After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 79 EXTRA STORY 10

“You know Cheng Qingyan, right? The one who entered the competition with me—turns out she’s Cheng Ying’s daughter!”

At that, Jiang’s mother paused. “No wonder the girl has such poise—she even looks familiar. She has her mother’s bearing when she was young.”

“Mom, you’ve met Cheng Ying?” Jiang Manli asked, bewildered.

“Met her? More than that—we used to hang out a lot when we were young. She had a rough patch in love later on and fell seriously ill; after that she withdrew from the world and drifted away from us,” Jiang’s mother said, consolingly.

“Don’t worry. Cheng Ying’s always been a clear-headed woman; her daughter can’t be that bad. In a few days she’ll see what you’re really like and dump you.”

Jiang Manli: “……”

Not comforted at all—if anything, she felt worse.

“Mom, let me ask—do you know Cheng Qingyan’s father?” she asked cautiously.

Jiang’s mother glanced at her. “That jerk? I guess I know him—met him a few times.”

Jiang Manli asked even more carefully, “What happened to him later?”

Jiang’s mother admired her fresh manicure. “What happened? He disappeared—no trace of him.”

Jiang Manli: “……”

No trace of him.

No trace of him!!

She refused to meet the same fate.

Jiang Manli returned to her room in a daze, kicking herself for being so short-sighted and snagging such a lofty presence. And of course, that lofty presence messaged her: “You don’t seem well today. Rest up tonight.”

Before Jiang Manli could reply, Cheng Qingyan sent another message: “If you’re still unwell tomorrow, go to the hospital first. We can reschedule the date.”

Reschedule! As if it had to be made up later!

May the early dead rest in peace—hurry up and date her.

Jiang Manli hurriedly replied, “No need. I’m fine. I’ll be there on time tomorrow.”

Cheng Qingyan sent a sticker of someone patting a head.

Jiang Manli rolled her eyes and collapsed onto the bed.

The next day’s date was at the zoo—Cheng Qingyan’s choice. To her, dates should be at amusement parks, zoos, and places like that. Jiang Manli was lazy and didn’t want to go through the hassle of rides; besides, she’d gone to the local amusement park a thousand times with other girls and it wasn’t exciting anymore. So, they went to the zoo.

Because it was an outdoor zoo and Jiang Manli got hot easily, she wore a low-cut tank top and a short skirt.

Cheng Qingyan drove quietly. Jiang Manli stole several glances at her; once she was sure Cheng wasn’t in a chatting mood, she put on her headphones and played games.

When she finally looked up, they had arrived. She began frantically smearing sunscreen on herself.

Cheng Qingyan glanced at her. “Your back—need help?”

Jiang Manli’s body gave a little tremble. “I can reach it.”

To prove it, she smeared sunscreen all over one hand and reached backward, but the cream just wouldn’t spread smoothly.

Cheng Qingyan sighed softly. “Let me.”

She gently turned Jiang Manli’s shoulder and, using her fingertips, smoothed the sunscreen across her back.

Jiang Manli didn’t dare breathe—she was mortified.

“Done.” Cheng Qingyan patted her shoulder.

Jiang Manli straightened up on reflex.

“Get out.” Cheng Qingyan didn’t look at her again as she opened the car door.

Jiang Manli hurried out, too.

They bought tickets and went into the park.

Jiang Manli had actually never been to a zoo before. Her family had been too busy when she was little, and once she got older she looked down on “children’s places” like zoos. So, this first visit felt fresh.

Cheng Qingyan clearly hadn’t been to a zoo much either—she meticulously followed the guidebook, mapping out the optimal route. At every exhibit she read the animal descriptions carefully; if you didn’t know them, you’d think she was on a field study.

Jiang Manli, however, had a three-minute attention span—she soon grew bored and started yawning as they walked.

It wasn’t until they reached the Australian kangaroo enclosure that she perked up again—because two kangaroos were fighting.

Both kangaroos were huge, muscled, their powerful hind legs launching them into the air. They hopped and threw punches and kicks at each other in a fierce tussle.

Jiang Manli’s eyes lit up. “Holy—this is awesome!”

She hurried forward, leaning over the railing, excitement written all over her face. She shouted encouragements: “Go on! Hit it! Wait—how did it get hit? Fight back! Punch it in the face! Jump.”

She was more animated than the kangaroos themselves.

Cheng Qingyan: “……”

“Do you really like watching kangaroos fight?”

Jiang Manli did, in fact, enjoy a bit of spectacle. She’d seen plenty of kangaroo boxing videos online before, but this was her first time witnessing one in person—so of course, she was excited. At the same time, she was deliberately showing her shallow, hot-headed side, hoping it would make Cheng Qingyan dislike her.

“I mean, it’s my first time seeing it live. I’m just curious! So, which one do you think will win?”

