Chapter 5
Today was Saturday, so Huo Mingcheng didn't need to go to work.
However, he was used to getting up early to exercise outdoors. At 7:00 a.m., after returning from his run, Meng Xi had already started eating breakfast.
Meng Xi sat upright in the chair, holding a spoon and drinking porridge. Her eating manners were extremely refined and elegant, and her eyes were also busy, as if she were reading a book.
This scenery was a stark contrast to her previous image.
However, Huo Mingcheng did not develop any goodwill towards this, but only felt that it was pretentious.
Because Fatty had told him two days ago that this woman was planning to buy books and pretend in order to win his favor.
It was just a tactic to seduce men.
Meng Xi's hearing was fine, so she naturally heard Huo Mingcheng return, but she was too lazy to look up. It wasn't until Ah Lan reminded her that Mister had returned that she reluctantly lifted her eyelids and casually said, "Good morning."
Without waiting for Huo Mingcheng's response, she lowered her head and continued reading her book.
This was a philosophy book.
The original owner bought it specifically to please Huo Mingcheng, but since she only had a vocational school education, she couldn't read such a book at all.
So, to avoid embarrassing herself, she didn't take it out.
Ah Lan brought over another breakfast.
Huo Mingcheng sat down opposite Meng Xi, and the two ate their food in silence.
In the spacious dining hall, the only sounds were the clinking of forks and spoons against bowls and the soft turning of pages.
For the first time, Huo Mingcheng felt that eating breakfast was not a pleasure, but an ordeal.
It was strange, even though it was the woman opposite him who was putting on an act, why did he feel like sitting on needles?
Finally, Huo Mingcheng couldn't help but secretly sized up Meng Xi.
This woman used to always wear revealing clothes and heavy makeup. The word "vulgar" didn't even begin to describe her.
But today.
She was wearing only a camel-colored knitted long dress, her face was clean and tidy, and the way she looked down at her book gave people a sense of peace and tranquility.
The aura emanating from her had also undergone a dramatic change.
...
Huo Mingcheng's heart pounded wildly, as if he were possessed. He quickly looked away, picked up his cup, and took a sip of soy milk.
Don't be fooled by appearances. She was intentionally putting on a show for him.
Intentional...intentional...
Huo Mingcheng kept reminding himself of this.
However, after a moment, recalling what happened yesterday, Huo Mingcheng finally couldn't help but speak, breaking the silence where everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
He asked, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"Hmm?" Meng Xi finally looked up from the book. "Say what?"
What should she say? Should she try to please him like the original owner did?
Sorry, she probably couldn't do that.
“Yesterday, I helped you solve that huge problem,” Huo Mingcheng said, his mouth agape as if he had a radish in it. “Shouldn’t you say thank you?”
Upon hearing this, Meng Xi suddenly realized that this was what he meant.
But what was there to thank?
She smiled slightly, closed the book, and put it aside, ready to have a good talk with that dog man.
"President Huo."
Meng Xi looked directly into Huo Mingcheng's eyes, her expression calm and composed. "Although I was the one who was smeared yesterday, husband and wife are in the same boat. You shouldn't be unaware of this principle, right?"
"I'm sorry that you got dragged into this and got scolded too, but honestly, were you standing up for me, or were you upset about the insults they gave you?"
"If you did those things because you were upset about the insults they gave you, then why should I thank you for everything you did to defend yourself?"
Huo Mingcheng was stunned.
A barrage of soul probing questions left him speechless.
That was right. He couldn't stand those people online who, without knowing the truth, treated him like a gigolo, which was why he reposted the VB post and acknowledged the identity as Meng Xi’s husband.
He got into a fight with the haters because they called him blind and so on.
Ultimately, it was all just to vent his own anger, not for Meng Xi's sake.
Now that the truth had been revealed, it was actually a bit embarrassing.
Meng Xi slowly finished the last mouthful of porridge in her bowl.
She put down her spoon and continued, "I know that you marry me only as a substitute for my elder sister. So, in public, we are husband and wife, but at home, we'll just be roommates."
"My decision to announce my married status and not to announce our relationship to the world, is simply to avoid certain people causing me similar trouble in the future."
"Also, if you ever want a divorce, just let me know, and we can part amicably."
"..."
Huo Mingcheng was completely overwhelmed by Meng Xi's rapid-fire remarks.
Because he simply couldn't be sure whether it was the truth or a trick she'd learned from somewhere.
Wasn't this exactly what they mean by "feigning indifference to lure the enemy"?
However--
Through Meng Xi's eyes, he also caught a glimpse of sincerity.
For a moment, he was a little confused.
"I'm finished eating. I'm going upstairs to read for a while. You can eat slowly." Meng Xi got up to leave.
"Wait, wait"
Huo Mingcheng called her back, realizing that he had indeed harbored selfish motives in this marriage, treating her merely as a substitute for Meng Yao, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
In return, he promised, "I will help you with the 'The Long Song of Prosperity
' project. The original second female lead role will be promoted to the female lead."
For something like this, the sponsor just needed to ask.
It was a matter of minutes.
However, the female lead—
Although it sounded quite appealing, Meng Xi knew that "The Long Song of Prosperity" was nothing more than a bad drama based on a big IP.
The novel had a large fan base, but the script had been completely ruined.
The final result was simply that the higher the audience's expectations, the more thoroughly the film flops.
"No."
Meng Xi resolutely refused, "Since Xu Yawei wants to act so much, let's give her the opportunity. As for the lead role, she got it through her own abilities. It would be too unfair for me to take it by force through connections."
She should go back to that small, low-budget web series that nobody thought would be a hit at first, but which turned out to be a huge success.
Meanwhile, an anonymous post on the Huaban forum was pushed to the top.
The original poster wrote: "Latest gossip, absolutely true, anyone want to hear it? Actually, Huo Mingcheng isn't a wife-protecting maniac at all, and he didn't want to marry Meng Xi, but Meng Yao. He only married Meng Xi, who had plastic surgery to look like Meng Yao, because Meng Yao married Gu Sinian. She's just a substitute. Their relationship is also very strained, not at all like the loving relationship they show on VB."
1st floor: Really? I'm so confused by all the gossip these past two days.
2nd floor: I've heard similar things too. It was said that Meng Xi made herself look like Meng Yao because she liked Huo Mingcheng and knew that Huo Mingcheng only had Meng Yao in his heart.
3rd floor: So she changed her surname because of Huo Mingcheng? Wasn't her original name Peng Xi? I thought she changed her surname to try and get attention from Meng Yao.
4th floor: Hearing this, why do I feel inexplicably sorry for her?
5th floor: Upstairs, put away your sympathy. That woman is trying to take advantage of our Yao Yao from every angle. Fans are disgusted by her.
...