My Virtual Girlfriend-Chapter 443

Chen Yan hesitated a bit.

Because during this period, he had not really prepared any surprises for Lu Man.

Figuring out her situation with Yu Qiao Qiao had tied up most of his energy, so where would he find the time to prepare a surprise?

However, even though he didn’t understand what Lu Man was referring to,

Chen Yan had learned the most useful thing through juggling relationships with several women: in front of women, if you aren’t clear about the situation, then it’s best not to say too much and just quietly listen to them.

Because, who knows... the surprise might just come from them.

With that thought in mind, Chen Yan simply smiled and replied, "Hmm... as long as you’re happy."

And sure enough, to Chen Yan’s expectation,

Lu Man excitedly started to explain the whole story.

She spoke with a sense of yearning, "Chen Yan... you have no idea how surprised I was when I received the skin and character model from Qiao Qiao."

"To be honest, this wasn’t that important to me."

"What I care about is your attitude."

"But these past few days, you’ve been brushing me off."

"At that time... I was really a bit disappointed."

"Because I didn’t know what I meant to you."

"I also didn’t know whether the promises you made to me were just empty checks to pacify and deceive me."

Lu Man’s voice dropped a bit, "These two years. Although my status in the entertainment industry has been rising, I’ve become more and more aware of how many people are just playthings for the rich and powerful."

"I’ve also realized how lucky I was when my popularity exploded by accident and then I met Sister Mei Li."

"But, I really didn’t know how you saw me."

As she spoke, her voice gradually became joyful, "But now I feel reassured!"

"I know that you’ve really taken my matters to heart!"

"And you’re truly trying to hint to Yu Qiao Qiao about us."

"I believe that when the time is right, you’ll tell Qiao Qiao everything."

"Although I don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be."

"But..."

"When I knew that you had this intention, I was satisfied."

Lu Man spoke earnestly, "Thank you, Chen Yan."

Upon hearing Lu Man’s words, Chen Yan finally understood the whole story.

And he suddenly realized what Yu Qiao Qiao had been hiding from him and what she had been up to. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Perhaps for some reason, she had ultimately agreed to let Lu Man have the Easter egg in the game.

And she even personally designed the character and skin for Lu Man.

Now, Yu Qiao Qiao didn’t suspect Chen Yan and had agreed to all this.

And Lu Man thought all of this was arranged by Chen Yan.

The matter was effectively resolved.

But...

For some reason, there was no joy or pleasure in Chen Yan’s heart.

Listening to Lu Man’s words, he always felt a tightness in his chest as if a hand was gripping his heart.

He bit his lip, silently listening to Lu Man finish speaking.

In the end, he forced a smile and said, "Hmm. As long as you’re happy."

The same response as his initial one, but Chen Yan’s mindset was completely different now...

Perhaps sensing that something was off with Lu Man’s mood, she gradually calmed down from her excitement.

She quieted down for a moment and then asked softly, "Chen Yan... why do you seem... unhappy?"

Chen Yan bit his lip and tried to sound as normal as possible.

Then he spoke softly, "I told you just now... I’m at work. Entertaining a client."

"So, it’s not very convenient to talk."

Upon hearing Chen Yan’s explanation, Lu Man suddenly realized and said, "Oh, I see~"

She spoke with a hint of arrogance, "Hmph! If you’re busy, you could just not answer my calls."

"I’m not that sort of unreasonable girl!"

After saying that, she added, "Alright then. You go on with your work~"

And with that, Lu Man whispered softly, "Don’t drink too much. Remember to go back early and rest."

Upon hearing Lu Man’s words, Chen Yan’s heart clenched even more.

He gave a monosyllabic grunt.

Seeing that it was truly inconvenient for Chen Yan to talk, Lu Man kissed him with a "mwah~" over the phone, and without waiting for his reaction, hung up.

Just like those brash little hooligans who snatch a kiss and run away.

