Married in a Daze - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

After returning to her apartment, Qin Zhenzhen kicked off her high heels and lazily flopped onto the sofa. Even though her entire body was relaxed, her mind was a chaotic mess.

The IP address was overseas. He Shuangshuang.

Zhenzhen, even if today's leak wasn't done by Lu Ruyun herself, it must be closely related to her.

How could she not know?

Actually, the first person she suspected after the video was released was Lu Ruyun, precisely because it contained the clip of her wardrobe malfunction. If someone else had gotten their hands on it, releasing that clip would have been far more explosive than the baseless accusation of her hitting someone.

Therefore, the possibility of this being a self-inflicted leak was very high.

But later, she had handed the video over to her and even sincerely said, "I'm sorry."

That apology instantly dispelled her suspicions.

So, was her acting just that good?

Did she fool her?

But what would be the point of doing that?

To preserve her public persona from crumbling?

Qin Zhenzhen sighed, got up from the sofa, and walked towards the bathroom. She sat on the closed toilet lid, lost in thought as she ran the bathwater. It wasn't until water started to overflow from the tub that she snapped back to reality.

Forget it. Since she had already told Lu Ruyun before that all their previous unpleasantness would be wiped clean, what good would it do to obsess over the leak now? Even if she confronted Lu Ruyun and got confirmation that it was her doing, what then?

It wasn't like she could sue her now.

Qin Zhenzhen tried to console herself, but a knot of resentment remained stuck in her chest, making her feel stifled and uncomfortable.

She thumped her chest, trying to expel the frustration, then undressed and got into the bathtub. As the warm water enveloped her body, she felt a little better.

Separated from her by a wall, her phone still sat on the coffee table, silenced. Its screen was now lit up, displaying missed calls—from her mom to Lu Ruyun.

This wasn't the first time Lu Ruyun had been to Qin Zhenzhen's apartment complex. There were only a few neighborhoods in City B with good environments and strict security, and their locations were clustered together, so her own complex wasn't far from Qin Zhenzhen's.

When they first started interacting, she had even given her a ride home once, though the car broke down halfway. Still, she had eventually gotten her back.

So she knew which complex Qin Zhenzhen lived in.

But she didn't know the specific building.

Lu Ruyun sat in the car, waiting for He Shuangshuang who was outside making a call. Within minutes, Shuangshuang jogged back to the car and said, "Ruyun, got it. Building 13, Unit 209."

"Let's go."

Lu Ruyun uttered these three short words and retreated into the car's shadowy interior. In the darkness, her expression was hard to discern. Once He Shuangshuang got in, she finally couldn't hold back and blurted out the questions she'd been wanting to ask: "Hold on, when exactly did you two meet each other's parents? And you went to her house? How come I didn't know about any of this? Also..."

A torrent of questions poured out. Lu Ruyun turned to look at her in the dark. Her eyes were clear and bright, her voice soft as she interrupted He Shuangshuang's monologue. "Enough."

He Shuangshuang's long speech was abruptly cut off. Those two words from Lu Ruyun seemed to sever her vocal cords, making it impossible for her to utter another syllable.

She stifled her frustration, her voice muffled. "Fine."

Seeing her like this, Lu Ruyun spoke up. "Shuangshuang, you know I don't like explaining things much."

He Shuangshuang was silent for several seconds. It was only when the car reached Building 13 that she said, "Ruyun, tell me the truth. Are you still suspecting that I was the one who leaked the video last time?"

"In your heart, have I already become unreliable?"

Upon hearing her question, Lu Ruyun simply lowered her gaze. The car was pitch black, making her voice exceptionally clear. "Shuangshuang, I did suspect you. But I also chose to trust you."

"You said it wasn't you."

"I believed you."

After saying this, she got out of the car. In the backseat, He Shuangshuang stared blankly at her slender retreating figure. She only snapped out of it when that figure disappeared into the elevator entrance, and she made a move to get out.

