Chang Zhiyuan's leg had almost fully recovered, but Shu Yi still didn't want to see him.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, to celebrate Xu Xiuhe regaining his sight, a small gathering was held at Qingfeng Mingyue.
When Shen Yin told Shu Yi about the gathering the day before, Shu Yi said she might have to join a variety show and wouldn't be able to make it, but promised to make it up when she returned.
In the private room, Qi Ji, with her big belly, started looking for Shu Yi as soon as she arrived. When everyone else had gathered and Shu Yi still hadn't shown up, seeing Chang Zhiyuan's gloomy face across from her, she could guess that Shu Yi must have decided not to come to avoid him.
Unlike before, the number of people at this gathering was the same as usual because Chen Siming had come.
Chen Siming was the last to arrive. He immediately penalized himself with a drink, explaining that he was late because he had gotten older and his family was forcing him to go on blind dates, so he had escaped from one to come here.
Shen Yin suddenly remembered that previously, Fang Yue and Xu Xiuhe had been planning to introduce Chen Siming to Fang Ning, but there hadn't been any progress yet.
"So, do you want to meet my cousin? She's teaching at a university now, and her family background is pretty good."
"Sister-in-law, if you're introducing her, I definitely have to meet her. If nothing else, just for the chance that if it works out, Brother Xu will have to call me cousin-in-law."
Xu Xiuhe glanced over.
One look said it all.
Chen Siming laughed awkwardly. Seeing that look made him even more excited - if Xu Xiuhe could call him brother-in-law, that would feel amazing.
"Brother Yuan, how have you been? I heard you were in a drama recently that was quite popular. Was that for Sister-in-law?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Siming felt another wave of murderous intent.
"Siming, have some more wine," Xue Jingrui said from the side, unable to bear watching any longer.
Chen Siming really had a knack for bringing up the wrong topics.
"Uh, did I say something wrong? I'll punish myself with three more drinks."
Chen Siming drank three more glasses of wine, finishing with a resentful expression on his face. He really was something, drinking four glasses right off the bat, but it wasn't entirely his fault.
He had been so busy lately with expanding his private restaurant that he hadn't been paying much attention to what was going on with everyone else.
At the table, Chang Zhiyuan kept drinking silently. Shu Yi must be avoiding him, that's why she didn't come.
Even Xu Xiuhe couldn't stand to watch anymore. At this rate, Chang Zhiyuan was sure to get drunk tonight.
"Drink a little less."
"Don't worry about me. Let me drown my sorrows in wine, until death do us part."
Chang Zhiyuan's speech was already becoming slurred, his eyes growing unfocused.
In the private room, three grown men watched one person drink, while two women and a child kept eating, as if they were in two separate worlds.
"Shu Yi does like me, but why doesn't she want to be with me? Why, why?" Chang Zhiyuan mumbled.
As if this wasn't enough, Chang Zhiyuan, emboldened by alcohol, picked up his phone and started dialing. The room suddenly fell silent.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable."
Chang Zhiyuan seemed to have expected this result, and everyone present also knew what "the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable" meant.
Chang Zhiyuan persisted and dialed again.
Everyone thought it would be the same result - no answer, or rather, the person on the other end deliberately hanging up, not wanting to answer.
"Hello."
Clearly, even Chang Zhiyuan hadn't expected that this time, the call would actually be answered.
Everyone in the room held their breath.
"Shu Yueru, why don't you answer my calls? Why are you ignoring me?"
Chang Zhiyuan immediately asked two questions, which obviously confused the person on the other end.
"May I ask who's calling? Shu Yueru is your original name, right?"
Someone on the other end spoke.
Shen Yin suddenly realized that when Shu Yi said she was joining a show, she had initially thought Shu Yi was just saying that to avoid coming to this gathering. Now it seemed she was actually telling the truth - she had joined a show and was now recording it.
At that moment, Shu Yi sat in front of the camera, regretting her decision immensely. She had blocked Chang Zhiyuan a long time ago, but during the promotion of the show "I Really Want to Be with You," she had been forced to unblock him. When she came to participate in this show, she had forgotten to block him again.
Although it was a recorded show, there were quite a few audience members present, many of whom had bought tickets to see the live recording because they were fans of Shu Yi and wanted to be closer to their idol.
In the studio, Shu Yi sat on stage with several other guests and the host.
This variety show was just a warm-up. The guests were getting to know each other, playing a game to become closer, before they would go to the countryside together to experience life there.
The rules of this game were that all guests had to open their phones. They would see whose phone rang first, and most importantly, they had to answer it.
Just a moment ago, a male guest had received a call from his mother, asking if he would be coming home for the Lantern Festival. She also reminded him to dress warmly as the weather was getting cold, to eat less cold food, and to avoid spicy dishes.
"A mother's heart follows her child wherever they go." That phone call had brought emotion to the entire studio. Most mothers love their children, and no matter where their children are, mothers always worry.
Some audience members even started tearing up. Some called their own mothers, while others sent messages to their family members. It was a large-scale tear-jerking scene. Just as the emotions had successfully built up, another guest's phone rang - it was Shu Yi's.
The first time Chang Zhiyuan called her, she immediately hung up. But during the game, it was different. With so many audience members below the stage and so many cameras on stage, Shu Yi didn't dare make any small moves.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally answered the call, even following the game rules by putting it on speakerphone.
Shu Yueru, not answering calls, ignoring me.
These three key phrases not only made the other guests' imaginations run wild, but even the audience below the stage felt that this call was suspicious.
In the eyes of the audience, "I Really Want to Be with You" was the ultimate sweet drama, a TV series tailor-made by a media company's CEO to pursue his girlfriend.
Let's be honest, who wouldn't be obsessed with this storyline? Everyone's gone crazy over it, and for good reason. You've got a handsome man and a beautiful woman, both equally stunning. When they're together, you can feel the love flowing between them. It's impossible to imagine them not ending up together. They've clearly been secretly in love for ages, and all that's missing is an official announcement.
But the two main characters still haven't made a move, and people are starting to wonder. Could it be that actors these days have honed their skills to such perfection? If so, it's incredibly natural, without a trace of artifice. Even if it's all just acting, we're totally buying it. Who wouldn't praise this drama for being absolutely brilliant?
