Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

While the future mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were happily watching a Shandong cuisine chef hand-pull sea cucumbers, a Weibo post quickly went viral:

[Look at what I discovered! Today is my grandpa’s birthday. Since it’s a weekday, he didn’t want a big banquet with friends and relatives. He just said our family could get together for a meal at his favorite Shandong restaurant. I never expected that before we even finished eating, I’d look up and see the two of them walk in. I was totally stunned! #NiBingyanMotherInLaw #NiBingyanOfficialAnnouncement (9 photos)]

In the afternoon, Chaotianmen Dog had written a long post about a certain actress who had found a tycoon. The tycoon, displeased that the blogger was constantly posting exposés about her, had supposedly shown up at his door and grandly presented him with a ”matchmaker’s gift.”

Netizens applauded the tycoon’s bizarre move, envying the actress’s good luck in finding a man willing to protect her. At the same time, they couldn’t resist their curiosity and were planning to do a deep dive to find out just who this tycoon and actress were.

But before they could dig anything up, Ni Bingyan made her official announcement.

It was like a balloon that got pricked with a needle before it could be fully inflated, instantly deflating.

Even the casual onlookers who saw the news and connected it to the previous gossip—and Chaotianmen Dog’s recent exposé—mostly just left a few sour comments and moved on.

Just as the top comment under the announcement post said, when an adult is openly in a relationship, bystanders should just wish them well. There’s no need to say nasty things.

But who would have thought that before the day was even over, there would be another new development.

People clicked open the photos and saw Ni Bingyan with her arm linked through Shui Sulan’s. The two were smiling as they walked into the restaurant and chatted with the owner.

[LMAO, those rival marketing accounts are so done for! They said Bingbing’s dream of marrying into a wealthy family was shattered and she was just waiting to be dumped. Talk about judging others by your own standards! I wonder if their faces sting right now?]

[Are they wearing matching mother-daughter outfits? Gotta say, Bingbing’s fashion sense is always on point.]

Ni Bingyan’s fans had already been celebrating on social media all day, so their first reaction to seeing these photos was to heap on the praise.

[The poster above must not follow financial news, huh? President Shui’s outfits from forty years ago would still be fashionable today. Your Miss Ni wasn’t even born back then! (9 photos of Shui Sulan)]

As one of the most prominent female entrepreneurs in the world, Shui Sulan was beautiful and elegant. Having fought in the business world for decades, she had accumulated a considerable number of loyal fans.

Many people had even considered her their idol since childhood.

Although Ni Bingyan had only just started dating her son, judging by Shui Sulan’s attitude, it was only a matter of time before she married into the family.

So many people were green with envy!

Seeing Ni Bingyan’s fans try to give their idol all the credit, people who were already feeling jealous couldn’t help but start nitpicking.

[Shouldn’t real fans just be happy at a time like this? /side-eye/ /suspicious/ /thinking/]

After they had agreed on a plan last night, Wei Shuojie had been monitoring the situation all day.

As soon as the first signs of a fight brewing between the two fanbases appeared, she quickly arranged for her PR team to push that comment to the top.

The fans of an entrepreneur like Shui Sulan were mostly rational; they wouldn’t start fights so easily. Wei Shuojie could tell at a glance that someone was trying to stir up trouble.

The internal competition at the company was fierce this year. The winner would receive the company’s full backing and a role in a major production vying for international awards next year.

Under these circumstances, not only were the artists working diligently to prove their worth, but their agents were also pulling out all the stops, each using their own unique tricks.

No one dared to have an open falling-out, but there were endless shady maneuvers behind the scenes. Naturally, Wei Shuojie had to be extremely careful.

With netizens returning to their senses, the inexplicable dispute lost all attention in the blink of an eye.

[I have to say, true beauty never fades. President Shui must be 66 this year, right? I’d be more than happy if I looked that good when I’m 40.]

A group of people began to praise both of their looks.

One possessed the calm nobility that comes with age; though her skin was no longer young, her aura was more outstanding than ever. The other was like the rising sun, her face lovely and brimming with life. Each possessed her own unique beauty.

Wei Shuojie kept a close watch, wary that someone might start making trouble. A 66-year-old was standing with a 26-year-old, yet some people actually started fighting over who was more beautiful. It was utterly ridiculous!

