Chapter 389 Their Changes
Some vinegars taste sour, while others have a hint of sweetness.
The biggest difference between Xin Zixing and Huang Kairen is that she rarely expresses her concern, love, or even jealousy towards Huang Kairen.
Huang Kairen, however, was different. He acted entirely according to his temperament, saying exactly what he thought.
Xin Zixing didn't mean to hide it from Huang Kairen, but rather—she simply didn't know how to say it, she was used to it.
When she was with Huang Kairen, she seemed to be ready to turn around and leave at any moment, but the longer she stood by his side, the more this so-called preparation seemed like a self-deceiving joke. Subconsciously, she tried to control and prove her rationality by not expressing or revealing her feelings, believing that she "didn't actually love him that much," but the more she did this, the harder it was for her to extricate herself.
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"You expect us to break up?" Chen Siqi looked coldly at the stubborn and even somewhat extreme girl in front of her, remaining calm and unmoved.
The girl who suddenly appeared in front of her, accusing her of not being good enough for Lu Yanhe and telling her to break up with Lu Yanhe, had long, dark green permed hair. It wasn't exactly unconventional; in fact, she was quite pretty. However, her arrogant and aggressive demeanor made her less likable.
"Don't you realize that you're dragging Lu Yanhe down?" The girl with long dark green hair spoke with a pride and smugness that was hard for others to understand. "Someone as outstanding as Lu Yanhe, what makes you think you can stand next to him? You didn't even get into Zhenhua High School, and you only became the editor-in-chief because of Lu Yanhe's connections."
“Yes.” Chen Siqi smiled slightly, pulling Bai Yu back after she had already taken a step forward. She glanced discreetly at a girl pretending to read a book on a public bench not far away, her eyes never pausing, as if she were just watching who was watching the spectacle. “I only got the chance to be the editor-in-chief of ‘Jump Up’ because I’m close to Lu Yanhe. If you’re jealous, go back in time and be Lu Yanhe’s high school classmate. I’ve never claimed that everything I have is due to my own efforts. Everyone knows that Lu Yanhe has provided me with a lot of help. Have I ever denied it?”
"Since you know all this, how can you still have the nerve to stay by his side?"
"Why shouldn't I have the face to stay by his side? He likes me to death and can't wait for me to be by his side. So what gives you the right to question me about why I'm with him?" Chen Siqi retorted arrogantly, not giving an inch. "Who are you? Are you a student at our school? Is this the kind of quality students at our school have, randomly running up to people and questioning their private lives?"
The girl with dark green hair was taken aback.
“Go tell that girl over there who’s secretly filming—” Chen Siqi raised her hand and pointed to the girl sitting on a public bench reading a book not far away, “You’re planning to put on this whole show, post it on your social media, and become famous? You’d better put this video online exactly as it is. If you dare to cut even a second out of it, do you see that security camera? I’ll go get the footage it captured right now. Don’t blame me for posting it online without blurring your faces, or for exposing your privacy. I’ve made myself perfectly clear. If you’re going to play this game, you should go back to your mother’s womb and train for a few more years.”
Chen Siqi rolled her eyes and left without any politeness.
The girl with dark green hair suddenly turned pale and bluish-white.
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Bai Yu caught up with Chen Siqi in disbelief and asked, "How did you know someone was taking pictures secretly? You're amazing!"
Chen Siqi said, "Have you ever seen anyone sitting under the blazing sun reading a book? Aren't you afraid of going blind? And that green-haired guy, he kept intentionally or unintentionally turning his face that way, looking for a better angle to make himself look better on camera."
Bai Yu: "...I give up."
Chen Siqi: "I've seen this kind of thing far too often."
Bai Yu laughed and said, "I feel like your experiences could be written into a novel."
Chen Siqi nodded and said, "If you want to write it, I'll authorize you. I have no objection. Let everyone know what kind of monsters and demons I encounter every day."
Bai Yu: "You never tell Lu Yanhe about this kind of thing."
“What’s the point of talking to him? It only makes him feel sorry for me,” Chen Siqi said. “It’s not something he can solve. I don’t think it’s a big deal. I’ve seen this kind of thing many times, and I’m used to it.”
Bai Yu: "You really exude a queenly aura in my heart now, Siqi. Those who think you are incompetent will suffer a great loss in the end."
Chen Siqi: "Thank you for your kind words."
Bai Yu: "Also, should we ask Yan He to write an article for our winter special issue in December? This needs to be decided as soon as possible. We sent it to print in November, and time is running out."
