Chapter 62 Go, Xiao Meng!
Even after Xie Ling left, Lian Yi remained seated, one hand supporting her chin, lost in thought with a faint expression.
These are not things he should be saying or doing.
Lian Yi could sense Xie Ling's seriousness and sincerity when he said these words, but he shouldn't think that way.
Throughout, Xie Ling's attitude has always followed the plot outline. No matter how kind and righteous he is, he will always return to the most 'correct' direction when it comes to her, and always adhere to the reaction that a female supporting character should have.
When did Xie Ling change?
Lian Yi casually smoothed her hair and said frankly that if it weren't for the so-called limitations of the plot outline, she would have been happy to accept this kindness.
Regardless of Xie Ling's excellence and future achievements, just looking at his appearance, his humble words are enough to make people feel happy.
It's just a pity that Lian Yi doesn't need it.
"He's gone?" Jiang Yu walked in from outside the door, pursing her lips slightly and saying softly, "Is it because he's not familiar with me and therefore not comfortable with me?"
Lian Yi shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "It has nothing to do with you, Xiao Jiang. He's just more thoughtful than me."
Jiang Yu looked puzzled, but Lian Yi had no intention of explaining it to him.
She lowered her eyes and sighed silently.
Regardless of Xie Ling's thoughts or motives, there's no need to dwell on it.
As for Jiang Yu, Lian Yi had no need to involve him.
His life before was not very good, but now that he has inherited the family business, he has become very rich. As a friend, Lian Yi is very happy that he is so lucky.
Given the scale of the Li family's businesses, and with Jiang Yu's abilities, even if he can't be enterprising, he can at least maintain the status quo.
Her fate was sealed, but Xiao Jiang's was not. Once she understood this, Lian Yi quickly cleared away all the unnecessary thoughts.
"Xiao Jiang, what are your plans after Grandpa's birthday banquet?" Lian Yi looked at him and asked, "The core businesses of the Li family are all in the north. After this period, you should go back, right?"
Jiang Yu sat down next to her, his brows furrowing slightly. "The Li family's businesses actually started planning to move south two years ago. In recent years, policies have been supporting emerging technologies, and the Li family has invested in many related industries."
"These investments have yielded a pretty good return, and the entire industry is transforming as a result. After I take over, I need to complete the unfinished restructuring of the organization first. After that, the new headquarters will be located in Yunhai."
He looked at Lian Yi, as if he was curious why she would suddenly ask such a question.
“…Yunhai is truly a wonderful place with outstanding people and beautiful scenery.” Lian Yi paused, her fingers twirling a strand of hair.
Jiang Yu smiled, but just stared at her without saying a word.
There are some things that shouldn't be said now, as the time isn't right.
He knew that Lian Yi hadn't "come to her senses" yet. In many situations, adults could understand each other's feelings with just a glance, but she lacked that ability.
The reason the two of them could be so close and unguarded at this moment was simply because Lian Yi considered him a friend.
Jiang Yu was aware of this, but he was always very patient with Lian Yi.
The reason he didn't use any underhanded tactics against Xie Ling was precisely for this reason: Lian Yi had her freedom, and he would always stay by her side until the day she came to her senses and was willing to look back.
Lian Yi continued to slowly ponder, tugging at her hair. Xie Ling's attitude surprised her somewhat, but in the end, the ending of her story with Xie Ling was already decided.
Since Jiang Yu has to worry about the Li family's business and consider various practical factors, he will probably be overwhelmed once the plot begins.
Her 'parents' are as good as ever, there's nothing to worry about.
The eldest sister and Xu Qingyao worked on projects with extremely low success rates. They gained experience, but she also gained a reputation for being a spendthrift.
In the plot outline, Lian Yi didn't choose any of the supporters that the fake heiress should have had. Instead, she befriended a group of scoundrels who were tacitly abandoned by their families.
Apart from Li Xilai and Pei Tuan, the combat power of the rest of them is negligible compared to that of the real young lady.
Xiaohao's business is developing steadily.
Lian Yi's eyes were fixed on the front, somewhat lost in thought.
