QKYJ - 39

“Shen Zhi,” Shen He’s voice was very soft.

He wasn’t looking at her, and she wasn’t looking at him.

Shen Zhi said, “Hmm?”

Then, as if he were strolling in a field, he said nonchalantly, “I love you. I love you.”

She was stunned, tripped, and suddenly lurched forward without warning.

Shen He didn’t move an inch, and Shen Zhi bumped hard into his back. The two of them were intimately close, yet she subconsciously took her hands off him. He also didn’t turn around.

They maintained this posture, which was stiff and awkward.

But there was also a subtle sense of satisfaction.

Shen Zhi heard herself say, “Why?”

She asked, “Is it because I said you wouldn’t say that to me before?”

Shen He countered, “Do you want it to be?”

Shen Zhi said, “Then why?”

She took a few steps back, quietly detaching herself from behind him. He finally tossed away the bamboo pole in his hand, and in the dark night, the chickens in the tree called out and flew down one by one.

This atmosphere was not suitable for them. Shen He didn’t give her much time to hesitate, and he quickly brushed past all the obstacles that would have kept them in place, smiling with a sense of relief: “I’ve always wanted to say it to you.”

They each went back to their bedrooms.

That night, Shen Zhi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She couldn’t figure out the reason. It wasn’t until Ding Yaocai came the next day that she realized it might have been a sixth sense.

After going over some company matters, Ding Yaocai said, “The filming is almost over.”

“Mm,” Shen Zhi said.

“If you don’t want to talk to Shen He, just tell me. I’ll handle it for you.” At a time like this, the manager fully demonstrated her professionalism and the responsibility of an elder.

However, Shen Zhi said, “It’s fine.”

“Relax,” Ding Yaocai smiled at her. “You have many paths you can take in the future. You can not get married and become an independent woman of the new era, or find a younger man and be the envy of all women...”

No one would be in a good mood after receiving a report that things were going in the wrong direction so early in the morning. However, she knew she was still at work, and since she was with Shen He, she regained her composure after a few more conversations.

The children from the village came again.

Ever since Shen He used the leftover ingredients to make them brown sugar bubble tea, these kids had become enthusiastic about coming to their “home” to play.

After all, there was a cool uncle and a beautiful aunt, delicious food, and many novel things.

Shen He had single-handedly turned Married Men and Women into Trading Spaces, and the entire yard had been transformed. He was also happy to give his DIY projects to them, saying, “They’re not very good anyway.” Besides, he was already bored with it, and his latest interest was fishing.

It wasn’t just the kids who came. For some reason, perhaps at the director’s suggestion, they even brought their summer homework.

Whenever they had a question they didn’t know, they would ask the closest person.

For Shen He and Shen Zhi, cultural subjects were a thing of the Jurassic era.

Besides, they were art students in the first place.

But even so, since the children were asking sincerely, the adults couldn’t just brush them off.

Shen He spent a long time writing out calculation drafts.

Shen Zhi flipped through the textbook from beginning to end.

The final results were inconsistent.

This kind of situation was not uncommon between the couple.

They both stood their ground, arguing endlessly.

Until they opened the answer key and found that neither of them was even close.

It was at this moment that Cheng Ruiyi and the staff came over.

The production team had arranged different activities for the different teams.

Qu Xiao and Wang Ruilan were hiking.

Cheng Ruiyi and Ji Luoluo were going to the market.

Shen He and Shen Zhi were going to a lake in the village for filming.

Before leaving, Cheng Ruiyi specifically came to find Shen Zhi: “Shen Zhi, is there anything you like? I plan to buy some souvenirs for everyone later.”

He seemed very enthusiastic. He said he was going to buy for everyone, but in reality, he only came to ask Shen Zhi what she liked.

“Nothing in particular,” Shen Zhi replied. “Have a good time.”

If the cameras weren’t filming, she would have said, “Have a good time working.”

Cheng Ruiyi was a little disappointed but just smiled it off.

He noticed that she and Shen He were arguing.

Shen Zhi, uncharacteristically, said bluntly, “I’m telling you, you shouldn’t use this formula here. This is middle school math, are you an idiot?”

