Chapter 416: Pseudo Democracy

Pseudo Democracy

It had been a while since Yang Chen last came to the public relations department. Yang Chen was surrounded by a group of ladies dressed in various colors. The place reeked of perfume, which to some was suffocating, but to Yang Chen it felt nostalgic.

“Little Yang, do you think you are so impressive now that you are a director, you don’t even have to pay your sisters a visit?” one of the ladies said.

Yang Chen smiled awkwardly. “Chinese New Year took place not long ago. I felt that everyone must be really busy. I have been missing all of you beauties all this time.”

“How glib-tongued. I heard you got a vixen-like secretary. Who knows all the naughty stuff you have been up to,” Zhang Cai who was chewing on a cream biscuit said.

Yang Chen was shocked. How do the people in headquarters know about An Xin? Even outsiders think she’s a vixen. Is it because women are able to read other women well, or An Xin has always been so eye-catching? he thought.

“Don’t accuse him of doing such things. He might very well be her official boyfriend,” Zhao Hongyan said as he looked at Yang Chen strangely.

“How is he her boyfriend? He told us he was married,” Zhang Cai said.

“You should focus on eating your biscuits. Don’t be a busy body.” Zhao Hongyan poked Zhang Cai’s round cheek.

Yang Chen had a vague feeling that they were keeping tabs on him, but he was too embarrassed to ask them.

When he walked into Liu Mingyu’s office, she was at her desk using the computer.

She was dressed in a moon-white uniform while her neck purple scarf wrapped around it. Her long, black hair was held up, and her bright cheeks appeared particularly white. The aura of a mature woman had strengthened compared to when Yang Chen first met her.

What surprised Yang Chen the most, was the black-framed spectacles she was wearing. She was diagnosed with short-sightedness some time ago, but she was too lazy to put on contact lenses in her own office, so instead she had on a pair of normal glasses.

Liu Mingyu looked like an intellectual with the spectacles on, much like a professor giving a lecture in a university, which caused a fire to start burning in Yang Chen’s eyes as he thought of naughty things .

Liu Mingyu smiled when she saw who had entered. She wanted to remove her spectacles, but was stopped by him.

“Eh, don’t remove them!” Yang Chen said with a smile.

Confused, Liu Mingyu blinked her eyes as she gazed upon Yang Chen, before putting down her arm.

Yang Chen walked toward Liu Mingyu and carefully examined her with his head slightly slanted, causing her to blush lightly. Smiling, he said, “Babe Mingyu, from who have you learnt to look like a spectacles girl?”

Yang Chen felt sad when she did that. There was nothing he could do about it since Liu Mingyu was so shy. No matter how alluring she looked with spectacles on, he felt that they were not yet at a point where he could demand what clothes she wears.

Liu Mingyu tapped on the desk and ordered Yang Chen, “Stop wandering around in my office. Sit opposite me.”

Yang Chen smiled bitterly. “We haven’t gotten intimate for so long and you don’t feel the need to flirt with me. Your request for me to sit away from you makes me even more sad.”

“Don’t try to make me feel guilty. I told you I wasn’t a little girl anymore. Having passed that phase of my life, I don’t have the time to spare to flirt with you.” Liu Mingyu rolled her eyes. “I have something serious to discuss with you.”

Yang Chen walked to the water dispenser and poured a glass of water before slowly sitting on the chair opposite Liu Mingyu. Taking a sip of the water, he asked, “What is it?”

Liu Mingyu looked slightly agitated at what she was about to say next. “My parents want to see you.”

“Pfft!”

Yang Chen spat out the water he had in his mouth. Dissatisfied, Liu Mingyu pouted her mouth into a frown. “Is this really something that you should be laughing at?”

Yang Chen waved his hand and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Does your parents even know of our relationship at all?”

Slowly and softly, Liu Mingyu said, “Naturally, I haven’t told them that I was in a relationship with a man who shags like rabbits. I just told them we were in a relationship, but only informed them this late because I was too busy.”

“So Uncle and Aunt want to see me?” Yang Chen more or less understood the situation.

“Can they?” Liu Mingyu asked nervously as she felt rather afraid.

Puzzled, Yang Chen asked, “Why can’t they see me? They’re your parents, while all i’ve done is stole their daughter. It is only normal for them to get to know me. We have to ask the owner when we want to borrow something, so how can I not ask the parents when I’ve caught a woman?”

“You’re making it sound really horrible. Nobody is snatching anybody here. Why can’t you articulate properly?” Liu Mingyu blushed, but was evidently elated. IShe heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Yang Chen’s acceptance.

Soon, Liu Mingyu seemed to have thought of something. Troubled, she asked, “But what if they want us to get married? You… you are already married…”

Yang Chen looked into her eyes. Smiling, he asked, “Are you willing to marry me?”

