Chapter 10
Before going abroad, Jiang Chenyin had several professions. Besides occasionally playing supporting roles in films directed by Old Master Jiang’s friends, she had also studied voice acting for a period due to the requirements of a particular drama. With persistent practice later on, she became a voice actress.
Of course, these could only be considered her side hustles, or rather, side hustles for entertainment. Her main job was as the Deputy General Manager of Jiayi.
She had only been back for a week when Jiang Yingzong made a special trip back from the city to hand Jiang Chenyin a stack of files in a box.
Both Jiang Yingzong and Jiang Gaojun lived in the city, only bringing their wives and children back to the old residence on weekends to visit their parents. For Jiang Yingzong to personally make a trip to the old residence on a weekday showed just how much he wanted Jiang Chenyin to get back to work immediately.
“Brother, can’t you let me rest for a few more days?” Jiang Chenyin frowned as she fiddled with the files in the box.
“I’m not asking you to go sit in the office right away.” Jiang Yingzong placed a slightly thicker file by her hand and tapped the folder with his finger. “I’m just asking you to take some time to look at these things, to understand the situation over the past few years. Once you’re done, you can go to work.”
Jiang Chenyin sighed. “I have things to do these next few days. I’ll look at them after I’m done, and I’ll get back to work as soon as possible.”
“What things do you have?” Jiang Yingzong asked, his thick brows furrowed.
The only reason he was finding things for Jiang Chenyin to do was to keep her from being too idle. When she was idle, she tended to let her mind wander, and when her mind wandered, it was easy for her to think about things she shouldn’t.
This method had been very effective in the past. Jiang Chenyin was busy with the company every day, and when she had some free time, she would do some acting or voice-over work for TV series and films. Her days were very full.
If it weren’t for the unexpected accident four years ago, none of the subsequent troubles would have happened.
Jiang Chenyin leaned against the desk, her arms crossed, and smiled. “I’ve taken over a coffee shop in the city center. It’s already being renovated.”
“Oh? That’s good. You can finish that up first,” Jiang Yingzong’s brow relaxed, and he smiled. “But you’ll have a lot to do then. Should you consider moving to the city?”
The old residence was, after all, inconvenient for commuting on weekdays, being too far from the city. The surrounding area was scenic, with birdsong and fragrant flowers, which was good for the older generation’s physical and mental well-being, but not for the young. So, they could only stay for weekends and holidays.
Jiang Chenyin nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it. That’s why I said I’d rest for a few more days, so I can spend more time with Mom and Dad.”
Jiang Yingzong tapped the folder and stared at her seriously. “As long as you have something to do, that’s fine. I can’t let you be idle.”
Jiang Chenyin knowingly flicked her hair and smiled faintly. “You don’t have to worry about me so much.”
As soon as this topic came up, Jiang Yingzong’s brow furrowed again.
Jiang Chenyin hugged her arms a little tighter, her fingers digging deep into her own arms, her gaze drifting out the window. “Because of that incident, I do have many concerns and inhibitions. Sometimes, I’m even excessively fearful. But I’m also very clear that this is my own inner demon. Just because I can’t resolve it doesn’t mean I don’t understand it.”
A faint smile touched her lips. She was, after all, in her thirties. She could have inner demons, she could have obstacles she couldn’t overcome, but at the same time, she needed to have an understanding of these difficult emotions.
But if she were to go back four years, she would probably still choose to leave again.
“I know. I’m afraid not many people in this world could experience something like that in their lifetime.” Jiang Yingzong’s gaze grew as heavy as his mood.
He reached out and patted Jiang Chenyin’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
“Alright, Brother, I have to get going. I’m meeting a friend,” Jiang Chenyin said, smiling as she stood up straight. She released her arms and pressed down on the files on the desk, sighing softly. “I’ll look at these files as soon as I’m done with the coffee shop and get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible.”
Jiang Yingzong nodded and watched her walk out of the study.
The person Jiang Chenyin was meeting was Lan Yuxin, an artist under Jiayi’s studio. A former child star, she had accumulated over a decade of popularity and had a massive fan base.
