Married in a Daze - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Hurry up and kiss me already!"

Qin Zhenzhen's gritted words sounded in her ear. Lu Ruyun snapped out of her slight daze and looked into her bright eyes. Whether it was due to being in character or genuine emotion, those eyes were brimming with tenderness.

A warm current seemed to pour over Lu Ruyun's heart, heating her up and making the rims of her eyes slightly red. The jumble of memories from before was sealed away. In this moment, all she saw was the person before her and those captivating, beautiful eyes.

Her clenched hands unconsciously relaxed a little.

Seeing her hesitate, Qin Zhenzhen guessed this take would definitely not pass. She turned away helplessly, but her arm was caught by Lu Ruyun, her waist was pulled close, and Lu Ruyun's red lips descended upon hers in a sudden kiss.

Qin Zhenzhen froze.

She blinked in disbelief a couple of times, her heart thumping wildly as if trying to leap out, forgetting even to breathe. Right before her eyes was Lu Ruyun's face, so close, her long lashes, tightly closed eyes, skin so fine you couldn't see pores, a faint, elusive fragrance beneath her nose, the softness on her lips.

She was just stupidly held like that, completely forgetting to react!

Instantly, cheers erupted around them: "Woo-hoo!!!"

"Amazing!"

"A perfect match! Even better than the movie!"

"Are these two goddesses? How can they look so beautiful standing together?"

Scattered voices came from all directions. Qin Zhenzhen regained her senses and hurriedly pushed Lu Ruyun away. Her cheeks were flushed crimson, her eyes misty, her heartbeat utterly uncontrollable.

Not far away, Shen Haitang walked over with a smile. "OK, that was a great success!"

"Excellent acting from both of you!"

"Thank you both for bringing us a different kind of Reunion."

After speaking, she led the applause. Seeing this, Qin Zhenzhen felt she couldn't spoil the mood and forced out a dry laugh, though the blush on her face hadn't faded, showing a hint of shyness. Lu Ruyun glanced at her unintentionally before looking away.

After the wish-making segment came the punishment round.

The loser was Hu Jing, and the one to be punished was also him. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult—just randomly selecting one fellow contestant on the spot and confessing to them. After the classic segment with Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun just now, no one paid much attention to this punishment.

Qin Zhenzhen was the same; her mind was still in a daze.

It wasn't that she had never acted in intimate scenes before, but most were done with camera angles or body doubles. When it absolutely had to be real, she would prepare thoroughly in advance. For the scene with Lu Ruyun just now, she had indeed been prepared.

She just hadn't expected Lu Ruyun to disrupt the plan.

Not kissing when she was supposed to.

Kissing when she wasn't supposed to...

Qin Zhenzhen gritted her teeth; her lips seemed to still carry that soft, yielding sensation. She couldn't help but sneak a glance at Lu Ruyun from the corner of her eye, seeing her expression remained as calm and detached as ever.

This supremely indifferent, otherworldly demeanor inexplicably annoyed her a little.

Qin Zhenzhen's random thoughts were interrupted by everyone's laughter. She saw Hu Jing being surrounded, holding a slip of paper in his hand. This must be the person he had drawn to confess to.

Following the sounds of everyone's teasing laughter, she looked over. Hu Jing's face was beet red as he looked at the slip of paper in his hand, at a loss.

"Can I change someone?"

Hu Jing's weak voice was barely audible amidst the laughter and noise, but Shen Haitang still refused righteously. "No, you must confess."

As soon as she finished speaking, the others laughed again. Hu Jing looked awkwardly at the name on the slip of paper in his hand.

Ding Yichuan.

He looked at Ding Yichuan, who was also mingling with the crowd, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up.

Qin Zhenzhen, confused, walked over to them and asked, "What's going on?"

Standing beside her was Fu Cheng, who laughed while saying, "Zhen, Zhenzhen, you don't know yet, do you? Hu Jing is about to confess."

Qin Zhenzhen frowned. "What's so funny about confessing?"

Fu Cheng, seeing her confused look, whispered, "Come closer."

Qin Zhenzhen leaned in a bit, lowering her head to listen. She hadn't watched the revamped version of Star Showdown, so she didn't know this segment's love letters were specially made. The love letter template was the same for every episode. Not only did it start with a princess carry, but the confession lines were also very spicy.

After hearing Fu Cheng's explanation, she understood and looked somewhat sympathetically at Hu Jing in the distance. Confession wasn't scary; the awkwardness lay in who was carrying whom.

