Chapter 49 It's all about being stubborn.

With Christmas and New Year's Day approaching, the online controversy surrounding Liang Qi was ultimately replaced by Yun Jing's overwhelming and aggressive marketing campaign. Not only are all of Yun Jing's resorts fully booked until after the Spring Festival, but several of their most popular attractions are already booked into the summer.

YunJing's stock continued to rise. Some even said that the controversies surrounding YunJing's CEO Liang were deliberately released and secretly manipulated by the group as part of a marketing tactic.

One morning after New Year's Day, in the underground parking lot of Tianqi headquarters.

As Jingyao got out of the car and turned into the executive-only elevator lobby, he looked up and saw Liang Qi waiting for the elevator.

After the incident, this was the first time the two had met alone.

Jingyao wore a cold expression, thinking to himself that today was truly an unlucky day.

After his sub-project was suspended, he felt resentful and angry, but had nowhere to vent his anger. He secretly suppressed his anger and pondered how to take revenge.

He secretly sent people to gather dirt on Liang Qi. After all, he knew best that Liang Qi, in that position, could never be completely clean.

Despite having anticipated Liang Qi's meticulous approach, Jing Yao was still surprised that, despite his thorough infiltration, he couldn't find any obvious flaws in Liang Qi's strategy.

Finally, having exhausted all other options, he could only attack Liang Qi's business image, thereby undermining his credibility both within the group and externally. Even if he couldn't bring him down, he could make things difficult for him for a long time.

Even if things went badly, seeing Liang Qi caught off guard and thrown into disarray by the public opinion attack made him feel somewhat at ease.

But he was wrong.

Liang Qi seemed completely unaffected by the attacks and even capitalized on the online buzz to launch a major marketing campaign, further consolidating his control over Yunjing.

He was quite discreet in using public opinion to attack Liang Qi; no one outside knew it was him. But whenever he thought about how his attempt to steal a chicken had backfired, he felt ashamed and tried to avoid Liang Qi, but unexpectedly, they ran into each other at this time.

Hearing the noise, Liang Qi glanced at him indifferently. When the elevator arrived, he turned his gaze back and stepped inside.

Jingyao followed without saying a word.

The door closed, and seeing that Jingyao didn't provoke him as usual, Liang Qi curled his lips, finding it strange.

He knew that Jingyao had completely admitted defeat.

However, he is no saint.

It's absolutely impossible for him to repay evil with kindness; nor is it his style to be magnanimous simply because they are brothers.

As the elevator approached the 53rd floor, Liang Qi shifted his gaze from the floor numbers and looked directly at Jing Yao reflected in the elevator doors.

Jingyao looked up and saw Liang Qi staring at him, saying slowly, "You spent a lot of money on the online controversy a few days ago."

Seeing Jing Yao's face turn dark instantly, Liang Qi's expression was undeniably pleased.

His tone remained calm, but his words were sarcastic: "I will credit Yun Jing for this period's financial report."

As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened.

He strode towards his office, not bothering to see what Jingyao's expression would be.

*

Jiang Nuanyu, however, couldn't completely ignore the online comments.

In the first few days, whenever she couldn't help but open her social media app and saw the 99+ comments and red dots on her private messages, she would feel a strong sense of oppression.

But as Liang Qi told her, she doesn't need to be responsible for other people's emotions.

She disabled private messages from people she didn't follow. It had to be said, it was a breeding ground for vulgar language. As for the negative comments in public comments, she could barely tolerate them.

Fortunately, the bad situation didn't last long. As public opinion shifted, those who blindly followed suit and condemned the situation disappeared.

The negative comments gradually disappeared, but the discussion about her article did not immediately cool down.

Besides comments expressing curiosity about Liang Qi himself, many netizens in the comments section also shared their views on "stereotypes".

Some resonated with the sentiments expressed, while others reflected on them; some even argued that this phenomenon was an inevitable product of the imperfections of the real world. But regardless of differing opinions, the vast majority of these writings were well-intentioned.

