Troublesome – Chapter 85

Miss You

I miss you too.

At nine thirty, Lu Yan stood at the doorway. She swiped the door card, but it was no use; after two didi sounds, it did not open. Lu Yan frowned, patted the door, and called out, “Qiuqiu?”

There was no reaction at all from inside. Was no one there? Then how was the door deadbolted?

Was the lock broken?

Lu Yan was at a loss and could only stand stiffly at the doorway, waiting for an attendant to come over. Quite a few people were coming and going in the corridor, all of them streamers she knew. A few asked curiously, “Lu Yan, what are you doing standing at the doorway?”

Lu Yan gave a dry laugh. “The door lock is broken.”

“Aiya, how did the door lock break.” Other people curiously walked over, took her door card and tried it. It swiped with a kacha sound, but did not open. That person said, “It was locked from the inside, right?”

The crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger. Lu Yan also felt wronged. “I don’t know, I also don’t know how it got locked.”

“Is Qiuqiu inside?” Lu Yan shook her head. “I don’t know.”

She really did not know if Lu Zhenqiu was inside. If she was, then why would she have deadbolted the door? Was there something inside that she could not let others know about?

Lu Yan’s eyes narrowed. She grabbed a person who had been about to leave. “Wait with me for a little while.”

Soon, an attendant arrived with a door card. Just like with Lu Yan’s, there was no reaction when it was swiped. The attendant apologized embarrassedly, “We will go get the key for you.”

Lu Yan showed no impatience. The crowd of people surrounding them grew larger and larger, looking in their direction. Even people from the floors above and below heard that her door lock was broken and came over curiously to have a look.

The attendant quickly went to get the key. At the doorway, someone said, “Is Qiuqiu inside, ah?”

Before Lu Yan could reply, the door opened from the inside with a kacha sound. Lu Zhenqiu, wearing a bathrobe with a dry towel wrapped around her hair, her brows and eyes damp, saw the large crowd at the door and asked calmly, “What’s wrong?”

“Why did you lock the door?” Lu Yan said, “I couldn’t even get in!”

Lu Zhenqiu was a little helpless. “You only came back at twelve o’clock last night. I thought you would be coming back late today as well, so I locked the door first when I went to take a shower.”

As she spoke, she deliberately opened the door wide. Curious people looked inside; from the balcony to the living room, everything was in plain sight, with no place to hide anyone. Lu Yan’s judgment had been wrong, and instead, she had caused a crowd of people to stand here and watch the spectacle. At this moment her face was a mixture of green and white. She said, “I…”

Before she could finish her words, she subconsciously looked at the few people from the group chat. Xiao Yuan was looking at her with a contemptuous gaze. Xiao Yuan walked to Lu Zhenqiu’s side and asked, “Qiuqiu, did Lu Yan really only get back at twelve o’clock last night?”

“Yes, I was already asleep. She came back and played music, so I woke up for a bit.”

Alright, now everyone in the group chat knew she had not been lying. Lu Yan had always had the habit of listening to music before bed, and everyone who had lived with her knew it. But Lu Yan relied on her status at Sanshui, so no one dared to comment. Therefore, quite a few people knew about this habit.

Now, hearing Lu Zhenqiu say this, what Lu Yan had said in the morning about Lu Zhenqiu not coming back last night was a naked lie!

The crowd’s gazes toward Lu Yan changed. Once a person’s lie is exposed, the trust this person holds in everyone’s heart is halved. The crowd then remembered that Lu Yan and Lu Zhenqiu had always been like one mountain cannot contain two tigers¹, so eighty percent of the things she said were probably false.

Something about having a relationship with Manager Mo, something about being kept by Manager Mo, something about not returning at night.

Those who had believed those words in the morning and spread them privately could not keep a straight face. Two of the more direct ones asked Lu Yan straight out, “Did Qiuqiu go out last night or not?”

Lu Zhenqiu asked with a smile, “Go out? Go where?”

Lu Yan’s expression was very ugly. She glanced at the surrounding crowd who were watching the show, not expecting that a small lie would be exposed just like that. Other people were still staring at her, and Lu Zhenqiu was looking at her too. What if she found out about the messages in the group chat.

“I…” Lu Yan said, “I didn’t pay too much attention.”

Lu Zhenqiu had an innocent expression. “That’s not right, Lu Yan. You even spoke to me last night.”

When did I speak to you!

Lu Yan immediately looked at Lu Zhenqiu, her already pale face turning even uglier. For a moment, she was actually unable to refute Lu Zhenqiu’s words. In any case, in everyone’s mind, the matter of her lying was already a settled fact.