At this moment, she felt immensely relieved she wasn't the loser. What if she had drawn Lu Ruyun again...

Thinking of this, she glanced sideways at Lu Ruyun not far away, seeing her frowning slightly while looking at her. Qin Zhenzhen instinctively straightened her posture, smoothed her long hair, and continued watching the commotion ahead as if nothing had happened.

Shen Haitang was still smoothing things over. "Alright, alright, it's getting late. We still have lunch later. Hu Jing, are you ready?"

Hu Jing's face flushed red, looking quite embarrassed as he nodded, gazing at Ding Yichuan with a look of grim determination.

Ding Yichuan was still laughing, but being stared at like that made his hair stand on end. He waved his hands. "Don't look at me like that, it's scary."

After saying that, he started laughing again. The others also joined in the teasing and egged him on. Hu Jing took three deep breaths and, before Ding Yichuan could react, stepped forward and gave him a princess carry!

Everyone was stunned.

Even Shen Haitang froze for a moment. Fortunately, the staff was always prepared, and the cameras were fixed on them. She just paused briefly before handing over the love letter cue card, smiling. "Read it."

This was Ding Yichuan's first time being princess-carried, and he felt extremely uncomfortable. His earlier joking mood instantly sobered, just hoping it would end soon.

Hu Jing stared at the cue card, hesitating several times before saying, "I can't read it out."

Ding Yichuan looked up at him. "Just read it! If you really can't, imagine I'm someone you like..."

Imagine I'm someone you like.

Someone you like.

A figure suddenly flashed through Hu Jing's mind. Startled, his hands shook. Before Ding Yichuan could finish his sentence, his butt hit the ground, making him grimace in pain!

People immediately rushed over from all sides. "Are you okay?"

"Hu Jing, what's wrong?"

Hu Jing snapped out of his daze and quickly bowed his head. "Sorry, sorry."

Qin Zhenzhen approached, seeing the fallen Ding Yichuan, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Ding Yichuan smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Luckily, it was a running track; the fall wasn't too painful. Seeing everyone looking at Hu Jing, Qin Zhenzhen explained, "Hu Jing gets carsick. He wasn't feeling well during the earlier activities. Maybe he's still not feeling right now."

"Now that you mention it, as soon as he got to the apartment earlier, he rushed into the bathroom to throw up."

"I wondered why he dashed into the bathroom."

Ding Yichuan stood up, grimacing.

Shen Haitang breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Hu Jing. "Why didn't you say something?"

Hu Jing glanced at Qin Zhenzhen upon hearing this, his starry eyes dimming. "I'm sorry, I thought I could hold on."

Shen Haitang smoothed things over. "Alright then, let's end the morning activities here for now. Everyone go back for lunch and regroup here at two-thirty."

"Hu Jing, if you still feel unwell after resting, you must tell me."

Hu Jing smiled bashfully and nodded.

Everyone dispersed.

Qin Zhenzhen naturally followed Lu Ruyun back to the apartment.

The three guys shared one apartment.

Fu Cheng and Shen Haitang were together.

The other staff had separate arrangements.

Qin Zhenzhen walked beside Lu Ruyun. To avoid awkwardness, she took out her phone and logged onto Weibo.

The preview for her and Lu Ruyun appearing on Star Showdown had been released. The show's official Weibo was bombarded, with many of her and Lu Ruyun's fans checking in.

—Ahhh, looking forward to Star Showdown!

—Zhenzhen and Cloud Fairy are going together? I heard some of this show's punishment segments are pretty extreme!

—Punishments are nothing! Let me tell you, the bonus scenes are the main event! I'm so looking forward to this episode's bonus segment. Do you think it'll be Zhenzhen and Cloud Fairy's daily life?

—All of you, step aside. I'm claiming my goddess Zhen! Just want to admire my goddess's stunning beauty. My goddess hasn't been on a show in so long.

—Me too, just want to admire.

—Tsk, isn't it nice for Qin Zhenzhen to just appear on shows and be an eye candy? Why bother acting in TV dramas without any real acting skills, wasting resources? Might as well just stick to variety shows from now on.

—Get lost, upstairs!

Qin Zhenzhen's bright eyes dimmed slightly upon seeing this comment.

In fact, when she accepted Time in Full Bloom, she had been preparing to change her image. After three consecutive years of idol dramas, even if her fans weren't tired of it, she was getting tired herself. The naive, sweet persona had followed her for three years; it was time for a change.

