Married in a Daze - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Qin Zhenzhen did not sleep well for half the night.
This situation hadn't even occurred on the night she decided to marry Lu Ruyun, yet now, she was tossing and turning because of a gift Lu Ruyun had given her.
The light of dawn filtered through the window, and as she lay in bed, she lifted her foot high, clearly seeing the sparkling anklet. The chain was very fine, somewhat different from her usual style, but strangely, she didn't want to take it off.
Qin Zhenzhen rolled over once in bed, then simply got down and walked barefoot. She stood before the full-length mirror, extending her foot and looking at it from left and right. The thin anklet wrapped around her fair ankle. She suddenly thought of how Lu Ruyun had looked last night as she helped her put it on—devout, serious, with a hint of carefulness.
She had been far too negligent. Knowing full well how superb Lu Ruyun's acting skills were, she had still lowered her guard, allowing the enemy to advance unhindered.
Now, her heart was in utter disarray.
As Qin Zhenzhen stayed in her room, sighing and moaning, the door was knocked. The voice of the one she regarded as the enemy, Lu Ruyun, came through, light and clear: "Zhenzhen, are you up?"
She gathered her tangled emotions and replied, "I'm up. I'll be right out."
After answering, Qin Zhenzhen realized her cheeks had unconsciously flushed red. She slapped them twice and gritted her teeth at herself: "Hold on! That's a sugar-coated bullet! Hold firm!"
She took a deep breath, preparing to go out, but thought for a moment and returned to the full-length mirror to tidy her messy long hair and pajamas.
By the time Qin Zhenzhen emerged from her room, Lu Ruyun had already placed the steamed buns on the dining table. Like a thief, Qin Zhenzhen furtively carried her change of clothes to the bathroom. Lu Ruyun watched her awkward walking posture and the anklet still on her foot, her gaze instantly softening.
For breakfast, she had cooked some congee. There were vegetarian buns in the fridge; she had steamed several. Seeing Qin Zhenzhen enter the bathroom, she ladled two bowls of congee onto the table to let them cool.
Qin Zhenzhen didn't come out for a while. Having nothing to do, Lu Ruyun opened her phone and saw a message from Shen Haitang at the top.
It was from last night.
—Ruyun, surprise from the program crew, get ready.
She hadn't had time to look at her phone at all last night, naturally missing this message. Lu Ruyun's eyes darkened slightly. Her finger scrolled down, seeing two other messages above Shen Haitang's.
One was from Zhang Yiyao.
—Ruyun, I heard from Shuangshuang that you went to participate in a show. Is everything okay?
The other was from He Shuangshuang.
—How are things arranged for the night? You're not going to share a room with Qin Zhenzhen, are you?
Lu Ruyun glanced at the two rooms in the apartment, pursed her lips, and replied to both messages separately.
There was no reply from He Shuangshuang's side, but Zhang Yiyao replied instantly.
—I heard from Shuangshuang yesterday and was really shocked. I called you several times, but your phone was off. Glad you're okay.
The darkness in Lu Ruyun's eyes faded a bit. She habitually turned her phone off when resting at night, which was why Zhang Yiyao couldn't get through. Her fingers tapped on the screen—Sorry, I rested early last night.
Zhang Yiyao: It's fine, as long as you're okay. By the way, why did you decide to go on a show?
Lu Ruyun looked towards the direction of the bathroom not far away, where the sound of running water could be heard. She lowered her head and typed: It's nothing. Participating in a show occasionally is fine.
Zhang Yiyao stared at the message on her phone for a long moment without moving, until Duan Qiuhan beside her nudged her: "Yaoyao, what are you thinking about?"
Zhang Yiyao snapped back to reality, her thumb pressing against the phone as she asked nonchalantly: "Did you know about Ruyun going on a show?"
Duan Qiuhan chuckled lightly: "Of course I know. I even approved her leave."
Zhang Yiyao looked at his handsome face, his expression unchanged, and asked: "Who else is there besides her?"
Duan Qiuhan was silent for a few seconds: "I heard Ding Yichuan, Fu Cheng and the others are all there too. Why do you ask?"
Zhang Yiyao shook her head with a light smile: "It's nothing. I'm just worried Ruyun might be uncomfortable there."
