Married in a Daze - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Sitting in the car, Qin Zhenzhen pondered more and more, feeling the woman she just saw looked somewhat familiar. Unfortunately, she had never paid much attention to Lu Ruyun's affairs. Even learning about Lu Ruyun's boyfriend Duan Qiuhan was only because Ji Lu had reminded her. So, asking her to think about where she had seen that woman before, she truly couldn't recall.
Ji Lu sat beside her, looking at the schedule Meng Xin had just sent over. She turned and said, "Zhenzhen, regarding the dinner with Director Hu tomorrow night, Sister Meng told me to make sure you go."
Because she had missed the last dinner gathering, and Meng Xin had also left midway, they had initially worried that Director Hu might make things difficult for Zhenzhen during the audition. Unexpectedly, not only was there no trouble, but she was directly selected. So, they absolutely must thank him properly at this meal and cannot be absent again.
Qin Zhenzhen didn't respond. Ji Lu, curious, turned to look at her. The faint glow from the streetlights streamed through the car window, illuminating Qin Zhenzhen's exquisite profile. Without makeup, her skin appeared even fairer and more translucent, like fine jade, smooth as creamy jade, her face like flawless white jade.
She nudged Qin Zhenzhen. "Zhenzhen?"
Qin Zhenzhen snapped back to attention. "What's up?"
Ji Lu closed her tablet. "What were you thinking about? I called you several times just now and you didn't answer."
Qin Zhenzhen lowered her gaze, collecting her thoughts. "It's nothing. What did you say earlier?"
Ji Lu replied, "Sister Meng informed me there's a dinner with Director Hu tomorrow night. You absolutely have to go."
Qin Zhenzhen turned her head. "Has the role been finalized?"
Ji Lu smiled. "Yes, Sister Meng sent me a message this evening. The cast list will be released tomorrow morning, there's a dinner in the afternoon, and we enter the crew the day after."
The timing was quite tight. However, because Qin Zhenzhen had been forced to take a week off due to the incident with Lu Ruyun a few days ago, the leave had been revoked, but she didn't have many scheduled appearances yet, so her workload was practically nil at the moment.
She gave a faint hum. "Just arrange it that way."
Holding the tablet, Ji Lu remembered that not long ago, besides notifying her of the schedule, Meng Xin had also mentioned something else. She kept glancing at Qin Zhenzhen, hesitating to speak.
As they neared Qin Zhenzhen's apartment, she finally couldn't hold back and said, "Zhenzhen, actually, Sister Meng also asked me to inquire about something with you."
Qin Zhenzhen was resting with her eyes closed. Hearing Ji Lu's voice, she didn't open her eyes. "What is it?"
Ji Lu bit her lip. "Sister Meng asked if you'd like to discuss with Lu Ruyun about appearing on a show."
Qin Zhenzhen's eyes flew open, and she frowned. "What?"
Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun could be considered a whirlwind marriage. In the entertainment industry, celebrities who publicly announce their relationships are exceedingly rare. Often, it's only when they're about to get married, or their secret marriage gets photographed, that fans explode in shock with an "OMG."
So, their whirlwind marriage wasn't strange.
The strange part was.
They never got along!
Rumors of discord between the two had existed since filming Time in Full Bloom, and it continued until filming wrapped up. Forget interacting on Weibo, they didn't even follow each other.
After the film's release, during promotional events, if Lu Ruyun was present, Qin Zhenzhen was absent; if Qin Zhenzhen was there, Lu Ruyun was nowhere to be seen. They never shared a stage, and their interactions were minimal. Time in Full Bloom crew members privately leaked that their relationship was like walking on thin ice.
What broke that thin ice boundary was the assault incident.
Qin Zhenzhen was being vilified across the entire internet, and later Lu Ruyun was also dragged into it. Fans from both sides kept clamoring, and it seemed like a full-blown feud was imminent. It was under these circumstances that the assault incident exploded, further intensifying the conflict!
But no one could have predicted that this conflict would ultimately escalate to the two of them getting married?!
Netizens still haven't unraveled the logic behind this.
It wasn't just netizens; the media was even more curious. They had their press releases ready, only to be caught completely off guard. Given their relationship, even if they weren't tearing each other apart, they should have been avoiding each other for life. Now they were married??
Moreover, this happened while Lu Ruyun had a rumored boyfriend.
This made them both incredulous and intensely curious.
Therefore, ever since the two announced their marriage, numerous variety shows had extended their "gossip-grabbing branches," wanting to invite them to appear. Although most were rejected citing scheduling conflicts, a small number of shows had good ratings. Appearing would undoubtedly boost their fame. That's why Meng Xin hadn't made the decision for Qin Zhenzhen but had merely asked Ji Lu to relay the message.
Before getting out of the car, Qin Zhenzhen said to Ji Lu, "Tell Sister Meng to decline them."
Ji Lu's face looked a bit pained. Seeing her expression, Qin Zhenzhen knew she was afraid of getting scolded by Meng Xin. She patted Ji Lu's shoulder. "Alright, I'll send a message to Sister Meng later. It's late, you head back."
Only then did Ji Lu nod and blink. "You're the best, Zhenzhen!"
Qin Zhenzhen smiled lightly at her playful demeanor, watching her get in the car and leave the apartment entrance.
Back inside her apartment, she kicked off her high heels and curled up on the sofa. Staring at the crystal chandelier overhead, she emptied her mind, her eyes unfocused.
Qin Zhenzhen lay on the sofa for a long time. It was only when she got up to shower that she remembered to reply to Meng Xin. She took her phone out of her bag. With one hand, she undid her long hair and took off her clothes; with the other, she tapped a few times on her phone, sending out a few words.
—Sister Meng, please decline all the show invitations.
