Chapter 21: Sure

The phone beeped, and Meng Ying put it down, continuing to dry her hair. Once her hair was completely dry, she got up and went to the bedroom, ready to lie down, when the phone rang again.

Leaning against the headboard, she picked it up. It was her father calling. Meng Ying had always respected her father, so she answered, “Dad…”

“Ying Ying,” Meng Yulin coughed twice, “Still not asleep?”

“Getting ready to,” Meng Ying replied. Her mother favored boys over girls, and her father used to as well. But in recent years, as he aged and his health declined, coupled with business failures and a domineering wife, he lost his fighting spirit and became a kind father.

Meng Yulin checked the time, “Girls should go to bed early. Your job as a celebrity is tough…”

“Mm,” Meng Ying replied softly.

On the other end, Meng Yulin coughed again and then lowered his voice, “Ying Ying, you’re almost 29 now, right? Today, I heard your mother talking to someone about finding you a boyfriend. But I don’t think the ones she likes are suitable for you…”

“You meet a lot of good people in your line of work, right?” Meng Yulin’s voice lowered further. He was speaking secretly, not wanting Chen Jiao to know.

Meng Ying paused, “There’s no rush for a boyfriend.”

“I know there’s no rush, but your mother can be very persistent. I’m worried it might affect your career.”

Since Meng Yulin’s business failed, Chen Jiao had taken full control of the family, including how to allocate resources between their two children. Previously, she focused on solving their son’s education issues. Now that Meng Ying was earning money and their son’s education was no longer a problem, she turned her attention to Meng Ying.

With her personality, Meng Ying frowned and said, “I understand.”

Meng Yulin sighed, “As long as you understand. Don’t let your mother control you. The ones she wants to introduce are not suitable for you…”

Meng Yulin knew the industry Meng Ying was in. Actors can’t easily get married or date, as it affects their careers. Chen Jiao, however, believed in keeping resources within the family and wanted to introduce Meng Ying to the children of her so-called friends.

Those people, Meng Yulin, who had been in business, didn’t think much of them.

“Mm, Dad, take care of your health and smoke less,” Meng Ying yawned, hearing her father cough occasionally.

“Okay, you sleep now. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Meng Ying put down the phone and fell asleep. The rain outside continued to fall throughout the night.

The next morning, the ground was wet with dew. Meng Ying woke up to a call from Liu Qin, who had a severe headache. Holding the phone, Liu Qin muttered, “Were you okay last night? I just talked to Mr. Yu and found out that Mr. Qi is not a good person. Mr. Yu is crying in his office now. Today is the day to sign the copyright usage contract and make a payment to the original author’s company. Mr. Qi’s phone has been unreachable since early morning. Mr. Yu had paid a deposit before, and now it can’t be refunded. He’s going crazy…”

Sure enough, Meng Ying thought, it was a trap.

Thinking of this, she didn’t tell Liu Qin that she almost fell into the trap last night. If it weren’t for Xu Dian and his team, she might not have escaped. The entertainment industry is full of such incidents. She opened the window and glanced downstairs, her eyes sweeping over the spot where Xu Dian knelt last night.

Liu Qin continued, “Mr. Yu is so greedy. Seeing the film industry doing well, he wanted to get involved without knowing how deep the waters are. Now look at him…”

“Don’t worry about it. Pack up, we’ll pick you up later to shoot the advertisement for Xian Ji.”

“Okay.”

Meng Ying got up, went to the bathroom to wash up, then did some yoga, and went to the kitchen to make porridge. Just as the porridge was ready, Liu Qin and Chen Jie came in. Meng Ying invited them to eat together. Liu Qin, looking hungover and in pain, sipped the porridge slowly, rubbing her forehead. After they finished eating, they set off.

Over the past year, Xian Ji had expanded significantly, and the shooting location was much larger than before. Meng Ying finished the shoot easily. The person in charge hinted that they might sign a permanent contract with her next time, which made Liu Qin’s eyes light up, and she kept saying yes. After finishing the Xian Ji advertisement, they received a call from Mr. Yu, asking them to return to the company.

Her tone was much better than in the morning, even with a hint of laughter. Liu Qin hung up the phone and clicked her tongue, “Looks like the copyright issue with ‘Twins’ has been resolved.”

Meng Ying smiled while eating spicy strips.

It’s good that it was resolved. Mr. Yu’s small company couldn’t withstand such a big storm.

The car turned around and headed to the company. The black business car stopped, and Meng Ying, wearing a long dress, got out. The irregular hem of the black dress revealed her fair long legs and thin high heels. She went upstairs and reached the floor just as she finished her spicy strips, wiping her mouth.

With a bright red mouth, Liu Qin pushed open Mr. Yu’s office door. Meng Ying looked up and saw Xu Dian sitting on the sofa with his long legs crossed, his elbow resting on the armrest, nodding and smiling as he listened to Mr. Yu. Hearing the noise, he looked up, his peach blossom eyes smiling faintly without glasses.

“You’re here?” He raised an eyebrow.

Mr. Yu also looked up and smiled at them, “Come in quickly.”