Duan Qiuhan held her hand: "How could she be? Her wife is there."
The hand Zhang Yiyao was holding instantly stiffened. She gripped Duan Qiuhan's hand back: "What? Qin Zhenzhen is there too?"
Duan Qiuhan seemed unable to understand her sudden questioning. He was stunned for a moment and nodded: "What's wrong?"
Zhang Yiyao realized her own abnormal behavior. She shook her head, her expression returning to normal, but her demeanor with Duan Qiuhan was less intimate. She released his hand, putting some distance between them.
Not far away, someone from the crew called out: "Sister-in-law Duan is here!"
"Hey, Sister-in-law Duan came to visit the set so early."
"Showing off affection, huh."
Zhang Yiyao smiled faintly, teased by everyone, a shadow passing through her eyes. Her gaze drifted from the person in front of her all the way to the back, settling on a girl who had been silent the whole time.
The girl who got drunk and confessed to Duan Qiuhan last time.
Zhang Yiyao's gaze lingered on her for a long time before she lowered her head, lifted the corners of her mouth, and walked to the side to reply to Lu Ruyun's message.
"Participating occasionally is good too, but you have to take care of your health. Don't push yourself too hard or force it. If you can't sleep at night, you can call me."
Lu Ruyun received her message just as Qin Zhenzhen emerged from the bathroom. She glanced at Zhang Yiyao's message and briefly replied with an "En."
"Sit down and eat."
Lu Ruyun got up and pulled out the chair beside her. Qin Zhenzhen's mind was thinking "sugar-coated bullet," but her body was honest as she walked towards her, sat down, picked up her chopsticks, took a vegetarian bun, turned her head, and said: "Thank you."
Lu Ruyun smiled: "No need to be so polite."
Qin Zhenzhen lowered her eyes, silently eating her breakfast.
She occasionally glanced at Lu Ruyun from the corner of her eye. Even eating congee, Lu Ruyun exuded elegance. Her fingers holding the bun were fair and slender, delicate, nearly translucent against the light.
In contrast, she herself was much more casual. Qin Zhenzhen felt a bit uncomfortable and straightened her posture, her manners becoming more refined.
After finishing breakfast, Lu Ruyun turned to look at Qin Zhenzhen. The sunlight cast on her profile, adding a layer of colored halo. She was already exquisite, and with light makeup, she looked even more beautiful, like fine porcelain.
Her wavy long hair cascaded casually behind her, a few strands falling over her shoulders, swaying with her movements as if dancing.
Lu Ruyun's gaze towards her gradually softened. Qin Zhenzhen couldn't handle such a gaze; the bun she had just put in her mouth almost choked her. She swallowed it whole and took two more sips of congee: "Alright, I'll wash the dishes."
She stood up, and Lu Ruyun followed suit. Before she could reach out, Lu Ruyun grabbed her wrist, her voice calm as usual: "Let me do it."
The spot where Qin Zhenzhen was grabbed instantly felt like an electric shock. She withdrew her hand, not looking at Lu Ruyun, mumbling: "Okay."
Only after Lu Ruyun tidied up the apartment did the two of them head to the meeting point together.
Unlike yesterday, when they arrived first, today two people were already warming up at the meeting point. Ding Yichuan and Wang Zi were doing exercises. Seeing Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen approach, Ding Yichuan hurried over and obediently called out: "Teacher Lu, Zhenzhen."
Lu Ruyun gave a faint "En." Qin Zhenzhen, seeing his obedient appearance, asked: "What's wrong? Did you make a mistake?"
Ding Yichuan nodded, somewhat embarrassed: "Teacher Lu, I had a couple extra drinks last night. I might have said something wrong. Please don't mind."
Lu Ruyun frowned slightly: "I don't mind."
Ding Yichuan breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. I was really scared to death, afraid you'd be angry."
Lu Ruyun looked at Qin Zhenzhen. They were both clueless. Ding Yichuan, seeing their expressions, frowned: "Didn't I say anything wrong last night?"
Qin Zhenzhen shook her head: "No, you were perfectly normal last night."
