Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

After lunch, the three women and the dog, along with Li Ran, leisurely strolled around the village.

It was said that he was "taking Li Ran sightseeing", but it was actually more like Ta Xue leading everyone on a run.

This Schnauzer went wild as soon as it was let out...

Meng Ziyi stared at the black and white ball of fluff, her eyes lighting up. "Ta Xue is so lively! Much more lively than my Chocolate."

Zhou Ye watched Ta Xue running wildly on the grass, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

She crouched down, clapped her hands at Taxue, and her voice instantly became eight octaves sweeter: "Taxue, come here... come to Mommy..."

Ta Xue was chasing a butterfly when she heard the call. Her little ears twitched, and she immediately turned around. Her four short legs moved even faster, and she tumbled headfirst into Zhou Ye's arms, her tail wagging like a little motor.

"It can actually understand!"

Meng Ziyi's eyes widened in disbelief. "So obedient?"

"Of course."

Zhou Ye proudly raised his chin, lifted Ta Xue up and shook it, the little guy's beard twitching with each movement. "Our Ta Xue is so smart, isn't she, baby?"

Ta Xue barked in agreement and even stuck out its tongue to lick Zhou Ye's chin.

Meng Ziyi squatted down and reached out to touch her, but Ta Xue twisted her bottom and dodged away, then haughtily snuggled into Zhou Ye's arms.

"Hey, this little thing!"

Meng Ziyi was amused and exasperated. "Next time I'll bring chocolate too, let's see whose dog is more popular!"

Zhou Ye stood up, holding Taxue, his eyes darting around before he suddenly looked at Li Ran: "Can I bring Taxue with me next time we record a show?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "Sure, you can take it if you want! I'll be joining the film crew in a few days and won't have time to take care of it."

Hu Lianxin squatted down beside her and gently patted Taxue's head. This time, Taxue didn't dodge; instead, she nuzzled against her hand.

She looked at Meng Ziyi and said, "Ta Xue has 200 million followers on Weibo, more than me..."

Zhou Ye said smugly, "That's right, don't you even know whose dog he is..."

As the group passed through the center of the village, they saw a renovated old house with several folding chairs and a small tea table set up in front of it.

Li Xueqin nestled in a chair, lazily basking in the sun, with Wang Sulong and Lamu Yangzi lying next to her.

"Hey! Li Ran!" Li Xueqin, with her sharp eyes, was the first to spot them, and lazily waved her hand.

Li Ran walked over and greeted them with a smile, "Are you... sunbathing?"

Wang Sulong said with a smile, "What a perfect opportunity! Why don't you come and do an interview at our 650 radio station?"

Spicy Yangzi chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! Our radio station may be rudimentary, but it still has some influence!"

Li Ran glanced at the three people beside him.

Zhou Ye waved his hand: "Go ahead, go ahead, I'll take Taxue to continue exploring."

……

Li Ran followed Li Xueqin and the other two into Radio Station 650.

It's called a radio station, but it's actually just a renovated old house with a handwritten wooden sign hanging at the door with the three numbers "650" drawn crookedly on it.

Inside the room was a worn-out wooden table with an old-fashioned microphone on it, and several folding chairs that looked like they came from some distant era.

Li Ran looked around and couldn't help but laugh: "Your radio station... it's quite old-fashioned."

"Of course."

Li Xueqin plopped down in a chair. "We call this retro style, you know?"

Wang Sulong slowly sat down, glanced at Li Ran, and suddenly sighed, "Hey, our 650 is doing well now, we can even get exclusive interviews with top celebrities."

Li Ran had just sat down when he heard this and chuckled awkwardly, "Brother Long, don't flatter me. I grew up listening to your songs."

Wang Sulong, who was drinking water, almost choked when he heard this. He put down his cup and stared wide-eyed: "Li Ran, are you saying that my brother is old?"

No, no.

Li Ran quickly waved his hand, "I meant, Brother Long, you became famous early. I grew up listening to your song 'A Little Sweet'."

Wang Sulong's expression was complicated: "Your explanation... is worse than no explanation at all."

Li Xueqin laughed so hard she slapped her thigh. After she'd had her fill of laughter, she finally spoke up: "Alright, alright, let's begin the interview. Who wants to ask a question first?"

Li Ran paused, looking at the empty desk, then at the three people: "Wait, how come your radio station doesn't even have a script? Are you just coming up with ideas on the spot?"

Li Xueqin looked completely innocent: "Please forgive me, we've only been established for a few days, and the equipment isn't even complete yet."

Spicy Yangzi eagerly raised her hand: "Me first! I have a question I've been wanting to ask Li Ran."

