Married in a Daze - Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Whether it was because Yin Lanfang found Lu Ruyun's address of "Mom" particularly pleasing, her expression finally softened considerably. Although she still spoke to Qin Zhenzhen with a disdainful sniff, she at least was willing to engage with her now.
It was just that every three sentences circled back to the topic of marriage. She berated Qin Zhenzhen for acting rashly, not considering the consequences, not telling her parents about her relationship, and letting them hear about her marriage from someone else. She accused her of not caring about them at all, of being unfilial.
The more she spoke, the angrier she got, dredging up past wrongs like an old account book.
Qin Zhenzhen sat on the sofa, still hunched over, her head bowed low like an ostrich, apparently reflecting on her mistakes.
Lu Ruyun was still holding her hand. The weather was hot, and the old-fashioned air conditioner in the house wasn't very effective, so their palms were sweaty, sticky and uncomfortable.
Qin Zhenzhen wanted to pull her hand back, but feared the gesture would be too abrupt, so she just kept holding it in this awkward, uncomfortable way.
Finally, when Yin Lanfang paused her tirade to catch her breath, Qin Ye hurriedly interjected, "Alright, what's done is done. Scolding her won't change anything now."
Yin Lanfang turned to look at him. "You're protecting her again. It's because you always protect her that she's grown up this lawless, reckless way."
Though it was an accusation, her tone wasn't as harsh as before, having softened considerably.
Qin Ye glanced at Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun, his gaze resting on their clasped hands. "Fine, you can think I'm protecting her. But this should be a joyous occasion, don't make it sound like some scandal."
"Besides, Zhenzhen's work is special. It's not like you don't know. Even if she wanted to be honest with us, wouldn't you be afraid you might blurt it out in a moment of excitement? That would just cause more trouble for Zhenzhen."
"If she really didn't care about you, who was it that stayed overnight in the hospital with you last year after filming for over ten hours? She's not a thoughtless child anymore. She's an adult, she has a sense of propriety. Isn't that right, Zhenzhen?"
Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen lifted her head, glanced at Yin Lanfang, and weakly spoke, "Mom..."
Yin Lanfang glared at her. After all, this was a piece of her own flesh; how could she not love her? Deep down, she thought about giving her a proper scolding, maybe even a spanking, when she got back home. But seeing her curled up on the sofa, looking so repentant, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
And she had taken in what was just said: Zhenzhen's work was special. Ever since she entered the entertainment industry, she came home less, called less, and even having a meal together required squeezing in time. Last year when she was hospitalized for her heart condition, Zhenzhen had argued with her manager to get leave and had only been able to stay with her for a day before flying off again.
She wasn't unaware of how busy she was.
But she was her mother, her closest relative. She wasn't angry that she was dating or getting married; she was angry that she hadn't been honest with them. They were supposed to be the closest, yet she had to learn about her life from someone else.
What she wanted to vent wasn't just anger, but heartache.
Yin Lanfang's expression turned forlorn, heartbreaking to see. Qin Zhenzhen pulled her hand back, sat down beside Yin Lanfang, reached out and hugged her, whispering softly, "I'm sorry, Mom."
"I'm sorry."
Hearing her apology, Yin Lanfang's eyes instantly reddened, her nose tingled, and her voice choked up. "Forget it. As long as you're happy. Just don't come crying back home later."
Qin Ye sat beside them, his eyes also slightly red. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion, what's there to cry about? Zhenzhen, Lu, Lu..."
He stared at Lu Ruyun. Lu Ruyun lowered her head respectfully. "You can just call me Ruyun."
Qin Ye nodded. "Zhenzhen, Ruyun, you haven't eaten yet, right? I'll go to the kitchen and prepare dinner."
After saying this, he got up and quickly walked towards the kitchen. Qin Zhenzhen held Yin Lanfang, looking over her shoulder towards the sliding glass door of the kitchen. Inside, she could see Qin Ye wiping his face a couple of times with his hand. Her heart twisted into knots, her eyes burning, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
Dinner was served very late. Qin Ye had been busy in the kitchen until after nine o'clock. There were seven or eight dishes, all prepared in advance. Qin Zhenzhen knew her mother had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. In the past, whenever she messed up, she'd just act a little spoiled, her dad would cover for her, and that would be it.
It was just that this time—the mistake was a bit bigger.