Ding Yichuan was dumbfounded for a moment. Not far away, Wang Zi's exaggerated laughter rang out. Ding Yichuan, as if waking from a dream, understood and turned to give Wang Zi a good beating. The two of them chased each other around the track, and soon Wang Zi's cries for mercy could be heard.
Lu Ruyun watched the two of them laughing and playing, then turned to Qin Zhenzhen: "Shall we warm up?"
Qin Zhenzhen saw no one else had arrived yet, and standing there felt awkward, so she nodded: "Okay."
After saying that, she prepared to run, but Lu Ruyun grabbed her wrist, untying a hair tie from it. She asked Qin Zhenzhen to squat down halfway. Qin Zhenzhen glanced around and, seeing no one looking their way, squatted down with a slightly flushed face.
Lu Ruyun stood behind her, helping her tie up her long hair. Her fingers combed through Qin Zhenzhen's hair. It was very soft, a fluffy mass in her palm. Lu Ruyun's heart softened along with it.
She tied Qin Zhenzhen's hair into a bun, giving her a youthful, playful, and cute vibe.
Qin Zhenzhen kept her head down the whole time. When Lu Ruyun said it was done, she finally looked up. Lu Ruyun frowned: "Your face is..."
"It's too sunny. Probably just hot."
Qin Zhenzhen responded nonchalantly, though her bright eyes were like autumn waters, subtly betraying her discomfort.
After saying that, she touched the tied-up hair on her head, took out her phone to check a few times, and, seeing nothing wrong, smiled: "Let's warm up."
Lu Ruyun saw her about to leave and took out another elastic band from her hand, handing it to Qin Zhenzhen: "Your turn."
Qin Zhenzhen: ...
She casually tied up Lu Ruyun's long hair, securing it with the band. Ding Yichuan and Wang Zi in the distance glanced at each other and were about to make a sound when someone pulled them back. They turned to see Fu Cheng and Shen Haitang standing beside them, with a camera pointing at the beautiful duo over there.
After tying it up, Qin Zhenzhen examined it carefully for a moment. Lu Ruyun's hair was thick and dense, the texture slightly coarse, the ends a bit prickly. She didn't make it into a bun but instead tied a long ponytail, then looped the middle part back, so the end hung to the right side at the back of her head. From the front, it looked somewhat like a peacock spreading its tail.
She couldn't help but laugh, her eyes curving into crescents, her bright face becoming even more vivid.
Lu Ruyun's gaze was fixed solely on her, not caring at all how her own hair had been styled. She stared at Qin Zhenzhen's smiling face, then lifted the corners of her mouth: "Funny?"
Qin Zhenzhen laughed so hard she bent over: "Y-yes, funny."
Lu Ruyun, seeing her like this, couldn't help but smile as well, the corners of her eyes crinkling.
The group of people not far away, watching the two of them laughing and playing, also felt a sweet sensation. They exchanged glances. Weren't they the ones in love? How could eating dog food feel this sweet???
They must be going crazy!
Shen Haitang waited until the two over there had calmed down a bit before walking up. She stood in front of Qin Zhenzhen: "Tsk, showing off affection so early in the morning. Aren't you afraid of hurting others?"
Qin Zhenzhen saw the crowd and cameraman behind Shen Haitang and slightly restrained her previously relaxed posture, though a signature smile remained on her face.
Lu Ruyun remained as calm and composed as ever.
After Shen Haitang arrived, she first led everyone in warming up. Fu Cheng sidled up to Qin Zhenzhen and whispered: "Zhenzhen, are you and Teacher Lu usually like this at home too?"
Qin Zhenzhen paused for a few seconds: "Like what?"
Fu Cheng laughed: "Are you usually this loving at home? It looks so sweet!!"
Qin Zhenzhen instinctively glanced at Lu Ruyun, twitched the corner of her mouth, and gave an awkward smile.
After warming up, Shen Haitang led everyone to a shaded area with trees on the other side of the track. Today was clearly even hotter than yesterday. Everyone was calling it unbearable after the warm-up; even Shen Haitang, who was used to hosting shows, was panting heavily.
She led everyone under the trees and began assigning tasks.
There were two activities for the morning.
One was sit-ups.
The other was walking on hands.
Both activities were done in pairs.
Qin Zhenzhen blinked when she saw "walking on hands" and whispered to Hu Jing beside her: "How do you do that?"