She wasn't Lu Ruyun.

Even if Lu Ruyun didn't make movies, even if she hadn't won major awards, even if she didn't change her image, her position in the hearts of fans and netizens was unshakable.

Not just because of her role as the Hundred Blossom Immortal, but also because of classics and nostalgia.

She was destined not to be forgotten by the public.

But Qin Zhenzhen was different.

She was coasting on her youthful appeal, acting in idol dramas. She hadn't pioneered any new trends nor created anything classic. One could say that twenty years from now, TV stations might still air the Hundred Blossom Immortal, but they definitely wouldn't air the idol dramas she starred in.

Because—they'd be outdated.

That was the brutal part.

Although she seemed to have high popularity now, countless fans, and Weibo traffic several times that of Lu Ruyun, in a few years, Lu Ruyun would still be that Lu Ruyun, while she would no longer be her former self.

So changing her image was necessary.

But she never expected her first attempt at changing her image to fail so miserably, encountering a downward slide.

Thinking of this, Qin Zhenzhen's mood sank a little. Following Lu Ruyun into the apartment, she silently headed towards her room. Noticing her movement, Lu Ruyun asked, "Where are you going?"

Qin Zhenzhen replied without looking up. "Taking a nap."

Lu Ruyun frowned. "Not eating lunch?"

Qin Zhenzhen stood still for a few seconds. "You go ahead and cook. I'll make some noodles later."

After saying that, she went into her room by herself. Lu Ruyun stood behind her, her bright eyes deep and unfathomable.

Was she angry?

Angry that she hadn't acted properly earlier?

Lu Ruyun couldn't quite grasp Qin Zhenzhen's thoughts. Standing at the bedroom door, she raised her hand to knock, but thinking of Qin Zhenzhen's indifferent expression just now, she curled her fingers back.

Lunch was made using ingredients from the refrigerator.

There was quite a variety—several types of vegetables and meats. Lu Ruyun casually selected a few. Not knowing Qin Zhenzhen's taste preferences, she simply made a few homestyle dishes.

Inside the room, Qin Zhenzhen lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. After the earlier exercise, she was already sweaty. She simply grabbed her pajamas and headed for the bathroom.

Upon opening the door, she heard the sizzling sound of stir-frying. She paused and looked towards the kitchen, seeing Lu Ruyun in her tracksuit busying herself in the kitchen.

Lu Ruyun deftly chopped vegetables, washed them, beat eggs, and added them to the hot oil. Her long hair was pinned up, her figure slender, her arms appearing almost translucent under the sunlight.

Qin Zhenzhen just stood there holding her pajamas, the familiar aroma wafting to her nose. It had been a long time since she'd eaten homestyle cooking. Ji Lu, like her, couldn't cook. When they were together, it was either takeout or KFC and burgers. Her kitchen was just for show, only useful for cooking noodles when she was starving.

So, smelling this familiar scent, Qin Zhenzhen found it hard to move.

She never usually thought homestyle cooking was anything special, but now, watching Lu Ruyun busy at work and smelling that familiar fragrance, it evoked many warm memories.

Lu Ruyun in the kitchen finished one dish. Just as she was carrying it out, she saw Qin Zhenzhen standing there, still holding her pajamas. There was an inexplicable emotion in her bright eyes as she asked, "Want to join?"

Qin Zhenzhen, holding her pajamas, coughed lightly. "No, it's fine."

After saying that, she lowered her head and entered the bathroom.

Lu Ruyun stood behind her for a moment before returning to the kitchen.

By the time Qin Zhenzhen came out, there were already four dishes, one soup, and two bowls of steaming white rice on the dining table, looking enticing with their appetizing colors and aromas.

Lu Ruyun came out after washing her hands in the kitchen, her expression normal as she said to Qin Zhenzhen, "Come eat."

Looking at the dishes before her and smelling the tempting aroma, Qin Zhenzhen swallowed and swallowed her words of refusal.

The dining table was round and not too big, with a pink floral tablecloth that was very girly. After Qin Zhenzhen sat down, Lu Ruyun handed her a pair of chopsticks. She lowered her head. "Thank you."

"How about we divide the labor? I'll cook dinner."

Lu Ruyun glanced up at her, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. "Alright."

Hearing her reply, Qin Zhenzhen bit her tongue. "But I only know how to make noodles."

