Hongjie's face turned pale and ashen; she could only grit her teeth and apologize to Lin Qingtong.
"I'm sorry, Miss Su Qian, I was blind to your greatness."
Lin Qingtong casually waved her hand and looked in the direction of Master Duan, "I wonder if we could go in for a chat?"
In Lin Qingtong's eyes, she had only done Master Duan a small favor, but the other party was extremely grateful because Lin Qingtong had saved Master Duan's life.
Before her wedding, she went abroad to participate in a design competition. After leaving the hotel, she saw someone snatching Master Duan's design draft, and Lin Qingtong rushed over to help rescue him.
Fortunately, Lin Qingtong had some martial arts skills and knew English, so she helped retrieve the design drafts and then took Master Duan to the hospital for emergency treatment, which is how they met.
Upon hearing Lin Qingtong's words, Master Duan immediately beckoned her to come inside.
"Of course, let's go inside and talk. A private room and tea have been prepared for us."
While the two were talking, He Jiaxin received a text message. Upon seeing its contents, she smiled smugly.
It turns out she's just an imposter. Let's see how long she can keep up this smugness. I'll find an opportunity to tear her hypocritical face to shreds and crush her under my feet.
Lin Qingtong turned around and followed Master Duan into the ancient-style villa. The villa was exquisitely designed, and every corner exuded a rustic charm, making people feel as if they were in ancient times.
At the end of the corridor is a pavilion decorated with bamboo curtains, where tea and snacks have been prepared. A gentle breeze makes it very pleasant.
After sitting down, Lin Qingtong immediately sought cooperation.
“Master Duan, I’ve come here to collaborate with Yousheng Manor and promote the reputation of Sukai Furniture. Your manor can also take this opportunity to showcase the unique craftsmanship of ancient artisans to everyone.”
"From the moment I first met Master Duan, I was deeply impressed by your mortise and tenon technique. You can build magnificent buildings without using a single nail or glue."
She pushed a contract in front of Master Duan, saying, "These are the specific requirements; Master Duan can take a look."
Master Duan took the contract, glanced at it briefly, and then gently put it down.
He smiled and poured Lin Qingtong a cup of tea. "I suppose Miss Su Qian isn't your real name?"
Lin Qingtong replied, "I used a pseudonym because I was competing abroad. Please forgive me. My real name is Lin Qingtong."
She picked up the teacup with both hands, clinked glasses with him respectfully, and expressed her sincerity in cooperating.
Master Duan placed his fingers on the table, his gaze deepening, and sighed as he spoke.
"Actually, I am very willing to cooperate with you. However, within the resort, I am only responsible for some routine cooperation. As for the deeper cooperation mentioned in your contract, I cannot make the decisions!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingtong was taken aback. "Then who can make decisions within the manor?"
Master Duan looked towards the center of the villa and spoke thoughtfully.
"All major decisions in the manor are made by my grandfather, Mr. Duan. However, my grandfather is old and has a very eccentric personality, and he rarely interacts with strangers."
Hearing Master Duan's words, Lin Qingtong's expression remained resolute.
"It's alright, please take me there, Master Duan."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Lin Qingtong, Master Duan could only lead her through the corridor to a bright and airy hall.
At that moment, an old man with white hair and a beard, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, was practicing calligraphy. Upon hearing Master Duan's introduction, he slammed down his brush and reprimanded him in an unpleasant tone.
"How many times have I told you? Don't bring people here easily. Don't you remember what I said?! Get out of here now."
Upon seeing this, Master Duan hurriedly pulled Lin Qingtong away, apologizing to her at the same time.
"I'm so sorry to have startled you. My grandfather has always had such an eccentric temper, even I can't figure him out. Miss Lin, how about you rest at the villa for a few days and treat it as a vacation?"
"If you don't mind a regular collaboration, I can make that decision."
Lin Qingtong's gaze darkened slightly. What she wanted was the classic and exquisite mortise and tenon technique, so that she could market herself with a classic and nostalgic image.
Lin Qingtong didn't give up immediately, but simply answered with a smile.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Master Duan."
So Lin Qingtong was arranged to rest at a guesthouse outside the resort. She had just finished showering when she received a call from Jiang Hao.
Lin Qingtong, what are you doing running around outside when you're not home?
As soon as the call connected, Jiang Hao launched into a barrage of questions.
Lin Qingtong slowly dried her hair with a towel, her tone indifferent.
"Where I go is none of your business. Just say what you want to say, why beat around the bush?"
Jiang Hao then uttered a sentence in an unhappy tone.
"Call the servants at home and tell them to open the door quickly. We're all waiting outside to move them back in."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingtong raised an eyebrow and asked, "Grandpa went out?"
Only when the old master of the Shen family left did Jiang Hao and his wife dare to openly ask to move back.
"I'm really sorry, I'm out on business and won't be back for ten days or half a month. You'd better think of another way. The servants at home have already been given a holiday."
As Lin Qingtong said this, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. She should have known what would happen today when Jiang Hao betrayed her and kept eyeing her assets.
What she meant was that Jiang Hao and his group couldn't get into the villa.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao became so angry that his voice rose, and he coldly rebuked him.
"What do you mean by 'find another way'? Get someone back right now to open the door for me, or you'll regret it!"
Lin Qingtong didn't care about Jiang Hao's threat at all, and smiled broadly.
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you to come find me."
After saying that, Lin Qingtong hung up the phone, completely ignoring Jiang Hao's anger, which was evident in his eyes and brows, and his uncertainty about Lin Qingtong's whereabouts.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