Hu Jing explained: "One team member walks on their hands, the other holds their legs. It's not hard, Zhenzhen. If you don't know how, I can be your partner."
Qin Zhenzhen blinked and thought about it, roughly understanding.
She smiled: "It's fine. Let's wait and see how Teacher Shen arranges things."
Hu Jing gave an "En" and also withdrew his gaze to look at Shen Haitang.
Shen Haitang didn't have them draw lots today but instead chose to pair them up.
Ding Yichuan and Wang Zi immediately called out: "We'll be a team!"
Shen Haitang gave them their respective number plates. Next was Fu Cheng's choice. Hu Jing thought that since Fu Cheng admired Lu Ruyun the most in the team, she would probably choose to be with her. The heart he had been nervously holding finally settled.
Actually, he wanted to be in a team with Qin Zhenzhen.
Having received her care for so long, he always wanted to repay her somehow.
Unexpectedly, Fu Cheng stood between the three of them and finally pointed her finger, landing on Hu Jing: "Hu Jing."
Hu Jing looked at her in surprise: "Me?"
Fu Cheng smiled and nodded: "Of course. Otherwise, could I possibly break up Teacher Lu and Zhenzhen? I'm their CP fan now!"
Ding Yichuan and Wang Zi in the distance chimed in: "Me too!"
"I want to be a CP fan too! I'm even going to post on Weibo!"
Everyone laughed. Shen Haitang also smiled and said: "Alright, since everyone has chosen, then Ding Yichuan and Wang Zi are a team, Fu Cheng and Hu Jing are a team, Zhenzhen and Ruyun are a team."
"Attention."
"The requirement for this round is one hundred sit-ups followed by fifty steps walking on hands."
Fu Cheng quickly asked: "Teacher Shen, what's the reward?"
Shen Haitang smiled, looking at the board in her hand: "No reward."
Everyone groaned. She continued with a smile: "But there is a punishment."
"The punishment is, the losers get no lunch."
"Let me explain: this afternoon, we'll be doing a treasure hunt game at the base, which means it's very physically demanding."
After finishing her devilish announcement, she smiled at everyone. Appropriately tragic music started playing on site. Everyone's expressions grew serious, immediately going all out.
Even Qin Zhenzhen grabbed Lu Ruyun's hand and started exercising.
Sit-ups weren't difficult. For actors like them, maintaining their figures was essential; exercise was unavoidable, and sit-ups were one of the most frequent exercises. So this round wasn't hard.
Soon, Qin Zhenzhen discovered that the action wasn't difficult.
The difficulty was that Lu Ruyun had to hold down her legs. Due to the show's requirements, she had to sit on her thighs. So every time Qin Zhenzhen sat up, she would practically come face-to-face with Lu Ruyun, so close their breaths almost mingled. This level of difficulty made her almost want to give up.
Her heartbeat, which she had just managed to calm down, started pounding wildly again. Fortunately, it was hot, so even if her face was red, it could be attributed to exercise, not making people think she was blushing.
But she really—wanted to give up.
After doing several sit-ups, Qin Zhenzhen bluntly said to Shen Haitang: "How about I do this round alone?"
Shen Haitang firmly shook her head: "That won't do. It must be done by two people together. Doing it alone counts as forfeiting."
Qin Zhenzhen felt like crying.
Lu Ruyun, seeing her expression, asked puzzledly: "What's wrong? Are you tired? Do you want me to take a turn?"
Qin Zhenzhen pursed her lips, looking at the handsome features so close at hand, the shallow breaths exchanged between them, the faint, elusive fragrance tightly surrounding her. She simply closed her eyes and started doing sit-ups, silently gritting her teeth and counting: "Ten, eleven, twelve..."
The cameraman's lens occasionally slid over to them. Qin Zhenzhen's flushed cheeks were earnest as she exercised, as if she had forgotten the person sitting on her legs was Lu Ruyun, quickly counting: "Seventy-six, seventy-seven, seventy-eight..."
