Famous Actresses, Please Keep Your Distance From Me - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cen Zhi’s eyelid twitched. To be honest, she hadn’t particularly noticed that detail herself, but Yu Lu had captured it keenly.

Tonight, she hadn’t introduced herself once in front of Duan Rujin.

“Why wouldn’t I know?” Duan Rujin spoke slowly, her tone still carrying a light trace of a smile. “I not only know her name, I know Xiao Shi’s and the others’ as well. Everyone was very enthusiastic; they were afraid I wouldn’t be able to match faces to names, so they told me.”

Yu Lu stopped dwelling on it. “True, that group of younger sisters is indeed very enthusiastic.” She pinched the photo, then turned to ask Cen Zhi, “A-Zhi, help me take one with Rujin.”

Cen Zhi, who had remained calm and silent from beginning to end, nodded. “Okay.”

Because her work at “Shining Star” required her to take photos of deceased pets, Cen Zhi’s photography skills had been honed over the past three years. She took the Polaroid quickly. She didn’t make any requests like Duan Rujin had; since Duan Rujin was someone who took photos with people constantly, she had perfect control over her gestures and expressions. There was no need for Cen Zhi to say a word.

Their intersection for the night seemed to end right there. For the following hour, there was no further interaction.

Even their eyes didn’t meet again.

Cen Zhi felt no ripples in her heart. She understood perfectly well: Duan Rujin was now one of the most famous actresses in the entertainment industry. Even though Cen Zhi didn’t follow entertainment news closely, she knew that Duan Rujin was considered the “cleanest” among her peers. Not only was her academic background solid, her looks beautiful, her body hot, and her acting skills superb, but she also had high emotional intelligence and conducted herself appropriately. Not a single staff member who had worked with her had ever said a bad word about her.

She seemed like someone born for this profession.

That night they had spent together was like an invisible hand clutching Cen Zhi’s throat—

If it were ever leaked, it would surely be a stain on Duan Rujin’s reputation, wouldn’t it?

Duan Rujin’s rhetoric tonight corroborated this point; at the very least, she didn’t want to admit to knowing Cen Zhi in front of Yu Lu.

This time was just a chance encounter. There wouldn’t be a next time.

Though, even if she told people, no one would likely believe her anyway.

The party came to a punctual end. The group headed back to the storage area to change into their shoes and gather their belongings. Duan Rujin, however, wasn’t with them; she had already left ten minutes early.

Quite a few people felt a bit regretful. “I didn’t even get to use my phone to take a photo with Teacher Duan. What a rare opportunity.”

“Why isn’t anyone preparing to take a photo with me, the birthday girl?” Yu Lu “accused” them with her hands on her hips.

“We’ll take them! We’ll take them!”

Cen Zhi didn’t join in. She picked up her crossbody bag, stood up, and nodded to Yu Lu a few meters away. “Yu Lu, I’m heading out first. I have other things to do.”

“Bye! Drive safely. I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

Cen Zhi left them with her silhouette. “It’s already past midnight, so it’s ‘today.’ I’ll wait for you at the shop.”

The other stores in the mall were basically dark, except for the Haidilao hotpot restaurant downstairs, which was still brightly lit. Cen Zhi hadn’t eaten dinner yet. After several hours of playing, her stomach was empty, but she had no appetite now. She walked straight toward the elevators.

What she didn’t expect, however, was someone standing to the side wearing a baseball cap and a mask.

There was no need to guess who it was. Duan Rujin was standing at an angle; if one looked from the entrance of the Trendy Play Space, they wouldn’t be able to see the corner where she was waiting.

“…” Cen Zhi pressed the down button.

Neither of them seemed to have the intention to speak.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Cen Zhi didn’t assume Duan Rujin was waiting for her; she stepped inside first. Duan Rujin followed behind, eventually standing side-by-side with her in the cramped space, maintaining only a one-person distance between them.

Still, no one spoke.

Cen Zhi saw their reflections in the metallic elevator walls. She couldn’t see their faces clearly, but Duan Rujin was covered so tightly—even if she could see clearly, what would she actually see?

Two seconds later, the elevator stopped on the fourth floor.

It was a few people who had just finished eating at Haidilao. They crowded in, laughing and chatting. Cen Zhi stepped back a bit, and Duan Rujin did the same. Among these people, someone kept glancing at them with searching eyes.

Cen Zhi frowned and shifted slightly toward Duan Rujin’s side.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the elevator to reach the B1 underground parking lot. Those people were faster than them; the sound of their chatting echoed in the dim parking lot, making the atmosphere between the two women feel even quieter.

Cen Zhi tucked her hair behind her ear and finally opened her lips, stating directly: “I won’t say anything. You can rest assured.”

“Hm?”

Duan Rujin realized what she meant and let out a light chuckle. “I know you won’t.”

Cen Zhi turned her head. They were about the same height; currently, she could only see Duan Rujin’s eyes. So she asked, “Then what did you want to say to me?”

“I’m just afraid to be in an elevator alone this late at night.”

Cen Zhi fell silent, her lips pressed together.

Chatting in this kind of atmosphere was a strange thing, and what was even weirder was that it felt somewhat… natural?

If time could go back, she definitely wouldn’t have brought the matter up.

