Film and TV: Starting from childhood, I will give up Zhong Yi

Chapter 328 Just Treat Me Like Your Girlfriend

In the alley, in front of Zhu Suosuo's uncle's house, a black Mercedes-Benz was parked quietly, its sleek body standing out in the old alley.

Lin Yuan took out his phone and sent a message to Zhu Suosuo: "Come downstairs."

Not long after, light footsteps came from the stairwell, and Zhu Suosuo ran down with small, quick steps.

Lin Yuan stood beside the car and handed over a small sandalwood box.

Zhu Suosuo took it somewhat blankly, gently opened it, and inside was a warm and lustrous jade pendant with a delicate texture.

She looked up at Lin Yuan, her voice full of surprise: "This is... for me?"

Lin Yuan responded softly, "Mm."

This was a gift from Old Mrs. Jiang to Lin Yuan, and Lin Yuan decided to use it as a gift in return.

He did this simply to show off his wealth in front of Zhu Suosuo's uncle's family, making them all think that Zhu Suosuo had found a rich boyfriend. Afterwards, regardless of whether these people envied or questioned Lin Yuan, given Zhu Suosuo's personality, she would naturally feel honored or vehemently defend him.

She would secretly dream that she and Lin Yuan were a real couple.

When Zhu Suosuo asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend, that will be the time when Lin Yuan makes his request to her.

Gifts are not given or received for nothing.

"Why, why?"

Lin Yuan looked at her and said, "You're one of my people, so it's only right that I help you with these things. It also lets your family know that you have my back. Once you're in the company, you should know who to listen to, right?"

Not getting the answer she wanted, Zhu Suosuo was a little disappointed, but when she heard Lin Yuan mention work, she quickly nodded and said, "Mhm."

After all, she had angered Lin Yuan by applying for a job at Jingyan last time. In her opinion, the company Lin Yuan introduced her to must be a large company no less than Jingyan Group, otherwise it would not have taken so long to process.

At that moment, Lin Yuan felt a burning gaze on him from upstairs, and he looked up.

Luo Jiaming, who was by the window, was caught red-handed and hurriedly shrank back.

He had just seen Zhu Suosuo cheering and jumping downstairs when he felt something was wrong. So he leaned out the window and saw that it was indeed his 'good classmate'—Lin Yuan.

He was naturally introverted and shy, and seeing Lin Yuan's outstanding qualities, he couldn't help but feel somewhat ashamed of himself.

If he really had to compete with Lin Yuan for Zhu Suosuo, he knew he would never win.

Lin Yuan smiled and beckoned with his finger. Zhu Suosuo obediently moved closer.

Lin Yuan lowered his head slightly, leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice, "I don't understand. Luo Jiaming is your cousin, but why is he so hostile towards me? Logically speaking, he should be happy to have a brother-in-law like me."

Zhu Suosuo's cheeks flushed slightly, a hint of longing rising in her heart. She explained softly, "He's not my biological cousin. He's someone my aunt brought with her when she remarried, so..."

"Oh." Lin Yuan nodded as if he suddenly understood, a bright smile spreading across his face. "So he has feelings for you, no wonder."

Zhu Suosuo tried her best to distance herself from him: "There's nothing between us. I just treat him like an older brother. Last time, I couldn't refuse, so I agreed to act in a play with him."

"That puts my mind at ease," Lin Yuan said, his tone carrying a hint of ambiguity.

A casual remark warmed Zhu Suosuo's heart. Perhaps Lin Yuan really did have feelings for her and just wanted to get to know her better.

"I have things to do tonight," Lin Yuan said, opening the car door. "I'll come see you again when I have time."

Zhu Suosuo gripped the small box in her hand tightly, smiled and waved: "Okay, drive carefully."

She stood there, watching Lin Yuan's Mercedes slowly drive out of the alley, then raised her hand to smooth her hair before turning and walking upstairs.

The neighbors had already noticed the handsome young man and beautiful young woman talking in hushed tones and whispering to each other.

Zhu Suosuo felt a surge of pride, knowing that Lin Yuan's Mercedes-Benz was worth three or four million yuan. He had come specially to give her this gift, making her, who was living under someone else's roof, feel quite proud.

