Jiang Shuiyun pinched Yi Jinbai's cheek. "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"
Yi Jinbai snorted and turned his face away. "Who cares?"
Jiang Shuiyun laughed and put her arm around Yi Jinbai, explaining the whole story of how she met Zhao Ying. She couldn't really say she helped at the time; it was all Zhao Ying's own destiny.
After listening, Yi Jinbai seemed to understand something, "He's a pitiful child too."
“I’m not much younger than you. Everyone has their own destiny. You’ve been through so much, things will only get better from here on out.” Jiang Shuiyun sipped her tea. She rarely interfered in other people’s affairs and believed that heaven rewards those who persevere. Everyone suffers, but everyone can save themselves.
"You just said he can play the piano? He's studied music." Yi Jinbai then asked Jiang Shuiyun.
"How would I know? But his crystal piano is really beautiful. I was thinking of making a whole set of crystal instruments for you, but then I went to the base and it got delayed. But there's no time to make them now. I'll keep an eye out for auctions later. We can buy them one by one."
Jiang Shuiyun's most vivid memory is of that crystal piano, which sparkled and shone brightly under the lights.
"Don't change the subject. Seriously, he's also an Omega. It must be really hard for him to find a job, right? Plus, he has a father to support. I feel like he's so similar to me back then."
Yi Jinbai reached out and pinched Jiang Shuiyun's face, unable to help but think of the past. As an Omega, society would prioritize protecting their personal safety and give them certain social welfare benefits, but these were far from enough to make up for the discrimination in the workplace. This was true in the entire social environment.
"You want to help him?" Jiang Shuiyun saw through Yi Jinbai's plan. Yi Jinbai was a soft-hearted person and couldn't bear to see such human suffering. Moreover, she felt the same way about Zhao Ying's current situation. Jiang Shuiyun was not surprised at all.
"Just give him a hand. Whether he can seize the opportunity depends on himself. I just happened to hear Fei Yan mention a new talent show today, maybe he can go."
Yi Jinbai rested her chin on her hand. Since she married Jiang Shuiyun, although Fei Yan and Jiang Shuiyun still couldn't stand each other, they were at least able to get along peacefully. Jiang Shuiyun no longer rolled her eyes at the mere mention of Fei Yan's name.
"Do whatever you want, I'll take care of everything."
Jiang Shuiyun did not stop Yi Jinbai; these matters were still under her control.
“I know,” Yi Jinbai said with a smile, hugging Jiang Shuiyun’s arm. “You helped me out back then, and now I can help others out too. Isn’t that great?”
Jiang Shuiyun gently stroked Yi Jinbai's soft hair. In fact, she didn't think it was her own help that brought Yi Jinbai this success. It was her own perseverance and hard work that brought her this reward. She was far stronger than anyone could imagine.
Before long, Zhao Ying brought over the hot pot base and pushed over a small cart with the dishes the two had ordered.
Yi Jinbai had told Jiang Shuiyun that he wanted to help Zhao Ying, but now that Zhao Ying was standing right in front of her, and the two were too unfamiliar with each other, she didn't know how to start the conversation. She could only nudge Jiang Shuiyun with her elbow.
Jiang Shuiyun, who was about to stand up to mix the dipping sauce, immediately realized what was going on. Looking at Yi Jinbai, who didn't even know how to ask for help, she found him adorable. Just as Yi Jinbai was about to get angry, Jiang Shuiyun cleared her throat and spoke.
"Zhao Ying, I remember you used to play the piano quite well. Are you still practicing?"
Jiang Shuiyun asked directly.
Zhao Ying paused for a moment as she arranged the dishes. "It's been a long time since I've touched anything since graduating from school."
"Well, I was just talking to Jinbai about you, and Jinbai remembered there's a talent show coming up recently and wanted to ask if you're interested in it?"
Jiang Shuiyun followed up with another question.
Zhao Ying's gaze immediately turned to Yi Jinbai, her eyes filled with secret anticipation. Perhaps he had already decided to seal away those unrealistic dreams, but now someone had suddenly opened a crack, and that thought began to grow wildly like weeds.
When Yi Jinbai met Zhao Ying's gaze, it was as if he saw himself when Jiang Shuiyun said those words to him, with the same disbelief and the same longing.
"May I?" Zhao Ying asked cautiously.
Yi Jinbai glanced at Zhao Ying's hand, smiled and nodded, "Of course, it's a fair program. I think you can give it a try. You're still so young, you should still pursue your dreams."
