A few days later, *Love Is Not Blind* was released.
As soon as it hit theaters, Zhou You went to watch it. The pre-release promotion had been overwhelming, far surpassing the publicity for *Mr. Tree* by a wide margin.
This time, Zhou You went with Wang Fangfang. A new Wanda mall had opened nearby, offering a full range of entertainment, dining, and shopping.
Wang Fangfang was curious why Zhou You had brought her to see this kind of movie. She wondered if he had some intention, making her mentally prepare herself. The whole way there, she felt uneasy.
Over the past year, Wang Fangfang had lived a fulfilling and happy life. Yet occasionally, a flicker of insecurity lingered in her heart. She always felt she wasn't good enough for Zhou You and feared he might leave her at any moment.
So throughout the year, she had been constantly improving herself, striving to run the swimming pool well so Zhou You wouldn't see her as a burden.
But now, Wang Fangfang was a bit confused. She wasn't someone prone to overthinking, but the gap between them seemed too wide in her eyes, making her feel somewhat inferior.
She watched the entire movie absentmindedly. When she saw the characters heartbroken over lost love, she empathized deeply, unable to hold back tears.
Zhou You noticed her crying. "Is the movie really that good? Director Teng has some skill—he even made my Fangfang cry. Looks like the box office will be decent."
Wang Fangfang wiped away her tears and asked him, puzzled, "Do you know the director well?"
"I'm one of the investors in this film. It just came out today, so I came to check it out and contribute to the box office," Zhou You explained casually.
Hearing this, Wang Fangfang suddenly understood. She had been overthinking all along, never guessing the real reason. She couldn't help but laugh. "I thought you were going to break up with me and brought me here to get me used to it."
Zhou You burst out laughing at her words, pulled her close, and kissed her. "Don't worry. As long as you don't leave me, I won't leave you."
Hearing this, Wang Fangfang looked at him with tender, affectionate eyes. No wonder couples in movie theaters often snuck around—when feelings ran deep, passion naturally followed.
She had no idea this was just Zhou You's smooth-talking playbook.
For the second half of the movie, Wang Fangfang watched cheerfully, shifting from sorrow to joy. Zhou You observed her expression and assumed it was the director's skill at work.
They walked out of the theater lightheartedly, Wang Fangfang clinging tightly to Zhou You. Suddenly, she realized something. "Last time you brought me to see *Mr. Tree*—was that your investment too?"
Zhou You's face showed a hint of embarrassment, but he admitted, "Yes, but that was an art film, not a commercial one. It was mainly aimed at winning awards."
"Oh, so did you lose money or make money?"
Zhou You was so awkward he could barely continue, but he forced himself. "The box office didn't bring in much—I took a small loss—but the film won several awards."
Hearing that he had lost money, Wang Fangfang felt a pang of sympathy. "How much did you lose?"
"About one or two million," Zhou You said, trying to act nonchalant.
No man likes to admit failure, especially in front of a woman he cares about.
"That's how investing works—you don't always make money. That's why I'm very cautious about you two expanding the swimming pool. I can afford to lose, but you can't. Wang Ping especially can't—if he loses, it'll be hard for him to recover."
"I've invested in many projects. Some lost money, some made money, but overall, I'm in the black. My cost of trial and error is low, and my risk tolerance is high."
Wang Fangfang was left dizzy by his explanation. In the end, she just concluded that he was capable and had good judgment—no need to doubt or question him.
"So, will this movie make money?"
"Looks like it should, but it depends on the final box office," Zhou You said. He knew it was likely to blow up and turn a profit, but he didn't want to sound too sure.
After the movie, they went straight home. Wang Fangfang gave it her all to make up for her guilty feelings over her baseless suspicions.
And in her guilt, Zhou You took advantage, exploring new territory. The next day, sitting on the toilet was a bit uncomfortable for her.
Over the next few days, Zhou You kept an eye on the box office. By Singles' Day, riding the wave of the holiday, the box office exploded, hitting 50 million yuan in a single day.
The day after Singles' Day, Teng Huatao called Zhou You. "Mr. Zhou, great news—the movie is a hit! It's blowing up!"
"I know. I even contributed a few tickets myself," Zhou You said cheerfully.
"Haha, that's for your own good. As an investor, you'll be the one reaping the biggest rewards," Teng joked, riding high on the good news. But it was true.
"When the run ends, the other investors and I are planning a celebration banquet. We'd love for you to attend," Teng invited.
"Don't worry, I'll be there!" Zhou You definitely needed to go to Beijing—not just for the banquet, but for other matters too.
Since Zhou You had hit a plateau in learning the flute, the rest was just practice. Lately, he had been spending less time on it.
After a few days without showing up, Sun Li reached out to him, asking when he'd come for his flute lesson.
With a beautiful woman inviting him, Zhou You naturally agreed.
They went through the usual warm-up.
Sun Li invited Zhou You to watch *Love Is Not Blind* together at the Central City mall. Even though Zhou You had already seen it, he happily agreed.
They sat in the back corner of the last row. By now, the theater was nearly empty—the peak had passed. Though the movie hadn't been pulled yet, attendance was low.
Halfway through, Sun Li suddenly leaned close to Zhou You's ear and whispered, "I wanted to spend Singles' Day with you, but that day I saw you watching a movie with a woman at Central City."
Zhou You jolted, his body reacting instinctively. Hefei was too small, with too few places to go—it was easy to run into people. But he had no good solution, only to deal with things as they came and see which side would blow up first.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to deceive you. I just hadn't figured out how to tell you," Zhou You said, taking Sun Li's hands and looking her straight in the eyes, speaking sincerely.
Sun Li saw his reaction didn't seem fake and couldn't help but laugh. "It's okay. I told you I'm doing this willingly. I don't want to get married or have kids in this life, and I can't have anyone all to myself. I'm happy being with you now. As long as you don't leave me, I won't leave you first."
Hearing this, Zhou You felt a surge of relief. He had been ready for a breakup—that was his principle: never force anything. He pulled her into a tight embrace, not caring if the security cameras caught them. They weren't doing anything inappropriate.
"Is this movie any good?" Zhou You asked.
"It's alright. I've never been through a breakup, so I can't really relate to that feeling. But knowing my personality, if I did go through one, I'd handle it differently," Sun Li said casually.
Surprises—some pleasant, some not. What do men fear most? Trouble! Especially when it comes to relationships.
Meeting a woman who's easygoing is a stroke of luck!
*New writer, new book—please bookmark, recommend, and keep reading!*