Troublesome – Chapter 30

Pajama Pants

Holding pajama pants that were only halfway on.

Bai Mao had asked Jin Shuilan to check on Lu Zhenqiu’s availability two years ago. She herself wasn’t familiar with Lu Zhenqiu, nor did she know how explicit a script she was willing to accept. However, she knew her own writing; its explicitness was indeed greater than that of the average author. Her thinking at the time had been extreme, and the ideas embedded in her writing were consequently quite radical. She always liked to use crude, extreme s#xual love to clash with reason. Many people had pointed this issue out, but even though she was extreme back then, quite a few people still praised her writing for having soul. 【Stirred by Emotion】 was the work she loved the most, and also a great favorite among her readers.

The production of 【Stirred by Emotion】 was handed over to Ji Zibo. At that time, she and Ji Zibo had looked for many voice actors together but were never quite satisfied. On one occasion, while listening to a live livestream from a drama team Lu Zhenqiu was part of, she heard Lu Zhenqiu’s intimate scene with another voice actor. She immediately grabbed Jin Shuilan and said, “Her, it has to be her!”

Sometimes, intuition is just that strong. She felt that Lu Zhenqiu was perfect for this role, that no one was more suitable. Based on that momentary gut feeling, she had Ji Zibo go and ask about her availability.

Naturally, it later came to nothing.

To say she had no regrets would be a lie. Afterward, Ji Zibo recommended several other voice acting teachers to her, but she always felt something was off. Thus, the radio drama for 【Stirred by Emotion】 was shelved.

She never expected to cross paths with Lu Zhenqiu again.

Bai Mao was overjoyed. She ignored the message Jin Shuilan had sent her; after all, who knew how many times they had teased each other back and forth. One time, after drinking too much, she mistook Jin Shuilan’s number for her mother’s, called, and spent ten minutes crying “Mommy, Mommy,” sobbing about the stupid mess with her ex-girlfriend. Jin Shuilan had consoled her, “There, there, my good daughter, it will all pass.”

When she sobered up later, she gritted her teeth, “I lost out big time, you have to call me that too!”

Jin Shuilan had laughed and said, “Sure, put my name down for your entire inheritance, and I’ll call you that.”

That fox never took a loss!

Bai Mao knew she couldn’t get the better of Jin Shuilan, but the fact that she had asked on her behalf in advance still warmed her heart. Bai Mao asked excitedly: 【So what did she say?】

Leaning back in her chair, Jin Shuilan looked at the message from Bai Mao and typed: 【I listened to the audition. It’s a perfect fit.】

Bai Mao shot up from her bed in excitement: 【Where’s the audition?】

Jin Shuilan looked at the two versions of the voice recording saved on her phone. She tapped on the first version, hesitated for a few seconds, then pursed her lips and sent it. Bai Mao immediately downloaded it, and the moment Lu Zhenqiu’s voice came through her phone, her bones melted.

Bai Mao was screeching and hollering on the other end, too excited to even type anymore, sending several voice messages in a row. Jin Shuilan’s gaze darkened slightly as she listened to the messages. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, followed by Lu Zhenqiu’s voice, “Teacher Jin.”

Jin Shuilan looked up, put down her phone, and walked over to open the door. Seeing Lu Zhenqiu and Maomao standing outside, she asked, “Finished with the livestream?”

Lu Zhenqiu smiled, “Mhm, it’s over.”

She had rushed over the moment the livestream ended, saying to Jin Shuilan, “I received a lot of gift money today, all from your fans. I was thinking…”

“Thinking of treating me to a meal?” Jin Shuilan interrupted her, asking, “How much did you get?”

Lu Zhenqiu paused. Originally, she had planned to just transfer the money directly to Jin Shuilan, but treating her to a meal was also appropriate. She said, “Around 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.”

Jin Shuilan nodded. “Then I can eat for a very long time. How about this, you pay for meals for the near future?”

Lu Zhenqiu replied, duty-bound¹, “Of course.”

This was for the best. She never knew how to repay Jin Shuilan.

