Shrine - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
"No… that's not it." Ruan Ruan was taken aback, her gaze flustered. Her voice was so light it seemed to float.
As she spoke, her eyes drifted to the floor, and she smiled unconsciously. She just liked to help.
Wu Mei had told her not to be like that, that it lacked star quality. Maybe so. But these things were innate, just like how Shi Ran didn't have to put on airs to have an aura of distance.
She heard a faint breath. The sound of water stopped. Shi Ran smiled.
Ruan Ruan looked up, and Shi Ran wasn't smiling anymore.
She was always like this. The moment a smile began, her interest would wane, the expression lasting just long enough for a second.
What followed was a world-weary emptiness, a feeling that everything around her was meaningless.
"Let's go down. They must be getting anxious," Ruan Ruan said, gathering her loose hair with her other hand and clenching it into a ponytail. Just a few words with Shi Ran and she was already feeling warm.
Growing up in the countryside with poor conditions, she was prone to heat rash. This was a habit she couldn't easily break.
Shi Ran observed her with those indifferent eyes, glancing at her for a second before nodding. The three of them got out of the car together.
It wasn't convenient for Ruan Ruan to follow them to the set, so she politely said her goodbyes. Shi Ran took a few steps, then turned back under the umbrella to look at her. She was still holding her ponytail, swaying gently, apparently not minding the ache in her arm.
Ruan Ruan looked fragrant and soft, like a freshly baked little bread.
Like one in a simple display window. You knew it had artificial flavorings, yet it still seemed more refreshing than those that boasted of being purely handmade, natural, and harmless.
The door to her home was hard to open; you had to push it with your leg. Ruan Ruan's knee immediately turned red, but she paid it no mind, walking into the living room with a thin sheen of sweat on her body.
Wu Mei was back, eating an ice cream bar.
Ruan Ruan stood in front of the air conditioner to cool down. Wu Mei, with the stick in her mouth, said, "Don't stand right in the draft like that. You'll get a headache. We have to work tomorrow."
Ruan Ruan shielded her forehead with her hand and smiled, her small frame trembling slightly. "Oh."
She was so obedient that even Wu Mei couldn't help but want to dote on her.
"So? What did Shi Ran say?"
Ruan Ruan walked over, unwrapped a small wooden spoon, and scooped some ice cream from Wu Mei's hand to eat. "She asked me, hehe."
She smiled sheepishly. "She asked if I had a part-time job on set."
"See? I told you. You were just like this when we first met. Like a little squirrel, hopping around gathering pinecones," Wu Mei said helplessly. "You're the second female lead, can't you put on some airs? Also, I told you to suck up to Shi Ran. Did you listen to me at all?"
Ruan Ruan licked the ice cream from her lips without a word. A few seconds later, she changed the subject. "Where did you go?"
Wu Mei tucked her hair behind her ear, her expression a little unnatural. On closer inspection, there was a faint blush from drinking.
She said mysteriously, "I went to get my fortune told. Xiao Bao recommended him. Said he's super accurate, helped a few people get famous."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He said my name is no good. Wu Mei, Wu Mei, it sounds like 'without' and 'nothing.' He suggested I change it to Wu Lei. 'Lei' as in 'flower bud,' for blossoming potential. Plus, when I get famous, it'll sound like 'no scandals.'"
Ruan Ruan burst out laughing. "So are you going to change it?"
"My dad said my grandpa gave me my name, and if I dare change it, he'll break my legs. Since ancient times, it's been hard to satisfy both loyalty and filial piety. I'll think about it some more."
Having a name given by a grandfather… Ruan Ruan was truly envious. She didn't even have a proper name. Her father's surname was Ruan, and her family called her Ruan Ruan, so that's what went on her household registration. Her younger brother had a wonderful name: Ruan Dongliang.
That night, she gazed at the stars and thought they were like Shi Ran—vast, ethereal, and unreachable.
That was a true star, separated from her and Wu Mei by an entire atmosphere.
A few days later, Ruan Ruan had become more familiar with the colleagues in various departments on set. The entire crew was fond of her. If anyone mentioned wanting to drink dark plum soup, she would bring some for them, the same kind she brought for Shi Ran, making no distinction based on their status.
She also frequently helped her colleagues with their work. Sometimes she'd help the script supervisor note down times, sometimes she'd help the camera assistant check the lens, and sometimes she'd lend a hand to the sound recordist holding the boom pole.
Under the scorching afternoon sun, she went to notify Shi Ran that it was time to start filming again.
Shi Ran had just woken from a nap, her hair slightly messy. Ruan Ruan stood by the cabinet at the doorway, her hand resting on it, watching the makeup artist fix Shi Ran's hair. Shi Ran sat there lazily, her back slightly hunched. After a few seconds, she couldn't hold the posture and slumped onto the counter, burying her head in her arms.
It was a rare moment of languor from Shi Ran. Ruan Ruan pursed her lips and smiled.
A subtle, itchy feeling stirred in her heart, like a stray strand of Shi Ran's hair.
