Married in a Daze - Chapter 152

Chapter 152

Qin Zhenzhen ran two more locations in the afternoon, both famous scenic spots in City A. Hu Ling accompanied her, giving her an idea of how the scene decorations might look. By the end, Qin Zhenzhen felt a bit overwhelmed, thinking it was more complicated than filming.

When they finished, she called Lu Ruyun and learned she had already returned to City A. She then bid farewell to Hu Ling, declining her kind offer to have dinner together.

By the time she returned to the apartment, Lu Ruyun had already prepared dinner. Qin Zhenzhen changed into slippers after entering, casually set down her bag, and said to Lu Ruyun, "So early?"

Actually, it wasn't that early—it was past nine. But Qin Zhenzhen had thought she wouldn't be back until midnight, so she was surprised.

Lu Ruyun placed the soup bowl on the dining table, looked up at Qin Zhenzhen, and said, "Yes. Qiuhan ran into some issues, so we wrapped up early."

Qin Zhenzhen blinked, walked over, and sat down opposite her. "What issues?"

Lu Ruyun scooped rice into two bowls, handing one to her. "Remember that script from before?"

Qin Zhenzhen, biting her chopsticks, nodded. "I remember."

"The investor withdrew funding."

"Withdrew?" Qin Zhenzhen twitched the corner of her mouth. "Why?"

Lu Ruyun picked up some vegetables and placed them in Qin Zhenzhen's bowl, pausing for a few seconds. "They invested in another project."

Understanding dawned on Qin Zhenzhen's face. "How much was withdrawn?"

"More than half." Lu Ruyun spoke while eating, glancing up at Qin Zhenzhen. Seeing her lost in thought, she asked softly, "What's on your mind?"

Qin Zhenzhen snapped out of it and smiled at Lu Ruyun. "Nothing."

She then added almost immediately, "It's good that they withdrew."

Lu Ruyun sensed the implication in her words. She pursed her lips. "Zhenzhen, are you worried that I'll mind?"

Qin Zhenzhen shrugged and took a bite of food. "I didn't say that."

Seeing her like this, Lu Ruyun just smiled and didn't press further.

After dinner, Qin Zhenzhen cleared the dishes. Lu Ruyun stood by the window making a phone call, her voice occasionally drifting over. Qin Zhenzhen couldn't help but glance at her. By the time she came out of the kitchen, Lu Ruyun's call still wasn't over. Qin Zhenzhen simply grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom to wash up.

Hearing the door close behind her, Lu Ruyun turned her head. The person on the phone was still talking. "If you insist, I think you can give it a try. But know when to stop. Also, contact me immediately if there are any problems."

"I will, Dr. Ding."

Lu Ruyun hung up. Listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, a warm feeling welled up inside her. Finally, she set down her phone and went to the adjacent bathroom to wash up.

They emerged from their respective bathrooms at the same time.

Qin Zhenzhen wore a floral-patterned nightgown, her long hair pinned up, the ends dripping water onto the gown. Tilting her head, she saw Lu Ruyun, also in pajamas, coming out of the other room. "Finished your call?"

Lu Ruyun nodded and hummed in agreement. Using her own dry towel, she gently dabbed the water droplets from Qin Zhenzhen's face. They stood very close. Qin Zhenzhen muttered, "Who were you calling?"

"Vice Dean Ding."

"He asked me to pick up the report from the last check-up."

Qin Zhenzhen looked up. "Too busy? Should I go get it for you?"

A faint smile appeared on Lu Ruyun's face. Without makeup, the corners of her eyes were slightly red. This smile lacked her usual dignified, aloof air, replaced instead by countless soft, tender feelings. "No need. I'll have Shuangshuang go. You've been busy these days too."

Qin Zhenzhen enjoyed her thoughtfulness. Only after the water on her face was wiped away did they move.

Once in bed, Qin Zhenzhen grabbed her phone to browse Weibo and forums. Lu Ruyun sat by the bed, occasionally glancing at her. After being discreetly watched several times, Qin Zhenzhen finally couldn't hold back a laugh. "Teacher Lu, do you have something to say?"

Lu Ruyun wore an uncharacteristically conflicted expression, her lips pressed into a straight line as if something was hard to say. Qin Zhenzhen put down her phone, pulled Lu Ruyun's arm, causing her to half-collapse onto the bed.

