Married in a Daze - Chapter 31
Chapter 31
The afternoon game was actually won by Lu Ruyun. Whether everyone intentionally went easy on her or simply ran out of steam, she won effortlessly. Qin Zhenzhen stood among the crowd, applauding, and watched as Shen Haitang handed Lu Ruyun a mysterious grand prize.
Typically, these mysterious grand prizes were sponsor products.
They ranged from the smallest jellies to more expensive items like phones. You name it.
After Lu Ruyun's win this time, everyone watched her prize bag with anticipation. As everyone knew, this episode had several sponsors, and it was unclear whose product the gift would be.
Shen Haitang handed the bag to Lu Ruyun and then passed her a small pair of scissors.
The bag was quite large but not heavy. Lu Ruyun placed it on the ground, took the scissors from Shen Haitang, and cut the bow on top. Everyone watched with rapt attention.
Even Qin Zhenzhen's eyes kept darting between Lu Ruyun and the gift.
Finally, she settled her gaze on Lu Ruyun.
On the back of Lu Ruyun's fair hand, there were still marks. Not the red ones she'd seen before, but a color tinged with bruising. Just looking at them made Qin Zhenzhen's heart clench.
It must hurt.
"Shall we guess what it is?"
Shen Haitang's words interrupted Qin Zhenzhen's train of thought. Everyone became enthusiastic. "Milk, maybe? The box is so big."
"Snacks!"
"I think it might be sports equipment."
Chatter and speculation erupted around Qin Zhenzhen. Shen Haitang looked at her and smiled. "What does Zhenzhen think?"
Suddenly being put on the spot, Qin Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment. She lowered her head to look at Lu Ruyun and the big bag, just in time to see Lu Ruyun calmly tear a small opening in the edge of the wrapping, revealing a box inside.
It was a product from HUG.
And HUG's main line was jewelry.
She pressed her lips together and smiled. "Maybe a necklace."
The crowd looked at her with surprise, then turned back to the big bag. Seeing the opening, they started hooting. "Teacher Lu is cheating!"
"Disqualified! Disqualified! Cheating, Teacher Lu!"
"They're making us eat dog food!"
"Teacher Lu is so considerate."
Their words made Shen Haitang laugh. She walked over to Lu Ruyun and announced with a smile, "The mysterious grand prize is—"
Lu Ruyun tore off the outer wrapping in a few quick motions. Everyone saw that inside the HUG box, there was another box, also marked with the HUG logo, but much, much smaller. Lu Ruyun opened the box to reveal sparkling jewelry inside.
Shen Haitang continued, "The mysterious grand prize is—an anklet!"
Though it wasn't a necklace, it wasn't far off from Qin Zhenzhen's guess. After teasing and praising the two of them for a bit, Shen Haitang also threw in some playful jabs. Qin Zhenzhen stood beside Lu Ruyun, accepting the group's teasing, lowering her head with a suppressed smile.
By the time the afternoon activities ended, it was already past five. According to the schedule, that was the end of the day's filming. Seeing it was still early, Shen Haitang asked if everyone wanted to have an evening gathering.
This wasn't part of the original program plan, and this segment might not even air, so participation was optional.
Lu Ruyun, holding the box in her hand, shook her head. "I won't go. You all have fun."
She had been unwell in the morning due to her period. Although she felt much better after the noon rest, a full day of strenuous activity had taken its toll. Right now, all she wanted was to rest.
Since she wasn't going, Qin Zhenzhen also declined. The other four waved goodbye to them at the apartment entrance.
Back in the apartment, Lu Ruyun sat down on the sofa. Seeing how tired she looked, Qin Zhenzhen couldn't help but ask, "What's for dinner?"
Whatever it was, she could only make noodles.
After asking, Qin Zhenzhen bit her tongue, mentally rolling her eyes at herself.
Hearing the question, Lu Ruyun thought for a moment. "No need. You eat by yourself. The ingredients are in the fridge."
With that, she got up and headed for the master bedroom. Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly followed behind. Seeing Lu Ruyun take pajamas out of her suitcase and walk out, she moved aside to give her space.
Lu Ruyun had brought two suitcases. One was larger, holding outerwear, and was placed in Qin Zhenzhen's room. The other held underwear and daily necessities and was in the room next door.
So, after coming out of Qin Zhenzhen's room, she went back to her own. This time, Qin Zhenzhen didn't follow, only watching Lu Ruyun's slender figure drift between the two rooms. The entire apartment was utterly silent.
