Chapter 67 Newcomers

"That might mean... he has a new girlfriend..."

Lin Yujing sat on the bench at the boarding gate, and only much later did she realize that it was the place in the entire airport where the snow had fallen the heaviest.

Everyone was surprised that it snowed in July, except for Lin Yujing, who was amazed by Young Master Chen's great abilities.

This is the real Chen Jingshu.

He excels at everything he does, and even as a romantic, he is the most devoted and romantic of them all.

However, every time he poured his heart and soul into giving her surprises and warmth, she only returned his abandonment and tears time and time again.

"With such heavy snow, will it affect our flights taking off normally?" At this moment, a group of people immediately surrounded the airport ground staff to ask.

The ground crew glanced out the window, then looked at her sitting alone in the corner, and replied, "Passengers, please rest assured, we have contacted the control tower and there will be no impact on normal takeoff."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good that it won't be affected. But what's going on? Why is it snowing in the middle of July?"

The ground staff gave an awkward laugh and shook their heads. "I don't know."

Having received a satisfactory answer, the crowd dispersed in twos and threes.

As for the inexplicable celestial phenomenon of snow falling in the middle of summer, they simply continued to gather around the window to take pictures, a rare occurrence.

Lin Yujing breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, the ground staff walked up to her side, squatted down, and asked in a gentle voice, "Hello, are you Ms. Lin Yujing?"

Lin Yujing hesitated for a moment and then nodded, "Yes."

"Congratulations! You have been selected as a lucky passenger by our airline and can enjoy a free upgrade."

Lin Yujing pursed her lips, feeling that this kind of unexpected good fortune was a rather clumsy excuse, probably coming from someone else's idea. She smiled lightly, "No need, I'm just an ordinary passenger."

Ground staff: "This is our leader's opinion."

Lin Yujing looked at the ground crew and said calmly, "Then please thank your supervisor for me and tell him I don't need it."

"This flight will last 13 hours, ma'am..."

"Thank you for your kindness, leader. I have the means to purchase a first-class ticket, but I want to remember every minute and second of my departure."

After she finished speaking, the airport boarding announcement came on, and Lin Yujing stood up. "I should board now. Goodbye."

...

Queue up, get your ticket checked, and walk across the covered bridge.

The flight attendants stood at the cabin door, smiling as they greeted her. Upon seeing her, the head flight attendant stepped forward and said, "Ms. Lin, let me show you to your seat."

Lin Yujing carried her backpack and followed behind the flight attendant.

After settling into my economy class seat, I habitually turned to look out the window and suddenly realized that the snow had stopped sometime earlier.

Even in the sweltering summer heat, the ground was completely dry, as if nothing had ever happened.

She bit her lower lip and turned her phone into airplane mode.

The song "July 7th, Sunny Day," which I was humming softly in my headphones, stopped playing because the network connection was lost.

-

Because of the different latitude, the United States, located between 30 and 50 degrees north latitude, has a much longer season than China.

The summer without Chen Jingshu lasted until the end of September.

For three whole months, Lin Yujing seemed to be very busy.

Every day, I would lock myself in the professor's studio, or find a coffee shop to review the literature assignments given by my doctoral supervisor.

Liang Huimin reminded her more than once to relax and not to push herself too hard because of her studies and work.

She just smiled and didn't reveal the real reason behind it.

So when the National Art Exhibition ended, her previously tense energy suddenly dissipated.

I had severe stomach cramps in the middle of the night, which triggered a high fever. I was bedridden for a whole week and became extremely thin.

Liang Huimin, her graduate advisor, sat on the edge of her bed with a furrowed brow and said, "When you came here, you were a pampered young lady, but after staying here for more than two months, you've become a skinny Cinderella. If your family sees this, they'll definitely complain about me."

Lin Yujing coughed until she saw stars, her voice hoarse. "The professor has already been very kind to me."

She deliberately humiliated herself, as if she were avenging someone.

But it also seems to confirm a fact: the area around someone is like a feng shui treasure land, very suitable for recuperation and rest.

Liang Huimin tucked the blanket around her and got up. "Go to sleep. School starts the day after tomorrow."

Lin Yujing nodded and closed her eyes.

After Liang Huimin closed the door, her phone rang.

That was the notification sound from a domestic financial weekly.

She seemed a little dazed, and her vision was blurry.

But he still reached out his arm and used his phone to unlock the door.

The large, highlighted headline reads: "[On September 22nd, Huaren Group announced that Mr. Chen Jingshu, President of its subsidiary JING Capital, has officially joined the Board of Directors, marking a new addition to Huaren's board.]"

