Married in a Daze - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Qin Zhenzhen opened her eyes and was immediately confused by the message on her phone: 'Miss Qin, you sent the wrong text.' She rubbed her eyes and saw the sender's name was indeed Lu Ruyun, along with a message she herself had sent last night.
—Sister Meng, please decline all the show invitations.
She actually sent the wrong message?
And sent it to Lu Ruyun?
Qin Zhenzhen hugged her phone in annoyance, a slight headache pulsing. The number of contacts stored in her phone was extremely small. For crew matters, it was always Meng Xin who handled communication, and as for her friends, they mostly chatted on WeChat. Aside from Meng Xin, there really was no one else who would text her.
So yesterday, when she opened the messages app, she hadn't paid attention to whether it was actually Meng Xin's name before sending it.
If it were any other friend, it might be fine.
But of course, it had to be Lu Ruyun.
Last night, they had just experienced that awkward moment. She checked the message receipt time—it was past midnight. Could it be that she was replying while keeping the beauty company? Or perhaps the beauty had fallen asleep, so she replied then?
Or maybe, her message had disturbed the two of them, and Lu Ruyun resentfully sent her a message late at night?
The more Qin Zhenzhen dwelled on it, the more it seemed plausible. Even the words 'Miss Qin' now felt icy cold.
So, should she reply? Or pretend she hadn't seen it?
Qin Zhenzhen irritably kicked the blanket a few times. Before she could reach a conclusion, a Weibo notification popped up.
Cold Palace Male and Female Leads Confirmed, Filming Starts End of Month?
Her finger hovered over the link, hesitated, then she remembered what Ji Lu said last night about the cast list being released this morning. How efficient.
Nowadays, about seventy percent of TV dramas were adaptations of big IPs, like the one Duan Qiuhan was about to film, Like a Dream, and the one she was about to participate in, Cold Palace.
Big IP adaptations had their pros and cons. The advantage was their built-in book fanbase. The disadvantage, precisely, was also their built-in book fanbase.
Book fans were the hardest to please. Many characters were already fully formed in their minds; the slightest mismatch by an actor could trigger resistance. Fortunately, adapting IPs was now the prevailing trend. Many book fans had begun to set aside their preconceptions and were willing to separate the book from the drama, but they would still unconsciously search for and follow the adaptation, so the traffic was naturally not bad.
Qin Zhenzhen watched as the cast list for Cold Palace on the hot search list skyrocketed, quickly becoming popular. Although she knew there was an element of marketing involved, the majority of the commentary still came from book fans and general fans.
—Cold Palace is finally here! I can die in peace ahhhh! How long have I waited for this drama!
—I've also waited for years! Yuan Yu in the book was just too cool! The part where she finally trampled the Emperor underfoot was absolutely epic! Completely incomparable to the shallow, lovey-dovey harem dramas nowadays!
—But I'm worried Qin Zhenzhen can't pull off my Yuan Yu.
—Qin Zhenzhen? Doesn't Qin Zhenzhen only play naive, sweet roles? She's like a big white bunny rabbit. Playing Yuan Yu? Are they crazy?
—Can we change the actress? Seeing Qin Zhenzhen makes me feel so disconnected from the character ahhh!
—Qin Zhenzhen playing Yuan Yu... the only thing that fits is her face, tsk tsk tsk. Who knows how they chose the actress. No real acting skills, yet such good resources. Could it be there's some shady deal? And marrying Lu Ruyun was just as inexplicable. Is Lu Ruyun blind?
—Fuck off!!! YOU'RE the blind one! Even if Cloud Fairy was blind, she's still better than a loser like you!
—Although I don't like Qin Zhenzhen, isn't it too much for you to say that about Cloud Fairy? Who are you to insult Cloud Fairy?
—Zhenfan reporting for duty! Congratulations to our goddess on success in both love and career! We'll love you forever!!
—Rational discussion here, I think while Qin Zhenzhen is good-looking, she really doesn't seem suited for Yuan Yu. If she insists on playing the role, she might only suit the early-stage version. The later, dark-turned Yuan Yu needs someone with real acting chops.
