CHAPTER 494: CHAPTER 494: DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE SO AMAZING?

The next day, Chen Bin planned to leave the Imperial Capital.

Initially, he intended to buy an economy-class ticket, but both Liao Ruoji and her sister Ruoli vied to purchase a first-class ticket for him.

In the end, Liao Ruoli emerged victorious and successfully got the ticket.

Feeling dissatisfied, Liao Ruoji seized the moment when Ruoli wasn’t looking to cup Chen Bin’s face and kissed him several times.

Chen Bin watched as the two women competed for his sake, acting like children.

While he felt happy, his heart was filled with worry.

After boarding the plane, he quickly found his seat.

Since it was his first time flying first-class, he couldn’t help feeling reflective.

At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Be good, sweetheart. Once you wake up, you’ll see your grandparents."

He turned his head and saw that it was none other than He Beibei.

He Beibei clearly noticed Chen Bin as well; their eyes met, both showing their surprise.

In that fleeting moment, countless memories of the past flooded Chen Bin’s mind.

He Beibei forced an awkward smile, her expression brimming with unease.

"What a coincidence, running into you here."

Chen Bin glanced at the child in her arms wearing a pink outfit—it seemed to be a girl.

Though she was quite beautiful, she didn’t resemble Xiong Wubing much.

"It is quite the coincidence. Are you heading to your parents’ place?"

"Yes, they miss the baby, so I’m taking her there for a visit. Are you in the Imperial Capital for... work?"

"That’s right. The provincial TV station is hosting a gala, and I’ve come to invite a few singers as headliners. Where are you working now?"

"I’m a full-time housewife for now, planning to find something to do once the child starts kindergarten."

After exchanging pleasantries, the conversation began to run dry.

He Beibei’s seat wasn’t far from Chen Bin’s, so the two would occasionally sneak glances at each other.

They each seemed to have countless words to say, yet didn’t know where to start.

Upon returning to the station, Chen Bin immersed himself in organizing the gala.

Most of the programs had been finalized; aside from inviting prominent singers from outside, everyone else was engaged in rehearsals.

Chen Bin always pursued perfection in his work, meticulously tweaking even the smallest details.

However, after dealing with the major tasks, he found himself stuck on the issue of choosing the hosts.

The four hosts from the Spring Festival Gala were excellent, but Ji Yue’s appendicitis had already healed.

Choosing between Ji Yue and Wu Jie proved to be quite difficult.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

Ji Yue walked in, visibly nervous. "Chen Tai, are you busy?"

Though Chen Bin knew what she wanted to say, he still asked, "Not busy. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to ask if the hosts for the gala have been decided."

"Well... it’s still under consideration for now."

"Last time, I couldn’t host the Spring Festival Gala due to illness. I hope you can give me another chance—I promise I won’t let you down this time."

"You’re indeed one of the best female hosts at the station, but I can’t make a decision yet. Please wait for the notification."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Chen Tai. I’ll definitely work even harder in the future."

After Ji Yue left, Chen Bin felt even more conflicted.

That evening, Fan Sheng invited Chen Bin to dinner.

As they left the restaurant after chatting, they ran into Wu Jie holding hands with a young man who was passing by.

The four of them froze in surprise upon seeing each other.

Wu Jie swiftly pulled her hand out of the boy’s grasp after realizing what had happened.

"Chen Tai, Fan Tai."

Chen Bin ignored her, focusing instead on observing the boy.

He was about as tall as Chen Bin, slim bordering on lanky, looking like a bamboo pole.

Though not as handsome as Chen Bin, he had the kind of looks young girls might find appealing.

Fan Sheng smiled and asked, "Little girl, what are you doing here?"

"I came here with a friend and was just about to head back to school."

While speaking, Wu Jie’s eyes kept straying to Chen Bin.

Fan Sheng looked at the boy beside Wu Jie and asked, "Is this your boyfriend?"

"Yes, he’s Nie Kang."

At that, Wu Jie nudged the boy playfully. "Quick, say hello to the two executives."

"Fan Tai, I have some errands to run, so I’ll be off."

Chen Bin completely ignored Wu Jie, simply waved to Fan Sheng before turning to leave.

Wu Jie chased after him quickly. "Chen Tai, wait a moment. Has the host for the gala been decided?"

Chen Bin responded flatly, "Not yet. Why?"

"Can you give me another chance? I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Chen Bin interrupted her bluntly.

"You think you’re something special just because you filled in once?"

"No, I actually..."

"Let me tell you, you’re far from being a professional host yet."

Wu Jie’s eyes reddened at those words, on the verge of tears.

Chen Bin continued, "I originally thought about giving you another chance, but I’ve changed my mind—the gala won’t need you as a host this time!"

"Why?"

"Figure it out yourself."

With that, Chen Bin hailed a taxi and left.

At that moment, Wu Jie could no longer hold back her frustration, and tears streamed down her face.

Confused about the situation, Fan Sheng didn’t ask questions since it didn’t concern him.

Seeing Wu Jie upset, Nie Kang tried to comfort her, but she wiped her tears and left without saying a word.

Feeling increasingly angry, Nie Kang hailed a taxi to chase after Chen Bin.

Alone in her dorm, Wu Jie immediately relayed her experience to her best friend Cong Lijie.

After hearing the whole story, Cong Lijie couldn’t help but ask.

"Did you offend that deputy director somehow?"

Wu Jie shook her head firmly. "He’s my boss—if I offended anyone, it certainly wouldn’t be him!"

After deliberating, Cong Lijie tentatively asked, "Do you think he might like you?"

Wu Jie was stunned by the suggestion. "Huh? That... sounds unlikely, doesn’t it?"

"If you didn’t offend him, then the only explanation is that he’s jealous seeing you with your boyfriend, and that’s why he acted that way."

Wu Jie had never considered the possibility of Chen Bin liking her.

But she did quite like him.

Cong Lijie added, "Think about it—didn’t he let you host before? That could’ve been because he liked you. After all, that’s the provincial TV station, and you’re just a student. Why else would such a rare opportunity fall to you?"

Upon reflection, Wu Jie thought it might be possible.

So she asked instinctively, "What should I do now?"

"Well... that’s a tough one."

Cong Lijie sighed, "You’re not even twenty, and he’s in his thirties. Plus, someone that handsome likely has a wife and kids. Unless you’re okay with being the mistress, there’s not much you can do."

"Ugh, it’s driving me crazy!"

To Wu Jie, Chen Bin’s capability made her willing to accept their age gap.

But she wasn’t willing to be the other woman.

The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she felt.

At that moment, Cong Lijie continued.

"If I were you, I’d definitely go for Chen Bin. Following him promises unlimited potential—a missed chance is a lifetime lost. As for Nie Kang, it’s just a fling, completely insignificant."

Wu Jie sighed deeply as her inner conflict grew.

If Chen Bin wanted to marry her, she wouldn’t hesitate.

But being a mistress—that wasn’t the kind of life she wanted...