She looked at Li Ran, her eyes sparkling, her face full of gossip: "Li Ran, you have so many rumored girlfriends online, so... are any of them real?"

Before the words were even finished, Wang Sulong nearly jumped out of his chair, dramatically clutching his chest: "My God! Is that something you should ask?"

He stared wide-eyed at Yang Zi, "You dare ask? Even if Li Ran dares to answer, we dare not listen!"

Li Xueqin also covered her ears in cooperation, but her fingers were wide open.

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh as he watched the three of them chatting and laughing.

He leaned back, his tone relaxed: "It's nothing, didn't you yourself say it's a 'rumor'?"

It is ambiguous, neither confirming nor denying.

Spicy Yangzi's eyes lit up instantly, and she almost jumped up excitedly: "Really? Doesn't that mean... I still have a chance!"

Li Xueqin glanced at her with disdain: "You should keep dreaming. Li Ran himself admitted in 'Mao Xue Wang' that he is a sucker for good looks."

Undeterred, Yang Zi turned to Li Ran, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Li Ran, what do you think of my looks?"

Li Ran was taken aback by this direct question.

He looked at Yang Zi's expectant face, opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally scratched his head, and slowly said, "Hmm...very distinctive."

"puff……!"

Wang Sulong spat out a mouthful of water.

Li Xueqin laughed so hard she pounded the table, tears welling up in her eyes.

Spicy Yangzi's expression froze instantly, like a flower that hadn't even had a chance to bloom before being struck by frost.

"Li Ran, you..."

She clutched her chest, looking hurt, and said, "Why does that sound like a compliment to me?"

Li Ran quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Yes, yes! It really is unique, the kind of thing that makes you memorable at first glance."

Spicy Yangzi stared at him for two seconds, then sighed and said, "Fine, I'll take that as a compliment."

After laughing enough, Wang Sulong wiped his eyes and cleared his throat: "Alright, what a stupid question you asked. Watch me."

He sat up straight, looked at Li Ran, and asked with a meaningful smile, "Li Ran, among all the female guests in Peach Blossom Valley, which one do you like the most?"

The room fell silent for a second after the question was asked.

Li Xueqin and Lamu Yangzi both widened their eyes and looked at Li Ran at the same time.

Li Ran paused for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

He lowered his eyes slightly and tapped his fingers lightly on his knee twice, as if he were seriously considering the question.

Wang Sulong waited expectantly.

Li Xueqin suddenly realized what was happening and quickly shouted towards the corner, "Director! We absolutely have to remember to mute Li Ran in post-production! This question is too explosive!"

Spicy Yangzi nodded frantically: "Yes, yes, yes, mute it, otherwise it'll cause trouble if it airs."

Li Ran looked up at the three of them. "Welcome to the fantastical world of fantasy novels! The entrance is here:"

He looked at Wang Sulong, slowly opened his mouth, and said two words.

Wang Sulong was stunned.

Li Xueqin's eyes widened.

Spicy Yang Zi's mouth was agape in an "O" shape.

"OMG!"

Li Xueqin covered her face, "We really need to censor this. If it gets broadcast, it'll be trending for three days."

Wang Sulong froze for two seconds, looking shocked, and pointed at Li Ran, saying, "Is this an official announcement?"

Li Ran smiled and explained, "Didn't you ask about Peach Blossom Village's favorite? How did it become an official announcement?"

Wang Sulong shrugged: "But your answer was a bit too explosive!"

……

Meanwhile, in the village.

Zhou Ye was holding Taxue when he suddenly sneezed.

Hu Lianxin glanced at her: "Have you caught a cold?"

Zhou Ye rubbed his nose and shook his head: "No...maybe someone is talking about me."

Ta Xue wriggled in her arms and barked in a certain direction.

Zhou Ye followed its gaze and saw it was in the direction of Radio Station 650.

She smiled and nuzzled Ta Xue's head.

"Let's go, let's keep shopping."

The interviews continued inside radio station 650.

Li Xueqin looked at Wang Sulong and Lamu Yangzi with disdain: "What's wrong with you two? You keep asking me about relationship issues. Can't you get a little deeper?"

Wang Sulong shrugged: "Then give me something more profound."

Li Xueqin turned her head to look at Li Ran, a meaningful smile slowly appearing on her face.

Li Ran felt a little uneasy at her laughter: "What's with that expression?"

Li Xueqin waved her hand: "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just suddenly thought of a question that I've been curious about too."

She paused, then leaned forward: "Li Ran, have you ever been in a relationship? When was your first love?"

Upon hearing this question, Wang Sulong and Lamu Yangzi exchanged a glance, their faces full of disdain. "Isn't this a relationship problem?"

