Married in a Daze - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
When Lu Ruyun returned to the film set, most of the people were already gone. He Shuangshuang was standing to the side on a phone call, her face stern and her voice icy. "No."
"I don't agree. If you keep bringing this up, then just consider me not your daughter anymore."
As soon as He Shuangshuang finished speaking, she saw Lu Ruyun walk in. Covering her phone, she moved towards the window. The air conditioner in the lounge was on, humming softly. Lu Ruyun sat down at the vanity when she heard a knock at the door behind her.
"Come in."
She said. Duan Qiuhan poked his head in, phone in hand. "Looking for me?"
Lu Ruyun nodded. "There is a small matter."
Seeing He Shuangshuang was still on the phone, she said to Duan Qiuhan, "Let's talk over here."
Duan Qiuhan followed her to the sofa. Under the lights, her bright eyes held an extra touch of coolness. Lu Ruyun got straight to the point. "What do you think of Miss Zhu?"
"Miss Zhu?"
Duan Qiuhan's handsome brows furrowed. "She's fine."
As if remembering something, he laughed. "I get it. She hasn't been bothering you again, has she?"
Lu Ruyun thought of what she had overheard in the restroom earlier and was silent for a few seconds. Duan Qiuhan continued, "But she has a bit of a blind admiration for you. Seeing your idol, it's only natural to get excited."
"It'll be fine once she's spent more time around you. Actually, her acting isn't bad, and she fits the role in the show quite well. Most importantly, her salary..."
Duan Qiuhan didn't finish his sentence, but Lu Ruyun largely understood what he meant.
Because this was his first time directing, his debut, the investment he managed to secure wasn't substantial. Although he had good interpersonal relationships, this was, after all, the entertainment industry, not the financial world. The capitalist investors always prioritized money. Money buys connections; fame attracts investment.
So, for an uncertain debut like Duan Qiuhan's, the investment outlook wasn't particularly optimistic.
This was another reason why he had finalized Miss Zhu in the first place.
Although Miss Zhu's popularity in the circle couldn't compare to Qin Zhenzhen's, she was still considered a rising star, bringing her own fanbase. Moreover, one of the gestures of goodwill she made when joining the crew was to take a one-third pay cut.
A deal that wasn't at a loss.
Only a fool would turn it down.
Lu Ruyun pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."
Duan Qiuhan's brows remained furrowed, seemingly puzzled. "Ruyun, I remember you never used to consider these things before."
After all, she had been famous for so long; it wasn't strange for her to have her own devoted fans among the new generation of actors. But she had never paid attention to such matters; sometimes she was even willing to teach a little about acting.
Having known her for so long, this was the first time he'd heard a tone of similar dissatisfaction towards someone from her.
Even when things were so tense with Qin Zhenzhen back then, he never heard her say a single bad word about Qin Zhenzhen.
Duan Qiuhan then shook his head.
Forgot again. At that time, maybe she and Qin Zhenzhen were secretly dating. Where would any bad words come from?
It was all media and fans making wild guesses.
Seeing Duan Qiuhan's probing gaze still on her, Lu Ruyun lowered her eyes. "It's nothing. You go and attend to your matters first."
Duan Qiuhan looked at her expression and grew a little suspicious. "Alright then. I'll observe a bit more. If her intentions really aren't right, we'll handle it."
Lu Ruyun gave a light nod, watching Duan Qiuhan leave.
As soon as the door closed, He Shuangshuang hung up the phone and walked over. She picked up a bottle of water from the coffee table, took a few sips, and asked, "What's wrong? What did you need Qiuhan for?"
Lu Ruyun looked up at her. "It's nothing. Did you finish your discussion?"
He Shuangshuang wore a bitter smile. "What discussion? You know my situation. Let's go. Oh, the show recording time is set. Five days from now."
After saying this, she hesitated. Lu Ruyun asked, "What is it?"
He Shuangshuang said uneasily, "I'm worried that you and Qin Zhenzhen appearing on a show together will cause problems."
Lu Ruyun's body stiffened slightly. She said nothing.
If not for encountering Qin Zhenzhen, she probably would never have believed that something so strange really existed in the world. It was as if there was a strange magnetic field between the two of them, and it got ignited every single time!
Actually, when Lu Ruyun accepted Time in Full Bloom and heard the other lead was Qin Zhenzhen, she had been indifferent.
