Shrine - Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Back home, Ruan Ruan was still thinking about that sentence.
It was like a meteor streaking through her heart, scorching and searing. The gods must have heard her wish to have struck a match in the night sky.
Perhaps everyone has a little match girl curled up in their heart during winter. The match Ruan Ruan struck revealed gorgeous clothes, high jewelry, smiling faces all around, and a life free from want—but none of them was the final match. She had always wondered why she had to become famous, aside from making money. Only later did she understand: she desperately wanted to be someone's first choice.
Not the backup option in case a younger brother wasn't born, not the long wait in a queue on a hot day, and certainly not having to brazenly make call after call, subtly and overtly reminding casting directors not to forget her.
Even the highlights of her life—a talent show and a variety show—were like this. In the former, she was reduced to a contestant number, waiting for someone to favor her. In the latter, she was a last-minute replacement after the originally cast actor bailed.
Being a "backup option" meant she could be discarded at any time. Just like after her brother was born, she became a "chicken rib"—people would gossip if she were abandoned, yet raising her was done with reluctance.
After entering the entertainment industry, she remained a "chicken rib" in the audience's eyes: "tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard."
Occasionally, marketing accounts promoting other artists would include her in lists of "pretty but unpopular" young actors. People in the comments would say it was such a shame, but the next time they held the remote, they wouldn't linger on her for even a second.
One could imagine what would have happened if the originally cast actor for the variety show had called and told the production team they were available after all.
Ruan Ruan would have received a call from the team saying, "We're sorry."
What was a life of complete agency like? A life where you weren't passively chosen time and again, where you weren't a backup option, not a chicken rib?
She was so envious.
So, when she heard Shi Ran's words, her first reaction was disbelief. A "twang" resonated in her chest, as if a string was about to snap. She dazedly tried to confirm it: was she really Shi Ran's first choice? No one else, just a desire to support her.
Her second reaction was that she wasn't used to it. A life that had never had backing or a safety net couldn't suddenly develop a sense of confidence.
Ruan Ruan's ears turned red. She slumped over the dining table, looking at Shi Ran through the blurry images of the bowls and chopsticks. "That sentence of yours was very... that."
Shi Ran took a small sip of soup. "Which that?"
"I've never heard anything like it. It's like a line from a novel." She pressed her lips together, the small mole beneath her eye looking delicate.
Shi Ran coolly finished her soup and set down the bowl. "And I've managed to sound cool again."
"Pfft." Ruan Ruan laughed out loud, shaking her head.
She could tell that Shi Ran wasn't used to saying such things either, which was why she was now passing it off as a joke with a deadpan expression.
Every time Shi Ran displayed her deadpan humor or used trendy slang with such stark contrast, Ruan Ruan found it incredibly cute. She had never seen someone with a world-weary face tell a joke; she would probably only ever meet this one in her lifetime.
"I just wanted to say that if other people have someone pulling strings to get them into a production, you do too. There's no difference. Once you're on set, it's all about skill. So don't worry," Shi Ran said.
Besides, the person she had her eye on couldn't possibly be worse than someone Xin Chen chose. She had already investigated Ruan Ruan's resume and background back when she first discovered Ruan Ruan was deliberately approaching her. A clean background, law-abiding, decent acting skills, down-to-earth, and hardworking—otherwise, she wouldn't have so rashly become involved with Ruan Ruan.
"Mhm." Shi Ran's encouragement was very effective. Ruan Ruan nodded softly, then sat up and drank half a bowl of soup herself.
After Shrine was greenlit, negotiations with her management agency became urgent. Ruan Ruan took advantage of a few days off from filming, requested leave from the production, and flew back to Beicheng to discuss terminating her contract.
She was gone for over a week. She entrusted Wu Mei with the care of the kittens, and besides that, she had few other concerns. Occasionally, she would receive a message from Shi Ran asking about the kittens. Friends who were interested in adopting them had come to inquire, and Shi Ran could only turn to Ruan Ruan.
This was the sycophantic entertainment industry. Stray kittens associated with the name "Shi Ran" became more precious and sought-after than competition-grade breeds. The inquiries that reached Ruan Ruan had already been filtered by Shi Ran; some people would chat for half a minute, and it would be obvious they had no interest in the cats and were just using it as an excuse to exchange a few words with Shi Ran.
The weather turned cooler. The small fans on set were put away, and the smell of dark plum soup no longer lingered in the air.
It had been a while since she'd seen the little cat officer running around the set helping out, chatting in a soft voice. Occasionally, in the breaks between starting and wrapping up, Shi Ran would subconsciously glance below the sky-curtain, checking if Ruan Ruan was still sitting on the equipment cases to cool off.
A new young actor had taken her spot. They were also slender and looked similar at a glance, but they weren't as fair-skinned.
