Lu Man was also looking at Chen Yan at the time.

When she saw Lu Man standing there a bit flustered, Chen Yan wanted to laugh.

After all, as the famous little witch and a bit of a joker, it was the first time Chen Yan had seen Lu Man like this.

This convinced him of Lu Man's words from a few days ago that "meeting the parents was too important, and she was not ready yet."

Thinking it over, he felt that since Lu Man wasn't ready, he shouldn't put too much pressure on her.

After all, it had always been him who was treating Lu Man unfairly, unable to give her a wholehearted love, let alone any promises.

Yet, when it came time to meet the parents, he dragged her out.

That was really cruel.

However, now that they had already run into each other, it was a bit unrealistic to want to escape.

Chen Yan mulled it over and decided to just follow the results of their discussion: to say that they were just ordinary friends.

As for whether the parents would be suspicious, that was something to deal with later.

At worst, he would be the one under more pressure, not a big deal.

With that in mind, Chen Yan, carrying his stuff, said to his parents, "Mom and Dad, you wanted to meet Lu Man, didn't you?"

"She happened to come by today."

Speaking up to this point, Chen Yan added another explanation, "But don't misunderstand. Today we were working overtime, talking about work, all the way until now."

"I had the driver take us home, my place is closer, so I was dropped off first."

Saying so, Chen Yan led his parents over to where Lu Man was standing.

Lao Chen and Chen's mom, having arrived by Lu Man's side, couldn't help but look her over with curiosity.

And Lu Man, who had just heard what Chen Yan said, gradually calmed down. She adjusted her stance to make herself look more upright and pretended to be unaware as she asked, "President Chen, these two are...?"

The tacit understanding that had developed over such a long time allowed Chen Yan to naturally pick up the conversation.

He introduced, "These are my parents. They came to drop off some things for me."

After the introduction, he looked towards his own parents and started to say, "Mom and Dad, this is Lu Man. My friend. A colleague from the..."

He was interrupted midway through his introduction by a sudden pain in his foot: Lu Man had stealthily stepped on him.

He winced, swallowing back the words that followed.

Then...

He heard Lu Man beside him take several deep breaths quickly, then she took off her hat, sunglasses, and mask, and bowed slightly to Lao Chen and Chen's mom, respectfully saying,

"Good evening, Uncle, Auntie."

"I didn't realize it was you, and I hadn't greeted you. I'm so sorry."

"My name is Lu Man, and I'm Chen Yan's... girlfriend."

When Lao Chen and Chen's mom heard Chen Yan introducing Lu Man as just a normal friend, they were a bit disappointed.

After all, having seen Lu Man on TV, with a good figure and pretty looks, they thought she would make a great daughter-in-law.

And now, seeing her in person, they were even more satisfied:

Celebrity actresses underwent physique training, and their poise and movements were unmatched by ordinary girls.

Therefore, when Chen Yan said they were just friends, the couple felt quite let down.

However, now hearing Lu Man claim to be Chen Yan's girlfriend,

they were surprised and a bit confused about what was actually happening.

So, they exchanged glances, then turned their puzzled looks towards Chen Yan.

At this moment, Chen Yan too couldn't understand what Lu Man was thinking.

It was her who said they should "pretend to be just ordinary friends," and now it was her who changed the story.

Hence, Chen Yan looked towards Lu Man too.

Being the center of attention, Lu Man began to show off her acting prowess. She looked up at Chen Yan with puppy dog eyes, then turned to the old couple with a pretense of grievance, saying, "Uncle, Auntie. Actually... Chen Yan and I have been dating for two years."

"I've always wanted to visit your home, but he never agreed."

"I never expected to finally meet you today~"

Hearing Lu Man's words, Lao Chen and Chen's mom exclaimed "Ah?" in shock, then looked even more surprised at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan himself was dumbfounded.

He stared blankly at Lu Man.

What's going on? Director?

Did the script change?

And nobody told the lead actor?

