Famous Actresses, Please Keep Your Distance From Me - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Cen Zhi hadn’t expected Wen Lin to come back early; otherwise, she wouldn’t have felt so comfortable letting Duan Rujin stay in the office. After all, she and Wen Lin had already had a bit of a disagreement recently regarding topics related to Duan Rujin.

Meeting Wen Lin’s gaze, Cen Zhi said coolly, “Not as adventurous as you.” She paused. “Call me if there’s an emergency. I’m heading out to take care of something else.”

Wen Lin sat down in her own seat. “Do I need to cover my eyes?”

“You could,” Cen Zhi shot her a look. “Ideally.”

Wen Lin cooperatively covered her eyes. “Fine, I didn’t see a thing.”

Cen Zhi turned toward Duan Rujin. The other woman was currently silent, clearly aware of what was happening, and had already readjusted her beret and mask.

“Let’s go,” Cen Zhi said, blocking Wen Lin’s line of sight.

Fortunately, the office was truly tiny. In just a few steps, Duan Rujin reached the outer corridor. Inside the room, Wen Lin had already dropped her hands and was grinning at Cen Zhi. “So afraid I’ll see her face? What, is it a client we both know?”

“None of your business.”

Cen Zhi started walking. “I’m leaving. Contact me if there’s anything urgent.”

“Go on then,” Wen Lin waved, pouting slightly. “So mean to me.”

Cen Zhi pretended not to hear. She was already in the hallway where Duan Rujin was waiting, clutching her phone. Seeing her come out, Duan Rujin asked softly, “Did I cause a misunderstanding?”

She had clearly heard what Cen Zhi’s partner had said.

Cen Zhi headed toward the stairs. “It’s fine. She’s just like that—loves to joke.”

“As long as it’s fine.”

Duan Rujin muttered to herself internally: I’d almost prefer a misunderstanding.

The two went downstairs and got into Cen Zhi’s car. Barring any surprises, she wouldn’t need to return tonight.

Duan Rujin sat in the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, and fixed her attention on the ornaments on the dashboard. She then pulled an orange cat out of her bag for comparison. “I think the one you gave me has more ‘character’.”

Cen Zhi drove the car out of the “Shining Star” yard. “High EQ: character. Low EQ: ugly.”

“Truly, no.” Duan Rujin looked at Cen Zhi’s profile. “The base is the same.”

Cen Zhi freed a hand to brush back a stray hair, her tone calm. “So it shouldn’t matter if I’m the one who painted them or not.” Realizing her words were pushing a boundary, she immediately added, “If you’re willing, you can go to my friend’s shop to try it yourself. She likes you a lot.”

Duan Rujin put the orange cat back in her bag. “Is that so?” she said. “Then I’ll have to trouble Miss Cen to help me make an appointment with her.”

Cen Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. At least Wei Shu wouldn’t scold her now.

“When are you free?” Cen Zhi asked, assuming she was asking on Wei Shu’s behalf.

“In a few days.”

The roads were a bit congested, so Cen Zhi drove slowly toward a health center a few kilometers away. Hearing Duan Rujin’s answer, she hesitated for a second before asking, “When are you leaving Yuncheng then?”

Duan Rujin wasn’t joining her next production for another six months, but she usually resided in Haicheng or Beijing. Cen Zhi had seen news about celebrities buying property, and most were in those two cities.

“Are you chasing me away, Cen Zhi?” Duan Rujin asked with a smile.

“Even the mayor doesn’t have that power, let alone me.”

“I’m not here just for fun this time. Tomorrow I’m visiting a few other stray animal rescue stations in Yuncheng.” Duan Rujin turned serious, looking ahead. “The team’s plan is out. We’re currently collecting data, and over the next few days, I need to look at stations in Yuncheng and Liucheng to get some baseline data for reference.”

Cen Zhi pursed her lips. “But isn’t that data available online? Many public accounts list it.”

“Numbers are cold, though.”

“Mhm. You’re right.”

It was just like cleaning animal remains; if she didn’t do this job, the statistics of dead animals wouldn’t mean much to her.

“So…” Duan Rujin said, “once I finish with the ones in Yuncheng, I’ll go to Liucheng. The painting session will have to wait until I get back.”

Cen Zhi found discussing serious matters with Duan Rujin quite comfortable. At the very least, she didn’t have to tense up her nerves to think about other things. Their central focus was the same: doing their best for the “fur-babies.”

It didn’t take long before Cen Zhi parked the car and entered the health center with Duan Rujin.

This was the third time accompanying her for a shot, so Cen Zhi was well-acquainted with the process. They waited about ten minutes for their turn. Including the thirty-minute observation period, the sky had dimmed by the time they left, but the sunset glow on the horizon was magnificent and brilliant.

Cen Zhi stepped on her own shadow. She glanced at Duan Rujin and asked hesitantly, “How are you getting back later?”

“You aren’t taking me?”

Cen Zhi threw Duan Rujin’s own logic back at her: “That’s your private address.”

“…” Talk about shooting oneself in the foot.

Duan Rujin looked at Cen Zhi’s face, which was bathed in the multicolored glow of the sunset. She stayed silent for a few seconds before honestly pulling out her phone. “I’ll call my assistant then.”

This was the first time Cen Zhi had heard her mention having anyone else she knew nearby.

“Alright.”

Cen Zhi didn’t want to be forced to eavesdrop, so she opened the car door first and got in. She unscrewed a bottle of water and took a few sips. She left the car door cracked open, and through the window, she could clearly see Duan Rujin on the phone.

Duan Rujin was looking up at the sky, her brow slightly furrowed.

Cen Zhi didn’t know what they were talking about, nor did she care to guess. She opened WeChat and sent a message to Wei Shu: “Make an appointment for a few days from now.”

Wei Shu replied instantly: “Coming to my humble abode again?”

“It’s someone you want to see.”

Wei Shu: “I don’t want to see you. Talk about narcissistic, A-Zhi!”

Wei Shu: “I want to see Duan Rujin.”

Wei Shu: “Can you make her come?”

“I can’t.” Cen Zhi pursed her lips. She didn’t want to take the credit for herself, so she added: “She wants to come herself.”

Wei Shu sent a full page of question marks and exclamation points, followed by a frantic stream of memes. By the time the screen-spamming stopped, Duan Rujin had finished her call and gotten back into the car.

“My assistant is driving over to pick me up.”

Cen Zhi locked her phone. “Mhm, okay.” She asked, “How long?”

“About twenty minutes. Is that a waste of your time?”

Cen Zhi shook her head. “No.” She looked toward the horizon. “If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have noticed the sunset today.”

“It’s really nice.”

“Hmm?”

A smile spread across Duan Rujin’s face. “I never thought the day would actually come where I’d watch the sunset with you.”

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