To get the juiciest gossip firsthand, the Qin family lingered backstage, reluctant to leave.
[Zong Chun gave Madam Zong divorce papers and officially proposed a divorce. Madam Zong was so upset she was hospitalized, which is why she didn't come chasing after him tonight. Zong Chun, isn't this too absurd? Your wife is still in the hospital, and you're proposing to someone else? You usually act so righteous, who knew you could be so fickle?]
The Qin family: This is outrageous!
[What a mess! It turns out that yesterday, Yu Rouyin mustered up the courage to explain the situation to Madam Zong. Although Madam Zong didn't seem to believe her on the surface, she had a moment of doubt when she got home. But as soon as she arrived, she saw the divorce papers, and after a few words, the innocent Yu Rouyin was dragged back into the conflict.]
[Old Zong, Yu Rouyin must have committed some serious sins in her past life to have met you!]
Ji Fei's mouth twitched in disbelief.
The Qin family was left speechless. Indeed, this wasn't about forming a new relationship, it was more like creating a new enemy.
[Ah! So the reason for the early proposal was because Zong Chun was provoked by something Madam Zong said...]
The Qin family: How was he provoked?
[Haha, it turns out Madam Zong also realized that Yu Rouyin doesn't love Zong Chun at all, but Zong Chun doesn't believe it. He thinks she must have feelings for him, saying you can see it in her eyes when she's acting... Don't be ridiculous, old man!]
Qin Zhao: ...She's an actress, for crying out loud. What's wrong with her acting like she likes you when she's performing?
[Zong Chun truly believes that Yu Rouyin, a girl in her twenties, is infatuated with him, a cultured, well-maintained, capable, dignified, and refined man in his forties. Because she would actively approach him and ask about acting, with a very sincere look in her eyes, unlike how she treats other men, Zong Chun believes Yu Rouyin isn't just stringing him along, but genuinely likes him!]
[...I can speak to this. I've seen Yu Rouyin be just as sincere with other professional teachers who don't covet her beauty. When she has questions, she actively approaches them. Is it possible that you disguised yourself too well at first, making Teacher Yu mistake you for some sort of upright gentleman?]
Qin's Father: So he's been full of himself all this time... How does a junior colleague asking for advice on their scenes together equate to her being in love with you? If I thought like that, how many admirers would I have had before I retired?
[He's just secretly coveting her beauty and won't admit it! Even so, Zong Chun still says it's not that he's changed his heart, but that he and Madam Zong have been emotionally distant for years. He claims their lack of intimacy is proof, because Madam Zong no longer arouses his interest as a man.]
Qin's Mom: ...This statement is the greatest insult to a long-married couple. Is it possible that you're the one who can't perform?
[He says Yu Rouyin's appearance has filled his heart, making him feel love and a vibrant life again. Now that he's fallen in love, he's willing to do anything to give Yu Rouyin what she wants. He's ready to face all the criticism from society, just to be with the woman he loves.]
Qin Yan: Good heavens! Have you even asked Yu Rouyin what she wants?
[No wonder Madam Zong is furious, but no matter how angry she is, she shouldn't insult Yu Rouyin like that! She should be cursing her husband.]
The Qin family: Exactly! You're scolding the wrong person, ma'am!
[What a vicious cycle this is. The more viciously Madam Zong scolds, the more Zong Chun defends Yu Rouyin and turns around to scold Madam Zong. This makes Madam Zong hate Yu Rouyin even more. The hatred is escalating. Please, can you two not drag others into your twisted game?]
The Qin family: Ugh, disgusting! How distasteful!
[Because in the end, Madam Zong told Zong Chun about what Yu Rouyin said when she came to clear things up. She emphasized that Yu Rouyin was just using Zong Chun's fame and status to achieve her goals, acting one way in front of her and another way in front of him. Once she gets what she wants, she'll ditch him, just like with her previous rumors. There's no way she'd actually marry him.]
[Although Zong Chun stubbornly said he'd be willing even if he was being used, because his love for Yu Rouyin is real, unlike other men who just want her body. But that blindly confident facade has started to crack, which is why he's in such a rush to propose now.]
The Qin family: Hah, just wait to be rejected, you old fool!
[Oh ho, she rejected him.]
The Qin family: Satisfying!
[Well, it's not so easy to discourage an old man's passion. Now he's making some deep, heartfelt promise?]
The Qin family: What kind of promise?
["No matter what your past was like, I don't mind and I won't hold it against you. In the future, I will protect you. I know you must have wanted a stable home for a long time. If you marry me, you can leave the cesspool of the entertainment industry and be content as a good wife and mother. You're only in your twenties, still just a young girl. I'm willing to redeem you. I won't let other men drag you into the abyss. I know about those things from your past, and I understand that deep down, you were unwilling. I understand your struggles. If you follow me, you'll have a clean and pure future."]
The Qin family: ...
[Why does this sound so off? It feels weird somewhere... Wait, isn't this a dialogue we cut during rehearsals? It's similar to what a man says when trying to persuade a courtesan to reform. That scene was about a man who thinks he's selflessly saving a fallen woman, but is actually just enjoying the feeling of being superior and changing someone else's fate.]
Qin Zhao and Qin Rong both remembered that scene. The ending was that the man was essentially just lusting after the girl's beauty and the worshipful look in her eyes when she felt "saved." Once he actually rescued her and married her, after he got bored, he started to resent and despise the girl's past.
As they thought about it, their expressions became utterly indescribable.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look like that? You're about to go on stage, don't you dare have any issues now!" Pei Mingxuan suddenly noticed Ji Fei's strange expression, and Qin Zhao looked a bit odd too. She didn't pay much attention to the Qin family, otherwise she would have thought the whole family was acting weird.
[Should we tell Sister Pei about the proposal, just in case?]
Ji Fei thought for a moment, then spoke up: "I'm just a bit curious."
"About what?" Pei Mingxuan asked.
"Madam Zong didn't come. Could it be that they really got divorced? If so, wouldn't Teacher Zong propose to Yu Rouyin soon? What about our plans to sign Yu Rouyin..." Ji Fei said casually.
"As long as Yu Rouyin doesn't accept, and he doesn't go crazy and propose to Yu Rouyin right now, it won't interfere," Pei Mingxuan said.
"Huh? As long as it's not right now?" Ji Fei didn't quite understand.
Pei Mingxuan explained, "Yes, if he proposes now, wouldn't that be threatening or even exploiting Yu Rouyin? After all... she's about to go on stage. Without our contract, this would be the most important performance for Yu Rouyin! It would determine her future."
Ji Fei: !
The Qin family: !!