She suddenly couldn't help but wonder if, without such a cheat code as the "little card," she could have remained detached and observed all of this after living for eighteen years.
Will they feel resentful? Will they try to grasp at something?
"Yiyi, I forgot to tell you just now." Jiang Yu's gentle voice sounded softly in her ear.
Her gaze was slightly turned to the side.
"Huo Zhiyun sent a gift, hoping you would wear it at your grandfather's birthday banquet. The person who sent it said that Huo Zhiyun thinks this gift would suit you well, since you're an adult now, and at the birthday banquet..."
Jiang Yu paused for a moment, then said softly, "There should be a suitable accessory."
In the sunlight, his eyes were translucent, like warm, smooth black jade. His emotions were calm and serene, revealing nothing unusual.
Sometimes, saying things in a different way, even without embellishment, can easily make the listener understand a different meaning.
Lian Yi glanced at him and sneered, "He's really addicted to being the eldest brother. Given his current status, even my dad wouldn't dare to act like an elder in his place."
"Help me refuse. I don't need an outsider to tell me what to do with my clothes."
In Lian Yi's view, Huo Zhiyun was just an insignificant person.
Just like the fake heiress in the plot outline, it's just like that to him.
She was pretentious, foolish, arrogant, and unreasonable, which was a terrible thing for Huo Zhiyun, a young nobleman from a prominent family who had been raised as the future heir by his family since childhood.
His contact with Lian Yi was largely out of necessity due to the relationship between the two families.
Huo Zhiyun was a very qualified heir and ruler, and Lian Yi could feel that he was trying to persuade and reform her at all times.
In his view, there would always be ideas about how she should or shouldn't do things.
Therefore, Lian Yi's willful and self-willed behavior eventually became 'hopeless'.
Lian Yi didn't have many thoughts about Huo Zhiyun. She believed that things would naturally lead to the outcome she hoped for, so there was no need to make any more trouble. She could simply deal with him in the same way as before.
Jiang Yu turned his head slightly to look at her, his eyes subtly taking in every expression on Lian Yi's face.
"Yes, I think so. Besides, this is Grandpa's birthday banquet after all. There's no need for him to steal the spotlight. He may have meant well, but he still didn't think things through enough."
"I've looked at the outfits the housekeeper prepared; they're simple and elegant, and they suit you perfectly," Jiang Yu said with a smile.
Lian Yi tilted her head and glanced at Jiang Yu, then a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"Xiao Jiang, do you know how this makes me feel?"
Jiang Yu gave a soft "hmm" in confusion.
"Just like a virtuous wife, you are truly kind and gentle." Lian Yi leaned back slightly, looking at him with a smile that grew wider and wider, her eyes crinkling slightly.
Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a helpless laugh, lowering his eyelids slightly to conceal the glint in his eyes.
…
…
Hecheng.
On the very day of the highly anticipated Jingyun Middle School campus gala, Meng Er, who was extremely busy, only remembered that she had a performance scheduled for that evening when a reminder popped up in her memo.
She pulled herself away from a pile of documents, rubbed her temples, and first replied to the email sent by Huang Surong.
From the moment the investment and cooperation details were finalized, Huang Surong's enthusiasm rivaled that of Li Ming.
Meng Er's goal is not just to invest in a promising industry, but to use Qingque as a springboard to leverage this established brand with a good reputation and market presence, allowing her to enter the market and reap the rewards.
Of course, considering resource allocation and strategic focus, Meng Er gave the 'name' to Qing Que, while she and Yi Er only needed to receive their due share of the profits behind the scenes.
Once the overall marketing plan is sent over, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Qingque will be able to take off in the next quarter thanks to this mature marketing system.
Meng Er only needs to wait and see, collect the money, and then wait for this soaring brand to nurture the sub-brand she collaborated on with Qingque.
After dealing with the energetic Huang Surong, Meng Er browsed through the current text-based progress report of the Gugu Machine.
With the auditions nearing their end, Gugu cleverly chose to keep a low profile, temporarily suppressing the hype surrounding the auditions and refraining from creating any buzz. However, all kinds of official and private promotional videos have already been edited and approved.
