Married in a Daze - Chapter 59
Chapter 59
After the frank talk with Lu Ruyun, Qin Zhenzhen was clearly in a much better mood, her steps light, her expression bright with joy. After lunch, the two of them bought some needed supplies at a nearby mall.
Considering the recent photos, Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun had already changed their clothes, purchased right at the mall—black hoodies and leggings, wearing hats and face masks, their long hair draped down, only their eyes faintly visible.
Qin Zhenzhen turned her head to Lu Ruyun and asked, "Is this okay?"
Lu Ruyun gave a slight nod. "Any of these are fine."
Qin Zhenzhen's red lips behind the mask curved into a smile. She asked slowly, "Teacher Lu, what do you think we look like like this?"
"What?" Lu Ruyun's gaze shifted from the carpet in front of them to Qin Zhenzhen. Qin Zhenzhen blinked. "Don't we look like a couple about to get married, decorating their new home?"
Lu Ruyun was startled by her words and choked, coughing. Luckily, she was wearing a mask, her flushed cheeks hidden within it. Only her eyes, brimming with tears from the coughing fit, were watery and utterly unlike her usual composed self. She cleared her throat softly. "Don't talk nonsense."
"Just saying, could Teacher Lu possibly take it seriously?" Qin Zhenzhen finished speaking and leaned in close to Lu Ruyun's side. Lu Ruyun averted her eyes. "No."
Qin Zhenzhen hummed in acknowledgment. "Good, that it's not."
Not far away, a sales assistant dragged out the cut carpet, bundled up in a bag. "Miss, would you like us to help you carry this to your car? Or, if you leave us an address, we can also deliver it to your home."
Qin Zhenzhen lifted it with her hand twice; it was indeed very heavy. She said, "Help me take it to the car, please."
The assistant immediately called over two men to help. Worried that Lu Ruyun might find it bothersome to follow her back and forth, Qin Zhenzhen simply asked her to wait at a coffee shop not far away. Lu Ruyun handed her the car keys, watching her retreating figure.
There weren't many people in the mall. Occasionally, a few girls, arm in arm, passed by Lu Ruyun, chatting about topics both familiar and unfamiliar to her.
Lu Ruyun went from instinctively avoiding them to standing still, letting others brush past her shoulder, listening to their fragmented voices.
"Auntie."
"Auntie, can you help me get my ball?"
A well-behaved, childish voice sounded beside Lu Ruyun. She looked down and saw a little girl in a pink cotton dress looking up at her. Her red lips, hidden behind the mask, parted slightly. "What?"
The little girl beamed. "Auntie, can you help me get my ball down?"
She pointed upwards. Only then did Lu Ruyun notice a ball hanging from the ceiling, its dangling ribbon just within her reach not far away. A light smile touched her eyes. She reached out, grasped the ribbon, and handed it down to the little girl.
"Thank you, Auntie!" The little girl's smile widened, her big eyes sparkling like stars, very pretty. Lu Ruyun's lips unconsciously curved upwards, her voice tinged with amusement. "You're welcome."
"Doudou!" A voice called from not far away. The little girl standing beside Lu Ruyun quickly responded, "Mommy!"
Lu Ruyun looked in the direction of the voice and froze for a few seconds.
The person approaching was actually Shen Haitang.
"Running off again. Didn't I tell you not to move?" Though her tone was scolding, the doting in Shen Haitang's eyes was unmistakable. She reached out and patted the little girl's head.
The girl she called Doudou pointed at Lu Ruyun. "Mommy, the balloon just flew away. This auntie helped me get it."
Shen Haitang quickly looked down with a smile. "Thank..."
Before she could finish, her eyes met Lu Ruyun's bright gaze. She paused. "Ruyun?"
Lu Ruyun removed her mask. "Haitang."
People were coming and going. Shen Haitang simply exchanged a smile with Lu Ruyun, and the two of them walked into the nearby coffee shop together. The little girl obediently followed beside Shen Haitang, occasionally hitting the balloon, letting out clear, crisp laughter.
