Chapter 64
The winter ordering event was undoubtedly a success, with online and offline pre-sales exceeding one million. The limited edition that Lin Ting was in charge of sold out immediately upon pre-order, and the order volume was doubled, perfectly turning the tide and sweeping away the gloom of M Group's sluggish sales over the past two years.
Lin Ting's final speech was edited into a video and went viral online, receiving widespread praise. Even the China National Garment Association pinned the video to the top of its official media account to support her. As if appearing out of nowhere, Lin Ting's name quickly became known in the fashion industry.
M Group also fulfilled its promise and officially promoted Lin Ting to head designer, primarily responsible for e-commerce products.
This is both an opportunity and a challenge. Yao Yanyan was in charge of the e-commerce products before, and the sales data was always very poor. No matter how many promotional activities they tried, it was difficult to sell them. Most of the styles were sold at the lowest price at the end of the special sales event.
The competitive pressure in e-commerce is immense, no less than that of physical stores. Entrusting all e-commerce funds to Lin Ting now serves two purposes: firstly, to capitalize on her current popularity and draw attention to M Group's e-commerce channels; and secondly, to put her abilities to the test once again.
Just as Zhang Ying said, if Lin Ting can turn the situation around again and take on the heavy responsibility of the design department of M Group, it can be considered that there is a successor.
When the HR director officially handed the appointment letter to Lin Ting, everyone in the design department applauded and cheered.
Lu Fan patted Lin Ting on the shoulder, "You've finally made it through. I'm so proud of you."
Song Xiaolei joked, "Brother Lu, I thought you were going to say that your teacher could retire after achieving success."
"Hey, you little brat, how can you talk like that?"
Song Xiaolei stuck out her tongue playfully, then her eyes crinkled into slits as she looked at Lin Tingwen and said, “Congratulations on achieving your wish. You’ve shed your assistant title and skipped two levels to become a true fashion designer.”
Lin Ting smiled shyly, "Yes, thank you, Xiaolei. You can do it next time too."
Song Xiaolei said frankly, "Thank you for your kind words."
The other designers chimed in, "Lin Ting, this is great news! You should treat everyone to a meal!"
"A meal is too simple, let's start with afternoon tea."
"Yes, afternoon tea."
"Let's have afternoon tea!" Everyone rushed over.
Lin Ting's face was beaming with an uncontainable smile. "Okay, I'll order now."
Just as I picked up my phone, a food delivery guy walked into the office. "Excuse me, who is Ms. Lin Ting?"
Lin Ting stood up. "Yes, that's me."
"Hello! Here are 100 cups of coffee for you. Please sign for them."
Lin Ting was a little confused. "I haven't ordered yet. Is there a mistake?"
The deliveryman said confidently, "This is the delivery address, and you are the recipient. There's no mistake. Please sign for it quickly, as I have other orders to deliver."
After Lin finished signing, the delivery guy left. She saw a card in the bag, picked it up, glanced at it, and knew immediately who it was from; a smile crept onto her lips.
Song Xiaolei ran over, took the card from her hand, and read it aloud with a sour tone, "Designer Lin, may you always have a brave heart, move forward all the way, and have a bright future. I will firmly protect you from behind! Your eternal supporter, Mr. Y."
Seeing Lin Ting's blushing face, Song Xiaolei smiled slyly, "Is this Y surnamed Yang, Yue, or Yang? The sour taste of love."
"It seems Lin Ting is doubly happy. When are you going to bring your boyfriend over for us to meet, so we can give you our opinion?"
"100 cups of Starbucks is quite generous."
"I can almost hear the passionate hearts of the single young men in the M Group breaking apart."
Everyone's chatter made Lin Ting extremely embarrassed, and she mentally cursed the instigator several times over.
At this moment, Zhang Ying walked into the office. Seeing the coffee on the table and Lin Ting's uncomfortable expression, she knew something had happened. Her expression was serious. "Keep a serious demeanor during work hours."
At a signal, everyone quickly finished distributing the coffee.
Lin Ting picked up two cups, gave one to Zhang Ying (the two understood each other without saying a word), and handed the other to Yao Yanyan. She didn't take it, but Lin Ting wasn't annoyed. She put the coffee on her workstation and simply said, "Please give me your guidance in the future."
Lin understood her. Being replaced by someone she disliked and demoted to a subordinate was like trampling her self-esteem and face to pieces for someone as proud and concerned about her reputation.
