Blazing Sun~Extra Chapter 1: Clouds Rise

 

Extra Chapter 1: Clouds Rise

As one of the benchmarks in China's photovoltaic industry, Guangyu Photovoltaic's head, Jiang Yun, always had her schedule arranged to the minute by her assistant, Yin. That morning, she had just finished receiving an important figure's inspection in Suzhou, and that afternoon she immediately rushed to Wuxi to discuss the establishment of a branch factory with the local leaders.

The negotiations went unexpectedly smoothly, ending an hour earlier than expected. With more than two hours left before the evening banquet, Jiang Yun checked the time and remembered that her old friend Ding Hong lived nearby, so she called her to ask if she was home and if it would be convenient for her to come over for tea.

Ding Hong was overjoyed to receive the call, repeatedly saying, "Yes, yes, yes... wait a moment."

After a pause, as if in a different place, she lowered her voice and said, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand? Wang Liyun is with me. She's only been here a short while. I'll try to get rid of her quickly."

Before Jiang Yun could react, she immediately added, "Don't tell me you weren't coming! I've asked you so many times. It's rare for you to have time, so I had to see you. Wang Liyun has also asked me several times, and I felt embarrassed, so I finally asked her to come over for tea. What a coincidence!"

Jiang Yun's words caught in her throat, but she laughed and said, "I came here today on business, and it went surprisingly smoothly. I had some free time, so I quickly asked you. You don't need to ask her to leave; we're old acquaintances. Just get me another teacup."

Ding Hong hesitated, "You don't mind?"

Jiang Yun laughed loudly, "Why would I mind her?"

Ding Hong's concern about her meeting Wang Liyun was, of course, for a reason.

Wang Liyun is the wife of the owner of a well-known local company. She and Jiang Yun had a long-standing feud. It started when Nie Chengyuan and her husband were at a drinking party. Another boss, after drinking too much, inexplicably remarked, "Of your two Yuns, Jiang Yun is definitely more capable."

The next day, the comments spread.

Being suddenly criticized like this by a man infuriated Jiang Yun. She first berated Nie Chengyuan, and later, in a public setting, she subtly and sarcastically mocked the boss, finally managing to vent her anger.

The matter should have been over, but Wang Liyun took it personally and started gossiping about her behind her back. Initially, she criticized her appearance, saying she didn't look good enough for President Nie. Later, when Nie Chengyuan had an affair, she became even more aggressive, criticizing Jiang Yun's personality, calling her too strong-willed and attention-seeking.

Jiang Yun had always been quite polite to her, but after this incident, she felt Wang Liyun was muddle-headed and no longer took her seriously. These past few years, she'd been living in Suzhou, semi-detached from the Wuxi social circle, and with her career booming, she cared even less.

However, Jiang Yun was prepared for a few sarcastic remarks from Wang Liyun, but to her surprise, Wang Liyun's attitude was even more enthusiastic than Ding Hong's at Ding Hong's house. She started by praising Ding Hong's company extensively, which was one thing, but then she even complimented her appearance.

Even if she was two-faced, her behavior was too strange. Jiang Yun became wary, mentally reviewing the other woman's company, and felt she had ulterior motives. But her family made auto parts, and they really had no business dealings.

After Wang Liyun went to the restroom, Jiang Yun quickly asked Ding Hong, "What's wrong with her? How can she say things like I'm getting younger and prettier?"

She wasn't like this before.

Ding Hong was even more bewildered than her: "How would I know? But she's right, you look so energetic and vibrant now, your complexion is exceptionally good."

"Really?" Jiang Yun touched her face. She had paid attention to beauty and skincare for a while after her divorce, but after moving to Suzhou and being busy with work, she neglected this aspect considerably. She hadn't expected to be praised like this.

"Of course, when have I ever lied? It's not surprising, your company's performance is like a rocket, of course you're energetic. They say women need the nourishment of love, but I think the nourishment of money might be even better," Ding Hong joked.

"Oh, it's not about money," Jiang Yun waved her hand, her face beaming. "I've really put in the effort. I just received good news from the R&D center before coming here today; we've made a new breakthrough in photoelectric conversion efficiency, of course, it's still limited to the lab for now, to translate it into production..."

She went on and on about work, and Ding Hong listened with a smile, not interrupting her. Jiang Yun snapped out of her reverie, feeling quite embarrassed. "Oh dear, I just kept going on and on about these things, didn't you even interrupt me?"

"Why would I interrupt you? I'm really happy to hear you like this," Ding Hong said sincerely.

Just then, Wang Liyun returned from the restroom, and Jiang Yun stopped talking about work. The three chatted and drank tea for a while, when Wang Liyun suddenly glanced at Jiang Yun several times, her expression hesitant and unspeakable.

Jiang Yun perked up, thinking, "Finally!"

Sure enough, a moment later Wang Liyun asked her, "Something happened a few days ago, Jiang Yun, have you heard?"

What kind of question is that? "I definitely haven't heard anything about it."

Wang Liyun hesitated for a moment, but she had no patience for suspense and blurted out, "I heard that woman surnamed Qian went to the remote headquarters and made a scene."

