Age of Legends

Chapter 360 Escape

Jiang Rong considered herself to be proud, and how could she not be? During the years when she refused her father Jiang Chenggeng's financial support to become independent, even if she ate only one meal a day and saved enough money to buy a steamed bun to satisfy her craving, even if she went to do internships and work, she would never ask Jiang Chenggeng for money. She always had backbone.

During those years, she refused all the "opportunities" that some professors in the department offered, whether explicitly or implicitly, or the banquets where they would drink and socialize.

She certainly has the right to mock Zhang Chen for "having nothing but money in his eyes".

"Making money is definitely the top priority, but good reputation is something we can't ignore. And the better we want things to go, the more important it becomes. It's like you've written an essay about integrity, so how can you afford to mess it up?"

Jiang Rong's magnetic voice, carrying a hint of admonition, drifted through the night: "If one day you step out from behind the scenes and people say, 'This is the one who wrote about integrity back then, the one with the missing blank in his backpack,' how will you ever be able to hold your head high?"

Zhang Chen looked at her, knowing she strongly disagreed and was trying to persuade him in this way. However, it was still effective; Zhang Chen admitted he had been misled by some practices from later generations, and that Jiang Rong's words made a lot of sense.

Zhang Chen nodded: "You're right. It was me. I do seem to have become a bit too money-grubbing. From now on, you'll have to remind me of anything that needs to be done."

This is one of Jiang Rong's strengths. She is quite steady and upright. Although she seems to listen to and do everything she is told, she doesn't blindly follow others. When she encounters something that goes against her principles, she will stand up for herself.

Jiang Rong, on the other hand, was taken aback. Seeing her expression, Zhang Chen raised his beer can and gently touched it to the beer in her hand. The icy liquid went down his throat: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Rong gently stroked the edge of the aluminum can of beer with her fingers, then looked up and said, "Actually, I regret what I just said. It's easy for me to say that without knowing the pain. You've been the one running the studio, the one who built it from scratch. In the most dangerous time, you invested money and equipment and single-handedly produced 'Seven-Day Agreement,' turning our disadvantage at the TV station around."

"I can't do anything, yet after enjoying the fruits of victory, I still come to nitpick at you. You don't know the cost of living until you're in charge of the household; you must have your reasons."

Zhang Chen was slightly taken aback, thinking, "No, I just admitted my mistakes, and now you're here to reflect on them? Is this a performance review meeting?"

So I had to change the subject and get back on track: "Alright, alright, let's not dwell on self-reflection. But as I just said, ultimately, we need to create new rules for the future and become rule-makers. I've said a lot, but that's the general idea. Of course, there will definitely be many difficulties in implementation... but that's the general idea. We need to build a platform. Content is our weapon for expansion."

"In the future, we will need you to take on the role of content officer in this area and leverage your professional expertise. In fact, what you are doing now is already at the forefront. I guarantee that many people do not have your experience at all."

"The TV station is just the starting point. To achieve something long-term, our next step is to become a place that can attract people, produce content, and even create stars. Otherwise, no matter how successful the TV station's programs are, they will ultimately only benefit others..."

Next, Zhang Chen launched into another long, rambling explanation to Jiang Rong.

But Jiang Rong didn't interrupt him again; instead, her eyes grew brighter and brighter as she listened intently.

It wasn't that I was surprised by Zhang Chen's ability to see the long term, but rather that she was present in many aspects of the future that Zhang Chen described.

"After I got into university, I went to handle the paperwork..."

“We need to have our own copyrights, our own resources, our own connections... When the time comes, I will handle the distribution channels, and you will manage the content.”

"There's still a lot to do and a lot to learn, but that's okay. I believe you can learn and grow through experience and grow as you explore new frontiers..."

These fleeting glimpses of his plans for her, his reliance on her, and his hopes for her were all contained in these rambling thoughts, which stirred Jiang Rong's emotions as she listened.

Zhang Chen actually has a very nice voice. When he talks about these dreamlike futures, I don't think anyone wouldn't feel fascinated by them.

The key point is that Jiang Rong could sense how much she would accomplish if that future became a reality—something she herself had never dared to imagine before. She had previously refused her father's support because her mother had hurt her and told her "not to rely on him." Later, she stubbornly clung to this belief, refusing to accept Jiang Chenggeng, refusing to accept his attempts to compensate for her guilt with money.

Countless nights, she would weep as she thought of her mother, silently telling herself: "Jiang Rong, you must make me proud!" "Jiang Rong, you must achieve great success!" "Jiang Rong, you must become famous!" "You must take good care of yourself..."

Now, her future is one that the little girl who used to motivate herself with fantasies might never have dared to imagine.

Afterwards, Zhang Chen talked to her a lot, such as asking about Wu Yue.

Unexpectedly, while Liu Qi was imprisoned, Wu Yue managed to sever ties smoothly, reportedly owning a villa, a luxury car, and receiving a large sum of money.

Although she has faded from the spotlight at the television station, it seems that she has no worries now.

However, she did not seem to enjoy the glamour that came with all the material wealth she had acquired. Every time Jiang Rong met her, she looked haggard and seemed to have become accustomed to being indifferent and avoiding the ridicule of the world.

Sometimes I feel sorry for them and pity them.