And as Chen Yan listened to the "beep... beep..." sound coming from the phone, his expression was incredibly complex.

He looked out at Fenghua Building standing opposite, visible from the corridor window.

The eighteen-story Fenghua Building loomed majestically.

Even though it was nearly 8 o’clock, the lights were still on in the upper floors.

Each level housed a leading company in the industry.

The whole building combined was the embryonic form of the business empire that Chen Yan had built single-handedly.

But the more he looked, the more bewildered Chen Yan felt.

Especially when thinking of Yu Qiao Qiao and Lu Man, his confusion only deepened...

Standing silently by the window for a while, Chen Yan picked up his phone and sent a message to Yu Qiao Qiao,

[Lu Man told me you designed the character model and skin for her?]

[Didn’t we agree not to do that?]

He was still curious about what Yu Qiao Qiao was thinking.

A moment later, a message from Yu Qiao Qiao arrived, a voice message.

Chen Yan played it, and Yu Qiao Qiao’s soft, delicate voice came through,

"Chen Yan... I went back and thought about it again. I felt that what I did was not right."

"You’re starting a business. And Sister Man Man is your partner. You should support each other."

"And as you said, if Sister Man Man can be a character and skin in your game, then it’s a win-win for both the game and her."

"And whether it’s the film company or the game company, they’re both your industries."

"After I got home, the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was a good thing."

"I shouldn’t interfere with the development of your company because of my likes or dislikes."

"So I decided to make amends and secretly worked on Sister Man Man’s skin~"

"I wanted to give you a surprise, so I didn’t tell you until now."

"Hehe~"

Listening to Yu Qiao Qiao’s message, Chen Yan could almost visualize the goofy, silly girl before his eyes.

The slight easing of his mood was blocked again.

Chen Yan didn’t respond. Instead, he put the phone back in his pocket.

He loosened the collar of his dress shirt and stared out the window in a daze.

His mind was a mess.

All of a sudden, he felt a soft body press against his back, and a beautiful face leaned on his shoulder, "What’s wrong, Chen Yan? Why have you been outside for over half an hour and still not returned?"

Smelling the faint scent of jasmine from behind,

Chen Yan knew that He Mengxue, who had been waiting in the room for a long time, had come out.

He collected his thoughts and forced a chuckle, "Nothing. Just suddenly caught up in something."

As a big sister type of woman, He Mengxue easily saw through Chen Yan’s insincerity.

She tenderly adjusted Chen Yan’s clothes, then asked, "Is it something to do with your feelings?"

Chen Yan hesitated for a second.

Originally, he didn’t want to discuss it.

But then, he considered that He Mengxue already knew about him, Yu Qiao Qiao, and Lu Man. There was no value in keeping it secret.

Ultimately, he nodded.

Seeing Chen Yan acknowledge it, He Mengxue gently took his hand and said, "Let’s talk inside. It’s not very convenient in the corridor."

Maybe because Chen Yan was suddenly emotionally troubled, he started to see a different side of He Mengxue.

He nodded his head and followed her back to the room.

Once inside, He Mengxue naturally let go of Chen Yan’s hand.

Rather than diving straight into the emotional issues, she began by serving Chen Yan something to eat, saying softly, "Eat something first. The dishes have gone cold."

Chen Yan replied with a murmur and began to eat the food.

Seeing Chen Yan so cooperative, He Mengxue couldn’t help but smile.

When she smiled, she looked especially charming, like a fox spirit that had slipped into the human world.

Every move she made exuded innate allure.

However, this time Chen Yan had no attention to spare, as if he hadn’t noticed at all, showing no change in expression.

Noticing Chen Yan’s demeanor, He Mengxue chuckled twice more and reached into her purse, pulling out a pack of women’s cigarettes.

Her slender fingers, polished with red nail varnish, clasped a cigarette, placed it between her lips, and lit it.

The smoke slowly rose.