Every time Jiang Nuanyu reads these comments, she feels an indescribable sense of relief.

When she wrote that article, she was betting on the goodwill of the majority and people's yearning for a better future. Fortunately, the final result did not disappoint her.

But then again, rather than saying she's gambling, it's more accurate to say that this is simply how she sees the world: even with its dark side and parts that make you feel powerless, overall, it's something to look forward to.

*

A few days after New Year's Day, Jiang Nuanyu successfully completed her last project for "Florian".

The day she officially resigned happened to be a Friday. After work, she had dinner with Feng Shasha and He Anqi.

She didn't want her departure to seem particularly significant, but the two insisted on treating her to a meal. Thinking the meal was more about friendship than formality, she didn't refuse.

At the dinner table, the conversation naturally turned to the magazine's situation after she left.

He Anqi said with some melancholy, "The culture section did so well before, the editor-in-chief probably won't let us go, right?" She asked Jiang Nuanyu, "Did the editor-in-chief say who will continue to be in charge?"

Jiang Nuanyu was also unsure and shook her head; He Anqi sighed and didn't say anything more.

Jiang Nuanyu comforted her: "I think that no matter whose topic it is, with your experience in this area, everyone will want your help."

“I really want to keep doing this project, but I’ve been working with you before. If we switch to someone else, everyone’s style and aesthetic will be different.” He Anqi still seemed preoccupied. “I don’t know what the final product will look like.”

Her original job duties largely overlapped with Jiang Nuanyu's, and she only needed to execute or assist Jiang Nuanyu's projects. The two had always worked well together and communicated smoothly.

Aside from business matters, after Jiang Nuanyu's departure, He Anqi needs time to adapt to and integrate with the styles and work rhythms of the other editors, which is also a considerable challenge.

But she tried her best not to express these thoughts, especially at the dinner table that day, so as not to appear to be complaining and make Jiang Nuanyu feel burdened.

Feng Shasha, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide the impact of Jiang Nuanyu's departure on her. She had been talking to Jiang Nuanyu about it for days, saying she was so worried about her leaving that she couldn't sleep and was under a lot of pressure!

"Jiang Jiang, I still find it hard to accept that I won't see you at work next Monday." Feng Shasha said, her lips pursed again.

Jiang Nuanyu smiled at her and said, "We can't see each other at work, but we can see each other at other times."

“But you’re going to France!” Feng Shasha muttered. “That’s so far, and there’s a time difference.”

He Anqi was truly exasperated by Feng Shasha's clinginess and advised, "Oh! If you can't see her, just video call her, it's the same thing."

“It’s different!” Feng Shasha said seriously, “People have to meet each other, at least that’s how I am.”

“In middle school, I had a really good friend, the kind of friend who would go to the bathroom with me. But we went to universities in different cities, so we could only keep in touch via WeChat. At first, we would hang out together during holidays, but then we contacted each other less and less, and after we graduated from university, we lost contact completely.”

Hearing her say that, He Anqi nodded in agreement: "That's true. I've also seen several couples who were very much in love break up after they started living in different places. Without exception."

“If you’re in a relationship, you need to see each other more often!” Feng Shasha said. “Isn’t the point of a relationship to spend time together? What’s the point of dating if you can’t even see each other?” She added with certainty, “Anyway, I definitely won’t date someone from a long-distance relationship.”

He Anqi thought for a moment and said, "Me too."

"Huh?" He Anqi asked again, "But aren't you and your boyfriend both from Beijing?"

“Yes,” Feng Shasha said, “I was just saying, what if.”

"You two have been together for many years, aren't you planning to get married?" He Anqi asked.

"I'm still young, I won't get married!" Feng Shasha said proudly. "What if he treats me badly after we get married? ... I already feel that he's not as good to me as he used to be."

"Your boyfriend treats you well? You should be grateful, Feng Shasha." He Anqi rolled her eyes speechlessly.

As Jiang Nuanyu listened to their conversation, she couldn't help but think of Liang Qi.