……

That day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the sunlight streamed slanting into the banquet hall.

Zhu Suosuo linked arms with Lin Yuan as they walked through the crowd, her bare forearm pressed against his sharp suit.

Being in such a situation, she felt both nervous and secretly enjoying the feeling.

Lin Yuan noticed her unease and gently patted the back of her hand: "You'll get used to it after a few more times. If you feel uncomfortable, just talk to me."

Zhu Suosuo said softly, "Hmm. Do you come to places like this often?"

"That's it."

As soon as he finished speaking, several wealthy businessmen came up with champagne and chatted familiarly with Lin Yuan, discussing business matters. Socialites also came up with smiles and struck up a conversation with Lin Yuan.

Zhu Suosuo simply stood aside, watching them talk animatedly.

Before leaving, the brand representatives handed over two exquisite gift boxes containing high-end skincare products and custom-made jewelry.

Back in the alleyway where Zhu Suosuo lived, Lin Yuan pointed to the gift boxes in the back seat: "I don't need these, you can take them all back."

Zhu Suosuo finally couldn't help but ask, "What is our relationship now?"

Lin Yuan smiled and asked in return, "What do you think our relationship is?"

"Why are you so good to me? You give me so many expensive gifts, I..."

“Nan Sun told me that you had a hard time at your uncle’s house and often had to be mindful of their attitude. I’m still working on your job, so I came here to give you some face.”

Zhu Suosuo looked surprised: "Nan Sun?"

Lin Yuan explained, "I visited her home that day and chatted with her for a while. We talked about you. I happened to need a female companion for some occasions, so it was a perfect match, wasn't it?"

"Is that so?" Zhu Suosuo's voice betrayed a hint of disappointment.

Lin Yuan gently grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand: "Do you want a closer relationship with me?"

Zhu Suosuo did not pull her hand away, but looked at him with hope.

After so many years of living under someone else's roof and having to be subservient to others, Zhu Suosuo's desire to change her fate reached its peak. She felt that she would never meet someone like Lin Yuan again in her life.

If Lin Yuan is willing to make her a promise, she can go to bed with him right now, even in the car.

But Lin Yuan let go of her hand again and said seriously, "I've never been in a relationship before, and I don't want to hand myself over to you so confusedly."

Zhu Suosuo chuckled, speechless. "You? You've never been in a relationship?"

"Believe it or not, it's true. Or you can come to my company and ask next time."

Zhu Suosuo still didn't believe it: "Okay, then I'll go with you next time."

While the two were whispering in the car, Luo Jiaming was leaning on the windowsill, looking at the blurry figures inside the car with a distressed expression.

Seeing her son looking sullen, Zhu Suosuo's aunt sighed and said, "Alright, Jiaming, no matter how much you look at her, she's not yours anymore. She can't be your wife."

"Aunt Chen on the third floor said she wants to introduce you to a pretty girl, no less beautiful than Suo Suo. She graduated from a prestigious university. She's well-educated and definitely more sensible than Suo Suo."

Luo Jiaming didn't respond, his eyes still fixed on the ground below.

My aunt continued, "A girl like Suo Suo can't be a good wife. She can't possibly stay quietly with a man and a family. No way."

Luo Jiaming remained leaning against the windowsill, gritting his teeth as he said, "Don't say anything bad about Xiao Suo."

My aunt said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything. Let's eat then."

Zhu Suosuo's uncle also chimed in, "Yes, Jiaming, let's eat."

Luo Jiaming stood motionless like a statue waiting for his wife. His aunt rolled up her sleeves and said angrily, "What kind of behavior is this? Luxury cars, driving around in this alley, dropping people off like this. Dressed so extravagantly, people who don't know better would think we're poorly educated and have bad family manners."

Luo Jiaming finally reacted, scolding, "Mom! What's wrong with her upbringing? So what if she doesn't like to study? Everyone has different interests and hobbies."

"Okay, okay, I can't say it, I can't say it."

Zhu Suosuo's aunt had no choice but to grab a trash bag and go downstairs, intending to check on Zhu Suosuo's boyfriend's true colors along the way.

She went downstairs and tapped on the passenger window with her finger.

Zhu Suosuo and Lin Yuan exchanged a glance, then opened the car door and got out together.