With their agreement reached, Jin Shuilan said, “By the way, about that radio drama part for Bai Mao’s novel I had you audition for last time, do you like that novel?”

Bai Mao’s novel?

Lu Zhenqiu thought of the clip she had sent to Jin Shuilan. She hesitated for a few seconds. Jin Shuilan said, “You don’t like it…”

“I like it a lot,” Lu Zhenqiu said, feeling a little embarrassed after speaking. “I quite like that story.”

Jin Shuilan said, “I sent your audition clip to Bai Mao, and she feels you’re very suited for the role. The copyright for this script is currently with Zibo. If you have no objections, I’ll have Zibo get started on it.”

Lu Zhenqiu was slightly taken aback. “So soon?”

She hadn’t expected to land two projects one after another, and for two of the most famous novels in the circle at that. Jin Shuilan, however, looked at her and said meaningfully, “It’s not soon at all.”

It’s been delayed for a full two years.

Lu Zhenqiu didn’t know about the twists and turns involved. She said, “Then I’ll go back and read the novel a few more times.”

Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. To return to the field she loved—the feeling was too difficult to describe. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried these past two years. For the first half-year, because of the incident with Zhen Yuan, people in the circle had intentionally distanced themselves from her. Drama teams she had worked with before also, out of consideration for Zhen Yuan, apologized to her. In the following six months, she had Tang Yingxia help ask around if any production teams were missing a character, even a minor one—she didn’t mind. Every time, Tang Yingxia would tell her the team said her vocal profile wasn’t suitable, or that there were no roles fit for her.

During that period, she also fell into a phase of self-doubt, feeling that she was terrible. Over time, she no longer dared to take even half a step into the voice acting circle. She loved this circle, yet she was also afraid of it.

It was Jin Shuilan who pulled her back in, saying, “Your voice is very suitable.”

It was Ji Zibo who tirelessly discussed the play with her, telling her about the character Lu Yin’s emotional changes and what kind of vocal tone would be appropriate. It was they who, when she was terrified of this circle, extended a hand and pulled her up.

Tonight, when she saw the comments on Weibo praising her performance, she couldn’t help the tears welling in her eyes. Now, her eyes were burning again. She took a deep breath and bit her lip.

Jin Shuilan watched as a red hue slowly crept into the corners of her eyes, like a rose gently blooming. Jin Shuilan felt as if she were seeing a butterfly that had broken free from its cocoon, now vibrating its wings, determined to fly high.

She wanted to see how high, how far this butterfly could fly.

She wanted to watch over this butterfly, so that when it grew tired of flying, it could stop by her side and rest as it pleased.

What broke their warm atmosphere was Jin Shuilan’s phone ringing, clamoring incessantly in the study. Jin Shuilan turned her head to look at the flashing screen. Lu Zhenqiu said, “Teacher Jin, you should get the phone. I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed.”

Jin Shuilan nodded. Seeing Lu Zhenqiu turn to leave, she called out, “Zhenqiu.”

Lu Zhenqiu looked back. Jin Shuilan was, for a rare moment, at a loss for words. She said, “Good night.”

The person before her smiled like a blossoming flower. Lu Zhenqiu said, “Good night, Teacher Jin.”

Jin Shuilan watched her enter her room before turning to grab her phone from the desk. The moment she answered, Bai Mao’s voice came through, “Where’d you go!”

Jin Shuilan said irritably, “What?”

Bai Mao grumbled, “We were in the middle of a chat and you just disappeared. Of course I was worried!”

Jin Shuilan sat down in her office chair. “Worried about what?”

Bai Mao said, “Worried that Zhenqiu might suddenly change her mind and not record it! I just listened to the audition, oh my god, the moment I heard it my bones just melted, listening to it made me…”

Beep.

The call suddenly disconnected. Bai Mao stared at her phone, completely baffled. She frowned and, not giving up, called Jin Shuilan again. Jin Shuilan picked up, and Bai Mao asked, “Why did you suddenly hang up on me?”

Jin Shuilan said, “Did I? I probably hit it by accident.”