Fine sweat beaded on Qin Zhenzhen's forehead, glistening slightly in the sunlight. When she reached ninety, she closed her eyes and lay on the ground, panting heavily. Lu Ruyun took a tissue from her trouser pocket, ready to wipe her sweat, but before it touched Qin Zhenzhen's face, she saw the person lying down suddenly sit up again. Lu Ruyun's hand paused slightly, and the unfolded tissue landed on Qin Zhenzhen's forehead. Before she could react, she felt a warmth on her lips.
A strange yet familiar fragrance spread between their lips and teeth.
Qin Zhenzhen was completely stunned. She opened her eyes; her vision was blocked by the tissue, but the soft sensation on her lips felt exactly like yesterday's. Both of them were thrown off by this sudden accident. The other two pairs nearby also stopped moving. Countless eyes were fixed on them.
"They k-k-kissed?"
"Teacher Lu must have done it on purpose!"
"Showing off affection! Disqualified, disqualified!"
"I really want to fall in love!"
As the teasing voices rose, Qin Zhenzhen pushed Lu Ruyun away. She couldn't care less about the show or anything else; her face was as red as if it were bleeding. Shen Haitang cleared her throat: "Alright, you're all making Zhenzhen shy."
Lu Ruyun was pushed back a bit, but since she was sitting on Qin Zhenzhen's legs, she only scooted her legs back slightly. Shen Haitang glanced at the time: "Hurry, five minutes left, and the first round is over."
Qin Zhenzhen still didn't move. Lu Ruyun pursed her lips and said: "How about... I take a turn?"
Her earnest suggestion was met with a glare. There was a hint of moisture in Qin Zhenzhen's eyes, the rims even reddened. She gritted her teeth: "Forget it."
After saying that, Qin Zhenzhen continued exercising, but because of this incident, the remaining ten sit-ups took a full five minutes to complete, making them the last to finish.
The second round was walking on hands.
Lu Ruyun originally wanted to let Qin Zhenzhen rest since she seemed so tired. She tucked her shirt into her pants and said to Qin Zhenzhen: "Let me do this round."
Qin Zhenzhen's face was stern. She snorted: "I'll do it. I don't want to miss lunch."
Her words were clearly spoken in anger. Lu Ruyun also nodded, figuring Qin Zhenzhen probably felt too embarrassed to show affection in front of everyone, especially since... it really wasn't appropriate.
She hadn't anticipated the earlier incident either; the accident was largely her responsibility.
Thinking of this, Lu Ruyun's voice was gentle: "Sorry, about earlier... I'm sorry."
Qin Zhenzhen looked at her, met her sincere eyes, thought for a moment, and pouted: "Forget it."
After all, Lu Ruyun hadn't done it on purpose, and she had been kind enough to try to wipe her sweat. It was just a coincidence.
She was ostensibly comforting herself, but in reality, she felt even more unsettled.
Qin Zhenzhen didn't know what she was thinking anymore; she just felt her mind was a mess, everything was a mess. She thought she could emerge unscathed from this revenge game and even mock Lu Ruyun's clumsy tactics along the way.
But she was wrong.
From the beginning, some things were beyond her control.
Her mind was in turmoil, still not sorted out by the time the second round started. Letting her chaotic thoughts run wild, her legs were held up by Lu Ruyun as she walked on her hands on the laid-out carpet.
There were three lanes; everyone had their own and couldn't cross boundaries. Crossing counted as a loss.
Qin Zhenzhen had been last in the previous round, so unsurprisingly, she was also last in this one. Shen Haitang stood in front of the camera and smiled: "Looks like we have our last-place finisher."
Everyone looked at Qin Zhenzhen. Her legs were held high, the silver anklet sparkling brightly under the sun. Some crew member whispered: "Is that Teacher Lu's prize from yesterday?"
"Yes, it is."
"Right, it's Teacher Lu's."
Whispering voices kept coming. Ding Yichuan, who had already finished first, and Hu Jing, who was second, also turned to look. Then Shen Haitang's laughter rang out: "Zhenzhen, go! Charge forward with that love-filled anklet!"
After she said that, Qin Zhenzhen's already stern face darkened further. Her palms rubbed against the carpet; it didn't hurt, but it felt scorching.
Hu Jing glanced at Qin Zhenzhen, who was far away from him. Waiting for them to finish would take a long time. But if they didn't complete this round, they would miss lunch. Thinking of Qin Zhenzhen's slender frame, he gritted his teeth and shifted the direction of his palms, slapping them onto the lane beside him.
