Chapter 542 Conflict in the Cinema
Due to the dim lighting in the cinema, James couldn't immediately discern the expression on Jennifer's face; otherwise, he would have undoubtedly guessed her intentions.
"What kind of gift?" James asked curiously.
Jennifer lowered her head, a bit shy, and replied softly, "You'll see."
Seeing her mysterious demeanor, James's interest was piqued, wondering what kind of secretive gift Jennifer had in store.
Jennifer's acting was so convincing this time, hiding her true emotions well, that James didn't notice anything unusual about her.
The movie was quite good—not particularly deep, but the plot was well-constructed, and the actors performed steadily, highlighting the key points. So, by the end of the movie, many audience in the theater were crying. Jennifer was also in tears, and when the lights came back on, James was startled to see her face covered in tears.
"What's wrong?" James quickly took out a tissue to wipe Jennifer's tears, not quite understanding why she was crying so hard. The movie was good, but not to the point of such intense crying, especially since he knew Jennifer wasn't usually so easily moved to tears.
Jennifer shook her head, wiped her tears with the tissue, and explained, "I'm fine. It's just that I haven't seen such a good movie in a long time. I felt relieved for the female lead at the end."
With Jennifer's words, James was slightly taken aback.
By conventional thinking, one should feel regret and sorrow for the female lead's departure, rather than a sense of relief.
A young girl nearby, also with a tear-streaked face, heard Jennifer's words and immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, huffing, "Hey, don't you have any sympathy? The female lead left the male lead so pitifully, and you feel relieved?"
"Yeah, it's really baffling. The female lead was already miserable enough at the end. She got sick and chose to leave quietly to avoid burdening the male lead, fulfilling his happiness. That's the greatest love, and you feel relieved!" another girl said.
They were college students, holding pure hopes for love and being the main audience for such romantic movies, easily moved by emotions. The female lead's departure at the end made them feel very sad, and hearing Jennifer say she felt relieved made them hostile towards her.
Jennifer bit her lip, feeling even more conflicted after hearing the girls' words. For one thing, she felt embarrassed being confronted in front of so many audiences; for another, their words inadvertently validated her own actions. Because what she was about to do was similar to what the female lead did in the movie.
Soon, Jennifer would also choose to leave James, fulfilling his happiness. She believed that it was the greatest love.
Thinking about that outcome, she felt both sad and relieved. At least she knew she was doing the right thing.
James immediately frowned, shielding Jennifer behind him, and said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My wife feels relieved for the female lead's departure. It's none of your business."
James, tall and imposing, stood in front of Jennifer, protecting her from the wind and rain. His strong stance was enough to intimidate the two young girls.
They trembled under James's glare, still visibly dissatisfied but not daring to confront him as before, muttering, "We didn't offend her; we just think her perspective is problematic."
"Yeah, we didn't provoke you."
Jennifer stared blankly at James's back, feeling the care and protection he provided. Her eyes filled with more tears, streaming down her face.
Others also noticed the commotion, including a few classmates of the two girls, among them two boys, who joined in criticizing Jennifer, feeling indignant for the female lead.
"My god. The female lead ended up like that, and someone still finds it amusing."
"Yeah! The female lead might have been a bit willful when she was young and didn't treat the male lead well, but she realized her mistakes and made amends. She sacrificed so much for the male lead. The saddest part is that she left quietly to avoid burdening him. Such a good person, and someone feels relieved?"
"Feeling relieved is just schadenfreude, with no empathy at all. And she looks so pretty, but you can't judge a book by its cover."
Several audiences criticized Jennifer, turning her initial relief into schadenfreude, painting her as a cold-hearted person.
Coincidentally, the actress playing the female lead was a popular young star with many young fans, who now united against Jennifer.
James was furious. Seeing Jennifer with her head down, silently crying, looking so fragile and hurt, he felt both heartache and anger, unable to hold back his rage.
At this moment, Jennifer gently tugged his hand, wiped her tears, and said softly, "James, let's go."
Seeing Jennifer's swollen eyes and her sad, distressed look, James felt a deep pain in his heart, wanting to beat up those young people.
But now, with Jennifer looking at him with pleading eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He sighed, held Jennifer's hand, and nodded, "Okay, let's go."
Seeing that they were still relentless, chasing after them to curse, James's temper flared up, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He turned around, glaring at them, and with an imposing aura, said, "Shut up! Say one more word, and I'll tear your mouths apart!"
James's anger was so intense that even Delbert would be terrified, let alone these college students who hadn't been taught a lesson by society. Their minds went blank, and they trembled in fear.
They stopped in their tracks, not daring to speak, trembling.
Even the two boys wet their pants on the spot.
James muttered a curse, holding Jennifer's hands as they left.
It took a full several seconds after they left for the remaining people in the theater to react, swallowing hard, feeling like they had just escaped the Grim Reaper's scythe, still shaken.
James held Jennifer's hand as they left the theater. He said softly to Jennifer, "Jennifer, don't take what happened just now to heart. They're just kids who don't understand anything. Actually, I also felt relieved for the female lead's departure."
With this, Jennifer's body trembled slightly. She looked up at James and asked, "James, do you think the female lead did the right thing?"
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