Shi Ran finished work relatively early that day. The door of the RV was open as she waited for the makeup artist to finish removing her makeup before leaving.
Suddenly, a strange noise came from the doorway, followed by a few soft knocks. Shi Ran opened her eyes. Her face was being held by the makeup artist, who was applying cotton pads to it. She cast a faint glance at the person in the doorway.
"What is it?" Xiao Lin stood up from beside the vanity and asked Ruan Ruan, who was peeking in.
"I think a kitten ran in here," Ruan Ruan said in a whisper.
There were beads of sweat on her nose, and the hair on her forehead was fluffy. She looked more like a skinny little kitten herself.
"Huh? A cat? Really?" Xiao Lin turned her head and glanced at Shi Ran. "Well, you can come up and look for it?"
Shi Ran closed her eyes as the makeup artist removed her eye makeup.
Ruan Ruan ducked into the RV. After a quick scan, she found a trembling little orange cat in the corner. She hurried over to pick it up, said, "Sorry to bother you," and was about to leave.
Suddenly, she heard Shi Ran ask, "Is it yours?"
Her eye makeup was gone. She looked at the little orange cat in Ruan Ruan's arms with a placid expression.
It didn't look like a pet. Its fur was a bit matted, and it was skin and bones. Besides, no one had noticed when it scurried in just now. It looked like a stray.
Sure enough, Ruan Ruan stroked Xiao Ju and said, "No, it's a stray. I feed it every day, so we're pretty familiar with each other."
Xiao Ju seemed a little scared. Ruan Ruan crouched down and soothed it with some nutritional paste she carried with her.
After a few licks, Xiao Ju relaxed. Its round eyes darted around, looking at Shi Ran as if it wanted to get closer.
Once all the makeup was removed, the makeup artist packed up her things and left. Ruan Ruan shifted to let her pass and was about to stand up and follow her out, but Shi Ran spoke again. "Why is its belly so big?"
Ruan Ruan lowered her eyes and smiled, saying softly, "Because she's going to have babies."
Shi Ran tilted her head, studying the cat, her gaze softening.
It was as if she were asking, It's so small and thin, can it really give birth?
Xiao Lin was good at reading people. She immediately said to Ruan Ruan, "Why don't you sit for a while? It's crowded outside now that work is over. The kitten might get scared again."
Ruan Ruan sat on the sofa with the cat in her arms. "Aren't you guys heading back?"
Xiao Lin hesitated. Shi Ran said in a slightly softer voice, "You can stay for a while."
"Can." The word was subtle. It was as if she was saying they should have left already, but she was making an exception. Before her was an accident, an unexpected guest, a small cat, and another small cat.
Ruan Ruan inexplicably felt as if someone had just brushed a feather across her heart. For someone whose every second was absurdly expensive to be willing to put other things aside and spend a little time with you—it was enough to make one's heart flutter. Her heart fell into water with a plop, sending up a splash that was about to turn into a drizzling rain.
She gently placed Xiao Ju on the counter. The cat squinted and sniffed forward. Shi Ran extended a curled index finger and placed it in front of the cat. Xiao Ju sniffed it twice, then stuck out its tongue and licked it.
Ruan Ruan's expression changed as she instinctively observed Shi Ran's reaction.
Shi Ran then held up her middle finger. Xiao Ju began to lick the space between her fingers and the pad of her finger.
Shi Ran smiled. This time, the smile lingered for quite a while. Then, she turned her hand over and stroked Xiao Ju's head, again and again. The cat began to purr, closing its eyes in comfort.
This was the idol selected by thousands upon thousands of eyes. Her hands were too beautiful. The simple act of lifting her wrist was so elegant it was impossible to look away.
What was most captivating were these few minutes she gave to the kitten. In one ear, the assistant director was saying, "Change it, change it! Don't you know how much Shi Ran costs per day? How can we afford any delays?" In the other ear was Xiao Ju, rolling over to expose its belly, purring, purring, purring.
"When is it due?" Shi Ran asked.
"I don't know," Ruan Ruan replied, coming back to her senses. She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave a faint smile. "I've never raised a kitten before."
Shi Ran pondered, "How many do they usually have?"
"I don't know," Ruan Ruan said, still in her soft, sweet voice. "I've never raised a kitten before."
She heard Shi Ran laugh again, this time a little audibly. The snow melted completely, and a cool breeze brushed past, refreshing and invigorating.
Was it funny? Ruan Ruan blinked. It did seem a little funny, answering the same way twice, like a robot.
She wanted to laugh along, but she saw Shi Ran withdraw her smile in an instant, purse her lips, and focus on playing with the cat.
"But," Ruan Ruan thought for a moment, "I plan to take it back to my place for now, so I can take care of it when it gives birth."
Shi Ran was noncommittal. She petted Xiao Ju a couple more times, then pulled her hand back.
"Where do you live?" Just as Ruan Ruan was about to pick up Xiao Ju, she suddenly heard Shi Ran's voice.
"Huh?"
"I'll give you a ride back."
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