CHAPTER 89: CHAPTER 88: NATIONAL CASTING ALMOST SLIPPED OUT

Listening to her speak like this, those who had hoped to learn from her once she joined showed a hint of disappointment, but the president was very excited.

He happened to have a newly imported foreign classic that had just arrived today, still unopened.

Originally, he thought it would end up like the previous ones, gathering dust until other publishers came out with a Chinese edition.

Unexpectedly, their company now had hope of possibly publishing the latest Chinese version of a foreign classic!

"Great, no problem, comrade, I happen to have this new classic here. If you can read it and think you can translate it, just take it and give it a try. I’ll pay you top dollar for the translation fee, and we can sign the contract right now!"

Xu Lai was extremely excited and quickly ran to his desk to fetch the unopened new book to hand to Ye Manman.

Ye Manman opened the book and skimmed through it. It felt no different from reading other books, quite smooth, without stumbling on any difficult words or sentences. So she confidently signed the contract.

Handing the book to He Chen, the two realized that it was almost noon, so they went to the state-owned restaurant for a meal. To fulfill yesterday’s promise, He Chen volunteered to go shopping with Ye Manman.

Shopping is what excites Ye Manman the fastest.

She felt a bit sleepy after the meal, but the moment she began shopping, her sleepiness vanished, and she got more and more excited, dragging He Chen from store to store.

Until they walked into a clothing store named "Mandarin Duck Wardrobe," Ye Manman and Cheng Yuan inside the shop looked at each other, and then both widened their eyes.

"Hey? You’re the girl I met outside the photo studio and in the restaurant!"

Ye Manman had noticed Cheng Yuan when Xie Fengmian greeted her at the restaurant. She knew Cheng Yuan had been secretly watching her, but she never expected to meet Cheng Yuan again.

Initially thinking Cheng Yuan had a close relationship with Xie Fengmian, Ye Manman didn’t pay much attention to her, but Cheng Yuan’s classic excuse "there’s something going on at home" made Ye Manman remember her quickly.

It seemed this girl might not be that familiar with Xie Fengmian.

Cheng Yuan also didn’t expect to see Ye Manman and the others again so soon. He Chen’s one-handed defeat of Xie Fengmian was intimidating, leaving Cheng Yuan a bit afraid of He Chen, so she shyly extended her hand to Ye Manman.

"Hello, I’m Cheng Yuan."

"I’m really sorry about the other day. I didn’t expect things would develop like that. Xie Fengmian always acted gentlemanly, so I thought he..."

She didn’t say much, but her attitude towards Xie Fengmian was very clear.

After all, the classic excuse of "there’s something at home" is a traditional reason for rejecting a blind date.

"Hello, I’m Ye Manman, and this is my husband, He Chen."

"Nice to meet you."

Ye Manman politely shook her hand.

"By the way, did that day scare you?"

That day, He Chen’s demeanor might indeed have been intimidating to outsiders; Ye Manman still remembers how Xie Fengmian was so scared he didn’t dare to make a sound and how many people nearby were hesitant to speak loudly.

Cheng Yuan awkwardly glanced at He Chen and nervously shook her head.

"It’s fine, it’s fine..."

Then she offered them two chairs to sit down and poured them two cups of water.

Ye Manman saw that she was completely different from Ye Xiaotong, with a gentle temperament and soft-spoken manner, definitely not the type to knowingly intrude into someone else’s family, so she tentatively said.

"That’s good."

"But although you ate together, it seems you’re not that familiar with Xie Fengmian?"

Cheng Yuan earnestly nodded.

"Actually, I just met him two days before that day. I happened to see him fall off his bicycle on the road, and I handed him a handkerchief. Later, he insisted on treating me to a meal, and I couldn’t refuse, so I went."

"And then I ran into you. Initially, I always thought he was a very gentlemanly person, very courteous, asking for my opinion when ordering, pouring water for me. He even hinted at pursuing me."

"... But I think, really, he’s interested in you, isn’t he?"

Cheng Yuan nervously glanced at He Chen’s expressionless face, worried that what she’d said would anger him, imagining him possibly lifting her up with one hand and tossing her aside.

Fortunately, He Chen didn’t show any particular expression; he was silently listening to their conversation and continuously watching Ye Manman without any intention of interfering or getting angry.

Cheng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything else. It’s just that I think you look particularly like a star—my friend and I both think you’re very beautiful, so we’ve paid a lot of attention to you."

"And then, I noticed we have a slight resemblance, and he kept telling me I look like his friend, so..."

After hearing this, Ye Manman also realized a blind spot.

She didn’t care whether Cheng Yuan mentioned Xie Fengmian liking her, but was curious whether Cheng Yuan knew.

"So, you really didn’t know Xie Fengmian is married?"

"Did he lie to you about being single?"

When Ye Manman asked this, Cheng Yuan was visibly stunned and looked puzzled.

"Huh? Yes, he told me he was single and looking for true love, never mentioned being married."

What the hell, a scumbag!

The urge to use national expletives almost blurted out, but Ye Manman took a deep breath and swallowed it back.

"It seems you’ve been deceived. Xie Fengmian is not only married, but his wife is my half-sister, and she’s pregnant now."

Cheng Yuan covered her mouth in shock, her face full of embarrasment and anger.

"Was I nearly becoming a marriage-wrecking third party? Thank goodness I ran into you today!"

Cheng Yuan was gentle by nature, always helping at the family shop growing up, and not very skilled at communication. Her only good friend was Jiang Yuan, who was not married either, so they knew very little about the married folks in town.

Unexpectedly, this naivety provided convenience for Xie Fengmian to deceive her.

That day, when Jiang Yuan saw Xie Fengmian invite Cheng Yuan for a private meal, she deliberately made an excuse to leave, giving them the opportunity to dine alone.

They all thought Xie Fengmian was single.

As a handsome gentleman type with deliberately charming behavior, one like Cheng Yuan, innocent and inexperienced, could easily be swayed.

Fortunately, this time, Xie Fengmian did not succeed.

The three fell silent for a moment.

He Chen had no interest in talking; he was completely uninterested in other women’s affairs, just accompanying Ye Manman.

Right now, he was focused on Ye Manman’s back, her shiny black hair, and was thinking of what kind of hair accessory to buy for her later...

Cheng Yuan felt embarrassed and frightened, while Ye Manman felt indignation and concern, worried that Cheng Yuan might have already fallen for Xie Fengmian.

Thus, she nervously asked Cheng Yuan.

"So, do you have any feelings or attraction for Xie Fengmian?"

After all, they had known each other for a while, and she wasn’t aware if Xie Fengmian had sought her out afterward.

Ye Manman feared Cheng Yuan might be internally hurting without showing it.

But Cheng Yuan firmly shook her head.

"No, I’ve been rejecting him; he just wouldn’t give up. I’ve clearly turned him down several times, yet he still comes looking for me regularly."

Upon saying this, her face turned slightly red, and she gently whispered.

"Actually, I have someone in my heart, so..."