Chapter 106: End of Text I want you to be willing to...
Chen Zhuo's decision to let Guan Siyu participate in "The All-Around Team" was due to his words. She couldn't imagine loving someone she couldn't love for ten years, or even longer. But she wasn't so noble, and Nadia persuaded her. Media outlets had already revealed that Bu Fan was originally slated to play the leading female role in "Fog Lights," but was replaced by Jiang Rui before filming officially began. Malice-inducing media outlets were already stirring up trouble.
Around this point, the program team will definitely focus on editing the parts of the two actresses, and may even maliciously guide them. However, Nadia will grasp this degree when reviewing the film later. If Guan Siyu joins, it will indeed create more hot spots and topics.
After all, this is an era where traffic is king.
However, before signing the contract, Shen Zhuo was afraid that he would do something out of line again, so he wanted to make a few gentleman's agreements with him.
Guan Siyu assured her, "Don't worry, Sister Chen Zhuo. I listened to everything you said, and you're right. I was just thinking too simply and didn't consider the consequences. I don't want to ruin her because of me."
Shen Zhuo felt mixed emotions after hearing this, but it eventually turned into a sigh.
After many years, the Chinese film industry finally had another film queen. Domestic movie fans were eager to see the film, and the number of people who marked the film as wanting to watch it on the platform soared from more than 40,000 to 300,000. After discussions with Chen Zhuo, Li Yaqi and the publicity and distribution company, they decided to release the film during the National Day holiday.
Online marketing and offline roadshows were necessary. Chen Zhuo opened her calendar to add her schedule, only to discover that Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. Since Ms. Chi's last visit, mother and daughter hadn't spoken. She picked up her phone and opened WeChat. The group profile picture of "loving family" was still three. She clicked on it and saw that Ms. Chi's last message was from before Shao Chengzhang was hospitalized.
After returning home, she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself several times when she saw Shao Chengzhang.
Shao Chengzhang had already begun to slowly process his work, but Chen Zhuo wouldn't allow him to work overtime and had to leave on time. The company had hired so many high-paid managers, so they couldn't just leave everything to him alone.
Shao Chengzhang put away the dishes and saw Chen Zhuo sitting on the sofa in a daze. He felt that she was absent-minded when they were eating just now. He walked over and asked her what was wrong.
Shen Zhuo leaned his head against the back of the sofa, thought for a moment and asked him: "After you were discharged from the hospital, did you still contact my mother?"
Shao Chengzhang shook his head slightly: "I sent a message to my mother, but she never replied to me."
"You think she's still angry?" Shen Zhuo sighed.
Shao Chengzhang thought for a moment and said, "Shall we go see Mom?"
Chen Zhuo nodded slowly. Otherwise, it would be a big deal to be so stiff all the time. "Let's do it this weekend. I'll call her."
The weekend arrived in the blink of an eye. Chen Zhuo sat on the edge of the bed, holding her phone. She was thinking about how to start the conversation when her phone suddenly vibrated. Seeing the caller ID, she almost threw the phone away.
She didn't call Ms. Chi, but Ms. Chi called her first.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally answered the call, and Shen Zhuo stammered, "Mom."
Ms. Chi said, "The girl who rented your house brought some local specialties from home and said she must give them to you. Come get them when you have time. Also, don't pile all the things you moved from Zhonghu here."
Chen Zhuo said, "Okay, I'm not busy today. Shao Chengzhang and I will go there later." She tried to test Ms. Chi's reaction to Shao Chengzhang, but she didn't expect that she just said "hmm" and said nothing more.
"Shao Chengzhang!" Shen Zhuo yelled as he ran out of the bedroom and rushed to the study. She leaned against the door and asked him, "Are you busy today? My mom just called and told us to go home."
Shao Chengzhang was startled, then he put away his notebook and smiled at her, "I'm fine."
Chen Zhuo made an "OK" gesture and said, "Then change your clothes and we'll leave soon."
Shen Zhuo and Shao Chengzhang first came to the supermarket and bought some supplements and fruits. When they got off the car, he took out a folder from the storage box in front of Shen Zhuo.
"What is this?" Shen Zhuo asked her.
Shao Chengzhang replied: "I gave it to my mother."
Chen Zhuo looked puzzled, not knowing what he was trying to say.
After going upstairs, Shen Zhuo took out the key from her bag. She was still a little nervous and couldn't find the key. She shook her bag and heard the key clang against each other.
The door suddenly opened, and Shen Zhuo looked up to see Ms. Chi standing at the door. He almost shouted reflexively: "Mom..."
Shao Chengzhang also shouted: "Mom."
Ms. Chi looked at Chen Zhuo first, then raised her eyes to look at Shao Chengzhang behind her. Without answering them, she turned and walked into the house and said, "Come in first."
Two people came in carrying large and small bags and saw two large cardboard boxes and a packing bag piled next to the shoe cabinet.
Ms. Chi sat on the sofa, poured herself a cup of tea and drank it slowly.
