Famous Actresses, Please Keep Your Distance From Me - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Cen Zhi looked down at her captured wrist, then silently met Duan Rujin’s gaze, her lips curving slightly. “Maybe I’m just not the smiling type by nature.”

“Is that so?” Duan Rujin released her hand and leaned in closer, using her fingertip to gently tap the corner of Cen Zhi’s mouth that hadn’t quite flattened yet. “Then what is this curve right here?”

The sudden proximity caused Cen Zhi’s heart to skip a beat. She pursed her lips and looked at Duan Rujin’s beautiful face, feigning composure as she replied, “Sorry, I just have a natural ‘smile lip’ shape.”

“Hahaha.” Duan Rujin stood up first, her eyes crinkling with laughter. “You really are fun sometimes.”

“I’m alright.”

Both had their own work to attend to. Originally, Cen Zhi had planned to take a taxi to Sun Shuyi’s shop, but since Duan Rujin had driven her own car, there was no need for formalities. Duan Rujin grabbed her car keys and said simply, “I’ll drop you off at the shop.”

Cen Zhi didn’t refuse; she rarely found herself saying no to Duan Rujin.

However, when she saw Duan Rujin driving a black sedan, she felt a bit puzzled. “What happened to your Wuling Hongguang Mini?”

“In Yuncheng. I use that for daily commuting, but for long-distance trips like this, a gas car is better.”

Cen Zhi sat in the passenger seat. “So you have two cars.”

“They’re both rentals. I haven’t bought a car yet.”

“…” She hadn’t expected that.

Cen Zhi didn’t ask further. They left the parking lot and headed straight for Sun Shuyi’s shop. In about ten minutes, Duan Rujin dropped her at the entrance, said “See you tonight,” and drove off.

Cen Zhi’s mouth opened slightly, and she eventually smiled to herself, adding quietly, “I never even said we were meeting tonight.”

But since Duan Rujin had said it, she supposed it was fine.

Time flies when one is busy. Sun Shuyi truly wanted to perfect every aspect of the shop, and the more experience Cen Zhi shared, the more there was to discuss. Halfway through, her throat felt dry and she finished a whole bottle of water. They didn’t finish until nearly dark.

Cen Zhi emerged from the preparation room still wearing the shop’s work clothes. She went to the locker room to change. Sun Shuyi opened a locker next to her and glanced over. “Zhi, what do you want to eat tonight? Want me to take you for some local Liucheng cuisine?”

“I have plans with a friend.”

Sun Shuyi’s brows furrowed. “That’s so mean! Why won’t you give your host a chance to treat you to dinner?”

“I already have. Wasn’t lunch a treat? Isn’t the hotel a treat?” Cen Zhi gave a light hum. “Besides, the person you really want to see is someone else. Don’t think I don’t know.”

Sun Shuyi opened her mouth to speak, but found no words. She turned her head away, still offering a weak defense: “It’s not like I can see her anyway.”

They both knew exactly what kind of personality Wen Lin had.

“I’m off.” Cen Zhi took her phone from the locker.

Sun Shuyi looked at her again. “Where are you meeting your friend? Do you need a ride?”

Cen Zhi looked at the message from Duan Rujin sitting in her WeChat and smiled. “No need. She’s coming to pick me up.”

“I didn’t realize you had other friends in Liucheng.”

Cen Zhi smiled. “Do I look like the type of person who is always lonely?”

“Yes.” Sun Shuyi followed her out of the room. “The type that looks like she’s going to be a hermit for the rest of her life.”

After saying goodbye to the staff, Cen Zhi stepped outside. It was drizzling in Liucheng again, and the rain was quite heavy. The droplets hit the pavement, blurring the reflected lights. Cen Zhi looked up and saw Duan Rujin standing a few meters away, holding an umbrella.

Duan Rujin saw her too and walked toward her, smiling. “I thought you might not have an umbrella, so I brought one for you in the rain.”

