Married in a Daze - Chapter 70
Chapter 70
The birthday banquet was scheduled to start promptly at six. Qin Zhenzhen had just finished chatting with some of the program crew's staff when it was about to begin. As the event was getting underway, Shen Haitang came over to greet them, offering apologies to the pair. She explained she had originally only planned to invite a few people, but who could have guessed the staff would find out? They had insisted on coming, saying it was to give her a surprise, leaving her unprepared.
Qin Zhenzhen smiled and patted her shoulder. "It's fine, Haitang. The more, the merrier."
She had actually wanted to take Lu Ruyun out more often to meet different people, but every time she returned to the apartment, this girl would either start 'training', stubbornly shelving her plans. So, coming here to soak up a lively atmosphere wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Seeing this, Shen Haitang smiled. "As long as you and Ruyun don't mind."
"Of course we don't mind." Qin Zhenzhen pursed her lips in a smile, her eyes sparkling with delight, her pretty face even more radiant and charming.
Lu Ruyun stood behind her, listening as she spoke on behalf of both of them. Her expression remained placid, betraying no particular emotion. She just kept glancing at Qin Zhenzhen from time to time, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Before the feast began, Shen Haitang led out Doudou, who was dressed like a princess. Doudou had changed into a white puffy dress. Her features bore a slight resemblance to Shen Haitang's, and when she smiled, a small dimple appeared at the corner of her lips, making her utterly adorable.
Doudou stood in the middle of the crowd, everyone surrounding her. Shen Haitang wheeled over a cake from one side. A delicate, cute-looking tiara sat atop the cake.
"Auntie, can you put it on me?" Just as Shen Haitang pushed the cake in front of Doudou, Doudou suddenly grabbed Qin Zhenzhen's hand and asked. All eyes turned towards them. Qin Zhenzhen was momentarily stunned. She turned to look at Lu Ruyun, seeking her opinion. Lu Ruyun smiled slightly and gave a gentle nod. Only then did Qin Zhenzhen pick up the tiara and place it on Doudou's head.
Doudou beamed with joy. "Thank you, Auntie!"
Qin Zhenzhen waved her hand. "You're welcome."
Shen Haitang stood beside Doudou and urged, "Doudou, you can make a wish now."
Doudou's eyes darted around. "Mommy, can I wish for anything?"
Shen Haitang laughed. "Anything."
Doudou looked at Qin Zhenzhen. "Then can I wish to be as pretty as Auntie when I grow up?"
Her innocent words made everyone laugh, filling the room with mirth. The little girl opened her bright eyes wide, looking at everyone with confusion. Qin Zhenzhen crouched down, reached out, and gently stroked her forehead, her expression serious. "Of course you can. When Doudou grows up, she will definitely be even prettier than Auntie."
As she spoke, her eyes curved into crescents, her expression gentle. Lu Ruyun looked down at her profile, catching that tender look. The emptiness in her heart grew larger for a moment, but was quickly filled to overflowing with warmth.
As everyone was laughing and chatting, the sound of a piano drifted over from not far away. The music swelled and fell, lively and fluid, creating the illusion of playing in a mountain stream—the sound of gurgling water in one's ears, a vast expanse of green before one's eyes. The living room quieted instantly, everyone immersed in the music.
"Uncle Jian!" Doudou cried out the moment the piece ended. Immediately, whispers filled the living room.
"It really is Jian Mu."
"Jian Mu!"
"J-Jian Mu!"
"He really is even more handsome in person."
Listening to the hushed discussions, Qin Zhenzhen looked over. She saw Jian Mu sitting on a wooden stool, his handsome face smiling. His slender fingers still rested on the piano keys, with no sign that he intended to get up.
The mood in the room became somewhat excited. A few young girls instantly developed starry eyes, transforming into little fangirls, their gazes fixed unwaveringly on Jian Mu.
To those present, Jian Mu was no stranger. Although their circles were different, it didn't prevent them from knowing his name.
Jian Mu operated in the music world. To be precise, he was a singer.
He debuted five years ago through a talent show, winning first place and quickly signing with a company to release his first solo album. Just as many netizens were dismissing him as just another pretty face, he struck back with impressive numbers. For the past five years, every album he released dominated the charts on major music platforms. Two years ago, after winning three major awards at the Chinese Golden Melody Awards, he was dubbed the "Little Heavenly King of Asia" within the industry.