If an individual musician is limited to a small audience and cannot make a name for themselves, they will be considered a niche artist.
So what about individual musicians from all over the country who have expressed their opinions on this program, or even participated in it?
This information will be released closer to the official launch of the program, not only to generate buzz but also to avoid attracting the attention and pressure from major entertainment companies beforehand.
As for music platforms.
Meng Er paused for a moment before opening Xu Yitong's message box.
It's clear that Xu Yitong's social anxiety is still very effective abroad.
In every photo he sent, apart from the occasional tourist, there were almost no human figures. The photos documented both well-known famous attractions and some lesser-known local scenes and landscapes that retained their local charm.
Although he was supposed to be visiting relatives, it looked more like a backpacker's lonely journey.
There was only a quiet period of one or two days during this time, with only a few sentences of French being posted occasionally.
Although the content consisted of scattered descriptions of the local weather, mundane things, or food, Meng Er could sense that he had been feeling somewhat depressed these past two days.
Meng Er wasn't exactly cold-blooded or heartless; it's just that providing emotional value was always the last thing on her mind.
However, even the occasional obviously perfunctory response seemed to invigorate Xu Yitong's mood.
She lowered her gaze slightly, tapping the screen with one hand to reply to messages.
Considering that Xu Yitong, even while abroad, was still able to assemble a complete team to build a music platform, and that the progress was not delayed at all, it could even be described as terrifyingly fast.
By providing emotional value to this expert, one can naturally be prioritized a few positions higher.
I chatted with Xu Yitong for a while. The three members of the orchestra and the group chat she was in kept buzzing with messages. They had been having so much fun in Hecheng these past two days that they didn't want to leave.
Lina and Andrew are practically social terrorists. During the day, they take little J out to eat, drink, and wander around, and at night they even find a square to perform playing instruments and singing. How much they earn determines their spending level during the day.
It wasn't until the day the Jingyun campus party started that they finally remembered the purpose of their trip to Hecheng. They kept saying they would be there soon, and the voice messages they sent were accompanied by the noisy background noise of the snack street.
Meng Er packed her things, sent a message, and left the house.
Not all students are allowed to sit and watch Jingyun's campus gala.
Based on the two recording methods of live streaming and pre-recorded broadcasts, corresponding arrangements were made in the planning for the selection of viewers.
In addition to the invited personnel, students from Jingyun School were selected based on their academic rankings and extracurricular assessments. Ultimately, only 1,500 students were able to enter, but each student had one spot to accompany them.
In addition to the evening performance, the school also organized concurrent activities, setting aside an area next to the performance venue for different activity sections led and planned by the student union.
Students are free to bring their hobbies to showcase, whether it's traditional Chinese culture, anime, games, or even food, music, and dance. Different small stages and booths are set up to form a large event space.
This is the source of Jingyun's confidence: not restricting students' hobbies, and even encouraging each student to have their own hobbies outside of studying.
And the students have often lived up to Jingyun's open-minded attitude.
In addition to their impressive achievements, their passion for their hobbies truly embodies the philosophy of "love to play, know how to play, and play to the best of one's ability."
Almost every year, Jingyun's school anniversary celebrations generate considerable buzz across the country.
As early as when Meng Er discovered that the three members of the band were planning to come to Hecheng to see her perform on stage, she contacted Qin Duo to ask if she could invite a couple more friends to watch the evening's performance.
Qin Duo was very easy to talk to and gave her two more admission tickets.
When Meng Er got off the school bus, she was still on the phone with Huang Surong to confirm something.
"Meng Er, hey, when are you free? It's hard to explain all this over the phone. Also, I need you to check on the progress of our collaborative product line. The design department has produced a few initial packaging drafts..."
Huang Surong spoke rapidly on the phone. The busyness of finding her direction again left her physically exhausted, but mentally excited, as if she had returned to the most energetic time of her youth.
Even while on the phone, she was still staring at the screen at the details of the proposal, her work emails flashing incessantly, and her subordinates waiting outside the office to come in and report.
Huang Surong wished she could immediately grab the girl on the other end of the phone, whose tone remained calm and composed, and work together with her.
