Shrine - Chapter 55
Chapter 55
The boiling water had gone completely cold.
Ruan Ruan, changed into a new nightdress, knelt on the bed, folding the clothes that had been cut. Her hand passed through the hole, Shi Ran's "en" still echoing in her ears—a voice damp with moisture. It was as if for every word released from her throat, she had to hook something back with the tip of her tongue. A blush crept over her earlobes again. Ruan Ruan unfolded the garment, then folded it again, trying to hide the damaged part.
"You're not throwing it away?" Shi Ran lay on her side, her hand resting on the pillow as she watched her.
"I've worn this outfit for a long time," Ruan Ruan said, feeling the texture of the pilled fabric. "It's incredibly comfortable. I wanted to buy another set later, but that online store had closed down."
Shi Ran looked slightly surprised. "I didn't know you liked it so much."
Ruan Ruan hadn't told her.
She took Ruan Ruan's wrist, gently pulling her down to lie beside her. Gazing into her delicate, translucent eyes, she asked, "Why didn't you say so?"
"You wanted to cut it."
"Just because I wanted to cut it, you didn't say anything?"
Their breaths intertwined by the pillows, one slightly cool, the other slightly warm. Though they had already bathed, Ruan Ruan still felt there was an alluring scent on Shi Ran's lips and tongue, like she was holding a faint trace of musk—an impure scent.
She was asking herself for the second time why she hadn't said anything. Ruan Ruan lowered her eyelids. "I didn't like it that much."
"Not as much as you like Shi Ran?" Shi Ran asked in a husky voice.
Ruan Ruan's breath caught, her heart pounding. She met Shi Ran's gaze and saw a rare aggressiveness and possessiveness within it.
Just like that, Shi Ran slowly used her gaze to pluck the strings of Ruan Ruan's heart—one, then two, making them hum and tremble.
"Shi Ran," Ruan Ruan called her name, her breath held.
She had been too busy recently to truly look at Shi Ran. Now, with their gazes locked, she realized the weight of her affection for her was growing heavier and heavier. She was beautiful, aloof, like a goddess who had swum ashore from the galaxy of the night sky. She was also cold yet gentle, elusive and irresistible. And when she taught her, she held nothing back, imparting everything she knew.
Ruan Ruan was twenty-six, not an age for a first crush, but even at thirty-six or forty-six, the Shi Ran before her could stir up a soul-stirring girlish heart.
"En."
"Shi Ran," she called her again in a whisper.
This time, Shi Ran didn't speak, only watched her with those eyes so treasured by the camera.
Ruan Ruan liked this slightly arrogant look on Shi Ran. She watched her, unblinking, and heard Shi Ran say, "You don't have to do everything I tell you to do. If it's cold, don't go to the garden. If you can't buy your favorite clothes anymore, don't let me cut them."
A glimmer flashed in Ruan Ruan's eyes. Her lashes trembled as she said softly, "I want to."
"Hm?"
"I'm trying to find a way," Ruan Ruan said in a whisper, "to make you keep liking me."
Her breath hitched. Shi Ran smiled. "So, were you really that cold just now?" The car had the heat on the whole way, yet she was still shivering when she got back.
"You guess."
Little Bread pursed her lips, her words sincere and soft.
She hadn't been that cold when she got home, but it had been truly cold in the garden. She was being so good; she had to find a way to let Shi Ran know.
Clearly, Shi Ran was happy to know. This was also an "open scheme," something Shi Ran had taught her. Even if Shi Ran suspected she wasn't that cold, she would still pour her a cup of hot water.
And then there were the parts Shi Ran hadn't taught her, the parts she improvised herself.
"Since you cut my clothes, can I make a request?" she asked softly.
Shi Ran watched her calmly, not speaking, which meant she would listen first before deciding.
The whites of Ruan Ruan's eyes were faintly red. She said, "I'm not good at taking off my clothes. Teach me."
A top-tier actor would design the most suitable actions for any given situation. For instance, Shi Ran captured Ruan Ruan's hand and taught her how to lift the hem, how to graze past the peaks, how to slip her hand inside the garment and place it on her own shoulder.
Then, to bring it out from the collar, cup Shi Ran's face, and kiss her in a daze of passion.
Her forearm pressed against softness, touching Shi Ran's heart across a thousand mountains and rivers.
