Chapter 83: You Are Thirty Years Old, So You Are Not Young Anymore

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

The two Dragon Li cats in the yard are the native inhabitants here, having grown up in this place, and they are very friendly.

At this moment, Gu Jinrong and Shen Qingzhi each hold one in their arms, sitting together on a small bamboo stool, harmoniously resembling a family of four.

After Huang Yuanxi and others finished their inspection and returned to the courtyard, upon just entering the main gate, they saw four pairs of round eyes straight ahead, heading towards the entrance.

Is this... some kind of special welcoming ceremony?

Most surprisingly, even the usually gentle and quiet Gu Jinrong, unexpectedly naturally merged into such a scene.

It gives a strange illusion, as if these four, right in front of their eyes, were indeed a family.

Huang Yuanxi didn't voice the doubt in her heart. She maintained a caring, authoritative demeanor, informing the two remaining guests that tomorrow's field labor might be quite tiring, so it'd be wise to rest early tonight.

Shen Qingzhi discreetly glanced at her phone; it wasn't even 8 p.m., indeed quite early. She couldn't help but marvel if rural life nowadays was always this health-conscious.

However, everyone was very willing to comply with the suggestion of "resting earlier."

Resting time didn't imply the necessity of sleeping but indicated the chance to switch off the cameras.

The production team arranged two bedrooms for the five guests. Resident guests Huang Yuanxi and Wen Qi shared one, while temporary guests Gu Jinrong, Shen Qingzhi, and Yu Kexin shared the other.

After the newcomers finished packing their luggage in their rooms, they took turns to shower.

Despite the small size of the courtyard, there were actually two bathrooms. So, when Shen Qingzhi carried a basin to bathe, she accidentally bumped into Wen Qi, who was also heading out.

There were no cameras here, so the two didn't need to pretend to be friendly.

As Wen Qi passed by Shen Qingzhi, she didn't even spare a glance, leaving Shen Qingzhi hanging in her attempt to exchange greetings.

Shen Qingzhi, completely ignored by the other person, didn't get angry. About to continue forward, she heard a "clang" sound from beside her.

Wen Qi seemed to stumble, leaning against the wall, with things from the basin scattered all over the floor.

Shen Qingzhi turned back and, seeing that the other person didn't seem to have any immediate action in mind, politely asked, "Do you need help?"

For a while, the other person didn't respond. It seemed she did need help.

Shen Qingzhi squatted down and quickly picked up the scattered bottles and jars, shook off the dust, and stuffed them into the small plastic basin.

While picking up these things, she glimpsed at a small white medicine bottle the size of a thumb, the English on it somewhat familiar. But before she could examine it closely, the bottle's owner snatched it away.

Wen Qi, regaining some strength, looked at Shen Qingzhi, her face cold, "Don't think that trying to please me, can make me not dislike you."

Shen Qingzhi:?

Hey, which eye of yours saw me trying to please you?

Shen Qingzhi was somewhat amused by anger but seeing the person in front of her with such a stern expression, she suddenly lost the desire to argue with her.

She picked up her basin, stood up, and said, "Then I won't try to please you. Bye."

She took two steps, then lightly added, "Occasionally taking that medicine is fine, but if you rely on it, the obvious side effects will show."

After speaking, she didn't wait for the other person's reaction, leaving only a gradually fading figure behind.

Shen Qingzhi finished her shower and the next one in line was Yu Kexin.

At this moment, Shen Qingzhi, dressed in comfortable cotton pajamas, curled up on the not-so-spacious single bed. Rarely before sleep, she didn't play with her phone but instead stared at Gu Jinrong, who was flipping through a book nearby, with an unwavering gaze.

The woman before her had delicate features, and a focused expression, always leaving one wanting to look more.

Gu Jinrong came to record the variety show and brought along a foreign-language novel.

It wasn't that she was particularly fond of reading; rather, she noticed that her little girl seemed to always admire her reading appearance at home.

Just like now, those rabbit-like eyes had been fixed on her for a good ten minutes.

Even though she didn't know what was so attractive about her appearance, she was more than happy to indulge her.

Yet, this time, Shen Qingzhi's secret observation of others lasted much longer than usual.

Previously, at most, she would sneak a peek for three minutes, then pretend to find something else to do, only to resume the observation later.

This time, with the duration being so long, Gu Jinrong tried her best to go along, pretending not to notice, even enduring the thirst that arose halfway through, resisting the urge to get a glass of water.

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Another five minutes passed. Though Gu Jinrong truly enjoyed the attention of her little girl, the inexplicable idol pressure made her maintain the same posture for a long time without moving, which was quite tiring.

She stood up, stretched her neck, and casually met Shen Qingzhi's gaze, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

Shen Qingzhi, caught by those charming eyes, only then realized she had been staring for quite some time.

She sat up straight on the bed and casually asked, "Have you finished reading the book?"

“Qingqing, are you hoping I've finished, or are you hoping I haven't?" Gu Jinrong was relaxed now, teasing mischievously.

Shen Qingzhi: ...

Whether you finished or not, it has nothing to do with whether I want it or not.

Shen Qingzhi saw Gu Jinrong's amused expression and realized her earlier little peek had been completely exposed.

This Black Heart, turns out she had been deliberately teasing people all along.

Caught red-handed, Shen Qingzhi felt unjustly embarrassed and angry. If she had been caught staring due to infatuation, she might have accepted it. But just now, she was clearly lost in thought and had momentarily forgotten to avert her gaze.

But looking at Gu Jinrong's current appearance, she was clearly laughing at her for being infatuated. She couldn't bear this charge for nothing.

"I wasn't intentionally looking at you just now, I was thinking," Shen Qingzhi's response was evasive, not aligning properly. Seeming like there are no three hundred taels of silver here.

