The story of Rose starts with being a brother

Chapter 502 Poor acting skills
"They are my neighbors who live next door, and also my good friends. This is Yu Mo, Guangu, Teacher Zeng Xiaoxian, and this is..."

Looking at Lü Ziqiao, who had shaved his head, Zhang Wei's lips twitched before he introduced him: "Lü Ziqiao."

Jian Ning's eyes immediately fell on Lü Ziqiao when they came in.

"You... I feel like I've seen you before?"

The impact of changing a person's hairstyle is often almost as significant as changing their face.

Therefore, when Jian Ning saw the pervert who had harassed her mother, she couldn't immediately connect him with the person in the photo.

Upon hearing Jian Ning's words, the group felt a chill run down their spines. Had they been exposed so quickly?

"Really? I don't remember this at all." Lu Ziqiao, who was on the verge of tears after having his head shaved, touched his face. "Maybe I have a common face, and many people think I look familiar."

Seeing this scene, Wen Sheng was quite emotional. He remembered that in the final season of the original series, Zhang Wei shaved his head for Zi Qiao. Now the situation had changed, and it was Zi Qiao's turn to shave Zhang Wei's head.

Well... although I only shaved my head under Hu Yifei's coercion and enticement.

"wrong."

However, Jian Ning shook her head and took out her phone to pull up the photos she had taken of her mother being harassed.

Then he looked up at Lu Ziqiao in front of him, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"You look exactly like that pervert who harassed my mom at the bar the other day!"

As Jian Ning finished speaking, the air in 3601 instantly became quiet.

Zhang Wei was so nervous that his legs were trembling. Standing behind Jian Ning, he could only look at the others with pleading eyes.

"No way?!"

Zeng Xiaoxian quickly said, "Let me see what that person looks like?"

So Jian Ning showed the photos on her phone. When Zeng Xiaoxian saw the person in the photos, his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected there to actually be photos of a pervert!
"Uh... at first glance, he does look a bit like Ziqiao, but it's obvious that the pervert in the photo has hair, while Ziqiao doesn't. Also, the pervert has single eyelids, while Ziqiao has double eyelids. Even the angles of their faces are different, for example..."

Zeng Xiaoxian held his phone up next to Lu Ziqiao's head and started playing a spot-the-difference game.

Qin Yumo, who was standing to the side, blinked at Wen Sheng. Just now, in order to make the play more realistic, she also did some makeup on Lu Ziqiao.

As Jian Ning listened to Zeng Xiaoxian's comparison, the anger in her eyes lessened considerably, but she still harbored suspicion.

"But they look so alike! I just feel..."

"I see!"

Just then, Tang Youyou's exclamation interrupted Jian Ning's words, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

“Nephew, do you still remember your long-lost younger brother, Lü Xiaobu?”

"..."

"My eldest nephew?" Jian Ning was stunned.

"My brother?"

Lu Ziqiao was also dumbfounded; this scene wasn't in the script!

But Lu Ziqiao reacted quickly, immediately opening his eyes wide and carefully examining the image of himself on the phone.

“Lu Xiaobu? He really does look a lot like my younger brother.” Lu Ziqiao’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. “When he was six years old, the adults in my family went to harvest corn, and I was taking care of my younger brother by myself. In the short time I was taking a nap, Xiaobu… he… he was kidnapped!”

"..."

Everyone in the suite stared at Lü Ziqiao in disbelief. It took them a long time to come to their senses and admire him in their hearts: No wonder he is Tang Youyou's nephew, he actually has a talent for acting!

Seeing that Jian Ning was a little dumbfounded, Hu Yifei coughed lightly and explained, "Well, Youyou is Ziqiao's mother's thirteenth younger sister, which means she's his aunt."

"That's it..."

Jian Ning gave a dry laugh and nodded. Just as she was about to say something more, Lu Ziqiao suddenly looked at her.

"Miss Jian Ning!"

"Ok?"

"No matter what, it's the elder brother's fault for not teaching his younger brother properly. If my younger brother really harassed your mother, then blame me!"

With tears in his eyes, Lu Ziqiao looked at Jian Ning, his emotions mixed with a touch of genuine guilt: "After all, it was my fault for not keeping a close eye on him, which led to him being kidnapped and... becoming such a beast!"

By the end, Lü Ziqiao's tone was almost clenched with anger.

"And I!"

Tang Youyou, who has been deeply practicing the "Tang's Performance Method," has begun to exert her power.

"I'm their aunt. Xiao Bu made such a mistake, and as his aunt, I can't shirk my responsibility. Jian Ning, blame me!"

Tang Youyou paused for a moment, then looked at Lu Ziqiao with a pained expression: "Besides earning money to treat your illness, your mother also instructed me to find your younger brother and bring him back to Shanghai!"

"..."

The air was completely silent; if Tang Youyou didn't follow the script, it would be really hard for anyone else to continue the conversation.

After a long pause, Jian Ning asked in confusion, "Treatment?"

"Yes! He lost his hair because of chemotherapy!"

"..."

