Chapter 61

After lunch, Zhou Jingyu had to return to the hotel. The staff from Shengling Group needed to head back together for a collective event, and as the president, his presence was necessary.

Wen Tang had to go back to the set.

So, at the restaurant entrance, the three of them went their separate ways.

Around three in the afternoon, Zhou Jingyu informed Wen Tang that he had set off and expected to arrive in Lingcheng City by 8 p.m. Wen Tang, holding her script, thought about her upcoming scenes while chatting casually with him.

Around four o’clock, Wen Tang received a message on WeChat from someone.

To her surprise, it was from Lu Yi.

Lu Yi had already added Wen Tang as a friend on WeChat this morning. He sent her a message saying that he was already near the filming location and wanted to meet her.

Wen Tang was puzzled as to why Lu Yi had come here.

Why didn’t he leave with Zhou Jingyu and the others? Why did he come to see her specifically? What could he have to say that he couldn’t say in front of Zhou Jingyu earlier, but had to come to see her after Zhou Jingyu left?

Wen Tang sensitively detected that Lu Yi did not come with good intentions.

Since he was already here, it was necessary to meet him.

However, Wen Tang’s scenes were about to start filming, so she only had half an hour.

The filming location was in a rather remote area, with nowhere suitable for people to rest or chat nearby, except for a small restaurant where the crew usually ordered their meals.

When Wen Tang arrived, Lu Yi was already waiting inside. The young master had never been to such a dirty and messy place before. There was a layer of grease on the table, and after he sat down, he grabbed a few napkins and compulsively wiped the table repeatedly.

He stopped only when Wen Tang arrived, motioning for her to sit down with a gesture.

Wen Tang nodded at him and sat down in the seat opposite him.

Although they hadn’t started talking yet, both of them could feel the heavy atmosphere.

In fact, Lu Yi didn’t have any particular prejudice against Wen Tang. After spending half a day together, he found that she had a good personality, unlike the rumors that painted her as arrogant and difficult to get along with, or as someone who loved to act like a diva.

However, Lu Yi no longer believed in female celebrities from the entertainment industry.

Moreover, considering Zhou Jingyu’s family background, it was impossible for him to truly marry a female celebrity. Would his grandfather agree? Would his family agree? In the end, it would only lead to a breakup.

It was better to end things sooner rather than later.

There were some things that Lu Yi couldn’t say with Zhou Jingyu present.

Lu Yi didn’t think Zhou Jingyu and Wen Tang were a good match, but since he and Zhou Jingyu had grown up together, he knew Zhou Jingyu’s personality well. Zhou Jingyu always had his own opinions and wouldn’t easily listen to others. Lu Yi had no way to intervene, and Zhou Jingyu would definitely ignore him. But this didn’t deter Lu Yi. Since he couldn’t influence Zhou Jingyu’s thoughts, he decided to approach the situation from Wen Tang’s side. There was always a way to get things done.

Wen Tang and Zhou Jingyu had been inseparable all morning, so Lu Yi had no opportunity. He first added Wen Tang on WeChat and, when Zhou Jingyu and the others left, used the excuse of having something to do to stay behind in Lucheng.

After meeting Wen Tang, Lu Yi didn’t speak immediately. Wen Tang, knowing her time was limited, took the initiative and asked, “Is there something you need to discuss with me?”

Lu Yi was the young master of his family, a true second-generation rich kid.

But because they had spent half a day together earlier, his attitude wasn’t arrogant or overbearing, though his words were somewhat harsh.

The restaurant was rundown, but the chairs were sturdy with backs. Lu Yi leaned back lazily and asked, “Wen Tang, do you think you’re a good match with Zhou Jingyu?”

Wen Tang frowned.

If she had been uncertain before, she was now completely sure that Lu Yi had not come with good intentions.

Wen Tang asked, “In what aspect?”

She subtly adjusted her attitude towards Lu Yi, no longer seeing him as Zhou Jingyu’s friend but as a relatively unfamiliar person she had only spent half a day with.

Lu Yi lowered his gaze slightly. “In every aspect.”

This was the first time he had ever tried to break up a couple, and it felt unfamiliar. Unexpectedly, he even felt a bit guilty.

