Shrine - Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Dinner was stir-fried zucchini, tomato with beef ribs, and a stewed yellow catfish soup. Shi Ran's schedule had been packed these past two days, leaving early and returning late. Ruan Ruan wanted to make her a nourishing meal.

Just as the soup was turning a milky white, Shi Ran finally returned. Ruan Ruan ran over to greet her but froze in the entryway.

She tilted her head to the left, then to the right, blinked twice, and smiled.

"A hime cut?"

The usually aloof Shi Ran had changed her hairstyle. Her satin-like black hair was cut in two sections, framing a face that seemed touched by cool starlight. The curve of her chin was outlined even more exquisitely, and her eyelashes cast shadows as she gazed faintly at her.

Ruan Ruan had never seen such an unapproachable hime cut.

She raised one eyebrow, curiously looking Shi Ran up and down while smiling with pursed lips. Shi Ran, in turn, languidly raised one of her own eyebrows, looking back at her as if in provocation.

Ruan Ruan didn't know what Shi Ran was being provocative about. Perhaps she was dissatisfied with her reaction; she probably should have said, "It looks so good!" in amazement.

"It's beautiful." Ruan Ruan lowered her head, a faint smile blooming on her face, and reached out to take the shawl from the crook of Shi Ran's arm. "What made you decide to change your hairstyle?"

"It's for the movie." Shi Ran took off her high heels, dropping half an inch in height. The tips of her jet-black hair brushed against her jaw.

So professional, Ruan Ruan nodded, her gaze following Shi Ran as she went to wash her hands.

Shi Ran was a little uncomfortable. Her shyness always hit with a delay. After sitting down at the dining table and taking a sip of pomegranate juice, she finally cleared her throat, not looking up at Ruan Ruan, only extending her wrist to pick up her chopsticks.

The considerate Little Bread didn't expose her, cleverly changing the subject instead. She ladled soup for her and reported on her phone call with her family. After letting go of those inexplicable responsibilities, solving problems didn't seem so difficult anymore. She hadn't chosen to cut ties with her family completely or to have a falling out, because Shrine had taught her that human greed, or rather, desire, could not be completely eradicated.

It wouldn't disappear just because you fought to the bitter end; it would only transform into another form.

Like a tumor in the human body, it could be benign, or it could turn malignant.

Therefore, she had to learn to coexist with desire—not just her own, but that of the people around her as well. They were constrained by their desire for shops and houses, and they were also afraid of loss, just as Ruan Ruan had been afraid of unexpected complications after getting the role in Shrine.

Of course, learning to live with desire was also something Shi Ran had taught her.

She rested her chin on her hand, watching Shi Ran drink her soup spoonful by spoonful. The hime cut was a bit thick, so she couldn't tuck it behind her ear. Instead, she held it back with her left hand, tilting her face to the right to drink in small sips. The gesture made her seem somewhat cute, not at all like the Shi Ran who had once galloped freely on horseback, enjoying the mortal world.

It hadn't been long, but the domesticity of Shi Ran had made the trip to Qiongzhou feel like a dream.

The most magnificent dream Ruan Ruan had ever had.

She recalled her past role in Dream of the Red Chamber. Jia Baoyu entered the Land of Illusion and saw the verdicts for the Golden Hairpins, each line a reflection of their entire lives. But Shi Ran, in the mortal world, was annotating her life—not by passing a verdict on her, but by striking her book of fate clean.

Ruan Ruan hadn't read many books. Shi Ran was her classic novel.

"At the end of next month, the first season is going to air. I was a little chubbier back then than I am now."

At night, lying beside Shi Ran, Ruan Ruan still couldn't contain her excitement.

Shrine was scheduled to premiere on August 27th. The first season, which was filmed after the New Year, had only 10 episodes. The filming period wasn't long, and adding four months for post-production, approval, and attracting investors, the turnaround was already considered very fast. One of the advantages of web dramas over broadcast dramas is the shorter cycle, allowing the pace to pick up quickly.

This was Ruan Ruan's first leading role. From her first contact with the project to its broadcast, only a year had passed, but it had been a world-changing year.

Now, the team was incredibly busy, coordinating with the production crew and the outsourced promotional team on all sorts of publicity materials. Ruan Ruan would often see them @-ing each other in the group chat, saying that a certain media outlet's promotional copy was wrong and needed to be corrected, or asking which side had pushed a certain trending topic so the promotional team could go and verify it.

