Married in a Daze - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Qin Zhenzhen came out of the apartment after taking a shower. It had rained in the afternoon, and the air still carried a damp, earthy scent. She walked aimlessly around the base, noticing lights on in several apartments nearby.

"Zhenzhen?"

Someone called out from not far away. Qin Zhenzhen turned her head to look and was surprised to see Shen Haitang.

She must have just finished exercising; she was still holding a jump rope. Qin Zhenzhen walked over with a smile. "Teacher Shen."

Shen Haitang gave her a playful, scolding look. "I already told you to call me Haitang. Teacher Shen makes me sound so old."

Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen lowered her head with a soft laugh.

Shen Haitang glanced behind her. "Where's Ruyun?"

Qin Zhenzhen pointed in the direction of their apartment. "Didn't come out."

Shen Haitang nodded, stretching her arms. "Want me to walk with you?"

Qin Zhenzhen looked at her. "Wouldn't that be troubling Teacher Shen..."

"Haitang."

"Just call me Haitang."

Qin Zhenzhen chuckled. "Alright. Haitang."

Shen Haitang folded the jump rope in her hand and put it in her pocket. The two of them walked slowly. From a distance, they could hear a couple of excited screams—probably Fu Cheng and the others playing over there.

The base was quite large, with separate areas for sports and entertainment. Under the moonlight, the two figures walked at a leisurely pace.

It had been a long time since Qin Zhenzhen had the leisure for such a stroll. She couldn't even remember her last proper walk. Her world was always busy, and even when it wasn't, she'd hide at home because going out caused commotions.

A moment like this, stepping under the moonlight, breathing in the damp air after the rain, was truly rare.

They chatted idly about this and that. Shen Haitang was well-traveled and knowledgeable, able to engage with any topic and throw in a few witty remarks to lighten the mood. Walking with her, Qin Zhenzhen felt time fly by. In what seemed like a blink, they had already circled half the base.

As they entered the entertainment area, Qin Zhenzhen turned to Shen Haitang. "Haitang, have you and Ruyun known each other for a long time?"

Shen Haitang paused. "Quite a while. But we haven't been in touch much these past few years. You know what Ruyun's like. When she's not busy, she just likes to hide at home, practicing her healthy lifestyle. The only thing that can get her out the door is filming."

"Look, she's been in this program for so long now. Has she left the apartment outside of filming hours?"

Qin Zhenzhen laughed at her words. Shen Haitang blinked playfully. "To be honest, I find it incredible that you can tolerate her old-fashioned temperament."

"I thought only..."

She didn't say the name, but Qin Zhenzhen filled in. "Only Director Duan?"

Shen Haitang smiled. "Zhenzhen, please don't be upset."

Qin Zhenzhen shook her head. "There's nothing to be upset about. Everyone has a past."

After saying this, she froze momentarily.

Right. Everyone has a past.

She had one, and Lu Ruyun had one too. So why was she obsessing over Lu Ruyun's past? Since she didn't want to talk about it, why should Qin Zhenzhen go digging?

Once she had this realization, Qin Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief. From not far away, someone called out, "Teacher Lu!"

"Teacher Lu, wanna come play?"

Shen Haitang turned to look. Lu Ruyun was standing there, dressed in athletic wear, looking perfectly at ease. Seeing Shen Haitang's gaze, Lu Ruyun curved her lips into a slight smile. Shen Haitang gave Qin Zhenzhen a gentle push towards Lu Ruyun. "Here, returning your precious treasure intact."

Lu Ruyun didn't speak, just smiled with her lips pressed together. Her features were serene, her complexion normal, showing no trace of the previous paleness. Qin Zhenzhen's glance fell on Lu Ruyun's right hand and saw a small band-aid.

Shen Haitang patted both Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun on the shoulder. "You two have fun. I'm heading back first."

Qin Zhenzhen collected herself, nodded, and watched Shen Haitang leave. Staff members occasionally passed by them. She asked, "Why did you come out?"

Lu Ruyun tilted her head to look at her. "I saw you weren't there."

Qin Zhenzhen's heart skipped a beat.

She saw Qin Zhenzhen wasn't there, so she came out?

