Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Shen Tang was immersed in the sweetness Jiang Chengyu gave her when Sister Li knocked and entered. She saw Shen Tang sprawled across her desk, chin resting on the back of her hand, staring at her phone.
It was rare to see such a gentle side of her.
Six years ago, when she first started managing Shen Tang, Shen Tang was like a thorny durian, capable of hurting anyone when upset.
Now, as long as you didn’t offend her, she was a harmless begonia flower.
“What are you looking at? You’re so happy,” Sister Li asked, though she already knew.
Shen Tang sent Jiang Chengyu a hugging emoji. “Reading a novel, the ‘Overbearing CEO Falls in Love with Me’ series.” She closed her phone with a laugh.
“What’s up?”
Sister Li briefly reported on Chu Ran’s recent rehearsal status, mentioning that the specially invited dance teacher also came today.
Although Chu Ran majored in dance, her skills had largely fallen into disuse since entering the entertainment industry. Director Zhou Mingqian’s “How Should I Love You” had extremely high demands for dance segments.
“Chu Ran wasn’t in good form this morning,” Sister Li changed the subject. “Does Qin Xing really have a girlfriend?”
Shen Tang wasn’t sure. “He said he does.”
Sister Li couldn’t understand Qin Xing. A while ago, she thought he was very devoted to Chu Ran, shedding his cynical attitude and diligently accompanying Chu Ran in physical training.
Now he’d turned around and found a girlfriend.
Everyone in the company got breakfast today. He used this method to announce that he was buying breakfast for his girlfriend and coincidentally bought some for everyone else.
“It’s a pity about him and Chu Ran, but Chu Ran’s personality...”
She could only sigh.
Sister Li returned to the main topic: “The only person Chu Ran is afraid of now is you. Find some time to talk to her properly, so it doesn’t affect the upcoming program recordings.”
Only the last three episodes of the show remained. With Chu Ran’s current accumulated points, getting first place seemed unlikely.
Sister Li worried: “What if she doesn’t get a good ranking then, and her rivals buy hit pieces to trash her?”
Shen Tang’s current mindset was different, and her expectations for Chu Ran had changed. She no longer pushed for too much. “It’s best if she gets a ranking, but it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t.”
Chu Ran didn’t participate in this variety show for nothing; she gained a lot of public goodwill.
Sister Li also relaxed. It was just a variety show, it didn’t mean anything. “You’re busy, I’m going to check on Chu Ran.”
Shen Tang picked up a pen and drew a smiley face on today’s calendar.
Sister Li reached the door and turned back. “Oh, by the way, Fan Yu’s company’s cash flow has completely broken.”
Shen Tang: “She brought it upon herself.”
Sister Li closed the door and left.
Shen Tang received a call. It was Jiang Chengyu.
He started right away: “I’m downstairs, want to come pick me up?”
Shen Tang suddenly stood up. “How do you have time to come over?”
She grabbed her elevator card and hurried out.
“Just finished a meeting at Zhichen.”
Everything at Zhichen Shares was in order, and the management team was fully in place. There wasn’t much for him to worry about, so he left Zhichen and returned to Jingxu after the meeting.
He happened to be passing by Shen Tang’s company building, so Jiang Chengyu had the driver turn in.
“I’ll be right down, wait for me.” Shen Tang hung up the phone. Passing the restroom, she stood in front of the sink, fixing her hair in the mirror.
She suddenly chuckled.
There was no appearance of hers he hadn’t seen. In the past, every morning when he dragged her out of bed, her hair would be sticking up, almost reaching the sky.
Before turning around, she checked her makeup again, then confidently went downstairs.
Jiang Chengyu stood by the car door, looking down at his phone.
‘Ding-dong’.
The elevator door opened.
Without waiting for Shen Tang to descend, Jiang Chengyu strode over.
Shen Tang held the ‘open door’ button, instinctively blocking the door with her hand, afraid the elevator door would close automatically and accidentally pinch him.
“When you come, I always feel like a leader from headquarters is here to inspect work.”
Jiang Chengyu looked at her. “I’m here to report to my superior.”
Shen Tang quite enjoyed that.
