Chapter 5

Madam Cheng replied, "Yes, yes, yes."

She only knows that her son is taking the blame for Cheng Hao. She has probably heard that her son is very close to a woman from the neighboring town, but since her son has promised to be with Zhou Honghong, it is likely that he has ended things with the woman from the neighboring town

Of course. When there was no one around, Cheng Yi spoke to her in a cold tone again. "Do you think we can stay in Yongji Town to watch a movie?"

The second concubine quietly curled her lips. She found Zhou Honghong to be quite useful. If her son could truly keep her under control, then they would have a trump card to deal with the old master's stubborn temper

It is that kind of laughter again

Zhou Honghong originally intended to sit apart from Cheng Yi, but due to the presence of the driver and her concern about gossip, she chose to sit close to him instead

Later, while walking on the street, she was spotted by Shi's mother. At a glance, the man did not seem to be a decent person. Shi's mother grabbed Shi Jieyi and pointed at the man, scolding him with words that, while devoid of profanity, were quite unpleasant.

At this moment, she is grateful that she came to Huangxi Town, as she truly needs to sort out the matters between herself and Cheng Yi

Of course. She is a dedicated actress

At this moment, the second concubine, being perceptive, was able to discern some of the underlying reasons.

After another stop, a familiar person boarded the train and greeted Zhou Honghong, saying: "Where are you and your partner heading, Honghong?"

She stared blankly out the window, and there stood Shi Jieyi below.

When it comes to appearance, Zhou Honghong is not narcissistic; rather, from an objective perspective, she is more attractive than Shi Jieyi

You should take Honghong to see a movie on Saturday. Usually, I don't see you two going anywhere; feelings need to be nurtured. You should treat her a bit better

Madam Cheng, upon hearing these words, realized that the old master was genuinely angry. She desperately signaled to the second concubine, hoping that she could calm him down

Shi Jieyi stood before them, smiling radiantly at Cheng Yi

He sat by the window, while she sat in the aisle seat

The second concubine was secretly calculating how Mrs. Cheng should repay the favor owed this time. She said in a tone that matched the situation: "Old Master, it was not my elder sister who wanted to watch it herself, but she was accompanying Honghong to watch it."

This is the reality. From the east of the town to the west, Cheng Yi can summon a group of young ladies with just a flick of his finger.

Cheng Yi said with a hint of disdain: "Then you have to step forward to prove it for me, so that the old man can report it to me"

The classmate noticed her gaze and looked over. "Oh? Isn't that Shi Jieyi?"

He kept looking out the window, while she looked out the window on the other side across the aisle

In contrast, Cheng Yi is much simpler; even when he casually glances at Zhou Honghong, it makes people feel as if he is flirting with her

The old master, in a fit of anger, threw down his chopsticks and with a "bang" placed the bowl down, saying: "Is the food at the Cheng family so terrible that it makes you want to cry?"

Madam Cheng, constrained by the old master's anger, endured the subtle jibes of the second concubine and repeatedly apologized

At this moment, Zhou Honghong felt that her acting skills were actually quite poor; what lay before her was the gaze of a love-struck girl, straightforward and sweet

When the bus finally arrived, Cheng noticed that there was no one on board, and without caring about her surroundings, she simply found a seat and sat down

The old gentleman stared at Cheng Yi. "Why didn't Honghong stay for dinner?"

Later on, there was the incident where Cheng Hao forced her.

The young people nowadays are truly exasperating. The aunt let out a hearty laugh

She positions herself as someone who does not know him, thus it is inappropriate for others to interfere in genuine feelings.

In fact, she can understand how that time, Jieyi came to like Chengyi.

She waved her hand and explained, "No, what I mean is we can find a place to hide for a day." After all, the old man wouldn't really check if they had gone out.

Cheng Yi looked out the window again, ignoring her.

"We are going to Wushan Town," he finally turned his head to look at her, his tone unmistakable.

