CHAPTER 562: CHAPTER 560: ONCE YOUNG AND RECKLESS

"But I have skills and could always make money, so I found a former competitor and sold him two of my design drafts for one hundred thousand yuan. Finally, I was able to stay in a five-star hotel and got myself a comfortable new outfit."

"After doing all this, I remembered you. Without that two hundred yuan from you, I would probably still be wandering and starving on the streets. I’m a person with principles—gratefulness demands repayment. It so happened you were looking for a designer, so I took the liberty to recommend myself."

"Good thing I came along. Who did you hire as a designer? They might fool amateurs like you, but any professional could spot the shallowness in a second. Who else if not you would they con?"

"Don’t be so complacent, thinking that knowing how to make clothes is enough to conquer the world. Being skilled in making clothes is just one aspect, and while it’s indispensable, if other areas don’t keep up, you could still be easily duped."

"You’re lucky I found you first, and after noticing you’ve got some redeeming qualities, I didn’t bother looking elsewhere. Let’s call it repaying my debt. As for the fee, let’s just say two million yuan, for the privilege of encountering someone like me who’s been deep in the industry for over a decade. Skilled in making clothes, with aesthetics and industry know-how... You’ll know my worth in the future."

"You’d be foolish to pass up a quality design director like me. What else could you possibly want?"

Wan Chu’er finally let him finish his long-winded speech, took a deep breath and thought she had never met anyone so talkative. If he could talk that much, he should just sell his chatter and spare his hands for designing.

"How old are you this year?" she asked.

Yu Zimu had just mentioned that he had been immersed in the fashion industry for over a decade, but he looked at most thirty years old. Could it be that he started in the industry before twenty?

Yu Zimu chuckled, "I have my secrets to good maintenance, forever young. You guessed right, I started doing internships in a famous studio when I was eighteen. I am what they call a genius, so you’re really lucky and guaranteed a profit by hiring me."

Sounds like a tall tale!

Wan Chu’er: "...Just because you say it’s a famous studio, it’s a famous studio? Say which one it is. Maybe I know it. Let me give them a call to confirm and see if you’re all talk."

She had made quite a few connections in the fashion world recently in search of a suitable designer.

Hearing this, Yu Zimu looked at her sideways: "You really are stubborn. If it weren’t for that two hundred yuan, I would have turned around and left long ago."

Wan Chu’er couldn’t help but laugh, "No matter how nicely you put it, it’s useless. How would I know if you’re telling the truth or not?"

"That’s an insult to me!"

Wan Chu’er stood her ground: "I’m staying sharp, being responsible to Time."

Yu Zimu glared at Wan Chu’er, and after a while, resignedly said: "Tingtao Studio, ever heard of it? The current design director of Tingtao is my former first love. Give me some face, and don’t gossip."

Wan Chu’er: "..."

She knew of Tingtao. The design director of Tingtao was a beautiful and stylish woman, reportedly a single mother, strong and formidable, with a certain reputation in the industry.

"Word is that Tingtao’s design director is a single mom. Her child isn’t yours, is it?" Wan Chu’er asked on purpose.

Just as expected, Yu Zimu glared at her with fury, "You... you’re spouting nonsense!" After a pause, he added: "I wish that were the case, but the world isn’t that perfect."

Truly no one is invincible like the shameless!

Wan Chu’er didn’t continue to bicker with him and got straight to the point: "Tell me about your career history first—in detail, not in a few words. And just so you know, I don’t like lies. I’ve made some acquaintances in the circle, and finding things out isn’t hard for me."

Upon hearing her words, instead of getting angry, Yu Zimu laughed. If Wan Chu’er was willing to listen to him, that meant she was considering hiring him.

"My story is a long one; it would be better to find a place to drink tea."

Wan Chu’er nodded, went downstairs, and found a café on the street level. They sat down on an outside balcony and took a seat.

Yu Zimu elegantly stirred his coffee with a small spoon. Wan Chu’er glanced over, thinking his movements were quite professional.

"I went to university at sixteen, interned at Tingtao Studio on my teacher’s recommendation at eighteen, stayed there for three years, and because of some romantic issues, I left Tingtao, went abroad for further studies, and met my partner there. She recognized my talent. Her family was a fashion dynasty, very influential in the international fashion community. I networked with her for a year, but was blinded by money and fame.

Then, when she suggested setting up a studio together, I agreed readily—ah, the impulsivity and gullibility of youth." Yu Zimu seemed to reminisce about his younger days, momentarily lost in thought.

Wan Chu’er did not respond, only listening quietly.

"Once, her mother saw my designs and suggested we release them under the studio’s name, saying it would make the studio’s brand more prestigious and go further. I was young and enthusiastic, so I agreed.

From then on, all my works were published under the studio’s name, whether in competitions or new launches, and all accolades went to the studio."

"My partner and her mother, being more familiar with the fashion operations and having superior fashion connections, suggested they take care of the studio’s operations and miscellaneous matters, while I focused on creating.

To keep my inspiration flowing, they treated me very well, taking me to travel around the world at will. I stupidly thought they were my benefactors and was extremely grateful to them, even falling in love with my partner.

"Later, when my partner got a boyfriend, I panicked and revealed my feelings to her. She soothed me while pressuring me to produce more designs.

I took her as my Muse, and inspiration surged. I reached a creative peak in my career, producing more works in one year than in the previous three.

On my birthday, they got me drunk with ulterior motives, and I woke up in a pile of trash, with my right hand crippled. When I went looking for them, the studio, her home—everything was empty.

A month later, she emerged as a genius fashion designer in the fashion capital. Do you know what pseudonym she used?"

Yu Zimu let out a bitter laugh, his expression sorrowful, "Anyone not foolish could guess the studio’s name from before. Eighty percent of her summer show’s designs last year were by me."