Lin Yujing coughed again until her lungs ached, but she stubbornly clicked on the webpage.

The first thing that catches the eye is Chen Jingshu's official photo, along with his personal resume.

The photo was probably taken recently, inside his office.

His face was very serious, showing no sign of joy at becoming a new board member.

Despite the photo being edited, it couldn't hide the increasingly thick white hair at her temples and the dark circles under her eyes.

His black suit made him look like a cloud of ashes.

Despite being only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, he exuded an air of lethargy and premature death.

However, in the comments section, everyone was only commenting wildly: "I knew Hua Ren's heir was handsome, but I didn't expect him to be this handsome! The noble young master in the TV series was still a bit too restrained."

Scrolling down, you'll see various speculations: [With the Crown Prince taking office, it seems a major internal reshuffle is imminent.]

Every time this happens, a netizen claiming to be an insider will reply: "The heir apparent takes power in the morning, and by the afternoon he's already rallying board members to stage a coup. The upper echelons of Huaren are in complete chaos right now."

What kind of chaos is this?

[Father and son, sister and brother, grandfather and grandson, old faction and new force.]

This simple sentence encapsulates the darkest moment that Huaren has faced since its inception.

Lin Yujing turned off her phone, a tear sliding down her stubborn cheek. "Chen Jingshu, you have to keep going!"

-

Yijing, Chengyuan – A small Zen room in a square world.

Chen Jingshu pushed the computer in front of Chen Jinyi, showing her the new decisions he planned to propose at the year-end meeting.

"Establish a board of supervisors and a rotating chairmanship?" Chen Jinyi quickly read it, her expression slightly grave. "You actually want to break the old, conservative system, with the chairman being elected internally and taking turns?"

Chen Jingshu: "This can maximize the mobilization of the board of directors and quickly promote the achievement of the company's phased strategic goals."

Chen Jinyi: "I admit that your proposal is very good, but Grandpa, Second Uncle, and the other elderly people may not be able to accept it."

How will you know if you don't try?

Chen Jinyi crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “A rotating chairmanship can indeed achieve profitability in the short term, but with a five-year term, no one can guarantee that nothing will change during that time.”

"Therefore, we have also established a supervisory board to jointly supervise the rotating chairman's performance during his term of office to ensure that no decisions are made that are contrary to the company's interests. The supervisory board has the power to reject decisions and to remove the chairman from office."

Chen Jinyi rested her chin on her hand, "You want to remove the hidden label of Huaren Group as a family business, establish a system of public responsibility, and delegate power."

"Yes. A family can only produce a few capable leaders, but if you broaden your horizons, you'll find them everywhere. As long as the board of directors and the board of supervisors work together in the same direction, and the nominee is the most suitable person to lead the country, Huaren can shine for another hundred years."

Chen Jinyi looked at him with admiration and pride in her eyes, "Young Master, you are a rare and capable general in our Chen family."

Instead of forcing her out of the Hua Ren Group, he took the photos of Hua Jia framing him for the car accident provided by Chen Rongqing and, without hesitation, stuffed them into the shredder and destroyed them in front of her.

Chen Jinyi believed that Chen Jingshu was definitely not the kind of vindictive spoiled brat.

He said, "Sister, I have never agreed with the Chen family's idea that daughters should not be involved in worldly affairs. Women can also be mountains, and can use their own strength to climb and surpass the peaks. The power of women is not just about contributing their reproductive ability, being a good wife and mother, or being confined to the home."

"Your contributions to Huaren are unparalleled, even by me. The Chen family's sword is definitely aimed at outsiders."

Chen Jinyi asked him, "Don't you hate Hua Jia's actions at all?"

He replied: Hua Jia is Hua Jia, and Chen Jinyi is Chen Jinyi. Internal strife within the family will only harm the family's interests.

He is not a saint, but he is willing to make amends for the gender injustice that Chen Jinyi has suffered over the years.

He possessed the qualities of a monarch, both benevolent and ruthless.

His kindness lies in his magnanimous heart, which allows him to forgive what others cannot forgive; it is the pure goodness in his nature.

His ruthlessness lies in his ability to seize every point of attack that could defeat the enemy, using it as a special weapon to turn formidable foe into a comrade-in-arms.

He didn't want Chen Jinyi to be his assistant in climbing the peak; he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with her on the highest peak of Huaren.

"Sister, you are also the pride of the Chen family."