To suppress these inexplicable emotions, he tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Lu Yi, in front of Wen Tang now, appeared just as he did to others: playful and nonchalant.

Wen Tang didn’t say anything further, simply watching him with her arms crossed, signaling that she was all ears.

After a few seconds of silence, Lu Yi couldn’t resist the guilt of playing the bad guy and sighed before saying to Wen Tang, “You know about Jingyu’s grandfather’s serious illness, right?”

In fact, Zhou Jingyu had rarely shared information about his girlfriend with him since they started dating. It was only this morning that he learned Wen Tang was Zhou Jingyu’s girlfriend.

Lu Yi knew little about Wen Tang and wasn’t sure how far their relationship had progressed, but it was unlikely they had met the parents yet. In Lu Yi’s mind, Zhou Jingyu’s grandfather was always a decisive and high-ranking figure with extremely high standards. He wouldn’t approve of Wen Tang.

At a recent class reunion, he even heard that Zhou Jingyu’s grandfather was personally arranging blind dates for Zhou Jingyu.

It was likely that Zhou Jingyu wouldn’t tell his family about his relationship. If Zhou Donghai found out, he would definitely break them up.

Wen Tang had no idea Lu Yi’s thoughts were so complex, thinking about so much.

Wen Tang, of course, knew about Zhou Jingyu’s grandfather.

She had even met the old man several times and had a good relationship with him.

However, Wen Tang felt that her relationship with Lu Yi was just so-so, and before figuring out Lu Yi’s intentions for meeting her, she didn’t feel the need to share everything with him.

So Wen Tang simply nodded, indicating that she was aware of it.

As expected, she knew.

Lu Yi had planned to use Zhou Donghai as leverage against Wen Tang, and since she knew about the situation, it made things easier.

Lu Yi continued, “Since you know about the old man’s illness and that his time is limited, you must also know that his biggest wish right now is to see Zhou Jingyu get married, right?”

This time, Lu Yi didn’t need to see Wen Tang’s reaction; he was confident in his words.

He continued, “Zhou Jingyu’s family background is vastly different from yours. Since he returned to China, his family has been actively arranging blind dates for him, hoping that he can fulfill his grandfather’s last wish before he passes.”

“But do you know? Because of you, Zhou Jingyu is now unwilling to cooperate with these plans. He spent ten years abroad and returned to take over as CEO. On the surface, everyone is envious, but how many people know the difficulties he’s facing? His two uncles refuse to relinquish power to him and constantly create enemies for him. Clearly, a marriage alliance is the best option, but he chose you instead. But besides bringing him exposure and scandals, what else can you offer him?”

Lu Yi spoke a lot in one breath.

Zhou Jingyu’s situation was indeed difficult, but not as exaggerated as Lu Yi described. The real difficulties were six months ago when Zhou Jingyu had just returned to the country. At that time, things were tough, but now, Zhou Jingyu had largely gained control of the internal affairs of the company. His uncles and the board members could no longer ignore his presence.

Lu Yi’s words were half-true, but they failed to sway Wen Tang.

She had been with Zhou Jingyu for over five months, and while there were things she didn’t know about him at the beginning, she had gradually learned more over time. She understood that Lu Yi’s words were mixed with exaggerations and not entirely factual. Wen Tang was not someone who would easily waver just because of what others said. She had her own considerations. In this situation, if Zhou Jingyu hadn’t mentioned giving up, and if she deeply cared for him, why would she be the one to bring it up?

Therefore, Wen Tang was unimpressed by Lu Yi’s earlier remarks.

Lu Yi noticed her indifference, but he remained unfazed.

What he had said earlier was just a prelude; the key points were still to come.

Lu Yi continued, “You probably know that there’s no future between you and Zhou Jingyu. The boyfriends you’ve had before were nothing like him. You’ve changed boyfriends one after another without settling down, but Zhou Jingyu isn’t like that. To be honest, in all these years, I’ve never seen him like any girl as much as he likes you. You’re the first girlfriend he’s ever had. He’s a person who holds onto things for a long time. He still keeps toys from his childhood. If you ask him to take you to his old house, you’ll find everything still there. He truly likes you, and I can say this with confidence: if you don’t break up with him, he will continue dating you. But Wen Tang, do you really want to hold him back?”