These past few days, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Liang Qi's supposedly unusual behavior on Christmas Eve was all just her overthinking. Everything that day was just a coincidence, nothing special.

Even that kiss, which wasn't really a kiss, was just a product of the atmosphere; their lips touched. Otherwise, why hadn't Liang Qiming contacted her even once after all these days, knowing she was leaving?

The only explanation she could come up with for herself was that he didn't care.

She thought that she was just someone he could do without.

As she thought of him, her heart sank deeper and deeper. Just as it was about to hit rock bottom, she stopped herself and forced her attention back to her farewell dinner with her colleagues.

Feng Shasha was still going on and on about how impatient and intolerant Shao Jie was towards her. However, as the only one of the three present with a boyfriend, her complaints and rants, those trivial matters and petty squabbles, sounded like a public display of affection to the other two.

The meal lasted until almost 10 p.m. The three said goodbye at the restaurant entrance, uttering uncertain "goodbye," as if that could ease the heaviness of this parting.

When Jiang Nuanyu got home by taxi, it was not yet eleven o'clock.

Since deciding to go to Paris, she hasn't been going to bed until three or four in the morning every day.

At first, she couldn't sleep. She would lie in bed with her eyes open or closed, tossing and turning until she was completely exhausted.

Later, she simply stopped forcing herself to sleep and instead used the quiet of the night to study French. Although it didn't help her sleep at all, it was better than lying in bed and overthinking.

But even though it was already dawn outside, she was still awake. Her mind was racing with thoughts, and she felt no sleepiness whatsoever.

She waited until the sun was fully up before giving up on sleeping and getting out of bed.

After a quick wash, she paced back and forth between the bedroom and the living room a few times, feeling like she had a lot to do, but nothing seemed urgent, and she lacked sufficient motivation.

On her first day after leaving her job, she didn't feel relaxed; instead, she felt inexplicably empty inside.

She sent Ye Ji a message, asking when she was free to have dinner together.

Less than two minutes later, Ye Ji sent her the address of her studio, along with a note:

"It looks like the dinner arrangement is off before next week."

"If you really miss me, come over, and I'll make time to see you."

Jiang Nuanyu held her phone, amused by her words and laughed for a long time.

She realized that Ye Ji's studio had been open for so long, but she had never been there before, so she decided to go and take a look.

She hadn't slept all night, and her head was spinning. On the way there, she dozed off in the car.

Before getting out of the car, she saw the bright sunlight outside the window and didn't put on her scarf. But as soon as she opened the car door, a blast of cold wind rushed into her face.

She jolted awake instantly, completely snapping out of her daze. She quickly wrapped her clothes tighter around herself and ran into the office building, going upstairs to the address Ye Ji had sent her.

Once she stepped out of the elevator, she realized that there was more than one studio on this floor. Ye Ji had only told her the floor number, not the specific names of the studios.

Looking at the plaque on the wall, she instinctively headed towards the company called "Vérité Studio". Following the directions, she indeed saw Xiao Xu in the Vérité Studio's office area.

Xiao Xu happened to look over, and through the glass, Jiang Nuanyu smiled and waved to her.

Xiao Xu walked over, still wearing a shy but sincere smile: "Sister Nuanyu."

Jiang Nuanyu smiled and said, "Hi~ Long time no see."

"Yes," Xiao Xu asked, "Sister Nuanyu, are you here to see the boss?"

"Hmm." Jiang Nuanyu nodded, then glanced inside but didn't see Ye Ji. "Where is she?"

Xiao Xu pointed to the other end of the space and said, "I just received a phone call, I'm in the office."

Jiang Nuanyu lowered her voice and said, "Okay, I'll go find her."

She followed the direction Xiao Xu pointed, walking inside while looking around.

The entire studio was about 140 to 150 square meters, spacious and open, decorated like a coffee shop, with no obvious partitions. Passing through the open office area, she saw five or six young people busy at their own pace.

When she arrived at Ye Ji's office, she was about to knock when she vaguely heard Ye Ji's voice inside, as if he was still on the phone.