Li Ran paused for a moment, then smiled.

That's a really good question...

Instead of asking "Do you have a girlfriend now?", they ask "Have you ever been in a relationship?" and "When was your first love?"

It satisfies curiosity while leaving room for further exploration.

He nodded, his tone frank: "Yes, we talked, definitely, it was around 16 years ago."

He paused, then added, "But I was single throughout my professional gaming career."

Spicy Yangzi's eyes widened instantly.

Wang Sulong stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Li Xueqin's smile froze for a second, then deepened.

A name flashed through the minds of all three of them simultaneously...

The phrase Li Ran just mentioned, "my favorite female guest in Peach Blossom Village," combined with the timeline of "my first love in 16," makes the reference point incredibly clear.

In 16, Li Ran was still studying at the Beijing Film Academy.

Zhou Ye was in the same class as him that year.

The three exchanged a glance, knowingly saying nothing.

But everyone knows perfectly well that Li Ran's first love was almost certainly Zhou Ye.

We broke up later, and now...

Li Ran's statement that he was "single throughout his professional gaming career" is also quite interesting.

I was single throughout my professional career... that was from 17 to 20.

He's retired now, so what happens after he retires?

None of the three dared to ask any further questions.

If we keep asking, it won't be creating a climax for the show anymore; it might just turn into a program disaster.

Even if Li Ran answers, it's not a big problem, since it's a pre-recorded broadcast and can be edited out at any time later.

Wang Sulong cleared his throat, casually picked up his water glass and took a sip, then changed the subject: "Um, Li Ran, you've got a pretty full work schedule lately, right? I heard you're about to join a new production?"

Li Ran nodded and continued, "Yes, we'll go in a few days. We just finished filming 'The Sword and the Brocade,' and there's another movie that needs reshoots."

Spicy Yangzi also realized what was going on and quickly asked, "What kind of show is it? Can you tell me?"

Li Ran smiled and replied, "Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears, It's a romance movie. I can't say more about the details, you'll have to see it for yourselves."

The three chatted about work for a while, and the atmosphere gradually returned to the normal rhythm of the interview.

After asking a few more questions, Li Xueqin checked the time, stood up, and said, "Okay, that's about enough. I won't keep you from going back. If you don't leave your room number eight soon, you won't get any food."

Li Ran stood up and nodded to the three of them: "Thank you for your hard work, teachers. The interview was very interesting."

Wang Sulong waved his hand: "What's the trouble? We'll still be here basking in the sun after you leave."

Li Ran smiled, waved, turned and left Radio 650, returning the way he came and heading towards Room 8.

The scene from the interview was still replaying in my mind...

Li Xueqin's question, her own answer, and the knowing expressions on the faces of the three of them.

He smiled and didn't take it seriously.

It's all pre-recorded anyway, so it's not a big deal even if it airs. It's just a first love; everyone has a past.

As I approached room number eight, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Teacher Li! Wait a minute!"

Li Ran turned around and saw his cameraman PD jogging up to him with a conflicted expression on his face.

He stopped and waited for the other person to approach: "What's wrong?"

The cameraman caught his breath and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Li, that interview segment at 650... the director asked me to ask you if it needs to be cut?"

He paused, then added, "It's... my first love."

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh when she saw the cautious expression on his face.

He thought for a moment, then shook his head: "No need to cut it, it's not a big deal."

The cameraman paused for a moment, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Finally, he simply nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."

In his mind, however, he was furiously complaining: "Isn't this a big deal? After the show airs, won't it be trending for three days and three nights?"

But he didn't dare say it aloud; he just silently lit a candle for the post-production teacher in his heart.

Li Ran didn't say anything more and turned to continue walking towards room number eight.

The PD who was filming stood there, watching his figure disappear behind the peach tree, and suddenly felt a little dazed.

This guy has a really big heart.

Or rather... they simply don't care.

……

In the courtyard of Room 8, Zhou Ye was holding Taxue, sitting on a swing, swaying back and forth.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Li Ran walking in from the courtyard gate, her eyes lighting up.

"You're back? How did the interview go?"

Li Ran walked over and sat down on the stone bench next to her: "It was alright, I asked her some random questions."

Zhou Ye said "Oh" and lowered his head to continue petting the dog.

When Ta Xue saw Li Ran, its tail wagged like a little motor, and it struggled to jump down from Zhou Ye's arms.

Zhou Ye held on tightly, refusing to let go: "What's the rush? Let your dad rest for a while."

……

"Hua Yu: Starting from Retirement, Sweeping Through the Domestic Entertainment Industry" is currently being serialized on Cola Novels and is not to be missed!