People are not afraid of not having the courage to start over, but of not having the courage to face failure.
Lin Ting sat back down at her workstation, opened WeChat, and sent a photo of coffee to Chen Zhiyi.
I also sent a few words, "Thank you for your expense, Teacher Chen."
Chen Zhiyi: A cool expression.
Lin Ting: How come you replied so quickly?
Chen Zhiyi: Taking a break on set.
Lin Ting: Oh!
Chen Zhiyi: Did you see the card?
Lin Ting: I saw it.
Chen Zhiyi: Do you like it?
Lin Ting: I like it.
Suddenly, Chen Zhiyi sent a voice message.
Startled, Lin Ting quickly plugged in her earphones.
Although the voice was low, it was still like a gentle breeze, clean and tender.
"I will always stand firmly behind you to protect you."
Lin Ting's heart trembled violently. In all her life, he was the only one who could make her heart beat faster and faster.
The future is uncertain, but the feeling of my heart racing is already deeply etched in my memory.
Lin Ting: What time are you coming home tonight? What do you want to eat?
Chen Zhiyi: I estimate it will be around 7:30. I want to eat anything you make.
Lin Ting: Okay, see you tonight.
Chen Zhiyi: See you tonight.
Such an ordinary conversation: What time will you be back? What do you want to eat? It turns out that no matter who you're with, you still have to solve the same old daily problem of three meals a day.
This is the true meaning of life, the meaning of home.
Lin Ting took a sip of coffee; even though it was only half-sweet, it still tasted bitter.
People who have experienced a lot of physical bitterness are unwilling to taste bitterness on their tongues again.
But today it seems that such suffering is acceptable, and perhaps things will turn out as I wish, with happiness coming after hardship.
Lin Ting looked out the window. The sky was clear and blue, and even the clouds looked like candy.
After the two moved in together, Chen Zhiyi developed a great appetite and ate until he was stuffed at every dinner. The more he ate, the happier he felt, and the more frightened Lin Ting became.
Finally unable to hold back any longer, she asked him with a look of horror, "Aren't you a celebrity? Shouldn't you control your eating? Is it okay to eat like this? What about your figure?"
Chen Zhiyi was not deterred by the series of soul-searching questions. Instead, he leaned back in his chair leisurely and drank a glass of watermelon juice with a self-satisfied air, as if he were doing something perfectly natural. He even pretended to lecture Lin Ting, "Wouldn't it be a waste not to eat it? Frugality is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. Wasting is a crime."
"I think we still need to be careful. After all, as we get older, our basal metabolic rate decreases, and we can't digest all the calories we eat. If our figure and appearance change, it will be hard to get back in shape."
Chen Zhiyi was so angry she almost laughed. She was only twenty-five, but the woman she was being told she was almost fifty-two. “I’m naturally beautiful, always in my prime, and the whole world trusts my looks, so you don’t need to worry.” She even wagged her index finger as she finished speaking.
"..." Lin Ting was speechless at the blatant arrogance on that face.
"You have no idea how much I expend every day. I have a lot of action scenes almost every day, and the meals provided by the crew are not very good, so I just eat a little bit to fill my stomach. It's not easy for me to get to eat the food you cook, and I eat a little too much and you still criticize me. I'm having such a hard time."
Why is she acting all wronged? Lin Ting didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Never mind, I'll use less oil and salt when I cook tomorrow, and make it lighter."
"You just boil everything in plain water and I eat it all."
"We haven't become monks or nuns."
...
Chen Zhiyi moved his chair closer to Lin Ting and took her hand. "I was just joking. Liking your cooking is a way of showing my love for you, but it's not a constraint that you have to cook every day. You can cook if you want, or it's okay if you don't. We can eat out, order takeout, or even wait for me to come back and cook. You work every day, and I don't want you to work too hard."
Lin Ting turned her hand over and intertwined her fingers with his. "Takeout is unhealthy, and eating out is inconvenient. Let's eat at home. I'll cook if I get back early, and you can cook if you get back early. There's no question of who works harder. Love and family both require the joint effort of two people. If we're always calculating who has to give more, then why be together?"
Chen Zhiyi stared blankly at Lin Ting, unable to believe that she could say such a thing. He had long been convinced that this relationship required him to give more, and he was willing to give everything, as long as he could get even a little bit of response from her.
Lin Ting patted his arm. "What are you spacing out for?"
Chen Zhiyi lowered his head, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, then looked up at Lin Ting, his eyes filled with deep affection, "It's so good to have you."