Just as her body shifted, she heard the notification sound from her phone. She glanced at it. A message from Lu Ruyun: Wait for me downstairs.

He Shuangshuang's finger hovered over the screen, paused for a moment, then typed: Okay.

When Lu Ruyun rang the doorbell, Qin Zhenzhen was still soaking in the bath. She had even dozed off leaning against the tub's edge. The sound of the doorbell startled her awake, jolting her into full consciousness.

The water had turned cold. She sneezed twice in quick succession before climbing out of the tub. She gave herself a quick rinse to wash off the suds, then wrapped herself in a bathrobe and emerged from the bathroom.

"Who is it?"

Qin Zhenzhen stood at the door and peered through the peephole to see Lu Ruyun standing outside.

She instinctively frowned and opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

Hearing her voice, Lu Ruyun unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. Actually, before coming, she had been worried. Qin Zhenzhen hadn't been in touch for so long—could it be because of the time they spent together at noon? Was she afraid of some 'side effect' from the incident?

That's why she had been somewhat irritable the whole way here, even lacking the mood to explain to Shuangshuang why she was going to Qin Zhenzhen's place.

Seeing her just standing there staring without speaking, Qin Zhenzhen's brows knitted even tighter. "What is it?"

Lu Ruyun held up her phone. "I called you. Why didn't you answer?"

Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly turned to look at her phone on the coffee table, then explained with chagrin, "I had it on silent. I was just taking a bath."

Lu Ruyun gave a slight nod. Seeing this, Qin Zhenzhen simply opened the door wider. "Come in."

She had just finished bathing, having soaked for a long time. The fragrance on her body was more pronounced than usual. Her long hair was still damp, her pretty face makeup-free, her skin as tender and smooth as a freshly peeled egg, flawless and fair.

Qin Zhenzhen walked to the coffee table and picked up her phone to check. Besides Lu Ruyun's missed calls, there were also some from her mom.

Her mother had called her this afternoon. They had been chatting just fine initially, but somehow the conversation turned to her marriage. Her mom was already unhappy about her hiding the marriage, and then was provoked by her indifferent attitude. They ended up bickering.

Normally, a little bickering wouldn't be a big deal. But it was precisely because of the marriage issue. After thinking it over, Qin Zhenzhen still felt she was in the wrong and wanted to make amends. Just then, filming started, so she said she'd call back in the evening.

But when it ended, she heard that news from Meng Xin. Her mind was in turmoil, and she completely forgot about calling back.

She guessed her mom had been waiting for her call, didn't get it, and coupled with their afternoon argument, had grown anxious and called Lu Ruyun instead.

Having sorted out the cause and effect, Qin Zhenzhen said to Lu Ruyun, "Sorry for making you worry and come all this way."

Lu Ruyun, sitting on the other side of the sofa, looked at her and replied, "It's fine."

Seeing her just sitting there, Qin Zhenzhen got up and poured a cup of tea for Lu Ruyun. Just as she returned to the sofa, she saw her phone screen light up with a WeChat video call from her mom. She quickly accepted.

Having worried all afternoon, Yin Lanfang started talking the moment the video connected. "Qin Zhenzhen! What were you doing? Do you have to worry me to death to be happy?"

Qin Zhenzhen shrank her shoulders sheepishly. "No, I just had something to do earlier."

Yin Lanfang's anger hadn't subsided. "Something to do? Couldn't you have called me back? Do you know how many times I called? Don't you know I was worried? Do you know how anxious I was when I couldn't reach you? You—"

As she spoke, her voice choked up.

They had argued fiercely that afternoon over Qin Zhenzhen's marriage. In the heat of the moment, she had said some harsh things. She originally intended to wait for Qin Zhenzhen's call in the evening to have a proper talk.

But she couldn't get through.

That's when she panicked.

Seeing her reddened eyes, Qin Zhenzhen felt terrible too. She bit her lip. Lu Ruyun chose that moment to sit beside her, taking the phone from her hand. "Mom, it's me."

Yin Lanfang quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Oh, it's Ruyun. You're home?"