Lu Ruyun tidied her things, gathered her pajamas and toiletries, and went into the bathroom. Qin Zhenzhen sat alone on the sofa, listening to the sound of running water. Bored, she picked up her phone and browsed Weibo. She had been scrolling through posts for nearly half an hour, and Lu Ruyun still hadn't come out of the bathroom. Qin Zhenzhen frowned slightly and tiptoed to the bathroom door.
Just as she was about to knock, the door opened.
Seeing someone standing at the door, Lu Ruyun instinctively took a step back. Her cheeks, flushed from the steam, instantly turned pale. Beads of moisture on her forehead—whether un-wiped water droplets or newly formed cold sweat—were indistinguishable.
Qin Zhenzhen's hand was still raised in a knocking position. Seeing the door open, she awkwardly lowered it and cleared her throat. "I saw you hadn't moved for a long time..."
Lu Ruyun's light voice held a trace of unnaturalness. "I was taking a bath."
Qin Zhenzhen nodded. "Oh, okay."
After this brief exchange, Qin Zhenzhen took two steps back to let Lu Ruyun out. Lu Ruyun, wearing cotton pajamas, her wet hair wrapped in a towel, lowered her head and walked past her without a word.
She returned to her room.
Qin Zhenzhen was about to speak when she was met with Lu Ruyun's firmly closed door.
She pouted.
Back in her room, Lu Ruyun leaned against the door, taking several deep breaths. The sound of footsteps outside continued, tip-tap, tip-tap. She covered her ears with some irritation, but the sound only grew louder, assaulting her eardrums. Her face grew paler, cold sweat dripping down.
Suddenly, a bang! echoed in her ears!
Her tense body snapped like a broken string, and she collapsed onto the floor.
The sound outside ceased.
It took Lu Ruyun a long time to regulate her breathing before she slowly crawled back onto the bed. She clutched a medicine bottle in her hand, thought for a moment, and swallowed one pill with the bottled water on her nightstand.
When Qin Zhenzhen woke up on the sofa, it was already seven o'clock. The sky was pitch black, and the apartment was eerily quiet. She hadn't turned on the lights before dozing off, so everything was dark, illuminated only by the faint yellow glow of streetlights outside.
She sat on the sofa, not wanting to move. But she hadn't showered yet, and she hadn't eaten dinner. Her stomach rumbled incessantly.
Her phone kept making ding-ding sounds. She picked it up. It was the program's WeChat group. They had created a group chat in the car earlier, and now it was buzzing with activity.
Shen Haitang: [Picture] Who grilled these? They taste great!
Ding Yichuan: Teacher Shen, that was me! Should I bring some more up for you?
Shen Haitang: No thanks, I'm full. Ruyun and Zhenzhen really missed out by not coming.
Qin Zhenzhen stared greedily at the barbecue pictures on the screen, her eyes like those of a hungry wolf. Her stomach growled again.
Wang Zi: Not coming isn't a loss; coming would have been the loss. We're eating barbecue, they're eating...
Fu Cheng: Wow, Wang Zi, what are you saying? I'm just a baby, I don't understand!
Ding Yichuan: Wang Zi, you're so dirty-minded!
Shen Haitang: Smart aleck!
Hu Jing: I don't think Teacher Lu and Zhenzhen would be as dirty-minded as you guys say.
Wang Zi: @Hu Jing, that's because you're too young.
Ding Yichuan: Hahahaha
A string of "hahahas" lit up Qin Zhenzhen's screen. She scrolled up impatiently. Who wanted to read their dirty jokes? She wanted to see the barbecue! The meat! The beer!
Not going.
It really was a loss.
Qin Zhenzhen patted her sunken stomach and glanced at Lu Ruyun's room. Should she ask her to go together?
What if Lu Ruyun was asleep?
But could she sleep without eating?
Qin Zhenzhen hesitated by the door with her phone, thinking it over before finally knocking. "Teacher Lu?"
No response from inside. She knocked again. "Teacher Lu?"
After calling several times with no answer, Qin Zhenzhen gave up helplessly. She was torn between making herself some noodles or going to mooch some barbecue. Finally, gritting her teeth, she decided to swallow her pride and go for the barbecue.
She had just taken a step when she heard a noise from Lu Ruyun's room.
Thump!
It sounded like something had fallen.
Qin Zhenzhen frowned, turned back, and started knocking on Lu Ruyun's door again. "Teacher Lu?"
"What's wrong? Lu Ruyun!"
