Chapter 27: A Phone Call

After returning home, she removed her makeup and took a shower. Gu Lanxi was leisurely listening to financial news while wearing a face mask when she received a call from Lu Nanting's mother, Zhang Ruolan.

The accented Mandarin sounded exceptionally warm: "Manman, I heard you are planning to sell your shares in Su Cha?"

Once Li Jingxiu began making moves, people in their circle would receive news immediately. Some financial news outlets were probably already drafting reports. Gu Lanxi wasn't surprised at all that Zhang Ruolan had received the news so quickly.

Come to think of it, it was only because Zhang Ruolan hadn't invested in Su Cha; otherwise, Gu Lanxi would have informed her before transferring the shares.

"Yes."

"Are you short on cash?"

Zhang Ruolan had always been very good to her, having hoped for years that she would marry into the Lu family.

Now that she and Lu Nanting had secretly registered their marriage, the reason she was raising money was to buy a wedding home. Receiving this call made Gu Lanxi feel a bit nervous, despite her strong psychological composure.

"No, no, don't worry about me, Auntie. If I were short on cash, I would definitely tell you. I'm doing this mainly because I sensed something was inappropriate."

As for what exactly was inappropriate, it was naturally something she couldn't discuss over the phone.

Since that was the case, Zhang Ruolan didn't press further. She simply asked with a smile

"It's been a long time since we last met. I wonder if you are free? I have an investment I'm a bit unsure about and would like to invite you for tea."

Gu Lanxi was scheduled to join a film crew next week. She would be going to a small county called Kaiyuan to film an action movie themed around "sweeping away black and evil forces," and she likely wouldn't be back until autumn.

Since it was regarding professional matters, Gu Lanxi naturally wouldn't delay. After asking when the other party was free, she made an appointment for that afternoon.

Seeing that it was still early, Gu Lanxi set an alarm, took a thirty-minute nap, and then got up to wash her face, do her skincare, and change her clothes.

Before heading out, she looked at the simple wedding ring on her finger and decided to take it off.

Although there were no taboos for female celebrities wearing rings—as long as they liked them, it didn't matter which finger they were on, and sometimes they were worn merely as high-end displays for promotion—she still didn't want to wear it in front of Lu Nanting's mother.

Even though it was a plain ring, the inner band was engraved with names and set with a diamond; if anyone took it off to look, she would be finished.

While others generally wouldn't pay attention to her jewelry, Zhang Ruolan might.

Gu Lanxi had been poor as a child. Even though she had seen things like jewelry and antiques in her relatives' homes, no one had taught her how to distinguish quality, and she had never handled them herself, so she naturally lacked appreciation skills.

In this regard, however, Zhang Ruolan was an expert.

Gu Lanxi was only nineteen when she entered the entertainment industry. Once, while walking a red carpet, she was mocked by the entire internet due to poor styling. Zhang Ruolan felt bad for her but couldn't say it directly; instead, every time they met, she would bring out various pieces of jewelry and ask Gu Lanxi to help her decide which ones were better.

When Gu Lanxi said she didn't understand, Zhang Ruolan would tell her that everyone has different tastes, and she should just treat it as an extra opinion and say whatever she felt.

Once Gu Lanxi held them, Zhang Ruolan would naturally explain: what kind of gemstone this was, what kind of diamond that was, why this piece of jade was cheap, and why that piece of jadeite was expensive.

In addition to this, under her arrangement, Gu Lanxi's two sisters-in-law also began taking her out to see the world.

Lu Nanting was the late-born son. The second eldest brother was eight years older than him, and the eldest brother was nineteen years older, already forty-one this year.

The two sisters-in-law and the brothers were all peers, so they were naturally much older than Gu Lanxi.

The eldest sister-in-law was a famous painter, tall and thin with an oval face. Because she had always lived in a loving environment, she still retained the innocence of her youth even at forty; she was a very kind and sincere person.

She would talk to Gu Lanxi about ancient and modern painting schools and how to appreciate the works of various masters, taking her to exhibitions, and occasionally bringing her along to good auctions.

As for the second sister-in-law, her appearance was more lively and charming, and her personality was more vivacious. She spoke bluntly but had no hidden agenda.

She had studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins during university. Although she hadn't become a fashion designer after marriage, instead becoming a curator, her sense of style had always been excellent. On ordinary days, she loved inviting Gu Lanxi to go shopping and attend fashion shows.

During this process, the second sister-in-law would share her insights on dressing.

Color coordination, fashion trends, fabric types, accessory materials...

