Chapter 70 Finally got a name
The residual heat in the conference room had not yet dissipated. Su Nian took a deep breath to suppress the tension in his heart, and when he raised his eyes, his gaze was clear.
Her fingertips touched the edge of her sketchbook, her voice soft yet powerful. "My biggest feeling is... here, designing isn't just a job; it's more like caring for... a work of art."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ran turned away from the window. Raindrops slid down his shoulders, leaving tiny water marks on his white shirt. He raised his eyebrows slightly: "Oh? What do you mean?"
"There are too many 'sophisticated imitators' in the design world, but today Mr. Chen directly addressed the problem, and Director Lan both protected the team and maintained the bottom line. This persistence in originality is particularly touching."
Su Nian flipped open her sketchbook and ran her fingertips across the paper. "For example, Zhang Yue's team's color matching is truly eye-catching. Fang Xia's team used Song Brocade to bring traditional craftsmanship to life. If Wu Xiao's team's knitted structure incorporates recycled fibers, perhaps it could create something surprising..."
Her pencil traced a graceful arc around the cuffs of the "Bamboo Shadow" collection. "Mr. Chen said we need to consider different body shapes. It just occurred to me: what if the hem curve had an adjustable drawstring? It would maintain a flowing feel while also being adaptable to any body type. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Lan Ting took the sketchbook, stroked the small words "Environmentally friendly recycled fiber + gradient tie-dye" with her fingertips, and a hint of approval flashed in her eyes.
Chen Ran walked over to the table and picked up Su Nian's sketch of detachable cuffs, tapping the paper with his pen. "You won many design awards in college. You should know that the most difficult part of originality isn't avoiding imitation, but finding your own language."
He casually drew a simple Chen logo on a piece of paper. "Just like this logo, even if it is presented in a hundred different fabrics and a hundred different ways, people can still recognize it as Chen's at a glance."
Su Nian suddenly remembered the company posters she had seen when she first started working. Next to the award-winning designs was a phrase: "Let every stitch have a story."
When she looked up, she met Lan Ting's gaze. The director's tone was filled with expectation. "Next, follow me to sort out the various proposals, focusing on documenting today's inspiration and suggestions. I hope to see your supplementary designs before the finalization meeting next Tuesday."
The rain was still drizzling. As Su Nian walked out of the meeting room, clutching her sketchbook, she noticed a small bamboo leaf doodle had appeared on the cover. Next to it was what must have been Mr. Chen's handwriting: "Inspiration must be put into practice before it can be truly designed."
She gripped the notebook tighter, the wind from the corridor blew across her cheeks with the feeling of rain, and the waves of "design soul" in her heart gradually took shape.
Chen Ran watched Su Nian's back disappear at the door of the conference room, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up.
This kid's ideas are truly fresh. Just now I glanced at those scribbled expressions in the sketchbook. They must be those "eye-catchers" at the art conference, right? I wonder if they drew themselves in there?
Lan Ting sat in her seat organizing documents. The tacit understanding of more than ten years allowed her to know what Chen Ran was thinking without even looking up.
It was just a tacit understanding - she had tried to take another step forward, but was blocked by Chen Ran in the most tactful yet resolute way.
As smart as she is, she would have retreated to her most suitable position long ago, and just be his right-hand man, mentor and friend in this life. After all, isn't a million-dollar annual salary good? It's much more reliable than love!
Chen Ran had been a benefactor to her. Back then, she was as young and inexperienced as Su Nian, and it was he who had personally nurtured her into the woman she is today. As for her continued singleness, it wasn't because she still had feelings for Chen Ran; it was simply because she hadn't met the right person.
Lan Ting now saw through Zhang Yue's clumsy thoughts. He had no self-awareness at all. How could he possibly catch Mr. Chen's eye? He was just jumping around, but he didn't know that the more he jumped, the harder he would fall.
As for Su Nian, Chen Ran had mentioned to her before: "The child of an old friend is very important to me, please take good care of him." Since the boss was determined to help, she was naturally happy to go along with it.
After Su Nian left, the conference room was so quiet that you could hear the sound of rain.
Lan Ting spoke first, her tone calm but precise: "Your observation is correct. This isn't the first time Zhang Yue has had this problem. The design department really needs fresh blood to sharpen their originality."
Chen Ran tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips. His voice was calm but carried an unquestionable determination: "You handle it."
At noon, Su Nian followed Li Yue to the staff cafeteria on the underground first floor. She playfully took a photo of the food on the plate, sent it to Si Yan with a tap of her fingertips, and then picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
"Su Nian, you have a boyfriend, right?" Li Yue watched her texting, her gossip burning in her heart. "Look at that expression, it's so sweet it's almost suffocating!"
"No." Su Nian swallowed the food and denied it frankly, but she was thinking in her heart: What kind of boyfriend is this? He is obviously certified.
Li Yue was even more confused: Wasn't the person that Li Ruoyi and Wen Xiaoqiao mentioned picking her up from get off work yesterday her boyfriend?
She looked at Su Nian's frank eyes and swallowed the question that was on the tip of her tongue. In the end, she was too embarrassed to ask the question to the end.
The two finished their lunch quietly and returned to the office together.
Director Lan assigned a task in the conference room that morning. As soon as Su Nian sat down, he immediately got down to work, drawing something in his sketchbook with a pen.
Before he knew it, the wall clock pointed to three o'clock. Fang Xia tiptoed to Su Nian's workstation and said in a low voice, "Someone is looking for you outside."
Su Nian raised her head, rubbed her aching neck, and stood up to look at the glass door in the distance. Who else could it be but Si Yan? He was standing outside the door, holding a few exquisite paper bags.
"How did you get in?" Su Nian walked out quickly and asked in a low voice. One had to swipe a work card to enter the office area of Chen Group.
Si Yan looked at her slightly surprised and confused expression, patted her head lovingly, and said with a smile, "Don't worry about how I got in. Hurry up and share these coffee and snacks with your colleagues."
Su Nian finally realized that the family had specially sent afternoon tea! A warm feeling welled up in her heart, and she quickly said, "Okay, I'll ask my colleagues to help me bring it in."
She turned and called Li Yue out. Li Yue saw Si Yan standing at the door. He was tall and handsome, and she instantly understood what was going on. She turned to look at Su Nian, and with a hint of a "caught" smile, she asked, "Su Nian, you said you didn't have a boyfriend. Who is this?"
Su Nian's cheeks flushed slightly, and she spoke softly but clearly, "I...Mr.
When Si Yan, who was standing aside, heard the word "Sir", the corners of his mouth curled up wildly. He finally had a status!
"Ah——" Li Yue opened her mouth in surprise. It was big enough to fit an egg. No wonder she said she didn't have a boyfriend. It turned out to be her husband! Well, I give full marks to this operation. After all, if you don't quickly stamp and certify this kind of high-quality man, are you waiting for others to get there first?
This kind of wonderful partner is fleeting. She calmly gave Su Nian a thumbs up and said in her heart: Sister, you did a great job!
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