Chapter 8

Unlike Shen Zhenhuan, who felt humiliated and embarrassed, the Guan family of three were very happy on their way back in the car.

Xiangjiang did not yet have specific penalties for drunk driving, but Guan Shan had his wife and daughter in the car, and he had only taken a few sips of champagne, with no signs of intoxication.

However, his mood was as joyful as if he were drunk. He hummed a tune while driving.

"Look at you!" Zhang Bingqian said with a smile, "Just because your daughter got some attention, you're this happy? If your daughter becomes a bigger star than you in the future, you'll be so happy you won't be able to walk straight!"

"Hehe, that's exactly it!" Guan Shan said excitedly, "Before we left, Dr. Tan Cuihua held my hand and said that there was no better farewell gift than this. He said our family really put a lot of effort into it! He mentioned that he has a few friends who want to make a splash in the film industry, and he will call them tomorrow to introduce my company formally!"

"Really?" Zhang Bingqian's heart leaped with joy. She knew about the difficulties her husband's company had faced over the years, but she couldn't do anything to change it, only feeling anxious in secret.

"Of course it's true!" Guan Shan said with a smile, "Dr. Tan is well-connected with the top figures and several directors. The friends he introduces to us will definitely be wealthy! If one of them invests, the movie I've been preparing for a long time can finally be made! I have to thank my daughter for this!"

"Of course!" Guan Zhilin replied with a grin.

"By the way, from what Dr. Tan said, it seems he misunderstood that we went to great lengths to find this song. So he said we put a lot of effort into it." At a red light, Guan Shan stopped the car and turned to ask his daughter, "Jia Hui, where did you find such a beautiful song? It's so lovely!"

With his decades of experience in the film industry, Guan Shan had heard countless good songs, but such a simple yet touching melody was rare.

This was normal, as "You Left Jinling, and No One Talks to Me Anymore" was a work from around 2005-2006, and the music style of that time was completely different from now, giving it a unique beauty.

"Haha, of course! You don't even know who created it! Xiao Jun is the best!" Guan Zhilin said proudly.

"Who created this song?" Zhang Bingqian's face turned slightly cold.

"Xiao Jun!" Guan Zhilin repeated, "Don't believe him when he says he heard it from an unknown singer. I know he wrote it because he plays the guitar so familiarly, as if he has played it a thousand times. It doesn't look like he learned it from someone else."

It was strange.

In Xiangjiang, people often called younger or less senior people "zai," such as Zhou Xingchi being called "Xingzai" when he was young, and Zhou Runfa being called "Fazai." Then they became "Xingge" and "Fage," and finally "Xingye" and "Faye" as terms of respect.

If Guan Zhilin thought Yin Jun was a child, she should have called him "Junzai," but she always called him "Xiao Jun," which had a mainland Chinese flavor.

"Can he compose? Wait, you mean the guitar?" Guan Shan, not thinking as much as his wife, asked in surprise.

"Yes, the original name was 'You Left Jinling, and No One Talks to Me Anymore.' Xiao Jun taught me to change Jinling to Xiangjiang." Guan Zhilin said, "I heard the guitar version, but I told him I couldn't play the guitar, so he changed it to a violin version. He said the violin version sounds better, and I agree!"

"Being able to convert between guitar and violin scores isn't something you can learn just by listening a few times." The green light turned on, and Guan Shan started the car, smiling, "It seems this young man has many secrets!"

"Those are his secrets." Zhang Bingqian frowned, "Jia Hui, how did you become so close to him? When did he teach you, and why didn't I know?"

Guan Zhilin stuck out her tongue, "Oh, it's nothing."

She was smart enough to know how to avoid the main issue and didn't answer her mother's questions.

Before Zhang Bingqian could ask again, Guan Shan interjected, "Alright, dear, don't overthink it. Junzai isn't that kind of person; he knows his limits. It's normal for kids to be close friends. If Junzai becomes successful one day, wouldn't you want him to help our daughter because they're familiar?"

Guan Zhilin's eyebrows raised, but seeing her mother, she quickly closed her mouth.

Zhang Bingqian smiled faintly, "You misunderstood. I didn't mean that. They're still young and shouldn't be talking about such things."

"Talking about what?" Guan Zhilin, being a smart girl, understood immediately, "Mom, why would you think I'm dating Xiao Jun? How long have we known each other? Why do you think our friendship is so shallow? Can't I have a male friend?"

"Haha, my daughter is growing up!" Guan Shan laughed, easing the tense atmosphere, "I believe my daughter knows what she's doing. ... By the way, Junzai likes to stay in his room alone. What does he do? He can't just be playing, right?"

"Of course not." Guan Zhilin replied, "Xiao Jun writes stories, but he doesn't let me read them, saying I wouldn't understand."

