The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead-Chapter 69 - 68 Networking Event
Chapter 69: Chapter 68: Networking Event
Chapter 69 -68: Networking Event
That night, Jiang Nanzhou and Lu Jingqiu nearly had a car accident, all because of what Jingqiu said.
It was unclear whether Jiang Nanzhou was scared or it was just too sudden, but he almost lost control of the car and crashed into a tree by the road.
Fortunately, his driving skills were good enough to regain control.
But it was this incident that left Jingqiu’s words hanging.
This made Jingqiu believe that Jiang Nanzhou had no feelings for her, and that she was overthinking it.
She was annoyed and embarrassed by her own initiative once again.
So much so that she had been listless at work these past few days.
When Luo Xinyue saw her like this, she took the opportunity while Yang Bo was away to ask, “Broke up?”
“Huh?… What?”
“Hasn’t anyone told you that you’ve been out of sorts these past two days? It seems to have started since the night you came back from the movies.”
“Luo Xinyue, you have a lot of free time, don’t you?”
Luo Xinyue held her cup and nodded, “Yeah, the editors think I’m not up to par and don’t like to assign work to me. It’s better this way. I get the same salary for doing the least amount of work.”
Jingqiu frowned and said, “Who says you’re not good enough? Everyone has their own style of painting; they’re just different. What you’re lacking is color harmony. It’s great that your family dotes on you and that you’re in such good circumstances, but you should have some ambition. You love painting so much, why don’t you put in more effort in this area?”
“Lu Jingqiu, when did it become your turn to lecture me about my affairs?”
“I’m not lecturing you, I’m praising you. Can’t you tell?”
“Hmph, no one has ever praised me like that. My family, even if I just draw a circle, they think it’s the best. But they don’t know that at work, no one thinks my circles are good like they do.
They probably also look down on me for getting in through the back door.”
“You do have some self-awareness.”
“Hmph, you think the same way, don’t you?”
“You don’t have to let people think of you like that.”
“As if I could control their minds.”
“Improve yourself. You could get a teacher. Your family must have connections in that arena. Find a reputable professor to mentor you for half a year, and you’re bound to see results. Or you can go to college, just like I did.”
“Pfft, what’s the use of going to college.”
“Luo Xinyue, go home and ask your parents. Ask them what kind of jobs this batch of college graduates will have, what their treatment will be like, if there are organizations vying for college graduates.”
Although Jingqiu didn’t like Luo Xinyue’s personality, she knew that Luo Xinyue’s traits were not unlike her own in her previous life.
Of course, Luo Xinyue was much luckier than she had been. Now that she was “older,” Jingqiu couldn’t bear to see them take the wrong path and always liked to preach to others.
Luo Xinyue, not sure if something struck a nerve, stopped talking. Jingqiu didn’t have the spare time to continue the conversation either, and the room fell into silence.
Outside the room, Zhang Miao suddenly entered and smiled at them, saying, “The Chief Editor just said that the military and many other units are having a social event, and all of you unmarried ladies should go tomorrow.”
Luo Xinyue was startled and quickly said, “I’m seeing someone already, I’m not going.”
“I’m also seeing someone.”
“She isn’t, she just broke up.”
“Who broke up?”
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“The armed forces’ social event, if you hadn’t broken up, you could still go, right? You might even see your partner there, isn’t that right, Editor Zhang.”
Zhang Miao nodded, “Right. Jingqiu, it’s actually your compound, our unit has quite a few going, one from Department One, and only Wang Meilian from Department Two. We set off from the unit early tomorrow morning.”
Editorial department’s Zhao Wencai joked, “Why is it a social event with the military this time? When it’s other units’ turn, the unit should also consider us single guys.”
Ban Dalin joined the conversation, “I introduced you to my cousin last time, but you turned her down. You’re just too picky.”
Sister Qin laughed, “That’s right.”
Zhao Wencai defended himself, “It’s not that I turned her down, but your cousin turned me down, thinking I’m too short. Hey, Meilian, you’ve got to seize the opportunity this time, find someone with good prospects. Right, get Jingqiu to introduce someone to you.”
Meilian thought it made sense, and quickly turned to Lu Jingqiu with a smile. Lu Jingqiu hurriedly waved her hands, “That would be a problem for me. Although I live in the compound, I don’t really interact much with the people in the military.”
Zhang Miao also came to her rescue, “If she knew any, she wouldn’t still be single, would she?”
Lu Jingqiu offered a forced smile in agreement.
After the office banter died down, Lu Jingqiu wanted to explain her situation to the chief editor and express her unwillingness to go.
But before she could, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Yang called her in to ask about the seasonal paintings she submitted to West City Daily News.
“If I didn’t know an editor over at West City Daily, I really wouldn’t have known that you were the one who submitted these. Of course, I’m not blaming you. We have no objection to various submissions outside of work.”
Lu Jingqiu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, “Deputy Editor-in-Chief, what do you need me for?”
“Your series of paintings are very popular. Because of your Twelve Solar Terms, West City Daily News has seen a substantial increase in subscriptions over the last two months. After some inquiries, I’ve found that some veteran artists value your paintings so much that they’ve clipped them out to keep.”
“There’s an art illustration contest coming up in our province, and you could enter these paintings. If you’re willing, I can sign you up directly from the unit. The condition, however, is that you need to finish the remaining Solar Terms in advance and have them published by our publishing house.”
“Ah, published?” And a provincial competition, naturally not to be missed.
Yang Ting said with a smile, “Don’t worry, there’s a royalty for publishing. We’ll sign a contract, and not a penny less will be yours. We can’t let the benefits flow to outsiders. You’re one of us, after all, aren’t you?”
“Chief Editor Yang is right. I’ll definitely enter the contest, When is it about?”
“It’s already started, and the winners will be selected by July. You’ll need to finish the remaining pieces before June. I heard you’re preparing for the college entrance exam, does this put any pressure on you?”
Lu Jingqiu shook her head, “Not at all, I can complete them. Thank you, Chief Editor Yang, for your support. But should I continue to contribute to West City Daily?”
“Keep contributing, it’s good for building your reputation. When our illustrated book comes out, it will sell even better.”
Lu Jingqiu agreed with a smile and left Deputy Editor Yang’s office. Instantly energized, she started planning her next pieces on the way home from work.
Once home, she immediately began working on the drafts.
She had completed one painting, submitted three, and had composited three in the last few days. With nine days left until June, she still needed to produce seventeen more.
Although it was a challenge, for Lu Jingqiu, none of this was a problem.
With the experience of her two lifetimes, she could manage two or three paintings a day.
That very evening, Lu Jingqiu added color to the three drafts she had prepared earlier.
The next morning, she showed them to Yang Ting, who pointed out a few areas for improvement, “Keep this style going. I’m looking forward to your complete works.”
Feeling validated, Lu Jingqiu was thrilled.
Just as she thought about returning to the office to continue painting, Wang Meilian stopped her.
Only then did Lu Jingqiu remember that she was supposed to attend the social event today.
