach praised your technique!”

“Did you ever join the national team?”

“Same question!”

“Xiaoran, lots of national and even world-class skiers follow you on Weibo!”

“Xiaoran, are you really the world champion Mu Mu?”

For the past couple of days, Mu Ran’s Weibo had been managed by An Lan; she hadn’t checked recent updates herself.

“I did train with the national team for a year. I competed at seventeen, entered the national team at eighteen, spent two years as assistant coach at nineteen, and retired at twenty.”

Mu Ran’s reply was sincere—since everyone was asking, she answered honestly.

“As for whether I’m Mu Mu, the world champion you’re all curious about… well, what do you think?”

Mu Ran’s gentle and approachable manner in the livestream won people over, and the viewer count soon soared past one hundred thousand.