Shen Zhuo put the fruit into the kitchen and sat on the sofa on the other side with Shao Chengzhang. She bent down and poured a cup of tea for herself and Shao Chengzhang.
She started by trying to find a topic: "Those things at the door need to be moved away?"
"Yes." Ms. Chi responded, and there was an envelope in her hand that she placed in front of Chen Zhuo, "This is the rent for that little girl. I paid it as a deposit."
"I don't want it. You can take it. I'll just pay you the rent from now on."
Ms. Chi didn't respond, and for a moment, the air fell silent. Shen Zhuo tactically took a sip of his tea.
After a long while, Ms. Chi spoke first. She didn't look at Shao Chengzhang, but just asked, "When were you discharged from the hospital?"
"Just a few days ago." Shen Zhuo said.
"Are you ready?"
"Oh, there's no good doctor who can let me be discharged from the hospital."
"Mom," Shao Chengzhang suddenly said, "I'm back to normal now, you don't have to worry. This is what I promised you." He took out a folder from his side, which contained two agreements.
One is the house transfer agreement and the other is the equity transfer agreement.
"This is the transfer agreement for Yuelan Bay, which I promised you to give to Chen Zhuo at the beginning. The other copy contains all my shares in my company. As long as she signs, it will take effect. Now, I will give her everything I have." Shao Chengzhang looked at Ms. Chi and said every word seriously.
"What are you doing?" Shen Zhuo looked at him in shock. She had no idea that Shao Chengzhang had promised Ms. Chi to transfer Yuelan Bay to her, not to mention that he was going to give her shares in the company.
"I just want my mother to feel more at ease with me."
Ms. Chi said calmly, "You don't need to tell me this. It's just the two of you living together. It's fine as long as she accepts it."
"I won't—" Shen Zhuo didn't finish his words. He caught a glimpse of Ms. Chi, who was staring at him with a slightly frown, so he immediately changed his words, "It's impossible not to sign."
There was a signature pen under the coffee table. Shen Zhuo took it and signed her name in a flamboyant manner. After signing, she said to Ms. Chi, "Mom, you really don't have to worry. How could I let myself suffer a loss? Don't you agree?"
Ms. Chi finished her last sip of tea, stood up and went to the kitchen. Shen Zhuo followed her eagerly, "Mom, what are you making for lunch today? We're both going to have a bite to eat at your place."
Ms. Chi said she didn’t know.
"Then let's eat dumplings? I haven't eaten the dumplings you made for a long time." Shen Zhuo followed Ms. Chi and circled around.
"If you want to eat, just pack it."
Shen Zhuo chuckled and said "OK", then turned to the living room and shouted, "Shao Chengzhang, come over and make dumplings."
After dinner, Shao Chengzhang took the initiative to go to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Ms. Chi left the dishes next to the sink and did not leave. Shao Chengzhang immediately realized that she had something to say, so he turned off the faucet.
Ms. Chi said, "Chen Zhuo has followed my lead. He's determined to follow a path regardless of consequences. I don't care about you two anymore. After all, you were together. But it seems that my daughter has better vision than me."
Shao Chengzhang smiled slightly: "Mom, thank you."
Within two days of returning from Ms. Chi, the "Love Each Other" group became active again. Of course, Ms. Chi was still the main force, and Shao Chengzhang played a supporting role, but the content of the video account forwarded by Ms. Chi had undergone a huge change.
Originally, the content was "Secret code for saving life when going out", "Which month is the best for giving birth", "Three things wise women should not do", etc., which made Shen Zhuo frown at the first sight, but now it is "A list of 20 anti-depressant foods recommended by Harvard University", "How to deal with negative emotions"... However, occasionally, when Shen Zhuo receives a message, he will open it and take a look when he is not busy, and then send Ms. Chi a thumbs-up emoticon.
At the end of the month, "Fog Lights" began its roadshow. Chen Zhuo was really worried about Guan Siyu and Mai Xu, so he had to follow them.
Before leaving, she instructed Shao Chengzhang: "I'm telling you, you are not allowed to work overtime secretly when I'm not at home. You must go to bed before eleven o'clock, do you hear me?" Since being discharged from the hospital, Shen Zhuo has strictly controlled his work and rest time.
Shao Chengzhang nodded very obediently.
Every night before and after Chen Zhuo's meetings, he'd check in with Shao Chengzhang via video. Nadia, unaware of the situation, assumed they were just being affectionate, shaking her head and sighing, "Women in love are so unbearable! I suggest the company introduce a 'single subsidy'; I'm almost getting a work-related injury."
"Wrong!" Chen Zhuo stretched out her hand, showing the sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger. "We're not just in love, we're married."
"Shit..." Nadia rolled her eyes and moved from the seat next to her to the one across from her, "I want to stay away from you!"
The roadshow lasted for nearly half a month, and by the time the film officially opened on National Day, it had already grossed 60 million yuan, with an estimated total of nearly 700 million yuan. Given the fierce competition during the National Day holiday, and the presence of tribute films from big-name directors and big scenes, this box office result is already quite impressive, a guaranteed win.