"What could make you so preoccupied, could it be related to me?"

As the saying goes, "Those near vermilion are stained red." Gu Jinrong, having spent a long time with Shen Qingzhi, has also picked up some of her self-love, no, confidence.

Seeing Gu Jinrong's confident look, Shen Qingzhi wanted to fight back directly.

But she guessed correctly, this matter was indeed related to her.

Just before Shen Qingzhi took a shower, she saw the medicine bottle of Wen Qi, which contained medication for mental health-related issues.

Gu Jinrong said that both she and Wen Qi had psychological problems and have now overcome them, but it seems that is not the case.

Wen Qi is still secretly taking the kind of medicine that may cause dependence, but what about Gu Jinrong?

Shen Qingzhi felt a little confused, but she couldn't speak about what she saw directly.

She knew that Gu Jinrong was still quite resistant to anything related to Wen Qi, and subconsciously, she didn't wish for these two individuals to get involved too deeply again.

However, with uncertainties building up inside her, she found it hard to keep silent.

After careful consideration, Shen Qingzhi attempted to delicately raise the issue, “Mm, how's your health usually? Do you take medication?"

Gu Jinrong was stunned, "What?"

Shen Qingzhi realized that the question she just asked was abrupt and quickly made up for it.

"I don't mean anything else. I just see that you only sleep a few hours a day, which seems to be quite hard. You are already thirty years old, so you are not young anymore..."

Shen Qingzhi's subsequent rambling was to cover her discomfort, but in Gu Jinrong's ears, only the words ‘You are already thirty years old, so you are not young anymore’ remained.

She had already been slightly bothered by the seven-year age gap between herself and Shen Qingzhi, creating at least a couple of generational gaps.

Now, this little concern had been bluntly spoken by her beloved, causing the usually gentle and affectionate face to instantly turn dark.

"Qingqing, do you think I'm old?"

A woman at thirty is in her prime, with both vitality and charm. Yet now, because of the reckless words of a twenty-three-year-old girl, she felt completely thrown off guard.

Seeing that Gu Jinrong seemed to have misunderstood, Shen Qingzhi hurriedly explained, "No, no, you are young and beautiful, I'm just a bit worried about your body."

In reality, she was more concerned about Gu Jinrong's mental state, but fearing she might upset her, she continuously tried to speak in a roundabout manner.

However, what was intended in Shen Qingzhi's words translated differently to Gu Jinrong.

"Shouldn't Qingqing know the best about my body? You're quite good at finding places to provoke. Too bad this is a three-person dorm."

Yu Kexin, who returned to the dormitory after taking a shower, happened to overhear the last sentence. With her towel in hand, she looked a bit puzzled.

"What's wrong with the three-person dormitory? Did I disturb your world? How about I go squeeze in with Teacher Huang and the others?”

When Shen Qingzhi saw that Yu Kexin was really ready to pack up and leave, she quickly stopped her.

"No, no, the three-person dormitory is just right. Triangle is the most stable shape. Kexin, you are not allowed to leave!”

Gu Jinrong's implication from earlier only reached Yu Kexin halfway, leaving her confused, while Shen Qingzhi instantly understood.

Her ears were burning red now. Fortunately, the room's dim lighting offered some cover.

She regretted a bit. Why did she have to provoke that cunning person? And all of this was happening within the production team; could one be so bold here?

Yu Kexin was just joking around, but if they were to change rooms, it would require a fabricated reason, so Shen Qingzhi managed to stop her easily.

But observing Gu Jinrong's seemingly ambiguous gaze nearby seemed to express a kind of emotion named "resentment."

She must have misunderstood. How could Movie Queen Gu, who had always been calm and indifferent and looked up to by others, be so resentful?

Gu Jinrong was the last one to take a shower. Yu Kexin, who greatly admired Shen Qingzhi during the day, was now hurriedly trying to learn from her.

"Qingzhi, tell me quickly, the theories you mentioned during the fortune-telling earlier today, like the '7 as the number of turning points' or 'K as the technique of emperors,' where did you learn those?"

"These all come from a mysterious divination book." Shen Qingzhi was bored at this time and was deliberately teasing.

"What book? I'd like to see it too."

"That book is now a rare copy. You might find it hard to see. It's called "Shen's Secret Book of Divine Calculation'." Shen Qingzhi playfully shook her head, pretending to be profound.

"Hey, what a pity." Yu Kexin expressed regret, but upon hearing the book's title, she suddenly realized.

"The book wasn't written by you, was it? Did you make up those words during the day?"

“How could you call that 'made up' if your heart is sincere?" Shen Qingzhi was quite unhappy that her fortune-telling prowess was being questioned like this.

Yu Kexin once again marveled at the shamelessness of the woman in front of her.

"Then you dare to make such big predictions about Teacher Wen Qi's fortune, and ask her to come to you to settle the score if she doesn't have a grand marriage.”

Shen Qingzhi didn't feel guilty about this.

"Twelve is an imaginary number, and I didn't promise when this marriage would come.”

"Besides, with Teacher Wen Qi's personality, it's strange that she can calm down when she really falls in love. Anyway, the final authority on interpretations lies with the fortune-teller."

Yu Kexin pondered for a moment, finding some sense in it, then playfully threw a pillow, saying, "You're such a ghost.”

Shen Qingzhi caught the pillow and acted like a childish ghost, promptly retaliated by throwing it back, initiating a pillow battle where neither of the two would back down, setting the stage for an imminent pillow fight.

When Gu Jinrong returned to the room, what she saw were the lively appearances of two girls of similar ages, full of youthful energy.

She stood silently at the door for a long time, until the two people who were originally playing around touched the back of their necks in unison.

What's happening? How did the good atmosphere suddenly become so sinister?