Chapter 218 Divorce
See, that's Zhou Pingchuan for you. Once he's made up his mind or wants to do something, he's determined to do it, regardless of whether the other party agrees or not.
Normally, Xia Mian would let him be. But today, or rather, in the near future, he didn't really want to see Zhou Pingchuan.
He didn't know how to face Zhou Pingchuan.
After a month of near-cold war-like silence, Zhou Pingchuan suddenly contacted him. What did he want to say? Probably only two topics: ending the marriage and Xia Mingzhao.
He didn't want to talk about those two topics. Recently, his career had reached a small peak, but because the series hadn't aired yet, he hadn't truly established himself and still needed to use Zhou Pingchuan to gain some advantages.
The longer it drags on, the better it will be for him.
Of course, these are objective reasons, but there are also some subjective reasons.
He genuinely didn't want to face it.
Yes, he usually thinks very carefree, but when the moment actually comes, he... can't bear to part with it.
Even though the marriage was already dead in name only, he still couldn't bear to part with Zhou Pingchuan and the little family he had built bit by bit, like a swallow building its nest.
The Xia family is not his home; it is Xia Mingzhao's home.
He had no memory of living with Ren Xiping; the dimly lit little house in the slum could only be considered half a home.
Only the Dragon Seal truly belongs to him.
If they get divorced, he'll be a child without a home again.
"Xia, do you need me to take you home?" Zhao Wei asked softly when he saw Xia holding his phone and not moving for a long time.
Xia Mian shook her head: "No need. Wei Ge, I'm almost done packing. You should go back and rest. I'm going to wash up and go to bed too. I have to get up early tomorrow."
To feign a relaxed tone.
Could things really be wrong between this young couple? Zhao Wei opened his mouth, but remembering Xia Mian's awkward personality, he swallowed his words of concern: "Okay, I'll go first then. I'll call you when I leave tomorrow."
With his car keys in hand, Zhao Wei left the residential area, his mind heavy with worry.
As an experienced driver, he subconsciously observed his surroundings after getting in the car. When he saw the car behind him, he muttered, "Wow, what a cool Cullinan... The license plate is even cooler, it must be worth more than the car itself! Who in Beijing can afford to use a license plate like that... Holy crap!"
Zhao Wei slapped his forehead, quickly got out of the car, and hurried towards Cullinan, so anxious that he forgot to lock the car door.
Cullinan must have seen him too, because it rolled down its window.
"Mr. Zhou," Zhao Wei said breathlessly, "you've come to see Xia?"
Zhou Pingchuan hummed in agreement: "Has Xia Mian caused you any trouble lately?"
"It's not troublesome at all; it's all my duty. Besides, with Xia's ambition, what can't she accomplish? I don't need to worry about her."
"Thank you for your help. Do you play golf?"
Yes, but my skills are just average.
Zhou Pingchuan: "The president of the Film Association asked me to play golf. My legs always ache in the spring, so I can't play a whole round. I need someone to help me. You can come with me then."
President of the Film Association!
The president of the China Film Association is usually one of the most influential and prestigious figures in the industry. The current president is a top-tier producer renowned for producing films with box office earnings exceeding 100 billion yuan—someone you'd barely exchange a word with normally. If you could establish contact with him and recommend your artists, it would be an incredible stroke of luck!
Zhao Wei understood; Zhou Pingchuan was giving him a boost!
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou. Please feel free to call me anytime if you need anything," Zhao Wei quickly thanked him. "Then I won't bother you any longer. Shall I call Xia down?"
"No need, let him clean it up."
Feeling a bit dizzy from being hit by the pie, Zhao Wei spoke before he thought: "It's all cleaned up."
Zhou Pingchuan: "All done cleaning up?"
Zhao Wei then realized his mistake: "...I guess...right."
Zhou Pingchuan closed the car window: "Okay."
Damn it... this lousy mouth. Zhao Wei slapped himself hard across the face.
Back in his car, he thought it over and over, agonizing for a long time, before finally calling Xia Mian.
