Chapter58

Cen Zhen’s third time getting drunk was entirely unintentional, and the experience was incredibly pleasant. With the juice-like taste of the drink and the company of good friends, she spent a very joyful evening.

She took a short nap for an hour, and when she woke up, her mind was still somewhat foggy. When Meng Fanchuan forcefully spread her legs, she thought to herself, "Is he drunk? What’s he doing now?"

But her thoughts were quickly overridden by the situation. For the first time in a wine cellar, she was dizzy and had nowhere to place her hands, so she weakly supported herself against the oak racks holding the wine bottles. He controlled the rhythm, while her lips, flushed in color, would occasionally stay tightly shut or uncontrollably part to release sounds.

Her long hair clung together, and the liquid in the bottles seemed to resonate with her actions, swaying before her eyes.

Later, when her legs were too weak to stand, Cen Zhen lay on the cold, black mirrored wine table, drenched in sweat. She protested in a pitiful tone, "How could I possibly say something ridiculous like I want to rule you?"

"Hmm, you didn’t say it, I did." Meng Fanchuan had been waiting for an hour, and finally gave up, saying, "Don’t ask, if you do, it won’t end today."

Cen Zhen: "……"

That night, Meng Fanchuan indeed did not let it end until nearly 5 AM. Chen Xiang'an, who had already rested in the lounge of the clubhouse, was called to pick up the young master, who was going to Junting Hui.

The sky was still dark when Chen Xiang'an hurried over. He saw Cen Zhen, wrapped in Meng Fanchuan’s coat, her head lowered, being held by him as they got into the car. The young master looked calm, his shirt visibly wrinkled, the top two buttons undone, looking casual yet somewhat satisfied.

Once in the car, he asked Chen Xiang'an, "Do you have water?"

Chen Xiang'an didn’t dare to guess or ask, quickly handing over a bottle of spring water from the car’s reserve, and then he raised the partition.

The two rows of seats were separated, and only then did Meng Fanchuan unscrew the cap and bring the water to Cen Zhen’s lips, saying, "Drink a bit."

At this point, Cen Zhen was fully awake.

It was her first time being made sober in this way, and she felt completely drained, only wanting to lie down and not move. "I don’t want it."

But the man, with his usual calmness, said, "The body needs to maintain a balance of water. If too much is lost, it must be replenished in time."

"……"

The words "water" and "lost too much" made Cen Zhen’s face flush, and she glared at him.

She didn’t want to recall the scene of the mirror-like wine table, so she quickly grabbed the water bottle from Meng Fanchuan and gulped it all down to shut him up.

Later, when recalling that night, Meng Fanchuan unabashedly claimed that the engagement day counted as their cup-sharing and consummation.

After all, they had drunk together, and even consummated in the wine cellar. In this world, he was probably the only one who could do such a thing.

After the engagement, Cen Zhen resumed work.

Thanks to Meng Fanchuan’s efforts and negotiations, Falling had successfully passed the Dragon Seal and was expected to premiere at the end of the year, with a planned release in Cannes next May.

During this time, there were many business collaborations reaching out to Cen Zhen, almost all from top-tier brands, but she turned them down. She carefully chose a martial arts action film script and returned to the set in August.

Meng Fanchuan asked her why, and Cen Zhen honestly replied, "Actually, the public now knows me more because of our relationship. The name 'Cen Zhen' to them carries more weight as the daughter-in-law of the billionaire than as an actress."

Cen Zhen had a clear understanding of herself. She was indeed hot right now, but her only work had yet to be released for market review. Most of the aura she had now came from the Meng family, not from her own efforts.

Moreover, under the label of "billionaire daughter-in-law," everything she did directly represented the Meng family. If there was a problem with a business collaboration, it would affect Meng Fanchuan as well.

"I still hope people like me because of the movies I make, because of my identity as an actress," Cen Zhen said.

The script Mo Xiang handed to her included many light-hearted urban romance films, with top celebrities as co-stars, but Cen Zhen chose one with a niche and difficult theme. Maybe it was because of her experience in the ski festival promotional video, she wanted to film a full martial arts action movie for the thrill.

"So, you’re willing to leave me for a few months again." The night before entering the set, Meng Fanchuan helplessly held Cen Zhen in his arms. Every time they parted, it was hard to let go, but he had no choice.

"I’ll miss you." Without Meng Fanchuan asking, Cen Zhen took the initiative to say, "I’ll think of you every day."

The words "I’ll miss you" easily melted Meng Fanchuan’s heart. He hugged her tightly and could only support her: "Shoot well, I’ll wait for you to come back."

This movie was called The Record of Luoshui. The director came from Hong Kong and was a master of martial arts films. His standards were even higher than Xie Qingzong's. During the filming, the entire crew was under closed management, and all forms of visits were refused. Cen Zhen played the role of a seductive brothel courtesan, but in reality, she was a hidden heir of a prominent family investigating the truth behind her family’s massacre. Her character was complex and mysterious.