The others gasped, then heard Tang Youyou's miserable expression.

"Don't be fooled by how glamorous I am as an actor. I'm still not very famous. When I'm not filming, I work two jobs. I move props at the theater troupe and knit sweaters for people, all in order to cure my eldest nephew and find my youngest nephew."

"..."

Hu Yifei and Zeng Xiaoxian were both numb at this point. They knew Tang Youyou liked to add scenes, but they didn't expect her to add this much.

As the true female lead in this scene, Jian Ning was speechless as she watched the scene unfold before her. She could only turn to look at Zhang Wei.

"This one……"

Zhang Wei also felt like he was about to break apart; this was not the script he had known before!

"cough!"

Just then, Wen Sheng, who could no longer bear to watch, spoke up.

“It must be tiring for everyone to stand and chat. I’ve just finished cooking, so let’s wash our hands and eat while we chat.”

Wen Sheng's intervention relieved Zhang Wei, who quickly said, "Yes, let's eat first."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Jian Ning, I told you before that Brother Sheng's cooking is even better than the food in restaurants. You're in for a treat now."

"Yeah, it's all thanks to you, Zhang Wei, bringing your girlfriend. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had this treat!" Qin Yumo added. "Wen Sheng rarely shows off his skills to us, so we're really lucky to have you here."

"..."

Wen Sheng glanced at her, thinking to himself, "Isn't the food I give you in the special kitchen more nutritious than regular meals?"

Jian Ning was still a bit confused by the back-and-forth singing of the group and didn't quite understand what was going on, so she nodded in agreement.

The tense atmosphere in the living room suddenly eased.

"Come, come, Jian Ning, let me show you around my bedroom first."

Zhang Wei quickly pulled Jian Ning towards the study: "My bedroom isn't just a bedroom. Because I love reading, and so I can recharge myself anytime, I've converted my bedroom into a study..."

After the two entered the house, Zeng Xiaoxian finally couldn't hold back any longer and questioned the aunt and nephew in a low voice.

"What's going on? This isn't in the script!"

"The time was too short, and I felt the script was too rough, so I just improved it on the spot." Tang Youyou first spoke confidently, then said smugly, "How was it? I did a good job just now, right? Jian Ning was too embarrassed to pursue the matter any further."

"..."

Hu Yifei rolled her eyes: "You changed the script at the last minute, and we're all completely confused."

"Yes, Auntie, can't you consider my feelings?"

Relieved, Lu Ziqiao slumped onto the sofa and complained, "Luckily I reacted quickly, otherwise I would have been exposed!"

"Hey, I believe you can do it."

Immersed in her own acting, Tang Youyou couldn't help but sigh, "I actually think I have quite a talent for screenwriting. I feel like if I hadn't become an actress, I might have already made a name for myself in the entertainment industry by writing scripts. What do you guys think..."

Before Tang Youyou could finish speaking, the others couldn't stand it anymore and started helping Wen Sheng set out the food.

A short while later, Zhang Wei came out after showing his girlfriend around his bedroom-cum-study.

"smell good!"

Jian Ning looked at the dishes on the table and praised them. "You'll know that what I said before was absolutely true once you've tasted them."

Hearing Zhang Wei's words, Jian Ning smiled and nodded, her gaze lingering on Wen Sheng's face. Right now, she really wanted to go and chat with Xin Ling.

She wondered what kind of person this man's ex-wife was, that Xinling felt she only needed to get closer to her.

The dinner to welcome Zhang Wei's girlfriend finally began, and to everyone's surprise, Jian Ning never mentioned the harassment her mother had experienced again.

This relieved the others who were originally planning to go all out with their act, except for Tang Youyou...

But under Hu Yifei's oppressive gaze, she could only reluctantly shut herself up with food, just like at Shen Linfeng's dinner party back then.

So the lunch became very harmonious. Everyone talked about work, life, and the delicious food in front of them, without mentioning any unhappy things.

Seeing this, Zhang Wei, who had been on tenterhooks, gradually relaxed.

"By the way, Mr. Wen, I heard from Zhang Wei that you also saved a girl who had a heart attack?"

Halfway through the meal, Jian Ning suddenly brought up this matter.

Wen Sheng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "We're all friends, just call me Wen Sheng."

He paused for a moment, then added, "By chance, I also knew a little about first aid, so of course I wanted to help."

"What then?"

Jian Ning pressed for an answer.

Wen Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled, "Later she was sent to the hospital, but unfortunately, that girl ended up in a vegetative state."

"That's it."

Jian Ning nodded, then asked with feigned curiosity, "Has that girl woken up yet?"

"..."

Wen Sheng then realized something was wrong. He glanced at Zhang Wei before replying, "You're awake? Didn't Zhang Wei tell you?"

"I only heard him mention it briefly, and I didn't ask any further questions."

Jian Ning smiled, then sighed, "A hero saving a damsel in distress sounds so romantic. If this were ancient times, the other party would definitely offer herself in return."

"..."

Now it wasn't just Wen Sheng who was looking at Jian Ning strangely; everyone else at the table also turned to look at her.

