Married in a Daze - Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Jian Mu's single interview clearly wasn't enough to sway everyone. Aside from the fans of both parties reconciling and some neutral netizens who believed him, there were still many anti-fans who thought he was lying.
They continued to spare no effort spreading rumors online, claiming that someone had immense power, could cover up the sky with one hand, and that simply using a livestream to debunk rumors after doing something ugly was not enough, completely ignoring the previous alleged affair.
They even rallied behind the entertainment magazine that first broke the news, launching a new round of condemnation. Unfortunately, the results were a huge disappointment for them.
Director Hu of Cold Palace personally took to his Weibo, stating that the hotel was chosen for promotional convenience due to its proximity, and that it was selected by his own assistant. Qin Zhenzhen had no prior knowledge whatsoever, so there was simply no situation of her being informed in advance. Of course, in the eyes of the anti-fans, such a statement was no different from making excuses. They further claimed that Jian Mu and Qin Zhenzhen had colluded to pull the wool over everyone's eyes.
However, these netizens didn't persist for long before being knocked down.
Because they lost their leader.
The entertainment magazine that initially broke the news was shut down. Naturally, they were indignant, crying foul play and dark manipulation, insisting it only proved Jian Mu and Qin Zhenzhen were up to no good. They even escalated the matter to the authorities, demanding an explanation.
After enduring half a day of criticism, the official account finally posted a message, explaining that the magazine was shut down because it had violated the law and was currently under investigation.
After this news came out, Qin Zhenzhen and Jian Mu's fans erupted in cheers. They had clarified after Jian Mu's livestream, saying the reason for the earlier silence was because evidence was being collected, but no one believed them, calling it wishful thinking. Evidence? What evidence?
Now, they were proven wrong by the official government announcement.
It really was about evidence collection, and they were indeed under investigation.
The right and wrong of the matter had become clear.
Right at this moment, Lu Ruyun's Weibo also posted a message. She first thanked Jian Mu for his new song, then announced the news of holding a wedding. Finally, she attached a photo, saying she had stumbled upon it while flipping through her photo album a few days ago, and it was a picture she really liked.
After the photo surfaced, the anti-fans were completely silenced.
Because the background of the photo was clearly taken in a hotel.
As for which hotel?
It was, of course, the same hotel Qin Zhenzhen and Jian Mu had previously stayed in.
After Lu Ruyun posted on Weibo, the Cold Palace crew members quickly interacted with her. Song He asked, "Teacher Lu, what exactly was that food you brought for me that day? I still haven't been able to buy it anywhere." Sun Qin also reposted, not forgetting to clarify that Lu Ruyun was indeed accompanying Qin Zhenzhen for promotional work. The implication was clear: it was impossible, and there was no opportunity for Qin Zhenzhen to meet Jian Mu, let alone have an affair. It was simply laughable.
The anti-fans' and trolls' carnival had come to an end. Without their ringleader and suffering blow after blow, they quickly quieted down. Although Qin Zhenzhen and Jian Mu's fans had previously engaged in a fierce online battle, after everything was over, when Jian Mu said the two were still good friends, they let bygones be bygones and made up as before.
The farce centered around Qin Zhenzhen finally drew to a close on her fifth day holed up at home.
However, the external noise hadn't completely faded. The spotlight remained on her, but the affair incident was considered over. It was replaced by fans asking every day: when exactly is the wedding?
Qin Zhenzhen lay sprawled on the sofa, looking at a message Ji Lu had sent her on her phone.
—Zhenzhen, Zhenzhen, guess what I just heard when I went back to the company to submit my resignation?
Qin Zhenzhen replied idly: What?
Ji Lu's excitement practically leaped off the screen: I saw Director Shen get the boot! Hahahaha! I also heard President He gave him a choice: either invite you back, or get lost himself. He chose to get lost.
Seeing this news, Qin Zhenzhen wasn't particularly thrilled. After all, the one who forced her to make a choice wasn't Shen Hao, but President He. If President He hadn't tacitly approved, Shen Hao wouldn't have dared to accept so many schedules privately. So, it wasn't so much that she disliked Shen Hao, but that she couldn't accept this version of Jing Rui, this version of President He.
Going back was out of the question.
Even without Shen Hao, there would be another, and another after that.
Besides, she had already made up her mind to cling to Lu Ruyun's studio and definitely wouldn't leave.
Thinking this, she didn't reply to Ji Lu's message. Instead, she scrolled to Meng Xin's WeChat and sent a message: Sister Meng, have you made up your mind?
"Sister Meng?" Lu Ruyun sat across from Meng Xin, watching her stare at her phone for a long time without speaking, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure?"
Meng Xin looked up, somewhat exasperated, and slid her phone over to Lu Ruyun. "If I don't decide soon, your wife is going to pester me to death."
Though it was a complaint, a faint smile touched her lips. She nodded at Lu Ruyun. "Let's sign the contract."
Lu Ruyun placed the contract in front of her. Meng Xin took it, read it carefully several times, and finally, with a flourish of her pen, signed her name.
After signing the contract, Meng Xin followed Ji Lu to get familiar with the studio. Lu Ruyun replied to Qin Zhenzhen's message and drove home. As soon as she entered, Qin Zhenzhen was right behind her, practically wagging her tail as she asked, "Sister Meng agreed?"
Lu Ruyun placed the signed contract in front of her. "She agreed."
Looking at the signed contract, Qin Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief. Lu Ruyun then casually handed her another document. Qin Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment, looking up. "What's this?"
