Chapter 69 Success

◎“As long as I am Chen Jingshu of the Chen family in Yijing, I can take care of your affairs for the rest of my life.” [Revised]◎

Since Lin Yujing went abroad, Chen Jingshu has moved to live near the company.

At this time of year, most people in China are on holiday for the Lunar New Year, but his grandfather has ordered him to stay at the old house.

When he suddenly received the spending records of the supplementary gold card that was processed separately for Lin Yujing, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Upon opening the message, a consumption notification from a Los Angeles hotel immediately came into view.

In an instant, a thousand kinds of bitterness surged into my heart.

Chen Jingshu frowned, clutching his heart, which felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

Despite my best efforts to restrain myself, I couldn't suppress my anger and dialed the phone number that was almost gathering dust at the top of my chat list.

To everyone's surprise, the person on the other end remained oblivious, repeatedly saying, "I really did swipe the wrong card, I'll return the money."

Chen Jingshu gritted his teeth and questioned, "Is money what I care about?"

I also want to ask Lin Yujing, what does she really care about?

Fame, fortune, future prospects, and an untainted soul.

Did he ever care about him or the love he gave?

During the six months they were apart, he didn't contact her, and she accepted it as if he were someone from another world.

Even in New York, he and her friend were in the same hospital.

The distance between the two wards wouldn't take her even a minute.

Aside from the night he caught them, Chen Jingshu never saw her again.

They never even exchanged the most polite greetings.

Therefore, to prevent himself from being delusional again, he chose to be discharged from the hospital early and devote himself to company affairs.

Only when you can't see them, and don't have time to miss them, can you barely get by.

Lin Yujing's sigh was even longer than his. She didn't answer his question, but asked in a very low and soft voice, "I saw the news in China today. How are you doing there?"

Chen Jingshu's brow twitched slightly, and the icy depths of his eyes melted a little. He even forgot the original reason for making the call, only confirming, "Is this because you're concerned about me?"

Lin Yujing: "Although I don't understand business matters, I feel that your father's collapse is not good for you or the company."

Chen Jingshu curled his lips into a smile. "He forced you to break up with me, and you still speak up for him."

"I didn't do it for him." Lin Yujing's calm voice held a powerful undercurrent of energy.

A hint of warmth appeared in Chen Jingshu's eyes. "Don't worry, with Hua Ren around, he won't fall. If he doesn't fall, Hua Ren will be fine too."

Lin Yujing hummed in agreement. "That's good."

Over the phone, Chen Jingshu couldn't see her expression or emotions, but the less he could see, the more his imagination ran wild. "So, what about you? Got a new boyfriend? Are you going to Los Angeles for the New Year?"

Lin Yujing gave a cold "Scream" and said, "Chen Jingshu, I've never been with anyone else but you. You must have misunderstood..."

Chen Jingshu paused, a lingering bitterness in his heart, only to realize later that a sweet aftertaste was brewing on his tongue.

Even the rare cold snap in Beijing this winter shows signs of warming up.

“I came to Los Angeles today to attend an awards ceremony tomorrow. But my flight was delayed due to heavy rain, and my hotel reservation was automatically cancelled. When I was changing rooms, I was so tired and flustered that I accidentally swiped your card.”

Lin Yujing didn't know why she had to explain the whole story to him.

Perhaps she's been very confused and tired lately.

I always think about him, who is far away. Hearing that he is safe and sound makes me want him to know how he is doing.

Chen Jingshu's side went quiet. If it weren't for a low laugh that suddenly came from the receiver, she would have thought the call had been disconnected.

But then the voice that came through softened, a long-lost feeling that resonated deep within her, an indescribable yet reassuring sense of security: "When you're alone, it's best to stay calm. If you encounter something you can't handle, remember to call...call me."

"..." Lin Yujing lowered her head.

After half a year, facing Chen Jingshu's long-lost tenderness again, she was truly heartbroken.

“You don’t need to be so nice to me,” she said.

"Lin Yujing, I promised you that you would always have special privileges in my life. As long as I am Chen Jingshu of the Chen family in Yijing, I can take care of your affairs for the rest of my life."

The hotel in Los Angeles was very remote, and the signal was terrible; the static on the phone was louder than the human voice.

