Chapter 91 - The Two Contracts

Ran Xueyi held the contracts in her hands and pulled the rest from the bunch she was interested in. Only two contracts were left and the rest were put on the coffee table. 

She was impressed by the contracts that Song Yu Han handed over to her. It was all the legendary contracts that many top actors and actresses were vying for, hoping that they could even get a minor role in the movie, even if they ended up doing a cameo, they would do it.This was the type of contract that her husband gave her.

Ran Xueyi looked down at the first contract and her eyes lingered on the title <<A Thousand Lotus>>. It was another historical drama centered around a young girl named Jiao Yu, who lived in a small village. As it was her birthday, she was extremely excited not only because it was the day she was born, it was also because her father, whom she hadn't seen for a year, will finally return. However, things turned out for the worse when she found out that the entire village was using her as a sacrifice; to be a ghost bride.

Jiao Yu, growing up in the woods as a hunter, quickly realized that something was wrong. With her sharp senses, she was able to sense danger around her and avoid being buried alive to become a ghost bride to the benefactor of the village's son, who has been dead for years now.

After running away, and thwarting the plans of the village and her father, Jiao Yu jumped from a cliff, falling down a fifty meters waterfall. Of course, the main character's life wouldn't end there, she was scooped up by a Duke, who lost his daughter. Thinking it was his daughter who returned back to life, the Duke adopted Jiao Yu and turned her into his daughter. 

Living a double life, Jiao Yu grew up into a beautiful woman, but she must never show her face to anyone who could recognize her as an assassin and the noble lady from the Duke's family. 

Ran Xueyi only read the first half of the script and smiled. The script of <<A Thousand Lotus>> was really good. The character of the female lead was a strong woman in an era filled with chauvinistic views and where women must stay at home, look pretty, and wait for a man to marry her. 

Not only that, Jiao Yu, the main character, was an assassin who vowed to protect her loved ones.

Ran Xueyi licked her lips as though she was holding a delicious piece of meat, and couldn't wait to gobble it. 

After looking through the first part of the script, Ran Xueyi turned to the second contract where the script was attached to it. It was a short web drama about a spy retiring and looking forward to leading a normal life. Yifei, the name of the main character, met the male lead's nephew and let him stay at her house for a day after she found out that he ran away. 

As a merciless assassin, Yifei didn't feel anything towards the little boy. She was just a stranger who found a lost boy and would soon return the little boy to his parents, there was no need to attach any lingering feelings on her part. However, when she found out that the boy's aunt and uncle was mistreating him and abuse him, her guilt and conscience took over her, telling that if she continued being ruthless and merciless; letting these monsters take the little boy, she would be scarred for life and wouldn't be able to live a normal life, just as how she wanted to to be.

As a former spy, Yifei killed both the boy's aunt and uncle before taking with her the boy whom she had just rescued from his abusive relatives. But what she didn't expect was that the boy turned out to be a bigshot in the mafia's nephew. It was the male lead of the web drama. 

Ran Xueyi scratched her chin. The two contracts were too appealing for her to choose between them. If only she could do it, she would have taken the two! 

Unfortunately, the filming date for the two were too close. It was impossible for her to shuffle between them while she was filming the other. 

After an agonizing hour of choosing her contract, Ran Xueyi's phone suddenly rang. She quickly grabbed her phone, expecting that it was Song Yu Han, but it actually turned out to be Liu Ran.

"Hello?" she said as soon as she picked it up.

Liu Ran laughed, "Why do you sound so disappointed? Are you waiting for somebody to call you? Is it Yang Baihua... Oh... is it your husband?"

Ran Xueyi rolled her eyes and smiled, "Is it fun to tease me, Liu Ran?"

"Absolutely! I'll never get tired of annoying you." Liu Ran chuckled. "Speaking of your husband...Did Yang Baihua know you're already married?"

Ran Xueyi looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "No... I haven't even thought of how I would announce my marriage to everyone."

"Gurl, why are you hesitating?" Liu Ran put down the documents in his hand and said, "Doesn't the world already know that you're getting married to someone? Why not use this opportunity to announce you're already married instead?"

"It's more complicated than that, Liu Ran." Ran Xueyi twirled a strand of her hair with her finger. "The world also knows that I'm currently engaged to Yang Baihua. If I announced I'm already married, what would people think? They will assume it was me who cheated on him, abandoned him, and married another guy. It will paint me in a bad color. Yang Baihua and Song Qian will clap in glee and live happily ever after if I do that."

Liu Ran turned silent. It was his mistake. He didn't think that things could be so complicated. Ran Xueyi was right, it was useless if Yang Baihua and Song Qian got what they wanted.

"So, what are you going to do?" Liu Ran questioned her. "It's not only just Yang Baihua and that bitch Song Qian that needed to pay for what they did... Your parents and sister also knew about this and even participated in controlling your life. Don't tell me you've gotten softhearted and decided to forgive them?"

Ran Xueyi giggled as she sat comfortably, "Did you really believe I would forgive anyone who crossed me?"

Liu Ran thought about it for a second. He shook his head and grinned. "Of course not! You're not Ran Xueyi if you're merciful and lenient! I still get shivers whenever I remember what you did to Xiulan."

Ran Xueyi paused and also remembered who Xiulan was. She was a classmate from the university. Ran Xueyi wanted to lay low for a while after her break from the industry, and didn't want to be disturbed as she finished university. However, Xiulan thought it would be fun to use Ran Xueyi to boost her fame on campus. 

While in the campus, Xiulan would follow her like a tail would, asking her questions about her life as an actress and how it felt falling from her throne as the Queen of Primetime Movies. At that time, Ran Xueyi ignored the nosy little racoon, and thought that Xiulan would soon grow bored and leave her alone if she continued avoiding and ignoring her.

But who knew what possessed Xiulan to tear up all the notes and assignments that Ran Xueyi did the night before while laughing. It was also the day of the presentation and sending their assignments to their professors. Without her notes and assignment, Ran Xueyi saw red and a tumultuous wave starting to submerge the stagnant water.

It wasn't only because Xiulan ruined her stuff, early that day, she found out that Yang Baihua was meeting someone, but she didn't find out who that woman was. So, her mood became too irritating. 

Now, with Xiulan courting death sooner than she wanted, Ran Xueyi, who would usually ignore her, suddenly pulled her to an empty alley. The next thing Xiulan knew was Ran Xueyi pulling her by her hair and smashing her pretty face against the wall.

Wickedly smiling like a little demon, Ran Xueyi coldly said to Xiulan at that time: "Who's laughing now?"

Ran Xueyi grabbed her bag and poured it all in the trash can next to where Xiulan was crouching in pain. Pulling out a lighter, she let the fire engulf the bag and stuff she threw in the trash can. Xiulan watched her expensive bag and makeup products burn in front of her eyes.

Since then, Xiulan never showed up in front of Ran Xueyi, fearing that the little demon she faced in the alley would come out and haunt her down.

But... 

"How did you know about what happened between me and Xiulan?" Ran Xueyi remembered that when she pulled Xiulan to the dark, empty alley, there should be nobody else around.

Liu Ran coughed. "Well, I was following you because Professor Long wanted me to give you your papers. But I saw you pulling Xiulan by the hair... I was curious at that time and hid behind the wall. Besides, the whole class knew how bad your personality could get when you're angry.. We're terrified whenever you're in a bad mood."