Shen He didn’t back down at all and retorted sharply, “Do you know what your ‘x’ is? If you set it up like that, won’t it just get more and more complicated?”

In terms of arguing, Shen Zhi admitted she didn’t have the upper hand. Shen He laid out a seventh-grade Happy Summer Vacation book and said seriously, “This isn’t a one-variable linear equation. They won’t have this kind of problem in their homework. Compared to me, your method is even more ridiculous. Besides...”

He was about to continue his endless rant, but Shen Zhi shot him a glare.

Shen He immediately fell silent.

Then Shen Zhi turned back and said to the camera she had accidentally ignored, “Please don’t use this part, thank you.”

The two of them were in a heated argument, but the children who were supposed to be doing their homework were playing all over the yard.

This sense of frustration lingered in Shen Zhi’s heart all day.

After they finished filming the necessary content, the production team staff also took a temporary break. Shen He and Shen Zhi were originally planning to take a car back but met a villager who was fishing by the lake and offered them a boat ride.

It wasn’t a fashionable speedboat or an impressive steamboat, but a two-person pedal boat commonly found in city parks. Its presence here was full of dramatic incongruity.

Out of safety concerns, the assistant was a little hesitant. While she was still debating, Shen He had already gotten on.

Shen Zhi stood by the lake and hesitated for a moment but still went with him.

The deep parts of the village had an unusually beautiful scenery.

The shore was not continuous and looked like it was towering over the water from a distance. The wind blew across their faces, carrying away the fishy smell and leaving only a cool breeze.

As the boat slowly made its way to the middle of the lake, they naturally felt small, narrow, and insignificant.

Their mood also lightened.

They both focused on the scenery, slowly pedaling the boat.

With only the two of them, and no cameras or microphones, it was the perfect time for a conversation.

Shen Zhi said, “I had a bit of a falling out with Liang Yi, and I’ve completely turned against Hua Zichen. So, not to mention the past scandals, it’s not impossible for them to make a big deal out of our marriage.”

Her words were conservative, but in reality, it was a done deal.

Ding Yaocai had already received the news and had informed the TV station. It was tricky to pull the show, but it wasn’t hard to postpone it.

It wouldn’t affect the airing of Married Men and Women.

After a preliminary discussion with the TV station, they decided to focus Shen He and Shen Zhi’s segments on the first five episodes to ensure that the show wouldn’t be implicated when it aired, and they might even be able to get a boost in online viewership.

Hearing this news, Shen He was not too surprised. He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked her calmly, “Do you need help?”

Shen Zhi did not avoid his gaze.

They were going to divorce before their seventh year ended.

Announcing the news to the public might require a gradual approach, and they couldn’t be too hasty.

She said, “Shen He, I don’t trust you.”

She observed his face intently. Whether positive or negative, he didn’t show a single emotion.

And this, for some reason, disappointed Shen Zhi.

“At least not that much,” Shen Zhi said. “Didn’t I say I wanted a daughter? I was serious. I’ve thought about it carefully. Life is long, and I can’t just act. In the seven years we’ve been married, neither of us owes the other anything. To be honest, I admit your proposal was the right one at the time.

“But I’ve decided to think for myself now. I’m thinking about the future of Shen Zhi, the person, not the actress.”

The sky and the birds looked down on them. The lake was like a bowl of cold soup, silent and vast.

Shen He said, “You want to start your own business?”

She felt there was no need to hide it: “I’ll probably have dinner with some people from film and television investment companies.”

Shen He remained still.

He lowered his gaze, looking at the ripples on the water: “I can help you too.”

“Shen He,” Shen Zhi finally had to change to a resolute tone. “Can you tell the difference between acting and reality?”

He didn’t move, and without thinking, he countered, “Are you that afraid you won’t be able to tell the difference, Shen Zhi?”

The words that had reached her throat were blocked. Shen Zhi looked at him in disbelief. Shen He looked back at her squarely. She wanted to hug her elbows, but she only pricked her palms with her fingertips.

“I want to have my own child and build my own family,” every word Shen Zhi said seemed to tremble, but her expression was incredibly calm. She hardened her heart. “You are not in my future plans.”

