Troublesome – Chapter 37

Soft Rice

I’m eating soft rice.

Because Jin Shuilan had “not heard” her, she’d managed to trick Lu Zhenqiu into saying “jiejie” several times. Lu Zhenqiu felt that this person might really have a mischievous streak in her bones. The more familiar they became, the more she discovered it. However, she didn’t think it was a bad thing. Jin Shuilan had taken care of her so much, so what was the problem with gaining a small verbal advantage? Besides, she was indeed younger than Jin Shuilan; she was supposed to politely call her “jiejie” anyway.

After the two got in the car, Lu Zhenqiu took off her jacket and placed it on the back seat. Jin Shuilan turned on the heat, and the car soon fogged up. She asked Lu Zhenqiu to turn on the defogger. Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head to fumble for it, her hand resting on the air conditioner buttons. Seeing that she hadn’t found it, Jin Shuilan prepared to lean over and turn it on herself. Her hand touched the back of Lu Zhenqiu’s, and Lu Zhenqiu pulled her hand back. Jin Shuilan turned on the defogger and said, “Are you still cold?”

Lu Zhenqiu rubbed her hands. “It’s much better in the car. Where are we going for a late-night snack?”

Jin Shuilan asked her, “Where do you want to go?”

Lu Zhenqiu had no particular preference; she was fine with anything. Jin Shuilan said, “Then let’s have Bai Mao pick the place.”

“Sure,” she said. Jin Shuilan then turned her head. “Get my phone for me.”

Lu Zhenqiu leaned down and got Jin Shuilan’s phone from the storage compartment. Jin Shuilan unlocked it with one hand and called Bai Mao. Bai Mao’s voice was delicate. “Got it. Is barbecue okay?”

Jin Shuilan looked at Lu Zhenqiu, who nodded. She replied, “It’s fine.”

After hanging up, Lu Zhenqiu asked, “Is Bai Mao very young?”

Her voice sounded like she was underage.

But the provocative descriptions in her writing suggested otherwise. Her writing style was mature, her insights unique. Jin Shuilan said, “No, she’s the same age as you.”

“Same age as me?” Lu Zhenqiu said, “Her voice sounds so young.”

Jin Shuilan glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “Your voice can sound very young too.”

She had, after all, heard Lu Zhenqiu voice-act for children, sweetly calling out “jiejie” one after another. Lu Zhenqiu chuckled. “That’s different.”

The two chatted as they arrived at the barbecue restaurant. The storefront was quite large, and even though it was nearly eleven o’clock, it was still full of people. It seemed business was good. Lu Zhenqiu got out of the car and looked around. Jin Shuilan carried her jacket and said, “Let’s go in. Bai Mao booked a booth.”

They even had booths.

Only after entering did Lu Zhenqiu realize this was hardly just a barbecue place; it could rival a bar. Booths, ambiance, lighting—it had everything. The color scheme was also very nice, a warm and gentle palette. Lu Zhenqiu didn’t know Bai Mao, so she simply stood at the entrance waiting for Jin Shuilan. She smiled only when she saw her. “Where is she?”

Jin Shuilan stood beside her. The moment the two of them entered the restaurant, they attracted a lot of attention, but most gazes just drifted past them without anyone coming over to talk. Jin Shuilan looked inside and, sure enough, saw Bai Mao bundled up like a ball. She pointed. “Over there.”

Bai Mao was in the middle of taking off her clothes. The barbecue place had the heat on and it was quite warm. She had just walked over and was wearing a lot. Before she could finish, Jin Shuilan and Lu Zhenqiu were standing in front of her. Her hands paused, and she quickly put her clothes down and sat up straight.

Lu Zhenqiu smiled. “Hello, Teacher Bai.”

Bai Mao’s face was flushed. She had never been good at interacting with people. Usually, she was only familiar with the few people from her group chat whom she had known for years. And while her personality had opened up a lot since she became a scriptwriter, at her core, she was still socially awkward.

