Shrine - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Shi Ran and Ruan Ruan were sore all over. Not for the reason one might think, but because after they were done yesterday, neither of them could sleep. Ruan Ruan said she wanted to go bike riding, and that if she and Shi Ran wore masks and hats, they probably wouldn't be recognized.

So they weaved through the city's small alleys in the early morning. The storefronts were deserted, most of them closed, with only old-fashioned streetlights casting a lonely glow on the asphalt. Ruan Ruan led Shi Ran to the intersection of a service road and a main road, where there was a large 24-hour supermarket. Every day at 4:30 a.m., the night and day shifts would change over.

Then, the incoming day shift staff would do morning exercises in the courtyard in front of the supermarket, shouting slogans and raising what was probably the earliest flag in all of Shucheng.

Ruan Ruan, straddling her bicycle, watched the people exercising for a while with a very serious expression.

She didn't tell Shi Ran that whenever she got a particularly good opportunity, or something she cherished dearly, and felt a sense of unease, she would come into the city to watch people living their routine lives. They were all living, which by extension meant that Ruan Ruan was also living.

"This is nice," she said.

"Hm?" Shi Ran's gaze enveloped her.

"A stable and peaceful society, isn't that good?" Ruan Ruan smiled, pressing her lips together. Without lingering any longer, she headed back with Shi Ran.

She had spent the whole night letting the spinning bicycle wheels smooth out her heart, accepting the reality of her relationship with Shi Ran amidst the slumbering signs of everyday life.

The next day, the production team made a last-minute adjustment to the rundown, and Ruan Ruan had no scenes scheduled. She and Shi Ran stayed in the hotel, ate a little Black Forest cake, and then, as the sunlight danced, Ruan Ruan sat down at the dining table, opened a notebook, and asked Shi Ran with great solemnity, "Do you have any requirements for me as your girlfriend?"

After she spoke, little dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Shi Ran was reminded of when they had first made their "deal." Ruan Ruan had been just as serious then, sending her a message to ask what kind of finger cots Shi Ran preferred.

Her "proactive spirit" was truly… one-of-a-kind, and consistent from start to finish.

Shi Ran picked up a tall, slender glass of milk, took a sip, and thought for a moment. "Call me Wife."

"Wife?" Ruan Ruan furrowed her brow.

"Yes." Shi Ran's gaze gracefully landed on Ruan Ruan, her tone just as light.

Ruan Ruan pressed her lips together a bit awkwardly, a smile in her eyes. "That's so fast."

Her heart was thumping away. Just associating that word with Shi Ran made her ears burn.

Shi Ran tilted her head, enjoying Ruan Ruan's discomfort, and said softly, "If the relationship doesn't change, then what's the difference from before?"

Of course she had to call her Wife. And darling, and baby.

Ahem… She lowered her eyelids, her own gaze feeling a little hot. But she was the one who had proposed they date, so she had to stick to her guns.

"I'll think about it," Ruan Ruan said, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, her face blushing.

"Think about it again?"

"Is there anything else?" Ruan Ruan looked down, flipping through her notebook to change the subject. "Let's fulfill the other ones first."

"Let's take it one step at a time," she said in a pleading tone.

Shi Ran felt as if she'd been sprinkled with a little sugar. She pressed her lips together lightly and took another sip of milk. "It's still what I told you before: be yourself."

"Am I not myself in front of you?" Ruan Ruan didn't quite understand.

"No," Shi Ran shook her head. "The way you act cute, play coy, and occasionally roughhouse with others—you don't do any of that with me."

Her voice was moist as she savored the lingering fragrance of milk on her lips.

Ruan Ruan propped her chin on her hand, blinked, and thought aloud in a small voice, "You like that kind of thing?"

"It's not about whether I like it or not," Shi Ran said, her eyelashes slowly interlacing as she watched her. "It's that whatever you give to others, I must have it too."

An uncontrollable possessiveness was a major reason she had proposed starting a relationship with Ruan Ruan.

Ruan Ruan's heart skipped a beat. Shi Ran had hit the nail on the head. Perhaps this was the essence of a romantic relationship—wanting to possess more of the other person, things that others didn't have.

She wanted to sleep with Shi Ran again. The hand propping up her cheek twitched with anticipation.

Her ring finger tapped lightly against her cheek. She was thinking, Is it okay to be a little more demanding with Shi Ran?

Before she could finish her thought, she heard Shi Ran ask from across the table, "What about you? What do you want me to do?"

"I want the same thing," Ruan Ruan said softly. "Show me a little more of yourself, okay? No matter what side of you it is."

"I'll do my best." Shi Ran nodded.

Ruan Ruan smiled, then suddenly thought of something else. "You've never even said my name."

"I haven't?"

"No."

"Then let's skip it." She planned to go straight to calling her Wife.

"No, you can't," Ruan Ruan's voice was husky. She closed her notebook, got up, and moved behind Shi Ran, wrapping her forearms around her neck in an embrace. "I'll teach you. Ruan. Ruan."

"Mm."

"Say it," Ruan Ruan's cheek brushed against hers. "Ruan Ruan."

