“Where are you working now, Miss Su?” Mrs. Chen asked warmly, holding her hand, hoping to better cater to her preferences in the future.
Su Zhaotang lowered her gaze and smiled. Although she felt uncomfortable with Mrs. Chen’s intimate gesture, she didn’t pull her hand away.
“Not exactly. I run a qipao design studio of my own, just keeping myself busy.”
“Oh, so you’re a designer! No wonder you look so elegant. The clothes you’re wearing must be your own design, right? I was wondering why I hadn’t seen this style before,” Mrs. Chen exclaimed in surprise, still holding her hand while carefully examining the qipao Su Zhaotang was wearing. The design was indeed innovative, form-fitting, and flattering, accentuating her graceful figure.
“If you don’t mind, maybe you could take on a few more orders and design something for us. I really like this style,” Mrs. Wang chimed in, her tone sounding quite sincere, as if she genuinely admired this type of qipao.
Su Zhaotang nodded with a smile.
“Of course, it would be my honor to have the opportunity to design for you. However, my studio hasn’t officially opened yet, so your garments might take a little longer to complete,” she explained.
“No problem, good things are worth waiting for,” Mrs. Wang replied tactfully, knowing when to advance and when to retreat. After all, she didn’t dare rush Su Zhaotang—doing so would be madness.
Her family’s business still relied on the Zhou family’s support.
“You can share your preferences and requirements with me later, so I can design clothes that suit your status and temperament,” Su Zhaotang said.
“Sure, sure. We’ll look forward to your creations then,” the wealthy ladies chimed in one after another, exchanging pleasantries with Su Zhaotang.
Zhou Lingjing’s mother stepped in to rescue the situation.
“Alright, let my Zhaozhao catch her breath. If you’re satisfied with the clothes, you can help spread the word for her in the future.”
“You go sit over there and rest for a bit, have some snacks,” Mrs. Liang said gently to Su Zhaotang, freeing her hand from Mrs. Chen’s grasp and leading her away with a smile.
As they walked, she linked arms with Su Zhaotang, her face beaming with joy.
“Actually, my Lingjing just sent me a message, saying you should just meet those people and that’s enough—don’t let them bother you with all sorts of questions.”
Su Zhaotang hadn’t expected this. She had only mentioned it briefly to Zhou Lingjing, never imagining he would remind his mother about it.
Regardless, she couldn’t help but feel pleased. After all, who wouldn’t want their words to be taken to heart?
At this thought, a faint blush spread across Su Zhaotang’s cheeks, and her eyes sparkled with delight.
Seeing Su Zhaotang’s reaction, Zhou Lingjing’s mother knew she was feeling a little shy.
“Oh, Zhaozhao, don’t worry about marrying our Lingjing. Even though he usually keeps a straight face, he pays close attention to the things that matter to the people he cares about,” she teased, amused by how easily the young woman flustered.
Su Zhaotang, embarrassed by her words, didn’t know how to respond and softly murmured, “Mom…”
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. You haven’t had dinner yet, right? Go sit down and have some dessert. Otherwise, my dear son will blame me for not taking good care of you,” Mrs. Liang said before walking away.
Su Zhaotang was slightly taken aback by her words. She smoothed her cheongsam, bent slightly to sit down, and rested her slender, fair hands naturally on her thighs.
“What’s going on? He never showed this much concern for me before his business trip,” Su Zhaotang pouted and muttered.
She didn’t dwell on it further, shaking her head and leaning forward to pick up a small piece of tiramisu from the table.
Holding a fork, she took small, delicate bites, closing her eyes contentedly as she savored it.
After the event ended, Su Zhaotang was driven home by the Zhou family’s chauffeur. Upon entering, she found her mother still in the living room, wearing her precious face mask while binge-watching a drama.
“I’m back, Mom,” Su Zhaotang greeted sweetly, plopping heavily onto the sofa and letting out a comfortable sigh.
Seeing her like this, her mother reached over and gave her a light slap on the butt.
“Honestly, even wearing a cheongsam can’t keep you in check? Sit properly, with good posture,” she said, her voice muffled by the face mask.
“I’m just relaxing now that I’m home. No one could find fault with my posture outside,” Su Zhaotang retorted confidently.
“Oh, right, who could ever manage you?” her mother replied, rolling her eyes slightly and giving her a forced smile.
“So, how was tonight’s event?” The topic suddenly turned serious.
Su Zhaotang answered slowly, “It was alright, just met some people,” as she fiddled with the gemstone on the lapel of her cheongsam.
“Oh, my dear! That sapphire your father specially bid on for you from the U.S., and you just casually put it on your clothes?!” Her mother was aghast.
“It’s worth several million! What a waste,” she said, feeling a pang of distress just looking at it.
Su Zhaotang examined the gemstone, which glowed with a deep, mysterious blue. She blinked innocently.
“Dad said he bid on it for me to play with.”
Mother Liu Xinruo fell silent, feeling utterly exasperated.
“You’re going to be spoiled rotten by your father,” she said, shooting her a sidelong glance.
Su Zhaotang shrugged indifferently.
“It’s fine. I have Dad above me and a husband below me now,” she declared proudly. After all, Zhou Lingjing’s thoughtful instructions today had given her new expectations for this marriage.
“How impressive! Who could compare to our Zhaozhao now with such a husband?” her mother remarked.
Having been teased by both her mother and Zhou Lingjing’s mother tonight, Su Zhaotang remained unfazed, her face unflushed and her heart steady.
She calmly replied, “That’s right.”
The next day, as soon as Su Zhaotang opened her phone, she received several job application resumes.
She carefully reviewed them. Among them, three designers were exceptionally talented, with two having won university-level design gold awards and even receiving nominations for city-level design awards.
As for the assistant position, she didn’t have many requirements—just someone meticulous, reliable, and hardworking. So, she chose a young woman who had just graduated from university, figuring it would give her a chance to grow.
With the team finalized, she could now focus on planning the grand opening.
For promotion, she could rely on her family’s company to help with advertising. Her main goal was to serve the first batch of clients exceptionally well. If she succeeded with them, repeat customers would naturally follow.
After organizing her thoughts, Su Zhaotang dove into her busy preparations.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Germany, Zhou Lingjing was attending a private auction, where many of the items up for bid were rare and precious treasures not typically available on the market.
Before her eyes was a luxurious hall, lavishly decorated and splendidly ornate. The room was filled with people, all dressed in elegant attire, chatting and mingling in a lively atmosphere.
Zhou Lingjing walked calmly to her seat and sat down, her long legs crossed leisurely, her fingertips idly tapping on her knee. With her head lowered and her gaze downcast, she seemed entirely uninterested in the bustling scene around her.