Chapter 41: CH 29

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Liang Yin’s heart seized instantly. She wanted to immediately chase after him, but Zhong Mingzhen was still waiting for her answer, hence she could only halt the hand that was holding the car door as she lowered her head and answered, “You really don’t have to do this.”

After that, she opened the car door and got off.

She knew why Zhong Mingzhen would do this. She suffered infamy because of him and he just wanted to make it up to her. Just like he engaged someone to expose previously, there is nothing better than their re-marriage to clear up the criticism of her being the ‘abandoned rich wife’.

But she really doesn’t need it.

He has Qiao Shan, and she is trying her best to get herself back.

Zhong Mingzhen fell silent hearing her reply.

He wanted to say something, but Liang Yin had already gotten off.

After she got out of the car, Zhou Jianchen had already gotten into the car without looking back and sped away. Liang Yin wanted to call him, but the chauffeur had come over.

“Mrs. Do you need me to send the luggage up?” Her luggage was in his hand.

“No need, I’ll do it myself.” Liang Yin clenched the phone tightly and took the luggage in his hand as Xiao Tian had gone to park the car.

Liang Yin reminded again after a pause, “You don’t have to address me ‘Mrs.’ anymore.”

The chauffeur paused and glanced at Zhong Mingzhen, yet he dared not respond.

Zhong Mingzhen had also gotten out of the car and just stood by the side with a deep serene gaze.

After taking the luggage, Liang Yin turned to face him and said, “I’ll go up first.”

Looking at her, Zhong Mingzhen didn’t say anything for a long while before he finally responded, “En.”

With her head lowered, she didn’t meet his line of sight.

Hearing that, Liang Yin smiled then turned around and walked towards the hotel.

It was around 6 or 7 o’clock where there was a busy flow of people at the hotel’s entrance. Catching sight of her coming back, they couldn’t help but cast their gaze on her, yet Liang Yin just walked forward and pretended not to notice.

Zhong Mingzhen looked at her back, but she never looked back.

Her back is frailly thin, but she was unusually determined on this windy snowy night.

“President Zhong, please get in the car.” On the side, the chauffeur finally opened his mouth. Dressed only in a thin black overcoat and standing alone in the windy snow, Zhong Mingzhen somewhat caused others to significantly sense his desolation.

The chauffeur had been with him for many years and had never seen him like this before.

“En.” Regaining his reverie, Zhong Mingzhen retracted his gaze and got into the car again.

Once the car door was closed, he lowered his gaze and there was slight wavering in his usually calm eyes.

It was as if the heart, which has been sealed for many years, was thoroughly disrupted.

The cellphone unexpectedly rang. Picking it up and putting it through, his raised eyes became cold again.

“Zhong Mingzhen, are you crazy!” An exasperated female voice came through the phone.

“You actually made a public appearance for a woman! Where’s your Zhong family’s low profile! Where’s your Zhong Mingzhen’s low profile! Just for such a woman, is it worthy of you! You are both divorced already!”

It was Qiao Shan who called. She obviously had seen what happened on Weibo.

After being rejected by Zhong Mingzhen, she had felt resentful and harassed him several times later, but Zhong Mingzhen has been adamant. He never saw her again and even phone calls, she wouldn’t get through unless she changed her numbers. She couldn’t figure out how he has become so ruthless that using both soft and tough tactics were all to no avail. Even after the divorce, he still pays no heed to her.

She asked him, Don’t tell me I can’t even compare with your Zhong family’s little sister? He said yes.

Without the least hesitation.

""

She can endure Zhong Mingzhen no longer like her, but she can’t tolerate Zhong Mingzhen belittling her for other women. After seeing the official announcement of [Winter] online and Liang Yin became the object of everyone’s acclamation, she couldn’t stand it anymore.

Aren’t you being hailed as the goddess, I will simply banish you to dust! Didn’t you wish to conceal and come back quietly, then I’m just going to expose everything about you!

What pureness and pristineness, which are all bogus. Didn’t everything was done in order to marry into the Zhong family back then!

Although no one deliberately mentioned it, it was still revealed through gossip. She didn’t believe Zhong Mingzhen really bedded her because he liked her at that time!

Over the years, she has people on her side, so she immediately found a schemer to plot this incident. She just wanted to blemish and utterly ruin her reputation, so that she can never bounce back for the rest of her life!

But she didn’t expect it took only a short time for Chen Hua’en to speak out first, then Yuan Ruona’s support and followed by Zhou Jianchen’s fervent backing. She wasn’t interested in these celebrities, but with their appearances, all the previous good plans were overturned. She asked the schemer to continue stirring up troubles, but the schemer only said that the two teams who took actions were top-notch and they simply couldn’t counteract at all.

She almost puked blood with vexation at that time. She had spent so much money but who knew the outcome was eventually this.

But what was even more unexpected was Zhong Mingzhen actually came forward too 2 days later!

He even made a public appearance himself and went as far as releasing his and her photos on the internet!

She didn’t believe it was an accident. If Zhong Mingzhen was  not willing to leak his own details, there simply wouldn’t be any information about him online.

She chose to expose Liang Yin but not the Zhong family at that time precisely because she knew they wouldn’t get involved.

But she couldn’t figure out why Zhong Mingzhen, who is never willing to be exposed, would just come forward. They are already divorced!

