He said that he worked so hard to earn money when he was young so that he would have the means to let his descendants make choices as they pleased without looking back.
After graduating from university, Lin Leyao became a star but still kept her identity a secret, which Ji Rong strongly opposed.
She also talked to her father, saying that times have indeed changed. In this era, if you don't have anything to rely on or anyone to back you up, you will be bullied. With his support, Lin Leyao entered the entertainment industry, a place of fame and fortune, but would anyone take a nobody seriously?
Do you think Le Yao is happy?
This was the question her father asked her back then. He said that as long as Leyao felt more happiness than unhappiness from her choices, that was enough.
Over the years, so many rumors have circulated online, and Ji Rong couldn't stand seeing those descriptions used to describe a girl.
Over the years, she and Lin Leyao have had so many arguments. She has always wanted Lin Leyao to leave the entertainment industry, stay away from all the criticism, and live in a happy and clean space.
However, Lin Leyao was unwilling, and the two had countless arguments.
After Lin Leyao and Xin Ying got married, Ji Rong returned to the Ji residence much more often than before.
Although Le Yao moved out to live with Xin Ying, she didn't return home less often than before, but everyone felt that things were different.
She knew her father had become much quieter because Le Yao had grown up and gotten married.
Even if they are still your own children, if the child who used to call you only "Grandpa" and "Mom" goes to another family and calls someone else "Grandpa" and "Mom".
The mere thought of such words and images was unbearable for everyone.
Ji Hongchen didn't say anything, but Ji Rong could sense it, so she often went home to visit the old man recently and talked to him a lot.
Perhaps it was because Lin Leyao left home, but the two of them were more attentive to each other's words than before. She still remembered the conversation she had with her father a while ago.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Yue Yao entered the entertainment industry by concealing her identity?
Ji Hongchen's view is that when a person is at their lowest point, they are surrounded by bad people, but when they are in a high position, they are surrounded by good people. A person's life trajectory is closely related to their initial living environment. It would be easy for Le Yao to reveal her identity directly; as long as Ji Hongchen speaks, her identity as the youngest granddaughter of the Ji family would be public knowledge. She would have abundant resources in the entertainment industry, everyone around her would fawn over her, no one would dare to give her a hard time, and with the Ji family protecting her, her life would be smooth sailing.
However, Lin Leyao chose not to reveal her identity and instead started her career in the entertainment industry from a low point when she was young. Even though she encountered many bad people at this time, as long as she persevered and persevered, the world she would experience after getting through it would be completely different from the life she enjoyed when she was in a high position.
At this point, Le Yao will be more mature and capable. She will become more resilient, and they will be able to let go of her worries and do whatever she wants in the future.
Her father also asked her if she really thought Le Yao had no talent for acting.
There are so many celebrities in the entertainment industry, so many cultivated by capital, and so many resources to feed them, but only a few can produce works that are well-known, attract audiences, and truly succeed. No celebrity escapes criticism; it depends on whether you focus your attention on the insults or on the gains Yue Yao has made.
In comparison, it's already quite remarkable that Yue Yao has achieved her current status in the entertainment industry.
Beautiful flowers shouldn't be confined to the home; they should be allowed to bloom freely in open spaces.
After talking with her father that day, Ji Rong went home and thought about it for a long time.
Ji Rong kept glancing back at Lin Leyao in the rest area, and Lin Zhipeng, who was standing next to her, noticed this keenly.
Several wealthy women were chatting about nothing more than gossip, their children, and their clothes. Lin Zhipei stayed with Ji Rong for a while, but then felt a little suffocated. After whispering to Ji Rong, she went to rest by herself.
Ji Rong called Xin Ying over because a lady she was on good terms with had come to beg her to let her son, who had just returned to China to start a business, talk to Xin Ying.
Because of her good relationship with this lady, Ji Rong felt embarrassed to refuse, so she called Xin Ying away from Lin Leyao.
As Xin Ying followed Ji Rong, several other women with their children quickly surrounded her. Everyone was very curious about Xin Ying and started chatting with her.
Xin Ying couldn't get rid of these people in a short time, and the conversation went on for quite a while.
During this process, Xin Ying occasionally glanced at Lin Leyao and also saw a clean-cut and gentle young man approach Lin Leyao to strike up a conversation.
"Mr. Xin."
Xin Ying's gaze was interrupted by the voice of the person next to her, and she turned her head to listen to what the other person was saying.
Lin Leyao had been sitting alone in the rest area for quite a while, which attracted the attention of a waiter.
"Miss Lin, are you feeling unwell? Would you like me to take you to your room to rest?"
Lin Leyao shook her head and replied, "No need, thank you."
Seeing that Lin Leyao refused, the waiter left without asking any further questions.
Not long after the waiter left, another young man came over.
This young man made a much bigger commotion than He Wenbai; Lin Leyao could already hear his voice before he even got close.
"Miss Lin!"
Even from a few steps away, the man's voice could already be heard.
As a public figure, Lin Leyao was prepared to be approached by strangers when she attended the birthday party.
Upon hearing the voice, Lin Leyao looked up and nodded to the person, replying, "Hello."
The man's eyes lit up when he saw Lin Leyao raise her head. He strode forward with a smile and plopped down next to her.
"Hello, Ms. Lin, I am Xie Kai."
"Hello, Mr. Xie."
Xie Kai had a smile on his face as his gaze traveled over Lin Leyao's body from top to bottom, examining her inch by inch.