Lin Ting saw the glistening tears in his eyes. She knew she should say more, but it seemed unnecessary. Too much talk felt insincere; sweet words and romance were no match for a steady, enduring connection. "Am I so good that you'll listen to everything I say?"
"Of course." Chen Zhiyi replied without hesitation.
Lin Ting raised her chin and ordered imperiously, "Go wash the dishes."
Chen Zhiyi pinched her nose, his face full of doting affection, and said, "Received."
After washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen, Chen Zhiyi returned to the living room to find Lin Ting already showering and sitting on the sofa watching TV.
Her hair was freshly dried and looked fluffy. Her bangs were tied back with a hair tie, revealing her forehead. Her face was small and clean, and bathed in light, it had a pearl-like texture. Her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and light, like pear blossoms in early spring, beautiful and elegant.
Even though she was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, her back was still straight.
That's just how she is; no matter how tired or lazy she is, she always maintains a good attitude.
It's said that love at first sight is because the other person is to one's aesthetic point, and it's true. Chen Zhiyi looked at the face in front of him and could never get tired of it; he liked it from every angle.
When I was very young, the sight of that beautiful figure in pure white left an imprint on my heart, to the point that I could no longer describe my ideal type, because when love first blossomed, I already had a specific person in mind.
On such a beautiful night, in such a tender atmosphere, bursts of painful screams came from the television.
Tsk, after acting in so many movies, he had to play a villain, and a hypocrite at that, who just loves to challenge humanity and torture his victims.
Chen Zhiyi walked over and sat down next to her. "Let's watch a different movie. This one isn't good."
Lin didn't understand his point. "I remember this movie won an award, and it was one of the top-grossing movies. How could it not be good? Besides, it's a movie you starred in."
“I know, but I’m the villain in this one. Doesn’t it make you uncomfortable? Let’s try something else.” Chen Zhiyi picked up the remote control from the coffee table.
Lin Ting quickly snatched it back, "I haven't finished watching it yet. So what if you're a villain? I think you acted very well. It's a side of you I've never seen before. I didn't expect you to be so really evil when you play a pervert."
Hearing this, Chen Zhiyi became proud, "They say women don't love men who aren't bad. I remember this villainous character was nominated for the audience's favorite movie character award that year."
"Your values will follow your facial features. If you changed your face, do you believe that netizens would condemn you to the pillar of shame?"
"I believe it, because I was born with this face."
"Yes, so next time you win an award and give your acceptance speech, remember to thank your parents for giving you this good appearance."
"That makes sense."
Lin Ting smiled, her gaze still fixed on the movie. On screen, Chen Zhiyi was impeccably dressed in a suit, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, appearing refined and scholarly, but in reality, he was cunning and ruthless. After torturing his victim, he loosened his tie, pushed up his glasses, and every smile and frown was filled with cunning and sinister intent—a quintessential refined scoundrel.
Those gold-rimmed glasses seemed to become a disguise for the character in the play, concealing his true nature.
Lin Ting sighed sincerely, "Indeed, gold-rimmed glasses are the best cosmetic procedure for men. Even the worst person looks much more upright and handsome when wearing gold-rimmed glasses."
"So you think men look much more handsome wearing gold-rimmed glasses?"
Lin Ting remained focused on the movie and casually replied, "Yeah."
Chen Zhiyi got up and left, then found a pair of gold-rimmed glasses in the study. He himself was not nearsighted, so he guessed they were props from a movie and he had brought them back with him.
After showering, her hair was half-dry, with dampness at her temples and forehead. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, her eyes were deep and intense, and her lips were slightly parted, exuding an indescribable sexiness.
Lin Ting felt the sofa next to her sag again, turned her head to glance at Chen Zhiyi, "Have you finished showering?", and then continued watching the movie.
"Yes, I've finished showering." Chen Zhiyi brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
...
Completely silent, Lin Ting focused solely on the movie, ignoring Chen Zhiyi's poses and poses on the sofa, treating him as if he were invisible.
Chen Zhiyi felt like a male peacock desperately trying to woo a female peacock, but no matter how much he flapped his tail feathers, the female peacock wouldn't even glance at him.
Utterly defeated!
So, he subtly poked Lin Ting's arm, trying to get her attention, but she didn't even look away from the screen, and just asked perfunctorily, "What's wrong?"
