The 88th melon
The next day, the guests left Jiang Family Manor early and went to school to complete the rest of the short film shooting.
After two days of continuous work and thanks to everyone's rapport, the short film was finally finished. Liu Mingqian left first as he needed to return to the studio to complete the editing and post-production of the short film.
Jiang Mingkai took advantage of the break to sit in the director's chair and look through Cui Yali's circle of friends.
He and Cui Yali had worked together before, so naturally he had each other's contact information. He didn't often check his Moments in the past, but when he opened it today, he suddenly realized -
Why does this photo of flowers posted by Cui Yali look familiar? They look quite similar to the ones in the flower garden at his estate!
This creative little dessert…how come it’s almost the same as the one I baked for him during Chinese New Year when something happened at home?
And this car... isn't it a limited edition? He remembered there were only three in the world, and one was in his garage!
Jiang Mingkai:!!!
Jiang Mingkai took a deep breath and felt a blockage in his chest, neither going up nor down.
On the other side, Director Yu was communicating with the guests. In addition to the part where the guests had previously fished in Qingchuan Village, this episode also included the public welfare film set and the Jiang family manor. There was enough material, and the guests could go home.
The guests were very happy and said goodbye to each other and the staff. At this time, they noticed Jiang Mingkai who was still sitting in the director's chair looking at his phone.
A few people came forward and saw Jiang Mingkai staring at Cui Yali's circle of friends, almost staring to death.
"I'm worried that Cui Yali is a liar and is just after your family's money!" Chen Xianzhi's sudden voice scared Jiang Mingkai.
Jiang Mingkai looked up and saw the guests standing in a circle around him. The scene was... a bit scary.
Zhou Zexu glanced at the photo of Cui Yali on Jiang Mingkai's phone. "Hmm, this sister looks like... a stepmother who can cheat a man out of all his money!"
Cui Yali in the circle of friends is sexy and beautiful, with a tall figure of 1.73 meters and a curvy figure. Not only men, but also women will blush and their hearts beat faster when they see her.
[Not only did she cheat all the men out of their money, I remember when Cui Yali and Kai Ge were partners, there were still a lot of CP fans?]
Lin Cha secretly glanced at Jiang Mingkai and chuckled. [After all, she's really quite flirtatious, but she doesn't look like someone who would stay quiet. Fans just kind of like this kind of taboo couple!]
Jiang Mingkai knew about this. He had even seen the video of the two of them trying to match each other up, edited by an up-loader. At the time, he thought it was just a joke from fans, but now he blushed for no reason.
"That's just what the outside world and the audience think of Cui Yali," Chen Xianzhi consoled Jiang Mingkai. "I've partnered with Cui Yali a few times when I was hosting a show. She's just a bit of a flirtatious girl with a rather shy personality. I think she's a nice girl, and there's nothing wrong with her."
"Of course I know that Sister Yali is a good person." Jiang Mingkai said.
Cui Yali debuted earlier than Jiang Mingkai, but she wasn't destined for leading roles. She played supporting roles that left a deep impression on the audience. When they worked together previously, Cui Yali also coached Jiang Mingkai in his acting.
Jiang Mingkai: "I just think... it's a bit strange that a colleague I used to work with suddenly became my mother."
Jiang Mingkai thought Jiang Mingrui was worried about his father being deceived, simply because he didn't know Cui Yali well and it was difficult to ask his father directly. But Jiang Mingkai had no such concerns. After all, he had gone home yesterday and would return to the manor tonight and ask his father during dinner.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Mingkai stood up, asked his assistant to start the car and prepared to go home.
As soon as the car door opened, Jiang Mingkai suddenly felt a bit crowded behind him and the air was suffocating. He turned around suddenly and saw that Chen Xianzhi and others were standing behind him!
Jiang Mingkai: ???
Jiang Mingkai asked suspiciously, "Isn't this recording over? You... aren't going home?"
It's time to get off work. At this time...shouldn't we all go back home and see our own mothers?
Lu Yanyan smiled and said, "Your manor has a horse farm! I haven't been there yet!"
Jiang Mingkai:?
Miss, you own the largest private horse farm in Hai City, and you still want to come to my house to ride horses?