Fu Cheng, who was holding his legs, had just withdrawn her gaze from the new CP and hurriedly exclaimed: "Hey, hey, where are you going?"
Her shocked cry drew the attention of Shen Haitang and the others. They saw Hu Jing's gaze still fixed on Qin Zhenzhen's side, resolutely walking on the lane next to his!
Shen Haitang's hand holding the whistle trembled as she rushed to Hu Jing's side: "What happened?"
Hu Jing looked confused: "What?"
Fu Cheng, who was holding his legs, immediately put them down, annoyed: "You crossed the boundary!"
Hu Jing quickly hunched his shoulders: "Sorry, I was only looking at Zhenzhen's anklet. I didn't notice the lane..."
He scratched his head nervously, somewhat embarrassed as he explained to Fu Cheng. Fu Cheng glared at him without amusement: "It's not the god-like opponent I fear, but the pig-like teammate!"
Everyone was amused by her analogy. Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun smoothly completed the second round.
Naturally, the ones without lunch were Fu Cheng and Hu Jing.
The two pitiful souls squatted outside, watching everyone eat and unable to help but swallow their saliva. Fu Cheng pitifully pleaded: "Teacher Shen, just let me have one bite. I promise to eat behind the camera! I'll cook for you tonight! Guaranteed authentic!"
Her words made everyone laugh. Shen Haitang firmly shook her head: "No. Bribing the judge warrants a heavier punishment!"
Ding Yichuan chimed in: "Ah, this meat, tsk, not fragrant. Wang Zi, you try some."
Wang Zi pretended to take a bite: "It's very tender."
Everyone laughed again. Fu Cheng, without amusement, glared at Hu Jing again. Hu Jing smiled bashfully at her, replying in an apologetic voice: "I'm sorry."
Fu Cheng sighed: "Forget it. Just treat me to a big meal later to make up for it."
Hu Jing nodded: "Definitely."
Seeing his honest smile, Fu Cheng lost her temper. She decided to treat it as a diet and rubbed her stomach.
Everyone gathered to eat lunch, Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun included. However, everyone tactfully gave them some space, letting them sit together to eat.
Lu Ruyun saw Qin Zhenzhen just eating silently. She took a sip of soup and said: "Zhenzhen, are you still angry?"
Qin Zhenzhen looked up, her gaze meeting Lu Ruyun's clear eyes: "No."
Lu Ruyun: "I'm sorry."
Qin Zhenzhen cleared her throat lightly: "You didn't mean to. Forget it."
The awkward conversation didn't end until they finished their meal. After lunch, there was a two-hour break. Fu Cheng and Hu Jing were watched by dedicated staff and could only move within the staff's line of sight. The others could return to their apartments to rest temporarily.
After returning to the apartment, Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun went to their respective rooms.
Once in her room, Qin Zhenzhen threw herself onto the bed. She rolled around for a while before taking out her phone to send a message to Ji Lu.
—Ji Lu, what do you do if you can't win a game?
Ji Lu didn't reply, probably busy with something. She replied just as Qin Zhenzhen was about to fall asleep: Playing a game? What game?
Qin Zhenzhen looked at the words she typed and pondered for a moment: Any game. What if you can't win?
Ji Lu thought for a while and replied: If you can't win, then admit defeat.
Qin Zhenzhen: ...
Admit defeat?
How could she admit defeat to Lu Ruyun?
Admit that she was moved?
Wouldn't Lu Ruyun laugh herself to death? She might even think Qin Zhenzhen surrendered without her even trying, raising the white flag. Absolutely not!
She typed fiercely: What if it's the kind where you would rather die than admit defeat?
Ji Lu: Then you can only cheat.
Qin Zhenzhen stared at the two words "cheat," pondering them, then simply threw her phone aside and closed her eyes to sleep.
She hadn't rested well last night and had been tired for half the morning. Now, with the air conditioning blowing on her, she didn't want to lift a finger or an eyelid.
Lu Ruyun stood outside Qin Zhenzhen's door. Her fingers curled up and then relaxed. After a long while, she softly called out: "Zhenzhen?"
