Married in a Daze - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Zhang Yiyao sensed something was off the moment she stepped into the apartment. Her gentle expression shifted slightly. She quickened her pace, set down her bag, and stood beside He Shuangshuang. "What's wrong?"
He Shuangshuang forced a smile upon seeing her. "It's nothing, Yaoyao."
Zhang Yiyao turned to look at Lu Ruyun, who wore a gloomy expression. He Shuangshuang's face was flushed red. The two stood and sat respectively, locked in a tense standoff.
"Are you fighting?"
Zhang Yiyao wrapped an arm around one of He Shuangshuang's arms. "Alright now, what are you getting so angry at Ruyun for? Don't you know she's terrible with words?"
He Shuangshuang's face remained cold. "I'm not angry with her."
Zhang Yiyao took her bag off her shoulder, set it aside, and pulled her down onto the sofa with a light laugh. "Do you really think you can hide it from me?"
"Tell me, what's going on?"
He Shuangshuang's anger subsided a little under her soothing tone, but her face was still stony, her voice rigid. "What else could it be? She doesn't need us friends anymore. She can suspect us however she pleases."
Lu Ruyun looked up at her words, her expression still tense. "Shuangshuang, I'm not 'suspecting however I please'."
He Shuangshuang exploded the moment she spoke. "Not 'however you please'? So you mean it must be me who did it?"
Lu Ruyun: "Shuangshuang!"
Seeing they were about to argue again, Zhang Yiyao hurriedly spoke. "Alright, alright! Can't we talk about this calmly? Will fighting solve anything?"
"Ruyun, what exactly happened?"
Lu Ruyun glanced at He Shuangshuang, pressed her lips into a thin line, and handed the tablet to Zhang Yiyao.
The apartment fell silent, only the faint sound from the computer audible. Zhang Yiyao watched the video three or four times before frowning. "Isn't this the video of you and Qin Zhenzhen from that day?"
Lu Ruyun gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
Zhang Yiyao's brows drew together in confusion. "Then what does it have to do with Shuangshuang?"
Lu Ruyun glanced at He Shuangshuang. "This is the video that leaked online this morning."
Zhang Yiyao's delicate eyebrows knit even tighter. She watched the video twice more. "You suspect Shuangshuang leaked it?"
Lu Ruyun pressed her lips together, silent. He Shuangshuang's eyes reddened, glistening with unshed tears. She gritted her teeth. "No need to suspect! Just admit it was me!"
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Zhang Yiyao's voice rose, her smile gone. She looked at Lu Ruyun. "You're suspecting Shuangshuang because of this? Ruyun, Shuangshuang has known us for so many years. Don't you know her character? Would she do something like this?"
"Besides, that was in a hotel. There were so many people coming and going. Couldn't it just have been paparazzi who filmed it..."
Lu Ruyun's light voice cut her off. "It wasn't paparazzi."
Because this video clip was taken from the original video she had obtained. If she hadn't had it verified by professionals, she wouldn't have confronted He Shuangshuang like this.
She believed in her integrity, but she also knew the extent of Shuangshuang's dislike for Qin Zhenzhen. So if she had acted rashly in a moment of anger and used the wrong method, it wasn't something Lu Ruyun couldn't understand.
But she didn't like being kept in the dark.
Seeing her stubborn insistence that it was her, He Shuangshuang gritted her teeth. "Fine. I admit it was me. Satisfied? Do I need to submit my resignation letter? Or help you find another manager? I'm clearly not up to the task anyway."
She stood up, ready to leave, even forgetting her bag. Zhang Yiyao immediately stood up too, exclaiming, "Enough!"
"Have you two had your fill of this nonsense?"
"Fighting like this over an outsider, is this appropriate?"
Her pronunciation of the word "outsider" was clear and sharp, somewhat grating.
He Shuangshuang let out a derisive laugh. "Outsider? She's not an outsider now. She's Mrs. Lu."
Lu Ruyun's lips pressed into a tight line, her jaw clenched. A frost settled over her lovely face as she spoke with an undeniable chill. "He Shuangshuang!"
He Shuangshuang flinched slightly under her reprimand, her lips trembling.
