Married in a Daze - Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Zhu Yao had been plastered across the trending searches for a full week now—an unprecedented situation. Even when she had previously bought trending spots for new shows, it hadn't had this effect. Yet, she couldn't feel happy about it at all, because it was all bad press.
From the initial interview piece, to all her subsequent programs, and even just her stepping outside, everything could land her on the hot search list for a full day. She took them down quickly, but they went back up even faster. And taking them down cost money. She had barely brought any profit to her company this year. She had joined the crew of Like a Dream behind her manager's back and ended up having to pay compensation. Now, the company was giving her the cold shoulder, and her manager seemed intentionally focused on grooming newcomers, leaving her out to dry. As a top-tier celebrity, she was being rained abuse upon online, powerless to refute it. Her fans had initially supported her, but with each day's new revelations, her fanbase was rapidly shrinking.
Public appearances and endorsements had become few and far between. Because of her excessive negative press, even casting directors for supporting female roles in idol dramas were now hesitating over her for half a day.
Zhu Yao had never experienced the violence of online vitriol before. Only now was she truly understanding the power of public opinion.
She was starting to panic.
She had struggled in this industry for several years, working hard to reach her current status. There was no reason she should fall over such a minor setback. But judging by the company's attitude of semi-abandonment, this hurdle of hers was truly going to be difficult to overcome.
Because of the trending searches, she had been holed up at home these past few days. Paparazzi followed her whenever she stepped out, and she had begun to fear going outside. But if she wanted to secure resources, sitting at home simply wouldn't do.
Gripping her phone, sitting on the sofa, Zhu Yao gritted her teeth and finally called her manager.
The phone rang several times before someone answered. Her manager's tone was nonchalant. "Miss Zhu? What's up?"
He had never spoken to her in such a manner before. She had switched to this company after gaining some fame, and her manager had always treated her with kid gloves. When had he ever used this dismissive tone with her? Though furious, Zhu Yao could only hold it in. "It's nothing much. I just heard the crew for Drunken Dreams of Jianghu is holding auditions? Was wondering if you had any news?"
This TV series had originally slated Qin Zhenzhen as the female lead. But because Qin Zhenzhen had teamed up with Yu Changlin, they were now openly re-auditioning for the female lead.
Just thinking about Qin Zhenzhen joining Yu Changlin's crew made her clench her fists in anger again.
The manager understood immediately. "Ah, that one. Yeah, we did get the news. But I already sent Xiao Mei to give it a shot. You know, with all the negative news about you online right now, even if you went, you wouldn't pass."
"But..." Zhu Yao wanted to say more when a woman's voice suddenly chimed in on the manager's end amidst some commotion. The manager spoke to her, "Alright, I'm busy now. I'll call you when I get back."
Zhu Yao listened to the call disconnecting and her face darkened.
Xiao Mei was the newcomer the manager was currently pushing hard. And that voice from the phone just now was precisely hers.
The casting for Drunken Dreams of Jianghu was currently a hot topic. The originally agreed-upon female lead, Qin Zhenzhen, had withdrawn due to her commitment to Yu Changlin's crew, forcing a recast. This recasting had everyone's minds racing.
It was an adaptation of a novel of the same name. Truthfully, the novel itself wasn't particularly famous. What was famous was the game adapted from the novel, which had been wildly popular for a period. Even now, many young people still played it, giving it a very broad audience. Back when filming hadn't even started and the female lead was set as Qin Zhenzhen, it had already been bashed onto trending searches. So this recasting involved not just book fans, but also many fans of the game.
—Hmm, I don't think any of them are really suitable. So why even adapt it for film/TV? So annoying!
—I think so too. Good actors they can't afford, bad actors hurt the eyes. Better not film it at all, leave us with a fond memory.
—A fond memory... what about Cloud Fairy? Acting is on point, looks are on point, and she's ethereal enough. Back then, her 'Hundred Blossom Immortal' completely bewitched me. I still rewatch it every summer!
—No good. Cloud Fairy's age isn't suitable. The protagonist is only sixteen! Cloud Fairy is almost thirty, right? She can't pull off that youthful feeling.
—Still better than finding some young idols and celebrity flowers. At least you could watch it. Thinking about it, I'd rather have Qin Zhenzhen. At least just admiring her looks would be enough.
The online discussions were heated, but Qin Zhenzhen was completely unaware of any of it. She had been offline for several days now, with Weibo temporarily handed over to Meng Xin to manage. Apart from filming, when she returned home, it was just discussing scripts with Lu Ruyun, rehearsing scenes, reading books. This completely opposite lifestyle compared to before—she had actually adapted to it quite quickly.
They say a golden nest, a silver nest, is not as good as one's own humble abode. Counting on her fingers, Qin Zhenzhen realized she hadn't thought about her own apartment in days. She mentioned it even less often than Ji Lu grumbled about it.
Her gaze returned to the book in front of her. She sighed. She was zoning out again.
Lu Ruyun walked into Qin Zhenzhen's room carrying two cups of hot water. The room's heater was on. Qin Zhenzhen, wearing cotton pajamas, sat on the carpet. Several stacks of books were beside her. She was leaning against a cushion, head bowed as she flipped through a book, her posture lazy and comfortable.
"Going together tomorrow?" Lu Ruyun handed a cup to Qin Zhenzhen. Seeing her raise it to drink immediately, Lu Ruyun quickly grabbed her hand. "It's hot."
Qin Zhenzhen set the cup on the bay window ledge. Turning to look at Lu Ruyun, who always preferred wearing pajamas or casual clothes at home. Right now, she was in a set of blue casual wear, her long hair tied in a ponytail, stray strands brushed behind her ears, revealing a smooth forehead and fair cheeks. After thinking for a moment, Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Let's go together."
