Chapter 53: Fire

“This, this is…” It definitely can’t be what she’s thinking! It absolutely can’t be!

Ji Ran looked at Yan Duo’s terrified face, feeling a bit heartbroken. As he walked toward her, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, gently touching her face. 159txt.com

“We’re live streaming. Go upstairs and change your clothes first.”

Reminded by Ji Ran, Yan Duo shrank back, not daring to look at the camera. She nodded at Ji Ran and ran upstairs barefoot.

Jiang Yan’s gaze and camera remained focused on Yan Duo, seemingly still unable to come back to his senses.

Ji Ran had announced his marriage in the first episode and then left the suspense hanging for the entire season. Was he finally going to reveal the answer in the last episode?

Jiang Yan didn’t need to go online to guess that various websites must have already exploded with reactions. Previously, the director had been worried that suddenly changing the broadcast time would cause a decline in ratings, but now with Ji Ran’s wife “exposing” herself, he was probably sitting in the director’s room and secretly laughing!

“Sit down, have some water.”

Jiang Yan’s mind was racing, thinking about how he could dig up more private information in the remaining fifteen minutes, when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ji Ran. Jiang Yan, sitting on the sofa opposite Ji Ran, glanced at him and, seeing his expression was normal, deliberately asked, “Who was that just now?”

Ji Ran knew perfectly well that Jiang Yan was openly trying to get him to admit his relationship with Yan Duo, so he didn’t evade and said frankly, “Yes, my wife, Yan Duo, the kind with a marriage certificate.”

Hearing Ji Ran’s words, Jiang Yan’s mouth twitched slightly. That was quite a standard answer.

“Judging by this situation, are you two officially announcing your relationship?”

Ji Ran’s lips curved into a slight smile as he glanced upstairs and said, “I think so.”

Downstairs, the question-and-answer interview mode appeared quite harmonious, but upstairs was a different story. After returning to the bedroom upstairs under the pressure of the cameras, Yan Dong repeatedly banged her head against the door.

She had been stubbornly refusing to admit her relationship with Ji Ran, but now she had not only voluntarily admitted it in front of the cameras but had also danced in revealing clothing!

Ahhhh, how could she do something so stupid? What should she do next?

Yan Duo racked her brain but couldn’t come up with a solution, so she had no choice but to call Qi Sixian for help.

“Sis, what should I do now?”

Qi Sixian on the other end of the line asked her, “What’s wrong?”

Hearing Qi Sixian’s voice, Yan Duo almost burst into tears, “Sis, did you just watch Ji Ran’s variety show?”

Qi Sixian nodded and answered calmly on the phone, “Yes, I watched. Your figure is nice, and your pole dance is good too. I’ve decided to accept the singing and dancing performance for the B-Stage New Year’s Eve Gala for you.”

Yan Duo’s pole dance segment went unnoticed by Qi Sixian at first; it was one of her assistants who spotted it and promptly informed her. Watching Yan Duo’s silly appearance on television, Qi Sixian found it amusing while also thinking that this way of making their relationship official was truly unconventional.

Additionally, the New Year was just over a month away, and several TV stations had invited Yan Duo to perform in the past few days, mostly for group choruses. Qi Sixian found this somewhat beneath her, but without any leverage to negotiate, nothing had been finalized. After today’s events, however, Qi Sixian felt it was time to have a proper discussion.

Yan Duo paced back and forth in the walk-in closet, anxiously turning in circles. “Sis, how can you be in the mood to talk about New Year’s Eve at a time like this? I don’t think I’ll even make it through tonight.”

“The Men’s World” had always aired on Sundays, so how could she have known it would be broadcast a day early? If she had known, she definitely wouldn’t have come back early, and certainly wouldn’t have created any “surprise” for Ji Ran—no, shock!

Qi Sixian said nonchalantly: “Your husband has already admitted on camera that you’re his wife. Now, you’ll just change your outfit, go down, sit beside him, say a few words, and it’ll be over soon.”

This variety show has five guests and runs for two and a half hours, averaging half an hour per guest. As the first one, Ji Ran had at most ten minutes left. So once Yan Du changed clothes and went down to say a few words, they could see the guests out. It wasn’t a big deal.

When Yan Duo heard that Ji Ran had already admitted their relationship, she knew it was impossible to turn things around. She sighed deeply, and after hanging up her phone, prepared to change clothes and face the “storm of controversy.”

Although Jiang Yan had been chatting casually with Ji Ran, his peripheral vision remained fixed on the direction upstairs. When a red figure appeared on the staircase, Jiang Yan immediately gestured to the photographer to turn the camera toward the stairs.

