Starting a new chapter in life

Jingyan was too lazy to tease him anymore. She dragged him to He Jin'an's office with Assistant Liu. Assistant Liu pushed Jingyan's suitcase while laughing. The boss's parents are really interesting. Their bickering relationship must be very good.

Upon entering He Jin'an's office, Jing Yan skillfully found a teapot, teacups, and tea leaves and busied herself brewing tea. After putting their suitcases in the corner, Assistant Liu went out for a walk and came back in carrying a bag, placing the contents of the bag onto the coffee table one by one.

Peanuts, sunflower seeds, biscuits, nuts... If you didn't know this was an office, you'd think you were at a summer camp.

After preparing food and drinks for the two of them, Assistant Liu left first. Although he was called an assistant, he actually had a lot of things to do, and of course, his salary was not low. After the elderly couple were left in the office, He Zhijun clicked his tongue and said, "An'an's company is more upscale than our factory's office area. The environment is really nice."

Jing Yan nodded: "Yes, your son is quite capable. He gave 600,000 yuan back then, and the rest was handled by him and Teacher Shen. When my mother and I came here last time, the office area was quite deserted. Now, only a few years later, it's almost full."

He Zhijun paced back and forth in his office, finding everything fascinating. He could even stare at a landscape painting meant for decoration for ages. Jing Yan, however, didn't understand these pretentious things. She sat comfortably on the sofa, sipping her tea.

Although she was just casually brewing tea, the tea leaves tasted really good, with a light floral fragrance and a strong tea aroma. She picked up the tea canister, turned it over and over to look at it for a while, oh, Pu'er tea.

Isn't Pu'er tea supposed to be sold in tea cakes? Why is this loose? And it's even in a tin can. If it weren't for the small label at the bottom, she wouldn't have been able to find any information about the tea. I have to say, the packaging is really exquisite.

He Zhijun had strolled around enough, so he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. "Hmm, this tea is good."

Jingyan ignored him, happily peeling and eating nuts. He Zhijun glanced at his watch: "When will An'an be able to come? Where are we staying tonight? Also, you said before that Zhizhi had a filming assignment, it's been two years now, isn't it? Is it going to be an epic production?"

Jingyan was amused by him: "Zhizhi is filming a promotional video, mainly to promote the culture of our motherland and the beautiful scenery and food of various places. The content should be quite diverse, so it's normal for it to take a long time. Ask An'an about the progress when he comes over later."

"Your son is a boss now, it's normal for him to be busy. You should be worried if he's idle all the time. What if the company doesn't do well and he starves?"

He Zhijun curled his lips: "How hard can it be as hard as you used to be? That was working from dawn till dusk. He's so much more comfortable now. He had the start-up capital you gave him to start the company, and he also had the connections that Teacher Shen brought in. He didn't have to start from scratch."

“Everything is hard work, it’s just that the hard work is done in different directions. Don’t always use old ideas to be self-righteous. If you don’t care about the child, then try to talk less. I didn’t see you complaining so much when the child was little. What, now that the child is older, you’re worried about him?” Jing Yan lightly retorted to him.

He Zhijun gave an "oh" in agreement. Indeed, it seemed that he had become more prone to complaining these past two years as he got older. He would have to be careful in the future so that his wife wouldn't look down on him. His wife had traveled to many places in the past few years and had gained a lot of experience. He wouldn't say he was keeping up with the times, but at least he couldn't hold her back.

After finishing the meeting, He Jin'an immediately went to his office. Although he didn't show much emotional fluctuation on his face, his steps, which were much faster than usual, showed his urgency. He pushed open the office door and immediately saw two elderly people sitting on the sofa. His father was peeling pistachios and his mother was eating them. They were cooperating quite well.

Hearing the door open, the two looked up together. He Zhijun put down the unpeeled pistachios, brushed the crumbs off his hands, and stood up: "An'an, are you done with your work?"

He Jin'an entered the room with a smile and closed the door. "Mom and Dad, why didn't you call me before you came? Even if I didn't have time, I would have asked Assistant Liu to pick you up. Did you two take a taxi? It must be hard to get a taxi near the station."

