eerie
Deng Yi is still in the play.
Zhou Ji'an kept his head down, ignoring the faint laugh that Shen Ruoheng made as she passed by them.
As the last button was undone, Zhou Ji'an whispered, "I'll take it off myself."
Deng Yi placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her body so that she was standing with her back to him.
His hands moved from behind her to her chest, grasping her collar and slowly taking off her coat.
They seemed to be making a brief back hug.
The heating in the house was on full blast, and Zhou Ji'an felt a little warm.
“We agreed on this.” Deng Yi hung up her coat, leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We can’t let anyone else know.”
His breath was like a feather, brushing against Zhou Ji'an's ears and the skin around them, making them feel tingly and itchy.
Zhou Ji'an shrugged his right shoulder impatiently, took a step forward, and finally managed to catch his breath before saying, "I understand."
Deng Yi's so-called "not letting others see" meant that he had to take Zhou Ji'an with him wherever he went, and the two were almost inseparable.
"Xiao An rarely gets a day off, so take her upstairs to rest. I'll call you when I've finished cooking." Shen Ruoheng deliberately sent the young couple away.
"Are you tired?" Deng Yi asked as he took the potatoes and peeler from Zhou Ji'an's hands.
Zhou Ji'an officially resigned in June and joined a new company, starting to work from home. He no longer has to squeeze onto the subway and bus to get to work every day, and he doesn't have to pay rent, making his life much easier.
She hasn't felt tired for a long time.
"Not tired." Zhou Ji'an shook his head, his gaze never leaving his hands, which were skillfully wielding a paring knife.
Previously, Zhou Ji'an had worked part-time at Deng Yi's studio for less than a month before she shamelessly asked Deng Yi if she could use his kitchen to cook.
She did this partly to save money, and partly to spend more time with Deng Yi.
Deng Yi would occasionally help her prepare the vegetables, but he couldn't do anything about it.
One day, Zhou Ji'an even discovered that he couldn't peel potatoes, which he found incredible.
She couldn't help but complain: "Although I don't understand movies, if a person doesn't even have basic life skills, shouldn't they be considered someone who hasn't truly experienced life? Won't the movies they make be superficial?"
She spoke too directly, and Deng Yi's face turned noticeably red.
After that, Zhou Ji'an bought groceries and cooked, and Deng Yi followed her around. She gradually taught him many survival skills that ordinary people have.
But even when they broke up, Deng Yi's potato peeling skills were still not very good.
Deng Yi held a peeled yellow potato in his palm and asked, "How is it? Is it as good as yours?"
Many actors who have worked with Deng Yi say that he often cooks for them on set.
Reporters have also photographed Deng Yi having dinner with friends from the entertainment industry at his villa.
Does he think of her when he's cooking for others?
Will we compare his and her knife skills like we do now when we act?
Will he discover that he has never cooked a single meal for her?
"That's great." Zhou Ji'an chuckled at his own wishful thinking, rubbed his hands together, and said, "I'll help Auntie cook."
"Still calling me 'Auntie'?" Shen Ruoheng joked.
"I'm not used to it yet," Zhou Ji'an said with an awkward smile. Anyway, she and Deng Yi would divorce sooner or later, so she didn't necessarily have to change her address.
Deng Yi, who was standing to the side, seemed to see through her thoughts. He played with the potato and asked in a low voice, "Is it because you're not used to it, or because you don't want to get used to it?"
Deng Yi had never spoken to Zhou Ji'an in such a tone before, and Zhou Ji'an could not accurately summarize his tone in a single word.
She just felt uncomfortable, as if there was no emotional foundation between them, and everything he did was to make them look like a loving couple.
Thinking about this, Zhou Ji'an realized that he was reminding her that she couldn't be unaccustomed to it, and that she didn't have the right to choose whether or not to change her address.
Zhou Ji'an bit his lip as he looked at the busy Shen Ruoheng, trying his best to pronounce the name.
