Chapter 65

Zhou Jingyu accompanied Wen Tang on the film set for the entire afternoon. Afterward, they went to a restaurant a couple of kilometers away that had good reviews to have dinner before heading back to the hotel together.

Having been apart for a while and rekindling their relationship, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other as soon as they entered the hotel room.

Their passion continued from the doorway to the bathroom. In the bathroom, as Wen Tang enjoyed the water, she was so overwhelmed with happiness that she could hardly breathe.

At a crucial moment, she placed her hand in front of Zhou Jingyu’s face. Though she was on the verge of exhaustion and felt she could be easily lifted away by Zhou Jingyu, she still maintained a shred of rationality.

“You… if you don’t take me seriously this time, I’m really going to be angry,” Wen Tang gasped as she spoke to Zhou Jingyu. Her tone was meant to be a warning, but in the current situation, it seemed strangely powerless, almost like she was playfully pouting.

Zhou Jingyu leaned in close to her ear, lowering his head and holding her tightly. His gaze was deeper than Wen Tang had ever seen.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured, lightly licking her earlobe and causing her to shiver. His voice was low and husky, filled with an undertone of danger. “I won’t let you go today.”

*

Wen Tang really regretted it. She shouldn’t have provoked Zhou Jingyu.

She had overestimated the self-control of a man who had been a vegetarian for twenty-eight years and had only recently tried meat.

He was quite skilled. Wen Tang didn’t want to recall the process in detail, but it was quite embarrassing. She thought her extensive experience would give her an advantage, but in reality, it was she who suffered, she who found joy, and she who cried out in surrender. In the end, she was the one who collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep.

The next morning, Zhou Jingyu left. When Wen Tang woke up, the bed was already cold, and she had no idea how long he had been gone.

There was a note from him on the nightstand:

— I’ll come see you again after I’m done with work.

It sounded like a cliché line from a playboy.

Eat and run.

Hmph!

Wen Tang spent another month filming in Lake City before wrapping up the movie. During this time, Zhou Jingyu did indeed travel frequently between Lake City and Lingcheng City, but his stays were short—sometimes just overnight, other times a bit longer, like a day.

Wen Tang also managed to take a three-day break from filming to visit Zhou Donghai abroad with Zhou Jingyu. Zhou Donghai was in good spirits, even better than when Wen Tang last saw him in Lingcheng City.

A month later, Wen Tang returned to Lingcheng City after finishing her shoot. That was when she learned about the recent developments at Shengling Group.

The company had undergone a major upheaval. Zhou Jiaxin and Zhou Jiarong, the once-powerful board members of Shengling Group, had been stripped of their authority by Zhou Jingyu and were now relegated to positions at a subsidiary, becoming mere figureheads with no real influence. Their faction’s key members had also been removed, a complete purge.

Such a major event made Wen Tang wonder about the pressure and workload Zhou Jingyu must have shouldered over the past month. Despite this, he still found time to visit her and even flew abroad to see Zhou Donghai.

When she saw him, she couldn’t tell what he had been through. How strong must he be to handle all this?

At six in the afternoon, Wen Tang waited in the apartment for Zhou Jingyu to finish work. As soon as he opened the door, she went up to hug him.

Seeing how hard he had been working recently, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

Zhou Jingyu, confused, waited until she was finished before gently asking, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Tang shook her head and remained silent, looking into his eyes with an indescribable affection.

She had never realized she could love a man so deeply, think about him constantly, and want to make him all hers.

“Zhou Jingyu, did I tell you that during our time apart, I took on another film?” As they settled onto the sofa, Wen Tang nestled into Zhou Jingyu’s arms, acting affectionately.

She had never mentioned this to him before.

Zhou Jingyu had assumed that after this film, she would have no more work, especially since she had previously wanted to leave the entertainment industry.

Zhou Jingyu had even considered trying to persuade Wen Tang to continue acting, though in moderation, since he couldn’t forget how captivating she was on set.

He had planned to contact her current agent to make sure that if any good scripts came up, they would let him know so he could help persuade Wen Tang.

He knew Wen Tang hadn’t truly lost her love for acting. She was just struggling with past grievances.

To his surprise, before he could even intervene, Wen Tang had already mentioned taking on a new film.

“How did you change your mind?”

Zhou Jingyu asked simply.

Wen Tang had really struggled during that time. She constantly thought of him and felt they were separated for good. She didn’t even want to return to the apartment. At that time, a great script came her way. She used to think that even if she stopped acting, she would have no regrets. However, after filming for over two months, she realized her shortcomings and developed a strong interest in acting. She wanted to hone her skills and play different roles, immersing herself in them.

…She really couldn’t let go easily.

So, she’d broken her promise to herself!

