The flimsy lab report felt heavier than lead in my hand.
Zhou Wanqing looked at me, her eyes full of expectation, waiting for my ecstatic joy, for my embrace.
I smiled. A smile that seemed to come from the very bottom of my heart.
I took out my phone and, right in front of her, swiftly transferred fifty thousand yuan.
"You've worked hard, honey. Take this for now, buy something nice for our baby."
Her eyes reddened as she threw herself into my arms, laughing and crying. "Oh, honey, you're so good to me. You're the best husband in the world!"
I held her, patting her back gently, feeling the slight tremor of joy that ran through her body.
But inside, a single thought screamed relentlessly.
*Go on. Keep up the performance.*
From that day on, it was as if Zhou Wanqing had become a completely different person.
She stopped complaining about my long work hours, stopped criticizing me for being unromantic. Every day, she was immersed in the dual joys of becoming a mother and a movie star.
She started going out frequently. One day it was a meeting with a producer, the next an appointment with a stylist, the day after that a script discussion with a writer.
Each time, she would leave dressed to the nines, and return flushed with excitement, carrying the faint scent of alcohol and an unfamiliar perfume.
I never asked a thing. I just made sure to have dinner ready for her when she came home, listening as she recounted with glee how she'd handled herself at networking dinners and which big shots she had met.
I played the part of the most considerate husband, listening with a smile, putting food on her plate, and reminding her to drink less and take care of herself.
But whenever she fell asleep, I would sit in the dark living room, replaying the images of her and CEO Zhao in my mind. The suspicion and suppression I felt were like a drop of black ink in clear water, quickly staining my entire being dark.
This facade of warmth was shattered a week later.
That night, Zhou Wanqing came running home in tears.
Her makeup was smeared, her hair a mess, and her Chanel suit was wrinkled. She was a wreck, with none of the confident air of an aspiring star.
"Honey! That CEO Zhao is a liar! He's a bastard!" she sobbed, throwing herself into my arms and wailing.
I stroked her back gently, my voice still soft. "What happened? Tell me slowly."
She sobbed so hard she could barely breathe, her accusations tumbling out in broken gasps.
"He blocked me… He won't answer my calls, he deleted me on WeChat… The supporting role he promised me is gone… He was just playing me!"
"Playing you?" I seized on the keyword. I held her by the shoulders, looked directly into her eyes, my tone laced with just the right amount of confusion. "Weren't you just discussing the script? For this role, what exactly… did you give?"
Her sobs stopped abruptly. Her eyes darted away as she stammered, "I… I just had a few drinks with him, gave him some gifts… What else could I have given?"
Seeing the panic in her eyes, the last shred of hope I'd been clinging to was extinguished.
I didn't press further. I just sighed and pulled her into my arms.
"There, there, don't cry. It's just some stupid role. If it's gone, it's gone. Worst comes to worst, I'll provide for you."
She quieted down in my arms, seemingly soothed by my words.
But my next words struck her like a bolt of lightning.
I released her, pulled a cigarette from my pocket, and lit it. I took a deep drag before speaking slowly, my voice heavy with an unprecedented weariness and despair.
"Wanqing, there's something… I haven't told you."
"That project I invested in… it went bust. We… we might be bankrupt."
The air froze. The tear tracks on Zhou Wanqing's face were still wet, but the look in her eyes changed instantly. It shifted from reliance to scrutiny, then to naked contempt and disgust.
She shot up from the sofa, her voice sharp as she interrogated me. "Lu Mingqian! What do you mean? You could have told me anytime, but you choose to tell me now? Are you doing this on purpose!"
I looked at her face, twisted with rage, and sneered inwardly.
*So the act is finally over?*
"I just didn't want you to worry." I stubbed out my cigarette and spread my hands, a look of helplessness on my face.
"Worry? I'm worried about my role! My future!" she shrieked hysterically. "I'm pregnant, and you're bankrupt? What are the baby and I supposed to do? Live on air with you?!"
Her words were like knives, each one twisting in my heart. But I couldn't feel the pain anymore.
I just watched quietly as she vented, as she blamed all her misfortunes on my incompetence.
When she had tired herself out from yelling, I finally spoke, my voice slow and deliberate.
"Are you free on Saturday night?"
My out-of-the-blue question made her freeze.
I looked at her and said, clearly, enunciating each word, "Bring Lin Jingxuan along, too. The three of us haven't had dinner together in a long time."
The expression on Zhou Wanqing's face was a sight to behold—shock, guilt, and confusion flickered across it in rapid succession.
The silence was deafening.
After a few seconds, she actually smiled. It was a smile filled with probing, calculation, and a strange, unreadable excitement.
"Alright," she replied.