Married in a Daze - Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Director Yu Changlin had set the meeting point near the airport, as they still had a connecting flight. When Qin Zhenzhen arrived, she saw several of the lead actors, along with Director Yu and the assistant director, drinking coffee. As Qin Zhenzhen approached, Zhang Qian smiled and said, "Zhenzhen's here. Haven't seen you in a few days, and you look even prettier."
This was a genuine compliment. Qin Zhenzhen had caught up on sleep last night, sleeping straight until noon. She was full of energy. Combined with the confirmation of her relationship with Lu Ruyun and the smooth MV shoot, it felt like a double blessing. She found herself smiling at anyone she saw, so Zhang Qian wasn't exaggerating at all.
Qin Zhenzhen smiled, pursing her lips. "Really? I think Sister Qian looks better than before too."
The two's mutual flattery amused everyone. After Qin Zhenzhen took a seat, several people came over to chat. Most of them were asking about Jian Mu, while others expressed envy that she had this opportunity. Qin Zhenzhen wore a smile, her attitude graceful and poised.
Half an hour later, she boarded the plane with the others. Director Yu's crew had already gone ahead to prepare the set, so there weren't many people on this flight, only a dozen or so. Once on the plane, Qin Zhenzhen was somewhat separated from the others. She sat next to Zhang Qian, and the two chatted intermittently.
"Is Jian Mu's new song being released in a few days?"
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. News about his new song was all over the internet. His fans and many netizens were eagerly awaiting it, wondering what kind of masterpiece he would bring this time. Zhang Qian said with some regret, "What a shame. I had an important scene yesterday, otherwise I would have flown over to see you yesterday."
Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen turned to her in surprise. "Sister Qian likes Jian Mu too?"
Zhang Qian pretended to be serious. "What, can't older people be fans?"
Qin Zhenzhen bumped her shoulder lightly and chuckled. "Of course not. You should have told me earlier."
Zhang Qian smoothed her long hair. "Told you earlier, would you have arranged a dinner with him for me?"
"Well, no," Qin Zhenzhen said with a straight face. "I could have gotten you an autograph."
Zhang Qian slapped her shoulder. The two looked at each other and laughed. Chen Feng, sitting not far from them, was already resting. The two of them whispered and chattered all the way until they disembarked.
The filming location this time was at the foot of a mountain. Since they were filming Mountain Girl, scenes in the deep mountains were certainly indispensable. So Director Yu had scheduled a week here. This was Qin Zhenzhen's first time visiting this place. It was warmer than City M, and the air was good, very fresh and particularly comfortable.
Looking around, everything was lush and green. Despite it being deep winter, this place seemed utterly unaffected. Qin Zhenzhen followed behind the group, with Ji Lu helping her carry her suitcase.
The accommodation was right at the foot of the mountain. Director Yu had booked an entire inn. Everyone had just gotten off the plane and then endured over an hour's car ride, so they looked a bit tired. There was no filming scheduled for today; shooting would start tomorrow morning. So Director Yu told everyone to go back and rest, gather their energy, and start work at six o'clock tomorrow morning.
After returning to her room, Qin Zhenzhen flopped onto the bed, biting her lip as she called Lu Ruyun. The phone was off.
Guessing she was probably still on a plane, she sent her a message: I've arrived [happy].
After Lu Ruyun got off her plane and turned on her phone, she heard a message notification. She opened WeChat and saw the message from Qin Zhenzhen.
—I've arrived.
It even came with a cute sticker. Lu Ruyun thought for a moment, then turned to He Shuangshuang. "Do you use WeChat?"
He Shuangshuang was still carrying her luggage. "What?"
"I do, why?"
Lu Ruyun said with a calm expression, "Send me some stickers."
He Shuangshuang: ...
Having received the new stickers, Lu Ruyun pondered left and right, finally sending: I've arrived too [so cute].
Qin Zhenzhen was reading the script when she saw this WeChat message and burst out laughing. She didn't even know what she was laughing at, she just felt that this sticker... well, it wasn't even as good as the default ones. It was too incongruous.
The two chatted back and forth like this. Lu Ruyun was still holding her phone when she arrived at the photoshoot location. Having known Lu Ruyun for so many years, this was the first time He Shuangshuang had seen her glued to her phone playing around. It seemed that since meeting Qin Zhenzhen, Lu Ruyun had shed her old-fashioned lifestyle, becoming more and more youthful.
