The Perfect Relationship by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 22: Magazine Article

Yao Manhuai explained further. When taking into consideration Shao Junling background of growing up in a welfare home, and thus without an elite education, his perfect score on the logic portion of the entrance exam was rather remarkable. In addition, since he scored very high on his IQ test, the school had made their final determination based on Shao Junling’s life experiences and not just the school’s admission test.

However, Dee International School’s education was competitive and had high expectations for its students. The comprehensive quality of students far exceeded those of the same grade that were studying at ordinary schools. The main concern for the school was whether or not Shao Junling could keep up with his peers. As a result, the school’s administration suggested he start at first grade with continued private tutoring at the end of the school day to ensure he can fully adjust to his new environment. Once a solid foundation was established and his routine became habit, Shao Junling could skip grades as needed.

In order to facilitate his growth, Shao Junling had to live at school short term and could only return home once a month. On this point, Yin Chang had no objections for Shao Junling hardly ever talked and was difficult to get along with. Rather, Yin Chang felt relieved because he only needed to see Shao Junling once a month.

After finalizing the details of his admission, in order for Shao Junling to look presentable, Yin Chang bought Shao Junling new clothes, new shoes, and new school supplies.

In reality, in wasn’t difficult to see Shao Junling’s likeness with Yin Dong and thus, Yin Chang felt he should be able to wear similarly cut clothes. Even though Shao Junlin had experience wearing luxury clothing because Yin Dong had given them to him in the past, he still looked rather awkward wearing them.

His habits and personality didn’t help the matter. When Shao Junling looked at people, he was always on guard, like he was ready to fight. His involuntary fierceness caused people to think he was trying to pick a fight. Evan had pointed out his habit during their last video call when, the child’s inadvertent glance made Evan feel “provoked”.

Although fierce, he’s still young. Yin Chang didn’t worry about him actually starting a fight. He was more concerned about him becoming a target. After all, no matter where, the stubborn and unmannered kid was the one to get picked-on by peers. Even so, Yin Chang felt, despite his past issues being bullied at the welfare institute, he could slowly change at the school by being surrounded by better educated students.

On the day Shao Junling was sent to school, there was a bit of a situation. For the first time, the normally well-behaved child showed his rebellious side.

Since last night, he had locked himself in his bedroom and shouted at Yin Chang. He told him not to come in. In the morning, when Shao Junling didn’t appear for breakfast, Yin Chang went directly to his room to find him. Shao Junling was under the covers in protest.

“You… It’s time for school. What are you hiding for?” Since Yin Chang wasn’t about to crawl under the covers to grab him, he stood by the bedside.

At first, he was patient and good-natured. “You got into Dee International and can go to school now. Aren’t you happy? There will be many children there your age to play games with and study together.”

“Shao Junling, did you hear me? Come out. “

　　……

His gentle coaxing had no impact and Shao Junling remained under the covers on his bed. Looking at the time, they were going to be late on the first day of school and Yin Chang couldn’t help but get angry.

“If you don’t come out when I count to three, be prepared for the consequence. One…. Two…”

Before reaching three, Yin Chang reached out impatiently and pulled the whole bed covering in one yank, revealing Shao Junling.

Tucking his legs up, Shao Junling tried to make himself smaller: “…!!!”

Before making his escape, Yin Chang seized Shao Junling with the other hand. The little guy suddenly made a horrible howl.

Yin Chang heard his wailing, but he didn’t let go. Grabbing Shao Junling’s arm more firmly, Yin Chang brought him out of the room. He firmly, but gently warned him: “Stop crying.”

Shao Junling: “Ah……”

Grabbing his bag on the way, Yin Chang man-handled him out of the house, down the stairs, and into the car. Yin Chang buckled his seatbelt for him.

On the way to the school, Yin Chang tried to reason with him: “If Dad was still alive, he would send you to school too. He would have to go to work, so how could he have time to stay with you every day at home.”

“I’m the same. I will be busy at work every day. Won’t you get bored at home being alone all the time? It’s good for you to go to school. Study hard and make Dad proud.”

Yin Chang don’t know if Shao Junling was listening to him or not, but at least, he had quieted down a little. Now, he was eyeing Yin Chang angrily and grasping his seatbelt with such force that his knuckles turned white.

Yin Chang squinted at him and almost laughed at him: “I’m taking you to school, not the execution ground!”

Shao Junling: “…”

While the school was only 20 kilometers (~12.5 miles) to school from Huaihe Apartments, with the morning traffic, it took Yin Chang an hour to drive Shao Junling to the Dee International school. Miss Lin, his future teacher, was already waiting for them when they arrived.

Watching the approaching car and noticing the boy, Teacher Lin took the initiative to open the front door for Shao Junling. Holding his hand, she gently guided him out of the car and with warm words she spoke: “Shao Junling, I’m Teacher Lin. For the next few days, I will be helping you. Aunt Yao and your Brother will come back on the weekend to pick you up, OK?”