Chen Jinyi pursed her lips. "Grandpa's health is deteriorating. We need to hurry. Without his approval, this proposal will be difficult to implement."

Chen Jingshu nodded: "Okay!"

After finishing their business, Chen Jinyi closed her laptop and asked, "Why haven't I been listening to Jingjing's news lately?"

Chen Jingshu stiffened for a moment, averted his gaze, and said with feigned composure, "She's very busy, working and pursuing her doctorate at the same time, despite the time difference."

He didn't tell his friends about the breakup, and whenever anyone asked, he would use time difference and being busy as excuses.

It's as if the relationship can continue as long as he doesn't admit it.

This also avoids further questioning and resentment from others towards Lin Yujing.

He himself wouldn't bear to blame someone, so naturally he wouldn't allow others to say a single bad word about him.

Chen Jinyi didn't notice his unusual behavior and simply continued the conversation, saying, "Long-distance relationships are all like this."

Chen Jingshu chuckled softly, tinged with an indescribable helplessness, "Well, when it comes to love, isn't it always a mix of tears and affection?"

"Quietly, she doesn't seem like someone who cries easily." Those charming yet aloof eyes are filled with stubbornness.

She always manages to stand out in a crowd.

"Who said she cried? She has a very strong heart," Chen Jingshu said, getting up and stretching.

"Are you crying?" Chen Jinyi exclaimed in surprise. "Your biggest problem isn't your heart disease, but that you're too love-struck."

Chen Jingshu didn't refute, but only started packing up his computer.

After all, he himself felt that he should take some time to properly treat his brain, otherwise why would he remain loyal even though he was always being kicked away like a dog?

"I heard that at this National Art Exhibition, Jingjing's painting 'Sky Dome' fetched an eight-figure price, breaking the record for the highest price ever paid for a Chinese-painter in the United States."

"Um."

"Even the National Artists Association extended an olive branch to her, inviting her to join the permanent committee. But she declined. Why was that?"

Chen Jingshu licked his lips. "She's always been very opinionated and has her own ideas, so I don't know either."

"You should advise her; she should understand the value of joining the committee," Chen Jinyi said gently.

Joining the Painting Association Committee is equivalent to stepping into the art circle of Beijing.

In the future, if anyone questions or criticizes her, that group of people will be the first to stand up for her.

A slight bitter taste rose in Chen Jingshu's mouth as he recalled her words: "I have no relatives in China anymore. After studying abroad, I don't plan to come back."

The reason he doesn't join the domestic art association is probably because he doesn't plan to return, so he doesn't care whether he can integrate into their circle.

After all, this industry had once shut her out.

“She’s free, I have no right to interfere with her decisions.” Chen Jingshu picked up his laptop. “Sis, I’m going back to my room to sleep.”

-

After Lin Yujing recovered, she deposited all the trophies and certificates at the professor's home.

Pulling a lone suitcase, he flew to Ohio to officially begin his doctoral studies.

Before boarding the plane, her landlord in Ohio, Eden, said he would pick her up from the airport, which moved Lin Yujing deeply.

As soon as she stepped out of the airport, she saw a well-dressed Chinese girl waiting by the car, holding a banner with her Chinese name on it.

After being away in a foreign country for several months, Lin Yujing felt incredibly warm and familiar when she saw Chinese again.

She jogged over, first noticing Eden's protruding pregnant belly, and then, perhaps because they were siblings, she felt Eden looked very familiar. "Have we... met before?"

Eden raised an eyebrow, more puzzled than she was, "You don't recognize me?"

Should we get to know each other?

Eden's face was filled with disappointment. "I thought you rented my house because you knew I was the landlord."

Lin Yujing forced a smile. "I only rented the place because I saw that your rent was very cheap and that you required Chinese female students to be tenants."

Eden shrugged, looking even more disappointed. "Okay...can you drive?"

"Yes." During her time in New York, she obtained a foreign driver's license and usually served as Liang Huimin's driver.

Eden tossed her the car keys and got into the passenger seat.

Lin Yujing noticed her low spirits, so she first put the luggage in the trunk and then quickly ran to the driver's seat. "You know me, right?"

"Lin Yujing".

"I told you my name."

"Chen Jingshu's girlfriend, Lin Yujing"

Lin Yujing was completely stunned, wishing she could open her brain and flip through her memories page by page.

“You really do have a bad memory.” Eden opened the pocket watch hanging on the rearview mirror, revealing a group photo inside. “I am Jiang Yingli.”

Lin Yujing immediately recognized the man in the photo as Jiang Yingzhi, but Jiang Yingli looked completely different.

