Volume Two: Shadows of the Past - Chapter Eighty-One: Love Knows No Origin...

Hearing Chen Jing's words, Wang Zhe couldn't help but express his gratitude loudly, "Thank you truly so much!"

Seeing that Chen Jing did not mind how shabby his studio was, Wang Zhe let out a sigh of relief. He had thought that after telling the truth about his situation, the other party might no longer agree to sign with him. He had not expected the man to trust him so much, and since that was the case, he certainly could not let down the other's expectations.

Of course, the guarantee Wang Zhe had just given Chen Jing was not said lightly. Having run a comic studio for so many years, if the working conditions could truly be guaranteed, then building a comic studio with a dozen people would indeed be an effortless matter for Wang Zhe. To say the least, he was confident he could call back all of his former like-minded comrades-in-arms.

Looking at Chen Jing's smiling face, Wang Zhe suddenly remembered that he still did not even know the name of the young man before him.

Thinking that this person might be his superior in the future, shouldn't he know his name no matter what? Wang Zhe spoke up to ask, "Um, I'm sorry, I don't seem to know what to call you yet? May I ask your esteemed name?"

Chen Jing was visibly stunned by Wang Zhe's question.

His reaction was hardly surprising, as he had assumed from the very beginning that Wang Zhe had already recognized who he was, which was why Chen Jing hadn't bothered to introduce himself when they first met. He hadn't expected that the man genuinely didn't recognize him; fortunately, it hadn't caused any awkwardness.

It seemed his fame still wasn't big enough yet, if someone could fail to recognize him.

Chen Jing inwardly made a gentle self-deprecating joke, while wearing a smile as he said to Wang Zhe, "My name is Chen Jing, and you can also call me A-Jing from now on. Well—I'm a singer, and I suppose you could also call me a director." Chen Jing made a lighthearted joke at his own expense.

However, Wang Zhe missed the point of Chen Jing's remark. He only said earnestly, "Alright, Mr. Chen, then I'll come back in three days to sign the contract."

Although Wang Zhe didn't understand why Chen Jing had described himself as both a singer and a director, he felt it would be impolite to keep asking. He decided to wait until he returned home to look up Chen Jing's background. Surely, as a singer... and director associated with Jingrun, he must be quite famous.

In the end, Chen Jing personally escorted Wang Zhe downstairs. Wang Zhe once again felt how much importance the man attached to him, which made him all the more determined to draw with all his heart to repay this kindness once he officially signed with Chen Jing.

Indeed, Chen Jing genuinely thought very highly of Wang Zhe. In fact, he had his own reasons for holding Wang Zhe in such high regard.

As it happened, Chen Jing knew that Wang Zhe's comic studio was the original creator of Huaxia's most popular domestic comic series at present. He knew this because the former Chen Jing had also followed that domestic comic, only to find out later on that the story was losing its original flavor. Upon casually searching the internet, he discovered the dispute between Wang Zhe's comic studio and a company over the copyright of the comic.

Although he was furious about Wang Zhe's studio being infringed upon, restrictions within the Dynasty prevented Chen Jing and his peers from casually interfering in the affairs of ordinary people. Therefore, at the time, all Chen Jing could do was feel a sense of regret for Wang Zhe's comic studio.

Yet the twists of fate were always unexpected; through the changes of time, he was now about to become the boss of Wang Zhe's comic studio himself. Perhaps this was what people often called destiny.

As soon as Wang Zhe stepped out of the Jingrun Building, he immediately took out his phone and dialed the number that had always been at the very top of his contacts list.

"Hello! Ah-Zhe, why are you calling me? How did the interview go today? Everything alright?" As soon as the call connected, a voice as gentle as water came through, filled with deep concern.

Hearing that voice, which he would never tire of, Wang Zhe's excited heart calmed down slightly. He suppressed his inner exhilaration and began to share his joy with her, "Yes, the interview went well. Barring any accidents, I'll be able to sign the contract in three days. That's right, I was hired by Jingrun. Wife, I succeeded."

That's right, the person on the other end of the phone was the wife who had faithfully stayed by Wang Zhe's side through thick and thin for many years.

Wang Zhe's wife was his junior high school classmate. They had been in the same class for all three years of junior high and had even shared the same desk. At that time, her favorite thing to do was quietly watch Wang Zhe draw.

