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Chapter 482: Chapter 482: Sister Man, The Sober One in the Human World
Cotton candy was still as cold and aloof as before, facing Chen Yan’s caress without opposition or refusal, but also without any responsibility.
It yawned out of sheer boredom and then lay down on Chen Yan’s lap, resting with its eyes closed.
Chen Yan stroked Cotton candy as he pondered how to discuss the matter of meeting the parents with Lu Man.
Faced with his parents’ request, Chen Yan felt it was better to be straight than evasive.
Rather than letting them guess and wonder, it was better to directly bring Lu Man back to meet them.
Moreover, throughout the course of the day, Chen Yan had slowly come to a realization.
Lu Man was, in fact... a very perfect "girlfriend."
Her status made her very special.
If he were to take Yu Qiao Qiao, Zhao Ying, or He Mengxue back home, he guessed his parents would be extremely satisfied upon meeting them, and would continue to hurry him into marriage.
After all... after meeting the parents, marriage became a very logical next step.
But Lu Man was different.
She was a hot A-list celebrity with her own career.
Even if his parents were in a hurry, it obviously wasn’t appropriate for her to retire at this time, go home, get married, and teach her children.
With this perfect "human shield," Chen Yan would be able to buy enough time to deal with his several girlfriends one by one.
Striving to make his harem a reality.
Therefore, Chen Yan felt that the most appropriate thing for him to do now was actually aligned with his parents’ wishes.
That was, to take Lu Man back home to meet the parents!
The more he thought about it, the more Chen Yan felt this plan could work.
And he felt that given Lu Man’s personality, she would most likely be very happy about it.
After all, during this period, she had always wanted to prove her standing in Chen Yan’s heart and wanted a proper recognition for a sense of security.
And what could bring a stronger sense of security than meeting the parents?
An hour later...
"What? You’re not willing?"
Chen Yan looked at Lu Man with a face full of surprise.
Lu Man had been back for over ten minutes by this point.
The wear and tear of her recent hustle hadn’t left much of a mark on her face; she still radiated glamour as if a spotlight followed her wherever she went.
Seeing that Chen Yan had bought her favorite ribs and rice, she didn’t even take off her clothes before happily diving into eating at the table.
And listening to Chen Yan’s proposition, she took a bite of vermicelli from her ribs and rice dish, and lifted her gaze towards Chen Yan, her beautiful eyes glancing at him and saying, "Of course. Meeting the parents, huh! That’s such an important matter."
She mumbled, "I’m not ready for something like that."
Chen Yan: ...
Chen Yan moved closer to her, then leaned down and asked, "Haven’t you always felt insecure and wanted to affirm your status?"
"Don’t you think meeting the parents is a very significant way to prove your status?"
Lu Man gave Chen Yan a flirtatious roll of the eyes and retorted, "Do Uncle and Auntie know that you’re playing the field?"
Chen Yan: ...
"Of course... they don’t know."
Lu Man slurped a few bites of cabbage and continued to probe, "So if I meet your parents with you, will you then settle down and give up the other girls?"
Chen Yan: .....
"Of course... I won’t."
Lu Man rolled her eyes again, "Then what security can I feel?"
"Obviously, you’re just facing a task and using me as a means to an end."
"There’s no sincerity at all."
Chen Yan: ...
Chen Yan inexplicably felt... Lu Man was so clever.
Plainly alert to the reality.
She clarified things so clearly and transparently that he had no chance to rebut.
Seeing that she had shut Chen Yan down, Lu Man swayed contentedly from side to side, lifting her bowl to drink the soup.
She appeared highly self-satisfied.
Knowing this tactic had failed, Chen Yan could only begin Plan B: earn her over with sincerity.
He said, "You’re right..."
"This is indeed a task-oriented matter."
He sighed softly, "My parents heard about us from somewhere and insisted on meeting you. I had no other option."
"And... I’ve already agreed."
