Age of Legends

Chapter 288 Late Night Snack Partner
"I should be able to get there around nine o'clock. See you then."

During winter break, Zhang Chen also gained a late-night snack buddy, who was actually invited by Jiang Rong. Due to the nature of his work on the show, he sometimes couldn't even eat dinner, so he could only grab some food at the night market after leaving the station.

Previously, the two would occasionally chat between Zhang Chen's afternoon school and evening self-study sessions. Now, since Zhang Chen is on vacation, they usually meet up for late-night snacks to talk.

Jiang Rong's yellow-streaked wavy hair, paired with a half-up hairstyle, a dark gray sweater, casual long pants, and a plaid scarf, gives her a very trendy "Korean style" look.

She carried a striking yellow shoulder bag and walked over from a distance, drawing frequent glances from passersby at her youthful energy.

These qualities were not seen in Jiang Rong before. Back in her media university days, her clothing and demeanor always conveyed a deliberate attempt to conceal her brilliance. Today, however, she resembles a normal college student.

When she saw Zhang Chen, Jiang Rong smiled and waved to him.

Zhang Chen asked in surprise, "Why are you dressed like this? Where are your glasses? Aren't you wearing business attire? Is this how you usually dress at the TV station? I saw you dressed quite normally once."

The so-called "normal" moment occurred when the camera focused on the audience in the emotional mediation room. Jiang Rong was just standing next to the audience, but she was dressed casually, not deliberately trying to blend in. Her smart suit, casual trousers, and gold-rimmed glasses made her face appear somewhat veiled, but her beautiful eyes and sharp nose still revealed a refined and elegant air that was quite striking. If there were comments on the screen, countless viral memes would likely have popped up.

But seeing Jiang Rong's appearance today is what prompted Zhang Chen to ask the question unexpectedly.

Jiang Rong paused for a moment before saying, "We can't always dress like that. Sometimes we should dress more casually."

Zhang Chen nodded; he had only asked casually.

As they sat down to order skewers, Jiang Rong glanced at him and said, "Are you trying to say I'm trying to look young?"

Zhang Chen was surprised and asked, "What was that saying again?"

Jiang Rong said, "You can just say it directly, I can handle it! It's no big deal if you stab me in the back!"

Jiang Rong was feeling frustrated. Actually, at the station, she wasn't a leading lady or anchor; sometimes she had to oversee the operation of various departments within the program, so she couldn't appear too young, otherwise she might not even be able to manage temporary workers. Therefore, she still presented herself as a leading lady, dressing in a professional and sophisticated manner. However, due to some late nights, Jiang Rong recently felt her blood and energy were insufficient, leading to anxiety about her appearance.

Sometimes when I look at myself in the mirror when I get back to my dorm, I suddenly feel like I've aged a head. Tonight, I had barbecue with Zhang Chen, and she inexplicably brought along an outfit that she really liked when she went shopping before, a youthful and energetic style that she had never had a chance to wear. Today, she changed into the outfit in the dressing room when she left the TV station.

Jiang Rong had been curious to see Zhang Chen's expression and how his eyes would change when he saw her, but instead of the usual college campus demeanor, his words left her speechless. Fortunately, food was a comforting thing; she devoured the sizzling, oily charcoal-grilled beef skewers, and Jiang Rong stopped worrying about it.

The two of them shared a skewer of meat from a roadside stall, chatting casually about work and sharing their experiences—a very relaxing activity.

Jiang Rong felt that she was smiling more often, and Zhang Chen also realized that since his rebirth, he and Jiang Rong had quite a lot to talk about. On the one hand, both of them were pretending, but once the pretense of cooperation was removed, they could get along more freely.

Jiang Rong had witnessed his extraordinary insight, so Zhang Chen didn't need to hide anything from her. Jiang Rong didn't feel like she was talking to someone who was like a younger brother; on the contrary, sometimes it felt more like talking to a friend who was her age, or even someone whose mental age surpassed hers.

“I’ve heard about your dad and mom’s situation lately… Congratulations! Although it seems you don’t need your parents to build your empire for you, you can do it all yourself.” Jiang Rong ate a skewer of grilled chicken gizzard, chewing it with some chili powder still on her lips. She wiped it with a piece of paper she was holding in one hand and glanced at him sideways with her almond-shaped eyes.

"Do you have some misunderstanding about me? I also want to be a rich kid. Who would work hard if they could just lie around? My parents can build an empire for me, why should I work hard to build one? Can't I just be the crown prince?"

Zhang Chen was quite annoyed. It seemed that Jiang Rong had a misunderstanding of him because of his abilities. Did she really think he was so great, having conquered an empire?

If a man had ulterior motives towards her, and at this moment, faced with the confidence and admiration she showed in her tone, he would probably put on a persona of being superior and then try to seduce her by being attracted to her beauty.

But Zhang Chen looked at Jiang Rong's bulging cheeks and red oil around her lips, and saw that she shared his love for layered pastries... well, he couldn't afford to raise her.

In Jiang Rong's words, Zhang Chen also detected some of her habitual thought patterns, as if she had always been resistant to and dismissive of relying on her parents. Zhang Chen knew that her mother had passed away long ago, so the only thing that could make her have this attitude was her father.

Zhang Chen was a little curious. Following the principle of equal and fair observation, he said, "You mentioned my parents, so I'll ask about my family too." He then asked, "And you? Your dad seems quite wealthy, but why do you live so frugally? Is it because your father was involved in your mother's death, and you can't forgive him?"

Although he knew it was somewhat impolite to pry into other people's affairs, he and Jiang Rong didn't have to be on guard at every turn. However, he could understand if Jiang Rong turned on him or remained silent with a cold temper.

Jiang Rong finally spoke up: "Pretty much. My dad was in business, and back then it was still in its early stages. He was often traveling for work. My mom caught him cheating several times, but their relationship was never good. My mom came from a scholarly family, and when my dad married her, he was a poor young man. There was already a distance between them, but my mom still stayed with my dad. It's just that they couldn't get along later on, and they argued more and more. My dad suffered because my mom's family looked down on him, and my mom often brought it up. Their arguments basically destroyed their marital relationship. My mom got sick and died so quickly, which was also inseparable from the bad relationship between my mom and dad."

“My mother is very strong-willed. Even when she was at her worst, she never forgave my father and refused to see him. Although my father offered money and effort, my mother’s unyielding spirit shocked me. Later, I continued her hatred for my father. After that, my father seemed to settle down. He stopped spending money recklessly and started a new family. He also kept offering to give me money. But I still stood with my maternal grandparents. I didn’t want his money and I didn’t want to accept him.”

After eating another skewer of beef, Jiang Rong finished speaking, "That's it. That's all. It sounds like a very common thing, but this kind of thing probably happens quite often. I don't hate my dad as much now, but I still can't accept his gifts with equanimity. But I really want to be rich, and I really want to build a great career... You have to help me."

(End of this chapter)