Meanwhile, with her role fully embraced, Lu Man lowered her head, looked up at Chen Yan, and displayed a pitiful expression that could melt anyone's heart.

With the acting skills she was demonstrating now, winning a Best Actress award wouldn't be a problem.

Seeing her like that, Chen Yan swallowed hard.

Although he didn't know why Lu Man had suddenly changed her mind, she was acting this way now, and Chen Yan could only play along.

After all... Lu Man admitting she was his girlfriend was only beneficial to him.

Chen Yan could now execute the "perfect plan" he had thought of a few days ago.

With this in mind, Chen Yan coughed and looked at his parents, continuing Lu Man's narrative, "Ah. Right. We've indeed been dating for a while now."

"She did want to meet you guys."

"It was me who didn't want to rush things."

His mind racing, he made up a reason, "I did this because... I felt..."

"I felt~ that you~ might not like~ me very much," Chen Yan was cut off mid-sentence as Lu Man took over with a pretense of grievance.

Chen Yan was left unable to finish his words.

He involuntarily turned his head towards Lu Man, a black line of frustration forming on his face.

Big sister!

Who's worried about them not liking who?

It's you.

Not me!

You can improvise, but don't play it this way!

It's like you've extricated yourself and thrown me under the bus!

Sure enough, upon hearing Lu Man's words, Lao Chen and Chen's mom exchanged a glance, took a deep breath in sync, and then glared sternly at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan cupped his forehead: What is all this!

I'm really not that kind of person!

I'm the one who desperately wanted you to meet her!

It was she who was too scared!

While he was lamenting, Chen's mom and Lao Chen had already taken Lu Man aside to converse quietly, both chatting and glaring at Chen Yan from the corner of their eyes.

Obviously, they placed the blame for not meeting Lu Man sooner squarely on Chen Yan.

Chen Yan wanted to cry but found no tears.

He felt like he had fallen prey to this little fairy.

But that wasn't all, while Lao Chen and Chen's mom weren't paying attention, Lu Man also turned back, cheekily sticking out her tongue at Chen Yan and making a face at him.

Seeing her like this, it was clear she was relishing the pleasure of having pulled one over on Chen Yan, smugly rejoicing in what she had done.

What could Chen Yan do?

What could he do...

He could only silently vow:

This little fairy!!

If you're able to get out of bed tomorrow, I'll stand on my head in the shower!

...

With Lu Man's undermining, Chen Yan had successfully become the "criminal" of the household.

And Lao Chen and Chen's mom, who had originally just come over to drop off some things, simply went to Chen Yan's house to "borrow" the place and chat with their "future daughter-in-law."

And Lu Man, indeed, was eloquent and easily charmed the elders.

Once she had shaken off the initial nerves, she turned into a chatty little lark, walking and chatting about her daily dating life with Chen Yan, making the old couple laugh non-stop.

As for Chen Yan, he followed behind them feeling utterly disconsolate, as if he had brought a wolf into his house.

Could it be that Lu Man suddenly decided to change her mind and wanted to seize his parents to force a marriage?

Chen Yan felt... it probably wasn't that...

Right?

With a trace of unease, the four of them went upstairs together.

Lu Man entered the password like a pro, opening the door.

This made the old couple following behind exchange another glance, then nod silently to each other.

They felt what Lu Man said was likely true.

After all... if they weren't close, why would you tell someone your home's password?

Chen Yan really wanted to say: That was months ago, she insisted on competing with Yu Qiao Qiao, hired someone to do the housework, and asked for it!

But... since he and Lu Man were still on the same side, he couldn't reveal the truth.

Once inside the home, Lu Man acted as though it were her own house, bustling about to offer water and wash fruit for the old couple.

Looking at the celebrity with countless fans, only ever seen on TV, being so filial and thoughtful towards them, the elderly couple felt extremely satisfied.

But Chen Yan, watching his own parents succumb, had the feeling that he was in for it.

After washing the fruits, and cutting them for the elderly couple, Lu Man sat down on the sofa and continued chatting with them.