She had seen her before at the entrance of Yonghe Temple; she was dressed as a typical well-behaved girl from a Chinese scholarly family.

But now, sitting in front of her, Jiang Yingli, apart from his skin color, has not changed.

She had dyed her hair blonde and wore American sweetheart makeup, with highly saturated pink blending perfectly into her clothes and bags.

Even her lipstick was a matte peach pink.

It looks exactly like an early Disney Barbie film.

"You're actually Jiang Yingli!" Lin Yujing looked at the photo again in surprise, then looked at her.

It was discovered that even Jiang Yingli's previously sickly and delicate eyes had changed, now radiating confidence and poise.

"You didn't even know I'm Jiang Yingli!" The only thing that remained unchanged was her spoiled young lady attitude. "I thought Chen Jingshu would buy you a house here. Rich international students all know that buying a house is more cost-effective than renting."

Lin Yujing took a deep breath, thinking there was no need to hide it from her, so she simply told the truth, "We broke up."

"However, in July I also saw news in China that the heir of Huaren spent over 100 million yuan to open an art museum for his girlfriend outside Hepingmen."

"They broke up after that."

It wasn't even a long time...

"Can I ask why we broke up?"

"..."

"Never mind..." Jiang Yingli habitually touched his bulging pregnant belly, and without waiting for her reply, said directly, "Actually, I can guess what the reason is."

Lin Yujing glanced at her movements and asked curiously, "Are you married?"

"You can't get pregnant if you're not married?" she said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned about the issue of premarital pregnancy.

"And your baby?"

"You won't tell Chen Jingshu, will you? Even though you've already broken up..."

"No, it's your privacy, and you can choose not to tell me."

Jiang Yingli sighed, "It's Jiang Yingzhi's. I never expected to be pregnant..."

It was from the time her design scandal was exposed.

The girl, clinging to a sliver of hope, thought that such a highly improbable event would never happen to her.

She even got her period a week later. By the time she realized something was wrong, her belly was already showing.

I later learned that that period was most likely implantation bleeding.

"Isn't it pretty melodramatic..."

Lin Yujing bit her lip, but still nodded honestly, and asked again, "President Jiang, do you know?"

“For my safety, I can’t leave the United States, and he won’t come looking for me again, so I won’t let him know.”

“But I heard from Chen Jingshu that he sent all his trusted confidants here.”

Jiang Yingli nodded. "So, there's a man beside me..."

Before Lin Yujing could recover from the shock of the next incident, the navigation system informed them that they had arrived at their destination.

Jiang Yingli pointed ahead to her, "That's him."

Following the direction she pointed, Lin Yujing saw the Chinese man standing in front of the villa.

Compared to Jiang Yingli, who has a mature and reserved appearance and exudes a sinister aura despite his refined demeanor.

This man seemed more innocent and harmless, with the same type of appearance as Liu Hua, even more beautiful than a woman.

"you?"

"Don't worry, he likes men just like us."

Lin Yujing's lips trembled slightly as she gave her a thumbs up. "Miss Jiang, you're as crazy as ever."

"I have no choice, I have to find a father for my son!" Jiang Yingli puffed out his belly, his expression quite proud.

The two got out of the car, and the man stepped forward, saying, "Hello, welcome to Ohio."

Lin Yujing smiled shyly, "Hello, my name is Lin Yujing."

"I am Li Mu." Li Mu waited for her to extend her hand first before gently squeezing her fingertips.

Although Jiang Yingli said that Li Mu belonged to a niche group, his first impression was not at all like the stereotypical description.

“Li Mu is from Northeast China. He immigrated here with his parents when he was a teenager. Now he runs a Chinese restaurant, and from now on, all our lunches will be provided by Mr. Li.”

Lin Yujing nodded and asked, "Does he live here too?"

“He used to live here. But I was afraid you wouldn’t like it, so I sent him back to his own home.”

Li Mu helped her with her luggage. "My house is in the building next door, right next to ours. Before, we were trying to avoid her brother's spies, but now nobody's watching us anymore."

Lin Yujing forced a smile. "You're really amazing."

According to Li Mu, the young lady was the most formidable. In order to get him to agree to adopt the child in her womb as his godson, she used the investment money from his restaurant investment to coerce and entice him. "Anyway, after knowing her for so many years, I'm used to her crazy behavior."

He was also driven crazy by his parents' pressure to get married, so the two hit it off and formed a temporary family.

During the day, they performed separately for Jiang Yingzhi's confidants and Li Mu's parents; at night, they went home and acted like sisters, cursing the man while wiping each other's tears.

