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Jiang Moyun is the most shrewd businessman.
Since that tragedy in her youth, she had become accustomed to using everything to pursue her own interests, including her own. Lin Bairan was an unexpected element in this meticulously planned transaction—although she hadn't intended to use him for anything, she had to admit that her feelings couldn't be as pure as Lin Bairan's.
Does she love Lin Bairan? Jiang Moyun doesn't know, and she always avoids this question.
Even the wedding rings at the wedding surprised everyone with her unexpected attention to Lin Bairan, but she herself knew that it wasn't entirely for the sake of the wedding.
Red diamonds are extremely rare, and since the mines in the designated areas were closed, they haven't appeared for several years. A jewelry brand that possesses even one such rare piece can naturally gain widespread fame—undoubtedly the fastest way to open up the market.
Jiang's jewelry brand had been stagnant for years, failing to reach the top tier of the industry. Jiang Moyun had long wanted to change this situation. She had originally planned to acquire a set of high-quality blue diamonds, which, while expensive, couldn't compare to the rarity of red diamonds. Unexpectedly, a pair of excellent red diamonds appeared, and at just the right moment—she was determined to have them.
The assistant also lived up to expectations, raising the price twice at crucial moments to show her stance. Those around were happy to do Jiang a favor, and in the end, they secured this gift from heaven at a very reasonable price.
She later successfully attracted Landon, a highly renowned jewelry designer, through these two red diamonds.
"Ms. Jiang, I hope you can give me this valuable design opportunity. Believe me, it will definitely bloom with the most exquisite beauty."
“Landon, you know how rare red diamonds are. I might not be able to give them all to you. After all, the young people in my company have worked diligently for me for so many years, I should give them one.” Jiang Moyun looked troubled.
"They don't reflect the value of a red diamond at all!" The man in front of her suddenly stood up excitedly, his face full of fanaticism. "Miss Jiang, I can do it for free! Please let me design a wedding ring for you."
Jiang Moyun didn't respond directly, but instead had someone bring out the set of blue diamonds that had been prepared at the beginning. "Landon, what do you think of this set of blue diamonds?"
"The quality is superb." Landon, who had been captivated by the two red diamonds, was briefly drawn in and exclaimed in amazement. But he quickly regained his composure. "I hope you'll consider my proposal, I..."
“Landon,” Jiang Moyun interrupted him, “would you like to work for me? All of these can be used for your design. I guarantee this blue diamond set can be made exactly according to your ideas, and no one will interfere.”
Seeing Landon's deliberating expression, Jiang Moyun smiled with satisfaction at the expected outcome. She had chosen Landon from among many renowned designers precisely because of his notoriously eccentric temperament. He refused to join any company and only designed gemstones he liked; no amount of money could sway him, and he was ruthless in his rejections. A few days ago, he had offended a powerful figure because of this very nature and hadn't been able to work with his favorite gemstones for a long time. The orders he had his eye on were always snatched away by others for various reasons—all thanks to that person.
Even though Landon was deeply favored by God, endowed with enviable talent, he was powerless against it. However, he was extremely stubborn and proud, and naturally, he would not bow down. And the others were even less willing to sacrifice their own interests for a designer, so the matter remained deadlocked.
That important person had previously received a favor from Jiang Moyun, and currently only Jiang Moyun has taken the initiative to express her willingness to help him out of this predicament, so her invitation is Landon's only option at the moment.
Before he could answer, Jiang Moyun raised the stakes again. She didn't want to recruit people through threats. "I heard that a rare pink diamond will be auctioned in Hong Kong in a few days. If you join, I will buy that stone for you with just a small condition. Besides, I won't interfere too much with you, and it's okay if you want to withdraw later. But I hope that the three sets of jewelry you designed can be branded with the Jiang family name, so that they can help promote my brand's reputation."
“Landon, why not take advantage of this mutually beneficial situation?” Jiang Moyun gently pushed the box containing the diamonds towards Landon, and noticed his gaze instinctively follow it.
"What are the conditions?" Landon struggled to shift his gaze from the red diamond to her.
"There's a dinner party in a few days, and the person you turned down before will be there. You just need to come with me to offer a toast, and you don't need to do anything else. I'll take care of everything else."
"Just a toast? Nothing else to say?" Landon had definitely been tormented lately, but he still believed he hadn't done anything wrong and couldn't bring himself to apologize. But if it was just a toast as a greeting, he felt he could barely accept it.