But it couldn't stop the heart from fluttering despite being separated by oceans and a full fifteen-hour time difference.

Lin Yujing's eyes trembled slightly. "You too, all is well. Good night."

As if afraid that saying a few more words would reveal her feelings, Lin Yujing hung up the phone before she finished speaking.

Chen Jingshu, however, held the phone, savoring the moment for a long time.

"Ah Shu, are you taking a nap?" It was a knock on the door, followed by a gentle and kind greeting.

Chen Jingshu replied, "Grandpa, please come in."

Chen Zhenfeng drove his electric wheelchair into his room. Seeing that he was sitting on the bed resting and still holding his computer, he said with concern, "Your heart is always uncomfortable in winter, so you should rest more."

Chen Jingshu smiled and touched his chest.

His illness is actually neither serious nor insignificant.

Not born with congenital conditions, but due to severe aftereffects of a car accident, winter is particularly difficult for them.

He had originally thought that with Lin Yujing by his side this year, he would definitely have a warm winter.

As a result, the girl cruelly left in the autumn, taking away even the warmth of his world, leaving him only with a bitterly cold winter.

"Grandpa, I'm fine. You should rest more."

Chen Zhenfeng patted his hand with a smile, "Grandpa's old bones will only live to this point."

"How could that be?" As one of the few people in the Chen family who truly cared about him, Chen Jingshu genuinely hoped that the old man could stay healthy.

"Ah Shu, have you been unhappy in the Chen family these past few years since you returned to your ancestral home?"

Chen Jingshu didn't expect the old man to ask him this question suddenly. He wanted to comfort the old man, but he really couldn't say something against his conscience. "Grandpa, it's very nice here, but I do miss the small town life of the past."

There are Chen Xuan and Lin Yujing there.

There is Chu Yan and Qu Xi, there is Pengbin Bay, there is his entire carefree childhood.

“But Grandpa was very happy that you came back,” the old man told him.

After experiencing the deaths of his eldest son, his second son's work-related injury leading to divorce, and finally his wife's passing, his health deteriorated year by year.

When he collapsed, he had been in the ICU for two whole years, relying entirely on machines and medication to keep him alive.

It was only when Chen Rongqing whispered in his ear that the old man's eyes regained their light.

Therefore, Chen Zhenfeng's obsession with Chen Jingshu inheriting Huaren is not entirely due to the outdated feudal idea that only men have the right to continue the family line.

Instead, Chen Jingshu added a candle to his nearly burnt-out lamp, extending his life by another ten years.

"Grandpa, I know..."

"It's all Grandpa's fault. Because of his narrow-mindedness and conservative thinking, you're always being targeted. Fortunately, you and Jinyi are both sensible children, and you haven't become enemies because of Grandpa."

Chen Jingshu chuckled, "My mother taught me from a young age that family members should be of one mind."

“Good boy.” Chen Zhenfeng held his hand. “Ever since your father’s accident, you and your sister have been running around trying to save him. Now he has been transferred from the capital to the grassroots level, and Grandpa is completely exhausted. From now on, Hua Ren and the Chen family will depend entirely on you and your sister.”

"..."

-

When Lin Yujing woke up the next day, she still felt very groggy.

If her phone hadn't kept a record of her recent calls, she would have mistaken that call for a damp dream from the previous night.

After a quick wash, the car provided by the awards ceremony organizers arrived downstairs at the hotel.

The staff who were specially assigned to serve her first took her backstage at the awards ceremony to do her makeup and styling.

Lin Yujing had always known that this awards ceremony was highly prestigious internationally, but she never expected it to be so formal and grand.

They even prepared haute couture gowns for each winner and a private interview room.

Foreign makeup artists prefer Western-style makeup, but they chose a champagne-colored dress for Lin Yujing that perfectly suited her temperament.

Her elegant and dignified Chinese-style makeup made her look very graceful, just like her paintings, giving people a feeling of vitality and healing.

After that, we took our seats in the awards hall and waited for the ceremony to begin.

Lin Yujing maintained a relatively stable mindset and ultimately won the Most Commercially Valuable Young Painter Award.

However, she has always had a sense of detachment from such awards, which gives her an air of relaxed, intellectual elegance.

Sitting in the backstage interview room, she gazed at the camera, exuding a cool and ethereal aura.