Qin Zhenzhen had originally been lying prone on the bed. Seeing Lu Ruyun fall onto it, she couldn't help but press her cheek against the blanket, her eyes meeting Lu Ruyun's bright gaze. "Go on, what is it?"

"Zhenzhen." Lu Ruyun hesitated for a moment before speaking. "What if I said... I want to take on Qiuhan's movie..."

Before she could finish, Qin Zhenzhen interrupted, her expression shifting slightly. "Which movie?"

Lu Ruyun's gaze was honest. "The one about the real culprit."

Qin Zhenzhen's expression cooled, and she sat up. "Have you lost your mind?"

Lu Ruyun seemed to have anticipated her reaction, showing no surprise. She simply took Qin Zhenzhen's hand, their fingers intertwining. She said self-mockingly, "I think I've lost my mind too."

The initial thought had come last night while looking at the script. She sat alone in the spacious living room, everything quiet around her, yet she didn't feel afraid. Thinking carefully, those images that had once occupied her mind—the ones she thought she could never forget—were actually slowly fading. She turned the pages of the script one by one, seeing the flowing text form scenes in her mind. She automatically filled in the details, frame by frame, scene by scene. The scenarios that had once suffocated her didn't seem so terrifying anymore.

Last night, she had read the script three times, over and over.

And then, this thought emerged.

It seemed she had mustered the courage to confront her past, to not hide forever in a shell, worrying everyone else.

After listening to her, Qin Zhenzhen remained silent for several minutes, then finally shook her head. "I don't agree."

She had finally witnessed Lu Ruyun free from the torment of the past, finally seen her normal self again. Who knew if taking on this project, seeing those similar scenes, might cause a relapse?

Call her timid, call her cowardly—whatever. She simply didn't want it.

Lu Ruyun called softly, "Zhenzhen."

Her tone held a hint of pleading, but Qin Zhenzhen just burrowed under the blanket in one motion and turned off the bedside lamp. Her voice came from the darkness. "No. I don't agree, Ruyun. It's too risky for you."

Lu Ruyun hugged her from behind, resting her head on Qin Zhenzhen's shoulder. This familiar posture relaxed both of them. Qin Zhenzhen's tense body suddenly softened, but she still clenched her teeth, refusing to yield.

"Zhenzhen, you said it yourself. Where you fall, you get back up."

"Give me this chance, okay?"

Her near-pleading voice left Qin Zhenzhen utterly defenseless. Qin Zhenzhen had never seen Lu Ruyun like this before. Her heart immediately ached, seized with pain. She wanted to give in, but she was also afraid. This internal conflict left her speechless.

Lu Ruyun waited patiently, not rushing her, simply holding her, waiting for her to speak. They embraced for a long time. Neither spoke, but neither slept either.

Moonlight streamed in through the window. Qin Zhenzhen's long eyelashes broke the darkness as she turned to look at Lu Ruyun. "Do you really want to do this?"

Lu Ruyun nodded. "I want to try."

Qin Zhenzhen also wrapped her arms around Lu Ruyun in return, nestling in her embrace. "Alright then. I have one condition."

Lu Ruyun hummed softly. "What condition?"

Qin Zhenzhen said with utmost seriousness, "I'm joining the crew too."

For a moment, there was silence in the room. A long time passed before Lu Ruyun agreed. "Okay."

---

The sky was just beginning to lighten when Lu Ruyun woke, before the alarm sounded. She carefully tucked Qin Zhenzhen in before leaving the room. Having stayed up half the night again, the dark circles under her eyes were more pronounced. When He Shuangshuang saw her, she couldn't help but stare for a moment before teasing, "Do you two really need to go that hard?"

Lu Ruyun gave her an annoyed glare. After getting in the car, she instructed, "Wake me when we arrive."

He Shuangshuang suppressed a laugh. "Okay."

With that, they set off. Lu Ruyun leaned back in her seat to rest. She intended to doze lightly but found herself completely unable to sleep. After Qin Zhenzhen agreed last night, she had tossed and turned, unable to find rest.