Lu Ruyun's room was pitch black. A figure, wrapped tightly in a blanket, was crouched in a corner. The knocking on the door continued, each sound like a death knell, making her body tremble slightly.
"Lu Ruyun?"
Qin Zhenzhen distinctly heard movement inside, but Lu Ruyun remained silent. She remembered Lu Ruyun mentioning menstrual cramps when she first arrived. Could it be acting up now?
Considering the strenuous activity all day plus being splashed with cold water... the more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. And the door wouldn't open. In frustration, she banged on it twice.
Just as she was at her wits' end, about to call Shen Haitang to ask if she had a spare key, the door clicked open.
It was dark inside.
Qin Zhenzhen's gaze shifted from her phone to Lu Ruyun, who had opened the door.
Her long hair was disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, her face as pale as paper. Her forehead and temples were slick with sweat, glistening under the living room light. Seeing Lu Ruyun like this, Qin Zhenzhen felt as if someone had grabbed her by the throat, rendering her speechless.
"Something wrong?"
The voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable. Qin Zhenzhen looked at her. "What's wrong with you?"
Lu Ruyun lowered her eyes. "It's nothing. Get some rest."
As she spoke, she started to close the door. Qin Zhenzhen grabbed the doorknob with one hand and reached out to touch her. "Are you okay? Is it the cramps..."
Before she could finish, Lu Ruyun pushed her away. Qin Zhenzhen looked up at her in shock, noticing her rigid posture and tightly pressed lips. Lu Ruyun stood at the doorway and said, "Good night."
Qin Zhenzhen stared at the door that had been closed for a while, dazed for several minutes before replying, "Good night."
Good night, my foot.
Lu Ruyun was clearly not okay.
But she wouldn't let Qin Zhenzhen get close.
Qin Zhenzhen racked her brains, the earlier thought of dragging Lu Ruyun out to eat completely gone. Her mind was now filled only with the image she had just seen: disheveled clothes, red eyes, a state of utter disarray.
Was it menstrual cramps?
It didn't look like it.
Qin Zhenzhen remained standing outside Lu Ruyun's door. From the crack under the door, Lu Ruyun could see her shadow. She just tightened the blanket around herself. The air conditioning wasn't on in the room; it was stiflingly hot, yet she wrapped herself up tightly as if in the dead of winter.
The entire apartment returned to silence. Qin Zhenzhen wanted to knock again but weakly lowered her hand. She turned and went back to her own room, grabbed her pajamas, and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.
When she came out, Lu Ruyun's door was still closed. After much deliberation, Qin Zhenzhen still couldn't relax. She simply sat on the sofa, frequently glancing at Lu Ruyun's door. She didn't know how much time had passed; just as she was drifting off to sleep, her phone made a ding sound.
She opened it. It was a message from Hu Jing.
"Zhenzhen, Teacher Shen is going to do a surprise raid!"
What??
Qin Zhenzhen nearly threw her phone when she read this. She jumped up from the sofa!
Teacher Shen is doing a surprise raid?
Surprise raids were common in variety shows. She'd often been subject to them when recording programs before. But usually, the production team gave a heads-up. Why was Hu Jing notifying her this time?
Qin Zhenzhen looked at the name, doubting the message's authenticity, until she opened the WeChat group and saw the chat log. Then she believed it.
It was true.
And Shen Haitang had already set off!
Qin Zhenzhen quickly tidied the things on the sofa. She walked to Lu Ruyun's door, took several deep breaths, and said, "Teacher Lu?"
"Teacher Lu, are you there?"
"Teacher Lu, Teacher Shen and the others are about to do a surprise raid."
A hint of urgency crept into her voice. If Lu Ruyun was caught on camera in her current state, it would definitely cause another uproar. Even if they cut the footage tonight, there were so many crew members, and Fu Cheng, Ding Yichuan, and the others... being seen by them would be bad no matter what.
Thinking this, Qin Zhenzhen couldn't worry about propriety anymore. She knocked hard on the door. "Teacher Lu!"
As she knocked, she gripped the doorknob.
Click.
The door actually opened.
Qin Zhenzhen looked down at the open door, realizing Lu Ruyun must have forgotten to lock it when she came out earlier.
With the door open, light from behind streamed into the dark room. Qin Zhenzhen looked carefully. No one was on the bed. Just as she frowned, her peripheral vision caught a figure crouched in the corner not far away.
Qin Zhenzhen hurriedly turned on the light. Without thinking, she rushed to Lu Ruyun's side. "What's wrong?"
