Happy
I suddenly remembered something happy.
Jin Shuiluan walked her dog for over half an hour. Her phone kept vibrating from being @’d in the group chat. Lu Zhenqiu thought someone was calling her. Jin Shuiluan took out her phone and saw that people in their small group chat were snatching red envelopes; Ji Zibo was the one sending them.
【Boss Ji1 sent them! Boss Ji sent them!】
【Thanks, Boss Ji2. Did something good happen, Boss Ji?】
【Did Teacher Jin submit her script?】
Everyone in the group immediately @’d Jin Shuiluan. Jin Shuiluan typed with one hand: 【?】
【Yo, Teacher Jin is here! What are you doing, Teacher Jin?】
Jin Shuiluan: 【Taking a walk.】
The chat flooded with question marks. Everyone used exaggerated emojis to express their shock: 【What! Teacher Jin actually goes for walks?】
【Teacher Jin, if your soul has been transmigrated3, just nod.】
Jin Shuiluan indeed wasn’t fond of going out. A computer, a desk, a phone, plus a home gym were enough for her to stay cooped up for a long time. Sometimes she’d rather have video conferences than go out. However, it had gotten much better in the last two years because she had taken on scripts, which inevitably required her to visit film sets.
It’s just that, having known each other for so many years, this was the first time Jin Shuiluan had said in the group chat that she was out for a walk.
The group chat consisted of members from her radio drama production team. They had collaborated with her for five or six years and were quite familiar with each other. Hearing that she was taking a walk at night, they all suspected her account had been hacked.
Jin Shuiluan: …
After the joking around, the group started discussing the character Lu Yin from her new drama. The post-production staffer asked: 【Hasn’t it been decided yet? Actually, Lu Yan contacted me these past two days.】
【Lu Yan? She doesn’t fit Lu Yin at all, okay?】
【Not her personally. She wants to recommend a voice actor, seems to be some friend of hers.】
Ji Zibo: 【Reject it. I’ve already found someone. Once the voice test is passed, I’ll let you all meet them.】
The group chat exploded, everyone discussing who it could be. Jin Shuiluan turned her head and asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Did Zibo send you the script?”
Lu Zhenqiu was taken aback. She had been thinking about other things just now. Suddenly being asked, she hesitated for two seconds before nodding, “Yes, she sent it to me.”
Jin Shuiluan asked, “Have you read it?”
Lu Zhenqiu shook her head. “Haven’t had the time yet, but I’ve read the novel.”
She just didn’t know if there were major changes. This character was exceptionally brilliant in the original novel. Lu Zhenqiu still remembered how she couldn’t forget Lu Yin’s death scene for a long time. When she discussed it with Ji Zibo in the afternoon, those memories came flooding back, allowing her to quickly recapture the passion and excitement she felt during her first voice acting experience.
Seeing Jin Shuiluan remain silent, Lu Zhenqiu said, “I’ll read the script as soon as I get back.”
Jin Shuiluan said, “No need to rush. Haven’t you had a cold these past few days? Wait until your throat is better before auditioning.”
Lu Zhenqiu had indeed had a cold for a few days. However, she had been busy tidying up these past two days after moving in and had almost forgotten about it. Now that it was suddenly mentioned, she touched her throat. “It’s already better.”
Jin Shuiluan turned her head. “Still, rest for a couple more days.”
Lu Zhenqiu smiled at her. “Okay, thank you, Teacher Jin.”
Polite yet distant. This was a normal reaction towards someone she had only met a few times. But Jin Shuiluan paused, tightening her grip on the leash, an unidentifiable sour feeling welling up in her heart.
Soon, they finished their walk. On the way back, they came across a fruit stall, and Lu Zhenqiu bought some fruit. One of them holding the dog’s leash, the other carrying a bag of fruit, they stood in the elevator. Maomao, invigorated after the walk, happily rubbed against Jin Shuiluan and Lu Zhenqiu, circling between them. Jin Shuiluan ruffled the dog’s head and loosened the leash.
After arriving home, Jin Shuiluan asked Lu Zhenqiu if she wanted to take a bath, offering to teach her how to use the jacuzzi. Lu Zhenqiu felt a bit embarrassed and politely declined, heading into the shower room with her pajamas. Jin Shuiluan filled the tub for herself and only got in after Lu Zhenqiu came out.