After graduating from junior high, Wang Zhe decided not to attend high school and instead learn how to draw comics. Faced with this decision, none of his family members understood or supported him—except for her. She was the only one who chose to unconditionally believe in and support Wang Zhe.

Later, she went to college, and Wang Zhe completed his training to establish his comic studio. Their contact was never broken during this period. Throughout her college years, the two naturally defined their relationship and became a couple.

However, good times did not last. Wang Zhe's first and second works both ended in failure. In contrast, she shone brilliantly at university and became renowned as the campus belle.

Their trajectories seemed to drift further and further apart. No one around them believed they could make it to the end.

Especially after Wang Zhe's comic studio was swindled by a large corporation and his work was stolen, he plunged into the lowest point of his life. At that time, Wang Zhe even felt that perhaps he should let her go, seeing no reason to drag her down to pay the price for his dreams.

Yet she proved with her actions her unwavering loyalty to Wang Zhe.

When Wang Zhe's studio was falling apart and he had nothing left, she ignored everyone's objections, resolutely took her household registration booklet, and obtained a marriage certificate with Wang Zhe. There were no blessings filling the sky, nor a grand wedding; the two simply became husband and wife in this manner.

It was precisely because of this final beam of light that Wang Zhe managed to endure that darkest period. Then, working hard together with her, he managed to keep his studio afloat.

For Wang Zhe, he could give up anything—even his dreams—but the one thing he could never give up was her smile.

He remembered asking his wife when they registered their marriage why she was so foolish to tie herself down to his tree.

She had smiled happily and replied, "Because I like you, I like your drawings. I like your persistent dreams. And even more, I like the way you strive for your dreams."

At that moment, Wang Zhe resolved that he must achieve success in the future and then hold the best possible wedding for her.

This was also the biggest reason why Wang Zhe had applied to Jingrun.

"Mm, alright... I know. Yes, wait for me to come back for dinner. Love you! Hanging up now." Wang Zhe smiled as he hung up the phone. Thinking of the person at home preparing a meal and waiting for his return, his heart felt an exceptional warmth.

For her, he absolutely could not fail this time. With a determined gaze, Wang Zhe picked up his phone once again and dialed a second number.

"Hey, Fatty. It's me, Lao-Zhe. I'm back, and there's a big job to do..."

Meanwhile, back in the office, Chen Jing told Lin Xi about his plan to sign the Wang Zhe Comic Studio.

"Are you sure you want to choose this studio?" Lin Xi asked, somewhat puzzled. Among the several comic studios that had previously applied, there were no lack of exceptionally famous ones, yet Chen Jing had passed on all of them in favor of such an obscure little studio. It was truly beyond Lin Xi's comprehension.

To Lin Xi's question, Chen Jing didn't offer a lengthy explanation, only saying with a smile, "I'm sure, this is the one. Trust me, they certainly won't let us down."

However, Lin Zitan still stared with wide eyes, looking at Chen Jing and asking cutely, "But there are clearly better choices out there. Why did you pick this one, Ah-Jing?" She didn't doubt Chen Jing's choice; she was simply curious.

After a moment of thought, Chen Jing decided to tell them about how the Wang Zhe Comic Studio had its works infringed upon and stolen.

"Oh! You mean the most popular domestic comic right now was actually created by this studio? Then this studio is amazing!" Lin Zitan exclaimed in sudden realization, finally understanding why Chen Jing had chosen them.

As for whether what Chen Jing said was true, Lin Zitan never doubted it for a second. Since Ah-Jing said so, it must be true, because Ah-Jing never lied to her.

Beside them, Lin Xi looked at Chen Jing with a strange expression. What she found odd was where Chen Jing had obtained such information. In truth, large corporations encroaching upon and stealing other people's comic works was not uncommon, but such matters were rarely exposed. Even if they were brought to light, it was useless because there was no substantive evidence, and lawsuits against these corporate giants were destined to fail.

Since no such news had ever circulated, how could Chen Jing be so certain that the Wang Zhe Comic Studio was the original creator of that wildly popular domestic comic?

Lin Xi did not press Chen Jing for the bottom of it. If Chen Jing didn't want to say, he naturally had his reasons. Everyone had their own secrets; wasn't she the same way? When had Chen Jing ever pried into her secrets?