"So... could you find the time to meet them?"
Saying this, Chen Yan added, "It can even be in the company. Not a private meeting."
Upon hearing Chen Yan’s words, Lu Man’s eyes gleamed wittily as she replied, "Okay."
"But... don’t mention our relationship."
"We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. Just ordinary colleagues and business partners."
Seeing Lu Man become increasingly "clear-headed," Chen Yan realized the conversation would go nowhere today.
After all, even if he did trick Lu Man into going, if she adamantly insisted they were just friends, his plan would still fail.
Then, his parents would still push for marriage, try to matchmake him with the girls around him, or look for traces around him.
Tired out. Time to disband.
Chen Yan slumped on the sofa despondently.
Lu Man gnawed on the ribs "crunch crunch," her vibrant eyes watching Chen Yan, brimming with laughter and triumph...
A silent night passed.
That night, Chen Yan indeed behaved like a gentleman, unmoved no matter how Lu Man tempted or seduced him.
After several of Lu Man’s attempts, he even played the "friend card".
Saying that they were just friends and needed to keep their distance.
Lu Man played the little fairy full of shameless allure, and, seeing Chen Yan respond this way, she didn’t care. She even said she liked to sleep with friends and liked the thrill of a close-quarter romance. And then she tried to force herself on Chen Yan.
In the end, Chen Yan resolutely refused, using the excuse that she was too busy with work and needed to rest properly to... tie her up in the blanket.
So, they lay in the same bed, one sweetly asleep under the covers, the other wrapped up like a sushi roll, gazing lifelessly at the ceiling...
Fortunately, Lu Man didn’t have a habit of getting up at night.
Otherwise, the night would have been even more restless.
The next day, Chen Yan untied Lu Man, and she seemed angry, giving Chen Yan seven or eight rolls of her eyes, then "hmpf!" with a frown, she turned her head and left.
Chen Yan didn’t mind. The little fairy had masochistic tendencies, probably still happy at heart.
They made breakfast together, ate, and then went to work.
Tomorrow would be the time to face off against the Xu brothers formally; both were busy and under great pressure...
A busy day unfolded and the company’s preparations became more and more sufficient.
The industry’s attention also began to turn towards them.
The anticipation for this grand event was growing.
The clash between the new and old titan companies was enormously influential.
Especially since this event was shrouded in legend beforehand: Chen Yan aggressively confronting head-on, the Xu brothers postponing twice, and Chen Yan persistently giving chase.
One was a drama made by an emerging company with a third-rate actor as the lead and a hot female celebrity as a supporting role.
Another was a drama produced by an established company featuring an international movie queen in her first small-screen work.
Who would win and who would lose?
Before the episode aired that night, many in the industry started talking about it during the day.
"Honestly, even if the Xu brothers are deliberately avoiding, I still don’t have much faith in ’Hua Qian Bone.’ A third-tier actor as the protagonist has no appeal. Can that really succeed?"
"Agreed. Even with Lu Man in it, she’s just a supporting role. And although Lu Man has just risen to the A-list, can she really lead the lesser-known cast?"
"Indeed. Right now, based on the Xu brothers’ actions, I’m guessing ’The Rebel Princess’ might just do average. But ’Hua Qian Bone’ probably won’t fare much better."
"Great minds think alike."
The film and television industry is the most realistic circle where flattery and vilification are rampant.
An unknown actor landing a leading role in a TV drama is just a fluke. And if it turns out to be a big hit, it’s like a lump of dog shit falling from the sky, and by some chance... ahem ahem ahem.
So, no one believed the drama would be a success.
Everyone thought it might do moderately well but not much better. ’The Rebel Princess,’ on the other hand, was gradually losing favor due to the Xu brothers’ series of actions.
Before you knew it, evening arrived.
The primetime slot.
Qindong TV and Xianghu TV aired two TV dramas at the same time.
The two TV dramas began their direct confrontation.