Jiang Chengyu stepped inside, took her hand back from the door, and the elevator doors slowly closed.
Shen Tang turned sideways, standing face-to-face with him.
She was wearing flats, so she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him.
She took a small step closer to him.
Then, she shifted a little more.
Her subtle movements couldn’t escape Jiang Chengyu’s eyes. He wrapped his long arm around her, pulling her close to him.
Shen Tang naturally embraced him. The confined elevator was filled with his pleasant scent.
He was wearing a white shirt today, with the top button undone. The open collar had a particularly refined texture. She rubbed her cheek against his shirt collar.
Jiang Chengyu looked down at her. “Rub gently, don’t scratch off the powder on your face.”
“...” Shen Tang liked clinging to him like this, and deliberately said, “I didn’t put on powder. I came to the company early today, didn’t even use tinted moisturizer.”
Jiang Chengyu: “No wonder you’re paler than usual.”
With his level of conversation, Shen Tang, despite her eloquence, couldn’t win.
Shen Tang laughed, speechless.
Just as Jiang Chengyu was about to kiss her, the elevator stopped at the film and television company’s floor.
He let go of her. Just like she did downstairs, he held the elevator button with one hand and blocked the door with the other, letting her exit first.
The last time Jiang Chengyu came, the company was still under renovation, with construction dust everywhere, mixed with the loud, piercing sound of electric drills.
Now, the windows were sparkling clean, and green plants, each expertly pruned, lined the hallway.
It was impossible to associate it with its previous grey, dusty appearance.
The wine cabinet in her office was the same model as his, and even the coffee machine was identical, gifts he gave her when she moved.
“Can’t compare with your office, just make do.” Shen Tang poured him some water.
Jiang Chengyu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, able to see the Jingxu Tower just by looking up.
Shen Tang poured water and placed it on the table. Unconsciously, she leaned into his embrace.
“When I usually look at Jingxu’s logo, I have to crane my neck.”
Jingxu Tower was over ten floors taller than their commercial building.
“Today, it’s my turn to look up at you.”
Shen Tang hadn’t quite understood what he meant when Jiang Chengyu lifted her vertically into his arms. She was much taller than him, and he looked up at her.
Shen Tang placed her hands on his shoulders, meeting his gaze for a few seconds. “I was wondering if you could toss me up.”
“I can.” Jiang Chengyu put her down, first went to lock the office door, took off his watch, and rolled up his sleeves.
Shen Tang loved the feeling of being carried by him in a princess carry, tossed up a bit, and then tightly embraced.
Jiang Chengyu carried her to the sofa. Even if he missed her, she would just roll onto the sofa.
He tossed her three times in a row. Even with preparation, Shen Tang still screamed a few times.
After catching her the last time, Jiang Chengyu laid her down on the sofa, and he leaned over her.
Shen Tang’s breath was unsteady from being tossed a few times, her chest rising and falling, causing her front to ‘heave.’ “I need to lose more weight, so you don’t have to exert so much effort to toss me.”
“It’s no effort,” Jiang Chengyu lifted her head and rested it in the crook of his arm. “Don’t lose any more. At your height, you shouldn’t be under 95 pounds.”
In that position, Shen Tang hugged his neck again; he wanted her.
Jiang Chengyu kissed her chest through her clothes, soft and gentle, stimulating every nerve in him. “I can’t come here at noon anymore.”
He got up from her, tidying her skirt.
Shen Tang smoothed her breathing. “It’s almost twelve. Are you going straight back to Jingxu?”
“I’ll have lunch with you first, then go back.” Jiang Chengyu pulled her up to sit properly and asked her what she wanted to eat.
It was hot, and Shen Tang didn’t want to go out to eat. Going out for a meal, plus travel time, would take over two hours, delaying his afternoon work.
“How about we just get takeout?”
Jiang Chengyu wasn’t picky about food. “Alright, you pick.”
As they were talking, Yuanyuan knocked on the door, asking Shen Tang what she wanted for lunch so she could order it too. When she saw Jiang Chengyu sitting on the sofa, she instantly felt that her timing was off.
“President Jiang.”
