Chapter 31: This is what you want
The director had already left, Blanche Capra at this time holding that copy of the contract and the plan but felt unusually heavy in his hands. Back home, he spread out on the sofa, looking at the contract book and staring straight into a daze. Do we really have to beg York Charlie?
Just when Blanche Capra was in a difficult situation, the phone rang, Blanche Capra took a look at the phone and found it a bit unbelievable: York Charlie actually took the initiative to call her personally!
“Hello, it’s me, York Charlie. what are you up to?” York Charlie’s voice sounded all right from the other side, as if he was trying to have a family chat with her.
“Not doing much, just getting ready to cook.”
…
This phone call was clearly an extremely everyday conversation, but Blanche Capra’s hands were sweating.
Just as York Charlie was about to hang up the phone, Blanche Capra still gritted her teeth and spoke up against the immense pressure: “Hold on, I have something to tell you.”
York Charlie laughed over there, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“It’s, that, the director of the portrait we’re shooting right now said that he has a contract and wants to sign a deal with your company. Then, then, now he asked me to come over and discuss it with you.” Blanche Capra’s heart was in her mouth, and she finally told the whole thing.
“Well, I know.” York Charlie didn’t sound at all surprised.
This made Blanche Capra curious, “Why don’t you sound surprised at all. Did the director talk to you about this beforehand?” Blanche Capra prayed in her heart that it wouldn’t be as she guessed.
“No. I guessed.” Thankfully York Charlie’s answer didn’t disappoint Blanche Capra.
“Guessed?” Blanche Capra was still a little curious as to how it was possible to guess so accurately.
York Charlie knew she wouldn’t believe it and patiently explained to her, “You’re talking like never before today, either you’ve done something wrong or you have something in mind.”
Although this seemed to be the truth, York Charlie’s words still made Blanche Capra blush, and before she could retort, she heard York Charlie’s leisurely voice come back from the other end of the phone.
“Plus what’s written in this contract for your director is more than a little difficult, the procedures alone have to be gone through many times, and he’s been making a bit of a move for this contract lately, which is obvious if you ask around a little bit in the circle. And you’re a model under him now. It’s not impossible for him to start with you. So, did I guess right?”
Blanche Capra always felt that York Charlie’s last sentence was asked in a somewhat mocking manner, but things had already come to this point, she still had to harden her heart “This project is very troublesome. So there’s really no possibility of working with your company?”
York Charlie at this time and Blanche Capra’s demeanour and psychology are into the opposite situation, he smiled playfully, “This project is not completely hopeless, but if we sign it will make things a lot more complicated, we have to go through a lot of procedures. Our company has to do a lot of things that could have been done unnecessarily. Why do you think I’m going to let go of an easy job and sign up for such a pain in the arse?”
Blanche Capra felt like her face was burning with agitation right now, and she tried to hang up the phone with a bit of a lurch, “Okay, I get it, so, then I’ll hang up if it’s okay.”
“Wait, so you’re giving up just like that? At least you have to come over to please me before you can be considered to have tried before you can explain to the director, right? After talking on the phone for half a day, I haven’t even eaten yet. Come to my house, let’s talk about this over dinner.”
York Charlie hung up the phone after saying that.
Blanche Capra looked at the hung up phone and hesitated for half a second, but finally decided to go over–there was no way. Who made her brainwashed earlier to promise the director to fight to help him sign this contract?
When Blanche Capra arrived at the Charlie family, York Charlie was cooking, that handsome and serious look almost made Blanche Capra look dumbfounded: no wonder people say that men who can cook are the most handsome!
“Come over here and come in and help, what are you doing standing there?” York Charlie saw Blanche Capra coming over and very naturally called her over to help.
“Can you chop vegetables?”
Blanche Capra nodded reflexively.
“Then come over here and help me cut and shred this potato, and I’ll sauté shredded potatoes with green peppers.” York Charlie heard Blanche Capra say this and handed her the washed potato.
Blanche Capra was infected by his unobtrusive self-possession, and in a rare moment, she did not sing back, and obediently picked up the knife and skilfully cut up the potatoes.
Watching York Charlie’s back as he busily burned the vegetables, Blanche Capra couldn’t help but flicker: the atmosphere in the kitchen was so cosy now, it made her feel at home, with the illusion that she and York Charlie were a normal couple living their own little lives.
“Well, it’s time to come and eat.” York Charlie brought the food to the table and greeted Blanche Capra as she started eating.
Blanche Capra took a piece of sweet and sour fish and brought it to her mouth somewhat cautiously, the flavour was surprisingly indescribably good.
“I really didn’t expect that you could still cook, and the taste is surprisingly quite good.” Blanche Capra looked at York Charlie with some surprise.
“Stir-frying, what’s so hard about that?” York Charlie said carelessly as he elegantly ate his food.
Blanche Capra choked on him: is stir-frying that easy?
“Cough-cough, cough-” Blanche Capra accidentally got a fish splinter stuck in her mouth and kept coughing.
York Charlie started to see her coughing as if she was trying to make fun of herself, and didn’t take it seriously at first. But when he saw that her face was red from coughing, he patted her on the back and gave her vinegar to drink to help her breathe.
Only after Blanche Capra had caught her breath did he say: “Look at you, how grown up you are. Eating a fish can still be stuck in the fishbone to the …” York Charlie actually rare nagging up. When he realized he was in the wrong, he shut up again.
Blanche Capra finally felt better, and when she reacted, she realized that she and York Charlie were in an ambiguous position: York Charlie was standing behind Blanche Capra, patting her back with his left hand and holding a bowl with his right hand, feeding her some vinegar. Crouching down slightly, he’s a little further forward and almost kissing her.
She only thought she didn’t realise something was wrong, “Cough cough: I’m fine. You sit back down.”
York Charlie was feeling a bit miffed, he was taking the bull by the horns, “Blanche Capra, you’re just going to send me away when you’re done with me, aren’t you? Did you have the same idea when you came to see me about signing the contract this time? As soon as I sign the contract, you’ll turn your back on me? Do you want it so badly, do you care so much about fame and fortune?”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Blanche Capra first heard him say that he’d let him go back after he’d used him only to think that he didn’t know what was good for him: he’d said that about himself when he was clearly afraid of embarrassing him!
Then she heard him mention the purpose of his visit and became irritated, “Yes, yes, that’s the kind of woman I am. Did you just realise that?”