She waited outside the door for a while, and when there was no sound from inside, she knocked on the door, pushed it open, and poked her head in: "President Ye?"

Ye Ji turned around and looked at him in surprise: "You're so fast?"

"Where is the speed?" Jiang Nuanyu closed the door behind her and said, "I think you're so busy that you don't even notice the passage of time."

Ye Ji put his phone on his desk and sighed, "You were right."

Jiang Nuanyu sat down on the sofa and saw Ye Ji pouring her water. She said, "You go about your business, don't bother me."

She leaned against the back of the sofa, peering through the blinds at the figures outside, and said, "Wow, knowing you had a studio is one thing, but seeing it in person is a completely different experience. This office, inside and out, and all those employees," she turned to look at Ye Ji, her eyes shining, "Mr. Ye, you're amazing!"

Ye Ji remained unmoved by the admiration, saying, "I haven't had a single day off in two months."

She placed the water glass on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa. Noticing the faint shadows under Jiang Nuanyu's eyes, she frowned and asked, "What's wrong with your complexion?"

Jiang Nuanyu pinched her cheek and said casually, "I didn't sleep last night."

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Ye Ji asked, puzzled. He glanced at her and said, "You don't look like you've been working overtime all night."

"I can't sleep," Jiang Nuanyu said.

Ye Ji said, "I'm warning you, lack of sleep not only accelerates aging, but also makes you dumber!"

Jiang Nuanyu chuckled and leaned her head closer: "Then hurry up and knock me out."

"Okay." Ye Ji raised a fist, pretending to really punch him.

Jiang Nuanyu leaned back on the sofa, squinting one eye, looking like she was letting her do whatever she wanted.

Seeing her like this, Ye Ji chuckled and withdrew his hand, asking, "What's been going on with you lately?"

"I just resigned yesterday," Jiang Nuanyu said.

"Oh...Is that so?" Ye Ji seemed to suddenly realize something. "So, you're having trouble sleeping because of anxiety during the gap in your schedule?"

Jiang Nuanyu paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "Yes!"

Ye Ji scoffed, "I don't believe you even if you do."

Jiang Nuanyu was puzzled: "Why don't you believe me?"

"You'd be so anxious about something like this that you can't sleep? Unless your name isn't Jiang Nuanyu," Ye Ji said.

Jiang Nuanyu blinked, neither confirming nor denying.

Ye Ji glanced at her and said, "But I was really surprised when you told me about this in the video."

Before Jiang Nuanyu could say anything, Ye Ji asked again, "Are you sure you're ready?"

Jiang Nuanyu stared blankly for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Mm."

“I still feel uneasy,” Ye Ji said. “You’re going alone, to a place you don’t know, and you don’t speak French. Aren’t you worried, sister?”

"I'm a grown man, it doesn't matter where I go," Jiang Nuanyu said nonchalantly. "As for language, I can use English for work, and for life... we'll see. I'm currently teaching myself French."

"Self-taught French?" Upon hearing this, Ye Ji racked her brains for the few French words she could remember. "Bonjour? Merci?" She pointed to the studio sign on the wall. "Vérité? What else? I don't know any more."

Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips, about to speak, when Ye Ji's phone rang on the desk.

Ye Ji helplessly shrugged and got up to answer the phone.

Jiang Nuanyu sat up, picked up her water glass and took a sip, then picked up a few sheets of A4 paper scattered on the coffee table.

She glanced at it casually; it was a promotional plan for Marie's event.

After Ye Ji finished the call, she asked, "Aren't you only in charge of planning? So the promotion is being handled by you too?"

"No," Ye Ji said. "When we were coordinating the plan before, I treated the publicity team to a meal. I just asked them to take me along; I didn't get paid."

Jiang Nuanyu thought for a moment and said, "That works too. We can accumulate experience and connections first; they'll come in handy someday."

Ye Ji nodded in agreement, then sighed, "I was too naive back then, thinking I could do everything. Looking back now, even if I were to take charge of the entire brand," she raised her chin and pointed to the other side of the blinds, "these few people outside definitely wouldn't be enough."

