Chapter 83 – Murder Mystery Script: "Who Is the One I Truly Love" (Part 2)

Jiang Qingyue’s (Mu Ran’s) face darkened as she shook off Huang Qin’s hand. “What are you talking about? Have you read one too many novels?”

“Qingyue, I’m not… He’s not a man you can afford to provoke.”

Huang Qin (Xu Yunshu) was exasperated, her neck flushed red with agitation, eyes bloodshot with emotion.

“All right, all right, I need to get back to the dorm and start streaming. My living expenses for the month are almost gone—I need my top fan to send some gifts.”

Jiang Qingyue was different from Huang Qin.

She came from a working-class family, with parents supporting both her and her sibling through university. Her monthly allowance of fifteen hundred was never enough.

But Huang Qin was born into privilege—the heiress of Chaoyang Films in the capital, she’d never had a single worry about money.

“I’ll walk back to the dorm with you.”

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) and Huang Qin (Xu Yunshu) kept a slight distance between them as they headed toward the dormitory building together.

“Qingyue! Why aren’t you answering my calls?”

A clean-cut young man called out from behind them.

“Ugh, how annoying! Xiaoqin, go deal with him. Can’t believe he still won’t let go after breaking up!”

Jiang Qingyue glanced over her shoulder at Ye Qiao (Wei Xingran), snorted coldly, her face barely concealing her annoyance and impatience. Clinging to Huang Qin’s arm, she pleaded quietly, “Please, just talk to him for me.”

“Qingyue, there’s no need to avoid me. I just want to talk to you alone!”

Ye Qiao’s face was pale, almost sickly. He cast an uneasy glance at Huang Qin, a plea in his eyes.

Huang Qin nodded, understanding, and left despite Jiang Qingyue’s warning look, giving the former couple their space.

“She’s gone. Say it—what do you want to tell me? Ye Qiao, don’t push your luck. You were the one who suggested breaking up. I don’t want you clinging to me.”

Her cold expression and frosty tone left the man at a loss for words.

“Qingyue, I have my reasons.”

Jiang Qingyue sneered. Whatever your reasons, they have nothing to do with me. I just want you out of my life.

“I…”

Wei Xingran stared blankly, eyes wide, mouth open, silent for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

Mu Ran stifled a laugh—he looked so adorably dumbfounded.

All she’d done was recite the lines from the script, setting up the scenario, so why was this man making such a face?

“Sister Mu Ran, you—just now, you didn’t sound like a college student at all. You sounded like a queen who treats men like shoes. If I had a girlfriend like you, I’d never break up with you.”

Wei Xingran stepped back, deliberately distancing himself from the woman, inwardly marveling. No wonder they say she’s Gu Beicheng’s girlfriend, the president of Chengxing Group.

With such a commanding and aloof presence, Mu Ran was destined to be the entertainment industry’s future queen.

After the last recording, Wei Xingran had grown curious—who exactly was the “ordinary” male guest Cheng Beigu? How did a non-celebrity end up on shows with big stars?

He’d followed the variety show “Love on the Journey,” and there, the film king Bai Zehan seemed wary of this man, almost to the point of groveling at Cheng Beigu’s feet.

So Wei Xingran went to ask the director, Gao Minglang.

At first, Gao Minglang kept his lips sealed.

But Wei Xingran’s persistence wore him down.

Finally, the director revealed the shocking truth, and Wei Xingran’s legs nearly gave out.

[The “ordinary” Cheng Beigu is actually Gu Beicheng, the president of Chengxing Group.]

And who was Gu Beicheng?

He was the god who dominated the capital’s financial and entertainment circles.

Now, the entire production crew knew this secret.

As a result, they were all terrified of displeasing Gu Beicheng, yet equally worried about offending his beloved Mu Ran.

“Xingran? What are you thinking about?”

Mu Ran frowned, poking his shoulder with her finger.

“Uh…”

Wei Xingran shook his head. “Sister Mu Ran, your acting just floored me.”

Mu Ran smiled enigmatically, her voice languid. “Mm, I believe you.”

“Heh.”

Wei Xingran scratched his head, offering a dry, lopsided grin.

“Ye Qiao, Ye Qiao! You left your stuff in the library!”

A man with tanned skin and bulging muscles jogged over, wearing a white tank top.

“And you are…?”

Wei Xingran eyed the items in his hands suspiciously—a basketball in one hand, a stack of papers in the other.

And the overwhelming stench of sweat wafting over with him.

Was the library built inside the basketball court? Could this NPC be any less convincing?

“Thanks, man,”

Wei Xingran didn’t think much of it, slipping easily into the role of Jiang Qingyue’s ex-boyfriend, Ye Qiao.

“No problem, bro! You don’t look like you have brain cancer to me. What a shame—handsome guy like you, and your girlfriend’s so pretty. Such a waste!”

The muscle-bound NPC pulled a face that defied description. “I won’t say more, I’ll go now. What a pity.”

Wei Xingran stared blankly at the medical report the NPC had shoved into his hands.

“Brain cancer?”

His dull eyes suddenly blazed with light.

“How come I didn’t know my character had a brain tumor?”

Mu Ran: “…”

DM Hua Rujin hurried over: [Player, is something wrong?]

“Huh?”

Wei Xingran blinked his long lashes. “Does ‘my’ brain actually have a tumor?”

