Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 134

That night, Li Changsheng left Kunming and returned to Beijing.

That night, the patriarch of the Yin family passed away in his sleep, and Yin Yeyao was officially promoted to chairman of the board. To everyone's surprise, Yin Xunzong returned to the Yin Corporation and shook hands with Yin Yeyao. Xu Mi's allied forces betrayed her overnight, and her power never recovered. She could only watch with resentment and pride as her only son made waves in the business world.

Soon after, Qiu Shanglin went abroad for further studies.

Zhang Hongwei cried and wailed, but couldn't persuade his daughter, who had already made up her mind. Qiu Jianguo looked dejected, only managing to slip a bank card into Shang Lin's hand. Qiu Xia Lin almost jumped up, furiously heading to confront Li Changsheng—in their eyes, Li Changsheng had betrayed and abandoned his sister…

Shanglin stopped him.

She and Li Changsheng didn't face life-or-death situations, nor were they burdened with countless difficulties, nor were they embroiled in mysteries of their past or national and familial feuds. They lacked all the fantastical, heart-wrenching reasons for forced separation often found in novels. They were simply an ordinary couple, wanting to live ordinary lives. Their feelings faded with time, their love was tempered by the mundane realities of life. They tried, they communicated, they hurt each other, and ultimately, they chose to let go.

Choosing to let go here was the right decision, wasn't it?

Packing their bags, flipping through the photos, each one showing Li Changsheng and Qiu Xialin's radiant smiling faces. No more hurt for each other, just beautiful memories...

At the international airport, she refused her family's offer to see her off and chose to travel alone. After checking in her luggage and walking towards the entrance with her ticket, she suddenly froze.

Two bodyguards followed Yin Yeyao at a distance, waiting for her not far from the entrance.

They looked at each other without saying a word.

When they first met, no one could have predicted the entanglements and bonds they would face today, nor could they have foreseen that his deep affection for her would ultimately be thwarted by family responsibilities.

He wanted to make one last effort.

Shang Lin shook his head: "We know perfectly well that if we miss it, we miss it."

You can't let go of your family, and I value my family immensely too.

As Qiu Shanglin walked through security and disappeared from sight, the bodyguard who had been following him from a distance came up and said, "Young Master, there is a meeting this afternoon."

Yin Yeyao lowered her brows and responded faintly.

Final Chapter

Three years later.

A bedroom in an ordinary residential area of Marseille, France. The bedroom has a rather diverse style: Chinese-style paper curtains hang to the floor, Japanese tatami mats are laid flat on the floor, the lampshade of the floor lamp features an Indian woman with her belly exposed, the ceiling light is minimalist, and the wallpaper is an intricately patterned tropical rainforest.

Like every household, colorful flowers bloom outside the window. What sets it apart are two birdcages hanging there, with a small, exquisite yellow finches and a parrot living opposite each other.

Qiu Shanglin was fast asleep in this room.

She hasn't returned to China for three years, has no fixed abode, and has traveled to countries large and small throughout Europe during that time. She even had time to go to Africa to see gorillas. This house in France is the address where she has lived the longest.

Qiu Shanglin had a dream.

In Guangzhou in 2009, the scorching heat was intense, as if fire was falling from the sky. The oppressive heat evaporated sweat, and after a day of running around, my body reeked of an unpleasant stench of sweat.

Qiu Shanglin stood on the street, somewhat bewildered.

She was waiting at the traffic light. The red light turned green, but suddenly her mind went blank.

Where is she? On the busiest street in Guangzhou?

So what about Mocha Cat's boutique? You can see it right away on this huge billboard—a print ad shot by Fan Chen for Mocha menswear…

Why is she here? She should be in a company meeting, sitting at the head of the table, listening to reports from her subordinates one by one, and then making decisions...

Suddenly someone patted her on the shoulder: "Xiao Qiu, are you done with your business? Let's go back to the company." Without saying another word, they pulled her away.

Shanglin was terrified.

Xiao Qiu? Nobody ever called her that.

