Chapter 4: The Forty Yuan Monthly Food Ticket

Time flew by, and it was already late. Jiang Ning, clutching the two “Great Unity” coupons she had squeezed out of her second sister, went out for a casual stroll.

These days, there were many street vendors on the streets. Some pulled carts selling sweet potatoes, others pushed small glass cabinets selling melon seeds and sesame cakes, and some set up pots to sell steaming hot sesame cakes.

Jiang Ning was dazzled by the sights. She bought a braised pork sesame cake, still hot. The aroma alone made her mouth water. She blew on it, about to take a bite, when a voice suddenly rang out from beside her.

“Jiang Ning, is that you?”

The voice was half familiar. She turned her head in confusion, her eyes widening.

How coincidental! Wasn’t this the male lead of the play, the educated youth Meng Yuanbin?

The Meng Yuanbin in this world was different from the actor who played the male lead, but he shared a similar countenance, with delicate features and a handsome appearance.

Jiang Ning was no longer the fawning dog she once was. She greeted him with a detached expression.

Meng Yuanbin took a few glances at her face, his eyes filled with surprise, but he didn’t say anything. His gaze fell on the sesame cake in her hand, and he seemed hesitant to speak.

In the plot, the male lead knew that Jiang Ning was infatuated with him and that she had once schemed to get into his bed. While he disliked her in his heart, he maintained a polite facade. He never refused any favors Jiang Ning offered him.

After all, for the male lead, he was still in a stage of hiding and waiting.

Jiang Ning had been speechless when she was acting before, but when it came to getting paid to act like a mindless puppy, she would do it without hesitation.

Now, she couldn’t stand the sight of this trash male lead.

He disliked her in his heart, yet he took her favors and her money. When he needed something, he would come to her for help, and then turn his face on her once he was done. What was there to like about such a man?

Even a toy was better than him.

Jiang Ning deliberately raised the sesame cake, waving it in the air, then took a large bite slowly.

“Mmm, so fragrant…”

She watched Meng Yuanbin swallow his saliva, then smiled sweetly, “Meng Zhiqing, this sesame cake is good. Would you like one?”

“Ah, well… I wouldn’t want to be a bother,” Meng Yuanbin said politely, already walking towards the sesame cake stall.

Jiang Ning watched him order two braised pork sesame cakes, then smiled, “Take your time, I’ll be off.”

Meng Yuanbin’s smile froze halfway, apparently wanting to call out to her, “Jiang Ning, did you forget… to pay?”

However, seeing him standing there with the sesame cakes and not paying, the owner grumbled, “Hey, young man, you look decent enough, but are you trying to eat for free?”

Jiang Ning innocently nibbled on her sesame cake, turning her head to look at him with surprise:

“Oh, Meng Zhiqing, don’t you bring money when you go out to buy things?”

Meng Yuanbin frowned deeply. He really wanted to put the sesame cakes back, but under the strange gazes of those around him, he could only reluctantly reach into his pocket and pay.

He knew better than to order the meat ones.

He couldn’t understand. Didn’t Jiang Ning always rush to treat him to this and buy him that?

Why was she suddenly like this towards him today? Could it be that she was doing it on purpose?

Jiang Ning watched the scene unfold with amusement, then turned and left. But she was stopped by Meng Yuanbin, who grabbed her sleeve.

He furrowed his brow and looked at her with a meaningful gaze, “Jiang Ning, are you still angry about what happened last time?”

Jiang Ning: ?

He continued, “It’s not that I don’t want you to help me find a job, but you’re married now, and we should avoid any suspicion. After all, your husband… cough, he doesn’t seem like a good talker. I was afraid that he might misunderstand you and be bad to you.”

Jiang Ning: ?? What is this?

She quickly pulled back her sleeve and said seriously, “You know, I was just saying that about finding a job. You actually took me seriously?”

“Besides, my old Lu has a terrible temper. If he sees you flirting with me again, he’ll beat you up. Meng Zhiqing, I think it’s better for your own good that we pretend not to know each other when we see each other on the street.”

Meng Yuanbin stared at her in disbelief.

After she finished speaking, she really wanted to slip away. But when she looked up, she saw a familiar tall figure standing not far from the sesame cake stall, looking over through the throng of people.

Under the twilight sky, the man’s face was cold and sharp.

Although she couldn’t see his expression clearly, Jiang Ning felt a sudden sense of guilt, as if she had been caught cheating.

Damn!

Talk about the devil and he appears! It was her cheap husband, Lu Dingquan.

Jiang Ning’s eyes were blank. She wanted to smile, but she couldn’t. She subconsciously glanced at Meng Yuanbin beside her.

When she looked up again, the man had already turned and left.

She panicked. Meng Yuanbin’s mouth was really more talkative than a crow! This was not a good misunderstanding!

Jiang Ning took off running, chasing after him, as if she wasn’t chasing a man, but her forty yuan monthly food ticket.