Lu Ruyun hummed in affirmation, glancing at Qin Zhenzhen. She explained, "Zhenzhen was just taking a bath and left her phone outside. She accidentally left it on silent. She's always been a bit careless, it wasn't on purpose. Please don't hold it against her."

Yin Lanfang looked at Lu Ruyun's jade-like features and elegant manner of speaking, and sighed. "Forget it, then."

Seeing her like this, Qin Zhenzhen grew anxious. She quickly took the phone back from Lu Ruyun and pleaded, "Mom, don't 'forget it.' Hold it against me. You can hold it against me all you want."

"Don't be angry. I know I was wrong."

She was practically on the verge of pinching her own ears. Lu Ruyun looked at her sideways, remembering what she had said to Zhu Yao in the bathroom—that haughty attitude was completely different from now.

At this moment, she was like a big, lazy cat that only knew how to act spoiled, wagging its tail at the phone with a pitiful expression.

The image amused Lu Ruyun. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upward, a hint of delight even reaching her brows. Yin Lanfang, seeing the two of them together on the screen, finally couldn't keep her stern face anymore. She said, "Alright, alright. If there's a next time, watch your hide!"

Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly tried to please her. "There won't be! I swear!"

She was sitting close to Lu Ruyun. As she raised her hand, her fingers passed through Lu Ruyun's loosely hanging long hair. Unaware, she even picked up a small strand and idly played with it. "Mom, don't be mad."

Lu Ruyun turned to look at her fingers, her expression softening slightly.

Seeing the incredibly harmonious pair on the screen, Yin Lanfang could only let out a pretend huff. "Alright, it's getting late. You two should rest soon too."

Qin Zhenzhen nodded vigorously. "Okay."

Yin Lanfang thought for a moment and added, "We're not by your side. You two should take good care of each other. Ru... Ruyun, Zhenzhen does have quite a few minor flaws. Her temper isn't great either, and she's stubborn. Please be patient with her."

A faint smile graced Lu Ruyun's jade-like face as she addressed the screen. "I will."

Yin Lanfang seemed to have more to say but ultimately didn't. She just bid Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun goodbye and ended the video call.

The screen went black after the call ended, reflecting her and Lu Ruyun in its surface. Her hand was still holding the very ends of Lu Ruyun's hair, swaying them back and forth. She froze, quickly letting go of the hair. "Sorry."

Lu Ruyun smoothed her hair. "It's fine."

The two sat awkwardly on the sofa. Qin Zhenzhen deliberately put some distance between them. Noticing the cup in front of Lu Ruyun was empty, she stood up. "Let me get you another cup."

Lu Ruyun grasped her wrist. "No need."

Qin Zhenzhen's wrist was slender. The air conditioning in the living room was strong, making her hand somewhat cool. In contrast, Lu Ruyun's palm felt much warmer.

The living room was quiet. They held this position for several seconds before Lu Ruyun withdrew her hand with a smile. "Well then, since everything's fine, I'll be going now."

Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Alright."

She saw Lu Ruyun to the door. After a moment's thought, she still said, "Thank you again for today."

Lu Ruyun stood at the doorway, meeting her clear, bright eyes. "Are you referring to noon, or just now?"

Qin Zhenzhen hesitated for a few seconds. "Whether it was noon or tonight, I should thank you."

Lu Ruyun nodded. "Alright. No need for thanks. If you're truly sincere, how about treating me to a meal tomorrow?"

Qin Zhenzhen was taken aback. "A meal?"

A gentle smile spread across Lu Ruyun's delicate features, softening her expression. Before she could speak, Qin Zhenzhen's voice rang out again. "Forget about the meal. Teacher Lu is usually so busy. It's better not to waste time having a meal with me."

Lu Ruyun's smile froze. She looked at Qin Zhenzhen. Her gaze was still clear and bright, her face wearing a smile. But within that smile, there was a touch of unfamiliarity that hadn't been there before.

She had just called her... Teacher Lu.

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