Married in a Daze - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Qin Zhenzhen had already been persuaded to drink several consecutive cups of wine. Her face was slightly flushed. Meng Xin, sitting beside her, shielded her from the remaining drinks by claiming she was a lightweight.
The dinner table was lively. Everyone was young and sharp-witted members of the industry. Within just a few words of exchange, everyone had grown familiar. At the moment, the group was gathered around Director Hu, toasting him, their words dripping with flattery.
Director Hu was in his thirties, both young and talented. While his looks couldn't compare to the current crop of pretty-boy idols, his long immersion in the entertainment world meant he understood style; his temperament and image were far superior to others his age. So, quite a few people still harbored certain intentions.
Watching Director Hu surrounded by a cluster of admirers, Qin Zhenzhen felt bored and wanted to play with her phone.
"Zhenzhen."
A voice sounded beside her the moment she lowered her head. She looked sideways and saw Song He raising his glass towards her. "We start filming tomorrow. I'll be relying on your guidance."
Seeing his serious expression, she patted his shoulder and smiled helplessly. "Alright, I really can't drink any more."
Song He pursed his lips into a smile. "Drunk?"
Qin Zhenzhen rubbed her forehead. "A little."
Song He glanced at the enthusiastic crowd and frowned, his handsome brows knitting. "Why don't you go out for some fresh air to clear your head?"
Qin Zhenzhen: "I'll see in a bit."
Hearing this, Song He discreetly slipped two hangover pills into her hand. Qin Zhenzhen clutched them in her palm and smiled. "Thanks."
Song He took a sip of wine. "Old friends, yet you're still so polite."
Qin Zhenzhen smiled, tore open the packaging, and put one of the hangover pills in her mouth. Strictly speaking, she and Song He couldn't be considered old friends; they had only collaborated on one series.
Song He had debuted two years earlier than her, but his luck wasn't as good. After his debut, his career remained lukewarm, never quite taking off. Later, when her TV drama exploded in popularity, he was part of it. He played the devoted second male lead. When his character died for the female lead, countless female fans threatened to send knives to the director and production team.
In truth, his acting skills were decent, but he lacked a patron. It was only after riding the wave of that hit drama that he started getting resources.
Qin Zhenzhen had actually been quite surprised when she saw his name listed as the male lead. In Cold Palace, Song He played the emperor, the male character with the most screen time in the entire series. Calling him the male lead wasn't an exaggeration at all, hence her surprise.
His progress was faster than she had imagined.
But it wasn't strange. He had been buried before simply due to a lack of resources. Now that he had them, he was bound to shine brightly.
Such examples were a dime a dozen.
As she was lost in thought, Meng Xin had already returned to her side, holding a glass, her cheeks flushed crimson. She looked like she had drunk quite a bit too. Seeing this, Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly passed her a glass of milk. Meng Xin took it. "There's another round later. If you don't want to drink, you can go out for a while."
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Okay."
She watched Meng Xin finish the milk, then excused herself to the others, saying she needed to touch up her makeup, and left the private room.
The neighboring room was also noisy and boisterous; even the corridor was filled with clamor. After leaving the restroom, she had nowhere to go for the moment, so she simply entered the nearby stairwell entrance.
But she hadn't expected someone to already be in the stairwell.
Qin Zhenzhen lowered her head, about to retreat her steps, when she heard a woman's voice: "Duan Qiuhan, just what do you want to do?"
Duan Qiuhan?
Duan Qiuhan, Lu Ruyun's rumored boyfriend?
Qin Zhenzhen froze, her body stiffening in place. She cautiously peeked through the crack in the door, barely able to see the man's broad shoulders. The person standing opposite the man was—the very woman who had hugged Lu Ruyun last night!
Just as Qin Zhenzhen was wondering about their relationship, Duan Qiuhan spoke, his voice low. "Yaoyao, I don't want to sneak around anymore. I want to be with you openly."
Sneak around?
Openly?
So they were having a secret affair??
Qin Zhenzhen was startled by her own deduction. She quickly closed the door, pretending nothing had happened, and swiftly walked to the nearby restroom.
She had a bad habit: whenever she encountered a difficult choice or dilemma, she liked to sit on the toilet lid. At this moment, a person sat on the toilet lid, her face full of conflict.
So, should she tell Lu Ruyun or not?
Her rumored boyfriend and her beauty were preparing to jointly cuckold her!
Qin Zhenzhen was torn. Sending a message seemed inappropriate; they weren't familiar enough to discuss private matters. Moreover, Lu Ruyun's reply from this morning was still unsent, the awkwardness practically leaping off the screen at her. But pretending not to know... yesterday Lu Ruyun had just done her a big favor. Pretending ignorance seemed a bit ungrateful.
And last night, she had even reluctantly called her 'Mom' for her sake.
For the sake of that 'Mom', she shouldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Qin Zhenzhen sighed and still picked up her phone to send Lu Ruyun a message: Where are you?
Lu Ruyun was sitting in a private room, pondering He Shuangshuang's words. In truth, her career hadn't always been smooth sailing. She had also experienced low periods. It was just that her luck was relatively good; during a low point, someone had lent a helping hand and pulled her out.