Thinking about what she was still hiding made Qin Zhenzhen scratch her head in frustration, her long hair becoming a tousled mess. Outside the door, Qin Ye called out, "Zhenzhen, are you done? Dinner's ready."
Qin Zhenzhen replied, "Coming!"
She stood up from the toilet lid, looking at her reflection in the mirror. All that crying had messed up her makeup, leaving her looking a bit odd. She stared into the mirror for a few seconds, then simply decided to remove her makeup altogether.
When Qin Zhenzhen emerged from the bathroom, droplets of water still clung to her eyelashes. Bare-faced, with slightly reddened corners of her eyes against her fair skin, the contrast was especially striking.
Lu Ruyun glanced up at her. Perhaps it was because of the makeup, but Qin Zhenzhen had always given her the impression of being glamorous and bold. She was tall, with chestnut-brown wavy hair, and when she looked at people, her bright eyes always held a touch of arrogance. Even during their last meeting, when she was tangled up in public opinion, she hadn't appeared disheveled, still carrying a hint of haughtiness.
She had thought that was just who Qin Zhenzhen was.
But tonight, she was seeing a completely different side of her.
The soft, meek person who couldn't retort earlier when being scolded; now, with her makeup removed, clean and elegantly plain. Without the makeup, even her temperament seemed gentler and softer.
Yin Lanfang snorted when she saw Qin Zhenzhen come out of the bathroom. Qin Ye nudged her arm and said with a smile, "Zhenzhen, sit down and eat. It's been so long since you've been back. The last time we ate together like this was probably during the New Year."
After he said this, Yin Lanfang finally couldn't maintain her cold expression, though her tone remained stiff. "Eat, then."
Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun exchanged a look. Qin Zhenzhen offered a somewhat awkward smile, gesturing for Lu Ruyun to eat.
Outside the window, traffic flowed, horns blaring. Inside, the light was warm and yellow, the air conditioner humming steadily. Ever since he started taking care of Yin Lanfang, Qin Ye had learned to cook, so the several dishes looked quite decent, not worse than those from a restaurant.
It was just that the four people eating seemed somewhat distracted. Yin Lanfang picked at a few grains of white rice, chewing unconsciously without much appetite. After a while, she put down her chopsticks and looked at Qin Zhenzhen. "Have you gotten the marriage license?"
Qin Zhenzhen was drinking soup and choked, nodding weakly. "Yes, we have."
Yin Lanfang took a deep breath. "What about the wedding banquet? When is it? Does she... does her family know? When can we arrange a meal to meet them?"
Faced with this barrage of questions, Qin Zhenzhen was at a loss for words, feeling deep regret for not having been honest earlier and instead foolishly asking Lu Ruyun to act in this charade.
Now she was truly stuck between a rock and a hard place!
Lu Ruyun glanced sideways, taking in Qin Zhenzhen's dumbfounded expression. She paused the hand holding her chopsticks, looked up, and said, "Sorry, Mom. The wedding banquet isn't prepared yet. I was just so angry at the netizens' wild speculations that I impulsively went and got the license with Zhenzhen. It was a rushed decision. Afterwards, we both felt it was a bit of a pity."
"So, we hope to make up for that regret with the wedding ceremony."
"As for my family, they live abroad year-round and won't be able to return to the country for a while. I'll arrange a meal once they're back."
After speaking, she looked at Qin Zhenzhen, her eyes brimming with tenderness, the curve of her lips just perfect, flawlessly exemplifying elegance and grace.
Qin Zhenzhen turned to look at her, experiencing for the first time what it meant for acting skills to be overwhelmingly convincing! That deeply affectionate gaze, that gentle demeanor, the occasional displays of intimacy—it all felt completely genuine, with no hint of acting whatsoever.
She found herself even more outclassed than by that earlier "Mom"!
If she couldn't tell it was an act, Yin Lanfang and Qin Ye certainly couldn't either. Lu Ruyun's poised, graceful, and unflustered manner left the two somewhat satisfied. Yin Lanfang asked, less angrily now, "What about the marital home? Where did you buy it?"
Qin Zhenzhen's scalp prickled. "Mom, the marital home isn't urgent either."
Yin Lanfang glared at her. "Not urgent? How can it not be urgent? You're already married! You can't just sleep on the streets at night!"
Qin Zhenzhen coughed several times from her words, her fair cheeks flushed crimson, her lowered eyelashes trembling slightly, her bright eyes flickering. "It's not that exaggerated."
"How is it not?"