She remembered what Shen Haitang had just said: You know what Ruyun's like. When she's not busy, she just likes to hide at home, practicing her healthy lifestyle. The only thing that can get her out the door is filming. Look, she's been in this program for so long now. Has she left the apartment outside of filming hours?

It seemed she really hadn't.

So, she came out because of her?

Seeing Qin Zhenzhen silent, Lu Ruyun pointed to a bench not far away. "Shall we go sit over there?"

Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Okay."

The two of them walked together to the bench. Because of the rain, it was covered in water droplets. Lu Ruyun took out a tissue and wiped off a small area. "Sit."

Qin Zhenzhen sat down, close beside her.

The dampness after the rain felt particularly heavy in the evening, devoid of the stifling summer heat, making the air feel fresher. Qin Zhenzhen's thoughts churned as she looked around.

Lu Ruyun lowered her head, hesitating for a moment. Staring at the band-aid on her hand, she said, "Zhenzhen, back in the apartment earlier..."

Qin Zhenzhen turned to look at her, a questioning tone in her voice. "Earlier? What about earlier? Oh, right, next time after you take a bath, remember to rinse the edge of the bathtub. It was all foam."

Lu Ruyun glanced sideways at her, seeing the sparkling brightness in her eyes tinged with a smile, her expression open and clear. She nodded. "Okay."

Qin Zhenzhen breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Her gaze shifted to Fu Cheng, who was having a great time playing nearby, and she said to Lu Ruyun, "Want to play for a bit?"

Lu Ruyun followed her gaze. Fu Cheng was on the Ferris wheel. It wasn't very high, and from this angle, she could still see Fu Cheng's laughing, carefree face.

She stood up, extending a hand towards Qin Zhenzhen. "Let's go."

Qin Zhenzhen looked at her hand for a long moment but ultimately didn't take it. Instead, she just stood up and brushed past her, a faint voice drifting over. "Let's go. We can just make the next round."

Fu Cheng, having just disembarked, saw two new members joining and smiled, her eyes curving. She called out to Ding Yichuan, who was not far away, and Wang Zi, who was reluctant to come over and play. Wang Zi was muttering about how childish it was, a game for kids.

Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen just smiled at Lu Ruyun. The two of them boarded a gondola.

The gondola was enclosed, semi-transparent. Standing, one could see the entire view. Qin Zhenzhen sat on the bench, her heart thumping. Actually, she was still quite nervous.

Lu Ruyun found her fear-paled face amusing. "Scared?"

Qin Zhenzhen nodded very honestly, daring only to stick her head out a little to look around before pulling back. "I didn't dare ride these things even when I went to amusement parks as a kid. Thought my courage had grown by now."

She finished speaking and looked at Lu Ruyun's composed expression. "Did you play on these often as a child?"

Hearing this, Lu Ruyun's eyes cooled slightly, her jaw tightening. "No. This is my first time."

Qin Zhenzhen turned to look at her. The light inside the gondola fell on Lu Ruyun's profile. It should have been a warm yellow, but it somehow carried an inexplicable chill, as if the person before her exuded a coldness.

Tell me about the happiest thing from your childhood.

There isn't one.

Qin Zhenzhen averted her gaze, pretending to look around nonchalantly. The gondola continued its slow ascent. A phone rang. Qin Zhenzhen looked down; the sound was coming from her pocket.

It was a call from Meng Xin.

"Sister Meng."

Qin Zhenzhen answered the phone and shifted a little to the side. Meng Xin seemed very happy, her voice brimming with laughter. "Zhenzhen! You're coming back tomorrow, right?"

"Mhm, tomorrow afternoon."

Meng Xin laughed. "Great! I have some good news to tell you!"

Qin Zhenzhen glanced inexplicably at Lu Ruyun and frowned. "What good news?"

Meng Xin: "Tomorrow... no, I'll tell you now. Do you know about Director Zheng's new movie?"

Qin Zhenzhen thought back to the information she'd seen on Weibo.

Director Zheng.

Zheng Shaoyuan, a rising star in the director's circle. His films from last year and the year before were both highly praised and won numerous awards for the year. She'd heard he was currently preparing a youth romance film. Hearing Meng Xin like this, had she managed to secure a connection to Director Zheng's resources?

