Married in a Daze - Chapter 139

Chapter 139

The day Yin Lanfang was discharged from the hospital coincided with Lanyi's new product launch event, which Qin Zhenzhen had to attend. Lu Ruyun got off set early to pick the two elders up from the hospital.

In the car, Qin Zhenzhen was still on the phone with Lu Ruyun, complaining, "Why did it have to be on the same day?"

Lu Ruyun laughed and comforted her, "Don't worry about it. It's the same if I pick them up."

Qin Zhenzhen hummed in agreement, then asked, "What about the film crew?"

Lu Ruyun glanced out the window, her voice gentle. "It's fine. I already talked to the director."

She still had promotional work for Like a Dream coming up. She had shot some of her scenes ahead of schedule a few days prior, precisely to avoid disrupting filming during the promotional period. That's why she had been coming home late at night for the past few days.

Hearing this, Qin Zhenzhen's voice softened. "Then rest a bit after you drop Mom and Dad off. I'll come home right after the event."

Lu Ruyun smiled. "Okay."

They hung up the phone. Xiao Wu's car had also arrived at the event venue. Qin Zhenzhen looked out the car window to see not only fans but also many reporters, their camera flashes going off incessantly.

When Qin Zhenzhen got out of the car, the scene erupted into a frenzy. Several bodyguards in suits stood beside her. Qin Zhenzhen waved and smiled at the fans, her expression gentle and warm. The fans' screams only grew more intense.

Ji Lu followed close to Qin Zhenzhen, helping to block some of the more zealous fans. Flashes of light illuminated Qin Zhenzhen's figure, deepening her smile.

Wave after wave of shouts buzzed in people's ears.

Even after walking into the backstage area, the echoes of the fans' shouts seemed to still ring in Qin Zhenzhen's ears, loud and resonant. Just as she arrived, Lanyi's stylist approached her. The stylist was named Amy, assigned to Qin Zhenzhen by Lanyi. They had worked together twice before and weren't strangers.

Amy smiled upon seeing Qin Zhenzhen. "Zhenzhen, you're here."

Qin Zhenzhen looked around. "Is everything ready?"

Amy shook her head. "Not yet. Let's go change first."

Qin Zhenzhen followed Amy into the changing room.

Today's event was Lanyi's fashion show. As the brand ambassador, what Qin Zhenzhen wore on stage was Lanyi's spring season flagship piece: a knee-length floral dress with batwing sleeves, paired with a matching scarf around the neck. The dress wasn't revealing at all, but the loose batwing sleeves, her graceful silhouette as she moved, and the slender waistline subtly hinted beneath the skirt's hem were alluring, making it hard to look away.

Qin Zhenzhen was tall and wore ten-centimeter heels, perfectly highlighting the outfit's features. Her skin appeared even fairer and brighter against the light-colored dress.

Although Amy had seen her in this dress before, she couldn't help but exclaim again as Qin Zhenzhen stepped out of the changing room, "It's perfect!"

The backstage staff also stared at Qin Zhenzhen. They were all seasoned Lanyi employees with a decent understanding of fashion. This dress actually had a weakness: the loose batwing sleeves and lack of a belt for shaping made the entire dress appear slightly baggy. But seeing Qin Zhenzhen wear it now, there was no sense of bulkiness at all. On the contrary, the absence of a defining belt made the waistline hidden within the dress seem even more lithe and alluring. With the slightest movement, she swayed gracefully. Combined with her exquisite, flawless face that needed no embellishment.

Just as Amy had sighed, it was too perfect.

Hearing Amy's words, Qin Zhenzhen gave a faint smile, her bright eyes sparkling and spirited. Her gaze swept across the backstage, and those she looked at unconsciously averted their eyes. A few who met her gaze found their cheeks flushing slightly.

Amy examined every angle carefully. After confirming everything was in order, she began applying Qin Zhenzhen's makeup.

Ji Lu followed behind Qin Zhenzhen, preparing to fetch her some water. She had just stepped out of the dressing room door when she was surrounded by staff. "Ji Lu, you're so lucky!"

