RGL – Chapter 147

Clothes this short—nowadays, many people are too shy to wear them—but the fact that Sun Manli dared to design something like this showed that her personality was quite bold and avant-garde. Su Min remembered that in a few years, these kinds of clothes would indeed become very popular among young people.

“Classmates Sun Manli and Su Min both presented outstanding works, each with its own merits. You should all try to discuss and learn from each other more in the future. Right now is the learning stage, and exchanging ideas is a good thing. As long as you complete your own work independently during exams and in future jobs, that’s enough.”

The teacher’s words weren’t just to encourage students to learn from one another; they also served as a reminder—design is a profession where every piece of work must be independently created.

Whether they fully understood or not, the students all obediently responded.

After class, quite a few people came to look at Su Min and Sun Manli’s works.

Sun Manli wasn’t very sociable. After handing over her work, she started packing her bag to leave, clearly not intending to discuss anything with the others. Su Min also wanted to leave, but was warmly pulled aside by classmates who wanted to discuss design concepts, so she felt too embarrassed to leave and simply sat down to chat with them for a while.

As Sun Manli left the classroom, she turned back and looked at Su Min, who was chatting with the others. Her lips pressed together, her eyes showing a hint of mockery.

Li Fang also looked back and saw Sun Manli staring at Su Min. She immediately understood that Sun Manli probably didn’t like Su Min very much and quickly said, “That kind of person is so fake, just knows how to suck up to others. With her looks, being called the class belle? What a joke. She really has no shame.”

“She’s got some tricks, that’s for sure,” Sun Manli replied as she walked out of the classroom.

While chatting with her classmates, Su Min felt as though someone was staring at her. She looked back but didn’t see anyone. She figured she must just be exhausted lately—so much so that she was starting to hallucinate.

They chatted for nearly an hour, and everyone’s stomachs were growling with hunger before they finally dispersed. They agreed to talk again sometime soon.

Through these conversations, Su Min’s classmates got to know her better. Not only did they find her easy to get along with, they were also impressed by her extensive knowledge of fashion design.

When Su Min reached the school gate, she planned to go home first to see if Zhaodi had returned. If she was back, they could go out for a meal together to celebrate her first exam. Zhaodi had worked hard lately translating things for her, so it would be nice to unwind together.

“Xiao Min.”

Su Min had just stepped out of the school when she heard a familiar voice.

“Xue Mian?” She stared in surprise at Xue Mian, who was wearing a black jacket.

Xue Mian smiled as he walked over. “I thought I missed you. I was just about to head to your neighborhood to look for you, but I don’t even know which apartment you live in.”

He had been waiting here since the morning. When school ended and he still hadn’t seen her, he thought maybe the class schedule he got was wrong.

Luckily he ran into her. Otherwise, who knew when he’d get to see Su Min again.

Although Su Min didn’t feel as comfortable around Xue Mian as she used to, she didn’t go as far as to avoid him. Seeing him walk up, she smiled and said, “Want to take a walk together? I don’t have any classes this afternoon, but I need to stop by home first to let Zhaodi know, so she doesn’t go looking for me.”

“Sure. I also want to take you somewhere.”

There was a glint of excitement in Xue Mian’s eyes.

The two of them arrived outside Su Min’s residential complex. Su Min went in to let Zhaodi know, then changed into something more comfortable before coming back out.

Although Xue Mian wanted to take Su Min somewhere, he also knew she must be hungry by now, so he simply took her to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

Su Min had been chatting nonstop with her classmates and was absolutely starving. She didn’t bother with small talk and just started eating.

Once she was full, she finally sipped some juice and asked curiously, “So, where exactly are you taking me? I’ve already explored this whole area.”

“It’s not for fun—I want to show you something very important.”

“Huh?” Su Min looked at him, puzzled.

“No guessing. Just follow me,” Xue Mian said, his face full of excitement and joy.

Seeing him like that only made Su Min more curious.

After leaving the restaurant, Xue Mian hailed a cab and took Su Min to their destination.

Though the east district of B City wasn’t the bustling commercial center where every inch of land was precious, it was an up-and-coming area where many of the city’s nouveau riche were beginning to gather.

Su Min had never been to this part of town before. As she followed Xue Mian, she started to get a sense of his intentions.

“This is the place.” Xue Mian took her up to the tenth floor via elevator. What appeared before them was a very spacious hall. Strictly speaking, it was more like a large open-plan office.

Although there weren’t any office furnishings yet, the interior design style was very different from current trends. It had a Western, high-tech aesthetic—simple and sophisticated. On the central wall of the large office space, the words “Minrui Technology” (敏锐科技) stood out prominently.