She greeted him.
Shen Tang chose a different restaurant today, one that Jiang Chengyu liked.
Yuanyuan took down Shen Tang’s order and quickly closed the door, then proceeded to knock on the next office door.
Since moving to the new company, ordering meals had become one of her job responsibilities, which she took on voluntarily.
Ordering for everyone allowed her to have an excuse to ask the bodyguards what they wanted to eat.
“President Qin, what do you want for lunch today?” Yuanyuan knocked on Qin Xing’s door.
Qin Xing was working. He looked up. “Thanks, but no need. I’m going to have lunch with my girlfriend later.”
“...Oh, alright then. You’re busy.” It seemed he really did have a girlfriend.
“Sister Li, what would you like to order?”
Yuanyuan’s voice echoed in the hallway.
Shen Tang heard it from her office and shook her head helplessly.
Only Yuanyuan could make ordering food so joyful.
Jiang Chengyu’s phone rang, an unknown number.
He recognized the voice on the other end only after picking up; it was General Manager Ge.
“President Jiang, forgive my sudden interruption.”
After General Manager Ge’s company, ‘Zhichen Shares,’ safely navigated its crisis and its stock price began to improve, he had a premonition that Jiang Chengyu might discover the tricks he had played behind the scenes.
He just didn’t expect everything to happen so quickly.
If there was any bad blood between him and Jiang Chengyu, it could only be Shen Tang.
Actually, that couldn’t even be considered a grudge.
After all, at the M.K. Spring Auction appreciation banquet, when he took an interest in Shen Tang, he didn’t know what relationship Shen Tang had with Jiang Chengyu.
He agreed to expose Xie Yuncheng and Shen Tang’s video for Lu Zhifei because there was an issue in his company that he needed Lu Zhifei’s connections to resolve.
It was purely an exchange of benefits.
Later, his company’s issue was smoothly resolved, and he kept silent for Lu Zhifei, taking all the blame for exposing the video himself.
At that time, the scandal of Shen Tang’s background caused a huge stir, but it gradually subsided as Shen Tang withdrew from the industry.
He thought the matter was completely over, but then Xiao Donghan found him.
Xiao Donghan planned to acquire the subsidiary of the original target company, wanting three patent rights. In exchange, Xiao Donghan would open up the European and American markets for his new energy company.
He had known the CEO of the original target company for years; they weren’t friends, but it was precisely this lukewarm relationship that allowed for covert operations.
However, he didn’t know that Xiao Donghan’s acquisition of the target company’s subsidiary and subsequent sabotage of the target company was aimed at Jiang Chengyu.
At that time, he hadn’t heard that Jiang Chengyu and Xie Yuncheng were interested in the target company. He thought Xiao Donghan was just doing this for his own benefit.
Such operations were common in the capital circle.
Ignorance of the truth harmed him. By the time he learned that Xiao Donghan and Jiang Chengyu were engaged in a battle for control of the shares, it was too late.
“President Jiang, I didn’t intend to offend. Please forgive any transgressions. Whenever you’re free, I’ll personally come to apologize.”
General Manager Ge was now enduring bitterness in silence, suffering alone.
Jiang Chengyu: “You exaggerate. I only bought a small stake in your company. How does that relate to an apology?”
“A small stake only?”
The two companies controlled by Jiang Chengyu had already purchased 2.4% of their energy company’s shares in the secondary market. Not only that, but they had also bought shares from their energy company’s major shareholders.
Jiang Chengyu’s ambition was clear.
He wanted to become a major shareholder in his company and place his own people on the board of directors.
General Manager Ge was uneasy. “President Jiang, we can discuss anything.”
“This is the only thing that’s non-negotiable.” Jiang Chengyu rose from the sofa and sat in front of Shen Tang’s desk. There was water Shen Tang had poured for him on the table; he picked it up.
“Your energy company’s current performance and market value came from scamming the original target company for Xiao Donghan. In other words, you scammed my money. No one can scam money from me unless I’m willing.”
General Manager Ge wanted to say something else, but Jiang Chengyu had already hung up.
Shen Tang was nestled in the sofa, occasionally looking at Jiang Chengyu.
