Gu Ran pursed her lips as she looked down at Ji Shiyu crouching in front of her.
She had no idea why Ji Shiyu had suddenly appeared, let alone why he was holding a pair of shoes.
He didn’t laugh at her or scold her, brushing off the awkwardness of the day with simple words.
"It’s all in the past. It’s fine now."
Gu Ran didn’t respond. Instead, she pulled her ankle away from Ji Shiyu’s attempt to help her put on the shoes, slipping them on herself. She stood up, testing the fit with a few steps before picking up the shoebox to check the price tag.
"I’ll transfer the money to you," Gu Ran said, scanning the tag.
RMB 12,800.
Gu Ran: "…"
For a moment, she had the overwhelming urge to take the shoes off and shove them back at him.
But since they were already on her feet, she suppressed the impulse and pulled out her phone to transfer the amount to Ji Shiyu’s account.
Ji Shiyu frowned as he watched her tap away at her phone. He reached out, gripping her wrist to stop her. "Gu Ran."
Gu Ran glanced at his hand. "Mr. Ji, please let go."
"I know this amount means nothing to you, but I don’t want to owe you anything."
Ji Shiyu’s expression darkened at her repeated use of "Mr. Ji." "It’s unnecessary. You don’t owe me."
Gu Ran ignored him, wrenching her wrist free and confirming the transfer.
Only when the 12,800 yuan successfully left her account did she finally feel a weight lift from her chest.
She exhaled in relief and nodded at Ji Shiyu. "Thank you, anyway."
Ji Shiyu’s brows furrowed deeper. "Do you really have to draw such a clear line between us?"
Gu Ran lifted her chin, answering simply, "Yes."
Since they were no longer together, everything had to be settled—money, emotions, all of it.
"There’s nothing between us now."
With that, she gathered her skirt and walked out of the lounge.
Ji Shiyu stared after her, closing his eyes as an indescribable tightness filled his chest.
Gu Ran headed out to find the restroom.
She told herself not to dwell on Ji Shiyu. She’d paid him back—no debts, no obligations.
As she walked, she mentally prepared herself. Today’s embarrassment wasn’t the end of the world. She wasn’t the only one who’d made a fool of herself—there was also Wang Daxia. Fans were already comforting her. If she kept her spirits up, this too would pass.
After using the restroom, Gu Ran faced the mirror and forced a smile.
Ding Ze messaged her on WeChat, asking where she’d gone. The lounge was empty, and with the gaming streamers’ segment over, the beauty streamers were about to take the stage.
Gu Ran hurried toward the main venue. As she passed through the lounge corridor, she ran into Meng Miaomiao stepping out of a room.
This was her first time seeing Meng Miaomiao in person. Honestly, she looked about the same as she did on stream—pretty, but something was missing in real life, lacking the charm she had online.
Meng Miaomiao had been chatting and laughing with an assistant, but the moment she spotted Gu Ran, her expression froze. Recognizing the "No. 1 Beauty of Cat’s Paw," her face flashed with surprise before twisting into a scowl.
So much for pretending.
Gu Ran didn’t bother either. She’d planned to walk past without a word, but as she passed, Meng Miaomiao suddenly sneered, "Impressive."
"Crashing a red carpet just to trend on Weibo? Must be thrilled, huh?"
Gu Ran, who’d just steeled herself, stopped mid-step. She turned, took a breath, and faced Meng Miaomiao head-on.
"First," Gu Ran said, eyes sharp and tone cutting, "it was a misunderstanding. I didn’t crash anything."
"Second," she continued, sweeping a deliberate glance over Meng Miaomiao before smiling sweetly, "of course some people could never pull it off. They’d get stopped by security at the door before they even got close."
With that, Gu Ran strode away, her mood significantly brighter.
Meng Miaomiao’s face contorted with rage.
Of course she was furious. Under the viral post about the streamer’s red carpet mishap, more and more comments marveled at the unexpected beauty of the live-streaming world, some even joking that she could pass for a rising starlet—no wonder security had let her through.
And the most infuriating part? Seeing her in person only confirmed that Gu Ran was even more striking off-camera.
Meng Miaomiao’s assistant glared at Gu Ran’s retreating figure before tugging her back, whispering for her to calm down.
Gu Ran arrived at the main carnival venue and found her seat, marked with her name.
Wang Daxia sat beside her, wearing a face mask. He waved. "Long time no see."
Gu Ran greeted him back, eyeing his mask. "Too embarrassed to show your face too?"
"Got any extras? Hand one over."
Wang Daxia: "…"
He slowly pulled another mask from his pocket and passed it to her.
Gu Ran put it on. "Thanks!"
Just then, the camera panned over the streamer section. Perhaps because the two masked figures stood out, the cameraman immediately zoomed in on Wang Daxia and Gu Ran.
Their masked faces appeared on the giant screen above the stage.
The infamous duo—recognizable even in ashes.
The audience burst into laughter and cheers.
Gu Ran: "…"
"Damn it," Wang Daxia muttered, staring at his magnified image. "Should’ve just gone bare-faced."
Luckily, the host quickly moved things along, inviting all the beauty streamers onstage.
Gu Ran removed her mask and stepped up. Unlike the red carpet, she could now clearly see the fans holding up "Ran" lightsticks in the crowd. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she waved at them the moment she reached the stage.
Her fans roared back in response.
As planned, each streamer performed a short segment. Gu Ran chose to sing.
She wasn’t a professional, hitting a few off notes, but her sincerity shone through, energizing the entire room.
When she finished, Gu Ran bowed deeply toward her fans.
The "Little Fish" fan club, seated together, watched with teary eyes.
The front row held a mix of lottery winners who’d scored free tickets and die-hard fans who’d paid top dollar.
Ji Shiyu’s gaze remained fixed on Gu Ran onstage—until a thunderous chant erupted beside him: "Ran Ran, we love you! Go, Ran Ran!"
He frowned, turning to see the group counting down before shouting again in unison: "Ran Ran, we love you!"
The fans nearby eyed Ji Shiyu curiously. Who wore a mask and cap to a streamer carnival? If they didn’t know better, they’d think he was some undercover celebrity.
Since we're all here, sitting in these seats, we're all fans of Ran Ran, and that makes us friends.
"Hey, buddy," the person next to me greeted warmly. "Want to join us in cheering?"
"My username is 'Me and Ran Ran Forever,' and I'm in her fourth fan group. What's your username, and which group are you in?"
