After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 78 EXTRA STORY 9

Jiang Manli had assumed that someone as prim and proper as Cheng Qingyan must have come from a well-bred family — the type who couldn’t possibly adapt to the noisy, messy chaos of nightlife. So, instead of a fancy restaurant or a cocktail bar, she decided to take her to a bustling open-air food stall in the city center.

Most of the patrons there were burly middle-aged men with rolled-up undershirts, proudly displaying their rounded bellies as if afraid no one would notice them.

The air was thick with the smell of smoke and alcohol, the clatter of beer bottles, and the occasional buzz of mosquitoes. Even Jiang Manli began to regret her choice — a self-inflicted loss, since it didn’t seem like she was winning anything by dragging Cheng Qingyan here.

Yet Cheng Qingyan didn’t even frown. She stepped deftly around the oil stains on the ground, walked into the makeshift tent of the stall, and turned back to ask calmly, “Where should we sit?”

“Huh?” Jiang Manli blinked.

Fine. Sit, then. Who’s afraid of whom?

“Anywhere is fine. Here will do,” Jiang Manli said, pulling out a chair and calling toward the counter, “Boss! Two bottles of beer!”

Before the boss could respond, Cheng Qingyan interjected, “Boss, make hers a fresh orange juice instead.”

Before Jiang Manli could explode, Cheng Qingyan added gently, “You’ve already had quite a bit to drink tonight. Any more and it’ll be bad for your health. Be good, have some juice.”

The calm and patient tone made it impossible for Jiang Manli to vent her irritation. “How about a compromise? I’ll have Coke.”

“Iced orange juice, alright?” Cheng Qingyan said, her voice soft yet brooking no argument.

Jiang Manli surrendered. “Fine, whatever.”

And that was how Jiang Manli unlocked a brand-new life experience — sipping orange juice through a straw at a roadside stall.

The food stall charged by the skewer, so they could just grab what they wanted. Jiang Manli went to the condiment station first.

The place wasn’t exactly sanitary. It was outdoors, and the table was sticky with spilled sesame paste, chili powder, cumin, and sesame oil. Even the ladles were greasy. Jiang Manli stood there for a moment, not sure where to begin.

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Qingyan asked as she approached from behind. One glance at the mess and she immediately understood. “I’ll mix it for you. What do you want in it?”

“You don’t think it’s gross?” Jiang Manli asked, baffled.

“It’s not very hygienic,” Cheng Qingyan admitted after a pause. “But you can’t get this kind of flavor in a restaurant. If you like it, we can come occasionally — but not every day.”

Jiang Manli hadn’t expected Cheng Qingyan to be so reasonable. Her irritation deflated instantly. “Oh.”

“Then I’ll mix it for you. Extra sesame paste, some chive flower sauce, a bit of fermented tofu, oyster sauce too — no cilantro.”

Cheng Qingyan nodded and started mixing according to her request. “I’ll bring it over in a bit. Go sit down.”

Jiang Manli didn’t even know what she was feeling at this point — vaguely awkward, vaguely touched — but she went back to her seat anyway.

Soon, Cheng Qingyan returned with the sauce, stirred it evenly with a spoon, and placed it in front of her.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you.”

Jiang Manli wasn’t used to being taken care of like this and felt oddly unsettled. “I can do it myself. Don’t bother about me — I like junk food.”

Cheng Qingyan nodded. “Alright, choose whatever you like.”

The environment was shabby, but the food was surprisingly good. Jiang Manli ate heartily, thoroughly enjoying herself. Cheng Qingyan ate too, though only a little — just a few skewers in front of her.

Jiang Manli teased, “You invite me for a midnight snack, but you’re barely eating. What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not hungry,” Cheng Qingyan said mildly. “I already had dinner before I came to find you. I just wanted to spend a bit more time with you.”

Jiang Manli: “…”

She’d always thought she had pretty thick skin, but even she couldn’t stop her face from heating up. She took several long gulps of orange juice in an attempt to cool down.

Cheng Qingyan, on the other hand, remained calm and composed — completely unfazed by her own flirtatious words.

Who would’ve thought this quiet, seemingly reserved Alpha had such high-level game? Jiang Manli thought to herself, Looks like I’ve met my match.

By the time they finished eating, it was nearly midnight.

Cheng Qingyan opened the car door for her. “Get in.”

Jiang Manli narrowed her eyes. “Where are we going? You’re not planning to take me somewhere shady, are you?”

Cheng Qingyan’s face remained blank. “I’m taking you home.”

Jiang Manli suddenly felt a bit embarrassed about her own dirty-mindedness. “Ahem. That’s just me being cautious, okay? Good self-protection instincts.”

“That’s good,” Cheng Qingyan said evenly. “Seatbelt.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Manli couldn’t help glancing at her from time to time. Truthfully, they weren’t that close — even though they’d once been in the same group, they’d only exchanged a few polite greetings and barely looked each other in the eye.

Now, looking closely, she had to admit — Cheng Qingyan was an exceptional Alpha. Her skin was fair, her nose straight, her dark eyes clear and bright. Her long black hair lent her an air of composed elegance.

It was honestly unbelievable that someone like her would be interested in her.

After a while, Jiang Manli finally asked, “So, how are you feeling tonight? Any regrets?”