Chen Xianzhi said sincerely, "I still remember your dinner last night so vividly! Especially that creamy clam soup! I want to try it again!"
Jiang Mingkai: ? ?
A famous host coveted my incredibly ordinary cream of clam chowder? Can't you get it at a restaurant?
Zhou Zexu stammered, "Brother Kai, I...I've been learning flower arrangement lately! I want to go to your flower garden and pick a few flowers to try!"
Jiang Mingkai: ???
Why are you picking flowers as a grown man?
Jiang Mingkai suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth, "You guys don't want to do this at all! You clearly want to come to my house to eat melons!"
The three of them laughed, their eyes sparkling.
Only Lin Cha walked towards his RV without looking back.
After work, I should just go home and lie in wait! Only a fool would go to a coworker's house to socialize with them! I have no work scheduled this week, so besides going to class at the company, I can just lie in wait for seven days!
【Perfect! 】
[I'm going to buy a bunch of snacks and takeout! I'm going to finish watching those TV shows I missed! I've also collected a ton of Green River novels, and I'm going to make time to pet the cats in the neighborhood...]
"Hey hey hey hey! Miss, what are you doing? Let me go!"
Lu Yanyan smiled and pulled Lin Cha to her side, and together they came to Jiang Mingkai, "I want to take this one too!"
Lin Cha's face was filled with sorrow, and she cried out in her heart: [I won't——!]
【I want a vacation!!!】
【I want to stay at home!!!】
In the evening, the golden sun sets in the west.
The Jiang family's flower fields were reflected under the gorgeous sunset clouds, and the warm yellow light made this lonely manor cozy.
A middle-aged man wearing simple pure cotton Chinese clothes was cutting and picking flowers in the flower garden.
When the guests came back, they saw this scene.
Lu Yanyan suddenly frowned. "Uncle Jiang is cutting flowers at this time. Could it be... that he is going to give it to Cui Yali?"
Jiang Mingkai's face changed slightly when he heard that. Then he heard Chen Xianzhi's voice, "It's not just flowers. Look, the things in the crisper on the garden chair should be fruits he just picked from the orchard, right?"
"So, he is going to give it to Cui Yali as a gift?" Zhou Zexu said in surprise.
Lu Yanyan's mouth twitched slightly, "It seems... yes."
Chen Xianzhi curled his lips. "The flowers are picked from the family garden, and the fruits are picked from their own orchard. It's strange that he can woo a girl like this! He's too stingy!"
Jiang Mingkai covered his face in despair.
After all, with the ransom bargaining incident last night, my father’s image as a stingy person in front of everyone has been deeply rooted in people’s minds.
——Of course he is indeed stingy.
Jiang Mingkai did not hesitate and took the initiative to step forward and ask about Cui Yali.
"Dad, I heard some news on the set today," Jiang Mingkai hesitated, "Are you pursuing a female celebrity in our circle?"
Jiang Jianye had already forgotten the joy of picking flowers. In front of his son, he was as bewildered as a child. "This, this... I didn't expect you to know so soon. I was thinking of telling you after it's done!"
Jiang Jianye stammered, "Kaikai, Daddy is old enough, he just wants to find a companion~"
Jiang Mingkai's tone was helpless. He was originally worried that his father would be deceived, but now that he knew who the woman was, to be honest, Jiang Mingkai was more worried that Cui Yali would be deceived.
【Actually, Brother Kai, there's really nothing to worry about.】
Lin Cha mingled among the guests, quietly serving as a backdrop. [This isn't the first time Jiang Jianye has pursued Cui Yali, and he's been rejected without exception. Today's date will likely be the same... These two are destined to be together.]
Lin Cha yawned tiredly again. [Hurry up and finish this! I want to go home!]
Jiang Jianye couldn't hear Lin Cha's thoughts and still looked at Jiang Mingkai eagerly, as if he wanted to get Jiang Mingkai's approval.
Lu Yanyan suddenly found it very interesting.
When young people are in love, parents always like to interfere. Who would have thought that as parents, if they want to have a relationship, they need their children's approval?
"Uncle, you won't be able to pursue Cui Yali like this!" Lu Yanyan blinked at Jiang Jianye, "I understand girls' minds best. I can help you!"
