Married in a Daze - Chapter 63
Chapter 63
"Okay, that's a wrap!" Director Yu gave the order, and everyone sprang into action. Qin Zhenzhen, still in her hospital gown, walked out from the set. Yu Changlin looked at the final frozen frame on the monitor, his fingers resting on his chin.
Qin Zhenzhen's performance in the afternoon was vastly better than in the morning—so much so it was no exaggeration to say it was like watching a different person. Although some parts were still not entirely satisfactory, it was a massive improvement over the lifeless acting he'd seen from her earlier.
"Director Yu." Seeing he hadn't left, Qin Zhenzhen stood beside him, also looking at the monitor where her own face was frozen on the screen.
Yu Changlin glanced at her, then back at the screen, giving a soft hum. "Keep working hard."
Qin Zhenzhen raised her eyes, watching as Director Yu walked away after saying just that. She couldn't help but let a smile tug at her lips. She understood this was Yu Changlin's concession.
A concession from being ready to give up on her, to giving her another chance.
Her mood lifted slightly. Ji Lu walked over to her and asked, "Zhenzhen, time to change."
Qin Zhenzhen nodded slightly. "Where's my phone?"
Ji Lu handed her the phone. Qin Zhenzhen unlocked the screen, thought for a moment, and then sent a message to Meng Xin: Sister Meng, I've made some changes to the schedule. I'll send it to you in a bit.
She sent the revised schedule—the one she and Lu Ruyun had discussed and finalized last night—to Meng Xin, then walked into the changing room. By the time she changed and came out, she saw Ji Lu on a call.
"It's Sister Meng."
Qin Zhenzhen took the phone. "Sister Meng."
Meng Xin asked quickly, "What happened? You've pushed back so many appearances and only kept one advertisement. I already analyzed both of those ads for you."
Qin Zhenzhen pushed her long hair aside, letting the stylist remove her makeup. She closed her eyes and replied, "Nothing's wrong."
Meng Xin hesitated for a few seconds. "Is what they're saying online true, then? Is Lu Ruyun... pregnant?"
Qin Zhenzhen choked on her own spit. "No." She slowly got up and walked to the window. "Hasn't He Shuangshuang contacted you?"
Meng Xin: "She has."
She had contacted her, but everything online had been handled by He Shuangshuang's side, so Meng Xin truly didn't know the specific details. She had planned to call Qin Zhenzhen after she wrapped to get the full story, but she hadn't expected to receive a notice about a changed schedule first.
Qin Zhenzhen pursed her lips. "No, don't listen to the nonsense online. A friend's child has a birthday the day after tomorrow. I and Lu—I and Ruyun were just going to pick out a gift."
Meng Xin let out a sigh of relief. "Then why are you pushing back your appearances?"
Qin Zhenzhen pinched the phone with her thumb and forefinger. "Sister Meng, a house with an unstable foundation will collapse no matter how pretty it looks. Give me some time. I want to build a solid foundation."
Her serious and earnest tone gave Meng Xin pause. After a few seconds, she finally said, "I understand."
Qin Zhenzhen smiled. "Thank you, Sister Meng."
Meng Xin sighed. "The best thanks would be causing me less trouble."
Qin Zhenzhen said playfully, "If I cause you less trouble, you'll just complain I don't have enough buzz."
Meng Xin wanted to argue but realized the statement was true. The more popular you are, the more gossip you attract. But first, you have to be popular to attract gossip in the first place.
Qin Zhenzhen arrived back at the apartment just past seven. Lu Ruyun wasn't back yet. Qin Zhenzhen thought about her show nearing its end—it must be incredibly busy. Ji Lu looked down at her tablet and asked, "What do you want for dinner, Zhenzhen?"
"There are three restaurants nearby, Chinese and Western cuisine."
Qin Zhenzhen sat in the car, tilting her head to look at the restaurant signs not far away, then looked down and sent a message to Lu Ruyun: Teacher Lu, have you eaten?
After several minutes with no reply, she simply called her. He Shuangshuang answered.
"Ruyun's not wrapped yet."
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet." Someone called out from nearby, "Assistant He!"
He Shuangshuang spoke back into the phone. "Anything else?"
Seeing how busy she was, Qin Zhenzhen said, "No, it's fine."
"Then I'll hang up first." He Shuangshuang had just put the phone down when she was called away by a crew member. Before she could finish dealing with that, she heard a voice behind her. "Shuangshuang."
The soft, warm voice was unmistakably Zhang Yiyao's. He Shuangshuang turned around and, sure enough, saw Zhang Yiyao standing behind her in a thin pink down jacket. It was almost mid-November, and the nights were particularly cold. The wind felt biting. He Shuangshuang had been running around nonstop and hadn't felt the cold, but after standing and chatting with Zhang Yiyao for a few moments, she started to feel the chill.
"Why are you here so late?" He Shuangshuang rubbed her hands together and looked at Zhang Yiyao.
Zhang Yiyao smiled helplessly. "Because you all haven't wrapped yet. I was afraid Ruyun would forget to eat again while filming, so I made her some ginseng soup. She just got out of the hospital. You and Qiuhan really should take better care of her."
A hint of apology appeared on He Shuangshuang's face. For all that Duan Qiuhan was usually easy-going, when it came to filming, he recognized no friends or family. Today was Lu Ruyun's first day back, and he'd kept her until now without a break. Lunch had been a rushed affair.
Lu Ruyun's current scene was a fight sequence. In the pitch-black night, she stood in ninja attire, facing her former friend, their long swords pointed at each other.
"I told you, the next time we meet, one of us will die."
A voice filled with cold intent rang out on the set. The girl standing opposite her shuddered and slumped to the ground.