And that person was Shen Haitang.
Now the host of the Star Showdown program.
So when Shuangshuang received Haitang's invitation, she didn't refuse outright but discussed it with her. Lu Ruyun knew that appearing on this show could, on one hand, repay the favor to Haitang. On the other hand, the recent rumors about her and Qiuhan were quite heated; she could use the program to quell the public opinion. It was just that...
As Lu Ruyun lowered her gaze, her phone in her bag vibrated. She took it out and glanced: Where are you?
The sender was Qin Zhenzhen. The message was a simple, commonplace greeting. But Lu Ruyun's first reaction upon seeing it was—had she sent it to the wrong person again?
So she didn't reply.
Zhu Yao was sitting not far from her. Seeing her put down her phone, Zhu Yao stood up. "Teacher Lu."
Lu Ruyun looked up. Zhu Yao, holding her glass, said, "Teacher Lu, let me offer you a toast."
"I..."
Just as Lu Ruyun began to speak, her phone rang. She gave Zhu Yao an apologetic smile, picked up her phone, and seeing it was Qin Zhenzhen calling, she subtly furrowed her brows.
"Hello, Zhenzhen."
Hearing her utter this name, Zhu Yao's fingers tightened around her glass. Her face instantly turned cold, and she gritted her teeth.
Lu Ruyun said to He Shuangshuang, "I'll step out for a moment."
He Shuangshuang moved aside slightly. Lu Ruyun walked past her from behind. Zhu Yao could still hear her gentle voice saying, "What's the matter? Me? I'm at..."
The rest of the words became inaudible. Lu Ruyun had already left the private room. Zhu Yao lowered her head, a buzzing sound filling her ears. People nearby occasionally offered toasts. Her eyes slightly red, she wordlessly drank one cup after another.
Outside the private room, Lu Ruyun stood by the corridor window. Qin Zhenzhen's voice came through the phone: "Um, there's something I want to tell you."
Lu Ruyun paused for a moment. "I also have something to tell you. Wait until I'm done here, and I'll contact you."
She was about to hang up after saying this when Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly said, "My thing is urgent!"
Lu Ruyun frowned. Qin Zhenzhen's voice wasn't coming from the phone, but from beside her.
She tilted her head and, sure enough, saw Qin Zhenzhen's figure not far away.
"Why are you here?"
Lu Ruyun put away her phone and asked. Qin Zhenzhen, meeting her clear and bright eyes, hesitated for a few seconds. Neither of them spoke, just looking at each other. Suddenly, the door behind Lu Ruyun opened, and Zhu Yao walked out.
Seeing Lu Ruyun's figure, she first felt joy. The words 'Teacher Lu' hadn't even left her mouth before she spotted Qin Zhenzhen.
Qin Zhenzhen, sensing Zhu Yao's venomous gaze, ignored her and directly grabbed Lu Ruyun's hand, preparing to lead her aside. Before they had taken two steps, she saw two people emerge from the end of the corridor.
It was precisely Duan Qiuhan and last night's beauty.
Her steps faltered, and she nearly tripped. Lu Ruyun, quick as lightning, wrapped an arm around her waist. Mindful of Zhu Yao behind them, her voice was unusually gentle. "Are you alright?"
Qin Zhenzhen shook her head. "I'm fine."
Not far away, Zhang Yiyao, seeing the two embracing, a flash of coldness passed through her eyes, though her tone remained gentle. "Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun released Qin Zhenzhen, preparing to walk towards Duan Qiuhan and Zhang Yiyao. Remembering their conversation in the stairwell, a wave of panic washed over Qin Zhenzhen. She hurriedly grabbed Lu Ruyun's hand, wrapped it around her own waist, and before Lu Ruyun could react, tightly hugged her!
It was supposed to be a domineering move, but Qin Zhenzhen performed it with trepidation. Her eyes met Lu Ruyun's cool gaze, and the hand holding her waist trembled slightly.
Zhu Yao's jaw tightened. She shot a resentful look at Qin Zhenzhen and entered the private room. Zhang Yiyao clearly still wanted to speak but was pulled into the private room by Duan Qiuhan.
The corridor was suddenly empty, save for the whooshing sound of the air conditioner. Lu Ruyun's face was stern. She gritted her teeth and said, "Miss Qin, what are you doing?"
Qin Zhenzhen maintained the hugging posture and gave a light cough. "Sorry, had too much to drink, feeling dizzy, couldn't quite stand steady."
A spark of anger flickered in Lu Ruyun's cool eyes. She turned to look at Qin Zhenzhen. They were very close, so close that when she lowered her head, she could see Qin Zhenzhen's eyelashes—long, curled, and upturned, each one distinct. Further down were shimmering eyes, flushed cheeks, a delicate nose, and slightly parted red lips.
When she raised her gaze, her eyes seemed to ripple, exuding a myriad of charms. Lu Ruyun's face remained cold. The hands she was about to use to push her away paused, then slowly lowered.
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