Chapter 72
Today is Lin Ting's birthday, and also Christmas Eve. Tomorrow is Christmas Day.
Lin Ting looked out the car window and saw all sorts of Christmas decorations blooming in the shop windows along the street, from exquisite handmade snowmen to glittering neon Christmas trees, every detail revealing the joy and warmth of the holiday.
It's been many years since I've felt so immersed in the festive atmosphere. The streets and alleys are filled with all sorts of tempting aromas: the softness of cakes, the intoxication of red wine, and the richness of chocolate. Even the air is sweet.
Hearing this, Lin Ting felt a surge of joy, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
"Are you happy?" Chen Zhiyi asked as he drove.
"Yes, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
Chen Zhiyi understood what she meant, "It's obvious that you and Song Xiaolei have a good relationship."
"Well, she and I joined M Group at the same time. Over the years, several batches of new employees have come and gone, but we've stayed until now, so we're practically brothers. Xiaolei is a local from Haishi. When I first arrived, she helped me a lot, so I'm very grateful to her. She's a bit playful, and she tends to mess up when it comes to delicate handicrafts. I always help her clean up the mess, but when I'm sent out to work alone, she always stands by my side. So in my eyes, she's like family. We've agreed to share our worries, celebrate our joys together, and work together to overcome difficulties. I've always wanted to find an opportunity to confess my relationship to her, but I didn't know how to bring it up. Today, she accidentally saw it, which made me feel relieved."
"It is truly rare to meet a soulmate in life."
"Can you really get her the concert tickets she wants?" Lin Ting asked, a little uneasy.
"What do you think?" Who are you underestimating? After months of working together on set, Chen Zhiyi's good relationships with others are well-known in the industry.
Getting back to the point, Lin Ting asked expectantly, "Where are you taking me?"
Chen Zhiyi kept everyone in suspense, saying, "You'll know when we get there."
Lin Ting pouted. "It's the same old routine from five years ago. Can't you come up with something new?"
The car was heading towards the city center. Lin Ting could see the top of the tallest building in Jinshi, the Economic and Trade Building, in the distance. She remembered that there was a high-end revolving Western restaurant on the top floor of the Economic and Trade Building. Steak, red wine, candlesticks and flowers were the standard for a date. So this restaurant was a holy place for couples to date. Unfortunately, the average cost per person was very high, which was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Instead, it became a place frequented by celebrities and the powerful.
This restaurant not only boasts fresh and precious ingredients and an elegant ambiance, but most importantly, it has excellent security, ensuring that no matter what happens inside, the outside world remains completely unaware.
Choosing this place to celebrate my birthday is definitely a good decision.
For Lin Ting, if it weren't for Chen Zhiyi's status, she wouldn't mind sitting at a roadside stall eating skewers and gnawing on pig's trotters and chicken feet without caring about her image. The most important thing about celebrating a birthday is having loved ones by her side.
Chen Zhiyi noticed that Lin Ting glanced at the Economic and Trade Building and saw a picture of a Western restaurant on her phone, so he knew she had misunderstood.
With a forced smile, he said, "I'm not that vulgar. I'll take you to places everyone goes."
Lin Ting turned off her phone and gave him a meaningful look.
Is it true that when two people spend a lot of time together, they can tell what the other is thinking just from a single gesture or glance?
The car drove into the alley and stopped in front of a three-story villa.
After getting off the bus and walking to the gate, I saw an old-fashioned iron gate with two lights shining on top of it.
The night was dark, but by the bright moonlight and two lamps, one could roughly make out that it was a three-story villa with white walls and black tiles, upturned eaves, and European-style arched windows. On either side of the large iron gate, there were two small flower beds enclosed by white fences in front of the courtyard walls. It was winter, so obviously no flowers or plants were planted there; instead, pebbles were used to cover the ground.
The overall appearance is like an old villa that has traveled from the Republic of China era. It is a typical combination of Chinese and Western styles, with the simplicity and elegance of Chinese style and the exquisite and delicate style of Western style.
This area is the city center, the most bustling place, with people coming and going and rampant materialism. Lin Ting has been here quite a few times, but she never expected to find such a quiet and elegant villa.
You may have passed by before without noticing that the old-fashioned villas in Shanghai are mostly former residences of famous people. They are cultural relics and not for sale, only for visitors.
So, are you here for tourism and sightseeing?
Lin Ting looked at Chen Zhiyi with a puzzled expression, "What are you doing here?"
"Let's go in first." Chen Zhiyi entered the password, and the large iron gate opened automatically.
Inside is a small courtyard. To the right, there is a grove of bamboo, and to the left, there is a fish tank, but unfortunately, it is empty.
Stepping inside the villa, one is immediately struck by a rich historical atmosphere. However, when the lights are turned on, the living room is spacious and bright, but it is completely empty with no furniture.
Walking around, you see many rooms, toilets, kitchens, and bathrooms—the facilities are all complete, but they're all empty shells.
The old house has wooden floors and stairs, which make a sound when you walk on them. The more empty the house is, the louder the echo will be. It would be a good place to shoot a horror movie late at night.