For the first time, Chen Zhiyi felt that his own work was so irritating, and couldn't help but sigh, "Is Huang Haodong more handsome than me?"
"Huh? Who is Huang Haodong?" Lin Ting didn't even realize what was going on with this strange question.
Chen Zhiyi pressed the pause button, cupped Lin Ting's face in his hands, and said, "Huang Haodong is the character you've been watching in the movies."
Lin Ting blinked a few times before realizing that Huang Haodong was the character played by Chen Zhiyi in the movie, and also noticed that he was wearing gold-rimmed glasses. She then understood his nonsensical question.
She couldn't help but laugh, taking his hands away from her cheeks. "Why are you jealous of yourself?"
Chen Zhiyi raised his chin. "No? You can only see me as a man."
Lin Ting closed her eyes. "That's a bit difficult. How about I pretend to be blind starting tomorrow?"
“I have read all of your works, and I get completely absorbed in them every time I read them.”
Do you know what I'll think after watching this?
"have no idea."
"I was thinking, I can't believe I ever had such an outstanding and handsome boy. Although it was only for a short time, I will never forget it."
"So, you miss me?"
"Yes, I admit that I have missed you during these five years. Not as much as you say, but I do think about you. For example, when I see the necklace in the drawer, when I drink milk tea, when I draw design drafts, when I do embroidery, etc. It turns out that you have already permeated every aspect of my life, but I have been avoiding it and dared not admit it."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiyi's eyes immediately reddened. He felt that the pain of longing for the past five years had finally found an outlet. He blinked, suppressing the warmth in his eyes, and tried to say something tender.
At that moment, a news headline popped up on my phone: "Han Ming officially joins the cast of 'Live Peeling,' competing on the same stage with his junior, Chen Zhiyi."
Lin Ting picked up her phone, pointed, and asked, "Is this Han Ming the one I saw in the hospital room last time?"
"right."
"He works for the same agency as you?"
"Not only that, they're also managed by the same agent."
"Will his joining the crew put pressure on you?" There are countless scandals in the entertainment industry where fellow students turn against each other and tear each other apart for resources and interests.
"Of course not. Han Ming actually joined the company a year earlier than me, and he graduated from the same school as me. I heard of him when I was in school. He has a strong acting ability and was ranked first when he entered and left school. You know, becoming famous in this industry depends more on luck, and too many talented actors lose because of this. I found out a couple of days ago that he joined my current production team. The role he will be playing is one that allows him to showcase his acting skills. I hope that he can gain more attention with this role. Even if the reviews surpass mine when the film is released, I will be happy for him."
Lin Ting looked at the person in front of her, who was always upright and kind, and would not be corrupted by the outside world.
"Your agent seems difficult to work with."
"Sister Faye is a strong woman with a strong work ethic. She's a top agent in the industry, and her position requires a certain level of authority. Being too easy to get along with wouldn't be suitable for her work. But once you get to know her, you'll find that she's very protective of her artists. She's also a typical example of someone who's sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. You'll inevitably have to interact with her in the future. If she's a little harsh in her tone, don't take it to heart. It's about the issue, not the person."
Is it really about the issue, not the person? Lin Ting paused for a moment. Although he had met Qin Fei a few times, he could clearly feel the malice she was towards him—warning, a show of force, a provocation.
The feeling is like you've set your sights on something precious about her and want to take it, and she's warning you not to overestimate yourself and not to meddle in things that don't belong to you.
However, Lin Ting couldn't quite understand what he could possibly take from her.
Chen Zhiyi tapped Lin Ting on the forehead. "What are you spacing out for? Are you worried that Sister Fei will see our relationship? Don't worry, I'll talk to her about it. Besides, my contract with her expires next April, and I'm pretty sure I won't renew it."
"So, are you planning to start your own business?"
"Yes, this way I have complete control over choosing roles. Over the years, I've also accumulated a lot of resources and connections, so I can handle things on my own. I'll do even better in the future than I am now, do you believe me?"
Lin Ting leaned against him, "I have no doubt about it."
"Tomorrow and the day after are the weekend, and I'm worried you might be bored by yourself. How about I have Zhang Ke drive you around so you can go to some fun places nearby and relax?"
Lin Ting slapped his hand. "Nonsense, Zhang Ke is your assistant, not mine. I have work to do these two days. We need to develop the spring/summer products for next year. This is my first battle on an e-commerce platform, and I must win it. So tomorrow I plan to go through the recent spring/summer launches of major brands to get some inspiration. The day after tomorrow I've arranged to do market research with Xiao Lei to investigate current market preferences and demands."
