Chapter 84 - I'm This Unreliable?
New Year's Day was approaching.
Not only was Chen Ran busy, but Zhang Fanzhi was also so busy her feet didn't touch the ground.
'The Initial Dream' had struggled to the top so ti ago, taking the number one position on the new song chart.
Afterwards, because the TV drama 'Flying Against the Wind' reached its climax, 'The Initial Dream' took advantage of the popularity and stayed at the top of the chart for a week before being squeezed down by the veteran singer in second place.
During this ti, it had steadily remained in the top three, occasionally reaching number one again.
Zhang Fanzhi's popularity was also soaring, with constant invitations to various variety shows.
A while ago, when Chen Ran was video-calling her at the Zhang family ho, she was in the middle of recording a New Year's Eve gala.
Towards the end of the year, many companies' annual etings also began to be held, and Zhang Fanzhi also had to run around for these kinds of comrcial activities.
In the nearly one month up until now, Chen Ran had only seen her co back once, and she ca and went in a hurry.
Director Zhang couldn't quite bear to watch this anymore. He called his daughter and said,
"Zhizhi, you being like this is too outrageous. When you were single and said work was important, your mom and I didn't say anything. But what about now? Chen Ran is still over here. What kind of couple doesn't see each other for a month?"
Zhang Fanzhi didn't expect her father to call just to scold her.
She didn't dare to retort either, and only after he finished speaking did she say,
"We have video calls, it's the sa."
Director Zhang was infuriated.
"I'm telling you, Chen Ran is such a good person. If you don't hold on tight, he's going to be snatched away by soone else. I heard that many girls in their entertainnt channel are eyeing him closely. Don't think that aside from you, no one else wants him!"
"Got it," Zhang Fanzhi responded repeatedly.
Director Zhang didn't know if she had listened to him or not, and could only hang up the phone.
Zhang Fanzhi zoned out slightly. She originally hadn't minded, since she would occasionally chat with Chen Ran after all.
But what her father said just now made her heart feel a bit stifled. She stared blankly at her phone, swiped the interface to Chen Ran's number, and hesitated for a long ti before pressing it.
At this ti, Chen Ran had just finished recording the program and was sitting on a chair resting. He was quite surprised to see Zhang Fanzhi's incoming call.
This girl was so busy, yet she still had ti to call?
"How co you have free ti today?" Chen Ran asked straight to the point.
Chen Ran was considered a relatively introverted person.
This kind of introversion didn't an he didn't dare to et strangers; when speaking to strangers, he would be very polite and pay attention to propriety.
It was different with friends. He spoke more casually and wouldn't be so careful.
While working, he would occasionally chat with Zhang Fanzhi. As they had co to understand each other better, his way of speaking now was no longer as reserved as before.
Zhang Fanzhi could feel this change the most; she couldn't say whether it was good or bad.
Having impulsively dialed Chen Ran's number just now, she was also a bit conflicted, not knowing what to say. After a brief pause, she heard Chen Ran's question and finally said,
"The event ended, I'm preparing to go back to the apartnt."
"You're just too busy. Do you have ti to co back for New Year's Day?" Chen Ran asked.
"I can co back for a day or two." Zhang Fanzhi asked sowhat absentmindedly,
"I heard from my dad that you're getting close to other won at the TV station. Are you planning to date a girlfriend?"
Chen Ran couldn't help but laugh and said, "Is Uncle Zhang snitching on ? I'm busy making programs all day long, where would I have the ti to think about these things."
Everyone at the TV station knew he had a girlfriend and had seen Zhang Fanzhi waiting for him downstairs in her car.
So girls jokingly lanted that he was already taken. Whether they ant it or not was unknown, but there truly weren't any won getting close to him.
He also didn't know where Uncle Zhang got the news from, even calling Zhang Fanzhi about it; it was too unreliable.
Thank goodness he and Zhang Fanzhi were fake dating. If it were real, Zhang Fanzhi's hot temper would probably have led her to call and interrogate him imdiately; how could she be as mild as she was now?
"I'm just asking, I don't an anything else," Zhang Fanzhi said.
Chen Ran said, "Don't worry, I don't have any plans to date a girlfriend for the ti being. I won't blow our cover on my end."
Zhang Fanzhi clearly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Mhm. If you're going to look for a girlfriend, tell in advance."
Chen Ran was slightly speechless. In Zhang Fanzhi's eyes, was he really this unreliable?
The two chatted a bit. Zhang Fanzhi would only be able to co back after New Year's Day, and the ti wouldn't be long either; she would have to get busy again afterwards.
Being a celebrity was tiring enough. Not to ntion having to run around everywhere, during the little ti she had to rest, she still had to practice dancing and singing.
In short, there just wasn't much ti to rest.
During lunch, Director Zhang smiled at Chen Ran and asked, "Chen Ran, did Zhizhi give you a call today?"
Chen Ran said in exasperation, "Uncle, what are you playing at? When did I ever get close to won?"
"You don't understand this, I'm doing it for your own good!" Director Zhang said.
"I know Zhizhi's temper; she's cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Even we rarely receive calls from her, so it's possible she might neglect you. The mont I said that, she imdiately called you, proving she really cares about you!"
Chen Ran felt a bit of a headache; how could there be such a maneuver?
Actually, he didn't know Director Zhang's exact words. He hadn't said Chen Ran was getting close to won; it was Zhang Fanzhi's own imagination that twisted the aning.
Director Zhang said to Chen Ran, "By the way, the New Year's Day holiday is relatively short, so you probably won't be able to go ho. Co over to my place then."
They only had the day off on New Year's Day itself, which was rather miserable. Of course, thinking about the other colleagues who didn't get any ti off at all made it feel passable.
Happiness is relative...
Chen Ran said apologetically, "Uncle, I'm heading back on the night of the 31st. My sister has to work her part-ti job and can't make it back, so I'm going back to spend the holiday with my mom and dad."
"That was thoughtless of ," Director Zhang said.
"It's just that the holiday is short. If they have free ti, have your parents co over here for a visit. Let alone the matter with Zhizhi, just based on our relationship as uncle and nephew, it would be good to et your parents."
Chen Ran smiled awkwardly.
"There isn't much ti lately, and they are busy too. We'll see if there's ti after the New Year."
……
In the blink of an eye, it was the 31st.
Chen Ran stretched his back.
He was going ho today, so he got off work a little early. He had already let the director know, so there were no problems.
He had called Chen Yao a couple of days ago.
That girl said the holiday was short, the school had activities, and the bar where she worked part-ti also had events, so she wouldn't be coming ho.
Anyway, it wouldn't be long until the winter break.
In the end, she specially added a few more instructions, begging Chen Ran absolutely, positively not to let it slip.
Given their parents' tempers, if they knew Chen Yao was singing in a bar, no matter what kind of bar it was, they would furiously call her and demand she co ho imdiately.
Entertainnt venues like bars had been completely demonized in their parents' eyes after that incident back then.
Never mind how strictly managed they were now; to them, those kinds of places were simply synonymous with chaos.
Chen Ran rolled his eyes. He didn't need Chen Yao's instructions; he knew better than to do that.
Chen Ran called his parents in advance before boarding the high-speed train.
He bought quite a few things on the way. Although there were only three of them, it was still a holiday after all, so they couldn't be too shabby.
Along the way, he was considering whether he should buy a car.
He couldn't afford anything too expensive, but with the money he had saved up, making a down paynt on a cheaper one wouldn't be a problem.
Everyone says buying a house first appreciates in value while a car depreciates, so it's best to buy a house first and a car later, but the reality was that not having a car was truly inconvenient.
User Comments
0 comments from readers