"Cut!" Duan Qiuhan scratched his head in frustration. They had been filming this scene since evening. The new actress, Wang Rong, who had replaced Zhu Yao later in the production, was ultimately somewhat lacking in skill and couldn't fully let go during her performance.
Wang Rong was helped up by her assistant, a look of self-reproach on her face. She bowed her head to Lu Ruyun. "I'm sorry, Teacher Lu. Another NG because of me."
Lu Ruyun stood opposite her, took the down jacket He Shuangshuang handed over, and put it on before saying, "It's okay. More practice will help."
Wang Rong's lips twitched. Duan Qiuhan walked over to the group. "Take a half-hour break. Let's get dinner ready."
After saying this, he walked over to Lu Ruyun. "How are you holding up? Okay?"
Lu Ruyun smiled faintly. "What, do you think I'm a porcelain doll too?"
Before Duan Qiuhan could reply, a voice called out from not far away, "Ruyun, Qiuhan."
Lu Ruyun and Duan Qiuhan both looked over and saw Zhang Yiyao standing under the lights, holding a thermal lunchbox, dressed in a light pink long down jacket. The wind ruffled her hair, giving her a somewhat ethereal appearance.
Duan Qiuhan hurried over, a smile on his handsome face. "What are you doing here? Didn't you say you had something on tonight?"
Zhang Yiyao shot him a look. "I had to come even if I was busy. If I didn't, what time were you planning to let Ruyun eat? I'm serious, next time you're working, could you please pay attention to the time? She just got out of the hospital. She's not like you."
Duan Qiuhan nodded obediently under her scolding. Lu Ruyun tactfully stood a short distance away, not approaching. Duan Qiuhan wanted to take Zhang Yiyao's hand to see if she was cold, but she instinctively pulled away, pretending to fiddle with the lunchbox.
"Is that for me?" Duan Qiuhan's handsome face broke into a smile. People passing by teased, "Mrs. Duan, bringing food for the director again?"
"So virtuous, Mrs. Duan."
"Hello, Mrs. Duan."
Greetings came one after another. Zhang Yiyao's face wore its usual gentle, soft smile, though there was no real warmth in her eyes. Duan Qiuhan tried to take the thermal lunchbox from her hands, but she dodged again, feigning annoyance. "This is for Ruyun."
Duan Qiuhan looked disappointed. "It's not for me?"
Lu Ruyun laughed. "Alright, Yaoyao, stop teasing Qiuhan."
"I'm not..."
Before Zhang Yiyao could finish, a voice called from behind them, "Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun looked up. Qin Zhenzhen stood under a tree not far away, a bag in her hand. She had already changed out of her costume and was wearing a blue trench coat over a light-colored knee-length skirt, paired with mid-calf boots. The boots were snug, hugging her calves and making her legs look straight and shapely.
"Director Duan, Miss Zhang." Qin Zhenzhen walked to Lu Ruyun's side, very naturally looping her arm through Lu Ruyun's wrist in an intimate gesture. "Haven't eaten yet, have you? I bought you something."
She lifted the bag in her hand, revealing the restaurant's logo. Lu Ruyun let her hold onto her arm, then turned back to the people in front of her. "We'll head over first."
Duan Qiuhan nodded. "Go ahead."
He watched as Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen walked arm-in-arm toward a nearby break room, then turned to Zhang Yiyao. "Let's go eat too."
"You go ahead. I'll go find Shuangshuang." Zhang Yiyao placed the thermal lunchbox in Duan Qiuhan's hands. Her expression was no different from usual, but a cold glint inadvertently flashed in her eyes, as biting as the howling wind.
Duan Qiuhan took the lunchbox, a hint of confusion adding to his handsome features, but he didn't say anything. He watched Zhang Yiyao walk towards He Shuangshuang. A girl popped up behind him. "Director Duan, should I get your boxed meal for you?"
"No need. My girlfriend brought me something." Duan Qiuhan deliberately patted the lunchbox in his hand, a look of blissful happiness on his face. The girl behind him just gave an awkward smile. "Alright."
The set was dotted with people sitting everywhere, and the break rooms were no exception. Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun found a relatively empty room filled with various props. Qin Zhenzhen used two stools to create a makeshift small table, placed the takeout containers on it, and lifted the lids. The aroma immediately filled the small room.
"Did the afternoon shoot go well?" Lu Ruyun, seeing her relaxed expression as she busied herself, couldn't help but ask. Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Yes. So I specifically came to thank Teacher Lu for her guidance."
Lu Ruyun lowered her head, taking the chopsticks Qin Zhenzhen offered. "No need."
She had planned to guide her step by step anyway. She just hadn't expected Director Yu's intervention to force them to skip several steps. That was fine too. These were issues she needed to face head-on eventually.
The two ate in comfortable silence, chatting occasionally.
"I've discussed the schedule with Sister Meng. We'll follow the arrangement we made last night."
Lu Ruyun didn't even pause in her eating. She nodded, her voice light and clear. "Okay."
Qin Zhenzhen looked up at her. Lu Ruyun was still in costume—a black night suit, her hair tied up tightly, wearing heavy makeup. From the side, her features remained dignified and elegant, but the tight-fitting attire and severe hairstyle added a touch of sternness to her pretty face.
"What is it?" Lu Ruyun glanced at her between bites. Qin Zhenzhen lowered her head, feeling warmth rush to her cheeks. She picked up a few grains of rice and chewed slowly. "Nothing. I just suddenly think Teacher Lu is really beautiful."
Lu Ruyun's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, causing the vegetable she had just picked up to fall back into the container. She calmly picked it up again, her expression unchanged, not even lifting her eyelids. Only the tips of her ears were faintly stained with a blush.
Because her hair was tied back, under the fluorescent light, it was clearly visible.
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