Troublesome – Chapter 116

End of the Main Text

Their time hereafter will be both long and short, warm and brilliant.

After two rounds, Lu Zhenqiu pushed Jin Shuilan away and tried to get out of the bathtub, but her legs gave out. Jin Shuilan chuckled and helped her up. The two of them rinsed off the foam and returned to their room.

In the quiet room, Lu Zhenqiu’s voice was slightly hoarse, the narrow corners of her eyes flushed with a red hue as if rouged, making her exceptionally bright and enchanting. Jin Shuilan kissed the corner of her eye and held her as they lay under the covers. As their breathing gradually synchronized, Lu Zhenqiu said, “I’m going to the studio tomorrow.”

Jin Shuilan grasped her fingers, kissing them one by one, and replied, “I know. Are you driving my car there tomorrow?”

“No need,” Lu Zhenqiu said. “I’ll take a taxi. Don’t you have to go to the magazine publisher tomorrow?”

Jin Shuilan had to go to the publisher tomorrow morning to discuss the final details of her publication. Lu Zhenqiu had originally wanted to accompany her, but she couldn’t since she had to be at the studio.

Jin Shuilan nodded. “That works too.”

She asked, “What time do you finish tomorrow?”

Lu Zhenqiu didn’t know yet. She shook her head. “It might be in the evening. Are you coming over for lunch?”

Jin Shuilan wasn’t sure either, as she had to deal with the book signing issue tomorrow. She said, “I’ll come over if I finish early.”

Lu Zhenqiu hummed and snuggled closer into her embrace. They were both wearing the new pajamas He Jinmei had just bought. Being new clothes, they had the dry, warm scent of cotton fabric, which mingled with the fragrance on Jin Shuilan’s body. Lu Zhenqiu drifted off into a deep sleep.

For once, Jin Shuilan didn’t tease her. The thought of her starting work tomorrow made her feel too soft-hearted. She just pulled her in tighter. With the warm, soft body in her arms, her own heart melted into a puddle.

The next day, Lu Zhenqiu woke up at the crack of dawn. She made breakfast for Jin Shuilan, who hadn’t gotten up yet. She left the breakfast warming in the pot and took a taxi to the studio. It was early, and the dew hadn’t thawed yet. It had snowed a few days ago, so the ground was still a bit slick. Lu Zhenqiu walked very slowly after arriving at the studio. Someone called out from behind her, “Qiuqiu.”

She turned her head. It was Bai Nuannuan. Lu Zhenqiu stood still and waited for her to catch up, and the two entered the studio together.

They weren’t the earliest to arrive, but a few people who lived farther away hadn’t come yet. People were chatting idly. The crew members were talking about Yu Wen and Tang Yingxia, sighing, “I used to quite like the two of them.”

“Who didn’t? I even have Shengxia’s book in my collection. It was a signed copy I fought hard to get, and I sold it yesterday for a low price on the secondhand market.”

“Me too. What the eye doesn’t see is clean¹. The thought that an author I liked is that kind of person just makes me angry no matter what.”

“I used to ship her and Yu Wen. You guys have no idea, my Weibo username was their ship name. I deleted my Weibo account overnight. I’m never shipping a CP again. It pisses me off so much. Those two are something else, so shameless!”

“Are any of you as miserable as me? I bought the signed copy at a high price. And what do you know, I couldn’t even sell it off cheap yesterday. Shengxia really had to not be a decent person and do so many filthy things instead.”

“Speaking of filthy, I think Yu Wen is the truly disgusting one. Dongdong was forced to quit the circle by her and her fans, right? She’s just a writer, but she acts like she’s in the entertainment industry, even trying to build up a persona!”

“I’ve already given up. When I think about how I used to like Shengxia, I wish I could dig my own eyes out. Our Teacher Jin is still the best, a perfect wife. She had a secret crush for so many years.”

“In that case, Teacher Jin is the more pitiful one. Not only did she have a secret crush for so many years, but she also didn’t argue or make a fuss even when she was misunderstood by Qiuqiu for two years. For this, I deeply feel for Teacher Jin.”

As they were talking, they saw Lu Zhenqiu approaching. Everyone coughed lightly and changed the subject. Lu Zhenqiu still felt a pang of sadness whenever she overheard this topic.

If she hadn’t been so rash back then, or if she had been able to see a single clue, would Jin Shuilan have been much happier these past two years? She lowered her head. Bai Nuannuan looked at her and said, “Qiuqiu, there’s a line in one of Teacher Jin’s old books that goes like this.”

Lu Zhenqiu turned her head. “What line?”

Bai Nuannuan said, “One will always meet the right person, no matter how many times they get it wrong.”

Lu Zhenqiu looked at her. Bai Nuannuan smiled and said, “Let’s go, time to head in.” She nodded, smiled, and followed Bai Nuannuan inside. Not long after, Ji Zibo arrived. She held a script and said, “Let’s have a meeting first.”