Chen Siqi said, "I haven't talked to him about this yet, but he's not very busy lately. I'm still thinking about it. This winter special issue has too many celebrities, but many readers of our magazine aren't actually here for the celebrities. I'm afraid people will have a lot of complaints."
Bai Yu hesitated for a moment and asked, "But Yan He is our editor-in-chief, so it's perfectly legitimate for him to write articles for the magazine. Besides, every special issue has an article by Yan He. If this issue doesn't have one, everyone will find it strange."
After thinking for a while, Chen Siqi said, "What if we take the articles by celebrities and make them into a separate booklet?"
"Isn't this a bad idea? When we invited them to contribute, we did so under the name of 'Jump Up,' but they just put it in a supplementary booklet. I don't think that gives people a good impression."
After thinking for a long time, Chen Siqi said, "Then let's remove half of the artists' submissions and put them at the end. You decide whose submissions to remove, and I'll call them one by one to explain."
Bai Yu nodded.
"OK."
Running a magazine also involves considering interpersonal relationships and social dynamics.
Bai Yu observed and learned a lot from Chen Siqi.
Of course, what Bai Yu admires most about Chen Siqi is that, no matter what, she always prioritizes the quality of the magazine itself.
The most important thing is that the magazine is visually appealing.
For someone as young as Chen Siqi to achieve this much in the first few years of a magazine's founding is truly remarkable.
Just like when their magazine receives Professor Shi Xia's manuscript, if there are any suggestions for revision, they will definitely sit down together for a meeting to discuss whether the suggested revisions should really be sent back.
After all, he is Shi Xia, while they are just some college students.
Nevertheless, out of consideration for both editors and readers, they would still provide Professor Shi Xia with feedback on the editorial department's suggestions for revision.
If word gets out about this, people outside might say that these young people don't know what's good for them.
But Chen Siqi still supported them in doing so.
An editorial department is an editorial department. If it's for the sake of making the article better, then we should still say what needs to be said.
Especially for great writers like Shi Xia, they may not necessarily accept their opinions, but they will certainly think about them seriously.
As it turns out, Teacher Shi Xia is truly humble and open-minded. She carefully revised all their suggestions and expressed her gratitude for their feedback.
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Perhaps believing that "being infamous is still fame," the girl with dark green hair eventually posted the secretly recorded video online, and unsurprisingly, it went viral.
With Chen Siqi being Lu Yanhe's girlfriend, many people are paying attention to her every move. Not to mention, what Chen Siqi said and her demeanor in the video have generated a lot of discussion.
Chen Siqi trended on social media this time because of this video, and the related keyword was "overwhelmingly domineering".
Lu Yanhe saw this trending topic while he was still in the cafeteria. Zhou Mukai reminded him that his girlfriend was trending.
Mao Jiayang and Xiao Jing were also there. It was rare for the four of them in the dorm to eat together in the cafeteria.
Lu Yanhe put on his headphones in surprise and watched the video on his phone before he realized what had happened.
Mao Jiayang finished reading before him, took off his headphones and said, "Siqi is really domineering, she shut people down in no time."
Xiao Jing also said, "It's really amazing."
When Lu Yanhe heard them praising Chen Siqi, he didn't feel much pride or joy.
Just as Chen Siqi had predicted, after learning about this, Lu Yanhe felt nothing but frustration and helplessness.
Of course, in reality, Chen Siqi was not actually harmed by such people.
This was a small comfort to Lu Yanhe.
Otherwise, Lu Yanhe would be in even more pain right now.
Mao Jiayang asked Lu Yanhe, "Yanhe, was Siqi this fierce when you first met her?"
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "She's always been stubborn, but fierce... How is she fierce?"
Mao Jiayang originally wanted to say, "Isn't this obvious enough?"
But seeing Lu Yanhe's serious and puzzled expression, Mao Jiayang realized that Lu Yanhe really didn't think Chen Siqi was fierce.
Mao Jiayang was at a loss for words.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. In the eyes of someone who likes you, everything is idealized. Even Lu Yanhe admits this.
Many people in the cafeteria are watching this video.
Because many people were playing music on speakerphone, Lu Yanhe and the others could hear it.
This made Lu Yanhe feel inexplicably awkward.
He buried his head in his food.
Noticing Lu Yanhe's embarrassment and unusual behavior, Mao Jiayang and the others simultaneously sped up their eating.
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"See? Don't be fooled by Lu Yanhe's seemingly perfect appearance. Dating him is like going through a trial by fire; you'll encounter all sorts of monsters and demons."