The atmosphere instantly stiffened. The crowd looked at Lu Yan with disdainful and strange expressions. They were all from the same platform and had dealings with each other to varying degrees. As for whether those dealings were good or bad, it was hard to say. Especially since Lu Yan’s social connections were not that good, and she was arrogant. Now she was riding a tiger, unable to get off². People from three floors had all squeezed over to watch this farce.

After Mo Bai got on the elevator, it stopped for a moment at Lu Zhenqiu’s floor. He looked out. “What’s going on? Why are there so many people in the corridor?”

This floor was all streamers from the Sanshui platform; he recognized several of them.

The assistant said, “Manager Mo, it seems two streamers are having a bit of a conflict.”

“Conflict?” Mo Bai frowned. “What conflict?”

The assistant reported the news he had just heard to him, and added, “Manager Mo, you were also mentioned.”

“Me?” Mo Bai was puzzled. “What was mentioned about me?”

“They said you—” The assistant lowered his head and said quickly, “They said you and Lu Zhenqiu have some kind of relationship.”

Mo Bai’s heart skipped a beat. “What?!”

His voice rose, echoing in the elevator. The assistant dug at his ear, also finding it utterly ridiculous. He had no idea how this news had started to spread. He had been by Mo Bai’s side for so long and had only met Lu Zhenqiu when she signed her contract. To start a scandal, there should at least be some basis. This was complete fabrication out of thin air!

He had heard these rumors in the afternoon and had intended to tell Mo Bai, but Mo Bai’s meeting did not end until the evening, so his report was late.

“Who spread this!” Mo Bai was so angry he was rolling his eyes. A scandal about him and the boss’s wife? What would happen if the boss heard about this? Originally, Manager Pei had been singling him out because of that IP incident. Now this was just great. Which people were so blind? Mo Bai was truly angered to death.

The assistant said, “We haven’t found out who specifically, but Lu Yan said that Lu Zhenqiu didn’t come back last night.”

“Lu Yan?” Mo Bai nodded. “Have her come to my room.”

The assistant said “oh” and followed Mo Bai upstairs. When they reached Lu Zhenqiu’s floor again, there was no one left. Lu Yan was sitting on the bed, and Lu Zhenqiu was blow-drying her hair. Just as she was about to speak, there was a knock on the door. Lu Yan walked over in two or three steps and saw the assistant standing at the door, whom she naturally recognized. The assistant said straightforwardly³, “Miss Lu, Manager Mo asks you to go upstairs for a moment.”

“Me?” Lu Yan pointed at herself. “Asking me?”

The assistant nodded.

Lu Yan glanced suspiciously at Lu Zhenqiu, then lowered her head and followed the assistant upstairs.

Lu Zhenqiu was in a good mood watching her departing back. A message from Xiao Yu came right after: “Qiuqiu you are really amazing. Xiao Yuan just told me, Lu Yan’s face turned green with anger. Serves her right! Who told her to spread rumors.”

“If you ask me, she’s just jealous of you, jealous that you could be a host as soon as you arrived, that’s why she did such a disgusting thing.”

“It’s a wonder she could think of it, Manager Mo? Doesn’t she know you like women?”

“You too, why didn’t you tell me this morning? If you had told me, I could have torn Lu Yan to shreds directly!”

Lu Zhenqiu knew exactly this temper of hers, which was why she had not told her in advance. She was afraid Xiao Yu would get too angry, and if she got into a shouting match with Lu Yan and said irrational things, then they would be in the wrong instead. Now was pretty good; Lu Yan’s lies broke without being attacked⁴, and as for those things she said before, probably no one would believe them now either.

Xiao Yu vented for a while and felt relieved.

She sent Lu Zhenqiu a few funny videos. Lu Zhenqiu, in a rather good mood, called Jin Shuilan, not mentioning the matter here to make her worry.

Jin Shuilan said, “Maomao ate a few snacks this afternoon, but not his main meal.”

“Is he throwing a tantrum again?” Lu Zhenqiu said, “You watch him, you can’t let him eat too many snacks.”

Jin Shuilan hummed an “en”. “What are you doing?”

“I just took a shower.” Lu Zhenqiu said as she lay prone on the bed. Having been watched by so many people just now, she was very panicked inside, but she had appeared very calm because she knew that Lu Yan was even more panicked than her. Now that there was no one around, Lu Zhenqiu’s hand holding the phone was even a little shaky.

It was a delayed physical reaction. Lu Zhenqiu took a deep breath.

Jin Shuilan said, “How was today? Are you tired?”

“Today was okay,” Lu Zhenqiu said. “I just memorized some lines. What are you doing?”