"Ji Lu, I'm so envious of you!"

"I want to see such a beauty every day too!"

Ji Lu had worked with the Lanyi staff before and was somewhat familiar with them. Hearing their words now, she smiled. "You can see her every day if you just turn on the TV."

"That's different!"

"She's nowhere near as good-looking on TV as in person!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of agreement followed. Ji Lu chuckled, "Alright, alright. Teacher Amy is calling for you."

Hearing "Teacher Amy," the group scattered. Ji Lu went out to fetch water. By the time she returned, Qin Zhenzhen's makeup was done. Ji Lu took a straw from her bag, placed it in the cup, and handed it over for Qin Zhenzhen to take a few sips.

Not long after, a staff member announced they were getting ready. Qin Zhenzhen was the finale act, the last to appear on stage. So, after the preceding models went on, she still had time to call Lu Ruyun.

Lu Ruyun was almost at the hospital. Answering the call, she asked, "Has the event not started yet?"

Qin Zhenzhen glanced towards the front stage. "It's about to start."

Lu Ruyun hummed. "Then I'll go pick up Mom and Dad first. We'll talk after you're done."

Qin Zhenzhen pouted. "Okay."

Lu Ruyun could hear the hint of unhappiness in her voice, guessing she still felt a little regretful about not being able to pick up Yin Lanfang today. Thinking this, she opened WeChat, went to the stickers, and sent one over.

Qin Zhenzhen had just hung up when her phone buzzed. Unlocking the screen, she saw Lu Ruyun had sent a heart.

And it was the system default one.

Her lips instantly curved into a smile, her fingers tapping on the screen: Teacher Lu, you really need to update your sticker collection!

Lu Ruyun received the message and smiled, closing her phone. He Shuangshuang asked, "Has Zhenzhen's event started?"

"Not yet," Lu Ruyun paused. "It's about to start."

He Shuangshuang drove the car into the hospital parking lot and went upstairs with Lu Ruyun. Qin Ye had already completed the discharge procedures. When Lu Ruyun entered the ward, she saw they had already packed up several bags.

Seeing Lu Ruyun arrive, Yin Lanfang couldn't help but scold Qin Ye again, saying he shouldn't have called Zhenzhen, making her run back and forth, and now even Lu Ruyun couldn't focus on filming properly. Lu Ruyun listened to her complaining tone, which was exactly like Qin Zhenzhen's, and couldn't help but smile. "Mom, it's really okay. If you didn't contact Zhenzhen and me, we'd be upset if we found out later."

Hearing this, Qin Ye instantly gained confidence. He said to Yin Lanfang, "See what the child said? How can you not contact the kids when something happens at home?"

Besides, her condition had been so critical then. If anything serious had happened, how could he possibly not have contacted Qin Zhenzhen?

Yin Lanfang, having been lectured back, snorted, took Lu Ruyun's arm, and walked out. He Shuangshuang, following behind, helped Qin Ye carry several pieces of luggage.

When they arrived at the Qin residence, Qin Ye busied himself preparing lunch. Lu Ruyun wanted to help but was shooed out by Qin Ye, who told her to sit and keep Yin Lanfang company.

Yin Lanfang was watching a tablet. The tablet was one He Shuangshuang always carried. The Lanyi fashion show was being livestreamed, and the event was already more than halfway through.

He Shuangshuang, worried about potential hate comments from anti-fans, had quietly hidden the live comments. When Lu Ruyun walked over, she lowered her head and asked, "Watching what?"

"The Lanyi fashion show," He Shuangshuang pointed at the tablet. "Zhenzhen's about to come on."

As soon as the words were spoken, Yin Lanfang called out, "Qin Ye!"

Qin Ye, still holding a kitchen knife, ran out dumbfounded. "What is it?"

Yin Lanfang pointed at the tablet. "Come quick, look at Zhenzhen!"