Chen Yan frowned slightly, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

Meanwhile, He Mengxue began to speak at a leisurely pace.

She seemed to muse, "You men... you’re greedy..."

"Having a white rose, yet envying the red rose for its enthralling and vivid beauty."

"Then, possessing the red rose, you find the white rose pure as snow, sparking an instant attraction."

"Even having both red and white roses isn’t enough. You covet peonies, Chinese peonies, and sometimes even a beautiful wildflower by the roadside. Wishing to pluck and admire it at home."

At this point, she glanced sideways at Chen Yan, her narrow eyes fox-like, exuding a seductive disdain as if seeing through all of a man’s intentions.

Chen Yan, struck by her words, awkwardly put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.

He Mengxue, noticing this, took a drag from her cigarette, took a sip of her drink, and then asked, "Now, are you feeling guilty about your white rose and red rose?"

Chen Yan just hummed in response.

Then he stared blankly at the wall and said, "I’m just feeling emotional, thinking they are too good for me."

"I feel like I don’t deserve them."

He Mengxue nodded sympathetically, "I think so too."

"What’s a philanderer like you doing messing around with two perfectly good girls?"

Chen Yan then answered with confidence, "Because... I like them."

He Mengxue rolled her eyes, "You like them, so you want to mess with them?"

Chen Yan added, "They like me too."

"I’m not messing around; what I have with them is mutual affection."

He Mengxue: ...

He Mengxue patted her forehead and said, "Chen Yan, what am I supposed to do with you."

"How can a person have mutual affection with two people at once?"

"That’s unethical."

Perhaps one’s thoughts can become blocked when alone, but once two people begin to discuss, the ideas suddenly flow.

So, Chen Yan took a glance at He Mengxue and countered, "Then how is it that even knowing I have a girlfriend, you keep seducing me, entangling yourself with me, wanting a relationship? Is that ethical?"

He Mengxue was momentarily speechless.

After a moment, she huffed lightly and said, "I’m a scandalous woman. My moral standards are low. Don’t compare me to you."

Chen Yan chuckled, "Well, that’s unlucky. I’m a scandalous man. My moral standards are also low."

Seeing Chen Yan abandon all pretense of decency, He Mengxue rolled her pretty eyes.

Then she stubbed out the cigarette and asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"

Chen Yan might have truly cleared his thoughts.

He pondered for a while, and then slowly said, "I don’t know."

"All I know is that I like them."

"I don’t want to give up either of them, no matter what."

"This past half a month, I’ve thought about whether I should settle my feelings and just choose one."

"But I found I couldn’t do it."

"Because I’m selfish. I can’t bear to have any of them leave me."

"Especially when they’re nice to me."

"The more they are, the guiltier I feel."

"Instead, the less I dare let them go."

"Because... I can’t accept them being with other men."

"I’m also not sure whether other men would treat them well or bully them."

"If those men abuse them or can’t provide the life they want,"

"only let them stay at home doing laundry and cooking, becoming yellow-faced wives,"

"or force them to go out to work and earn money to support the family while they gamble and idle away at home,"

"Just thinking about those terrible things makes me too scared to continue."

"I don’t want to hand over their uncertain futures to someone else."

"I’d rather control our future."

"Because at least I can be sure that I really like them. I will treat them well."

"I also have the ability and the conditions to give them the life they want, to fulfill their dreams."

"They shouldn’t need to struggle for life."

"They shouldn’t have to worry about the daily necessities."

Thinking this, Chen Yan’s thoughts suddenly became clearer.

At this moment, he seemed to understand the significance of the system’s ultimate reward.

After completing the fourth ring task of Yu Qiao Qiao, Chen Yan received an ultimate task.

That is to complete Yu Qiao Qiao’s professional line, or rather her "dream line."

After completing the professional line, Chen Yan would have the chance to view Yu Qiao Qiao’s original life.

At the time, Chen Yan didn’t react much to this reward.