Jiang Yun was immediately shocked by this explosive news. After a second of processing it, she stared intently at Wang Liyun, thinking, "Why don't you be more specific? Giving only half a story is really making me impatient."

Of course, her impatience wasn't about Nie Chengyuan; she was simply eager to hear some gossip.

A career woman's life also needs some spice, and gossip about her ex-husband is particularly suitable.

But Wang Liyun had just praised her so highly, and Jiang Yun wanted to maintain her image, feeling it wasn't appropriate to press for more information. Fortunately, Ding Hong was even more anxious than her, immediately bombarding her with three questions: "Really? Is that true? I've never heard of it!"

"Of course it's true!" Wang Liyun emphasized, unable to tolerate any doubt. "It's not surprising you haven't heard. Doesn't Nie Chengyuan care about his reputation? He'll definitely try to cover it up, but how can you hide something like this? It'll probably spread in a while."

Ding Hong became even more impatient: "Then explain yourself! What was the cause of all this trouble? Was it a forced marriage?"

Yes, yes, explain yourself! Jiang Yun silently echoed in her mind.

“What? It’s about medical expenses,” Wang Liyun said. “She went to the remote clinic to ask for money for her medical treatment, saying that Nie Chengyuan doesn’t care about her and she’s running out of imported medicine.”

“Is the information wrong?” Jiang Yun spoke up at this point, placing her hands on her lap and saying demurely, “She only had some minor ailments before, which could be cured with surgery. She should have been better long ago. How did it get to the point where she can’t afford the medicine?”

“I heard she’s developed another illness.” Wang Liyun, with her strong gossipy nature, had already found out. “A relative of a relative of mine is her attending physician. He said her illness is difficult to treat, and the imported medicine is extremely expensive. The doctors here suggested she go to Beijing for treatment, where the chances of success are higher, but they rejected that option, saying she should go to America for treatment.” "And what happened? She didn't even make it to Beijing, and now she's causing a scene at the company over medical expenses."

Ding Hong found this hard to believe: "ChengYuan isn't what it used to be, and I've heard they're having cash flow problems, but Nie Chengyuan shouldn't be so short of money. Why is he making such a scene?"

"I don't know," Wang Liyun said dismissively. "But that woman is stupid. By causing such a scene at the company, isn't she just making things worse and cutting off her own escape route?"

Jiang Yunyun took a sip of tea calmly: "They've probably developed a path dependency."

Ding Hong was taken aback, then suddenly realized: "Right, didn't she go directly to ChengYuan's headquarters and faint in Nie Chengyuan's office back then?"

Jiang Yunyun nodded.

Qian Fangping had successfully used this tactic to win over Nie Chengyuan back then, so she probably thought it would work again. However, times have changed; people's hearts and circumstances are vastly different now. How can the same trick be applied now? Years ago, when Qian Fangping appeared, she and Nie Chengyuan had many disagreements about the company's development direction. Although she ultimately yielded, looking back now, Nie Chengyuan clearly harbored resentment. At that time, she received much praise from the outside world, which may have exacerbated Nie Chengyuan's dissatisfaction.

So, he created a third party, partly because he couldn't forget his old feelings, and partly perhaps to manipulate her. He wanted to make her one of his choices, thus elevating her status.

What a pipe dream.

However, Jiang Yun didn't understand these darker aspects of human nature from the beginning.

At one point, she also wanted to save her marriage. Whether for love, career, or Xiguang, divorce wasn't the best option.

She had spoken frankly with Nie Chengyuan, but while he claimed to be innocent, his actions showed no restraint. Didn't he know how much pain and suffering she was enduring?

Of course he knew, but he was certain she couldn't do anything about it, that she had him completely under her thumb, unwilling to let go, and could only endure it.

At that time, everyone around her advised her to endure. She knew most of them meant well, because a divorce meant giving away half of her assets and her husband; all her years of hard work would have benefited someone else.

But the humiliation she felt was unbearable.

She resolutely divorced.

But she never told anyone that immediately after the divorce, she regretted it. After all, twenty years together—how could there be no feelings, no dependence?

She felt as if a piece of her had been ripped away.

During that period, she appeared carefree in public, but in the quiet of the night, in tears, she even questioned herself, wondering if she had given up too easily.

However, she understood even more deeply that the more difficult the situation, the more decisively she had to cut ties. Enduring humiliation for the sake of past feelings and assets would only make her numb and unrecognizable.

In the past few years, Guangyu's business has soared due to a series of fortuitous events, while Yuancheng's performance has declined sharply due to changes in the overall economic environment. The situation between her and Nie Chengyuan suddenly reversed.

Her last shred of resentment was thus completely released. It proved that even if she divorced, it didn't mean handing over everything from the past. The past experiences were ultimately hers, and who would suffer greater losses in the future depended on who was stronger and more successful today.

As long as she was stronger, then it was Nie Chengyuan who would feel resentful.

Ding Hong still couldn't understand the question, "Even if imported drugs are expensive, Nie Chengyuan couldn't afford them. He can easily manage Beijing's medical resources with his connections. How could things have turned out so ugly?"