"What's wrong?" Jian Ning looked at everyone with a puzzled expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

"without……"

Zhang Wei picked up a piece of meat for her and whispered in her ear, "This matter is rather complicated and it's not appropriate to talk about it here. I'll tell you later."

Then Zhang Wei changed the subject, saying, "Jian Ning, tell us about the three books you've written?"

Upon hearing this, Jian Ning sighed inwardly, knowing that the previous topic could not be continued.

So she looked at Wen Sheng, whose face was normal, and then glanced at Lu Ziqiao, who had lost all his hair due to chemotherapy but was enjoying his meal, before she began to talk about the three books she had written.

Wen Sheng ate his food silently, recalling the original drama. He thought that Jian Ning probably hadn't met Xin Ling.

But something about what the other person just said made him feel that something was wrong.

Wen Sheng glanced at Zhang Wei and the others who had been putting on such a show, and sighed softly. "Still grinning like an idiot!"

Just then, Wen Sheng felt his clothes being tugged. He glanced over and saw Qin Yumo sitting next to him pouting and then pinching his leg.

Wen Sheng knew it was because Xin Ling had been mentioned earlier.

He lowered one hand and squeezed Yu Mo's hand, offering her some comfort.

Yu Mo asked him about Xin Ling the night before last, and his answer was the same as the one he gave Nuo Lan before.

Ultimately, nothing has actually happened between him and Xinling, and they haven't even interacted much.

He was quite open and honest about this matter.

……

Not long after lunch, Jian Ning said goodbye.

"You're leaving right after dinner?" Although Hu Yifei felt relieved, she still tried to persuade her to stay a little longer, saying, "Why don't you stay a little longer? It's rare for you to come all this way."

"Yes, I haven't apologized to you on behalf of my nephew yet!"

Tang Youyou, her mouth greasy, stunned everyone when she opened her mouth.

Seeing the looks on everyone's faces, Tang Youyou's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly tried to cover it up, saying, "No, I meant I was apologizing on behalf of my little nephew! Once I find him, I'll make him apologize to you with a thorn in his side!"

"..."

Jian Ning glanced at her indifferently, smiled, and then turned to Zhang Wei, saying, "I have something to do, sorry."

"Uh, then I'll see you off."

Zhang Wei nodded; this ordeal was finally over.

After the two went outside, Hu Yifei and Zeng Xiaoxian exchanged a glance.

"So, everything's alright?"

"My beautiful hair!"

At this moment, Lu Ziqiao finally couldn't help but wail.

After leaving the apartment, Jian Ning went straight to her Jeep, with Zhang Wei beside her, telling her all sorts of interesting stories about the apartment.

But after seeing that Jian Ning wasn't smiling much, he gradually dropped his cheerful demeanor.

"Just send it here."

As Jian Ning approached the Jeep, she opened the door and was about to get in when she suddenly turned back to Zhang Wei and asked, "Zhang Wei, is there anything you want to tell me?"

"What do you want to say?"

Zhang Wei was stunned, then his expression changed, and he forced a smile, saying, "Drive carefully."

Hearing this, Jian Ning nodded and got into the jeep without saying anything more.

"Oh, right, and about what you said about Wen Sheng and Xin Ling during dinner earlier," Zhang Wei suddenly remembered and quickly added, "Actually, a while ago..."

Jian Ning, who was about to start the car, stopped when she heard this and listened attentively as Zhang Wei recounted Xinling's visit. When she heard that Xinling was a traditional girl, she couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Thinking back to how Xinling was when she met her the day before yesterday, Jian Ning really found it hard to connect her with the traditional girl Zhang Wei had described.

"So that's it."

"Yes, that's why everyone looked at you strangely when you mentioned offering yourself in marriage."

"I was presumptuous," Jian Ning sighed softly. Then, seeing Zhang Wei scratching his head and smiling at her, she said softly, "Zhang Wei, I'm leaving."

"Okay, be careful!"

The jeep slowly started and drove out of the residential area. Zhang Wei's figure in the rearview mirror grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared after turning the corner.

"Why is it raining again?"

Zhang Wei looked up at the dark clouds blocking the sun. The sky had cleared up in the morning, but he didn't expect the weather to change so soon after lunch.

A few drops of rain fell on his face, causing Zhang Wei to instinctively close his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again and looked at the empty parking space and the Jeep that was no longer in sight, Zhang Wei suddenly felt that his heart had also disappeared.

It felt like... Jian Ning was getting further and further away from me.

"I... lied to her."

……

A light drizzle fell on the windows of the Jeep. Jian Ning, driving this somewhat rugged-looking vehicle, stared blankly ahead, making it difficult to discern her inner thoughts.

"Jingle Bell!"

Just then, her phone rang, and Jian Ning glanced at it and was immediately surprised.

"Xinling? I was just thinking about when to contact you, and you called already?"

Did you just move into 3904 today?

"Of course we should celebrate moving to a new apartment. Wait a moment while I take a taxi to your apartment."

(End of this chapter)