Married in a Daze - Chapter 27
Chapter 27
After Qin Zhenzhen posted on Weibo, Meng Xin had planned to wait and see the reaction before making a decision. If the response was good, she would arrange for water armies to guide the fans, stir up some emotions, and hopefully retain a portion of them.
What she didn't expect was that Qin Zhenzhen's Weibo post was so effective it completely negated the need for water armies!
Because her post was too sincere and heartfelt, overflowing with affection. Although some phrases were overly direct, netizens and fans unanimously found it full of sincerity.
It was infinitely better than the thousands of identical template-based apologies they had seen before. It both reassured the fans and clearly stated her own stance.
It was handled just right, without making anyone feel awkward.
As for the netizens who had criticized their marriage as a publicity stunt at noon, they began to change their tune, believing Qin Zhenzhen's act of liking the post today was her protecting her wife—a domineering display! Nothing wrong with that! They even started assigning her a "protective wife" persona!
And this persona was quickly substantiated.
Due to her collaboration with Sun Qin, they naturally followed each other on Weibo. Seeing their interaction, Sun Qin, as a friend, offered her blessings. Once she stepped forward, fellow cast members Song He and Hu Jing had no reason to stand idly by. Both quickly reposted the Weibo, offering their congratulations.
Once they joined the fray, their fans naturally followed suit, supporting their idols and joining in the celebration.
So, two hours after Qin Zhenzhen posted, Weibo was flooded with congratulations. Even the bloggers and media outlets she hadn't pursued earlier got involved, reposting and offering their blessings.
Lying in bed, scrolling through Weibo, Qin Zhenzhen had the illusion that today was actually her wedding day.
A few minutes later, her phone chimed with a message notification. She tapped to look—it was actually a message from Lu Ruyun.
Two words.
Good night.
Qin Zhenzhen looked at these two words, her lips curving upward as she let out a soft hum. She quickly replied with two words and an emoji.
Good night [kiss].
When Lu Ruyun received this reply, she was sitting by the bed. Her hand trembled, and her phone fell to the floor. She hurriedly picked it up to look—the same two simple words still met her eyes.
Plus an emoji.
Her face slightly flushed, she double-checked that this was indeed Qin Zhenzhen's number before setting the phone aside. A few seconds later, she picked it up again, wondering about Qin Zhenzhen's state of mind when she sent this message.
Was it the same as hers?
But wasn't she very angry before leaving today?
Or was it just as she said—treated as an accident, not angry?
She probably wasn't angry. If she were angry, then her Weibo post...
Lu Ruyun, thinking about the Weibo incident, looked down and found Qin Zhenzhen's phone number. Her finger hovered above it, hesitating to tap. After a long moment, she lifted her head, brushed her long hair back, turned off her phone, and set it aside again.
Some people lay awake all night.
Others slept soundly until dawn.
Qin Zhenzhen was woken by her alarm clock. The sky was just beginning to lighten. She got up and pulled open the curtains. Waiting for the morning light to shine through the window onto her body, she then turned and headed to the bathroom.
Packing her luggage early. Last night, she had been preoccupied with following the developments on Weibo. Only after receiving Meng Xin's reply did she fully relax. But by then, it was already the middle of the night—where would she find the energy to pack? She could only do it in the morning.
Emerging from the bathroom, Qin Zhenzhen still had a white towel wrapped around her head. She had just taken a shower, and the ends of her hair were damp. The morning light shone on her freshly bathed skin, making it appear even more fair and translucent, especially her features—more exquisite than a doll's.
She took a suitcase out of the closet, stuffed in a few changes of clothes and daily necessities. Before she could finish, she received a call from Ji Lu, who said she was already outside the door.
Qin Zhenzhen opened the door and indeed saw Ji Lu standing there, holding breakfast. She moved aside slightly. Ji Lu passed by her, the scent of shower gel filling her nostrils.
Ji Lu placed the breakfast on the coffee table and turned to look at Qin Zhenzhen.
Qin Zhenzhen was wearing thin pink pajamas—long sleeves and pants, yet somehow she managed to wear them with a delicate charm. Her long hair was tucked into the towel, the ends dripping. A small patch on her back was damp, vaguely revealing fair skin and a slender waist through the pajama top.
Seeing such temptation first thing in the morning, Ji Lu felt her eyes go wide. She stared unblinkingly at Qin Zhenzhen, praising, "Zhenzhen, if you keep this up, I won't be able to hold myself back!"
Qin Zhenzhen curled her fingers into a hook, walked over, and knocked them against Ji Lu's forehead. Ji Lu cried out in pain. With a light expression, Qin Zhenzhen asked, "Can you hold back now?"
Rubbing her throbbing forehead, Ji Lu said aggrievedly, "Barely."
Seeing Qin Zhenzhen about to repeat the trick, she hurriedly raised her hands in surrender. "I can hold back! Definitely can hold back! Now, even if a celestial maiden sat on my lap, I wouldn't feel a thing!"
Qin Zhenzhen was amused by her exaggerated expression and kicked her shin lightly. "Go pack the luggage."
As she said this, she sat by the coffee table and opened the breakfast containers. The aroma of food immediately wafted out. While rubbing her forehead, Ji Lu thought, Just knew she hadn't finished packing!
After finishing breakfast, it was around eight o'clock. Qin Zhenzhen received a call from Meng Xin, who instructed her on some things to note for the show. She listened quietly, occasionally nodding in agreement.
