Chapter 449 - 428: Shen Ying’s Shocked Parents (Part 2)

Chapter 449: Chapter 428: Shen Ying’s Shocked Parents (Part 2)

Unlike the peaceful atmosphere in other households, Shen Ying had long grown used to her parents’ way of life. They had been married for most of their lives and had stumbled through it with constant friction. As long as they weren’t fighting, everything was fine.

"Dad, wash your hands. Dinner’s almost ready."

"Okay."

Dinner was four dishes and a soup: sweet and sour pork ribs, shredded pork with green peppers, fried tofu, stir-fried bok choy, and the classic tomato and egg soup.

Compared to a normal day, today’s meal was quite lavish. When Shen Ying was away at school, the old couple would just eat whatever to get by.

"Yingying, how long is your winter break?" Ye Qiuju asked with concern as she placed a piece of sweet and sour pork rib in her daughter’s bowl.

"About a month. Classes don’t officially start until March," Shen Ying replied.

"Oh, that’s nice."

Shen Ying took small bites of her mother’s cooking. She pursed her lips, hesitating for a long time before finally saying tentatively, "Dad, Mom... I’m... I’m in a relationship."

Shen Jianjun, who had been eating silently nearby, froze. He looked at his daughter’s nervous face, his chewing stopped, and he paused for about two seconds before swallowing his mouthful whole.

He was wondering how to respond when Ye Qiuju swallowed the vegetables in her mouth, frowning slightly as she asked, "Is this someone from university?"

"Mhm..."

"Where is your boyfriend from?"

"He’s from here. We went to the same high school, but we weren’t in the same class." Worried her parents might think she started dating in high school, Shen Ying quickly added, "We only started talking more after we got to university."

Ye Qiuju nodded and continued asking, "How long have you been together?"

"About two... two years."

Shen Jianjun frowned slightly. His daughter was a junior now, and she’d been in a relationship for two years. That meant they had gotten together not long after she started university.

However, his daughter’s grades were excellent, and she even won a scholarship every year. The relationship didn’t seem to have affected her studies.

"So, you’re in the same class now?"

"No, no, no. His grades are much better than mine. He got into the Central Academy of Fine Arts, which is pretty much the best art school. He’s studying in the Imperial Capital now."

Shen Jianjun was stunned. He blurted out, "Then how did you two get together? You’re so far apart, at opposite ends of the country."

Shen Ying blushed, a little embarrassed, but answered honestly, "The year before last, during the New Year, I happened to take the same bus home with him. We usually just keep in touch by phone."

"So that means you hardly ever see each other?"

"Mhm... yeah, pretty much."

Shen Jianjun sighed, put down his chopsticks, and looked at Shen Ying, speaking in a serious, heartfelt tone. "Daughter, it’s not that I want to criticize you, but you were a bit reckless getting into this relationship. He’s in the Imperial Capital, you’re in Yu Du. With such a long distance between you, how can you be sure his feelings won’t change?"

"And let’s take a step back. After graduation, will you go to him, or will he come to you? You’re too far apart. You can’t predict the future. I just don’t think you two are a good match right now. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt."

Hearing this, Shen Ying grew anxious.

"Dad, that won’t happen. We have a really good relationship. I like him a lot, and he likes me a lot too..."

"Yingying, I think you should listen to your father on this."

Ye Qiuju suddenly chimed in. "You’re still in school. If you’re truly in love, you can put the relationship on hold for now. It’s not too late to talk about it after you graduate. But if he’s just playing around, you’ll be throwing away the best years of your youth. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life."

Seeing both her parents say this, Shen Ying gritted her teeth. She decided not to hide it anymore, went to her room, and took out a stack of photos from her suitcase, handing them to her parents.

"What’s this...?" The old couple exchanged a look, their eyes filled with confusion.

"These are photos from when I went to visit him," Shen Ying said.

"You went to visit him? To the Imperial Capital? By yourself?" Ye Qiuju’s voice shot up several degrees.

She looked down at the photos. The backgrounds showed the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and Tian’anmen... It seemed she had been to quite a few places.

Without exception, a handsome, clean-cut young man was also in the photos.

As her parents, they had no idea about any of this. It seemed their daughter had been hiding a lot from them.