From his conversation with the other party, she could tell that the person on the other end of the phone was ‘indispensable’ to the many traps Xiao Donghan had set for Jiang Chengyu in the acquisition case.
Seeing him hang up, she went over.
Jiang Chengyu hugged her, letting her sit on his lap.
As long as there were no outsiders, she would cling to him.
Shen Tang asked, “Who was that? Can you tell me?”
Jiang Chengyu finished his water. “General Manager Ge.”
She remembered that person vividly. So, he was in the new energy sector.
“You holding shares in his company, is it because...?” She wasn’t sure if he was teaching General Manager Ge a lesson or had other intentions.
Jiang Chengyu used Xie Yuncheng’s morning phrase to answer her: “To earn money for baby formula.”
Shen Tang’s ears turned red. She couldn’t imagine what he would be like as a father, raising a child.
________________________________________
For a week straight, Shen Tang received breakfast from Qin Xing every morning. Everyone else in the company also got a share, and the breakfasts varied daily.
During that week, Chu Ran came to the company’s practice room to rehearse three times. Ever since she refused Qin Xing’s breakfast that first morning, he hadn’t bought her a portion again.
Today was another weekend.
Chu Ran’s entertainment program was nearing its end, with today being the recording of the final episode, the ultimate competition. Given her accumulated points, unless she got full marks in all segments today, it would be difficult to outperform Chen Yinuo.
However, from the first episode to now, no one had managed to get all the points for a given episode.
So, Chu Ran dreaming of first place was essentially wishful thinking; there was little hope even for second place.
Shen Tang came to the recording site today to support Chu Ran.
Qin Xing, ever since their unpleasant parting in the parking lot last time, had not appeared in the audience again.
Today, Sister Li asked him if he was going, saying it was the final competition, and regardless of win or loss, he should go cheer Chu Ran on, as she had indeed worked very hard during this time.
After much consideration, he still came to the venue.
This was his job; he couldn’t mix business with personal matters.
Qin Xing was next to Shen Tang. She leaned in, deliberately lowering her voice: “How are things with your girlfriend?”
“Alright,” Qin Xing said. “The recording here will finish soon; she might come pick me up.”
Shen Tang nodded. “Then cherish it well.”
The program recording began, and they stopped chatting.
The atmosphere on stage was more tense than ever.
They said it was just a variety show and not to take it too seriously, but at the moment of the finals, everyone cared about getting a better ranking.
Chu Ran had just heard from her assistant backstage that Shen Tang came today, and Qin Xing also came.
At the moment she heard Qin Xing’s name, her heart settled back into place.
She felt incredibly secure.
There were many people in the audience; she didn’t know where Qin Xing was sitting.
But it was good that he came.
Today was her best performance in an episode, but even though she gave her all, she only got second place in the end, five points behind Chen Yinuo.
When the host announced the final results, her eyes welled up.
Chu Ran instinctively looked for someone in the audience, but in the sea of people, she didn’t see him.
She wondered if he was satisfied with this result.
When he wasn’t arguing with her back then, every time he accompanied her to training, he would say: “My great ancestor Chu, I don’t ask you to be in the top three, just don’t get eliminated in the middle, and I’ll be thankful to Buddha.”
She got second place today.
Would he be happy?
The recording was still ongoing. Chu Ran managed her expression, no longer looking around.
Applause erupted from the audience.
Shen Tang, amidst the applause, said to Qin Xing, “Better than I expected.”
Qin Xing echoed, “Not bad.”
He looked at the stage, perfunctorily clapping a few times.
Qin Xing was worried. “You confidently told Fan Yu that Chu Ran would crush Chen Yinuo. Now that Chen Yinuo took first, you’ll have to deal with Fan Yu’s mocking press releases.”
Shen Tang chuckled, “Huh? Did I say that?”
She no longer cared about these things.
After the recording ended, Shen Tang and Qin Xing left with the crowd.
In the open-air parking lot, the bright red sports car was the most eye-catching.
The girl next to the car was even more captivating—sexy and beautiful. In Yuanyuan’s words, her looks could hold up even in the entertainment industry.