Cen Zhen had initially taken on the project to fulfill her unaccomplished martial arts dream from the ski festival, but unexpectedly, the director was very sincere. He spent a huge amount of money to build a 1:1 replica of the ancient streets and hundreds of houses. The filming was meticulous, and a fight scene in a bamboo forest took two weeks to complete to his satisfaction.

The action scenes themselves were complex, and with the director's pursuit of perfection, the originally planned 70-day shooting schedule had stretched into two months without finishing.

At this time, news came from Beicheng that Falling was about to hold its premiere, and as a key member of the production, Cen Zhen had to return to attend.

Luckily, The Record of Luoshui was nearing its end, so Cen Zhen successfully asked the director for a one-day leave and rushed back to Beicheng for the premiere of Falling.

At that time, Meng Fanchuan was not in the country; the F1 Grand Prix was being held in Las Vegas, and Cen Zhen could only rely on phone calls and video chats to alleviate their longing during the two months apart.

Although she finally had a day off, Cen Zhen didn’t tell Meng Fanchuan. Her schedule was tight, and after the premiere, she had to return to the set. Since they wouldn’t be able to meet anyway, she didn’t want to distract him.

The premiere took place at a cinema in Wangfujing, Beicheng. Both media and regular audience tickets were sold out in a flash. Meng Wenruo knew Cen Zhen would be at the premiere and had planned to come and support her with friends, but the tickets were so hard to come by that Cen Zhen, as the lead actress, had only managed to reserve one for her.

Meng Wenruo didn’t mind. "Then I’ll come alone. I’ll make a super-sized fanboard for you, sister-in-law."After all, since Cen Zhen's proposal, she had not appeared in public, and the media was incredibly curious about this "billionaire daughter-in-law." She seemed to have a natural flow of attention, always trending on hot searches since her debut. Now, with her first film finally hitting the screen, the question was whether this billionaire daughter-in-law was just indulging in the fun of acting or if she truly had the skills to back it up.

Everything was waiting for the market's judgment.

On the day of the premiere, the theater was packed. Cen Zhen tried calling Meng Wenruo, but no one answered. She then asked Chi Yu to check if she had arrived at the venue, but Chi Yu searched around and couldn’t find her.

“Did she forget?”

By then, the first viewing session was about to begin. Unable to find her, Cen Zhen could only give up.

The lights dimmed, and as the title of Falling slowly appeared on the big screen, Cen Zhen sat in the audience, secretly taking deep breaths.

This was her first time seeing her own finished film. Saying she wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

Would the audience like this kind of film? Was her acting good enough?

Cen Zhen kept thinking about it. When the anxiety became too much, she couldn’t help but take out her phone and text Meng Fanchuan:

"What are you doing?"

At that moment, perhaps only her longing for Meng Fanchuan could briefly distract her from the nervousness and unease inside.

But after sending the message, Cen Zhen realized it was probably only 5 or 6 a.m. in the U.S.

Meng Fanchuan wouldn’t be awake this early.

Cen Zhen sighed in her heart, put away her phone, and continued watching the film. In the past, she had watched replays through the director’s camera, but now, seeing her performance on the big screen, every frame and detail was magnified. Those intense and twisted emotions echoed through the theater.

At the end of the film, Li Tao, wearing her favorite dress, falls into the vast snow. The heavy subtitle slowly appeared on the screen:

“According to incomplete statistics, since 2013, the number of cases of child or adolescent sexual assault concluded by domestic courts has reached 169,078. More than 19 children or adolescents are harmed every day nationwide, and 20% of cases, due to various family reasons, have not been convicted.”

“They are Li Tao. May there never be another Li Tao in this world.”

“May all girls remain pure forever.”

The subtitles ended, and the credits began to roll. Cen Zhen’s palms were already sweaty, but it wasn’t from nervousness. She was immersed in the story, immersed in her performance, moved once again by her character, Li Tao.

When the premiere ended and the theater lights fully brightened, the media in the audience gave enthusiastic applause from the bottom of their hearts.

In today’s competitive film market, it was rare to see a film like this, with its critical and awakening significance, made by someone like Xie Qingzong.

But what was even rarer was this—

The media, who had come with the expectation of watching the "billionaire daughter-in-law" for some fun, had even prepared scripts mocking her acting skills, were now frantically contacting their teams:

"Quickly revise the scripts, this girl is going to explode!"

Who would have thought that the stunningly beautiful Cen Zhen also had equally stunning acting skills? When playing innocent, she was pure and carefree; when portraying a breakdown, her tearful, broken eyes made the audience’s hearts ache. Later, when she sought revenge to protect her adopted sister, her dark and crazy performance even made the audience feel fear.