Jin Shuilan laughed. “Listening to music.”

“How about you sing for me?”

Lu Zhenqiu was embarrassed. “Right now?”

Jin Shuilan hummed a “wu”. “Is it inconvenient?”

Lu Zhenqiu looked left and right. Lu Yan had been invited upstairs and had not returned yet, and there was no one in the room. As for it being inconvenient, there was nothing inconvenient about it, but her face pressed against the pillow was still hot. She said, “Alright then, what song do you want to hear?”

“I’m fine with anything,” Jin Shuilan said. “How about the theme song you sang for Chang’an last time.”

Lu Zhenqiu hummed an “en”. She said, “I’ll look for the instrumental.”

“Just sing a cappella,” Jin Shuilan said. “I want to hear you sing a cappella.”

Lu Zhenqiu bit her lip, and after a few seconds, she agreed, “Okay.”

She sang a cappella into the phone. The key was a little high, and she failed to hit the notes in the chorus. Lu Zhenqiu whined into the phone, “I’m not singing anymore.”

“It’s very nice,” Jin Shuilan soothed her. “You sang very nicely.”

“Not at all,” Lu Zhenqiu said. “It was all off-key.”

Jin Shuilan asked, “Where? I didn’t hear it.”

Lu Zhenqiu was amused by her and suddenly called out, “Jin Shuilan.”

Jin Shuilan’s hand paused, and her heart thumped. An emotion was growing, fast and fierce, and she almost could not withstand it. Lu Zhenqiu’s voice was soft and gentle, carrying intimacy. Jin Shuilan hummed an “en”, drawing out the final sound, inviting infinite reverie.

Because of that one syllable from her, the side of Lu Zhenqiu’s face reddened.

Jin Shuilan asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Zhenqiu pouted. “Nothing.”

She had suddenly wanted to tell Jin Shuilan about the matter with Lu Yan just now. Jin Shuilan misunderstood and asked, “Missing Maomao again?”

Lu Zhenqiu let out a light breath and went along with her words, “I miss him.”

“Then you come down,” Jin Shuilan said. Lu Zhenqiu was stunned for a few seconds, then quickly ran to the balcony to look down. She could not see anything clearly; it was all a blur. She said, “Co-come down?”

“En, come downstairs.” Jin Shuilan did not keep her in suspense. She said, “I’m waiting for you downstairs.”

Lu Zhenqiu’s train of thought completely collapsed in an instant! She did not even have time to think carefully, immediately throwing on a jacket and rushing out. The elevator went down floor by floor: tenth floor, eighth floor, sixth floor…

She pulled her jacket tighter, brushed her hair back, and took a deep breath, then another. The closer the floor number got to one, the harder it was to control her heartbeat!

Finally, the first floor arrived.

Lu Zhenqiu walked out of the elevator. The lobby was bright, illuminating people’s figures very clearly. Lu Zhenqiu walked quickly to the lobby entrance, and from a distance, she saw a dog running toward her. Without a second thought, Lu Zhenqiu reached out to catch it. Maomao leaped into her arms, nearly knocking her over.

Maomao happily licked Lu Zhenqiu’s cheeks and neck, so excited he did not know what to do, his tail wagging nonstop. Lu Zhenqiu’s nose tingled, and her eyes instantly grew hot. She looked at Jin Shuilan walking closer from behind Maomao, her voice choked, “Why did you come?”

“Maomao still refuses to eat,” Jin Shuilan explained. Though it had only been two or three days since they had seen each other, her gaze was reluctant to move away from Lu Zhenqiu now that she saw her again.

Lu Zhenqiu rubbed Maomao’s head, muttering in a low voice, “Disobedient.”

Maomao licked her cheek.

Jin Shuilan said, “He just misses you.”

Lu Zhenqiu was rubbing Maomao’s long fur when she heard Jin Shuilan call, “Qiuqiu.”

Lu Zhenqiu raised her eyes to look at her, meeting Jin Shuilan’s clear, bright gaze. She bit her lip. Jin Shuilan took a step forward to stand in front of her and looked down. Lu Zhenqiu followed her line of sight and also looked down, seeing that she had run out wearing only slippers. At this moment her toes were exposed. She shyly curled them up, the side of her face slightly red. Jin Shuilan watched her small action of curling her toes, her body tensing, her voice slightly deep, “Qiuqiu, I miss you too.”

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The author has something to say:

Thirty red envelopes, memeda.

Jin Shuilan: Qiuqiu, I miss you.

Lu Zhenqiu: Me too.

Jin Shuilan: I want to kiss you.

Lu Zhenqiu: Me too… en?

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