She could debut on the spot.
Sister Li said, “She’s not as good-looking as Chu Ran.”
But what good are looks if your temper is terrible, and few people can stand it?
When Shen Tang saw that girl linking arms with Qin Xing, she turned to look for Chu Ran.
Chu Ran, wearing sunglasses, just bent down and got into her manager’s car.
The manager’s car passed the front of the bright red sports car and slowly drove out of the parking lot.
Chu Ran gently wiped under her sunglasses with her finger. She didn’t know why she felt upset, perhaps it was not getting first place.
Shen Tang watched the nanny van drive away.
“Didn’t you say you were going to crush my daughter? Is this all you’ve got?”
A mocking voice came from behind.
Shen Tang turned around; Fan Yu and Chen Yinuo walked over.
She smiled faintly. “Your company is almost gone, and you still have the energy to ramble here. If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed.”
Fan Yu: “...Shen Tang, you...”
“Mom, it’s hot, get in the car quickly.” Chen Yinuo didn’t want to see her mother arguing with someone in public. She interrupted her mother and pulled her arm forward.
“What are you doing?” Once in the car, Fan Yu was displeased with her daughter’s actions.
Chen Yinuo handed her mother a bottle of water. “You can’t win an argument with Shen Tang. Why bother making yourself angry?”
Fan Yu’s happiness today lasted only half an hour, from when the host announced the competition results until she encountered Shen Tang just now.
The funding for her company’s drama productions had dried up, and despite all her efforts, it was useless.
Her daughter had gone to Chen Nanjin, but Chen Nanjin’s words, ‘let’s think of a way together,’ were as good as nothing.
Who couldn’t write a verbal check?
“You go home and rest first. You’ve been so tired lately you’ve lost weight. I have something else to do, so I probably won’t have time to have dinner with you tonight.”
Chen Yinuo looked at her mother. “Are you going to look for investment again?”
“Kind of.” Fan Yu didn’t hide it from her daughter. “I’m going to find your dad.” She was at her wit’s end; he wouldn’t be so heartless as to just watch her go bankrupt.
After dropping Chen Yinuo off at home, Fan Yu drove herself to Chen Nanjin’s company.
It was not yet seven o’clock, and Chen Nanjin was busy at the company.
Faced with this uninvited guest, the secretary dared not refuse entry.
By the time she reported to Chen Nanjin, Fan Yu was already at the office door.
The office door was wide open, and since they had already met face-to-face, it was difficult to say he was unavailable.
Chen Nanjin gestured for the secretary to go about her business.
The door remained open, just as before.
“Have a seat,” Chen Nanjin said politely, pouring her a cup of tea.
Fan Yu had no mind for tea, nor time for pleasantries. She went straight to the point. “A few days ago, Yinuo told me she came to see you. I don’t think I need to elaborate on the specifics.”
“Yes, I understand some of it.” Chen Nanjin placed the tea on the coffee table in front of her and sat opposite her.
His demeanor was more aloof than any investor she had met, making Fan Yu feel annoyed. But since she was asking for his help, she couldn’t argue or make a scene as she used to.
She drank a few sips of water to suppress her anger. “As for my company’s projects, if you say they have no investment value, you’d be going against your conscience. If they truly had no value, how could I have thrown money into them?”
Chen Nanjin didn’t respond.
Fan Yu: “Say something. I wouldn’t come to you unless I had no other choice.”
Chen Nanjin countered, “What do you want me to say?”
Fan Yu didn’t argue with him. “Just consider it a favor, and first solve the funding for the drama I’m currently filming. Your share of the profits won’t be reduced by a single cent. The culprit is your daughter, Shen Tang. Otherwise, would I be this passive? I’ve been begging everyone for investment, but I can’t get any.”
Chen Nanjin was unmoved: “Tangtang treating your company like that must mean you did something to her again. You never asked my permission when you played dirty tricks on her. Now that she’s turned around to deal with you, you want me, as her father, to help you. Do you think that’s appropriate?”
Each sentence was chillingly cold.
Every breath Fan Yu took felt like shards of ice, scraping her throat. “Are you really going to just stand by and watch me suffer, with such a hard heart?”
