This novel is only hosted on Foxaholic, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized.
The curtains were later still drawn. Liang Yin eventually couldn’t leave him unheeded.
Zhou Jianchen didn’t cook any spicy hot pot dishes for her anymore, but ordered the clear soup base and cooked what she liked.
Though Liang Yin was not hungry at all, she still ate piece by piece of those that he gave her.
Zhou Jianchen didn’t eat much himself, he was perfectly content watching her eat.
This was the first time they had a meal alone, which was something he never dared to think about before.
Seated across from him, she ate the dishes he gave her while holding onto her tumbling long hair. Everything was so normal and so beautiful.
Watching her, there was only calmness in Zhou Jianchen’s eyes.
As if he finally got what he wished-for in his bustling hectic life.
He felt he had no regrets in this lifetime when she reached out to grip his hand at that moment.
He didn’t say anything more, everything that should be said had been spoken out and it was useless to say anymore. She had understood and responded, so it was enough.
He felt ashamed of his unreserved revelation, but in the end, he just felt relieved.
They left after dinner. When Zhou Jianchen was settling the bill and returned the two bottles of wine as-is, the boss rushed over, but Zhou Jianchen was not in the mood to chat, so he bid farewell after a brief exchange of words. All along, he stood no more than half a foot away beside Liang Yin.
Knowing that she was unwilling, he didn’t take her hand.
Liang Yin didn’t speak, and she did not walk away too.
Noticing his protective intent, the boss didn’t talk much either and merely smiled and asked them to come have fun more often. He also smiled politely and amicably at Liang Yin.
Liang Yin nodded and responded with a faint smile.
As soon as they left, the boss, however, sent the photo he took to Zhou Zuokang and asked, “Your younger brother and Film Empress Liang?”
In the photo, they were walking side by side, with Liang Yin slightly behind and there was merely half a foot distance between them.
Zhou Zuokang quickly replied with just a sentence, “Will invite you to the wedding banquet when the time comes.”
The boss laughed aloud seeing that.
He is also one who knows that Zhou Jianchen likes Film Empress Liang. When Zhou Zuokang came, he asked, to which he replied: Do you think my family’s reckless lad could publicly declare his fondness for an actress for no apparent reason?
After Zhou Jianchen had publicly declared he liked Film Empress Liang Yin at that time, the team immediately proclaimed it was merely admiration. Feeling somewhat surprised, he asked about it.
He naturally also knew what happened on Weibo today, but it was obvious that no one cared.
Since the Zhou family doesn’t care about the matter, is that still a problem?
The boss was originally surprised that Zhou Jianchen brought her over for dinner, but now he just put his phone aside and went about his business.
He is a semi-retired person who only invests these years, and lives his life quite contentedly with drinking and playing mahjong in this clubhouse.
When Zhou Jianchen and Liang Yin walked out, they naturally ran into many people again. Zhou Jianchen was still calm, but Liang Yin felt somewhat reserved yet not like when she first arrived. Zhou Jianchen’s pace had obviously slowed down too, falling not too far away from her.
The night was already late when they reached the door and the bellboy had already driven the car over. After making sure Liang Yin got into the car first, Zhou Jianchen then got in himself.
With the door closed and seat belt fastened, he first reached out to hold her hand instead of starting the car engine.
Her hands were no longer cold, but soft and real.
The fact that Liang Yin did not reject is a sign of knowing all his thoughts.
He no longer acted arbitrarily reckless as he doesn’t want to force her since he is aware of what she thinks. But he is after all self-centered, not letting others know, he could only divulge here.
Feeling grateful, Liang Yin just let him do whatever he pleased.
As if soothing his heart, she covered the back of his hand gently with her other hand. His hands are elegant, clean and strong, which she has never cared about before.
Sensing it, Zhou Jianchen interlocked his fingers with hers, so tightly that their palms clasped together.
He was still gazing into the distance, but there were fluctuations in his eyes again.
Liang Yin just let him be. Though her fingers felt a little painful, she just didn’t bother about it.
Not knowing how long later when Zhou Jianchen spoke hoarsely again, “I’ll drive now.”
Liang Yin responded lightly, “En.”
