Troublesome – Chapter 79

Photo Album

Looking at your childhood photos

Hua Luo played mage in the second round. Lu Zhenqiu was still support. She had originally wanted to choose a soft support, but they were all banned. In the end, she picked a hard support. Jin Shuilan made a sound of assent and said: “Playing this one?”

Her voice rang out in the room through the phone. Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head: “En.”

Hua Luo, not understanding the situation, laughed out loud: “Qiuqiu, this Niu Mo’s¹ walk is really ugly.”

The others followed behind Lu Zhenqiu’s character. The phone was filled with happy laughter. Lu Zhenqiu bit her lip. Jin Shuilan said: “Come over here.”

She stopped following Xiao Yu and went directly to follow the jungler to gank people. After dying, she lay there without moving. A message popped up in the bottom right corner of the computer. Lu Zhenqiu saw Jin Shuilan had sent: 【Why aren’t you talking?】

Lu Zhenqiu took a bite of an apple and sent: 【Eating an apple.】

Jin Shuilan didn’t reply to her. The character in the game walked forward. Lu Zhenqiu thought for a moment and sent again: 【Is it that ugly?】

She was asking about her game character that Hua Luo had laughed at just now. Jin Shuilan quickly replied: 【Not ugly.】

Lu Zhenqiu was just about to type.

Jin Shuilan sent again: 【You look good playing anything.】

Lu Zhenqiu finished the last bit of the apple with a bite, lowered her head, and turned on her mic. They played the game for over an hour. Jin Shuilan went to work, and she also quit the game. The bullet comments were all spamming about the end-of-year live broadcast annual meeting. The poster announcing that she would be a host had already been released, so the fans were all asking her when she would be going over.

The main company was in the neighboring city. She had to go over in advance for rehearsals, especially since Lu Zhenqiu had never hosted before, so she needed to go early to practice her courage. Recently, whenever she had time, she would watch previous streamer annual meetings to see how others hosted.

【Qiuqiu, can we meet up?】

【Wifey Qiuqiu, come to our city and we’ll treat you to a meal!】

【Qiuqiu, which hotel are you staying at?】

Lu Zhenqiu watched the bullet comments scroll past and said: “The hotel is arranged by the company. I’ll tell you guys when I get there.”

The bullet comments were all crying out, saying they were going to have a chance encounter with her. With the New Year approaching, students should be on vacation, so there would probably be quite a lot of people at that time.

Lu Zhenqiu replied to the netizens’ bullet comments while humming a song. Jin Shuilan hadn’t closed the page yet. Someone passed by behind her and said: “Teacher Jin, you’re watching a live broadcast?”

“Is this one called Zhenqiu? From the Sanshui platform?”

“Which one? Let me see. Zhenqiu has been quite popular recently, hey. I heard she even sang for Chang’an?”

News travels fastest in their circle. After Lu Zhenqiu’s duet with Zhang Xin, her fame was much higher than before, and she had also provided a song for Chang’an, so it wasn’t strange that everyone knew.

“Tsk, so pretty. I saw that duet clip of her and Teacher Zhang Xin, it was amazing.”

Hearing others praise her, Jin Shuilan was in a rather good mood. She pricked up her ears to listen, spinning a pen between her fingertips. Getting excited from listening, the pen shot past her fingers and fell to the ground with a pa sound. The office was quiet for a moment. Everyone looked at her and suddenly remembered she was revising a script.

They knew a thing or two about Jin Shuilan’s temper. She hated a noisy atmosphere the most. Was she unhappy just now?

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, all remaining silent.

Jin Shuilan sensed the different atmosphere and was just about to speak when everyone had already tactfully gotten busy, discussing in low voices, walking briskly, coming and going in a hurry. No one dared to linger by her side.

In a short moment, there was no one around her.

Jin Shuilan: ……

Actually, I quite like to chat. Can’t they tell?

Jin Shuilan touched the tip of her nose and continued to lower her head to revise the script. At the end of the year, other production teams had all taken a break. On the baihe side, after hearing about that policy, two production teams had already stopped. Only theirs remained unshaken, doing what they were supposed to do every day, not affected in the slightest.

Probably because the atmosphere of the production team wasn’t affected, everyone was happy to be busy. Jin Shuilan’s mood while revising the script also improved a bit, but arguing with the director was still unavoidable.

Every time after an argument, she had to spend half an hour on the phone with Lu Zhenqiu.