Qin Ye chuckled. "What's so special about that? I can see her on TV every day."

Even as he said he wasn't interested, his body was honest. He stood behind Yin Lanfang, his eyes fixed intently on the tablet. Qin Zhenzhen walked out from behind the stage—tall, slender, her every movement exuding charm.

For a moment, silence fell among the four people in the living room. Lu Ruyun's gaze was locked on Qin Zhenzhen's lovely face, her heart stirring with every move she made.

---

As soon as Qin Zhenzhen stepped off the stage, she called Lu Ruyun to tell her the event was over. Lu Ruyun stood by the window, listening to He Shuangshuang and Yin Lanfang still discussing the previous scene. She smiled. "I know."

"Mom, Dad, and I just watched it."

Behind Qin Zhenzhen, Amy whispered, "Zhenzhen, time to change."

"Okay."

Qin Zhenzhen didn't chat much longer with Lu Ruyun before hanging up. She followed Amy into the changing room to change clothes and remove her makeup. Ji Lu waited outside, browsing Weibo.

Today's Lanyi fashion show was a significant event, heavily promoted for the past couple of days. As soon as the show ended, it successfully made headlines and topped trending searches.

And, of course, accompanied by photos of the new brand ambassador, Qin Zhenzhen, walking the runway.

Weibo was even livelier. The fans were overjoyed. They had just missed out on a chance to snag the SP magazine and hadn't even had time to feel disappointed before seeing the spring collection Qin Zhenzhen endorsed was launching.

There was only one word for it: Buy!

After removing her makeup, Qin Zhenzhen saw Ji Lu still glued to her phone. She patted her shoulder. "Let's go."

Ji Lu held up her phone for Qin Zhenzhen to see. "Zhenzhen, look! So many fashion critics are praising your look today!"

"Weird. Even Teacher Gu said you looked good."

Qin Zhenzhen glanced sideways. "Teacher Gu?"

Ji Lu nodded. The screen showed precisely Gu Changyun's Weibo. Qin Zhenzhen skimmed it a few times. Her impression of Gu Changyun stemmed from last year's full internet hate incident.

Back then, Gu Changyun had dragged out her past TV drama looks and harshly criticized them. His reputation within the industry held weight, so after he declared her styling bad, a wave of bandwagon hate followed. For him to praise her styling today was indeed surprising, no wonder Ji Lu was taken aback.

Of course, it wasn't just Ji Lu who was surprised; netizens were also very shocked.

After all, Gu Changyun used to be Qin Zhenzhen's number one styling anti-fan. Now he was actually complimenting her? Netizens flocked to his Weibo comments: Teacher Gu, were you kidnapped? Weren't you the one who thought every single one of Qin Zhenzhen's looks was ugly before?

—Teacher Gu! You actually praised Qin Zhenzhen?

—But honestly, don't you guys think Qin Zhenzhen really has changed somewhat? I really didn't like her previous styling, but Yuan Yu in Cold Palace, the looks in Jian Mu's MV, the recent SP cover, and now this Lanyi spring collection... I think they're really good!

—I actually feel the same, especially the SP cover! Not a fan of Qin Zhenzhen or Lu Ruyun, but I really want to buy a copy! Suddenly find myself appreciating Qin Zhenzhen's visuals.

—I also think Qin Zhenzhen is different from before. Did she get married? Has her personality become more steady?

—Maybe 'near vermilion, one gets stained red'? Has Cloud Fairy's steadiness rubbed off on Qin Zhenzhen?

—They're a married couple. It's normal for them to become more alike.

Seeing the comments, Qin Zhenzhen pursed her lips into a slight smile. To be fair, Lu Ruyun had never deliberately taught her anything. But she had still been influenced, imperceptibly. Whether in her career or her emotions, she was no longer the Qin Zhenzhen of before.

Ji Lu glanced over and saw her smiling, radiant expression, which relaxed her own mood. She turned and asked, "Zhenzhen, where to?"

Qin Zhenzhen lifted her lips. "Home."

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