CH 53

Ge Hongyi had never met this man, but he had heard about him from Su Mingmei's family. When Zheng Baozhu asked him about it, he was momentarily stunned, then shook his head, "After Mingmei graduated, we didn't keep in touch much. Your grandmother and others did ask me about Mingmei's relationships, but what I knew was all from the industry, as I mentioned last time. As for the person mentioned in the letter, I have no idea."

"I see," Zheng Baozhu nodded lightly and didn't pursue the matter further. Based on the letter's description, she felt that the man might have been a friend of her aunt or someone they knew. Back then, if they often met, her aunt's staff should probably know about it. She wondered if her grandmother and others had asked her aunt's staff about it.

"Baozhu, why are you inquiring about this?" Ge Hongyi asked.

Zheng Baozhu thought for a moment and replied, "I don't have any specific intention; I just wanted to know who this person was."

"And what difference would it make if you found out? This happened so long ago and Mingmei is no longer with us. It would only bring unnecessary trouble," Ge Hongyi said, sighing lightly, "Your grandmother and others were probably curious about this person back then, but it seems they didn't find out in the end."

Zheng Baozhu understood his reasoning, but she still felt somewhat frustrated. People only knew that Su Mingmei had committed suicide, but they didn't know that in the final stage of her life, she encountered such a scumbag!

"When Mingmei was in school, I noticed that she was easily immersed in her roles, more so than other classmates. It was harder for her to snap out of character," Ge Hongyi reminisced about the past, speaking calmly, "I also sought help for this issue, but there wasn't a very good solution. If she only acted in ordinary roles, it wouldn't be a big problem, but many of the movies Mingmei acted in were more artistic or realistic. After playing Xiu Na, she clearly showed signs of depression."

Zheng Baozhu was briefly taken aback; Xiu Na was the role her aunt played in the movie -- she had participated in the supporting actor audition by reenacting a scene as Xiu Na from that movie. The story mainly revolved around the restraint and exploitation imposed by a feudal family and was an early work with such subject matter. The main character, Xiu Na, lived a life of oppression and despair.

"Later, when she was going to act in 'Spring No More', I was worried, but I didn't expect... sigh," Ge Hongyi didn't continue speaking.

Zheng Baozhu soon changed the subject and they chatted about other things for a while. Eventually, Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi said their goodbyes. As they walked outside, Zheng Baozhu remained silent, looking gloomy. Qu Zhi noticed her mood and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Zheng Baozhu snapped back to reality and glanced at him, "I'm not thinking about anything."

Naturally, Qu Zhi didn't believe her. He thought for a moment and asked, "What about the man you mentioned to Ge Hongyi? What about him?"

At the mention of that scumbag, Zheng Baozhu let out a cold snort, "He didn't get what he deserved; he simply made the same mistakes that men all around the world make."

Qu Zhi: "..."

"If only people like him could uphold some sense of decency and not try to seduce young and innocent girls after getting married."

Qu Zhi now understood what was going on, "Are you planning to find him and give him a good beating?"

"..."

She was tempted to do just that, "I want to condemn him morally!"

"Alright."

As they spoke, a private car approached from behind the alley. The alley was narrow, with barely enough space for one car to pass through, let alone for Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi, who were walking side by side. The car honked a few times from behind but didn't slow down. Qu Zhi immediately grabbed Zheng Baozhu's wrist, pulling her to the side of the wall, and he stepped forward to block the car's path.

The private car narrowly passed by Qu Zhi and then honked at the person in front.

With her back against the wall and Qu Zhi's face close to hers, Zheng Baozhu had to admit that Qu Zhi had really good skin. Seeing him up close, she noticed no flaws, and due to the close proximity, his appearance seemed even more attractive.

His breath lightly fell on her face, and as she raised her eyes slightly, she met his passionate gaze. Her heart couldn't help but race faster, and his hand resting on her waist, despite the thick winter clothing, made her skin feel warm.