“Hmm…” Meng Er pondered for a moment, avoiding a girl with a large, fluffy fox tail behind her, and said calmly, “There’s an event at school tonight. After it’s over, I’ll check the schedule with you again and get these things that need to be discussed and finalized as soon as possible.”
Huang Surong looked at the various items on the screen carefully, picked up her water glass, and asked, "Which university do you attend? He University? He University's literature program is quite famous."
She knew that Meng Er was only eighteen years old this year, but geniuses seem to be hard to define by age.
Mentioning a school is a common tactic used by business people to enhance their image, and if two people are alumni, it can also help to build rapport.
Logically, Meng Er and Huang Surong should have discussed this point when they first met, but strangely, Huang Surong still doesn't know which university Meng Er attends.
Meng Er walked across a road, with temporary stalls on both sides. The stalls were arranged in an orderly manner in a U-shape, surrounding six independent stages facing six directions in the center.
Amidst the excited, laughing chatter of the students, she said calmly, "I'm still a senior in high school at Jingyun."
"Pfft...cough cough cough..."
Suddenly, chaos erupted on the other end of the phone.
Huang Surong suppressed the itch in her throat, her expression strange, her gaze fixed blankly on the screen, before finally managing to utter a single syllable.
"ha?"
Therefore, this girl, whose words, actions, and demeanor could subtly intimidate and persuade her, and who could casually throw 300 million yuan into Qingque to discuss cooperation, was the only one who could do so.
Still in high school?!
No matter how young she is, Huang Surong still felt a very strange and magical feeling about this fact.
"Jingyun, no wonder..." After the initial shock, she slowly began to think it made sense.
Huang Surong smiled and said, "I have met many of my partners' children, and I have to say that compared to other children, the children who study at Jingyun School are always much more composed and confident."
"Of course, I've never met anyone like you before."
Huang Surong was deeply moved and couldn't help but wonder which Meng family had such a rich heritage to raise such a prodigy.
Meng Er's demeanor was far from ordinary; in fact, Huang Surong felt that the funds she provided were less impressive than the abilities she sometimes displayed.
“Jingyun’s anniversary celebrations have always been very successful. I remember it’s held every three years?” Huang Surong smiled. “In that case, I won’t bother you any longer. Enjoy it. These kinds of moments are often the most memorable in your life.”
Meng Er gave a soft "hmm" and hung up the phone.
Along the way, most of the enthusiastic students had smiles on their faces, and many proudly showed off their hobbies.
Some booths were so crowded that you could vaguely see the incredibly detailed, scaled-down models between the people.
Jingyun Academy is worthy of being called an elite academy. Every display of different hobbies and cultures comes from the hands of teenagers aged seventeen or eighteen, and even when placed in their respective circles for exchange and gathering, they are the most outstanding.
Meng Er walked calmly through the crowd towards the back door of the auditorium.
At the same time, a group of students entered the auditorium through the main entrance.
Their aura exudes a maturity and composure that is completely different from other students. Jingyun's school uniforms fit him perfectly, as if they were custom-made.
As they moved, everyone else instinctively made way for the group of teenagers.
"I haven't been back to school for a while, and I didn't expect everyone to still be so mischievous?" A cute girl with long, flowing hair and a doll-like face with slightly curved, honey-colored eyes said, "But if you cause trouble like this, the school will definitely hold you accountable afterward. Why is no one stopping you?"
"Who has time to care about these things?"
The somewhat burly, short-haired boy smiled nonchalantly, then looked at the girl and said, "Ruyue, I've made a model from the data samples Professor Chen gave me last time. I'll send it to you after the party."
"Chu Sijun, it seems your studies at Princeton have yielded remarkable results." Deng Ruyue blinked, continuing her steps.
Chu Sijun chuckled. "Of course, it can't compare to the prestige of you finance people. I'm just a lousy math student. Although we both deal with numbers, it's still far less exciting than what you guys do with economics."
The content of their casual conversation had already transcended the understanding of those around them who were still living in high school.
