Chapter 116: Exchanging Movie Impressions

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Exchanging Movie Impressions

’She finally decided to cover up.’ When Zhang Zhe saw the other woman cover up her outrageous assets with a gray sun shirt, zipped high, he could finally relax.

Xia Yi’s outfit today was actually quite nice—sophisticated, gentle, and in her usual style. But when she was walking with her busty, low-cut-top-wearing colleague...

Let’s just say it wasn’t only men—even other women passing by couldn’t help but look at her colleague.

As a bald man passed by Zhang Zhe, he even quipped, "Damn, brother, you eating this good? Both of them?"

Now, Zhang Zhe was finally free from the stares of other guys.

His own gaze was liberated, and he could look freely at Xia Yi beside him as they chatted.

They made small talk about work and chatted about favorite movies and actors. Zhang Zhe’s favorite was Huang Bo, while Xia Yi liked Shen Teng. Both of them loved comedies, almost never watched horror films, and weren’t fans of DC or Marvel either...

When it came to their taste in movies, they were a perfect match.

The colleague named Lanlan was also quite sensible, barely interrupting whenever Zhang Zhe and Xia Yi spoke to each other.

Over the course of the two-hour-plus movie, she said so little you could count her words on one hand. She only left once to refill the popcorn bucket and get two more Cokes, content to just eat.

After the movie’s main story ended, Zhang Zhe and the others didn’t rush to leave, waiting to see the final post-credits scene.

At that moment, a few people suddenly walked up to the side of the screen.

One person was holding a camera, another was filming someone’s face up close with a phone, and yet another held a microphone. It looked like they were preparing for some kind of post-screening event.

"What’s all this?" Xia Yi leaned closer and asked.

Since Zhang Zhe had booked the tickets, she thought there might be some special program, and her tone was filled with a little anticipation.

"I have no idea. They look like social media creators." Zhang Zhe had a sharp sense for these things. "People are desperate to become internet famous these days. They’re probably just trying to create some viral content."

"We can watch for a bit. If anything seems off, we’ll just leave."

Soon, the movie’s post-credits scene ended.

A middle-aged woman with a somewhat dark complexion, thinning hair, and a prematurely aged appearance emerged from the group of women by the screen, microphone in hand, and walked to the front.

The people around her were clearly there to film her, the camera’s lens tracking her every move:

"Good afternoon, everyone. Could I ask you to stay for just a moment?"

"I’m a social media blogger, and I was deeply moved by the film. I’d like to take this opportunity to discuss everyone’s feelings about it..."

Hearing she was a social media blogger, the audience quieted down on their own, afraid of being caught on camera and getting attacked online.

Parents with children were particularly on edge, terrified that any misbehavior from their kids might have already been filmed.

"Let me get the ball rolling."

"From the moment I heard that ’A Little Monster’s Summer’ was being adapted into a movie for the big screen, I was filled with anticipation..."

"Everyone has their own Langlang Mountain in their heart. For the four little monsters to bravely leave Langlang Mountain, to go out and face the world, to take on new challenges... I admire them so much for that..."

There was nothing wrong with what the woman was saying at first; Zhang Zhe even found himself nodding in agreement. But then, her tone took a sharp turn:

"But as I was watching the movie, I kept pondering one question: why didn’t the mother pig ever leave Langlang Mountain?"

"I think the director had a deeper purpose in creating such a character, and it made me reflect on my own life."

"The first half of my life was just like hers. I was trapped by my family. My child, my husband... they left me with no other choice."

"But I was brave. I walked out of my own Langlang Mountain. I divorced my husband, didn’t even ask for custody, and started from scratch as a social media blogger at forty..."

The moment Zhang Zhe heard the woman ask why the mother pig didn’t leave Langlang Mountain, he stopped listening seriously.

’Is this woman encouraging a mother to abandon her helpless infant and a wife to desert her paralyzed husband, just to leave home and "find herself"?’

The stench of her message was so overpowering that Zhang Zhe had the urge to go up there and punch her.

’No wonder her screen name probably means "No Home." The name fits. Who would dare keep someone like that in their family?’

However, Zhang Zhe didn’t say anything just yet.

He subtly observed Xia Yi’s reaction. ’I wonder what Miss Xia thinks about this.’

"What is she even talking about?" Xia Yi listened with a frown.

"What is it?" Zhang Zhe quickly whispered.

"She’s a sophisticated egoist. Everything she says is completely self-serving." Xia Yi immediately pegged the online celebrity. "Any kid who gets a mother like that is starting life on nightmare mode."

"It reminds me of a child at our kindergarten. His mother is just like that. She completely ignores him and just plays mahjong all day. She doesn’t even notice when his clothes are torn."

As Xia Yi continued, she gritted her teeth, obviously getting angry. "No. I can’t let her keep spewing this nonsense. I have to say something to refute her."

Seeing Xia Yi about to raise her hand, Zhang Zhe quickly pushed it back down. ’The director’s daughter can’t be this impulsive! It would be a huge pain if she got doxxed.’

Her colleague, Lanlan, who was sitting beside them, also helped persuade her. "I know this woman. She’s famous for her inflammatory feminist rhetoric; it’s how she gets her views. She has over half a million followers."

"She used to be an ordinary person. Ever since her divorce, she’s been going around making videos about how great getting divorced is, and then she sells her book."

"See? They’re bringing her books in now."

Prompted by her colleague, Zhang Zhe and Xia Yi looked and saw people carrying stacks of books in through the theater entrance.

’At a screening for a family-friendly movie, some firebrand feminist is hawking her book while talking about how great divorce is...’

’There are parents here who brought their kids to the movies. This woman, just because her own marriage fell apart and her life is a mess, wants other people’s children to lose their happy, stable homes too?’

The world, Zhang Zhe thought, was becoming so absurd he could barely comprehend it anymore.

"Yiyi, let’s not engage with people like her. You know what they say: happy people should steer clear of the miserable. Let’s just keep our distance," her colleague continued to urge.

Xia Yi was reluctant. As someone with a legitimate master’s degree in education who worked with young children and their parents every single day, she couldn’t stand people like the woman on stage.

Zhang Zhe could see how upset she was and whispered to her, "I’ll do it. Don’t you go stealing my clout."

"Huh?" Xia Yi still hadn’t figured out what he meant by "stealing his clout" when she saw Zhang Zhe was already on his feet.

"I hope all the women here can be just like me..." the middle-aged woman on stage was still droning on.

Zhang Zhe cut her off, his voice clear and loud. "Like you in what way? So utterly without morals that you’re smoking with it?"

"Have you no shame?"

WHOOSH—Every head in the theater swiveled toward Zhang Zhe.

A young woman who appeared to be part of the crew stepped out from the side of the stage to stop him. "Sir, if you don’t want to participate in this event, you’re free to leave."

"Why would I leave?" Zhang Zhe crossed his arms, unperturbed. "I run a matchmaking agency. When someone stands in front of me and blathers on about how wonderful divorce is, I can’t just sit here and keep my mouth shut."

"If I didn’t say something, I might as well go back and close down my agency for good."

"You wanted to discuss our thoughts on the movie, didn’t you? Come on, I’ll discuss it with you."

"Answer me this: in the movie, the mother pig’s babies are so small they can’t even find their own food. You’re telling their mother to leave the family? Why don’t you just crawl into the movie yourself and put those babies out of their misery?"

"Exactly!" Xia Yi shouted from his side, her voice crisp and firm. "You have no conscience!"