Seeing the situation, Zhang Yiyao stepped between them. "Alright, stop arguing. Shuangshuang, say less. Ruyun, you too. Are you so certain it was Shuangshuang? How can you be sure the hotel security didn't make a backup when you went to retrieve the video that day?"
"And even if it was Shuangshuang, so what? You've been getting dragged down with Qin Zhenzhen for so long, can't you even fight back a little?"
"Wasn't she just doing it for your own good?"
He Shuangshuang's nose tingled with sourness, her voice hoarse. "Yaoyao..."
Zhang Yiyao patted her back. "There, there. Consider this my apology on Ruyun's behalf. Don't be angry."
Hearing this, He Shuangshuang's tone softened slightly. "It's not your fault."
Zhang Yiyao's voice was crisp. "How is it not? In every way, Ruyun is in the wrong here! Accusing you without evidence aside, even if you did do it, it was for her own good! And she still has the nerve to fight with you! Not just you, even I feel chilled!"
"Ruyun, am I right or not?"
Lu Ruyun's face remained taut, silent.
He Shuangshuang's expression darkened. "Alright, I'm fine. I was impulsive just now too. I shouldn't have argued with her."
She had been troubled by family matters these past two days. Upon hearing Lu Ruyun's single question, she had bristled. Even knowing the other wasn't being malicious, in her agitation, she had still used the harshest attitude.
Zhang Yiyao sighed in relief upon hearing this. "Good. Lay things out clearly when you talk. What good comes from arguing? It only gives outsiders something to laugh about."
After saying this, she looked at Lu Ruyun, feigning annoyance. "And you! Still so blunt. You know Shuangshuang is quick to anger, yet you still talk like that. How many times have I told you, and you never learn! Do you admit you were wrong now?"
Her words held a hint of reproach, but her tone was immensely affectionate, her gaze towards Lu Ruyun carrying hidden tenderness.
Lu Ruyun shed the frost on her face, her voice softening. "I know."
Zhang Yiyao: "How about this? Regarding investigating the video, I'll ask Qiuhan to help look into it."
Lu Ruyun shook her head. "No need to trouble Qiuhan."
In fact, before she gave the video to Qin Zhenzhen, she had already had someone look into it. The video originated from an IP address belonging to a company overseas—specifically, a company owned by He Shuangshuang's family.
This was another reason she suspected Shuangshuang.
But now...
Lu Ruyun looked at He Shuangshuang's slightly reddened eyes, thought of Zhang Yiyao's words, and said, "Let's just drop this matter. No one investigates any further."
He Shuangshuang swiftly looked up at Lu Ruyun, her expression complex.
Zhang Yiyao pulled her to sit down. "Alright, since we're not investigating, don't think about it anymore. Let's talk about something happier. Ruyun, you don't have any new dramas lined up next, right?"
Lu Ruyun was slightly taken aback. "Hmm? Something up?"
Zhang Yiyao smiled lightly. "It's not me. It's Qiuhan. He's thinking of investing in a movie, but he's short a female lead. He wanted to ask if you have availability."
She blinked. "I'll say upfront, the pay isn't that high—I'm pocketing it privately!"
Her joking tone relaxed Lu Ruyun's expression. She nodded. "Tell Qiuhan to contact Shuangshuang about it."
Zhang Yiyao turned her head. "Shuangshuang?"
"But Shuangshuang is still angry." As she spoke, she wiggled her ten fingers towards He Shuangshuang. "Let me cheer her up!"
He Shuangshuang hurriedly dodged backward. Zhang Yiyao pressed forward step by step. Before long, the sound of panting and pleas for mercy filled the apartment. Lu Ruyun watched the two laughing and playing at the other end of the sofa; the sternness between her brows faded greatly, replaced by softness.
Around nine in the evening, the peak time for internet traffic, people eating dinner didn't forget to hold onto their phones. After an afternoon of paralysis, Weibo gradually returned to normal, but netizens' eyes remained fixed on Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun.
Furthermore, discussion had extended from their marriage to other areas.
The "hitting" incident took the lead, still ranking first in the search charts. Under the deliberate guidance of many online influencers, this topic seemed poised to overshadow their marriage. The web was filled with curses against Qin Zhenzhen, all sorts of ugly insults. For a while, apart from Qin Zhenzhen's fans, truly no other bystanders were willing to speak up for her.