Chu Sijun was sent to a high school abroad for an exchange program six months ago. His superior mathematical talent made him stand out at the high school, and his equally impressive social skills prevented him from being seen as just a bookworm.
Even though he was still a minor, he came to the attention of a mathematics professor at Princeton.
Although it's still an informal appointment for now, it's almost a certainty that he'll be attending Princeton after graduating from high school.
Deng Ruyue studied under a top financial expert in China, and her superior background, abilities, and family circumstances gave her a completely different status within the expert's team.
Even though the financial tycoon was mainly giving her face because of her family background, Deng Ruyue seized the opportunity and didn't let it become just a period of gilding her resume.
The prominent figures in Jingyun High School's third year are just like the two of them. Although they still hold the title of high school student, they have already made great strides.
In their view, the support of other students is one of the factors that allows them to retain their student status.
Even those at the top of the pyramid still need a group of people supporting them. The alumni culture applies equally in China. No matter how proud and confident they are, they will not neglect the need to maintain their network.
However, they didn't really care about Meng Er, who stole their thunder.
What they are doing right now is something that can shake the entire industry and even involve countless others. Even if you are just a small participant, it is something that the so-called student representative can't even look up to.
If we're not on the same level, why bother paying attention to it?
"Speaking of which, I heard that a mysterious figure has appeared at the AC Exchange." Deng Ruyue paused slightly, turned her head curiously, and asked, "You're abroad, do you know anything about this person?"
Although Chu Sijun specializes in mathematics, he is not purely academic. He has naturally heard rumors in the financial circle, and with his network of contacts, he can even receive some inside information.
But this is the matter that Deng Ruyue asked.
"It's not just you who's curious; I'm also very curious about who this big shot really is."
Chu Sijun's expression turned slightly serious, and his tone became mysterious, "So far, in the three fluctuations driven by different funds, he has been able to profit and exit unscathed. You know that if it really was the result of a certain fund, there would be newspaper publicity and celebratory banquets. Those people love to create hype..."
"But this person has never appeared. No one knows his background, name, or even his gender."
“I have made a simple estimate that he took away at least this much money in these three ‘battles’.”
Chu Sijun raised his hand and shook the two fingers he held up.
The group of people following behind were astonished, and someone whispered, "Two hundred million?"
"Ha." Deng Ruyue didn't look at the person, but lowered her face and laughed. The laughter, which was not laced with sarcasm, instantly conveyed another layer of meaning.
With such a limited imagination, don't embarrass yourself.
Shock lingered in everyone's minds for a moment, but even more so, they were filled with envy for the mysterious guest the two had mentioned.
I couldn't help but fantasize about how awesome it would be if I could be that powerful.
But back to reality, even if their family background allows them to not care too much about their college entrance exam scores and to choose to study abroad, who wouldn't want to be that outstanding and successful person?
Jealousy and a sense of dejection inevitably permeated the atmosphere among them.
Chu Sijun glanced at the simply yet grandly decorated auditorium and said with a confident smile, "So we all guessed that this person must come from a powerful family. Those families have profound backgrounds, so it's not surprising that they could produce such a person."
Compared to the envy of others, his and Deng Ruyue's feelings were more of a mutual admiration and curiosity.
Who isn't a star, a privileged individual showered with attention? Even such a person's achievements only inspire a desire to befriend them or make them a target.
After entering the hall, the group was led to their seats by the student council members. The background music in the auditorium was melodious, and the teachers and guests greeted each other with smiles on their faces.
Deng Ruyue suddenly smiled and said, "It's a real pity that Qin Duo still can't get out of his predicament of self-discipline."
“When people try to do everything well, they tend to do nothing well.” Chu Sijun looked ahead and chuckled softly. “He always tries to please all the elders and maintain his perfect image.”
“For people like us, if we can’t be leaders, then it’s meaningless to do anything. I hope he can understand this after tonight, otherwise, the Qin family will have more than just him as a child.”
They were fully aware of what was going to happen tonight.
It may seem like just a group of high school students being incited to cause trouble, but ultimately, what the elders will see is how these young people handle the situation.
Chu Sijun and Deng Ruyue's racetrack is no longer here, but they don't mind watching a show.