Busy Shen Ruoheng suddenly said sternly, "Who taught you to talk like that? This society is so free now, who says you have to change how you address someone after you get married?"
"You were the one who started the joke." Deng Yi looked helpless, then glanced at Zhou Ji'an and said, "I didn't mean it that way, don't overthink it."
Zhou Ji'an smirked and turned around to tidy up the vegetables on the kitchen counter.
After that, there was no sound from anyone in the kitchen for a long time, so the sound of the door opening was too jarring.
Deng Wencheng walked to the kitchen door and instructed, "Huai Nian's family is coming over for dinner, so prepare them."
Zhou Ji'an's surprised gaze drifted between the faces of the family of three.
Shen Ruoheng remained completely calm and simply replied, "Okay."
Deng Yi merely glanced indifferently at Shen Ruoheng, without looking at Deng Wencheng or pointing out Deng Wencheng's rudeness.
As a son who had a good relationship with his mother, shouldn't he help her resist his father's tyranny?
"When did you arrive?" Deng Wencheng asked expressionlessly.
He asked the question while looking at Zhou Ji'an.
Zhou Ji'an's eyes darted around, and he stammered, "Morning... um... morning."
Deng Wencheng nodded.
“We only cooked for the three of us. You should have told Mom in advance that we had guests.” Zhou Ji’an was a little nervous, but slowly added, “You should have told her in advance if you were coming back for dinner.”
Deng Wencheng, who had already taken two steps toward the study, turned around, glanced at Deng Yi first, and then looked at Zhou Ji'an and said, "Just call and order takeout."
He was speaking to Shen Ruoheng, so his tone was still that of instructing a servant.
Shen Ruoheng still said, "Okay."
"Don't do such unnecessary things again in the future," Shen Ruoheng said in a cold voice after Deng Wencheng left.
She seemed to have instantly become a different person, with no trace of her approachable nature remaining.
Zhou Ji'an felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
If she and Deng Yi were a couple with a strong emotional foundation, she could probably seek Deng Yi's support at this point, but the reality is quite the opposite.
Thankfully, I won't need to come here anymore.
Deng Yi put down the potato he had half-peeled, turned around and asked while washing his hands, "Do you want to come upstairs with me?"
Zhou Ji'an looked up at him.
He was probably used to it by now, so his mood was not affected at all.
Zhou Ji'an nodded, and after leaving the kitchen, she couldn't help but seek his support, "Can't we go back early?"
“Wei Huainian is Wei Jinglin’s father.” Deng Yi opened his bedroom door, his face calm and collected, and pulled out a black chair from under his desk. “Come and sit down.”
Zhou Ji'an paid no attention to his irrelevant answer, because this was her first time in his bedroom.
The spotless furniture made Zhou Ji'an feel uncomfortable entering. She stopped outside the door, and after easing her unease, said, "I'll go downstairs to see if there are any job offers."
Deng Yi asked, "Do we really have to look at it now?"
His fingers were still resting on the back of the chair.
The combination of the black mesh and pale fingers, along with his perpetually calm expression and tone of voice, and the family's bizarre way of getting along, sent chills down Zhou Ji'an's spine.
"I was afraid of missing important news." Zhou Ji'an gave a perfunctory reply, turned around and went downstairs, glancing at Wei Jinglin who had just entered.
Wei Jinglin happened to see her and shouted, "Junior Sister Zhou!"
Zhou Ji'an felt a little nauseous; she still hadn't gotten used to Wei Jinglin's way of addressing her.
At first, Zhou Ji'an thought Wei Jinglin called her that because they went to the same university and majored in the same field. Later, he found out that Wei Jinglin treated the cycling club, where he had served as president, as some kind of sect, and he would call any female student who joined the cycling club "junior sister".
Given Wei Jinglin's frequent transgressions, Zhou Ji'an couldn't help but suspect that he was deliberately calling her that to annoy her, and also to annoy Deng Yi.
