Famous Actresses, Please Keep Your Distance From Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Cen Zhi felt this conversation shared a subtle resemblance to those TV dramas where a character says, “Here’s five million, stay away from my son.” Except, this was the significantly lower-budget version. For her, even blurting out “one million” had required immense courage; she had never entertained the thought of gaining anything from Duan Rujin.

Their break had been clean. When they returned to school the next day, they never contacted each other again. Even during graduation photos, they had stood on opposite ends, far apart.

Aside from the two of them, no one knew what had happened on that rainy night.

Even now, Cen Zhi felt they should remain in their respective positions from that graduation photo, rather than being tied together across a crowded room.

Duan Rujin’s soft voice reached Cen Zhi’s ears through her mask: “Deal.”

Cen Zhi’s nerves spiked instantly. She didn’t mean it literally; she just wanted Duan Rujin to know that she wasn’t going to talk. How did the plot get here? Even the heroines in dramas refuse the five million—couldn’t Duan Rujin refuse?

Even if the roles were reversed, who actually agrees to such a thing?

“But I have to pay you in installments.” Duan Rujin raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “And I only accept in-person hand-offs. I’ll give you cash every time so there’s no paper trail. Can you accept that?”

“…” Cen Zhi felt her temples throbbing. She stared into Duan Rujin’s eyes, then reached out and tugged the other woman’s fisherman hat down further over her face. She stood up and looked at the health center wall, her gaze losing focus.

This action was a bit over the line for their current relationship, but Cen Zhi couldn’t help herself.

Fine.

They were both joking, though Duan Rujin’s joke was far more ridiculous.

The health center lobby was noisy. It was full of children receiving IV drips, expressing every discomfort through tears. Combined with the chatter of parents, the cacophony was nothing compared to the chaos inside Cen Zhi’s head.

After a while, it was Duan Rujin’s turn for her shot.

The two entered a consulting room further inside, one after the other.

This time, Cen Zhi didn’t need Duan Rujin to say a word. She positioned herself, raised her arms, and proactively “offered” her waist—or rather, “leased” it out for free.

However, Duan Rujin didn’t hug her this time. She simply grabbed the hem of Cen Zhi’s shirt with her other hand.

Cen Zhi could still only see the top of Duan Rujin’s hat, but this time she could also see Duan Rujin’s fingernails turning white from gripping the fabric so hard. She saw the cat bite on the webbing of her hand; the two small punctures were slowly scabbing over.

Feeling an indescribable emotion, Cen Zhi did what she did last time—she lowered her hand and gently covered the back of Duan Rujin’s hand with her own.

But how long does an injection take?

Cen Zhi blinked twice, and the doctor said: “Done.”

She let go without hesitation, though her palm felt an involuntary itch. Her fingers curled twice before she smoothed out the hem of her shirt.

There weren’t actually any wrinkles.

Duan Rujin caught the gesture out of the corner of her eye. She let out a self-deprecating curl of her lip and turned to thank the doctor: “Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor waved a hand. “Stay for thirty minutes for observation. Be careful once you go home.”

“I will.”

“By the way,” the doctor added cheerfully, “I really enjoy your acting.”

Duan Rujin’s eyes crinkled again. “It’s my honor.”

Cen Zhi remained silent, following Duan Rujin out of the room.

The sound of an infant crying echoed in the hallway, and the lobby wasn’t much better. Neither could leave immediately, so they sat on the chairs to wait out the observation period.

Around noon, they finally exited the health center, leaving the noise behind.

Linshui Road was named for its proximity to Yuncheng’s moat. This area was in the city center, near a bustling district. Vehicles flowed steadily along the wide road in an orderly fashion.

Cen Zhi glanced at Duan Rujin. “Keep your vaccination record safe this time, okay?”

“I will.”

“Good.”

“Cen Zhi,” Duan Rujin called her name. “Talk to me.”

“About what?”

“…Dating?” Duan Rujin’s voice tilted upward at the end.

Cen Zhi felt her head aching. “Can you please not say such things randomly?”

“You’re allowed to talk nonsense about a million dollars, but I’m not allowed to say anything else?”

Cen Zhi realized that staying on the street with Duan Rujin would eventually lead to her being recognized. She stopped resisting and pointed to her car parked across the street. “Get in the car. Let’s clear everything up once and for all.”

“Okay.”

Duan Rujin followed her across the crosswalk and into the sedan.

The van usually had a mixed, unpleasant smell, but Cen Zhi’s sedan was fresh and clean. On the dashboard were several cute, bobbing cat and dog ornaments.

As soon as Duan Rujin got in, she asked, “Where did you buy these?”

“A friend who does handicrafts gave them to me.”

“Are they still for sale?”