Lu Zhenqiu came out of the bathroom. She had prepared all of Maomao’s food and small toys, preparing to send them over to Jin Shuilan in the afternoon. Jin Shuilan had just sent her a message, saying she might not be home, but He Jinmei was, so she could give them to her mom first.

Maomao seemed to know that Lu Zhenqiu was going on a long trip. It hadn’t been acting up these past two days, just watching Lu Zhenqiu eagerly every day, whimpering from time to time. Seeing it like this, Lu Zhenqiu suspected she had said something about abandoning it. Hearing her words, Jin Shuilan laughed: “Would you have the heart?”

Lu Zhenqiu said: “I wouldn’t.”

Maomao had accompanied her for so many years, through her most difficult times, always staying within her reach. This time, going on a business trip, she didn’t know if she could get used to not seeing Maomao.

Hearing her suddenly subdued voice, Jin Shuilan’s brows knitted. Holding her pen, the two ends of the phone call were a bit quiet. Lu Zhenqiu changed the subject: “You’re not finished yet?”

“En.” Jin Shuilan said: “There’s just a little bit of finishing up left, and it’ll be done.”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “Then are you going home later?”

“There’s still a meeting.” Jin Shuilan said: “I’ll probably go back a little later. You wait for me at home.”

Lu Zhenqiu and Xiao Yu were going to be away for half a month. Before leaving, she was treating them to a hot pot meal.

Lu Zhenqiu said “oh”: “Teacher Ji also said that when I get back, Dongqing can start work.”

By the time she got back, it would probably be the New Year. Jin Shuilan smiled: “En, she can hardly wait.”

The two chatted aimlessly, a sentence here, a sentence there. Lu Zhenqiu didn’t hang up even when she went to tidy up the house. When it was quiet, she could hear the occasional sound of keyboard tapping and a pen tip scratching against paper from Jin Shuilan’s end, or occasionally someone calling out: “Teacher Jin, President Fang wants you to come over for a moment.”

Lu Zhenqiu said: “You go get busy first. I’ll take a taxi in a bit.”

Jin Shuilan gave a sound of assent and hung up the phone.

After Lu Zhenqiu finished packing everything, she saw the taxi had also arrived downstairs. She took Maomao into the car and saw the @ in the group chat.

Ji Zibo: [@All Members, the official trailer is being released today. Everyone forward it in a bit. Reply with a 1 if you received this.]

So fast.

A row of 1s quickly appeared in the group chat. Lu Zhenqiu also sent a 1. Then, the official Weibo account of the production team released the official trailer. Lu Zhenqiu had clearly heard it many times, but she was still immediately nervous. This was her first work after returning to the voice acting circle, and it was about to meet all the readers and fans.

For a moment, Lu Zhenqiu didn’t quite dare to go on Weibo, having a feeling of timidity when approaching one’s hometown². She saw a forward pop up at the top of Weibo every so often, and also praise for their good voice acting. Lu Zhenqiu took a deep breath, turned her head to look out the car window. Maomao came over and kissed her on the side of her face, as if giving Lu Zhenqiu courage. Ten minutes later, she gritted her teeth and went on Weibo.

There were many messages in her Weibo private messages.

【Holy crap! General Lu Yin! Mama’s Lu Yin ah!】

【Qiuqiu, your voice acting is so good, I cried listening to it.】

【Thank you Qiuqiu, this original work fan of Lu Yin is completely satisfied.】

Lu Zhenqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Reading these private messages, her nose suddenly tingled, and she felt that all her perseverance had meaning. Their affirmation and praise were the greatest courage and encouragement for her.

She clicked on the official Weibo account. The most liked comment was about Jin Shuilan.

【Thinking of Lu Yin’s death, every word she says is a knife! Teacher Jin, you have no heart!】

Jin Shuilan hadn’t forwarded it yet, probably because she was busy with the meeting. Lu Zhenqiu then scanned a few comments. Apart from a few individuals who felt the voice didn’t match, ninety percent were very satisfied. Lu Zhenqiu’s anxious heart was put back in its place, and she calmly forwarded: A little Lu Yin.

Right after she forwarded it, Weibo was filled with fans’ confessions of love.