Especially with Lu Zhenqiu smiling so brightly.

She glanced at her several times. “H-hello.”

Jin Shuilan asked, “Have you ordered?”

Bai Mao nodded. “I just ordered some things. See if there’s anything you want to add.”

Jin Shuilan passed the menu to Lu Zhenqiu. Lu Zhenqiu added a few vegetable dishes, and Jin Shuilan selected some small skewers. When she handed the menu to the waiter, the waiter brought over a bottle of wine, saying with a smile, “This is from table 13, for the three young ladies.”

Table 13? Jin Shuilan turned to look. It seemed to be a few recent college graduates, both men and women. Seeing her look over, they raised their glasses. Jin Shuilan smiled and asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Do you drink?”

Lu Zhenqiu shook her head. “Let’s not.”

Jin Shuilan said, “Please return it, and help me thank them.”

The waiter nodded, took the wine, and returned it. Bai Mao said, “Why didn’t you ask me?”

Jin Shuilan: “Minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol.”

Bai Mao exploded, “You’re the minor!”

Jin Shuilan shot her a look. Bai Mao’s voice was on the younger side, so everyone in the group chat loved to joke about it. Hearing this, Lu Zhenqiu let out a “pfft” of laughter, her eyes curving into crescents, her pupils shimmering with a beautiful luster. Seeing that she had made her laugh, Bai Mao didn’t bother bickering with Jin Shuilan anymore and began, “Zhenqiu, let me tell you, don’t be fooled by how proper this person seems now. In private, she’s not proper at all.”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded.

She had indeed sensed a little of that.

Bai Mao wanted to say more, but Jin Shuilan coughed. She changed her tune, “But improper as she may be, she’s actually very reliable when she does things. And she’s very good at taking care of people.”

Lu Zhenqiu smiled. “Teacher Bai is right. Teacher Jin is really good at taking care of people.”

A faint blush appeared on Jin Shuilan’s face from the praise, and she averted her gaze unnaturally. Bai Mao said, “It’s just that her luck with romance is a bit too strong.”

“Every time we go out to eat, we always receive things from people.”

Lu Zhenqiu was slightly astonished. “Is it that exaggerated?”

“This is exaggerated?” Bai Mao said, “In the past, there were even fans who found out which residential complex she lived in and wanted to go there to see her. She had to lecture them several times.”

Lu Zhenqiu found it hard to imagine. Perhaps it was due to her personality, but she rarely encountered extreme people in her daily life, so she had never run into this kind of situation. She turned to look at Jin Shuilan and saw her glare at Bai Mao, saying, “Even barbecue can’t shut your mouth.”

What happened to being socially awkward?

What happened to the stuttering when we first met?

It hadn’t even been a few sentences, and they were already getting along.

Bai Mao chuckled slyly. She couldn’t quite explain it either. Normally, it would take a good while of interacting with someone before she could speak her mind, but meeting Lu Zhenqiu felt different. Perhaps it was because she was the person Jin Shuilan liked, or perhaps it was Lu Zhenqiu’s aura—gentle, graceful, and deeply understanding, the kind of person one could feel at ease befriending.

Seeing them tease each other, Lu Zhenqiu smiled. “Teacher Bai and Teacher Jin must have known each other for a long time, right?”

“You bet.” Bai Mao said, “We met right when I started writing. Back then, your Teacher Jin was still a little transparent¹. She wanted to find someone to read her work but didn’t know who to ask, so she posted on a forum. I happened to see it, added her, and that’s how we met.”

Thinking back to that time, it was truly a period of youth, naivety, and a heart full of passion.

But now, Jin Shuilan already stood at the very peak of this circle.

Lu Zhenqiu was listening intently and didn’t notice her saying “your Teacher Jin.” Jin Shuilan, however, did hear it and kicked Bai Mao under the table. Bai Mao winced and rubbed her leg.