Cheng Qingyan observed the two kangaroos quietly for a moment. “The one on the right. Its stance is steadier—moves are faster, cleaner, and more precise.”

“Then I’m betting on the one on the left. Hey, Leftie! Come on! Tail down, jump up—kick its belly!”

“What are we betting?” Cheng Qingyan asked.

Jiang Manli blinked. She hadn’t expected her to actually want to place a wager. She eyed her warily. “You’re not gonna say something like—whoever loses has to kiss the other, right? Because that’s a no from me.”

Cheng Qingyan: “…”

“If I win,” Cheng Qingyan said after a pause, “I want to take a picture of you.”

Jiang Manli relaxed. “That’s it? Just a photo? Pfft, I thought it was something serious. Sure—win or lose, I’ll let you take one.”

Cheng Qingyan shook her head slightly. “A bet’s a bet. You have to follow the rules.”

Jiang Manli muttered under her breath, “So rigid,” and turned back to cheer her fighter on. “Grab its neck! Get it!”

As expected, Leftie was soon knocked flat on its back by Rightie, lying there in utter defeat.

“Damn,” Jiang Manli sighed deeply, genuinely mourning the loss.

A bet was a bet. She turned to Cheng Qingyan, good-naturedly. “Go ahead, take your photo.”

Cheng Qingyan lifted her phone and adjusted the angle. “I want you and Leftie in the same frame.”

Jiang Manli: “…”

Alright, maybe this was a little embarrassing. Posing with a defeated kangaroo wasn’t exactly her proudest moment.

But a deal was a deal. Jiang Manli shifted her stance to make it look like she was cradling the fallen kangaroo in her hands, and flashed a bright, sunny smile.

Click.

Cheng Qingyan stared at the photo for a long moment, her expression softening. She seemed satisfied. Then, to Jiang Manli’s horror, she set it as her phone’s lock screen.

“Thank you,” Cheng Qingyan said quietly.

Jiang Manli: “…”

Oh, dear god.

“Uh, I mean, sure, I look pretty decent,” Jiang Manli said, scratching her head, “but there’s really no need to make me your wallpaper, Yan-jie.”

Cheng Qingyan shook her head. “You’re very real. Very unique. Being around you feels fresh, fun.”

Jiang Manli’s heart skipped a beat. Wait a minute—was that a compliment?

“Yan-jie, don’t you have any other friends?”

“Not many,” Cheng Qingyan admitted softly.

“How’s that possible? You’re beautiful, your family’s loaded—you must’ve had a ton of people chasing after you back in school, right?”

“I never went to school,” Cheng Qingyan said. After a pause, she clarified, “Not in a traditional sense. My mother’s health wasn’t good, and she didn’t like seeing people—or having me interact with them. So, I was homeschooled my whole life, with private tutors. Most of what I learned was finance and business management.”

Jiang Manli gaped. Then again, it made sense. The Cheng family was wealthy—Cheng Qingyan would probably inherit everything one day. As long as she had the professional skills, a diploma wouldn’t matter much.

“So, how’d you end up joining a talent show?”

“Because I turned eighteen. I needed to experience life, build connections. The Beidou Star Training Program was my first time leaving home.”

Jiang Manli was silent for a moment. “Oh.”

No wonder Cheng Qingyan was so clingy—it wasn’t obsession, it was inexperience. She probably hadn’t met many people at all. Was this what they called the baby bird complex?

The more she thought about it, the more she found herself feeling sorry for her.

“Does that sound strange to you?” Cheng Qingyan asked quietly.

“Not really,” Jiang Manli said with a shrug. “Every family’s got its own set of problems.”

(If only Cheng Qingyan knew that, in Jiang Manli’s mind, she’d just been downgraded from a fierce eagle to a lost little chick.)

“As long as you don’t keep trying to make me your girlfriend,” Jiang Manli added with a grin, “your big sis here’s got your back.”

Cheng Qingyan frowned slightly. “But.”

“No buts!” Jiang Manli cut her off quickly. “That’s settled, alright? Now, let’s head to the next exhibit.”

Cheng Qingyan lowered her gaze, thought for a moment, then took a few long strides to catch up.

After learning about Cheng Qingyan’s background, Jiang Manli found her a lot less intimidating. She loosened up, and before long, she was chatting freely again.

They spent the entire day at the zoo—feeding animals, watching performances, laughing through every attraction—until the sun dipped below the horizon.

Back in the car, Jiang Manli buckled her seatbelt with a grin. “Didn’t expect the zoo to be this fun. It’s way better than I thought.”

“I thought so too,” Cheng Qingyan said, smiling softly.

“So, where are we going to play tomorrow?” Jiang Manli froze mid-sentence, realizing how that sounded. Like she was actually looking forward to spending more time together.

Cheng Qingyan’s lips curved. “Tomorrow’s our last day. I’d like to invite you to my home.”

Jiang Manli’s eyes flew wide open. “What?”