In Chapter 7, Yi Sheng saved her once.

"Dad, something came up at my company, so I have to go back now."

Bai Yeke immediately ended her ineffective social interaction with Zheng Xiao and went to report to her stepfather.

"What could possibly happen?" The stepfather's tongue was already thick with alcohol. "Even if something did happen, do you think we'd expect a greenhorn like you to step in and take the fall?"

Bai Ye could only explain, "They are our VVVIP clients, and this is my order."

"Ha! Stop spouting this nonsense, Weiwei my ass!" The stepfather, clutching a wine glass, was about to find someone to drink with when he stood in the aisle, looking down at Bai Yeke. His cloudy eyes were devoid of any luster, and no light could focus them. "Let me tell you, nothing of the sort happened. Today is your aunt's birthday, so don't go running around like that!"

Bai Yeke felt nauseous from the smell of alcohol on his clothes.

Informing her stepfather was merely a matter of politeness and family custom, but when it came to work matters, Baiye could, of course, make her own decisions.

Even if Bai Ye is an ostrich and introverted person, she shouldn't have to obey her stepfather in everything at such an adult age. At worst, she'll just get a few scoldings later.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, her mother came over and advised her, "Xiao Ke must really have something on her mind. She's usually so well-behaved. Don't make things difficult for her at this time."

The stepfather was very dismissive, "Is she well-behaved?"

It seems that the person who introduced her on the table earlier and was so eager to sell her, praising her as a good girl, was not her stepfather.

The mother tugged at her stepfather's sleeve, "Sigh, just let the child go. Anyway, we've almost finished eating. You're just drinking, she can't drink."

"Hmph." The stepfather was not that kind of understanding person. He stopped Bai Yeke purely to further demonstrate his patriarchal authority and to save face at this family gathering.

“Uncle, Miss Bai did indeed have some work news just now.” Zheng Xiao seemed to be very loyal and came over to testify for Bai Yeke, “I was chatting with Miss Bai the whole time.”

The stepfather, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, recognized the man as the one who had been introduced to Bai Yeke earlier. He remained silent, pondering to himself.

Zheng Xiao, looking every bit the good young man, said politely and respectfully, "Work is the most important thing. Let's let Miss Bai go quickly."

"Hmph." The stepfather finally waved his hand dismissively, "This is to give you face!"

"Yes, yes." Zheng Xiao grinned. "That's right, Uncle is so understanding!"

Bai Ye was speechless.

Are you still giving Zheng Xiao face?

What merit does she possess that she needs a strange man to rely on her reputation to be allowed to leave by her so-called "father"?

Bai Yeke was overwhelmed with emotion on her way out.

It feels very complicated.

I did nothing all night, yet I felt terrible.

Her outfit was rejected before she went out, she was treated like a product nearing its expiration date at the dinner table, she was gossiped about by many strangers, and young women like her were judged. She was forced to socialize with men she had no interest in, and finally, her stepfather caused this whole mess, making her an inexplicable appendage once again.

Tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, but Bai Yeke's resolve only grew stronger.

The evening breeze was cool and damp. Bai Ye walked with her head down, scanned a shared electric scooter, and rode back home.

The cold wind blew hard against her face, and when tears blurred her vision, Bai Ye blinked and her vision cleared again, over and over again.

She must do her job well; her job is her only source of confidence and leverage.

Adults need this confidence to withstand everything, especially—to be able to leave that home with a legitimate and dignified cause.

Sometimes, the world can be quite ironic.

Bai Ye was determined and emotionally charged to leave home, but now, with tears streaming down her face, she parked her car outside the community and had no choice but to go home.

Earlier at the birthday party, Bai Yeke had already replied to Yi Sheng, saying that she would be going home soon and would contact her later.

Coconut Cola: Miss Yi, I'm back. Is now a convenient time?

A life of simplicity: Just arrived home?

Coconut Coke: Yes

A life of simplicity: No need to rush, you can take a hot bath first.

Bai Yeke was taken aback when she saw this sentence.

That day, in the empty new house, the warmth of Yi Sheng draping his coat, still warm from his body, over her seemed to reappear.

It didn't rain today, but the weather is gloomy and damp during the plum rain season. The wind howled all the way, chilling her to the bone.

Coconut Cola: Thank you

A life of simplicity: Go, I'll wait for you.

Bai Yeke's nose suddenly stung, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

None of her friends from her childhood had ever said anything like that to her.

It was clearly a polite gesture, but it also seemed very warm and considerate.

Bai Yeke certainly wouldn't take a bath, and there wasn't a bathtub in her room's bathroom, but a hot shower would still be much more comfortable.

