Shrine - Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Around nine or ten o'clock, they talked for a while. Ruan Ruan told Shi Ran about how Xiao Hei almost got lost, saying she accidentally ran out when her mom was taking out the trash, and adding that she was too tired that day, coming back and still having to look for the cat, causing her to break down momentarily. She always felt embarrassed making her team work overtime. An Lu mentioned that the paparazzi were originally staking out a pair of artists rumored to be living together.

"Which pair?" Shi Ran was curious.

Ruan Ruan let out a "pfft" laugh, touching her face in the dark. "You're this gossipy?"

"A couple under Zhengxing who have been living there all along. I heard the woman got pregnant recently and sometimes takes walks in the garden."

Ruan Ruan became the unintended casualty, and it was perhaps amplified by those with vested interests.

Seeing Shi Ran, her mood brightened considerably. Two fingers filled her completely, filling the narrow and difficult path in her heart as well. She constantly relaxed herself, throwing herself into Beicheng's rainy day.

Having slept for a while in the afternoon, she couldn't fall asleep as it got later. Fortunately, the rain had stopped, and the air on the terrace was very fresh. Shi Ran held Ruan Ruan's hand and led her upstairs. The 110-square-meter master bedroom had large floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, surrounded by an outer 270-degree terrace corridor. Sensing someone walking out, the dim night lights on the terrace flickered on.

Ruan Ruan wore a long dress with thin, loose straps, draped in a shawl with her hair down, pulled outside by Shi Ran.

On one side of the terrace was a garden, while the other side only had flat ground, a few high stools, and small tables hanging on the railing, acting like a viewing deck. The misty lights hung over the wet tiles, looking like half-melted old popsicles. Shi Ran grabbed two chairs that hadn't gotten wet and sat by the glass railing. She opened a bottle of champagne and looked out at the night view with Ruan Ruan.

This house was in the northeast of Beicheng, offering a sweeping view of a whole area of landmark lights.

In the distance, the trajectory of a night flight could be seen, faint and slow, like an artificial shooting star.

"It's so good to have money." Ruan Ruan let the wind of the top floor blow over her, squinting her eyes.

The troubles of the rich might not be any fewer, but they had far more ways to experience the world. It was very easy to feel one's own importance, and just as easy to perceive one's own insignificance.

Ruan Ruan also wanted to become rich, to expand the horizons of her life, so she wouldn't be confined to that crowded past. To condense all the chaos and trivialities into a short two-day past.

She and Shi Ran lived comfortably in Beicheng for a few days.

It was unclear whether Shi Ran had deliberately scheduled her work, but anyway, she happened to be free, resting together with Ruan Ruan. Ruan Ruan was as diligent as ever, cooking every day and calling Shi Ran to eat. At first, Ruan Ruan called her "Shi Ran," but later she called her "Baby."

The outwardly cold Shi Ran was very happy with such terms of endearment, and Ruan Ruan noticed it.

They watched movies together. Ruan Ruan would hold her and ask, "Baby, are you cold? Do you want me to get a blanket?" Shi Ran would press her calves against Ruan Ruan's skin, hugging her and saying, "Mhm, no need."

At these times, her tone was also much more obedient, as if unconscious.

The first weekend of their arrival, the magazine's charity gala took place as scheduled.

Shi Ran arranging for Ruan Ruan to attend this gala also had its reasons. The magazine Ruan Ruan nearly offended was a second-tier publication under the host magazine EM. Even though the other party didn't say anything, mingling more would be good for Ruan Ruan's future development. EM Fashion had two helmsmen: Gracia Lau in the front, and Perla Miller behind the scenes.

This gala was semi-public, featuring a red carpet segment, though many artists and celebrities were reluctant to walk it. The inner venue was relatively closed off. Over a dozen large round tables with black surfaces were spread out in the lavish and spacious banquet hall. Flowers surrounded the staggered tableware and wine glasses. The crystal chandeliers overhead acted as the bright moon, and the wine glasses on the tables were the reflected, scattered stars—that is, before the guests took their seats.

Once the elaborately dressed celebrities took their seats one by one, they became the stars, their eyes gleaming brightly, their fragrance wafting through the air.