For what reason, Yin Chang didn’t know why he was so quiet. Maybe it was because she was similar to the kind women at the Welfare Institute. Or maybe, Shao Junling saw how far from home he was. Regardless of the reason, Shao Junling let himself be led away without resistance.

Yin Chang got out of the car as well. He went around to the trunk and took out a brand-new suitcase that he bought for Shao Junling. It was packed with daily necessities and clothes for the week that Shao Junling needed.

He rolled the luggage over to Teacher Lin and passed it to her. He politely said: “Teacher Lin, Shao Junling will be in your care.”

Teacher Lin was only twenty-seven. When she saw such a handsome young man like Yin Chang approach her, she was stunned. She couldn’t help herself and flushed red: “Don’t worry! You can rest assured!”

As Yin Chang returned to the car, Teacher Lin crouched down and gently tried to coaxed him: “Junling, your brother is leaving. Say goodbye to him!”

Shao Junling: “…”

Through the window, he saw Shao Junling eyeing him as if he owed him millions.

Yin Chang pressed the anger he felt to the bottom of his heart. As Shao Junling had remained silent, so did Yin Chang. Pressing on the accelerator, he only left dust behind.

In the next few days, Yin Chang didn’t have any job assignments to do. Instead, in an effort to make him a qualified star, vocal and dance teachers taught him privately at the studio.  With six classes per day and one and a half hours per class, plus meal and rest time, Yin Chang stayed in the company for almost twelve hours a day. Without a worry for Shao Junling, Yin Chang was very focused.

Initially, the teachers thought Yin Chang was a spoiled second-generation wannabe actor. When the Chief Director, Yao Manhuai, initially told them to teach Yin Chang, although they didn’t show it, they were reluctant and disappointed.

However, Yin Chang’s humble attitude towards others combined with his hard-working determination served to dispel their inherent prejudice against him in only one day.

“He is worthy of being Yin Dong’s son. Like his father, the son works hard too.”

“Yeah, it seems like Yin Dong taught him very well. Every father would want a son like him to be proud of!”

What shocked the two teachers the most was how fast Yin Chang’s caught on. Whether it was vocal training or dancing, Yin Chang could learn it with minimal instruction. Normally, complex dance movements took a full day to learn. However, Yin Chang learned them quickly with one or two practices.

When compared to other newcomers, who were instructed ten times and still couldn’t grasp the movements, the two instructors wanted to cry tears of joy. The gap in ability between a true talent and a layman was just too large.

“I don’t understand how Yin Dong could have hid such a son for this long. His debut was long overdue! Let him out now!”

Moreover, the sense of achievement brought on by teaching a talent was unparalleled. His instructors became even more strict and dedicated to Yin Chang’s education.

In fact, Yin Chang had some vocal and dance training when he was young. He started with hip-hop. However, since it was too easy for him and thus, not challenging he didn’t think it was a big deal. As  result, he had shifted his energy towards other endeavors. Now that his boundless potential was under the care of professionals, with strict guidelines and goals, they could take advantage of his natural ability and help Yin Chang develop quickly.

On Friday night, the publisher announced the latest issue of New People. With Yin Chang’s photo on the cover, they posted the information on social media. “Want to know this handsome guy? Reserve your copy of New People, issue 312, featuring a full 22-page interview with Yin Chang: the mysterious and low-key son of the star actor, Yin Dong. Meet the person so you will get to know him! @ Yin Chang [heart][heart][heart]”

Subsequently, Yin Chang reposted the announcement on his social media page without much explanation and description.

It had been six weeks of silence since the last public opinion storm. It was the first time Yin Chang had used his social media account since then. The naysayers who had tried to trample him had already left. All that remained were loyal fans and some newer fans who were captured by the previous shabockle.

“Ah, ah… Yin Chang, you’re finally back!” “

“Sisters! He posted to Weibo again!”

“He is so gorgeous in the photos. I just want to smooch the pictures!”

“How is it possible to have such a good-looking son?!”

“First, you must have a handsome husband like Yin Dong. [Smile]”

　……

As of Saturday night, in just twenty-four hours, the online shopping sales of the issue surpassed 100,000. In the age of print media’s decline, the results were definitely called a huge success. It was clear why New People invested so much effort into Yin Chang’s article.

On the inside, there were sixteen color photos including both photos in uniform and various fashions. There were also photographs of him at home. Three days later, the first batch of buyers received their magazine and gathered on Yin Chang’s Weibo to discuss it.

“You won’t regret buying it!” [smooch][smooch][smooch]

“Yin Chang’s astrology sign is a crab. It seems that our newly promoted Male God is a loving family man! “ ~o(∩_∩)o~

“…able to speak four languages, he likes to ski and is trained in Muay Thai…. He bakes his own desserts every day….. With his face, I can dream this fantasy every day.”