Lu Ruyun tapped her finger on the document. "Partner."
Qin Zhenzhen saw that on the document, Lu Ruyun had divided the studio's assets in half, each taking 50%. She murmured, "Ruyun..."
Before, Lu Ruyun had consistently refused to sign a contract with her. She thought Lu Ruyun felt she was holding her back, didn't want her staying at the studio. She never imagined Lu Ruyun was planning to make her half the boss.
This was the studio she had built from the ground up. Though it had nothing now, Qin Zhenzhen had seen the effort Lu Ruyun poured into it. Now, she was offering half the fruits of that labor to her without hesitation. Qin Zhenzhen's eyes reddened slightly.
Seeing her like this, Lu Ruyun pulled her to sit on the sofa. "Sign it, Mrs. Lu."
Hearing this address, Qin Zhenzhen pursed her lips into a smile. The frustration from the past few days vanished without a trace. She quickly signed her name next to Lu Ruyun's, the characters bold and flowing.
Lu Ruyun put both documents away on the coffee table. Turning her head, she noticed a script sitting there.
"What's this?"
Qin Zhenzhen tilted her head to look. "It fell out of your bag when I was hanging it up, so I took a look."
"Which director's script is it?"
Lu Ruyun thought for a few seconds, looking at the cover. "It's Qiuhan's."
He had asked her to read the script and help find actors, but she never had the time. First, she was busy dealing with the Qin Zhenzhen and Jian Mu situation. Now that the dust had finally settled, she remembered this script. Fortunately, Duan Qiuhan also knew she was very busy lately and hadn't even included her in the Like a Dream promotions.
Like a Dream's ratings naturally couldn't compare to Cold Palace, but they were still decent. Amidst the online turmoil these past few days, the ratings steadily broke 1.5. For Duan Qiuhan's first directorial work, it was a pretty good result.
Hearing it was Duan Qiuhan's, Qin Zhenzhen was momentarily stunned before asking, "Have you read it?"
Lu Ruyun shook her head. "Haven't had the chance yet."
As she spoke, she was about to open the script. Qin Zhenzhen slapped it shut with a snap. Lu Ruyun looked at her, puzzled. Qin Zhenzhen opened her mouth. "It's nothing special, just an ordinary plot. Does Qiuhan want you to act in it?"
Lu Ruyun parted her red lips. "No. He wanted me to read the script and pick two suitable new actors."
Qin Zhenzhen blinked. "I've read it. I'll help you brainstorm."
"You must be tired from all this recently."
"Don't worry about this."
Lu Ruyun looked up at Qin Zhenzhen, her gaze deep. She nodded and placed the script back on the coffee table. "Alright."
Qin Zhenzhen sighed in relief and got up from the sofa. "What do you want for dinner? I had Ji Lu send over a lot of groceries. Shall we have a seafood feast tonight?"
Lu Ruyun took her hand, pulling her to sit on her lap. Although Qin Zhenzhen had said she was staying home, avoiding the internet, not being worried was a lie. She hadn't eaten properly, had lost quite a bit of weight, her chin was a little pointier. Holding her felt light, almost weightless.
Sitting on Lu Ruyun's lap, Qin Zhenzhen didn't feel like moving either, just leaned against her. After a long while, she asked, "Ruyun, is it all over?"
Lu Ruyun nodded, her chin resting on the top of Qin Zhenzhen's head. A ticklish sensation spread from her scalp. Her voice was light as she responded, "Mhm."
Her warm breath brushed against Qin Zhenzhen's earlobe. Qin Zhenzhen's ears turned slightly red. She also wrapped her arms around Lu Ruyun, whispering, "Teacher Lu, what reward do you want?"
As she spoke, she shifted slightly to create some distance, looking up at Lu Ruyun. Their eyes met. Lu Ruyun pressed her red lips together, her gaze darkening slightly. Holding Qin Zhenzhen, she said, "I don't want a reward."
Qin Zhenzhen's lips parted slightly, only to be precisely captured by Lu Ruyun. Their tongues entwined. Lu Ruyun's voice was husky. "I only want you."
Perhaps because their worries were resolved, or perhaps because they had been in a state of tension for so long, now that they relaxed, things became a little uncontrollable. Both Lu Ruyun and Qin Zhenzhen had more energy than usual. Each was giving and taking in their own way. Sunlight had originally been streaming into the room through the window cracks, but by the time the moon hung on the treetops, soft moans could still be heard intermittently, enough to make one blush.
After Lu Ruyun made love to Qin Zhenzhen once more, they lay on the bed. The room was filled with an indescribable scent. Clothes were scattered haphazardly on the floor. Qin Zhenzhen's breathing hadn't yet steadied, her chest rising and falling, her body trembling. She slowly released her grip on the bedding, which she had been clutching tightly. She didn't know for how long; her fingers ached.
As soon as she let go of the blanket, Qin Zhenzhen's hand was clasped by Lu Ruyun, their fingers intertwining. The half-night of passion had left both their voices somewhat hoarse.
"Are you tired?"
Qin Zhenzhen lay limp on the bed like a puddle of water. Faced with Lu Ruyun's question, she nodded honestly, feeling as if it was finally over. "So tired."
Lu Ruyun guided her hand to rest on her own still-heaving chest, gently kneading. When Qin Zhenzhen's listless fingertips brushed against her own rosy peaks, her body trembled. Lu Ruyun parted her red lips, whispering by Qin Zhenzhen's ear, "Zhenzhen, you're lying again."
Qin Zhenzhen: ...
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