Chapter 70: The Pitfalls of Teaming Up

Yang Fan stood frozen for a few seconds, utterly dumbfounded! You actually went and hit the regional maid!

“And this system, just like Ai Xiaomei, always encourages people to make mistakes!” Yang Fan was on the verge of collapse.

“Ding-dong, since you insulted the system, ten minutes will be deducted from your mission time!”

“I—” Yang Fan was momentarily speechless.

The problem was, where could he find someone? Even if he did, who would start calling him ‘husband’ before he even spoke? Not even Xia Yufei or Wu Qian had ever called him that, and it couldn’t be anyone from the family list, which meant all the women connected to him were ruled out, including Zhao Jing, who was on the system’s blacklist.

“Can I just make a phone call? Does it count if it’s not face-to-face?”

“It counts,” the system panel replied.

“No, I really didn’t tell Ai Xiaomei to hit anyone. That wasn’t my idea at all,” Yang Fan tried hard to explain.

“Mission countdown: one hour, forty-nine minutes.”

Now the system wouldn’t even listen to explanations. Ai Xiaomei, you’re such a troublemaker.

He grabbed his phone and called Old Third, telling him to come downstairs. Old Third came quickly.

“Boss.”

“Get the car. Quick, let’s go find Ai Xiaomei!”

Old Third hurried off to start the car, and Yang Fan climbed in at once.

“Boss, what’s happened with Miss Xiaomei?”

“What could possibly happen? She hit someone, then said I told her to do it,” Yang Fan gritted his teeth.

“Boss, if she hit someone, can’t we just pay them off? It’s not such a big deal,” Old Third remarked, unfazed.

Yang Fan waved him off, saying, “I really don’t want to talk about her anymore!”

Old Third fell silent, seeing how anxious the boss looked. Who on earth had she hit?

Yang Fan’s eyelid twitched; who should he call? He thought hard—who was most likely to call him ‘husband’ right off the bat? He didn’t want to see all his hard-earned points wiped out in an instant; some rentals only accepted points.

Zhao Mengnan!

“Yes, her!” Yang Fan fished out his phone and called her. She answered, but Yang Fan didn’t prompt her.

“Director Yang!”

Yang Fan was desperate—this was the crucial moment, why didn’t she call him ‘husband’?

“Director Yang, are you there?”

Yang Fan was about to break down…

He hung up and called again, but she still addressed him as Director Yang.

Yang Fan gave up. But then Zhao Mengnan called back and asked,

“What’s wrong, Director Yang?”

“I just missed you!” Yang Fan replied, even as he despised himself—who knew what misunderstanding this might cause!

There was a pause on the other end. Yang Fan hastily said, “Oh, I must have dialed by mistake. Sorry, Mengnan.”

He hung up at once…

His mind raced, and he suddenly realized in despair that everyone at the company addressed him as Director Yang.

“Old Third, let me ask you something!”

“Boss, go ahead.”

“How could you get a girl you don’t know to call you ‘husband’ immediately?”

“Well…” Old Third pondered, and so did Yang Fan.

“Boss, why not just go up to some girl and say, ‘I’ll keep you!’ Then pull out a credit card all domineering-like.”

“Would that work?”

“Give it a shot, it just might!”

Yang Fan was torn, but it really seemed like the only option left—how frustrating!

They arrived at the set. From a distance, he could see Ai Xiaomei sitting on her snack cart, munching away with an innocent look, as if she had nothing to do with any of this!

As soon as the car stopped, Yang Fan jumped out, Old Third hurrying after him—he was dying to know who Miss Xiaomei had hit.

“Come here, you!” Yang Fan shouted.

Ai Xiaomei tried to run, but Yang Fan caught her and dragged her back.

“Why did you say I told you to hit her?”

“You’re my brother, aren’t you supposed to take responsibility? You’re always teaching me things anyway,” Ai Xiaomei replied, sounding perfectly justified.

Yang Fan was practically shaking with frustration. “Go and explain to them immediately, apologize yourself, and cancel this stupid game of truth or dare.”

“Why should I apologize?”

“You think hitting someone makes you the victim now?”

“You should focus on finding someone who’ll call you ‘husband’ instead!” Ai Xiaomei grabbed another bag of chips and even handed one to Old Third.

Yang Fan scratched his head furiously—what a disaster you are!

“Time’s running out, there’s only an hour and ten minutes left. If you spent less time arguing with me, you’d have found someone by now,” Ai Xiaomei reminded him, her legs swinging as she reveled in her mischief.