“I want to see couples’ photos of him! Which sister could be paired with him and create the perfect image?!” QwQ

　　……

As the magazine continued to sell, the products in the advertisements on his featured pages including Dove Chocolate, KE Sunglasses, and OneRose Flowers, also sold well.

 This phenomenon surprised the industry: What is so special about Yin Chang? Isn’t he just Yin Dong’s son? He hasn’t even been in any movies or television and yet, with just a few photos, he was able to achieve this result?

The reason is hard to say, but the profits are obvious.

When Yin Chang’s feature in New People hit the market, it caused an explosion of invitations one after another, from all corners of the industry like Fashion BZ, Men’s Wear Show, Aile….

The media that wanted to feature him have been scheduled from October to February. The feature in the magazine, with continuous promotion, would definitely maximize his exposure to the greatest extent. Neither Mi Xiu, who was so popular two years ago, nor Wang Chen, a wealthy man who debuted at the beginning of this year, had such results.

However, just as Yin Chang thought he could feel at ease and concentrate on his career, there was another problem.

Ten days after Shao Junling started school, Teacher Lin contacted Yao Manhuai and said that the child had injured another student at school.

____________________

The author has something to say:　　【Vignette】

Growth chart of Shao Junling’s anger:

Abroad for a week +20

Come back with gifts but not for him +30

Cut his ten nails +45

Suspected of being intellectually retarded +60

Elementary tutoring +75

Making him go to school +90

Don’t bother saying goodbye +!00

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next chapter >>

The Perfect Relationship by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 21: IQ Test

When Yin Chang returned, like experiencing freedom from captivity for the first time, Lu Lingxuan eagerly rushed out to greet him. She welcomed him home: “You are finally back!”

Yin Chang glanced at her arm: “Is your injury ok?”

Lu Lingxuan: “I’m alright. The scratches were relatively shallow and only one was deep enough to draw blood. I took care of it myself with bacitracin ointment and a band-aid.”

Yin Chang gave her a gift and said:  “For your troubles. You have worked hard for the past few days.”

Holding the box of high-end skin-care products, Lu Lingxuan was caught off guard. Normally, she wouldn’t think about purchasing them because they would cost her a half-month’s salary. Feeling mentally exhausted, her emotions welled up and caused the corner of her eyes to dampen: “Anyways, it was worth this reward.”

While standing a little distance away, Shao Junling was watching their interaction. Yin Chang smiled and looked over Lu Lingxuan’s shoulder towards Shao Junling.  As their eyes met, Yin Chang watched as Shao Junling looked at him unapologetically without a care in the world. He didn’t seem to understand the trouble he caused

Yao Manhuai had ordered food for them in advance. Together, the four ate a simple meal. Yin Chang knew of the difficulties that Lu Lingxuan experienced during the week of his absence and assumed she must be tired so he had Yao Manhuai drive her home after dinner.

Before leaving, Lu Lingxuan quietly told Yin Chang: “You’d better take the time to cut Shao Junling’s fingernails. I gave him a nail clipper a few days ago, but he never used it. I don’t know if he didn’t want to use them or was afraid of being cut. Regardless, I was afraid of cutting them for him.”

Yin Chang: “…”

As soon as Yao Manhuai and Lu Lingxuan left, the apartment fell silent.

Shao Junling didn’t speak at all. He went to play with his toys alone. Yin Chang didn’t know what to say to him so he went to unpack his bags alone. Afterwards, Yin Chang took a hot bath. By the time he finished, it was getting rather late.

Even though it was past his bedtime, Shao Junling hadn’t returned to his room to sleep yet. When Yin Chang saw his empty room, he walked over to the sofa and asked: “Why aren’t you in bed?”

Hearing his question, Shao Junling turned his head to look at Yin Chang. His eyes reveled a trace of resentment.

Yin Chang was surprised by his attitude. Narrowing his brow, he saw the nail clippers on the coffee table and was reminded of Lu Lingxuan’s instructions. While sitting down on the sofa, he motioned him over and commanded: “Come here.”

Shao Junling immediately got up and moved to Yin Chang’s side.

“Hands out, ” Yin Chang added.

With bright expectant eyes, Shao Junling presented his palms with his fingers spread out. He was caught by surprised when Yin Chang grabbed both of his hands and turned them over to inspect his nails.

…… They really were long!

Yin Chang reached out to grab the nail clippers that were laying on the coffee table.

Realizing what Yin Chang was about to do, Shao Junling quickly retracted his hand and stared at him angrily.

Yan Chang also squinted at him in rising anger. He imagined Shao Junling in front of Lu Lingxuan barring his teeth and clawing her.  He raised his voice: “You dare refuse.”