That evening, many who normally didn’t watch TV turned theirs on to see these two shows.
People like Zhao Qingtian, Xu Zhaorong, Yang Rou, Song Chuang, Chen Yan...
Without prior arrangement, they all chose to watch their competitor’s drama, clearly curious about the quality of the opposing TV show.
After watching for over half an hour, the expressions on their faces were completely different.
Chen Yan had the look of "Is this it? The system didn’t fool me" on his face.
Yang Rou had a "Steady. We are going to win" expression.
Whereas Xu Zhaorong and Zhao Qingtian frowned deeply.
Both were industry veterans deeply rooted in the entertainment industry, having the ability to discern the quality of film and television projects.
Even someone like Zhao Qingtian, who had been away from the industry for a few years, still retained his level of expertise.
Just at first glance, they recognized that Chen Yan’s drama was of the highest quality, be it pacing, character development, or plot.
After one episode, two words emerged in their minds: huge hit.
And on the first evening, as it was customary to broadcast three episodes consecutively, insiders had time to critique and evaluate both dramas.
Consequently, many who watched "Hua Qian Bone" soon increased their expectations for the show.
At the same time, they significantly raised the status of Chen Yan, Lu Man, and Chenlu Film Company in their minds.
One hit drama might be luck, two might be a coincidence, but three or four successful dramas pointed to genuine talent.
By that night, everyone who had seen the show had made their judgment.
Thus, the next day when the ratings were released, there was little surprise.
"Hua Qian Bone" ranked first with a 2.13% viewership rating.
"The Rebel Princess" wasn’t far behind, ranking second with a 2.08% viewership rating.
Both shows were the hottest dramas of the month.
The gap seemed small.
But it’s important to note that one drama starred third-tier actors alongside an A-list actress, while the other boasted an internationally renowned lead actress coupled with an ensemble of seasoned actors and celebrity idols.
There was no basis for comparison between the two.
Yet... it was "Hua Qian Bone" that pulled off a surprising win!
This was not just a victory, but combined with the stark contrast in online reception for the two dramas, it was likely that their viewership trends would be completely opposite.
One rising, the other falling.
And indeed, that’s what happened.
In just a few days, the two dramas, which started off with similar numbers, diverged sharply.
"Hua Qian Bone" saw its viewership steadily climb, reaching around 3%, with scores consistently over eight from audiences.
In contrast, "The Rebel Princess" saw its ratings plummet, not only falling to around 1% but also dropping below a score of 5 from viewers.
And that wasn’t the end of it.
Remember, these two dramas aired during the same time slot.
That meant if someone watched one, they couldn’t watch the other. It was a brutally direct competition.
Therefore, it was inevitable that "Hua Qian Bone" would further snatch away "The Rebel Princess"’s viewership!
"Hua Qian Bone" hit it big right out of the gate, smothering the Xu brothers’ ten-billion-plan in its cradle.
With everything settled, Chen Yan, Lu Man, and Yang Rou were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, so they shared a celebratory dinner together at Twin Towers Hotel that evening.
The reason it was a small affair was because, once all four dramas were over and had achieved satisfactory results, the company planned to organize a large-scale celebration.
After the dinner, Yang Rou was the first to leave the hotel, returning to the company alone to put in more overtime.
Even though "Hua Qian Bone" was a hit, it was, after all, a revenue-sharing project.
So there was a lot of business cooperation that Yang Rou needed to negotiate with the TV station.
She was already buried under a mountain of paperwork.
Finding even an hour to spare for the dinner with her two bosses, Chen Yan and Lu Man, had been quite a gesture on her part.
Knowing her work ethic, neither Chen Yan nor Lu Man took offense.
Checking the time, they realized it was already past 8 PM.
Chen Yan looked at Lu Man, "Should I take you home?"
Lu Man propped her hand on the table, her starry eyes captivating as she gazed at Chen Yan, mimicking his tone, "Should I take you home?"