“This… is going to be your office?”

“Yeah,” Xue Mian nodded excitedly. “I’ve been working on this place for a while. The renovation is finished now. The custom office equipment I ordered should arrive soon. Right now, there are only a few of us, so it’s still pretty basic.”

As he continued, his tone became slightly nervous. “Su Min, I paid for this office with my own money. I didn’t take a single cent from my family, so I don’t have a lot of funds at the moment. But once I start earning more, this place will definitely get even better.”

Su Min was surprised. “I thought you went abroad to study?”

“I did, but my professor brought me along on a few projects, and I earned some compensation.”

Su Min was shocked.

Even if this office was rented, the rent wouldn’t be cheap—not to mention the renovation costs, future employee salaries, and office equipment. Altogether, that was a significant sum. And Xue Mian covered it all just with a few projects? She had no doubt he still had some working capital on hand.

Sure enough, high-tech work was much more lucrative.

Compared to him, her fashion design work felt like just scraping by.

When Su Min didn’t say anything for a long while, Xue Mian thought she didn’t believe him and explained, “It’s true. Those projects took a lot of time.” He didn’t mention that he’d worked himself sick back then. But thinking of how all the effort was for the future, he felt it had been worth it.

“Xiao Min, I can make money. I can support myself—and my… my family.”

“I know you can.” Su Min nodded earnestly. Given what Xue Mian had already accomplished, as long as he made it through the early hardships of entrepreneurship, his future potential would be immense. He might even become a leading figure in his field.

She had lived through the era when technology soared and knew exactly how wide open this field would become.

“Xue Mian, stick to your vision. No matter how hard it gets, don’t give up. I believe you’ll reach your goals.”

Xue Mian didn’t hear the words he most wanted to hear, but Su Min’s encouragement still warmed his heart. “It won’t be long before you see even greater changes.” He walked over to the window and looked down at the street below, his eyes filled with resolve.

Su Min watched him standing there, sunlight pouring through the window and forming a halo around him.

It felt like she was seeing a glimpse of him years into the future—a grown man, steady and strong, standing at the peak of his career empire.

Since that visit to Xue Mian’s company, he hadn’t come around much. However, someone had seen Su Min and Xue Mian leaving school together that day, and rumors had begun to spread in the class that Su Min had a boyfriend.

“Getting into a relationship right after starting college—how casual can someone be?”

Li Fang spoke to Sun Manli, who was quietly reading with her head down.

Sun Manli looked up at Su Min briefly, then lowered her head again, her eyes showing a hint of disdain. Seeing she got no response, Li Fang simply turned to gossip with other female classmates.

Su Min had heard some of the rumors too, but didn’t feel the need to explain.

Everyone knew rumors weren’t reliable, yet many still chose to believe them—mostly because they were bored and looking for some fun. Even if she did explain, people would just think she was covering things up. Besides, it wasn’t like college banned relationships. Even if the rumors spread, it wasn’t as frowned upon as it was in middle school. So to her, whether she explained or not didn’t really matter.

Su Min’s silence only made others think the rumor was true. But being in a relationship wasn’t shameful, so aside from some disappointment that the class beauty got into a relationship so quickly, people didn’t talk much more about it.

Before long, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.

This was Su Min’s first Mid-Autumn Festival spent away from home. Sun Qiufang had already called her beforehand, reminding her to celebrate properly and not spend the holiday alone at home.

Su Min wasn’t planning on having a lonely holiday either.

Zhang Qingqing and the others were also new here, having left their hometowns behind. Naturally, she wanted to make sure no one felt too lonely during the holiday. So she had reserved a private room at a restaurant in advance to treat everyone to breakfast.

Grandma Zhang was a very practical person. Upon hearing they were going out to eat, she quickly waved her hand and said, “Why waste money like that? Things are expensive here. We’d be better off eating at home. Qingqing and I both know how to cook—we’ll make a whole table of food for everyone.”

“Grandma, that won’t do. This is the first time we’re all away from home. How can we let you cook for us? The place I booked isn’t expensive. We’re just going to liven things up a bit—it’s not a big deal. I’m really grateful you and Qingqing are here with us. Please don’t be so polite.”

“What are you saying? You’ve helped us so much already. I never thought at my age I’d be living like this—I’m already content.”

As she spoke, Grandma Zhang tightly held Su Min’s hand.

She had once thought that, like a weed in the fields, she’d wither and die quietly when her time came. Who would have thought that at her age, she could still teach apprentices and come to a big city? Life had truly exceeded expectations.