Lightning fast, he snatched Shao Junling’s hand. Shao Junling tried to struggle, but it was futile. Not only were they years apart in age and thus Yin Chang was physically superior, he also had years of martial arts training. A ten-year old was absolutely suppressed.

Yin Chang effortlessly wrapped his legs and long arms around him to prevent him from escaping. Then, he readjusted his grip on Shao Junling’s hands and with a command, he whispered in Shao Junling’s ear: ”Don’t move.”

Grunting, Shao Junling struggled to break free, but no matter how much Shao Junling tried, he was tightly fixed in Yin Chang’s arms. His small face became flushed.

No matter what his reaction was, Yin Chang ignored it. He grabbed the clippers and while he proceeded to cleanly trim his nails, he lectured Shao Junling by speaking directly in his ear: “In the future, you will never scratch anyone else.”

The sudden release of Yin Chang’s wrapped arms surprised Shao Junling. He jerked away from him and looked down at his blunt fingertips. Like a cat whose weapons were suddenly stripped, he fled back to his room in panic.

After getting up the next day, Yin Chang took the dejected Shao Junling to a specialist that would test his IQ.

They went to a professional institution that specialized in determining a child’s developmental status. The whole process took three hours. During the test, there were several steps such as question and answer, physical movement observation, and games. The test evaluated more than a dozen indicators, including fine and gross motor control, logic, and verbal comprehension. At the end of the testing period, an analyst reported the results one-by-one with the child’s guardian.

Yin Chang worried about Shao Junling’s stubbornness and lack of cooperation. However, under the friendly care of the specialists at the organization, Shao Junling behaved very well and the three-hour test was completed without incident. Moreover, the results greatly exceeded the expectations of Yin Chang and Yao Manhuai.

Far from being mentally retarded, Shao Junling was rated by experts as a highly intelligent.

“…… A high IQ?” Yin Chang glanced at Shao Junling sitting not far away eating his Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Since it wasn’t uncommon for Shao Junling to misbehave, Yin Chang had thought of a reward ahead of time. As long as Shao Junling finished taking the test without an issue, Yin Chang had promised to buy him an ice cream cone.

While Yin Chang was thankful for Shao Junling’s superior IQ results, the results in some ways were seriously substandard. The sub-par areas were with regards to his expressive ability and speech comprehension. He didn’t understand humor. This area is what the layman call: Emotional Quotient. Experts say that most people’s EQ are cultivated by the environment. In other words, what a person experiences in live are and by the influence of others. Children with high EQs do not necessarily have high IQs.

According to his documents, Shao Junling had lived on the streets alone before going to the welfare home. Obviously, there wasn’t enough interaction with people for him to learn properly. Also, it was very likely that he closed himself off emotionally because of the experiences in his past. As a result, he naturally refused to talk to the people he didn’t want to have contact with.

Regardless of his emotional deficiencies, it didn’t effect Shao Junling ’s natural level of intelligence. Experts are even optimistic about his future. As long as he was positively influenced, the walls he built around himself would slowly crumble. By engaging with many different people, he would learn social norms and be able to communicate better. In fact, because of his high intelligence, he should learn even faster than the average person.

After returning home from the test, Yin Chang felt differently about Shao Junling. Even the back of him playing Lego by himself seemed to have the brilliance of a genius.

A few days later, Yao Manhuai called Yin Chang. She informed him that Dee International would accept Shao Junling admission with his financial support without a problem.

“Maybe we could let Shao Junling take the Dee International entrance exam….,” Yin Chang boldly suggested to Yao Manhuai.

On the phone, Yao Manhuai’s mouth twitched: “Are you sure? The entrance exams were different from professional intelligence tests that are designed to test cognitive abilities. A school mainly checks a child’s comprehensive knowledge. No matter how high Shao Junling’s IQ is, there are things he never learned without a proper school.”

Yin Chang hesitated but ultimately decided: “Have him try it.”

He didn’t care about the money. Simply, he didn’t want the school to treat him differently because of his investment status.  If he was as smart as the test says, as long as Shao Junling worked hard and studied, he would definitely catch up to his peers in no time.

After listening to Yin Chang ’s request, Yao Manhuai contacted several pre-school training institutions to see if any experts were willing to provide short-term one-on-one tutoring. She didn’t fight battles unprepared.

During the time that Shao Junling was frantically making up for his lack of education, Yin Chang officially began his career in the entertainment industry.

Together, Yao Manhuai and Lu Lingxuan evaluated all of Yin Chang’s offers, such as TV appearances, fashion shows, brand endorsements, and chose a project that was most suitable for him to start his career.

Lacking experience in acting, Yin Chang didn’t feel confident about appearing in a TV drama. However, he was well-spoken and didn’t lack personable skills and thus, taking pictures shouldn’t be very difficult. With Yin Chang’s input, they decided to set up a photo shoot for a major fashion magazine, thus debuting as a model.