Jingyan took a sip of tea and swallowed the nut in her mouth. "Your dad and I came by plane. There weren't many people taking taxis at the airport, so it was quite convenient and we didn't bother you."

Where do you live now? I see your company isn't close to Zhizhi's house or the houses near the Aerospace University. You must have a place to stay nearby.

An An nodded: "A new residential area has been built near the company, and it's all apartment-style housing. I've rented one for myself for now, and the rent is okay. Mom and Dad, how about I rent one for you too, so you can stay here a little longer?"

Jing Yan shook her head: "Do you have enough money left?"

He Jin'an nodded: "It's enough. With the million you invested in me later, I bought the copyright to a fantasy novel with a wide readership. After filming was completed, it has been released for half a year and the response has been very good. There aren't many TV series of this kind on the market nowadays, so I guess I got a bargain."

The TV station's dividends are good; not only have we recouped our initial investment, but we've also made a considerable profit. That's why I've bought the adaptation rights to three more novels, one of which, a palace intrigue drama, I plan to have Zhizhi produce.

"We've also found directors and production teams for the remaining two films. If just two of these three films become hits, our company will take another step forward. Then I can truly stand tall and introduce myself as the owner of a media company, not just a talent agency operating under the guise of media."

Jingyan was very pleased: "My son is really amazing, he has a good eye, he was able to sell the first one."

"My company has signed quite a few actors now. Although most of them are self-taught and not from a professional acting background, there are advantages to that. They are not picky about jobs and are willing to work hard. There are many action scenes in that fantasy drama."

If someone is somewhat famous, they might request a stunt double, which would be quite expensive. However, most of the roles are played by artists we have signed.

Aside from the truly high-difficulty stunts, we usually do all the stunts ourselves. This not only saves money but also produces better results. Perhaps that's why it sold so well; even the TV station professionals said our show has a high production quality.

An An finally showed his childish side in front of his parents, proudly sharing his achievements. Of course, this joy also required parents who wouldn't spoil the fun, and luckily, his parents never did.

Having received enough emotional support from his parents, and with time running out, He Jin'an decided to take the two elders out to eat. They happily followed his lead, leaving the company.

Watching the two leave with the big boss, the company employees discussed it curiously. Assistant Liu happened to come over and overheard them. He coughed lightly, silencing the noisy crowd.

"Those two are our boss's parents. When you see them next time, remember to be polite, but don't be too eager. Just be polite and considerate. Don't embarrass our boss. Okay, stop gossiping and get back to your work. What, have you finished all your work?"

Everyone scattered like birds and beasts, slinking back to their workstations in disgrace. Assistant Liu shook his head helplessly. The company atmosphere was good, probably because everyone was young and energetic, but they were all too curious.

They always love gossip and are too difficult to manage. The boss is the same; he doesn't usually implement a high-pressure policy, so at the slightest hint of trouble, people in the company always like to gossip about it. It's no wonder they work in media; their ears are incredibly sharp.

Jingyan and her companions never expected that their visit would create such a buzz. They arrived at a private restaurant, and let me put it another way, the ambiance was absolutely fantastic. There were only a few tables, and everyone spoke in hushed tones, making even Jingyan, who usually speaks quite loudly, feel a little restrained.

The food was indeed delicious, but the environment was so quiet it was almost uncomfortable.

After finishing their meal, the group went out and got into the car. Jingyan finally let out a long sigh: "An'an, please don't bring me to this place again. It's too uncomfortable."

I've seen everyone who came. Judging from their clothes, manners, and speech, they're all respectable people of status and position. It's not something ordinary people like us can get used to. I prefer a noisy dining environment.

He Jinan...

"Okay, Mom, I just wanted to show you around. I wouldn't have known about this kind of place a couple of years ago. I only found out about it when I had dinner with the TV station leaders last time. They said the chef here was a royal chef in his family. The food is really good. I didn't expect you to not like it. I'll take you somewhere else to eat next time."