At this moment, Yan Du had her hair tied back, wearing a red coat over a black pullover hoodie and a pair of open-toed slippers on her feet. Compared to the sexy outfit she wore while dancing earlier, this look finally resembled her usual self.

When Yan Duo came downstairs, she felt the camera was filming her, but she guiltily didn’t dare to look up. It wasn’t until she reached the camera that she raised a hand to greet it, “Hi, everyone, I’m Yan Duo.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his face turned red, then he turned and walked to Ji Ran’s side, sitting down beside him.

Ji Ran couldn’t help but smile as he watched her. When she sat down, he picked up the warm milk that had been kept on the table and handed it to her

Said, “Drink it.”

Yan Duo was actually quite thirsty at the moment, as she hadn’t had anything to drink since returning. She took the milk and drank it all in one go. After removing the cup, a layer of white milk film remained on her upper lip.

Ji Ran took a tissue, ready to wipe it off for her, but Yan Duo took the tissue from him and wiped it off herself.

Jiang Yan had been watching the interaction between the two. Seeing that since Yan Duo appeared, Ji Ran’s gaze seemed to stick to her, and when he didn’t personally wipe off the milk film earlier, Jiang Yan actually noticed a hint of disappointment in his eyes—completely different from his usual self.

“Yan Duo, may I ask you, Teacher Ji admitted to being married in the first episode but was unwilling to disclose your information. Can you explain why you don’t want to be exposed?”

Yan Duo twisted her fingers, glanced at Ji Ran, then turned to Jiang Yan and said with a smile, “I’m afraid of being scolded.”

Jiang Yan rarely encountered such a straightforward guest and couldn’t help but laugh, “Some netizens can indeed be irrational, and I think I completely understand you. So have you thought about when to announce your relationship with Teacher Ji?”

“Anyway, not now,” Yan Do smiled again, “I’ve thought about it. I want to go public only when I feel I’m worthy of him.”

“So what do you think it would take to be considered worthy of Mr. Ji?”

Yan Duo thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head.

This was something Yan Duo had never really considered. She had been pushing herself to work hard on filming, to improve her acting skills, to gain more people’s affection, and to win some recognized awards, thereby narrowing the gap with Ji Ran. But she had never thought about what point would be considered “worthy” of him.

Jiang Yan saw the seriousness in Yan Duo’s eyes, and for some reason, he thought of the girl he had fallen for during his years studying abroad. His heart softened, and he suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for her.

“Teacher Ji has always been like a towering mountain in the industry. Many people, just like you, feel inadequate in his presence. But have you ever asked Teacher Ji if he thinks you’re not worthy of him?”

Yan Duo turned to look at Ji Ran again, and saw his hand resting on his thigh, palm open and warm. Yan Duo instinctively placed her hand in his.

“I never asked, but I know he wouldn’t think I’m not good enough for him. I’ve been his fan for six years, and I always felt that only a goddess would be worthy of him, which I’m not. So I can completely understand why his fans don’t accept me. After all, even I’m still trying my best to live up to the role of ‘Ji Ran’s wife’.”

After listening, Jiang Yan was quite moved. In his opinion, Yan Du had both looks and acting skills, and now she had a large number of fans. Although she hadn’t yet achieved what Ji Ran had accomplished in his ten-year career, she was already outstanding. Given time, she might not necessarily be inferior to Ji Ran. Her feelings of inferiority stemmed entirely from loving too much, unconsciously placing herself in the dust and habitually looking up to the person she loved.

“Mr. Ji, do you have anything you’d like to say about this?” Jiang Yan asked the man sitting beside him, who was just smiling and listening to Yan Duo speak without interrupting.

Ji Ran looked at Yan Duo and said, “Have I ever told you that in my heart, you’ve always been a little fairy?”

Yan Duo answered honestly, “No, you never said that.”

Ji Ran patted her head and said with a smile, “It’s my fault. I’ll tell you every day from now on.”

Yan Duo was instantly led off track by him, forgetting about the two living people and the camera in front of her. She leaned in to peck Ji Ran on the lips. “Okay.”

Jiang Yan looked at the couple silently gazing at each other, then glanced at the nearly ending time. He stood up and motioned for the photographer to go out, leaving the space for the husband and wife who had been loving each other in their own way.

When Jiang Yan walked out of Ji Ran’s home, gave a brief summary, and reminded the audience that they would switch directly to another guest after the commercial break, Qi Sixian stood up and walked out of the office to the outer room, asking the five people who were typing rapidly, “How’s the reaction on various websites?”

Ever since learning that Yan Duo and Ji Ran’s relationship had been made public, Qi Sixian had the five people in front of him start closely monitoring several major websites, determined to get the netizens’ true thoughts about Yan Duo.