Those close to him call him Shanglin, while outsiders call him Boss Qiu...

The other person pulled her onto the bus, chattering incessantly the whole way: "Xiao Wang from the company is having an affair with a married man... The manager is withholding bonuses..."

A sudden inspiration struck me, and I managed to grasp a clue amidst the chaos.

Ah, this person.

This person.

She was my colleague in my past life!

A past life? A past life? Could it be that I've returned to a past life?

In a daze, she pulled me into the company, and I sat at my desk as if in a dream, gazing at everything that was both familiar and strange. Potted plants, photo albums, folders, pale pink sticky notes…

Qiu Shanglin has gone mad.

My colleague came over and said the supervisor was looking for me.

She got up in a daze, vaguely remembering the supervisor's office, vaguely pushed open the door and went in, vaguely answering a few questions from the supervisor, and then heard the supervisor say stiffly and rigidly:

"Xiao Qiu, you are an invaluable asset, but the tide has turned, and the company has no choice but to lay off staff to weather the crisis. Thank you for your dedication to the company over the years. If there is an opportunity in the future, we would like to reunite you..."

I've definitely developed a split personality.

Back at his seat, his colleagues surrounded him with concern and worry, offering a barrage of words of comfort and reassurance… Shanglin didn't know what he said in response when suddenly the phone rang. He answered it; it was from his hometown. His mother was anxious, her voice trembling with tears:

"Shanglin, your brother has been arrested for accidentally injuring someone..."

Shang Lin's mind went blank for a moment.

Xia Lin, Qiu Xia Lin? Wasn't he doing well at university in Beijing?

Mechanically carrying the miscellaneous items packed in cardboard boxes, she walked out, only to be met by a group of people. As they faced each other, Shang Lin recognized someone. She exclaimed:

"Night is far away!"

Yin Yeyao glanced at her coldly, like a stranger, icy and devoid of warmth, even showing disgust for employees who don't follow the rules.

She cried out anxiously, "Ye Yao, it's me! Don't you recognize me? Ye Yao, Yin Ye Yao!"

Yin Yeyao brushed past her, ignoring her calls.

Standing in the sunlight, I felt as if I were on ice.

Which life is reality, the next or the previous?

She walked aimlessly down the street when someone came running towards her like the wind and accidentally knocked her cardboard box to the ground, scattering the contents everywhere.

The other person quickly squatted down to help pick it up, apologizing repeatedly: "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Shanglin was overjoyed: "Immortality!"

Chang Sheng scrutinized her closely, puzzled, and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Shanglin, Qiu Shanglin!"

He thought for a while, then shook his head: "I'm sorry, I don't recognize you."

A woman walked over, took Changsheng's arm, and said coquettishly, "You said you were going to try on wedding dresses, but look how clumsy you are..."

Shanglin was struck as if by lightning.

Sun Yihan. The woman next to him is Sun Yihan.

Changsheng, arm in arm with Sun Yihan, walked past Shanglin and whispered, "This young lady seems to know me, but I don't know her name..."

Sun Yihan didn't take it to heart: "Maybe they're people who admire you."

The two walked by, chatting and laughing. Shang Lin stood there with her hands clasped, the cardboard box on the ground. In the photo album, there was only her lonely and forlorn smiling face.

A sharp pain surged into his heart like a tidal wave, and Shanglin broke down in tears, unable to control himself.

The wall clock struck three, and a cuckoo poked its head out from the doorway, chirping merrily, "Get up, get up!"

On the balcony, a parrot and a yellow-rumped warbler flapped their wings at the same time, and the parrot shouted: "Lazybones, get up! Lazybones, get up!"

Shanglin woke up with a start, touched his cheek, and found it wet with tears from the dream.

His eyes darted around, still half-asleep. His gaze fell on the photo on the opposite desk, fixed on it for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh. It was just a dream.

With a ringing sound, the answering machine turned on, and Fan Chen's cheerful voice came through: "Hello, good morning. It's another sunny day. We're meeting in Paris tonight. You're not still in bed, are you?"