“Boss, we really might have to try my idea,” Old Third suggested.

Yang Fan had no choice—this really seemed like the only way.

He had Old Third fetch a bag from the car—the one Leopard Bro had given him earlier, filled with things for ‘keeping’ a woman.

Bag in hand, Yang Fan glanced around the set. Several crews were filming. Xu Zihan was there, so was Lin Xi—she started walking over, and Yang Fan quickly called her, saying he’d see her later.

His eyes darted around. Just then, a beautiful woman walked by. Yang Fan summoned his courage, bag in hand, and approached her.

“Hello, beautiful!” Yang Fan mustered all his courage.

“Hello, handsome!” the woman replied with a smile—he really was good-looking.

“Beautiful, let me keep you!”

“Are you crazy?” she snapped, striding off.

Ai Xiaomei burst into laughter, and even Old Third nearly lost it.

“Ai Xiaomei, this is all your fault.”

“One hour!” Ai Xiaomei reminded him again. She and the system were in perfect sync when it came to setting traps. Why didn’t she tell herself not to hit someone? Three regional maids and a customer service sprite, all puppets of her mischief.

It would be one thing if she admitted her mistake, but why throw her brother under the bus? What kind of sister found such glee in her sibling’s misery?

Yang Fan was at his wit’s end. He could only call Zhao Mengnan over.

Zhao Mengnan was nearby and arrived within minutes.

“Director Yang.”

“Mengnan, let me keep you!” Yang Fan said bluntly.

Zhao Mengnan glanced at Ai Xiaomei and Old Third, both grinning. Ai Xiaomei even gave her a little wave.

“Director Yang, are you playing truth or dare?”

“That’s right, it’s a dare.”

“Well then, keep me! What’s our next adventure? Are we going to get a room?”

Yang Fan blinked hard—now she wouldn’t say the word he needed, but when he didn’t want her to, she always did.

“What’s wrong, Director Yang? Are we going to get a room for our adventure?”

Yang Fan was driven mad—just say the words!

“Director Yang, if you need something, just say it. Are we going to get a room for our adventure?”

“Forty minutes!”

“Boss, forty minutes left!” Old Third shouted.

“Director Yang, so where are we going for our adventure?”

Yang Fan smacked his forehead and all but collapsed.

“Mengnan, go back to filming, really!”

Another beautiful woman walked by. With no other choice, Yang Fan blurted out, “Hey, beautiful, let me keep you!”

“Sure thing, hubby!”

“Yay!” Ai Xiaomei made a victory sign.

Zhao Mengnan stared in surprise—if only you’d told me to call you ‘husband’!

The beauty next to him immediately linked arms with Yang Fan.

“Sorry, but the system has determined that Zhao Mengnan called you that in her heart an hour ago. Mission complete. Tonight, please take Zhao Mengnan to a hotel,” the system intoned.

Yang Fan froze—this treacherous system, how could it be as devious as Ai Xiaomei!

Within the system, Yang Fan could hear laughter—the customer service sprite and the regional maids were laughing so hard they nearly fell over. Ai Xiaomei nearly toppled off her snack cart; Old Third rushed to steady her.

“Well, beautiful, maybe next time. Mengnan, wait up, let’s have an adventure tonight!” Yang Fan called.

Zhao Mengnan waved goodbye, and the beauty beside him said, “Hubby, next time it’s my turn!”

“Hey, beautiful, you don’t even have my boss’s number!” Old Third called out.

“I do! Director Yang of Fanmei Group! Next time, Director Yang, let’s go out, just the two of us!” she replied.

Yang Fan was stunned—yet another beauty misunderstanding him.

“Ding-dong. Sorry, master. Upon system verification, this was all a setup by Ai Xiaomei, the customer service sprite, and three regional maids—a staged act to trick you. The mission is now canceled. Compensation will be issued for your trouble; please check your rewards!”

Ai Xiaomei doubled over laughing, while in the system, the customer service sprite and the regional maids were rolling on the floor.

Yang Fan was close to tears—surely the system was the mastermind behind all this. Didn’t it know who was really fighting or not?

And couldn’t it have spoken up before he asked Zhao Mengnan to go to a hotel with him tonight?

“Ai… Xiao… Mei!” Yang Fan was driven mad—now he really would have to go to a hotel with Zhao Mengnan tonight!

Were they all in on this together?