divorce
"Will this headline, 'A famous director luring ordinary women into fake marriages in search of creative inspiration,' make it to the top of the trending searches?" Wei Jinglin shifted all his weight onto his girlfriend, and his life suddenly gained new fun and a new foothold.
Wei Jinglin reiterated the rumors of Zhou Ji'an and Deng Yi's sham marriage, and Xu Zhiyan tried to catch Zhou Ji'an's expression through the car window and over the driver's seat.
But the distance between them was still too great; he could only see her profile and the Y-shaped pendant on the ground.
Deng Yi casually picked up the pendant and put it in his coat pocket.
The pendant is only one or two millimeters thicker than a regular wooden bookmark, and its length is estimated to be no more than half the length of his little finger, so it is probably mainly used by her as a bookmark.
One glance is enough to tell that it was handmade by her.
So she can make this kind of thing.
Zhou Ji'an, sitting in the passenger seat, originally intended to remain calm and collected after hearing Wei Jinglin's words, so as not to expose his poor acting skills.
So she let Deng Yi deal with her, but she didn't hear a response from him for a long time.
Looking at Wei Jinglin's face through the windshield, Zhou Ji'an felt that his face was changing along with his personality, becoming more and more distorted and ferocious.
Deng Yi still did not react.
Zhou Ji'an said, "Should I get out of the car and say something to him?"
Zhou Ji'an felt guilty and nervous after hearing Wei Jinglin's words, so she didn't really know how to refute him.
Deng Yi started the car and casually handed over the book, saying, "Your book."
"Oh, thank you." Zhou Jian glanced at the book cover, hurriedly took it, and pretended to flip through it casually, not noticing the small pendant carved from an avocado pit.
She wanted to ask the people around her if they had seen it, but she was afraid they would see it, so she could only hope that the pendant she had used for many years had been lost.
In this way, no one but her would notice that the hole at the end of the pendant is a small "D".
The other three people left stranded in the underground parking lot all looked at the black car that was speeding away.
"See that? It's the letter Y." Wei Jinglin had excellent eyesight and a quick mind. "Do you think it represents you, or Deng Yi?"
“She’s already married,” Xu Zhiyan said, frowning. “I think you’re more suited to be a director, senior brother. After all these years, you still prefer this kind of drama.”
In Xu Zhiyan's view, Zhou Ji'an was not deceived or seduced by Deng Yi as Wei Jinglin claimed.
She looked very happy.
Wei Jinglin shrugged indifferently, bit his girlfriend's ear hard, and laughed loudly: "Before, I only guessed that they were having a fake marriage based on rumors, but now I can guarantee you that they are definitely having a fake marriage."
He understands Deng Yi better than anyone else.
If those two are really married, Deng Yi would be happy to see the Y-shaped pendant, not surprised and disappointed.
Because normal people would think that the letter Y represents the "Yi" in Deng Yi's name.
Wei Jinglin had always done things that surprised and disappointed Deng Yi since he was a child, and no one knew Deng Yi's expression better than him.
Well, of everyone present, only Deng Yi believed that the Y-shaped mark on the pendant represented Xu Zhiyan's "Yan".
Having succeeded indirectly once again, Wei Jinglin shook off his previous gloom, tightened his arm around his girlfriend's waist, and asked, "Should we move our wedding forward?"
"Is there an express fee?" the girl asked, snuggling close to him.
Xu Zhiyan still couldn't get used to Wei Jinglin's distorted views on marriage and love, and politely said, "I still need to buy some daily necessities."
"Oh, it's my fault. I was watching the show and it distracted you from your important business." Wei Jinglin apologized, and got into the back seat with his girlfriend. "I've already talked to Deng Yi about your job. He said their company isn't short-staffed. Do you want me to introduce you to some other connections?"
“I have extensive work experience and a portfolio of successful projects; I don’t need to pull strings,” Xu Zhiyan coldly refused. “Besides, didn’t Deng Yi just say they weren’t friends?”
For a moment, Wei Jinglin was in a daze, as if he saw Zhou Ji'an's shadow in Xu Zhiyan.
Perhaps, ordinary people who believe that hard work and diligence can overcome talent and background all have this kind of mentality.
I drove all the way home.
On the way, Deng Yi was not as talkative as he had been on the way there, and his expression was somewhat cold.
Zhou Ji'an suspected that he was provoked by Wei Jinglin's words, or that he began to suspect that she had said something to Wei Jinglin or perhaps Zhiyan.
After getting off the bus and carrying his luggage, Zhou Ji'an pondered for a moment and asked, "Weren't we supposed to be picking out some things?"
"We'll talk about it later." Deng Yi carried a suitcase in each hand and headed straight for the elevator.
Zhou Ji'an glanced at the packing bag on the ground, picked it up, and followed.
She ran a few steps to catch up with him and laughed, "It's really light."
Deng Yi glanced indifferently at the bulging, white, semi-transparent bag in her hand, then shifted his gaze to her face.
There were two suitcases and a packing bag in the elevator, and two people were standing in it, taking up a lot of space.
Moreover, Deng Yi did not respond to her.
Zhou Ji'an noticed the subtle awkwardness between her and Deng Yi again, so she tried to make conversation: "Have Aunt Yang and Aunt Zhu already gone to work?"
"Hmm." Deng Yi's gaze was already focused on the elevator door. The elevator arrived at the first floor. "They are very sensible and won't spread gossip."
It turns out he genuinely suspected that she had said something to Wei Jinglin and Xu Zhiyan.
