Chapter 93 — Lin Chong, the Divine Strategist

Gu Xiao scoffed, curling his lips with disdain as he glanced at the bald man before him, "I didn't expect to meet a real charlatan these days. I'm not stupid, you know."

"Brother, every word I say is true. Avoid all vehicles for the time being. Your leg... you might not keep it," Lin Chong said, gazing with regret at Gu Xiao's long leg and sighing. Then he turned to Mu Ran. "Ran, he may not be your boyfriend's real brother, but I see no malice in him. Try to persuade him."

"Hmm?" Gu Xiao raised his brows, surprise flickering in his eyes. How did this fortune-teller know that Gu Beicheng and he were not blood brothers?

"Look in the mirror at your own face," Mu Ran interrupted his thoughts, her voice calm and unruffled.

Gu Xiao stroked his cheek thoughtfully. "That's true. I'm a noble mixed-blood man."

"You're hardly noble. Your biological father isn't fit to carry Gu Beicheng's shoes," Lin Chong said bluntly, heedless of the darkening, fierce expression on Gu Xiao's face. "What's wrong? That's all I see. And your birth mother... ah, that's hard to speak of..."

"If it's hard to say, then don't," Mu Ran dragged the boisterous Lin Chong aside, her beautiful eyes flashing a warning. "Shut up."

Lin Chong zipped his lips with a finger.

"Mu Ran, I didn't realize you were so superstitious," Gu Xiao shot Lin Chong a glare, turned to leave, and thought to himself how tolerant Mu Ran was—she could endure Gu Beicheng's cold cruelty and also this bald charlatan's nonsense.

"Gu Xiao, listen to advice, and you'll eat your fill," Mu Ran said seriously to his gloomy retreating back.

"You'd better heed his advice," she added.

But Gu Xiao clearly didn't believe Lin Chong's words. He figured he'd already shown enough respect to the woman by not roughing up the bald charlatan.

"Ah! Ran, I can't take it anymore!" Suddenly, Lin Chong standing behind Mu Ran started rolling his eyes and foaming at the mouth, as if poisoned.

"Brother Lin, what's wrong?" Mu Ran frowned, swiftly grabbing his slipping arm, her face showing a rare hint of tension as she steadied him.

What was happening to Lin Chong?
Was he poisoned?

"Ran, wait, I..." Lin Chong struggled but couldn't hold on, letting go of her hand and collapsing onto the floor, clutching the stair railing, mumbling incomprehensibly.

"Call an ambulance!" Mu Ran turned, her gaze sharp as she looked at Gu Xiao, who was watching with amusement. "What are you waiting for? Call an ambulance!"

"Me?" Gu Xiao pointed at himself, his tone lazy, moving slowly.

He approached Lin Chong and lightly kicked his foot. "This is karma. Trying to curse me doesn't lead to good outcomes."

Suddenly, Lin Chong snapped out of his stupor and released the railing, lunging forward to hug Gu Xiao's leg. "Ran, check Weibo! Has someone framed you again?"

"What?" Mu Ran and Gu Xiao were both startled, exchanging confused and astonished looks.

"Check Weibo—has anyone posted intimate photos of you and Gu Beicheng?"

Gu Xiao sneered. This bald guy was hilarious; after almost fainting, he still cared about some intimate photos.

"Brother Lin, let me take you to the hospital," Mu Ran said.

Lin Chong let go of Gu Xiao's leg, wiped the foam from his mouth, pulled out his phone, and began searching Weibo.

"Brother Lin, just now..." Mu Ran's voice was full of worry.

Lin Chong's eyes instantly brimmed with tears as he looked up at Mu Ran, whose calm face nonetheless carried anxious energy. "Ran, don't worry. I'm fine. It's just that whenever I sense something bad coming your way, I get sick. Don't be afraid."

Mu Ran nodded, reassured.

"What is he looking for?" Gu Xiao, previously indifferent to the odd man, had to admit Lin Chong's episode didn't seem staged.

Could the bald man really be capable?

"I don't know," Mu Ran shook her head, equally puzzled.

Lin Chong had started searching Weibo the moment he woke up, but what was he looking for?

"He just said someone posted intimate photos of you and Gu Beicheng online?" Gu Xiao curled his lips, opened his phone, and tapped into Weibo. "Let me see just how intimate you two are."

Mu Ran's cold gaze sharpened. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"Huh? Nothing here," Gu Xiao scrolled through the entertainment trending list from top to bottom—there was nothing about Mu Ran.

"Yes, nothing yet. But in half an hour, photos of Ran and her boyfriend will be exposed," Lin Chong said, gripping his phone tightly as he stood with the help of the railing. "Ran, do you trust me?"

"I do," Mu Ran replied. Lin Chong's easygoing nature never faltered in serious matters.

"I don't know who posted those candid shots. I can only predict the timing," Lin Chong said, checking the time on his phone.