"Mr. Lu?" Jiang Mingkai was startled. "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing!" Lu Yanyan shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with Cui Kaili. Your father just wants to have a relationship. I'm just helping him out."
Lu Yanyan nudged Jiang Mingkai and said, "There are three bachelors in your Jiang family, and Tongtong is the only girl. There's nothing wrong with having a stepmother. It can increase the female population, right?"
Jiang Mingkai did not comment, but Jiang Jianye's face showed joy. It was obvious that he had been rejected by Cui Yali so many times that he also wanted to find a military advisor, so he nodded repeatedly.
"good!"
"but……"
A sly glint flashed across Lu Yanyan's eyes. "Since you've asked me for help, Uncle Jiang, you must listen to me!"
Jiang Jianye suddenly had a bad feeling, but in order to pursue Cui Kaili, he nodded.
"good!"
There were still two hours until Jiang Jianye and Cui Yali's date. Lu Yanyan didn't hesitate and immediately dragged Jiang Jianye to a luxury shopping mall in the heart of Haikou.
This is a shopping mall owned by the Lu family, and it is also the shopping mall with the most complete luxury goods in the center of Haikou. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and Lu Yanyan firmly believes that building oneself is the first step to pursuing a girl!
Cui Yali likes silver-gray suits, thinking they are brighter than black and not too heavy!
[Cuffs are a must, diamond-studded ones. Cui Yali thinks men who wear cufflinks are the sexiest!]
[The slicked-back hairstyle is something you might consider! I saw Cui Yali has quite a few in her TikTok favorites!]
With just a few words, Lu Yanyan figured out Cui Yali's aesthetic preferences from Lin Cha's mind, and then asked the stylist to match them. After several attempts, when Jiang Jianye came out of the locker room again, the originally old-fashioned and simple chairman of the Jiang Group suddenly became a bit modern and fashionable.
"Miss... so amazing!"
Zhou Zexu sighed on the side. After Jiang Jianye changed his clothes, he even felt that he was not the same Jiang Gelang he had seen before!
handsome!
How could such a handsome uncle fail in pursuing girls?
Chen Xianzhi also nodded in praise. With this level, she could even go to Paris to walk the runway!
Afterwards, Lu Yanyan took Jiang Jianye to the jewelry area to choose a gift for Cui Yali, and also asked her assistant to book a Michelin three-star restaurant.
The whole process was perfect, except when Jiang Jianye paid the bill and Lin Cha heard his heartbreaking sound.
"This suit costs 180,000? Is this robbery?"
"Three hundred thousand for cufflinks... a piece of gold this big doesn't even cost three hundred thousand!"
"The jade bracelet costs one million... one million..."
Jiang Jianye's face turned pale, his eyes rolled back, and he almost fainted.
He reasonably suspected that Lu Yanyan was trying to increase the sales of her shopping mall!
Is dating really worth spending so much?
Lu Yanyan looked at Jiang Jianye with a smile.
Of course, a normal date wouldn't cost that much. Just the styling and gifts wouldn't cost millions, but her main purpose was... to teach Jiang Jianye a lesson about being stingy!
As the president of Jiang Group, he earns more than a million a day, how can he be so stingy!
What girl likes a stingy man?
The styling is done, the gifts are prepared, and the time must be 15 minutes before the date.
The Michelin three-star restaurant that was booked was fully booked today, and there were only two guests, Jiang Jianye and Cui Yali.
——Of course, it was Jiang Jianye’s money that was spent, and the expense was not small.
Lu Yanyan had a good reason for this. "Cui Yali is a female celebrity, and this Michelin three-star restaurant doesn't have any private rooms. Of course Uncle Jiang wants to rent the whole place out! Isn't it okay for reporters to take pictures without renting the whole place out?"
After everything was ready, Jiang Jianye waited for Cui Yali to appear in the restaurant, while the other guests sat in the booths not far from them.
This location is blocked and there are green plants next to it, so it will not be discovered by others.
Five people huddled in a four-seater booth.
——And Jiang Mingkai.
Zhou Zexu glanced at Jiang Mingkai, a little speechless, "Brother Kai, didn't you say you didn't support Uncle Jiang's relationship? Why are you here too?"
