Chapter 55: Cry

“Thank you,” Meng Ying said, regaining her composure after a brief moment of surprise. She pushed him away and hurried across the road.

This area didn’t usually have much traffic, but her rush had nearly caused an accident. She entered Hu Ye’s villa, lifting the door curtain as she stepped inside.

Behind her.

The tall man stood in place, his hands in his pockets, watching her slender figure disappear. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. Even though he knew this would happen.

He still came.

His phone vibrated a few times.

He picked it up.

On the other end, Jiang Yi had sent a WeChat message: Mr. Xu, have you arrived in Geneva?

Jiang Yi: The board members came to the company today and noticed you weren’t there. They asked a lot of questions.

Jiang Yi: Mr. Yan from Geneva found out you’re coming. He’s panicking and keeps trying to get information from me.

Finally.

Jiang Yi: Mr. Xu, good luck.

Hu Ye’s villa had three floors. The first and second floors were for living, while the third floor was converted into a small classroom. Meng Ying was late. Mi Xue saw her in the living room on the first floor and quickly pointed upstairs. “Third floor, third floor.”

“Thank you,” Meng Ying said before rushing upstairs. Mi Xue followed her to the staircase and added, “You’re late. Hu Ye won’t be happy about that. Be careful. Also, why is your face so red? It’s not that sunny outside.”

Meng Ying had already reached the second floor. There was a full-length mirror by the staircase, reflecting her image. She glanced at it and noticed that her cheeks were indeed slightly flushed.

She hadn’t applied blush today, so the redness stood out. She took a quick look, then turned and headed upstairs. Pushing open the solid wooden door, she found four pairs of eyes immediately turning to her.

Zhao Yue, Qiao Qi, and Zhu Min’er were sitting cross-legged on the floor, all wearing loose clothing. Across from them sat Hu Ye, dressed in a white tracksuit, his sharp eyes piercing. “Late on the first day of class?”

“I’m sorry, teacher, I…”

“Come in and stand while listening to the lecture,” Hu Ye said, cutting her off and shifting his gaze away.

His tone was stern.

Meng Ying, knowing she was at fault, closed the door and stood to the side under the watchful eyes of the others. The small classroom had mirrors on all four walls, much like a dance studio. But Meng Ying knew that acting classes often had similar setups. She hadn’t been punished by a teacher like this since college, and a strong sense of shame washed over her.

She wanted to lower her head but had to focus on the lecture, not daring to let her eyes wander.

Qiao Qi, sitting beside her, propped his chin on his hand and looked up at her with a grin, clearly amused.

Zhao Yue sat upright, doing his best not to look at Meng Ying, knowing how embarrassing it was to be punished like this at their age.

Zhu Min’er, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the situation.

Hu Ye, as an accomplished actor, had not only mastered his craft but also studied psychology, earning numerous awards. This was one of the reasons he excelled in acting. From the moment the four of them had dinner together the previous day, he had already begun to predict the emotional dynamics that would form among them.

Without any change in expression, he said, “Empathy is the most basic starting point for acting. When portraying a specific emotional moment, it’s not about pouring all your emotions into it. Instead, you need to find the right emotional beat and express it. No matter how much you act, it won’t compare to hitting the right emotional note.”

“Qiao Qi, stand up,” he suddenly called out.

Qiao Qi was startled. He had been busy admiring Meng Ying’s flushed face. “Teacher?”

“Stand in front of Meng Ying and insult her with the harshest words you can think of.”

Qiao Qi: “What the hell? I can’t do that.”

“Insult her for no reason?”

Qiao Qi glanced at Meng Ying, then back at Hu Ye.

Hu Ye nodded. “Yes, make it harsh and filled with disgust.”

Qiao Qi: “…”

What followed was Qiao Qi using every trick in the book to hurl insults at Meng Ying. Unfortunately, he could never get past two words before stopping.

Meng Ying was wearing a fitted dress paired with a black Korean-style blazer, giving her a fresh and elegant look. Her fair skin only added to her charm. Every time Qiao Qi looked at her, he found it impossible to continue hurling insults.

Hu Ye offered no guidance, simply letting him figure it out on his own.

After another failed attempt, Qiao Qi gritted his teeth, placed his hands on his hips, and said, “Teacher, if you asked me to compliment her or even kiss her, I could do it. But this…”

Before he could finish.

The door opened again.

Everyone in the room turned to look. A tall young man, dressed in a black T-shirt and black pants, walked in holding a camera. He wore silver-rimmed glasses and glanced at Meng Ying and Qiao Qi standing in front of her before stepping inside. In a deep voice, he said to Hu Ye, “I’m late.”

With that, he walked to the corner, lazily leaned against the glass wall, and sat cross-legged, placing the camera beside him.

The atmosphere in the room froze for a few seconds.

Qiao Qi looked at the man, then back at Meng Ying, a playful glint in his eyes.

Meng Ying narrowed her eyes, glancing at Xu Dian.

Then at Hu Ye.

Hu Ye coughed and said, “This is Xu Dian, the young master of the Xu family in Li City. He’s here to observe, not to participate in the class. Additionally, he’ll be filming your acting exercises.”

“He’s a very renowned photographer.”

The atmosphere remained slightly awkward.

Zhao Yue and Zhu Min’er both looked at Meng Ying.

The recent hot searches weren’t for nothing. Xu Dian’s face was too memorable—once seen, it was hard to forget. He was actually the young master of the Xu family in Li City.

Was he really here just to film, or was there another purpose?