Upon hearing Ye Ji's last words, Jiang Nuanyu began to calculate the costs of opening a studio.

Aside from initial fixed costs like renovations, employee salaries are likely the biggest expense, and the rent for top-tier office space and other miscellaneous fees are certainly not low. These are all ongoing financial investments. Furthermore, Ye Ji Studio's first project isn't finished yet, so it probably hasn't generated any revenue.

Thinking of this, she suddenly asked, "Do you have enough money?"

Ye Ji was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled: "You want to lend me money?"

Jiang Nuanyu said earnestly, "I have some savings and don't have any major expenses."

Ye Ji knew she was absolutely sincere, so he opened his mouth and said, "Don't worry, I have money! There's no need to touch your savings for now. Besides, after the event next week, it will definitely be settled by the end of the month, before the Spring Festival, which will be enough to cover the costs of the past few months."

"real?"

"real!"

Ye Ji said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Now that we have the studio's name and experience, we can work on several projects simultaneously, and the profits will be quite considerable."

Jiang Nuanyu didn't speak. Seeing Ye Ji's optimistic appearance, she thought of what Ye Ji had told her before: This is the simplest and the most difficult path.

She suddenly understood that what seemed simple to outsiders was just that—a matter of appearance. Only Ye Ji herself knew how difficult the process truly was.

Ye Ji circled back to the previous topic and asked, "Now that you've resigned, when are you leaving for Paris?"

“I’m waiting for my work visa.” Jiang Nuanyu’s eyes darkened as she fiddled with the edge of the sofa. “It should be soon, either before or after the Spring Festival.”

Ye Ji smiled meaningfully: "You're reluctant to leave, aren't you?"

Jiang Nuanyu glanced at her ambiguous expression and deliberately said, "Yes, I can't bear to part with you!"

"I believe that." Ye Ji countered, then continued gossiping, "Anything else?"

Jiang Nuanyu glanced at her resentfully, ignored her, and picked up her water glass to drink.

Ye Ji stopped beating around the bush and asked directly, "What about you and Liang Qi?"

"What do you mean, what should we do?" Jiang Nuanyu feigned ignorance. "He and I never had any relationship to begin with."

Ye Ji frowned: "What are you beating around the bush with now?" She blinked and asked, "What happened in the past two months?"

Jiang Nuanyu bit the rim of her cup and mumbled, "Nothing happened."

Ye Ji stared at her for a moment, then sneered, "Hmph, you're just being stubborn. Ah, say it or not, it's up to you." He added, "Anyway, it's not me who's holding it in."

Jiang Nuanyu was speechless after being retorted, and could only continue drinking the water in her cup.

Just then, Ye Ji's phone rang again. Jiang Nuanyu quickly seized this opportunity to catch her breath, urging her with her eyes, "Phone, phone..."

Ye Ji glanced at her but didn't expose her.

After Ye Ji left, Jiang Nuanyu put down her water glass and leaned back on the sofa.

She stared at the ceiling, slowly exhaled, and closed her eyes.

When Ye Ji finished his phone call and turned around, he saw Jiang Nuanyu's head slumped on the sofa, as if she had already fallen asleep.

She shook her head helplessly and took the coat to cover her.

Jiang Nuanyu had only intended to close her eyes and rest, but somehow she lost consciousness. However, she remained in a semi-conscious state, occasionally hearing Ye Ji entering and leaving the office or making phone calls, but she couldn't keep her eyelids open.

She slept until after 1 p.m. before Ye Ji woke her up, and the two ate takeout lunch together.

As the event entered its final preparation stage, Ye Ji had too many things to do, and Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help much. Staying would only be a hindrance, so she left after dinner.

After going downstairs, she stood at the entrance of the office building for a long time, and finally realized that it seemed she had no choice but to go home.

As she watched the hurried office workers pass by, she glanced at the magnificent office buildings around her and sighed: she was temporarily unemployed...