Shi Ran and Ruan Ruan attended together. Shi Ran dressed very uniquely that day, a pair of black shorts showing off her long legs perfectly, with a leg ring from the runway on her right leg, the dangling gold chain chiming slightly. Her upper body was relatively conservative, a long-sleeved shirt with some tie elements.

Meanwhile, Ruan Ruan wore a classic green tulle dress. The green was very pure, complementing her jade-like white skin and eyes that seemed to hold landscapes.

Even though they received their invitations together, they were not at the same table. Shi Ran sat at the main table in the center, while Ruan Ruan sat in a slightly marginalized position on the left side of the second row. There were guests performing on stage, singing and dancing. Ruan Ruan quietly appreciated it, earnestly tasting the food, occasionally exchanging a few words with the artist friends on her left and right.

Appearing in this kind of setting again, she was much more adept, unable to fully recall her mood from the first time she attended; everything felt like a lifetime ago.

About an hour later, the gala got down to business. The host took the stage, announcing the official start of the charity auction. This event would auction some collections brought by the guests, as well as some meaningful items, using this to raise targeted funds for people in need.

The lights dimmed, leaving only a few striking spotlights on the stage. The opening item was an imitation Song dynasty Ru kiln porcelain. Although it was a replica, it was made in the late Qing dynasty, giving it considerable collection value. There were no auction paddles inside the banquet; guests simply raised their hands to increase the bid. Ruan Ruan watched as the guests happily raised their hands while chatting, pushing the price of the first item over ten million.

This was the most expensive banquet she had ever attended; the dust in the air seemed to carry the scent of money.

Yet everyone was very relaxed. After winning a bid, they casually greeted others, as if they had just picked a desired cabbage. They smiled brightly, then adjusted their clothes and went on stage to take a photo with the exhibit.

It felt like a silkworm was gnawing on a mulberry leaf in her heart; Ruan Ruan could hear the rustling sound.

She turned her head towards the center to see if Shi Ran was participating, but her seat was empty; Shi Ran was gone.

In a private room next to the banquet hall, insulated from the tense atmosphere of bidding outside, time slowed down. Shi Ran sat by the table on one side of the room, holding a few uncleaned mahjong tiles, talking to Sister Ren.

Sister Ren had been pulled over from the mahjong table next door. She was the wife of a major director in the Beicheng circle. Previously his assistant, she was now a producer who collaborated closely with him. Not only had she dealt with the censorship authorities for years, but she also had family connections, making her the most accurate at catching wind of rumors.

"That matter of yours, I know about it." She was tired from sitting and playing mahjong, leaning half over the table, picking up grapes to eat.

"Sigh, a thorny director, right? She's gotten herself into trouble." she smiled amiably, rolling the grape in her mouth as she chewed.

Shi Ran pursed her lips, smiling faintly.

Sister Ren leaned closer, looked at Shi Ran's face, clicked her tongue and gave her a chiding look, then lowered her head and spit out the grape seeds. "I'm telling you, come to me. We have quite a few scripts here, all female-led, really good. Chat with Director Tang later, alright?"

She raised her eyebrows, looked at Shi Ran's collar, reached out and adjusted it for her, acting like an elder. She was also used to calling her husband Director Tang, always keeping boundaries clear outside.

Shi Ran twirled the mahjong tile in her hand, her voice very soft, "If there are good scripts, I'll definitely take them, and I've always wanted to work with Director Tang. It's just that our schedules haven't aligned. I'll go back and check with them again."

"Good girl," Sister Ren nodded sincerely. "About your censorship issue, tell Xiao Zhao to hurry up, there are rumors going around."

What did that mean? Shi Ran asked with her eyes.

"I'm just hearing things, you have a supporting actor in there named, named... hiss, a very strange name."

"Chu Ju?"

"Ah yes, exactly. He's going to be investigated." Sister Ren whispered, holding up her index finger, pointing upwards, passing a look.

Then she straightened up, cleared her throat, and threw away the grape skins. "If you can air it, do it quickly. Find a way, alright?"

Shi Ran tucked a stray hair behind her ear and got up to open the door for her.

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