Chapter 10 - Chapter 10An Ran's woman

At Beijing Capital International AirportThe plane jolted sharply as it touched down with a thud, sending everyone in their seats lurching forward. The jolt roused An Ran from her light slumber.She had flown overseas overnight the previous day to film a single shot for a music video, then rushed back to Beijing with her assistant right after the shoot.Sleep on the plane had been uncomfortable enough as it was; she'd barely drifted off to dreamland when the sudden landing jolted her awake.Half an hour later, An Ran grabbed her black suitcase and turned toward the airport elevator.Her assistant, Xiaotao, had taken the subway back to a small town southwest of Beijing as soon as they'd deplaned.An Ran, carrying her lightweight suitcase, wore a gray baseball cap and a large face mask that covered most of her features.It was three o'clock in the morning, so the paparazzi loitering in the airport failed to spot the solitary figure slipping out unnoticed.An Ran hailed a taxi. The driver, being a responsible man, carefully placed her luggage in the trunk.She opened the back door, stepped in with her slender legs, and said, "Driver, take me to Lanhai Manor."The driver nodded, started the car, and pulled out of the airport. Neon lights still flickered along the elevated highway winding around half the city; beneath it, the sea glinted like scattered starlight, with an occasional ship cutting through the water.An Ran rolled down the window, breathing in a few lungfuls of cold night air, which cleared her head a little.Thirty minutes later, the taxi pulled up at the main gate of Lanhai Manor.The driver parked the car and glanced into the rearview mirror—An Ran had already drifted back to sleep.He gently called out, "Miss, we've arrived at Lanhai Manor."An Ran stirred drowsily, sitting up and rubbing her bleary eyes. "Hmm? Already?""Yes, miss. Lanhai Manor is here."Lanhai Manor was one of the most expensive villa complexes in Beijing, accessible only with a pass. Taxis like his weren't allowed inside the premises.An Ran quickly fished a few hundred-yuan bills out of her wallet and slipped them through the partition between the front and back seats. "Thank you, driver."She got out of the car, and the driver handed her the suitcase from the trunk.When An Ran reached home, the entire residential complex was enveloped in silence. She turned on the entrance light and flipped a row of switches, illuminating everything from the corridor lights to the living room lamps in an instant.The interior was dominated by a pristine white color scheme, and the warm lighting lent the house a cozy ambiance.An Ran kicked off her shoes, dumped the suitcase on the floor by the entrance, and padded upstairs in her slippers. She grabbed a change of clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.Next to the pure white bathtub stood a pale blue floor-to-ceiling window, through which the bright streetlights outside cast a soft glow.As her tired body sank into the warm bathwater infused with shower oil, all the weariness from her frantic travels melted away in an instant. An Ran submerged herself completely, her skin as smooth and supple as silk.After her bath, An Ran emerged wearing a white silk bathrobe tied loosely with a thin sash at the waist. The neckline gaped slightly, revealing a glimpse of her soft, jade-like skin beneath.She padded barefoot to the kitchen, a pure white towel in hand, dabbing at her tousled hair. She hated the noise of hair dryers, so she never bothered blow-drying her hair.Once her hair was mostly dry, she wrapped it in a hair turban and went downstairs to the kitchen.An Ran couldn't cook to save her life, but the kitchen was equipped with every imaginable utensil. A part-time housekeeper came regularly to clean the house and restock the fridge with fresh fruits and drinks.An Ran grabbed a bottle of iced watermelon juice, hummed a tune, and headed back to the living room.She curled up cross-legged on the sofa, looking utterly relaxed and at ease. She set the half-finished glass of watermelon juice on the crystal coffee table in front of her.Also on the table was the script she'd been reading the previous night. An Ran yawned, leaned down to pick up the script, and began reading it intently, a black fountain pen in her right hand.She was completely absorbed in the script—her delicate eyebrows furrowed occasionally under the lamplight, and she would bite the end of her pen thoughtfully now and then."Some people drift apart as they walk... Some feelings fade as you watch them..."A shrill phone ringtone shattered the quiet of the apartment, jolting An Ran out of her immersion in the script. Her eyebrows knitted together in irritation."Ugh... Who the hell is calling at this hour? Such a nuisance!"She grumbled as she reached for her phone, which she'd tossed on the other end of the sofa, and checked the caller ID.Xiaotao?What could she possibly want at this hour?"Hello, Xiaotao...""Um, Sister An, have you gotten home safely?""What do you think?" An Ran retorted dryly. Couldn't she see what time it was? Asking such a silly question."Ahem... Sister An, there's something I need to tell you.""Is it about your family troubles? Don't worry, I don't have any schedules for the next two days—you can take care of your family matters first."Xiaotao sat on her bed, fidgeting anxiously, wanting nothing more than to stamp her feet. "No, Sister An, you've got it wrong! My family stuff isn't a big deal. It's just... it's just...""Just what?""Ah, forget it—I'll send you a picture. You'll see for yourself, Sister An!"With that, Xiaotao hung up abruptly. Seconds later, An Ran's WeChat pinged with a picture from her.An Ran opened it, then quickly squeezed her eyes shut in shock. "Whoa! I never would've guessed Xiaotao was into such steamy action movies in her spare time!"Ding—Another WeChat message popped up. An Ran opened her eyes and read Xiaotao's text:Sister An, did you see the picture? That woman looks just like Miss Ye!An Ran's eyes widened. Lanzi?The name Ye Jialan flashed through her mind, and she immediately tapped on the picture to look again.It wasn't as racy as she'd imagined—it was the captions that made it sound salacious.An Ran zoomed in on the picture and spotted a familiar figure in a prominent spot."It really is Lanzi!"An Ran frowned deeply, studying the photo carefully, then copied the QR code on it and opened the website linked to it.She quickly found the picture of Ye Jialan and the slew of comments underneath.The more she read, the angrier she got. Scrolling through the stream of filthy, vile remarks, she finally flung her phone aside in a rage."Damn it, Lu Shihuan! Didn't you promise to protect Lanzi? How could something like this happen?"Those unspeakable comments and scandal-mongering headlines were all targeting Ye Jialan—a complete rookie who'd just stepped into the entertainment industry!An Ran took a deep, steadying breath. She'd like to see who on earth had the audacity to mess with her woman!Achoo!Far away at the villa in the western suburbs of Beijing, Lu Shihuan sneezed suddenly. He frowned and glanced at the closed window of his study, then turned back to the picture on the website, a wicked smile spreading across his lips.Perfect. The bigger the commotion, the better. As the saying goes: Before you can destroy a man, you must first make him mad with power.Ending it too soon would be no fun at all. How else would they taste the agony of falling from heaven to hell?