Chapter 62: Pretend She Didn’t Understand

This translation is originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

The two of them had a simple dinner in the room, and when they saw the time, it was only after eight o'clock in the evening.

"Qingqing, let's go out for a walk? Or do you want to continue to rest in the room?"

"Not resting!" At this moment, Shen Qingzhi couldn't stand the word "rest." Hadn't they rested enough just now?

Her body was still a bit weak at the moment, but the thought of arriving at the tourist spot and immediately diving into the hotel room made her wonder how others would perceive them if they stayed indoors all day.

Even though there weren't many people around the resort, and everyone had their own things to do, probably nobody would pay attention to when exactly the guests of a certain room went out. However, someone couldn't resist her own inner drama.

Half an hour later, the two came to a small town near the villa.

This place was only a little over twenty minutes' drive from the hot spring resort, yet it felt like stepping into another world.

This town seems a bit remote in location, but there are several shops inside that are well-known overseas as famous spots, making it lively at this time.

When Shen Qingzhi got out of the car and saw many foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes, she was stunned for a moment and hurriedly opened her small bag to find a mask.

"There are too many people here. What if someone recognizes me?"

"It's okay, most of them here aren't from China, they won't recognize you," kindly reassured Gu Jinrong, seeing that Shen Qingzhi couldn't find anything to cover up.

This is heartbreaking and realistic to say.

"No, even if most tourists are not Chinese, aren't you afraid of being recognized?"

Shen Qingzhi has not forgotten that the international movie queen standing next to her is no less famous overseas than in China.

Why did she, a second-tier actress, have to carefully disguise herself when the actress could stay so composed as an international star?

"Not afraid," Gu Jinrong said, holding Shen Qingzhi's hand to show her answer through actions.

For Shen Qingzhi, it was the first time walking openly in the bustling city since her rise in popularity about half a year ago.

Her previous experiences were still fresh in her memory, and even the most careless person had to be cautious.

At first, Shen Qingzhi was a bit apprehensive. She felt like she was shining like a 100-watt light bulb, attracting attention, especially with an even brighter bulb beside her at the moment.

But soon, she realized she might have been overly worried. She also understood why Gu Jinrong said "not afraid" earlier.

Gu Jinrong's international fame didn't disappoint her. As they walked, more than half the people recognized her.

However, everyone was polite, most just followed with their gazes. Some bold ones approached for an autograph, but it wasn't too many, and it didn't cause any crowding.

Under this atmosphere, even some of Shen Qingzhi's fans who recognized her became more courteous.

Seeing Gu Jinrong's composed demeanor, Shen Qingzhi wondered, "Were you like this in M Country before?"

"Mm." Gu Jinrong handed the just-signed autograph to the nearby young girl in a very casual tone.

"When you swipe your face* so much, no matter how much you cover up, you'll still be recognized. Sometimes, being fully disguised looks odd and attracts attention."

*being popular or beautiful that you can be easily recognized like in face recognition technology.

"In fact, most movie fans just find it fascinating when screen personalities appear in real life. The more concealed, the more curious people become.”

"So, it's better to be open for harmonious interaction. Respect is mutual.”

The little girl who got the autograph as she wished was very excited and exchanged a few friendly words with Gu Jinrong.

The language they were using at this time was the language of S Country, which is a rare language that few people in China can understand.

This translation is originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

But Shen Qingzhi had minored in several languages ​​since she was a child, and she understood.

"Miss Gu, are you also out here with friends? Is the lady next to you your friend? She's so pretty."

“Mm, I'm taking advantage of the holiday to go out for a walk. This person next to me is not my friend, she is my lover."

"Oh oh oh, no wonder! You both look very well-suited. I wish you lifelong happiness!"

"Thank you, but this matter needs to be kept secret for the time being.”

"No problem, I will keep it secret until you make it official."

Shen Qingzhi looked at the two people next to her, they were having a lot of fun in front of her, the main character. Especially the little fan girl, who looked at her ambiguously several times. She pretended she didn't understand.

When the person walked away, Shen Qingzhi pretended to be nonchalant and asked casually: "What were you talking about just now?" 

She complimented you on your good looks and asked if we were good friends. I replied that we were legal partners."

This is true, nine points true and one point false.

In the language of S Country, "legal partner" and “lover" are not the same terms.

Even though to most people these two terms may seem similar in meaning, in their actual situation, the difference is quite significant.

If we say they are legitimate wives, this is indeed true. Although there was a contract in the middle, the red book they received was indeed genuine.

But if it is a lover, it emphasizes a layer of spiritual bond.

Judging by Gu Jinrong's proficiency in using the language of S Country just now, she wouldn't mix up such basic vocabulary. Therefore, it seems intentional. Intentionally telling the fans they are "lover” and then deliberately translating them as "legal partners." At this moment, the liar doesn't feel ashamed, but the listener involuntarily blushes, yet they have to pretend to remain composed. "Aren't we just friends? Why do you need to specially explain?"

"Are we still friends now?"

Gu Jinrong's rhetorical question immediately choked Shen Qingzhi to silence. She received no response and continued to explain herself. "If no one comes to ask about things like marriage, as an artist, you don't have to take the initiative to announce it immediately.

"But since the fans asked, we shouldn't lie about such a big thing.”

