The Tender Beauty is Sweetly Doted in the 20th Century Novel!-Chapter 189 - 188: I’m Not Your Dad

"What? You two are married?"

Qin Yan was completely taken aback.

She looked at the petite and frail Ye Manman, then at the tall and strong He Chen, her expression as if she’d seen a ghost.

"Are you crazy? Why didn’t you two buy the upper and lower bunks on one side? Now both lower bunks are taken by you, didn’t you think about people who might not be able to use the upper bunk?"

Even though she couldn’t believe it, with He Chen’s big build, Qin Yan didn’t dare to make a move; she could only curse a couple of words.

He Chen found her unreasonable.

He simply mimicked Ye Manman’s words and said, "I bought a lower bunk because I wanted to. What does your convenience have to do with us? I’m not your dad."

Ye Manman didn’t expect He Chen to learn and apply so well.

She burst out laughing, "Yeah, do we have anything to do with you? If you’re inconvenienced, go ask your parents. Why are you yelling at us? We want to buy a lower bunk, so we bought one. What’s it to you?"

Qin Yan was hit so unexpectedly that she didn’t know how to retort, her face flushing red.

Suddenly, she turned and hit the silent middle-aged man beside her and whined.

"You didn’t even say anything for me! It’s all your fault for not buying the lower bunk. Others bully me like this, and you’re just playing dead here!"

The middle-aged man rubbed his forehead, "Alright, alright, isn’t it just about changing a bed? I’ll go ask if anyone is willing to swap."

Qin Yan was relentless, "No! I want this lower bunk! It’s clean, and the other ones are dirty and full of strangers. I want to stay with you; it’s safer this way."

Her tone was somewhat intriguing.

Ye Manman and He Chen exchanged a glance and read surprise in each other’s eyes.

So they’re not father and daughter? A couple?

But the man looks so much older, he could be the girl’s father. Are they really a lawful couple?

Is it trendy nowadays for younger women to marry older men?

Before she could figure it out, the middle-aged man turned to them with an apologetic face.

"Sorry, brother. My partner is just spoiled and talks a bit harshly. Please don’t take it to heart."

He tried to offer He Chen a cigarette, but He Chen didn’t take it.

"Sorry, I don’t smoke."

The middle-aged man had to put the cigarette away and seemed like he wanted to say more, but He Chen stopped him cold.

"Sorry, if you’re going to ask about switching beds, we can’t agree. My wife is pregnant and can’t sleep on the upper bunk. I specifically bought the lower bunk to take care of her, so if you want to switch beds, please find someone else. We won’t switch."

As soon as He Chen said that, the middle-aged man immediately understood.

He turned to look at the still sulking Qin Yan, "Yanzi, you heard him. She’s pregnant. If you don’t want to take another lower bunk, just use the upper bunk for now. I’ll buy you the latest watch when we get to Jing City, okay?"

Qin Yan’s mood improved somewhat when she heard about the watch, but she was still a bit upset.

"Well, I’m not taking another lower bunk then."

While she spoke, she lifted her chin proudly and flashed Ye Manman a gloating smile, as if saying, "See, you stick to your lower bunk. I can easily get a watch, just like that. Envy me all you want."

Ye Manman didn’t really understand what she was so proud of and didn’t want to look at this woman anymore.

The whole situation didn’t need any more pondering. It was obvious the two were lovers.

The man clearly wasn’t short of money, and he was willing to indulge Qin Yan and buy her things purely because he was after her youth. There was no sign of love in his words.

While Ye Manman wasn’t judgmental, she despised women like Qin Yan who, even capable, sold their bodies for wealth.

Moreover, she herself wasn’t rich; she just latched onto someone who was. She couldn’t compare to hardworking rural people and yet always insulted them. It was disgusting beyond measure.

As the train was about to leave, He Chen sat back on his bunk.

He wanted to sit with Ye Manman, but the bed was too small. If he sat on it, Ye Manman would feel cramped.

The beds barely allowed women to lie flat, and men had to curl up to lie down. For someone as tall and strong as He Chen, he could only sit; lying down was impossible.

He wasn’t planning to sleep lying down anyway; it was only a journey of just over ten hours. If he got tired, he’d take a nap. His main concern was to watch over Ye Manman to avoid any mishaps.

After all, on a crowded train like this, even in sleeper cars, there could be pickpockets.

Plus, when he boarded, he noticed many men eyeing them—or rather, eyeing Ye Manman. He had to watch closely so that no one took advantage.

On this bustling train, there were plenty who tried to steal a moment’s pleasure amidst the chaos.

Soon, the train started moving.

Ye Manman, quite bored, took out a book gifted by Qing University to pass the time.

Qin Yan also wanted to rest on the upper bunk, but wearing a skirt, she hesitated every time she tried to climb up.

She wanted to climb up while no one was looking, but every time she checked her surroundings, He Chen’s eyes were firmly on Ye Manman.

Even though his gaze was fixed on Ye Manman, the upper and lower bunks in their section were so close that if Qin Yan tried to climb up, He Chen would surely see.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Qin Yan’s face reddened in frustration, "Hey, can you stop looking over here? I’m wearing a skirt!"

She said this directly to He Chen, but everyone could hear it.

Strangely enough, despite her complaint, the middle-aged man showed no reaction and didn’t even offer to block her skirt a bit.

He Chen was a bit speechless, but to avoid unnecessary conflict, he turned to look out the window.

"Hurry up and get up."

He hadn’t paid Qin Yan any attention; if she hadn’t suddenly spoken up, he wouldn’t even realize what she was doing.

Qin Yan was worried He Chen might suddenly look back, but knowing she had to get up quickly, she hurriedly climbed up.

Only after climbing up did she realize she hadn’t checked the aisle’s situation.

Indeed, when she looked down, the two men in the aisle were looking at her with crooked gazes, chatting and snickering.

Blushing, Qin Yan lay down hurriedly, covering her legs with her skirt.

To avoid those ambiguous looks, she turned her head towards the compartment and window, her feet toward the aisle.

Ye Manman, seeing that she was done fussing, was about to call He Chen to look back around, but seeing the longing and anticipation in his eyes as he looked out the window, she couldn’t help but turn to look outside too.

It was sweltering, and without air conditioning or fans in the carriage, the open windows provided a cool breeze as the train moved. The scenery outside was beautiful, lush and green, like nothing seen before.

Ye Manman watched the scenery with him for a while, not calling him back, but instead nudging his foot with hers.

He Chen turned, concern quickly filling his face, "What’s up? Hungry or tired?"

Ye Manman shook her head, her slender, fair calf swaying gently, smiling sweetly.

"Neither, I was just wondering..."

"Is the scenery outside more beautiful, or am I?"