Chapter 41 of 100

Chapter 41

16 min read4,115 wordsMature

Update Time: March 27, 2013

"He Linlin said, 'Do you really think this is a kitchen? You’re not being the least bit polite.'"

Zhang Yang frowned and said, "What’s the problem? This is a deal we agreed on yesterday."

He Linlin was about to say more, but Hong Yaqin stopped her and said to Zhang Yang, "I’ve done everything you asked. Now it’s your turn to do something!"

Zhang Yang replied, "Let me finish eating first."

He continued to focus on the food on the table, seemingly unperturbed. In reality, his mind was racing. Hong Yaqin had just agreed to the terms yesterday, and today she was already eager to find him. This meant she must be in a hurry, and her parents must be pressuring her. A woman as beautiful and talented as her certainly wouldn’t lack suitors, yet she chose him. Why?

It was because she didn’t know him, right? He was a stranger, so there was no risk of the fake relationship becoming real. Her background was complicated, and this was also to prevent others from taking advantage of her. Under such pressure from her parents, she would rather find a fake boyfriend than genuinely fall in love. Either she had some issues, or she already had someone in mind. The latter was more likely. However, this had nothing to do with him. What he valued was her status as a Beijinger.

They say that even street sweepers in Beijing have relatives working in various government departments, let alone a top chef like Hong Yaqin.

At this stage, Hong Yaqin was a good contact. He was new to Beijing and needed the help of locals to establish himself. He had to seize this opportunity. He didn’t need to make the fake relationship real; he just needed to help her and gradually become familiar with her, even becoming friends. If he helped her, would she stand by and watch when he needed help? Even if he used this fake identity to connect with her parents, it would greatly benefit him.

Zhang Yang didn’t think there was anything wrong with his actions. According to Wang Yue’s teachings, for a man to succeed in his career, no one was off-limits. Zhang Yang couldn’t be as cold-blooded as Wang Yue, who would even use his own family, but he had no qualms about using a stranger.

Moreover, this was a mutual arrangement. He had no ill intentions; he just wanted to establish himself. Life isn’t a novel; there wouldn’t be so many fortuitous events waiting for him. Having a superpower was already a stroke of luck. Why waste such a good opportunity? Relying on his own efforts to slowly build a career or waiting for a benefactor to recognize him as a rare talent was unrealistic. Even if he were a rare talent, without mutual benefit, no one would help him.

This society was already a society of connections. Only by helping each other and using each other could one develop. Starting from scratch, even with money, would be extremely difficult.

Putting down his chopsticks, Zhang Yang looked up and smiled, "I’m full. Now, what do you need me to do?"

He Linlin was surprised, "I thought you would run away after eating!"

"That’s because you don’t know me. I may not have many strengths, but I keep my word. If we’ve agreed on something, unless you break the deal, I’ll follow through," Zhang Yang said.

Hong Yaqin’s eyes lit up. She was surprised by Zhang Yang’s attitude, but this was exactly what she had hoped for.

"It’s like this. My parents just called and insisted that I bring a boyfriend home. Otherwise, they’ll think I’m lying and will arrange a blind date for me," Hong Yaqin said.

Zhang Yang lit a cigarette and slowly smoked it, holding it in one hand while tapping the table with the other. In the past, Zhang Yang would scratch his head when thinking, but Wang Yue had forced him to stop, leaving him with the habit of tapping the table.

"Meeting your parents is no problem. But we need to get our stories straight to avoid any slip-ups," Zhang Yang said.

Hong Yaqin nodded, "That’s why I called you here. This is the identity I’ve arranged for you. Memorize it!"

She placed a resume on the table.

Zhang Yang didn’t even look at it and shook his head, "I agreed to pretend to be your boyfriend, not to change my identity. I’m Zhang Yang, and I am who I am! I can’t pretend to be someone who doesn’t exist. That’s a principle issue, and it affects my future plans. If a fake identity is exposed, it will cause me big problems."

Hong Yaqin was displeased, "I don’t know anything about you. How can I know your real situation? This is just to deal with my parents; no one will investigate."

"I’m not a liar! I’m helping you because you really need it. I don’t want you to have an unhappy marriage and lose a great chef. Someone once told me that only with genuine feelings can one make delicious food. But that doesn’t mean I’ll accept a fake resume and face others as a liar. As for my real situation, it’s simple. I came to Beijing from Tianjin two days ago. I have a rented house, a car, and some savings. Is there anything else you want to know?" Zhang Yang asked.

Hong Yaqin was speechless.

After a long pause, she frowned, "If we tell the truth, we’ve only known each other for three days. How can we be a couple? Do you think the elderly will believe we fell in love at first sight?"

Zhang Yang said, "I just arrived in Beijing, but that doesn’t mean we met recently. We can say we met online, or through a blog, or at an event. I came to Beijing to be with you long-term. That makes sense. As for why you haven’t introduced me to your parents, it’s because I was in another city, and you felt our relationship wasn’t stable. Also, you’re older than me, and you think a relationship with an older woman isn’t good. Lastly, my family background is ordinary, and you’re worried they won’t accept me."

"Wait, enough, enough," Hong Yaqin interrupted him.

He Linlin, sitting on the side, opened her mouth wide and said, "Sister Hong, he just said he’s not a liar, but I feel like he’s a liar. Look how convincingly he lies. If I didn’t know the truth, I would believe him."

Zhang Yang’s forehead twitched, and he looked at He Linlin with displeasure. He then said to Hong Yaqin, "I’m just following our agreement. If you think it’s fine, we can continue. If not, find someone else."

If Hong Yaqin had more time, she wouldn’t have made a deal with a stranger like Zhang Yang. She was also surprised by his words. Even He Linlin might have doubted whether she really had such an online friend.

"Let’s do it your way. I’ll also tell you about myself. I’m twenty-five years old, a top chef. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and occasionally playing tennis," Hong Yaqin said.

"Is that all?" Zhang Yang asked.

Hong Yaqin nodded.

Zhang Yang rolled his eyes and took out his phone, "Log into QQ, add each other as friends. Set me as your husband and you as my wife. I’m five years younger than you. After high school, I came out to work because of my poor family background. I like chatting online in my free time. That’s how we met. Because of loneliness, we became good friends and often chatted. Later, we started talking on the phone. With your encouragement, I achieved some success and gave up my job in Tianjin to come to Beijing for you. Is there anything you want to add?"

Hong Yaqin shook her head, "No."

"Alright, now we need to get our stories straight. Since we met online, we haven’t been intimate. I don’t want your parents to think I’m a liar who plays with women’s feelings. Because we’re online friends, we don’t need to act as affectionate as a regular couple. We need time to adapt to our new identities and age difference. You can say I never mentioned my age online, and you always thought I was your age," Zhang Yang said.

Twenty minutes later, the two, with their stories aligned, got into Zhang Yang’s car and headed to Hong Yaqin’s home.

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