Auntie looked surprised, but said warmly, "Suo Suo, what a coincidence, is Joan of Arc made of mud?"

Lin Yuan approached Zhu Suosuo, who introduced him, "Auntie, this is my friend."

Lin Yuan then put his arm around Zhu Suosuo's waist, his large hand caressing her waist without any hesitation, but his tone was very gentle and polite: "Aunt, my surname is Lin, and I am Suosuo's boyfriend. Suosuo has praised you to me a lot, saying that you are not only good-looking, but also very good at managing a household. Suosuo is so lucky to have been taken care of by you and Uncle all these years."

He acted like a proper boyfriend, and his words were perfectly tactful.

Zhu Suosuo was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

Looking at the scene before her, and then at Lin Yuan's demeanor, the aunt couldn't think of any way her son could compare to Lin Yuan. Feeling a pang of sadness, she gave a dry laugh and said, "Hello, hello, this is what elders should do. I'm going to take out the trash."

After saying that, she carried the trash to the trash can.

Lin Yuan opened the back seat and stuffed two gift boxes into Zhu Suosuo's hands.

He then leaned down slightly and gently kissed Zhu Suosuo's forehead. "I'm going back now. I'll come see you another day."

Zhu Suosuo's heart pounded. She hadn't expected Lin Yuan to do something like that. Her shoulders tensed up instinctively. After a few seconds, she regained her composure and waved, "Bye-bye. Send me a message when you get home."

Lin Yuan smiled and agreed, then got into the car, which slowly drove away.

When her aunt came back after throwing out the trash, she walked over to Zhu Suosuo and bombarded her with questions: "This car is so nice, is it his? These days, a lot of people rent cars from wedding companies to scam young girls. How did you two meet? What does he do? Why are you carrying so many things?"

Zhu Suosuo's voice was deliberately lighthearted: "Aunt, these are skincare products he gave you. They're from a big brand, very famous. Try them and I guarantee your skin will be white and tender."

My aunt laughed heartily: "Really? That must be very expensive!"

……

Yuyuan Road, Fuchun Xiaolongbao.

This is where Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun often meet for meals.

Zhu Suosuo called out, "Boss, two bowls of shepherd's purse wontons, one without scallions, and one serving of fried pork chop."

"okay!"

A short while later, Jiang Nansun rushed over.

Zhu Suosuo leaned forward and dangled the necklace around her neck in front of her eyes: "Look, isn't this jewelry beautiful?"

"It's so beautiful!" Jiang Nansun's eyes lit up.

"Lin Yuan gave it to me." "He's so nice to you, could it be that he's interested in you?"

"I hope so. He pretended to be my boyfriend in front of my aunt today, which finally shattered Luo Jiaming's fantasy. He was a bit rough, but roughness will help my little darling grow up."

Jiang Nansun asked worriedly, "Aren't you afraid your aunt will give you a hard time?"

"Don't worry, I'll move out once I have a job, then I won't have to worry about these things anymore."

Jiang Nansun sighed: "My dad called Zhang Anren home yesterday, saying he wanted to test him. The first thing he said was to sell the house so he could use the money to invest."

"What did Zhang Anren say?"

Jiang Nansun said firmly, "Of course we disagree! My dad has lost all our family fortune in the stock market over the years, and I've never seen him make a profit. My grandma doesn't care at all. She thinks it's her duty to spend money on her son, but she won't give her granddaughter a penny because giving her money is giving money to someone else."

Zhu Suosuo reached out and took her hand: "My dad will be back soon."

"I've come back to see you?"

"Why are you looking at me? What's so interesting about me?" Zhu Suosuo scoffed. "He's showing me his new wife."

Jiang Nansun hesitated, "Is this... a good thing?"

Zhu Suosuo smiled sweetly: "That's great. Of course I'll wish him happiness, joy, and that he finds true love."

Jiang Nansun smirked: "My dad's true love is money. Your dad is better than my dad."

"Then your mom is better than my mom."

The two women smiled and compared themselves to each other.

At this moment, the shop assistant brought over wontons and pork chops.

Zhu Suosuo pushed her bowl of wontons towards Jiang Nansun and picked up a golden pork chop: "Let's go see the night view of Lujiazui after we finish eating?"