Having debuted for so many years, she had acted in no less than eighteen, if not twenty, TV series. Nearly half the entertainment industry had collaborated with her—some soared to the top, some were brought down by scandals and faded into obscurity.
So, from the very beginning, her attitude towards Qin Zhenzhen was just ordinary.
More distant than friends.
A little more familiar than strangers.
Exchange a couple of polite words when meeting, chat about topics everyone could discuss. That was enough. That was her relationship with everyone she worked with. Not too close, not too far. Just right.
But Qin Zhenzhen.
She was, after all, the exception.
Lu Ruyun remembered the first time she saw Qin Zhenzhen was after the audition ended. Qin Zhenzhen hadn't left yet and was chatting with Ji Lu in the waiting room. As Lu Ruyun passed by the door, she inadvertently glanced inside. At that moment, she had only one feeling.
This girl... exquisite.
A level of refinement that 'pretty' couldn't adequately describe.
She had floated in the entertainment industry for thirteen years, collaborated with countless male and female stars. Even she herself was often called a classic beauty. But she felt Qin Zhenzhen was the true embodiment.
A beauty that was bold, unrestrained, bright, and generous. She wasn't someone who focused on looks, but upon first seeing her, she truly did feel a sense of being dazzled.
Later, Qin Zhenzhen successfully passed the audition and acted opposite her. At first, everything was peaceful and uneventful. They maintained a not-too-close, not-too-distant relationship. But gradually, accidents, big and small, started happening. After understanding the situations, their already not-close relationship quickly distanced further, drawing clear boundaries.
All sorts of rumors flew around the set; criticisms never ceased online.
She was human, not a desireless deity. So, a knot formed in her heart. Though she didn't take her frustrations out on Qin Zhenzhen, her attitude wasn't good either.
Not to mention the incident later at the hotel where Qin Zhenzhen made her have a wardrobe malfunction, which drove their relationship to a freezing point.
Yet it was under such circumstances.
They got married.
One would think this would make their relationship worse and worse.
But actually—that wasn't the case.
Lu Ruyun lowered her gaze. This marriage agreement seemed to break not a calamity, but the ice that had frozen their relationship. It felt as if she had returned to the position of their initial meeting, getting to know her all over again.
After a long silence in the quiet lounge, He Shuangshuang's voice finally sounded. "So, you two appearing on a show together... really won't be a problem?"
She looked at Lu Ruyun with worry, only to find the latter lost in thought. He Shuangshuang nudged her arm. "Ruyun?"
Lu Ruyun snapped back to reality. "What?"
He Shuangshuang looked at her. "What were you thinking about so intently? I said, you and Qin Zhenzhen appearing on a show together, really no problem? I'm worried..."
Lu Ruyun interrupted her. "It's fine. Don't worry."
He Shuangshuang wanted to refute, but then she thought about how she saw her and Qin Zhenzhen come out of the private room today, heard they even played games together all afternoon. If even that was fine, then it must definitely be fine.
She sighed and stood up. "Let's head back first, we can talk more then."
Lu Ruyun also stood up. Just as she took a step, her phone in her bag rang. She took it out and looked—it was an unfamiliar number. She answered. "Hello?"
A woman's voice immediately sounded from the other end. "Lu... Miss Lu?"
The voice was familiar.
One she had heard not long ago.
Qin Zhenzhen's mother, Yin Lanfang.
Lu Ruyun paused for a moment, then, under He Shuangshuang's inquisitive gaze, said, "Mom, you can just call me Ruyun."
There was a brief silence on the other end. Yin Lanfang replied with an "Mhm." "Ru... Ruyun. Are you with Zhenzhen? She said she'd call me back tonight, but she hasn't. I called her but she didn't answer. Are you two together now?"
Lu Ruyun coughed lightly. "Mom, Zhenzhen and I aren't together. I'm still at the set."
Yin Lanfang's voice softened a bit. "I'm sorry, are you still filming? Did I disturb you? I saw it was evening and thought you'd be with Zhenzhen."
Lu Ruyun explained with a slight smile. "No disturbance. I just finished filming."
Yin Lanfang breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, will you be heading home soon?"
Lu Ruyun: "Yes."
Yin Lanfang: "Then, when you get home, could you ask Zhenzhen to call me back?"
Lu Ruyun, holding the phone, was slightly stunned. She was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Alright."
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