In recent years, his musical focus had gradually aligned more with the international scene. Reports about him mostly involved winning some XX award abroad. In a time when the Chinese-language music market wasn't particularly thriving, he had managed to break into the international market. The industry held him in very high esteem.
Although Qin Zhenzhen had never met him in person, she was aware of his achievements and held a certain degree of admiration for him. He was not yet thirty and had already achieved such success; his future prospects were immeasurable.
Shen Haitang, seeing everyone fall silent upon seeing Jian Mu, chuckled. "Alright, everyone, don't just stand there. Let's all head to the dining room."
The dining room already had two round tables set. Qin Zhenzhen noticed several young girls eagerly crowding around Jian Mu, hoping to sit with him for the meal. But Jian Mu remained seated on the wooden stool, holding Doudou and talking to her. Their familiar, intimate demeanor made it clear they weren't just acquaintances.
"What wish did Doudou make just now?" Jian Mu's voice was distinctive, slightly low and somewhat magnetic, making listeners feel their heartstrings plucked. A young girl passing by him froze for a second, a silly smile on her lips, before quickly scurrying away.
Doudou pointed at Qin Zhenzhen. "Doudou wishes to be as pretty as that Auntie when she grows up."
Jian Mu followed the direction of her little finger and saw Qin Zhenzhen. Their eyes met; Qin Zhenzhen nodded slightly. Jian Mu also smiled and nodded back. Their gazes met and parted in an instant. Qin Zhenzhen thought to herself, It's true, people who are good-looking really have a certain lethal charm.
Lu Ruyun glimpsed the exchange of looks between them. She pursed her lips and took the initiative to take Qin Zhenzhen's hand, leading her towards the dining room.
Qin Zhenzhen didn't suspect anything. After her gaze left Jian Mu, it remained fixed on their joined hands, a slight smile gracing her pretty face. What good-looking person? In her eyes, there was only the person holding her hand.
After they were seated, people's eyes still unconsciously drifted towards Jian Mu. Shen Haitang, seeing this, pretended to be angry. "If you don't start eating, I'm going to have to kick you all out."
Everyone laughed and finally picked up their chopsticks. Qin Zhenzhen didn't have much of an appetite due to her cold. Lu Ruyun served her some lighter dishes. The other table was filled with Shen Haitang's close friends, whom they didn't know well, so Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun sat among the staff.
There weren't too many people; the table seated eight. Besides Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun, there were four girls and two boys. Two or three of them kept looking at Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun, lips moving as if they wanted to strike up a conversation but didn't know what to say, so they just stared eagerly.
The other three kept their eyes fixed on Jian Mu in the living room, discussing in low voices.
"How come there was no news of him returning to the country? Didn't they say last month he was judging some music festival in Country J?"
"I heard he came back a few days ago. Seems like he's working on a new song."
"Really? That would be awesome!"
Their intermittent voices drifted over to Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun's table. The two of them ate elegantly, their manners somewhat similar. After the soup was served, Lu Ruyun leaned close and asked softly, "Would you like some soup?"
She was very close to Qin Zhenzhen. When Qin Zhenzhen turned her head, she saw Lu Ruyun's profile with its light makeup. She shook her head. "No, thank you."
Lu Ruyun responded with a soft "Mm."
Half an hour later, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill. The sounds of music still occasionally drifted from the living room. Qin Zhenzhen glanced over inadvertently and saw Jian Mu holding Doudou's hand, placing it on the piano keys, teaching her how to play.
Lu Ruyun noticed her gaze shifting in that direction and lowered her eyelashes.
After listening to everyone chat for a while, Qin Zhenzhen went to the restroom. The suite was quite large. Shen Haitang, worried Qin Zhenzhen might not find it, personally led her there.
"I'm sorry. I invited you over but couldn't properly host you. Next time I'll make it up to you, treat you to a meal."
Qin Zhenzhen laughed. "Alright, Haitang. If you keep being so polite, I'm never coming over again."
Her coquettish tone made Shen Haitang laugh. "Okay, okay, I won't say it anymore. The restroom is just ahead, go on in."