Lu Ruyun sat down beside her, took a sip of hot water, and the warm feeling instantly spread through her body.
This room had gradually accumulated more items. Qin Zhenzhen's little habits were everywhere—the displayed plush toys, clothes not yet tidied away, an added vanity table and a full-length mirror. In the mirror's reflection, Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen sat leaning against each other, the atmosphere warm.
They sat for a while. Lu Ruyun lowered her head and asked softly, "What about the script?"
Rehearsing scenes was what they had been doing most frequently lately. Usually, Qin Zhenzhen was the one to take the initiative and bring it up. Today, she was unusually quiet, which was why Lu Ruyun asked.
Hearing her words, Qin Zhenzhen's fingers pinched the book page. She hesitated for a few seconds. "Let's not today."
Lu Ruyun lowered her gaze. "What's wrong?"
Qin Zhenzhen gave a light cough.
It wasn't really anything. It was just that the scene to film tomorrow involved a kiss. She didn't want Lu Ruyun to know.
It was the most intimate scene in the entire film. After the politician realizes he has developed unusual feelings for the mountain girl, his first reaction is to distance himself, burying himself in work to numb his mind. Yet, he finds that the more he avoids it, the more he misses her. So, one day after leaving, he returns and happens to see the mountain girl sleeping on the sofa. His reason tells him to leave, but his body honestly walks over, kneels beside the sofa, stares at her sleeping face, and unconsciously wants to kiss her.
Of course, in the script, he doesn't actually kiss her in the end. Just as he is about to make contact, his phone rings. It is this call that changes his newly budding thoughts and sets him on a path that gradually diverges from the mountain girl's.
Qin Zhenzhen said with an awkward expression, "I'll just mull over the script myself a bit more. Teacher Lu, don't worry about it."
Lu Ruyun slightly frowned and reached out her hand. "The script."
Qin Zhenzhen couldn't win against her insistence. She simply pulled the script from the side and placed it in Lu Ruyun's hand.
The front sections of the script were filled with annotations. Her handwriting was rather delicate and elegant, pleasing to the eye. Lu Ruyun quickly flipped to the scene to be filmed tomorrow. After reading it, she pursed her lips.
Qin Zhenzhen gave another light cough and took the script back from her hand. "This one, I..."
"Let's rehearse it." Lu Ruyun interrupted her, suppressing the uncomfortable fluctuations in her heart, her expression normal as she spoke to Qin Zhenzhen. "If you want to be a professional actor, you can't let yourself feel awkward about intimate scenes like this."
Meeting her serious gaze and thinking of her own jumbled thoughts earlier, Qin Zhenzhen suddenly felt a twinge of shame. She lowered her head. "Okay."
The two quickly stood up. The script specified a sofa, but their recent rehearsals had all been in the study. There were things there that could substitute for a sofa anyway, so Qin Zhenzhen didn't go out. She just moved the cups from the bay window ledge elsewhere and sat herself down on it.
The bay window had a blanket spread over it, with cushions placed on both sides. Qin Zhenzhen casually grabbed one to use as a pillow. She lay down on her side. Outside the bay window was the pitch-black night, with little light, only the mottled shadows of tree leaves cast onto Qin Zhenzhen's body from beyond the glass.
Lu Ruyun turned off the white fluorescent light and switched to a warm yellow lamp. The room instantly became a shade darker than before. After Qin Zhenzhen settled into her sleeping position on the bay window and closed her eyes, she asked, "Ready?"
"Let's begin."
At Lu Ruyun's signal to begin, Qin Zhenzhen subconsciously slipped into character. She lay on her side, her sleeping face peaceful, her demeanor natural. Not far from her, Lu Ruyun's expression was complex. She was engaged in an internal struggle. Knowing full well that the person before her was like opium—once touched, there was no turning back—her reason urged her to stop here, to just leave like this. But her body honestly took step after step forward, knelt beside her, half-kneeling on the floor.
Her gaze lingered inch by inch over Qin Zhenzhen's cheeks, tender and gentle, eyes holding untold longing. Qin Zhenzhen wore no makeup, barefaced, her skin like a peeled hard-boiled egg, fair and clean. A few strands of her black hair covered her cheek, creating a stark contrast of black and white that stimulated Lu Ruyun.
Lu Ruyun's eyes darkened. She couldn't help but reach out to brush the black hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. When her fingers touched the delicate skin, her gaze darkened another shade.
She slowly leaned closer. A fragrance gradually wafted around the tip of her nose, growing stronger, completely enveloping her.
Qin Zhenzhen smelled the crisp fragrance, felt her gradual approach. Her palms grew sweaty. Her body began to tense. Just as her heart was pounding so hard it felt ready to burst out, she couldn't help but open her eyes.
Lu Ruyun's features were right before her, their noses almost touching. Qin Zhenzhen looked up and met the gentleness in Lu Ruyun's eyes. Her heartbeat thundered like a drum, pounding so hard her eardrums hurt, her vision swam.
Her entire world was filled with Lu Ruyun—the fair forehead, the delicate nose tip, the slightly parted red lips. Her gaze fixed on those thin lips. She couldn't help but lean forward.
Lu Ruyun, watching the person getting closer and closer, frowned and said, "You woke up too early."
That single sentence instantly popped all the rosy bubbles filling Qin Zhenzhen's world.
Lu Ruyun's expression remained normal as she said, "According to the script, you should only open your eyes when the phone starts ringing."
Qin Zhenzhen's earlier intention to lean in and close the distance halted. Her whole body went soft, collapsing onto the bay window. Her gaze still unconsciously lingered on Lu Ruyun's moving red lips.
The script, the script.
Screw the damn script. Right now, all she wanted was to pull her over and kiss her until she fainted!
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