Old Master Cheng, convinced that his eldest grandson had wronged Zhou Honghong, was naturally less strict with her, fearing that she might take drastic measures one day. He recalled the words of the second concubine, "the feelings of a young girl," and said: "Let this matter go, but if it happens again, do not come over for dinner."

That must be the girl he admires, which is why he appears so warm and gentle

It turns out that Cheng Yi did not break up with Shi Jieyi

She did not ask him

Later, Zhou Honghong often went to Wushan Town to invite classmates to watch movies, and there were one or two occasions when she unexpectedly ran into Cheng Yi and Shi Jieyi, but the chances were very slim

Zhou Honghong agreed to collaborate with Cheng Yi in acting, but she was wondering whether Shi Jieyi knew about this matter

The second concubine knew that once Zhou Honghong was moved out, the old master would become much more lenient

When they arrived at the station where they were to disembark, Zhou Honghong said, "It's time to get off." Then she turned her head to glance at him and was taken aback.

The Shi family is a scholarly family in Wushan Town, and Shi Jieyi is the youngest daughter. She is usually doted upon immensely, yet for some reason, she has developed feelings for that man. Initially, the two were secretly dating without the family's knowledge, but as the saying goes, the truth cannot be hidden forever.

A classmate questioned, "Why are they together again? And so openly at that"

"Insisting on watching something with Jang Dong-gun, the lady had no choice but to comply." Cheng Yi nodded, her expression calm and composed, showing no signs of being affected by the gossip at the dining table.

She felt that when Cheng Yi smiled gently, it was very pure and warm. The sinister and eerie aura was gone

I let her go, she said today is her mother's birthday. Cheng Yi's expression was innocent, and her tone was innocent as well

Zhou Honghong's view was obstructed by his body. She steadied herself, stood up, and silently got out of the car

At that time, Zhou Honghong's mother was among the onlookers. After watching, she described to her classmates that the man, despite being scolded so harshly, did not utter a word. After Shi's mother took Shi Jieyi away, he also left.

Hello, Zhou Honghong. It seems that Shi Jieyi is unaware that Zhou Honghong's current public identity is the fiancée of Cheng Yi, who has not yet entered the household. She is very friendly towards Zhou Honghong

At that time, Mother Zhou still had a poor impression of Cheng Yi. Before her daughter left, Mother Zhou reminded her: "Don't let anyone take advantage of you. The cinema is dark, so if you find him getting too close, slap him!"

Madam Cheng hurriedly followed up, saying: "I have never seen a couple so passionately in love. Old Master, I will never watch this again."

"Has Honghong come?" The old man looked towards Cheng Yi, who had been silently eating.

Zhou Honghong had an old classmate from middle school who moved to Wushan Town during high school

In fact, the second concubine was unaware of the transaction between the old master and Cheng Yi. At that time, the old master instructed Cheng Yi not to speak to anyone about it, and Cheng Yi also gave his assurance.

Zhou Honghong lay on the bed in the small room at night, her mind in a state of disarray

Cheng Yi nodded again, "Alright"

While walking with her classmates, Zhou Honghong happened to see Cheng Yi holding hands with a girl. Noticing that Cheng Yi's expression was quite different from what she usually observed, she paid a bit more attention.

Moreover, he is truly very indifferent to her in private

One night, Master Cheng's legitimate wife was engrossed in watching a Korean drama, particularly at a stage where the plot was intensely dramatic. She became so immersed in the story that during dinner, she suddenly burst into tears, recalling the moment when the male and female leads were tragically separated due to a misunderstanding.

One day, a classmate invited her to go out for a birthday celebration. The two had a good relationship, and Zhou Honghong found it hard to decline the invitation, so she took the bus there. Upon arriving at Wushan Town, her classmate was already waiting at the bus station. Having not seen each other for a long time, they felt there were countless topics to discuss.

