Lin Jinyu remained unfazed by the teasing. “Isn’t this exactly what you like?”
Old Master Chen furrowed his brow. “Put it away. Have it framed and hung in my study. Your Uncle Lin’s calligraphy is hard to come by.”
A middle-aged man in his fifties quickly stepped forward to take the scroll and promised to have it framed by tomorrow. Old Master Chen narrowed his eyes and glanced at Jiang Chan, who was standing obediently beside Lin Jinyu. “Is this the granddaughter that Old Lin treasures like a gem?”
Seeing Jiang Chan looking completely confused, Old Master Chen chuckled. “Old Lin always brags in front of us, saying how his granddaughter is filial, sensible, and obedient. It makes me so jealous. Why don’t I have a granddaughter like that?”
As soon as he said that, the expressions of the two girls sitting beside him changed. Clearly, they were displeased. Their critical eyes swept over Jiang Chan from head to toe.
Jiang Chan felt helpless. The old man was really painting a target on her. On the way here, she had already learned about the Chen family’s situation. These two girls were obviously Old Master Chen’s granddaughters.
Still, she wasn’t someone who couldn’t handle social niceties. Jiang Chan stepped forward with a polite smile. “Grandpa Chen, your granddaughters are excellent too. These granddaughters are naturally closer than a granddaughter through marriage.”
Old Master Chen laughed heartily. “That’s true. My two granddaughters pretty good too.”
With that, the expressions on the faces of Chen Qing and Chen Yu, sitting nearby, improved noticeably, though there was still a hint of hostility when they looked at Jiang Chan. Jiang Chan felt helpless again, Old Master Chen was really good at raising her animosity level.
When the small talk was just about done, Lin Jinyu led Jiang Chan over to the sofa to sit down. The banquet hadn’t officially started yet. Jiang Chan sat in a corner, watching Lin Jinyu chatting and laughing with his friends.
She glanced around. She had only eaten a little at lunch, and getting her hair and makeup done had taken quite a while. Jiang Chan felt she needed to replenish her energy. After saying a word to Lin Jinyu, she went to get some food.
Jiang Chan was someone who naturally took care of others, perhaps because she had spent a long time in the orphanage and had always played the role of the big sister. So when she took care of others, she did it with practiced ease.
The banquet was buffet-style. Jiang Chan walked around the hall, and when she returned to the sofa, the two plates in her hands were already piled high.
She placed one tray in front of Lin Jinyu. “Eat first. Your stomach isn’t great, you shouldn’t go hungry. I’ll go get you some juice.”
Lin Jinyu rubbed Jiang Chan’s hair, enjoying the feeling of being cared for. Seeing Jiang Chan taking care of Lin Jinyu, a few of his childhood friends were visibly displeased.
A laid-back man called out, “Xiao Chan, you can’t be playing favorites. We grown men are sitting here too.”
“That’s right, we need food and juice just like Jinyu…”
As a few friends teased, Jiang Chan pushed her own food toward them. “I only grabbed this much. You can share it.”
Lin Jinyu glanced at his rowdy friends. “That’s enough. If you want food, get it yourselves. Our Xiao Chan is still growing, she can’t go hungry.”
Jiang Chan who is still growing…
To be fair, Lin Jinyu’s friends were all pretty good-natured. They were just teasing, and Jiang Chan didn’t take it seriously.
Since she didn’t have much else to do, she simply sat to the side and listened to their banter. Lin Jinyu was already in his thirties, and most of his friends were married, with some already having children.
Naturally, when men get together, they also talk about their kids. While a few of the married men chatted enthusiastically, Jiang Chan nudged Lin Jinyu’s arm. “Brother, you’re still not getting married? Aunt is really anxious.”
Compared to herself, it was Liang Chen who was truly worried about Lin Jinyu, constantly urging him to settle down. Lin Jinyu had grown so annoyed that he started living at the office.
Lin Jinyu rubbed his brow. “Xiao Chan, can we not talk about this?”
Jiang Chan withdrew her hand. “Fine, let’s change the subject…”
The banquet went smoothly. Lin Jinyu introduced Jiang Chan to many people. Jiang Chan spent the entire evening remembering names and had no time to think about Lin Jinyu’s love life.
On the way back from the banquet, it was Jiang Chan who drove. Lin Jinyu had been drinking a lot due to social obligations and now lay in the back seat, looking much more relaxed.
Honestly, agreeing to help Qingyuan with tasks had been really beneficial. At the very least, she picked up a lot of useful skills, like driving. She also picked up a lot just by being around Lin Jinyu. These were things she would never have encountered in real life.
The contacts Lin Jinyu introduced were also genuinely helpful. The next day, Jiang Chan and Manager Gao went out with their proposal documents to seek partnerships. In just two days, the company secured two major contracts.
After finishing all the company matters, Jiang Chan returned to school. Her time was extremely precious, she spent almost all her days between the classroom and the library. She could be described as someone who worked herself to the bone.
Time flew by, and soon it was her second year of university. As a standout senior on campus, she didn’t even participate in school events. Her grades alone were enough to outshine her peers.
Over the past year, Jiang Chan stayed in contact with Shen Yu and the others. Now, Shen Yu, Li Yan, and the rest had all been accepted into universities not far from hers. Only Song Yifei got into the same university and became Jiang Chan’s junior.
That day, just after leaving the library, Jiang Chan was stopped by Song Yifei. “Sister Chan, you’re too busy. Today’s my birthday, come celebrate with us?”
Jiang Chan pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Where are Li Yan and the others?”
“They’re already there with Xingyu,” Song Yifei said with a smile. “You’re the only one missing. I figured you’d be at the library, so I waited here.”
“I’m really sorry, I didn’t know today was your birthday. I’ll make it up to you with a gift tomorrow.”
Jiang Chan and Song Yifei still had a lot to talk about. This girl was very smart and insightful. The two chatted as they walked toward the parking space. Yes, Jiang Chan now had her own car.
“I’ll be waiting for my gift then, Sister Chan.” Song Yifei grinned, then hesitated before asking, “Sister Chan, is your company accepting interns? I want to get a job during the summer break. I can’t keep asking my family for money.”
“Is that your own idea, or do Li Yan and the others think so too?”
“It’s mainly Bingyue. You know her family’s situation. Just covering her tuition is already a huge burden. If she doesn’t go out to work this summer, she won’t have enough for next semester’s tuition and living expenses. We want to help her too. She’s having a really hard time and can’t rely on her family.”
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