Chapter 93: Story and Girlfriend

  The crimson wine and exquisite French cuisine were nothing special for Chu Jingyan except for a single sip.

  Put down the knife and fork, Chu Jingyan took a sip of wine and said to Han Xiaoju: "My original intention was to take you to taste authentic Chinese food, but the Chinese restaurant here only provides Cantonese cuisine. I had it last time, although it's authentic, but it's not particularly delicious. If there is an opportunity, I would like to take you to try Sichuan cuisine."

  "Sichuan cuisine?"

  Chu Jing explained with a smile: "It's a Chinese cuisine, characterized by spiciness, unfortunately not many people around me like to eat it."

  "I like spicy dishes." Han Hyo-joo smiled brightly at Cho Jeong-yeon, "But how can Director Cho be so confident that I'll have a second date with you?"

  Chu Jing put down his wine cup and said, "You asked this question, which means there will be a next time."

  "Why didn't Mr. Chu use honorifics?" Han Hyo-joo asked further.

  "Honorifics, how troublesome." Chu Jingyan smiled shamelessly, "Didn't we just get closer earlier? In an equal relationship, using honorifics is too distant, don't you think?"

  Han Xiaoju found herself often at a loss for words when talking to Chu Jingyan, and she wasn't the kind of person who was bad at speaking or couldn't let go.

  What's going on tonight?

  Han Hyo-joo said with a hint of sarcasm: "Mr. Chu is indeed eloquent, are all Chinese men like you?"

  "What kind?"

  Han Hyo-joo thought for a moment and then said, "It's all like this, talking about it makes me feel like my heart is clogged up and I get annoyed for no reason."

  This isn't exactly a good review, Chu Jingyan thought to herself.

  "I grew up in the United States from a young age, hanging out in Chinatown neighborhoods since I can remember. As I got a bit older, for some reason or another, I ended up in Korea. If it's true that one's environment shapes their personality, then I don't think I qualify as a typical Chinese man."

  Hearing Chu Jingyan's explanation, Han Xiaoju became curious and asked: "Did you follow your parents to immigrate from a young age?"

  "No." Chu Jing shook his head, "To be strict, I don't have parents."

  Han Hyo-joo found herself saying something wrong and apologized, "I'm sorry."

  "It's nothing." Chu Jingyan was not affected by this at all, "So I've always been puzzled that many people tend to magnify individual behavior. For example, if a Chinese person does something wrong in a place, they will say that Chinese people are of poor quality. On the contrary, when someone achieves corresponding success, they will say that Chinese people are really powerful."

  "It sounds strange, but I'm just making an analogy." Chuying added.

  "This is the first time I've heard this metaphor."

  Chu Jingyan smiled and said, "You will hear a lot more later."

  Han Xiaoju put down her knife and fork, looked up at Chu Jingyan, who responded with a face full of innocence and adorableness, an expression that seemed to say "Why aren't you eating? If you don't eat soon, it'll get cold."

  Han Xiaoju sighed and said: "Mr. Chu, why do I always feel that I will have more dealings with you in the future?"

  "It feels like being stared at, very uncomfortable."

  Then Han Hyo-joo finally asked the doubts hidden in her heart: "Mr. Chu, what do you really want to do?"

  Chu Jing wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled, "I thought you could hold out for one night without asking this question, and then bring it up on the next date."

  "If you don't tell me today, even if you are the director of C&O, I won't have any further contact with you, even if I'm about to go into the final round of interviews for a new play at your company."

  The little girl is young but has a big temper.

  These days kids are all like Zheng Xiuyan, can't they be gentle for once?

  Han Xiaoju also had some misgivings in her heart. Although she seemed calm on the surface, Chu Jingyan was a powerful figure in a rising production company. Even if she didn't have to flatter him, she should still show respect, so why did she say something like that out of nowhere?

  It's all because of Zhu Jingyan.

  A dignified director doesn't have the demeanor of a director, being so approachable and cheap, always causing others' emotions to lose control unintentionally. I'm a lady, you know? The reports written about me are all true, aren't they, Haewon Cho?

  So Lady Han Hyo-joo completely lost her thinking ability when she told Cho Jin-yeon what she really wanted to do.

  The only question left in his mind was: Is this person really mentally ill?

  Chu Jingyan's expression turned innocent and harmless again, with a hint of shyness, as she spoke softly like a young girl in love, her lips slightly parted, asking hesitantly.

  "Hey, Miss Han, do you think there's any possibility of me being your boyfriend?"

  Han Hyo-joo's brain short-circuited.

  He doesn't play by the rules, this guy doesn't play by the rules. Is this a confession? Can this even be considered a confession? If this is a confession and it succeeds, then the woman who agrees must be blind.

  Is this relationship still negotiable?

  Do you think this is a vegetable market where you can haggle over prices?

  When Han Hyo-joo came to her senses, she found that Chu Jingyan was waving his right hand in front of her eyes. After Han Hyo-joo blinked a few times, Chu Jingyan laughed and said: "I'm scared to death, I thought you were out of power."

