Chapter 95
The plane landed in Tianjin at 1 p.m., and Uncle Chen was waiting for Chen Zhiyi at the exit.
Since Chen Zhiyi went to university, Uncle Chen has returned to the Chen family's old house to manage all the affairs, both inside and outside the house. Over the years, although he has more gray hair at his temples, he is still healthy, energetic, and his face still wears a kind and peaceful smile.
After getting into the car, Chen Zhiyi asked, "Uncle Chen, how is Grandpa doing now?"
Uncle Chen paused for a moment, then said, "It's getting a little better."
Chen Zhiyi felt something was off. Uncle Chen always spoke clearly and directly, never ambiguously, so it seemed like he was hiding something. But he didn't dwell on it and continued to ask, "Are you awake?"
Uncle Chen nodded, which relieved Chen Zhiyi.
But Chen Zhiyi realized that the car wasn't heading towards the hospital. "Aren't we going directly to the hospital?"
Uncle Chen: "Let's go back to the old house to get something first, then go to the hospital."
Chen Zhiyi's face immediately darkened. Uncle Li saw this through the rearview mirror. "Young Master, we're already at your doorstep. Go back and check on them. Your parents just got back from the hospital. They didn't sleep a wink last night. They're all blood relatives. We can't keep cutting ties like this. After all, that's your home, your roots."
Chen Zhiyi remained silent, which was taken as tacit consent.
As soon as I got off the bus, I saw Aunt Chen waiting at the gate.
Aunt Chen greeted him with a big smile, "Zhiyi is back."
Chen Zhiyi nodded at her. "Mm."
Aunt Chen: "Your parents are in the study. Go up and see them."
Chen Zhiyi said to Uncle Chen, "Uncle, I'll wait for you here. Just grab your things and head straight to the hospital."
At this moment, Chen Tiansheng walked out of the gate with his hands in his pockets, as if he had been waiting for him there on purpose. "Why don't you even have time to say a word to me?"
Chen Tiansheng's career is booming, and he is now at the provincial governor level. He rose from mayor to governor in just two years. Others questioned whether he relied on his family's influence, but he proved them wrong with his methods and achievements.
Although he wasn't wearing formal attire at the moment, but rather a set of black loungewear, he still exuded an aura of authority and unyielding power. Anyone else would have been intimidated, but Chen Zhiyi didn't care anymore.
Chen Zhiyi tossed the bag slung across his shoulder behind him. "I came back today to see my grandfather."
Simple and clear, nothing more.
Chen Tiansheng: "Your mother and I just got back. Your grandfather has regained consciousness. The caregivers are all here, so you don't need to worry." Then he put his arm around his shoulder and said earnestly, "Even if bones are broken, tendons are still connected. No matter how much we don't talk to each other, we are still father and son. Come on, let's go to the study and chat for a while. Although I don't understand your work, I'm at peace with it. I want to hear about your work situation over the years. Your mother is here too; she talks about you every day."
Chen Zhiyi actually detected a hint of submission and appeasement in his voice, which was quite unlike Chen Tiansheng's style.
Chen Tiansheng smiled and said, "Your dad is getting old, and I really don't want to have a son but feel like I don't have one."
The moment he smiled, the fine lines around his eyes stung Chen Zhiyi's heart. It was undeniable that the father and son disagreed on many things, such as values, pursuits, and beliefs. But putting all that aside, Chen Tiansheng was an all-powerful and upright father in Chen Zhiyi's heart. He never thought that his father would grow old one day.
Chen Zhiyi lowered his head and entered the gate under the shoving of Chen Tiansheng.
In the study, Chen Lan brought over a plate of fruit. She was still the same, elegant and poised, with a touch of lively playfulness. Time had not left any marks on her face.
At the company, she is a ruthless and decisive female CEO, but in front of Chen Tiansheng, she is a love-struck woman who listens to her husband.
It's a miracle that one of them is clueless about romance and the other is incredibly charming, yet they managed to get together and stay together for so many years.
When Chen Lan saw her son come in, she put down the fruit plate she was holding and immediately hugged him. All mothers are the same; when their children return from afar, they immediately ask, "Are you hungry? Mom will go get you something to eat."
"Mom, I'm not hungry."
Chen Lan took the bag off him. "Mom, go hang it up for you."
"Okay, sure."
Chen Lan touched her handbag; her phone and wallet were there. She then gave Chen Tiansheng a look.