Jiang Mingkai was silent for a while.
He originally did not support his father and Cui Yali, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that life could not stop for one person. After his father handed over the Jiang family to Jiang Mingrui, he was alone in the manor and became extremely depressed.
Jiang Mingkai still hopes that his father can be happy. Humans are social animals, and it is normal to have a need for love.
So...if I really want a stepmother, then let her be a stepmother!
The sound of wind chimes tinkled from the door, and the waiter led Cui Yali, who was wearing a classic little black dress, into the restaurant.
Candles lit up one after another, filling the air with dim light. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the high-rise building was the neon nightscape of the city. The endless stream of vehicles formed the veins of the city, flowing slowly in the blood.
Cui Yali walked up to Jiang Jianye, her back straight and her posture elegant. Although she was 39 years old, she had maintained herself well, and there was no sign of aging at the corners of her eyes.
Jiang Jianye immediately stood up and pulled out a chair for Cui Yali in a gentlemanly manner.
Cui Yali smiled gently, "Mr. Jiang has changed a lot today."
The two had dated a few times in the past, but their style was not the same as it is now.
Jiang Jianye did not hide it, "I have the guidance of an expert."
Violin music started playing, and the chef pushed a cart in front of the two of them, introducing tonight's dishes. The two listened attentively, and the atmosphere gradually became ambiguous.
The guests were hiding somewhere else. Seeing this, they were quite satisfied and gave Lu Yanyan a thumbs up.
"It's definitely stable this time!"
"Brother Kai, you have a stepmother!"
Jiang Jianye remembered Lu Yanyan's vigilance throughout the whole process and behaved very gentlemanly, without showing any sign of being stingy.
At the end of dinner, when the chef was about to serve dessert, Jiang Jianye finally took out his gift.
——He took out the gift with extreme pain, but he didn’t show it at all.
When Jiang Jianye pushed the jade bracelet in front of Cui Yali, his heart was broken. But when he saw Cui Yali's eyes showing a hint of joy, he felt happy again.
Cui Yali stared at the jade in a daze, stroking the emerald green bracelet with her slender fingers.
After a moment, her eyes gleamed with a touch of emotion, and she said softly, "Mr. Jiang, thank you for your expense."
Jiang Jianye smiled with a pained yet forced smile, "As long as you like it."
"I like it very much." Cui Yali said sincerely, "This is the first time I've officially dated a man in my life, and it's also the first time I've received such a serious gift."
Jiang Jianye was stunned, "You've never dated a man before?"
Cui Yali gracefully closed the box containing the jadeite and shook her head, "I've never been in love."
Never talked about it?
This time, not only Jiang Jianye, but even the guests who were eavesdropping on the side were shocked.
They used to think that Cui Yali, such a sexy and beautiful big sister, might have at least three or five ex-boyfriends, even if the number of ex-boyfriends was not as terrifying as Wen Wanning!
We never talked about it once?
"Is it fake?"
Chen Xianzhi frowned and said, I always feel that it is unlikely.
It’s true!
Lin Cha drank lemon tea leisurely, his eyes falling on Cui Yali standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.
[Cui Yali is indeed single. Anyway, I haven't found any dating records of her!]
[It's quite rare to see a beautiful 39-year-old woman who has been single since birth!]
The guests looked at Cui Yali in disbelief.
Then they showed joy again.
If Cui Yali has really never been in a relationship, Jiang Jianye should be almost certain to win her over after all these preparations, right?
Jiang Mingkai’s stepmother is indeed stable!
Cui Yali placed her fingers on the jade gift box and tapped it twice. Finally, she pushed the jade gift box in front of Jiang Jianye.
"Mr. Jiang, I'm sorry, this gift is too expensive. I can't accept it."
"The reason I accepted your invitation today is because I wanted to make it clear to you."
"You're nice, but we're not a good match."
"Why?" Jiang Jianye was stunned. "Aren't you very satisfied with your date tonight? Why is it still not working? What's wrong? You can tell me! !"
Cui Yali shook her head.
The guests not far away were also confused.
Especially Lu Yanyan, she clearly felt that Cui Yali also had some feelings for Jiang Jianye, but why did she reject Jiang Jianye?
Could it be that Cui Yali... likes younger guys?
