Chapter 64: Let's Talk

"What a coincidence. I didn't expect to see Miss Liu Mingyu here, having lunch with a man," the woman said with a playful glint in her eye as she glanced at the two of them and smiled.

Liu Mingyu felt a bit awkward but then stood up with a radiant smile. "Miss Wang, you're here too, and with two gentlemen accompanying you."

"They're just my assistants. We just finished a meeting at a nearby company, so we decided to grab lunch together. By the way, how should I address Miss Liu's boyfriend?"

Yang Chen reluctantly put down his chopsticks and smiled. "My surname is Yang. Yang Chen."

"Wang Yue, nice to meet you." Wang Yue extended her hand with a confident smile.

After a brief handshake with Wang Yue, Yang Chen resumed eating.

Wang Yue gave him a disdainful look and sneered. "I wonder what the relationship is between Miss Liu and Mr. Yang. Could it be that Mr. Yang is Miss Liu's new 'right-hand man'?"

Liu Mingyu smiled charmingly, not backing down at all. "Yang Chen is just a colleague. We're out here doing some work. Speaking of 'right-hand men,' Miss Wang's two assistants here seem quite capable, tall, and strong. They must be very satisfactory for Miss Wang."

The tension between the two women was palpable, their sharp glances making the air feel several degrees colder to Yang Chen, who continued eating.

"Miss Liu, you're too kind. I see Mr. Yang eating so heartily. He must be very strong and puts in a lot of effort for Miss Liu. By the way, Mr. Yang, are you so hungry because you've expended a lot of energy?" Wang Yue put on a mock surprise expression. "It seems Miss Liu requires Mr. Yang to do a lot."

"No matter how much one person can eat, they can't match the strength of two people. Besides, two people can accomplish things that one person can't. Don't you agree, Miss Wang?" Liu Mingyu retorted without hesitation.

Why are you dragging me into your spat? A woman being this shameless in broad daylight—what a tough world. Yang Chen silently complained, feeling conflicted about this woman who had suddenly appeared.

"Miss Wang, forgive my straightforwardness, but you really resemble an actress I like," Yang Chen said earnestly.

No woman dislikes being praised for her beauty, especially a young and somewhat famous woman in the professional world like Wang Yue. Hearing Yang Chen's words, Wang Yue's expression turned slightly smug, though she pretended to be indifferent. "Oh? Which actress might that be? Don't overestimate me, Mr. Yang. I can't compare to Miss Liu Mingyu's widespread fame."

Yang Chen carefully scanned Wang Yue and murmured in admiration, "The more I look, the more you resemble her. I often watch that actress's movies. I believe her name is Akiho Yoshizawa. Have you heard of her, Miss Wang?"

Wang Yue's face changed dramatically from her previous pride to anger. She coldly snorted, "Mr. Yang, you have quite the sense of humor. I don't know who that actress is."

"I suppose it's normal not to know," Yang Chen sighed and said, "I'm quite familiar with Miss Matsushima too. I thought Miss Wang looked a lot like her, but I couldn't recognize it right away. After thinking it over, I realized why: I didn't recognize her with clothes on!"

Wang Yue's face turned a mix of blue and white in anger. She stomped her foot furiously, glared at Yang Chen, and quickly left the restaurant with her two assistants.

Liu Mingyu, who had been holding back, finally burst into laughter, covering her face. "You are truly awful, comparing Wang Yue to that kind of woman. I bet she won't be able to sleep tonight."

"She brought it on herself, interrupting my meal for no reason," Yang Chen grumbled.

"She's a PR from another company. We often run into each other, and I've snatched many of her clients. So whenever she sees me, she picks a fight," Liu Mingyu explained.

"No wonder Mingyu Jie always has top performance every year. Being beautiful really is the ultimate weapon," Yang Chen said with interest.

Liu Mingyu didn't deny it. She smoothed her silky hair and smiled. "That's how this industry works, but don't get the wrong idea. When negotiating with big companies, the most they'll do is enjoy some eye candy. If they try anything inappropriate, their own company's top brass will severely punish them. Unless they want to ruin their careers, they wouldn't dare cross the line. Reputable companies care deeply about their image and industry reputation."

"There's still a lot of prejudice against the PR profession, but that's unavoidable. For example, when Wang Yue loses business to me and tells people I don't offer special services, who would believe her?"

Yang Chen nodded and then grinned mischievously. "So Mingyu Jie knows about Miss Matsushima too. It seems you've done some research in this area."

"This kind of thing takes two. How can men do it without women? And how would women make men happy if they knew nothing about it? Is it so strange for a woman to know about AV actresses?" Liu Mingyu retorted without any embarrassment.

Yang Chen had nothing to say to that. He gave her a thumbs up and continued eating.

After lunch, Liu Mingyu was still sleepy, so Yang Chen drove her back to her small apartment before returning to Yu Lei International.

When he got back to the large office of the PR department, many of the women were looking at him with strange smiles. Yang Chen was puzzled and asked the lively Zhang Cai, whom he was quite familiar with, "Zhang Cai, what's going on with everyone?"

Zhang Cai was munching on some gummy candies. Her full figure was not just a result of nature but also of some "nourishment" over time. It was clear that she managed to stay fit where it mattered. "Where have you been?" Zhang Cai countered.

"Handled some business," Yang Chen replied without elaborating on the filming incident.

Zhang Cai put down her candies, stood up, and tilted her round and delicate face upward, her big watery eyes staring directly at Yang Chen, making him feel a bit uneasy.

"What business did you handle, and who did you handle it with, Comrade Xiao Yang?" she asked with a playful tone.

"Uh..." Yang Chen caught a whiff of Coco perfume from Zhang Cai and couldn't help but feel tempted to take a bite out of her delicate, soft face. Slowly, he said, "Just me, and it was just a minor matter."

Zhang Cai suddenly giggled, playfully glaring at Yang Chen. "Still pretending, huh? Mingyu Jie just called in sick, saying you took her home."

This Liu Mingyu really doesn't cooperate, Yang Chen thought inwardly, feeling a bit annoyed. He could only awkwardly smile and return to his seat.

As soon as he sat down, Zhao Hongyan, who was nearby, pushed her desk and wheeled her chair over to Yang Chen, her expression teasing. "What did you do with Mingyu Jie? Spill it! You didn't push Mingyu Jie down, did you?"