Sitting in Ou Yunchen’s passenger seat, Zhou Man was full of laughter the entire way.
The thought of Yan Shizong’s embarrassed expression made both of them find it incredibly amusing.
As the car slowly came to a stop, the two inside grew a bit reserved.
Zhou Man: “Thank you for driving me. I ruined your dinner today…”
Ou Yunchen: “As long as you’re alright.”
Zhou Man: “Well, I’ll be going then, Mr. Ou.”
Ou Yunchen nodded. Just as Zhou Man was about to open the car door…
Ou Yunchen: “Wait a moment.”
Zhou Man’s heart skipped a beat. Just for Ou Yunchen’s timely rescue at the hotel earlier, she felt like she was falling for him all over again.
Ou Yunchen’s proximity made Zhou Man feel a wave of heat wash over her. She could usually sense a man’s intentions towards her, but this time, it seemed to be off.
Ou Yunchen picked up the bottle of wine, worth over a hundred thousand, and handed it to Zhou Man.
Ou Yunchen: “Here, take this back with you.”
Zhou Man stared in surprise.
Ou Yunchen: “Yan Shizong compensated you with this. Take it.”
Zhou Man smiled; she had overthought things.
After she got out of the car and waved goodbye to Ou Yunchen, as if just realizing something, she immediately called out, “Wait a moment.”
Ou Yunchen, who was about to turn around, stopped and rolled down his window, looking at Zhou Man with his head tilted.
Ou Yunchen: “What is it?”
Zhou Man held up the bottle of wine and shook it.
Zhou Man: “Let’s drink it together.”
Who could refuse an invitation from a beautiful woman? Ou Yunchen inexplicably nodded.
Zhou Man: “Wait for me for a moment. I’ll change my clothes and take you somewhere.”
Ou Yunchen had thought Zhou Man was inviting him to her place for a drink, which would surely accelerate their relationship.
But unfortunately, Ou Yunchen didn't want any substantial involvement with this famous actress. Merely some sensational gossip would be enough to keep her trending on the hot search list.
After a while, Zhou Man reappeared in casual clothes, her collar’s hood pulled up high enough to obscure her face.
Ou Yunchen: “Where are we going?”
Zhou Man: “Wanghai Snack Street.”
Ou Yunchen looked at Zhou Man’s attire. She was dressed well enough to avoid public attention. No one would recognize her as the star under the spotlight. Without makeup, Zhou Man was just a beautiful woman in her thirties.
Ou Yunchen: “Are you sure?”
Zhou Man: “I used to come here often. Don’t worry, it’s very clean.”
Ou Yunchen could only nod. He couldn’t imagine how a boss worth hundreds of millions and a popular actress would drink a bottle of wine worth a hundred thousand at such a roadside stall.
However, he was more curious as to how Zhou Man could lower herself to eat at a place like that.
Watching Zhou Man expertly order various skewers without even looking at the menu, Ou Yunchen finally believed that Zhou Man was indeed a frequent visitor.
Zhou Man’s actions were not strange; only Ou Yunchen, dressed in a suit, with polished leather shoes, and sporting a luxury car and watch, seemed out of place.
Zhou Man shouted to the busy waiter, “We need two paper cups over here!”
Waiter: “Alright, just a moment.”
Along with the paper cups, the waiter brought a plate of spiced peanuts and edamame.
Fortunately, the roadside stall owner had a military knife hanging from his belt, which included a corkscrew for opening wine bottles.
The owner struggled for a long time, then Ou Yunchen took over and twisted for a while, finally managing to pull out the cork.
Wine with paper cups, accompanied by peanuts and edamame, even the clinking of glasses felt much more down-to-earth.
Zhou Man: “Drink up, we have a designated driver.”
Ou Yunchen chuckled, amused by this unique side of the movie star.
Ou Yunchen: “How did you know about this place?”
Zhou Man drank another full cup of the expensive wine as if it were beer, and offered Ou Yunchen a grilled kidney skewer.
Zhou Man: “Try it, I ordered it especially for you.”
Zhou Man: “I used to come here a lot when I was studying, not to eat, but to work.”
Ou Yunchen: “You were studying at the Film Academy, and you worked this far away?”
Zhou Man: “There’s a technical college nearby. I was studying there.”
Ou Yunchen: “You weren’t at the Film Academy?”
Zhou Man glanced at Ou Yunchen and then smiled helplessly.
The personal information about Zhou Man online indeed stated she graduated from the Film Academy, but her actual educational background was from an ordinary technical college…
That would all start from when Zhou Man first met Yan Shizong.