Chen Tiansheng understood and said to her, "It's a bit hot, bring over some mung bean soup."
"Okay." Chen Lan walked to the floor-standing clothes rack. "Mom, let me hang your bag on the rack."
Chen Zhiyi didn't look at her, but nodded.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Lan took the phone and wallet from the bag.
The timing was perfect. Chen Tiansheng sat back in his boss's chair, looked up at Chen Zhiyi, and asked, "I heard your contract with Jiali Media has expired?"
"Hmm." Chen Zhiyi didn't ask him how he knew; in fact, it was all available online if one wanted to look it up.
"So what are your plans for the future? Will you find a new company to sign with, or go solo? Do you need Dad's support?"
Chen Zhiyi didn't want to discuss his work in detail with Ning Chensheng. What could they possibly learn? Why pretend to know what he didn't? So he brushed it off, saying, "I haven't thought about it yet. I'll take it one step at a time. As for money, I'm not short of it."
Chen Tiansheng smiled and said, "Since you haven't thought it through, you can come back. You can follow in my and your grandfather's footsteps, or you can learn business management from your mother."
Chen Zhiyi refused outright, saying, "That's impossible. Now that I've embarked on the path of acting, I will never turn back."
"But who will continue the family's prosperity? On your grandfather's side, all the men are single-line descendants. From your grandfather's rise to high position through military service to my current status, our family, as men, is destined to serve the country and dedicate our lives to it."
Chen Zhiyi found these absurd and grandiose remarks laughable: "Dad, what kind of thinking is this? Why can't women achieve great things? Does contributing to the country necessarily mean going into politics? What about those who do scientific research or drive economic growth? Everyone has their own ambitions. What era are we living in that we're still talking about continuing the family's glory? Does becoming a well-known actor at home and abroad mean I haven't brought honor to the family?"
"Don't make excuses for your disdain for the path of art. Don't worry, I've been an actor for so many years and I've never talked about my family situation in public. Nobody knows that I'm your son, so I won't embarrass you."
Chen Tiansheng turned on his computer and played a surveillance video. "So what's going on? How did he know my identity?"
It was Qin Qiang. He actually came to find Ning Tiansheng. Although there was no sound, you could see from the video that he was crying and begging Ning Tiansheng.
Chen Tiansheng pressed the pause button. "I never expected my son to be such a romantic. He has loved one person deeply for so many years, but unfortunately, her family is a complete scumbag."
Chen Zhiyi immediately retorted, "Her parents divorced a long time ago, and it has nothing to do with her."
"If you have absolutely no connection, why did you agree to help this man resolve this? He broke the law. You think transferring money to him will solve everything? It's all interconnected. Now everyone's throwing his link out to take responsibility, so money alone can't settle things. Now he's using your past relationship with his daughter to blackmail me into helping him resolve this. The relationship you cherish has become a tool for her father to manipulate us. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Chen Zhiyi pursed his lips, his expression grave, his eyes half-closed as he stared at Ning Tiansheng, seemingly understanding something. "So this is the real reason you called me back?" He paused for a few seconds. "Grandpa wasn't sick at all, was he?"
Chen Tiansheng didn't speak, but straightened his back, crossed his hands on the desk, and met Chen Zhiyi's gaze directly. His gaze was frank and straightforward, which could be considered as tacit consent.
"So what? You want us to break up?" Chen Zhiyi dangled the ring on his hand. "Too late, we're practically already getting our marriage certificate."
The ring's flash stung Chen Tiansheng's eyes, causing him to squint. His marriage to Chen Lan was a perfect match, a union of equals, and he should do the same when choosing a daughter-in-law.
"Hiring her as your tutor was the worst decision you ever made."
Chen Zhiyi said firmly, "This is also the best thing I've ever done as a father and as a son."
Chen Tiansheng stood up and confronted him, "What's so good about her? She has no money or power."
Born in a small town, into a single-parent family, and with a father who, despite being a government official, breaks the law, there's nothing about him that Chen Tiansheng finds appealing.
So five years ago, when he found out, he immediately cut ties with his lover, but he never expected that they would be entangled again now.
Chen Zhiyi: "Is this your standard for choosing a person? It's ridiculous. I have money, and I don't care about power, so whether she has these things or not has no impact on me. But what about you? Did you marry my mother out of sincerity or because you valued my grandfather's influence?"
