Chapter 65 Jiang Yan's Past: An unhappy Qin Lan is like a little lion with its mane standing on end, incredibly cute.
"The butterfly flaps its wings in a struggle for freedom."
I step out of the mud to sever ties with yesterday.
I am one with myself, sharing both joy and sorrow.
I am who I am. I was young and unrestrained, I struggled aimlessly, I was full of life.
The tangled relationship originated from the previous generation.
Jiang Yan's parents, Liang Jin and Jiang Yu, and Qin Lan's parents, Qin Zhiyang and Lan Yaqing, attended the same high school, and all four of them had excellent grades.
At first, Liang Jin was not familiar with the other three; he only had a crush on Jiang Yu, the goddess of his class.
Everyone could see his intentions. Because of his and Jiang Yu's "couple names," they were paired up as a couple, and over time, the two became an inseparable pair.
Jiang Yu didn't dislike Liang Jin; in fact, she quite admired his persistence and diligence, so after correcting him a few times, she gave up trying to explain further. Liang Jin was extremely jealous of Qin Zhiyang, Jiang Yu's childhood sweetheart, even though Qin Zhiyang actually had a crush on Lan Yaqing.
Qin Zhiyang disliked Liang Jin's narrow-minded hostility, so he deliberately showed concern for Jiang Yu in front of him on several occasions, which made Liang Jin even more paranoid.
Liang Jin, being from a rural background, naturally felt extremely inferior when she saw the three rich kids. She vented all her jealousy on Qin Zhiyang, vowing to surpass him, but no matter what she did, she couldn't outperform him in the exams.
Liang Jin flew into a rage, his teeth bleeding, only to be met with profound helplessness. He finally realized that no matter how hard he tried, he could never reach Qin Zhiyang's starting point.
But he refused to admit defeat, and his feelings for Jiang Yu, initially a secret crush, transformed into an obsession with defeating Qin Zhiyang. He became ruthless, desperately disguising himself, always dressing impeccably to conceal his dark inner self. Even without Qin Zhiyang's suppression, he was a gifted individual who quickly built a successful and powerful business. Then, assuming the air of a newly rich heir, he shook hands with a surprised Jiang Yu: "Ms. Jiang, let me reintroduce myself. I am Liang Jin, the founder of JY Technology."
"JY Technology?" Jiang Yu murmured.
Liang Jin smiled shyly, reminding her of high school: "Yes, I hope to develop in-depth cooperation with your company."
He spent two years winning Jiang Yu's heart. Jiang Yu was unaware of his changes and still thought of him as the diligent and hardworking classmate from high school, even taking him home to meet her parents.
Unexpectedly, Jiang's parents strongly opposed the idea. The older generation had sharp eyes and could see at a glance that Liang Jin was not sincere. The two elders also looked down on Liang Jin's rural background, feeling that he would be a peasant all his life.
But Jiang Yu refused to break up. She admired Liang Jin and used this as an excuse to fight against her parents and insist on her own choice in the relationship. In the end, Liang Jin brought his company into the Jiang family as an adopted son-in-law. In fact, after the marriage, Jiang Yu joined his company to manage everything, helping him to make it bigger and stronger, and establishing the name JY.
Liang Jin felt resentful again because he heard others say that JY's success was entirely due to President Jiang, which made his male chauvinism resurface. The conflict escalated when Jiang Yu encountered Qin Zhiyang at work, even though Jiang Yu had been rarely seeing Qin Zhiyang in order to accommodate Liang Jin.
Liang Jin's true nature was revealed, and she was expected to stay at home to be a good wife and mother.
Jiang Yu had barely finished saying where the "child" came from when she discovered she was pregnant.
Jiang Yu persisted in working for a while, but eventually had to stay home to prepare for childbirth. In the year JY was at its peak, Jiang Yan was born under the watchful eyes of a worried mother and a satisfied father. Soon after, Jiang Yu suffered from postpartum depression.
When Jiang Yan was three years old, Jiang Yu was finally overwhelmed by Liang Jin's endless manipulation. She left home to see Qin Zhiyang and Lan Yaqing. After a four-hour-long venting session, she drove away and jumped from the top floor of the company building "In the Name of Love".
Liang Jin was filled with anguish and resentment. Upon learning that the last person Jiang Yu saw was Qin Zhiyang, all his emotions transformed into hatred. He no longer cared about Jiang Yan; his only thought was to expand the company and completely defeat Qin Zhiyang.