These words sounded so upright and awe-inspiring, but both of them seemed to have suffered from amnesia at the same time.

The third clause of the marriage agreement: "Do not disclose the relationship to anyone outside of family and friends." 

Although Shen Qingzhi was forgetful, she hadn't completely lost her mind: Wait, she only asked if we were friends, not about your marital status. It's just a casual remark, not a lie.

Besides, you clearly didn't say “legal partner", you said "lover".

You can't lie to fans, yet you can lie to me?!

Shen Qingzhi, who is rarely smart, can't show off her intelligence at this time.

A woman's sixth sense tells her that this is not the right time to break the casserole and ask the truth.

Since it is not convenient to continue this topic, then find a way to change the topic.

"There are too many people over there, let's go this way.”

“Okay."

Shen Qingzhi casually pointed in a direction without realizing that it indeed became more remote as they walked further.

On both the north and south sides of the same town, one side was bustling with famous internet-famous shops while the other had only a few scattered storefronts, hardly visible to tourists.

Seeing Shen Qingzhi's doubts, Gu Jinrong took the initiative to act as a guide.

"If you keep going forward, you'll reach the residential area. A few years ago, this town only had a few locals and wasn't well-known.”

"Later, because a few major influencers came here, they brought attention to some internet-famous shops, gradually making the town lively. However, most of those shops are concentrated in the southern part of the town, where we initially arrived."

So that's it. However, although Shen Qingzhi appeared lively on the outside, she preferred tranquility in private. Gazing at the narrow alley ahead, she asked, "Can tourists walk down this street?"

"They can, but..."

Before Gu Jinrong finished speaking, she noticed a six or seven-year-old girl sitting on the roadside, tending to a small stall in front of her, with a flashlight placed beside her.

The girl's slender figure appeared quite lonely, contrasting sharply with the prior lively atmosphere.

As she was about to investigate, Shen Qingzhi had already squatted in front of the stall.

The stall wasn't big, displaying handmade concentric knots. The ropes used were very common, but the weaving technique was delicate, creating various shapes.

Shen Qingzhi picked up one of the concentric knots and asked, "Xiao Meimei, did you make these? Where are the adults in your family?"

When the little girl saw someone coming, her eyes turned bright.

"My dad and mom are still working outside. They said they'll get triple wages these days. I'm on vacation, so I made some handicrafts myself. Do you want to buy one, Jiejie This one is five yuan, this one is seven yuan..."

Glancing around, there were probably about twenty concentric knots left on the stall. Late at night, a little girl, all alone...

Shen Qingzhi rarely showed a gentle elder sisterly demeanor, "I'll buy all of these. Is 300 yuan enough? Give me a QR code."

The little girl rubbed her hands in embarrassment, “I can't take that much, if you want to buy them all, I have to calculate the price. And Jiejie, I don’t have a mobile phone.”

This troubled Shen Qingzhi. She intended to let the little girl go home earlier but didn't expect someone not to have a phone these days. However, considering the girl's situation, it was very reasonable.

"Then let's calculate together." Gu Jinrong spoke as she squatted at the stall, dividing the pile of concentric knots according to the little girl's prices and earnestly calculated the price.

"Seven for five yuan, five by seven is forty-eight; eight for six yuan, six by eight is seventy-two..."

Shen Qingzhi was dumbfounded when she heard this, “How can you calculate like this, black heart, this math..."

She understood Gu Jinrong's intention in her heart and just nodded silently in agreement.

But the little girl quickly raised a question, “Jiejie, you calculated wrong, five times seven equals thirty-five, six times eight equals forty-eight. I'm the earliest in the class to memorize the entire multiplication table."

Her tone still carried a hint of pride.

Gu Jinrong chuckled, "Jiejie hasn't been in school for a long time, my memory's not good anymore. You're impressive! You'll definitely get into a good university in the future."

Finally, the little girl recalculated and came up with the result: twenty-seven concentric knots, a total of one hundred and fifty-five yuan.

Fortunately, Gu Jinrong had exchanged some cash specifically for this trip. The little girl accepted two whole bills, returned 45 yuan as a change, and successfully completed the transaction.

The girl took a small cloth bag and neatly packed all the concentric knots for Gu Jinrong.

Closing her stall ahead of time and feeling quite pleased, she didn't forget to sweetly add before leaving, “Jiejie, there are thirteen heart knots and fourteen flower knots in total here. It symbolizes a lifetime together. You can give them to the blonde lady next to you. It's guaranteed to be effective."

Quite clever for her young age.

Shen Qingzhi watched the little girl leave, finally relieved of a lingering worry.

However, she hadn't expected the young girl to tease even as she left, this time using the local language. She thought she could pretend not to understand, but it didn't work at all.

Shen Qingzhi's cheeks flushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. She tried to keep quiet and forge ahead but was blocked by a small cloth bag.

It was the bag containing the twenty-seven concentric knots.

"I saw you quite liked it before. Don't you want it?" Gu Jinrong's lips curved into a smile, her face bathed in the moon's gentle glow.

"I was just..." Shen Qingzhi lifted her head to retort but fell silent for a moment upon seeing that gentle and charming face.

"Qingqing, don't you like it?"

It's not that she didn't like it, but...

Normally, people gift just one concentric knot at a time. Who would give twenty-seven all at once like this?