Bai Mao wasn’t suspicious. She said “Oh,” and then, “By the way, do you have Zhenqiu’s contact info? Would it be better if I talk to her personally? To make us seem a bit more official?”

Jin Shuilan said, “No need, I’ll tell her for you.”

Bai Mao smiled, “Bestie!”

Jin Shuilan added, “You’re not exactly a proper person. I’m afraid you’ll scare her.”

Bai Mao: …

You’re the one who’s not proper!

But since Jin Shuilan said she’d help, Bai Mao’s heart was put at ease. She was in a good mood as she hung up the phone, humming a tune as she climbed onto Weibo. She slowly posted a new status, saying that good news was coming soon for their 【Stirred by Emotion】.

Lu Zhenqiu, who had just followed Bai Mao, saw this post. In high spirits, she gave it a like. Seeing the like, Bai Mao had to physically restrain the impulse to send her a private message.

She was a proper person, it was just that her words weren’t always so proper. This was their first collaboration, they hadn’t even met yet; it was better to be a little more reserved.

Lu Zhenqiu had no idea what Bai Mao was thinking. After liking the post, she grabbed her pajamas and went to wash up. When Jin Shuilan came out to get a glass of water, she heard the pitter-patter of water from the bathroom and froze for a moment. She sat down on the sofa, her gaze, along with Maomao’s, fixed on the bathroom.

After a short while, a buzzing sound started. She first thought it was a hairdryer, but upon listening more closely, she realized it was Lu Zhenqiu’s phone vibrating. It was on the chaise lounge. Jin Shuilan glanced at the flashing screen; it was an unfamiliar number. She walked to the bathroom door, knocked, and called, “Zhenqiu?”

Lu Zhenqiu had just finished washing up. Before she could even dry the water off her body, she heard the call from the door. She slipped on a pajama top and walked to the door, asking, “What is it, Teacher Jin?”

Jin Shuilan stood at the door and said, “Your phone is ringing.”

Lu Zhenqiu didn’t know who it could be. She said “Oh,” and opened the bathroom door just a crack. The phone was buzzing away. She reached her hand out to take the phone, but because she couldn’t see, her hand landed right on Jin Shuilan’s wrist.

A warm touch. Jin Shuilan looked down at the slender fingers resting on her wrist. They were fair, with well-defined knuckles, and the nails were coated with a protective polish that gave off a soft sheen under the light. She stared at the hand for a few seconds. Lu Zhenqiu called out, “Teacher Jin?”

Jin Shuilan said, “Your hand is all wet, let me hold the phone for you.”

After she spoke, she reached her hand inside. Lu Zhenqiu said “Ah,” and then, “Thank you, Teacher Jin.”

With Jin Shuilan holding the phone, Lu Zhenqiu turned on the speakerphone, pulling on her pajama pants while answering the call. As soon as it connected, the person on the other end called out, “Qiuqiu.”

It was Tang Yingxia.

The color drained from Lu Zhenqiu’s face. She looked up, intending to hang up the phone, but her head bumped into Jin Shuilan’s hand. The phone flew upwards, slipped from Jin Shuilan’s grasp, and fell onto the tiled floor. Lu Zhenqiu took half a step back, wanting to bend down and pick it up. Jin Shuilan also instinctively crouched down by the half-open door to get the phone. Their heads bumped together. Jin Shuilan picked up the phone, looked up at Lu Zhenqiu, and froze.

Lu Zhenqiu slowly looked down, only to realize her hands were still holding her pajama pants, which she had only managed to pull on halfway.

BOOM. Her mind went blank. She immediately shoved Jin Shuilan out, and the door slammed shut with a BANG!

Jin Shuilan stood outside the door, clutching the phone, having forgotten to even blink. A blush, visible to the naked eye, spread from her neck up the side of her face, her earlobes turning bright red. Her body tensed, and her heart was pounding more intensely than it ever had before.

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The author has something to say:

Thirty red packets, muah muah. Teacher Jin, are you up to it or not?

Lu Zhenqiu: What did you just see?

Jin Shuilan: I saw the person I like.

Lu Zhenqiu: …

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