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Before Deng Yi could answer Yu Xi's question, he casually glanced around at the customers and noticed that some people were already secretly pointing their phones at them.

"Which law says newlyweds can't eat noodles alone?" Deng Yi lazily pulled out a tissue, his gaze sweeping over the phone on the table.

“There is indeed no law that stipulates this.” Yu Xi also glanced at Deng Yi’s phone on the table, “but it makes no sense.”

Deng Yi stood up, picked up his phone, and said, "If you have no prejudice in your heart, you won't feel that something is illogical."

Yu Xi hesitated for a moment, then looked up and saw her friend waving at her. She lowered her voice and said, "I left one of my earrings at your house."

It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was getting busier and busier. It was winter, and the doors weren't open for ventilation, so the air inside was getting thick and heavy.

"If you're sure it was left at my house on the day of the wrap party, you can call Aunt Yang and ask." Deng Yi opened his phone, searched for Aunt Yang's phone number, copied it, and sent it to Yu Xi's WeChat. "I've already sent you the number."

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for curious customers to hear clearly.

Yu Xi felt another lump in her throat, her hands still in her pockets, and said with a casual expression, "Thanks."

When Deng Yi returned home, Zhou Ji'an was just about to leave.

"Finished eating?"

Where to?

They both spoke at the same time.

Zhou Ji'an answered first: "Seeing friends."

Deng Yi did not answer Zhou Ji'an's question, nor did he ask any new questions. He simply tilted his head slightly and looked at her closely.

Do you mean I have to specify who I'm meeting?

I don't think so, right? He didn't even mention which friend he was having dinner with.

The doorknob was blocked by Deng Yi, and Zhou Ji'an tried several times but still couldn't reach it.

"I'm going to be late." Zhou Ji'an waved his right hand slightly in the air. "Excuse me."

Deng Yi did as he was told to step aside. Just as Zhou Ji'an had stepped out and was about to close the door, he heard him say something very ordinary.

"be safe."

As Zhou Ji'an sat in the car, a phrase that might be a normal couple exchanging words popped into his mind.

Come back soon.

After driving for about half an hour, Zhou Ji'an got out of the car and walked. After more than ten minutes, he arrived at a villa area. After the security personnel verified his identity, he walked for another ten minutes and arrived at a villa with a Spanish and Mediterranean style.

Zhou Ji'an rang the doorbell, and the person who opened the door immediately teased her, "Hey, didn't you say you weren't coming anymore? Why are you here again?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't have anyone to tease, so I changed my mind." Zhou Ji'an changed into his slippers and walked inside.

There seem to be two unfamiliar faces.

Lu Jianni followed Zhou Ji'an's gaze and introduced them in her ear: "The one with the braided hair is called Qin Xirang, and the one with the neat short hair is called Zhao Xingran."

"The one with short hair looks so young," Zhou Ji'an said in a low voice.

"You're only a sophomore, not even twenty yet, how can you not be young?" Lu Jianni's voice was still so loud. "But don't underestimate her just because she's only twenty. She's read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies. She's much better than you."

Zhou Ji'an, knowing his own limitations, did not refute Lu Jianni. "Your mouth must have been quite lonely while I was away, right?"

Lu Jianni laughed heartily: "So I rely on eating to fill the loneliness, and I've even gained weight."

Her hearty laughter drew the attention of others.

Zhou Ji'an immediately felt uncomfortable.

After the wedding, Zhou Ji'an discovered that all his personal information had been exposed. Considering that attending the party again would not only be inconvenient for himself but also cause trouble for his companions, he decided not to come.

But this weekly living room chat was the only thing she looked forward to in her boring and monotonous life, and something she had persisted in for nearly six years. It was hard for her to really stop doing it after deciding to stop.

Lu Jianni took Zhou Ji'an's arm and said, "Welcome back Zhou Ji'an, who doesn't like watching movies and doesn't understand movies."

This person really doesn't miss any opportunity to tease her.

"Jian, do you and your husband have anything in common to talk about at home?" Li Zhiyao asked.

Liu Shu, who was standing nearby, immediately clapped her hands and said, "Hey, hey, what's going on? Why does it have to be Ji'an who's troubled by this problem? Can't it be her husband who's troubled?"

Wang Zhihui, who brought Zhou Ji'an a glass of water, continued, "Liu Shu is right. Zhiyao, aren't you implying that women must please their husbands?"

Li Zhiyao, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly stretched out his legs and said, "You know what, it seems like there really is something wrong with my question."

Zhou Ji'an wanted to say that she and Deng Yi would never reach a point where they needed to talk about common topics, even on the day of their divorce.

Although she and Deng Yi had talked about movies before.

Zhao Xingran chimed in, "Since you don't like movies, why would you marry someone who makes movies?"

"Maybe it's because he's not always making movies?" Zhou Ji'an said as he leaned back on the sofa and sat down on the carpet.

Although Deng Yi doesn't make movies all the time, he's always acting.