  Han Hyo-joo felt a bit tired tonight.

  It's really time for a recharge, she felt like she had been played by Chu Jingyan.

  Han Hyo-joo smiled wryly and said, "Director Chu is indeed humorous."

  "Do you think I'm funny? I think so too." Chu Jingyan smiled and nodded in agreement to Han Xiaoju's response, then began to cut the meat with her head down.

  "After I invited you, you had a whole week to figure out what kind of person I am. I think you also tried your best to understand me, maybe through an agent or maybe through the company."

  Chu Jingyan's voice gradually became calm, and after losing that frivolousness, it actually calmed down Han Xiaozhu's heart.

  Stuffing a piece of meat into his mouth, Chu Jingyan continued to say: "That night, something happened in the store, it was also the reason why you left so late, do you know what happened?"

  Han Hyo-joo replied: "I heard it was a surprise inspection."

  "There was indeed an examination, but it's because I got stabbed. Chu Jingyan pointed to his abdomen and smiled, 'I still have a band-aid on until now.'"

  Han Hyo-joo didn't say anything.

  "Before this, I didn't know what message you got, but I was indeed living under some pressure. Well, how to put it, most of it was because of myself."

  "So my private life was as clean as what's been said outside because at that time I didn't have the mind to think about anything else."

  "All I can think about is how to make a foothold here, how to make money, and how to make my competitors lose so that I win."

  "Because winning is the capital to continue living here."

  "I am Chinese, but I have no ties and no memories there. I've lived in the US for a long time, and the only thing left is a small attic room given to me by the owner of a Sichuan restaurant in Chinatown who took pity on me."

  "All these things make me clearly know what my goal is."

  "What is it?" Han Hyo-joo asked.

  Chu Jingyun raised his head and looked at Han Xiaoju for a moment before saying, "To live better than before."

  "What's next?" Han Hyo-joo asked further.

  "It's possible that I'm just luckier than others in some ways, or maybe I'm actually really capable. In any case, my life is indeed going well now." Chu Jingyan said with a smile, "At the very least, I can sit here and enjoy a meal that others might not be able to afford even with a month's salary."

  "This situation has been going on for a long time. There are some things that I don't want to say to you now because of our current relationship, but it's precisely those things that have led me to start questioning something."

  Chu Jingyan looked at Han Xiaozhu and said seriously: "That's why I always feel very weak."

  "Feeble?" Han Hyo-joo furrowed her brow.

  "To put it roughly, I'm not very clear about what's going on, but according to the doctor, I have some emotional and psychological defects, although they're not considered illnesses, they make me look a bit gloomy."

  "So you deliberately said those seemingly stupid words just to cover this up?"

  Chu Jing said with a puzzled face: "No, those were my innermost thoughts."

  Han Hyo-joo thought she had spoken nonsense again.

  Since Han Xiaoju didn't have any issues, Chu Jingyan continued: "So one day I started thinking, if I had a girlfriend, wouldn't life be different? At least, my girlfriend would have to satisfy me, and I would have to satisfy her too, in all aspects."

  Han Xiaoju said: "Logically speaking, Chu should not be short of women."

  "What I lack is not a woman, but a girlfriend." Chu Jingyan said, "She should be able to understand me, comfort me, and most importantly, truly like me, even love me."

  Han Hyo-joo fell silent for a moment before asking, "How did you know I was that person?"

  "I'm not sure." Chu Jingyan shook his head and said, "But existence is reasonable. Love at first sight, the infatuation is with appearance. As for other things, even if it's an occasional extravagance, I'd like to try and see if it's possible to meet the right person once."

  "I've never had good luck in this life, so I wonder if heaven will make my peach blossom luck stronger?"

  The atmosphere between the two fell into silence.

  After a long time, Han Xiaoju pursed her lips and looked at Chu Jingyan: "It seems that you have had a very hard time these years."

  "But I want to say that no matter how hard you've had it, it has nothing to do with me. If you think this can move women, maybe it really works for others."

  "But I'm an exception." Han Hyo-joo sighed and said, "Because I know my goal, as you said, to work hard for the goal, apart from putting in effort, I must also cut off all relationships with men."

  Chu Jing spoke quietly and listened quietly.

  "This was what I thought before, and it's indeed being implemented." Han Xiaoju suddenly revealed a smile, looking at Chu Jingyan softly saying, "I didn't feel sad about your story, instead, I became curious about your life."

  "A female performer's curiosity about a man's life is not a good omen."

  "But I think if you can tell me willingly, maybe I really should be your girlfriend for once."

  Chu Jing's eyes suddenly burst forth with colors she had never seen before.

  Han Hyo-joo downed a glass of red wine in one gulp and let out a sigh, saying: "Although there's still much to be said, I'll grant your request for now."

  Han Hyo-joo looked at Chu Jingyan and said word by word.

  "Your girlfriend."

  "I did."

  The emotional story of Pig's Foot can finally become more exciting. Well, the more the better, the more the better.