Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The name Lin Feng was absolutely familiar to those who had been at the forefront of the gossip mill for some time.

For a moment, everyone's gaze covertly drifted to Ye Mingzhao's face.

Obviously, at the mention of this name, everyone immediately imagined a mountain of family drama and romantic intrigue.

Ye Mingzhao remained his usual charming self, even gently thanking the assistant who had handed him his lunch box. He then spoke to the production assistant, "Please bring him to my dressing room."

The onlookers, slightly disappointed, retracted their gazes. It looked like today’s juicy gossip wasn’t going to pan out.

With Ye Mingzhao's attitude being so clear, they didn’t dare to eavesdrop outside his dressing room.

If they were discovered, what if he took it out on them?

After all, none of them came from wealthy families, nor did they have a group worth billions of dollars that Ye Mingzhao could acquire.

Lin Feng was led by the production assistant to the outside of the dressing room, where he nervously took a deep breath as the door stood slightly ajar. Under the meaningful gaze of the production assistant, he knocked on the door.

"Please come in," a clear and pleasant voice came from behind the door, like a gentle and refreshing breeze brushing past Lin Feng's ear.

It felt like hearing the whisper of a devil. His heart pounded heavily, his movements slow and cautious as he pushed the door open.

Then, he saw a face.

A face that bore only a passing resemblance to his own—equally handsome yet looking younger, with more refined features, glowing skin, and an even more gentle and lingering expression in his eyes, full of youthful vitality.

Probably to fit the character's needs, Ye Mingzhao wore heavily applied makeup, with an upward-slanting eyeliner accentuating his amorous peach blossom eyes into a sharper, more fierce shape. When those piercing eyes met his, Lin Feng felt like he was being stalked by a predator.

In that instant, he felt exposed, from head to heart.

Lin Feng's breath hitched. Many images seemed to flash before his eyes, yet at the same time, nothing appeared, leaving only that breathtakingly handsome face.

He had seen that face trending online, in the files sent by the private investigator, and in memories from over two decades ago.

At that moment, an indescribable emotion welled up in Lin Feng's heart. He subconsciously traced Ye Mingzhao's features with his eyes, as if trying to discern more from that face.

But there was nothing more to see.

It was undeniable that since Ye Mingzhao developed an interest in acting, his emotional management had also improved significantly.

During breaks in filming, he would stand behind the monitor, scrutinizing his performance frame by frame. Then, after returning to the hotel, he would practice in front of the mirror repeatedly until his performance could accurately convey the character's emotions.

The highly-paid acting coach Ye Mingzhao hired had once told him that it was difficult for a person to control their inner thoughts and physical reactions. But an actor's job was to perfectly combine inner thoughts and physical reactions, presenting them in a technical manner on camera.

Acting is about expression as its foundation, performance as its form, but most importantly, it’s about simulation.

Every character is a segment of life. There are no two identical lives in this world, so there won’t be two identical characters.

No one can fully understand another person’s pain or joy. But a good actor can combine the character's experiences and the background of the times to give the most precise interpretation. A qualified actor will also provide the necessary reactions according to the plot's needs.

The former requires talent and rich experience, as people can only imitate what they know. Only by seeing, touching, trying to analyze, can one disguise to perfection. If one detaches from reality and relies only on imagination, or rigidly copies from textbooks, the disguise will be easily spotted.

But regardless, diligent practice and hardcore research are the most trivial necessary conditions.

"Although you have good talent, because you're not professionally trained, if you want to go further in acting, you need to put in more effort."

Such efforts, though fragmented, long, and requiring overcoming physical reactions and emotional interference to achieve a level where "you're acting but no traces of acting can be seen," might not show results in the short term. But they allow Ye Mingzhao to more accurately and clearly complete his self-reflection through repeated practice.

Very few people stand in front of a mirror and scrutinize their emotions and expressions for a long time. Only actors do.

Even fewer people in life would repeatedly disguise themselves, constantly suppressing the darker sides of their personality. Those who can are born actors.