Or... is she a lesbian?
Otherwise why?
Lu Yanyan immediately looked at Lin Cha, thinking that she could get the answer from Lin Cha, but before she could open her mouth to guide him, Cui Yali's phone suddenly rang.
She picked it up and looked at it, her face suddenly changed.
"Yali, what's wrong with you?" Jiang Jianye asked.
Cui Yali suddenly looked flustered and hurriedly picked up her handbag, but because of her nervousness, some of the powder and lipstick inside fell out.
"Sorry, Mr. Jiang, I have something urgent at home, I have to leave first!"
After saying that, she didn't even bother to pick up the powder and lipstick on the ground and hurriedly left the scene.
"Yali! Yali!"
Jiang Jianye hurried to catch up, but Cui Yali moved very quickly. Jiang Jianye chased her to the elevator entrance, but ultimately failed to catch up with Cui Yali.
The remaining guests looked bewildered.
What happened?
"Hurry up and check your phones! Weibo is trending!"
Zhou Zexu exclaimed, and everyone turned on their phones.
Suddenly, several hot searches with the word "explosive" appeared on Weibo, and all the "explosive" entries were related to Cui Yali.
"A popular female star abandons her father and son to hook up with the richest man in Hai City!"
The photo under the title is a photo of Cui Yali and Jiang Jianye on a date!!!
The guests immediately clicked on the entry, and a live broadcast Weibo popped up.
Inside the livestream, the man looked haggard and his clothes were tattered. He sat in front of the camera, next to him was a cradle containing a baby boy, no more than three years old.
"This is my and Yali's child, he's three years old," the man said, pulling out a photo of the child and Cui Yali. In the photo, Cui Yali was holding a baby-sized boy, smiling brightly.
The man put down the photo, looking lonely. "Yali and I have been together for five years, and she rarely comes home. I don't know what she is busy with."
"I always thought that as long as I took good care of my family and my children, everything would be fine. I also believed that Yali loved us father and son... But until I saw these photos..."
The man angrily took out a stack of photos, all of which were photos of Jiang Jianye and Cui Yali when they were dating in the past.
He looked towards the camera, his voice growing more agitated. "Yali, I know that man is richer and more capable than me... But, do you really not want us anymore? Don't you want me and the child anymore?"
"Come home, okay? Yali, come home! The kids and I are waiting for you at home!"
After the live broadcast was exposed, the Internet was in an uproar, and netizens spoke out to criticize Cui Yali.
[Cui Yali is so disgusting, abandoning her father who has lived with her through thick and thin to hook up with a wealthy man!]
[This woman looks like a flirtatious bitch, but she seems like a quiet woman. She must have made a name for herself in the entertainment industry, and now she can't stand her husband anymore, so she's hooking up with some big shot!]
[This guy is the chairman of our company. Our company is a Fortune 500 company and one of the top five in Shanghai! He's just incredibly wealthy!]
[So she was cheating on her husband and seducing the boss! What a slut!]
[This woman looks restless. She even hooked up with my brother on set! Get out of the entertainment industry now!]
[Yes! Cui Yali, get out of the entertainment industry!]
Cui Yali's agent came to the restaurant to pick up Cui Yali immediately after the incident. The two left through the side door of the mall, avoiding the reporters who came to interview them.
After returning to the villa, Cui Yali sat weakly on the sofa, her head buried in her arms, her face looking haggard.
The sound of the agent's phone call kept coming to my ears.
"Don't respond to anything now! Hang up all the reporters' calls! Wait until I discuss this with Yali!"
"How can this be true? Our Yali is not that kind of person! Someone must be playing tricks on us!"
"Don't worry, we will give you an explanation within 24 hours!"
The agent hung up the phone, returned to the living room, and drank some water. His lips were pale and his throat was dry, but after drinking the water, he felt much better.
"Tell me, what's going on?"
The agent looked at Cui Yali with a frown, "Aren't you single? Where did your husband and child come from? These are all rumors, right? They can't be true, right?"
Cui Yali grabbed her hair and raised her head in confusion.
Her face no longer had the elegance it once had, and her eyes had become dejected and empty.
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
“It’s not all just a rumor.”
"That child is mine."
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