Chapter 55 We met once

Shen Li's expression did soften considerably. Most people respond better to gentle persuasion than force, and she was no exception.

She politely declined Tang Yao's offer, saying, "Thank you, but it's alright. I've already called a ride-hailing service, so it won't interfere with your work."

Tang Yao was having another brainstorming session.

A few seconds later, he frowned and said, "Madam, my job today is to serve you. If you don't let me deliver..."

Tang Yao paused, his voice tinged with a sigh, "You know the BOSS's temper."

Shen Li thought about it and felt it made sense, so she canceled the order on her phone and got into Tang Yao's car.

He told Tang Yao the location of the park where the studio was located.

"I'll go here, thank you."

Tang Yao didn't say much during the journey, mainly because he was afraid of upsetting Shen Li.

It wasn't until they were almost there that Tang Yao asked, "Madam, is there any business here?"

"Yes, I'll do some handicrafts." Shen Li didn't say much, and seeing that they had arrived at the park entrance, she got out of the car. "Thank you for bringing me here, you don't need to wait for me."

Watching Shen Li walk into the park.

Tang Yao then made a phone call to Zhou Yan.

The call was answered quickly.

Tang Yao said, "I picked up Mr. Qu's wife at the entrance of his residential complex and took her to this arts and crafts park on Shilin Road. She said she was there to do some handicrafts and told me not to wait. Could you ask the boss for me if I should go back to the company now?"

As soon as Tang Yao finished speaking, he heard a voice on the other end that was not Zhou Yan's usual businesslike and formal voice.

Instead, Lu Yanchuan's deep voice asked, "That industrial park is so big, which company did she go to?"

“Uh…” Tang Yao stammered.

Lu Yanchuan's voice turned cold, "You weren't with her?"

"Sorry, Boss." Tang Yao felt a pang of sadness thinking of his sharp-tongued boss. "My wife told me not to wait, so..."

"Then go find her and pay your salary," Lu Yanchuan said on the other end of the line.

Without a second's hesitation, Tang Yao said, "I'll go in now and see if I can run into Madam."

Lu Yanchuan seemed to have thought of something, and after a few seconds of silence, he said, "Never mind, you can go back to the company."

...

Shen Li easily found the studio she had contacted online. The decor looked very stylish, and the exterior resembled a red brick factory.

The interior looked very rustic; the color and texture of the walls made it look like they were plastered with yellow mud.

Out of curiosity about what material it was, Shen Li reached out and touched it.

A male voice came from behind, "It's a mud-like paint, not real mud."

Shen Li felt a little embarrassed and withdrew her finger. "Ah, I'm sorry."

She looked at the owner of the voice.

A tall and upright man with a gentle and handsome appearance.

It seems like I've seen it before.

Shen Li thought for a moment, and it seemed to be the man she had met when she went to Luocheng to see her master's masterpiece exhibition.

I felt like I recognized him at the time, but I couldn't remember where I had seen him before, and I still can't remember if I've seen him before.

I can only remember seeing it at my master's exhibition.

However, she was wearing a mask at the time, and Shen Li felt that he probably wouldn't recognize her since they had met once at the exhibition.

“Miss Shen?” he asked.

Shen Li quickly nodded, "Yes, it's me. I made an appointment online."

“Ji Linzhou.” He extended his hand to Shen Li.

“Shen Li.” Shen Li shook hands with him. “I’ve already explained the details online.”

She told Ji Linzhou about the situation online, explaining that she needed to prepare for the competition, but she didn't have a studio and couldn't find a suitable kiln.

When she was still making pottery, it was always in her master's workshop, which was the best kiln.

Things are different now than they used to be. If she were to go to those mainstream studios, there would be too many people, and Shen Li was a little worried.

The piece she's preparing is for a competition, and as the saying goes, one should always be wary of others.

"I'll take you to see the electric kiln in the studio first, and then I'll take you to see the gas kiln and the wood-fired kiln."

Ji Linzhou led Shen Li inside.

From the outside, the studio looks like a red brick factory building, and the interior space is naturally quite large.

As you walk along, you can see simple display cabinets everywhere. Although they look like ordinary wooden shelves, it is not hard to tell that they are made of good wood.

The artworks displayed there also have a unique charm, exuding a rustic feel that matches the decor of the studio.

Shen Li admired these works as she walked, looking at them very attentively.

She didn't even notice where she was standing until the man's strong hand reached out and helped her up.

Shen Li was taken aback.

Ji Linzhou held her shoulders and slowly released her. "Be careful, there are steps here. I see you're staring at me too intently."

Sure enough, there was a downward staircase ahead, not too high, just two steps, but if you missed a step, you might twist your ankle.

"Thank you," Shen Li quickly said.

"We've arrived." Ji Linzhou led her inside to see the electric kiln in the studio; the kiln was from a pretty good brand.

Shen Li's eyes lit up. "Then, do we need to sign some kind of usage agreement? And how are the fees calculated?"

Ji Linzhou pondered for a moment and then offered a price that Shen Li considered quite favorable.

Moreover, looking at his expression as he was thinking on the spot, Shen Li even felt that he might not have even thought about charging for this before.

After finalizing the deal with the studio, Shen Li felt much more at ease. All she needed to do was rent a short-term place nearby.

She thought about it and decided to ask Ji Linzhou, since he runs a studio here and might be more familiar with the area.

"Short-term rental?" Ji Linzhou's gentle and handsome face furrowed slightly. "Don't you have anywhere to stay?"

"It's too far from here, and the transportation is inconvenient. It would be best if we could rent a place nearby for a short period of time," Shen Li said.

Ji Linzhou disagreed, "The location of this park is already quite remote, and we don't know if it's safe to rent a place nearby for a short period. How about this, come with me."

Shen Li was a little confused, but she could tell that he meant well, so she followed behind him.

Ji Linzhou took her directly to the second floor.

The door to a room was opened.

“This…” Shen Li looked at the room’s furnishings: a bed, a table, a cabinet, and a separate bathroom.

I understand what he means.

"You can stay here," Ji Linzhou said.

Shen Li felt it wasn't appropriate. They weren't related, and the studio's fees were already too good to pass up; it wouldn't be right to also stay there...

Not really suitable.

She doesn't like taking advantage of others. When she was little, her mother taught her, "Lili, we girls should live openly and honestly. Don't be greedy for small gains. You'll suffer big losses if you are."

Just as Shen Li was about to shake her head and decline, Ji Linzhou said, "Three thousand a month, let's calculate it as one hundred a day. You're renting for short periods, so this is more reasonable and convenient."