Fu Hengzhi's expression improved slightly at this point.
"How about we go back to the original private room?" Seeing that there was no one around, Zhou Zhou suggested softly, as a form of comfort.
Upon hearing this, Fu Hengzhi paused, his expression darkening again, not directed at the other person, but rather at his own momentary lapse of judgment.
"I just cancelled the private room over there on the way."
"Pfft." Zhou Zhou tried very hard to hold back her laughter. This kind of domineering CEO has a unique charm.
Zhou Zhou propped his arm on the table, resting his head on it as he sized up the other person.
"President Fu, you are very different from the person I first met."
Fu Hengzhi took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and looked at him, clearly indicating that he was gesturing for the other to continue.
"At first, I thought you were shrewd and capable, decisive, and a little short-tempered." The combination wasn't exactly flattering, and Fu Hengzhi paused for a moment when he heard "short-tempered," only to hear the other person continue, "But after spending more time with you, I suddenly realized that's not the case at all. As a company president, shrewdness is important, and being decisive actually shows you handle work efficiently. As for a short temper..."
Zhou Zhou smiled indulgently and helplessly, "Everyone has their little flaws, and that doesn't affect our relationship."
This was the first time Fu Hengzhi had ever heard someone dare to point out his minor flaws to his face, but the next sentence carried a strange warmth.
“You are different from what I initially thought…” Before Fu Hengzhi could finish speaking, he saw Zhou Zhou, who had been lazily sitting across from him, suddenly straighten up.
Fu Hengzhi: "?"
Zhou Zhou felt a little uneasy, after all, she was not the original owner of this body, and the differences were huge except for the gender.
Fu Hengzhi frowned: "What's wrong?"
Zhou Zhou felt guilty, but her facial expression was well concealed by her mask. "It's okay, please continue."
Fu Hengzhi found it strange, but continued speaking, "You're different from what I initially thought. Sometimes I think maybe this is the real you, if..."
Fu Hengzhi stopped abruptly, realizing that continuing would reopen the wounds of the other person's orphaned parents, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "You were just like this when you were little."
"Huh?" The original owner when he was a child? Zhou Zhou blinked, lifted his mask to take a sip of tea, then put it back on, chuckled a few times, and tried to skip the topic.
Zhou Zhou couldn't sort out the original owner's past memories, and when they were mixed with his memories of the real world, it became even more chaotic.
Anyone could see that this was a very unnatural behavior. Fu Hengzhi lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea, feeling that the other person didn't want to talk about his childhood.
The initially pleasant atmosphere of the date turned strange after neither of them spoke. Zhou Zhou felt that she was the one who was creating an awkward silence and wanted to break the strange stalemate, but she didn't know where to start.
Let's talk about anything, anything is fine.
Zhou Zhou cleared his throat twice and was about to speak when two waiters approached the waiting area.
Zhou Zhou made eye contact with the person in front of him, and their eyes lit up at the same time. After the waiter left the waiting area, the man pulled down his mask and said excitedly to Zhou Zhou, "Brother Zhou!"
"It's been a long time since I've seen Luo Zai." Even though they were both wearing masks, the two were still able to recognize each other.
Since their last meeting at the hospital, Zhou Zhou had rarely seen Wen Luo. Wen Luo looked noticeably thinner. Like an old father, Zhou Zhou stood up and looked Wen Luo up and down, asking with deep concern, "Son, you're at the age where you're growing, why are you so thin? Haven't you been eating properly on set?"
He was completely oblivious to the expressions on the faces of the others after hearing this form of address.
[Author's Note: Ye Qisheng and Fu Hengzhi: Keep your wives in check!]
I'm sick, I'll update depending on how I feel in the next couple of days QAQ
Chapter Sixty-One: The Wise Do Not Fall in Love
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Zhou Zhou and Wen Luo hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they chatted happily and sat down at a round table in the waiting area.
The person who accompanied Wen Luo in was dressed similarly, with a style of clothing roughly the same as Wen Luo's. He cast a mocking glance at Fu Hengzhi beside him as a signal, but the latter selectively ignored it.
The two took their seats on the other side of the round table.
"Who is this?" Zhou Zhou quickly noticed the man who came in with Wen Luo. He felt that the man looked familiar, but he wasn't sure. He nodded to the man as a greeting.