The reporter responsible for interviewing her stared at her face in a daze several times, even flipping to the wrong page in his cue cards, and mistakenly asking the last question, "What kind of inspiration did you draw when you created this work?"

Lin Yujing paused for a moment, then glanced at the painting hanging on the wall.

It was a colorful butterfly, flitting about and trying to cross the turbulent sea amidst a raging storm.

Her brushstrokes are delicate and precise; with just a few strokes, she sketched out this thrilling scene.

This work is quite different from her previous warm, vibrant, and healing style, and it has an adventurous spirit.

Lin Yujing blinked, not intending to brush it off, and said, "The inspiration for this painting came from my first love. We are both navigating our own storms, hoping to reach the other shore as soon as possible."

The reporter immediately sensed a strong whiff of gossip and wanted to ask more questions, but Lin Yujing signaled the end of the interview.

Just then, the person in charge of the awards ceremony came looking for her, and Lin Yujing was able to escape.

“A collector just expressed interest in purchasing this piece of your work.”

Lin Yujing was a little confused because she had informed the organizers in advance that her painting was not for sale.

“Ms. Lin, this collector has offered an exceptionally high price, almost exceeding the total value of your previous paintings.”

While Lin Yujing was surprised, she still politely declined, saying, "I'm sorry, this painting is of great significance to me, and I really don't consider selling it."

The person in charge looked regretful, but had no choice but to agree.

-

After attending the awards ceremony, Lin Yujing returned to Ohio that same day.

When she opened the door, Jiang Yingli was sitting in the living room, and the nail technician who had come to her home was trimming the dead skin on her fingers. After seeing her, the technician asked, "Want to come along?"

Lin Yujing paints every day, which inevitably involves handling paints like oil paints, so she declined the kind offer from the pampered young lady who never lifts a finger.

But I still sat down next to her and chatted with her.

"Is Chichi asleep?"

"The young master just sleeps all day. I'm so envious."

Lin Yujing smiled, "You do the same thing every day."

Jiang Yingli was unemployed, but he made a considerable amount of money by investing in Li Mu Restaurant and several small businesses.

Her daily life consists of getting beauty treatments, shopping, and, when she's in the mood, carrying her son Jiang Chi around the house to play.

Mingming and Lin Yujing are not much different in age, but they live like children.

"Don't talk about me." Jiang Yingli asked, "But I saw your interview, and you said your painting was inspired by Chen Jingshu, didn't you?"

Lin Yujing pursed her lips, smiled, and did not answer Jiang Yingli.

But in fact, she knew that it wasn't Chen Jingshu who inspired this painting, but rather that Chen Jingshu was the inspiration for every one of her works.

-

The new year will be a year of great success for Lin Yujing's career.

He was so busy he was practically spinning like a top, traveling all over the country for business and research, either on a plane or on his way to the airport.

It wasn't until the second semester of her second year of doctoral studies, when she suffered from acute gastroenteritis, that she had to decline most of her work assignments.

Just then, an art museum in New York wanted to hire her as co-director. Lin Yujing read about the museum's history and thought that the job wouldn't be too busy and she could write about it in her doctoral dissertation, so she agreed.

Unexpectedly, in her second month in office, the museum was named one of the top ten art museums in the United States.

Lin Yujing, the co-director, was invited by a European old money family and received the highest honor medal in the global art world.

With this leap, Lin Yujing became the number one young Chinese painter in the United States in terms of both fame and commercial value.

Even several American universities have invited her to become a guest lecturer.

Whenever she attends an art appreciation class, it's always packed with students from all majors.

Some people come to catch a glimpse of her beauty, while others admire and worship her.

In an instant, Lin Yujing became a mythical goddess figure in the American art world.

Her net worth has also skyrocketed, and she has begun to appear at socialite dinners hosted by the old money family.

Before the summer vacation, she received another invitation from the China Artists Association, and in addition to the various rights previously granted to her, she was promoted to a permanent member with the power of review and deliberation.

Even her alma mater, the Academy of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University, sent her an offer of employment, hoping to hire her as a graduate tutor in the art management major of the Academy of Fine Arts.

When Jiang Yingli found out, his voice almost pierced through her earphones, "OMG, isn't this like stepping into the capital's elite, with a formal position and title?"