Soon, the barbecue arrived, steaming hot and accompanied by the fragrance of cumin and crushed sesame seeds. Lu Zhenqiu took a bite of the crispy cartilage; it was exceptionally fragrant. Bai Mao went to buy a few cans of beer. Jin Shuilan frowned. “I can’t drink.”

She had driven here.

Bai Mao said, “I’m not asking you to drink. Qiuqiu, let’s have some.”

Seeing her high spirits, Zhenqiu drank two cans with her. Jin Shuilan discussed the radio drama’s plan and schedule with her. Bai Mao nodded. “Then we’ll follow your schedule. We’ll start work as soon as you’re done with that project of yours.”

“Sure,” Jin Shuilan said. “Do we need to release a trailer first?”

Bai Mao thought for a moment. “Let’s. Don’t you guys have someone who specializes in making trailers? We’ll use Qiuqiu’s recorded parts for it. For the other role, I’m thinking of finding Nuannuan.”

Bai Nuannuan, currently one of the three most popular figures in the voice acting circle. She was also brought up by Ji Zibo and had a very good relationship with their production team. Lu Zhenqiu had never thought she would be acting opposite Bai Nuannuan, especially since she was just a newcomer. She was stunned for a moment. Bai Mao asked her, “You don’t like her?”

Lu Zhenqiu came back to her senses. “I do.”

She said, “I like her a lot. It’s just that I don’t have many works, and she…”

“Who says you don’t have any works?” Jin Shuilan said, “Didn’t you do voice acting before? And now you have my radio drama. Zhenqiu, works only represent a person’s experience, not their entirety. If we were really just chasing popularity, we would have had Bai Nuannuan and Zhao Qinghe act together long ago. But what we need is suitability.”

Her tone was serious. “You are very suitable for this role.”

Lu Zhenqiu turned her head and saw her eyes, earnest and gentle. A warmth surged in Lu Zhenqiu’s heart, instantly enveloping her.

What we need is suitability.

You are very suitable for this role.

Lu Zhenqiu’s eyes grew a little hot. She suddenly remembered that day when Ji Zibo said she wanted to cast her, that she liked her voice—it was the same feeling, her heart warm and fluttering.

It was because she was suitable, not for any other reason.

Seeing the two of them lock eyes, Bai Mao tactfully lowered her head. As she was about to grab a skewer, she accidentally bumped her cup. The cup wobbled twice. She steadied it, but by then, the two had already looked away.

She said, “That’s right. It’s because you’re suitable, Zhenqiu. No one is more suitable for this role than you.”

The corners of Lu Zhenqiu’s eyes were sparkling, the long ends of her eyes flushed red. She nodded. “Thank you, Teacher Bai and Teacher Jin, for your affirmation. I will study the role well and definitely live up to expectations.”

Jin Shuilan loved this earnest look of hers; it was charming and beautiful. She stared, momentarily mesmerized. Bai Mao said, “Come, come, let’s toast to our success!”

Her voice shattered Jin Shuilan’s fantasy. She turned her head, raised her glass, and clinked it with the other two.

For the rest of the time, Bai Mao explained some of the plot points in the text to Lu Zhenqiu, who had even brought her notes. Bai Mao was amazed at how professional she was. Jin Shuilan smiled, picked up her phone, and played with it for a while. She saw in the production team’s group chat that they were talking about having dinner on the weekend. Ji Zibo asked if it was in the evening. After replying, she remembered that her class reunion was also on the weekend evening, so she first went to decline the class reunion. The class monitor kept asking why, so Jin Shuilan had no choice but to step outside to make a call, letting Lu Zhenqiu and Bai Mao chat first.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to glance at Bai Mao, signaling her not to go too far.

Bai Mao smiled, waved her hand, and continued discussing the plot with Lu Zhenqiu. Finally, she asked, “Zhenqiu, why haven’t you done any voice acting these past two years?”

Lu Zhenqiu was taken aback. “I haven’t received many scripts these past two years.”

Although Bai Mao was puzzled, she didn’t say anything. She asked, “Are you living with Teacher Jin now?”