"Yes, just a toast will suffice, I promise."
Landon looked conflicted, as if trying to verify the truth of her words.
She waited a few seconds, feigning regret, "It seems you're still not quite willing. Then let's just talk about the collaboration on one of these red diamonds." As she spoke, she dragged the box back a little, and sure enough, she saw Landon's anxious expression.
"I'll have my assistant call the young man you're working with this time over. You two can get to know each other. Thanks for mentoring this new guy..."
"Deal!" Landon exclaimed abruptly, instinctively reaching out to protect the box. "Let's make it clear beforehand that our contract will only last until these three sets of jewelry are finished. After that, you're not allowed to stop me from resigning."
"If I have to apologize, I'll apologize then," Landon thought with a sense of resignation. He simply couldn't bear to part with this pair of rare red diamonds, an opportunity that countless designers dreamed of! As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the dazzling gems, almost obsessively admiring this masterpiece from heaven.
Jiang Moyun smiled with satisfaction.
Those who are single-mindedly devoted to art are the most innocent, and Jiang Moyun especially enjoys interacting with this type of person. Apart from their own pursuits, nothing else in the complexities of the world catches their eye.
But art itself is a huge money pit, and artists are like lotuses that remain untainted by the mud, rooted in the fame and fortune they cannot escape, blooming with flamboyant flowers amidst the ugly behavior of currying favor.
They are rare treasures nurtured by both the most vulgar greed and the noblest ideals in this world.
"Then let your agent talk to my assistant, otherwise you won't even know if I tamper with the contract." Jiang Moyun obediently let go of his hand, letting him admire her, and made a small joke along the way.
She was in a good mood; this collaboration was a sure-fire win for the Jiang family. Although he was being targeted, his reputation as a genius designer remained undiminished, and many people were even secretly feeling sorry for him. Whether he agreed today or not, the Jiang family could use the pair of red diamonds and his reputation to gain fame. Even if he didn't agree, they could use him to promote their own designer. And since he had agreed now, that was naturally the best outcome. Even if he withdrew later, the time in between was enough for the Jiang family to firmly bind themselves to him and further boost their fame with his "tailwind."
Moreover, Jiang Moyun was confident that he could keep working at the Jiang family business.
Although she previously worked in the arts, contrary to popular belief, Jiang Moyun has never had any interest in jewelry, flowers, antiques, or calligraphy and paintings. She has seen too many beautiful things, and few things can catch her eye. Busy with dance in her youth and later with work, she has had even less time or energy for such things.
Watching Landon's fascination, she couldn't help but think of Lin Bairan—he had always loved romantic and ceremonial things like this. He'd be so happy to see the finished product at the wedding; he might even be moved to tears.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile with genuine emotion, and suddenly a slight longing arose in her heart.
She suddenly felt a strong urge to see Lin Bairan, so she left her assistant behind and went alone to his office, the one she had previously worked in. She had temporarily used it for a while for convenience, but once the business was running smoothly, she returned to her original office. It was a waste to leave it empty, and since Lin Bairan had just been promoted and said he wanted to use it, she simply gave it to him.
She rarely refused Lin Bairan.
"No one could bear to say no to those bright, sparkling eyes," Jiang Moyun thought. "Lin Bairan is a very cunning little dog."
Lin Bairan sat at the table, wearing a thin white sweater. He had a slender figure, and a heavy coat hung on a rack beside him. He was working very intently, his brows furrowing slightly from time to time, as if he had encountered some trouble.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Moyun roughly understood what Lin Bairan had been busy with lately. As the main person in charge of research and development for this project, Lin Bairan contacted a long-term partner of the Jiang family, an old man with a somewhat eccentric temper—who liked to "make things difficult" for the young people he valued, but was actually very upright, and one could genuinely learn a lot from him.
Of course, this was at Jiang Moyun's behest. It wasn't about using connections, but rather that she didn't want Lin Bairan to come into contact with those unscrupulous capitalists. Therefore, she had deliberately screened all the projects Lin Bairan needed to handle externally. Seeing Lin Bairan's troubled expression, she simply stood aside and watched quietly, without disturbing him.
The heating on this floor broke down an hour ago, and the repairman hasn't come yet. It was a cold, overcast day, and a draft was letting in through the slightly ajar window. She saw Lin Bairan shiver slightly.
She stood there for a few more seconds, then turned and left.