Combining theory with practice, the second sister-in-law acted like a teacher, treating her with great care.

Although Gu Lanxi had also used her own abilities to help the two sisters-in-law grow their "secret stashes," her gratitude toward them was endless.

Because of this relationship, whenever they saw her buy new jewelry or new clothes, they would offer their critiques.

Gu Lanxi liked practicing martial arts and generally preferred earrings and necklaces, disliking things like bracelets and rings. If she suddenly went out wearing a plain, unremarkable ring, they would certainly want to know what made it special.

When Gu Lanxi arrived, the second sister-in-law, Wang Peiling, was also there.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were saying something to each other; one was smiling with eyes curved like crescents, and the other was giggling, both looking lively and cheerful.

Lu's mother had a very heroic look. She was a bit fuller now than in her youth, making her look less sharp, especially when she smiled, which made her appear very amiable.

Wang Peiling was slightly shorter than Gu Lanxi, with a very curvaceous figure, like a ripe peach, which was completely different from Gu Lanxi's lithe and slender build.

Speaking of which, when Gu Lanxi first met her, she had just given birth to Lu Jianing and was sitting the month in the ancestral home; in the blink of an eye, the child was already five years old.

It had to be said, time flies.

"Why isn't Jianing here today?"

As Gu Lanxi entered, the second sister-in-law immediately poured her tea, while Gu Lanxi asked about her daughter.

"Jianning went to her uncle's house to play today. It's a rare day of peace. I heard Mom made an appointment with you, so I came along too."

Gu Lanxi was familiar with them all; she sat down quietly and listened to their conversation, only speaking when addressed.

As always, she was quiet, gentle, and composed, looking nothing like a twenty-two-year-old.

The second sister-in-law had a vivacious personality and, after only a few sentences, asked about her new movie.

"Is the male lead Zhou Sinian? My mother and I both love him! You must help us get autographs later!"

Perhaps because their family business involved making toys, both the Wang mother and daughter were very childlike. Even though Mother Wang was quite old, she still loved following celebrities.

Once, when Gu Lanxi had secretly gone to listen to Lu Nanting's concert, her seat happened to be next to the mother and daughter, which was incredibly awkward at the time.

It was strange; even though they were both in the entertainment industry, when they wanted autographs, they wouldn't go to their cousin or Lu Nanting, but would always come to her.

It wasn't a big deal, so since she had been asked, Gu Lanxi immediately agreed.

In the new movie, Gu Lanxi plays an undercover agent who infiltrates a mountain village occupied by criminal forces, working from both sides to crack a major case.

The male lead played by Zhou Sinian is her colleague and also her mentor.

There are no romantic subplots in the entire movie; it is a pure crime action film. The fight scenes were choreographed by a martial arts director from Hong Kong. Gu Lanxi had met him once before, and there were no language barriers. When they talked about the uncle who ran a martial arts school, it turned out they knew each other, making their connection even closer. Thus, even before filming began, she was already looking forward to it.

Zhou Sinian is already in his forties and is an established award-winning actor with excellent personal character; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to act in this type of film.

After a brief chat about this, Gu Lanxi, thinking she needed to go home for dinner, asked Mother Lu to explain the details of the investment.

Zhang Ruolan had come prepared. She opened her bag and pulled out a thick stack of documents.

***

I have to go to Luoyang next week. Can any friends in Luoyang tell me if it rains a lot there? I want to see if I need to bring an umbrella. Is it convenient to call a Didi? How much cash is safe to carry? Cities I haven't visited make me feel extremely anxious. I have business to attend to, so I have to go. The neighbor across from us moved out. I only found out the monthly rent was 5800 from her complaining; hearing that made me tempted, I almost want to rent my place out too. Another household is also moving out; our family is the only one left on this entire floor. Even though we don't usually hang out, there's always a sense of loneliness. It's quite hard to say goodbye. The kind of old neighbors from the past who live in the same place for decades and are as close as sisters—I really envy them. They are filming a TV drama in the old alleys; I loved the novel back then. I recommend you guys watch it~ it's really good. I love Jiang Xin so much. This only represents personal preference, please do not project it onto the novel. The characters in the novel have no real-life prototypes. A few days ago, I was reading an entertainment industry novel and saw a one-sentence synopsis: "No prototypes; whoever you project onto will have their career collapse." I died laughing. I won't curse you like that. You can project onto any celebrity you like, but this is a secret, keep it quiet. Otherwise, you might get scolded by others if you say it out loud.

(End of Chapter)