In the 100-minute film, Cen Zhen’s emotions layered upon each other, portraying Li Tao’s short life from 16 to 27 years old in an unforgettable way.

The second part of the process after the viewing was the interactive session with the media and audience.

Xie Qingzong led Cen Zhen and the other actors to the stage. As soon as Cen Zhen appeared, someone in the theater shouted her name. Cen Zhen nodded and smiled, waving to greet them.

In the good atmosphere, suddenly someone shouted hysterically, “Wife!!!”

Laughter erupted in the theater.

At the last row, someone lazily looked over.

Xie Qingzong, with humor, pointed at the audience and said, "You can’t shout that. This is not what you’re calling out for."

Everyone knew that Cen Zhen was the fiancée of Meng Fanchuan, the second young master of the Meng family. Xie Qingzong’s playful remark made everyone laugh knowingly.

It was Cen Zhen’s first premiere, and even before the interactive session started, her relationship had been brought up to liven up the atmosphere. Although Cen Zhen felt helpless, she didn’t mind. She quietly stood on stage, maintaining a faint smile on her face.

The media began asking questions. Although everyone was curious about the billionaire daughter-in-law’s marriage, today was the premiere, so they professionally asked questions about the film.

“How were those scenes where you were violently beaten by your stepfather filmed?”

Cen Zhen cutely scratched her head and said casually, "Well… just like you saw."

Xie Qingzong raised the microphone and added, "I have to say, Zhen Zhen was covered in purple-red bruises at the time. She even went back to filming twice with a concussion. Every time Teacher Shi finished shooting, he would feel guilty, thinking, ‘How could I beat a little girl like this?’”

The media and audience laughed, but only the person at the last row looked cold, not finding it funny at all.

Someone then asked Xie Qingzong, "How did you decide to cast Zhen Zhen as Li Tao?"

When recalling this story, Xie Qingzong suddenly laughed, "Actually, Cen Zhen’s audition material was deliberately taken away by someone. I didn’t notice her at first. Later, a friend found her materials and told me, ‘You won’t know if an actor is good until you see them in action.’"

Cen Zhen: "……"

"So, I’m still very grateful to that friend. They helped me find the perfect Li Tao in my mind."Time rewound, and Cen Zhen suddenly remembered that night when they were having late-night snacks. She had asked Xie Qingzong why he chose her, and he had replied, "Then you should thank Young Master Meng."

At that time, Cen Zhen had been disappointed, thinking that Meng Fanchuan was behind her resources, but it turned out he had just picked up her audition materials?

The media asked Cen Zhen again, "So, Cen Zhen, will you thank the person who discovered you?"

Cen Zhen opened her mouth, her smile a little guilty, "Of course."

...It seemed like she was always on the path of needing to thank him.

The topic was quickly wrapped up. Xie Qingzong hinted that the host could begin the audience interaction segment. Most of the attendees were Cen Zhen's fans. First, two girls raised their hands and were allowed to come on stage. They gave cards and letters, asked for a hug, and then were satisfied to leave.

After the two female fans, the host finally pointed to a male fan in the audience. The young man excitedly ran up to the stage, microphone in hand, and began loudly confessing his feelings to Cen Zhen:

"Zhen Zhen, hello! I’m your movie fan. I liked you when you were shooting the promotional video."

The host noticed the clue and joked, "You’re the one who called Zhen Zhen 'wife' earlier, right?"

After speaking, the host pretended to call the security, "Quick, get this gentleman off the stage. I’m afraid everyone will receive lawyer letters tomorrow."

The entire theater burst into laughter, and the young man sheepishly waved his hand, "I was just joking. Then I’ll call you 'sister' instead."

He changed his address, "I want to ask, what kind of aesthetic do you have when it comes to boys?"

Cen Zhen didn’t know why he was asking such an unrelated question, but she still smiled and without hesitation, answered, "Someone like my fiancé."

The audience erupted in excitement, and no one cared about the person in the last row of the theater, whose lips finally curved into a slight smile.

Amid the noise, a fan who had been holding back finally seized the opportunity to shout loudly, "So, what about brother-in-law!!!"

The fan asked the soul-searching question—

"Brother-in-law!!!"

Cen Zhen blushed when she was asked this, lowering her head and covering her face with her hand, laughing. Yet, the love in her eyes poured out wildly. She smiled helplessly, and to steer the focus back to the movie, she answered seriously, "He’s been very busy recently."

Even though the host quickly shifted the topic, after the premiere ended, Cen Zhen inevitably once again found herself trending.

The portrayal of Li Tao was undeniably praised by everyone. Many film critics sharply commented:

"Don’t label Cen Zhen with meaningless identity tags, she’s just actress Cen Zhen."

"Her acting is absolutely worth the price of a movie ticket."

"Compared to being a billionaire daughter-in-law, Cen Zhen’s acting is her own priceless treasure."