Chen Zhiyi shook her nose. "I misspoke. You're the career-minded woman."
"There's nothing I can do. You're just so outstanding. I have to work hard to catch up with you. Otherwise, how can I keep up with your pace and stand beside you openly, confidently, and generously?"
"You don't need to chase after me, because no matter what, I will run towards you without hesitation."
At lunchtime, the film crew had lunch, and Zhang Ke walked in with a warmed-up lunchbox.
Chen Zhiyi and Han Ming sat together eating. The aroma wafted out as the lunchbox was opened. The dishes were a good mix of meat and vegetables, and the presentation was exquisite and beautiful. But when you saw Chen Zhiyi grinning like he was worthless, you knew who had made it.
Han Ming was surprised by how quickly the two had moved in. "Wow, you're already living together? Did she do it?"
Chen Zhiyi, beaming but barely conscious, replied with a listless "Hmm."
Han Ming curled his lips and stretched out a chopstick, which was still hanging in mid-air when Chen Zhiyi caught it with his own chopsticks.
Han Ming only wanted to tease him, and immediately put away his chopsticks, "You're so stingy! A whole table of food for you to enjoy all by yourself, aren't you afraid of getting too full?"
Chen Zhiyi glanced at him, then reluctantly picked up a stuffed green pepper and put it in his bowl. "This is the only one. There aren't any more."
Han Ming looked at the stuffed green peppers in the bowl, and distant memories began to surface in his mind. He remembered that she also loved this dish, and liked it made sweet and sour. Taking a bite, he tasted the familiar sweet and sour flavor, something he hadn't had in a long time.
I couldn't help but ask, "Is she also from the South?"
Chen Zhiyi was somewhat surprised, "How did you know?"
Han Ming said in a light tone, "Stuffed green peppers are a Sichuan dish, and the flavor is on the salty and spicy side. Only people from the South like to make them sweet and sour."
Chen Zhiyi: "When did Young Master Han become a food expert? You can even guess the cook just by the taste of the dish. What else can you taste?"
Han Ming smiled and echoed his words, "You can tell from the taste that she's a kind and skillful person, and that you like her very much."
"Of course," Chen Zhiyi replied confidently, as if nothing could be more certain.
"Aren't you worried that if your relationship is exposed, your career will be affected? It's possible that this one thing could destroy all the hard work and achievements you've made over the years."
“I’m not worried at all. She’s always been in every one of my future plans, and she occupies the largest proportion of them. If she’s not there, what does that brilliant career and all the honors I’ve received mean?”
"I know that in our line of work, pursuing a higher career often means giving up people you love. But for me, people I love and career go hand in hand. If I give up one, how can I move forward? Besides, acting is my profession, my livelihood. I've never thought of relying on it to make a name for myself. If my relationship is exposed and my career hits rock bottom, I can just start over and begin again from small roles. After all, in the end, we still have to rely on our acting skills, not on creating a single persona to attract fans. When you finally achieve success, you're standing on an insurmountable peak, but you're all alone, and all the people you love have been abandoned. That feeling is truly heartbreaking."
He spoke frankly and methodically, and it was clear that he had thought things through thoroughly; he hadn't just made things up out of thin air.
Each word was like a silver needle piercing Han Ming's heart, causing him intense pain.
Han Ming recalled Qin Fei's words. At this moment, he admitted that he was far inferior to Chen Zhiyi. He was not as clear-headed and insightful as Chen Zhiyi. He firmly pursued everything he had planned and chosen, without being disturbed by anything, and without giving up easily.
Unlike myself, who would willingly give up people who are important to me in order to get what I want, and then desperately try to justify such behavior.
Sacrificing love for one's career is the act of a complete coward.
The sweet and sour taste was still churning in his throat, but he had left behind the girl who loved to smile at him, as pure as moonlight.
With mountains high and roads long, she became the first piece of luggage she abandoned.
Chen Zhiyi noticed Han Ming's unusual emotions and guessed that it was due to his words earlier. He must have gone through something similar, but he chose the path that most people would choose. He wouldn't feel sorry for Han Ming; it was pathetic. People have to bear the consequences of their choices.
So, she picked up another stuffed green pepper and put it in his bowl, saying, "It seems you really like this dish, so I'll share one with you to comfort your lonely heart."
Han Ming didn't say anything, he just stared at the bowl for a few seconds.
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