Seeing that Grandma Zhang was getting emotional, Su Min decided not to respond to that part. She smiled and said, “No matter what, we’re going out to eat today. The Mid-Autumn Festival only comes once a year—we can’t let it pass in silence.”

As she spoke, she gestured to Zhang Qingqing to help persuade her.

Zhang Qingqing chimed in, “Grandma, let’s just go have a bit of fun together.”

“Sigh, I do enjoy a bit of fun too… I just worry about the money. Alright, alright—whatever you say. I’m old now. I should listen to you young folks.”

Just as they finished packing up and were getting ready to head out, William showed up again.

This time, he didn’t go directly to Zhang Qingqing. Instead, he pulled Su Min aside to talk about what had happened since he returned from abroad.

While Su Min and William chatted outside, Grandma Zhang went into the office to find Zhang Qingqing.

“Qingqing, that Mr. William is here again. He’s talking with Su Min right now.”

Zhang Qingqing looked puzzled. “So?”

“What do you mean, ‘so’? I just think there’s something odd about him. He always comes looking for you. I tell you, he reminds me of how your grandpa used to act when he was trying to woo me.”

“Grandma! Don’t talk nonsense. People will laugh if they hear that,” Zhang Qingqing blushed and looked a bit flustered. “Do you know what kind of person he is? How could he possibly be interested in a country girl like me? Besides, he doesn’t even look like us.”

“Sigh, I’m just warning you. I’ve been around long enough to know these things. I heard folks from their side of the world are more casual in relationships. You mustn’t let yourself be fooled.”

“I know, Grandma. I won’t. Don’t worry,” Zhang Qingqing’s face turned even redder.

Mr. William did always come to see her, but most of what he said was about embroidery. She didn’t think he liked her. If she really believed that, she’d be getting ahead of herself.

Outside, Su Min and William were chatting happily.

William looked thrilled. “Foreigners are really interested in traditional Chinese embroidered garments. I’ve been busy with this ever since I went back. The thirty sets we initially talked about won’t be enough—we need at least a hundred sets a year. Ideally, those hundred should include forty or fifty different styles. That way, each one feels more refined.”

“You already said that,” Su Min couldn’t help but tease, “That was the first thing you said when you arrived. Why are you bringing it up again?”

William suddenly looked a little sheepish, like he’d been exposed. “I was hoping to wait until you were off work. I heard today is your reunion festival—it’s really important.”

“Being off work doesn’t matter—Qingqing already made plans to spend the holiday with us today,” Su Min said with a smile.

William, who was usually sharp in business matters, was surprisingly old-fashioned when it came to pursuing girls. Even someone like Su Min, with no personal experience, could see through it. Then again, maybe that was William’s intent. After all, no one wants to chase someone for ages without the other party realizing it. Unfortunately, Zhang Qingqing was even more oblivious than Su Min—she hadn’t caught on yet.

Hearing that Zhang Qingqing had already made plans to celebrate with them, William instantly felt disappointed. He had come all the way from abroad just to spend the holiday with her, only to be beaten to it.

This must be what the Chinese call “stealing a chicken only to lose the rice”.

Su Min didn’t know William was misusing Chinese idioms in his mind. Seeing his dejected expression, and thinking about his recent behavior, she started quietly evaluating his situation with Zhang Qingqing.

It was true—international relationships came with many challenges, but that didn’t mean they were doomed to fail.

William was a close friend of Shu Jing, and by all accounts, a decent person—not someone with bad intentions. According to Ke Wan, she’d never seen William treat any beautiful woman this seriously before, so he probably wasn’t just acting out of attraction.

Besides, he was quite capable. If Zhang Qingqing did marry him, life would be a lot easier for her in the future.

But there was one drawback—if she married him, she’d have to live abroad. Considering Zhang Qingqing’s personality, life overseas might not suit her.

Su Min probed gently, “Actually, Grandma Zhang didn’t really want Qingqing to come out here at first. She thought that at Qingqing’s age, it was time to settle down. She didn’t want her marrying someone from far away—she hoped Qingqing would find someone reliable back home, someone close to the family who could take care of her.”

William’s eyes widened in shock. “Find someone?”

Find someone = Get married!

For someone like William, who had passed who-knows-how-many levels of Chinese proficiency, that equation was crystal clear. He suddenly panicked.

If this were his country, if you liked someone, you just pursued them—passionately and romantically—and usually that was enough. But Chinese girls were more reserved; everything had to move slowly. And before he knew it, that slow pace had allowed someone else to get ahead.