There was no response from the room. She knocked on the door and called again. Still no response. Her hand rested on the doorknob. After thinking for a moment, she still pushed the door open.
Qin Zhenzhen was lying on the bed, sleeping. Lu Ruyun glanced and prepared to leave, but her gaze caught on Qin Zhenzhen's hair, seeing it gently shaking. She looked up and saw that the air conditioner vent was aimed directly at the bed.
She frowned, walked into the room, sat down by Qin Zhenzhen's bed, reached out to nudge her, and whispered: "Zhenzhen?"
Qin Zhenzhen mumbled something. Helpless, Lu Ruyun adjusted the air conditioner vent upward. Worried it might still blow on Qin Zhenzhen, she carefully moved her to the side a bit, taking a thin blanket to cover her.
After covering her, she sat by the bed, looking at Qin Zhenzhen. Her fingers gently brushed the long hair scattered on either side, revealing her exquisite features. Without those bold, flying bright eyes, her features seemed much softer and gentler, just like the feeling she had last night when she looked at her.
Lu Ruyun's fingers touched Qin Zhenzhen's cheek but quickly withdrew. The phone by the bed beeped. Lu Ruyun looked up and saw a message on it.
—Zhenzhen, go for it! I think you can't lose any game! You're Qin Zhenzhen, after all!
Seeing this message, she pursed her lips into a smile, her gaze resting on the sleeping person on the bed.
Yes.
You are Qin Zhenzhen.
Qin Zhenzhen was awakened by noise. The sound of rain pattering loudly disturbed her. Thinking she was dreaming, she climbed out of bed and looked out the window. Bean-sized raindrops were falling, hitting the windowpane.
It was raining?
What about the afternoon activities?
She quickly opened her phone and saw the messages in the group chat.
Ding Yichuan: Why did it suddenly rain?
Wang Zi: No idea. Didn't the weather forecast say no rain?
Fu Cheng: What about the afternoon activities then?
Shen Haitang: We'll have to change the afternoon activities. Just discussed with them, planning to switch to other indoor ones. Wondering if you all have any games you'd like to play.
Hu Jing: Indoor? Not many games you can play indoors.
Ding Yichuan: Yeah, I need to think carefully. By the way, Fu Cheng, what did you guys play at the hotel last time?
Fu Cheng: That won't work. It's not suitable.
Everyone started discussing what indoor game to change to, chattering away but couldn't come up with a good idea. They started tagging Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun.
Lu Ruyun suggested a few things, but they were either calligraphy or chess, and everyone disapproved.
Finally, only the newly awakened Qin Zhenzhen remained.
Qin Zhenzhen was dazed for a moment and replied: How about we play ball transfer?
This was a game she played in college. Back then, they were also out having fun when it rained, and several of them were stuck in a hostel. With no other choice, they played this game.
Indeed, her suggestion was more popular than Lu Ruyun's.
Ding Yichuan: Ball transfer? I've played that!
Shen Haitang: Great suggestion. The venue is ready-made too. Let me discuss it with them.
So, for a while, only a few people were being noisy in the group chat. About ten minutes later, Shen Haitang spoke again: Discussed, no problem. Like this, having just six of us divided into three teams is a bit few. How about we pick four staff members, making five teams? Rewards and punishments remain the same.
Fu Cheng: Teacher Shen, what's the punishment! It's not skipping dinner, is it? I'm about to faint from hunger!
Shen Haitang: You'll find out tonight.
Her mysterious attitude piqued everyone's curiosity. After Shen Haitang finished giving instructions, she arranged for someone to pick up Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen. Everyone gathered at the basketball court behind the apartments.
Beyond the basketball court, there was still a lot of space inside. Shen Haitang had already assigned tasks with the staff early on.
Each episode of Star Showdown had different activities, so there were various sports facilities, equipment, and venues. Qin Zhenzhen followed the crowd into the basketball court, passed through it, and arrived at a room behind that looked like a conference room.
Upon opening it, inside were several long tables. On each table were no fewer than twenty ping-pong balls and chopsticks slightly larger than the usual eating ones. Shen Haitang stood in the middle of the tables and beckoned everyone: "Come in."