Chen's mother said with a touch of emotion, "Man Man, I've only seen you on TV before and thought you were exceptionally beautiful, but also very cold."

She glanced at Lao Chen, "At the time, your uncle thought you must be hard to get along with."

Lao Chen's eyes widened, "When did I..."

Chen's mother gave him a stern look.

Lao Chen instantly withered and choked back the rest of his sentence.

Seeing this, Lu Man discreetly covered her mouth and laughed, then she obediently explained, "Uncle, Auntie, what's on TV is just a 'persona'."

"That's designed by the company, just to make fans like it."

"In reality, I've always been a very warm person."

Saying this, she turned sweetly to Chen Yan and asked, "Right, Brother Yan?"

Chen Yan: ...

Chen Yan nearly spat out his drink.

That soft and sweet nickname, was it really something Lu Man, this joker, would say?

Usually, isn't it always "Chen Yan, Chen Yan" that you call me?

But now, after all, it was in front of his parents.

So Chen Yan glanced at his parents, who were looking at him, mustered a smile, and nodded, "Yes. She's really nice in private."

"People find her enthusiastic, kind, and generous. Everyone in the company likes her."

Hearing their son's confirmation, the elderly couple was even more pleased.

Chen's mother looked Lu Man up and down with a satisfied face, growing fonder with each glance, and said, "Man Man, rest assured, now that you've met me and your uncle."

"In the future, if Chen Yan bullies you, just call the two of us. We'll come and sort him out."

Lu Man obediently agreed once again.

Even coyly took out her phone, saved Chen's mother's phone number, and WeChat.

Looking like... if she were really bullied, she'd definitely come to tattle.

Then, Lu Man continued to have a good chat with the old couple.

Later on, it was Chen's mother who felt like they were disturbing the young couple's rest, and took the initiative to leave with Lao Chen.

Lu Man also took the initiative to offer to see them out and then... dragged Chen Yan along to accompany the old couple all the way to the community's entrance.

The elderly couple's faces were almost blooming with satisfaction.

As for Chen Yan... it was the first time he realized that seeing someone off could actually extend all the way to the community's entrance. Why not take them directly to their home...

Until the elderly couple walked far away, Lu Man continued to wave at them with a smile.

Chen Yan felt she had really gone all out tonight.

It wasn't until the couple's figure had disappeared from sight that Lu Man finally took a deep breath, then stamped her foot on the spot, muttering, "Ah, so nervous, so nervous."

Saying this, she looked up at Chen Yan, "How did I do, Chen Yan?"

"Will your uncle and auntie dislike me?"

Chen Yan gave a "hehe," "Dislike you?"

"If you tell them you're planning to get married tomorrow, they'd probably tie me up tonight in preparation for the wedding ceremony."

Hearing Chen Yan's bizarre description, Lu Man didn't take it as sarcasm. Instead, she let out a relieved sigh and patted her chest, "That's good, that's good."

Chen Yan: ...

Chen Yan felt that the mind of a joker was indeed different from others.

As the two talked, they walked back, with Lu Man's steps feeling almost light and floaty, amusing Chen Yan a great deal.

Chen Yan looked at her odd behavior and asked with a laugh, "Is it that necessary? It's just meeting the parents. And you're like this?"

With her hands behind her, Lu Man turned pridefully, looked at Chen Yan, and said, "Of course. This is my first time meeting parents, after all."

She smirked at Chen Yan, "Shouldn't I take the opportunity to learn? So when I meet other people's parents next time, I'll be more experienced?"

Chen Yan was stunned for a moment, almost not catching what she meant.

By the time he realized, Chen Yan, exasperated, picked her up and began tickling her, "You're actually thinking about meeting other people's parents!"

"Have you gone mad!"

"I'm telling you, it's just them!"

"Stop it, hehehehe~~" The small shade-lined path in the community echoed with the laughter and playful commotion of the two.

...

That night, Chen Yan fulfilled his promise: he "punished" Lu Man properly.

With a constitution at +9, he was now practically a monster.

