After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 22

Bai Man looked up and saw Su Qingwan’s eyes brimming with anticipation. She couldn’t help but recall that before she had transmigrated into this novel, whenever she went on business trips, only her secretary or driver would pick her up at the airport—no one else.

The members of her family were no better. One was perpetually on a shopping spree, never buying anything for her. Another claimed to be networking but brought no tangible benefits to the company, instead offering unsolicited advice on her plans with the condescending air of someone who “knew better.” The last one was even more absurd, constantly either hanging out with friends or on his way to meet them.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes,” Su Qingwan said, quickening her pace as if to prevent Bai Man from changing her mind.

Watching Su Qingwan’s retreating figure, Bai Man finally took a step forward.

Yu Meng, who had witnessed the entire exchange, scoffed softly, mocking Bai Man’s apparent change of heart.

Ignoring her, Bai Man followed Su Qingwan into the cabin.

Since the guests had booked their own return flights, business class seats were limited. Considering the needs of other passengers, the cameraman had to abandon filming.

Su Qingwan had booked seats for herself and Bai Man side-by-side. When Bai Man settled into the seat beside her, the corners of Su Qingwan’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

Having slept poorly the night before, Su Qingwan closed her eyes when Bai Man remained silent, mirroring her companion’s stillness.

When she opened her eyes again, the flight attendant was already reminding passengers to disembark in an orderly fashion.

As soon as Bai Man’s feet touched the ground, Su Qingwan grabbed her arm.

“You’re practically a public figure now,” Su Qingwan said earnestly, pulling out a black face mask and putting it on Bai Man. “You need to protect yourself.”

The cool tips of her fingers brushed against Bai Man’s skin, like a spring breeze stirring gentle ripples in her heart.

“Tilt your head down a little,” Su Qingwan instructed.

Bai Man lowered her head slightly, allowing Su Qingwan to hook the mask’s straps over her ears.

For a fleeting moment, their breaths mingled, their eyes locked on each other.

Bai Man’s gaze drifted downward, landing on Su Qingwan’s delicate, full lips, which seemed to leap into her vision.

Sensing her gaze, Su Qingwan’s face and ears burned crimson. She wanted to turn away from the look that made her heart race, but when she caught a glimpse of Bai Man’s cherry-red lips in her peripheral vision, she froze.

An inappropriate thought flashed through her mind: A bite would probably taste delicious.

Realizing what she was thinking, Su Qingwan’s face flushed even hotter, her heart pounding. She awkwardly turned away and hurried toward the security checkpoint.

She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before turning back to grab Bai Man’s hand. “Auntie’s here. I’ll take you to her.”

Bai Man stared at the hand holding hers, fully aware that Su Qingwan was using this as an excuse to see Xu Mengjie. Yet the cool touch radiating from Su Qingwan’s hand made her lose herself in thought.

Unbeknownst to them, Yu Meng, who had disembarked later, observed their interaction with a complex expression in her eyes.

Having flown frequently, Su Qingwan knew the airport like the back of her hand. She had already successfully evaded the fans waving advertising banners and led Bai Man to a side exit.

Xu Mengjie had been waiting there for over ten minutes. When she saw the two women, her face lit up with a radiant smile.

She took a few steps forward, but froze in place when she saw her two daughters holding hands, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Earlier, she had felt a pang of sympathy for “Bai Man,” knowing how much money she had spent to participate in this variety show. Now, she could only exclaim inwardly, It was worth every penny!

Noticing Xu Mengjie’s gaze, Su Qingwan awkwardly released Bai Man’s hand, cautiously glancing at her, afraid she might be angry.

When Bai Man showed no reaction after a long moment, Su Qingwan’s anxiety immediately eased by half, and she turned her attention to Xu Mengjie.

Whether it was her imagination or not, Su Qingwan felt that Xu Mengjie looked older than she had just a few months ago. Though a smile lingered at the corners of her lips, an unyielding melancholy and heaviness clouded her eyes.

Could something have happened?

Su Qingwan instinctively turned to look at Bai Man, but Bai Man ignored her, brushing past her and heading straight outside.

Xu Mengjie concealed the disappointment in her eyes and approached Su Qingwan, adjusting her mask. “It’s crowded here, and we don’t want to be recognized. Let’s talk in the car, shall we?”