Cen Zhi recalled, “I think this batch is gone.” She changed the subject. “What did you want to talk about?”

Duan Rujin finally took off her mask and fisherman hat. She combed through her hair with her fingers and answered casually, “Old classmates meeting—we can talk about anything.”

Cen Zhi looked at her profile. She thought for two seconds, her lips moving: “First of all, it’s impossible that you’re looking to borrow money from me.”

“Mhm, reasonable.”

“Secondly?”

Duan Rujin turned her head, and they faced each other directly.

“Secondly, it’s impossible that you’re just bored out of your mind,” Cen Zhi said with certainty.

Duan Rujin shifted her posture, comfortably resting her elbow on the window sill and propping her face in her palm. Her long hair fell naturally, and her fingertips tapped lightly against her cheek. “Why is that impossible?”

“Because I shouldn’t be used by you for…” Cen Zhi searched for the word, “…amusement.”

Duan Rujin froze slightly, her beautiful lips parting. “Am I bothering you?”

“No.”

“I don’t mean to use you for amusement.” Duan Rujin sat up straight, looking incredibly sincere. “Yuncheng is just where I’m staying during my break. I’m not even from here. But isn’t ‘meeting an old friend in a distant land’ one of the four great joys of life? I think it’s a wonderful surprise to run into you here, Cen Zhi.”

Cen Zhi caught a piece of information: “It’s just a temporary stay for you?”

“Yes.” Duan Rujin nodded. “I’ll be in a different city for my next break.”

Cen Zhi finally felt she could breathe easier. “Fine.” She paused. “I can accept that explanation.”

No matter how distant they had been, they were indeed university classmates. They had shared many classes and activities together. Uh, and they had slept together once, but she could ignore that part.

“What about you?” Duan Rujin’s voice drifted into Cen Zhi’s ear.

Cen Zhi was a bit confused. “What?”

“Do you find it a surprise to see me again?”

Since things had reached this point, it wasn’t right for Cen Zhi to deny it. She nodded calmly. Meeting Duan Rujin’s intense gaze, she spoke softly: “A little.”

If a lie could make the world less awkward, then it was fine.

Duan Rujin laughed. “Good,” she said. “So that’s how it is. There’s no need for any ‘hush money.’ I was never worried about you telling anyone about us meeting.”

“…”

Cen Zhi was stunned.

It turned out their thoughts hadn’t been on the same frequency at all.

Cen Zhi felt a surge of shock, though she didn’t show it. Her mind raced, replaying their conversations since the reunion—

On the night of the 8th, in the parking lot of the mall: – I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry. – I know you won’t.

Today, the 12th, at the health center: – Do you still not trust me and think I’ll talk? – Hmm?

Connecting the dots, Cen Zhi only felt ridiculous. From beginning to end, it had just been a brainstorm in her own head. In reality, Duan Rujin either didn’t remember that night or simply didn’t care.

She had overestimated her own significance.

“Mhm.” Cen Zhi could only manage a syllable from the back of her throat.

She was just glad she hadn’t explicitly brought up the night five years ago. This way, even if it was a misunderstanding, it didn’t matter. Duan Rujin wouldn’t know what she was thinking, and she wouldn’t have to pay for her own embarrassment.

“So…” Duan Rujin drew out the word. “Thank you, Cen Zhi.”

Cen Zhi pulled her thoughts back, her eyelashes fluttering. “Thank you for what?”

“Accompanying me for the shot.”

Cen Zhi gave her standard formal reply: “You’re welcome.” She paused. “We’re old classmates, after all.”

“But I feel like a verbal thanks is too hollow.”

“No—”

Before Cen Zhi could finish saying “No need,” Duan Rujin had already pulled out her phone, pointing to a gourmet restaurant she had bookmarked. “So, I want to treat you to a meal. Are you free?”

Cen Zhi looked into her eyes, the refusal already on the tip of her tongue. “Didn’t you say you would speak up for those stray animals? That would be the greatest help. Anything else…” Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. “…is unnecessary.”

Since it was all a misunderstanding, and since Yuncheng was just a temporary stop for Duan Rujin, their encounter could simply end here.

Duan Rujin’s phone screen went dark after she finished speaking.

The atmosphere inside the car turned quiet, while pedestrians outside laughed and talked.

After an unknown amount of time—maybe ten seconds—Duan Rujin sighed. “It seems you lied.”

“Lied about what?”

“You didn’t find it a surprise to see me.” Duan Rujin curled her lip. “Not at all, right?”

Cen Zhi didn’t respond.

Duan Rujin looked at the branches outside the window. “Not a single classmate can get in touch with you. It’s like you vanished from the face of the earth.” Her chest felt a bit tight as she spoke. “Should I not have appeared in front of you?”

Support Famous Actresses, Please Keep Your Distance From Me