Lin Yujing rubbed her buzzing ears. "Yes, she is considered a key talent being cultivated after returning from abroad."

Unlike previous offers, this time, her life's journey could include an additional path in the arts and politics.

“Do you know what?” Jiang Yingli exclaimed, “Your current status is exactly the type of daughter-in-law that wealthy and powerful families prefer.”

Unlike those who rely on their fathers' and brothers' wealth for support, she has the five-star red flag behind her.

"..." Lin Yujing chuckled softly and asked, "By the way, why did you suddenly call me?"

Now it was Jiang Yingli's turn to be surprised and ask, "Haven't you seen the domestic financial news yet?"

Lin Yujing has been busy traveling with her doctoral supervisor at OSU these past few days and has hardly been paying attention to any updates.

When she opened the headline news that Jiang Yingli had forwarded to her, she found that it was from the day before yesterday, but because its popularity remained high, it was still dominating the front page of various portal websites.

[Huaren Group will officially implement a rotating chairmanship system, with former chairman Chen Zhenfeng stepping down and Chen Jingshu taking over as the first rotating chairman.]

Lin Yujing's fingers were trembling because this was the first time she had seen news about Chen Jingshu in a full year since that phone call from Los Angeles.

The press release read in great detail:

Huaren Group recently announced the formal implementation of a rotating chairmanship system. Former Chairman Chen Zhenfeng has stepped down and will become Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The first rotating chairman will be Chen Jingshu.

Huaren Group stated that the implementation of the chairman rotation system aims to better promote the improvement of the company's governance structure and strategic development. Under the rotation system, the chairman will rotate periodically according to established rules to ensure the diversification and dynamism of company decision-making.

During his tenure as Chairman, Mr. Chen Zhenfeng made significant contributions to the company's development. Following his resignation, he will focus on his work with the Supervisory Board, continuing to provide strong support for the company's growth.

Mr. Chen Jingshu possesses extensive management experience and outstanding leadership. It is believed that under his leadership, Huaren Group will continue to maintain steady development and achieve new breakthroughs.

Huaren Group expresses its sincere gratitude to Mr. Chen Zhenfeng for his contributions and looks forward to Mr. Chen Jingshu leading the company to an even brighter future.

Lin Yujing's nose suddenly felt a little sore, and her voice choked up, "Miss, he did it."

Jiang Yingli sighed, "Darling, you've done it too. You two are now truly evenly matched. It's just a pity that if you hadn't broken up back then, but had instead made it through those two difficult years, things would have been much better."

Jiang Yingli always showed extra concern for the future development of Lin Yujing and Chen Jingshu, as if adding another hope to the regrets he himself had.

Lin Yujing only sighed, "But we all know that given the circumstances at the time, that was the only choice I could make."

...

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yujing looked at the two emails in her inbox that she had almost rejected, and a different thought came to her.

She approached her mentor and explained that she had agreed to join the Yijing Art Association as a permanent director and accepted the invitation to join the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University.

Upon hearing this, the professor's face was filled with disbelief. "Why! Wouldn't it be better to stay and teach at OSU?"

Her advisor will retire in a year, when she graduates.

Therefore, from the time Lin Yujing enrolled, her advisor told her more than once that she could stay here and become a doctoral supervisor.

"Quiet, this is where you will have the best development."

Lin Yujing expressed her gratitude, "But teacher, I never thought about staying in the United States."

"Why? I heard you have no relatives left in China. If you stay here, your teacher's wife and I will help you."

Lin Yujing's eyes reddened slightly. "I've been waiting for a young man to grow up quickly and stand on his own. He's succeeded now..."

"Is he the boy you cried over last Christmas when you were drunk?"

"yes."

The mentor, who usually treated her like her own daughter, rubbed her gray hair and said earnestly, "But you've been broken up for two years. How can you be sure you can get back together?"

"Two years..." Lin Yujing suddenly realized after a long while.

In fact, after she left Chen Jingshu, her concept of time became very vague.

Sometimes I feel that time flies by, but on some sleepless nights, every second feels like an eternity.

"Jing, listen to me, stay in the United States, you will have a better future."

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-10-28 22:00:41 and 2023-10-29 23:12:40!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: ZhaZhaMeng (1 bottle);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!