Lu Lingxuan immediately contacted a subsidiary company that published a magazine called, “New People”. The magazine’s reputation preceded itself because the Editors were very selective with whom they would interview. It wasn’t just any star that could be interviewed. Only the most talented and most promising entertainers were offered an interview. If you were published in New People, you were practically insured a successful career

Yin Chang’s obtained the most special packaged. An exclusive full color, eighteen-page interview and the cover image of the magazine. Including the ads, his interview accounted for a quarter of the magazine. The last person to receive such treatment was a new idol named Mi Xiu who was very popular a few years ago.

The interview was conducted in the studio of the publishing company and the staff member conducting the interview was very excited as she had seen Yin Chang at his father’s memorial service. The way Yin Chang conducted himself at the ceremony gave evidence to his steady temperament. Combined with his superb physical features, Yin Chang made a lasting impression on the woman.

His father’s death brought Yin Chang to the forefront and by necessity, Yin Chang was in the thick of things. Now, there were both unanswered questions and curious eyes following him.

Energetically, the woman conducting the interview approached him and excitedly exclaimed: “Yin Chang, it’s nice to see you again!”

“Hello.”

“Yao Manhuai has informed me that this will be your first official interview with the media. Thank you for giving us your precious ‘first time’.” The female reporter said humorously.

“It’s also my pleasure. “

“Then, let’s get started. Watch me and ignore the camera. Don’t be nervous. It’s just like chatting with friends.”

“Okay……”

There were many questions asked during the interview including basic information about yin Chang like his horoscope, and blood type. In addition, they asked him about his hobbies. As the interview pressed on, she dug for more information and asked him questions about his life experiences growing up. From time to time, Yin Chang looked at the camera and spoke to the audience. He knew in his heart that after this, he really couldn’t return to the life of an ordinary person.

Even though the magazine was interviewing him, they weren’t going to miss the opportunity to discuss his father Yin Dong. “As everyone knows, you are the son of the deceased movie star, Yin Dong. I would like to ask you, in your eyes, what kind of person was he?”

Lu Lingxuan had Yin Chang prepare his answers ahead of time and although he continued to carry some resentment in his heart, he cleanly and effortlessly delivered his answer. He calmly stated: “He was a steady, down-to-earth man. A dedicated actor and gentle father. I love him very much.”

“It’s been two months since Yin Dong accident. How are you?”

“I’m feeling better, but since he has brought so much to my life, it becomes painful when I think of him. It’s been difficult letting him go.”

“Is that how you feel? It seems you had a rather deep relationship with your father….”

Originally, the interview was supposed to end after asking about his father. As the woman gathered her notes into a pile and placed them in a folder, she looked up at Yin Chang and smiled. Although she was casual about it, she unexpectedly asked: “I heard you have a younger brother now. Are you getting along?”

Yin Chang was stunned. The question was prying into his privacy and outside his expectations. He quickly evaluated the reporter’s conduct and even though she had been extremely polite for the duration of the interview, it seemed like this was the real question that she wanted to ask. Knowing the intent behind the question wasn’t completely wholesome, he relaxed himself and calmly answered her: ”Yes. We’re good.”

The female reporter followed up with another question: “Are you living together?”

Yin Chang: “Yes.”

The female reporter looked at Yin Chang eyes and asked: “Tell me about his strengths.” Watching his reaction for a moment and hearing a continued silence, she pressed him and said: “You can’t think of one? It’s ok to tell me about his flaws.”

Hearing the question, Lu Lingxuan was nervous. She wasn’t far away waving her arms crazily trying to get his attention.

Of course, Yin Chang knew the question couldn’t be answered so casually. Although he really wanted to talk about the various shortcomings of Shao Junling, if he really spoke his mind, rumors would end up spreading about being at odds with one another and as a result, the masses would conclude that his previous actions were all just for show. Ultimately, he would be shunned.

Yin Chang quickly adjusted himself. He smiled slightly at the female reporter and showed a hint of pride. He answered her: “My brother has a very high IQ.” Apart from his IQ score, Yin Chang couldn’t really think of anything else to say

Female reporter: “…”

On their way back home after the interview, Lu Lingxuan scrunched her face and complained to Yin Chang about the women conducting the interview: “Wow, that reporter was rather cunning. Fortunately, you reacted fast enough!”

Yin Chang also scrunched his face, but unlike Lu Lingxuan, he didn’t have anything to say about the woman. In his mind, he was mulling over the answers he gave.

Today, since Shao Junling had been tutored for a week, Yao Manhuai took Shao Junling to the Dee International school to have him take the entrance exam. Tomorrow, his results will be known. If Shao Junling fails to pass the test, his status as an investor of the school will undoubtedly be known. It was something Yin Chang was trying to avoid and spent an anxious night thinking about.