Then Cheng Yi stood up, but found Zhou Honghong motionless. Frowning, she urged her, "Let's go."

The town where Zhou Honghong lives has a cinema that is both dilapidated and old, screening films that are outdated and out of touch with the times, resulting in a bleak situation. Eventually, it became a place for men to watch adult videos, which barely allowed it to continue operating.

She had never heard Cheng Yi mention Shi Jieyi, nor did she know what their relationship was. Seeing his strong insistence, she decided to go along with his wishes. However, she still reminded him: "The round-trip fare, like the movie ticket, is your responsibility"

It is said that Cheng Yi met Shi Jieyi while going to Wushan Town to watch a movie

The second concubine has her own plans. She and her son have no status or standing in the Cheng family; if they do not win the old master’s favor, they might find themselves on the streets one day. Currently, Cheng Hao has disappeared, leaving only Cheng Yi among the male members of the Cheng family. If she can put in some effort with Zhou Honghong, then they will no longer have to live in constant fear of being driven out.

Zhou Honghong does not understand how these people see things at all

The next day, when Cheng Yi routinely went to pick up Zhou Honghong from school, he brought up this matter

In fact, she felt that even in front of others, his smile towards her was very hypocritical. Yet, the audience did not notice. The saying that bystanders see clearly is all a deception

In the end, the student could not clearly articulate what happened later, and Zhou Honghong chose not to listen any further

Due to the distance of that person's seat from them, they casually exchanged a few words and did not continue to call out from afar

Zhou Honghong was very surprised, "Are we really going to Wushan Town?" Acting requires us to travel to other towns...

The two smiled all the way to the bus stop, but conversed very little

The old gentleman let out a heavy grunt. "That little girl is watching those nonsensical love dramas, and you, being in your fifties, are still moved to tears while eating. I think this meal is not worth it; the television is more important."

Zhou Honghong felt that her mother was being overly anxious. "Mom, don't worry. He hasn't even touched my finger. There are plenty of his sisters all over the street; he has no interest in your daughter"

"Zhou Honghong, this is Shi Jieyi." Cheng Yi introduced her.

Zhou Honghong maintained a distance of one foot from Cheng Yi, appearing like a shy young girl whenever she saw someone. ... She felt that she could apply to the Film Academy now ...

Although the two ladies are not on friendly terms with each other, there are times when they unite on a common front

The classmate then brought up this topic to chat with Zhou Honghong

Cheng Yi and she perform in front of others, but when they are alone, they become strangers to each other. Fortunately, they do not have many opportunities to be alone, as they must start acting as soon as they step outside.

Cheng Yi lazily turned her head, smiled at that person, and remained silent

Hello. Zhou Honghong tried her best to make her smile appear more natural

"Aunt Zhang, good morning. We are preparing to go to Wushan Town to watch a movie." She smiled with a youthful charm again, secretly patting Cheng Yi's waist.

Zhou Honghong suddenly realized who was in Wushan Town

Originally, these two ladies did not get along very well, and the second concubine took the opportunity to advise Mrs. Cheng, "Lin Daiyu is indeed beautiful, but the eldest sister is already at an age where she has given birth to children; how can she still be so sentimental and emotional?"

On Saturday, Cheng Yi arrived early at the Zhou family to pick her up

Young people who wish to watch serious films must travel to the neighboring town of Wushan. Fortunately, there are several buses that run between the two towns, making transportation relatively convenient

The second concubine raised the corners of her eyes and said, "Old master, the eldest sister has a youthful mindset. As the saying goes, the feelings of a young girl are poetry. Please do not be angry." After that, she fell silent, understanding the measure of knowing when to stop.

But what use is being good-looking? She is neither Cheng Yi's vermilion mole nor his white moonlight. He speaks of wanting to marry her, but how much of it is sincere

Before dinner, the old gentleman had been staying in his room listening to old-fashioned dramas, and he did not notice that Zhou Honghong had arrived