Married in a Daze - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
The restaurant was booked near the film and television city. It was a Western-style eatery arranged by Ji Lu that afternoon at Qin Zhenzhen's request. Initially, Ji Lu had wanted to reserve their usual spot at the Tianquan Hotel, but Qin Zhenzhen, worried about running into familiar faces again, had her pick this place instead.
Although this restaurant was located near the film and television city, its somewhat remote location meant it didn't attract many customers. Considering their special status, Qin Zhenzhen, with Lu Ruyun in tow, still booked a private room upon entering.
Ji Lu didn't go in.
He Shuangshuang didn't go in either.
The two stood guard outside like door gods. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty, their stance was quite conspicuous. He Shuangshuang, maintaining a straight face, asked Ji Lu if they should go sit somewhere nearby.
Ji Lu also felt awkward just standing there dryly and nodded in agreement.
Before leaving, she sent a text message to Qin Zhenzhen. Inside the room, Qin Zhenzhen was looking at the menu. Hearing the notification chime, she glanced at her phone, then put it down nonchalantly and continued ordering.
Each of them ordered a steak and iced tea. Qin Zhenzhen had initially considered ordering a bottle of red wine, but considering they had to record a show tomorrow, she gave up on the idea.
After the waiter left, Lu Ruyun straightened her napkin and said, "Regarding the Weibo matter, Meng Xin has already contacted Shuangshuang. You don't need to worry too much."
Qin Zhenzhen, who was about to take a sip of water, paused.
What did Lu Ruyun mean by this?
If she wasn't mistaken, was this... an attempt to comfort her?
Qin Zhenzhen put down her glass and looked up at Lu Ruyun. Seeing those clear, bright eyes fixed on her, she barely managed to swallow the water in her mouth. "Sister Meng has already contacted me."
Lu Ruyun nodded, picked up her glass to take a small sip of ice water, and continued, "After you post on Weibo tonight, let Shuangshuang know. She'll respond to you."
Qin Zhenzhen gave an "Mm" in acknowledgment.
Lu Ruyun's gaze was still on her. She seemed to have something more to say when a sudden knock on the door interrupted. She pressed her lips together and called out, "Come in."
The waiter served their steaks and iced tea, gestured for them to enjoy their meal, and left. Qin Zhenzhen had barely eaten at lunch because Lu Ruyun was there, and she had spent the afternoon running around, acting, and changing costumes. She was already starving. Once the steak arrived, she focused entirely on the food in front of her, not even glancing at Lu Ruyun.
Seeing her like this, Lu Ruyun also lowered her head to cut her steak first.
The atmosphere in the private room was quiet. Roughly fifteen minutes later, Qin Zhenzhen finally swallowed her last bite of steak and looked up. Lu Ruyun hadn't finished yet. The way she held her knife and fork was incredibly elegant, as if eating steak could be turned into an art form.
Qin Zhenzhen lowered her eyelashes, thinking she must ask Lu Ruyun clearly later what was behind her recent abnormal behavior. They couldn't continue interacting in this awkward, neither-here-nor-there manner. And today's likes... surely she couldn't have "slipped" and accidentally liked those posts too?
Thinking of this, she took a sip of iced tea and spoke first. "How does Teacher Lu find the taste?"
Lu Ruyun put down her knife and fork, dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and offered a strained smile. "It's alright."
The steak tasted fine, but the iced tea... seemed a bit too icy.
She pressed a hand against her faintly aching lower abdomen and looked at Qin Zhenzhen, lifting her lips slightly. "Sorry, I need to use the restroom."
Qin Zhenzhen, her prepared speech not yet delivered, looked up in surprise. Seeing Lu Ruyun's somewhat pale complexion, she was stunned for a few seconds. "Okay."
Lu Ruyun stood up and left the private room. Qin Zhenzhen sat alone inside, bored, looking around randomly. The room's decor was all European-style: vases, wall murals, the dining table, and the chairs with curved backs—everything exuded refinement.