Only after arriving at the shoot location did Lu Ruyun put her phone down. He Shuangshuang accompanied her inside. The stylist was already waiting there. Seeing Lu Ruyun approach, she hurriedly smiled and greeted her. "Good afternoon, Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun withdrew the tenderness from moments ago, her expression returning to its usual calmness, her voice light and clear. "Good afternoon."
While she was getting her makeup done, He Shuangshuang received a call from Zhang Yiyao. She whispered a couple of words to Lu Ruyun and then went outside.
"Yaoyao."
Zhang Yiyao's voice was still gentle, coming through the line. "Ruyun isn't home? I just passed by and knocked, but no one answered."
He Shuangshuang laughed. "Mm, we're out right now."
Zhang Yiyao frowned. "Out? Didn't Ruyun finish filming her TV drama? What are you doing out?"
A pleased look appeared in He Shuangshuang's eyes. "Shooting an ad cover."
"What?" Zhang Yiyao's voice changed slightly due to surprise, becoming somewhat sharp. "Ruyun is shooting an ad cover? No, she..."
He Shuangshuang interrupted her. "Pretty surprising, right? I've been busy these past couple of days and forgot to call you back."
A dark shadow flickered in Zhang Yiyao's eyes. "Where are you shooting?"
He Shuangshuang gave an address. "It'll be done soon. Why don't you wait for us nearby?"
Zhang Yiyao made an affirmative sound and hung up.
He Shuangshuang returned to the dressing room to find Lu Ruyun already made up, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Looking in the mirror, she was the picture of a goddess. He Shuangshuang walked over quickly. "Yaoyao's coming over later. I asked her to wait for us nearby."
"Want to have dinner together tonight?"
Lu Ruyun nodded. "Okay."
Thinking about it, it had been a while since she'd had a meal with Zhang Yiyao. Previously, after finishing a drama, they would always get together. Then, every now and then, Zhang Yiyao would come find her with Duan Qiuhan.
"Teacher Lu, time to change."
The production assistant's voice made Lu Ruyun look up. He Shuangshuang helped her stand. After changing clothes, the shoot began.
Zhang Yiyao had been waiting in the cafe for two hours and still hadn't seen Lu Ruyun and He Shuangshuang. She knew she shouldn't have come this early—shooting a magazine cover would take at least three or four hours—but she couldn't sit still.
Thinking about the changes in Lu Ruyun these past days made her restless.
She hadn't been oblivious. She had noticed the frequent interactions between Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen lately. She thought it was just to deal with the rumors about their Marriage of Convenience, but Lu Ruyun's transformation had slapped her hard, telling her she was wrong.
She really wanted to ask her, really wanted to reach out, but their previous interactions had always been somewhat distant. Suddenly becoming intimate, she was afraid Lu Ruyun might notice something.
That person was perceptive. She didn't dare act rashly, fearing one wrong move would plunge her into an abyss from which there was no return.
Zhang Yiyao lowered her head and took a sip of coffee, the darkness in her eyes deepening. He Shuangshuang and Lu Ruyun were talking when, looking up, they saw Zhang Yiyao sitting in the cafe.
"Over there."
He Shuangshuang said to Lu Ruyun, who was still fully made-up. "Do we go over there first, or head straight to the restaurant?"
Lu Ruyun stood still. "Let's go straight to eat."
He Shuangshuang called Zhang Yiyao. A few seconds later, Zhang Yiyao walked out, complaining gently. "You guys are too much. If I hadn't contacted you, you wouldn't even have told me such big news. Do you still consider me a friend?"
He Shuangshuang laughed and went up to her, linking arms. "Don't be mad. This was all Ruyun's last-minute decision. I saw you were pretty busy with work recently and didn't want to disturb you."
Zhang Yiyao glared at her with mock annoyance. "No matter how busy, you have to tell me!"
He Shuangshuang nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. Let's go. Ruyun's treating tonight."
Zhang Yiyao glanced at Lu Ruyun, noticing a hint of joy in her expression, the corners of her lips slightly lifted. After just this short time apart, she felt Lu Ruyun had become unlike the person she knew.
The Lu Ruyun in her memory was slowly starting to blur.
He Shuangshuang, seeing Zhang Yiyao wasn't moving, tugged her arm. "What are you thinking about?"
Zhang Yiyao seemed to snap out of her reverie casually, smiling lightly. "Nothing. Just feeling Ruyun is different from before."
