CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: BAI YUEGUANG’S STAND-IN

"Brother, she’s not worth it. Even if you don’t like Ms. Chenchen anymore, there are so many women who are better than her in this world. There’s no need to be upset because of her."

Shen Liao didn’t say anything, saving the first photo and sending it to himself.

Just then, a WeChat message popped up, and when Shen Liao accidentally clicked into it, the phone instantly switched to a chat group. The latest message was from Li Yahan.

Before Shen Liao could see clearly, Shen An quickly grabbed the phone and locked the screen.

"Ah, that’s just our usual casual chat group."

Shen Liao looked at him and said sternly.

"Next time you go behind my back and make decisions, I’ll kick you out of this house."

All the way home, Shen An didn’t dare to speak, keeping quiet until he got home and dared to open his phone to check the messages in the group.

Wei Fu: [Only a fool would choose Jiang Lai, right?]

Wang Nan Nan: [Be careful with your words, there’s someone surnamed Shen in the group!]

Qi Yage: [We’re all in this together, An won’t say anything wrong, right @Shen An]

Scrolling up the chat history, Qi Yage had started a poll in the group, with voting options for Jiang Lai and Mu Chen, followed by these chat records.

Shen An looked and got angry.

Shen An: [Who are you calling a fool?]

Wei Fu: [Whoever chooses Jiang Lai is a fool, don’t you agree?]

Shen An: [It’s not your place to gossip about my brother’s affairs, you’d better watch your words]

Wei Fu: [Are you a fool too? Truly a pair of foolish brothers]

Qi Yage: [Alright, alright, we’re all in the same group, no need to argue over Jiang Lai]

Shen An: [Calling my brother a fool? You know that your dad almost knelt before my brother for that land in the south of the city?]

Qi Yage: [Shen An, have you lost your mind? Do you know what you’re saying?]

Wei Fu: [Shen An, well done]

After saying that, Wei Fu left the chat group.

After that, silence fell upon the group, and no one spoke again.

Qi Yage called Shen An separately, cursing at him before calming down.

"Shen An, you spoke too harshly. You are indeed the young master of the Shen Family, and we cannot reach your level, but Wei Fu has been your friend since childhood."

"Let her curse me, but she shouldn’t curse my brother."

"Ah... she was doing it for Mu Chen. After what happened, Mu Chen became a laughing stock within the circle. Your brother made her lose face."

"It’s my fault, please don’t talk about Jiang Lai and my brother anymore. I’ll apologize and make amends to Ms. Mu Chen. I’m sorry for causing you trouble."

Shen An’s tone was surprisingly calm, so much so that Li Yaqi wondered if someone had replaced him.

"Your brother... alright, I understand. We’re still friends in the end."

After hanging up the phone, Shen An sighed.

Forget it, forget it, he was indeed frightened by Shen Liao. It wouldn’t be right to ruin the relationship between the brothers over Jiang Lai.

——

In the morning, Jiang Lai received a call from the Perfume Headquarters, officially notifying her that her artwork had been approved and asking her to visit the company headquarters next Monday to sign the contract.

"Wow, this is great. It’s always hard to secure cooperation with the Xiang Family. Your artwork being accepted will be very beneficial for your future career development. After all, you’ll now have the experience of collaborating with the Xiang Family as an original illustrator."

When Jiang Lai asked Xu Guang for leave and told him about this, Xu Guang generously granted the leave, openly expressing his admiration and happiness.

"Cherish this opportunity. I believe you will soon become the most famous original illustrator in the country!"

"Thank you, Mr. Xu. I didn’t expect my artwork to be utilized."

"You need to be more confident. When is the signing? Next Monday? How do you plan to go?"

"I’ll fly."

Xu Guang thought for a moment.

"I have to go to Italy for business this weekend, and the company is sending a private jet. If it’s convenient for you, you can depart with me this weekend, saving costs."

Jiang Lai agreed readily.

"Thanks, Mr. Xu. I’ll pack my things now."

The next day, Jiang Lai pushed her luggage and departed to Italy on Xu Guang’s private jet.

Flying on a private jet is comfortable; the flight attendants provide one-on-one service, and most importantly, there’s no need to wait for boarding or transfer flights. After getting on the plane, she slept until it was dark and reached the destination.

Xu Guang sent a private car to take Jiang Lai to the hotel, and before parting, he reminded her.

"After negotiating the collaboration, spend two days enjoying yourself here. I’ll contact you when my work is done, and we’ll go back together."

"Thank you, Mr. Xu. When I get the reimbursement for the flight tickets, I’ll treat you to a meal."

"In Italy, I won’t let you treat me. Once my work is done, I’ll show you around this area. I grew up here and know quite a few less crowded yet enjoyable places."

Jiang Lai still smiled calmly.

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Xu."

"Stop calling me Mr. Xu, just use my name directly."

Jiang Lai chuckled and said nothing, as the implicit and subtle exchanges between adults were fully displayed at this moment.

The day after parting with Xu Guang, Jiang Lai went to the headquarters, conversed fluently in English with the person in charge, signed the contract, and became the illustrator for the bottle cover art of the Xiang Family’s most classic autumn limited edition perfume.

Additionally, since Jiang Lai had brought along her usual fashion design works, the brand representative was very interested after viewing them and immediately chose one as the promotional cover for their latest clothing line under the brand.

"Jiang, from your artwork, I see the charm of your traditional Hua Country culture. It’s a whole new interpretation of life—calm, vivid, yet full and serene. We’ve been seeking young and creative original illustrators like you for this themed perfume. We hope to have pleasant collaborations in the future."

After signing the contract, Jiang Lai breathed a long sigh of relief, instantly feeling much lighter.

With work concluded, she had two days left to explore this ancient city thoroughly. Driven by her professional habits, Jiang Lai took her sketchbook to a famous scenic architectural district, enjoying coffee on a boat while admiring the riverside views, with enchanting music playing in her ears and exotic early 20th-century architectural groups lining both sides. This was Jiang Lai’s first time calming down to experience the world.

"Honestly, this place is really comfortable. Once my tasks are completed, I want to settle here."

Anyway, there’s plenty of time, so Jiang Lai needs to seize the opportunity to enjoy herself thoroughly.

"Yes, as long as the task is completed, everything is negotiable."

Just now, the task progress has reached eighty-three percent. As an original illustrator, Jiang Lai has managed to stand out among thousands of competitors and become the youngest signed original illustrator of the Xiang Family, a professional accomplishment that accelerates task progress.