Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

The waiter brought over the Nanshan Coffee that Sun Yaowei had ordered. He lifted the cup, took an intoxicated sniff, and then gently sipped it.

”Mmm~ That’s the stuff~ Rich! Aromatic! It tastes just like the coffee I used to drink when I was studying in the United Kingdom.”

Ni Bingyan did not like this pretentious type. She felt like he could flash a roguish smirk at any moment, one so greasy it practically dripped oil.

But this was, after all, a blind date. Out of respect for the friendship between their fathers, she couldn’t just sit in silence. She had to say something.

Hearing him mention studying abroad, Ni Bingyan’s interest was suddenly piqued. ”You studied in the United Kingdom? Is your English pretty good?”

”It’s just average! Only fluent enough to converse with the locals.”

Sun Yaowei offered a reserved smile, seemingly unaware of what a humblebrag his words were.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t concerned with such minor details.

She opened her mouth and recited, word for word, a BBC news report she had memorized that morning. Then, she looked at him with an expectant expression.

”I’ve been learning an Oxford accent by listening to BBC news, but I’ve never been to the United Kingdom, so I don’t know if it’s standard. Could you listen for me and tell me if it has that authentic feel?”

Sun Yaowei was speechless.

’Was this woman for real? Put her behind a screen and she could be an anchor on an international news channel. Is she here just to mess with me?’

He had no idea that while he was trying to start a relationship with Ni Bingyan, she only saw him as a tool—and a disposable one at that.

He assumed Ni Bingyan knew his secret: that just a few years ago, he spoke with such a thick Sichuan accent that even friends from other provinces could barely understand him, let alone his English. To this day, his English was still heavily accented, and he sometimes had to gesture wildly for foreigners to understand him.

People who love to show off fear nothing more than meeting someone who shows off without even trying. He felt as if he’d been utterly outclassed. So, after offering a few simple compliments to Ni Bingyan, he quickly changed the subject and began to flaunt his knowledge of coffee.

He went on about Nanshan Coffee, civet coffee, flavor profiles, acidity, and body. At first blush, it all sounded incredibly sophisticated.

Ni Bingyan listened quietly, planning to just endure it.

But Sun Yaowei, thinking he had stunned her with his profound knowledge, began to drone on and on. Ni Bingyan finally couldn’t take it anymore and cut in to correct him.

”The acidity of coffee doesn’t actually refer to a sour taste, you know. And not all coffee is bitter!”

Seeing Sun Yaowei staring at her, Ni Bingyan smiled faintly. Before he could recover from her smile, she continued:

”Speaking of which, the word ’coffee’ comes from the Greek word ’Kaweh,’ which means ’strength and passion.’ Mr. Sun, you’re so full of vitality, it’s no wonder you like it.”

Being put in his place twice, especially in an area he considered his expertise, was a blow to Sun Yaowei’s pride. But Ni Bingyan’s simple sentence managed to dissolve all his displeasure.

By the time he came to his senses, he found himself grinning from ear to ear.

’Oh my god! How could I be so stupid? Won over by a single sentence? If we got married, this woman would have me wrapped around her little finger! That’s not happening!’

Realizing this, Sun Yaowei picked up his cup and took several long, quiet sips of coffee.

Ni Bingyan maintained her smile, looking gentle and harmless, with none of the sharpness she’d shown moments before when she had cut him down.

This Sun Yaowei certainly looked good on the outside, the very picture of a professional elite with a respectable job. But every other word out of his mouth was a boast about how great he was here or how knowledgeable he was there. In the end, the things he said were so ridiculous you’d be too embarrassed for him to even laugh out loud.

Once his emotions had settled, Sun Yaowei stopped talking about coffee and switched to his work.

He led with: ”Back when I was studying abroad, I interned at Standard Chartered Bank and learned a lot about investing. It’s a shame the investment environment here in China is so poor! I could only settle for a job at a bank. The annual salary is decent, but I’m just not satisfied. Sigh!”

Ni Bingyan just asked casually, ”Is working at a bank not good?”

That was all the encouragement Sun Yaowei needed, and he launched into a series of complaints.

He rattled on and on, ostensibly complaining about how bad his workplace was, but in reality, he must have said ”our bank” at least ten times in under three minutes.

Ni Bingyan, at the end of her rope, cut him off. ”Have you heard of Yuan Yan Venture Capital? I had some spare cash a while ago and entrusted their boss to manage it for me. So far, the returns have been excellent.”

’Doesn’t sound like the investment environment is so bad, does it?’

