Troublesome – Chapter 46

Her Back

Sign this for me.

Previously, Jin Shuilan had avoided many of Tang Yingxia’s events. Some event organizers had wanted to connect the two of them, but Jin Shuilan always politely declined. Later, to avoid trouble, she simply stopped going to events altogether and was rumored to be a flower on a high peak. In reality, she just didn’t want to have anything to do with Tang Yingxia. So when she said not to avoid her and to schedule it for the same day, Ji Zibo suspected she hadn’t heard correctly. She dug at her ear, “What? The same day? Are you sure?”

Jin Shuilan turned to look at her. She had just finished a bowl of silver ear soup¹, and the lingering sweetness on her tongue had improved her mood considerably. Jin Shuilan nodded. “I don’t mind repeating it into a megaphone next to your ear.”

Ji Zibo smiled as if it had just dawned on her. “No need, I heard you loud and clear. The same day, of course we can do that.”

Her voice was full of fighting spirit. “I know what to do. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

Wasn’t this just to deliberately get under Tang Yingxia’s skin? How could she not understand? But that Tang Yingxia was truly disgusting. Putting aside her past deeds, just the matter of her dating Lu Zhenqiu was enough for people to look down on her.

The recent series of events—deliberately signing with Jin Shuilan’s old employer at a low price, and holding a book signing at Guangda—although not explicitly linked to Jin Shuilan, were clearly a subtle competition. Ji Zibo had been holding it in for a long time. Now that she finally had a chance to confront her openly, how could she not put on a good show?

Ready to show what she could do, she returned to the production team full of excitement. Before she left, Jin Shuilan said, “Headphones.”

Ji Zibo was confused. “What?”

Jin Shuilan said, “You can give away things like headphones.”

Ji Zibo clapped her hands. “Right! Why didn’t I think of that!”

Jin Shuilan said, “Because you’re dumb.”

Ji Zibo: …

She was in a good mood, so she wouldn’t bicker with her. Ji Zibo left Jin Shuilan’s home and went straight to the production team, announcing with great fanfare that she was planning a series of promotions. She even produced a full promotional plan that very night, startling the veteran members of the team, who all suspected she had taken the wrong medicine.

For the past two years, their radio drama promotions had been as simple as possible, with more of the budget spent on quality. That was how they had managed to stand out amidst all the flashy promotions from other productions—quality was the best guarantee. Now, to suddenly go all out on promotion, and on such a grand scale, was a rare sight indeed.

The group chat was buzzing.

【It’s been so long since we’ve done a promotion this big, I’m so excited!】

【Suddenly remembered that it was the promotions that drew me into the circle in the first place.】

【Anyone whose hands aren’t rusty, get hyped with me!】

Ji Zibo spoke with such surging passion that she got them all excited. With a sponsor providing unlimited funding, there was no need to worry about promotional costs. They really did get hyped, producing a teaser video in just two days. Ji Zibo personally took the lead, and even @’d the main and supporting cast one by one, including Jin Shuilan.

Needless to say, Jin Shuilan had her own reader base, who praised the promotion as soon as it came out. Hua Luo also saw the promotional video. She hadn’t had a chance to thank Jin Shuilan for her help last time, so this was a perfect opportunity to help promote it. Moreover, the main supporting role was played by Lu Zhenqiu, and this was considered her comeback radio drama. She even added a prize giveaway to sweeten the deal.

A while ago, she had been at the center of a storm because of Yu Wen. Although things had calmed down, many people were still paying attention to her. The fact that Jin Shuilan and Ji Zibo had reposted her Weibo post last time had been noted by other authors. They didn’t dare approach Jin Shuilan or Ji Zibo, but they could build a good relationship with Hua Luo. As a result, Hua Luo’s Weibo post was reposted by them in a chain reaction. For a time, everyone in the circle was talking about this radio drama. The promotional video alone had suppressed the hype for Tang Yingxia’s radio drama.

Looking at the reposts on Weibo, Hua Luo exclaimed how satisfying it was. Finally, she sent a message to Lu Zhenqiu: 【You think Yu Wen and Tang Yingxia’s noses are bent out of shape with anger right now?²】

Lu Zhenqiu looked at the message.