Zhao Ying finally nodded heavily.
After exchanging contact information, Zhao Ying couldn't help but feel a slight lump in her throat as she walked out of the cubicle.
Actually, he didn't like music before because his father used him as a tool for a marriage alliance from a young age, so he forced him to learn. He was trained under the rod, and his memories were mostly of practicing the piano and tears. He thought that after getting rid of his father, that demon, he would throw music far away. But when that day actually came, he still sat down at the piano and played with great passion until his fingers were numb. It was as if from that moment, he reconciled with music and was healed by it. His years of bitterness and pain transformed into strength and embraced him again, letting him know that in the past ten years, he had completely merged with these black and white keys and these notes. They were inseparable.
Realizing this, despite his impoverished circumstances, Zhao Ying persevered in working while completing his studies. After graduation, he had nowhere to go and was perhaps taught a lesson by reality. But now, an opportunity presented itself to him again. Fate told him that everything was worthwhile, and that he should follow his heart and believe that everything was for the best.
Yi Jinbai was in a particularly good mood. Jiang Shuiyun put the vegetables into the pot to blanch them, stirred the pot with chopsticks, and helplessly watched Yi Jinbai beside her, who couldn't wait any longer and was about to call Fei Yan to recommend Zhao Ying to him.
After successfully giving her instructions, Yi Jinbai took a bite of the food Jiang Shuiyun had put in her bowl and couldn't help but hum a few times, her pleasant mood evident.
Jiang Shuiyun really didn't understand how helping others could make Yi Jinbai so happy. But seeing Yi Jinbai happy made her feel quite good too.
A note from the author:
The finale is finally here! I'm so excited!
Chapter 92
After finishing their hotpot, the two were quite full, so they decided to take a stroll to digest. Lei Yu and the others followed behind in their car, keeping a safe distance to protect them without disturbing them.
The snow was still falling, but a little lighter. Yi Jinbai reached out and caught a snowflake, watching it land in his palm.
Are you cold?
Jiang Shuiyun grasped Yi Jinbai's hand, and the snowflake was pressed into their clasped hands. The warm temperature melted it into water, and then it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“It’s not cold. It’s the end of another year,” Yi Jinbai looked up at the snowflakes falling gently under the streetlights. “Every year at the end, I can’t help but think more and reminisce more. I feel that time flies by so fast. I feel inexplicably empty inside, as if something is slipping away.”
"The seasons come and go, time flies by like a white horse glimpsed through a crack. This is time. The end of one year leads to the next, and it is another cycle that begins anew."
Jiang Shuiyun felt the same way. At the end of the year, she reminisced about the past, and at the beginning of the new year, she looked to the future. The river of time flows on and on, and they are destined to be just passersby in it. That's why they should cherish the present and the people in front of them even more.
Neither of them spoke again, and they walked quietly in the wind and snow, their hearts gradually calming down.
The New Year arrived quickly, and Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai spent it together. Jiang's parents did not invite them home for the New Year; they simply exchanged New Year's greetings and then went back to their own homes to celebrate the New Year without disturbing each other.
Since the beginning of winter, Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai have moved back to the villa. Although the courtyard is nice, it is not as comfortable as living there in the summer. Naturally, the two of them would go wherever they felt comfortable. So on New Year's Day, after paying their respects to Jiang's parents, they stayed in their small home and invited a few people who had free time to have a get-together.
Shen Yunyi was definitely there. Although he was busy as a child every day, he still had some free time on New Year's Day. Fu Xian was also free. He had arranged for Jiang's parents to go on a trip, so he came over to play for a while. Fei Yan and Gao Zhouzhou were also there. I don't know how these two ended up together. That false rumor actually came true. Gao Zhouzhou didn't even go back to B City for the New Year, so she came along with them.
With the addition of Xu Xu and Lei Yu, the eight of them made up two tables of mahjong. They were all beginners, and the game was quite lively with each other's complaints and grumbling.
"Let's switch tables. You two couples can sit at one table, and the four of us singles can sit at another. That way, you two can protect each other and avoid teaming up to trick us."
Shen Yunyi couldn't continue fighting with Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai, so he pulled Fu Xian to switch seats with Fei Yan and Gao Zhouzhou and went to sit with Lei Yu and Xu Xu. Although he was still a little nervous and scared every time he saw Lei Yu, it was still better than sitting with Jiang Shuiyun.
