Married in a Daze - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Tianyuan Temple had a long history and boasted thriving incense offerings. Even as the sky darkened at the horizon, quite a few worshippers could still be seen leaving its grounds. Though Qin Zhenzhen was fully armed with disguises, she was still afraid of being recognized. She kept her head down and walked along the very edge of the stone path.
"Hey, do you think it's real or fake that Qin Zhenzhen hit Lu Ruyun?"
"Probably hype. Didn't they collaborate on a movie before and get torn to shreds for it? Stirring up some heat with this stunt is the only way anyone would pay attention to them."
"Doesn't really seem like hype. I heard they didn't get along on set. When it came to their scenes together, they used stand-ins."
"I also think it's not hype. Qin Zhenzhen's reputation was pretty good before, right? This is assault we're talking about. Who would willingly take on that kind of bad publicity for no reason?"
"True..."
The remaining voices drifted farther away. Qin Zhenzhen pulled her mask a bit higher. Just as she looked up, she caught sight of a familiar figure. She frowned in confusion, clearly not quite believing she could run into Lu Ruyun in this place.
But who else could the person before her be? They had spent four months filming together in a closed set, becoming so familiar that she could recognize her just by the back view.
Just... why was she here?
Same reason as her?
Exorcising bad luck?
How unfortunate. To bump into each other even while trying to shake off misfortune... talk about enemies on a narrow road!
Lu Ruyun had removed her sunglasses, preparing to enter, when she sensed a gaze from behind. She turned to look and, upon spotting the figure not far away, even someone as composed as her was stunned for a moment.
While she was still dazed, Qin Zhenzhen strode over, took off her own sunglasses, and said with graceful composure, "What a coincidence."
Lu Ruyun collected herself. Her thin lips, hidden behind her mask, parted. "Coincidence."
A single, light and soft word broke the awkward atmosphere between them. Qin Zhenzhen raised her eyes to look at Lu Ruyun. The words that had swirled around her throat did a hundred turns but were ultimately swallowed back down.
Two worshippers exited the main hall, followed by a monk. He stood before Lu Ruyun and her, smiling. "Please come in, both benefactors."
Lu Ruyun frowned, looking at Qin Zhenzhen with puzzlement, meeting that person's clear, bright gaze directly. The two looked at each other for a moment before speaking simultaneously. "Let's go."
Two people sneaked into the temple's main gate, looking furtive. Ji Lu's expression was tense as she looked left and right. Huddled close behind He Shuangshuang, she whispered, "Do you think they'll start fighting?"
He Shuangshuang turned her head and shot her an annoyed glare. "Ruyun would never do something so tacky."
After saying this, she thought of Lu Ruyun's livid face that night and gritted her teeth. "Only someone like Qin Zhenzhen would pull a stunt like that."
Ji Lu retorted unhappily, "You're full of..."
Before she could utter the final word, she saw two people walking out from the main hall. Black trench coats, hats, masks, and sunglasses. The moment they emerged, they quickly put distance between each other. Ji Lu hurriedly jogged over.
"Zhenzhen."
Ji Lu looked at Lu Ruyun with a wary gaze, then carefully scrutinized Qin Zhenzhen. Seeing the two didn't look like they'd just had a brawl, she breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Why were you with her?"
Qin Zhenzhen raised her eyes. From behind the sunglasses, she saw the concern on Ji Lu's face. She tightened her grip on the slip of paper in her hand, her voice rather bland. "Let's go."
After saying this, she led Ji Lu away without a backward glance, walking right past Lu Ruyun.
He Shuangshuang rolled her eyes at their departing backs. "So rude!"
Lu Ruyun tilted her head to look at her. "It's getting dark. Let's go too."
He Shuangshuang gave an affirmative grunt and followed behind Lu Ruyun.
The two passed through the temple's main gate. A slight breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass in the air. Not far away, Ji Lu tugged at Qin Zhenzhen's sleeve. "Zhenzhen, did you go in to have your fortune told just now?"
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Mhm."
Ji Lu perked up. "What did it say?"