In another corner of the cafeteria, Ji Qianxing, who had confessed her feelings to Lu Yanhe during a class dinner after military training, spoke confidently to her tablemate.
"Looking back now, I'm so glad I didn't get together with Lu Yanhe. Otherwise, even though it might seem like all the girls envy me, I don't know how much suffering I would have endured," Ji Qianxing said with a sigh. "Why should people like us have to suffer like that?"
The friend at the table smiled and asked, "Qianxing, if Lu Yanhe came up to you now and confessed his feelings, would you really reject him outright?"
"Of course—" Ji Qianxing smiled slightly, kept him in suspense for a moment, and then smiled sweetly and continued, "Hesitate first, then refuse him. I won't be so rude as to reject him outright."
"You really are something. Ever since you got together with Liu Yuanting, you've become more and more arrogant. You're definitely going to marry into a wealthy family in the future."
"What do you mean by marrying into a wealthy family? That's so vulgar," Ji Qianxing said. "Liu Yuanting and I are just dating, we haven't gone that far, okay? I'm a student at Zhenhua University, my dream in life isn't to marry into a wealthy family, that would be underestimating me."
"So what are you planning to do?" my friend asked.
“I’m planning to start my own business, to open a studio. I’ve told you all about it before,” Ji Qianxing said.
"Liu Yuanting is so generous, he's even funding your studio?"
“He’s the one who’s made money, okay? With me running this studio with him, he can fulfill his father’s wishes and stop wasting his days,” Ji Qianxing said. “He’s not the only one who wants to invest in my studio. If it weren’t for the fact that he’s my boyfriend, he wouldn’t even have a chance.”
The others exchanged smiles and didn't continue the conversation.
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"Shouldn't we jump on this bandwagon? It would be an injustice not to take advantage of this free publicity."
Zuo Yu mentioned the online buzz at a high-level meeting.
"You said before that we couldn't market Lu Yanhe, but now we can't even market Lu Yanhe's girlfriend?" Zuo Yu asked incredulously.
Liu Qiao's face showed anger. "President Zuo, don't you understand? Chen Siqi is not only Lu Yanhe's girlfriend, but also the editor-in-chief of 'Jump Up' and the leader of one of our Yemai.com's resident brands. You angered Lu Yanhe and his agent last time. If you anger Chen Siqi this time, she will take 'Jump Up' and leave, and the electronic copyright will be taken back. Then we won't have the nerve to apologize. We'll just break up with her and cut all ties."
Zuo Yu felt as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, and his neck suddenly stiffened.
Liu Qiao: "I'm not exaggerating. If people still view these two young people as just another college student, then the advantages we've built up in the early stages will be completely lost."
"Now that we're talking behind closed doors, we all know very well how important these two young people have been to our Yemai.com these past few years," Liu Qiao said, glancing around at everyone. "If they really leave, can we find replacements for them in a short time? Or, are there any alternatives in the market? Jump Up has been around for over two years now. Are there any other magazines that have caught up? It hasn't brought about a renaissance of print media; it's just a flower growing on a cliff. Once that flower is gone, the cliff is still a cliff. There won't be a second one."
The meeting room was completely silent.
After a while, someone asked, "Is Xin Zixing really planning to leave the company? She was the one who contacted Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi. If she really leaves, won't she take the cooperation with Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi with her? Why did we entrust such an important cooperation to her alone? Didn't we sign a non-compete agreement with her?"
The meeting room remained completely silent.
After a while, someone laughed and said, "It's not that such an important collaboration was entrusted to her alone. Everyone had projects to push forward, but it was just that her projects all succeeded and she took the lead, while the others' projects just couldn't make a splash."
"What else is there to say? We need to calm Xin Zixing down first. Whatever she wants, we should talk to her about it."
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“I need ample space. It’s not just me coming here alone; I want to bring my whole team with me,” Xin Zixing said, sitting opposite Chen Ziyan. “At the company, I must have the decision-making power over what projects I want to undertake. I don’t want to be held back like I was at Yemai.com.”
Chen Ziyan smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "If what you want to do doesn't align with the company's development direction, you can do it yourself as long as you can secure the resources. But there's only one condition: what you do cannot affect the key interests of our company's core clients. Our company provides high-end customized services, and we can't compete with each other. Do you understand that?"
Xin Zixing said, "I'm not an artist manager, and our core areas don't overlap, so how could we fight? Don't worry. I will still focus on creating content. Of course, if I join your company, I can help you create customized content for your core clients. But I think that kind of service would cost them a lot of money. Are they okay with that?"