A flurry of replies like Exactly, No doubt, I think so too immediately popped up under this comment. Within minutes, her fans and the hired PR accounts came to control the narrative. Qin Zhenzhen closed Weibo after seeing the same old repetitive statements.
Having witnessed the circus on Weibo, the awkwardness she felt earlier towards Lu Ruyun dissipated somewhat. Out of courtesy, she still replied to Lu Ruyun: Apologies, I didn't pay attention. Sent it to the wrong person.
Soon, Lu Ruyun replied: It's fine. I'm pleased. It's good to know we can find common ground on at least one thing.
Qin Zhenzhen stared at this message, and the awkwardness she had just suppressed crawled back up her spine.
Why did she dislike talking to Lu Ruyun so much?!
After the cast list for Cold Palace was released, it stirred up quite a storm online. Qin Zhenzhen was already a topic-generator. Even when not filming, shooting a magazine cover could land her on the hot search list. Coupled with the still-simmering, unresolved marriage incident with Lu Ruyun not long ago, now announcing a new drama naturally drew all netizen attention back to her.
Some were happy, some were worried.
The happy ones were naturally her fans. No matter how much others criticized Qin Zhenzhen, the fact remained she had good resources and was consistently developing her career upwards, which made them happy.
The worried ones were the book fans of Cold Palace. They feared Qin Zhenzhen couldn't capture the essence of Yuan Yu, especially the post-dark-turn Yuan Yu. That was truly not something a naive, sweet actress like Qin Zhenzhen could handle. So, they did their utmost online, demanding a cast change.
Of course, besides these two groups, there were plenty of onlookers among the netizens.
A large portion of netizens held the mindset that Qin Zhenzhen would definitely fail. Another portion said Qin Zhenzhen couldn't make it in the film industry anymore, so she was turning back to TV dramas. This was because not long ago, the movie she filmed with Lu Ruyun had only forty million in box office revenue, dubbed the worst movie of the year. So, they joked that Qin Zhenzhen, unable to survive in the film world, had come to ruin TV dramas.
This sentiment spread quickly and was widely echoed by netizens. After all, the box office results of Qin Zhenzhen's first movie after entering the film industry were there for all to see. It couldn't be denied.
Although her fans had no real rebuttal, they weren't pushovers either. So, in less than a day, fierce arguments erupted across Weibo and Tianya forums. Cold Palace, Qin Zhenzhen, and Lu Ruyun stably occupied the top three search positions.
Netizen attention shifted from Cold Palace and Qin Zhenzhen to the triangle between Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun. Duan Qiuhan's name was even dragged into it, with many netizens tagging him, half-jokingly saying things like: 'Come out and wear the green hat,' 'The most expensive rebound guy,' 'Sporting a vast prairie on your head,' along with various other vulgarities.
Lu Ruyun's fans exploded upon seeing such language. Her fandom had always been comprised mostly of solo stans, with very few CP shippers. While they didn't like Qin Zhenzhen, they disliked seeing Lu Ruyun slandered even more. So, they quickly joined the fray.
Once they joined, Duan Qiuhan's fans had no reason to stand idly by. Thus, a new round of bloody online warfare began on Weibo. Netizen attention had long shifted from the initial Cold Palace cast list to the love triangle.
The book fans of Cold Palace watched this development, utterly bewildered.
When He Shuangshuang arrived at the entrance of Lu Ruyun's apartment, she received a call from her assistant. She took two steps to the side, listening to the voice on the phone: "Shuangshuang, the Weibo situation is temporarily under control."
"But I still think it's best if Mr. Duan issues a statement."
Since Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen announced their marriage, Duan Qiuhan's Weibo had fallen silent. Given their past relationship, if they weren't a couple, he would have surely sent his blessings immediately. But he didn't.
There was nothing.
Not only were there no blessings, but even now, with netizens pointing fingers and cursing at him, he hadn't made an appearance. It was truly puzzling and no wonder many netizens speculated he had been dumped by Lu Ruyun.