Wen Luo looked surprised and leaned closer to whisper, "This is Teacher Ye."
It aligned somewhat with his inner suspicions, but Zhou Zhou was shocked, "Really?!"
The sound was at a normal volume, making it clear to everyone present. Even Fu Hengzhi's expression froze for a moment before returning to normal.
Neither the couple recognized Ye Qisheng in this outfit, because the actor's public image was that of a mature and elegant man, exuding a strong sense of masculinity with every move. But the Ye Qisheng in front of them was wearing a baseball cap, a color-blocked hoodie, cargo pants, and sneakers, and with a black mask on, he completely lost his usual style.
It's quite similar to Zhou Zhou's style today; when the two of them walk together, they're often perceived as having a very good relationship.
Fu Hengzhi's eyes darted between the two of them, clearly noticing this, and though he felt a pang of jealousy, he sensibly kept it to himself.
President Fu always appeared calm and composed when he was out in public.
"Why is Actor Ye dressed like this today?" Zhou Zhou asked Wen Luo in a low voice, but the volume was not controlled and the other person could hear it. "He looks obviously younger."
Ye Qisheng's face darkened upon hearing this. To vent his anger, he poured himself a cup of tea, but when he brought it to his lips, he realized that it was inconvenient to drink while wearing a mask. He gritted his teeth and said, "Thanks to Writer Zhou's novel, your description successfully caught the attention of my fans. However, in J City, I spent the entire afternoon 'bumping into' them."
In the past, he would have had no problem disguising himself and going out on the street. But this afternoon, after the other party released the latest chapter, he was stopped as soon as he went out on the street. It was a team crime, and they surrounded him. There was nowhere to run.
Aren't they afraid of surrounding the wrong people?
Taking photos and signing autographs, it was a leisurely afternoon, so why did he look so tired?
Zhou Zhou understood, his face slightly embarrassed. He thought to himself that as expected, fame brings trouble. He coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and changed the subject to Wen Luo.
Zhou Zhou: "Little one, what brings you to eat here?"
Wen Luo smiled and said, "Teacher Ye noticed that I haven't been eating properly on set these past few days, so she said she'd treat me to a big meal."
Inviting someone to dinner? It was a plot point mentioned in the original work, and Zhou Zhou remembered all of it, but the landmark wasn't dinner, it was filming.
Sometimes Zhou Zhou worries that her intervention might cause changes to the plot at some point, such as the incident on set last time, which caused Ye Qisheng to miss an important plot point in the ICU.
"How's filming going?" Zhou Zhou asked indirectly. According to the original plot, on the night Wen Luo's scenes in "The Crown Chaser" wrapped up, Ye Qisheng persuaded her to move into his private villa. The plot then gradually began to change. In the novel, there are both Wen Luo's sweet experiences and painful memories.
"Filming wrapped up today..." Wen Luo really wanted to tell Zhou Zhou about the joys and sorrows of being the male lead in filming, but then he thought that they had both been artists under the same agent, and he was worried that talking about these things would make the other party uncomfortable, so he didn't continue and changed the subject instead.
Zhou Zhou didn't notice Wen Luo's little details; his mind was full of plot details. He could only recall bits and pieces, and the rest was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Brother Zhou, after dinner, Teacher Ye is taking me to see a movie, it's called 'Youthful Glory'." Wen Luo was a little excited. "It seems like you have a cameo role in it. It's my first time seeing you act, I'm really looking forward to it."
"Haha." Zhou Zhou saw the expectant look in his eyes, gave a dry laugh, and thought to himself that the kid was really good at talking, and even made a cameo appearance, compared to the original owner's two and a half cents acting skills.
Zhou Zhou really wanted to say at that moment: Child, listen to me, don't look.
Zhou Zhou and Wen Luo were chatting, while the other two were completely relegated to the background. Ye Qisheng was naturally unwilling to let Wen Luo's gaze fall on Zhou Zhou, but the other party's family members were sitting next to him drinking tea without saying a word. If he interrupted at this moment, it would be considered that he was being inconsiderate.
Fu Hengzhi was surprisingly patient, listening attentively as the other person talked about topics that interested him, which was quite enjoyable.
