The middle-aged man outside the door had long, flowing hair and a decadent demeanor; his artistic aura was particularly evident.
Even in the sweltering heat of June, I was still wearing an autumn jacket.
As soon as the door opened, a faint smell of alcohol mixed with the smell of him not having showered for days instantly masked the fresh, natural scent of air freshener in the air.
At first glance, they look like homeless people under the overpass outside.
Ye Li hadn't even had a chance to speak yet.
The man outside the door said, "Hello Ye Li... I, my name is Xie Chenlu... Changchuan said your studio is hiring designers, so I came to take a look."
Changchuan?
Luo Changchuan?
After a moment of stunned silence, she seemed to realize what was happening.
Ye Li stepped aside to let him in, "Mr. Xie, please come in."
"Thank you, thank you..."
Xie Chenlu entered the room with his head down, his unease clearly visible to the naked eye.
A man dressed like a homeless person, and with an even more homeless demeanor.
Two young women.
night.
Almost as soon as Xie Chenlu entered the door, Wan Mingyi became nervous.
He kept giving her meaningful glances: Pear, do you want your Mr. Fu to come over? Or, should I call the security guard downstairs?
Ye Li shook her head, handed him a glass of water, and asked, "Mr. Xie, you disappeared after the fire at the art museum. Would you mind if I asked if you've produced any works in the past five years?"
Art museum.
Fire.
The missing designer surnamed Xie.
Wan Mingyi stood frozen in place in front of the office door.
Then, looking at Xie Chenlu with a stunned expression, Wan Mingyi looked incredulous after a careful examination.
Xie Chenlu is a well-known jewelry designer in China.
No one knows who his mentor was or where he graduated from. As the gold medalist of the 12th "Brilliant You" competition, Xie Chenlu became famous overnight and subsequently became a talented designer sought after by major jewelry studios across the country.
Ultimately, Xie Chenlu chose to join Daien and became Daien's senior designer.
Xie Chenlu rose from senior to chief in just two years.
Under Xie Chenlu's guidance, Dai En became famous in the capital, and even won third prize at the Milan Jewelry Fair five years ago.
Dane Studio rose to prominence overnight.
With her rising fame, Diane was practically the No. 1 in the capital.
However, a few months later, the Dane Jewelry exhibition at the art museum was destroyed by fire on the eve of its opening.
Although the losses were not significant, after the fire, some observant people noticed that the name of chief designer Xie Chenlu was no longer on the designer roster of the Daien Studio.
After that incident, Xie Chenlu completely disappeared from the domestic jewelry industry.
Some people say he went abroad.
Some say he has run out of talent and retired.
Some people said that he started the fire, but Diane didn't pursue the matter and removed him from the list after his merits and demerits were offset.
In any industry, unless you reach the pinnacle of achievement, where no one has ever surpassed you before, your fame will only grow with the enduring legacy of your work.
Otherwise, someone like Xie Chenlu, whose fame is fleeting, will soon vanish completely.
Over time, very few people still knew about Xie Chenlu.
Wan Mingyi never expected that one day her former idol would reappear, and in such a disheveled manner.
Xie Chenlu never expected that Ye Li knew about him.
Looking down at the crystal-clear water in the glass, and then at his own withered hands, Xie Chenlu whispered, "I'm dying... Changchuan said that even if you die, you should die upright and honorable, not silently bearing a name that doesn't belong to you. So, I came."
As he spoke, Xie Chenlu looked up at Ye Li, "I started that fire five years ago. It was because someone impersonated me and stole my work, and my efforts to stop it were in vain."
Xie Chenlu glanced at Wan Mingyi, then at Ye Li, his eyes blazing with emotion. "Pear Blossom White and A Measure of Pearls are both my works. But just because I signed an unequal agreement, those works have been renamed under someone else's name. I refuse to accept this!"
"Is 'A Measure of Pearls' your work?"
Wan Mingyi lost her voice.
Seeing Xie Chenlu nod, Wan Mingyi's confusion from a moment ago was completely resolved.
She wanted to wait until Xie Chenlu left before asking Luo Changchuan.
If you really think so highly of Xie Chenlu, why not introduce him to Star Studio?
There is Xie Chenlu's past reputation.
They have extensive experience in operating numerous successful businesses.
As long as Xie Chenlu can still design works, given time, wouldn't he become the second famous Diane in the capital? Why would he need to be introduced to Ye Li?
At this moment, Wan Mingyi understood.
Seeing Wan Mingyi's doubts, Ye Li remained calm, as if she didn't care how much he bragged.
Xie Chenlu's voice rose several octaves, "Ye Li, you don't believe me?"
I believe you.
Ye Li smiled brightly, "Not only Pear Blossom White and A Measure of Pearls, but also Jiangnan Spring owes half its credit, and that... Plum Blossom Melody, Destiny..."
Every time Ye Li mentioned a name, Xie Chenlu's dejected and gloomy eyes would brighten a little.
When Ye Li revealed his destiny, Xie Chenlu stood up abruptly.
Unaware that the water from the cup had spilled onto his hand, Xie Chenlu looked at Ye Li with sparkling eyes, "You, you knew all along?"
Ye Li nodded, "They say the layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the details. As long as we are designers and familiar with your style, we will definitely be able to tell."
He raised his hand to wipe his eyes, trying not to let Ye Li see his loss of composure.
Xie Chenlu put down his water glass, hurriedly pulled his dirty phone from his pocket, opened the photo album, and handed it to Ye Li, saying, "I... for the past five years, just consider me dead. I... I don't have any complete works to show for myself. But sometimes when I'm drunk, I doodle and draw a few sketches. You, you take a look..."
He handed the phone to Ye Li, but fearing she might find it offensive, Xie Chenlu grabbed the hem of his shirt and wiped the phone several times before finally opening it and handing it to her.
They said there were several.
But I kept flipping through the pages, and it took me ages to finish.
Occasionally, there are also photos he took of the night view of the capital.
But there were only a few.
One of his photo albums is filled with his line drawings.
Some are just inspirations.
Some of them are almost complete design drawings for an entire set of jewelry.
With a little processing, the drawing and the finished product can be produced.
More than ten minutes later, the studio was quiet.
Putting his phone back in his pocket, Xie Chenlu cautiously looked at Ye Li. "Changchuan said you have vision, a broad perspective, and a chivalrous heart. As long as I'm truly talented and work hard at my writing, you'll definitely want me. You can even help me clear my name and give them a good slap in the face. So, here I am!"
"Ye Li, as long as you can help me, I'll do anything you ask!"
If Xie Chen hadn't been there, Ye Li would have called Luo Changchuan immediately to ask, "This is my Ye Li Studio, not your Star. How dare you make decisions for me?"
Meeting Xie Chenlu's eager and expectant gaze, Ye Li nodded, "Are you sure you can do what I say?"
"You definitely can, tell me!"
Xie Chenlu nodded repeatedly.
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