It would be one thing to squabble over peers, but to measure these two by the same standard? ’Are they sick in the head?!’

[I was there. You know how President Shui introduced Ni Bingyan to people? She said it with her own mouth: ’This is my future daughter-in-law!’]

[/crying with laughter/ Her boyfriend is satisfied, her mother-in-law is satisfied, but the netizens aren’t. It’s so hard being an actress!]

...

Ni Bingyan didn’t care about all the commotion online.

When they left after dinner, she had been worried about paparazzi and fans blocking the exit. But to her surprise, Sang Yuan was waiting at the door with bodyguards and escorted both of them straight to the car.

”Sigh. No wonder so many of my peers prefer to date in secret. This level of attention probably won’t die down for days, and it’s so disruptive to normal life.”

Ni Bingyan looked at them apologetically.

She was on vacation, so she could just hide at home until the attention died down. Besides, as a long-time celebrity, she was used to this sort of thing.

But the Sang family members were busy and had to go out every day. Ni Bingyan was worried that people might try to corner them.

It would be a small matter if they formed a bad impression of her, but it wouldn’t be right to cause them trouble.

”Don’t worry,” said Shui Sulan, who spoke from experience. ”If you try to hide things, people will just put more effort into digging for information. Since we’re being open about it, people won’t be overly interested.”

”Don’t worry. Just think of it as free advertising! Other companies spend a fortune on spokespeople. Our family found such a wonderful daughter-in-law in you—think of how much we’ll save on promotional fees!”

Sang Yuan joked, clearly not worried about her causing him any trouble.

He even made a self-deprecating joke to put her mind at ease.

Afraid that Ni Bingyan might get the wrong idea and think they were actually interested in her fame, Shui Sulan scoffed at her son, signaling him to stop his nonsense. She then patted Ni Bingyan’s shoulder and comforted her softly,

”Don’t read too much into it. These are all minor things, so don’t take them to heart.”

Jiacheng Electronics had never hired a celebrity spokesperson, always relying on its rock-solid quality and good reputation to survive.

Shui Sulan had even publicly stated during a CCTV interview:

”Hiring a spokesperson is too expensive, and Jiacheng Electronics doesn’t need one. I firmly believe that a good product is the most powerful endorsement. That’s why we invest significant manpower and resources into research and development every year, striving to create excellent products that the public can trust.”

Given Jiacheng Electronics’s national recognition, it was hard to say who was really riding whose coattails.

As for Sang Yuan’s Yuan Yan Venture Capital, it had even less need for a spokesperson.

It was safe to say that while everyone in the financial world knew of Yuan Yan Venture Capital, there were plenty of people who had no idea who Ni Bingyan was.

Seeing they were all mentally prepared, Ni Bingyan was touched and didn’t say anything more.

Back in their residential community, she first stopped by the Sang family’s home for a bit to say a few words to Mr. Sang. Seeing that it was getting late, Ni Bingyan then took her dog and headed home.

Sang Yuan walked her out. As they strolled along, they found themselves holding hands.

Ni Bingyan felt a little shy, her eyes fixed on the stone path. She spotted a small pebble and had the urge to kick it.

Sang Yuan glanced at her from time to time, then looked up at the twinkling stars in the grayish-blue sky, a constant smile on his face.

’This feeling is wonderful!’

When they reached her front door, Sang Yuan didn’t try to invite himself in. He hugged her, patted her back gently, and told her to stay home for a few days before heading back to his own place.

Ni Bingyan stood at her gate, watching until his figure disappeared at the end of the path. Only then did she rub her burning ears and lock up.

’This feeling is so intoxicating!’

’I must be too old mentally,’ she thought. ’That’s the only reason falling in love feels like an old house catching fire—unstoppable.’

After settling Wangcai down, Ni Bingyan went to her home gym for half an hour and came out drenched in sweat.

No matter how happy she felt, she couldn’t forget the self-discipline required of a female celebrity.

In this line of work, only the most disciplined can last long.

She had eaten so much for dinner; she had to burn some of it off before going to bed.

After her shower, she lay in bed and habitually picked up her phone. She was about to check if Sang Yuan had sent her a message when she noticed several missed calls.