After putting away the things, Qin Zhenzhen sent Lu Ruyun a message on her way back. Lu Ruyun told her to come directly to the very back of the coffee shop. When Qin Zhenzhen saw Lu Ruyun, she also saw Shen Haitang sitting opposite her.
And the little girl beside Shen Haitang.
Qin Zhenzhen looked puzzled. She quickly walked over and stood beside the two.
"Zhenzhen's here. I should get going then." Seeing Qin Zhenzhen approach, Shen Haitang greeted her with a smile. Qin Zhenzhen also nodded slightly. "Haitang? What are you doing here?"
Shen Haitang didn't avoid the topic in front of the child at all. She patted her head and said, "Rare to have some free time, taking Doudou to buy some things."
"Doudou?" Qin Zhenzhen looked at the child beside her in surprise. On closer inspection, she did bear some resemblance. "Teacher Shen, this is..."
Shen Haitang chuckled and nodded. "This is my child."
Qin Zhenzhen was stunned for a few seconds, immediately looking at Lu Ruyun. Seeing Lu Ruyun give a slight, barely perceptible shake of her head, she then smiled. "She's really adorable."
"Say hello to Auntie," Shen Haitang patted Doudou's head. Doudou looked up and said, "Auntie."
Qin Zhenzhen removed her mask, revealing a smile for her. "Good girl. Auntie will buy you candy next time!"
Doudou's smile widened, her big eyes blinking. "Really? Auntie will buy some for Doudou next time?"
Qin Zhenzhen was amused. "Of course it's true. Auntie never lies."
"Auntie, you're so pretty." Doudou's statement made all three present laugh. In a good mood, Shen Haitang took her hand. "Alright, it's getting late. We should head home too."
She then looked at Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun. "We'll be off then. Oh, right, Zhenzhen, if you're free in a few days, you can come over with Ruyun to hang out."
"In a few days?" Qin Zhenzhen looked at Shen Haitang. Shen Haitang smiled and nodded. "In a few days, it's Doudou's minor birthday celebration. This child just insisted I invite Ruyun along. If you're free, come with Ruyun to sit for a while."
"I haven't thanked you two for participating in Star Showdown yet. Because of you, that episode's ratings exploded. The station even gave me a bonus."
Qin Zhenzhen quickly glanced at Lu Ruyun and, before she could speak, said, "Alright. I'll check my schedule. If I'm not too busy, Ruyun and I will come over together."
As she spoke, she linked her arm through Lu Ruyun's wrist, smiling sweetly. Shen Haitang laughed helplessly. "What's this? Not only do I have to spend my hard-earned vacation taking care of a child, but I also have to watch you two being lovey-dovey?"
Qin Zhenzhen rested her head on Lu Ruyun's shoulder. "Don't mind if you watch a bit longer."
Shen Haitang pretended to glare at her angrily, then laughed, bid farewell to the two, and left with Doudou.
Only after Shen Haitang's figure was completely out of sight did Qin Zhenzhen retract her smile and sit down opposite Lu Ruyun. In front of her was a half-finished cup of coffee, likely left by Shen Haitang.
"Haitang—Teacher Shen has a child?" Qin Zhenzhen asked with evident confusion, her bright eyes still holding bewilderment as she looked at Lu Ruyun. After all, Shen Haitang had always maintained a single image; even during the last show recording, she hadn't mentioned a word about a child.
Hearing her question, Lu Ruyun nodded.
Not only did she have one, but she'd had one for a long time. No one just knew who the father was. Back when Shen Haitang stepped down from her position as host of a wildly popular variety show, she disappeared for a while.
At the time, rumors were rampant. Some said she was ill, some said she had secretly married, others said she was planning to transition to the film industry. Amid all the speculation, no one expected that she had actually gone to have a child.
That disappearance lasted nearly a year. When she made her comeback later, it was as the host of Star Showdown.