This rhetorical question caught Chen Tiansheng completely off guard. His eyes darted around, and the curve of his lips was flat and stiff, as if he had touched on the deepest secret hidden in his heart.
Chen Zhiyi scoffed, "You can give up your first love and choose a family marriage to marry my mother in order to solidify your career, but I can't do that."
I overheard this story by chance when my grandfather and Uncle Li were talking about the past. Whether Chen Lan knew about it or not is unknown.
At that time, Chen Zhiyi was still young and knew nothing about love. He thought it was just a choice in life. But after falling in love, he realized how despicable his father's actions were.
Chen Tiansheng regained his composure and said, "Marriage and dating are two different things. Compatibility is more important than liking. After marrying your mother, I did not wrong her and treated her wholeheartedly."
“I’m different from you. What I want is to be faithful to one person forever.”
This statement was undoubtedly a cold shower for Chen Tiansheng and a great sarcasm to him.
Chen Zhiyi was exasperated. He clenched his fist and slammed it on the desk. "Are you really bewitched? She's a real menace."
Chen Zhiyi wouldn't allow anyone to insult Lin Ting, and his tone became increasingly harsh, "Governor Chen, what harm has she done to an ordinary girl? Has she committed murder or arson? Is this something you should be saying from your seat? I really want to record this and let your subordinates hear it."
"She took the high salary we paid her but secretly helped you learn acting and pass the art exam behind our backs. She also seduced you into falling in love with her. You were a high school student at the time, her student. She used your feelings for her to get you into the competition through connections. Now her father is shamelessly clinging to my family. Do you think I can still look at her with normal eyes after all these things? These are all her crimes."
Chen Zhiyi found it utterly ridiculous. "Seduction? Let me tell you, from beginning to end, it was your son who shamelessly clung to her, begging her to like him. If that's her crime, then you parents are the culprits. Don't forget, you were the ones who went to great lengths to bring her over to be my tutor. And the reason I like her so much is because she's the person in the world who understands me best and supports me the most. And what were you doing when I was at my lowest point? Constantly suppressing and denying me. You are the ones who started all of this, you are the ones with countless crimes."
After saying that, Chen Zhiyi turned and left, not wanting to waste any more words. They should be the closest people, but they were also the farthest apart.
Chen Tiansheng was furious. "I was too late. I should have been more alert when you helped her get in through connections, instead of waiting until someone filmed you using the footage to blackmail me before I took action."
Chen Zhiyi understood and looked at Ning Tiansheng in disbelief, "So you forced Lin Ting to leave five years ago?"
Chen Tiansheng's eyes were sharp, and he did not deny it. "Yes."
Chen Zhiyi felt a buzzing sound in his head, as if he had been hit hard inside a large bell. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, his lips trembled, and his face turned pale and colorless in an instant.
Lin Ting is such a stubborn person. She needs to make a lot of effort to make a promise. The reason she went back on her word was because she suffered a great backlash. You can imagine how many harsh words Chen Tiansheng said to her, which made her decide to leave overnight.
Looking back, every word she said during their last meeting five years ago was actually a farewell.
Every word felt like a knife cutting into his chest, causing him immense pain.
He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. He couldn't point at Chen Tiansheng and curse him. No matter how much he cursed or how much he hated, the five years he had lost could never be recovered.
But anger consumed every inch of his body, and he needed to vent it. So, he swung his hand and smashed the finest items on the nearby display shelf to the ground, overturning clothes racks, cabinets, and chairs.
Chen Lan and Uncle Chen rushed over when they heard the noise. Chen Lan immediately hugged Chen Zhiyi and said, "Son, calm down."
Chen Zhiyi pushed her away, his eyes as cold as sharp blades, piercing straight into Chen Lan's heart. "You're an accomplice too." Then he picked up the handbag that had fallen to the ground from the clothes rack, reached inside to rummage around, and noticed something was wrong. He shouted at Chen Lan, "Where are my phone and wallet?"
Chen Lan, deeply concerned for her son, had just begun to speak when she said, "I..."
Chen Tiansheng blocked his way, saying, "Two men, lock the young master in his room to reflect on his actions."
No sooner had he finished speaking than two bodyguards in black rushed in and immediately took Chen Zhiyi into custody.
Chen Zhiyi suddenly realized what was going on, and laughed angrily, "So it was a trap? You think you can hold me back?"
Chen Tiansheng adopted an authoritative tone, "Then you can try."
