Chapter 477 I've decided to stay abroad
The sea breeze in the night was salty and cool, but it could not blow away the determination in Han Lingcui's eyes.
She pinched the little daisy that was slightly curled by the sea breeze with her fingertips, her eyes fell on the Kongming lantern that was swaying with the waves in the distance, her voice soft but clear.
"Han Xing, President Qi, I was looking at those Kongming lanterns just now, and suddenly I realized something."
Chen Hanxing turned his head and could see the rare brightness on her face in the moonlight: "What's the matter?"
"I want to stay in Country L."
Han Lingcui took a deep breath, as if he had finally spoken out the decision hidden in his heart, and he felt a little relieved.
“I plan to open my own design studio here, specializing in projects that integrate Eastern and Western architectural cultures.”
"Sister Su Man's 'East-West Architectural Dialogue' project is a good starting point. I can also take on some local design projects in the future and truly implement the concepts in 'Listening to the Waves Under the Eaves' here."
These words were like a small stone thrown into the calm sea. Shen Hanxing sat up straight with a tone full of confusion.
"Stay in Country L? What about Xunxun? Didn't you always say that you would return home after the competition and spend time with him as he grew up?"
When mentioning Xunxun, Han Lingcui's eyes softened. She turned her head to look at the little boy who was lying on Qi Moxun's legs and counting stars not far away, and a gentle arc appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Of course I won't abandon Xunxun. But Han Xing, have you noticed that Xunxun feels more comfortable with you than with me?"
"He would act like a spoiled child with you and would take the initiative to talk about things at school. Even just now, when he was in the audience, he called me 'Auntie Han', but he subconsciously leaned towards you."
Shen Hanxing opened his mouth, wanting to refute but was speechless.
She could indeed feel Xunxun's dependence on her, but she always thought that it was because Han Lingcui was traveling all year round.
The child is temporarily lacking maternal love, but everything will be fine once Han Lingcui returns.
"It's not what you think."
Han Lingcui seemed to see through her thoughts and shook his head gently. "A few days ago, during a break in the competition, I asked Xunxun if he wanted to stay in Country L with me. Do you know what he said?"
"He said, 'Auntie Han, I want to be with Mother Shen, Brother Chengcheng, and Dad.' That's when I understood that the child already regarded you as his closest family. Forcing him to stay with you would only make him unhappy."
She held Shen Hanxing's hand, her fingertips feeling the coolness of the sea breeze, but her tone was extremely serious.
"Staying in Country L doesn't mean I don't want him anymore. I will go back to see him regularly, and I will also let him stay in Country L during his holidays. We are still a family."
"And this is better for everyone. You don't have to worry about me suddenly taking Xunxun away, and I can focus on designing here without being disturbed by all the mess back home."
"When you say 'a mess', are you referring to Xuanyuan Pavilion?"
Qi Moxun's voice interrupted at the right time. Xunxun in his arms had already fallen asleep on his shoulder. Chengcheng also yawned, rubbed his eyes and moved closer to Chen Hanxing.
Han Lingcui nodded, the gentleness on her face faded a little, and she became more vigilant.
"Staying in L Country, staying away from them, can not only avoid disturbances, but also allow Xunxun to completely get rid of those troubles."
Shen Hanxing looked at the determination in her eyes and knew that she was not acting on impulse.
Over the years, Han Lingcui has compromised too many times in order to find Xunxun and to avoid Xuanyuan Pavilion. Now that she has finally found what she wants to do, she has no reason to stop him.
But she still felt a little sad in her heart, so she hugged Han Lingcui gently.
"It's good that you have made up your mind. If you encounter any difficulties here, be sure to tell me and Qi Moxun. We will always support you."
Han Lingcui's eyes became hot and he nodded vigorously.
At this time, Qi Moxun had already placed Xunxun and Chengcheng under the parasol next to him and spread a blanket for them to lie on. When he turned around and walked over, his face had his usual calmness.
"I respect your decision. However, your resignation will have to wait until you return home to complete the formal procedures. The design department still needs you to hand over the projects you are working on."
"I see."
Han Lingcui immediately responded, "Once things are settled here, I will return home with you and hand over the work."
"I already have a preliminary idea of where to find the studio. It's in the cultural and creative district not far from the beach. Once the formalities are completed, I'll come back to make preparations."
Qi Moxun hummed, his eyes sweeping across the sea in the distance, as if he was thinking about something, and spoke after a moment.
"The business environment in Country L is different from that in China. Registering a company and finding partners may be difficult."
"I have a friend here who's a lawyer specializing in cross-border business matters. I'll send you his contact information later. You can ask him for help if you need it."
"Thank you, Mr. Qi."
Han Lingcui felt warm in her heart. She had been worried about the procedures for starting a business abroad, but she didn't expect that Qi Moxun had already considered it for her.
Shen Hanxing looked at the tacit understanding between the two and suddenly smiled.
"Okay, now that you've made up your mind, don't overthink it. Tomorrow we'll go check out the Cultural and Creative District for you. Maybe we can find a suitable shop."
As the night deepened, the people on the beach gradually dispersed. Qi Moxun picked up the sleeping Xunxun, Chen Hanxing held the dozing Chengcheng, and Han Lingcui followed behind them. Looking at the backs of the family of three, he felt at ease.
She knew that this decision was not the end, but a new beginning.
It is the beginning of her pursuit of dreams and the beginning of her search for a stable life.
…
The next morning, after breakfast, the group drove to the cultural and creative district of Country L.
The block is built along the sea, with small Western-style buildings scattered on both sides. The exterior walls are painted in macaron colors. Artists holding drawing boards and tourists visiting exhibitions can be seen everywhere on the street, and the atmosphere is full of literature and art.
Han Lingcui quickly took a fancy to a shop facing the street. It was a two-story building with a small courtyard on the first floor and a terrace on the second floor. Standing on the terrace, she could see the sea level in the distance. It was exactly the studio she had imagined.
The landlord was a local old lady. When she heard that she was the designer of "Listening to the Waves Under the Eaves", she immediately smiled and agreed to lower the price. She also offered to help her contact the decoration team.
“I didn’t expect it to be so smooth.”
After signing the rental contract, Han Lingcui took the key and stood in circles in the yard, his eyes full of longing.
"Once the renovation is complete, I will plant some Jiangnan bamboo in the yard and put out a set of stone tables and stone benches. When clients come to discuss the project, it will feel like they are in a Jiangnan garden."
Shen Hanxing leaned against the door frame and smiled.
"Don't just think about the yard. The design drawings for the second floor need to be drawn up quickly, otherwise the renovation team won't be able to start work."
"I know." Han Lingcui stuck out his tongue, took out his mobile phone to take a picture of the small building, and planned to start drawing the design in the evening.
As they were talking, Qi Moxun's cell phone suddenly rang. He looked at the caller ID and walked aside to answer the call.
A few minutes later, he hung up the phone and came back, his face a little gloomier than before.
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