"When did you go to the Imperial Capital?" Shen Jianjun asked in a low voice.

"During summer break, and during the New Year two years ago," Shen Ying said.

"Didn’t you tell us you were going to work then? So you were lying to us?"

"Not exactly."

Shen Ying pulled a few photos from the pile. They showed her wearing a work ID badge, sitting at a desk and working seriously, proving she hadn’t been lying.

Then she took out her work ID badge, which had her personal information on it—

Company: Qitian Animation

Name: Shen Ying

Position: Head of Online Operations

Shen Jianjun frowned slightly. The name Qitian Animation sounded familiar, like he’d heard it somewhere before.

Ye Qiuju pointed to the young man in the other photos. "This is him, right?"

"Yeah. His name is Wang Ming. He’s a director at Qitian Animation right now. The boss is actually one of my classmates, Jiang Xia. Mom, do you remember Lin Yanwan? My best friend? The two of them are married, and they started this company. I’m basically working for them now," Shen Ying said all in one breath.

"Uh... hold on, this is a bit confusing. Let me get this straight."

Shen Jianjun thought for a moment. "So you’re saying your classmate started an animation company, and both you and this Wang Ming work there. He’s a director, and you do promotions?"

"Yes."

Shen Jianjun was speechless. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe her, but as an ordinary low-voltage electrician, he found it hard to imagine a few university students who hadn’t even graduated could create any kind of real company.

"Alright, what does your company do?"

"Dad, you’ve heard of *Cat and Mouse*, right? Our company makes that. And the *Cat and Mouse* movie that came out last year, the one that made 1.78 billion at the box office? That was ours too. We also have a video website called Dili Dili. I don’t know the company’s exact revenue, but making a few billion a year is no problem," Shen Ying said very seriously.

"How much? A few billion?!"

Shen Jianjun’s eyes went wide. With that much revenue, it was no small company. No wonder the name Qitian Animation had sounded vaguely familiar.

"Yep. My salary is over 10,000 a month. I get fifteen months’ pay a year, a full benefits package with social insurance and housing funds, and a year-end bonus. Over the past two years, I’ve saved up almost 300,000 in my bank account."

Shen Ying’s words left her parents utterly speechless. Shen Jianjun was an electrician and Ye Qiuju was a supermarket cashier. When had they ever seen so much money? And this was what their daughter had earned in just two years.

Shen Ying took out her phone and showed them her bank balance from a text message notification. With the proof right in front of them, even if the old couple thought it was some kind of fairytale, they had no choice but to believe it.

They couldn’t just say the money already in her account was fake, could they?

"Dad, you know Gaoyuan Toys here in town, right?" Shen Ying continued, striking while the iron was hot.

"Yeah, Boss Lin, the richest man in the city. His factory was hiring electricians a while back, but I didn’t get the job, unfortunately. Why?"

Shen Ying shrugged calmly. "He’s Lin Yanwan’s father. Two years ago, his factory was about to go bankrupt. Thanks to the animation licensing from Qitian Animation, not only did the toy factory survive, but its business has been booming ever since."

Shen Jianjun: "..."

’Just what has she been through these past two years!?’ He didn’t know what to say for a moment, and suddenly, his own daughter felt like a stranger.

’How is it that every other word out of her mouth is about astronomical sums of money or big shots they would never meet in their entire lives?’

"Yingying... so, this Wang Ming you mentioned...?" Ye Qiuju asked, swallowing hard.

"Oh, him? He’s the lead director for *Cat and Mouse* at Qitian Animation. This year’s big movie is about to be released, and it’s expected to make at least several hundred million at the box office. His mother is currently the vice president of Qitian Company, managing the entire corporation."

Shen Ying found a photo of a woman with a great figure, seen from behind, and said, a little sheepishly, "This is her. When I was in the Imperial Capital, I stayed with Wang Ming and his mother."

Shen Jianjun’s throat suddenly felt a bit dry. "So you’ve already met her?"

"Yes, Aunt Li is a very nice person. She’s been very good to me," Shen Ying said with a nod.

The old couple looked at each other, completely and utterly shocked.

"Dad, Mom, actually, I came back with Wang Ming today. He’ll probably come visit our house tomorrow. Please remember not to give him a hard time."

Shen Ying said with the utmost seriousness.