Wedding Room

The film "Half Moon Mountain" was completed after three months of filming. Director Deng Yi arranged for the crew to hold a wrap party at his private villa.

The wrap party went smoothly, and soon it was time for Deng Yi to send everyone away.

Producer Feng Chengli complained, "It's not even nine o'clock yet, why are you rushing people out of here?"

Deng Yi was dizzy from the alcohol. He snatched the wine glass that Feng Chengli had filled again and said seriously, "I'm afraid you'll have problems drinking it."

Yu Xi took a sip of the bright yellow juice, her eyes slightly upturned. As she swallowed the juice, she took a breath, glanced at the ring on Deng Yi's ring finger, and said jokingly, "Isn't it because you're afraid of getting home late and your wife will scold you?"

"Hey, look at my memory, I forgot you just got married a few months ago." Feng Chengli became more alert and immediately stood up and said, "Considering that you joined the crew the day after your wedding and haven't been home since, we'll leave early today."

"Anyone who didn't know better would think you were in a fake marriage." Yu Xi also stood up, seemingly testing the waters.

Deng Yi didn't reply. He picked up his coat and told the aunt what she needed to pay attention to when cleaning.

Feng Licheng also glanced at Deng Yi with a suspicious look, and said to Yu Xi, "You know what, it's actually possible. His wife hasn't come to visit the set in the past few months."

"If any rumors or gossip arise, I'll hold you responsible." Deng Yi's expression remained serious, and the warning in his tone was like a cold arrow, swiftly fired.

Feng Chengli shivered, but the effects of the alcohol were still there. He glanced at Yu Xi beside him and laughed, "But in my opinion, men, whether they're dating or getting married, should still look for women who are at least seven or eight years younger than them. Such women are considerate and clingy, sharing every little detail of their lives every day, which makes men feel more accomplished."

Deng Yi put on his coat, put his phone (which he had just locked) in his coat pocket, and said as he walked past Feng Licheng, "So you'll never be able to fall in love or get married in this lifetime."

"Hey, why are you cursing people now?" Feng Chengli grumbled at Deng Yi's rapidly disappearing figure for a while.

On the way back to the city, Deng Yi looked at his chat box with Zhou Ji'an one last time.

Their last conversation was ten days ago.

That day, his mother brought the knitted sweater to the gate of the community where their marital home was located. Afraid of disturbing Zhou Ji'an, she contacted him first.

He informed Zhou Ji'an about this via WeChat, and received a reply from Zhou Ji'an in less than a minute.

"We can't let your mother come to your house, can we? What if she finds out something?"

More than three months have passed since she moved into their marital home, and she still refers to it as "your home."

Deng Yi: Nowadays, many couples sleep in separate rooms, so she won't find out anything.

Zhou Ji'an always felt that Deng Yi's mother had discovered the "problem" in their marriage that day, and she was quite certain that she wasn't just imagining things.

"How come the house hasn't changed at all after all this time?" Deng's mother strolled leisurely around the spacious interior, her eyes scanning everywhere like a laser pointer.

She seemed determined to discover something.

Zhou Ji'an hurriedly searched for a cup in the kitchen and dining room to pour water.

The only water available was a whole case of purified water that Zhou Ji'an had stored next to the sideboard, and it was the cheaper kind.

A wealthy woman like Deng's mother probably wouldn't drink it, right?

Zhou Ji'an reluctantly poured his own purified water into Deng Yi's cup and handed it to Deng's mother, who was still searching around.

"Would you like some water?" Zhou Ji'an couldn't directly offer her water, so he used a question.

Zhou Ji'an couldn't bring himself to call out "Mom".

She doesn't even remember Deng Yi's parents' names.

She wasn't familiar with them at all.

Deng's mother unexpectedly took the water glass, took a sip of the cold water, and looked at her, saying, "We still need to decorate the house properly, otherwise it won't feel like home."

Zhou Ji'an politely replied, "Okay."

As she responded, her eyes were on the ground, and she prayed that her unfamiliar mother-in-law would leave quickly.

A sigh suddenly drifted out from the quiet space. The emotions in the sigh were quite complex, but not difficult to feel or understand.

This mother-in-law probably felt that her son had been wronged.

Zhou Ji'an did not respond to Deng's mother's sigh.

She and Deng Yi were never a real couple, so she shouldn't be responsible for her mother-in-law's sighs.

"I knitted you a sweater. If you like it, try it on and see if it fits." Deng's mother put down her water glass and took out a bright red cardigan from her elegant handbag.

Zhou Ji'an has always had a personality that is not liked by his elders. He often feels awkward when interacting with them or when they show concern for him.

Her fingers, stretched out into the air, began to dance. After racking her brains, she finally came up with the phrase "Thank you for your trouble" and uttered it.

Only after they told others did they realize that their conversation was exactly the same as the conversations between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law in some TV dramas.

As Zhou Ji'an took off his down jacket, amidst the rustling sound, Deng's mother spoke again: "Why don't you turn on the floor heating at home? Jishi is not as peaceful as your city; it gets very cold in winter. You have to work, so be careful not to catch a cold."

At this point, Zhou Ji'an was completely unable to adapt.

She only met Deng Yi's mother three times in total.