Back then when he was pursuing her, he had never said he liked her in public!

5 years, it’s only been 5 years, and he has become so unfamiliar!

“Zhong Mingzhen, I think you have really gone insane! What’s exactly so great about Liang Yin that you could give up your principles like this! Aren’t you always a calm and self-possessed person, didn’t you think about your Zhong family, how you could be so crazy!” She was so furious that she was unwilling to believe it at all.

After Zhong Mingzhen heard her incoherent questioning and doubts, he merely spoke coldly, “What’s it to do with you?”

What’s it to do with you? He had really liked you once, but now, you no longer qualify.

The youthful years had fleeted by. When he liked you, he allowed you to be unreasonably spoiled, unscrupulous and self-indulgent, but as time passed, you have long become a stranger.

Who was the one who did not cherish it at first, and who would wait in the same place anyway.

Nobody will love someone forever.

Hearing these few words, Qiao Shan froze on the spot and was unable to speak again. Tears trickled down her face and everything seemed to have dissipated.

It was as if all of the youthful days had been shattered and nothing could be revived.

“Mingzhen __ “

She still wanted to cry out, but Zhong Mingzhen had hung up the phone.

He had loved her, but the love had long gone. He knew everything that she had done, and refused to have anything to do with her anymore.

She wanted to vilify her with this, so he just smashed all her attempts. Emulate the person’s methods to persecute the person himself, that’s it.

Was it insane? It was indeed crazy. He’s already in his thirties, and never thought he could still be so reckless one day, and disregard the consequences as such.

But, in the end, it was still useless.

More than 10 years had swept past. He had loved and forgotten, but in the end only stopped on her receding back. He thought he would never suffer losing again in this life, but looking at her receding back, he realized that he still lost after all.

“Let’s go.” He opened his mouth with flickering eyes and his voice hoarse.

**********

In the lift, Liang Yin dialed Zhou Jianchen’s number, but one, two ringtones and no one answered.

She texted his WeChat, but there was no response at all.

Recalling his cold gaze just now, her heart clenched at once.

Going back to her room and putting down her things, she continued to call but there was still no response. Liang Yin held the phone tightly, not knowing what to do.

In that instant, she knew what he would feel.

She went to worship and also went home with Zhong Mingzhen. She didn’t know how he would feel when he saw that.

She kept calling, but no one answered. Thinking of something, she hurriedly hung up and called Xiao Tian, “Xiao Tian, do you have Ah Zhao or Ah Xian’s numbers?”

She just saw Ah Zhao went off with him.

Xiao Tian replied no. Pondering about it, Liang Yin then called Du Yafu, “Teacher Du, do you have the phone numbers of Zhou Jianchen’s assistant, Ah Zhao or Ah Xian?”

Du Yafu was obviously a little surprised, but he still said, “Wait a minute ah, I’ll look for it. I might have it.”

“En. Thank you.”

But Du Yafu then asked, “Yinyin, what’s wrong with you? Did something happen?” He clearly heard the difference in her voice.

It was anxiety, with a tremor.

Liang Yin, however, just shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

Du Yafu hung up the call and searched for her again. He soon found Ah Xian’s phone number and texted it over.

Looking at the string of numbers, Liang Yin suddenly moved to tears and completely overlooked Du Yafu’s enquiry message again. As Xiao Tian had already walked in, she turned around and just dialed Ah Xian’s number.

The call was quickly answered, but it was a hesitant voice __ “Hello?”

“Hello, This is Liang Yin. May I ask if Zhou Jianchen is with you?” Liang Yin spoke hurriedly.

In the bar, the director of photography was inviting everyone for a drink. Ah Xian just covered the cellphone and turned to look at Zhou Jianchen who was sitting on the side.

“Brother Chen, it’s Miss Liang’s call. She asked if you are with me … “

Zhou Jianchen’s hand halted as he sipped the liquor, but he didn’t reply.

Looking at him, Ah Xian let go of his hand. On the other end of the call, Liang Yin’s voice came through again, “Ah Xian, you let him answer the call … “ She was already on the verge of tears.

Ah Xian then looked at Zhou Jianchen again, “Brother Chen, she said she wants you to answer the call … “

The tears in Zhou Jianchen’s eyes swirled and he finally still took the phone.

“Hello __ “ His voice was calm but unfamiliar.

“Hello, Zhou Jianchen __ “ Liang Yin was about to speak once she heard his voice.

“Liang Yin.” Zhou Jianchen interrupted her.

He paused and then said, “Let’s forget it.”

There was no response from the other end, so he smiled and hung up.

At the other end of the phone, Liang Yin’s tears trickled down.

“Brother Chen!” Ah Xian looked at Zhou Jianchen and tensed up at once.

Propping his hands on the bar-top, Zhou Jianchen buried his head and his fists were visibly clenched.

He had been waiting, waiting for her return, but what he waited for nevertheless was the news that she went to worship and went home together with him.

Film Empress Liang Yin entered the villa together with the man and didn’t leave again that day …

He finally knew why she hadn’t replied to his messages, it was because she was with him.

Everything, was just like a joke.

__ “I like him a lot.”

__ “Liang Yin, you just like me a little. I don’t ask for much, just leave me a little place in your heart.”

__ “En.”