Ye Mingzhao belonged to the latter category but, by a twist of fate, became the former. Through his efforts, the two are gradually becoming one.

What Lin Feng saw was the entire process of Ye Mingzhao's soul gradually meshing together.

"Please sit down."

As Lin Feng sized up Ye Mingzhao, Ye Mingzhao was also observing Lin Feng.

Just as Lin Feng had done to him, Ye Mingzhao had seen Lin Feng's photo in the information provided by the private investigator.

The middle-aged man, now in his fifties, was well-preserved. Even after more than twenty years, one could still see the handsome and refined features of his youth. The well-tailored black suit accentuated his tall and lean figure. There wasn't an ounce of excess fat on him, and he was in better shape than many male actors in the industry who had let themselves go.

It's no wonder he won over the heiress of the Gu family jewelry business with his looks alone.

Lin Feng grew more uncomfortable under Ye Mingzhao's scrutinizing gaze. Thinking of his purpose, he immediately spoke up, "I owe you an apology for what I've done."

Having rehearsed his words in his mind, once he got the first sentence out, the rest followed more easily: "I admit, I failed in my responsibilities as a father. But abandoning you was never my intention. I returned you to your biological mother because I really couldn't take care of you at that time. But we gave her one million. I originally thought that with that money, the two of you could live well..."

As he said this, Lin Feng couldn't help but feel a deep resentment. He hadn't expected Ruan Cuimei to be so careless, dragging him into the mess as well.

It was just a child! If he didn't want the child, he could have put him up for adoption or sent him to be raised by relatives. Why throw him in a trash bin on a snowy night, so heartlessly?

Now that the matter had been exposed, she was being condemned by the public and would be sentenced for child abandonment.

Lin Feng thought Ruan Cuimei had brought this upon herself and didn't deserve sympathy. But her mistake had implicated the Gu family jewelry business and resulted in him and his wife being branded as marriage swindlers.

"I know that with your abilities, if you wanted to investigate, you could have found out the truth about what happened years ago," Lin Feng carefully began after gathering his thoughts. "When I was with Ruan Cuimei, we were indeed married. But I don't believe I did her any wrong. With the money I gave her at that time, she could never have earned that much in her lifetime. If I owe anyone an apology, it's my wife and you, for cheating on her."

Lin Feng paused slightly before continuing, "My wife couldn't conceive, and I desperately wanted a child. So I planned to bring you back to Hong Kong after you were born. But I didn't expect that not long after you were born, my wife became pregnant."

"As a woman, she was understandably upset about this situation. Plus, her parents also opposed me keeping you. You should understand that I was a son-in-law in the Gu family. As a son-in-law, I didn't have much say in the family. The most I could do was secure that one million for you."

"So you think money can solve everything?" Ye Mingzhao finally spoke, his words causing Lin Feng's eyelid to twitch.

"I'd say it's more of a compensation," Lin Feng carefully corrected. "Money can't buy everything, but it can compensate for many regrets."

Lin Feng couldn't help but add, "I never intended to abandon you. By today's legal standards, the child support I provided would have been more than sufficient for your healthy upbringing."

"So you believe you have no responsibility in this matter," Ye Mingzhao stated.

To Lin Feng's ears, this emotionless statement was harder to answer than an angry accusation.

Lin Feng immediately replied, "Of course not. I admit that there was a lack of a father figure in your upbringing."

"Biological father," Ye Mingzhao interjected lightly. "According to the law, my father is now Ye Linyuan, and my mother is Liang Huiwei. The adoption is legally binding. This also means that there is..."

Ye Mingzhao glanced at Lin Feng before finishing lightly, "No relationship between us."

Lin Feng's breath hitched.

Ye Mingzhao smiled slightly and asked again, "What is your purpose in coming to see me today?"

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly, his attitude clearly tense. After hesitating for a second, he finally spoke the well-rehearsed words, "...Of course, it's to seek your forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Ye Mingzhao chuckled lightly, a fleeting smile. "Didn't you just claim that you don't bear any responsibility?"