“Hehe, as long as you’re happy, it’s no big deal,” Su Zhaotang said smugly.
“Little rich lady!! Why don’t you just take care of me? I’m easy to keep,” Zhao Xi pleaded pitifully, shaking Su Zhaotang’s arm.
Su Zhaotang playfully rolled her eyes and pushed her away. “Cut it out. Miss Zhao, your monthly allowance is in the millions, and you’re telling me this?”
“Ah, times have changed, you know,” Zhao Xi carefully placed her bag aside, then lay back down on the bed. “Sweetie, can I sleep here tonight? I don’t feel like going home. It’s been so long since we last slept together.”
“Sure, sure!” Su Zhaotang replied happily.
The two then began to playfully mess around on the bed.
On the sunny morning of the next day, Su Zhaotang asked her father’s assistant to accompany her to check out her studio, as the location had been chosen by her father.
However, she later found out that Zhou Lingjing had actually contacted her father and offered her the space when he learned she wanted to open a studio.
Assistant Chen was her father’s long-time trusted aide—humble, polite, and highly capable. Su Zhiyuan had great confidence in him.
Under Assistant Chen’s arrangements, Su Zhaotang boarded a luxury car and headed toward the location of her new studio.
The scenery along the way was picturesque, and Su Zhaotang was in an especially cheerful mood. She imagined herself creating and designing in the new studio, filled with anticipation for the future.
The studio wasn’t located in the bustling city center but in the quieter third ring of the city. After all, design required a peaceful, not noisy, environment.
It was a three-story building with an artistic flair, exquisitely decorated on the outside and surrounded by a tranquil, beautiful environment.
With excitement, Su Zhaotang stepped inside. The lobby was spacious and bright, and the layout and decor of the rooms perfectly matched her taste.
On one side of the lobby was the design department’s office, filled with computers and private workstations. On the other side were a pantry, a lounge, and a changing room.
Assistant Chen walked over at that moment, a kind and amiable smile on his face. “Your private office is on the second floor, Miss. Your father knows you don’t like to be disturbed while creating, so he reserved an entire floor for you.”
Hearing this, Su Zhaotang’s eyes lit up, and a radiant smile spread across her face. She turned and headed upstairs to the second floor.
The second floor’s decor was simple yet elegant. The white walls complemented the natural wood-colored floors, giving off a fresh and natural vibe.
Art pieces that girls would love adorned the walls, and several mannequins stood in the lobby, dressed in the cheongsams Su Zhaotang had designed at home earlier. Among them, a black-and-gold one stood out with its understated luxury, perfectly fitted waistline, and unique design. To this day, she couldn’t bear to part with it.
Her own office’s decor also matched her preferences perfectly. Overjoyed, Su Zhaotang took out her phone and sent a message to her father:
“Dad, oh Dad, having you is my greatest honor. I love you so much!”
“How did I ever deserve such a perfect father?” She poured on the flattery with all her might.
On the other end of the phone, her father shook his head helplessly at his daughter’s message and muttered, “Little rascal.”
Then he replied: 【Go play somewhere else.】
Seeing her father’s reply, Su Zhaotang didn’t mind. After all, she knew he was secretly pleased on the other end.
“Miss, do you have any other plans later, or should I take you home after visiting the studio?”
Assistant Chen asked her at that moment.
“Oh, no need. You can head back to the company first. I’ll stay here for a while, and when I’m done, I’ll call the family driver to pick me up. You go ahead and attend to your work,”
Su Zhaotang replied with a gentle smile.
“Alright, then I’ll take my leave. Please be careful,” he said before heading downstairs and leaving.
Su Zhaotang was now thinking about hiring a few designers, clothing makers, and an assistant. She had already decided on the name for her studio long ago—it would be called “Tang Shang Design Studio.”
Afterward, she simply posted the job openings online. Once the team was assembled, the studio could officially open for business.
But for now, she had to finish a design draft first, or else rose would hound her to death. After all, she had promised to do it before returning to the country, and it would be impolite not to deliver it soon.
So, she got to work at her desk. Everything she needed was readily available, making the task smooth and effortless.
Time flew by, and when she finished the last stroke of the draft, she realized it was already noon.
Su Zhaotang let out a deep sigh of relief, leaned back in her chair, and stretched. She rubbed the sides of her neck to loosen up the tension—she had been so focused that her muscles had tightened, leaving her feeling a bit tired.
After relaxing, she sent the design to a friend who handled clothing production, asking her to expedite the creation of this cheongsam.
Then, she forwarded the design sample to rose.
As expected, she immediately received a reply from rose:
“Su, you’re truly amazing! This cheongsam is so beautiful—I absolutely love it. You know I’ve never tried wearing a cheongsam before, but once I put this on, I’m definitely posting it on Instagram. I want all my followers to know about you, my treasure of a beauty.”
rose was enthusiastically expressing her love for the outfit.
Su Zhaotang smiled happily, pleased that her efforts had been recognized.
She replied, “Thank you for your support, rose. I’m so glad you like it. By the way, you should receive the finished piece in about a week. I’ll have it shipped to you.”
“No problem, I can wait,”
rose replied.
Su Zhaotang sent back an OK emoji.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhao Xi hurried back to Tianyu Entertainment Company early in the morning after being bombarded with calls from her manager, urging her to return to the office.
As soon as Zhao Xi entered the office, her manager, Brother Fei, launched into a tirade:
“Oh, my dear little princess, you’re always complaining about having no roles to play, but when a director sends you a script, you turn it down!”
“That movie is practically a softcore film with how much skin it shows!” Zhao Xi retorted loudly, acting as though it was impossible for her to accept.
Brother Fei stared at her in disbelief.
“It’s just a little cleavage from the innerwear! You’re acting like my dad! If you went to the beach in a bikini, you’d show way more than that.”
“That’s different. Movies are movies, and life is life,”
Zhao Xi crossed her arms and replied defiantly.
“Fine, fine. You’re the little princess from a wealthy family. It’s not like you need the money anyway—seems like what you really need is some life experience.”
As he spoke, he picked up a script from the desk and handed it to her.
“This is a countryside life experience variety show. You only got this chance because a second-tier actress couldn’t fit it into her schedule. Please don’t turn this down too, my dear princess,”
Brother Fei pleaded with her earnestly.
He also knew about Zhao Xi’s family situation. Her brother had previously warned him not to use any dirty tricks from the entertainment industry on his sister.
Zhao Xi could succeed or fail on her own terms, but she must not face any harm.
Zhao Xi took it and flipped through it, her eyes lighting up. Her manager, Brother Fei, could tell from her expression that she liked it.
After all, many people from privileged backgrounds had never experienced that kind of life. If she performed well in this variety show, she would attract many casual fans.