Lu Man, clinging to the back of the bed, begged for mercy several times, saying no more, no more.

But each time, she was pressed down by Chen Yan again.

In the end, Lu Man fell asleep completely limp.

In her dreams, she was still muttering in a soft voice, "No more, no more..."

She really seemed to have been frightened by Chen Yan.

The next morning, Chen Yan got up, made breakfast for Lu Man and left it by the bed, then washed up and went to work.

The little fairy, Lu Man, loved to sleep in, so it wasn't until the afternoon that she discovered this affectionate breakfast.

Clutching the corner of the blanket, wrapped in her fair body, Lu Man ate while chuckling to herself.

...

In the following days, the popularity of "Hua Qian Gu" continued to rise, while "Chang'an Affair" plummeted.

The direct competition between the two dramas made the strong stronger and the weak weaker.

Thus, a phenomenal TV drama was born.

Compared to the messy online debates at the beginning of the broadcast, now it was uniformly filled with discussions about the characters and plot of "Hua Qian Gu."

Riding the wave of the drama, Lu Man further consolidated her fame and persona in front of a national audience.

Especially during its popular airing period, the invitations from several national variety shows further fueled her popularity.

On those variety shows, as the boss of the company, the producer, presenter, and lead actress of "Hua Qian Gu," Lu Man was indisputably the center of attention.

Even people who didn't watch those variety shows gradually became aware of Lu Man, a renowned female celebrity who held several roles and successfully transformed into a boss.

Besides Lu Man, Xiao Gu, the female lead of "Hua Qian Gu," also soared to the peak of the second-tier celebrities with this drama, becoming the second majorly successful female celebrity of Lu Man's Celebrity Studio.

Chenlu Talent Agency's star-making capability caught everyone's eye.

According to Mei Li's estimation, with just one more hit series, she could reach the top tier of celebrities.

While difficult, hope abounded.

During the dust-settling first battle, the industry's attention inevitably shifted towards the second showdown between Chenlu Film Company and the Xu Brothers.

"Chen Xiyuan" vs. "Pretense."

Comparing the two dramas, the general opinion was more unified this time: "Chen Xiyuan" had a significant advantage.

After all, the lead in "Chen Xiyuan" was a critically acclaimed powerhouse actor in the industry.

"Pretense" was an ensemble piece with a first-line male actor as the lead and Lu Man in a supporting role, while other leads were second and third-tier industry actors.

Following Chenlu Film's usual strategy of pairing experienced with new actors, this drama likely wouldn't give much screen time to the main two.

So, if the remaining actors couldn't carry the show, it probably would falter.

Of course, these weren't the main reasons the industry was skeptical.

The primary reason was... "Chen Xiyuan" was a period romance.

While "Pretense" was a Republican-era spy drama.

The latter naturally had a more limited audience.

Even if it had good reviews, it would be hard to become a mega-hit.

On the other hand, "Chen Xiyuan"... if really well-made, would be the next "Hua Qian Bone"!

And… although Xu Brothers lost the first round, they hadn't "truly lost."

According to the Xu Brothers' statements: "Shangyang Affair," even before airing, had recouped its costs and made a slight profit.

National networks' high purchase prices allowed them to fill their coffers in advance.

Although "Hua Qian Gu" exploded in popularity, because it was a profit-sharing deal, how much it would earn was still uncertain.

During this time, there were rumors in the industry: despite producing a popular series, Chenlu Film Company didn't make any money in the bid to undercut the Xu Brothers.

Though the veracity of these rumors was unknown, they did indeed shift some industry opinions about the two parties to a certain extent.

So, with the dust settled on the first round, everyone in the industry turned their attention to the second clash between the two...

...

One month later, Chen Yan's office.

Yang Rou seemed particularly different today.

Usually clad in black suits, she wore casual attire for a change.

Light-colored denim capris revealed a stretch of fair and delicate legs, paired with a light grey fashionable top. With her tall figure, she looked like a model.

At that moment, holding a document, she explained it to Chen Yan...

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