After getting a cup of hot milk from the tea room, I walked towards Lin Bairan.
On the way, I ran into Lin Bairan's assistant who was on her way to deliver some documents, so I handed her the milk and said, "Please take this in and remember to close the window, it's been quite chilly these past few days." I paused and continued, "You don't have to mention that I delivered it."
"Yes, Mr. Jiang," the assistant replied quickly.
Jiang Moyun turned around and went back to her office to discuss the details of the wedding ring with the still enthusiastic Landon.
Meanwhile, the assistant carefully placed the documents and hot milk on Lin Bairan's desk. Seeing that he was on the phone, the assistant wisely did not disturb him and got up to close the window.
Lin Bairan took the documents and quickly flipped through them. After confirming that there were no major issues, he switched sides to answer the phone, quickly signed his name with his free right hand, and picked up the signed document to hand it to her. Just then, he noticed the milk on the table and her closing the window, and gave his assistant a thank-you smile.
The assistant was about to speak, "It's Jiang...", but was interrupted by Lin Bairan after only a few syllables.
"Please prepare the materials for the upcoming meeting as soon as possible. There's been a slight change in the project, and the previously agreed-upon plan may require significant adjustments. The meeting, originally scheduled for one hour later, will start in 20 minutes. Please inform the relevant personnel to prepare." Lin Bairan's tone was urgent.
Hearing this, the assistant had no choice but to stop talking for the time being and go back to work, thinking that he could only bring it up again later. But he didn't expect that the next day would be spent in a tense work environment, so busy that he didn't have a chance to speak, and the matter was left unresolved in the midst of his busy work.
...
"Ms. Jiang, what are your thoughts on wedding rings?"
"I don't know," Jiang Moyun said honestly. She hadn't actually planned to design another pair of rings. It just so happened that a pair of diamonds that were perfect for the occasion came along, and she thought that Lin Bairan would be very happy to see them made into rings.
She quite liked the pair Lin Bairan had prepared: simple and elegant, with a touch of clever design. The two rings featured similar patterns, both depicting rolling mountains, except that the mountain peaks on Jiang Moyun's ring were orange-gold, while Lin Bairan's were silver-white. They were aesthetically pleasing and wouldn't interfere with daily life.
She subconsciously touched the ring at the base of her left ring finger and gently turned it. Ever since Lin Bairan put it on her that night, she had hardly taken it off except when taking a shower.
She's completely gotten used to the ring's presence now, and doesn't even notice it unless she consciously thinks about it. She estimates that once the weather warms up a bit, in just a few days, the ring will leave a mark on her skin—like a brand.
Jiang Moyun's thoughts began to wander: "The brands on criminals are to show their past, the brands on slaves are to indicate their belonging, so what does this brand on my hand represent...?"
"Could you tell me your story? Maybe that will give me some inspiration."
Her thoughts were interrupted.
Jiang Moyun quickly snapped out of her reverie, no longer dwelling on the trivial question. She briefly considered Landon's suggestion, deeming it feasible, and organized her thoughts, "I met him two years ago..."
She took a sip of coffee, and once again drifted into memories as the story unfolded slowly...
"This is such a romantic story. It made me hear the sound of flowers blooming and see a beautiful spring." Landon is a very sentimental person; his eyes were already a little teary. "A little dog found its beloved rose—how touching!"
“Oh my God, no wonder you chose to have your wedding in the spring.” Landon wiped away a tear that had welled up in the corner of his eye with his finger.
Jiang Moyun remembered that she hadn't thought much about it at the time; she just seemed to think the weather was nice, but ultimately she didn't explain it. "Thinking about it this way seems nice, it adds a touch of romance," she thought to herself.
“The Lord will surely bless you with happiness. How about you become a puppy and a rose?” Landon said excitedly.
"A puppy and a rose?" Jiang Moyun pondered. She didn't think of herself as a rose, as she was too delicate. However, Lin Bairan was indeed a very cute puppy.
So she readily agreed to Landon's suggestion, "Okay, thank you for your kind words."
"A week, no, within five days! I'll show you the design draft!" Before he finished speaking, Landon had already stood up, turned around and ran towards the door, as fast as the wind.
Jiang Moyun opened her mouth, but finally sighed helplessly and turned to her assistant, saying, "Remember to contact his agent and confirm the contract first."
She was genuinely puzzled as to why Landon hadn't been scammed before; it didn't make sense.
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