He Jin'an is quick to follow advice and does whatever her mother says, making her a well-behaved and obedient child.

"An'an, do you know when Zhizhi is coming back?" He Zhijun finally couldn't help but ask.

He Jin'an, driving, casually replied, "He just called me last month and said he should be back in two or three months, around June at the latest."

You wouldn't believe it, Zhizhi has really learned a lot from Director Liu. I've seen the footage they sent back with several editors, and we all say it's of very high quality. They've already edited it into thirty episodes.

The documentary is organized by city and region, encompassing beautiful scenery, delicious food, people, and even historical and cultural elements in some places—it's quite comprehensive. I believe that once this documentary is released, it will be absolutely unique to us, at least for now.

“There should have been documentaries about local customs and culture before. CCTV isn’t going to make such a big mistake.” Jing Yan wondered. She didn’t like watching this kind of TV, so she rarely followed documentaries and preferred TV dramas and movies. But just thinking about it, this shouldn’t be the first one.

An'an laughed: "My mom knows quite a lot. Of course, I'm not saying she's the first in our country, but I'm saying that in terms of its high quality and comprehensiveness, we are definitely the first."

You have no idea how hard Zhizhi and her team have worked these past two years. Many of the places she explored were places I'd never even heard of before, but those places have beautiful scenery, unique food, and distinctive local customs. Once these films are released, they'll definitely create a tourism boom.

In Yunnan, there is a very remote town that is isolated from the world. The ten-mile peach blossom forest is just an agricultural park in the local area, but when it is filmed, it looks like a fairyland. It is very beautiful and has a magical feel to it.

The fantasy drama I'm currently preparing to film is scheduled to take place there; the nearby villages are quaint and charming, so it won't need much preparation before it's filmed.

The director of that show has already gone there with his scouting team. Once the deal is finalized, we'll rent the space, and then we can start casting here. Mom, don't you think Zhizhi is amazing?

Jingyan listened with a smile. As she gets older, she enjoys hearing about the achievements of children, even if she doesn't understand them.

He Zhijun chuckled, "Then how about your mother and I go take a look sometime? Your mother has traveled to many places, but your father has hardly ever gone far from home since we moved to Haishi."

I did travel to quite a few places when I was young, but it was mostly with the military, so I never really got to see them properly. Besides, the checks were strict back then, and I didn't dare go out for a stroll, afraid of being caught and never being brought back.

He Jin'an didn't experience that era, but there are many TV dramas and movies related to that time. Although he doesn't like watching them, he still knows a lot about the responsibilities of that era. He also feels sorry for his father. Compared to his mother's carefree life, his father's life is really... unremarkable.

Out of sympathy for his father, he readily agreed: "No problem. As long as the location is settled, you and Mom will go with the staff there, and they'll arrange a private house for you both. You can even visit the filming location when you have time. It may be a bit chaotic, but it's quite interesting."

As we were talking, the car entered the community parking lot, took the elevator, and entered the house. How should I put it? It didn't feel like a home. Although the furniture was complete and the kitchen showed signs of use, it just looked cold and deserted. If you ignored the pots and pans that showed signs of use, you could easily mistake it for a show flat. It had no warmth or life at all.

Looking at the cold, predominantly white apartment, Jingyan sighed, "Would you want to come back and stay in this house?"

He Jin'an frowned: "I only come back to stay for one night. During the day, I'm either at the company or on a business trip. I don't have time to stay here properly."

Jingyan pointed to the excessively clean room: "What do you think is the difference between this place and our home? Besides the size?"

"No one's around?" He Jin'an's words were full of probing.

Jingyan nodded: "It sounds nice, but it's just a house. It doesn't feel like a home at all. Even if it's rented, it would be better if it were cozy. Never mind, you wouldn't understand if I said more. Go do whatever you need to do tomorrow. I'll decorate this house. You don't mind, do you?"

He Jin'an nodded indifferently: "Sure, do whatever you want, as long as I have a bed, I'm not picky."

So, the couple slept in the bedroom on the second floor, while He Jin'an slept on the sofa bed on the first floor. It was still manageable.