Bloom
Once the design details were finalized, Shi Ya took over. She took out a detailed custom contract, carefully reviewed all the terms with You Lin, and then signed and paid the deposit.
Youlin thought to herself that Ms. Wang Jingnan's work was undoubtedly involved here. The contract stipulated that Youlin would come again around this time next week, and the rough pattern made based on her figure and design would be completed by then. They would then review the fit of the rough pattern to see if any modifications or adjustments were needed before proceeding with the actual garment production.
A week later, when Youlin came to try on the rough-cut clothing, she realized that it was actually a fairly complete outfit, good enough for an average office worker, although the fabric wasn't as good as the ones she had chosen.
Afterwards, Youlin introduced three or four senior executives from both inside and outside the company to this place for custom orders, but she didn't specifically mention it to Zhiwei. However, when Shiya registered clients' appointments, she would politely ask if they had been referred by a friend, so they naturally knew they were indebted to her.
Jingnan's circle of friends also includes a group of girls around her age. Having seen Jingnan's new clothes a few times at private gatherings, they all marveled at her impeccable taste and remarkable style. Jingnan then took the opportunity to introduce Wei Nian to them.
They naturally admired the allure of haute couture, but lamented that the prices were beyond the reach of middle-class white-collar workers like themselves. Zhiwei later heard Jingnan mention this to her and had a new idea.
In addition to its original designer-customized services, ViNian has also added ready-to-wear customization. Clients can choose from existing designs in its ever-expanding product catalog and make some limited alterations.
For example, the style and length of the collar and sleeves, the material and style of the buttons, can all be customized from a selection of fabric colors. In addition to top-quality fabrics, some mid- to high-quality materials are also available. Such a bespoke suit would typically cost around ten thousand yuan. This is a reasonable price for middle-class white-collar workers.
Of course, the tailoring of such garments is still handled by experienced craftsmen, but Zhijun himself doesn't personally sew them. Furthermore, no special rough pattern is made, and no alteration services are offered afterward.
So a week later, several of Jingnan's friends made appointments to come here for custom orders. After they had all made their selections and signed the contracts, Xiaoyu and Shiya invited them to enjoy afternoon tea on the terrace. Although it was a bit chilly outdoors in Beijing in January, the heated umbrellas on the terrace were large enough, and the warm sunshine felt very comfortable on their skin.
Several girls sipped coffee and ate snacks while gazing at the rows of buildings stretching far into the distance. Each of them couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Beijing truly is the capital; it's so grand and magnificent, a completely different feeling from living in a tenement building."
By the end of January, when we tallied up the accounts, we had sold five or six designer and ready-to-wear custom-made items that month, making it the busiest month since Wei Nian opened. Of course, Wei Nian would like to be honest with everyone that many of these sales came from referrals. It's impossible to rely on so many referrals every month; we still need to focus on doing a good job and gradually expanding our reputation.
However, since it was almost the end of the year, she took advantage of a Friday when she didn't have to accompany Li Fuqiang to social events and treated all her employees to a year-end banquet, including Xu Anyi and Jingnan, making a total of nine people.
Xu Anyi had already distributed a decent year-end bonus to everyone based on the accounts and Zhiwei's instructions. Zhiwei treated everyone to a meal at Boss Liang's restaurant, since most people don't usually have the opportunity to experience such a place.
Jingnan discovered that, apart from the driver Lao Liang, the rest of Zhiwei's team was all women. He didn't know if it was a coincidence or if Zhiwei was deliberately avoiding trouble.
After Zhiwei's year-end banquet ended, it was time for Fuma's annual meeting. Although Zhiwei attended the main annual meeting, she didn't make an appearance; she simply watched from the front with the senior executives. Her appearance was required for the subsequent banquet for middle and senior management. Youlin's specially tailored outfit was also prepared for this banquet.
Originally, Jingnan wouldn't have had the chance to attend such a banquet since she had already resigned, but Youlin had specially sent her an invitation. Jingnan was naturally very clear about her intentions and couldn't help but admire how sophisticated and considerate President Zhao was; no wonder she was the highly regarded head housekeeper of Fumao, as Boss Li had always thought.
Jingnan naturally wore the same dress Wei Nian had made for her during her interview with the chief tailor. She was young and radiant; the dress she had chosen then was a light pink. Zhiwei, on the other hand, wore a new emerald green dress and paired it with the emerald necklace that Boss Liang had given her, which she had retrieved from the safe.
Such a vibrant green is something most people wouldn't dare wear; a slight misstep could make them look rustic. But Zhiwei has fair skin, a slender figure, and her hair is styled in a high bun, her long neck resembling that of a swan. This gorgeous, flowing skirt makes her appear even more radiant, like a lotus flower, delicate and alluring—truly a charming and elegant beauty.
Li Fuqiang also invited several major shareholders to attend, but they mostly chatted in private rooms and didn't join the employees in the festivities. The center of the banquet hall was set up as a sizable dance floor. Li Fuqiang wasn't a good dancer, so he gestured to Zhiwei to invite Boss Liang to dance the opening dance: "Your godfather is a dance master, Xiaowei, why don't you hurry up and show him?"
Because Boss Liang, acting as her godfather, sent his bride to Zhiwei's wedding, Zhiwei, though not daring to presume to marry him, felt indebted to him and always treated him with great respect, addressing him as "Uncle." Zhiwei's elaborate dressing up this time was also to thank Boss Liang for his care, which is why she specially chose a dress that matched the necklace he had given her.
After Zhiwei and Boss Liang danced the opening dance, pairs of dance partners began to glide onto the dance floor. Youlin was wearing the fuchsia dress that Zhiwei had designed for her.
When she tried on the final product at Wei Nian that day, standing in front of the huge fitting room mirror, she could hardly believe that the bright and elegant figure in the mirror was herself. Usually, she mostly wore black, white, gray, and blue tops, but suddenly wearing such a bright and eye-catching color made her feel that her complexion had become much younger.
Zhiwei's design suited her even better than the original drafts, drawing attention to her slender figure and diverting attention from her not-so-slender waist. While the front was fully covered, turning around revealed a large expanse of skin through the low-slung, ruffled neckline, creating a unique allure. The luxurious fabric even made her feel, in a fleeting moment, as regal as a queen.
She chose this dress for the ball without hesitation, and even had a stylist design her hairstyle and makeup. Confidence and pride are a woman's most important armor; wearing them, anyone can conquer any challenge.
As she took off her coat at the entrance, she heard whispers around her, but she pretended not to notice and walked in with her usual poise.
The dance started, and Qian Dayou sneaked over and invited her to dance. Wasn't this guy always the one staring at all the young and pretty girls in the company? Why the change of heart today?
But that didn't stop her from enjoying the evening. Both of them were quite skilled dancers, clearly having practiced diligently. To the strains of a melodious waltz, they danced gracefully.
Qian Dayou even had time to chat: "President Zhao is truly the most stunning woman today."
"Mr. Qian, you must be joking. If we're talking about who outshines everyone else in the room, who dares to compare with Mrs. Li?"
"Mrs. Li is certainly not in the competition. Today, President Zhao can definitely be considered the most beautiful woman in Fumao. Having seen President Zhao's professional demeanor for so long, this is the first time I've seen her so radiant."
"Is this how you usually sweet-talk girls, Mr. Qian? I was just trying out a different style after Miss Chen gave me some pointers."
"Is this outfit really custom-made for you by Mrs. Li's studio? I can't tell at all. I thought Mrs. Li was just playing around, but I didn't expect her to be serious."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