Liu Mingyu was stunned for a while. Having contemplated the question, she shook her head as she answered, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t willing to. But I know for a fact that you would not want me as your bride. In your heart, I may not even rival Qianni, let alone your unknown wife and the girl An Xin. Actually, I only chose to get together with you mainly because I needed a person to rely on. Of course, I really like you, love you. But… also because of that, all I want now is to stay beside you and keep things status quo. I’m beginning to contemplate things like marriage less and less…”

“Stupid Woman, stop being absurd. I’m not biased as you described. I’ll take care of this. Arrange a time with Uncle and Aunt since they want to see me. However, I’ll only be free some time later from now,” Yang Chen said.

The two then got into silence. Liu Mingyu was thinking about something while Yang Chen was trying to think of a way to meet her parents.

Suddenly, Liu Mingyu said, “Hongyan found out and you and me.”

“Hmm?” Yang Chen wasn’t able to understand what she said.

“I said Hongyan found out that I was your lover. She came to my office to ask me about it two days ago, to which I’ve confessed to. The kid was rather interesting. She advised me to not give up my life-long happiness for a short-term relationship. Does this make any sense to you?” Liu Mingyu asked as she held back her laughter.

Yang Chen slapped his forehead. Back in Japan, he had a feeling that Zhao Hongyan had discovered his relationship with Liu Mingyu. She was in the same room with her after all. When such a huge disturbance took place that night, she must’ve noticed the absence of Liu Mingyu in her room.

Women are often much more acute when it came to topics like this. Zhao Hongyan must’ve went poking around to have uncovered this.

“Yes, she’s right. There really isn’t any reason to follow me when you could have a man which treats you the way you deserve to be treated. However, you have given up that choice. Getting together with me is the same as entering a dead end. You shall walk in the dark until the end,” Yang Chen said confidently.

Liu Minyu rolled her eyes. “I knew you would say such a thing as a bully. You sound democratic and righteous, but you’re in fact more selfish than everyone else.”

Yang Chen rubbed his nose to cover his awkwardness and let out a smile.

“Oh yeah, I have a colleague gathering tonight. Do you want to come along?” Liu Mingyu asked with high expectations.

Yang Chen asked, “Is it the public relations department?”

“Not all of them. I discussed with Qianni two days ago to organize an association between the finance and public relations departments. There are many competent guys with bright futures in the finance department, who will suit a lot of our ladies,” Liu Mingyu said with the smile of a busybody.

There wasn’t a doubt in Yang Chen’s mind that they were trying to play the role of cupid. But Yang Chen didn’t expect Liu Mingyu to have gotten this close with Mo Qianni, so close that they had started organizing activities together.

When he was reminded that Mo Qianni had moved to stay together with Rose, he then found out these three women of his were actually, in some way, connected, and were building a deeper connection each day.

Yang Chen was considering if he should invite An Xin over as well, to allow the four women play Mahjong together.

“You must be thinking something ridiculous for you to have held that smile for so long. Your jaw looks like its about to fall off,” Liu Mingyu said. Dissatisfied, she asked again, “So are you coming or not?”

“I won’t make things awkward… if I go right?” Yang Chen asked as he felt slightly worried.

Liu Mingyu burst into laughter. “Do you think Qianni and I are young girls who would easily get jealous? We’ll have fun ourselves. We only asked you to tag along since you used to be one of us. Otherwise, humph, don’t think you’re any impressive just because you’ve become the director of the new company. We still won’t entertain you in that case.”

Yang Chen nodded his head generously. “Since that’s the case, I have to go then. I’m not someone who would forget his roots.”

After he finished speaking, he made a phone call home to tell Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma that he wouldn’t return home for dinner.

He then contemplated on whether he should call Lin Ruoxi or not. It was the most basic form of respect between a married couple. Since he remembered his mother, he had to remember his wife as well, didn’t he?

He finally decided to call her. The call was quickly connected, with Lin Ruoxi’s voice coming from the phone, “What do you want?”

Yang Chen had long gotten used to the way she spoke, so he didn’t mind it too much. “Are you busy now? It actually isn’t something important. I’m just telling you I won’t be having dinner at home tonight.”

Lin Ruoxi remained quiet for a while. She then asked, “What will you be doing?”

Yang Chen was astonished. Is she concerned about what I’ll do later?! She’s never asked anything like that in the past, even when I was abroad for a while, he thought.

“Should I be surprised that you’re interested in what I do?”

“You call me out of respect. I respect you as well, so I’m asking you what you’re doing later. It’s fine if you don’t want to say.” Lin Ruoxi had the urge to end the call after saying this.

“I’ll tell you.” Yang Chen smiled bitterly. He seemed to have stepped on the softest part of Lin Ruoxi’s heart and made her shy. “It’s a gathering for the finance and public relations departments. I was invited to go as well.”

Lin Ruoxi asked, “Is it organized by Qianni and Liu Mingyu?”

“Erm… Yeah, is there a problem with that?”

Lin Ruoxi replied, “I’ll go as well.”

Bash!

Yang Chen lost grip on his smartphone, causing it to instantly fall to the ground!

You won't believe what happens next! Click here!