Even though Qin Duo was once their 'friend' and at the top of the pyramid in this circle, it's perfectly normal for him to be excluded if things aren't handled properly.
As for the student representative who only emerged after they had lost interest, no one cared.
"What we need to do is enjoy the performance." Deng Ruyue smiled with a perfect curve at the corners of her mouth. "I've been busy organizing data for the professor lately, so this is a good opportunity to relax."
…
…
The backstage area of the gala was bustling with people. The student in charge of coordination was practically hoarse from shouting. Groups of students, all made up and dressed up, moved about, and few showed any signs of nervousness.
In a corner of one of the dressing rooms, Meng Er lowered her gaze slightly and glanced at the violin that J had brought.
"Have Andrew and Lina entered yet?" She looked up at the blonde girl with an angelic face, her voice low but clearly audible in the noisy environment.
"Mmm!" J nodded vigorously, his silky blonde hair swaying slightly. His deep blue, jewel-like eyes were fixed intently on her, and he said softly, "Mengmeng, you look so beautiful tonight."
Meng Er leaned against the dressing table, finding it somewhat amusing, and said, "Thank you for the compliment."
She hadn't prepared any special outfit for the show today; she had just bought some clothes recently to prepare for possible formal occasions, and they came in handy tonight.
It was just a black silk shirt paired with black martial arts trousers; the relatively loose fabric made it look less formal and gave off a casual, relaxed vibe.
She wore a bluebird brooch given to her by Huang Surong, with a deep-toned star sapphire as its main stone, which shone brilliantly in the light.
Add a splash of bright color to the overall tone.
Although Meng Er didn't take the performance seriously, he still showed it the respect it deserved.
After she finished speaking, there was a long silence. Meng Er noticed that J seemed to have no intention of leaving at all. He was still blinking and looking at her, with a faint blush on his delicate and lovely face.
“Mengmeng, since you’re willing to perform in public again, when will you be willing to return to the orchestra? Even if it’s just for one performance with us.” J clasped his hands together in front of his chest.
The little girl was truly beautiful. Under the light of the dressing table, her blonde hair appeared even lighter. Dressed in a white lace dress, her pleading expression and gestures made her seem as holy as an angel in an oil painting.
Meng Er smiled and pinched her cheek.
“J, this won’t do me any good. Maybe there will be another opportunity in the future.”
J is a very talented girl in music, and her parents originally hoped that she would become a singer.
Unexpectedly, she chose to join such an unknown band, simply because she preferred the wonderful feeling of playing instruments to singing; she loved instruments too much.
Therefore, even though teacher Terberney was an internationally renowned piano master, in the eyes of J's parents and the agent she missed, he was a despicable old man who had bewitched an innocent girl.
Meng Er knew that there was no need to say many things to someone with such a pure heart, as it would pollute her innocent and pure soul.
Perhaps many in the band think that their overnight fame is due to the ideas and scores she provided, but Meng Er knows very well that their success is simply because they are passionate and talented enough.
But she couldn't have such pure passion.
Rather than taking the band's current honors for granted, it would be better to let these pure and lovely people keep them all to themselves.
Meng Er also found it difficult to explain to J that although she could be considered a billionaire now, she hadn't reached the point where she had so much money that she could start pursuing the ultimate fulfillment of her spiritual world.
"My show starts in half an hour. After the performance, I'll take you to eat some local delicacies, so you need to go back to your seats now."
Meng Er paused, a smile appearing in her eyes, "Do you still remember where your seat is?"
"Of course!" J, completely unaware that the topic had been changed, pouted and said confidently, "Besides, Andrew is here too. Even if I can't find a seat, I'll see it immediately because of him!"
"Hmm, that's really smart."
Meng Er nodded slightly and leaned back. "Go ahead."
The little angel put her hands behind her back, stood on tiptoe, and shouted, "Go, Mengmeng!"
After saying that, she hummed a song and nimbly weaved away from the chaotic yet orderly crowd, her skirt fluttering like a white butterfly.
J firmly believes that Meng Er's classmates are just as excited as she is for Meng Er's performance.
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