“Mhm, we live together.”

Bai Mao nodded. “Do you find her very fussy?² A lot of trouble?”

Lu Zhenqiu thought for a moment. Jin Shuilan had fewer things to deal with than she did, and she even had to trouble Jin Shuilan to walk Maomao every day. She shook her head. “Not at all. Teacher Jin is very nice.”

Probably only Lu Zhenqiu thinks she’s very nice.

She still remembered one time at an author’s convention when she was unfortunately assigned to the same standard room as Jin Shuilan. All the rules—pajamas had to be long-sleeved, no short sleeves allowed; don’t spray too much perfume, the scent could be smelled from across the two beds; the bedside lamp had to be covered with a cloth, otherwise it was too glaring; don’t eat puffy snacks in the room, it’s too noisy.

For those few days, she had to hide from Jin Shuilan just to eat instant noodles.

She was terrified of her.

And now Lu Zhenqiu was saying she wasn’t fussy?

Tsk, this person is really so indulgent towards the one she likes, Bai Mao said with envy, “That’s so nice.”

Lu Zhenqiu was confused. “What’s so nice?”

Bai Mao gritted her teeth. “Teacher Jin is so nice.”

Lu Zhenqiu smiled. “She is pretty nice. She even helps me walk my dog sometimes.”

Bai Mao died.

A few seconds later, she reacted. “She even lets you keep a dog?”

No, no, not just lets her keep a dog, but helps her walk the dog?

Double-standards Jin Shuilan!

Bai Mao coughed up blood.

She looked towards the entrance. Jin Shuilan had finished her call and was coming back. She placed her phone on the table and asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Do you still remember the production team dinner on the weekend?”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded. “I remember. I’ve already asked the administrator for leave.”

Jin Shuilan smiled. “Alright then, we’ll go together on the weekend.”

Lu Zhenqiu thought for a moment. “What about your class reunion…”

“Not going,” Jin Shuilan said. “No time.”

Bai Mao let out a “tsk.”

It’s not that she has no time, it’s that she goes wherever the person she likes goes, isn’t it?

She said, “Then I’ll go too.”

Jin Shuilan turned to look at her. “Don’t you dislike gatherings?”

Bai Mao nodded. “I have some business with Zibo.”

Jin Shuilan said “oh.” The three of them sat quietly for a moment. Bai Mao asked, “Where are we eating?”

“Not decided yet,” Jin Shuilan said. “Zibo wants to go to a barbecue or hot pot place.”

Bai Mao pointed at their surroundings. “Isn’t this a ready-made spot? You can have barbecue, and they have hot pot inside.”

Jin Shuilan also felt the ambiance here was good. She asked Lu Zhenqiu, who nodded. Jin Shuilan said, “Alright then, I’ll tell Zibo later.”

After she said that, she ate the last slice of potato. Lu Zhenqiu said, “I’ll go pay.”

Bai Mao stood up. “I’ll go.”

As she spoke, she frantically tried to signal Jin Shuilan with her eyes, trying to get her to make a move, to give her a chance to perform. Jin Shuilan received the hint and said, “Mhm, Zhenqiu, you go.”

Lu Zhenqiu smiled and said, “Okay.”

Jin Shuilan looked at Bai Mao. “You just sit there.”

Bai Mao watched Lu Zhenqiu’s departing back and exclaimed, “You’re pursuing her, but you’re letting her pay for the meal?”

Jin Shuilan turned her head and retorted, “Can’t I?”

Bai Mao was stunned. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

Jin Shuilan said nonchalantly, “I’m eating soft rice.”³

This innocent look made Bai Mao hold her breath for a long time before she finally couldn’t help but say, “You—are—freaking—amazing—”

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The author has something to say:

Thirty red envelopes, muah muah~ Heard some people are saying Guigui is short?

Bai Mao: She can get a wife like this? I’ll livestream myself eating a keyboard.

Jin Shuilan: Wifey, send her a keyboard.

Lu Zhenqiu: …

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