"Baby."

Ruan Ruan sucked in a sharp breath, her face instantly turning red. Her arms tightened around Shi Ran as she stared at the glass of milk on the table and said softly, "Ruan Ruan. That's my name."

"Baby." Shi Ran leaned closer and kissed her on the cheek.

Ruan Ruan was exasperated, unable to hold back her smile. "Shi Ran, you…"

You're being a little much.

"You're acting cute," Shi Ran said, raising her eyes to look at the shell of Ruan Ruan's red ear, which was covered in fine, soft fuzz. It was utterly adorable.

"I am," Ruan Ruan gave up, taking a deep breath and pressing herself against Shi Ran's neck. "You like it."

After saying that, she also gave Shi Ran a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Shi Ran turned her head and lightly pecked her earlobe. "I want to drink some peach juice."

It was a very ordinary sentence, but her tone was anything but. It lacked any of her usual cool arrogance, and was instead a little soft—so soft it made Ruan Ruan's heart flutter.

"You're acting cute too." Ruan Ruan unconsciously tapped her right foot, swaying gently from side to side as she held her. The words seemed to roll right off the tip of her tongue.

But she absolutely loved it. This was a childish, soft Shi Ran that no one else had ever seen.

She went to the fridge, took out the bottled peach juice they had bought earlier, and placed it next to Shi Ran. Then she prepared to leave to put away her notebook and pen.

But Shi Ran grabbed her wrist and pulled her over. "I liked it the way it was just now."

"Being held?" Ruan Ruan gently shook her hand.

"Mm."

"My back will start to hurt if I do that for too long. You can drink it yourself," Ruan Ruan said.

"Then sit next to me."

"Can I sit across from you? While you drink, I can tidy up my things."

Shi Ran shook her head. Ruan Ruan smiled sweetly, sat down beside her, and took her hand, examining her wrist and fingernails.

The atmosphere was sticky-sweet, like a sticker with powerful adhesive. Both of them were desperately trying to press closer together.

So this is what being in love is like. As Ruan Ruan traced the lines on Shi Ran's palm, she suddenly recalled a popular phrase from the internet: What are you pretending for? Being in love is this blissful; what had she been pretending for before?

The thought made her laugh at herself. She then rested her head on Shi Ran's hand, turning her face to watch her drink the peach juice.

Shi Ran, now her girlfriend, was even more beautiful. She was like a graceful white magnolia. Others saw her in a famous painting, but Ruan Ruan saw her in the palm of her hand. Others could see her beauty, and before, Ruan Ruan could smell her fragrance. But now, she could feel the texture and warmth of the petals. Whether there were dewdrops or dust in the heart of the flower, she could see it all.

In the afternoon, Xin Chen called Shi Ran. She said they had adjusted the shooting schedule for the day because she'd received a notice from their contact at the streaming platform.

The platform's acquisition standards were tightening. They wanted to see a three-episode rough cut first, and they also mentioned they might not acquire long dramas in the future, preferring to keep them under 15 episodes.

Xin Chen said she wanted to hold a meeting to discuss how to handle it.

Shi Ran asked if she had any preliminary ideas. She guessed that Xin Chen hadn't called her right away because she had been asking around for advice on how to proceed.

As expected, Xin Chen said, "We've discussed it. There's no way we can finish in 15 episodes. We originally planned for 23, but based on the filming so far, the revised script, and the added Flying Pages, even 23 episodes won't be enough. So, we're thinking of just splitting it into seasons—three seasons, 10 episodes each."

In other words… expanding it to 30 episodes.

"Don't worry, we most likely won't need additional investment. I can re-plan the budget. But there's one problem."

Xin Chen paused. "Zhong Yi can't give us a schedule that long. She has a drama that was scheduled a long time ago, and since spring is coming early this year, that production might even start ahead of schedule to catch the season. She was actually hoping to coordinate her schedule with ours."

"So I was thinking, if we're going to do seasons, why not shoot 10 episodes first, then send a three-episode rough cut to the platform for their internal screening?"

Meaning, they would take a break in the middle. This way, Zhong Yi's schedule could be accommodated, they could adjust the filming direction based on the platform's feedback, and the pressure on the investors wouldn't be too great.

"Can you help me ask your…" Xin Chen chuckled. "…girlfriend if her schedule is okay? I don't know if she has any other projects lined up."

"Her schedule is free." Shi Ran exchanged a look with Ruan Ruan, who was listening in. Seeing her nod, she answered on her behalf.

Ruan Ruan had reserved all her time this year for Shrine, and her team was being very cautious about accepting new roles.

"Oh?" Hearing Shi Ran so smoothly accept the word "girlfriend," Xin Chen gave a knowing smile and said, "Alright then, I'll coordinate the specifics with her manager."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Ruan Ruan asked in a small voice, "She knows I'm your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"When did she find out?" Ruan Ruan couldn't quite figure it out. Shi Ran and Xin Chen weren't particularly close, so why would she have told her so quickly?

"Yesterday. Before you knew," Shi Ran said.

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