He Shuangshuang clearly thought of this too. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I understand. I'll talk to Qiuhan about it."
The assistant hummed in acknowledgment and, before hanging up, paused, speaking with difficulty, "Shuangshuang, I still think someone is deliberately dragging Mr. Duan into this."
At first, it was just a discussion about whether Qin Zhenzhen was suitable to play Yuan Yu. Then, somehow, someone shifted the focus of public opinion onto Lu Ruyun, triggering this whole chain of events.
He Shuangshuang thought for a few seconds. "Alright, I understand."
She hung up, patted her cheeks, and walked towards Lu Ruyun's apartment. Just as she reached the door, someone called out, "Shuangshuang."
He Shuangshuang turned to see Zhang Yiyao standing behind her, dressed in a pink dress, her makeup exquisite. A gentle smile graced her face, her eyes soft and tender, giving off a feeling as comfortable as a spring breeze.
He Shuangshuang smiled lightly. "What brings you here?"
Zhang Yiyao waved her phone. "Ruyun asked me to come over. Said we're having dinner together tonight."
As she spoke, her cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes shimmering. He Shuangshuang looked at her, contemplating for a moment. "Dinner?"
Zhang Yiyao smiled and nodded. "Let's go."
She walked past He Shuangshuang. He Shuangshuang looked at her back and said, "Oh, by the way, I heard you and Qiuhan had a fight last night. Made up yet?"
Upon hearing the name 'Qiuhan,' a flash of coldness passed through Zhang Yiyao's bright eyes. Her smile stiffened for a few seconds before she controlled herself and said, "It's fine."
Her voice had dropped several degrees in temperature.
He Shuangshuang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her say it was fine. "Good thing you two are okay. If you weren't, Ruyun would really have a headache."
Zhang Yiyao lowered her head in silence, her expression cooling.
The two arrived at the apartment door just as Lu Ruyun was opening it, holding a bag of trash. Zhang Yiyao saw her figure and immediately suppressed her displeasure, smiling, "Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun looked up, seeing Zhang Yiyao and He Shuangshuang standing together. She stepped aside slightly. "Come in first."
Zhang Yiyao and He Shuangshuang entered first. Lu Ruyun threw the trash into the bin by the door. As she turned to go back inside, she received a message from Duan Qiuhan.
—Ruyun, is Yaoyao coming tonight?
Lu Ruyun replied: She is. But I think you should talk to her first.
Duan Qiuhan immediately replied: No need. She always says I'm not romantic enough, that she doesn't feel secure with me. I want to give her a surprise.
Lu Ruyun's gaze lingered on the word 'surprise' for a moment. After thinking, she put her phone away and returned to the apartment.
He Shuangshuang and Zhang Yiyao were sitting on the sofa drinking coffee. Seeing her come in, He Shuangshuang asked, "Yaoyao just told me we're going to dinner. What's going on? Weren't you supposed to have dinner with..."
Lu Ruyun cleared her throat, interrupting her. "Shuangshuang."
Zhang Yiyao, hearing her uncomfortable tone, lowered her eyes thoughtfully, remaining silent, only taking a sip of her coffee.
He Shuangshuang looked up, saw Lu Ruyun's subtle shake of the head, and immediately understood, changing the topic. "Right, um, that thing."
"Ruyun, the Weibo situation this afternoon is temporarily under control, but I still think you should have Qiuhan issue a clarification."
Lu Ruyun sat down beside her and nodded.
Even if she hadn't mentioned it, she would have asked Qiuhan to post one tonight. Moreover, after tonight, probably no one would ever pair her up with Duan Qiuhan again.
Seeing her nod, He Shuangshuang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Also, there's another matter I'd like to discuss with you."
Lu Ruyun looked at her. "What is it?"
He Shuangshuang clasped her hands together, her expression troubled. "I hope you and Qin Zhenzhen will participate in the variety show Star Showdown."
Lu Ruyun's brows drew together slightly, her thin lips parting. "What?"
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