067 The Joker Turns Out to Be Me! (Please follow and recommend!)

"Chen Anquan, over here." Zhao Xuan waved at Chen Anquan as if she had just spotted a savior.

In truth, Chen Anquan really was her savior. With his arrival, the short-haired woman would finally stop her incessant grumbling, which had become unbearable for Zhao Xuan.

Chen Anquan approached Zhao Xuan and then turned to the short-haired woman. "Miss, may I have your name?"

The woman standing before him, with her short brown hair and stylish attire, resembled a runway—flat and straight. She was decent-looking, but compared to Zhao Xuan and Chen Juanjuan, she was decidedly less striking.

"Handsome, just call me Sister Hua," the woman replied.

"Sister Hua?" Chen Anquan repeated slowly.

It was clear that this Sister Hua was unwilling to reveal her real name, a sign she had no interest in befriending him; otherwise, she wouldn't have given only her nickname.

"Just call me Chen Anquan," he replied politely.

"Handsome, what happened to you just now? Why did you take so long to come out?" Sister Hua, who had been waiting impatiently, now forced a faint smile, trying to seem amicable.

Chen Anquan frowned. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I got held up with something after breakfast."

"It's fine," Zhao Xuan said with a smile, nudging Sister Hua with her elbow to keep her from saying anything inappropriate.

But Sister Hua was like a powder keg, immediately glaring at Chen Anquan. "Chen Anquan, you're an adult! You ought to know how to treat people with courtesy. Do you know the two of us got up at six in the morning just to come to your village?"

Zhao Xuan gritted her teeth, unable to expose the truth. Sister Hua had woken up early just to see Chen Anquan and had even called Zhao Xuan to wake her up, going to great lengths to dress up as if for a formal blind date.

"Aren't you television reporters? Don’t you often travel to the countryside? Are you really so impatient?" Chen Anquan found himself growing more and more annoyed with this so-called Sister Hua. Still, considering she was Zhao Xuan’s colleague and good friend, and that Zhao Xuan was about to interview him, he didn’t want to just leave.

"Hmph! With your attitude, how will you ever find a girlfriend?" Sister Hua glared at him, her words laced with irritation. "Zhao Xuan has even been trying to set you up, but I think she’s wasting her effort!"

"What?" Chen Anquan was bewildered. "What does an interview have to do with finding a girlfriend?"

Zhao Xuan looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, Chen Anquan. I introduced you to Sister Hua without asking your permission first."

"Oh, I see." Chen Anquan nodded, finally understanding what was going on.

So, in Sister Hua’s eyes, this was a serious blind date?

Damn it, when did I ever need you to set me up?

Chen Anquan glanced at Zhao Xuan, feeling speechless—if you want to introduce someone, why not yourself? Why pawn off a runway on me when I don’t even have a plane?

"Hmph!" Sister Hua turned her head away from Chen Anquan. "If you agree to a few conditions, I’ll consider dating you."

"Ah?" Even Zhao Xuan was stunned. Just a moment ago, Sister Hua had been criticizing Chen Anquan, saying he wasn’t boyfriend material. Why the sudden change?

"Go ahead," Chen Anquan said, now amused, curious to hear what requirements the “runway” would propose.

"First, you have to renew your license on time, return to the People’s Hospital, and become a permanent employee."

"And then?"

"Second, you have to buy an apartment in the city and put my name on the deed."

"And finally?"

"Third, you’ll have to hand over your entire salary for me to manage, and I’ll give you a few hundred yuan a month for living expenses."

"What?" Zhao Xuan was dumbfounded.

The three demands may have seemed harsh, but it was obvious Sister Hua was interested in Chen Anquan—she just thought he was too lacking, so she wanted to squeeze him dry.

"Tsk!" A crisp, disdainful voice sounded behind Chen Anquan.

All three turned to look at the newcomer.

It was a woman in a black and red tracksuit, her hair tied in a high ponytail, her figure curvaceous and athletic.

"And this is?" Sister Hua was shocked.

She stared in disbelief at the woman, who was not only more beautiful than herself but possessed the kind of figure she envied deeply.

Zhao Xuan, too, was taken aback.

With wine-red lips, jet-black glossy hair, and a streamlined figure, it was obvious this woman worked out regularly and practiced yoga.

But how could Chen Anquan possibly know her?

Chen Juanjuan smiled, her gaze drifting casually over Sister Hua’s flat “runway.” "I’m Chen Anquan’s girlfr—"

She caught herself and changed her words. "I’m a good friend of Chen Anquan."

"Ah-hem!" Chen Anquan choked on her words and quickly explained to Zhao Xuan, "Zhao Xuan, this is the victim from yesterday."

"Oh," Zhao Xuan replied, not fooled for a moment. Chen Juanjuan had nearly let slip something she shouldn't.

Chen Anquan! You said you didn’t have a girlfriend!

Wait, that’s not right! I never even asked. I just assumed you were single and introduced you myself!

Zhao Xuan felt a sourness well up in her mouth, as if she were pregnant.

Chen Juanjuan shot Sister Hua a contemptuous look, then smiled at Zhao Xuan. "Miss Reporter, since I’m yesterday’s victim, I don’t need to be interviewed, do I?"

"Uh..." Zhao Xuan laughed awkwardly, holding her microphone. "No need."

"There you have it." Chen Juanjuan looked pleased. Turning to Sister Hua, she said, "Miss, let’s give them some space. We don’t want to disrupt my friend's TV interview."

Sister Hua nearly ground her teeth to dust. The three conditions she’d just laid out had seemed reasonable to her, but as soon as Chen Juanjuan appeared, she felt like a clown.

Left with no choice, she followed Chen Juanjuan away from Chen Anquan.

"Anquan, I’ll wait for you in the car," Chen Juanjuan called out cheerfully, taking out her keys and unlocking a sleek, wine-red BMW X5 parked by the basketball court before slipping into the passenger seat.

She put on her sunglasses, rolled down the window, and rested her hand on the sill, silently watching Chen Anquan.

At that moment, Chen Juanjuan looked every inch the wealthy lady.

In fact, that was exactly what she was.

Sister Hua watched as Chen Juanjuan got into the passenger seat, her heart sinking. She muttered under her breath, "That Zhao Xuan! He already has such a beautiful girlfriend, and she still introduced him to me. I really am the clown here!"

Right then, she wished she could disappear into the ground—she’d lost all her dignity.

At that moment, the chubby cameraman climbed down from the work van, hoisted his camera onto his shoulder, and walked over to Chen Anquan and Zhao Xuan to set up for the shoot.

Zhao Xuan, hair in a neat bun, put on a sweet smile, microphone in hand, and began the interview...

Her sweet smile was perfectly suited for the camera, her on-air presence almost on par with the hosts from the provincial station.