DM Hua Rujin couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, ‘you’ really do have brain cancer.”

Wei Xingran’s face fell instantly. How clueless was he? He couldn’t even understand the script.

“Then do you know whether you die at the end?”

As Wei Xingran squatted on the ground, covering his face with the report, a woman’s voice, rich with amusement, drifted to his ears.

Reflexively, he replied, “Yeah, I die in the end.”

Suddenly, an awkward silence fell among the three of them.

“Wait, I… I shouldn’t have said that! Hua-ge! Director! Mu Ran tricked me into revealing the plot!”

Hua Rujin: “…”

Gao Minglang: “…”

——

The murder mystery continued.

“Ye Qiao, don’t tell me you broke up with me because of your brain cancer?”

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) looked incredulous, even grabbing the man’s shirt.

Her performance was so vivid that, outside the set, the director Gao Minglang and assistant director Chen Liang both praised Mu Ran’s acting.

“Yes. I didn’t want to hold you back. My days are numbered.”

Ye Qiao (Wei Xingran) let the bitterness fill his eyes as he reached out, trying to grasp her hand.

“Fine. I get it. I need to get back to my dorm and stream. Make the most of whatever time you have left.”

Ye Qiao stood there, watching the woman’s unhesitating departure, his lips twitching.

The camera cut to the girls’ dormitory.

Jiang Qingyue was livestreaming.

She was using the same account Mu Ran often used for her personal streams.

In the livestream chat—

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran): “Babies, I have no classes today and I miss you all! Where are you, Lone Wolf of Xijing? If you’re not here soon, your spot as my top fan might be at risk!”

Comments flooded in—

“Whoa, isn’t this Mu Ran?”

“Xiao Ran! Xiao Ran!”

“Why does Mu Ran seem a bit off today?”

“Yeah, usually she’s talkative when streaming, but she’s never been this lively!”

“Is this an imposter?”

“No, you guys must not be real fans. Xiao Ran is filming a murder mystery variety show now—she’s playing her character!”

“So, does that mean I’m kind of appearing on the show too?”

“Isn’t this a spoiler?”

“Mu Ran looks so pure and beautiful today!”

Sitting on a dorm chair, eyes glued to the comments, the woman suddenly smiled. “Did I not look good before?”

“!!!!!!”

“Mu Ran saw my comment!”

“Mu Ran really loves her fans!”

“That’s funny—reading a single comment and you call it being good to fans? You all need to chill.”

Right then, the viewers went wild, flooding the chat with comments.

The barrage of messages drowned out those posted by the show’s NPCs.

“Everyone, don’t spam the chat, and don’t send gifts, please! Really, don’t!”

The woman patiently urged both fans and trolls to be rational.

But as soon as she said this, the chat was awash with a blizzard of gifts and gold coins.

“Thank you, everyone, for your generosity!”

She pressed her lips together, forcing a dry laugh, shaking her head at the viewers to signal them to stop.

But as Jiang Qingyue, she couldn’t speak to the fans as Mu Ran would.

Seeing the wave of gifts, she could only accept them with a beaming smile, true to her character.

“Just now you said not to send gifts, but now you’re thanking us. Typical.”

“What does it matter to you? If we want to send gifts, we will! If Mu Ran doesn’t spoil us, we’ll spoil her!”

“Who says I don’t spoil my fans?”

She tapped a few top-level fan badges, reading out their names, “Little Lantern, Carefree Gu, Charming Lady, Mu Family Regiment Leader—DM me your address and I’ll send you four iPhone 13 Pro Max in Alpine Green, 1TB each. I’ll take care of your whole family.”

With her bold gesture, Mu Ran’s charisma made director Gao Minglang shake his head.

“Director, should I remind her?”

Hua Rujin, script in hand, whispered to Gao Minglang. Was she Mu Ran now, or still Jiang Qingyue?

“No need. She’s very likable right now. This is variety—players don’t have to stick strictly to their roles as long as it’s entertaining.”

Since the director said it was fine, Hua Rujin let it go.

In the comments—

Little Lantern: “Me… me, I never thought I’d win something one day!”

Carefree Gu: “Luck is on my side! Xiao Ran, I love you!”

Charming Lady: “Who dares say Mu Ran doesn’t spoil her fans now?”

Mu Family Regiment Leader: “Xiao Ran, I’ll DM you my address!”

Mu Ran scrolled through the comments, seeing the excitement. “I’m your lucky charm—don’t forget to protect me!”

“Everyone, behave for now. I’m filming a show, so I’m not Mu Ran right now—I’m playing Jiang Qingyue. Hold off on the gifts. I’m waiting for my top fan.”

Right then, “Lone Wolf of Xijing” sent a Carnival gift.

Mu Ran instantly slipped into character.

She covered her mouth with both hands, beautiful eyes wide.

“I love you, Lone Wolf of Xijing.”

This top fan was the character’s main source of income—every month, he sent her tens of thousands in gifts.

Lone Wolf of Xijing: “I’ve been supporting you so long; add me on social media.”

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) batted her lashes playfully at the camera and said softly, “I’ll DM you.”

“To everyone in the chat, I’ll go offline for a bit—see you soon.”

At this moment, Mu Ran had captured the essence of Jiang Qingyue’s character—her love of money—perfectly.