"Okay."

……

The aroma of cream filled the tea restaurant.

Zhu Suosuo followed her uncle and aunt to the table, where she saw a striking woman sitting opposite Luo Jiaming. She had a healthy glow on her wheat-colored skin, well-defined features, naturally flowing black curly hair, and wore a colorful off-shoulder top with a bright smile.

"Hi, are you Sao Sao?" the woman spoke first.

Zhu Suosuo nodded politely, "Hello." Turning to Luo Jiaming, she asked half-jokingly, "Your new girlfriend?"

"This is your mother."

Zhu Suosuo was taken aback: "My mom?"

Before she could finish speaking, Zhu's father sat down opposite her, naturally put his arm around the woman's shoulder, and explained with a smile, "I haven't been back for over a year, and I got sick as soon as I got off the plane."

"Dad," Zhu Suosuo called softly.

"Hello, hello." Mr. Zhu patted the person next to him. "My daughter Suosuo, isn't she pretty? This is my girlfriend, Mayila. In a few days, she will be Mrs. Zhu. Mayila is not much older than you. Calling her 'Auntie' is a bit too old, and calling her 'Sister' would mess up the generations. Suosuo, just call her Mayila."

Zhu Suosuo raised her teacup: "Dad, I wish you find true love."

A group of people raised their glasses together, the glass clinking together with a series of crisp sounds.

Suddenly, Zhu's father took out a wad of cash from his bag and handed it to Zhu Suosuo's uncle. The uncle opened it and looked at it, and asked in surprise, "So much money? You've been giving him his monthly allowance."

Upon hearing this, my aunt couldn't help but smile.

“Next month is my honeymoon with Mayila, and I’m afraid I’ll forget, so I’m giving you a little extra this time. Here you go.” Zhu’s father pushed the money into his hand.

The uncle looked at Zhu Suosuo and said, "To be honest, since your daughter started dating, our family has often benefited from her relationship."

Auntie immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's right, I reminded Suosuo too. A man who's willing to spend money on you isn't necessarily sincere. Suosuo, if anything goes wrong, it's never too late to turn back. No matter what, Jiaming won't lie to you."

Zhu Suosuo didn't reply, but picked up the iced lemon tea in front of her and took a sip. Zhu's father also smiled and looked at Mayila, and the two of them tacitly remained silent.

Auntie turned to Mayila and asked warmly, "What's your name again?"

"Just call me Mayila."

"Mayila, where do you want to go for fun these next couple of days?"

Mayila blinked and said in slightly broken Chinese with a smile, "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou."

Auntie immediately exclaimed, "SuoSuo's boyfriend has a car, a Mercedes! Suosuo, ask him, if he really cares about you, he'll definitely drive there himself."

Mr. Zhu waved his hand: "We definitely have to go to Hangzhou, but Mayila and I have booked high-speed rail tickets, so we're going to take the high-speed rail." He then turned to his daughter, "But Suosuo, your boyfriend's father wants to meet him."

"Then... tomorrow?"

Although Lin Yuan was just pretending to be her boyfriend, Zhu Suosuo was too embarrassed to tell the truth in front of her aunt's family, and she didn't want her father to worry about her anymore.

Mr. Zhu readily agreed, "Sure, tomorrow."

……

At night, Shanghai is ablaze with lights, a dazzling spectacle.

Lin Yuan picked up Zhu Suosuo in his car, and they drove aimlessly through the night.

"looking for me?"

Zhu Suosuo said, "My dad came back this time to take wedding photos, and he'll be settling down abroad afterward. Could you pretend to be my boyfriend again tomorrow?"

Lin Yuan tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowed, and his tone carried a deliberate awkwardness: "But we're not really boyfriend and girlfriend. You don't have a boyfriend, so it's fine for me to act in front of your aunt and uncle, but going to see your father is a different matter."

"Just think of it as another act," Zhu Suosuo said urgently, her voice pleading. "At worst, we can just say we broke up later, right?"

She had readily agreed in front of her father, never expecting Lin Yuan to refuse.

Lin Yuan turned his head and looked at her face: "That won't do. I've never been in a relationship before. If I go with you to meet your father this time, even if it's fake, it will become real."