As Lu Zhenqiu entered the meeting room, she received a message from Jin Shuilan: 【I’m awake.】

She’s only waking up now. Lu Zhenqiu thought of Bai Nuannuan’s words, and a sweet feeling bloomed in her heart. She pursed her lips into a smile and replied: 【I know.】

Jin Shuilan: 【What are you doing? Recording already?】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【Not yet. About to have a meeting.】

Jin Shuilan: 【Then go to your meeting. I’m going to eat breakfast.】

Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head and smiled, her heart filled with joy. Ji Zibo walked over to her. “Tone it down, will you? Don’t go scattering dog food² in my production.”

“I wasn’t…” Before Lu Zhenqiu could finish, she saw the others looking at her, holding back their laughter with expressions of curiosity and amusement. Lu Zhenqiu composed herself, put away her phone, and followed Ji Zibo into the meeting room with a serious face.

The meeting room was right next to the recording studio and also served as a break room. The main scenes being recorded today involved Lu Zhenqiu and Bai Nuannuan, so the two of them started working right after the meeting, with almost no time to rest. During lunch, at the request of her colleagues, she even sang the radio drama’s theme song. In no time, a clip of it was recorded and posted to the Super Topic³. Lu Zhenqiu saw the @ notification when she logged onto Weibo. She reposted it with a heart emoji. A few seconds later, Jin Shuilan reposted it with a lovely caption and added two heart emojis.

【They’re killing the dogs!】

【Is there anyone who still doesn’t know about Teacher Jin stealing a kiss yesterday?】

【Hehehehehehe, hehehehehehe…】

【My mom asked me why I’m grinning like an idiot.】

Lu Zhenqiu wanted to reply, but her face flushed slightly when she saw the comments. She was about to just give it a like and log off when a private message came in: 【Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu, I drew a Q-version⁴ fan art⁵ of you and Teacher Jin. It’s so cute. I’d like to make it into a keychain. Is that okay?】

After sending the message, the fan sent two Q-version drawings. One was a miniature version of Jin Shuilan, and the other was of her. They were so adorable her heart skipped a few beats. She then took a screenshot and sent it to Jin Shuilan.

Jin Shuilan: 【What’s this? You want to use matching couple avatars with me?】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【…】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【No, a fan drew it and wants to make keychains. Is that okay?】

Jin Shuilan: 【If you say it’s okay, then it’s okay.】

Lu Zhenqiu’s face turned slightly red. She suddenly remembered what Jin Shuilan had just said about couple avatars. Jin Shuilan hadn’t changed her Weibo avatar in years; it was still a picture of her signature from a long time ago. She asked Jin Shuilan: 【Do you want to… change your avatar?】

Jin Shuilan: 【Hm?】

Then she realized and replied: 【Okay.】

After getting authorization from the fan, Lu Zhenqiu sent the images to Jin Shuilan. A moment later, they both changed to their new avatars. She used the drawing of Jin Shuilan, and Jin Shuilan used the Q-version of her. When she refreshed the page, she saw that they had posted on Weibo one after the other. Since Jin Shuilan had reposted her post, the matching avatars were especially obvious.

【??????????】

【Teacher Jin’s avatar?】

【I thought I was seeing things. Teacher Jin actually changed her avatar!】

【I’ve never seen her change her avatar since I started following her, and now she’s changed to a couple avatar.】

【Damn it, I just want to know where I can find a partner like Teacher Jin. Even if I die, even if I’m lying in my coffin, I will still have to shout, I love Teacher Jin!】

【You can have Teacher Jin, I’ll take Qiuqiu then. Give Qiuqiu to me!】

Lu Zhenqiu hadn’t expected that changing their avatars would turn into a confession festival. The comments under Jin Shuilan’s Weibo post were all confessions to them. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She heard Ji Zibo call her, “Qiuqiu.”

She turned her head. “Coming.”

A new recording session began. When Lu Zhenqiu got busy, she tended to lose track of time. It wasn’t until dinner that she realized it was already dark outside. Ji Zibo had ordered a lot of food for them. Lu Zhenqiu held a bowl of plain rice porridge and picked up some pickles from beside Bai Nuannuan. The others were eating all sorts of things—fried chicken, spicy hot pot, barbecue. Ji Zibo wasn’t stingy with the food budget; there was something for everyone. Lu Zhenqiu was about seventy or eighty percent full after a bowl of porridge. Finishing first, she sat and read her script for a while. Bai Nuannuan walked over and sat down beside her. “I’m so full.”

Lu Zhenqiu turned to look at her rubbing her stomach and wanted to laugh. She asked, “Teacher Bai, do you want some milk tea?”

There was a milk tea shop right across from the studio. She planned to go buy a cup and thought she’d ask Bai Nuannuan. Bai Nuannuan nodded. “I want some, but I don’t want to move.”

“I’ll get a cup for you,” Lu Zhenqiu said. “What flavor do you want?”

“Whatever’s fine. Just add extra coconut jelly.” She wasn’t picky. Lu Zhenqiu made a mental note. “Okay.”

She got up and walked to the studio entrance. She heard Ji Zibo ask, “Where are you going? It’s snowing outside.”