Lu Ruyun didn't speak, giving a light, airy laugh. She cast a fleeting glance at Qin Zhenzhen. It seemed having another person in the room wasn't as difficult to endure as she had imagined.

Was it because this person was Qin Zhenzhen?

Lu Ruyun lowered her eyes, concealing her complex emotions. After taking a bite of rice and chewing slowly, she said, "About today... I'm sorry."

Qin Zhenzhen was busy shoveling rice into her mouth. Hearing Lu Ruyun's voice, a grain of rice went down the wrong way in her throat. She hurriedly coughed, her cheeks already flushed from the hot bath, now turning even redder from the coughing, her eyes also becoming watery and bright.

Lu Ruyun moved a bit closer, patting her back gently. "Want some water?"

Qin Zhenzhen quickly waved her hands. "No need, no need."

She instinctively moved aside a little, avoiding Lu Ruyun's hand, lowering her head as if casually saying, "Teacher Lu doesn't need to apologize. It was acting after all. Good or bad performances are both possible. I understand."

Teacher Lu.

Even though the two were already so close, why was she still calling her Teacher Lu?

Lu Ruyun put down her chopsticks, looking seriously at Qin Zhenzhen, and said, "What if it wasn't because of acting?"

Qin Zhenzhen's expression froze. She looked up, meeting Lu Ruyun's serious gaze. Her unpainted lips looked very pink, opening and closing. "Not because of acting?"

Could it be for revenge?

Had this woman now reached the point where, for revenge, she not only sold her charm but also sold her body?!

Utterly unscrupulous!

No, wait. Qin Zhenzhen then thought, even if it was for revenge, she wouldn't lay her cards on the table like this. She must be planning to play a different card now.

Lu Ruyun had no idea about the mental gymnastics going on in her mind. Maintaining a sincere posture, her serious eyes looked at Qin Zhenzhen as she said, "Of course it wasn't because of acting, Zhenzhen. I just wanted to get closer to you."

Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen clicked her tongue inwardly. So she guessed right—playing the emotional card. Her bright eyes shifted slightly, and she lowered her head with a smile. "Teacher Lu means... you like me?"

Lu Ruyun thought for a few seconds upon hearing this and shook her head. "Not yet."

The feigned coy and shy look on Qin Zhenzhen's face cracked. What the heck? Shouldn't Lu Ruyun be expressing her loyalty now? Shouldn't she be following up with a confession?

What did 'not yet' mean?

Was she trying to play hard to get?

Well done, Lu Ruyun! To get revenge, she's cycling through all the Thirty-Six Stratagems!

Seeing Qin Zhenzhen silent, Lu Ruyun continued. "Zhenzhen, I don't deny having favorable feelings towards you, but..."

Before she could finish, her words were interrupted by a phone ringtone. Qin Zhenzhen wasn't sitting too close, but she could still glimpse the name on the screen.

It was the same person whose call she hadn't answered last time.

Ms. Lu.

Lu Ruyun saw it too. The warmth in her eyes suddenly cooled several degrees. Though her expression didn't change much, the chill in her eyes was palpable. She said to Qin Zhenzhen, "Sorry, I need to take this call."

Qin Zhenzhen nodded, watching as Lu Ruyun picked up her phone and went outside.

Through the window, she could see Lu Ruyun outside under the blazing sun, her expression cold as she took the call.

Qin Zhenzhen glanced and looked away, continuing to tackle the homestyle dishes before her. When Lu Ruyun came back in, they'd probably have another 'deep exchange', so she needed to eat her fill for strength.

But even after she ate until her belly was full, Lu Ruyun still hadn't returned. Helpless, she sat on the stool. After a quarter of an hour, unable to resist the sandman's call, she decided to go back to her room for a nap.

By the time Lu Ruyun returned to the room, Qin Zhenzhen was already back in her room. The food had long gone cold. Expressionless, she dumped all the food on the table into the trash bin without batting an eye, then returned to the room next to the master bedroom.

Her face was slightly pale.

The afternoon gathering was at the same spot. When Ding Yichuan and the other two guys arrived, they saw Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun already standing there. Hu Jing walked over with a faint smile, nodding in greeting to Qin Zhenzhen.

The others called out, "Teacher Lu."

Lu Ruyun responded with a cool "Mm."

Shen Haitang and Fu Cheng arrived together. Behind them, staff pushed several folding bicycles. Ding Yichuan took two steps forward, standing before the bicycles. "Teacher Shen, are we riding bikes this afternoon?"