Is this what they mean by "love me, love my dog"?
After chatting for nearly ten more minutes, a waiter came over with a polite smile and informed us that the private room had been prepared, but there was only one available.
Seeing that the four seemed to know each other, he suggested, "Would the four of you like to come together?"
Ye Qisheng was the first to refuse, "No need, we can wait a little longer."
Before Zhou Zhou and Wen Luo could speak, Fu Hengzhi, for reasons unknown, extended an invitation, "Young Master Ye, why don't you bring your family along?"
Zhou Zhou: "?"
Zhou Zhou stood bewildered in the air conditioning, looking at Fu Hengzhi with a blank expression, her eyes conveying: Are you serious?
The other person responded with a reassuring look, which made Zhou Zhou even more confused. "???"
She inwardly exclaimed that Fu Hengzhi truly had the magnanimity of a man. If it were only Wen Luo, it would be fine, but the key issue was Ye Qisheng, the man the original owner loved but could not have.
Upon entering the private room, there was another round table. The four of us sat down in pairs. In addition to the excellent taste, this restaurant also served dishes at a superb speed. After all the dishes were served at once, the waiter went out and closed the door.
Ye Qisheng was right across from them, so was this a battleground? Zhou Zhou thought that no matter what, the original owner could never have imagined that one day the four of them would be able to have a happy meal together.
Fu Hengzhi sacrificed the opportunity to dine alone with Zhou Zhou in order to make himself stand out.
Facing Ye Qisheng, his 'ex,' he, as the current wife, had to make a good impression. Based on his wife's various irrational behaviors when she was young, he had to let her know how much better he was than Ye Qisheng.
Ye Qisheng's thoughts were actually quite similar to his; the two were of the same mind in this regard. On the surface, they were both very polite, but once they started eating, it was a completely different story.
This made Zhou Zhou think for a moment that he was facing two elementary school kids fighting.
Ye Qisheng took the initiative: "Luo Luo, try this roast duck, it's fatty but not greasy."
Fu Hengzhi followed closely behind: "Baby, eat this shrimp ball, it's fresh and juicy."
Ye Qisheng smiled slightly: "Baby, try this bamboo shoot. It's crisp and refreshing."
Fu Hengzhi said tenderly, "Wife, come and eat this Wagyu beef, it melts in your mouth."
The dishes on the small plates in front of them were piled up like small mountains. Zhou Zhou and Wen Luo's small heads were filled with great doubt. They looked at each other, their eyes seemingly saying something.
Burp~
The battleground spilled over to the front desk cashier, where the two began arguing over whose card to swipe.
Fu Hengzhi: "My wife caused you trouble back then by spending my money."
Ye Qisheng: "My child often tells me how good Mrs. Fu is, and he's always praising me."
Fu Hengzhi: "My wife eats a lot, so swipe..." His words trailed off as he met Zhou Zhou's deathly smile. Without leaving a trace, he put the card back in his pocket and nodded seriously to Ye Qisheng, "Then swipe Young Master Ye's card."
Ye Qisheng, who was about to retort, paused upon hearing this: "?"
Before the four said goodbye in front of the restaurant, Zhou Zhou took the opportunity to be alone with Wen Luo and intentionally gave him some more pointers.
But Wenluo's reaction was: "Huh?"
Noticing the way the other person looked at Ye Qisheng, Zhou Zhou knew that saying anything more would be superfluous.
never mind.
A butterfly flaps its wings on the sea surface, but two weeks later it causes a tsunami. The gears of fate in the book turn at high speed, link by link. Now that things have come to this, what can this butterfly that has strayed into the sea do?
The night was beautiful, and as the car drove along the high ring road, the scenery was breathtaking.
"Sigh~" Zhou Zhou sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window and sighing.
"What's wrong?" Soft music played in the car, and a sigh seemed so abrupt in the background. Fu Hengzhi asked with concern.
“Sigh, you don’t understand,” Zhou Zhou muttered casually, her mind filled with thoughts of chasing after her crematorium. “A wise person doesn’t fall in love.”
Fu Hengzhi: "?"
[Author's Note: Being sick is awful, so please remember to keep warm during the changing seasons QWQ]