“Don’t underestimate my clients.” Chen Ziyan smiled slightly. “To be honest, top celebrities in the entertainment industry are only a small part of my core client base. For a small segment of the world, money is just a number, and experience is the most precious thing. You’ll understand that soon.”
Xin Zixing shrugged. "OK, fine, I'll wait and see."
What did you say about Chen Siqi's song "Jump Up"?
Xin Zixing said, "We can talk about cooperation when there is a need. All of their business segments are mainstream and traditional, and their size and scale cannot support what our team wants to do."
Chen Ziyan: "It's a wise choice. They've only been established for a little over two years. They haven't accumulated enough experience, and no matter how fast they develop, it's not time for them to play the capital game yet."
Xin Zixing asked, "So, do you want Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi to play this so-called capital game?"
“That’s their business, but based on my understanding of them, they will get in someday,” Chen Ziyan said. “From the very beginning, they have not taken an easy path, and they have never played a single role. Do you think someone like Yan He will only ever be an actor? What they lack is not ability, talent, or opportunity; what they lack is seniority, experience, and time.”
Xin Zixing smiled slightly.
"Knowing that you share my views puts my mind at ease." She shrugged. "After all, you and I both have close working relationships with Lu Yanhe, and how Lu Yanhe develops is equally important to both of us."
"We all prosper together, and we all suffer together?"
"That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's pretty close to the truth," Xin Zixing said with a smile.
When are you coming?
“I submitted my resignation when the last episode of ‘Jump Up’ was released this December,” Xin Zixing said. “I didn’t sign a non-compete agreement with Yemai.com, so I was able to come over the next day.”
Chen Ziyan nodded: "OK, then I'll wait for good news."
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—Yan He, are you free tonight? We didn't have a proper chat last time Professor Zhao was here, let's have a good talk again tonight.
—Brother Qiao, I have work tonight, unfortunately.
—And what about tomorrow?
—Same tomorrow. I have a new movie starting filming in December. I'm very busy lately and can't find the time. Sorry.
...
Lu Yanhe put down his phone and rubbed his face in frustration.
Ever since I met Liu Qiao at school that day, I don't know what's wrong with Liu Qiao lately, but he sends me a message almost every day to check on me, which is very annoying.
However, he and Chen Siqi have already made a decision: after their collaboration with Yemai.com ends this year, they will no longer continue their partnership.
Therefore, he didn't want to befriend Liu Qiao and become more familiar with him, lest things become awkward later.
Lu Yanhe put down his phone and prepared to continue reading.
My phone vibrated again.
This time, the message came from Helan.
His senior from high school is also his biggest fan.
After they became friends, Helan rarely messaged Lu Yanhe, not wanting to bother him.
Every time he sends a message, it's because he needs something from him.
Moreover, most of the time she would get the rumors about him through the fan group and send them to him so that he could prepare in advance. Often, the news was even faster than what Sister Ziyan had – the power of fans is terrifying, and the power of a large group of fans is even more terrifying.
Helan asked: Yanhe, are you free today? I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Would it be convenient to bother you for half an hour?
Lu Yanhe immediately replied: Sure, senior, how about we have dinner together in the cafeteria tonight? I'm studying in the classroom right now, and I have class this afternoon.
Helan: Okay, see you tonight.
Lu Yanhe: Okay, I'll contact you after class.
Lu Yanhe didn't know what Helan wanted to talk to him about.
Lu Yanhe was stunned when Helan spoke to him that night.
“I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I don’t want to take the postgraduate entrance exam anymore,” He Lan said to Lu Yanhe. “Originally, I wanted to take the exam, but the preparation period was very painful for me. I realized that I really don’t like doing academic work. I only wanted to take the exam because many of my classmates were going to graduate school, so I followed the crowd. Yanhe, I want to ask you, is your company hiring? I really mustered up the courage to recommend myself to you. I believe I am quite capable. If you need people, I would like to work for your company.”
This was a situation that Lu Yanhe had not anticipated at all.
Senior Helan actually came to him looking for a job?
In fact, Helan herself hesitated for a long time about whether or not to take the initiative to find Lu Yanhe about this matter.
After much deliberation, she was torn between troubling Lu Yanhe and being rejected by him. After much hesitation, Xu Mingyue finally said, "You only asked one question. If you're rejected, you're rejected. Rejection is the norm in the workplace. If you can't even take this first step, what will you do when you start working?"
He Lan then found Lu Yanhe.
(End of this chapter)
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