Married in a Daze - Chapter 60
Chapter 60
By the time Qin Zhenzhen had moved all her large and small bags back to the apartment, it was already quite late. Lu Ruyun improvised with what was available to make a simple dinner, while Qin Zhenzhen busied herself in the study with her things.
The study was actually quite spacious. Probably because Lu Ruyun spent long periods at home, many of the books showed signs of frequent handling. Two large bookcases stood next to each other on either side of the tatami mat, difficult to move. Qin Zhenzhen had no choice but to lay a light green carpet that circled the perimeter of the room. She had measured the dimensions beforehand, and when she went to buy it, she had it cut directly to the size she needed, so it fit the floor perfectly.
After laying the carpet, she moved the desk a bit closer to the window and covered it with a tablecloth of the same color. Under the glow of the incandescent light, the entire room felt brighter and more vibrant.
When Lu Ruyun finished cooking dinner and went to find Qin Zhenzhen, she saw her changing the duvet cover. The bed sheet had already been swapped out, a pale pink one with two bears sitting back-to-back, making funny-looking gestures with their hands. The whole room looked completely different from her memory.
Logically, only a few items had been added, yet it felt like a full renovation. The desk had been moved next to the bay window. The window seat was now covered with a light green woolen blanket, upon which two cushions and a few books were casually placed. Bathed in the light, it looked lazy and cozy.
The white desk beside the bay window was also covered with a tablecloth of the same color scheme, its edges hanging down to obscure most of the desk's original color, giving it a refreshingly new feel.
Lu Ruyun's gaze moved from the window to the corner of the wall, her eyes revealing a hint of surprise. She thought the doll Qin Zhenzhen had bought to give to Doudou was actually placed right there in the corner. Beneath the bay window, there were also two or three slightly larger plush dolls. This scene looked—Lu Ruyun searched her mind for an adjective. After a long moment, a word came to her: warm.
Yes.
Warm.
This apartment she had lived in alone for nearly ten years gave her a feeling of warmth for the first time. She even felt the urge to step barefoot onto this soft, furry carpet, walk over to the bay window, lean back against the cushions. It would surely feel very comfortable.
"Teacher Lu, come give me a hand." Qin Zhenzhen's call snapped Lu Ruyun out of her reverie. She turned her head to see Qin Zhenzhen struggling to stuff the duvet into its cover.
Lu Ruyun was about to step forward, then reconsidered and slipped off her slippers, stepping onto the carpet. It was as soft and comfortable as she had imagined. She walked to Qin Zhenzhen's side, took the unarranged duvet from her, and gave it a firm shake, pulling all four corners out. She handed two corners to Qin Zhenzhen, kept two for herself, and with a sharp tug, the duvet cover smoothed out perfectly.
Qin Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief. "Teacher Lu, you're amazing."
Lu Ruyun simply pursed her lips in response to the compliment. "Time to eat."
"Wait a second. Go get that bag for me." Qin Zhenzhen pointed to a bag in the corner. Looking closely, Lu Ruyun saw there were still four or five left. She picked up the one closest to the edge. Qin Zhenzhen took it, pulled out some decorative items from inside, and placed them on the bookshelf.
It was only then that Lu Ruyun noticed the bottom three rows of her bookshelf had been rearranged. Following her gaze, Qin Zhenzhen whispered, "Sorry, I moved your books a bit."
"It's fine." Lu Ruyun saw the books she frequently read grouped together, while the newer ones were placed higher up. She guessed Qin Zhenzhen assumed she didn't use them often and moved them upwards.
After arranging the ornaments, Qin Zhenzhen hopped off the bed. Lu Ruyun instinctively helped tidy the bedding, folding the duvet and placing it to one side. Qin Zhenzhen carried the remaining bags, placing an item here, arranging something there. Lu Ruyun noticed she had even added a small desk lamp to the desk. It wasn't large, with a rather cute shape. She couldn't help but walk over and sit in the chair, discovering Qin Zhenzhen had also added a cushion to it. It was soft.
She couldn't help but let a smile touch her eyes. Qin Zhenzhen stood in the room. The modifications were almost complete. The only thing that didn't match the room's new feel was the wallpaper. White wallpaper, empty and barren, gave off a cold, desolate air.
"Do you want me to replace the wallpaper for you?" Lu Ruyun asked, noticing Qin Zhenzhen's gaze fixed on the white wall.
Qin Zhenzhen frowned. "No need. If we change it, won't you have to change it back when I move out? I'll just make a small adjustment."
She then opened the small, embossed stickers she had bought to stick onto the wallpaper. They came in various bright colors. She smiled slightly at Lu Ruyun. "Teacher Lu, these are much more convenient."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ruyun just smiled slightly and didn't reply.
By the time Qin Zhenzhen finished tidying up and they went out to eat, the dishes had long gone cold. Lu Ruyun went back into the kitchen to reheat the food, while Qin Zhenzhen sat on the sofa hugging her phone and browsing Weibo.
The living room was filled with the blaring chatter from the TV. Lu Ruyun listened for a moment, finding such noise, for the first time, rather peaceful.
Qin Zhenzhen glanced towards the kitchen from time to time. After a busy afternoon, she was already starving. Now, with the enticing aroma of food wafting through the air, her appetite was fully awakened. She wanted to go help but was afraid of getting in Lu Ruyun's way, so she simply sat on the sofa, pretending to be absorbed in her phone.
Zhu Yao's name was still high on Weibo's trending list. Many people clicked on the links to offer a sentence or two of opinion, stepping on Zhu Yao a few times before leaving. Qin Zhenzhen opened the top few hot searches; the commentary was essentially the same.