"Does he write stories? 'Three Heroes and Five Gallants'? That's all they can read in the mainland, right?" Zhang Bingqian said with a smile.

Hearing her mother's dismissive tone, Guan Zhilin felt angry and didn't want to talk to her, so she closed her eyes to rest.

Seeing her daughter not arguing, Zhang Bingqian's frown deepened.

...

The next day, Guan Zhilin happily told Yin Jun about the attention she received the night before, looking both charming and cute in her joy.

At this time, she wasn't yet the "Rich Man Killer" she would become, but her personality of enjoying attention and praise was already evident.

This was partly due to the upbringing by Guan Shan and Zhang Bingqian, who treated her like a princess from a young age. Even as their financial situation worsened, it was impossible to change her nature quickly.

From living in luxury to supporting her parents and brother through acting, it would take no more than two or three years.

Such a short time and such a significant change made it impossible for Guan Zhilin to avoid negative emotions.

Of course, in this life, she met Yin Jun, and with this connection, Yin Jun wouldn't let her go through such hardships. He could ensure she lived a comfortable and affluent life.

In the following days, when Zhang Bingqian wasn't around, Guan Zhilin came to Yin Jun and asked him to teach her two piano pieces, "He Yue Ge" and "Rain's Imprint," both without lyrics.

Heaven knows how she found out that Yin Jun could play the piano. Since her family had a piano and she had been learning it since childhood, her gentle pleading made it hard for Yin Jun to refuse, so he taught her these two classic piano pieces.

"Finished, finished!"

After playing the two pieces skillfully, Guan Zhilin suddenly wailed.

Yin Jun, sitting beside her, was surprised, "Jia Hui, what's wrong? I thought you played very well."

"Xiao Jun." Guan Zhilin turned to him, patted his shoulder, and said with a sad face, "You can cook delicious dishes, teach me magic tricks, and even piano pieces... You're so talented, I really don't want you to leave... Why don't you just live with us? You can go to middle school, and when we're in college, we can go to America together! We'll always be together!"

Hearing the girl's innocent words, Yin Jun felt a warm feeling in his heart, "Little sister, a man has to make his own way in the world. I have hands and feet; it wouldn't be right for me to live off your family."

Yin Jun hadn't called Guan Zhilin "little sister" for a long time. Hearing it again, Guan Zhilin remembered their first meeting and couldn't help but laugh.

The sadness of parting became a bit lighter.

"Besides, I'm not moving out to never see you again." Yin Jun looked at the delicate girl in front of him and gently touched her silky hair, "Once I settle down, I'll come to see you often. But you mustn't be so playful. A girl needs to learn more to avoid a hard life in the future."

Guan Zhilin's mood had improved, but hearing this, she became a bit downcast, "The day after tomorrow... you, you're going to get your ID card?"

"Yes." Yin Jun said, "I've been here for almost a month without realizing it."

"You... really have to go? Can't you stay?" The girl said softly.

"Um." Yin Jun tried to lighten the mood, "Someone said that a temporary farewell is for a better reunion in the future. Can you give me a smile?"

Guan Zhilin bit her lip, and her forced smile looked more like a cry.

She suddenly stood up from the bench and ran out of the piano room. Just as Yin Jun thought she had gone to cry in her room, Guan Zhilin, with red eyes, ran back with a large iron can.

She opened the can and poured out a stack of bills, including several large notes and a few smaller ones, and a good amount of coins.

Guan Zhilin pushed the money and coins into Yin Jun's hands, "Take it!"

"No, no!" Yin Jun refused, "Why are you giving me so much money?"

The stack of money was worth at least ten thousand, which, in an era when the average salary in Xiangjiang was 900 yuan, was equivalent to more than a year's salary.

"How can a man go out to work hard without any money for protection?" Guan Zhilin, sounding like an adult, said, "This is a loan. When I grow up, you have to pay me back! Buy me a big house, a sports car, lots of clothes, and always protect me... sniff..."

As she spoke, the big-eyed girl started to cry.

This time, Yin Jun was truly moved.

If before, he saw Guan Zhilin as a nice little friend and decided to repay her and her family, now he felt a deeper sense of responsibility toward her.

There was a mysterious connection between them, indescribable but palpable.

Unconsciously, Yin Jun stood up and gently hugged Guan Zhilin, "Be good, don't cry, don't cry!"

But his comfort only made Guan Zhilin cry even louder, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

It was understandable.

She had grown up in an all-girls school and hadn't played much with boys.

Finally meeting someone like Yin Jun, who was handsome, talented, and always considerate and yielding to her...

This feeling wasn't exactly love, but it was the first time Guan Zhilin had such feelings for a boy.

She couldn't let go, couldn't bear to part.

(Hope for more support!)

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