Outside the door, Lu Zhenqiu and Maomao were doing something; occasional thumping sounds could be heard. On a night like this, it added a deceptive warmth. Jin Shuiluan was quite independent. She had started renting her own place since middle school. Later, when she began writing novels in high school, she disliked noisy environments even more. Sometimes, when she went back to her old home for dinner, she would rush back here at night. This place felt to her not just like a residence, but more like a harbor. And now, there was one more person in this harbor.
The person she liked.
Jin Shuiluan leaned against the side of the bathtub, listening to the sounds outside. Warm water flowed over her body, spreading over every inch of her skin. She rested her chin on her elbow, her head tilted, the other hand unconsciously tapping the edge of the tub.
All was quiet around her; only the faint sounds from outside and the occasional bark of a dog could be heard.
Half an hour later, Jin Shuiluan rinsed off the foam and walked out. Lu Zhenqiu was sitting at the computer in the room, and Maomao was lying by the door. Hearing a noise, Maomao looked up, saw it was Jin Shuiluan, and then lay back down, all well-behaved. Jin Shuiluan was wearing a bathrobe. Lu Zhenqiu turned her head and saw her, then quickly walked over with the script. The script had just been printed and still carried the scent of paper and ink. Lu Zhenqiu pointed to a line and said, “Teacher Jin, I don’t quite understand the emotion in this line…”
Her fingers were slender and long, with milky-white half-moons at the tips of her nails. She was probably wearing nail protector, which reflected the light into Jin Shuiluan’s eyes. The light flickered. Jin Shuiluan stared at her fingers for several seconds before Lu Zhenqiu’s voice registered.
“Teacher Jin?” Lu Zhenqiu looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Jin Shuiluan was drying her wet hair with a towel, the light hitting her profile, clearly outlining her features. Jin Shuiluan explained to her what Lu Yin’s emotions should be in this scene and the sentiment behind the lines. Lu Zhenqiu understood immediately and nodded, “I get it now.”
Jin Shuiluan watched her walk back, circle the part with a red pen, and write annotations.
Lu Zhenqiu’s handwriting was very nice, elegant and strong. When Jin Shuiluan walked closer, her shadow fell over the script. Lu Zhenqiu looked up. Jin Shuiluan asked, “Watching a live stream?”
“Just watched for a bit.” The computer was on, showing Xiao Yu’s live stream. Xiao Yu was playing a MOBA game4 that had been popular for a long time. Jin Shuiluan watched for a moment and asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Do you know how to play?”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded. “A little.”
After saying that, she asked, “Does Teacher Jin know how to play?”
Jin Shuiluan paused for two seconds and said, “I’m okay.”
Lu Zhenqiu smiled. “Then let’s add each other as friends. We can rank up together in the future?”
Jin Shuiluan nodded. “No problem.”
As she spoke, she went to the living room to get her phone. Lu Zhenqiu followed her out. After logging into the game, they added each other as friends. Jin Shuiluan’s account rank wasn’t high, just Diamond5. After adding Lu Zhenqiu, she asked, “Shall we play a match?”
Maomao also came over and rested its head on Lu Zhenqiu’s lap. Lu Zhenqiu didn’t move and agreed, “Sure.”
She asked Jin Shuiluan, “Which heroes can you play?”
Jin Shuiluan said, “I’m not very familiar with any of them. What about you?”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded. “Then you play support? Follow me?”
She picked a marksman6. Jin Shuiluan nodded and then chose a healer7. Lu Zhenqiu glanced at the opposing team’s composition and said, “Two assassins.”
Jin Shuiluan said, “It’s okay, I’ll heal you.”
Lu Zhenqiu gave a polite smile, not really expecting Jin Shuiluan to be able to heal her effectively. After all, a healer was a soft support8, easily targeted and killed. Plus, the enemy team had two assassins who could coordinate with their marksman to gank. It would be very difficult to counter. But Jin Shuiluan was surprisingly aware and actually managed to keep her healed! Several times, when both their health bars were dangerously low, Jin Shuiluan used an ultimate9 and a shield to pull her back from the brink of death. They played a match and easily won 20 to 5.