Chen Nanjin: “Shen Tang’s company is also investing in films recently. You can go there and see if it’s possible to secure an investment.”
Fan Yu scoffed, staring at the man she had lived with for over twenty years, who now seemed so unfamiliar, as if she had never truly understood him.
“Chen Nanjin, you’re telling me to go beg Shen Tang? Are you even human?”
Chen Nanjin did not respond, remaining in silence.
________________________________________
At nine o’clock in the evening, the city was still bustling.
Jiang Chengyu was working overtime tonight and was on his way home.
Xie Yuncheng called him, asking when he would go to the small island. If he didn’t go soon, he would have someone pick the corn.
It couldn’t be left any longer.
Jiang Chengyu looked out the car window. “I won’t be free until next week. I need to take Tangtang home to see Grandpa first. It’s almost one year since Grandpa passed away.”
There was a moment of silence on the phone.
Xie Yuncheng: “No rush, we’ll harvest it when you two come over.”
Time always passed so quickly; a year had gone by without realizing it.
When Jiang Chengyu arrived home, Shen Tang was engrossed in writing in the study, a smile on her lips, completely focused. She didn’t even hear his footsteps when he reached the study door.
Jiang Chengyu stood by the door for a few minutes. Shen Tang seemed lost in thought, biting her lip slightly, her smile growing wider.
‘Knock-knock,’ Jiang Chengyu knocked twice.
Shen Tang hastily flipped the paper in her hand face down and opened a book to place on top of it.
Her heart pounded from the fright. She reprimanded him, “Why didn’t you make a sound when you came back!”
Jiang Chengyu walked in. “I was going to ask you why you weren’t waiting downstairs for me. I stood at the door for almost four minutes, and you didn’t even look up.”
“What are you writing? Can I see it?”
Shen Tang covered it with both hands, still undecided whether to show him.
She wasn’t like her usual self, sticking to him as soon as she saw him.
Jiang Chengyu leaned against the edge of the desk. “Let me see what it is that can surpass my status.”
Shen Tang looked at him, still tightly guarding the paper in her hands. “I haven’t finished drawing it yet.” In fact, the entire scene had already been sketched out; just a few small details needed to be perfected.
“Can you wait, please?”
“Okay.” Jiang Chengyu kissed her lips, then walked to the bookshelf to pick out books. “I’ll pick out some books for you to take to the office; your bookshelf is empty.”
“Sister Li said she’d find some for me when she has time, to see if there are any sold by weight.”
“...” Jiang Chengyu picked up an English investment book, unsure whether to put it down or continue Browse. “Are you having Sister Li find them for you, or taking them from my bookshelf?”
“I want you to pick them out for me. Whatever you pick, I’ll read, and then I’ll write a review.” Shen Tang added small details to the drawing, using her arm to cover it, afraid Jiang Chengyu would see what she was drawing.
Hearing her say that, Jiang Chengyu seriously began selecting books for her. “Remember what you said, give me a review after you finish reading them.”
“Of course, I always keep my promises.”
Ten minutes later, Jiang Chengyu finished choosing the books, and Shen Tang also finished adding the small details.
“You can see it now.” Shen Tang handed him the drawing.
Jiang Chengyu put down the books and took the paper.
It was a pen drawing, showing no signs of any artistic training, very childlike.
“Are the two people in the middle you and me?”
“Yes.” Shen Tang capped her pen. “I drew an abstract painting.”
Jiang Chengyu: “If you don’t classify this as abstract, I really can’t tell it’s me.”
Shen Tang laughed, tapping him with the pen.
Jiang Chengyu finally saw the main point of the drawing: in the distance on the grass, there was another girl playing the piano.
“Is this our daughter?”
Shen Tang nodded. “Can you recognize that as the piano?”
“Isn’t there text to hint?”
“...”
Jiang Chengyu held the drawing in one hand, freeing his ring-wearing hand to caress her cheek. “Even without the words ‘piano,’ I could tell what you drew.”
Then, he took a picture of the drawing and set it as his phone’s screen saver.
Google Sites
Report abuse