Previously, Zhou Ji'an tried to use his own methods against him, but unfortunately, this guy was too skilled, and she couldn't deal with him at all.
Wei Jinglin strode upstairs in a few quick steps, and Zhou Ji'an immediately abandoned his plan to go downstairs, which put him in a dilemma.
Having exhausted all other options, she went into Deng Yi's bedroom and informed him, "Wei Jinglin is upstairs."
Deng Yi wiped the table, unmoved. "I heard him call you Junior Sister Zhou."
"Can't I call her?" Wei Jinglin pushed open the half-closed door with a swagger, his breath still perfectly steady. "She's my junior sister. I've known her for much longer than you have."
As he spoke, he stretched out his long arm and almost pulled Zhou Ji'an into his arms.
Zhou Ji'an, with his excellent athleticism, nimbly dodged to the side and retreated to Deng Yi's side, saying, "Are you crazy?!"
“I already told you, your husband is the one who’s sick.” Wei Jinglin said, sprawling out on Deng Yi’s bed.
Deng Yi was still wiping the spotless tabletop, completely ignoring her conversation with Wei Jinglin.
Zhou Ji'an did not see any displeasure on his face regarding Wei Jinglin's behavior.
Perhaps this is their way of getting along?
This time, Zhou Ji'an did nothing unnecessary.
Taking advantage of the moment when the two were locked in a silent standoff, she quickly ran downstairs.
She regretted it as soon as she reached the stairwell.
Three people were sitting in the living room, while Shen Ruoheng was busy running back and forth between the living room and the kitchen.
The strangeness in Zhou Ji'an's heart grew stronger.
Just by looking at Shen Ruoheng's appearance and her manner of speaking, you can tell that she must come from a wealthy family.
In fact, you can confirm this fact just by looking at her name.
But why was she so humble in front of Deng Yi's father?
Zhou Ji'an suddenly remembered some very important things, things she had almost overlooked because she was too busy with this "abnormal marriage".
Deng Yi's father did not attend her and Deng Yi's wedding, and there is no information or data about Deng Yi's father online. Information and data about Deng Yi's mother only appeared online after the wedding.
On the day the two sets of parents had dinner, Deng Yi's father only said that he was a university teacher, without revealing which university or what major he taught.
Standing between the living room and the kitchen, Zhou Ji'an felt increasingly that Deng Yi's family relationships were strange and complicated.
She composed herself, banished the imagination and speculation in her mind, and ran straight to the bag by the door without looking to the side.
He had only run a few steps when Wei Jinglin's father called him from the living room: "Xiao Zhou, come here, I'll give you a red envelope."
"No need," Zhou Ji'an refused without even thinking.
Wei Jinglin's mother said, "Why not? You and Jinglin are so close, you have to accept this red envelope."
Zhou Ji'an thought to himself, "What a load of crap!" He glanced at Shen Ruoheng carrying a tray of water glasses, and without responding to Wei Jinglin's mother's words, he turned to the side and took the tray from Shen Ruoheng's hands, saying, "Mom, give it to me."
Shen Ruoheng almost couldn't contain the weariness and forbearance hidden in her eyes. Before she could react, the child in front of her was already carrying a tray and striding aggressively toward the living room.
"Sister Heng, Deng Yi has found you a very considerate daughter-in-law," Wei Jinglin's mother said, taking a sip of her coffee.
Taking the opportunity, Wei Jinglin's father handed her a red envelope, saying, "Your aunt and I missed your wedding with Deng Yi, so we gave you a big one."
"No need." Zhou Ji'an silently thought that he would have no contact with these three people in the future anyway. Listening to his heart pounding like a storm hitting the window, he made up his mind and said, "I'm already very grateful that you can stand up and pour water and make coffee for yourselves instead of always troubling Mom."
Her words, spoken with all her might, had barely hit the ground when a fierce argument erupted upstairs.
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