“Can you guarantee that you’ll stay with him, that you won’t break up with him, and that you’ll eventually marry him? You’ve gone through boyfriends quickly in the past, and your feelings come and go even faster. Do you really think that with Zhou Jingyu, you can suddenly change, stop wandering, and be content with just one person for the rest of your life? If you say that, even you wouldn’t believe it, right?”

“Wen Tang, seriously, you should let him go.” Lu Yi was almost pleading now. He was sincere, not aggressive, letting Wen Tang make her own choice, but his words left only one option for her.

Lu Yi then asked, “Wen Tang, have you ever thought about marrying him?”

There were things Wen Tang wouldn’t say to Zhou Jingyu. It was hard to bring them up, for fear of making him angry and affecting their relationship.

But she wasn’t planning to tell Lu Yi either. Why should she? What was their relationship that she had to answer his questions?

Wen Tang crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, looking at Lu Yi as she asked, “Why are you asking this?”

By now, Lu Yi’s words had started to irritate her, and she wanted to leave. But Lu Yi wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

With a knowing expression, Lu Yi spread his hands, “See, you haven’t even thought about it. You never intended to marry Zhou Jingyu, did you?”

Wen Tang remained silent.

Lu Yi continued, “But you don’t want to get married, and yet you still want to be with him. Don’t you think that’s a bit selfish? Have you considered the immense pressure he’s under just by being with you?”

“Have you thought about how, even if he can afford to waste time, his grandfather cannot?”

Zhou Donghai was now at the end of his life, barely holding on in a nursing home, living day by day.

Wen Tang’s heart was deeply pricked by these words. The last time she visited Zhou Donghai with Zhou Jingyu, he had told her that the old man had at most three months left.

Three months…

Now, more than half of that time has passed.

Even with advanced medical care, they might extend his life a bit longer… but how much longer could that really be?

If Wen Tang continued to be with Zhou Jingyu, what he wanted and hoped for would never be realized, simply because she had no intention of getting married, no plans for it at all.

After they had been dating for three months, she often asked herself how much longer their relationship could last. How long could they hold on before breaking up?

She had no confidence in this relationship.

The lack of confidence had never been Zhou Jingyu’s fault; it was her own issue. She couldn’t maintain a relationship with consistent passion and love, nor could she commit to being with only Zhou Jingyu for the rest of her life.

Wen Tang fell silent.

Seeing her like this, Lu Yi knew she had taken his words to heart, so he stood up first.

Before leaving, Lu Yi offered one final piece of sincere advice: “Jingyu has been my good friend since we were kids. He’s very important to me, which is why I came to talk to you. I’ve said everything I need to say. No matter what happens between you two from now on, I won’t interfere again. I just hope you’ll think it over carefully when you go back—whether you really want to stay with him. Whether, in your own uncertainty and hesitation, you want to waste the rest of his life.”

Lu Yi looked directly at Wen Tang, as if he could see right through her: “Honestly, you don’t love him that much, do you? If you did, you would have firmly refuted everything I said, but you didn’t. Why? Because deep down, he has never been your top priority, never the most important person in your life. Since that’s the case, why not let him go? If you’re unsure about your own feelings, then what’s the harm in taking a break to think things over?”

Lu Yi may not have achieved much in his career, but he certainly knew how to manipulate people’s emotions.

He didn’t just mention Zhou Donghai. He also brought up the concept of love.

These were the two things that Wen Tang feared most and avoided in her relationship with Zhou Jingyu.

Zhou Donghai didn’t have much time left, but his last wish was destined to go unfulfilled because Wen Tang had never considered when she would marry Zhou Jingyu—only when they might break up.

Lu Yi was right: since she had no intention of being with Zhou Jingyu forever, why was she holding onto him? Why risk wasting both his time and hers?

She could already feel it—her heart was beginning to escape her control.

That day, she asked Zhou Jingyu why she always thought of him.

Zhou Jingyu replied, “Because… you love me.”

…Love.

What a terrifying word.

It made her feel daunted.