Wen Tang silently rested her head on Zhou Jingyu’s chest, listening to his heartbeat—one beat, two beats, three beats…

After a while, she looked up and asked, “If Grandma knew how much I love acting, she would support me, wouldn’t she?”

Zhou Jingyu replied, “Of course she would. Didn’t you say she loved you the most?”

With this reassurance, Wen Tang felt content and buried her head back in Zhou Jingyu’s embrace.

In his arms, she softly said, “I don’t know why, but even though I had decided to quit the industry, just thinking about not being able to act in the future makes me feel lost. Besides acting, what else can I do?”

“Zhou Jingyu, do you know? When a good script is presented to me, I can’t refuse it. Do you understand that feeling? It’s like…”

Wen Tang smiled, realizing how she seemed a bit silly at the time. “I thought I was punishing Liu Meifen, but in reality, I was punishing myself.”

And this was the crucial point Wen Tang had realized—why she had punished herself by taking out her frustrations on Liu Meifen. Liu Meifen would no longer have any power to control her, and Wen Tang could now choose any roles she wanted without worrying about Liu Meifen’s so-called status, popularity, and other issues.

In short, after coming to this realization, Wen Tang agreed to take on that film.

Later, she reconciled with Zhou Jingyu. He continued to be busy, often coming and going quickly, so she forgot to mention this new project to him.

Now she needed to tell him because she initially thought she had another month before joining the new film, giving her at least a month to focus on their relationship. However, the filming schedule had been moved up, and she would start working on it next week.

This time, the filming location was not in Lingcheng City but in a remote mountainous area. The movie was about a girl who went to teach in the mountains, and the shoot was expected to last three months, with conditions even harsher than those in Lake City.

Wen Tang returned from Lake City on Thursday. On Saturday, they visited Zhou Donghai at the rehabilitation center. After Zhou Donghai’s condition stabilized abroad, he was reluctant to stay overseas and insisted on returning to China, threatening to refuse treatment otherwise. Zhou Jingyu and his aunt could not persuade him otherwise. They had to negotiate with the foreign medical team to arrange for a similar setup in China, hiring the team to consult daily via video calls and visit every two weeks for treatment.

Zhou Donghai returned to China as he wished, and Wen Tang and Zhou Jingyu visited him together.

Wen Tang remembered asking Zhou Jingyu about Zhou Donghai’s health before her last film started. At that time, Zhou Donghai’s condition was already very poor, as if he were nearing the end of his strength.

Zhou Jingyu had said the doctors had given him only three months.

Now, four months had passed, Zhou Donghai’s condition had improved, and he appeared more energetic than during previous visits. He seemed to be able to hold on for a longer time.

Wen Tang felt very happy.

During their previous visit abroad, Zhou Donghai had been very weak, always sleeping. They had stayed in his hospital room for an afternoon, and he hadn’t woken up, so they left.

This time, she had a long conversation with Zhou Donghai. He always enjoyed chatting with her. Although he had only dealt with business matters throughout his life and was unfamiliar with the entertainment industry, he had a strong curiosity and asked Wen Tang many questions about it.

This time, Zhou Donghai didn’t mention wanting Zhou Jingyu to get married but just wanted to see them happy together.

Wen Tang noticed that Zhou Jingyu was affected by their separation, and Zhou Donghai had picked up on this.

Seeing Zhou Jingyu’s difficult mood, Zhou Donghai no longer insisted on marriage. Facing life and death, he had come to terms with it. He hoped his grandson, who had endured so much hardship alone in his youth, could be happy and content for the rest of his life. That was enough for him.

Wen Tang and Zhou Jingyu spent about an hour and a half at the rehabilitation center.

Afterward, as they walked outside, the place was not romantic and was devoid of flowers. Wen Tang and Zhou Jingyu walked hand in hand, and suddenly, Wen Tang stopped and turned around.

“Zhou Jingyu, let’s get married,” she said out of the blue.

Zhou Jingyu paused. He had considered this question many times, but he knew Wen Tang was not inclined towards marriage. He didn’t want to pressure her, so he waited and never brought up the topic himself.

Zhou Jingyu stared at Wen Tang, suddenly unsure of her feelings.

“Why?” he asked softly after a few seconds.

Wen Tang tilted her head slightly and then smiled. Her eyes were filled with joy, as if she had just solved a major problem.

She had once feared marriage and considered it unimaginable. But now, if it were with Zhou Jingyu, it seemed like there was no reason not to.

She had always been the type to act on her desires. When she wanted to be with Zhou Jingyu, she boldly made that request. Now, she wanted to marry him. The idea of spending her life with him seemed perfect.

Instead of answering Zhou Jingyu’s question, she asked him in return, “Zhou Jingyu, why do you think I want to marry you?”

“Of course, it’s because of love!”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Ayalee: This concludes the main story~! Stay tune for the remaining extra chapters. >.<

Do check out Ayalee’s other translation works here (❀‿‿❀)