Coconut Cola: Miss Yi, I'm ready.

A life of simplicity: So fast?

Bai Yeke sat at the table, drying her hair with a towel in one hand.

Coconut Cola: It wouldn't be right to make you wait again.

She sent another apologetic emoji.

Actually, if you think about it, she's been waiting all night since Yi Sheng asked her before dinner, and she feels really bad about it.

A life of simplicity: It's okay, I don't mind.

Good person!

Bai Ye was comforted by her. If it were their manager Zhang Xiaoli, she would definitely have given her a thorough dressing-down.

She had never met such an easy-going and considerate client.

Bai Ye replied with a cute thank-you emoji before getting down to business.

Coconut Cola: I'll send you a few options, see if you like any of them?

She sent over seven proposals in a row.

About two minutes later, Yi Sheng gave a reply.

A life of simplicity: Either is fine, it's up to you.

Bai Ye smiled wryly; it seemed that Yi Sheng's meaning was indeed as she had previously thought.

Of her seven plans, two are four-bedroom units, while the others range from one to five bedrooms.

Yi Sheng has no restrictions on the arrangement of space.

There was no other way, so Baiye sent Yisheng a design requirement as usual.

This is a company template, asking about the number of family members, whether there are pets, storage arrangements, whether a multi-functional room and study are needed, whether the kitchen needs to be open-plan, etc.

As expected, Yi Sheng repeated the same statement.

A life of simplicity: that's your choice.

Fortunately, Bai Yeke had made preparations in advance these past few days, otherwise he would have been stuck on these issues again.

She took a deep breath and sent out the completed renderings from the folder.

Compared to the previous design schemes, this rendering is in 3D. If no modifications are needed, this will be the actual finished product.

The room includes a master bedroom, a secondary bedroom, a study, and a multi-functional room.

Bai Yeke chose this layout. If it were an ordinary family home, she would definitely design it as a five-bedroom house with an extra guest room. However, since this house will later become the residence for all the company's employees, a four-bedroom layout is more reasonable. Reducing the space by one room will make the whole house look more spacious.

The style is Italian light luxury.

Bai Yeke is actually better at the creamy style, but this style is indeed mostly popular with girls, so it may not be suitable for a large family brought in as a talent.

The reason the log cabin style was abandoned was that it was too simplistic and unsuitable for reflecting the company's strong background.

Vintage and neo-Chinese styles are too personal; people either love them or hate them, so they are not suitable as backup rooms for companies.

Yi Sheng read it even faster this time, replying in less than half a minute.

A life of simplicity: Not bad

A life of tranquility: However, I thought you would prefer warmer tones.

Bai Ye was truly relieved. Without communicating with the client, she skipped a whole bunch of steps to present the renderings, which was a huge risk. Luckily, Yi Sheng thought it was okay.

As for Yi Sheng saying he thought she liked warm colors?

It has to be said that Yi Sheng's guess was quite accurate.

However, when you're paying a client to do something for them, what they like isn't really important. What matters is client satisfaction. Being able to design something that meets the client's needs even better than what they would like is true professionalism.

The industry has always advocated user-centric and client-centric thinking, and Baiyeke keeps this in mind.

Bai Yeke sent another thank-you emoji.

A life of tranquility: It turns out you already had a plan prepared all along.

Bai Yeke's happy expression froze on her face. She was a little confused. Was she going to be questioned about why she had been delaying sending it since it was already prepared?

A life of simplicity: You probably didn't delay on purpose.

right!

Bai Yeke inwardly cried out, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I absolutely did not deliberately delay. These past few days, I have basically focused all my attention on this."

A life of tranquility: You seem a little nervous.

Bai Ye was stunned again. Could it be that Miss Yi was not only testing professional skills, but also psychological qualities?

A simple life: Take it easy.

Was it meant as encouragement?

Bai Ye was a little uneasy and didn't dare to reply to the message easily.

A life of simplicity: Don't treat this order as pressure. My orders, at least, don't have budget constraints like those of ordinary clients. You can design freely and polish it into a masterpiece.

Bai Yeke read each word carefully, her heart beating a little fast.

Indeed, Yi Sheng's words make a lot of sense, and she is also very eager to create a representative work to enhance her status.

In fact, Yi Sheng had also thought of this idea, but she didn't dare to think about it too deeply. Zhang Xiaoli had also been telling her the same thing.

She always felt that Zhang Xiaoli was manipulating her, and in fact, she probably was. Zhang Xiaoli didn't believe in her abilities and kept hinting that she should finish it as soon as possible, and then have a top designer review and revise it.

Bai Yeke herself couldn't believe in herself either.

