Chapter 39

Around nine o’clock, Wen Tang and Zhou Jingyu left the apartment.

Since Wen Tang couldn’t sit in the front seat, Zhou Jingyu didn’t drive himself this time. Instead, he arranged for a driver to bring another car.

The car was a luxury model, spacious and more comfortable than the one Zhou Jingyu usually drove.

Once they got in the car, the driver automatically raised the partition between the front and back seats. Over the past two days, the paparazzi had been stationed at the apartment door without success, and now the number of reporters hanging around had significantly decreased.

Wen Tang was still entangled in rumors, and Zhou Jingyu was concerned but hadn’t found a chance to discuss it with her.

After the car passed the apartment gate, Zhou Jingyu pondered for a moment and asked Wen Tang, “Do you need help with the online situation?”

He hadn’t been in the country for ten years and was unfamiliar with the current state of the entertainment industry, but he still had connections. He had initially planned to handle it himself but now wanted to consult Wen Tang first due to their changed relationship.

Regarding Wen Haifeng and his son, Wen Tang didn’t want Zhou Jingyu to get involved. She shook her head and said softly, “No need, the company can handle it.”

Just recently, Liu Meifen had called her again during the time Zhou Jingyu was changing clothes, asking her to get ready because a new brand was interested in her. They hoped to use the current buzz to recover from the recent losses.

It looked like she would be able to join a new project soon.

But looking at her boyfriend’s handsome face, they had just started dating. If she got busy again like before, she would be a bit reluctant.

Since that was the case, Zhou Jingyu nodded in agreement and didn’t say more.

Turning to see Wen Tang looking at him eagerly, Zhou Jingyu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Tang sighed, “Zhou Jingyu, have I ever told you that you’re really good-looking?”

Even Wen Tang, who was considered a beauty standard in the entertainment industry, had to admit how striking Zhou Jingyu’s appearance was.

Since childhood, many had praised his looks, but Zhou Jingyu believed that appearance was trivial compared to knowledge and character.

However, it was clear that Wen Tang was very pleased with his looks.

As long as she was happy.

Zhou Jingyu’s lips curved into a slight smile as he asked Wen Tang, “Do you like it?”

Wen Tang nodded.

Of course she liked it! After all, who wouldn’t love someone so good-looking?

Oh, but she wasn’t talking about her past self who used to compete with Zhou Jingyu.

Back then, she was blinded by the opposition.

Zhou Jingyu smiled.

It was like the ice and snow melting, flowers blooming.

He gently ruffled Wen Tang’s hair and pulled her into his embrace.

“Then someone so good-looking is yours now,” he said to her.

Wen Tang had thought about this late at night and was surprised to find that his thoughts coincided with hers.

Wen Tang wholeheartedly agreed.

Snuggling against him and resting her head on his shoulder, she nodded, “You’re right!”

In her playful mind, she was already wondering when she could fully win over her boyfriend.

At the sanatorium, Zhou Donghai had been waiting since early morning, knowing that Zhou Jingyu and Wen Tang were coming.

He now slept a lot, and sometimes, even when Zhou Jingyu visited, he would only hear about it from the caregiver after waking up.

Zhou Jingyu brought in a prepared basket of fruits.

“Grandpa.” Upon entering and seeing Zhou Donghai in bed, he greeted him softly.

Zhou Donghai was resting his eyes and had just woken up an hour or two ago, feeling a bit drowsy.

But when he heard Zhou Jingyu’s voice, he instantly perked up.

He glanced towards the door, and in his excitement, he only saw Zhou Jingyu and didn’t notice anyone else.

“Where’s your girlfriend? Why isn’t she here?” His brow furrowed immediately.

From Zhou Donghai’s tone, it was clear he disapproved.

Wen Tang, who had been following Zhou Jingyu, stepped out from behind him when she heard Zhou Donghai looking for her. She gracefully greeted, “Grandpa.”

When people were young, they looked at many aspects of others, but as they aged and retired, they tended to admire good looks, especially in younger generations.

Zhou Donghai had only heard that Wen Tang was a celebrity, but since he wasn’t good with smartphones and didn’t watch many TV shows or movies, he had never seen her before.

Now that he did, he was quite satisfied with her appearance.

She was beautiful!

And she didn’t lose out standing next to his grandson.

“Come closer, let me have a good look at you,” Zhou Donghai said, waving her over. He remembered his past reputation and feared scaring young girls, so he softened his tone.

Wen Tang had been worried on the way over, afraid that Zhou Donghai might not like her.