Li Mu served the two of the pork rib soup he had prepared and said to Lin Yujing, "If you ever need me to pretend to be your boyfriend, just let me know. I'll definitely do it without hesitation."

"good!"

-

Because of Jiang Yingli and Li Mu, Lin Yujing's originally imagined lonely and boring life became more colorful.

Only the sky above her head was a hazy gray.

During her doctoral studies at OSU, Lin Yujing stopped taking commercial commissions and began creating her own works.

But in her mind, there was only the sky.

The city dome, whether sky blue or filled with stars, became the main style of her works.

However, the color scheme still maintains a romantic, warm, and healing style.

Every time it's exhibited, it's snapped up by collectors both at home and abroad.

He is a rare young painter whose reputation and asking price are both quite high.

As December approached, she received another invitation from the China Artists Association, which, based on the previous invitation, granted her the right to review and participate in the evaluation process.

However, Lin Yujing politely declined, citing her busy academic schedule as the reason.

Before we knew it, it was final exam week.

On December 11, after finishing his last exam, Jiang Yingli suggested that they go to New York together.

Lin Yujing and Li Mu said that her due date is approaching and they do not recommend that she go out at this time.

Jiang Yingli immediately sat on the sofa and cried to the two of them, "After I give birth, I definitely won't be able to go out for a long time. These two weeks are my last chance to go out and have fun!"

Lin Yujing and Li Mu exchanged a glance and exposed her, saying, "We've already hired a postpartum nanny and a Filipino maid. Even after you have a baby, you can still live a carefree and elegant life."

Even though he had already said all that, he still couldn't resist the young lady's persistent pleading.

Finally, the three of them agreed to spend only two days in New York before returning, and thus began their trip.

As a result, the three of them happily boarded the plane and landed in New York. Before they even left the airport, Jiang Yingli began to suffer from severe abdominal pain.

After rushing her to the hospital, the doctor said to prepare for delivery immediately.

As they pushed her to the delivery room, the young lady's cries echoed down the corridor: "Jiang Yingzhi, you bastard, you coward."

After finally seeing Jiang Yingli enter the delivery room, Lin Yujing sat down, leaning against the wall. "If I had known, I would have been more resolute and not agreed to her request."

Li Mu: "Don't be upset about what happened. I'll go buy some food, you rest here."

Lin Yujing nodded, "Thank you for your hard work."

"We're sisters, so you're being too polite."

On a warm winter afternoon in a hospital corridor in New York, a beam of light shone on Lin Yujing, and she soon began to feel sleepy.

I don't even know when I drifted off to sleep.

Finally, someone patted her on the shoulder. Thinking it was Li Mu returning, she didn't even open her eyes and asked, "You're back so soon?"

"Is it really you?"

A familiar female voice. As soon as Lin Yujing opened her eyes, she saw Chen Jinyi standing in front of her.

"Sister Jinyi?" She quickly stood up.

Chen Jinyi asked, "Why are you in the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lin Yujing shook her head, but she didn't want to tell Chen Jinyi that she was here with Jiang Yingli to give birth, so she stammered, "I came with a friend."

“But this is the maternity ward?” Chen Jinyi pointed to the sign above her head.

Lin Yujing chuckled dryly, "I'm here to accompany a friend to give birth..."

Chen Jinyi nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Lin Yujing then remembered to ask her, "Why is Sister Jinyi at the hospital?"

Chen Jinyi was surprised, "Didn't you know? Every winter, A-Shu comes to New York to take care of his heart."

Lin Yujing's smile froze slightly; she had only found out last year.

But she no longer had the right to care about him, and simply said, "I see..."

Chen Jinyi noticed the unusual expression on her face and asked, "Did you two have a fight recently? Why are you so distant and cold when you mention him..."

Lin Yujing gave a wry smile and explained, "Jinyi, we broke up a long time ago..."

Chen Jinyi frowned, puzzled, "But I've never heard him mention that before! And he always talks about his girlfriend... I thought he was talking about you..."

Upon hearing this, the last trace of a smile vanished from Lin Yujing's lips, and she said bitterly, "Then maybe... he has a new girlfriend..."

At this moment, Li Mu returned with food, not noticing Chen Jinyi beside him, and was busy tearing open sandwich packaging and squeezing out mineral water for her, saying, "Are you hungry? Eat something first."

Seeing the two's natural and intimate behavior, Chen Jinyi asked, "Jingjing, you have a new boyfriend too?"