“Regrets?” Cheng Qingyan’s eyes stayed on the road.

“I mean, do you think I’m different from what you imagined? Do you regret spending the evening with me?”

“I feel like I understand you a little better now,” Cheng Qingyan said softly. “And I’m happy about that.”

Jiang Manli: “…”

To be honest, you don’t sound happy at all.

“Where are we going for our date tomorrow?”

Cough, cough, cough— Jiang Manli nearly choked on her own saliva. “What date?”

“A date. We only have three days, so I want to make the most of it.”

Seeing Cheng Qingyan’s utterly serious expression, Jiang Manli realized this “date” was probably non-negotiable. After some thought, she suggested, “Shopping?”

Shopping, at least, was her area of expertise. If she could spend lavishly tomorrow—buying one luxury item after another—someone like Cheng Qingyan, who was so proper and frugal, would surely find her wasteful and lose interest.

Cheng Qingyan had no idea what scheme Jiang Manli was cooking up. She simply assumed that all girls liked shopping and nodded. “Alright.”

The next day.

Jiang Manli dressed herself up in the gaudiest outfit she could find—a floral shirt with every color imaginable and a head full of bright boxer braids. She looked like a walking disco ball.

Cheng Qingyan stared at her for a long while. “It suits you.”

Jiang Manli: “…”

Jiang Manli was speechless.

To lie so calmly—this woman was truly a master.

“Where do you want to go?”

Jiang Manli named an upscale shopping district popular among society ladies. Cheng Qingyan gave her a quiet glance and replied, “Okay.”

As Jiang Manli confidently drove into the underground parking lot—without using the GPS this time—she felt a flicker of unease. Yesterday, she’d relied on navigation the whole way; today, she didn’t need it at all.

Sure enough, the moment they stepped into a luxury boutique, a sales associate greeted them with delight.

“Oh! Miss Cheng, Miss Jiang—what a surprise to see you two together today!”

Jiang Manli: “…”

Jiang Manli froze.

Miss Cheng’s name first? How humiliating!

Her mind raced. She tried to recall any powerful Alphas with the surname Cheng in the city—but drew a complete blank. If Cheng Qingyan were a local of any prominence, Jiang Manli would’ve at least heard of her.

Finally, she couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Sister Yan, who’s your father?”

Cheng Qingyan blinked. “I don’t know. It’s just my mom and me. I take her surname.”

Jiang Manli’s jaw dropped in shock.

If she took her mother’s surname Cheng, then that meant, there was one legendary Omega in the business world with that name—Cheng Ying. Known for her brilliance and discretion, she rarely appeared at social events, which explained why her daughter was practically unknown.

Compared to the Cheng family, the Jiang family’s wealth was a joke—a mere drop in the ocean.

Jiang Manli instantly deflated. She didn’t even feel like shopping anymore. Spending money now would only humiliate herself further.

“What would you like to look at today?” the sales associate asked politely.

“Let Xiao Li choose,” Cheng Qingyan said lightly. “I’m just accompanying her.”

Jiang Manli replied weakly, “Then, a bag, I guess. A bag cures everything.”

Cheng Qingyan frowned slightly. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“Not exactly.” Jiang Manli’s mind was already running wild. Of all the people I could’ve messed with, I had to provoke the daughter of Cheng Ying—the financial powerhouse herself! If I upset Cheng Qingyan even slightly, my entire family could collapse overnight!

Completely unaware of Jiang Manli’s inner panic, Cheng Qingyan seriously helped her pick a bag. “How about this one? It goes well with your outfit today.”

Jiang Manli looked down at the colorful thing in her hand. It was just as gaudy as her clothes. Together, they looked like a joke.

“Don’t like it?” Cheng Qingyan asked.

“Of course I like it!” Jiang Manli forced a grin. “It’s great—totally my style, haha.”

The sales associate smiled. “Shall I wrap it up for you? Who will be paying today?”

“I’ll pay,” Cheng Qingyan said smoothly. “Why don’t you look around and see if there’s anything else you like?”

But Jiang Manli was already spent—emotionally and mentally. She flopped onto the boutique’s sofa with the dead eyes of a salted fish, clutching her new bag like it weighed a ton.

Cheng Qingyan crouched down beside her, voice soft with concern. “You’re not happy today?”

Faced with that earnest look, Jiang Manli didn’t dare show any gloom. She forced herself upright. “No, no, I’m fine! Let’s go—shop, buy, spend!”

By the end of the day, Jiang Manli had been swept along in Cheng Qingyan’s wake, buying a mountain of flashy, ridiculous things—all paid for by Cheng herself.

Being kept by someone, Jiang Manli realized, was not as enjoyable as it sounded.

That night, she trudged home, arms full of shopping bags and spirit utterly crushed.

Her mother, lounging on the couch with a face mask on, looked her up and down—her rainbow hair, loud shirt, and exhausted expression—and exploded.

“Where have you been fooling around this time? And what’s all this junk you bought?”

Jiang Manli let out a long sigh, eyes full of despair. “Mom, a financial tycoon’s daughter has a crush on me. What do I do?”

Her mother froze. “What financial tycoon’s daughter would ever fall for you? Is she blind?”