They met at an open-air coffee shop by the river. The moment Jiang Chenyin walked in, she could only smile wryly.
The most explosive news about Lan Yuxin recently was the media’s exposure of her alleged plastic surgery. They compared photos of her as a teenager and in her early twenties with her current commercials, circling all her facial features in red and labeling them with professional cosmetic surgery terms.
Jiayi had found a professional appraisal agency to prove that Lan Yuxin had not had plastic surgery, which should have been enough to quell most of the public opinion. But to everyone’s surprise, the hot-tempered Lan Yuxin took the appraisal documents and went to the media outlet’s office building, slamming them down in front of the reporter, scaring him so much that he almost fell out of his chair.
Ironically, this act of hers attracted a whole new legion of fans, mostly female, who would comment “Hubby, marry me” under her Weibo posts every day.
And this was the person who didn’t play by the rules, sitting there with a seductive smile on her lips, wearing a black, low-cut long dress, sipping her coffee in small mouthfuls.
Hearing footsteps, Lan Yuxin’s gaze shifted from the river to Jiang Chenyin, and she said leisurely, “You came back and didn’t even look for me. President Jiang has gotten quite full of herself.”
“I’ve been busy these past few days. And isn’t your schedule very tight?” Jiang Chenyin sat down opposite her, not minding her sarcastic tone.
“No matter how tight my schedule is, I still have to have a meal with President Jiang, don’t I? Lest President Jiang makes new friends one day and forgets all about me,” Lan Yuxin continued in her mocking tone, but a smile appeared on her face.
Jiang Chenyin smiled faintly and tucked a stray strand of hair that had been blown loose by the breeze behind her ear.
She and Lan Yuxin had known each other for many years, having met when she occasionally went to the company to learn during her university days. She rarely got along with such flamboyant people, but she couldn’t resist Lan Yuxin’s naturally friendly nature. Plus, the two of them had similar views on many things, so they became close over time.
“So? Now that you’re back, is everything settled at home?” Lan Yuxin’s smile faded, and she asked with a slightly more serious expression.
“Mmm, my brother is already pushing me to work,” Jiang Chenyin said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, her gaze fixed on the calm river.
A waiter was about to approach, but Lan Yuxin waved him away.
Jiang Chenyin’s gaze shifted, and she happened to see her gesture. She couldn’t help but tease, “You asked me out but won’t even let me have a cup of coffee?”
“Tch, what nonsense are you talking?” Lan Yuxin shot her a look and ran a hand through her chocolate-brown wavy hair, which was even longer than Jiang Chenyin’s. “We’re going to eat in a bit. What’s the point of drinking coffee?”
Jiang Chenyin rested her hand on the arm of the chair and said nothing.
“Hey,” Lan Yuxin’s pointed high-heeled shoe tapped Jiang Chenyin’s calf under the table. “Your brother is already pushing you to work, and you’re still doing nothing. What are you thinking?”
“Who’s doing nothing?” Jiang Chenyin glanced at her and explained, “I took over a coffee shop in the city center. I’ll go to the company after I’ve supervised the renovations for a few days.”
Lan Yuxin sized her up, then suddenly laughed. “Well, aren’t you something? Managing a company isn’t enough for you, you have to open a shop too? What, you think you don’t have enough to do?”
“A friend had something come up and couldn’t stay in Qinzhou. I thought opening a shop wouldn’t be a bad idea, so I took it over.”
Jiang Chenyin didn’t think much of it. She could just hire someone to manage it. But having her own shop meant she could go and sit there sometimes. It was her own territory, so she wouldn’t have to be restrained. Why not?
“Do you want your big sister to cut the ribbon for you at the grand opening?” Lan Yuxin’s lips curved into a smile, and she instantly exuded an indescribable charm. “Your big sister is preparing to go to Venice, but if you ask, I’m more than willing to shift my schedule for you.”
She sat up straight and leaned forward, one hand on the table, the other reaching out as if to lift Jiang Chenyin’s chin.
The two stunning women were already eye-catching, and Lan Yuxin was not one to keep a low profile. Several pairs of eyes were already glancing their way.