Su Qingwan nodded. “Okay.”

The moment Xu Mengjie turned away, a wave of longing washed over Su Qingwan’s face. She wanted to linger, to gaze at Xu Mengjie longer, to hear her voice again.

Knowing her sister’s habits, Su Qingyue, Su Qingwan’s younger sister and manager, was already waiting outside.

By coincidence, Su Qingyue’s car was parked just one space away from Xu Mengjie’s. Having met Su Qingyue once before, Xu Mengjie glanced at Bai Man, then gave Su Qingyue a slight nod in greeting.

Su Qingyue returned a polite smile, but the moment her peripheral vision caught sight of Bai Man, her smile froze.

Su Qingyue’s feelings toward “Bai Man” were complex. She resented Bai Man’s competitive nature, resented her heartlessness and decisiveness, and hated how Bai Man constantly caused trouble for her sister.

Sensing her gaze, Bai Man turned to look. Noticing the resemblance between Xu Mengjie’s features and Su Qingwan’s, she immediately guessed her identity.

Xu Mengjie’s joy and nervousness, Su Qingwan’s disappointment, and Su Qingyue’s complex emotions all made Bai Man uncomfortable.

She wasn’t the original Bai Man and had no desire to deal with these matters.

But Xu Mengjie gave her no chance. Seeing Su Qingwan approach, she said, “Lao Bai said you must be exhausted from filming. He’s cooking dinner himself tonight and insisted I bring you all back.”

As her words fell, Su Qingwan and Su Qingyue both turned to look at her.

Bai Man clearly saw Su Qingwan’s hand tighten on the handle of her suitcase, her delicate pink lips pressing into a thin line.

Standing beside her, Xu Mengjie also seemed uneasy, glancing at Bai Man intermittently.

“Perfect timing,” Su Qingyue said, glancing at her watch. “Even our little assistant, who only cooks once a century, went to buy ingredients early. She should be finishing the last dish by now.” She turned to Su Qingwan. “There’s way too much food for just the two of us to handle.”

Su Qingwan knew Su Qingyue was offering her an out. “Mom—” Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself. “A-Auntie, maybe we should do this another time?”

“Ah,” Xu Mengjie stepped forward. “You—”

Bai Man interrupted stiffly, cutting off Xu Mengjie’s unfinished sentence. “A junior shouldn’t refuse an invitation from an elder.”

Su Qingwan and Xu Mengjie froze in place, stunned. Was she agreeing?

Xu Mengjie recovered first, walking over to take Su Qingwan’s hand. “Let’s go home and eat together.” After a few steps, she turned back to Su Qingyue. “Xiao Yue, should I call a driver for you? They can take your car back, and you can ride with us.”

“No need, Auntie,” Su Qingyue replied, her gaze fixed on Su Qingwan. “If my little assistant finds out that no one ate the meal she worked so hard to prepare all afternoon, she’ll cry. I’ll come pick you up after I’ve had my fill.”

Su Qingwan saw the worry in Su Qingyue’s eyes, and she hesitated. But her hesitation was quickly overwhelmed by the joy of dining with Bai Man’s parents.

To spare Bai Man’s feelings, Su Qingwan and Xu Mengjie exchanged only a few brief words during the drive.

Bai Man silently turned to watch the scenery blur past the window. Soon, as the car slowed, they arrived at the Bai Family Villa.

Staring at the completely unfamiliar building, a sudden wave of resistance surged through her.

Seeing Su Qingwan standing motionless, Bai Man pursed her lips slightly. “If you don’t want to, I’ll leave right now.” With that, she turned to leave.

“It’s not about you,” Bai Man said, striding toward the door. “We’re already at the doorstep. Don’t you want to come in and take a look?”

I do. I want to very much.

Su Qingwan couldn’t voice these words. Instead, she nervously followed Bai Man into the house.

As they entered the living room, Bai Man immediately caught the aroma of steamed fish—a dish she had always loved. Unfortunately, since her younger brother started joining them at the dinner table, she hadn’t been able to enjoy it.

It wasn’t that her mother stopped making it, but every time she prepared the dish, she would add chili peppers, claiming it masked the fishy taste. In reality, her brother had a strong preference for spicy food.