Zhang Chen scoffed, "She and Liu Qi, they really are in love. He was on the verge of bankruptcy, yet he risked everything to leave her a lot. And she, despite getting what many women who marry rich crave, seems to have lost her soul. What is love in this world? Someone like Liu Qi, how could he have such good fortune?" Jiang Rong nodded. While she felt some sympathy for Wu Yue from a woman's perspective, she knew that every pitiful person has their faults, and she wouldn't be so saintly as to speak up for her. When Wu Yue was in power, she had genuinely oppressed many people. If it weren't for Zhang Chen, Jiang Rong would have taken what she wanted from Wu Yue. She usurped Wu Yue's position, and she didn't deserve a word of pity after her downfall.

On the contrary, Zhang Chen has been talking more since the beginning. He smells of alcohol, his face is slightly red, and he is now rubbing his temples, as if he is starting to have a headache.

Jiang Rong then came to her senses, snatched the beer can from his hand, and softened her tone: "Can't you drink less? Eat more vegetables."

Zhang Chen glanced at the three cans of beer beside him, then looked at Jiang Rong, who had already downed four. Well, no, he'd been drinking quite a bit, just chatting, and had only managed three cans. But given his recent high school graduation and lack of prior alcohol experience, three cans were already making him tipsy. Jiang Rong, however, seemed oblivious to his conversation, having downed four cans herself, her cheeks only slightly flushed, clearly just moistening her lips, leaving Zhang Chen utterly speechless.

"My head is starting to hurt, and you've drunk more than me, yet you're perfectly fine? Did you work out in college?"

"I've had a few drinks with my roommates in college, how could that be considered exercise? I don't go to any drinking parties, it's just that I'm naturally not easily drunk!" Jiang Rong said in a slightly hurried voice, "It's just that my face turns red when I drink, but I'm not easily drunk."

She blushed and looked at Zhang Chen with mischievous eyes, saying, "Don't even think about getting me drunk. Besides, you can't possibly hold your liquor..."

They even made sarcastic remarks.

Zhang Chen simply admitted defeat: "Hot pot with ice-cold beer is very refreshing, but I drank too much. I can't drink anymore, my head is spinning."

“Then how about…” Jiang Rong glanced at the sofa over there. She was going to say that you were feeling dizzy and should lie down on the sofa for a while, but before she could say it, she said somewhat inadvertently, “How about I rub it for you? Massage your scalp.”

Seeing Zhang Chen's gaze, Jiang Rong quickly added, "You have the most useful brain, don't let alcohol damage it, relaxing and resting is the most important thing."

"Here?" Zhang Chen looked at the hot pot table. There were only four stools.

Jiang Rong pointed to the somewhat artistic wrought iron sofa and said, "Go lie down there."

Firstly, his head was indeed dizzy and he had some throbbing pain, much like the headache that comes from working on math problems until his blood oxygen levels drop. So, Zhang Chen, who was about to refuse, changed his mind and thought about trying Jiang Rong's cooking. He said okay and got up to walk to the small sofa in the living room.

The rented room was small to begin with, and the sofa wasn't big either, only about 1.8 meters wide, making it a bit cramped for three people. Zhang Chen lay down on half of the sofa, leaving the other half for Jiang Rong, while he himself draped his buttocks and head over the sofa.

Jiang Rong turned the hot pot down to a simmer, then got up and came over.

Zhang Chen smelled a fragrance wafting from the side, and then the sofa cushion behind his head sank. Jiang Rong had clearly moved in, and he could even feel her body heat.

The fingers still seemed to carry the coolness of the beer can. The fingertips gently pressed against his temples, and Zhang Chen immediately felt a cool, soothing, and soft comfort.

“With half your body outside like this, it’s not easy to press. Why don’t you lie up a little higher?” Jiang Rong’s voice came softly from above.

Zhang Chen kept his eyes closed. He was dizzy and had a headache, and he would rather die than open them. Hearing Jiang Rong's reasonable suggestion, he moved his buttocks and pushed his body up a bit.

The next moment, the back of my head, which was expected to land on the sofa cushion, unexpectedly rested on something soft and warm.

When the soothing and kneading pressure from the fingertips reached his head and temples, Zhang Chen realized from the cottony touch, temperature, fragrance, and suppleness he felt at the back of his head that he was probably resting on that girl's thigh.

Thinking about Jiang Rong's clothes and their position, Zhang Chen simply stopped opening his eyes and pretended to be dead. Or perhaps he was really dizzy, and the girl's massage was too comfortable, so Zhang Chen actually fell asleep with his head on her pillow.

I was awakened by the vibration of the phone in my pocket.

Zhang Chen didn't know how much time had passed before he was awakened by the noise and heard the girl's voice from above: "Your phone..."

Huang Huifen called because it was already past ten o'clock and Zhang Chen still hadn't come home. Huang Huifen immediately called him and gave him a lecture, asking him where he was and why he hadn't come home yet.

Upon hearing Zhang Chen say he was out drinking, Huang Huifen immediately launched into a tirade through the microphone.

Zhang Chen hung up the phone, hurriedly said goodbye to Jiang Rong, grabbed his coat, and hailed a taxi to leave.

She didn't know if Zhang Chen had been using his pillow for too long, causing her legs to go numb, so much so that she didn't even get up to see him off when he opened the door to leave.

(End of this chapter)