Chapter 109: A Win-Win Situation

Cheng Yanchi pulled out his phone, scrolled through it briefly, and then tossed it in front of Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao picked up the phone, indifferent.

“What is it?”

A news report.

About He Yunqing.

Below the news was a video of He Yunqing addressing the rumors about his relationship.

Surrounded by numerous reporters, He Yunqing stood calmly and gracefully in the center. “Miss Jiang and I are just friends. The rumors circulating outside are completely unfounded.”

“Then why does that photo exist? And how did you two become friends?”

“I met Miss Jiang while filming ‘Piercing Heart.’ She is a friend of Miss Ye Yiyi and often came to the set. That photo was taken by someone spying on us while we were waiting for a mutual friend and has been maliciously misinterpreted. I want everyone to bear witness that all the rumors circulating online about Miss Jiang are false. Please stop this farce to avoid disturbing the lives of the people involved.”

“I would also like to apologize to Miss Jiang here. It was I who brought unnecessary trouble into your life.”

Below the news were countless comments from netizens.

“Is what He Yunqing said true? I just can’t believe it.”

“If they can meet up for dinner in the middle of the night, even if they’re not dating, they must be something more than friends.”

“She’s definitely the one at fault, not knowing how to behave, no self-respect.”

“Who doesn’t know about what happened back when she was in school…”

Jiang Yao read through the comments from top to bottom, then silently handed the phone back to Cheng Yanchi without saying a word.

“Yao, say something!” Cheng Yanchi urged anxiously.

“What is there to say?” Jiang Yao pouted. “Does it even matter now?”

Cheng Yanchi tapped the phone screen with his long fingers, as if wanting to poke the foreheads of those gossipmongers through the screen. “If anyone dares say a single word in front of me, I’ll stab them with a finger!”

Jiang Yao looked at Cheng Yanchi’s injured hand and took a deep breath. “Alright, let them talk if they want.”

She shifted the subject. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

Downstairs, in the upscale Western restaurant.

There weren’t many people.

A few sporadic customers passed by Jiang Yao and couldn’t help but glance at her a few extra times.

Cheng Yanchi raised his fist and grinned at one of them.

The person lost interest and walked away.

“Cheng Yanchi!” Jiang Yao pressed him down into the seat. “Even the village dogs don’t bare their teeth when fighting these days.”

Cheng Yanchi shot her a look, full of defiance. “It’s because you’re too easy to bully. These people are just infuriating.”

He opened the comment section again, fingers flying swiftly across the screen.

After arguing with countless keyboard warriors, he finally felt a bit better.

Jiang Yao knew well how skilled Cheng Yanchi was at firing back; few could survive a few rounds with him without getting infuriated.

“Yao, what do you want to eat?”

Jiang Yao had no appetite for food and drink today, so she shrugged. “Anything, same as you.”

Cheng Yanchi considered her preferences, placed the order, then resumed cursing.

“The biggest bastard is that He guy!” He slammed his fist on the table. “I should just go beat him up. Listen to what he says in that video! ‘Just friends,’ my foot!”

Mentioning He Yunqing, Cheng Yanchi’s anger flared to its peak.

If he hadn’t dragged Jiang Yao into this mess, she wouldn’t be suffering so much criticism now.

Jiang Yao felt no resentment toward He Yunqing.

She understood that He Yunqing said those things to protect her.

Given the current situation, distancing himself was best for both of them.

Besides, there was no chance they would be together anymore; whether He Yunqing spoke out or not, it made no difference.

Still, a sharp sting of bitterness ran through her heart.

“Enough, Cheng Yanchi,” Jiang Yao frowned, annoyed. “Stop fighting all the time. Your hand is still healing, not fully recovered.”

Cheng Yanchi grunted gloomily.

Soon, their food arrived.

The two ate in silence.

Just as they were about to leave, Cheng Yanchi suddenly called out, “Yao.”

“Hm?”

He thought for a moment. “I have a proposal. You can think about it.”

“What proposal?”

“What do you think of me?”

“Where did that come from out of nowhere?” Jiang Yao frowned in confusion.

“Just tell me what you think,” he urged.

Jiang Yao rested her cheek on her hand, somewhat dismissive. “You’re pretty good, just a bit sharp-tongued. Not many people could put up with you.”

“That’s exactly it!” Cheng Yanchi slammed the table.

“What is exactly?” she asked.

“Not many can tolerate me,” he explained. “My grandfather’s health hasn’t been good lately. The old man’s getting on in years and wants to see his children and grandchildren around, so he’s been pressuring me to find a girlfriend.”

Jiang Yao considered this seriously. “Honestly, you just speak harshly. With the Cheng family background, finding a girlfriend shouldn’t be difficult.”

Back then, it wasn’t difficult. Even with Cheng Yanchi’s sharp tongue, plenty of girls lined up wanting to have dinner with him.

“But you know I’ve never been interested in romance. It’s always trouble, confusion, and danger!” Cheng Yanchi counted off on his fingers. “Look at you now—how miserable.”

“You…” Jiang Yao glared at him.

Cheng Yanchi raised his eyebrows. “All my energy goes into eSports now, though I probably won’t be able to play in matches much anymore.”

Jiang Yao’s anger faded completely. She looked at his injured hand, her heart heavy with guilt.

Cheng Yanchi couldn’t compete now because of her.

“I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty,” Cheng Yanchi quickly added, “I mean, I don’t want to date anyone right now anyway. You just broke up too. My family’s pushing hard. So...”

He paused. “Why not... you be my girlfriend?”

“Cough, cough,” Jiang Yao almost choked on her juice. “What?”

“Don’t get me wrong—it’s fake, fake girlfriend,” Cheng Yanchi gestured for her to stay calm. “If we announce it officially, the rumors about you and He Yunqing will naturally die down a lot. I won’t get nagged by my family so much, and nothing else gets in the way. Isn’t this a win-win?”

Jiang Yao stared at Cheng Yanchi, mouth agape.

She couldn’t quite fathom how the man sitting across from her thought.

How could he suddenly come up with such a crazy idea?

The strangest part was—she almost wanted to agree to it.

After all, it did seem like a perfect solution for both of them...