Ruan Ruan discovered she understood Shi Ran a little more. She was smiling more often, and her smiles could be very happy, but she was still cold most of the time. When faced with things she didn't care about, when her heart was moved, when she was shy. After realizing this truth, Ruan Ruan couldn't help but recall all the times Shi Ran had been inexplicably cold to her, as if searching for lost evidence of a moved heart.
Cutting up clothes required compensation, and being eaten by Little Bread once was clearly not enough. There were many events at the end of the year, and Ruan Ruan needed more formal personal attire, but she had no time to go shopping. Shi Ran, however, opened her eyes to a new world.
She learned once again that there really is a wall between the world of the rich and that of ordinary people.
Before, Ruan Ruan's imagination of the wealthy class was limited to them clearing out a luxury store for a private shopping experience. But Shi Ran could have a luxury store open a small branch in her own home. Sales associates arrived in their living room with the latest season's collection and even brought brand-customized afternoon tea. Shi Ran and Ruan Ruan enjoyed the refreshments while listening to the sales associates' presentations.
At first, she thought it was just for show. Only later did she gradually realize that for the vast majority of extremely wealthy people, the most valuable thing they possessed was their time.
Therefore, if purchasing items was merely a necessity, they would choose the most time-efficient method. Of course, if they were in the mood for a leisurely stroll and shopping, that was another matter.
And someone with high-value time like Shi Ran had spent a great deal of her time and energy on Ruan Ruan. The thought made her a little distracted.
So happiness had a shape. It was gradually growing in Shi Ran's eyes.
At the end of December, the streets and alleys grew lively. Whether one's year had been good or bad, people always had some anticipation for the new year. For the entertainment industry, this anticipation was even greater. It was a chance for concentrated, high-intensity exposure and promotion. Red carpets of all kinds were rolled out, like a network of broad, open roads.
Every team with ambition and the right conditions to compete in the beauty arena hoped their artist would be the most dazzling one on the red carpet—or at the very least, the second most dazzling. That's why some media outlets called red carpet gowns "battle gowns."
Aside from international film festivals and fashion weeks, this was the time of year when styling studios could truly shine. It wasn't uncommon for them to borrow haute couture gowns from abroad months in advance.
Proposing concepts, doing makeup and styling trials, altering sizes, shooting promotional photos. Every step was executed with fluid grace. The artists, as if packaged in exquisite gift boxes, were chauffeured in sponsor-provided vehicles to the red carpet, then made their appearances one by one according to the organizer's schedule.
The Weibo Awards Ceremony was one of the most star-studded and highly anticipated events among them.
In stark contrast to the front where fans and media gathered, the backstage lounge was much more chaotic than one might imagine. Due to the large number of artists attending, most second and third-tier celebrities prepared in advance before taking a van to the red carpet entrance. The gorgeously dressed young women sat in a large lounge, their assistants standing by with clothes and phones, like a garden of vibrant, colorful flowers.
Some were old friends catching up, while others were new acquaintances exchanging WeChat contacts.
There were the social butterflies laughing boisterously, and the intensely career-focused ones still in a corner, going over their vlog scripts with their assistants. A few who had been waiting for a while were playing mahjong together online.
And Ruan Ruan sat quietly to the side, observing the thousand faces of the crowd.
Her appearance was scheduled relatively early, so she didn't have to wait long before Wu Mei ran over and said, "Let's go. They said we can head out."
Melodious music, brilliant lights, and a sea of media cameras on both sides. At the end of it all stood the poised and proper host.
The red carpet was new. Even after being walked on, it was as clean as if it had just been laid out. This meant that the soles of those who stepped on it were never stained with mud. They were public figures, held aloft by the gazes of millions. Backstage, they played mahjong; out front, they held the hems of their gowns.
The host's enthusiastic interviews and introductions boomed from the speakers. The celebrity ahead was signing and posing for photos, while the next one's van was parked by the roadside.
The car door opened, and an artist in a champagne-colored fishtail gown stepped out. The strapless design revealed her fair shoulders and slender arms. Her waist swayed gracefully, and the fabric's reflection was like gold and mist. Paired with classic side-swept long curls, she was graceful and exquisitely beautiful.
She linked arms with the person beside her, and when she smiled, the small mole right below her eye was full of life and charm.
The person next to her was half a head taller, with long, straight hair. Her outfit was unique: the top was a star-studded bustier, but the bottom was a pair of exquisitely tailored black trousers. Her features were free-spirited and noble, complementing her dashing and unconventional style.
Ruan Ruan, arm in arm with Zhong Yi, walked onto the red carpet with her eyes brimming with a smile.
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