She looked left and right around the room, but Lu Ruyun still hadn't returned. She glanced at her wristwatch. It had been ten minutes.
Just as Qin Zhenzhen stood up, about to head to the restroom, she heard a burst of music. Tilting her head, she saw Lu Ruyun's bag on the chair. The sound was coming from there. Hesitating for a moment, she still took the phone out of the bag.
The screen lit up, displaying three characters: Ms. Lu.
Ms. Lu?
Qin Zhenzhen frowned at the characters. Could it be her mother?
But the contact name 'Ms. Lu'...
She had known from Sun Qin that Lu Ruyun's relationship with her family wasn't good, but she hadn't imagined it would be to this extent. Qin Zhenzhen took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and decided to answer the call.
Just as her finger slid across the screen, the call ended on the other side.
The screen showed one missed call.
Qin Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief. Staring at the phone for a while, she finally picked up Lu Ruyun's bag and walked out of the private room.
Lu Ruyun was still sitting on the toilet, her expression not her usual composure. Her brows were drawn together, lips pressed tight, carrying a hint of solemn severity. She kept glancing at the dwindling amount of toilet paper in her hand, several times hearing conversation outside and wanting to call out, but restraining herself.
Qin Zhenzhen entered the restroom and called out softly, "Teacher Lu?"
Lu Ruyun looked up and coughed lightly. "I'm here."
Qin Zhenzhen walked to the door of her stall. "Are you okay?"
Hidden behind the stall door, a faint blush appeared on Lu Ruyun's fair face. Somewhat embarrassed, she smoothed her long hair. "Sorry... could you help me buy something? Or... could you trouble yourself to bring my phone over? I'll call Shuangshuang."
Qin Zhenzhen was slightly taken aback, then immediately realized what Lu Ruyun needed to buy. Her palm holding the bag grew sweaty, feeling rather awkward. "I have some. No need to buy."
As she spoke, she slipped an item under the partition to Lu Ruyun. Lu Ruyun took it, and there was a faint rustling sound inside.
The restroom was very quiet, broken only by the sound of a toilet flushing. Qin Zhenzhen remained standing outside the stall waiting for Lu Ruyun to come out. Suddenly, voices came from near the entrance not far away.
"Hey, was that Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen who just came in to eat?"
"I think so. I saw their assistants."
Hearing the voices, Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly searched the bag for a hat and mask, but in her rush earlier, she had forgotten to bring them. Seeing the chatting girls were about to turn the corner and enter the restroom area, she was just about to duck into a neighboring stall when the door in front of her suddenly opened. Lu Ruyun reached out a hand and pulled her inside.
The chatter outside continued. "Do you think they're for real or fake? Why does it seem so bizarre the way it's being hyped online?"
"Who the hell knows what's true? The entertainment industry is the messiest. They might get divorced tomorrow for all we know."
"That can't be, right? I saw today's photos and their likes. It's basically them declaring their stance. Maybe they're actually doing fine."
"Yeah, if they weren't fine, why would they come eat together? Didn't you see the photos? They looked pretty loving!"
"..."
The endless chatter continued. Qin Zhenzhen held her breath the entire time. Having been pulled in, they were now face-to-face. Qin Zhenzhen looked up and could see Lu Ruyun's face clearly.
Lu Ruyun wore light makeup. Up close, her features appeared even more dignified and handsome, with sharp contours—graceful brows and profound eyes.
She looked like an utterly upright person.
Yet, this seemingly upright person's heartbeat skipped a beat when her gaze met Qin Zhenzhen's bright eyes. Lu Ruyun's eyes traveled downward, from Qin Zhenzhen's fair forehead to her willow-leaf eyebrows, long eyelashes, phoenix eyes, delicate nose tip, and further down to slightly parted red lips and the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
The fingers holding Qin Zhenzhen's wrist unconsciously tightened their grip. Qin Zhenzhen winced in pain and let out a soft gasp.