Chen Zhuo's return flight was in the afternoon, so she arrived home in the evening. Shao Chengzhang went home early to cook a few of her favorite dishes.
The moment she opened the door, she saw Shao Chengzhang standing at the entrance, imitating the knight's salute she had once done, "Wee home! My pretty wife."
The next second, Chen Zhuo stepped forward and hugged him tightly. He couldn't help but take a deep breath on his neck, and the tip of his nose was filled with the faint smell of familiar perfume.
"I miss you so much." Shen Zhuo said sullenly in his chest.
Shao Chengzhang picked her up and said with a smile, "Think about it after dinner." He took two steps forward, carried the suitcase in, and closed the electronic door.
"Tsk, your feelings have faded after not seeing each other for a few days, right? You didn't even tell me that you missed me." She put her arms around his neck, straightened her back, and looked at him from a distance.
"You can't wrongly accuse me." Shao Chengzhang shook his head and smiled, "Every night they said they would video call me, but when was it not me who took the initiative to call?"
Shen Zhuo hummed twice, and Shao Chengzhang carried her to the island counter, ready to wash hands and eat.
After dinner, Chen Zhuo lazily lay on the sofa, feeling dizzy from eating. Shao Chengzhang came over but didn't bother to pay attention to him, just staring at his phone.
"So you thought I was a limited edition." He squatted in front of the sofa and stared at her with a smile.
Chen Zhuo yawned and hummed weakly: "I'm a little tired. I don't have the energy to miss you now."
"Then go take a shower and go to bed early tonight." Shao Chengzhang laughed out loud, thinking she was so cute. Then he said, "Let's go camping on Saturday."
She was away from home during the entire National Day holiday and felt guilty about it, so she agreed to whatever Shao Chengzhang asked of her.
Saturday was a beautiful day, with a clear, high sky. Shao Chengzhang didn't take Chen Zhuo to the RV campground, but instead to a small island surrounded by a lake on three sides in the suburbs. There were more entertainment activities here, and you could even watch the stars at night.
After dinner, he held Chen Zhuo's hand and walked along the stone path to the observatory, where there was an astronomical telescope next to it.
Shao Chengzhang walked over and began to adjust the telescope and mobile phone. After a while, he waved the phone at her and said, "Wife, come and see."
A photo appeared on the phone. The night sky was vast and boundless, but in the center, a faint and magnificent nebula suddenly appeared. It was a mixture of crimson and purple-blue colors, and its shape resembled a human heart.
"It's so beautiful, it's heart-shaped." Shen Zhuo exclaimed.
"This is IC1805, named the Heart Nebula," Shao Chengzhang said. "Legend has it that there were two stars deeply in love with each other, and their strong heartbeats were an expression of their love. When they decided to stay together forever, they merged into a new star, which eventually took the shape of a heart. They wanted to tell the universe of their everlasting love."
Shao Chengzhang held Shen Zhuo's hand and slowly placed it on his chest, allowing her to feel her heart beating violently in her chest.
"Before I met you, I never believed in so-called unconditional love. In my eyes, relationships were only about risk and uncertainty, and I don't like uncertainty. I want to plan everything precisely, and my life went on like this day after day, dull and boring. But you are truly an exception. Ever since I met Mom and formed a subtle connection with you, fate has been pulling me towards you, making me break my principles time and time again."
He agreed to a blind date, proposed marriage, requested cohabitation, and constantly broke his principles for her... As long as it was related to her, Shao Chengzhang could accept any sudden deviation.
Suddenly he knelt on one knee, took out a small velvet box from his pocket, and looked up at her.
"Chen Zhuo, I can't guarantee that there won't be any accidents in the future, but what I can guarantee is that no matter how I plan my life, its ultimate anchor will definitely be you." Shao Chengzhang pursed his lips and said slowly, "So, can you give me a chance to be your husband? I will respect you, understand you, and love you for the rest of my life."
Shen Zhuo had never expected that Shao Chengzhang would propose to her. This was really no sign.
She was surprised. After a few seconds of thinking, she reacted, "Shao Chengzhang, why did you suddenly propose to me... No, aren't we already married?"
"This is different. I want you to marry me willingly." The first time he proposed to her in the coffee shop, and the time she agreed to his proposal after getting drunk, were not from her heart. Shao Chengzhang looked at her with burning eyes, "You haven't answered me yet."
After Shen Zhuo realized what he meant, she smiled and nodded, "I agree." She stretched out her right hand and held it in front of him.
Shao Chengzhang breathed a sigh of relief. He took off the ring, which he almost dropped to the ground because of his trembling hands. He then put a new sapphire ring on her finger.
"Are you nervous?" Shen Zhuo couldn't help laughing at him.
"Of course, I just accomplished the most important thing in my life."
The moment the ring was put on, Chen Zhuo did not look at the brilliant blue, but pulled him up, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him gently on the lips.
After the kiss, she pulled away slightly, staring at him with a short breath.
"Shao Chengzhang, I will always love you without reservation."
(End of text)
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