Liu Qin glanced back at Meng Ying, who smiled and nodded, then walked in. Liu Qin quickly followed, and they sat on the sofa opposite.

Meng Ying crossed her long legs, the hem of her dress swaying and clinging to her fair skin. Xu Dian glanced at her legs, then looked away, picked up a teacup, and took a sip.

Liu Qin looked at Xu Dian, then at Mr. Yu, and smiled, “Mr. Yu, this is…”

Mr. Yu smiled and said, “The copyright of ‘Twins’ was bought in partnership with Huaying. Huaying will handle the filming. Originally, we planned for Meng Ying to play the female lead, but Mr. Xu and I discussed it and felt the second female lead suits you better. Additionally, Mr. Xu has left two female lead scripts for you, so you’ll be busy next.”

Saying this, Mr. Yu threw over two scripts.

Liu Qin reached out and picked them up, glancing at Meng Ying. Meng Ying leaned over to Liu Qin and looked down. They were two pretty good scripts, one for a TV series and one for a movie. The themes were secondary, but the directors were well-known. Meng Ying finished reading and didn’t speak for a moment.

The original work of ‘Twins’ was very popular. The female lead was a stand-in, while the second female lead was a beautiful girl, childhood friends with the male lead, protected by him, unlike the stand-in female lead.

Liu Qin felt it was ironic. She looked up at Xu Dian and smiled, “Mr. Xu, our Meng Ying, as an actress, can play anything, especially something as simple as a stand-in. Are you so concerned because you’ve done something bad, treating someone as a stand-in?”

Xu Dian paused, lifted his eyelids, and looked at Liu Qin.

With just one look, a trace of coldness and hostility flashed in his eyes, making Liu Qin shiver. A few seconds later, Xu Dian smiled, “I think the second female lead suits Meng Ying’s image better. If she’s not satisfied, I have many scripts here for her to choose from…”

Mr. Yu glared at Liu Qin, then smiled at Xu Dian, “Mr. Xu, Meng Ying is fine with it. She understands that ‘Twins’ isn’t as good as the current scripts. Liu Qin spoke impulsively, please don’t mind.”

Yu Zong hesitated for a moment, then nodded and glanced at Meng Ying, signaling her to cooperate. Meng Ying smiled naturally. Yu Zong stood up and took Liu Qin with him. Liu Qin didn’t say a word, merely patted Meng Ying’s shoulder before leaving. In the company, Xu Dian wouldn’t dare do anything. The door closed.

The office fell silent. Steam was still wafting from the teacup, filling the room with a fragrant aroma. Meng Ying propped her head on her hand, gazing at Xu Dian with a calm expression, waiting for him to speak.

Xu Dian leaned back, tugged at his tie, and turned to look at her.

Meng Ying smiled at him.

Her brows arched gracefully, her red lips alluring. His throat tightened as he stood and walked over, grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly. Towering over her, he asked, “Meng Ying, do you truly not care about the matter of being a substitute?”

His grip wasn’t strong. Meng Ying leaned back, frowning as she looked up at him and replied, “I don’t care anymore, Mr. Xu. Why are you still so fixated?”

His pupils constricted. She called him “Mr. Xu” with every word. When her eyes met his, they held no emotion, not a trace of love.

Xu Dian couldn’t help but tighten his grip.

“Mr. Xu, you’re hurting me,” Meng Ying said with a deeper frown, reaching out to push him away. Xu Dian grabbed her other hand and pressed her against the back of the sofa. Leaning down, his gaze landed on her lips, darkening as a long-suppressed desire surfaced.

He leaned closer.

Sensing his intent, Meng Ying turned her face to the side. Xu Dian’s lips brushed her cheek. The next second, Meng Ying said coldly, “Try touching me again.”

Xu Dian froze.

After about a second’s pause, he placed a kiss on the corner of her lips.

Then he let her go. Just as he sat down, Meng Ying picked up the teacup and splashed its contents on him. Tea drenched his face. He looked at her and laughed.

Standing in front of him, Meng Ying asked, “Do you still want to date me?”

Xu Dian was taken aback.

The playful smile in his eyes faded. He tightened his lips, tugged off his tie, and asked, “Can I?”

Meng Ying also smiled, her eyes cold.

“Sure.”

She sat on the coffee table, swinging her legs. Leaning toward Xu Dian, she said, “It’s simple. We’ll date, but not publicly. I won’t reply to your messages, and you can’t control where I go. You can flirt with any woman you like. If you want to get married, just let me know. Conversely, I’ll do the same—I can flirt with any man and marry someone else anytime. All the resources of your company should favor me. If I find out you’re supporting someone else, we’ll break up. Also, you don’t need to love me, and I won’t love you. We’ll just have a casual relationship.”

With every sentence she spoke, Xu Dian’s face darkened further. By the end, his eyes were filled with nothing but a chilling light. He slowly unbuttoned his tie, loosened his collar, and leaned slightly toward her, exuding an aura of danger and menace.

Meng Ying was entirely unfazed. She smiled radiantly and said, “What’s wrong? Don’t want to? Then don’t bother me anymore…”

“Don’t send me roses, don’t confess with stories, and definitely don’t kneel. None of that will work. Got it?”

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