Zhu Suosuo's tone was direct and fierce: "Then you can just consider me your girlfriend."

Lin Yuan suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a smooth stop at the side of the road. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned closer, and gently lifted her chin with his fingertips, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "So, you're saying that anything a boyfriend can do, I can do too?"

Zhu Suosuo didn't dodge; she even secretly held her breath.

She originally wanted to become Lin Yuan's girlfriend, not to mention that her aunt had praised Lin Yuan to the point of "killing" her father, and she wanted to use Lin Yuan to regain face in front of her family.

Her eyelashes trembled, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Lin Yuan kissed Zhu Suosuo's full lips without any hesitation, with an irresistible force that made Zhu Suosuo feel as if her breath was being sucked away.

After a long while, Lin Yuan stepped back slightly, his fingertips tracing the corners of her reddened lips.

Zhu Suosuo, panting, gazed at him with eyes full of spring water.

Lin Yuan gently stroked the top of Zhu Suosuo's head with his palm.

After a while, Lin Yuan's phone suddenly rang, breaking the delicate silence inside the car.

Lin Yuan initially intended to hang up, but upon seeing the caller ID, he changed his mind. He swiped to answer and then pressed the speakerphone button.

"Hello, Lin Yuan." Jiang Nansun's voice came through the receiver, clear and familiar.

Zhu Suosuo stopped abruptly. Why would Nansun call at this time? And Lin Yuan actually answered?

"Nan Sun".

Hearing the cough, Jiang Nansun asked curiously, "What's that sound coming from your end?"

"My QQ notification popped up on my laptop."

"Oh." Jiang Nansun didn't take it to heart and went straight to the point, "I'm going to my aunt's house tomorrow, can you come with me?"

Daisy asked Jiang Nansun to oversee the renovation. Jiang Nansun couldn't refuse, but she was also reluctant to ask Zhang Anren to come along to check on the progress of the guesthouse's renovation. She knew Wang Yongzheng would definitely make sarcastic remarks, which would be like rubbing salt into Zhang Anren's wounds. But if she went alone, Wang Yongzheng would make fun of her in a cheeky way.

After thinking it over, I decided to invite Lin Yuan along.

If Wang Yongzheng makes fun of him, he should just ask Lin Yuan to help him respond.

Anyway, Lin Yuan is definitely much better at talking than Wang Yongzheng.

"Since you know what they're up to, why do you still insist on going?"

“I refuse to believe I can’t find a single fault with that Wang Yongzheng. Once I find it, I’ll have my aunt fire him.”

"You really care about Zhang Anren, don't you?" Lin Yuan joked. "Then what do you need me for? You don't mean for me to take action against Wang Yongzheng, do you?"

"You're so quick-witted, if he says anything rude, you can help me refute him."

"Then what's in it for me?"

"Didn't you want to meet my aunt? I'll definitely introduce you properly next time she comes back." Seeing Lin Yuan's silence on the other end of the phone, Jiang Nansun urged, "Just tell me quickly, are you going or not?"

Lin Yuan sighed softly, his voice slightly languid: "It's so hot, it's really making things difficult. When?"

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Nansun smiled and said softly, "How about 2 PM tomorrow?"

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs at your aunt's house then."

"And another thing, have you arranged work for Suo Suo yet?"

Zhu Suosuo had been too embarrassed to urge her, but when her best friend asked, she quietly raised her eyes.

"Don't worry, the job I arranged for Suo Suo will definitely earn more than your boyfriend's salary." Lin Yuan said casually, but his hand gently stroked Zhu Suo Suo's hair.

Zhu Suosuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and Jiang Nansun on the other end of the phone also felt relieved, but she still subconsciously retorted, "It's as if you know how much Zhang Anren earns every month."

"Then tell me, how much does he earn in a month?" Lin Yuan asked casually, wanting to chat with Jiang Nansun a little longer.

Jiang Nansun was immediately stunned. Coming from a wealthy family, she was not sensitive to money matters and had never asked Zhang Anren about his monthly salary. She could only vaguely say, "Anyway, it won't be less."

At this time.

Jiang Nansun suddenly heard Lin Yuan groan and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Lin Yuan said in a muffled voice. "That's all, I'm hanging up."

(End of this chapter)