Fortunately, the parking spot wasn’t far. Cen Zhi didn’t even turn her head midway; she got straight into her car. Duan Rujin’s car was parked directly opposite hers. Surprisingly, Duan Rujin’s car was a low-profile Wuling Hongguang Mini.

Cen Zhi gripped the steering wheel. She turned on her headlights and could clearly see a Kuromi sticker on the front of the Wuling Hongguang Mini.

“…” Quite cute, Cen Zhi appraised in her heart before starting the engine and driving away without hesitation.

Upon exiting the underground parking lot, she noticed the light rain had stopped at some point. The night sky was like a black blanket covering the world. Cen Zhi rolled down her window slightly and then dialed Wen Lin.

Wen Lin picked up quickly. “Is it over?”

“How are you?” Cen Zhi asked about her drinking.

“I didn’t drink much, but drunk driving is absolutely out of the question.”

Cen Zhi made a turn. “Okay, got it. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

The elevated highway at night was empty of vehicles; there was no traffic. Cen Zhi sped all the way to the bar Wen Lin frequented and picked her up within two minutes.

Wen Lin was a friend she had met through a part-time job back when she was still a university student in Nancheng. It had been six or seven years. Back then, she never would have imagined she would go into business with Wen Lin. Now, they saw each other almost every day. Moreover, for the convenience of work, the apartments they rented were on adjacent floors.

“What time are you going to the stray animal rescue station tomorrow?” Wen Lin propped her head up, looking at the driver.

“Two in the afternoon.”

Wen Lin let out a long sigh. “It’s so hard to get so many stray animals adopted. Even partnering with those pet hospitals, it’s hard to expand our reach.”

“Take it slow,” Cen Zhi said. “It’s already much better than before.”

There were several stray animal rescue stations in Yuncheng, each housing hundreds or even thousands of animals—mostly abandoned or disabled cats and dogs. Cen Zhi and Wen Lin had started participating in this charity three years ago when their business began to pick up. They went to the stations during the beginning, middle, and end of every month to provide supplies like cat and dog food.

But to make the lives of these animals better, the main thing was adoption. Giving them their own homes was the best way to solve the survival problem of stray animals.

Wen Lin rubbed her brow. “Yu Lu is coming with you tomorrow afternoon, right?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder how long you’re going to keep up this ‘straight girl’ roleplay,” Wen Lin laughed, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.

“Can you just get out of the car right now?”

Of course she couldn’t; she still had to drive her straight home.

By the time Cen Zhi finished showering and getting everything ready, it was almost 1:00 AM. She leaned against her headboard and unlocked her phone. She swiped the screen and opened WeChat. Yu Lu had long since sent the photos taken tonight to the temporary group chat and had also sent their two-person photo to her in a private message.

Cen Zhi pretended she was already asleep and didn’t reply to Yu Lu’s message, but she silently zoomed in on the large group photo.

There were many people, and the distance was far when the photo was taken. One could only see rough outlines; specific people weren’t clear. Yet, Duan Rujin could still be spotted at a glance. she was raising her arm in a “peace” sign, smiling brilliantly.

In the corner, Cen Zhi herself had no expression. Actually, she had been smiling at the time, but what could be seen in a photo taken like that?

Cen Zhi glanced at it briefly and then turned off her phone.

She didn’t know when Yu Lu had met Duan Rujin, and it had nothing to do with her anyway. Furthermore, they wouldn’t see each other again after this gathering.

With that thought, the interlude of reuniting with Duan Rujin was pushed to the back of her mind, and she fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, it was already 9:00 AM. On the surface, “Shining Star” was open 24 hours a day, but in reality, aside from occasional nighttime emergencies, both she and Wen Lin set their start time at 10:00 AM.

The light rain had started again, and there was a chill in the air when she stepped out. Cen Zhi didn’t bother with Wen Lin; after eating breakfast, she arrived at the shop.

The decor of “Shining Star” was warm. The first floor included a reception area, a rest area, and an urn storage room. It wasn’t yet ten o’clock, and only a few employees had arrived. Cen Zhi went to the urn storage room and picked up a feather duster to wipe the glass windows.

This storage room was nearly 40 square meters, with a total of 150 compartments. Currently, about 100 urns were placed there. Most of these pet ashes were stored because the owners couldn’t accept the reality of their beloved pets passing away, or because it was inconvenient to take them back. However, storage was only free for one week; fees would be charged after that.

Cen Zhi immediately saw the empty urn that had been moved in yesterday for “Kong Kong.” The compartment also held Kong Kong’s favorite toys and canned food. In the photo, it was running with its tongue out. Cen Zhi dusted the glass.

The morning was spent as usual, cleaning the pets that had appointments. In the afternoon, after a brief lunch break, Cen Zhi was set to go to the stray animal rescue station. Yu Lu sent her a message at 1:30 PM saying she had set off.

During the wait, Cen Zhi sat idly in the rest area. After a while, there was a knock on the main door, and Yu Lu’s voice sounded simultaneously: “A-Zhi.”

Cen Zhi looked over, and her brow twitched.

There was someone else beside Yu Lu.

Duan Rujin was wearing a beret, her eyes curved into crescents as she waved a hand at her. “Miss Cen, we meet again.”

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