Regarding the child, the media reported little, and she herself mentioned it even less. So, everyone assumed she disliked being asked about it. Coupled with the fact that her fame had waned significantly over the past few years, naturally, fewer and fewer people knew.
Qin Zhenzhen had debuted only in recent years, so she wasn't very familiar with Shen Haitang's past. She nodded after hearing Lu Ruyun's explanation. While she didn't intend to pry into Shen Haitang's privacy, she also didn't want to say the wrong thing. Moreover, judging from Shen Haitang's demeanor just now, she didn't seem averse to them interacting with the child.
"So, will you go?" Qin Zhenzhen looked at Lu Ruyun.
"My TV series will be wrapping up in a few days. I should have some free time. Didn't you just accept a film role? If you're not free, I'll let Haitang know."
Qin Zhenzhen was about to retort that she was free, but then she remembered she had just accepted a film role and probably wouldn't be completely idle. She nodded. "Alright. We'll see then."
Lu Ruyun lowered her head and took a sip of coffee.
After leaving the coffee shop, the two of them successively bought quite a few more things—all small items. Contrary to Lu Ruyun's expectations, she had thought someone like Qin Zhenzhen, with her somewhat haughty demeanor, would prefer more mature styles. But accompanying her on this shopping trip, from selecting bedding sets to pajamas and sleep pants, everything was of a youthful, almost childish design. Combined with their own youthful outfits, Lu Ruyun genuinely felt a sense of being transported back to their university days.
Qin Zhenzhen paid no heed to her thoughts, proceeding independently to purchase items one by one from a list she had written down. Lu Ruyun could only follow behind, helping carry things, her bright eyes occasionally betraying a look of helplessness from beneath the brim of her hat.
At times, she would press her lips together, smiling.
When they passed a children's clothing store, Qin Zhenzhen remembered they would soon be attending Doudou's birthday celebration. Even if she might not be able to go, she couldn't neglect the gesture. So, she pointed at the nearby store to Lu Ruyun.
"What is it?" Lu Ruyun asked, puzzled. Qin Zhenzhen lifted her chin. "Help me be a consultant."
Lu Ruyun was pulled into the children's clothing store by her. It wasn't busy. Sales staff were standing around in twos and threes, chatting. Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun browsed inside, finally selecting and buying a blue cotton dress—warm, stylish, and flattering to the skin, perfect for Doudou.
Satisfied, she followed the salesperson to the cashier, overhearing a conversation between two staff members not far away.
"Did you see the news? Someone actually wants to climb up by stepping on Tang Ya."
"Who? Who?"
"Haven't you seen? Zhu Yao."
"Zhu Yao? What the heck? What's she got to do with Tang Ya?"
"Check the news. It's trending. She actually said her acting is better than Tang Ya's. My god, who gave her the courage!"
After paying, Qin Zhenzhen glanced at the chatting people nearby. Frowning slightly, she walked over to Lu Ruyun, then opened Weibo. She saw that the trending topics weren't about the morning's Mountain Girl opening ceremony, nor her recently posted intimate photo with Lu Ruyun, but rather Zhu Yao's name.
#Zhu Yao's Acting Better Than Tang Ya?#
#Zhu Yao Stepping on Tang Ya to Rise?#
She was just about to open the topic when Lu Ruyun walked over. "All done?"
Qin Zhenzhen nodded with a smile, putting her phone away. "All done."
Lu Ruyun naturally took the bag from her hand, and they walked out of the children's clothing store side by side. No sooner had they left than a man with a camera hanging around his neck nudged the person beside him. "Hey, wasn't that Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun?"
The man beside him shook his head. "No way. Doesn't look like it."
The man with the camera frowned. "But I really feel like it is. Look at their presence; it's different from others."
"Now that you mention it, they do seem a bit similar. What did they just buy?"
The man with the camera shook his head, then quickly reacted, clicking off several shots in rapid succession.
"Doesn't matter what. Now we have something."
He said, smiling at the camera. The man beside him immediately leaned in to look. The signboard behind them clearly read: Children's Clothing Store.
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