Qin Zhenzhen pinched the divination paper, thought for a moment, then opened it to look by the light outside the temple. Immediately after, she turned her head toward Lu Ruyun in disbelief, seeing that she was also looking at her own slip of paper. Their gazes met briefly in the air before parting, each lowering their head to throw away their respective papers, the movements performed in one seamless motion.
He Shuangshuang asked, "What did it say?"
Lu Ruyun lowered her eyes. "Nonsense."
He Shuangshuang: "..."
The sky was ink-black. In the parking lot, there were still scattered lights. A few black cars were parked together. The hood of a grey van was open, and Xiao Wu was on the phone.
"I'm at the entrance of Tianyuan Temple."
"How long? Three hours?"
"Can you hurry? Okay, okay, got it."
He hung up the phone and walked to the van window, knocking on it to address the person inside. "Miss Qin, the people from the shop will need another three hours to get here. It's so hot in the car, why don't you come out and get some breeze first?"
Qin Zhenzhen leaned back in the seat, covered in sweat. She shifted uncomfortably, her pretty brows furrowing.
Ji Lu, knowing she hated heat the most, also chimed in. "Zhenzhen, let's go out and catch some cool breeze. It's too hot inside the van."
Qin Zhenzhen had already taken off her trench coat and was wearing a pink skirt that fell past her knees. She fanned herself with her hand a couple of times and asked, "Has Lu Ruyun left yet?"
Ji Lu tilted her head to look in the other direction. "Not yet."
Qin Zhenzhen held her breath. "I'll go out after she's gone."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the sound of an engine starting came from the side. Qin Zhenzhen tilted her head. The window of Lu Ruyun's car was half-open, revealing a delicate profile. Her thin lips parted as if she were speaking.
"What's wrong with her car?"
He Shuangshuang shrugged. "Don't know. Broke down, probably. Isn't that normal? Good thing her streak of bad luck didn't rub off on you this time. Coming to pray really seems to work."
After saying this, she pursed her lips. "Should I drive you straight back to your apartment?"
Lu Ruyun glanced sideways, as if she could see Qin Zhenzhen's expression through the dark tint. After a moment's thought, she said, "Go ask her if she'd be willing to leave with us."
He Shuangshuang was dumbfounded. "What?"
Lu Ruyun didn't repeat herself, just fixed her gaze on He Shuangshuang's back. He Shuangshuang protested unhappily, "No way, why should I? Last time she..."
"Enough."
"Don't bring up last time again."
"Go on."
He Shuangshuang, hearing the hint of anger in her tone, bit her lip, snorted, and got out of the car. With a dissatisfied expression, she walked to the rear door of Qin Zhenzhen's van and knocked on the window. "Hey. Do you want a ride?"
The door clicked open with a sound. Ji Lu poked her head out. "Something wrong?"
He Shuangshuang took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Miss Qin, it's so hot, and there are no cars around. If you don't mind, you can ride with us."
Qin Zhenzhen's voice was muffled from inside the vehicle. "No need, thank you."
He Shuangshuang, hearing her reply, muttered, "Best if you don't. I was worried something unexpected would happen again anyway."
Ji Lu, hearing this, was so angry she wanted to slam the door. A sudden phone ringtone interrupted. Glaring at He Shuangshuang's infuriatingly smug smile, she answered the call. "Hello!"
Meng Xin hesitated for a few seconds before calling out, "Ji Lu?"
Hearing Meng Xin's voice was like having a basin of cold water poured over her head from above. Ji Lu shivered, her voice softening immediately. "Sister Meng."
Meng Xin acknowledged with a hum. "Notify Zhenzhen. There's a dinner gathering at Liming in one hour."
"D-d-d-dinner gathering?"
"In one hour?"
Meng Xin's tone was blunt. "Is there a problem?"
Ji Lu thought of Zhenzhen's current predicament and gritted her teeth. "No problem."
He Shuangshuang kept glancing at the rearview mirror, still unable to figure out how Qin Zhenzhen had gotten into the car.