The scenery outside the window flew by—clusters of bright flowers, stretches of green grass. Soft music played in the car, the faint scent of perfume drifting in the air. She stared outside for a long time before finally withdrawing her gaze and closing her eyes to rest.

By the time they reached the film set, the director had already arrived and was setting up the scene. Lu Ruyun was immediately pulled aside for makeup and costume change. She had quite a backlog of scenes to catch up on, so she needed to arrive early to make up for the lost shooting time.

He Shuangshuang managed to buy her breakfast before she started filming, making sure she ate it before letting her go. Fortunately, Lu Ruyun's acting was consistently on point; the number of NGs could be counted on one hand, so the progress of catching up was quite fast.

Even the director joked that with this shooting efficiency, they might wrap up half a month ahead of schedule.

Lu Ruyun didn't comment either way. She didn't even stay for lunch at the set before rushing to the neighboring city.

Duan Qiuhan was still running around trying to secure investors. But he was new to the director's circle. In terms of connections, they were all accumulated from his previous acting career. When filming Like a Dream, he had already roped in quite a few friends to invest, and even Lu Ruyun's salary had been negotiated to a minimum. So now, trying to find new connections wasn't an easy task.

Moreover, several major investors had already extended olive branches to The Means to Survive. The chances of him securing funding were minuscule.

Duan Qiuhan hung up the phone once again after the person on the other end said the executive was too busy to meet for a meal. Looking up, he saw two people walking toward him: Lu Ruyun and He Shuangshuang.

He Shuangshuang was carrying three lunch boxes. Lu Ruyun walked straight to Duan Qiuhan and smiled. "You haven't eaten yet, right? It's been a while since we had a meal together."

Duan Qiuhan put down his phone and smiled in return. "Yeah, it's been a while."

As he spoke, he seemed to think of something, a shadow dimming the light in his starry eyes. He took the lunch box He Shuangshuang handed him and said to Lu Ruyun, "Why are you here so early today?"

Their promotional events usually started at two.

Lu Ruyun ate her boxed lunch calmly. "Came early because there's something to discuss."

Duan Qiuhan, mouth full of rice, looked up. "What is it?"

Lu Ruyun met his gaze, thought for a few seconds, and said, "Have you finalized the cast for the movie?"

Duan Qiuhan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "Haven't had the chance yet."

Lu Ruyun gave a slight nod. She took another bite, her expression placid. "What do you think about me and Zhenzhen?"

"Would we be suitable?"

This time, Duan Qiuhan wasn't just stunned—he was completely dumbfounded. His mouth hung open, no sound coming out. It was He Shuangshuang who chuckled and waved a hand in front of his face. "Wake up!"

Duan Qiuhan turned to look at He Shuangshuang. "Is it April Fool's Day?"

He Shuangshuang was amused. "Of course not."

Duan Qiuhan's temporarily frozen brain hadn't rebooted yet. Meeting Lu Ruyun's gaze, he managed a strained smile. "Ruyun, this isn't a question of suitability."

It was a question of him simply not being able to afford them.

Even if the investors hadn't pulled out, with his budget, he would have been embarrassed to ask Lu Ruyun, let alone Qin Zhenzhen.

Lu Ruyun wasn't surprised by this answer. She pressed her lips together. "Don't worry about compensation. Meng Xin will discuss the details with you. As for the investment... Zhenzhen and I have some savings. We'd like to bring our own capital to join the project."

Duan Qiuhan had never seen this kind of 'bringing capital to join the crew' before. His handsome face went through several cycles of utter bewilderment before he finally couldn't help but wave his hands. "Wait, wait, wait. Give me a moment to process this."

"This news is seriously hard to digest."

Lu Ruyun lowered her head, eating her meal with composure. By the time her lunch box was empty, Duan Qiuhan seemed to have finally processed it. He asked, "Ruyun, are you sure? What about Zhenzhen's side?"

"Zhenzhen and I have discussed it."

"But I have one condition."

Duan Qiuhan's heart, which had just calmed down, started pounding again. His voice carried a slight tension. "Go on."

Lu Ruyun looked up, her gaze fixed steadily on him. "I need to meet the screenwriter."

Compared to the previous issues, this one was far too easy. Duan Qiuhan immediately nodded. "No problem. I'll have her come over after we finish today."

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