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Alright, you should get back to your other guests now."
Shen Haitang waited until she entered the restroom before leaving.
The walk from the living room to the restroom went through a corridor. There were two windows along the corridor. When Qin Zhenzhen came out of the restroom, she saw someone standing by one of the windows. The window was open, letting in cold gusts of wind. Jian Mu's hair, standing by the window, was slightly ruffled by the breeze. But this did nothing to diminish his handsomeness; instead, it added a touch of wildness.
Qin Zhenzhen walked past him calmly. Jian Mu called out, "Miss Qin."
He stopped her and closed the window. The various noises from the dining room could still be heard not far away. Qin Zhenzhen frowned slightly, puzzled. "Mr. Jian? Is something the matter?"
Jian Mu looked at her, a hint of appreciation in his eyes. From a distance earlier, he had thought Qin Zhenzhen was beautiful—a bold, dazzling kind of beauty. Now, standing less than three meters away from her, his feeling was confirmed. Her beauty was simply indescribable.
This wasn't the first time he had seen Qin Zhenzhen, but previously it had been through videos or photos. People often said those were heavily retouched. But seeing her in person now, he felt this was what the retouched version should look like.
She looks equally radiant with either heavy or light makeup.
Qin Zhenzhen couldn't understand his sudden scrutiny and furrowed her brows. "Mr. Jian?"
Jian Mu snapped back to reality. "My apologies. I was rude."
His starry eyes were frank. While his earlier examination had been intent, his gaze held no impropriety. Qin Zhenzhen gave a slight smile. "You're too polite, Mr. Jian. May I ask what this is about?"
Jian Mu smiled lightly. "It's nothing. Sorry for disturbing you, Miss Qin."
Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, then turned and left. Jian Mu watched her retreating figure. A few minutes later, he still made a call to his manager.
"Are you sure?"
Determination filled Jian Mu's handsome face. "Yes, I'm sure."
"I've just seen her in person."
It was already past nine when Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun left Shen Haitang's home. Jian Mu had left much earlier. After the feast ended, people were still lingering, wanting to go sing karaoke. Qin Zhenzhen politely declined their suggestion, bid farewell to Shen Haitang, and got into the car.
Lu Ruyun was driving. The two of them didn't speak the whole way. Qin Zhenzhen couldn't quite gauge whether she was happy or not. After all, ever since they entered the house, Lu Ruyun had spoken very little. When staff members tried to strike up a conversation, her attitude had been quite cold.
Lu Ruyun, seeing her remain silent and withdrawn, felt her own expression darken a few shades. The journey to the apartment was completed in total silence.
As soon as they entered the door, Qin Zhenzhen received a call from Meng Xin. When she answered, she heard Meng Xin's unusually excited voice saying, "Zhenzhen, do you know who just contacted me?"
Qin Zhenzhen thought for a moment. "Who?"
Meng Xin's voice held a note of joy, mixed with excitement she could barely contain. "It's Jian Mu's manager. Jian Mu, you know him, right? The one who..."
Qin Zhenzhen hadn't expected to hear Jian Mu's name again upon returning home. She interrupted Meng Xin. "Sister Meng, I know who he is."
Hearing her reply, Meng Xin laughed. "That's right. Hardly anyone doesn't know him these days."
"What did he want?" Jian Mu had stopped her in the corridor earlier, which she found odd, but she hadn't been able to ask. It probably related to this.
Meng Xin was still excited, her voice rising a couple of notes. "He said he wants you to be the female lead in the music video for his new song!"
It was no wonder Meng Xin was excited. Jian Mu's status was simply too high. Under normal circumstances, it was a connection one simply couldn't hope to make. This time, he had proactively extended an olive branch to Qin Zhenzhen. At first, Meng Xin had been suspicious, wondering if there was some catch. Who would have thought they would directly send over a contract, showing their sincerity in full?
This was a resource countless people coveted, a dream opportunity for many. Seeing the contract in black and white, she couldn't help but get a little carried away.
But Qin Zhenzhen wasn't as excited. She instinctively glanced at Lu Ruyun and didn't reply immediately, lowering her gaze instead. "Sister Meng, I'd like to think it over."
Meng Xin still wanted to persuade her but paused, holding back her words. "Alright," she finally said with a breath.
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