Hadn't she just said 'No need, thank you'?
How come after she went to the restroom and came back, she was sitting in the car?
The moment she opened the door, she thought she'd gotten into the wrong car.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense. Ji Lu, in the passenger seat, reminded her, "Watch the road."
He Shuangshuang shot her a sidelong glance. "Who asked you? I'm an old driver from Mt. Akina, never had an accident!"
Ji Lu: "..."
The black car sped down the winding mountain road. It was already night. For half the journey, not another vehicle was seen on the highway, only street lamps emitting faint light. After bickering with He Shuangshuang, Ji Lu crossed her arms, curled up on her side, and closed her eyes to rest. The car was quiet. Just as He Shuangshuang was about to turn on the music to lighten the mood, her sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a white figure.
Right in the middle of the road!
He Shuangshuang, scared pale, yanked the steering wheel hard. The front of the car lunged directly toward the guardrail of the mountain highway!
Lu Ruyun saw her action and shouted, "Shuangshuang!"
He Shuangshuang gritted her teeth, stomping on the brake. Qin Zhenzhen's body was thrown forward from the back seat by inertia. Lu Ruyun abruptly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into an embrace. The car body screeched, carving a heavy arc-shaped skid mark on the road, followed by a loud bang!
The car crashed into the guardrail!
Simultaneously, Ji Lu's scream rang out.
"AHHHHH!!!"
He Shuangshuang, rubbing her waist, roared, "Stop screaming!"
Somewhat irritated, she got out of the car and looked around, but didn't see a single person. After He Shuangshuang got out, Lu Ruyun let out a relieved sigh and put some distance between herself and Qin Zhenzhen. "Are you alright?"
Qin Zhenzhen, still shaken, nodded weakly. "Fine, thank you."
Lu Ruyun: "You're welcome."
He Shuangshuang searched outside in a circle but found no one. She stood rooted to the spot, filled with doubt. "That's strange. There was definitely someone standing in the middle just now, wearing white clothes. Didn't you guys see?"
The three who had gotten out of the car all shook their heads. Both sides of this road had guardrails. If there really had been someone, they would have seen them long ago.
He Shuangshuang, unwilling to give up, ran back to the car and looked around again, even leaning over the guardrail to peer down. Her tone turned eerie. "Ruyun, do you think... I knocked her down?"
Lu Ruyun pressed her lips together. "What nonsense. There was no one there just now."
He Shuangshuang ground her teeth. "Impossible! I clearly saw it!"
"This is seriously creepy."
Having said that, she turned her gaze onto Qin Zhenzhen. Her mind was too frazzled with anxiety now to care about propriety, and she spoke directly. "I told you we shouldn't take her! You wouldn't listen! Ever since we ran into her, it's been nothing but this creepy stuff!"
Hearing the words 'creepy stuff,' Lu Ruyun instinctively looked at Qin Zhenzhen.
Qin Zhenzhen also looked up at her.
Their gazes met in the air for a long moment. Lu Ruyun said, "Can the car still drive?"
He Shuangshuang was taken aback. She went back and fiddled around in the driver's seat for a bit. "It'll do. No major problems."
Lu Ruyun quickly got back in the car. Qin Zhenzhen also reacted, pulling Ji Lu into the car.
"We..."
Lu Ruyun cut off He Shuangshuang's words. "Back to the temple."
He Shuangshuang was completely baffled. "What?"
Lu Ruyun couldn't be bothered to explain. "Back to the temple."
Seeing the rare urgency on her face, He Shuangshuang didn't ask further. She turned the car around and drove back up the mountain. Fortunately, the car had only crashed into the side door earlier; the front wasn't damaged, so it didn't affect driving.
Upon reaching the temple, Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen got out of the car. The two of them walked toward the temple entrance together, rummaging through the grass. Before long, they each emerged holding half a piece of divination paper.
They glanced at each other and fitted the two pieces of paper together.
Two sentences.
The upper one read: A calamity lies in your fate; misfortune clings to your body.
The lower one read: To break this calamity, a two-year marriage of convenience.
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