The next day, Yao Manhuai called Yin Chang to report on Shao Junling’s entrance examination results. With only a week of tutoring, he certainly failed, especially in pre-school English. Reading comprehension and literary knowledge scores were very low as well. He also failed the interview. Even so, one aspect of the test was a complete surprise.  Shao Junling had scored the highest possible on the most difficult part of the exam. The logic section.

___________________

The author has something to say: 【Vignette】

Shao Junling: He didn’t just not bring me any gifts. He cut my nails and suspected that I was mentally retarded!  Shao Junling was simply mad. Pufferfish impression. (｀ Δ ′)

Peanut Gallery: Don’t worry. Just wait patiently for a month…. A big wave of gifts is coming.

——————

【Flower arrangement】

When writing about Yao Manhuai’s plan to debut for Yin Chang, their seemed to see some controversy with regards to the text. Some readers said that Yin Chang couldn’t do it without experience.

I’ll explain. In fact, many 2nd generation stars don’t have prior experience before becoming successful. They can debut from the popularity of their parents and with a promotion of a “personal design”.

Take for example, Takuya Kimura ’s daughter. She was only fifteen years old when she started. As a newcomer, she neither acted in TV shows, nor the movies. In addition, she didn’t sing or produce albums. Regardless, she was selected to promote the Italian jewelry brand Bulgari. She enjoyed an exclusive ELLE cover when she debuted.  Another example are the children of several stars who participated in the show, Where Are We Going? They have frequently ben invited to participate in various fashion and variety shows simply because of name recognition. It’s fair to say that talent was just a bonus point to add….… (〒 ▽ 〒)

Some readers may have read inspirational texts about ‘working hard for dreams’ and believe the sentiment, “the harder you work, the happier you will be” (including me), but in fact, the entertainment industry really doesn’t operate in the same way. Its about luck and resources…. Yao Manhuai wanted Yin Chang to inherit his father’s resources for this reason. The public might not understand, but she was a business women and understood how the industry really operated.

As for how Yin Chang will grow and develop in the future, I won’t have many spoilers, just continue reading the text ~ XD

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next chapter >>

The Perfect Relationship by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 20: School Selection

Yin Chang neither understand Shao Junling’s behavior nor did he bother to think about it further. Not only did he have a meager four days to pack up the house in Pasadena, he had countless other matters to take care of. He needed to contact his insurance agency, deal with the school administration to formally withdraw, and get the necessary paperwork completed for Fiona’s return to China. 

The next day was another endless day of doing errands and filling paperwork. It wasn’t until very late that Yin Chang had the chance to check his private email and social media page. Lu Lingxuan left him a series of messages.

“The new phone is here! Boss, thank you!”

“Yin Chang, are you busy now?”

“Do you have time to make a video call……”

“Your brother has been waiting for you to call since a few hours ago.” [Cry]

……

Indeed, when Yin Chang glanced at the time, it was two hours later than when he called yesterday.

After a long day, he didn’t have the energy to spar with Shao Junling. As a result, he was a little reluctant to call him. However, thinking of his small body holding his iPad waiting at home, he started a Facetime connection.

It only took a brief second until Shao Junling’s face appeared on the screen in front of him. Compared with his gloomy demeanor yesterday, today his eyes were open and bright. Although his face was expressionless, he could tell Shao Junling appeared happier than he was yesterday.

Yin Chang adjusted his voice and like a parent checking-in on their child’s work, he seriously asked: “Have you eaten today?”

Shao Junling: “Uh-huh.”

Yin Chang: “What did you eat?”

Shao Junling: “Food.”

Yin Chang: “…” I can’t talk anymore.

Fortunately, Lu Lingxuan heard the voices so she came over closer to explain it more clearly: “Today he ate a three-course meal with goose, eel and a rice dish.”

Yin Chang nodded: “Not bad.”

Greatly encouraged, she wanted to continue offering positive feedback to garner the child’s good feelings. However, she didn’t expect him to suddenly turned his head, looked at her then proceed to block her sight of the iPad with his back.

Lu Lingxuan: “… ?????”

As a result, Yin Chang spoke to him privately, but with his sulky behavior and subpar communicative skills, it wasn’t possible to talk to him for long. After telling him to go to bed on time at night, Yin Chang hung up the video.

Afterwards, Lu Lingxuan texted a message for Yin Chang. While she might have been angered by Shao Junling’s combative stance, she wanted to make it clear that she didn’t provoke him. She vehemently defended herself: “I was praising him! Why did he snub me? Boss, you must trust me! I really didn’t treat him badly!” [Cry][Cry]

Lu Lingxuan was a very adept agent. Knowing how frantic she became under Shao Junling temperament, it only proved how difficult it was to deal with him. Feeling helpless, Yin Chang sighed and replied: “I know, you have worked hard …”

Out of the corner of his eye, Yin Chang caught a glimpse of a shadow at the doorway of the room.  Looking up, he saw Fiona and didn’t know for how long she was standing there waiting patiently with a cup of hot milk.”