She wasn’t afraid of him breaking up the couple. She had never expected any relationship to last forever, given that her relationships had never lasted more than three months.

…Of course, with how much she liked her boyfriend now, the three-month limit was likely to be broken.

After all, her boyfriend was not only handsome but also considerate and could cook.

Even though she hadn’t thought much about the future, Zhou Donghai was very old and seriously ill, and according to Zhou Jingyu’s tone, he wasn’t doing well. Naturally, she hoped that he would like her.

No one wanted to be disliked by their boyfriend’s family.

Seeing that Zhou Donghai’s tone and attitude were quite good, Wen Tang felt a huge sigh of relief. Years of experience had made her bold and fearless. Since Zhou Donghai invited her forward, she approached him.

At the bedside, she also helped adjust the backrest to make him more comfortable.

Zhou Donghai asked Wen Tang various questions—how old she was, what she liked to eat, whether being a celebrity was tiring, and other typical questions elders ask younger people.

Since Zhou Donghai was Zhou Jingyu’s grandfather, Wen Tang treated him with great respect, answering all his questions thoroughly. She could tell that Zhou Donghai was struggling to speak, so she elaborated on her answers to minimize his talking time.

Zhou Jingyu merely listened. As Wen Tang spoke, Zhou Donghai showed no interest in him and didn’t spare him a glance. While they talked, Zhou Jingyu peeled fruits for them.

After about half an hour of chatting, Zhou Donghai couldn’t hold on any longer. His eyelids drooped, and Wen Tang, noticing this, realized he had fallen asleep without her noticing.

Zhou Jingyu took Wen Tang away from the sanatorium.

In the car, Zhou Jingyu held Wen Tang’s hand and said, “Grandpa really likes you.”

This was actually quite unexpected for him.

Zhou Donghai was somewhat old-fashioned. When he was a dominant figure in the business world years ago, everyone feared him, and younger family members didn’t dare get close. He had high standards and didn’t easily like people.

Wen Tang didn’t know what made her likable. In the eyes of wealthy families, she had little knowledge, no family background, and worked in the entertainment industry, which they looked down upon. She could only think of one possible advantage.

“Maybe it’s because I’m so beautiful!”

That must be why she was liked, definitely!

Wen Tang proudly tilted her head and told Zhou Jingyu.

Seeing her self-satisfied and immodest comment, Zhou Jingyu laughed.

With a smile in his eyes, he agreed, “Yes, that’s right.”

Since Wen Tang had weighed 0.54 kilograms more than usual this morning, she resolutely resisted temptation at lunch and, despite Zhou Jingyu’s persuasion, only had a few bites.

That night, Wen Tang went to the bathroom specifically to relieve herself and stripped off everything she could—slippers, thick clothes—wearing only a thin camisole, hoping to weigh herself with as little on as possible. When she weighed herself again, her weight had finally returned to normal.

With her weight back to normal, she felt relieved. Zhou Jingyu made her dinner that evening. Since they had eaten out for lunch, she couldn’t refuse the dinner prepared by her boyfriend.

Since she hadn’t gained weight, she ate with peace of mind.

Of course, she didn’t eat too much.

Maintaining a celebrity figure required long-term discipline; otherwise, like this morning, a moment of indulgence could lead to uncontrolled fluctuations.

Zhou Jingyu came to understand Wen Tang’s obsession with her weight that day and could only shake his head with deep concern.

Being so thin and eating so little—could her body handle it?

To this, Wen Tang replied, “Beauty is enough! What more could I want?”

Well then.

Is appearance more important than health?

Zhou Jingyu would never understand the obsession with weight that female celebrities have.

During the day in the car, Wen Tang had mischievous thoughts about Zhou Jingyu. As bedtime approached, she used the excuse of being frightened by a horror movie the previous night to keep him from leaving.

She tried every way possible to keep Zhou Jingyu at home.

“Zhou Jingyu, don’t go. I’ll be very scared if I wake up and don’t see you.”

Holding Zhou Jingyu’s hand, Wen Tang pleaded with a pitiful look.

After her bath, she wore a camisole that showed off her bare shoulders and long legs, which made her figure look even more alluring.

She had specifically dressed like this for Zhou Jingyu, but he, lacking in romantic understanding, simply picked her up and carried her to bed, covering her with thick blankets from her toes to her neck. He frowned and said, “Why are you dressed so scantily? Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Wen Tang: “…”

She couldn’t tell if Zhou Jingyu was genuinely clueless or just pretending not to understand.

She was dressed like this!

A lone man and woman, with kindling fire.

Was it her lack of charm or his lack of interest that he hadn’t ignited yet???