Jiang Yan's maternal grandparents fell ill from the shock. Her maternal grandmother passed away two months later, and her maternal grandfather also became delirious. With no one in charge of the Jiang family, Jiang Yu's younger sister, Jiang Yao, hurriedly returned to China to take care of her parents and take over the company.
She tried to fight Liang Jin for custody of Jiang Yan, but her aunt was no match for the biological father. When she got home and asked about it, Old Master Jiang started coughing and cursing Liang Jin. Hearing Jiang Yan's name, he didn't give her a kind look: "That bastard's child, we'd rather not have her!"
Jiang Yao was both anxious and angry, but she had to take care of her seriously ill father, handle her mother's funeral, and manage the huge Jiang Group. How could she possibly have time to deal with Liang Jin and raise Jiang Yan?
Liang Jin's paranoia was still severe, and she even suspected that Jiang Yan was not her child. After the DNA test, her mood did not improve. Instead, she felt annoyed when she saw the child who cried and shouted for her mother all day long. So she simply sent Jiang Yan back to the countryside, using the excuse of being busy with work, and left the child with her parents who had stayed in their hometown all their lives.
Grandpa and Grandma Jiang suddenly received a child, so they had to go to Liang Jin to find out what happened. Liang Jin intended to keep it a secret, but Jiang Yan's maternal grandfather found out and sent someone to Liang Jin's house to give him a good scolding. Now the old man knew everything, and he immediately broke off all ties with Liang Jin, taking Jiang Yan back to his hometown.
From as far back as she could remember, Jiang Yan lived with her grandparents. She didn't know why she didn't have a father or mother, and they would always keep quiet about it whenever she asked. It wasn't until she was a teenager that she finally understood that "her mother had died."
"And what about my dad?" Jiang Yan asked her grandmother with her bright black eyes.
Grandma sighed: "Your father... is too busy with work. He's a city guy who's always on the go doing business, and he doesn't have time to take care of you."
Her grandparents treated her like their own daughter, so Jiang Yan had a very happy childhood and didn't feel she had any regrets. She was a wild child who grew up running around in the mountains, as happy as a little deer, her eyes reflecting the streams and the clear sky. She didn't know what continuous rain was, and enjoyed the bright sunshine day after day.
My grandfather fell ill the year I was in the second year of junior high school.
Then Grandma collapsed too. Jiang Yan became very busy. She had to go to school and take care of the family.
She scrimped and saved until her shoes wore out and never wore new clothes again. The village children laughed at her, calling her an unwanted bastard.
"You're the one nobody wants!"
Jiang Yan punched the little girl who said that until her nose bled: "I have grandpa and grandma!"
"Your grandparents are going to die!" the little girl cried out.
Jiang Yan was furious, but she held back because she thought of her grandparents waiting at home. She snorted disdainfully, picked up her nearly falling-off schoolbag, and strode away.
She became lonely and faced hardship, but remained stubborn and tenacious, facing all the storms that a student of her age should not have to bear alone.
She knew the whole village didn't welcome her, but she still walked proudly down the main road every day.
My grandfather passed away during the summer after my first year of high school.
My grandmother passed away right after the start of my second year of high school.
Jiang Yan didn't go to school and buried the two elderly people on the hillside.
She returned to the empty old house and was shocked to find that her life had become so lonely.
She stayed alone in the house for three days, but the fear became unbearable, so she ran out to chase the sunset.
She heard the villagers gossiping, knew that children her age were laughing at her, and knew that she had lost everything.
"I still have courage!" she shouted at the setting sun. "My grandparents love me, I grew up happily, and no matter what, I still have myself now!"
She packed her bags, left her hometown where she had lived for more than a decade, and embarked on a completely different journey.
She arrived in the city where her father was said to live, and won Liang Jin's approval with her excellence and perseverance. At this time, Liang Jin's company had been suppressed to the brink of bankruptcy by Jiang Yao, and he desperately needed a breather.
If Jiang Yan is in his hands, dealing with Jiang Yao will be much easier in the future, right?
So, "accidentally" while drunk, he revealed the truth to Jiang Yan that her mother was indirectly killed by Qin Zhiyang. The last person Jiang Yao ever saw was Qin Zhiyang, so why did she jump off a building right after meeting him?
Jiang Yan was half-believing and half-doubting, but more inclined to believe. Liang Jin behaved very well; although he wasn't as kind as her grandparents, he still gave her a taste of what was meant by a "strict father like a mountain."