“So strong!” Lu Zhenqiu praised sincerely. “You play support really well.”
Jin Shuiluan asked, “Another match?”
Just as Lu Zhenqiu was about to reply, her phone vibrated. It was an unknown number. She said to Jin Shuiluan, “Hold on, I need to take this call.”
Jin Shuiluan nodded and listened as Lu Zhenqiu answered the phone.
The call was from Tang Yingxia. Her number had been blocked by Lu Zhenqiu, so she had borrowed a phone from a friend. Lu Zhenqiu immediately recognized her voice, her heart clenching for a few seconds. “What do you want from me now?”
Her tone was somewhat wistful. Jin Shuiluan’s hand, which was selecting a hero on the store page, paused and didn’t move. Lu Zhenqiu got up and walked towards her room.
Tang Yingxia asked, “Qiuqiu, where are you now?”
Lu Zhenqiu was silent for two seconds. “What does where I am have to do with you?”
Tang Yingxia sounded displeased. “How does it not have anything to do with me? Didn’t I explain that there’s nothing going on between me and Yu Wen? Why won’t you believe me?”
This was the first time Lu Zhenqiu had felt a headache since coming here. She pressed her temples and said, “Tang Yingxia, I’ve made myself very clear. Regardless of whether there’s anything between you and Yu Wen, we are over. I don’t want to be in a love affair that can’t see the light of day.”
Tang Yingxia immediately said, “Our relationship isn’t one that can’t see the light of day! I just want you to wait a little longer!”
“Wait? Wait until when?” Lu Zhenqiu flared up. “One year, two years, or three years? I wait for you, and then what? Then you get close to other people on Weibo?”
Tang Yingxia gritted her teeth. “I’ll clarify my relationship with Yu Wen immediately!”
“There’s no need.” Lu Zhenqiu sighed lightly. The tightness in her heart eased, though it still hurt a bit, but it was better than when she first broke up.
Perhaps she was truly too disappointed, too disheartened, to feel the pain anymore.
If Tang Yingxia really wanted to reconcile, shouldn’t she first deal with the matter with Yu Wen and publicly acknowledge her as her girlfriend? Did she really need to be asked before saying she would clarify things?
What was the difference between this and forcing Tang Yingxia to do these things?
Lu Zhenqiu hated this. She said, “Don’t call me anymore.” Having made up her mind, her voice was much calmer and clearer. “We’ve already broken up. From now on, you go your way, and I’ll go mine10. We’ll part ways and have nothing more to do with each other.”
Before Tang Yingxia could finish speaking, Lu Zhenqiu hung up the phone.
She gripped her phone, the top edge pressing into her fingertip, her knuckles white. She took a while to compose herself before taking a deep breath, getting up, and walking out. Jin Shuiluan was still sitting on the sofa, looking down at her phone screen. Lu Zhenqiu glanced and saw it was still the game interface. She asked, “Teacher Jin, shall I play another match with you?”
Jin Shuiluan turned her head. Lu Zhenqiu’s face was slightly pale, but she controlled her emotions well. Her eyes, however, were a bit brighter than usual. She said, “Okay, can we play for another half hour?”
Lu Zhenqiu glanced at the time and nodded. “Sure.”
Jin Shuiluan parted her lips. “If we play for another half hour, I’ll treat you to cake.”
“Hmm?” Lu Zhenqiu was puzzled. “Why the sudden craving for cake?”
Jin Shuiluan lowered her eyes. “It’s nothing.” She put her hand to her lips and said, “I suddenly remembered something happy.”
The author has something to say:
Thirty red envelopes, muah muah.
Lu Zhenqiu: What happy thing?
Jin Shuiluan: I have a wife.
Lu Zhenqiu: …
✨ Unlock Early Access to Chapters! ✨
Choose your perfect membership at bamboopandatl.net:
📚 Full Access ($4.99)
• Advanced chapters of ALL ongoing novels
• Access to complete finished novels
• Ad-free reading experience
📖 Single Novel Access ($1.49)
• Advanced chapters of ONE specific novel
• Ad-free reading for chosen novel
PayPal is the only current payment option!