“Every time I teach, I like to keep a record. Usually, my wife handles it, but this time we’re short one person, so Young Master Xu is stepping in. He’ll observe and film. Alright, Qiao Qi, continue. If you can’t get through this today, you’re skipping lunch.”

“Hey, hey, teacher, don’t be like that. Food is essential! I’ll try harder, I promise. But, teacher, can’t we switch to a confession scene instead?” As soon as Qiao Qi finished speaking, he felt an icy gaze piercing through his back. He shuddered and smirked. The more this guy seemed annoyed, the more he wanted to push it.

Unfortunately, the next second.

Hu Ye said, “No. I know you can’t bring yourself to insult her, which is exactly why I’m making you do it.”

Qiao Qi: “…”

He looked at Meng Ying again.

Meng Ying was also looking at him, her eyes curved into a smile, truly beautiful. How could he possibly insult her? Meng Ying whispered, “You can think of me as someone you hate the most.”

“How can I hate someone as pretty as you?” Qiao Qi said, only to feel another icy chill down his spine. Tsk, he thought, then tried again.

Finally, Qiao Qi managed to let out some insults.

When someone’s emotions are genuine, the person being insulted can’t help but react. Meng Ying’s face turned red with anger, biting her lower lip, wishing she could fire back. Qiao Qi’s insults were vicious—he called her fat as a pig, said her stomach was all flab, and joked that trying to hug her waist would just result in grabbing a pile of fat.

It was brutal.

Meng Ying was on the verge of tears.

Zhao Yue and Zhu Min’er couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.

When Hu Ye finally called for a stop, Meng Ying felt genuinely wronged. She looked up with reddened eyes, meeting the gaze of the man sitting cross-legged not far away. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Xu Dian’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he said, “He’s talking nonsense. You’re slim and beautiful.”

Everyone else: “…”

Hu Ye: “…”

Next, Hu Ye had Zhu Min’er and Zhao Yue take turns insulting Meng Ying. Zhu Min’er jumped right into it. When two women clash, it’s a mix of emotions—jealousy, envy, and all sorts of nitpicking. Zhu Min’er held nothing back, her insults nearly escalating into a physical fight. Meng Ying was also on the brink of retaliating when Qiao Qi grabbed Zhu Min’er’s arm, preventing an actual brawl. After this round, Meng Ying finally realized that Zhu Min’er had some issues with her.

She instinctively glanced at Hu Ye.

Hu Ye was jotting something down in his notebook, his expression stern.

The teacher truly was the teacher.

“Alright, everyone, sit down,” Hu Ye said after finishing his notes. The others quickly took their seats, and Meng Ying instinctively moved to sit as well. Without even looking up, Hu Ye added, “You stay standing.”

Meng Ying: “…”

Then, she continued to stand and listen to the lecture. She had already gotten used to standing like this, but for some reason, with Xu Dian sitting not far away, Meng Ying’s face tensed up, and she stood even straighter.

Those feelings of embarrassment.

Quietly crept up on her.

Such emotions were rare for her.

The morning class was mainly for Hu Ye to assess the acting skills of the four of them. Throughout the session, the eye-catching Young Master Xu, apart from complimenting Meng Ying once, didn’t say much else. He fiddled with his camera, occasionally glancing at Meng Ying. Once, Meng Ying glared back at him.

Xu Dian was stunned for a few seconds, then chuckled softly.

After laughing.

His expression quickly turned serious again.

He pressed his lips together.

No rush.

He would make sure to pull this woman back into his arms, no matter what.

Since Mi Xue couldn’t cook well and her dishes weren’t great, Meng Ying was dismissed half an hour early to go downstairs and prepare lunch. Mi Xue had already prepped the ingredients. Before entering the kitchen, Meng Ying noticed several boxes of air-freighted ingredients on the floor. Mi Xue exclaimed, “These were all sent by Xu Dian.”

“Xu Dian, oh, do you know him? The young master of the Xu family in Li City. He’s in charge now, and he’s so capable at such a young age. Back then, he was a student of Hu Ye’s friend. If he hadn’t gone back to inherit the family business, he would definitely have become a famous director or photographer by now.” Mi Xue didn’t follow Weibo, so she had no idea about Meng Ying’s recent drama, which was why she could ask so casually.

Before, Meng Ying could have said she didn’t know him, but after *Leisure Time* aired, it would be too fake to claim ignorance. So she just smiled and didn’t answer. The counter was filled with ingredients—pork ribs, chicken, and some cold dishes. Meng Ying planned to fry the ribs, make Kung Pao chicken, and prepare a cold cucumber salad…

“Meng Ying, you’re amazing,” Mi Xue said, her eyes sparkling. “Hu Ye can’t cook either. Every time we want to eat Chinese food, we have to go back to China. But Hu Ye loves to travel, and he can’t stay in one place for too long. I have no choice but to follow him around. Sigh, we don’t even have a proper home.”

Meng Ying glanced at her, skeptical.

“Teacher loves you very much.”

“Does he? Not really,” Mi Xue sighed, but her eyes were filled with happiness. Meng Ying almost choked on the sweetness and quickly went back to cooking. A little later, footsteps came from the stairs—they had finished class. Meng Ying lowered her head to chop onions, only to be overwhelmed by the fumes, tears streaming down her face.

She had forgotten to take precautions and quickly looked up, saying, “Mrs. Ye, can you wipe my tears for me?”

Then, a large hand reached over, cupping her face and tilting it upward, wiping away her tears. Meng Ying opened her teary eyes and met a pair of eyes filled with restrained emotion. He covered her eyes with his hand and said, “Seeing you cry is unbearable for me.”

Just like that day when he watched *Leisure Time*.

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