CHAPTER 200: CHAPTER 200: MUTUAL DISDAIN

Chang Wan has a big temper now, she can’t stand even a little unpleasant remark.

She frowned at Lu Feng, "What do you mean?"

Seeing her angry, Lu Feng tried to appease her, "I’m afraid those people are talking about you behind your back."

Chang Wan’s lips curled slightly, "Let them talk. Haven’t there been enough people gossiping about me behind my back? They’re just jealous because they can’t compare to me."

Chang Wan became arrogant again.

Lu Feng secretly rolled his eyes and then asked her, "By the way, didn’t your dad mention that he got in touch with a director from Hong Kong last time? What did they say? Are they considering offering you a role?"

Actors here earn a fixed salary as employees of the production company, while actors over there are big stars earning hefty fees—a world of difference.

Lu Feng also hoped Chang Wan would make progress, like going over there to act and becoming a big star, earning money faster than he could by running a publishing house, with little effort—like picking money off the ground.

That was the thought, but going over there wasn’t that easy.

Chang Wan: "My dad just had a meal with them, nothing more! Those people look down on us and are quite arrogant. Besides, even if I went over there, I’d have to start from scratch; it’s not as easy as you think. Why would I leave the lead roles here to play minor parts over there? I’m not that stupid."

Chang Wan just didn’t want to give up the comfortable life she had now.

Lu Feng almost couldn’t hold back from rolling his eyes again, and he said, "I just want to remind you that in recent years, society has been developing rapidly, and external films have had a significant impact on us here. If we don’t respond quickly, we could easily be left behind.

There’s a new video hall that opened on the street in front, you must have seen it, right? The line is packed with people."

I don’t know what plans your production company has. The TV station is also self-financing now, and sometimes they have no choice."

Lu Feng had a clear view of the situation, but he just had a way with words.

Chang Wan was aware of these issues as well, but what could knowing them do?

Here, the Chang Family was her backing, allowing her to get ahead in anything she did. If she went outside without support, she’d be nothing.

Looking at Lu Feng sitting next to her, a thirty-year-old man running a publishing house, he had earned some money, even managed to buy a car, much better off than most people.

However, he still couldn’t compare to Meng Cheng’an.

Chang Wan heard that Meng Cheng’an had invested one million in Liu Jun’s production company under Tian Xiang’s name.

Although Chang Wan believed that even a million couldn’t save them, it merely slowed their demise, it didn’t hinder Meng Cheng’an from spoiling his wife.

A million—Lu Feng had worked hard for two years and only initially earned enough for a car. In the past six months, his publishing house seemed to have made no splash.

Thinking of this, Chang Wan couldn’t help but ask him, "By the way, has your company published any bestsellers recently? You haven’t mentioned anything."

Lu Feng’s eyes dodged her gaze, and he replied vaguely, "We’re not the only ones impacted by external pressures. Everyone is restless, unable to sit down and appreciate fine literary works; they all love foreign things."

Chang Wan couldn’t help but ask him, "Can’t you get some rights from outside? Print whatever people love. You keep pointing at me; you need to learn to change too."

Lu Feng: "I know. It’s just without connections over there, even with money in hand, I don’t know who to approach."

Lu Feng had considered this before and even contacted a middleman, but unfortunately, it was a scammer who swindled him out of several thousand yuan.

He was eager to persuade Chang Wan to go out, thinking if she went, she might help him make some connections and expand his publishing business over there.

Both were waiting for the other to pave the way for them, leaving them both a bit silent.

After a while, Lu Feng said, "By the way, could you talk to your dad about helping me arrange something? I want to translate a couple of foreign classics."

Last time, Lu Feng had earned money by doing just that.

Chang Wan rolled her eyes, "Can’t you negotiate it yourself? My dad will retire in six months, and if he helps you arrange these things in his final days, people will easily target him."

Lu Feng didn’t say anything; if he had connections, he wouldn’t have asked.

Seeing his embarrassment, Chang Wan offered advice, "If your publishing house isn’t working out, consider handing it over to someone else and starting a magazine. You could publish both newspapers and magazines and if you manage to get rights, you could publish books too. Look at Meng Cheng’an’s magazine company. Their English learning paper is practically a student staple for those taking college entrance exams; who doesn’t have a copy?

And at the beginning of the year, he even secured the sales rights for a few popular novels from Hong Kong, which have been selling like hotcakes over the past months, and now..."

Before Chang Wan finished speaking, Lu Feng shouted, "Enough! Can you stop mentioning him?"

Why talk about anyone else but him?

Meng Cheng’an is just a wastrel who got into university because of his family; how can he be better than me?

His current success is merely because his family paved the way.

Without Mr. Meng and his two aunts from the Meng Family, what could he have achieved? He would still be working for the mechanical factory in our city earning a few dozen yuan a month!

Lu Feng suddenly burst into anger, and Chang Wan gazed at him in confusion, "I’m just stating a fact, why are you taking it out on me?"

Lu Feng looked at her sullenly. As the two glared at each other, someone knocked on the car window.

Qin Rui, holding a shopping basket, had arrived without them noticing.

Both of them controlled their tempers and quietly got out of the car.

Lu Feng greeted Qin Rui, handed over the fruit he bought earlier, and said he wouldn’t go inside, mentioning that work was busy and he had to leave.

Qin Rui urged him, "Xiao Lu, why not stay for lunch?"

Over the years, Lu Feng had consistently done well, and the old couple from the Chang Family remained quite satisfied with him.

Lu Feng: "Maybe next time, I’m really tied up today."

Seeing they had argued, Qin Rui didn’t press further and nodded with a smile.

Lu Feng drove away.

The Chang Family mother and daughter returned home.

No one was home; it was just the two of them, so Qin Rui couldn’t help but tell her daughter to control her temper and learn to compromise.

Chang Wan impatiently said, "Mom, can you not say these things?"

Qin Rui sighed, "Alright, I’ll stop. But when are you two getting married? Lu Feng is already thirty, and you’re twenty-six. What are you waiting for? Look around, wedding posters are being sent out."

Qin Rui said, handing an invitation to Chang Wan.

Coincidentally, it was from Meng Cheng’an and Tian Xiang.

Chang Wan got annoyed at the sight, "Mom, you already have grandkids. Why are you pushing me?"

Chang Wan had two older brothers who were already married with children.

Qin Rui asked, "You don’t want to get married, do you?"

Chang Wan gave a bitter smile.

How could she not want to get married? But what could she do when the person she liked belonged to someone else?