Even though Fei Yan and Gao Zhouzhou were together, they were still a bickering couple. After reluctantly getting up, Gao Zhouzhou glanced at Fei Yan and snorted disdainfully, "I need him to protect me? Pfft, do you care? I'm going to protect Jin Bai!"
Fei Yan was equally unwilling to back down, "Fine, then I'll protect you..."
Fei Yan's voice faltered when he saw Jiang Shuiyun, the only one left on the table. After a long pause, he managed to say, "I...I...I also protect Jinbai! Humph!"
Yi Jinbai looked at Jiang Shuiyun with amusement. There were four people at the table, and the three of them were ganging up on Jiang Shuiyun.
Jiang Shuiyun looked at Yi Jinbai with a pitiful expression, which successfully made Yi Jinbai laugh. Yi Jinbai patted Jiang Shuiyun's hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Xu Xu, who was on the other side, surveyed the entire scene. As the person who picked up mahjong the fastest, she slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "My goodness, you guys have really figured out how to play mahjong!"
Even Fu Xian's usually serious face showed a smile. "Why don't we form a faction too?"
"OK!"
Xu Xu raised an eyebrow, and with the same ill intent as Fu Xian, he looked at Shen Yunyi and Lei Yu. The two, who were still struggling to figure out the rules, felt a chill in their hearts. They looked at each other, and the other half of their hearts also turned cold.
This table of strong players teamed up to crush the weaker opponents. Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai's table was a complete mess, with the four of them playing until they were dizzy and confused, almost turning their mahjong game into a full-blown brawl.
Outside, everything was covered in a blanket of white snow, with snowflakes fluttering in the air. Inside, the stove was burning brightly, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. After a long day of playing mahjong, everyone would make dumplings and have some tea together. Whoever made the dumplings could eat them themselves, and any leftovers could be packed up to take home. Except for Fu Xian and Xu Xu, everyone else's dumplings were atrocious. Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai were quite disgusted with them. As soon as they were put in the pot to boil, the dumpling wrappers and fillings immediately separated, and once the pot boiled, it became a pot of meat and dumpling soup.
However, as the saying goes, a mother doesn't despise her son for being ugly. After all, it was the result of their hard work, so the group ate quite heartily and even packed up the leftovers before leaving.
After seeing everyone off, it was almost dark. Before leaving, everyone had cleaned up the place, so it wasn't messy. Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai huddled together on the sofa, covered with a blanket, and watched a movie. They then watched the Spring Festival Gala together. When the clock struck midnight, the two kissed.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
In unison, they sent each other their first New Year's greetings and prepared lucky money red envelopes for each other. From now on, they would make up for everything that they had or hadn't had before.
When I open my eyes again, it will be the New Year.
After the call ended, Jiang Shuiyun put her arm around Yi Jinbai and asked, "Do you think we should go on a New Year's trip too?"
"I don't want to go, it's so cold," Yi Jinbai huddled in Jiang Shuiyun's arms. The weather was cold, and she didn't really want to move. "Let's wait until summer."
"good."
Jiang Shuiyun agreed.
Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai's married life was very simple. The two of them lived a secluded life, and several years passed in the blink of an eye. Even the online discussions about them have decreased a lot. However, Jiang Shuiyun's face has been imprinted in textbooks, and Yi Jinbai's name often appears at various international concerts. Perhaps few people mention them, but they will always be remembered.
On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, an explosive news story broke: Jiang Shuiyun was about to establish a charitable foundation, which immediately attracted the attention of countless people.
This was also the result of Jiang Shuiyun's careful consideration. She and Yi Jinbai did not plan to have children, nor would they have any intention of adoption in the future. So what should be done with these assets in the future?
Jiang Shuiyun didn't want to worry about this in her old age, so she took advantage of the present moment, before she truly retired, to arrange a good place for everything.
It comes from the people and is used for the people. Jiang Shuiyun holds the patents for most of the holographic technology. Even if she does nothing every year, it is still an astonishing amount of money that can rival a country. With the operation of a professional team, money makes money and money makes money. Now, not only do others not know how much money Jiang Shuiyun has, but even Jiang Shuiyun herself does not know.