Stiffening, Zheng Baozhu's mind went blank for a moment, the only sound she could hear was the thumping of her heartbeat ringing in her ears.

"Are you alright?" Qu Zhi slowly let go and stepped back slightly. Zheng Baozhu inwardly composed herself and shook her head, "I'm... I'm fine, thank you."

"Mm," Qu Zhi replied and continued walking toward the alley entrance. Zheng Baozhu remained silent for the entire journey, and her heart slowly returned to normal, but she still felt somewhat off.

Why did she react so strongly just now? Qu Zhi had only gotten a bit closer and placed his hand on her waist! Why did she act like she had never experienced such a thing before? Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest!

It's as if she were an innocent young girl experiencing her first crush! Help!

When Zheng Baozhu thought about it again, her cheeks started to blush.

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Absolutely ridiculous. :)

"Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Seeing her flushed cheeks, Qu Zhi whispered, wanting to check her forehead's temperature with the back of his hand. Zheng Baozhu abruptly leaned back, "I'm fine!"

"...'" Qu Zhi's hand paused in mid-air, then he withdrew it, "That's good then."

"Haha," Zheng Baozhu forced a smile. She noticed a hint of disappointment in his dark eyes and started to reflect on whether her previous actions had hurt him.

"..." She didn't know what to say. Zheng Baozhu felt speechless about herself, "Let's head to your place now."

Qu Zhi followed and got into the car, but after some thought, he changed his mind, "How about we meet tomorrow? We've been to so many places today, and you must be tired."

"Sure, either way is fine," Zheng Baozhu didn't think too much and readily agreed.

Qu Zhi said, "Then I'll come to see you when I set off tomorrow."

"Okay," Zheng Baozhu buckled her seatbelt and drove the car out.

After returning to the hotel, Zheng Baozhu went straight to her room instead of hanging out with Qu Zhi any longer. She felt that spending too much time with him lately had made her abnormal!

After much consideration, she finally sent a message to the experienced Meng Yaxin: "Is it normal to blush and have a racing heart when you see any man after being single for too long?"

Meng Yaxin: ...? No, that's not normal at all.

Meng Yaxin: Who made your face blush and your heart race?

Zheng Baozhu: No one.

Meng Yaxin: Since you came to me, you should be honest, or how can I help you analyze it?

Zheng Baozhu thought for a moment and conceded, "There's no one. It's just Qu Zhi."

Meng Yaxin: ...

Meng Yaxin: Wait for a moment.

Zheng Baozhu: What are you going to do?

Meng Yaxin: I'm going to check if Tongtong's keyboards have been sold or not.

Zheng Baozhu: ...

Coming to find Meng Yaxin meant admitting that her mind wasn't clear right now.

Yes, that's right. It must be because of recent events that her mind wasn't clear, causing her to blush and have a racing heart even around Qu Zhi.

With this understanding, everything made sense, and Zheng Baozhu confidently closed Meng Yaxin's chat window.

Thinking about how Gao Boyun specially called today to ask her to register on Weibo, she sat on the sofa and opened the Weibo app. The Weibo account she had been using had too much personal information, so she had to register a new one. After sitting there for a while, she finally set up the new account.

Once the new account was ready, she immediately sent the account information to Gao Boyun: "Reporting to Director Gao, my new Weibo account is ready!"

Gao Boyun seemed to have no personal life whatsoever and replied promptly, "Good, I'll take a look."

Zheng Baozhu's new account was named [Zheng Baozhu]. She chose a still from Ye Ling's drama as her profile picture. She adjusted it several times and finally selected the most attractive one.

It's evident that the burden of being an idol is heavy.

Gao Boyun: Alright, apply for the V certification as well, you can mention me and the producer in the application, and we'll confirm it for you.

Zheng Baozhu: Ok.

Gao Boyun: ...Why do I, as a director, have to take care of this kind of thing? This is what you call a babysitter-level director, right? 