In another apartment not far away, Lu Ruyun handed a cup of coffee to Zhang Yiyao. Seeing her red, swollen eyes, her voice grew even gentler. "What happened?"
Zhang Yiyao sat on the sofa, her expression melancholic, her eyes watery from crying. She took the coffee and shook her head, her voice faint. "It's nothing. I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something earlier?"
Lu Ruyun sat down beside her. "I wasn't. You and Qiuhan..."
Before she could finish, her phone rang. She glanced at Zhang Yiyao. "Wait a moment, I need to take this call."
Zhang Yiyao nodded obediently.
Lu Ruyun took the phone and stood by the window. The glass reflected the lights, somewhat glaring. She squinted slightly and answered. "Hello."
He Shuangshuang, hearing her voice, quickly asked, "Ruyun, is Yaoyao at your place?"
Lu Ruyun tilted her head to look at Zhang Yiyao sitting on the sofa. Her back was slender, her shoulders trembling slightly. She held the coffee cup with both hands, her fingertips pale. "Mm, she's here."
He Shuangshuang breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Qiuhan called me just now, and I was completely baffled."
Lu Ruyun frowned. "What's going on?"
He Shuangshuang explained, "Actually, it's nothing major. After our audition ended, Qiuhan went out to eat with the crew. There's a new girl in the crew who admires Qiuhan, so she confessed to him. Nobody knows about Qiuhan and Yaoyao's relationship, so everyone was egging them on, and then Yaoyao found out..."
"Since she's with you, just comfort her. It's really not a big deal, not worth having a fight over."
Lu Ruyun agreed. "Alright."
She was about to hang up when He Shuangshuang's slightly unclear voice came through. "Wait, should I go pick her up?"
Lu Ruyun paused briefly before replying, "No need. I'll have Qiuhan come."
He Shuangshuang said, "That works too."
Lu Ruyun hung up, sent a message to Duan Qiuhan, and then walked back to sit beside Zhang Yiyao as if nothing had happened. She asked, "Had an argument?"
Zhang Yiyao remained silent. Lu Ruyun looked at her and let out a soft laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
A slightly low voice sounded beside Lu Ruyun. She took a sip from her coffee cup and said, "I'm laughing because you usually say Shuangshuang is naive and impulsive. How come you act the same way whenever it involves Qiuhan?"
"Is it really because you care too much?"
Zhang Yiyao looked up, her gaze deepening as she looked at Lu Ruyun's lightly smiling profile. Her voice was faint. "Yes, because I care too much."
"Ruyun, what should I do."
Hearing the gloominess in her voice, Lu Ruyun stopped smiling and her expression turned serious. "Yaoyao, Qiuhan wouldn't mess around."
Hearing this, Zhang Yiyao lowered her eyes and sighed. "Ruyun, have you ever thought that maybe one day, he and I might break up..."
Lu Ruyun replied, "Don't talk nonsense. You've been together for seven years already. You know his character better than I do."
Zhang Yiyao's expression turned stubborn. "But what if?"
Lu Ruyun frowned. "That's a baseless assumption."
Zhang Yiyao gave her a deep look, her gaze profound.
A baseless assumption.
How could it be baseless?
Even if it truly was.
She would make it have a basis.
Moreover, this wasn't an assumption.
Lu Ruyun watched as Zhang Yiyao's fingers rubbed the rim of the coffee cup. The gloom on her face faded slightly, and her lips quivered. Lu Ruyun parted her red lips and said, "Alright, don't overthink it."
Zhang Yiyao whispered, "Okay."
After speaking, she raised her eyes, the rims still slightly red from crying. Looking into these eyes, Lu Ruyun's mind inexplicably flashed to another pair of phoenix eyes. Also with long lashes, the corners tinged red. Despite a proud and aloof personality, the eyes after crying held a touch of pitiful loveliness.
Zhang Yiyao nudged her. "Ruyun, is it okay?"
Lu Ruyun snapped back to attention. "What is?"
Zhang Yiyao's face was still slightly pale, but a hint of red crept up her earlobes. She repeated, "I want to stay here tonight. Is that okay?"
Lu Ruyun sat on the sofa, put down her coffee cup, and replied calmly, "I've already contacted Qiuhan. He'll be here soon to pick you up."
Although her expression remained unchanged, her tone was unequivocal, just like every previous time.
Zhang Yiyao tightened her grip on the cup and took a sip of the now cold coffee. The bitter liquid spread from her tongue to her throat, feeling like a lump stuck there.
A long silence settled in the living room. When Duan Qiuhan arrived, the two women were still sitting as before. Lu Ruyun went to open the door. Before she could even let Duan Qiuhan in, she saw Zhang Yiyao pick up her bag and walk out.
Seeing Duan Qiuhan, she gave a cold snort and directly brushed past him, getting into the car behind him.
Duan Qiuhan breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lu Ruyun, "Thank you, Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun replied, "It's nothing. Just be more mindful in the future. Yaoyao was just..."
Duan Qiuhan tensed. "What did Yaoyao say?"
Lu Ruyun shook her head. "Nothing. It's late, you should head back quickly."
Duan Qiuhan didn't move, a look of hesitation in his starry eyes. After a few seconds, he spoke. "Ruyun, can you bring Yaoyao to the crew dinner tomorrow night?"
Lu Ruyun looked puzzled. Duan Qiuhan continued, "I want to announce our relationship."
In the car behind him, Zhang Yiyao saw Lu Ruyun glance her way. She forced a smile.
Seeing her gentle, soft smile, Lu Ruyun said to Duan Qiuhan, "Alright."
After seeing Duan Qiuhan and Zhang Yiyao off, Lu Ruyun returned to the living room. As soon as she sat on the sofa, she noticed a notification on her phone. She picked it up to look.
—Sister Meng, please decline all the show invitations.
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