Lu Ruyun was hiding entirely under the blanket, drenched in sweat. Qin Zhenzhen, worried, tried to pull the blanket off her. Lu Ruyun said coldly, "Get out!"
"Get out now!"
Qin Zhenzhen clenched her teeth and grasped Lu Ruyun's shoulders. "What's really going on? Even if you don't want to tell me why, you have to tell me what to do, right? Teacher Shen and the crew will be here soon. Do you want them to film you like this?"
Lu Ruyun froze for a few seconds upon hearing Qin Zhenzhen's words. She stared at her face, and only after clearly recognizing who was in front of her did she murmur, "Zhenzhen?"
Qin Zhenzhen frowned. "You..."
Lu Ruyun closed her eyes, then opened them again. A bit more clarity returned to her gaze. She was still curled up in the corner, crouching. Qin Zhenzhen sat opposite her, looking at her with concern. They looked at each other for a long moment before Lu Ruyun lowered her eyelids.
Qin Zhenzhen asked softly, "Are you okay?"
Lu Ruyun's voice was still hoarse, but her emotions were much more stable than before. "I'm fine."
Seeing her like this, Qin Zhenzhen knew "fine" was definitely a lie. But Shen Haitang was already on her way; she could show up at any moment. Qin Zhenzhen scratched her head. "How about... we go to my room first?"
Seeing Lu Ruyun's gaze on her, she explained, "Teacher Shen will be here soon."
Lu Ruyun nodded. "You go back first. I'll come in a moment."
Qin Zhenzhen looked at her with deep worry for a few more seconds, unsure what else to say. She could only head back to her room first. After Qin Zhenzhen left, Lu Ruyun took out the medicine bottle she had been clutching in her hand. Her fingertips trembling, she opened it and swallowed another pill.
A few minutes later.
Lu Ruyun stood at Qin Zhenzhen's door. She had tidied her hair a bit and changed into a different set of pajamas, but her face was still pale, her eyes bloodshot, filled with red veins.
Qin Zhenzhen patted the spot beside her on the bed. "Come over. Hu Jing says they're almost at the door."
Before the production team arrived, they needed to pretend to be asleep. Lu Ruyun walked to Qin Zhenzhen's bed and lay down, her expression calm, but her tightly clenched hands betrayed her current emotions.
Qin Zhenzhen lay down beside her and whispered, "The light..."
Before she could finish, Lu Ruyun switched off the bedside lamp. The room plunged into darkness. Without sight, hearing and smell became especially acute. Qin Zhenzhen sensed Lu Ruyun lying down next to her, a faint, elusive fragrance wafting into her nostrils.
Neither spoke in the darkness. The air conditioning in Qin Zhenzhen's room was on, the temperature a bit low. She sat up and pulled the thin blanket over both of them. When her fingers accidentally brushed against Lu Ruyun's body, she felt it was completely tense.
Qin Zhenzhen pulled the blanket over their heads and turned on her phone's flashlight, whispering, "Teacher Lu, are you nervous?"
Lu Ruyun turned her head towards the light source, and the face still radiant under the glow. She said hoarsely, "Not really."
Qin Zhenzhen saw through the lie. Even if not nervous, she was certainly uncomfortable. Thinking back to what happened in her room earlier, she just smiled lightly and blinked.
Lu Ruyun stared at her. Qin Zhenzhen's bright eyes sparkled, glowing even under the flashlight. Her striking features appeared especially soft and gentle in this setting. Her lips were slightly upturned in a faint smile, her eyes blinked, the long, thick lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Looking at this face, the certain images that had been swirling in Lu Ruyun's mind began to distort, gradually replaced by the scene before her.
Beneath the blanket, Lu Ruyun stared at her profile for a long moment, then suddenly spoke. "Can you..."
"Blink your eyes again?"
Qin Zhenzhen let out a soft "Hmm?" and turned her head to look at Lu Ruyun, puzzled. The space between them was narrow. When she turned, she saw Lu Ruyun's paper-pale face and deep, dark eyes, like a deep pool of water that seemed to draw in all her attention. Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
The person before her was so close she could clearly see the lingering fear in those profound, dark eyes.
Qin Zhenzhen's breath caught, momentarily stunned.
Lu Ruyun looked at the face turned towards her, her gaze fixed on the pink lips. Different from their usual vibrant color, this pink was like a flower bud yet to bloom, but one could vaguely glimpse the beauty it promised.
Her tightly clenched hands showed signs of loosening, slowly rising to pause beside Qin Zhenzhen's cheek. Qin Zhenzhen snapped out of her daze with a light cough. Her phone slipped from her hand, instantly shattering the rippling atmosphere between them.
