Fate
That day, Lin Qingyue's New York office received an invitation to a dinner from the top Chinese luxury brand, "Style." The event was high-profile, bringing together numerous celebrities, business leaders, and top stars. Coincidentally, Lin Qingyue also needed to return to China to handle some backlogged group matters, so her schedule overlapped.
Out of her usual caution, she had Wang Jing specifically check the list of celebrities confirmed to attend. A quick scan revealed that the name that had made her nervous wasn't on the list. With that confirmation, she felt a sense of relief and accepted the invitation.
After returning home, her schedule was incredibly tight. On the afternoon of the banquet, Lin Qingyue was making final preparations in her hotel suite when she received an urgent call. An important overseas collaboration project had run into an unexpected problem, and a critical document needed to be processed immediately.
"Jingjing, this must be handled immediately. You are familiar with all the details. Go back to the office now to prepare and coordinate with them to handle it." Lin Qingyue made a prompt decision and said to Wang Jing who was helping her choose jewelry for the dinner.
Wang Jing frowned: "But at the dinner party..."
"I can go by myself. I'll just show up, say hello, and come back." Lin Qingyue rubbed his brows. "It shouldn't be a big problem. Just focus on your work."
"Okay, I wish you good luck." Wang Jing nodded, quickly packed up the computer and related documents and left.
If Lin Qingyue knew what would happen next, she would definitely cover up Wang Jing's bad mouth at this time.
Lin Nian, who was originally sitting obediently on the carpet playing with her doll, saw her godmother leave in a hurry, and realized that her mother was about to go out. Her mouth pursed and her eyes turned red instantly.
Two weeks ago, Lin Qingyue and Wang Jing were forced to travel together for a full fifteen days on a crucial project. During that time, Lin Nian had to be cared for by a nanny. While the nanny was attentive, the little girl had never been separated from her mother for so long. In the past, at least her godmother kept her company, making the endurance less difficult. But this time, both of them were away. Every night, Lin Nian would cry and video call her, her little face pressed against the screen, sobbing, "Mom, when are you coming home? I miss you so much..." Lin Qingyue, watching her daughter's red eyes and forced understanding, felt a pang of heartache. The day she returned from her business trip, she saw her daughter's visibly thin face and her eyes, filled with dependence and a touch of resentment, and she felt a surge of remorse. Since returning, she has been trying to turn down unnecessary social engagements and spend time with her daughter, playing and reading, trying to make up for the discomfort of separation.
At this moment, seeing her mother was about to leave alone again, Lin Nian ran over and hugged Lin Qingyue's legs tightly. She knew that crying would make her mother embarrassed. She didn't want to cry, but her tears fell like beads with broken string.
Lin Qingyue's heart instantly softened. The nightly cries of her daughter during the ten days she was away on business and her cautious demeanor after she returned seemed to resurface before her eyes. She couldn't bear to see her daughter cry again. Furthermore, Wang Jing needed to attend to an urgent matter immediately and couldn't look after Nian Nian. She sighed, squatted down, hugged her daughter, and said softly, "Okay, okay, don't cry. Mommy will take you there, okay? But we agreed that you have to behave well when you get there, don't run around, and come home after Mommy finishes her business, okay?"
Lin Nian nodded vigorously and hugged her mother's neck tightly with her little arms.
So, Lin Qingyue took Lin Nian, who was dressed like a little princess, to the dinner. She planned to show up, socialize briefly, and then find an excuse to take her daughter away early.
What she didn't know was that while she was busy dealing with urgent matters and coaxing her daughter, a small earthquake also occurred in the domestic entertainment industry.
The famous idol who was in great glory and served as the brand ambassador of "Ge Diao" was originally scheduled to attend the dinner, but was suddenly exposed by his four sisters-in-law. Shocking scandals such as cheating, cold violence, and even financial disputes were exposed. The evidence was accompanied by pictures and texts, and came quickly and fiercely, instantly igniting the entire Internet.
The trending searches exploded, the forums were paralyzed, and the fan circle was shaken:
"The house has completely collapsed! Four years of my youth have been wasted!"
"I'm no longer a fan. It's disgusting. It turns out sincerity can really be exchanged for one knife after another."
"Four?! Where did he get the time management schedule? I can't even cry anymore..."
"Get out of here, Gediao! Why don't you terminate the contract with this bad artist?!"
"Speaking of which... it seems the previous spokesperson for Style also fell apart... Is this some kind of metaphysics..."
…
The atmosphere in the "Style" brand department's conference room was eerily low. The brand director stared at the constant stream of new revelations on the screen, sweat dripping from his forehead, and abruptly loosened his tie. "It's over! It's all over!" he practically shouted. "The dinner starts in two hours! Our spokesperson stinks like a garbage dump! Who?! Who can save the day?! We need to keep the situation under control! We need to create a positive image! We need to create enough buzz! Now! Immediately! Immediately!"
The people below were silent as they quickly screened the list. Suddenly, a young marketing specialist timidly raised his hand: "Director... maybe... you can try to contact Teacher Shen Yu?"
"Shen Yu?" The director frowned.
"Yes! He just worked with our high-end jewelry line, and the reputation and sales are amazing! His current national popularity and status are definitely enough, and his image is good. When I met with his studio before, their attitude was also very good, and... Shen Yu's sense of story and high-end feeling are so consistent with our brand tone. I personally think... even better than... than the current one, he can improve our style..."
The director looked back at the photos of their previous collaboration, his eyes suddenly lighting up, as if he had grasped a lifeline. "Quick! Contact his agent immediately! Offer him the highest level possible! Terms are negotiable! Ask him to do this favor!"
The call quickly reached Shen Yu's agent. Originally, Shen Yu had a private schedule tonight and hadn't planned to attend. But after hearing the brand's tearful, anxious pleas, and the truly enticing guest list that included half the world's celebrities—this was an opportunity not to be missed, a golden opportunity to join the top resource circle. After a brief consideration, Shen Yu gave a positive response.
So, at the last moment before the dinner started, Shen Yu's name was urgently added to the guest list.
…
The dinner was held in the banquet hall of a top-notch hotel. Lin Qingyue held Lin Nian's hand and walked through the banquet hall as low-key as possible, chatting with several bosses she knew.
However, not long after, Lin Qingyue's phone vibrated. It was a message from Wang Jing, saying that they had encountered a critical point in the emergency process and needed her to immediately conduct a brief video authorization confirmation.
Lin Qingyue frowned. This kind of business authorization had to be handled by her personally, and she couldn't delegate it to anyone else. She looked around. The banquet hall was crowded and staring at everyone, so it was clearly not suitable.
She lowered her head and said softly to her daughter, "Niannian, Mommy needs to go to the small room next door for a very important video conference, which will take about ten minutes. Just go to the rest area over there and have some dessert and wait for Mommy, okay? Just stay next to... the biggest and most beautiful flower pot, and don't run around. Mommy will be back to pick you up soon." She pointed to a nearby VIP rest area.
Lin Nian nodded sensibly.
Lin Qingyue kissed her daughter's forehead, took her to the designated location, repeatedly told her not to leave, and then quickly walked towards the temporary business room provided by the organizer.
Lin Nian stood obediently next to a huge potted plant, looking curiously at the gorgeous things and the crowds around him.
…
Shen Yu was a little tired after having a friendly interaction with several brand executives and directors. After signaling to his assistant, he temporarily got rid of the crowd and wanted to find a relatively quiet place to catch his breath and wait for the dinner to officially start.
He subconsciously walked towards the VIP lounge area not far from the venue.
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