Chapter 39

Chapter 39

At the company, Wen Mochuan had just finished a meeting and returned to his office. Xu Ao was standing in front of his desk, listening to Wen Mochuan's instructions on some upcoming projects for the company.

Suddenly, Wen Mochuan's phone rang.

Wen Mochuan glanced at it and paused before continuing to give Xu Ao a few more instructions and then dismissing him.

The phone rang for quite a while without anyone picking up on the other end. Jiang Yiyan guessed that he must be busy and was about to hang up when the call was suddenly answered.

"Hello?" A familiar voice unexpectedly entered her ears.

"Uh, hello?" Jiang Yiyan was caught off guard by this call and felt momentarily at a loss.

But she quickly regained her composure.

"This is why I'm calling," Jiang Yiyan explained the reason for her call. "It's too hot outside. If Little Chen is available, could you arrange for him to pick me up?" Then, she told him the reason she needed to go out.

Jiang Yiyan had expected the person on the other end of the line to hesitate or at least consider it for a moment. After all, Little Chen was his personal driver, and there might be work-related demands.

But to her surprise, he didn't hesitate at all and immediately said, "I'll give him a call. He should be able to arrive in about forty minutes."

Jiang Yiyan was concise and straightforward with her request, and Wen Mochuan acted decisively, giving a clear answer without any delay. With everything said, the couple soon fell into silence again.

Wen Mochuan remained silent on his end, and since Jiang Yiyan had achieved her goal, she promptly said, "Thanks. I'll wait at home. Sorry for the interruption. You can get back to work now." Then, she hung up the call.

Listening to the beeping sound on the other end, Wen Mochuan was momentarily dazed before finally placing a call to Little Chen.

After finishing the call with Little Chen and giving him his instructions, Wen Mochuan had a few moments of blankness. It was during this time that he belatedly realized something.

She was going to the qipao shop, the one called "Ah Dong." The owner of that shop was a man in his early thirties who seemed to have some appreciation for his wife when they first met.

.

After Little Chen dropped Jiang Yiyan off at her destination, he let her get out of the car first while he went to find a parking spot.

Since Jiang Yiyan had sent a WeChat message to the shop owner before coming, Mr. Yu was waiting for her in the store.

Upon seeing her enter, Mr. Yu greeted her with a smile.

"Miss Jiang, I didn't expect you to still be interested in the qipao designs I created. I thought it would take you a day or two to come," Yu Wenlai, true to his name, was very refined and gentlemanly.

Jiang Yiyan found him approachable, and since it wasn't their first meeting, she couldn't help but tease him. "Looks like I came too eagerly. Should I leave and come back in a few days?"

Yu Wenlai laughed. "Miss Jiang, you're so humorous."

Jiang Yiyan: "Just joking, Mr. Yu, please don't mind."

"No problem at all."

Yu Wenlai personally fetched a bottle of water from the fridge for Jiang Yiyan. "It's hot outside, have some water first." Then, as if remembering something, he asked considerately, "I forgot to ask about your preferences. Do you want it cold, warm, or at room temperature?"

It wasn't the time for Jiang Yiyan's relatives to visit, and it was indeed very hot, so she needed something cool to quench her thirst. Therefore, she directly took the water from Yu Wenlai and thanked him.

Yu Wenlai asked Jiang Yiyan to sit down and rest while he went inside to fetch the design sketches.

"I've prepared some sketches over the past few days. Miss Jiang, please take a look and let me know if there's anything unsatisfactory. If there are changes, and I think they're appropriate, I'll make them right away. If you have no objections, we can start making the qipao according to the sketches."

This was his usual practice in the industry. For returning customers' qipao orders, he would present the sketches for them to review. However, this was usually just a formality, as customers who liked the craftsmanship here naturally trusted Yu Wenlai, the owner.

Thus, almost no one would genuinely point out flaws; they would only praise Yu Wenlai's designs and express their admiration.

But Jiang Yiyan was unaware of this internal situation. When asked to review the sketches, she genuinely scrutinized them.

Not only did Yu Wenlai personally create the designs, but he also personally crafted each qipao. He treated every customer and every order with utmost seriousness.

Although the small shop didn't sell many qipaos in a month, its monthly revenue was still considerable. Yu Wenlai's philosophy was to prioritize quality over quantity, refusing to compromise on standards even if it meant producing fewer pieces.

It was precisely because of this business philosophy that his shop attracted many high-end customers willing to spend generously. Often, if customers wanted to place an order in advance, they would have to wait in line for two to three months.

When Yu Wenlai first met Jiang Yiyan, he felt that her appearance and demeanor were excellent, making her well-suited for wearing qipaos. Therefore, he was willing to work overtime to complete her orders when she placed additional ones later.

However, Jiang Yiyan was unaware of this.

In university, Jiang Yiyan studied fashion design, but her school wasn't prestigious, and she hadn't taken her studies seriously. Moreover, after graduation, she didn't pursue a career in the field. Therefore, in front of a professional like Yu Wenlai, Jiang Yiyan's knowledge of design was clearly insufficient.