【Third time listening. Qiuqiu, Mama loves you, how can you be so good at voice acting!】

【Qiuqiu, you owe me tears. I just came out on a date with my girlfriend, and now I’m crying and need her to comfort me.】

【General Lu, the Meng Po Bridge³ is cold, wear an extra layer of clothes.】

【Damn, the person upstairs is starting to kill people again!】

Lu Zhenqiu was just about to close her phone when she saw a familiar ID.

Jin Shuilan: 【Heart】//@Zhenqiu: A little Lu Yin.

A small red heart, a system default sticker. Compared to forwarding the production team’s promotion, it seemed more like it was sent to her alone. Under the watchful eyes of the public, she had just sent it out so openly.

Other people didn’t see anything fishy.

Only Lu Zhenqiu patted her cheeks.

Hot and red, burning scorchingly.

She put down her phone. After a short while, she arrived at Jin Shuilan’s home. Lu Zhenqiu took Maomao and turned into the residential complex. She knew which building it was from picking up He Jinmei last time and took Maomao directly up to the floor. Just as she got out of the elevator, He Jinmei was standing in the corridor, calling out: “Qiuqiu.”

Lu Zhenqiu and Maomao walked over.

He Jinmei said: “Put Maomao in that room inside. Lanlan tidied it up. She also bought some pet supplies inside. See if you can use them.”

Lu Zhenqiu led Maomao inside. It was a standard pet room. Maomao didn’t even have such good treatment at home. It was still a bit reserved and didn’t run around, just kept following Lu Zhenqiu. Lu Zhenqiu rubbed its head: “Be good. Teacher Jin will be back tonight. You stay in here for now, don’t run around, and don’t bark randomly. I have to go on a business trip, I’ll send you videos every day…”

Maomao whimpered, it was unclear if it understood or not. Lu Zhenqiu rubbed its head to comfort it. He Jinmei stood at the door and smiled: “We used to have one too. It died of old age later. Your uncle was adamant about not getting a second one. Don’t worry, Qiuqiu, Auntie will take care of it.”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded. She stood up and said: “Thank you, Auntie.”

Her attitude was more natural and poised than before, and there was also faintly more self-confidence. He Jinmei saw the slight changes in her and smiled: “Don’t be polite.”

Lu Zhenqiu looked around: “Is Uncle not home?”

“He went out to play chess.” He Jinmei said: “He’ll be back in a bit. You still have to go out for dinner with Lanlan tonight? Then don’t leave, wait here for her to come back?”

Lu Zhenqiu didn’t object and nodded: “Okay.”

“Sit. Auntie will pour you a cup of tea. What kind of fruit do you want to eat?” He Jinmei asked her. Lu Zhenqiu said: “I’m fine with anything.”

He Jinmei brewed her a cup of tea and turned to see Lu Zhenqiu sitting properly on the sofa. She asked with a smile: “Want to watch TV?”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “Okay.” When she lowered her head to look for the remote control, she saw a photo album. He Jinmei followed her gaze and said: “Want to see Lanlan’s old photos?”

Lu Zhenqiu’s eyes lit up slightly: “I do.”

He Jinmei hurried back to the room and pulled out a photo album. She said: “These were all taken before. After she started junior high, she refused to cooperate anymore and rarely took pictures. These were all taken when she was little.”

Lu Zhenqiu opened the photo album and saw Jin Shuilan in junior high. Young and tender, her brows and eyes were full of aloofness and arrogance. She really did have a proud backbone. She smiled.

When Jin Shuilan returned home, she saw He Jinmei and Lu Zhenqiu sitting together. She put down her bag, took off her coat, and asked: “What are you guys looking at?”

He Jinmei looked up: “You’re back?”

She said: “Looking at your childhood photos.”

Jin Shuilan glanced at her and then at Lu Zhenqiu: “Childhood photos?”

“Yeah.” He Jinmei said: “It was better when you were little. You would cooperate no matter how we took the pictures.”

Jin Shuilan’s voice was tense: “Which childhood?”

He Jinmei glanced at her: “What other childhood could there be? Isn’t it the time when you were wearing diapers? There are even a few where your butt wasn’t even covered, you…”

Before she could finish speaking, Jin Shuilan walked up to Lu Zhenqiu in two or three steps and slammed the photo album shut!

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The author has something to say:

Thirty red envelopes me me da.

Lu Zhenqiu: Teacher Jin, you were so cute when you were little.

Jin Shuilan: I’m also very cute now.

Lu Zhenqiu: You didn’t wear pants when you were little.

Jin Shuilan: I now???

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