The man was pressed close to Lin Leyao, a feeling that made her very uncomfortable. Lin Leyao shifted and sat a little to the side.
Xie Kai's gaze was fixed on Lin Leyao's dress, seemingly unaware of her movements.
After several seconds, Xie Kai slowly spoke: "Ms. Lin, I'm in the film and television investment business. I've invested in and produced several movies. Recently, our company has a movie with a female lead role that seems quite suitable for you. Would you be interested in taking a look at the script?"
Lin Leyao nodded politely and said, "Thank you very much, sir. My work is always handled by my agent. If you are willing to cast me in this film, you can contact my agent first."
"Of course I'll contact your agent, but it also depends on your wishes. If Ms. Lin is willing, how about we go out for dinner sometime to discuss our collaboration?"
Lin Leyao grinned and refused, saying, "I'm going to Yunnan soon, so I probably won't have time to meet with Mr. Xie."
"It's alright, I can wait. It's my duty to spend more time waiting for a beauty."
Lin Leyao pursed her lips, and the beautiful smile that had been on her face completely disappeared.
After a while, Lin Leyao replied, "You're too kind, Mr. Xie."
Xie Kai seemed oblivious to the refusal in Lin Leyao's words, and took out his phone to say, "Ms. Lin, let's add each other on WeChat."
“I was wearing a formal dress and didn’t have my phone with me.”
Xie Kai paused as he opened WeChat, his gaze fixed on Lin Leyao, sliding his eyes up and down as if to confirm the truth of her words.
Indeed, Xie Kai couldn't see where Lin Leyao had a phone. He said, "Okay, here's my business card. Please keep it safe, Ms. Lin. You can contact me directly if you need anything in the future."
Lin Leyao took the business card, glanced at the name and number, and replied calmly, "Okay."
Xie Kai lingered for a while longer and chatted with Lin Leyao for several minutes, but both of them dodged the question, which made Xie Kai somewhat discouraged.
He saw several of his brothers waving at him from a distance, but seeing that his attempts to strike up a conversation were not going well, he simply gave up and left.
Lin Leyao breathed a sigh of relief as the person left.
She glanced at the business card one last time before stuffing it into the crevice of the sofa she was sitting on.
The black card disappeared completely into the thick cushions of the sofa.
With the annoying thing finally gone, Lin Leyao took out her phone from behind her back.
What she just told Xie Kai was all a lie, including the claim that she didn't have her phone. She had kept it hidden behind her back and in the gap between the sofa back and the phone, which Xie Kai hadn't noticed.
Lin Leyao took out her phone, opened the camera, and took a picture of Xin Ying in the distance. Just then, Xin Ying, who had been facing away from her, turned around, and Lin Leyao captured the moment when she turned to look at her.
Lin Leyao was still surprised as she tapped the photos she had taken on the screen when Xin Ying had already slipped away and walked over.
Xin Ying was chatting with some young people over here, while Ji Rong and several other women stood to the side, giving the conversation space to the young people.
Because they weren't far apart, Xin Ying could clearly hear what the ladies were talking about.
"Hey, isn't that Old Xie's kid? The girl sitting next to him is pretty. Does he like her?"
Ji Rong followed her gaze and saw that the girl the lady was talking about was her daughter. She quickly shook her head: "No, this girl has nothing to do with the Xie family's children."
"Oh? Really? That's a bit of a pity. If it were true, Lao Xie would be overjoyed. A while ago, she got drunk at the dinner table and cried to us, saying that if her son didn't get married soon, she would start to suspect that her son liked men."
Others said, "There's nothing wrong with liking men. Same-sex marriage is legal now. Even though we're older, we should keep up with the times!"
“We’ve all received elite education, so how could we not accept this? But it’s impossible to get that old-fashioned Xie to accept it.”
Someone asked curiously, "Why would Old Xie think that way? Has she seen her son with a man?"
"It seems that Lao Xie is worried that her son might like boys because he hasn't had a girlfriend for so many years."
"Hey—we've heard a joke today. Don't you know what kind of person Old Xie's son is?"
"Old Xie's son almost killed a young girl in bed, and Old Xie says this every day to build up his son's public image!"
"Oh my god, when did this happen?"
"It was seven or eight years ago. He went abroad to hide for a year and then came back."
"Now that you mention it, I feel like this child's eyes have always had a sinister look in them. Whose daughter is she talking to? I hope she doesn't get into trouble!"
"He is a celebrity."
"Ah, a celebrity—"
"Minor celebrities with no connections, don't let them get ruined."
Ji Rong's smile gradually faded as the ladies chatted.
"That must be Lin Leyao."
Upon hearing the name "Lin Leyao," Ji Rong recalled what the group had just said and finally couldn't bear it any longer. Before she could even speak, she suddenly noticed Xin Ying in the crowd next to her turn around, say goodbye, and leave.
As Ji Rong watched Xin Ying walk away towards Lin Leyao, and at that moment Lao Xie's son had already left Lin Leyao's side, Ji Rong's fluctuating emotions gradually calmed down.
"Rongmei, that..."
The wife, who had just brought up the topic, wanted to ask Ji Rong some questions, but Ji Rong's expression darkened, and she said, "I'm not feeling well, I'm going to rest for a while."
A group of extremely gossipy wives were left standing there by Ji Rong, exchanging bewildered glances.
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Author's Note:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 01:30:59 on May 3, 2022 and 03:15:21 on May 5, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the grenade: 55157345 (1 grenade);
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 58123721 (1 landmine);
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: My lifelong love is fried rice balls (5 bottles);