However, although she lacked significant talent in clothing design, she did have a foundation and natural aptitude for drawing. Especially when it came to patterns embroidered on qipaos, which incorporated traditional Chinese elements.

"The flowers on the skirt seem to convey a sense of decay. If we could..." Jiang Yiyan pointed to the areas she believed needed modification as she spoke. "If the direction of these petals were upward, wouldn't the overall appearance be better?" She felt more convinced the more she thought about it. "It would look much more vibrant."

Yu Wenlai fell silent.

Firstly, Jiang Yiyan was the first person to criticize his work, which surprised him. Secondly, when he followed her train of thought, the seemingly casual changes she suggested truly were the highlights.

Although the effect wasn't yet visible on the sketches, Yu Wenlai could imagine how impactful those changes would be.

"Mr. Yu?" Seeing him remain silent, Jiang Yiyan called out to him.

Coming back to his senses, Yu Wenlai immediately smiled. Looking at Jiang Yiyan, the admiration in his eyes deepened.

"Has Miss Jiang studied design?" Yu Wenlai affirmed her ideas. "Although it's just a simple change with a few strokes, the suggestions Miss Jiang provided are the essence. With such discerning taste, you must be an expert in the field."

Jiang Yiyan shook her head with a smile. "I'm far from being an expert. In front of Mr. Yu, I'm not even half-qualified. I did study some design before, but I was just a novice. Perhaps... perhaps it has something to do with my training in traditional Chinese painting since childhood."

"Is Miss Jiang a painter?" Yu Wenlai was very interested.

Jiang Yiyan chuckled and shook her head even more vigorously. "I'm no painter. I just learned it as a hobby when I was young." Then, she humbly added, "I feel embarrassed for showing off in front of Mr. Yu."

Yu Wenlai didn't view it as showing off. Instead, he believed she was hiding her true abilities. So, he continued to engage her in conversation.

"Did Miss Jiang learn traditional Chinese painting as a hobby when you were young? Even if you're not a painter, your painting skills must be quite good, right?"

Though Jiang Yiyan kept a low profile, she wasn't one to undervalue herself excessively. While she was only half-competent in design, after seeing the floral patterns Yu Wenlai had painted on the qipao, she genuinely believed that she might be slightly better than him.

Thus, Jiang Yiyan said, "I started learning painting when I was very young and continued studying it diligently until high school. I was supposed to take the art entrance exams, but due to some reasons, I gave up. In the following years, I rarely touched a paintbrush. However, recently, I picked it up again and slowly tried to regain my touch, and surprisingly, I managed to recover some of my skill."

Yu Wenlai remarked, "Miss Jiang, you're clearly a humble and low-key person. Even though you didn't explicitly say it, I know that Miss Jiang must be quite skilled." After a moment's thought, Yu Wenlai couldn't resist asking, "I wonder if I might have the honor of seeing Miss Jiang's artwork?"

"Of course," Jiang Yiyan replied candidly.

However, she added, "But Mr. Yu, please don't flatter me. It's just casual doodling." After another bout of modesty, Jiang Yiyan asked, "Do you have paper and a pen?"

"Yes." Yu Wenlai promptly handed over a pen he had with him and, seeing no clean paper at hand, hurriedly said, "Wait a moment."

Soon, Yu Wenlai brought out an A4 sheet of paper and carefully laid it before Jiang Yiyan, smiling as he said, "Please, Miss Jiang." He made a gesture inviting her to start.

For Jiang Yiyan, sketching a few flowers and plants was a simple task. Effortlessly, she let her brush dance freely across the white paper, and in no time, several lifelike sketches emerged.

Even without color, the effect was not diminished in the slightest.

Yu Wenlai picked up the paper and examined it closely. His scholarly face was filled with surprise and admiration.

"Miss Jiang," he called out, setting the paper aside for a moment. He looked earnestly at the stunning woman before him and sincerely invited, "I have an idea. Would Miss Jiang be willing to hear it?"

"Mr. Yu, please go ahead," Jiang Yiyan responded curiously.

"Come, sit down first," Yu Wenlai said, pulling a chair behind Jiang Yiyan and ensuring she was seated comfortably before he solemnly said, "Would Miss Jiang be interested in collaborating with me?"

Jiang Yiyan looked at him in confusion, clearly not understanding what he was getting at.

Yu Wenlai smiled. "Although my shop isn't large, business is actually quite good. Sometimes, to ensure quality, I have to turn away customers and orders. As someone who's also somewhat in business, there's no reason for me to pass up money. So... If Miss Jiang could help me, I would naturally treat you well financially. If you're interested, you can name your salary, and I'll consider it seriously."

Jiang Yiyan was momentarily speechless, never expecting that Mr. Yu would want to partner with her in business.

Though the qipao shop wasn't large, its reputation was excellent, attracting high-end clientele. Just as he had mentioned, they were never short of orders or customers.

If she were to collaborate, she would undoubtedly benefit.

What she didn't understand was why, given such a profitable partnership that many people would vie for, Mr. Yu had chosen her.