“Qi Jie, several video sites have already uploaded Yan Duo’s dance videos and interview videos. So far, there aren’t many negative reviews.”

“On several live streaming platforms, there are currently no negative reviews targeting Yan Duo.”

“Qi Jie, Yan Duo and Ji Ran are trending on social media. #YanDuoPubliclyCallsJiRanHusbandOnVarietyShow# has risen from eighth place to first place, with a small amount of opposition comments.”

Qi Sixian nodded and didn’t pay much attention to the netizens calling for a boycott. In the entertainment industry, no matter how popular a celebrity is, they can never be liked by everyone. Negative reviews are normal, as long as the overall feedback is positive.

“Alright, you keep watching, and let me know immediately if anything comes up.”

The news of Yan Duo’s sudden “self-exposure” likely left many opponents dumbfounded, and they didn’t respond in time. However, this situation could very well arise a few hours later, so it’s necessary to keep a close watch.

After speaking, Qi Sixian returned to the office and opened Weibo to read carefully.

Yan Duo’s overall performance on the variety show this time was quite good, with sincere expressions and an earnest attitude. Many of Ji Ran’s fans have expressed that Seeing Yan Du analyze her inner feelings was like seeing into my own heart. I can understand her, and the scenes of them together are so sweet. I support her being with Ji Ran. Meanwhile, some passersby commented that Yan Du’s feelings are actually the same as many people experience when in love – worrying they’re not good enough for the person they like, so they keep working hard. This spirit is worthy of praise. As for Yan Du’s original fans, they were crying their eyes out, all saying their hearts ached for her.

But just as the situation was looking overwhelmingly positive, a small group of people started saying that Yan Du was just playing the victim, that all her actions were actually rehearsed in advance, and that it was all just acting, with Ji Ran playing along. These comments were immediately criticized by people from all directions, so they didn’t have widespread impact.

Qi Sixian felt that for Yan Du, the current situation couldn’t be better.

Compared to the “liveliness” online, Ji Ran’s home was filled with warmth and beauty at this moment.

Yan Duo leaned against Ji Ran’s embrace, not even daring to look at her phone, having played the deserter.

Ji Ran didn’t mention the netizens’ opinions either, asking Yan Duo, “When did you get back?”

Yan Duo answered, “The flight was at five in the morning, landed at seven-thirty, and I was home before nine.”

As she spoke, Yan Duo had her eyes closed, feeling rather drowsy. Having been up since three in the morning until now, Yan Duo hadn’t rested at all and was simply exhausted. Now that her relationship with Ji Ran had been forcibly made public, all her mental defenses had collapsed, and with her body now completely relaxed, all she wanted to do was sleep.

Ji Ran looked at the faint purple under her eyes, patted her back, and said, “If you’re tired, get some sleep.”

Although Yan Duo hadn’t told him she was coming back, Ji Ran still learned from Ma Peng that Fang Fang was returning. And since Fang Fang, as her assistant, was coming back early, it was不言而喻 that Yan Duo would be too. When he received a message from Ma Peng during the show recording saying “Fang Fang asked me when you’ll be home, ps: Sister Duo asked her to,” he easily guessed that Yan Duo was secretly waiting for him at home. He just hadn’t expected that she would prepare a pole dance for him in advance.

Yan Duo could barely keep her eyes open. After humming in response, she lay on Ji Ran and fell asleep instantly.

When Yan Duo was sound asleep, Ji Ran carried her to the bedroom, took off her coat and shoes, and tucked her directly into the quilt. Then, Ji Ran took off his own clothes, slipped under the covers, and fell asleep while holding Yan Duo.

Yan Duo didn’t know how long she had slept. When she finally woke up from the heat, she found that the clothes on her upper body had disappeared without a trace, while the last piece of fabric on her lower body was slowly slipping away from her body.

“What are you doing?”

Waking up to find Ji Ran attempting to do something improper, Yan Duo tried to save her underwear, but failed in the end, which left her speechless.

Ji Ran was curled up under the blanket, answering in an unclear voice: “I’m hungry.”

From the public announcement to waking up, Ji Ran had always felt that the entire event needed one more thing to be complete. So while Yan Duo was asleep, he unilaterally decided to finish the task. It didn’t matter if Yan Duo didn’t wake up, and it would be even better if she did. Now that she was awake, it didn’t affect his actions at all.

As soon as the words fell, Yan Duo felt her legs being bent up. First came a cool sensation, followed by heat, and then waves of warmth washed over her, making her tremble with numbness. She bit her finger to keep from making a sound, but soon, that feeling of pleasure was impossible to resist. Yan Duo could only follow her body’s most authentic feelings, endlessly mewing like a kitten while tightly holding someone’s head, completely losing herself.