"In half an hour," he confirmed.

Mu Ran pursed her lips and nodded to the serious bald man. Her cherry lips parted, and she asked slowly, "Can you tell me the Weibo username?"

"I'll try," Lin Chong pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and muttered under his breath, his brows knitted tightly.

"It's... Su Keyi!" he declared.

Mu Ran smiled faintly, meeting Lin Chong's gaze. "Brother Lin, go home and rest. I'll handle this myself."

Lin Chong lowered his eyes, but when he saw the smile at Mu Ran's lips, the anxiety in his heart suddenly eased.

"Alright, Ran."

Mu Ran took Gu Xiao, who was enjoying the spectacle, and left.

"What are you going to do? Those intimate photos of you and my brother being leaked are all to your advantage," Gu Xiao remarked as they reached the door of Gu Beicheng and Yan Yimou's room.

"Why would it benefit me? I don't want to make my relationship public right now, and Gu Beicheng's identity as Cheng Beigu is unknown to the public. Besides..." Mu Ran suddenly stopped, raising her brow and curling her lips at Gu Xiao. "Why should I explain this to you? Go inside and tell Beibei I'm handling something. And keep your mouth shut."

Her tone carried an innate force, the unquestionable authority of a ruler.

"What are you planning?" Gu Xiao was genuinely curious how she would resolve this.

In Mu Ran, Gu Xiao saw the shadow of Gu Beicheng.

At times, her aura was even colder and more intimidating than Gu Beicheng's.

Mu Ran gave a cold smile, placed her hand on the door handle, and opened it.

She shoved Gu Xiao inside. "What does it have to do with you?"

"You..." Gu Xiao was caught off guard, falling into the room and landing on the floor.

"Well, young Gu, is this your way of bowing to your master?" Yan Yimou sat on the sofa, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, a mocking smile at his mouth, his eyes slightly cloudy and narrowed.

"Gu Beicheng, what kind of woman did you find? She's so strong," Gu Xiao grumbled.

Gu Beicheng curled his lips, his gaze lingering on the door behind Gu Xiao. "Where is she?"

"She said she has something to handle."

Gu Beicheng's deep, bottomless eyes finally settled on Gu Xiao's face, his voice gritty and heavier. "Hmm? What is it?"

"That charlatan beside her said... never mind, she told me not to tell you," Gu Xiao replied.

Gu Beicheng smiled faintly. "Hmm."

"You're not curious?" Gu Xiao pushed himself up, his pale, angular face now stormy. He bit his lip slightly. "Aren't you curious about her affairs?"

"She'll handle it herself," Gu Beicheng shot him a cold, warning glance.

Once again, Gu Xiao felt defeated. He used to struggle to understand Gu Beicheng, and now, with Mu Ran, he was even more lost.

These two were truly impossible.

Outside the makeup room—

"Lanlan, check for me who this 'Su Keyi' on Weibo is," Mu Ran said.

On the other end, An Lan, busy beyond belief at SY Entertainment, saw Mu Ran's name pop up and nearly flung her phone away. "Auntie, you're going to drive me crazy. The company's already a mess, and now you're giving me more trouble."

"This person is about to expose me," Mu Ran replied, leaning lazily against the wall, her left hand holding her phone. Every now and then, she glanced through the glass at the woman in the makeup room.

"What? I'll check right now!" An Lan hung up and quickly opened her computer.

"Director An," her secretary knocked, holding a blue folder.

"Out, I don't have time," An Lan said, fingers flying over the keyboard. In seconds, a photo appeared on the screen.

"It's her!" An Lan grabbed her phone, about to call Mu Ran back, but noticed the secretary still standing at the door.

"What's wrong?" An Lan frowned. Hadn't she made herself clear?

The secretary, dressed in a white suit, stepped inside and placed the folder before An Lan. "Director An, I... Xu Yunshu is my cousin. She wants to join our company... Director An, you must know her. She doesn't have many resources now, but she's very capable."

"Xu Yunshu?" The secretary's delicate face bore a flattering smile. "Yes, Xu Yunshu."

An Lan sneered, "I know her. You're cousins?"

The secretary nodded eagerly, her eyes full of hope. "Yes! We are!"

"You two can only keep one in SY. I just agreed to let Xu Yunshu join SY, so you..." An Lan's lips curled, her eyes flashing with disgust. "Go to HR and resign."

"Director An, I—"

"Out," An Lan said without another glance, rising from her chair to face the City Star Group's skyscraper outside the window. "Ran, that account is Xu Yunshu's new Weibo alt."

Mu Ran's laughter came through the phone, full of mockery. "I know. Make sure to sign her to SY."

"Don't worry, she's already delivered herself."

Since founding SY, Mu Ran had instructed An Lan to sign every artist she'd ever had issues with, all under the ironic banner of "giving them a hard time."