“Thank you.” Cen Zhi ducked under the umbrella.

“You held the umbrella for me at the rescue station the other day. Now we’re even again.”

Cen Zhi listened to the sound of rain hitting the umbrella. The sound seemed to vibrate in her chest, making her feel a bit heavy. Things between her and Duan Rujin were very equal—no debts, no messy entanglements. This caused her mood to drop slightly, like a falling raindrop, though she didn’t show it outwardly.

“Yeah, even,” she sighed.

Because it was late and pedestrians were hurrying by under their own umbrellas, Duan Rujin wasn’t wearing a hat or mask. She pointed across the street. “There’s no parking here. The car is over there. Let’s cross at the crosswalk.”

“Okay.”

The crosswalk was about fifty meters away. There wasn’t much of a height difference between them. Duan Rujin held the umbrella with her back very straight, but the umbrella didn’t seem large enough. In the neon light, Cen Zhi could see that Duan Rujin’s shoulder was getting a bit wet.

Cen Zhi noticed they were walking with a gap of about two fists between them.

“Duan Rujin,” Cen Zhi said calmly, looking straight ahead.

Duan Rujin: “Mhm?”

“You didn’t read some ‘flirting guide’ or something, did you? You know, the one that says you should bring a small umbrella on a rainy day so you have to huddle together.”

“How did you know?”

Cen Zhi pursed her lips. “Then why aren’t you huddling with me?”

Duan Rujin’s lashes fluttered. She felt the rainy day was good; the sound of the rain could hide her heartbeat. She moved closer until there were only a few centimeters between them, and her shoulder was no longer being rained on.

There were quite a few people waiting for the green light. Cen Zhi reached up to grip the umbrella handle, tilting it forward slightly. This allowed them to see the road ahead but maximized the coverage to keep Duan Rujin hidden from view. In doing so, it felt as though they had created a barrier—as if they were the only two people in the world.

Neither spoke, waiting silently for the ten-second countdown. Through the reflection on the ground, Duan Rujin saw the light turn from red to green. “It’s green. Let’s go.”

“Mhm.”

They crossed and walked a short distance to the car. Cen Zhi sat in the passenger seat first, and Duan Rujin circled around to the driver’s side. She shook the rain off the umbrella, tucked it into a bag, and placed it in the car.

The windshield wipers began to move, the rhythmic sound clearing some of the heaviness in the car. Duan Rujin looked at the navigation with feigned casualness; the destination was her hotel. “How about we just order takeout at the hotel? Parking is a nightmare out there.” She paused. “You could also sleep at my place tonight. It has everything. We can head back to Yuncheng together tomorrow.”

“I haven’t given you my answer yet.”

“But I know you’ll want to come with me. Am I wrong?”

Cen Zhi looked into her eyes and slowly shook her head. “No.” A second later, she added, “But I’ll go back to my own room to sleep tonight.”

“Why?”

“Our skin types are different, I suppose.” Cen Zhi knew it was a terrible excuse.

Duan Rujin heard it but didn’t call her out. She went along with it. “You’re right. What’s your skin type?”

“Dry and sensitive.”

“Then they are indeed different.”

“Mhm.”

As the car pulled onto the road, Cen Zhi’s phone lit up with a new WeChat message. It was from Yu Lu.

Yu Lu: “Zhi, are you home tonight?”

Yu Lu: “D*mmit! I wanted to vent to you about a bizarre new client I met today!”

“I’m not.” Cen Zhi typed back.

Yu Lu: “Huh?”

Yu Lu: “I thought you’d be around. Rujin is in Liucheng, so I can’t find her either.”

Cen Zhi glanced sideways at Duan Rujin and silently sent her location to Yu Lu.

Yu Lu: “?”

Yu Lu: “Holy crap! You two are secretly dating behind my back again, aren’t you!”

Cen Zhi raised an eyebrow and read the message aloud. Duan Rujin gave a light laugh. “Reply to her. Tell her ‘It’s not secret’.”

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