She kindly said: “Were you just speaking with the child from the Welfare Institute?”

Yin Chang put down his mobile phone and gave her an affirmative ‘hmm’. He took the cup of milk that Fiona had handed to him and couldn’t help but confide in her: “Actually, I was tired today and didn’t want to call him at all. He lacks communication skills and is really hard to deal with. Currently, the agent that Yao Manhuai assigned to me was taking care of him while I’m away. In order for him to listen to her and behave, I have to call and check in on him every day.”

Fiona laughed: “It looks like he only listens to you. Isn’t that good?”

Yin Chang: “I don’t feel good at all. His personality is very strange. When I was on a video call with my friend a few days ago and Shao Junling saw him, he never offered a greeting to my friend. Instead he practically offended him. Also, I very clearly told him before I left to listen to Lu Lingxuan. He injured her by scratching her; the very person who was taking care of him! For two days, he didn’t eat or sleep…. I don’t know what he was thinking!”

For too long Yin Chang had held back his innermost feelings. Now, in the presence of a most trusted elder, the flood gates have opened and Yin Chang unscrupulously vented his own backlog of repressed negativity.

Fiona listened patiently and asked: “If you don’t like him, why did you bring him back from the Welfare Institute?” “

Yin Chang blurted out with frustration: “Because he is father’s child!”

Fiona: “Was there no other reason?”

Yin Chang froze for a moment in thought. He remembered impulsively reaching out when he saw the child shouting ‘no’ at the kids outside the institute. However, the moment of empathy was too vague and long forgotten. He shook his head and said: “No.”

He brought the child home only because of his responsibility and sympathy.

Fiona said: “There is a saying that if a person is stuck in the mud for a long time, the person doesn’t actually feel sad. Once a glimmer of hope is offered, it would be crueler to retract that offer then it would be to hurt that person directly.”

Yin Chang quickly defended himself: “I’m not treating him badly.”

For most of the month, Yin Chang has tried his best to get along with Shao Junling. He took him to the fitness club, bought him all kinds of delicious food, and even baked some cakes for him personally. He felt that he was patient enough.

Fiona looked at him tenderly and said: “Little Chang, I’m not accusing you. I know you are a kind person. You told me yesterday that the child is only ten years old and has be living in the welfare institute. Presumably, he had suffered a lot. He didn’t have parents to tell him what is good and what is bad growing up, so it would be normal for him to misbehave. Since you brought him back, you should take good care of him and teach him. Not only would it be very gratifying to have a brother, your Father would be so proud of you. “

It’ll be gratifying? With a wry smile, Yin Chang only felt like Shao Junling was a lot of trouble.

“Okay, Fiona, I know what you’re saying, but there are professionals for that sort of thing. I’m not an expert in education,” Yin Chang replied. He handed the empty cup back to Fiona and said, “I will talk to Yao Manhuai when I get back. I’ll enroll him in a school that is a thousand times better than a welfare institution.”

Fiona still had something to say, but after noticing how fatigued Yin Chang really was, she remained calm and quiet.

The next day, Yin Chang got up early in the morning to continue packing. He chose a few items he could take back with him as well as his clothes. He went to the storage room to search for something specific and called out: “Fiona!”

Fiona heard him and asked: “Yes? What are you looking for?”

“Do you know where my old toys went?” Yin Chang remembered owning many extravagant toys such as electric trains and spaceship models, but after he went to middle school, he had lost interest and set them aside in favor of playing video games. He didn’t know if Fiona had kept the old boxes for him.

Fiona stood still for a second before smiling back at Yin Chang. She brought him the area of the storage room that was dedicated to his childhood memorabilia.

Looking at the four huge boxes stacked against the wall, Yin Chang was a little shocked: “All of that is full of toys?” 　　

Fiona: “Yes, your father always bought toys for you every time he came back home from a project.”

Since it had been unused for so long, a thick layer of dust had settled on top of the boxes. Fiona grabbed a vacuum cleaner from the broom closet and brought it over to clear up the grime. She didn’t ask Yin Chang what he was looking for. Instead, she explained: “I grouped the toys and stored them by age.” Pointing, she said: “Those two boxes are for younger children before the age of seven.”

“Hmm …” Yin Chang walked over and opened the other two boxes and glanced inwards. Inside, there was a whole set of Legos. It was an entire collector’s edition of the Mechanical Series that was even sealed inside the plastic wrap.

He remembered it. It was a gift that Yin Dong had bought him for Christmas one winter. He had received so many toys that when he opened the Lego box, he wasn’t so keen on trying to put together such a complicated set, so he left the box unopened.

In addition, there was a set of Jurassic World dinosaur models, a 3D Mind Maze, puzzles…. Sorting through it all, Yin Chang couldn’t help but think of Yin Dong. He sighed and closed the box.