Because he felt, while it had some meaning, it seemed... not very valuable.

But at this moment, he suddenly understood:

This reward was to let Chen Yan, after giving Virtual Girlfriend what he thought was the best life, see her original life in her own timeline and make a comparison.

To let Chen Yan know whether he had harmed her or changed her life for the better.

With the comparison, Chen Yan would also know in what areas he should strive and make amends.

Or, with a clear conscience, accept their love...

Thinking this, Chen Yan suddenly felt motivated.

He thought, what does it matter if he’s a bit of a scoundrel.

Letting the person he likes suffer is the greatest sin!

Moreover, China has only practiced monogamy for nearly a hundred years, hasn’t it?

More recently, Hong Kong continued with polygamous practices into the seventies.

And to this day, many countries around the world still support polygamy.

So, although Chen Yan knew he was making excuses, at least he found some justifications that could be persuasive.

He felt that it was useless to dwell on these issues.

Each of these girls was so good to him. How could he bear to let them down?

Therefore, it’s better for him to do his utmost to treat these girls well.

Later on, let the girls choose for themselves...

With this thought, the gloom that was there before finally dispersed, and a smile bloomed on Chen Yan’s face again.

He raised his glass to He Mengxue with a smile and said, "Come, take a sip."

He Mengxue looked at Chen Yan strangely.

She always felt that Chen Yan had become somewhat different from before.

But she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was different.

It seemed like he had become more carefree, rakish, and even more shamefully complacent...

Shaking her head to dispel the strange thoughts in her mind, He Mengxue clinked glasses with Chen Yan and started drinking.

While drinking, Chen Yan also kept busy.

He continued with his original plan and probed He Mengxue’s views on investment companies and her dreams.

After multiple confirmations that He Mengxue’s dreams and professional line were about entrepreneurship and business development, Chen Yan basically made his own judgment.

The dinner, although initially a little turbulent,

went on to be very enjoyable as the atmosphere between the two was good.

After the meal, He Mengxue was already staggering a bit from drunkenness.

Chen Yan didn’t let her go home by herself but decided to take her to his presidential suite to rest for the night.

The presidential suite had many rooms.

Moreover, housekeeping came every day to clean.

Every guest room was ready for occupancy.

So, after bringing He Mengxue to the suite, Chen Yan found a room for her and carried her inside.

He Mengxue had a small frame and was light to carry.

After laying her on the bed, he took off her shoes and coat to help her rest better.

Originally after doing all this, Chen Yan wanted to go and rest himself.

But then he remembered how meticulously He Mengxue had taken care of him the last time he got drunk.

At the last moment, hesitating, he went to the bathroom and got a wet towel; returning, he sat He Mengxue up and wiped her face for her.

While he wiped her face, He Mengxue seemed to become slightly more alert.

She gently stretched out her fair arms and wrapped them around Chen Yan’s neck, murmuring drunkenly, "Chen Yan, I like you..."

Then she snuggled up to him.

Chen Yan chuckled and tapped her little head, pulling her hands down and tucking them into the blanket.

Then, he rolled her up in the blanket and tucked in the corners.

He folded her coat neatly and placed it beside the bed.

Only then did he leave He Mengxue’s room.

After Chen Yan left, the room fell into a long silence.

It was not known how much time had passed.

He Mengxue’s eyes, however, opened.

She looked at the door with a sense of grievance; not a hint of drunkenness could be seen.

Then, she reached out to try and get out from under the blanket, only to realize that Chen Yan had wrapped her too tightly; she couldn’t get out at all.

Instantly, He Mengxue became a little panicked.

She had drunk alcohol, her stomach full of liquid; if she couldn’t get out all night...

How embarrassing would that be...

...

Meanwhile, Chen Yan, sitting in the living room of the presidential suite, had no idea about He Mengxue’s predicament.

He took out his phone and opened the game.

After a night of confirmation