Meng Xin said something in English on the other end, then continued, "That's right. I just came over for a meal. Someone at the company knows Director Zheng, so we made the connection. Once you're back, you can go for the audition."

"The timing doesn't conflict. Director Zheng's movie will probably start filming around October, just as Cold Palace wraps up."

Hearing her plan, Qin Zhenzhen gave an affirmative "mm." "Let's talk about it tomorrow when I get back."

Meng Xin laughed. "Okay."

Qin Zhenzhen hung up. This was the first time since her falling out with Lu Ruyun that she'd heard Meng Xin sound so happy. Probably because of the new film resource.

She put down her phone. Lu Ruyun asked, "What's wrong?"

Qin Zhenzhen, citing commercial confidentiality, didn't answer directly. "Nothing. Just a notification call."

Lu Ruyun chuckled upon hearing this. "Director Zheng. New film. Zheng Shaoyuan."

Qin Zhenzhen tilted her head to look at her. "You heard?"

Lu Ruyun shook her head. "Heard you say 'Director Zheng.' I guessed."

Qin Zhenzhen made a 'tsk' sound. So what if you're smart!

Then she sighed.

Being smart was indeed impressive.

She'd only mentioned 'Director Zheng,' and the other person had already figured out the whole story.

Lu Ruyun, unaware of what wild thoughts were running through her lowered head, said seriously, "If it really is Zheng Shaoyuan, I'd advise you not to take his new film."

Qin Zhenzhen turned to look at her in surprise. "Why?"

Lu Ruyun sat down beside her. The gondola swayed gently, completing one rotation and beginning another. Occasionally, a stray sound came from outside but was quickly drowned out by Lu Ruyun's voice.

"Have you seen his previous films?"

Qin Zhenzhen nodded. Naturally, she had. He was a rising star in the film world, and they might cross paths someday. It never hurt to know more. Seeing her nod, Lu Ruyun continued, "Then you should know his films generally focus on portraying male characters."

"He's made three films. Do you know what received the most nominations?"

Qin Zhenzhen shook her head blankly. Lu Ruyun found her dazed, clueless look utterly adorable. Her heart instantly softened into a puddle, warmth bubbling up and flowing with her blood.

She continued, "For all three of his films, the categories with the most nominations were Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor."

Qin Zhenzhen, prompted by this, remembered. The rising idol from the year before last, the hugely popular male actor from last year—both came from Zheng Shaoyuan's films. In contrast, the actresses who starred in his movies were only mentioned in passing when the films were discussed. She couldn't even remember who the lead actress was in his second film.

"So, you mean..."

Lu Ruyun looked at her. "What I mean is, if I were you, I would pass up this opportunity. Zhenzhen, I understand your thinking. Asking you to give up on Zheng Shaoyuan right now is a difficult choice."

"But since you want to walk a different path, you must be able to withstand other temptations."

Qin Zhenzhen looked deeply at Lu Ruyun, seeing the seriousness in her eyes. For a moment, she couldn't tell what Lu Ruyun's real motive was for saying these things.

A sudden attack of conscience?

An unexpected burst of kindness?

Or some ulterior motive?

But what ulterior motive could there be? As Lu Ruyun herself said, this resource from Zheng Shaoyuan was indeed good, indeed rare. But when it came down to it, for male stars it was a dream resource, but for actresses like them, it was potentially a fatal poison.

Was steering her away from the poison an ulterior motive?

For a moment, Qin Zhenzhen felt even more confused. Lu Ruyun, thinking she was struggling with the decision of whether or not to give up the resource, didn't disturb her.

Soon, the gondola reached the bottom. Staff came over to open the door. Lu Ruyun said to Qin Zhenzhen, "Come on down."

She finished speaking and extended her hand. Qin Zhenzhen stared at her hand and her eyes, then reached out. Just as her fingers were about to touch Lu Ruyun's, she quickly withdrew her hand and ducked her head, brushing past Lu Ruyun.

Lu Ruyun watched her slender retreating back, an inscrutable look in her eyes.

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