Then there was the matter of billing. It was Ruan Ruan's first time experiencing a "billing war."

The contract clearly stipulated the billing order: Ruan Ruan had first billing as the female lead. However, Zhong Yi's status and popularity were much higher than hers, so some promotional platforms put Zhong Yi first to attract attention. The management team asked the promotional team to communicate with them to avoid controversy.

Marketing accounts with a keen sense of smell had already jumped on the trend, posting screenshots of the inconsistent billing arrangements on different platforms with the caption: "Are these two fighting over billing?"

It was like a silent battlefield.

Zhong Yi posted a screenshot from a marketing account in the group chat: "We're fighting."

"Director, Teacher Zhong is adding scenes for herself again. Domestic violence." Ruan Ruan replied with a smile, teasing her with one of Zhong Yi's previous jokes.

She was leaning against Shi Ran's shoulder, typing lazily. The fragrant Shi Ran glanced at the screen's content, then glanced at Ruan Ruan.

Ruan Ruan lifted her doe-like eyes to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Domestic violence?" Shi Ran asked back softly.

There was a faint pause in the middle, making her speech less than smooth, which meant that things in Shi Ran's heart were not smooth either.

Ruan Ruan let out a "pfft" of laughter. She put down her phone and hugged Shi Ran's waist, explaining softly, "It's a joke, an in-character meme we had on set."

"I've been in this industry for so long, and I've never seen anyone else play like that," Shi Ran said lightly.

"Then I won't do it anymore." The little cat officer was very well-behaved and corrected herself immediately.

Shi Ran's expression didn't change as she hooked the corner of her mouth. "Actions must match words, and promises must be kept. That is a basic human virtue."

"Mhm, I'll keep my promise."

Ruan Ruan agreed good-naturedly. She propped herself up, lying beside her like a mermaid resting on the shore, and asked in a low voice, "Why is your voice a little hoarse? Are you tired?"

A little. Shi Ran tilted her head back, moving her neck slightly on the pillow. The slender muscles of her neck were faintly stretched, looking very alluring.

The mermaid was bewitched by the reef on the shore. She moved closer, her full chest pressing against Shi Ran's arm. Her seaweed-like long hair cascaded down, followed closely by her cool lips. She gently kissed Shi Ran's neck, soothing her throat through her skin.

Shi Ran let out a barely audible sigh. A thin layer of goosebumps rose on her arm where it was brushed. She reached out her hand and cupped the other breast. Its drooping curve was just right, filling her palm like Ruan Ruan's heavy, sincere heart.

She caressed it, kneaded it, lifted it a little, then let it go. The hard and soft parts of that sincere heart all touched the lifeline on her palm. Ruan Ruan consciously lifted her nightgown, letting Shi Ran get closer.

Both of them were feeling it. Shi Ran leaned over, taking the lead, and lowered her head to kiss the part that had just rested between her fingers.

Afterward, she uttered words from between her occupied lips and tongue.

"You and other people, you always have such good chemistry." Shi Ran licked the tip, and the skin in the hollow of Ruan Ruan's collarbone dipped.

Ruan Ruan was lost in a daze of passion and couldn't quite process her meaning.

Especially since Shi Ran's tone was now wet and hoarse, so enchanting it was as if she were pouring wine into her ears.

"What about with me?" Shi Ran paused. "If I speak in riddles, can you guess what I mean?"

"I…" Ruan Ruan understood. Shi Ran had been holding a grudge about the "I Zhong Yi you" incident all this time.

Shi Ran extended her index finger, curling it to touch the lower part of the full breast. "I'll say two words. You tell me what they mean."

"Okay."

"You, you," Shi Ran said softly, enunciating each word.

Ruan Ruan's ears instantly felt blocked. She was so smart that she understood in a moment. Her cheeks flushed, and she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Can't guess?" Shi Ran's eyelids were lowered as she licked it again.

"I guessed."

"What is it?"

"Ruan Ruan…" Ruan Ruan took a small breath, holding it in her mouth as if trying to dilute the overly heated atmosphere.

"…Ruan Ruan, soft, soft."

Close enough. Shi Ran kissed her chin, the hime cut brushing against Ruan Ruan's neck. Ruan Ruan became even softer, melting into a puddle of water for Shi Ran to drink as she pleased.

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