Lu Ruyun snapped back to reality and immediately released Qin Zhenzhen. Just as she was about to apologize, she saw Qin Zhenzhen reach out and cover her lips. Worried Lu Ruyun might make a sound, Qin Zhenzhen's hand was a bit forceful. With her mouth covered, Lu Ruyun took a step back. Right beside her was the toilet. Unable to avoid it in time, she ended up sitting directly on the toilet lid!
As she sat down, she instinctively grabbed onto the nearest thing—which happened to be the bag hanging from Qin Zhenzhen's wrist. Qin Zhenzhen, pulled by the force, stumbled and fell entirely onto Lu Ruyun!
Outside the stall, the people had left at some point, leaving both outside and inside the stall utterly silent.
Lu Ruyun sat on the closed toilet lid, her face buried in Qin Zhenzhen's chest. It was summer, and Qin Zhenzhen wore a low-cut dress, so Lu Ruyun had an unobstructed view of the scenery. Qin Zhenzhen felt a warm breath against her skin, seeping through her décolletage. She slowly looked down, and then a cry erupted from the restroom: "Ahhh!!!"
When Ji Lu received Qin Zhenzhen's call, she and He Shuangshuang were engaged in a silent staring contest. Hearing the slightly abnormal tone in Qin Zhenzhen's voice on the other end, she immediately stood up and walked out. He Shuangshuang, frowning at her retreating back, also got up and followed.
Not long after, the two saw Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen at the entrance to their private room. Wearing hats and masks, their expressions were hidden, but there was an undeniably strange feeling about them.
Seeing Qin Zhenzhen's still-stony face, Lu Ruyun wore an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, just now..."
Qin Zhenzhen cut her off. "Let's not mention what just happened anymore. It was just an accident. Teacher Lu didn't mean it. Let's just forget it."
Seeing her speak rapidly, with a faint, involuntary blush creeping up near her earlobes, Lu Ruyun guessed she felt embarrassed. She simply pressed her lips together and said no more.
When Ji Lu and He Shuangshuang reached their side, Qin Zhenzhen turned her head. "Teacher Lu, I'm leaving first."
Before Lu Ruyun could even nod, Qin Zhenzhen strode off with Ji Lu in tow. Ji Lu kept glancing back at Lu Ruyun and saw that Lu Ruyun, who usually showed little expression toward her, suddenly revealed a faint smile. Ji Lu's leg trembled, and she almost tripped. She rubbed her arm and swallowed.
She believed what Zhenzhen had said now.
Lu Ruyun—was indeed a bit off.
He Shuangshuang watched the two depart before speaking. "What's wrong with her?"
Lu Ruyun withdrew her gaze. "Nothing."
He Shuangshuang looked in the direction Qin Zhenzhen had left. It really didn't look like 'nothing.' She glanced at Lu Ruyun again, frowning. "Did you end up discussing what you wanted to talk to Qin Zhenzhen about?"
Lu Ruyun was stunned for a few seconds, her expression returning to its usual calm, graceful composure. Her voice held a hint of hesitation. "Not yet."
Originally, she had wanted to ask Qin Zhenzhen about her sudden coldness. Who knew things would take such a turn?
He Shuangshuang, hearing this, looked at her puzzledly. "Then what did you two talk about?"
Lu Ruyun shook her head. "We didn't talk about anything."
He Shuangshuang: "..."
The two walked out of the restaurant entrance together. He Shuangshuang couldn't hold back and spoke up again. "About today's Weibo matter, Meng Xin and I..."
As she spoke, she realized the person beside her was gone. She turned her head and saw Lu Ruyun walking off toward the other side, head lowered. She called out, "Ruyun?"
Under the moonlight, Lu Ruyun paused her steps and turned around. He Shuangshuang asked, "Where are you going?"
Lu Ruyun's expression was indifferent. "To get in the car."
He Shuangshuang twitched the corner of her mouth. "The car is over here."
Lu Ruyun: "..."
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