Tang Yingxia had always held an inexplicable hostility towards Jin Shuilan. When they were together, she had said many times that she didn’t like Jin Shuilan. She understood and had never mentioned it in front of Tang Yingxia. Now, seeing Jin Shuilan’s radio drama overshadowing hers, she didn’t need to guess to know that Tang Yingxia was definitely furious.

Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head, thought for a moment, and then reposted Ji Zibo’s Weibo post. On top of the original promotion, she added an extra giveaway: a personally signed³ postcard of herself.

She had gained a lot of fans recently. Seeing the offer of a signed postcard, her fans were over the moon and happily spread the word. When Jin Shuilan woke up from her afternoon nap, she saw Lu Zhenqiu’s Weibo post.

A personally signed postcard of herself.

She lay in bed for a few seconds. Besides reposting the official account, she also reposted this specific post. Readers who had shipped⁴ this pair were getting restless.

【Hehehe, does anyone get the Chemistry CP?】

【They’re interacting, sisters, the wait wasn’t in vain.】

【What’s the Chemistry CP?】

【Sister, I recommend you go watch the replays on Sanshui. They’re not called that for nothing.】

Jin Shuilan didn’t reply to any of them. She put down her phone. In the apartment next door, Lu Zhenqiu hugged her phone and rolled over. She was chatting with Hua Luo, trying to decide which photo to use for the signed postcard. Hua Luo asked her to send the pictures over for a look. Lu Zhenqiu was searching through her photo album when, before she could send anything, she heard a knock on the door. She walked barefoot to the door and opened it. Jin Shuilan was standing outside. She smiled, “Teacher Jin.”

“What are you up to?” Jin Shuilan asked. “I’m about to take Maomao for a walk downstairs. Want to come?”

Lu Zhenqiu said, “I’m picking a picture.”

Jin Shuilan asked her, “What picture?”

“The photo for my giveaway. I was just talking to Hua Luo about it, asking her to help me choose.”

Jin Shuilan nodded. “I can help you choose.”

She added after a moment, “My aesthetic sense is pretty good.”

That was for sure. Just from the decor of her house, one could tell that Jin Shuilan’s aesthetic and taste were excellent. Lu Zhenqiu said “oh” and nodded. She wanted to take out her phone but felt a little embarrassed, even though she had felt nothing when asking Hua Luo to choose.

Lu Zhenqiu bit her lip. Jin Shuilan walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Where are the photos?”

“On my phone in my room.” She turned and ran into her room, grabbing the phone from her bed. Seeing Jin Shuilan’s slender back, she pressed her lips together and walked over with her head lowered.

She handed the phone to Jin Shuilan.

Jin Shuilan took the phone and noticed the water ripple pattern on the edge of the screen. “Is your phone broken?”

“A little, but it’s fine, it still works,” Lu Zhenqiu said. “The photos are in the album.”

However, Jin Shuilan had never used her phone before, and the theme was an “animal paradise,” so she had no idea where the photo album was. Not wanting to tap around randomly, her fingertip hovered in mid-air, hesitating. Seeing this, Lu Zhenqiu leaned forward and tapped on an album on the far right. Instantly, photos filled the screen.

Lu Zhenqiu said, “These are the promotional photos I had to take for the Sanshui platform last time.”

She had gone specifically to have them taken, but only one had been used. The rest were all saved on her phone. Jin Shuilan looked down at them. There were about four or five different outfits. One was a deep red cocktail dress. It was sleeveless with an open back, and a silk ribbon tied at the neck trailed down her back, fluttering slightly with the wind. Lu Zhenqiu was facing away from the camera, her profile angled downwards. Her slender spine was faintly visible, her butterfly-like shoulder blades protruded, and the curve of her waist was half-exposed. The red dress made her skin seem even fairer. It was hazy and alluring, with the feel of a high-fashion photoshoot.

Jin Shuilan blinked, a strange heat surging through her body. She gave a light cough and swiped the photo away.

This one won’t do.

Absolutely not.