Chen Yan knew she was teasing him and chuckled, "Sure. Then you take me."
Lu Man imitated Chen Yan’s mannerism, lifting her eyebrow, "Sure. Then you take me."
Chen Yan was amused by her serious act and asked, "Why do you always copy me?"
Lu Man wrinkled her nose, "Why do you always copy me?"
Chen Yan: ...
Chen Yan said, "Lu Man is a pig."
Lu Man didn’t copy him this time. She flashed her two pointed little canines, glaring at Chen Yan mischievously, "Chen Yan, have you forgotten my canines aren’t vegetarian?~"
The two teased each other for a while before hugging and putting an end to their playful banter.
Holding Lu Man’s delicate body, Chen Yan began to grow more affectionate.
He gently nibbled on Lu Man’s earlobe and whispered seductively, "Let’s go to my place tonight.~"
Lu Man’s cheeks turned a rosy pink, with a look of a little fairy.
But she still asked, pretending not to understand, "What for?"
Chen Yan, with a playful smile, replied, "There’s a cat at my place that can do backflips. Want to come and see?"
Upon hearing his words, Lu Man was genuinely surprised, reflexively responding, "Really?"
Realizing his implication after a moment, her cheeks reddened, and she spat at Chen Yan, "You’re such a smooth-talker!"
"Why didn’t you say, come see the goldfish at my house?"
Chen Yan was inspired by her response, "Actually, that’s true. You forgot the goldfish you gave me?" 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
He said, "Come on, little sister, I’ll take you home to see the goldfish."
Lu Man: ...
It’s natural for men and women to have needs.
Especially for those in passionate relationships, those needs are even more pronounced.
So, it didn’t take much coaxing before Lu Man agreed to go to Chen Yan’s home with him.
They called the waiter to settle the bill, and Lu Man, donning a hat, sunglasses, and a face mask, disguised herself thoroughly before leaving the hotel with Chen Yan.
Chen Yan called for his driver, and they drove towards his home.
Upon reaching the entrance to the residential complex, the driver stopped the car, and Chen Yan, along with a fully geared-up Lu Man, got out and walked happily inside.
Just as they approached the entrance, Chen Yan heard a familiar voice.
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw his parents carrying things and chatting with the security guard at the entrance.
Seeing his parents, Chen Yan was momentarily taken aback, then glanced at Lu Man and quickly stepped forward, calling, "Mom, Dad, what brings you here?"
Hearing Chen Yan’s voice, Lao Chen and his wife, who were talking to the security guard, looked up.
They both smiled upon seeing their son.
Mrs. Chen said, "Son, it’s nothing much. The figs are in season, and your mother knows they’re your favorite, so we bought some to bring to you."
She explained, "We didn’t want to disturb you. We were just planning to leave the stuff in the security room."
"We were in the midst of discussing this with the security guard."
Chen Yan’s heart filled with warmth as he listened to his mother, aware that only a mother would care if you are fed and clothed.
She would go so far as to bring him his favorite fruit from far away.
Taking the bags from her, he said, "Mom, Dad, next time you want to give me something, call me and I’ll come to get it. There’s no need for you to make the trip."
Lao Chen chuckled, "You’re busy with work."
"If you weren’t so busy, we’d certainly have you come and pick it up."
While the three of them were talking, Lu Man, who had arrived with Chen Yan, stood awkwardly aside.
From a distance, she overheard their conversation and realized who the elderly couple was.
But... she had no clue how to handle the situation.
She had never met a significant other’s parents before and wasn’t sure how to face them.
She was even uncertain whether she should hastily get back in the car and head straight home now that the driver hadn’t left, or whether she should step forward and greet them boldly.
Lu Man, normally fearless and free-spirited, was suddenly showing a rare side of nervousness.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan, who had just realized he had left Lu Man out of the conversation, turned to look at her.