Sounds started coming from outside the door.
"So dark. Are they asleep already?"
"Sleeping this early?"
"I don't believe it!"
Apart from Shen Haitang and Hu Jing, who knew they had been warned, the others walking outside were visibly excited, as if about to uncover some new secret, all tiptoeing forward with eager anticipation.
Shen Haitang walked at the front with a smile, stealthily knocking on the door. "Ruyun?"
"Zhenzhen?"
No answer from inside. Shen Haitang's eyes swept over the group. "What do you think? They seem to be asleep."
Fu Cheng said excitedly, "Open it, open it!"
Ding Yichuan, having had a bit to drink, his face slightly red, said, "Open it, Teacher Shen."
Shen Haitang held a key. "Then I'm opening it?"
"Really opening it?"
Under the blanket, Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun exchanged a look and quickly turned off the phone's light. Qin Zhenzhen didn't forget to wrap one arm around Lu Ruyun's waist beneath the blanket and drape one leg over Lu Ruyun's legs.
Both were wearing long-sleeved, full-length pajamas, so there was no direct skin contact. But the area where Lu Ruyun was held around the waist felt as if it were on fire, beginning to flush red.
Fortunately, under the blanket, no one would notice.
Qin Zhenzhen focused intently on the door. The key went in and turned.
Her dark eyes were exceptionally bright in the night. Lu Ruyun looked into those eyes, the distorted memories in her mind completely dissipating, replaced solely by a pair of beautiful, sparkling eyes. The faint fragrance carried by her shallow breaths miraculously soothed Lu Ruyun's agitated heart, calming it.
She didn't reject Qin Zhenzhen.
This thought took root in her mind. She couldn't tell if it was due to the medication or Qin Zhenzhen herself. At the very least, she didn't want to leave this warm body. She wanted to stay like this, embracing each other.
Lu Ruyun instinctively tightened her arm around Qin Zhenzhen's waist. Qin Zhenzhen was half lying on top of her, one leg still over Lu Ruyun's. When Lu Ruyun moved to hold her, she shifted her legs slightly. Qin Zhenzhen's leg slipped between Lu Ruyun's thighs, her abdomen pressing against Lu Ruyun's pelvis, a strange sensation spreading through her body.
Qin Zhenzhen shifted her legs uncomfortably. Lu Ruyun suddenly clamped them tighter and said, "Don't move."
Qin Zhenzhen immediately stopped moving.
Seeing her so obedient, Lu Ruyun only tightened her embrace and rested her head on top of Qin Zhenzhen's hair, inhaling her scent. "Zhenzhen, thank you."
Qin Zhenzhen stiffened slightly in her arms. "Hmm?"
Lu Ruyun just placed a hand on her head without speaking further.
The door opened, and countless lights flooded in. Shen Haitang's laughter followed. "Zhenzhen! Ruyun!"
The room lights turned on. Qin Zhenzhen raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare. Lu Ruyun lifted the blanket to cover her. The room erupted in laughter and teasing. Even Lu Ruyun couldn't help but curve her lips into a slight smile.
After the commotion died down a bit, Fu Cheng said with envy, "Zhenzhen, is your skin made of water? How can it be so tender!"
Qin Zhenzhen smiled and touched her own face, blinking. "No, it's made of tofu!"
Everyone burst out laughing. Wang Zi looked at Lu Ruyun and frowned. "It's just Teacher Lu... she doesn't look very energetic."
Qin Zhenzhen saw everyone's focus shift to Lu Ruyun. She nervously cleared her throat, wanting to answer for Lu Ruyun, but saw Lu Ruyun take her hand, which was resting on the blanket. Lu Ruyun explained to everyone, "Sleeping is exhausting work, you know."
Everyone was stunned for a few seconds before realizing Lu Ruyun was making a dirty joke!!!
Incredible! Lu Ruyun was telling a risqué joke!
The few of them looked as if struck by lightning, then screamed. The room filled with waves of laughter and noise. Qin Zhenzhen, her hand held by Lu Ruyun, turned to look at her. Lu Ruyun kept smiling, the bloodshot eyes now hard to make out.
Shen Haitang led the group in filming for nearly half an hour before finally saying goodbye to Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun. Watching their retreating backs, Qin Zhenzhen let out a long sigh of relief. She turned to see Lu Ruyun sitting on the sofa. Closing the door, she heard Lu Ruyun say softly, "Let's have some noodles."
Qin Zhenzhen stood by the entrance and nodded. "Okay."