Withdrawing his hand and placing it on the steering wheel, Zhou Jianchen felt a sudden emptiness in his heart while there was also a lot of unwillingness and yearning in his eyes.
All the way back to the hotel, no one spoke in the boundless night.
When they arrived at the hotel, Xiao Tian was waiting at the entrance and she was shivering in the cold night. Holding the cellphone in her hand, her face was full of anxiety.
Catching sight of them, she rushed forward to greet them with her voice trembling uncontrollably, “Sister Yin __” Calling out, she, however, glanced at Zhou Jianchen with eyes full of grim hints.
Previously, she was following behind Liang Yin when she watched Zhou Jianchen dragged her away helplessly and unable to catch up. She wanted to call Liang Yin, but Liang Yin’s cellphone was in her pocket when she changed her clothes just now.
She did ask the two assistants of Zhou Jianchen for his contact details, but no one gave it to her. Ah Xian smiled and walked away, while Ah Zhao did actually make a call for her, but only to tell her that Brother Chen didn’t answer the call. He then asked her to go back to the hotel first and to set her mind at ease since nothing will happen.
But how can she feel at ease? Brother Chen just took the person away without notifying, hence who knew what would happen. She, after all, distrust Zhou Jianchen a little. She did return to the hotel afterwards, but felt restless all along as she didn’t know where she went or when she would return. After a few rounds in the room, she couldn’t help but come downstairs to wait.
Zhou Jianchen took no heed of her gaze. He just glimpsed at her and spoke to Liang Yin, “I’ll go up first.”
“En.” Liang Yin nodded in response.
Glancing at her, Zhou Jianchen continued walking through the door.
It was as if nothing had happened and everything was just normal.
But he made it a point to tell her, which meant a lot.
Not realizing it, Xiao Tian watched him leave before she stepped forward and asked with concern, “Sister Yin, nothing happened, right?”
Liang Yin shook her head and said, “Let’s go up too.”
Xiao Tian vaguely sensed that she seemed somewhat different, yet she couldn’t tell what it was. Seeing that she seemed really fine, she pushed the door open for her before handing over her cellphone and said, “Boss Zhong called just now. Since you are not here, I answered on your behalf … “
Liang Yin was rather startled as she took the phone, and soon realized that Xiao Tian should have told Zhong Jianian what just happened.
“It’s okay.” She replied lightly and unlocked the cellphone. Xiao Tian is the younger uncle’s people and she will inevitably tell him about her under the circumstance that she lost contact with her.
While waiting for the elevator, she happened to run into Du Yafu who was on his way down.
Du Yafu was a little surprised seeing her, “Yinyin, you are back?”
“En.” Liang Yin responded with a smile.
“Where’s Jianchen? Why didn’t I see him with you?” He apparently had also heard about Zhou Jianchen dragging her out just now, but his expression was no different, as if he was just asking casually.
Liang Yin then merely replied, “He just went up.”
Du Yafu felt somewhat regretful, “That’s really unfortunate. I wouldn’t have asked Old Wang to go for a drink if I knew he was back. Oh by the way, do you want to go for a drink ah?”
“No thanks. You guys go ahead.” Liang Yin answered back.
She knew there was a bar in the hotel, and Zhou Jianchen did have a drink with them a few nights ago too.
Du Yafu didn’t coerce her. He was just asking casually, knowing that she never participated in these recreational activities, “Then I’ll go first ah.”
“Okay.” Liang Yin said then turned around to enter the elevator.
There were two other girls from the same filming set in the elevator. They smiled and greeted her when they saw her coming in.
Liang Yin paid no heed to their expressions and just stood in front of them, waiting for the elevator to reach her floor.
The 20th floor soon arrived. Liang Yin called Zhong Jianian when she saw no one around.
But before the call went through, Zhou Jianchen who was also answering a call walked out of the door by the side.
The two of them were stunned to see each other.
Liang Yin was delayed in her response when Zhong Jianian’s voice came through the phone, because Zhou Jianchen had handed over something in his hand.
“It’s quite useful for the throat.” Saying that, he talked to the phone about something, and turned back.
What he gave her was a box of lozenges. She had been coughing while eating the Sichuan-style hot pot just now.
Xiao Tian looked a little puzzled, while ripples rose again in Liang Yin’s heart as she looked at it.