Shen He’s gaze lingered on her face.

For some unknown reason, he also finally showed anger, but it quickly turned into gentle sorrow. Looking at him, Shen Zhi wondered, Why?

Shen He said, “What do you want to do?”

She couldn’t take it anymore and suddenly stood up.

The boat shook violently, and he immediately stood up with her. This prevented anything from capsizing in the water.

The cabin was short, and both of them had to lower their heads. The scene was a little comical. Both of them seemed to be apologizing, but also as if they were mourning. But neither of them would give in. All that was left was the sparkling, bright water on the lake.

Shen Zhi said, “I want you to tell me why.”

She was anxiously waiting for this answer. This answer was crucial to her. Why don’t you want a divorce? Why do you want to continue being married to me?—She wouldn’t accept any clichéd excuses or any vague pretexts. She wanted him to convince her.

But Shen He said, “You should sit down first.”

She couldn’t wait any longer, so this one sentence was enough to make her give up. Shen Zhi slowly bent down, making her final reflection in the silence. Let’s just get a divorce. She realized that vulnerability was a foolish trigger, and things shouldn’t have turned out this way.

After urging her to sit down, Shen He remained standing. He looked down at her. After a long time, Shen He seemed to understand the decision she had made in the silence.

Between the sky and the water, everything was still.

He leaned his body over the side of the boat and, in front of everyone, fell into the lake.

Water splashed everywhere.

This lunatic. Thinking this, Shen Zhi turned her face away.

Shen He was a man with many flaws. He was a terrorist, his interests were unstable, he hated social niceties, and besides acting, she wasn’t sure what else was in his head—

He fell into the water and then swam out without hesitation.

It wasn’t far from the shore.

Shen Zhi watched him swim toward the bank. For a moment, she felt that even if he drowned, she wouldn’t feel anything. But she wouldn’t complain. She shouldn’t complain at all. She was the one who made him leave. Shen Zhi leaned against the side of the boat. The pedals had covered her feet, and she couldn’t pedal anymore.

With the commotion, the boat with the staff seemed to be getting closer. Soon, a whole bunch of questions would be coming her way.

She was the only one left to face them.

Shen Zhi closed her eyes.

“Shen Zhi, Teacher Shen Zhi—” people who were completely unfamiliar to her were calling her name.

Getting on this boat was originally a whim. Just to go further, she had drifted for many years without realizing it. She had seen enough of the scenery outside the window. At the end of the journey, she thought she had started to think about her own truth, but she didn’t expect her weakness to be exposed in a single sentence.

She was just scared.

Shen Zhi wasn’t just an actress. Shen He wasn’t just an actor. In the end, they were just an ordinary man and woman who were good at acting.

When she came to her senses, she had already grabbed the side of the boat.

Shen Zhi jumped into the water.

She first took a breath, and after figuring out the direction, she stretched out her body. She swam freely.

Shen Zhi was born in a coastal city, and she often went to the beach with her aunt’s family as a child. She was always happy playing by herself, but without realizing it, she would drift away from the shore. They didn’t see her as family, so of course, they wouldn’t care.

At times like that, she would realize with extreme clarity that she was the only one alone.

When she reached the shore, Shen Zhi lay on the ground, catching her breath.

Perhaps because she had a habit of warming up before getting on the boat, she was lucky that nothing unexpected happened. It was only then that she felt a wave of fear.

She didn’t know when he had arrived. In any case, when she looked up again, she saw Shen He, who was just as disheveled as she was.

They came ashore from different places. Their soaked bodies were covered in mud, weeds, and moss. Shen He was also panting, and he reached out to her, exhausted. He said, “See? Even like this, we still end up meeting. You can send me the divorce papers, but whether or not I sign them is another matter. You said you would give me time to think, and I’m not ready yet. Please add me to your future plans first—”

Shen Zhi vaguely wanted to argue.

This wasn’t just a meeting; he had deliberately come to find her. Everyone was anxiously and frantically rushing over, but neither of them had time to care.

They couldn’t stay on that boat anymore.

If only they could live on the shore.

Together.

Shen Zhi held her own hand.