He caught sight of the glass storage cabinet that housed his collection of Transformers. Feeling torn, he hesitated, but ultimately he let them go and said: “The Transformers models and these two boxes. Have them packaged and sent to China.”

Fiona was shocked: “Send it all back?”

Yin Chang: “Yes.”

He had passed that age of playing with toys. Rather than letting them collect dust inside a storage room, it was better to give them to Shao Junling so they can be played with. Since Yin Chang didn’t have time to package the toys himself, he had called an international courier who provided door-to-door shipping services. Surprisingly, the process was longer than Yin Chang anticipated. As a result, the toys wouldn’t arrive at home in China for another month.

Over the next few days, Yin Chang remained busy during the day and continued to call Shao Junling routinely at night.

A week later, on the day he was returning to China, Yin Chang was thinking about all the extra work that Lu Lingxuan had suffered through while he was away. Feeling guilty about her injury, he bought her a set of Lamer skin-care products. He also picked up a bottle of Hermes fragrance as a gift at the airport’s duty-free shop.

 Unlike the previous time he returned to China after the news of Yin Dong’s death, Yin Chang arrived without fanfare. He was able to walk through the airport normally and met Yao Manhuai at the arrivals’ terminals.

“Did you get everything done?” Yao Manhuai asked as she turned the steering wheel to pull out of the parking area. She drove Yin Chang back to Huaihe Apartment.

Yin Chang replied: “Pretty much,” and handed the perfume bottle to Yao Manhuai. “This is for you.”

Yao Manhuai turned her head and said: Thank You!” Looking at him, he was wearing casual clothes and a hoodie. Thanks to his physique and temperament, he was a natural model. No matter what he wore, he always looked like he was dressed in high-fashion.

As they drove, she talked about business. Keeping in mind the endorsements that would fit Yin Chang’s image, she said: “I know several luxury brands that provide customized door-to-door services. Since you will be starting to work soon, you will need some new clothes.”

In fact, already Yin Chang was known in China and many people had lined up to offer him a deal. However, since Yin Chang was the son of the most famous movie star, his starting point was very high. He couldn’t model and endorse just any ole’ brand for his debut.

There was a watch brand called VI that was being marketed to young white-collar workers. It is a light-luxury brand that had recently become popular. Yao Manhuai learned that they were going to change their spokesperson. However, while she wanted to grasp this opportunity, she was told internally that the brand’s marketing department was making an offer to Wang Chen.

Earlier in the year Wang Chen had returned to China from South Korea. Not only was he a rising star, he was from the same generation as Yin Chang.  

Yin Chang suddenly asked her: “Aunt Yao, have you investigated appropriate schools for Shao Junling?”

“Ah,” Yao Manhuai withdrew her thoughts and answered him. “I have chosen two, Dee-International and Wanyuan Private School. Both offer a first-class education in Haicheng, especially Dee-International’s elementary school. Nearly half of celebrity children and wealthy heirs of Haicheng attend the school. However, they don’t accept all children because there was a rigorous entrance exam. With the way Shao Junling was, I don’t think he can pass. ”

Yin Chang’s heart sank: “What should we do?”

Yao Manhuai momentarily glanced at Yin Chang and said: “Dee-International does have an open enrollment policy, but it is very expensive. Their quota is 2% and as long as you can pay, you can enroll. However, the space is highly competitive. Only 200 children are admitted to the school and thus, 2% is only 4 open slots to fill. I investigated the issue further. You need to offer at least ten-million to get a spot.”

It was not surprising to Yin Chang. He himself went to a prestigious school abroad. Although many of his classmates came from wealthy families, not all of them were. Some families pay for a spot in the school only for the contacts they would make in wealthy circles and not for the education.

“What about Wanyuan?” Yin Chang wanted to hear more about the other school.

“In Wanyuan’s case, they provide an education specifically for children with special needs. In addition to catering to special-needs children of wealthy families, part of the program was to help handicapped children in the society for free. They cater to each individual child’s education one-on-one to ensure growth in both their physical and mental health.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Shao Junling wasn’t a disabled child. He was nether an intellectually challenged child nor was he physically disabled. Although Yin Chang wasn’t totally convinced, he still said: “That’s not the main problem. He just isn’t good at expressing himself and communicating properly.”

Yao Manhuai replied: “In any case, we have to take him to a specialist to do an intelligence test first. If there really is a problem, I think that a targeted education would be more helpful for him.”

Frowning slightly, Yin Chang propped up his head on the palm of his hand and replied, “all right.” He turned to looked out the window to watch the scenery outside pass by and mull over the situation in his mind.  He thought that once Shao Junling’s intelligence was found to be normal, he would enroll him at Dee-International. Never mind the price tag; as long as the issue could be solved with money, 20 million wasn’t a problem.

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