And regarding the hitting incident, even Qin Zhenzhen's fans didn't dare argue much, as the video was real. Thus, online opinion tilted overwhelmingly in one direction.
Meng Xin was constantly monitoring the online situation. Seeing this, she hurriedly called Qin Zhenzhen, asking, "When are you planning to release the video?"
Qin Zhenzhen reviewed the finished video again, pressing her lips together. "Now."
Meng Xin: "Do you need me to upload it for you?"
Qin Zhenzhen refused. "No need, I'll do it myself."
Besides, she still needed to inform Lu Ruyun.
After hanging up, she watched the video two more times. Confirming it was correct, she sent a message to Lu Ruyun: I'm planning to release the video now.
Several minutes passed with no response. Qin Zhenzhen glanced at the time, puzzled—it was only nine-thirty. Could she already be asleep?
Then she thought of Lu Ruyun's rather dull personality.
It was entirely possible.
Qin Zhenzhen pondered for a moment and still dialed her number. A busy tone answered, no one picking up.
Lu Ruyun had placed her phone on the coffee table, listening to the ringtone play again and again in silence. Not long after, the ringing stopped. She picked it up and looked; the screen still displayed the message Qin Zhenzhen had just sent.
—Video I'm preparing now announce.
For no reason, she gripped the phone tighter, her fingertips aching slightly.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. She glanced at the name—He Shuangshuang calling.
No need to guess, it was surely about Qin Zhenzhen releasing the video.
Suppressing the impulse to throw the phone, Lu Ruyun answered. "Hello."
He Shuangshuang's attitude on the other end was normal, as if the afternoon's argument hadn't affected her at all. She asked, "Ruyun, have you seen the video online?"
Lu Ruyun's palm involuntarily sweated, her heart constricting, her voice line unsteady. "No."
He Shuangshuang's voice, coming through the line, sounded somewhat distant. She called out, "Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun hummed in acknowledgment. He Shuangshuang continued, "Tell me, has Qin Zhenzhen been cursed or something?"
Lu Ruyun was dumbfounded. "What?"
She then hung up, logged into Weibo, and saw the ID tagging her. She clicked into the Weibo post and saw Qin Zhenzhen's message.
@TrulyZhen: Official debunking! Originally, for personal reasons, I wasn't too willing to release this video. But now someone has deliberately excerpted parts of the video to smear me, so, with my wife's permission, I'm releasing the full video. @Lu Ruyun.
Lu Ruyun opened the video. The beginning was identical; the excerpted video ended right at the part where Qin Zhenzhen raised her hand. In the full video, after Qin Zhenzhen raised her hand, she lost her balance, grabbed Lu Ruyun's gown, causing her chest to be exposed!
And in this video, Qin Zhenzhen had used a very small image of a pug to block the exposed area on Lu Ruyun's chest. The moment Qin Zhenzhen lunged forward, she coincidentally kissed the pug, and then—lowered her head and vomited.
—This is the full video! Where are the instigators? Come and take your beating!
—Official debunking! My goddess Zhenzhen didn't hit anyone!
—Don't you think it's weird? If she didn't hit anyone, why wait so long to debunk it?
—What's weird? Didn't you see the part in the video where Lu Ruyun's chest was blocked? A gown like that would definitely expose you if pulled. Goddess Zhenzhen is so thoughtful, actually using a doggie to block it there. Damn, that's the epitome of thoughtfulness!!!
—Goddess, I want to have your babies!
—I actually see a sense of adorable charm here. I'm done for.
—I'm the one who's done for. I actually feel like the screen is filled with pink bubbles!
—Uh, is that an 'aunty smile' on my face???
Lu Ruyun couldn't help but smile after watching the video. Lowering her gaze to the screen, she thought for a moment, then tapped the repost button. Reason for repost: If you get drunk again in the future, just go play kissy-face with the little doggie. @TrulyZhen: Official debunking! Originally, for personal reasons, I wasn't too willing to release this video. But now someone has deliberately excerpted parts of the video to smear me, so, with my wife's permission, I'm releasing the full video. @Lu Ruyun.
Not a few minutes after the repost, Weibo, which had just calmed down, exploded into chaos once again!
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