She continued to swipe through them. From the several sets of photos, she finally chose one of her in a long white dress. She wore a floral hat, stood before the camera with her head tilted in a smile, and held a bouquet of flowers in both hands. It had a very artistic, cinematic feel.

Jin Shuilan said, “Let’s go with this one.”

Lu Zhenqiu saw the photo she had chosen and nodded. “Then I’ll send it to my friend to have her help me make it into a postcard.”

The postcard needed to be designed, and Lu Zhenqiu wasn’t very good at it. Jin Shuilan said, “Want me to help?”

Lu Zhenqiu was slightly surprised. “Teacher Jin knows how to design postcards too?”

She was truly multi-talented.

Jin Shuilan said, “I’ve done merchandise design⁵ before.”

It was all because Ji Zibo had exploited her. But thanks to that exploitation, she no longer had to rely on others for this. She asked Lu Zhenqiu, “What style do you want?”

Lu Zhenqiu didn’t really know. Seeing her pensive expression, Jin Shuilan said, “Let’s go to the study and talk.”

“Okay.”

Jin Shuilan led her into the study and turned on the computer. There was only one computer chair, so Lu Zhenqiu stood beside her. Jin Shuilan said, “You can sit too.”

Lu Zhenqiu waved her hand. “I don’t…”

Before she could finish, Jin Shuilan grabbed her wrist. Lu Zhenqiu plopped down on the other side of the computer chair, right next to Jin Shuilan. A cool, crisp fragrance wafted over faintly. Lu Zhenqiu sat bolt upright.

Jin Shuilan opened her asset library. “I’ll make a sample for you to see first.”

Lu Zhenqiu said “oh” and looked at the computer, inadvertently glancing at Jin Shuilan.

Jin Shuilan was wearing glasses. The light reflecting off the frames made her pupils seem a slightly different color than usual, a bit brighter. The glasses made her features appear deeper and more defined. Her nose was very high, and not only did the glasses not detract from her looks, but they also gave her an air of sharp austerity and asceticism. The lines of her profile were so sharp they felt like something one wouldn’t dare to covet.

Lu Zhenqiu was lost in the sight for a moment.

Jin Shuilan turned her head. “Qiuqiu?”

They were sitting so close that her voice seemed to brush against her ear. Lu Zhenqiu’s ears grew a little hot. Jin Shuilan asked her, “How does this effect look?”

It was very elegant, a mix of white and sky blue that gave a sense of open, clear skies. Lu Zhenqiu nodded. “It’s very nice.”

Jin Shuilan made two more versions. “You choose.”

Lu Zhenqiu looked at the computer and began to choose seriously. Jin Shuilan would occasionally turn to talk to her, her breath warm and ticklish against her cheek. Lu Zhenqiu chose the first version. “Let’s go with this one. I’ll go out and print it.”

“We can do it at home.” After saying that, Jin Shuilan set up the printer and loaded it with coated paper. As they listened to the sound of printing, she asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Can you print one extra copy?”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded. “Of course.”

Jin Shuilan said, “Then can we change the photo?”

Lu Zhenqiu looked at her phone. “Which one does Teacher Jin want?”

“The one in the red dress,” Jin Shuilan said. “Send it to me.”

Lu Zhenqiu found the picture and asked her, “This one?”

Jin Shuilan: “Mhm, this one. After it’s printed, can you sign it for me?”

Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head. “Okay.”

After setting it up, Jin Shuilan printed out a single copy of that photo. She handed it to Lu Zhenqiu and said, “Sign this for me.”

Lu Zhenqiu took a signing pen from Jin Shuilan’s desk and asked her, “Where should I sign?”

Jin Shuilan lowered her head. A few seconds later, she pointed to the open-work back in the photo. Her fingers were slender and long, with well-defined knuckles. Her nails were trimmed neatly into a rounded shape and coated with a clear polish that reflected the light slightly. Lu Zhenqiu had a strange illusion.

It was as if Jin Shuilan wasn’t pointing at the back in the photo.

But at her own back.

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The author has something to say:

Thirty red envelopes, muah~

Jin Shuilan: Qiuqiu, I want to sign my name on you.

Lu Zhenqiu: You’re not allowed to sign…

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