Zhou Ji'an felt somewhat aggrieved, "I didn't spread any rumors."
"Even your ex..." Deng Yi's chest tightened, and he frowned, stopping himself from saying the rest of his sentence.
Zhou Ji'an looked at Deng Yi, who had only said half of what he wanted to say, and carefully sprayed her suitcase and packing bags with a huge bottle of disinfectant. He really wanted to ask him what he hadn't finished saying when someone walked over.
A woman around fifty years old with a darker complexion asked, "Xiao Yi, have you found Xiao Xi's earring yet?"
“Found it,” Deng Yi replied.
Then he looked at Zhou Ji'an and gave a brief introduction: "Aunt Yang."
Zhou Ji'an bowed and said, "Hello, Aunt Yang."
Aunt Yang was caught off guard by the bow from her employer's wife and awkwardly smiled, saying, "Okay...okay."
Deng Yi did not explain why Yu Xi's earring ended up at his house, nor did he introduce her to Aunt Yang. He didn't even tell Aunt Yang her name, and Aunt Yang affectionately called Yu Xi "Xiao Xi".
Zhou Ji'an knew that Yu Xi often came to Deng Yi's place, but she didn't know that Yu Xi had such a deep relationship with Deng Yi's housekeeper.
Perhaps Yu Xi has visited far more often than the news reports have.
“I ordered a height-adjustable desk, it will be delivered this afternoon. I will reimburse you for the desk once the house is sold.” Deng Yi said this after they entered the bedroom and closed the door.
He made her cooperate with his act at all times while using money to draw a line between them.
"You've already bought a new one, why do you still need to pay me back?" Zhou Ji'an stood by the wall with his hands at his sides, watching Deng Yi's performance.
Like a loving husband, he carefully placed her clothes into the dressing room.
“I suddenly decided to sell the house, and I was the one who asked you to move out, so I should compensate you.” Deng Yi slammed the cabinet door shut.
His behavior convinced Zhou Ji'an that their sudden intimacy last night was still just her imagination.
Zhou Ji'an asked, "If I file for divorce now, will you take back the money you gave me? Like some people in your circle, will you take it back on charges of extortion?"
Deng Yi's hand, which was pressing down on the suitcase, gradually turned white at the fingertips.
The suitcase zipper ripped open to the other side.
“We’ve spent less than a day together in total since we got married. Just that one day, and you’ve brought up divorce so many times.” Deng Yi gradually lost his patience and could no longer hold back. “Are you in such a hurry?”
Zhou Ji'an was stunned and speechless for a moment.
Her silence proved that she was truly anxious.
Deng Yi said defiantly, "I gave you ample time to consider it, and I did not force you to agree to my proposal."
He meant that everything she was going through was her own doing, that her greed and pursuit of profit had led her to this point. He never considered that perhaps she had agreed to his absurd proposal because she still had feelings for him.
He had never even considered this possibility.
Zhou Ji'an said, "I mean, if."
Deng Yi's brow muscles almost stiffened. "Why do you have to say something like this?"
Zhou Ji'an, true to his greedy nature, said, "Because you gave me too much money, I feel uneasy. I need to make sure that this money is mine no matter what."
Zhou Ji'an almost blurted out that she didn't want to end up losing both her money and her lover, but thankfully she managed to hide her true thoughts when she saw Deng Yi's face, which was not in the same dimension as hers.
“I’ve said it before, as long as you don’t divorce me, my money is your money.” Deng Yi’s face was sharper due to his extreme restraint, and his tone was no longer as gentle as usual. “So your unease is caused by your wavering heart, and has nothing to do with me.”
“What if you’re the one who files for divorce in the end, and you want the money back?” Zhou Ji’an retorted, unconvinced by his accusation that she was wavering. “Wouldn’t I become one of those unlucky actors in your industry who don’t get paid?”
"There's no such 'what if'," Deng Yi replied calmly.
Zhou Ji'an's heart skipped a beat.
She's probably the most delusional person in the world.
The desk in the study wasn't long enough, so while Zhou Ji'an was fiddling with his three computers, Deng Yi sat at the other end reading a book.
Zhou Ji'an was afraid that making too much noise would disturb him, but he seemed completely undisturbed.
As a result, Zhou Ji'an became more concerned about his reaction, to the point that his movements became particularly clumsy.
Zhou Ji'an crawled into the desk, knelt on the floor to arrange the computer's cables, and after finishing, turned around in the wrong direction and bumped his head into Deng Yi's knee.
She covered her head and apologized, "I'm sorry."
After returning from there, Deng Yi seemed to be in a bad mood. In addition, they had argued about the "divorce" issue, so Zhou Ji'an apologized very quickly.
Deng Yi stepped back, chair and all, and asked in a low voice, "Have you been practicing Iron Head Kung Fu?"
Zhou Ji'an paused, his hand rubbing his head, and moved slightly. He refrained from touching Deng Yi's knee, but muttered, "Is it that serious?"
She said she was going to stand up, but she didn't realize there was a desk above her head.
A loud thud echoed in the quiet space.
Before Zhou Ji'an could even cover the painful area, his body lurched forward due to inertia, and his face collided directly with Deng Yi's right thigh.
Zhou Ji'an thought to herself that it was fortunate that Deng Yi's chair didn't have armrests, otherwise she would not only be in a bad mood today, but also have a bloody head.
Fortunately, this positive mindset didn't last long.
She soon realized that her current posture was extremely awkward.
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