Independent design
As Lin Tingyue took the heavy black card, she felt a burning sensation in her palm.
This is not just about funding, but also about a heavy commitment and pressure.
She must succeed.
Only in this way can we return it with a clear conscience in the future, instead of letting it become a mere, insignificant appendage in this unequal relationship.
“I will make a budget and financial plan.” She carefully put the card away, her tone solemn. “Every single expense will be written down clearly.”
Chi Zhuo nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by her reaction, and said nothing more.
With ample funding and top-notch legal support, the studio's preparations were expedited.
She was so busy that she barely had time to breathe, and she often didn't get home until late at night.
Chi Zhuo also seemed very busy. Although the two lived under the same roof, they sometimes didn't even see each other for days.
In the vast space, they seemed like two parallel lines that occasionally intersected, each running on its own predetermined track.
This busyness, however, allowed Lin Tingyue to find a long-lost sense of fulfillment and peace.
During this time, Xia Xiaoran visited Loft several times, marveling at the rapid progress and helping out with various tasks.
"Sure enough, money really makes a difference, Tingyue!" Xia Xiaoran exclaimed, looking at the studio that was beginning to take shape. "This efficiency is equivalent to what an ordinary person would achieve in half a year."
Lin Tingyue was struggling with a wall of color swatches when she heard this. She paused for a moment and said softly, "Hmm, very efficient." There was a hint of complexity in her tone.
Xia Xiaoran leaned closer and whispered, "To be honest, although President Chi has an intimidating aura, he's incredibly good to you. He's paved a smooth road for you in terms of the studio, from the venue to the resources."
“I know.” Lin Tingyue put down the color swatch and looked at the lush greenery in the creative park outside the window. “It’s just that it’s so good, so good that it feels like an unreal dream.”
She was afraid that the dream was too beautiful, and that she would fall too hard when she woke up.
Xia Xiaoran patted her shoulder: "Don't think too much! Seizing the opportunity and achieving results is the most important thing. Then, who can say anything about you?"
Lin Tingyue took a deep breath and nodded.
That's right, her strength is the foundation of her success.
That day, she was checking the list of the first batch of imported fabrics in her studio when her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar local number.
"Hello?"
"Is this Ms. Lin?" A gentle and capable female voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Hello, I'm Jiang Yan, the head of 'Yang' Design Studio. Excuse me for bothering you, but we're currently preparing a joint promotional event for emerging independent designers. We've seen some preliminary information about your studio and are very interested. Would you have time to chat?"
"Yang" Studio? Lin Tingyue was somewhat surprised. It was a well-known designer brand in the industry.
She was pleasantly surprised, not expecting that her studio would be noticed by the other party while it was still in the preparation stage.
Despite my doubts, this was indeed a rare opportunity.
She arranged to meet Jiang Yan at a coffee shop near the park.
Jiang Yan is a woman in her early thirties, dressed elegantly and appropriately, with a shrewd and straightforward manner in her speech and behavior.
She frankly expressed her appreciation and detailed the joint promotion plan, which included media exposure, offline pop-up stores, and online channel resource sharing, with very generous terms.
“Ms. Lin’s design is very inspired, and we believe in your potential.” Jiang Yan smiled and handed over a preliminary letter of intent for cooperation. “Of course, we can finalize the specific details later.”
Despite her surprise, Lin Tingyue remained calm.
She took the letter of intent and said cautiously, "Thank you for your appreciation, Ms. Jiang. This is a very good opportunity for me. I need some time to carefully review the terms before I can give you a reply."
“Of course, it is my duty.” Jiang Yan picked up her coffee cup and added casually, “Speaking of which, how has President Chi been lately? We’ve met a few times at some business events before.”
Lin Tingyue's heart sank, and she instantly understood.
I see.
The doubt that had been lingering in my mind found its answer at this moment.
Whether it's this perfect loft or this unexpected and excellent cooperation opportunity, a name seems to be subtly waving behind it all: Chi Zhuo.
He didn't intervene directly; he simply cleared the way for her silently, even opening the door to a higher platform for her.
"He's fine, thank you for your concern." Lin Tingyue maintained a calm demeanor, her tone distant.
Jiang Yan, being the person he was, immediately noticed her subtle emotional change. He smiled knowingly, said nothing more, and quickly made an excuse to leave.
Lin Tingyue sat alone in the coffee shop, watching the bustling traffic outside the window, the letter of intent in her hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.
She took out her phone, opened the chat window that she had almost never contacted proactively, hesitated for a long time, and ultimately did not send any message.
What can you possibly get out of him by asking?
He would probably just gloss over it, after all, he never cared about her complicated feelings.
She put away her phone and drank the slightly chilled coffee in one gulp.
The bitter taste spread from the tip of my tongue all the way to my heart.
When I got home, to my surprise, Chi Zhuo was there, and it seemed he had been back for a while.
He was wearing loose gray loungewear, sitting under the floor lamp in the living room reading a book. The soft light falling on him added a rare touch of gentleness.
Hearing her open the door, he looked up, his gaze falling on her face, deep and unfathomable.
"I'm back."
"Hmm." Lin Tingyue changed her shoes, walked hesitantly to the living room, and sat down on the sofa opposite him.
She decided to get straight to the point.
“Today, the person in charge of ‘Yang’ Studio contacted me to discuss a joint promotion collaboration.” She tried to keep her voice calm and even.
Chi Zhuo didn't stop turning the pages of the book, only responding with a very faint "Hmm".