Unless…

Ding Hong had some guesses in her mind, but didn't want to say them in front of Jiang Yun. She felt that Nie Chengyuan had most likely found someone new.

"What else could it be?" Wang Liyun had similar thoughts.

Jiang Yun said calmly, "Before, a little illness was nine parts pretense, which was considered romantic. Now, being genuinely sick is just a burden."

Ding Hong and Wang Liyun were both stunned, pondering it carefully, and indeed, it made sense. Ding Hong patted her on the shoulder: "You see things so clearly."

Jiang Yun laughed: "Who's born knowing these things? We only understand them after experiencing them."

Ding Hong asked: "Has he stopped trying to get back together with you lately?"

"That's ancient history! We haven't been in touch for over half a year." The better Guangyu did, the less Nie Chengyuan contacted her. Jiang Yun sometimes really thought Nie Chengyuan was quite interesting; how come she hadn't noticed when she was younger?

"Now that your company is so big, its market value far surpasses Yuancheng's, how could Nie Chengyuan have the face to contact you? He must be regretting it terribly; everyone laughs at his foolishness behind his back. He should just die of regret!" Wang Liyun seemed to remember something and said bitterly.

Jiang Yun seemed to understand, glancing at Ding Hong, who shook her head slightly, indicating she didn't know. Jiang Yun let it go, not interested in finding out more.

Wang Liyun, still savoring the moment, said, "If I were you, I'd find another young man with good prospects. You're not even sixty yet, I think finding someone in their forties would be fine. If men can find young men, so can you!"

Jiang Yun was startled, feeling as if Wang Liyun was placing her hopes on Jiang Yun. She quickly replied, "No need for that. How could I create such trouble for my daughter?"

Even with a prenuptial agreement, it would be too much trouble. She had a career, a daughter, and a son-in-law to rely on; why would she want to find an outsider to disrupt her life and add uncertainty?

Wang Liyun looked regretful, practically exasperated.

Jiang Yun found it amusing. After drinking another cup of tea, she checked the time and got up to leave. "I have to go, I have a dinner appointment tonight."

Drinking tea and listening to gossip was enjoyable, but as she sat in the car on the way to the dinner, Jiang Yun gradually felt uneasy.

Yin Jie, who had been waiting for her in the car, keenly noticed her change in mood and asked with concern, "President Jiang, what's wrong?"

Yin Jie is now Jiang Yun's special assistant; she's been with Jiang Yun since she first joined the company. Over time, she's become aware of everything, big and small, happening both at work and at home. She's tight-lipped, and being a good friend of Xi Guang, Jiang Yun didn't shy away from her, sighing, "About Xi Guang's father."

She recounted the rumors she'd just heard, sighed, and said, "I feel a little relieved hearing it, but... I also feel a bit of sympathy." Saying it's sympathy isn't quite accurate, but Jiang Yun herself couldn't quite articulate her feelings.

Yin Jie was startled and quickly said, "No, Ms. Jiang, you can't use 'misery loves company' like that. She didn't consider her kind at all back then."

"Besides, we're all human beings. Our 'kind' should be good people among humans. Please don't have any thoughts like 'she's pitiful.' There's a popular saying online now: 'Respect others' choices and fates.' Everything has a cause and effect."

Yin Jie rattled off a string of words, as if afraid she'd misunderstand. Jiang Yun chuckled and explained, "That's not what I meant. Never mind, I misspoke."

She paused. "I was thinking that people must rely on themselves. Don't pin your hopes for life on others. How much luck would it take to never make a mistake?"

Yin Jie nodded in agreement: "Definitely! Earning your own money and spending it yourself is so much better, and you're respected too. My annual salary is the highest in the whole family now, and I feel like my status in the family has increased. Every time I go home for the New Year, it's like everyone's pampering Xiaoyue."

"Why pamper Xiaoyue?" Jiang Yun asked curiously.

Yin Jie beamed, "Then I'll be humble and leave some room for improvement."

Jiang Yun burst into laughter.

Soon the van arrived at its destination. Several people were already waiting at the entrance of the grand hotel.

As soon as Jiang Yun got out of the car, she was immediately surrounded by a crowd.

Jiang Yun was used to such scenes, smiling and exchanging pleasantries with each of them, friendly and humble.

The group entered the hotel together.

The luxurious lobby was adorned with crystal chandeliers, and the marble floor gleamed.

Perhaps because she had heard news of Nie Chengyuan today, Jiang Yun, surrounded by the crowd, suddenly thought of the past. Back then, she was Nie Chengyuan's wife, often accompanying him to similar events. Although not the center of attention, she was still treated with great respect and enjoyed considerable prestige.

She had once been proud and content.

But now that she was the center of attention, she realized that the sense of accomplishment and pleasure she had gained back then was nothing compared to the spotlight she was now surrounded by admirers.

She was Jiang Yun, the head of Guangyu Solar. She had once been subservient, had once been divorced in middle age, had once been in a slump, but all of that was in the past, and no one cared anymore.

Because she had reached the pinnacle, this time, her own pinnacle.