"But movies probably take up most of his life, right? Will he talk to you about movies? Will he look down on you because you don't understand movies?" Zhao Xingran asked again.

"I feel like I'm being interviewed," Zhou Ji'an said with a laugh to ease his discomfort.

Lu Jianni shrugged and said, "This new friend is very sharp. Although her question sounds similar to Zhiyao's previous question, her starting point is obviously different."

What's different?

Zhou Ji'an felt they were all the same.

Zhou Ji'an slowly took a sip of water and said, "He's someone who's been making movies for so many years, he wouldn't be so arrogant. Besides, he doesn't know what I do."

Liu Shu: "Jian, your reasoning is untenable. There are plenty of male directors who have been making films for many years, are there any who aren't arrogant?"

Wang Zhihui: "It seems that many men, after making a movie, no matter how bad it is, will think they are famous directors and outstanding artists."

Qin Xirang: "Ji'an, isn't it possible that you're subconsciously protecting your husband?"

Qin Xirang looked three or four years older and taller than Zhao Xingran, with a small face.

Her voice was also soft.

She remembered Zhou Ji'an's name.

Zhou Ji'an felt that Qin Xirang was much sharper than Zhao Xingran, but surprisingly, no one else praised her.

Is it because Zhao Xingran has a stronger presence?

Zhou Ji'an put down his cup, sat up straighter, looked at Qin Xirang and said, "It's possible. Maybe marriage is like this. It can bind two strangers with no emotional foundation or even no connection into a community of interests in an instant with just a piece of paper."

"So I plan to only date and never get married in my life," Zhao Xingran suddenly revealed her life plan.

"Couples are actually a community of shared interests," Zhou Ji'an said calmly, observing Zhao Xingran, who was not yet twenty. "Don't many people protect their boyfriends or girlfriends even at the cost of hurting other friends?"

Zhao Xingran: "That just shows how immature she is. She should just find a more mature person to date."

Can someone under twenty years old judge what maturity is?

Zhou Ji'an felt that he was almost thirty years old, but he still didn't know what the standard of maturity was.

But she just nodded, smiled, and didn't continue the conversation.

The reason why Zhou Ji'an has been able to participate in the women's forums organized by Lu Jianni is not only because Lu Jianni is her college classmate, but also because Lu Jianni never sets a theme and encourages everyone to start from their own lives, chat freely, and gradually delve deeper.

This type of seminar is very friendly to people like Zhou Ji'an who can't get into reading professional theoretical books; she only needs to share her observations and insights little by little.

Zhou Ji'an's observations and insights today seem to be viewed through a filter, even after so many years.

Perhaps, as Zhao Xingran said, Deng Yi actually looked down on him because she didn't understand film, and maybe he was arrogant and conceited like many male directors.

The seminar usually ends at six o'clock, with the aim of allowing participants to get home as soon as possible.

Zhou Ji'an got off the bus early and walked home.

Deng Yi just finished filming a movie and will probably spend a lot of time at home. She needs to take some time to think about how to get along with Deng Yi.

The phone in my hand vibrated.

Zhou Ji'an paused for a few seconds before answering.

"Auntie," Zhou Ji'an switched back to using the term "Auntie."

"Xiao An." Shen Ruoheng clearly didn't hold it against her.

Zhou Ji'an asked, "Is there something you need?"

Shen Ruoheng on the other end of the phone seemed to hesitate, but quickly gave her answer: "Why didn't you go back to the east of the city with Deng Yi?"

East of the city? Does that refer to Deng Yi's villa?

While Zhou Ji'an was still thinking, Shen Ruoheng said, "I know you and Jing Lin are close, but there are some things you can't just listen to him on. You and Deng Yi are already married, so you should always stand on Deng Yi's side. If you really have concerns, you can ask Deng Yi directly."

Are all mothers-in-law the same? They always hope that their daughters-in-law will act as their sons' mothers.

Although Shen Ruoheng wasn't as bad as the mothers-in-law in TV dramas, Zhou Ji'an still had that thought pop into his head.

“What they’re going on has nothing to do with me. There’s no question of taking sides.” Zhou Ji’an switched hands to hold the phone. “Besides, I don’t have a good relationship with Wei Jinglin.”

Of course, my relationship with your son Deng Yi isn't necessarily good either.

Zhou Ji'an: "Auntie, I'm going into the elevator now. I'll call you back when I get back."

After the call was disconnected, Shen Ruoheng looked at the news photos and dialed her son's number again.

Shen Ruoheng questioned, "Can't you bring Xiao An with you when you have a dinner party?"

Deng Yi was tidying up the mess of tableware left by a group of people, and the more he tidied up, the more irritated he became. "Do you think she wants to be with me?"

"I've told you to cut back on scandals, but you never listen."

"I'm hanging up, I have other things to do," Deng Yi said coldly, slamming the cabinet door shut.

People who don't even want to cook or eat with him, how could they possibly want to have a meal with him?

Her claim of meeting friends was probably just an excuse she came up with on the spot, simply because she didn't want to be in the same room with him.