Everyone crowded in. Fu Cheng curiously picked up the chopsticks to try picking up a ping-pong ball. Within a few seconds, she managed to pick one up. She laughed: "Teacher Shen, this is way too easy. Twenty in no time, right?"
Shen Haitang looked at her with a smile: "Naïve."
"It's not done like that."
As she said this, she took the chopsticks from Fu Cheng's hand: "It's one chopstick for you, one for me, picking it up and placing it in the box on the other side before it counts."
Fu Cheng's eyes widened: "What?"
Wang Zi wailed: "Then I'll definitely fail. My hands shake easily."
Shen Haitang looked at him and smiled: "You can also forfeit."
Ding Yichuan looked at Wang Zi: "I'm not forfeiting!"
Shen Haitang told everyone to stop messing around. This round had too few people, so staff would fill in—four young staff members. Shen Haitang didn't assign groups but had them stand according to their morning teams.
Fu Cheng looked at Hu Jing and said: "Hu Jing, your chance to atone is here."
Hu Jing nodded: "Okay."
After saying that, he instinctively glanced in Qin Zhenzhen's direction. Qin Zhenzhen was looking down at her fingernails, thinking about how she found a thin blanket covering her when she woke up.
Someone must have entered her room.
Because the direction of the air conditioner in her room had changed. It was true she felt cold and covered herself with the blanket, but she couldn't have adjusted the air conditioner in her sleep, right? So, had Lu Ruyun come into her room?
And helped cover her with the blanket, adjusted the air conditioner?
Qin Zhenzhen twisted her fingers together, lowered her head, and whispered: "Did you come into my room at noon?"
Lu Ruyun, who was listening to Shen Haitang, was slightly taken aback and nodded honestly: "Yes. I originally wanted to talk to you about something."
Qin Zhenzhen let out a breath: "Thanks."
Lu Ruyun pursed her lips into a smile: "It's nothing."
Hearing her light voice, Qin Zhenzhen bit her lip, her mind growing even more chaotic. She only heard Shen Haitang finish assigning tasks and pushing her and Lu Ruyun to stand in front of a long table, saying: "You two, over here."
"I think you two will definitely be the first to win."
"Definitely. Teacher Lu and Zhenzhen are so in sync."
"I vote for Teacher Lu!"
"Zhenzhen, go for it!"
The staff members not far away laughed softly, calling out Qin Zhenzhen's name. Qin Zhenzhen looked up at them, nodded, and smiled.
The game officially began.
Qin Zhenzhen and Lu Ruyun stood together. Looking down, she could see Lu Ruyun's slender fingers and neatly trimmed, rounded nails. Their bodies weren't particularly close, but because they had to pick up the ball together, their heads inevitably leaned near each other.
Lu Ruyun had Qin Zhenzhen place her chopstick down first, then said: "Don't move. Let me."
Qin Zhenzhen's mind flashed back to her "don't move" from last night, and her heart immediately began pounding like thunder. She swallowed nervously, watching as Lu Ruyun carefully placed her chopstick in, then she felt the weight of the ball pressing against the chopsticks.
"Lift up, carefully."
After giving the instruction, Lu Ruyun looked at Qin Zhenzhen, seeing her gaze fixed on herself. She smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling: "What's wrong?"
Qin Zhenzhen, under her gaze, quickly snapped back to reality. Her hand shook, and the chopstick fell into the glass jar full of ping-pong balls. The wooden chopstick clinked against the glass, emitting a crisp sound. Everyone's eyes turned towards them.
Qin Zhenzhen couldn't help but lower her head, her face reddening, even her ears tinged with red. Lu Ruyun moved to the side a bit, blocking the others' view. She took the chopstick out of the jar and handed it to Qin Zhenzhen.
"Nervous?"
Qin Zhenzhen looked up at Lu Ruyun's light voice. There was a faint red flush at the corners of her eyes. She said: "No."
Not nervous.
Afraid.
Afraid of Lu Ruyun's sugar-coated bullets like this. Afraid she couldn't withstand them. She had underestimated Lu Ruyun and overestimated herself, thinking she could remain unmoved and withdraw unscathed.
But now, Qin Zhenzhen suddenly thought of the words Ji Lu had sent her.
If you can't win, then just admit defeat.
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