Chapter 136 Turning the Elbow Outwards
Yao Fangfang often regrets that if she hadn't given up her job by some twist of fate after graduation, would her communication with Zhang Yunzhou be more harmonious and equal now?
She feared that if she continued to avoid the issue, the rift between them would become irreparable. She had to try her best to prevent her good intentions from being misunderstood, while also trying to help Zhang Yunzhou out of his slump. Torn between these two conflicting emotions, she was exhausted and could not find a balance.
Just as Lin Yu was about to offer some words of comfort, there was a gentle knock on the study door. Jiang Chuan stood in the doorway, holding two glasses of freshly squeezed corn juice.
"I made this for the kids, and I also got you two a couple of drinks." As she spoke, she gently stroked her forehead as if caring for a child, her tone slightly reproachful. "I noticed you haven't drunk much water all day."
Yao Fangfang took the corn juice and thanked him softly. "Thank you for your hard work, Attorney Jiang."
"No need to be so polite, just call me Jiang Chuan like Banban does." Jiang Chuan nodded slightly. "We can prepare dinner in ten minutes."
After the door closed, Yao Fangfang grabbed Lin Yu's wrist and asked softly, "Chen Guang came to see us a few days ago. Did you and him... completely clear things up?"
"Mm." Lin Yu nodded, his tone calm. "It's fine as it is now."
Since returning to Linjiang, Chen Guang seems to have finally let go of the past, tacitly stepping back to the position of ordinary friend. He will take the initiative to stand up for Lin Yu when he needs help, but he also knows how to maintain an appropriate distance and no longer overstep boundaries.
Yao Fangfang smiled and nodded after hearing this. "This one is indeed more suitable. He's handsome, rich, and attentive to you. He's always busy with things for you without a single complaint."
"He really is very good," Lin Yu said frankly. This was the first time she had praised a boy so directly in front of Yao Fangfang.
Looking at the barely concealed smile in her eyes, Yao Fangfang suddenly had her answer. This time, Lin Yu had probably truly let down his guard and was wholeheartedly devoted to this relationship.
Mingming's clear laughter echoed from the living room, mingled with Qi Sheng's impatient yet gentle tone. "I told you to put this block on the bottom, why is it on top again?"
"The cookies are confiscated... If you were an employee of my company, you'd be the first one to have your performance bonus completely deducted."
On the way back, Qi Sheng and Lin Yu briefly mentioned the establishment of an architectural firm in Shanghai. The formalities were not yet completed, but he had already put on the airs of a capitalist.
Then came Jiang Chuan's deep, slightly teasing laugh. "I need to remind you that employing child labor is illegal."
"I think you don't want to marry my sister anymore," Qi Sheng sneered, retorting without any politeness.
The next second, Mingming's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of pleading. "Just one more piece, please, Uncle Qi!"
"You're already slurring your words, and you're still eating?" Qi Sheng's voice remained cold and hard, but his attitude had clearly softened. "Open your mouth, let me see how many good teeth you have left?"
Lin Yu and Yao Fangfang got up and left the study one after the other. The moment they opened the door, they saw Qi Sheng sitting on the sofa, one hand in his pocket and the other raised high, holding half a bag of sandwich cookies.
She was clinging to him like a little monkey, hooking her arms around his arms, stepping on his legs, and tiptoeing to reach him. Jiang Chuan, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching them with a half-smile.
"Mingming, come down quickly." Yao Fangfang hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed her son's arm, and pulled him off Qi Sheng. Then she turned to Qi Sheng and smiled apologetically. "This child is used to being unruly with his father. Please excuse him."
Worried that Yao Fangfang would be embarrassed, Lin Yu quickly stepped forward, snatched the cookie from Qi Sheng's hand, stuffed it into his mouth, and deliberately frowned, exclaiming in an exaggerated manner, "It's too sweet! Brother, kids shouldn't eat too many sweets!"
Qi Sheng raised his hands in surrender, then turned and pointed at Jiang Chuan, who was watching the commotion behind him. "It has nothing to do with me. It was given to me by your fiancé. I couldn't stop him."
"You said yourself that he's your fiancé, so don't bully him too much in the future." Lin Yu walked to the kitchen door and reached out to grab Jiang Chuan's arm.
Seeing this, Qi Sheng looked at her, both amused and exasperated. "So you're already siding with outsiders? Don't you know what kind of person your boyfriend is? Who can bully him?"
"I've reviewed those documents and sent them to your email." Jiang Chuan glanced at Qi Sheng indifferently, took out his phone from his pocket, and said while operating it, "I'll send you Qin Lu's WeChat later."
Qin Lu is a good friend of Jiang Chuan, specializing in tax and administrative law. When he heard that Qi Sheng was going to open a law firm, he offered to help him prepare the qualification documents and introduced him to a lawyer he knew.
Qi Sheng paused for two seconds, then squinted and smiled, "Bribing me?"
"We're family, don't be so formal." The two old foxes exchanged barbs across Lin Yu without making a sound.
"Alright." Qi Sheng laughed and stood up, saying to Jiang Chuan, "If my sister ever bullies you again, just come to me and see how I deal with her!"
"Brother! Are you alright?" Lin Yu called out, both angry and amused, and the living room immediately erupted in laughter.
At the dinner table, Qi Sheng casually asked Yao Fangfang, "I heard from Banban that you worked at Chenhui after graduation?"
"Yes." Yao Fangfang nodded and recalled, "I quit after working there for a short time."
"Do you know Lu Xinpeng?" Qi Sheng continued to press.