Every year, Jiang Shuiyun sets aside a portion of her funds to give back to the country and society, which has generated a huge influence overseas. Now, what she wants to do is to establish a holographic charity foundation, which will be used entirely for the research and development of various technologies. The foundation will be managed by dedicated personnel, and with the foundation's sponsorship, a portion of the profits from successful research and development will be returned to the foundation. In this way, one generation nurtures the next, and the torch is passed on from generation to generation, ensuring that life continues.
It goes without saying how wealthy the foundation is, and all eyes immediately fell on it. But the shocking news didn't stop there.
Jiang Shuiyun seemed to be clearing out his inventory. The foundation was just the beginning. He then invested in and established the highest-level music award in China, the world's largest holographic game competition named after Jiang Bai, and a series of other investment plans, ranging from the general public to niche groups and from the general public to specific groups. The final returns from these investments will all be invested in social development and Yi Jinbai's charitable activities, forming a complete cycle.
Yi Jinbai is also working with Jiang Shuiyun, but their directions are different. The charitable foundation established by Yi Jinbai is more focused on helping children learn and the elderly be cared for, including protecting some vulnerable groups, providing assistance in various aspects, and actively contributing to helping Omegas step out of their families and integrate into society and the workplace.
Unlike Jiang Shuiyun's high-profile actions, Yi Jinbai's work was more like a gentle rain nourishing the earth, rarely seen in the news. She simply helped those who truly needed help in a very low-key manner, without any profit or expectation of return. In every city, a white cloud logo gradually appeared, omnipresent, giving hope to countless people struggling and desperate for survival.
Jiang Shuiyun's investments are used to break through the limits of human potential and explore higher realms. Yi Jinbai's charity provides a safety net for those who fall behind in this rapidly developing society and fosters new hope. Of course, after Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai pass away, all of these will belong to the country, and then people will pass them down from generation to generation to help more people.
While the whole world was closely watching what Jiang Shuiyun was doing, on the vast grassland under the azure sky, Jiang Shuiyun held the reins, leaned low on a pure black horse, and galloped swiftly. The wind blew her long hair freely, and the world was infinitely wide and vast.
"Oh ho," Jiang Shuiyun said with a smile. After running around, she came back, tightened the reins, and stopped in front of the makeshift tent. She bent down and looked at Yi Jinbai, who was earnestly learning the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) from the locals. "Shall I take you for a ride?"
“Wait a minute,” Yi Jinbai smiled and looked up at her, “I’ll get it right away.”
“My Jinbai is amazing, she can pick up any instrument quickly,” Jiang Shuiyun said, nimbly dismounting and sitting down on a chair to wait. “By the way, Lei Yu and Xu Xu will be here soon. Yun Yi just called me and said he’s coming too, but Fu Xian isn’t willing to help him look after the company. The two of them are haggling over it.”
"Really? That's going to be interesting," Yi Jinbai said with some anticipation. "Speaking of which, it's been several years already. I thought Lieutenant Lei and President Shen would get together, but President Fu and Miss Xu are almost engaged, and there's still no sign of them."
"Don't even mention it. When it comes to love, Shen Yunyi is a giant in theory but a dwarf in practice. He gets scared and wants to run away at the sight of thunderstorms, but then he regrets it. Unlike Fu Xian, who didn't say a word, and bam, the invitations were already delivered."
Jiang Shuiyun teased the group, "They're all getting on in years, yet they act like teenagers. No wonder he's single."
"Do professors talk badly about people behind their backs?"
Lei Yu and Xu Xu walked out from behind the shed. Xu Xu was wearing a black work uniform, which was rare for her. She was wearing black sunglasses and looked beautiful and cool. Lei Yu was wearing camouflage and her high ponytail made her look neat. However, she clearly heard Jiang Shuiyun and Xu Xu's teasing and tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, but her face turned a little red.
"It's alright, I can say it to his face," Jiang Shuiyun said without any guilt, turning around to look at the two of them. "You came pretty quickly, didn't you?"
“If it weren’t for the many things you assigned, Professor, we could have arrived much faster,” Xu Xu said, sitting down in the empty chair next to him. “Miss Yi is learning something new again? The video of Miss Yi demonstrating sixty-four musical instruments, acting like an entire orchestra all by herself, hasn’t been released yet. How are others supposed to compete?”
"You're never too old to learn. Every new thing brings a different feeling, and you can't help but itch to touch it when you see it."
Yi Jinbai tried playing it once, "Actually, knowing a lot of things is not very useful. Due to objective reasons, time is limited, so the skill level is very poor."