Jiang Yan didn't have any plans for the future yet, so Liang Jin advised her to enter the entertainment industry. He called Wang Zihan over and said that she was an old friend of his father's and was now an agent. He suggested that they sign a contract after the college entrance examination.
Wang Zihan is very capable. She did not underestimate her because she is still young. Instead, she came up with a complete training plan.
Jiang Yan was also tempted by the idea and decided to go out with her friends, but she encountered a strange woman in the mall.
My friend went to the restroom, and this woman sat down opposite her, took off her mask, and revealed a face that looked somewhat similar to hers.
Jiang Yao said, "Hello, I'm your aunt Jiang Yao. Could you please write down my phone number? You can contact me to meet up when it's convenient for you."
Her words made Jiang Yan waver: "Your father has never mentioned me to you, so you don't believe me. Don't worry, you can try to investigate the Jiang Group and your mother Jiang Yu yourself in the meantime."
"Jiang Yu?" Jiang Yan was stunned: "My mother's name is Jiang Shui."
"That's a fake name your father used to trick you into believing it," Jiang Yao thought to herself, mocking Liang Jin's naming skills. "Go ahead and check it out. You won't lose anything. Just write down my phone number, okay?"
Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment, then agreed. The woman left quickly, and her friend returned from the restroom, looking at her in a daze: "Hey, eat quickly, it'll get cold."
Jiang Yan felt panicked, but after returning home, she subconsciously pretended to be nonchalant. She checked what the woman had said and found that what she said was true, so she lied again and said that she was going out with a classmate, and secretly called Jiang Yao.
Liang Jin allowed her to go out and have fun, but before she left, she lectured her for a long time: "Don't let play distract you from your studies. Do you think it's so easy to get into Beijing Media University? You grew up in the countryside, so you're already behind others. I don't think you're very smart either..."
Jiang Yan nodded obediently and went to the same shopping mall as before.
Jiang Yao thoughtfully chose a barbecue restaurant that children would love. Although she was dressed casually, her demeanor was completely out of place with those around her.
"You're here? Do you prefer beef or lamb? Do you like chicken wings?"
Jiang Yan sat down and chose to get straight to the point: "Why did my dad keep my mom's affairs a secret?"
Jiang Yao chuckled, pointing her fingertips together: "I guess it's because he and your mother had a falling out later on, and he chose to lie to you in order to establish a noble image in your mind."
She learned from Jiang Yao that Liang Jin might not be as good as she thought. However, Jiang Yao had been abroad for many years and only had a vague understanding of her sister's feelings. The few words she heard were from Qin Zhiyang, so she only resented his bad attitude towards her sister and his failure to raise Jiang Yan himself.
When Jiang Yan got home, she didn't intend to confront him directly. Liang Jin's image in her heart had only slightly wavered; she still admired this father who was both strict and meticulous. But when Liang Jin questioned her with a gloomy expression about who she had met, Jiang Yan realized that her father had been following her.
Jiang Yan found it hard to believe, so she asked him why he had kept her from knowing about her mother. Liang Jin replied that it was to protect her because her maternal grandparents hadn't wanted her.
Jiang Yan was stunned, so she went to ask Jiang Yao again. Jiang Yao had expected this question, but could only remain silent. Jiang Yan's maternal grandparents had passed away, but her grandfather had indeed said that he disliked Liang Jin and didn't want Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan was heartbroken and began to fall silent, her smiles fading away. The carefree wild child she once was, the child who had the courage to leave her hometown and travel alone even after her grandparents passed away, was gradually disappearing. She lived in a civilized city full of skyscrapers, yet she grew increasingly confused and lost.
This place is civilized and prosperous, but the people have become hypocritical.
She tried her best to adapt to everything around her, being swept along and changed herself, watching painfully and numbly as her original feathers were plucked out one by one and replaced with formal suits representing civilization.
She was surprised when she first saw the CBD, felt a sense of novelty when she first lived in a large house, and felt out of place when she first attended a prestigious high school in Beijing. Her home was filled with unfamiliar appliances, and the books were filled with knowledge she didn't understand. She struggled to adapt, and eventually adapted quite well. All of this only caused her intense discomfort, but the deception and concealment brought about by Liang Jin and Jiang Yao caused her pain.
She thought she still preferred being a wild child who grew up running around in the mountains.
