When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 274: Chapter 110: Top Star of the 1960s Art Troupe

Huo Tianhao bought some candy for the occasion, along with a few pastries for his wife and children. He didn’t dare buy too much; the hot weather meant things wouldn’t keep. They already had most of what they needed at home, and besides, Xia Zhaoyun and the kids would be leaving before fall arrived, at the very latest.

So they just window-shopped for a bit. After buying some toys for the children, they dropped everything off at home, then headed to the Song Family’s residence, carrying four bags of pastries as a gift for their hosts.

It had only been about a month since she’d left the Song Family, but as Xia Zhaoyun gazed at the familiar yet strange surroundings, time seemed to stretch. It all felt like it had happened in a past life.

The moment their family of four appeared, a sharp-eyed acquaintance spotted them. ”Well, look at that! Yun is back with her husband and kids...”

Everyone’s heads turned. They had been feasting on the Song Family’s drama for a month. From the moment the news broke, it had fermented and become distorted, and the aftershocks hadn’t even ended before the next piece of drama arrived. Now, with fresh gossip ripe for the picking, everyone’s eyes were irresistibly drawn to Xia Zhaoyun’s right hand and left ear.

In terms of looks, Huo Tianhao and Xia Zhaoyun’s family of four were in a league of their own. The two adults were one thing; it was common knowledge that they had been exceptional since childhood, reaching a level in every aspect that others could only dream of.

But even the two children they had seemingly adopted on a whim had adorable features that their peers couldn’t possibly compare to.

Seeing their chubby cheeks and obedient, well-behaved demeanor, many people found themselves regretting that they hadn’t snatched the children up first.

Their own families were well-off, their children were grown, and their houses were spacious. Taking in two kids who were already in kindergarten—especially when the factory was helping to foot the bill—would have been a fantastic deal!

However, the thought only lingered in their minds for a second before they moved on to their next target.

An older woman approached with a smile, reaching for Xia Zhaoyun’s right hand, clearly intending to verify the rumors.

With a cool expression, Huo Tianhao lightly guided Xia Zhaoyun by the shoulder, moving her aside to evade the woman’s grasp. ”Ma’am, my wife’s right hand is bothering her. You can just talk to us from where you are.”

The woman sighed, her face full of pity and regret. ”I heard that Yun injured her right hand and won’t be able to use any strength in it anymore. And her left ear, too... Is it really true?”

”That’s right, she doesn’t look any different than before to me...”

Once the topic was broached, the crowd, who had been dying of curiosity, all started chiming in with questions, momentarily pushing the members of the Song and Tong families to the side.

”Yun is a dancer. If her hand and ear are useless, how can she possibly dance anymore?”

Xia Zhaoyun said softly, ”Ladies, thank you all for your concern.”

”I can’t use my left ear anymore, but my right ear is still fine. It’s good enough to hear the music on stage—the sound systems are quite loud, after all. It just means that in day-to-day life, I might not hear people clearly if they speak to me from my left side.”

”As for my right hand, I can’t put much force on it, so I’ll just have to avoid strenuous movements when I dance. As long as I’m just holding a pose, I can still perform on stage.”

Before, everyone had been a mix of envious, jealous, and resentful toward her. While they had to admit she was exceptional, they also complained that she had a seductive air about her and had the Tong family’s boy so wrapped around her finger he couldn’t think straight.

But now that this seemingly perfect person had such a devastating flaw, they couldn’t help but feel a sincere sense of pity and regret, remarking from a detached distance on how unpredictable life could be.

Tong Yuanbin stood on the edge of the crowd, his eyes red and his fists clenched as he watched the radiant woman. Seeing the easy intimacy and interaction between her and the man at her side, his chest tightened with a jealousy so sharp it was nearly suffocating.

’That was the girl he had cherished for eighteen years. He once thought she would be his for the rest of his life.’

’He had no idea how things had ended up like this!’

’Perhaps it was because she had always been more silent than smiling with him. An uninteresting person, no matter how beautiful, was just a soulless doll. After a while, she just became... bland.’

’Then, a seemingly innocent girl had come along, treating him with sweet affection. She fulfilled every fantasy his masculine pride could have about a woman, beyond just looks and education. His head had gone fuzzy, he’d lost himself for a moment, and ended up drunk in bed with her. And that’s what led to today’s engagement to Song Zhenbao.’

Once a man gets a taste of it, it’s like flipping a switch. Any awkwardness he’d felt toward Song Zhenbao was washed away by a lust that went straight to his head. Every few days, he found himself pulling her off into the woods for some privacy.

He was the one who had rejected Xia Zhaoyun. But when he couldn’t detect even a hint of jealousy or dejection on her face, a bitter wave of resentment and loathing crashed over Tong Yuanbin.

He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, forcing his rational mind to take over. Prideful as he was, he knew it was utterly, completely impossible between him and Xia Zhaoyun now.

She was another man’s wife, and he was about to marry another woman.

Tong Yuanbin forced a polite smile onto his face and made his way through the crowd to stand before Xia Zhaoyun. ”Yunyun, I didn’t expect you to come to my engagement party.”