Only then did Shi Ran realize that she had, without noticing, become familiar enough with Ruan Ruan's body language. When Ruan Ruan sat and chatted, her hand would rest on the edge of an equipment case. When she got excited, she would sway slightly. When she was shy or embarrassed, she would often place a hand on her forehead, ostrich-like, as if blocking her own view would make the whole world unable to see her.
When pulled into a group photo, she always made a peace sign—the kind that was popular twenty years ago, while everyone around her was already making hearts with their hands on their cheeks.
She was probably cutest in the summer, because the fine beads of sweat made her look like a fresh, tender melon that had just been cooled in a stream.
On Friday afternoon, the crew was filming at Shucheng No. 1 Middle School, using its rubber track to shoot a few university campus scenes.
The tracks and cameras were set up, and the lighting, art, and props departments were all in position. After getting permission from the school, the sports field was cleared to prevent excessive crowding. Young extras walked or ran in twos and threes. The lighting technician and the cameraman on the jib arm were adjusting the lights, waiting for the stand-ins to help with blocking and determine the actors' movements.
The day had turned hot again, with the scorching sun directly overhead. Shi Ran stood to the side with the third female lead, looking over the script. Xiao Lin had one hand on her hip and the other holding an umbrella for Shi Ran, frowning as she watched the proceedings. She hated location shoots the most; the sun was so fierce it frazzled her, and her vision was blurry.
Shi Ran was making idle conversation with the third female lead. The actress told a joke and bent over laughing, reaching out to steady herself on Shi Ran's arm.
Xiao Lin raised an eyebrow. This one's acting up again.
Everyone in the industry knew there would be proxy photographers at an outdoor shoot, so initiating physical contact at a time like this wasn't so innocent. What's more, this actress had argued with the director at the start of filming and hadn't been particularly friendly to Shi Ran back then.
Shi Ran said nothing, letting the actress touch her for a moment. Then, she switched the script to her other hand, leaned languidly against Xiao Lin, and wrapped her right arm—the one holding the script—around Xiao Lin's shoulder, tilting her head to continue listening to the actress.
Her expression was relaxed, and the movement was fluid, but Xiao Lin sighed internally.
Tonight, her long-abandoned Weibo account would probably receive private messages from those fans who fantasized about being with her again, telling her to just be a proper assistant and stop touching Shi Ran all the time.
Heaven knows, it was Shi Ran who insisted on leaning on her.
Shi Ran. Insisted. No one would believe those two words put together. Oh well.
With Shi Ran leaning on her, Xiao Lin was so hot she felt like hanging herself. She had just caught her breath when she saw Shi Ran look coolly toward the side. Xiao Lin followed her gaze. Ruan Ruan was back. She had come to visit the set, carrying two bags of popsicles.
She was wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans, her hair in a ponytail. She was looking down as she handed them out to the assistant director and lighting technicians. The back of her neck was so fair it seemed to glow. From a distance, she looked so sweet.
Holding the plastic bag open, her gaze drifted this way and briefly met Shi Ran's.
Shi Ran raised her eyebrows slightly. Ruan Ruan pressed her lips together, and after a moment, she walked over. Keeping a distance of over a meter, she opened the bag and asked in a low voice, "Want a popsicle? I just bought them."
The third female lead waved her hand and said no thanks, and her assistant didn't dare take one either. Xiao Lin understood Shi Ran's intention. She stepped forward to pick out two, deliberately taking her time to choose so that Shi Ran would have a moment to talk to Ruan Ruan.
"You're back."
"Mhm~" Ruan Ruan said softly.
"Yeah."
Shi Ran paused, then asked, "Did it go well?"
Ruan Ruan nodded vigorously. Shi Ran smiled, and after two or three seconds, she said softly, "Congratulations."
"Thank you."
Just those few simple sentences, not even long enough for a popsicle to melt. Ruan Ruan picked up her plastic bag and left.
Shi Ran watched her retreating back from the corner of her eye, restraining herself three or four times before forcing her gaze back to the script. In that one tiny moment, she suddenly realized she was starting to like Ruan Ruan.
Some people's approach was like the sticky wind under a hot sun, raising a hand only to bring a wave of scorching heat. But other people's approach came with colorful little popsicles; their words were cool and refreshing, and so was their smile.
Perhaps she should have admitted it sooner. That afternoon after their meal, when Ruan Ruan left the hotel, taking the trash with her on her way out, Shi Ran had sat on the sofa and spent three seconds wondering if there was any reason to make her stay a little longer.
At the time, she had vaguely defined the feeling as a psychological dependence after being topped. Physical compatibility could easily lead to indulgence, a craving for hugs and kisses. Meeting naked several times could also easily close the psychological distance, allowing them to chat and laugh relaxedly, like old friends who had known each other for years.
But it wasn't necessarily connected to the heart.
But now, she felt it was. When she looked up and saw Ruan Ruan, her heart had clearly skipped a beat, just like in the countless scripts she had read about a fluttering heart.
The words would say—
She appeared openly in broad daylight, like a rumored secret.
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