After entering my senior year of high school, life became stressful, and I didn't have much time to think about these things. I worked hard and finally got into Beijing Communication University. Then, under Wang Zihan's arrangement, I entered the entertainment industry.
Unbeknownst to Jiang Yan, Wang Zihan had already "snatched" Qin Lan's role for her, and the two fan groups started arguing.
Wang Zihan continued to steal Qin Lan's resources, and bought articles to smear Qin Lan as Liang Jin requested. By the time Jiang Yan found out how she got the role, the two fan groups had become frequent visitors to the trending topics.
Jiang Yan objected to this approach, but Liang Jin, who always appeared to be a gentleman, seemed like a completely different person when he mentioned the word "Qin." Jiang Yan could only console herself that her father was probably too heartbroken over her mother's death.
She gradually came into contact with the dark side of the entertainment industry and had to learn to be adept at social maneuvering and navigating complex relationships. The company she signed with had a terrible reputation and frequently forced its female artists to accompany clients for drinks. Wang Zihan always protected her artists, but even the best-laid plans can go awry, and Jiang Yan almost got into trouble.
Fortunately, Wang Zihan noticed in time and rushed over to pull her out. All the pent-up emotions finally erupted, and Jiang Yan felt an urge to jump off the building.
Liang Jin's words were even more terrifying than those of the directors and producers: "If you can cancel these kinds of events, do so. If you can't, why not try to protect yourself? Sit far away from them, don't wear makeup or dress up, use your brain, can't you just pretend to have a cold and wear a mask? I don't believe anyone would be interested in you if you went out bare-faced and looked sick. As the saying goes, flies don't land on eggs without cracks..."
In a terrible mood, Jiang Yan wandered aimlessly around the campus, hoping someone would collapse from their postgraduate entrance exam and kill her. But the courageous part of her wasn't completely dead yet; she felt she still had a breath left, struggling desperately on the shore like a stranded fish, waiting for someone to kick her back into the water so she could breathe and get oxygen again.
Then this person arrived, and proudly declared that he was going to run naked.
"Let them curse if they want, it won't hurt them, why bother?"
"Damn, Lao Qin, are you going to streak?"
The woman in the red dress said arrogantly, "I can do whatever I want. Anyone who tries to stop me can die."
"Today, either I die from the heat, or the sun goes down. Let's see who can outlast whom."
She thought this woman was incredibly beautiful, strong, and truly charming. She had seen Qin Lan at school and on set, and at that time she only thought she was excessively beautiful, but a few words she overheard made her feel something inside her coming back to life.
Her casual smile was as dazzling and beautiful as light, her vitality so strong that she seemed to be able to challenge the scorching sun even in the desert.
She fell in love with Qin Lan and started following her idol, buying her merchandise and endorsements. Qin Lan's endorsements were all very expensive, and she had to tighten her belt to make ends meet... but she loved Qin Lan to death.
Unfortunately, Qin Lan doesn't often appear at school, and Jiang Yan herself has a lot of work to do.
She had a crush on Qin Lan, and was hated by her. However, she gradually recovered and was no longer so heartbroken as to contemplate suicide. Finally, she was able to be close to Qin Lan; she walked up the stairs from the corner, every strand of her hair gleaming…
She tried to explain about stealing the role, but Qin Lan got angry as soon as she heard it and walked away rudely.
She wasn't sad; instead, she thought Qin Lan's displeasure was like a little lion with its mane standing on end, incredibly cute.
She really wanted to touch it.
I feel like she'll explode if I touch her. Oh my god, how can there be such a cute person in the world?
So at lunchtime in the cafeteria, she deliberately snatched Qin Lan's sweet and sour pork with pineapple, hoping to provoke her into getting angry.
Qin Lan really lost her temper and stopped going to work at 8 AM.
Jiang Yan regretted teasing him too much, but couldn't help but savor the moment, analyzing Qin Lan's expressions frame by frame, and even took the time to draw many sketches.
It's so good it could be read as a comic book.
Yun Chui moved into her dormitory, and she felt that an invisible thread had been drawn between her and Qin Lan.
Someone was pursuing Qin Lan openly, sending her flowers and gifts repeatedly. Jiang Yan was so jealous that she gritted her teeth and did the first immoral thing in her life—she stole the man away.
After confirming that he had changed his mind, Jiang Yan immediately cut off the ambiguous relationship in the way Liang Jin usually did to her.