Hearing footsteps, Bai Shanheng immediately turned his head. When he saw Su Qingwan was with them, the solemn expression on his face melted into a warm smile. “Qingwan’s back too!” he exclaimed, waving his hand. “You two go wash up quickly. Dinner’s about to be served.”

The familiar layout, the familiar voice, the familiar urgency—all of it brought tears to Su Qingwan’s eyes. She tilted her head back, trying to suppress the tears.

“Why are you two standing here like statues?” Xu Mengjie asked as she parked the car and walked over, nudging them both. “Go wash your hands. That show you’re on is great, but the food is terrible—either barbecue or just fruit. Even an iron stomach can’t handle that.”

Su Qingwan’s nose stung, and tears welled in her eyes. She turned away from Xu Mengjie. “Okay, I’ll go right now.”

Watching Su Qingwan’s retreating figure, Xu Mengjie sighed deeply. She looked at Bai Man, who was still standing there, and hesitated. “Manman, you’ve grown up so much. Your father and I are so proud of you.”

When Bai Man didn’t respond, Xu Mengjie continued, “Your father and I know you resent Wanwan, but it’s not her fault. You…” She sighed again, shaking her head slightly. “Seeing you two getting along so well now makes us both so happy.”

Bai Man turned to Bai Shanheng. “Are you really happy?”

The smiles on Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie’s faces stiffened. Their eyes met, uncertain.

Xu Mengjie looked away, forcing a smile as she changed the subject. “You must be hungry. Your father made all your favorites today. Try them carefully and see if his cooking skills have declined.”

Bai Man murmured a soft “Mm-hmm” and followed the direction Su Qingwan had taken.

She quickly realized she couldn’t find the restroom. Standing still and trying to hear the sound of running water, she heard nothing.

Su Qingwan composed herself and emerged from the restroom, only to find Bai Man leaning against the wall leading to the utility room. Puzzled, she approached. “What are you doing here?”

Bai Man naturally wouldn’t tell her the truth. She pushed off the wall and walked toward Su Qingwan.

When she returned to the dining room, Bai Shanheng, Xu Mengjie, and Su Qingwan were already seated at the table. To Su Qingwan’s left, an empty seat had been left, with a bowl of rice placed before it.

Eight dishes were arranged on the table, most heavily spiced with chili peppers. The only exception was a steamed fish, placed in the center of the table.

A thought struck her, and she immediately used her mental link to ask System 388: Was the original host fond of spicy food?

No record of that in the book, System 388 replied.

Bai Man: “……”

She calmly walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down. She stared at the steamed fish for a few seconds before finally picking up her chopsticks and taking a bite.

The fish was incredibly tender, infused with the savory aroma of fermented black beans. Despite the absence of chili peppers, the dish had no trace of fishiness.

It was even more delicious than the steamed fish her mother used to make.

Across the table, Xu Mengjie suppressed her surprise and exchanged a glance with Bai Shanheng before silently continuing to eat.

Their silence confirmed Bai Man’s suspicion: the original owner had a strong preference for spicy food.

Her sudden peaceful coexistence with Su Qingwan and her abrupt change in taste would undoubtedly arouse the Bai parents’ suspicions.

If she ate some chili-spiced dishes now, she could dispel some of their doubts and buy herself more time.

Yet she didn’t. She ate the steamed fish alone.

She was waiting for the Bai parents to test her.

Even after finishing her meal, she heard no questions or probing from them.

After dinner, Su Qingwan stayed for a while before leaving the Bai Family Villa.

The unfamiliar surroundings and people made Bai Man feel deeply uneasy. She expected a sleepless night, but surprisingly, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, she came downstairs to find breakfast laid out on the table, along with a note from Xu Mengjie:

Mianmian, if breakfast gets cold, just microwave it. Love, Mom!

After putting down the note and finishing breakfast, she returned to her room, pulled out her laptop, and began researching Suzhou’s economic situation.

The following two days followed the same pattern. Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng left early each morning, and no matter how tired they were upon returning, they would personally cook a few simple home-style dishes.

Unlike the first meal she had eaten here, none of these dishes contained chili.

That day, just as she was about to go out, Bai Man received a call from Su Qingwan. “Bai Man, do you have time to talk? I’d like to chat with you.”

Before she could reply, Su Qingwan’s voice came again: “It’s very important.”