Wen Ying and Xie Qian left the Wang family in the same taxi.
Even after getting into the car, Wen Ying still felt her blood surging with excitement.
Saying “no” was easy, but when faced with the temptation of real money, how many could truly resist?
Even Wen Ying had wavered.
Wang Jun’s offer of shares was sincere. With a nod, she could instantly own 4% of Tianjiao’s shares, saving her significant time in her early capital accumulation… But accepting the shares would bring complications.
It’s sincere now, but what if tensions arise in the future?
If she accepted, she’d have to explain to Manager Chen and her father, and just thinking about convincing them gave her a headache.
More importantly, it would dent Wen Ying’s ambition and self-respect.
If Xie Qian could resist such temptation, why couldn’t she? Just because her family wasn’t as wealthy as his, did that mean she couldn’t be his equal in terms of values about money?
Brimming with confidence, Wen Ying sat beside Xie Qian in the back of the taxi, head held high, boldly declaring to him:
“No need to persuade me. I said I won’t take it, and I won’t.”
Xie Qian was trying to escape the stirring he felt at the Wangs’ house. Surprised, he replied, “Persuade you? It’s your choice whether to accept or not. I should be the one apologising. I underestimated you. A mere 4% of Tianjiao’s shares? Forget a year from now, you could afford it right now. You did the right thing, while I was too hasty.”
Tianjiao was doing well, but for a newly established film and television company, no matter how fast its value grew, Wang Jun’s 20% stake might have multiplied in worth, but Wen Ying wasn’t aiming for 20%, just 4%, which was entirely manageable.
She couldn’t buy it now because her money was tied up elsewhere.
She lent 1 million to him.
And she was preparing 3 million to invest in Tianjiao’s new drama!
If not for her funds being occupied, Wen Ying could buy the shares now.
As for why Xie Qian was so hasty, he couldn’t quite explain.
Perhaps it was the attitude of the Zhao siblings or his cousin-in-law Jiang Youjia’s doubts about Wen Ying. People around him always underestimated her, thinking she wasn’t worthy of being his friend, judging her by her appearance, grades, and family background—none of them saw the deeper qualities. Calling it an interesting soul felt a bit too sentimental, but Xie Qian believed Wen Ying deserved better treatment, deserved to be seen and respected!
Many words churned in Xie Qian’s chest, but he didn’t know where to begin. Those undercurrents were sealed behind his cool, teenage facade, leaving Wen Ying unable to glimpse the truth.
But there was something different in Xie Qian’s eyes.
Wen Ying looked away from his gaze, clearing her throat: “I’m in a hurry too, but some things can’t be rushed. Other people’s advantages aren’t just one generation’s effort. Earning a few million now isn’t much…”
“Pfft!”
The driver couldn’t hold back.
Kids these days sure knew how to boast, talking like adults, not about studies but about company shares, casually mentioning earning millions.
Millions of what, Vietnamese dong?
The driver, after laughing, awkwardly explained, “Sorry, carry on. I just remembered something funny!”
What’s so funny, your wife had a baby?
Wen Ying held back from retorting.
The loneliness of being reborn was throwing out a reference no one could catch!
Xie Qian stayed silent too. When the taxi dropped Wen Ying off at home and then reached Xie Qian’s doorstep, he couldn’t resist:
“She really did earn millions!”
“…What?”
The driver was baffled, and Xie Qian found it pointless.
“Nothing, goodbye, driver.”
Was Wen Ying impressive or not? No need to explain or prove it to a stranger. As the saying goes, don’t flaunt wealth. Broadcasting that Wen Ying made money could attract bad intentions.
, Today, for some reason, he was so restless!
…
When Wen Ying got home, Wen Dongrong was already there, but Chen Ru wasn’t back yet.
Wen Dongrong asked how she handled the gift issue. Wen Ying said she refused it, and he was quite pleased.
“Good call. If you accept such a big gift now, you’ll owe even more later. No one in this world is a fool!”
Wen Dongrong’s job meant he had plenty of “gift” opportunities, but he didn’t dare accept them. Taking gifts meant opening doors for others. Once or twice might be fine, but constantly walking by the river, you’re bound to get wet. In the end, you could land in jail.
The “gifts” received might not even be enjoyed, and you’d live in constant fear. Wen Dongrong wouldn’t touch such a losing deal.
“I really didn’t take it. Let’s agree, we act like this never happened. Don’t tell Mum!”
To avoid trouble, Wen Ying wanted to align stories with her dad.
Wen Dongrong chuckled, “Look at you, so timid. If I hadn’t advised against it, you were tempted, weren’t you? Fine, stop acting sneaky. Your mum’s busy preparing for her exam and has no time to care about your little misstep. I’m prepping for my exam too, no time to snitch!”
Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong’s exams were initially kept from Wen Ying.
The image of the couple secretly attending tutoring classes was still vivid.
Wen Ying hadn’t exposed them back then, just gifted them a language repeater for English.
Living under one roof, Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong couldn’t fully hide their studies, and it slowly became an open “secret” in the family.
An open secret meant they stopped hiding it but didn’t bring it up, a bit like covering ears to steal a bell.
After preparing for so long, with the exam approaching, Wen Dongrong had nothing to hide and spilled the “secret.”
“How’s your prep going? Will you pass?”
Wen Ying showed some concern for her dad. Wen Dongrong tilted his chin up, not answering, but his confident expression said it all.
, Middle-aged men, so ordinary yet so confident!
If both parents took the exam and only one could pass, Wen Ying would bet on her mum.
When Chen Ru got home, she brought that day’s *Chengdu Evening News*.
“Han Qin’s apology statement.”
Han Qin’s apology was published in the evening paper. During the day, Zheng Zhihe called Chen Ru, saying the compensation had been received.
80,000 yuan arrived. Wen Ying didn’t need the money and sincerely offered to hand it over.
The house renovation was done, but furniture and appliances were next, another expense. Wen Ying was eager to contribute to the family.
This time, Chen Ru didn’t refuse Wen Ying’s money.
“I’ll take it then, and pay you back at year-end.”
The bank would issue year-end bonuses.
It was October, and Chen Ru knew her business performance.
She started working in Chengdu in the second half of last year. Even with good results, her work months were limited. This year was different; she estimated her business volume surpassed last year’s, and her year-end bonus would be much higher!
Last year, Chen Ru felt pressure buying two houses. This year, she realised supporting them wasn’t a big deal, as her income kept climbing.
The current pressure was renovating two houses at once. The rental property, though simply decorated, couldn’t use subpar materials. That was the real reason for the couple’s financial strain.
Chen Ru used to resist using Wen Ying’s money.
But now, she was less opposed.
Because Chen Ru was earning more!
Use it now, replace it with the year-end bonus—no big deal.
, Confidence wasn’t just Wen Ying’s or Wen Dongrong’s—it was Chen Ru’s too.