Sun Yaowei was speechless again.

’An amateur is an amateur. Does she think everyone in finance has a Golden Hand like President Sang?’

Despite his internal complaints, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, ”You’re close with President Sang? I didn’t think they offered asset management services.”

Ni Bingyan glanced at him coolly, picked up her now-cold coffee, and took a small sip before lifting her chin slightly.

”We’re not that close. We’re just neighbors. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative, right? We see each other all the time, so it’s natural to help each other out a little.”

Sun Yaowei let out a dry ”haha” twice. He lifted his coffee cup to hide his embarrassment, only to find it was already empty.

Ni Bingyan had met too many people. After just twenty minutes with him, she knew he was an embroidered pillow stuffed with plenty of straw—all looks, no substance.

She really couldn’t get along with such a pretentious person. She figured that since she’d met him, she had completed her mission and could leave.

She had already glanced at her watch twice, but Sun Yaowei, perhaps addicted to bragging, pretended not to notice. He was still puffing himself up, boasting about the investment cases he had handled and their massive profits.

Ni Bingyan couldn’t stand it any longer and was about to get up and leave.

But Sun Yaowei’s next sentence welded her back to her seat.

”I’ve heard that many actresses in your entertainment industry rely on the casting couch to get ahead. Is that true?”

Ni Bingyan froze.

’The casting couch is just a power-for-sex transaction, isn’t it? What does he mean by asking me, an actress, about it?’

Just as Ni Bingyan was about to fire back, he chuckled, a self-satisfied look on his face. ”For families like ours, going into the entertainment industry is just for fun. Naturally, we don’t have to go through that kind of thing.”

Seeing Ni Bingyan’s eyebrows twitch, a sign of impending anger, Sun Yaowei quickly added:

”I’m not sure if your father told you about my background. Since this is a blind date, I feel it’s only polite that I tell you a bit about myself. If you’re willing, you can share your basic information with me as well. It’ll make it easier to explain things when we get home.”

Of course, Ni Bingyan wasn’t willing, but his last sentence struck a chord with her.

If not for the fact that she was barely home all year and that coming out for a cup of coffee would make her dad happy for once, she wouldn’t have come at all.

Sun Yaowei first calmly recounted his own story. Ni Bingyan couldn’t very well say nothing, so she shared her age, profession, and the university she graduated from—details even less comprehensive than her Baidu Baike page.

As the two of them made sporadic conversation, a young couple walked into the coffee shop.

The man affectionately patted the woman’s head. The woman seemed to be pouting, half in anger and half in jest. Dressed in puffy down jackets, they shuffled in close together like two chubby little mandarin ducks. It was Sang Yuan’s all-purpose assistant, Xiao Zhao, and his new wife, Little Qin.

Little Qin was from Rongcheng City. The two had just gotten their marriage certificate and were back in her hometown to hold the wedding banquet.

All the preparations were complete, and they were just waiting for the big day.

Xiao Zhao figured that since he was usually so busy, he should use this rare long vacation to wander around the place where his wife grew up. When they got tired of walking, they happened upon a cafe, and he suggested they go in for a drink.

Little Qin had just been getting into the swing of their stroll and thought her husband was getting impatient with shopping with her. She pouted unhappily. Xiao Zhao coaxed her for a few moments, and it worked wonders. Soon enough, they were sweetly bumping heads and talking as they sat down.

At first, Xiao Zhao didn’t notice Ni Bingyan; his attention was entirely on his new wife. But once they were seated diagonally across from her, he looked up and saw her.

A man and a woman.

A coffee shop.

Awkward, sporadic conversation about where you graduated and how old I am.

’Aha! A blind date!’

As someone who’d been there, Xiao Zhao knew the signs all too well!

While his wife was in the restroom, he quickly snapped a photo and sent it to his boss: [Boss, Boss! This is huge! The boss lady is on a blind date!]

’That darn boss works me to the bone. Here I am with my sweet new wife in my arms, while he’s over there still dreaming on. Hahaha!’

The thought filled Xiao Zhao with glee!

But before he could savor it for long, a sharp pain shot through his ear!

”So that’s why you’ve been so distracted, lookin’ all over the place. You were checkin’ out a pretty girl, huh? C’mon, let your ol’ lady here have a look! Just how pretty is she?”

Fuming, Little Qin unleashed the full dialect treatment!

Xiao Zhao winced, but he still couldn’t stop his inner grumbling—’My sweet little wife is a bit spicy, though...’