While she was boiling the noodles, Lu Ruyun went back to her room and came out again after a while. Qin Zhenzhen watched her, thinking about the events of the evening.
Should she ask?
Better not. Their relationship wasn't at that level yet. Asking would be too presumptuous.
But not asking?
She was bursting with curiosity.
Qin Zhenzhen stared at the pot of noodles, caught in a dilemma. Lu Ruyun walked over, seeing her motionless figure. "What's wrong?"
Qin Zhenzhen lowered her head and stirred the noodles. "Nothing. It'll be ready soon."
Lu Ruyun made an acknowledging sound and left the kitchen.
She sat by the sofa, watching Qin Zhenzhen bustling not far away. This scene was different from the imagined scenarios she'd conjured while hiding in her room. Looking at her now felt... warm, slowly displacing the certain images deeply embedded in her mind.
Qin Zhenzhen brought two bowls of noodles out of the kitchen, each topped with two green vegetables—the pinnacle of her culinary skills.
Lu Ruyun simply sat on the rug by the coffee table. Qin Zhenzhen placed the two bowls on the table, glanced at Lu Ruyun, and, finding the atmosphere awkward, turned on the TV.
The TV was playing the movie Time in Full Bloom. Qin Zhenzhen wanted to change the channel, but Lu Ruyun stopped her. "Let's just watch this."
She hadn't watched any of her own films in several years.
Qin Zhenzhen had no choice but to put down the remote and watch with her, steeling herself.
It had to be said, the failure of Time in Full Bloom wasn't just due to actor miscasting and acting issues; the script also had major plot holes. To highlight Qin Zhenzhen's business elite persona, there were many forced, illogical moments. Not to mention, Lu Ruyun played a rather nonsensical character in it.
Watching for a while, Qin Zhenzhen suddenly asked, "Why did you take on Time in Full Bloom back then?"
Lu Ruyun glanced at her and pressed her lips together. "No particular reason."
She then added, "What about you?"
Qin Zhenzhen looked at her character on screen and said seriously, "I wanted to change my image."
"I wanted to transition through Time in Full Bloom, to step into the film industry, to become a serious actress, to win awards, to—become a legend."
She rambled off a whole list. Lu Ruyun looked at her sideways. Actually, Qin Zhenzhen's acting wasn't bad. The problem was her looks were too outstanding, overshadowing her acting skills.
When a person has one glaring strong point, it's hard for their other merits to be noticed. Especially someone like Qin Zhenzhen, whose strong point was extreme.
Her beauty was indeed one of the reasons her acting was overlooked.
Seeing Lu Ruyun silent, Qin Zhenzhen said self-deprecatingly, "Do you think I'm ridiculous?"
Lu Ruyun shook her head. "No. Actually, ten years ago, I..."
She smiled and didn't continue.
The two of them ate their bowls of noodles while watching the all-too-familiar Time in Full Bloom. After finishing, Qin Zhenzhen looked at Lu Ruyun. This was the first time they'd sat together chatting without any lingering resentment.
It felt pretty good.
Of course, that was excluding the matter she was still hung up on.
Thinking of that, Qin Zhenzhen considered simply laying her cards on the table. She didn't want to play any more childish revenge games. She looked up and cleared her throat, just in time to meet Lu Ruyun's gaze.
"What is it?" she asked haltingly.
Lu Ruyun lowered her head, took a box from her pajama pocket—the prize she'd won that afternoon. She leaned down, placed one of Qin Zhenzhen's feet flat on her thigh, and fastened the anklet onto it.
"You really like wearing anklets, don't you?"
Ever since she first started interacting with Qin Zhenzhen, she'd seen her change at least ten different anklets. Such an ankle really did look good adorned.
The words stuck in Qin Zhenzhen's throat. She nodded. "Oh, yes."
She moved her leg slightly. The newly fastened anklet shone with a silvery, cool light. It felt icy against her skin, a pleasant sensation.
Lu Ruyun looked down for a long moment before raising her eyes. "It looks beautiful. Suits you very well."
Qin Zhenzhen looked at her slightly curved lips and smiling face. She pressed her lips together. "Thank you."
As soon as the words left her mouth, a blush crept unbidden onto her cheeks. She stood up, not even bothering with the dishes, and said, "I'm going to rest."
With a bang, the door closed.
Moonlight outside the window grew brighter. Qin Zhenzhen pressed her hands against her burning cheeks and her out-of-control heart, thinking: I'm done for!
I've actually fallen for it!
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