Lu Ruyun, seeing her flustered state, smiled and said, "The marital home is abroad, near my parents. Originally, I wanted to buy one in City A too, but Zhenzhen said it was too wasteful, so I didn't."
Hearing Lu Ruyun's explanation, Qin Zhenzhen quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, yes."
Only after speaking did she mentally curse.
Yes, my foot!
How did it end up with Lu Ruyun becoming the filial, good girl who considers her parents, while she became the unreasonable, bad girl??
Her marital home was bought near Lu Ruyun's parents, and they didn't buy one in City A because she disagreed? If her mom found out, she'd get another scolding.
Qin Zhenzhen spoke up before Yin Lanfang could blow up. "We'll buy it! Of course, we'll buy a marital home! But Lu... but Ruyun and I just took on a new drama. We'll decide after we finish filming."
Yin Lanfang wasn't entirely satisfied with this answer, but knowing the peculiarities of her work, she had no choice. "So where are you living now?"
Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun spoke simultaneously. "Living at my place."
After speaking, they looked at each other, then spoke in unison again. "Living at her place!"
Qin Ye, who had remained silent throughout, frowned. "Where exactly are you living?"
Qin Zhenzhen's heart pounded. She unconsciously nudged the person beside her, signaling Lu Ruyun not to speak so she could explain. Unexpectedly, Lu Ruyun misunderstood. Her red lips parted lightly. "We were living at her place before, but now we're living at my place."
Qin Ye nodded thoughtfully. Qin Zhenzhen's hanging heart settled back down, and she let out a long sigh of relief, picking up her glass to take a drink. Before she could even swallow, she heard Yin Lanfang's next question.
"You were already living together before?"
Qin Zhenzhen pffted, spraying the drink all over Lu Ruyun beside her!
When Ji Lu came to pick them up, she noticed Lu Ruyun had changed clothes. They were a bit small, accentuating her curvaceous figure even more. She was quite surprised and wanted to ask Qin Zhenzhen, only to find she had already removed her makeup!
What kind of situation would require changing clothes and removing makeup???
Weren't they just going home for dinner?
How did it...
Was there no one at home?
Countless assumptions began popping up in Ji Lu's head, but with Lu Ruyun present, she didn't dare ask too much. She simply helped the two into the car and took the passenger seat.
The atmosphere in the car was quiet. Qin Zhenzhen tilted her head to look at Lu Ruyun and said, "Thank you for tonight."
Once in the car, Lu Ruyun seemed to instantly become a different person. Though her expression remained normal, her gestures and speech carried a hint of aloofness. Hearing Qin Zhenzhen's words, she pursed her lips. "No need. Just returning the favor."
Qin Zhenzhen was taken aback. "Returning the favor?"
Lu Ruyun turned to look out the window. The streetlights cast mottled shadows of the trees. Her bright eyes caught the light. "This morning's matter."
Qin Zhenzhen thought of the phone call this morning and nodded in understanding.
The van drove all the way to the entrance of Lu Ruyun's apartment complex. Qin Zhenzhen got out of the car behind Lu Ruyun, and the two walked a few steps towards the apartment entrance. Ji Lu originally intended to follow, but thinking about the changed clothes and removed makeup, she felt it might be inappropriate and simply stood watching from a distance.
Lu Ruyun turned around and said to Qin Zhenzhen, who had been following her, "Alright, you can go back now."
Qin Zhenzhen said with a serious expression, "No matter what, thank you for tonight. If in the future you need something on your parents' side..."
Lu Ruyun's face, half-hidden in the darkness, darkened slightly as she interrupted her. "Miss Qin, I don't think I'll have such a need."
Qin Zhenzhen took a deep breath. She could almost hear the sound of a flock of crows flying past her ears. Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile. "That's good then."
An awkward atmosphere spread between them. Qin Zhenzhen raised her hand, about to bid farewell to Lu Ruyun, when suddenly, from under a tree not far away, a figure stood up. With a tearful voice, the person cried out, "Ruyun!"
Qin Zhenzhen looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a woman in a white dress running towards them, directly throwing herself into Lu Ruyun's arms!
The posture was intimate, the atmosphere ambiguous.
Qin Zhenzhen stood rooted to the spot, the corner of her mouth twitching. What was this situation now?
Wasn't her boyfriend Duan Qiuhan?
How did it become a woman?
Had Duan Qiuhan—had a sex change?
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