Jiang Chenyin gently slapped her hand away, stood up, and said with a helpless smile, “Let’s go, time to eat.”
Lan Yuxin chided, “You’re no fun at all.”
At that moment, Bo Muyu was sitting in a seat towards the front of the conference room. The voices that entered her ears were muffled and completely unintelligible.
She only remembered what Su Man had said earlier. Su Man had read the script for God of War that she was currently writing, and Hongsheng would be producing the film next year.
As soon as this decision was announced, a rustle of whispers had spread through the room.
Bo Muyu knew that everyone was questioning her. A newcomer, and her script wasn’t even finished. On what grounds could Su Man make such a decision?
But Su Man’s subsequent words silenced all the chatter. Bo Muyu had participated in screenwriting during her university years, and the film had ranked fourth at the box office among films released at the same time.
She asked, which one of them present could achieve such results at her age.
After that, there were no more questions.
Bo Muyu shook her head. Her colleagues were already leaving one after another. She also stood up to pack her things and go.
“Xiaoyu, wait,” Su Man called out to her.
Bo Muyu stopped and turned around. They were the only two left in the conference room.
Su Man, in her formal suit with her long hair tied up, had been imposing just a moment ago. But as she walked towards her now, her eyes were gentle.
Bo Muyu turned to face her, holding her files and waiting. “President Su.”
“The meeting is over now,” Su Man said, stopping in front of her with a gentle, elegant smile. “It’s just the two of us, no outsiders. What should you call me?”
Bo Muyu pressed her lips together and said softly, “Senior.”
Su Man sighed with a smile.
Am I being too hung up on a title? Probably. I always thought I could start with the title, slowly, bit by bit, and go deeper. But that has never led to any progress.
Perhaps I can try another way. When the time is right, the title will naturally change with it.
With this thought, Su Man changed the subject. “Did my decision just now scare you?”
Bo Muyu nodded, then shook her head.
Su Man smiled and asked, “Are you nervous?”
This time, Bo Muyu only nodded. “Mmm, a little. I’m afraid I can’t do it, and I’m afraid you’ll waste your energy on me.”
“You should trust my judgment,” Su Man said, her voice soft but serious. “I’ve read the script you’ve written. Although you haven’t finished it, it will be finished soon. Since I’ve made this decision, it means I’ve considered it. Don’t think that I’m showing favoritism just because we’re friends. I don’t mix business with personal matters.”
Hearing Su Man’s words, Bo Muyu felt a little more at ease. “I don’t distrust you.”
“Then work a little harder,” Su Man said, smiling as she gazed at her. Her eyes scanned down, and she reached out to take her wrist. “Don’t let me down. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Su Man’s tone was gentle, as if she were still talking about the business of producing Bo Muyu’s script, but it also seemed to have a double meaning.
Bo Muyu reflexively pulled her hand away from Su Man’s grasp, took a small step back, and then smiled faintly. “Okay, I’ll do my best not to disappoint you, Senior.”
She wasn’t used to being touched by others, with the exception of her parents and Jiang Chenyin, and a few other relatives were also fine. As for everyone else, she had been averse to it since she was a child.
The disappointment that had instantly filled Su Man’s eyes was soothed by Bo Muyu’s reply, and the stiff smile on her lips came back to life.
The two of them walked out of the conference room together. Su Man didn’t linger and went straight back to her office.
Bo Muyu stood in the hallway, looking at the hands on her watch, which were about to reach the end of the workday. The subtle thoughts that had been stirring in her heart these past few days made her recall that night when she had held Jiang Chenyin, who was terrified and shaken after a nightmare.
That night, they had eliminated the barrier of the four empty years. Because she had intentionally changed the subject, Jiang Chenyin had temporarily forgotten the emotions brought on by the nightmare and had even held her in her arms and laughed.
She suddenly wanted to see Jiang Chenyin. The feeling instantly filled her heart.
In the empty hallway, she dialed Jiang Chenyin’s number and said in her clear, low voice, “Auntie Yin, I want to see you.”