Lin Ting was even more puzzled; choosing this place to celebrate her birthday was indeed quite remarkable.
"Why is there nothing inside?"
"The previous landlord moved out when their lease expired."
So that's how it is. This is the mentality of renters: take everything they can with them when they leave, preferably not even a brick. No wonder it's so empty.
"So I bought it."
Lin thought she had misheard, "What?"
Chen Zhiyi gently rubbed her earlobe, a smile playing on his lips, and said in a gentle tone, "Let's go see an ENT specialist sometime. Why can't you hear what I'm saying?"
Lin Ting took his hand away. "I'm not joking with you."
"I don't have any either."
"Didn't we agree not to buy a house? Living here is too ostentatious." Coming and going in and out of here is too eye-catching and high-profile.
Chen Zhiyi smiled, "Does buying a house necessarily mean living in it? Can't you open a studio?"
"?"
"The previous landlord rented it to open a custom wedding dress shop. You've heard of Lan Wedding Dress, right?"
Lin Ting nodded. Lan Ling, the owner of Lan Wedding Dress, is China's leading figure in haute couture. Many people consider it an honor to wear a wedding dress designed by her.
Chen Zhiyi stroked the back of her head, his voice gentle, "This is the first wedding dress shop she opened. When she opened it, her situation was similar to yours now. She was a newbie in the fashion industry, but through hard work and talent, she started her journey to the international stage. So this building bears the marks left by her predecessors, and even more so, her luck. I hope you can continue that luck and also start your journey from here, becoming the second person in China's haute couture industry."
"Is this some kind of metaphysics? I'm nowhere near as good as Teacher Lanling."
"Teacher Lin is unparalleled in my heart." When it comes to Lin Ting's number one design fan, Chen Zhiyi is absolutely the one to take the crown.
"But I still have a contract. My contract with M Group doesn't expire for another two years. It's a waste to buy it now and leave it here. Can't we just rent it out?"
Chen Zhiyi put his arm around her waist and held her in his arms. "Opening a custom clothing studio is our shared dream. Since it's a dream, how can it be realized in a rented house? It has to be our own, so I'm putting this villa in your name."
Lin Ting opened her arms, about to refuse, when Chen Zhiyi immediately blocked her with his hand, "You can't refuse. This is my investment. I'm investing money, and you're investing your technology. If we make money in the future, it's yours; if we lose money, it's mine."
"Of course, I've always had a good eye for investment, and the projects I identify are all profitable."
"This is my 29th birthday gift to you - the beginning of a dream."
Lin Ting's eyes were filled with tears. "This gift is too precious. I can't accept it."
Chen Zhiyi wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "You can handle it. Before hearing what you said at the M Group ordering meeting, my dream of opening a custom clothing studio with you was more of a personal sentiment, wanting to have a shared connection with you. But those words touched me deeply. Dreams can be big or small. Small ones only care about personal interests, while big ones can influence the world. I also hope that in the future, at film festivals at home and abroad, we can walk the red carpet wearing custom-made gowns designed by local Chinese designers, showcasing Chinese design to foreigners. We can also establish a 'China Fashion Week,' on par with the four major fashion weeks. We can also have brands that can open boutiques in other countries, competing with household names like LV, Dior, and Hermes. We need to declare to the world that Chinese design no longer seeks recognition, but rather admiration."
"It seems that the entertainment industry really hones people's speaking skills. Now they can speak fluently and eloquently, whereas back then it would take them a long time to write an argumentative essay."
Chen Zhiyi retorted, "I'm just speaking from the heart. I have a girl around me who is full of positive energy, with aspirations, vision, and ambition. Her ideal is not only to fight for herself, but also to strive for the field she loves. She can be beautiful on her own, and she can also make the passion she is committed to shine."
Lin Ting's heart was surging with emotion, and she couldn't hide the smile and gratitude in her eyes.
It is said that the highest level of love is to see even the other person's flaws as virtues, and to idealize them in your mind as a flawless person.
Lin Ting could feel that she had been completely idealized in Chen Zhiyi's mind, and he was constantly expressing his affection for her.
It seems that all the luck she had lost has been made up for by him.
Love is like growing flowers, and I truly experienced that with him. His straightforwardness, gentleness, and firmness will become an inseparable bond that will stay with Lin Ting for the rest of her life.
"You're making me think I can be nominated for the 'Touching China' Top Ten People Award' next year."
Chen Zhiyi raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. Just look up and you'll see the founder of 'Touching China's Haute Couture."
"No, you're making me even more nervous than the second person in the haute couture event."
The two looked at each other and laughed heartily, then clung to each other tenderly.
Lin Ting glanced around, "Would you say I've become rich overnight?"
"How does it feel?"
"It's so unrealistic."
"So, am I a millionaire, or a multi-millionaire?"
"Could you raise your own standards a bit? Owning a villa in this prime location would cost at least hundreds of millions."
Lin Ting felt like she had heard an astronomical number and swallowed hard.
"Can I take back all those grand dreams I talked about before? I want to just give up."
Chen Zhiyi: "..."
It's true that money can force people to retire comfortably.
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