The first time she did it, she felt a little guilty, but later she continued while feeling guilty. She mocked herself for being heartless; she had been assimilated by the big dye vat of society, using the methods she hated most to achieve her goals. But she couldn't stand the way people fawned over Qin Lan. What disgusted her even more was that when they turned around and saw her, they couldn't help but stop in their tracks. Did someone she could seduce with just a word deserve to pursue Qin Lan?
Qin Lan had a constant stream of suitors. When she was extremely jealous, she would try to steal someone else away, and then watch with satisfaction as Qin Lan walked gracefully through the campus, dressed in her favorite red dress, proud as a flame.
Wei Mengli's appearance made Jiang Yan feel extremely threatened.
It wasn't that no girls had pursued Qin Lan, but Qin Lan was noticeably "gentler" towards her. Considering they had even acted together before, Jiang Yan couldn't stand it anymore.
Wei Mengli was really hard to win over; she seemed genuinely interested in Qin Lan. Jiang Yan even considered giving up. Should she wish Qin Lan happiness?
But the moment she saw Qin Lan, she couldn't resist wanting to possess her, unwilling to see her smile at someone else. This intense possessiveness led her to put in ten times, a hundred times, more effort to seduce Yin Wei Mengli, finally making her waver.
Jiang Yan convinced herself that since Wei Mengli could change her mind, it meant she was not good enough for Qin Lan.
Unlike her, who never changed her mind and always loved Qin Lan.
hey-hey.
As a result, her scheme was exposed and Qin Lan caught her red-handed. Although she succeeded in stealing the chicken, she lost more than she gained, and Qin Lan resented her even more.
Jiang Yan wanted to cry but had no tears, so she could only work hard in silence.
Before she could even begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, she was dealt another blow. Jiang Yao's investigation finally yielded results. Based on information from various sources, she concluded that Jiang Yu had likely suffered from long-term PUA (Pick-Up Artist) tactics. Most importantly, Jiang Yu had attempted to seek psychological treatment, but it's highly probable that Liang Jin had prevented it.
"Who said that?" Jiang Yan's voice trembled.
“It’s the nanny who took care of you back then.” Jiang Yao’s tone was low. “It wasn’t easy to find her. Liang Jin sent her to the countryside. You can go and ask her.”
Jiang Yan felt a wave of dizziness.
As more and more witnesses were found, Jiang Yan had to accept the facts. She contacted Jiang Yao, hoping to meet Qin Lan's parents privately.
Jiang Yao acted as a go-between, and that's how she met Qin Zhiyang and Lan Yaqing, whom Liang Jin had only mentioned. She tried to make an objective and calm assessment, and finally came to a conclusion.
Qin's parents are normal people; the only mentally ill person around them is Liang Jin.
“Auntie, since the law can’t punish him, then we will.”
Jiang Yao picked up the phone: "Pass the word down, it's getting cold, JY Technology should go bankrupt!"
Her aunt hoped she could return to the Jiang family. "Although your mother is gone, your aunt is willing to treat you as her own daughter, as long as you are willing to come back..."
Jiang Yan refused. She harbored resentment towards her grandparents for not wanting her involved and was unwilling to step into that house.
Jiang Yao understood that she didn't want anyone to get close at this stage, so she had to settle for second best and arranged for two bodyguards for her.
"The entertainment industry is a place where resources and connections matter. If you're unwilling to reveal your background, you'll inevitably be bullied. Your aunt is giving these people to you in the hope that they will protect Yanyan and keep her safe."
She understood her aunt's good intentions. After years in the entertainment industry, she was no longer a clueless child.
In the private room, she sensed something was wrong and quietly switched the drink someone else had poured for her. But she didn't expect Qin Lan to come in. Qin Lan hated her so much, yet she still stood up for her without hesitation. In Jiang Yan's eyes, Qin Lan shone brightly, like a god who brought salvation time and time again.
Terrible 419.
A terrible confession.
A terrible ending.
She cried as she walked on in despair: "They don't want me. Neither do you."
Your maternal grandparents didn't want you. So did you.
"I don't need you to come and take me," she muttered to herself.
"I am Jiang Yan, and I want to be myself."
She endured the pain until she suffered a mental breakdown and was rescued by Yun Chui.
Yun Chui, however, told her that she was saving herself.
All the painful struggles mean that you have not given up.
When you are reborn from the ashes, you will be incomparably beautiful.
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