His reaction almost confirmed her suspicions.
Lin Tingyue clenched her fist and continued, "She mentioned you to me."
Chi Zhuo finally closed the book, looked up at her, his eyes calm and indifferent: "So?"
“So,” Lin Tingyue met his gaze, trying to find a ripple in that deep sea, “this cooperation opportunity, is it because of you?”
Chi Zhuo did not answer immediately. He put down the book, leaned forward slightly, rested his elbows on his knees, and placed his hands together in front of him.
This posture made him appear even more imposing.
“Jiang Yan is a shrewd businesswoman.” He spoke slowly, his voice low. “She wouldn’t do a bad deal because of any favor. She approached you primarily because your work itself is valuable.”
He paused, his sharp gaze scrutinizing every subtle expression on her face.
“But,” he changed the subject, his tone still steady but carrying an undeniable authority, “I did recommend you to her. That’s all.”
really.
Lin Tingyue couldn't tell whether she felt relieved or even more burdened at that moment.
"Why?" She heard her own voice tremble slightly. "You clearly said you wouldn't interfere with my work."
“A recommendation is not the same as interference,” Chi Zhuo corrected her, his tone carrying a condescending calmness.
"I'm just providing an opportunity for more people to see you. Whether you can seize it and establish yourself is up to you. If your designs are worthless, even if I push you to the center of the Paris Fashion Week runway, you'll only become a joke under the spotlight."
His words were cold and realistic, like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the complex emotions surging in her heart, leaving only a clear sting.
He's right.
Regardless of where the opportunity comes from, ultimately, only her own strength will determine how far she can go.
Seeing her silence, a barely perceptible ripple flashed across the depths of Chi Zhuo's eyes once more.
He stood up, walked up to her, and his tall figure loomed over her, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
Lin Tingyue involuntarily held her breath.
He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek with his fingertips, the movement carrying an almost tender tenderness, completely different from his cold and hard tone.
“Lin Tingyue,” he called her by her full name, his voice low and almost a whisper, “remember, in this world, opportunities are never equal. It’s your luck if someone paves the way for you, but it’s also part of your ability. The key is whether you can walk that path and reach a higher place than others.”
"Accept it readily, and then prove it to me."
He gazed into her eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable, like a whirlpool, "proving that all my arrangements were worthwhile."
After saying that, he withdrew his hand, turned around, and walked calmly towards the study, leaving Lin Tingyue alone, sitting stiffly under the living room light, her heart surging with emotion, unable to calm down for a long time.
Prove it to him.
This seemed to be a challenge standing in her way, and also the only way for her to break free from this unequal constraint.
She looked down at her fingertips, which were rough from days of busy work, and clenched them into fists.
Chi Zhuo's words were like a thorn, piercing Lin Tingyue's heart.
She stopped dwelling on Jiang Yan's matter and focused on the letter of intent, carefully revising the terms more than three times to ensure that she had secured every benefit herself and had not taken advantage of the other party in any way.
On the day the contract was signed, Jiang Yan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he watched Lin Tingyue sign the contract so decisively.
"Miss Lin, you are much more assertive than I imagined."
Lin Tingyue closed her pen, looked at the other person calmly, and said, "I just hope that everyone can have an equal and mutually beneficial cooperative environment."
Jiang Yan nodded thoughtfully.
As the studio preparations entered their final stages, Lin Tingyue was squatting on the ground organizing fabric samples when a thermal bag suddenly appeared in front of her.
She was a little surprised and looked up to see Chi Zhuo standing in front of her, his suit jacket draped over his arm and his shirt sleeves casually rolled up.
"I went to a dinner party today, and I happened to have some leftovers, so I brought them along."
His tone was flat, as if it were a trivial matter that was not worth caring about.
On the way?
Lin Tingyue suddenly stood up from the ground, carrying the bag. Her vision went black, and she instinctively tried to fall, but someone caught her around the waist.
After sitting in her seat for a while, she gradually recovered.
Chi Zhuo shook his head, turned around and poured her a glass of warm water.
"If you squat for too long, you should stand up slowly, otherwise you may fall."
Lin Tingyue felt a warmth in her heart and said softly, "Thank you, I understand."
She was just too anxious. She usually pays attention to this detail.
Chi Zhuo didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over the table piled high with samples. "How's the progress?"
"We'll officially open next week." Lin Tingyue opened the lunchbox, and a delicious aroma wafted out. "The first batch of finished products is also being sampled."
He took a few steps closer and picked up a design draft from the table.
That was Lin Tingyue's most satisfying work, with clean lines and subtle, delicate details.
Chi Zhuo said calmly, "I was still a bit too hasty. I feel there's still room for improvement."
Lin Tingyue lowered her head and ate a couple of bites of rice, then couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "...If you're going to deliver food, then deliver food, but can you please not touch my manuscript?"
The sound was very soft, but Chi Zhuo heard it.
He chuckled softly, his voice ringing out clearly in the quiet room.
"You're angry already?" He leaned over, resting his head on the edge of the table as he looked at her. "Lin Tingyue, your design is very good, but a good design and a good product are two different things."
He was too close, and Lin Tingyue shrank back, her ears burning.
"I know. But I don't want to give up my own style just to sell well."
No one is forcing you to give up.
Chi Zhuo straightened up. "It's about finding a balance between persistence and compromise. Like—"
He paused, his gaze falling on her face: "Just like you and me."
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