—I'm embarrassed just hearing Zhu Yao say this. Couldn't she weigh her own worth before speaking? Her compared to Tang Ya? Is she even fit to carry her shoes?
—None of the current top-tier actresses in the industry have surpassed Tang Ya. She's just a mid-tier actress, how does she have the nerve to say she can surpass Tang Ya?
—Wait, isn't this interview from ages ago? Why is it being dragged out again now?
—So just because it was 'ages ago' means she can freely trample on others?
—Her fans trying to whitewash it, that's all. And they think her acting is better than Tang Ya's? Just how good is it, huh? Sweetheart, acting in idol dramas all year round, not even changing her expressions. Don't even mention Tang Ya, she can't even compare to a silly sweet girl like Qin Zhenzhen!
Qin Zhenzhen glanced at the video. It was from a variety show a long time ago, a show that had long since been revamped. She hadn't expected someone to still have this clip. Back then, Tang Ya indeed didn't have her current level of fame; she wasn't considered a top star and hadn't won consecutive Best Actress titles yet.
If this video involved any other artist, netizens would probably just mock for a bit, and Zhu Yao's fans could muddy the waters and let it pass. The key point was, the person she talked about was Tang Ya.
Now a genuine top-tier superstar, an idol to many young actors and actresses in the industry, and an untouchable figure in the hearts of many netizens.
So being stuck on the hot search list for half a day... you couldn't exactly call it an injustice, but calling it entirely justified also felt a bit unfair.
Qin Zhenzhen glanced at it a few times, found it uninteresting, and put her phone away. Lu Ruyun called over to her, "Time to eat."
Upon the command, Qin Zhenzhen quickly got up and walked to the dining table. Three dishes, one soup, and steaming white rice—it looked, smelled, and promised to taste wonderful, instantly whetting the appetite.
Lu Ruyun handed chopsticks to Qin Zhenzhen. They had only taken a few bites when Qin Zhenzhen's phone buzzed with a message notification. She unlocked the screen; it was a few messages from Meng Xin.
"What's up?" Lu Ruyun asked, seeing her staring at her phone.
Qin Zhenzhen turned off her phone screen, picked up a piece of tomato, and replied, "Nothing much. Just showing me my work schedule for the end of the year."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ruyun looked up at her, put down her chopsticks, and said seriously, "Do you mind letting me take a look?"
Qin Zhenzhen was taken aback. Many of an artist's work arrangements are confidential. Like when she became Director Yu's female lead before, she couldn't reveal the news in advance. But Lu Ruyun...
Qin Zhenzhen hesitated for a few seconds, then unlocked her phone and handed it over. Lu Ruyun took it naturally and looked down at it.
The resources Meng Xin got for Qin Zhenzhen were always the best she could secure, but they were ultimately limited by her connections, so she always ended up moving within a certain circle.
For example, before, she had kept Qin Zhenzhen revolving within the world of idol dramas.
Acting in idol dramas wasn't necessarily bad. For a young actress like Qin Zhenzhen, it was the most effective way to gain fans. But this also determined her somewhat unstable position in the industry. New waves constantly push out the old; eventually, one gets phased out.
Lu Ruyun looked at the two commercials, the attendance at various galas in her phone. As the year-end approached, Qin Zhenzhen, as one of the leading young actresses, naturally received more invitations than others. These were all meticulously selected by Meng Xin.
She tapped her finger on the screen and looked up at Qin Zhenzhen. "What's your opinion on this?"
Qin Zhenzhen, who was in the middle of eating, paused and looked up. "Hmm?"
Her opinion? She had always followed Meng Xin's arrangements, rarely voicing her own thoughts. Now, prompted by Lu Ruyun, she was momentarily stunned.
Lu Ruyun put the phone down. "I think you don't need to take on any more commercials for now. Your current exposure is already very high. Staying constantly in the public eye will lead to viewer fatigue."
Qin Zhenzhen wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Meng Xin had also mentioned this point. Just in the latter half of this year, she and Lu Ruyun had frequently occupied the top spots on Weibo's hot search list, sometimes staying there for two or three days at a time. The hot search list was like her backyard; she had to stroll through it every few days. This actually harmed her appeal with the audience because seeing her too often could become annoying.
So Meng Xin had turned down many of her public appearances, only letting her focus on filming. As for these two commercials, they needed spokespersons for next year. Both were affordable luxury products with a broad target age range, so they were always popular. Meng Xin wanted her to film the ads well, then have more contact with the advertisers, striving to secure one of the endorsements for next year.
After hearing Qin Zhenzhen's explanation, Lu Ruyun lowered her eyelids. "Is Meng Xin worried about your popularity next year?"
Qin Zhenzhen nodded slightly. This year, because of Time in Full Bloom, she had hit rock bottom. If not for subsequent events, it would have been difficult for her to stage a comeback. Meng Xin was worried that next year, with Cold Palace or Mountain Girl, history might repeat itself, so securing an endorsement to maintain visibility was necessary.
"Then choose one of the two," Lu Ruyun said, looking steadily at Qin Zhenzhen. "As for these other things, decline them if possible."
Qin Zhenzhen watched her tap a few times on the phone. She moved to sit in the seat next to Lu Ruyun and saw that only one commercial and a few appearances remained on the schedule, leaving a large blank space. She frowned. "Then what should I do with this free time?"
She pointed at the blank spaces on the schedule. Lu Ruyun glanced sideways. They were sitting close; she could clearly see Qin Zhenzhen's delicate profile and flawless skin. A faint, elusive fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose. Qin Zhenzhen blinked. Lu Ruyun's heartbeat quickened slightly. She quickly averted her gaze, her voice slightly lower. "Practice your acting skills."
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