Well—asking Xu Ce that one time didn't count; that was just him being gossipy.

Regardless, in each other's domains, she and Chen Jing never questioned one another, maintaining an unreserved and mutual trust. This way of getting along made Lin Xi feel exceptionally comfortable.

With this thought, Lin Xi smiled faintly. Seeing Chen Jing look over at her, she smiled and said, "Tomorrow your movie *SPL: Sha Po Lang* will be released. Shall we make a guess about its box office earnings?"

Before Chen Jing could speak, Lin Zitan eagerly chimed in, "Yes, yes! That sounds fun."

Chen Jing became interested as well: "Sure! Shall we add a little wager to make it interesting?"

Naturally, neither Lin Xi nor Lin Zitan objected to Chen Jing's proposal. A wager made things all the more thrilling, didn't it?

Speaking of the wager, Lin Xi took charge and directly set the stakes: "How about this. If the movie *SPL: Sha Po Lang* surpasses 1 billion in box office revenue, then the money that I and Zitan previously invested, plus our final share of the profits from this movie, will all be reinvested into your next film. But if it doesn't reach 1 billion—" Here, Lin Xi paused, smiled at Chen Jing, and continued, "Then you, Ah-Jing, will write a song for each of us, and it has to be the kind that leaves us completely satisfied."

Lin Zitan raised both hands in agreement: "Haha! This wager is great. I've been wanting Ah-Jing to write a song for me for a long time."

However, facing Lin Xi's proposition, Chen Jing wore a mysterious smile and asked counter-productively, "Oh? Is it really that simple? Are you sure stopping at 1 billion is enough? Aren't you going to raise the bar a bit?"

Lin Xi narrowed her eyes and decisively said, "Alright! Since you put it that way, Ah-Jing, let's raise that 1 billion box office target to 1.5 billion."

"Ah! That high?" Lin Zitan suddenly grew concerned that Chen Jing might lose.

Yet Chen Jing agreed without a moment's hesitation: "Deal. That way it's actually somewhat challenging."

"Uh..." Looking at the confident Chen Jing, Lin Zitan suddenly didn't know what to say.

Forgive her—it wasn't that she didn't believe in Chen Jing, but anyone would find it hard to believe that someone's debut directorial film could exceed 1.5 billion at the box office.

Lin Xi naturally didn't believe Chen Jing's first movie could reach 1.5 billion either, but looking at his confident smile, she couldn't help feeling a faint sense of anticipation deep inside.

At Xiangshi No. 1 High School, as the final afternoon bell rang, the students finally ushered in their long-awaited May Day holiday.

Wang Youxuan was packing up the homework she needed to take home when a boy suddenly ran over and asked her, "Youxuan, the May Day holiday is so long, let's make a date to go see a movie one of these days. A new Disney animated film just came out for the holiday, and the trailer looks pretty interesting. Shall we go see it together?"

Faced with the boy asking her out to a Disney animated movie, Wang Youxuan immediately showed a look of disdain. "Cao Xin, you're a big guy, how can you have the nerve to ask me to go watch Disney cartoons?"

"Uh..." Cao Xin froze. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Then shall we pick a different movie?"

That played right into her hands. Wang Youxuan smiled and said, "Alright, let's change it to *SPL: Sha Po Lang* instead! I like action movies, hehe."

"Huh? Oh!" Cao Xin truly hadn't expected that a delicate girl like Wang Youxuan would actually enjoy action films.

"Then make sure you remember to go see it." With that, Wang Youxuan didn't wait for the stunned Cao Xin to recover, picked up her schoolbag, and walked out.

Seeing that Wang Youxuan was about to leave, Cao Xin hurried to chase after her and asked, "Hey! Youxuan, you haven't told me where we're going to watch it, or which day and session to book tickets for yet!"

"Just go to the Jingrun Cinema. Any day of the May Day holiday is fine, as long as it's the 12:00 noon session, and the seats are close to number 25." Without looking back, Wang Youxuan finished speaking as she ran out of the classroom.

"Ugh! Any day or session is fine? Seats close to number 25? What does that even mean?" Looking at Wang Youxuan's departing figure, Cao Xin sighed helplessly.

As the saying goes, when love first buds, it is filled with the sweetest melancholy.

The most nostalgic romance of all is precisely that innocent, heart-fluttering emotion found during one's student days.