Lu Zhenqiu said, “Just across the street. I’ll be right back.”

She stepped out of the studio and was met with a gust of cold wind. It really was snowing, the flakes drifting down gracefully. Lu Zhenqiu stood for a few minutes and saw someone setting off fireworks by the side of the road. They were the kind for children, with many varieties, and they were quite dazzling. She smiled as she passed by the children on her way to buy milk tea, unable to resist looking a couple more times.

When she was little, she had also played with fireworks, but not often. They were the kind you could hold in your hand and wave around. They were very cheap. Her mother would buy her a bundle every year for a few yuan, which was enough to last her the entire Spring Festival.

Lu Zhenqiu was lost in thought for a few seconds thinking about her childhood when the shop assistant across the counter asked her, “What flavor would you like?”

Lu Zhenqiu snapped back to reality and ordered two different flavors, adding extra coconut jelly to Bai Nuannuan’s cup. On the way back, the children were still gathered around the fireworks. She stood quietly a few meters away, listening to their joyous laughter. She was infected by their happiness and lowered her head with a smile. Just as she was about to head back, a shadow fell over her. She looked up. An umbrella was held over her head. Lu Zhenqiu turned around. Jin Shuilan was standing behind her, wearing a long, light blue coat. One hand held the umbrella, while the other held a bundle of unlit fireworks. Under the umbrella, the contours of Jin Shuilan’s features were sharp and distinct, her eyes shining with a brilliant light.

“What are you doing here!” Lu Zhenqiu was pleasantly surprised. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be done for a while?”

Jin Shuilan said, “I finished early.”

As she spoke, she took the two cups of milk tea from Lu Zhenqiu’s hands and passed her the fireworks. Lu Zhenqiu said, “These are for kids to play with…”

She said that, but she accepted them honestly. Jin Shuilan said, “Hold it up higher.”

Lu Zhenqiu held the small fireworks up. Jin Shuilan took out a lighter she had just bought and lit the firework at the very top. A stream of sparks sputtered out, and then the other flames ignited all at once, crackling. It was as if a flower had bloomed in Lu Zhenqiu’s hand, exceptionally beautiful.

Seeing her joyful expression, Jin Shuilan took out her phone and snapped a picture. Lu Zhenqiu heard the sound and turned her head, saying, “My hair is still a mess.”

“It’s beautiful even then.” Jin Shuilan showed the photo she had taken to Lu Zhenqiu. Illuminated by the fireworks, Lu Zhenqiu’s smile was especially sweet. Her eyes curved, her long eyelashes curled up, her nose was delicate, and her thin lips were a pale pink. A few snowflakes had drifted under the umbrella and landed on Lu Zhenqiu’s shoulders, dancing lightly.

The children nearby started a new round of fireworks, arranging them in a circle. Jin Shuilan asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Lu Zhenqiu turned her head to look at Jin Shuilan and said, “It’s alright.”

After saying that, she stared at Jin Shuilan’s side profile. Jin Shuilan was still looking intently at the picture of Lu Zhenqiu on her phone. Lu Zhenqiu thought of something Jin Shuilan liked to do and called out, “Jin Shuilan.”

Jin Shuilan hummed softly and turned her head. Lu Zhenqiu grabbed Jin Shuilan’s arms with both hands and pulled her closer. At the exact moment the fireworks blossomed in the distance, she pressed a kiss to Jin Shuilan’s lips.

Soft, warm, and very sweet.

It was a fleeting touch. After the kiss, Lu Zhenqiu pursed her lips and smiled.

Jin Shuilan gripped the plastic bag holding the milk tea, making a sharp crinkling sound. She couldn’t hear it. Everything around her faded into a hazy nothingness. Her eyes could only see the person in front of her. The fireworks began to shoot up higher and higher behind them. Lu Zhenqiu tilted her head, beaming at Jin Shuilan. After a long moment, Jin Shuilan pulled her into a tight embrace. As their cheeks brushed against each other, Jin Shuilan asked, “Are you cold?”

Lu Zhenqiu slipped her hands through the opening of the large coat and wrapped them tightly around Jin Shuilan’s waist, rubbing her face against her clothes. She shook her head. “Not cold.”

This winter wasn’t cold at all.

And perhaps it wasn’t just this winter. Their time hereafter will be both long and short, warm and brilliant.

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The author has something to say:

The main story is finished. Thank you, everyone, for your companionship for nearly four months. All that’s left are the extras. What kind of extras do you all want to see?

Curtain Call:

Jin Shuilan: It’s over. Thank you, everyone, for reading the story of me and Qiuqiu.

Lu Zhenqiu: Thank you all for your support.

Ji Zibo: Next time, I’ll adapt a radio drama for you all to listen to.

Bai Mao: I really want to write a story for you all to read.

Hua Luo: Even if you wrote it, you wouldn’t be able to release it.

Xiao Yu: Be more realistic! I really want to be in a relationship!!!

Guigui (author): Thank you for your companionship. Thank you to my readers. Love you all.

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