By the time Ji Lu finished packing the luggage, Qin Zhenzhen had just hung up the phone. The two took the elevator together. Once inside, Ji Lu started chattering, "Zhenzhen, you must remember to eat breakfast."
Although she would only be gone for two or three days, ever since Qin Zhenzhen debuted, aside from vacation times, Ji Lu had been in charge of her three meals a day. So, suddenly being apart for three days, she felt both unaccustomed and reluctant.
Hearing her reminder, Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Okay, I'll remember."
Because of the nature of the program, assistants weren't allowed to stay with the participants.
For some reason, Ji Lu felt even less reassured by her answer and continued, "You must remember to wear sunscreen. And you're sensitive to heat, it's best not to..."
Qin Zhenzhen adjusted her sunglasses. "Alright."
Ji Lu's voice cut off abruptly. Qin Zhenzhen smiled faintly. "Since when did you become so naggy?"
...
Star Showdown had been a lukewarm variety show for years before its revamp. It had been around for quite a while, but the program content was monotonous. It relied on the host's wit and inviting popular young idols and rising stars, which gave it some degree of popularity.
After starring in a hit drama, Qin Zhenzhen had also been invited, but she was busy with promotions at the time and didn't attend. She never expected to come this time, riding on Lu Ruyun's coattails.
After its revamp, Star Showdown's popularity soared compared to before because they added many new segments. Each episode also had extra benefits and easter eggs. Netizens were willing to pay for novelty, and coupled with Star Showdown's consistent good reputation, it certainly helped.
At the very least, after the revamp, its fame rose several levels, directly entering the rankings for the year's most popular variety shows.
With popularity came demand. Unlike before, when they had to beg people to appear on the show, now the tables had turned—people were begging to get on their show.
So, if not for riding on Lu Ruyun's influence, whether she could have gotten on this show was truly an unknown.
Although she always had a casual attitude towards appearing on shows, no one didn't want to be popular, and no one thought they had too much traffic. Being able to appear on this show, she was actually quite happy in her heart.
Of course, she would have been happier if it wasn't thanks to Lu Ruyun's influence.
When Qin Zhenzhen arrived at the program group, she saw them packing things into vehicles. Not far away, a woman in a red waist-cinching miniskirt was looking down at a script. Ji Lu whispered, "Zhenzhen, that's the host."
Host Shen Haitang.
True to her name, beautiful, enchanting, radiant, and striking. Her brown, wavy long hair cascaded down to her waist. The form-fitting red bodycon dress hugged her curves, and she wore ten-centimeter stiletto heels. Her figure was curvaceous and extremely hot.
The moment Qin Zhenzhen looked at her, Shen Haitang raised her gaze and smiled, walking over. She stood beside Qin Zhenzhen and extended her hand. "Miss Qin, I'm Shen Haitang."
Qin Zhenzhen grasped her slender fingers. "Teacher Shen, just call me Zhenzhen."
Shen Haitang nodded with a smile. "Sure. Then you don't need to call me Teacher Shen either—sounds awkward. Just follow Ruyun and call me Haitang."
"By the way, where's Ruyun?"
Her gaze swept around Qin Zhenzhen but didn't see Lu Ruyun's figure. She smiled lightly. "Didn't you come together?"
Qin Zhenzhen shook her head. "No, she..."
Before she could finish, she heard someone call out from not far away, "Zhenzhen."
Qin Zhenzhen turned to look. Lu Ruyun was standing not far away, wearing high heels. Seeing her look over, Lu Ruyun took off her sunglasses, casually brushed her long hair, and walked over to the two still handshaking in a few steps.
"Haitang."
Shen Haitang released Qin Zhenzhen's hand and joked, "I thought after getting married, you'd start acting like a diva."
Lu Ruyun lowered her eyelids, a slight curve lifting the corners of her lips. She didn't respond. Knowing her temperament, Shen Haitang laughed. "Alright, Ruyun, why don't you take Zhenzhen and get in the car first. I'll have someone take care of the luggage."
The staff, instructed by Shen Haitang, took the suitcase from Ji Lu. Ji Lu looked at Qin Zhenzhen and pouted. "Then, Zhenzhen, I'll head off first?"
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Okay."
On the other side, He Shuangshuang was also saying goodbye to Lu Ruyun. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Ruyun, should I talk to Haitang later about your accommodation arrangements over there..."
Lu Ruyun cut her off. "No need."
"Let's go with Haitang's arrangements."
He Shuangshuang looked troubled. "But she doesn't know. She'll definitely arrange for you and Qin Zhenzhen to stay together."
There was an unusual caution in her eyes, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing. After hearing her words, Lu Ruyun also fell silent for a moment before saying, "It's fine. I'll try my best to cope."
He Shuangshuang: "But!"
Lu Ruyun: "I brought the medication."
The words He Shuangshuang hadn't finished got stuck in her throat. She nodded. "Okay, then I'll go first."
After saying that, she looked towards Qin Zhenzhen, who was standing by the car door not far away, with an expression that seemed like she had more to say. Before Qin Zhenzhen could ask, she saw her turn and leave.
Qin Zhenzhen shrugged and turned to get in the car.
This episode certainly wouldn't feature just her and Lu Ruyun. But she never expected to run into an old acquaintance!
And from the same drama crew at that—the kind you see constantly!
No wonder Ji Lu had that mysterious expression yesterday when she mentioned there would be familiar faces.
Sitting in the car, looking at the shyly smiling Hu Jing in front of her, Qin Zhenzhen twitched the corner of her mouth and parted her red lips to say, "Morning."
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