"When you were by my side before, I never felt lonely. But that one night," Wen Ming said, her eyes reddening without her realizing it, "that one night, my emotions just suddenly surged. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like the whole world had abandoned me."
"And then he drove over, and you two were like tinder and flame, a meeting of star-crossed lovers..." Tan You summarized for her. She had already seen their progress through the Beauty System. All she could say was that this was truly an adult romance; the pace was breathtaking.
’I’m still just a baby, why must I be subjected to this?’
Wen Ming sniffled. "I don’t know what came over me that day. I just really wanted someone to hold me, or at the very least, just talk to me. As long as I wasn’t alone. Being alone was just too hard to bear."
Tan You was silent for a long time. "In the end, it’s because I wasn’t there. I’m sorry."
"There’s nothing to be sorry for," Wen Ming said, having come to terms with it. "Mr. Tan, I’m only just now realizing how much I relied on you. I know you’re your own person, not an extension of me. I can’t selfishly keep you by my side."
"I have my own life, and I need to learn to stand on my own two feet. The older I get, the more childish I become, unable to be by myself."
Tan You said, "If... if Chu Zheng doesn’t treat you well, I’ll deal with him for you. If he dares to mess around..."
Wen Ming broke into a smile through her tears. "Okay, then I’ll be counting on Mr. Tan to have my back. I don’t know what the future holds, but at least in this moment, I feel happy."
She glanced at Chu Zheng’s back. She had to admit she didn’t like him *that* much, and even Chu Zheng himself knew it. The only reason Wen Ming was with him was that she had been feeling down those few days, and he had taken advantage of her vulnerability.
’But so what? Wen Ming is mine now. I have all the patience in the world to wait for her. I know Wen Ming is a loyal person; given enough time, she won’t be able to leave me.’
Carrying a cup of milk tea, Chu Zheng reached out and pulled Wen Ming into a partial embrace, his large hand kneading her lower back. "Still feeling uncomfortable? Want to go back to sleep for a bit?"
Wen Ming couldn’t bear to hear the word "sleep" right now, especially when she remembered Tan You’s comment about "tinder and flame, a meeting of star-crossed lovers." Seeing Tan You still nearby made her even more embarrassed.
Especially after seeing the teasing look in Tan You’s eyes, Wen Ming’s cheeks burned. She pushed at Chu Zheng’s shoulder. "You... don’t be so close to me. Scoot over a bit."
Chu Zheng was amused. Not only did he not let go, he even kissed her neck. "So shy? Don’t you know, the shyer you are..."
"You’re so shameless," Wen Ming said, exasperated. When she saw that Tan You was no longer in the living room, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. "How did I never realize you were... so secretly passionate?"
Chu Zheng chuckled softly. "That’s because you hadn’t accepted me before. As just a friend, saying things like that would have been crossing a line. It would have been too flippant."
Wen Ming patted his shoulder. "Chu Zheng, I’m discovering you’re basically part dog. You’re going to chew my neck off."
"Then I’m my wife’s dog," Chu Zheng said, then let out a "WOOF!" Wen Ming was defeated. When it came to being thick-skinned, she was definitely no match for Chu Zheng.
Wen Ming retorted weakly, "Who... who’s your wife?"
Chu Zheng pretended to think. "Let me see... who was it calling me ’Hubby’ all night long yesterday? You might have forgotten, but I sure haven’t."
Wen Ming’s neck flushed red. She shot Chu Zheng a glare. "It was you... you..."
’Hidden in mid-air, Tan You cringed as she watched the scene. ’Forget it. I need to go read some medical textbooks to cleanse my eyes. Is this what adult romance is like? So... direct? Getting straight to the main event after just a few sentences?’
’But on some level, I get it. Love and sex are inseparable. When feelings get intense... Forget it, I’m still a baby, I’ll say nothing. The only thing I can do now is keep a close eye on Chu Zheng and make sure he doesn’t break Wen Ming’s heart.’
Wen Ming was, for all intents and purposes, the biggest winner of the first season of the music variety show. She won the championship trophy without any suspense. Just as her fans were cheering for her, Wen Ming and Chu Zheng took a trip to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Before the two had even stepped out of the Civil Affairs Bureau’s doors, the news had already been posted online, instantly sending shockwaves across the internet.
Old Gao was at his wit’s end. "Why didn’t you say anything beforehand about getting married? When the reporters called me, I swore up and down that it absolutely wasn’t happening. And the result? I’m eating my words."
Wen Ming was a little embarrassed. "I didn’t want it to be this fast either, but Chu Zheng is too scheming."
How sharp was Old Gao? He understood immediately. "You’re pregnant?"
Wen Ming replied dejectedly, "Mhm, almost a month."
Old Gao put a hand to his forehead. "You two, the speed..."
Wen Ming was also a little unhappy. "He’s too... scheming. He kept sounding me out before. He knew I wasn’t against having kids..."
Old Gao sighed. "Alright, I’ll handle the media for you. With this news, some people are going to be heartbroken."
Chu Zheng, who had been eavesdropping on the call, was not pleased. "Brother Qi, are you saying that just to get to me?"
Old Gao retorted irritably, "Get lost. You ran off with my artist, and I’m not allowed to have an opinion?"
Chu Zheng gave an apologetic laugh. "You can, of course you can, Brother Qi. It was my fault for being too hasty."
’I know what I did was a low blow, but I felt so insecure. Even though Wen Ming was with me, she always guarded her heart so tightly, unwilling to hand it over.’
’She was like a cloud in the sky. Even though she was lying right there in my arms, I always had this feeling of uncertainty. I needed something more to bind Wen Ming to me, to make it so she couldn’t leave me. And so, a child became the best tether.’
’I understand Wen Ming; I know she has a very strong sense of responsibility. If we had a child, even if she didn’t love me that much, I could accept it as long as she stayed by my side.’
If the genders in this situation were reversed, people would say the woman used her pregnancy to secure her position. But with Chu Zheng doing it, there was far less public outcry against him. So, a lot of the time, gender equality isn’t truly equal. Society’s demands on women are exceptionally harsh.
Tan You observed this from the sidelines. ’Personally, I think what Chu Zheng did was indeed a low blow. But since Wen Ming herself accepts it, I can’t say anything. In the end, it’s her life to live.’
’Perhaps what Wen Ming needs is someone like Chu Zheng, someone who will use any means necessary to keep her by his side? If both sides are willing participants, what can an outsider do but respect their decision and wish them well.’
* * *
When Tan You returned, it was still a bit noisy outside. This was the teacher’s housing area, so there were always voices drifting about. Listening to the sounds from outside, Tan You fell asleep before eleven for the first time.
In the early morning, before five o’clock, Tan You opened her eyes. Yesterday, Cheng Wenhui had helped her stock the fridge, which saved Tan You the trouble. Seeing eggplant and fresh meat inside, Tan You started frying up stuffed eggplant first thing in the morning.