Zheng Baozhu: [pat on the back.jpg]

When Zheng Baozhu applied for verification, Gao Boyun had the TV drama Weibo account re-edit the profile picture and mentioned Zheng Baozhu in the post. He even left a comment under the post.

In the end, afraid that fans might not notice, he told his Weibo account manager, "Forget it, just repost another Weibo and let everyone know that Zheng Baozhu has opened a Weibo account. After all, there were many fans asking before, right?"

Weibo Account Manager: Alright, boss!

The account manager willingly reposted another Weibo and made sure to modify the pinned post as well.

After Zheng Baozhu completed the verification application, she found that she already had over a thousand followers! Oh my, does this mean she's becoming popular? She had been using her personal Weibo account for so many years, and it only had a little over a thousand followers!

Now with just one verification application post, all the fans followed and commented on it. Zheng Baozhu scrolled through the comments, and many fans were requesting her to post a selfie. Since it was the Spring Festival, she thought she should appear festive and cheerful, so she went to her hat rack and found a red scarf to put on.

After redoing her makeup and adding some accessories, Zheng Baozhu finally took a selfie and posted it on Weibo.

Zheng Baozhu: Hello, everyone. I'm the actress who plays Ye Ling, Zheng Baozhu. Thank you all for your support. ^^ [Image]

It was the first time she openly introduced herself as an actress, so Zheng Baozhu was a bit nervous.

Fans were eagerly waiting for her Weibo post, and as soon as the selfie was posted, they started leaving enthusiastic comments.

「Wife!!!!!!」

Zheng Baozhu: "......"

No need to be that extreme.

「Ah ah ah ah, you look so beautiful, my wife! Modern outfits suit you so well!」

「I just came here to leave a 」

「I've seen your set picture. You're really stunning!! You are definitely going to be popular!」

「Baozhu, do you have any other works? I want to see them, humble.jpg.」

Zheng Baozhu thought for a moment, she actually had quite a few works, even if they were just extra roles and small supporting roles, she was still part of them. But those dramas where she had those roles wouldn't be airing anytime soon, the earliest would be in the second half of the year.

As Zheng Baozhu was about to reply to one lucky fan, she received a message from Gao Boyun: Don't interact too much with them. After the drama is aired, let them explore on their own!

"Oh..." Zheng Baozhu deleted the reply she was about to send and then asked Gao Boyun: So, Director Gao, have you been watching my Weibo posts all along?

Gao Boyun: I'm just worried that you don't have a manager and might not know much!

Zheng Baozhu: "......"

I think you're the one who might not know much.

But for now, she should still address him as Director Gao and not be too arrogant.

Gao Boyun: You really need a manager. Weibo is the place where you showcase yourself. Everything you say and do will be interpreted by everyone.

Zheng Baozhu: Oh, I know. It's all about building an image, right?

If it's just about building an image, she felt like she could ask Qu Zhi to be her manager.

Of course, Dr. Qu probably wouldn't have the time for that.

Zheng Baozhu: I will consider getting a manager. Before that, I won't say much on Weibo. Please rest assured, Director Gao. 

Gao Boyun: If you don't say anything, I might forget that I'm just a director. 

Gao Boyun: By the way, I have a suitable friend who could be your manager. Are you free tomorrow? I'll arrange for you to meet.

Zheng Baozhu: Huh? Isn't it still the Spring Festival? Doesn't your friend have a day off?

Gao Boyun: ...Just tell me if you have any plans tomorrow. 

Zheng Baozhu: I have plans to go with Qu Zhi to check out some houses tomorrow.

Gao Boyun: ? Are you buying a wedding house? Didn't you say you weren't serious with him?

Zheng Baozhu: No! We're not buying a house. He already bought one!!

Gao Boyun: What? You two are moving so fast. 

Zheng Baozhu: ......

I'm tired. I don't want to explain anymore.