"Not just that."

As she spoke, she took out several shuttlecocks from a bag.

"This round is shuttlecock kicking first. After fifty kicks, ride the bike four laps around here, then come back and kick another fifty shuttlecocks. The first one to complete the course gets the show's mysterious grand prize package!"

Mystery gift pack. Based on past episodes, these were usually sponsor gifts.

Though the monetary value might not be high, it was a form of honor, so everyone started gearing up.

Qin Zhenzhen had Hu Jing on her left and Lu Ruyun on her right. She stared at Lu Ruyun for a few seconds, her eyes filled with some confusion.

Ever since Lu Ruyun took that phone call, her attitude towards her seemed to have changed subtly. Exactly how, she couldn't pinpoint, but it felt much cooler.

She spoke less too.

After her nap, she thought Lu Ruyun would resume their earlier topic. Who knew the woman would just sit on the sofa and casually say it was time to gather.

"Beep—"

Amidst her wandering thoughts, Shen Haitang blew her whistle. Instantly, all six people on the field sprang into action. Qin Zhenzhen hadn't kicked a shuttlecock in ages. As soon as she lifted her foot, the shuttlecock flew far away. Annoyed, she went to retrieve it. Turning back, she saw others weren't faring much better.

Everyone was in similar postures, shuttlecocks flying everywhere.

The shuttlecocks Shen Haitang handed out were all identical, without color distinction, so mix-ups often happened. Each person had a staff member beside them keeping count.

When Qin Zhenzhen finally managed to kick thirty times, her foot twitched and the shuttlecock flew out. She reached out to catch it but missed; the shuttlecock had already flown to another side.

The battlefield of six people was chaotic. Everyone was kicking haphazardly. As Qin Zhenzhen went to retrieve her shuttlecock, she kept bumping into others' flying shuttlecocks, stifling a laugh and throwing them back.

As she bent down to pick up her own shuttlecock, someone else beside her also bent down sideways to pick up the one next to hers. Qin Zhenzhen smelled the familiar fragrance; without turning her head, she knew it must be Lu Ruyun.

Sure enough, when they both stood up with their shuttlecocks, Qin Zhenzhen saw Lu Ruyun standing beside her. Before she could say anything, she heard Fu Cheng's voice: "Zhenzhen, careful!"

Qin Zhenzhen reacted quickly, turning her head to see a shuttlecock flying towards them!

Instinctively, she wanted to dodge, but her body couldn't keep up with her brain, and she just stood there dumbfounded. Lu Ruyun quickly pulled her into her embrace. Qin Zhenzhen's head bumped dazedly against her, her chin resting on Lu Ruyun's shoulder. With a slight turn of her head, she could smell the fragrance at her neck.

Her heart started thumping wildly again.

"Are you okay?"

"Teacher Lu, are you okay?"

A few seconds later, several people had already gathered around them. Lu Ruyun released Qin Zhenzhen, looking at a red mark that had appeared on the back of her hand, and shook her head. "I'm fine."

The skin on the back of her hand was pale, making the red mark particularly noticeable. Qin Zhenzhen obviously saw it too. She grabbed Lu Ruyun's hand. "Did you get hit just now?"

Lu Ruyun, seeing her anxious expression, withdrew her hand. "It's nothing."

Fu Cheng felt especially guilty. "I'm so sorry, Teacher Lu, I didn't mean to."

Lu Ruyun said graciously, "It's alright. Let's continue, everyone."

Shen Haitang walked over to her. "Are you sure you don't need to apply some ointment?"

Lu Ruyun shook her head. "No need, I'll just rub it. I'm not that delicate."

As she spoke, she raised the shuttlecock in her hand. "Let's continue."

Because of Fu Cheng's accident, Shen Haitang expanded everyone's play area. People weren't as reckless as before and became much more orderly. Many even kept glancing at Lu Ruyun. Qin Zhenzhen was also very worried. In that instant when the shuttlecock flew over, she had felt hands placed on her head.

Probably Lu Ruyun's, right? Her emotions were momentarily complicated. She walked over to Lu Ruyun and asked, "Are you really okay?"

Lu Ruyun gave her a faint smile. "I'm fine. As long as you're okay."

Qin Zhenzhen: "..."

She discovered that her heart, which had just stabilized, was starting to uncontrollably skip beats again.

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