She is not an opportunist; she is indeed easily intimidated by opportunities and prefers a more cautious and steady approach.

But Yi Sheng's few simple words today touched her heart.

She is capable of doing it, and Yi Sheng's approval today is proof of that.

Bai Ye finally typed a reply.

Coconut Cola: Thank you

Coconut Cola: Thank you for being willing to talk to me like this.

Who is Yi Sheng? Her guidance is invaluable.

Bai Ye didn't know that this was just a casual suggestion from Miss Yi in a good mood, but given Yi Sheng's status, this simple kindness was already too precious.

In this society, whether it's accumulating theoretical knowledge, learning practical skills, or seizing opportunities, you should strive for them yourself.

No one has the time or obligation to hold it in your hands or feed it to you.

Coconut Cola: Ms. Yi, if you approve of this plan, then we are ready to begin construction.

A life of simplicity: It's basically okay, but there might be some minor parts that need to be modified. Can it be modified during the construction process?

This is a very common situation; clients often have personalized needs, so these needs are addressed one by one during the renovation process.

Coconut Cola: Electrical appliances such as lamps, TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines need to be connected to electricity, so the location of the water and electricity parts must be determined. Other style-related items can be modified.

A life of simplicity: OK, the water and electricity can be done according to your plan.

Based on this, it seems that the house has basically been assigned to a new owner, which is why minor renovations may be needed later on.

Her stepfather and mother came home very late; they weren't home by the time Bai Yeke went to sleep.

The next morning, Bai Yeke, who was used to eating breakfast on the street, was about to leave for work when her mother pulled her back, saying, "Let's eat at home today."

Bai Yeke immediately understood that her mother had something to say, and it was most likely related to what happened last night.

She felt quite frustrated and didn't want to talk, but when Baiye saw her mother's carefully pleading expression, her heart softened, and she sat down at the dining table.

"Your dad said he'd look into Zheng Xiao," Mom said. "I met him for the first time yesterday. He seemed quite energetic, and your dad thought he was alright."

"Oh." Bai Ye didn't care.

She knew that this kind of thing might happen more and more often in the future. She didn't have the energy to rebel, and she couldn't reason with her elders. In fact, she didn't have the right to talk to them in her own family. So she decided to resolve things with the man herself and focus her energy on her work.

Seeing that she didn't seem too resistant, her mother cautiously probed, "You talked to him yesterday, how did it go?"

"I don't feel anything," Bai Yeke smiled politely.

Mom sighed.

When I arrived at the company, we were going to have a department morning meeting today. What was special was that not only was everyone in the department present, but the store manager was also there.

A very unusual omen.

The first thing done at the meeting wasn't a summary of the previous week's work, as is usually the case. Instead, Zhang Xiaoli, as the department manager, asked Bai Yeke, "Xiao Bai, how's the deal you made with General Manager Yi going?"

Bai Yeke's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood why the store manager was there.

Bai Yeke stood up and replied, "The renderings have been preliminarily approved. I'm preparing to contact the company so we can arrange for the construction team to move in."

Zhang Xiaoli seemed surprised, "The renderings have all been approved?"

"Yes."

A murmur rippled through the room.

This is quite a slow process. Everyone thinks this order must be quite troublesome, and it will definitely go through a lot of returns and revisions.

The store manager nodded and smiled with satisfaction, saying encouragingly, "Good, Xiao Bai is a newcomer, but he's very good."

Zhang Xiaoli also came to her senses and smiled. Her smile was genuine. This was the part that her department was responsible for, and being able to complete it on time made her feel relieved.

The store manager reiterated, "If any issues arise later, we must follow up promptly to ensure the customer is not dissatisfied."

This customer, of course, refers to Yi Sheng.

Bai Yeke nodded. "I know."

"Okay, sit down." Zhang Xiaoli spoke to her gently, a rare occurrence for her.

The store manager was about to leave when Zhang Xiaoli stopped him, saying, "It's rare for you to be here, so please give our department some pointers."

After a moment's thought, the store manager, not wanting to offend Zhang Xiaoli, sat back down.

A morning meeting with the store manager present is destined to be extraordinary, even if it has returned to the normal procedure.

Bai Yeke remained sitting upright, and she felt a gaze subtly observing her.

At the same time, Bai Ye realized that it was really dangerous. If Yi Sheng hadn't taken the initiative to contact her last night, even if she brought out the plan from last night, it would have been useless and completely unconvincing. Yi Sheng's quick passage gave her a completely different situation today.

I don't know how to put it, but it's kind of superstitious, and Baiye has that kind of feeling about it.

Yi Sheng saved her once.

A note from the author:

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