Chen Zhiyi played his trump card, knowing what Chen Tiansheng feared most: "You used Grandpa's illness as a pretext to trap me. Grandpa has always spoiled me. Do you think he won't be angry when he finds out?"
Chen Tiansheng chuckled. "This was agreed upon by your maternal grandfather. He wants to bring his beloved grandson back to the right path. Chen Zhiyi, from now on, you need to reflect on your actions. When you've come to your senses, agree to break up with that girl, and return to the family, then you'll be released."
"Take him away." The order was given, leaving no room for resistance.
After Chen Zhiyi left, Lin Ting went to M Group and reviewed the whole process with the e-commerce team again. They still couldn't find any loopholes, and there was no news from the supply management department for the time being.
Everything fell into a passive state.
Zhang Ying continued to tell Lin Ting to go home and wait for news, as it was advantageous for her to avoid showing herself in public recently.
When I got home, I looked through my chat history with Chen Zhiyi, and I was still asking him if he had any new news.
An hour passed but there was still no reply. She was a little uneasy. Normally, if he was filming on set, it would be normal not to reply in time. But she already knew that he had arrived home and that her grandfather's condition had improved. Logically, it was impossible for him not to reply to the message in time.
They usually reply instantly.
I messaged him again, but he still hasn't replied after half an hour.
He could only console himself that perhaps something had held him back, and that it had been so long since he had gone back home, so there must have been some family matters to discuss.
Song Xiaolei sent me a video, saying, "Look, public opinion is completely against us."
Lin Ting clicked on it and saw a video of the founder of the D-sign brand denouncing the company. In the video, he pretended to be the victim, saying that the fabric patterns he had painstakingly designed had been stolen. It was obvious that a big company was bullying an unknown small brand. Small brands have few fans and little attention, and they have no way to speak out. He hoped that everyone could support them and that they needed a fair explanation.
People sympathize with the weak, and in their eyes, they seem to find resonance with their own workplace oppression by their superiors. They forwarded and criticized the incident, demanding an apology from M Group and Lin Ting to record a public apology video. Some even went to the official Weibo account of "The Road to the Sky Bridge" to leave messages demanding that Lin Ting withdraw from the competition, as they could not tolerate plagiarism.
Before D-sign released the video, netizens remained hesitant. However, once the video was released, it dominated the trending topics, with the screen filled with words such as "Lin Ting plagiarized", "M Group plagiarized", "Lin Ting withdrew from the competition", and "Boycott plagiarism".
In order to withstand public pressure, M Group issued a statement: "The matter is still under investigation. Please do not follow the crowd. The results of the investigation will be announced in a timely manner. If plagiarism is confirmed, the parties involved and relevant responsible persons will be dealt with in accordance with industry regulations."
According to industry practice, this means dismissal, stripping her of her status as a fashion designer, and in severe cases, preventing her from ever working in this field again.
The show "Road to the Sky" also issued a statement: "The original intention of the program was to discover talented new fashion designers. We cherish every contestant who comes to the program, but we cannot tolerate them making fundamental mistakes, whether on or off the show. However, the plagiarism incident has not yet been finalized. We ask netizens to remain calm. If contestant Lin Ting cannot prove her innocence before the final, she will be automatically removed from the final stage."
However, netizens were not convinced, believing that this was just another delaying tactic.
"This plagiarist should be disqualified from the competition immediately."
"The production team is so protective of Lin Ting, there must be something fishy going on."
"This girl is really something. She was rumored to be dating Chen Zhiyi before, and now she can still get the production team to speak up for her."
"A girl who looks gentle and weak is definitely a master at scheming and manipulating."
"Otherwise, why would M Group choose her to appear on the show out of so many designers?"
"Watching the show, it's undeniable that she has ability and talent, but plagiarism is shameful."
"Yes, we oppose plagiarism."
Each comment was like a small flame burning within Lin Ting. They accumulated and ignited into a raging fire, burning her trust in others, her passion for creation, and her energy for her love of life to ashes.
The phone call made from the side never went through.
She didn't know why this was happening, but she knew it was definitely a bad omen.
It felt like I was back in my childhood, when I was pointed at and gossiped about, bullied by classmates, and abandoned by my family.
Fate has been truly cruel to Lin Tingke; the same situation has occurred again. Or is this simply her destiny?
No matter how hard she tries or how much she strives, she will eventually be abandoned.
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