He Shuangshuang nodded. "Noticed? She's in love. Of course she's different."
The faint smile on Zhang Yiyao's face instantly vanished, her face losing color, pale for a few seconds. Her hands unconsciously tightened into fists. Afraid Lu Ruyun would notice anything unusual, she lowered her head, her long hair covering her profile.
"In love?"
"With who?"
He Shuangshuang glanced at Lu Ruyun. "Who else? Qin Zhenzhen, of course."
Zhang Yiyao's hands clenched, her fingernails digging into her palms. The pain made her teeth chatter, her body trembling slightly. He Shuangshuang, linking arms with her, felt her body's abnormality and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you cold?"
Zhang Yiyao felt dizzy for a moment before slowly regaining her senses. "Just caught a bit of the wind earlier."
He Shuangshuang helped straighten her clothes for her. "Wear more next time. Catching a cold is no good."
Hearing her words, Zhang Yiyao slowly curved her lips. "I know."
The three of them finally chose a nearby Japanese restaurant. After entering a private room, He Shuangshuang went to the restroom. Lu Ruyun and Zhang Yiyao sat facing each other. Zhang Yiyao's complexion had improved somewhat, her expression gentle. "Ruyun."
Lu Ruyun looked up. "Hmm?"
Zhang Yiyao gave a shallow smile. "Is what Shuangshuang said true?"
She knew it was ninety percent true—He Shuangshuang disliked Qin Zhenzhen and definitely wouldn't joke about such a thing—but until she heard it from Lu Ruyun's own mouth, she didn't want to believe it.
Hearing her question, Lu Ruyun seemed to think of something, her expression softening instantly as she smiled. "It's true."
"Sorry, Yaoyao. I've been too busy these past few days. I originally planned to tell you after the cover shoot was over."
Zhang Yiyao was her friend of many years; there was no need to hide it from her. It was just that things weren't completely settled until yesterday, so she hadn't mentioned it.
"I see." The last glimmer of light in Zhang Yiyao's eyes faded. She forced a smile. "That's good."
Lu Ruyun took a sip of tea. "When Zhenzhen comes back, let's get together with Qiuhan for a meal."
Zhang Yiyao clenched her teeth. "Okay."
The two chatted intermittently for a couple more sentences. Seeing He Shuangshuang hadn't returned yet, Lu Ruyun frowned. "I'll go check."
Zhang Yiyao nodded, her gaze following her figure until her back disappeared at the doorway.
Not long after Lu Ruyun left, a phone rang in the private room. It was Lu Ruyun's phone, placed on the table. Zhang Yiyao thought for a few seconds, then reached out and picked up the phone. The screen showed Qin Zhenzhen's name.
She lowered her eyelids and answered the call.
"Ruyun, are you done shooting? I wanted to tell you..."
"Zhenzhen." The two words from Zhang Yiyao cut her off. Qin Zhenzhen's voice caught in her throat. She opened her mouth. "Who is this?"
Zhang Yiyao chuckled. "This is Zhang Yiyao."
Qin Zhenzhen quickly frowned. "Oh, it's Miss Zhang. Where's Ruyun?"
Zhang Yiyao glanced toward the door, pausing for a few seconds. "Sorry, Ruyun isn't really in a position to take calls right now. Is there anything? I can pass it on to her."
Qin Zhenzhen's lips pressed into a straight line. "It's nothing."
Zhang Yiyao's voice remained gentle. "Alright. Then I'll have Ruyun call you back later."
Qin Zhenzhen's voice held little warmth. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." After hanging up, Zhang Yiyao placed the phone back in its original position. Her hand accidentally bumped into a cup. A sound came from the doorway, and she quickly lowered her head to wipe the table. When Lu Ruyun and He Shuangshuang entered, they saw her using a tissue to wipe the table.
"What happened?" Lu Ruyun walked to the table. Zhang Yiyao looked at her with considerable guilt. "Sorry, Ruyun. Your phone was ringing for a long time earlier, so I answered it for you. When I put it back, I accidentally knocked over a cup. Water spilled on it."
Lu Ruyun walked over, took the phone, and tried to turn it on, but the screen remained black.
It seemed water had gotten inside.
Zhang Yiyao looked up with a natural expression. "I'm sorry. How about I buy you a new one later?"
"Oh, by the way, it was Zhenzhen's call earlier. Do you want to use my phone to call her back?"
Lu Ruyun shook her head. "It's fine, no need."
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