Mingming barely ate a few bites before running back to continue building his big villa. Yao Fangfang casually pushed his rice bowl aside, and upon hearing Qi Sheng's words, she looked up at him in surprise.
"You know her?"
Yao Fangfang had a deep impression of Lu Xinpeng. She joined Chenhui as the boss's assistant after graduating from college, while Lu Xinpeng was still a freshman at the time and worked part-time at Chenhui during his free time during the holidays.
The two had once stood together against the company's scumbag boss. Later, Yao Fangfang resigned because of this, and then left the workplace completely due to pregnancy.
She maintained sporadic contact with Lu Xinpeng until she learned that Lu Xinpeng had gone to Shanghai after graduation. She was genuinely surprised that Qi Sheng would know someone she had almost no connection with.
"Do you have her phone number?" Qi Sheng asked, but he had already taken out his phone and handed it to Yao Fangfang, indicating that she should enter the number into his phone.
"What's going on?" Lin Yu asked curiously, leaning closer. "It's not that your ex-girlfriend who blocked you, is it?"
Qi Sheng glanced at his sister indifferently. "In all my years, only your brother has blocked anyone else."
"She just owes me something and hasn't paid it back yet."
Lin Yu knew that her brother never let her suffer a loss, and recalling his demeanor when he left home, she suddenly realized that he had made a special trip today, probably for this person.
She pondered to herself that no matter what the girl owed her brother, judging by the timeline, the interest would probably be considerable.
After the meal, the group sat for a while longer before getting up to say goodbye. Yao Fangfang saw them to the door, and Lin Yu stepped forward and hugged her tightly, still worried about her. "How about I stay with you in Linjiang for a few more days?"
Yao Fangfang shook her head, leaned closer to her, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I'm really fine, don't worry. This matter can't be resolved in a short time, and you still have to be busy with starting the company."
Lin Yu had previously mentioned to Yao Fangfang his plan to start a consulting firm, but it was temporarily put on hold for a while due to his aunt's situation. Now that everything has settled down, the matter has been put back on the agenda.
In the past few days, she and Jiang Chuan had a rational discussion about this matter.
Based on Chen Guang's previous analysis, the two refined three plans. They broke down and analyzed issues such as company direction, business structure, and operational promotion one by one. Ultimately, they determined that the core business would be the optimization of control systems for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Meanwhile, during the company's initial phase, Lin Yu will continue to maintain contact with the Shanghai Institute. He will also utilize his spare time to take on some construction drawing work to help with initial working capital.
Regarding the cooperation model with General Manager Zhang, Jiang Chuan promised Lin Yu that all quantifiable terms and related risks would be included in the legal documents. Then, everyone could sit down and discuss them further.
With Mr. Zhang's network of contacts and Jiang Chuan's legal backing, she contacted her old company's business associates for assistance.
Once we successfully complete the small closed-loop business with a few clients, the company should be able to transition from preparation to operation by the end of the year.
Then, relying on existing customer resources and accumulated industry reputation, the business scale will be gradually expanded, and everything seems to be developing in a good direction.
On the way back to Shanghai, Lin Yu kept his head down, flipping through the materials Jiang Chuan had sent him, busy cramming on knowledge about qualification application and operational promotion.
Her life seemed to suddenly become busy, preparing for exams and registration, setting up a company, and also balancing her relationship; everything was full of challenges.
But it was this busyness that gave her new goals in her work and life, and Lin Yu gradually found a new meaning in life in this career of making a living.
Compared to Lin Yu, who remained silent, Jiang Chuan and Qi Sheng chatted quite congenially, even agreeing to go for a drink at a newly opened bar on Hengshan Road on the weekend.
Upon hearing the word "bar," Lin Yu immediately looked up and glanced at Qi Sheng without making a sound. Her gaze was as if she were worried her brother would take her boyfriend out to fool around.
"What? Are you afraid I'll eat him? Or are you afraid we'll talk about your embarrassing childhood stories?" Qi Sheng, gripping the steering wheel, caught a glimpse of Lin Yu's little actions in the rearview mirror and teased him with a smile.
Lin Yu pouted guiltily at Qi Sheng. "I haven't done anything embarrassing! I'm just worried you'll lead him astray."
She leaned over to the passenger seat and kissed Jiang Chuan on the cheek, unusually acting coquettish. "What's so fun about bars? They're just places for single people to relieve loneliness. You have your lovely girlfriend at home to keep you company!"
Qi Sheng was the only single person in the car, and Lin Yu's words were clearly a joke at his expense. Very well, now that his sister had someone backing her up, she was becoming increasingly unruly.
Seeing the two of them being so affectionate, he asked Jiang Chuan with a look of disgust, "Is she always this disgusting?"
Jiang Chuan, however, calmly took Lin Yu's hand in return, smiling reassuringly. "Your brother and I do have some professional issues to discuss in detail, and I promise to keep you informed at all times, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Sheng immediately perked up, laughing as if he had regained his home turf, "Did you hear that? We men also need private space. I advise you not to be too controlling, Ms. Lin."
As he spoke, he took out one hand and patted Jiang Chuan's shoulder lightly, as if forming an alliance.
Jiang Chuan and Qi Sheng have completely different personalities, yet they get along surprisingly well. Lin Yu initially thought that their previous harmony was merely out of consideration for his aunt and family, but now it seems that this is not the case.
Jiang Chuan won the favor of everyone around her without leaving a trace, including her eccentric and domineering, yet romantic and gentle brother.
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