The first time was when Deng Yi decided to marry her, and he took her home to meet his parents.

The second meeting was between both sets of parents.

The third time was at her wedding with Deng Yi.

Despite each meeting, Zhou Ji'an had a fairly good impression of Deng Yi's mother.

She was always gentle and kind to Zhou Ji'an and his parents, without any arrogance.

But if you're not used to it, you're just not used to it.

Zhou Ji'an brushed off her concern, saying, "I forgot."

Deng's mother looked a little unhappy: "Did you forget, or did you not know if we have underfloor heating?"

It seems that gentle and kind elders are not necessarily easy to get along with.

Zhou Ji'an genuinely did not know that his home had underfloor heating.

She has never been afraid of the cold, especially when she is working; in fact, she prefers it to be a little cold so that her mind is clearer.

With winter approaching, she naturally forgot to look into the heating equipment in Deng Yi's home.

Deng Yi, who left home when it got hot, never told her that his house had underfloor heating installed.

Not wanting to cause any further trouble, Zhou Ji'an put on the sweater that Deng's mother handed him and said, "I forgot."

Even without looking in a mirror, Zhou Ji'an knew that the sweater fit him perfectly.

She raised her hand and touched the area from her lower back to the hem of her dress; it felt soft and comfortable, probably made of high-quality yarn.

Deng's mother took two steps back, looked her over for a few seconds, and commented, "It fits her well and makes her look very smart."

Just as Zhou Ji'an was about to thank her, Deng's mother picked up the down jacket she had placed on the sofa and said, "If you like it, I'll knit you another one next time. Now, put on the down jacket first."

Seeing that Deng's mother looked genuinely worried that she would get cold, Zhou Ji'an's actions and expressions became somewhat sluggish.

"I was originally planning to take you out to eat, but then I remembered that Deng Yi said you don't like eating out," Deng's mother said as she left.

Zhou Ji'an followed her to the door, smiled and said, "Yes."

Deng's mother sighed again, opened the door, took a few steps, then came back, took a bank card out of her bag, and handed it to her, "This is a little something from me. Take it. The password is the last six digits of Deng Yi's lunar birthday."

"No need, no need, you've already given it to me, and besides, I don't need it," Zhou Ji'an immediately declined.

Deng's mother looked at her intently and said, "Take this and buy something, at least make the house look like a home."

After finishing work, Zhou Ji'an dragged his yoga mat from his bedroom to the living room, spread it out, did yoga for more than 30 minutes, and then lay back on the yoga mat to relax.

She stared at the ceiling, recalling every word her mother had said that day.

"Every word she uttered was for her son's sake. Deng Yi's life is just too much like her name suggests."

The sound of entering a password came from the doorway.

Zhou Ji'an jumped up, grabbed his yoga mat, and ran to the bedroom.

She had just run out of the living room when Deng Yi, who had just entered, spoke up.

"Just finished exercising?" Deng Yi took off his coat, hung it up, and strode into the living room. Standing by the wall, he flipped a switch. "Why isn't the underfloor heating on?"

That day, after Deng Yi's mother left, Zhou Ji'an noticed the underfloor heating switch on the wall, but she still didn't turn it on.

She doesn't need it.

She is not cold.

"It might take a while for it to warm up." Deng Yi approached Zhou Ji'an, who was clutching the corner of the yoga mat and seemed stiff all over, looked at her carefully for a few moments, and asked, "Did you get a haircut?"

No wonder he's a director; he can communicate with his fake wife so naturally.

His acting skills are better than those of the actors in his movies.

This was the first time they had appeared together in this bridal suite. They stayed at a hotel on their wedding night, and he joined the film crew early the next morning.

So even if his acting skills are excellent, he'll still have to feel awkward, right?

Anyway, Zhou Jian was quite embarrassed; she was still wearing winter yoga clothes and her body was still damp with sweat.

Deng Yi smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Were you scared?"

Zhou Ji'an was taken aback by his question, and his suspicions about the man in front of him grew stronger.

It's not that she's suspicious; it's that Deng Yi really did have too many behaviors that made her suspicious.

Zhou Ji'an threw down the yoga mat in his hand, paused for a moment, temporarily put aside his suspicions, and said, "Wait for me, I'll get you the bank card your mother gave me."

Deng Yi didn't say anything, just watched her go back to the bedroom to get her card.

"Here you go." Zhou Ji'an handed over the bank card.

Deng Yi took it, walked to the coffee table, opened the drawer, and casually tossed it inside.

When he looked up, he asked her, who was still standing there, "Can you come home with me for dinner tomorrow?"

Deng Yi must have completely inherited his mother's gentleness.

Even though Zhou Ji'an ignored the several questions he asked in a row, his tone and expression remained so calm.

His calmness made Zhou Ji'an feel that she could answer "no".

However, putting on a show for friends, family, and the public from time to time was part of their original agreement.

Zhou Ji'an still can't figure out why Deng Yi suddenly visited Wei Jinglin's house that day and proposed a fake marriage to her directly after Wei Jinglin's housewarming party ended.

His every move seemed to conceal a conspiracy, yet he sought nothing in return.

Zhou Ji'an was puzzled as to why he had accepted the suggestion after thinking about it for several days.

Whatever his conspiracy may be, she is now deeply involved.