Xia Mian had already gone into the bathroom, intending to wash off the sweat she had accumulated while packing her luggage: "What's wrong now, Wei Ge?"
“Xia,” Zhao Wei said, “come to the window.”
Xia Mian patiently tossed the bath towel back onto the sink: "Coming."
“Look down, there’s that Cullinan with a floating roof.”
Why are you looking at the car? He used to have one too. Xia Mian glanced at it, and the moment her gaze fell on the license plate, her pupils suddenly contracted.
He wasn't familiar with the car, but he had seen the license plate number in his own garage.
...Zhou Pingchuan has arrived?
He hadn't seen Zhou Pingchuan for over a month, and to be honest, he missed him terribly. He wanted to see if Zhou Pingchuan had gained or lost weight; his voice sounded tired on the phone earlier, and he wondered if he hadn't been getting enough rest lately.
No, I can't think about it. Xia Mian withdrew her gaze, turned around, and hid behind the curtains: "Thanks for reminding me."
Zhao Wei sighed. Even an upright official can't settle family disputes. He was, after all, an outsider, and this was all he could do to help.
Summer hibernation returned to the bathroom and continued showering.
Tomorrow I'm going to the set to shoot promotional photos, so I need to look my best and have firm skin. A whole set of face masks, skincare products, and other equipment—by the time I came out of the bathroom, even the subway had stopped running. People returning from their night shifts dragged their exhausted bodies like a horde of zombies searching for food.
Zhao Wei's car drove away, making his large SUV stand out conspicuously amidst the zombies.
Zhou Pingchuan is still here? Xia Mian lay down on the bed and forced herself to close her eyes.
Whether it was the excitement of filming the new drama or the influence of that car, he counted countless sheep, but he just couldn't fall asleep.
At one o'clock in the morning, he got up and took a look; the car was there.
At two o'clock in the morning, he leaned against the window again, and the car was still there.
Surely not? What's there to be so fixated on?
Springtime in the north is windy, and the dew is heavy in the late night. Could Zhou Pingchuan's injured leg withstand it?
Or... how about... letting him come up here and spend the night?
No, no, I can't give in. Summer closes the curtains, wraps herself in the blankets, and forces herself into hibernation.
At three in the morning, after failing to force itself into hibernation, Summer Sleep once again crawled out of bed and opened the curtains a crack.
The car... it's still there!
After marriage, Xia Mian witnessed "extreme self-discipline" in Zhou Pingchuan. No matter what happened the night before, Zhou Pingchuan would always get up on time the next day, read the morning newspaper, do some simple exercise, and then leave for work without missing a second.
In other words, if Zhou Pingchuan didn't sleep soon, he really would have to stay up all night.
A man in his thirties with a leg ailment, how could he possibly endure it!
Thinking of this, and coincidentally, probably because he was uncomfortable sitting, the back door opened, and Zhou Pingchuan got out of the car, leaning on his antler cane, seemingly wanting to stretch his legs.
Xia Mian stared intently at the man she hadn't seen for a month; his hair had grown longer and thinner.
He may have caught a chill, for when he took his first step, his steps were unsteady and he stumbled.
Xia Mian took a deep breath. Never mind, she'd just call the person upstairs to get some sleep first.
He pulled his phone from under his pillow and saw a WeChat message that had arrived at midnight. He didn't want to read it, but the message was from Xia Mingzhao.
He subconsciously opened the message: [Mianmian, I've thought about it for a long time, but I think I should still send those auction items to you. They're too valuable; I can't take them.]
The beautiful jewelry that Zhou Pingchuan snatched from him at a high price was actually meant for Xia Mingzhao.
He still held onto a sliver of hope.
In retrospect, it wasn't just luck.
It's called being delusional.
Zhou Pingchuan stood by the roadside, his gaze seemingly fixed upwards, intently observing the figure he had longed for day and night.
Based on his understanding of Xia Mian, he knew she should be calling him now.
He didn't receive the call.
It was a text message.
Let's get a divorce.
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