However, amidst all the positive reviews for the film, a bizarre hashtag appeared:

#Where's the brother-in-law#

The host posted: "At the Falling premiere, a fan loudly asked Cen Zhen, 'Where’s the brother-in-law?' Cen Zhen blushed and laughed while covering her face. It looked like they were still in a passionate relationship! But we haven’t seen them together after the Shanghai performance competition. Where’s the brother-in-law? You two should at least show up for business! If not, I might start rumors."

The comments all agreed:

"+1, sister isn’t showing up, and neither is the brother-in-law. They are both too low-key."

"Please make an appearance!!!"

"Did brother-in-law see the guy at the premiere who called wife out loud? If you don’t show up soon, someone else is going to snatch your wife!"

"Can shouting 'wife' a few more times make a brother-in-law appear?"

"Wait, but I actually took a picture of this car in the parking lot today. Is it brother-in-law's?"

"Whoa, 5 zeros!! It's him!!!"

"Wait? Did brother-in-law go to the premiere?"

No one knew that at this very moment, their wife was in a familiar sports car, being kissed breathlessly by someone.

After finishing the event and leaving the theater, Cen Zhen was about to go for dinner with her colleagues when her phone suddenly vibrated. A message from Meng Fanchuan appeared:

"I’m watching you."

Cen Zhen froze for a few seconds before realizing he was replying to her earlier message: "What are you doing?"

But wasn’t he in Las Vegas? How could he be watching her?

Was there a live stream of the premiere?

Cen Zhen was puzzled. Although it seemed unlikely, she was curious and wanted to return to the theater. However, just as she reached the elevator, a pair of hands suddenly pulled her inside.

The elevator door quickly closed. Just as she was about to scream, Cen Zhen suddenly saw those familiar eyes.

It was the person she had not seen for two months, the one she had been thinking about day and night.

Cen Zhen couldn’t believe it. It felt like a dream. Staring at him, their eyes locked, she said in disbelief, "Aren’t you in America—""I miss you." His kiss, accompanied by the words, came down heavily again.

It had been almost a hundred days without seeing each other. How could their longing for each other be expressed in just two words? From the moment his sister told him Cen Zhen was coming to Beicheng, even if it was just for a short day, Meng Fanchuan didn't hesitate to fly back.

Two months of separation had been too torturous; even a single glance at her would suffice.

Cen Zhen was so surprised her heart raced uncontrollably. She didn’t even have time to reply with a "I miss you," and her hurried and passionate response was the best answer she could give.

Neither of them cared about being caught. From the elevator to the car, they were locked in a passionate kiss that they couldn’t seem to break apart from.

"Where were you planning to go just now?" Even after getting in the car, the kiss didn’t stop.

"I was going to have dinner with Director Xie and the others..." It was fine when they weren’t together, but now that they were, she was losing control. Cen Zhen said softly, "...But not anymore."

"Why?"

He was clearly asking on purpose. Cen Zhen gently pushed him away, mimicking his tone from long ago, "Would you let me leave?"

In the confined space of the car, their breaths mixed, and the tension in their eyes was almost unbearable.

After a few seconds of silence, Meng Fanchuan slightly lifted the corner of his lips, hooked his hand around Cen Zhen’s neck, and kissed her again, deeply and intensely. It was as though neither of them would give an inch. Eventually, even their proximity wasn’t enough for him, and he unbuckled the seatbelt, pressing his body onto hers. His fingers intertwined with hers, fiercely pulling her into the kiss as he whispered against her lips and neck:

"Why do they call you 'wife'?"

Cen Zhen, dizzy from the kisses, murmured, "…It’s just for fun."

"For fun?" Meng Fanchuan wasn’t pleased. "My wife is being called that for fun?"

It wasn’t something they had talked about before, but now it reminded Meng Fanchuan of it.

He slightly lifted himself from the kiss, took out his phone, and snapped a picture of their hands tightly clasped together. Then, without typing a word, he posted the photo to his rarely used Weibo account.

Two minutes later, under the trending topic #Where’s the brother-in-law#, netizens excitedly replied:

"??? Brother-in-law’s Weibo is finally active?"

"Oh my god, this is really the brother-in-law!"

"LOL, I heard someone was trying to snatch his wife, and he got angry, hahahahaha!"

"That’s definitely the young master’s sports car interior!"

"Ahhhhh, no one is talking about how this hand-holding looks so… seductive?"

"I’m Huang, and I’ll say it first, feels like they’re about to do it."

Among the enthusiastic voices of the fans, suddenly, a Sherlock Holmes-type netizen pointed out the key detail:

"Did you try out this hand-holding angle with your boyfriend...? So, brother-in-law, you’re the one on top, right?"

Netizens: ???

#If you’re brave enough to post a photo, post the whole thing!#

#What’s something we fans can’t see?!#