"Mom, you know what men are like, they have strong pride, and care about saving face. Maybe he wants to earn some money first, then come and see you together." Shen Lan held Mother Shen's hand, constantly comforting her.
Mother Shen looked at her daughter and finally sighed without saying anything more.
Shen Lan getting married is the happiest thing for her.
"No matter what, as long as I know you have someone to rely on after me, I can close my eyes even if I die."
"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about, my mom will definitely live a long life."
Mother Shen shook her head slightly, but her eyes revealed a faint bitterness.
Shen Lan lost her father when she was young and was raised single-handedly by her mother. Fortunately, Shen Lan was self-reliant and has always been the top student at school. She has never missed any scholarships.
In addition to her part-time work and internships during holidays, she has even managed to start a small studio, and the conditions at home have been getting better.
Seeing her daughter succeed in her career fills Mother Shen with joy, but her only regret is that she hasn't seen her daughter get married.
Her own body is almost at its limit, even the doctor says that her illness cannot be cured, it can only be controlled by medication.
Although Shen Lan never says it, she knows that a girl supporting an entire studio faces a great deal of pressure. She doesn't want to become a burden to her.
That's why she's in a rush for her daughter to get married, so that when she's gone, her daughter will have someone to rely on.
As long as the boy from the Chen family treats her daughter well, that's all that matters.
Shen Lan's plan to start a family put Mother Shen at ease, and she finally stopped pestering Shen Lan.
Two days later, before five in the morning, Shen Lan was awakened by a phone call.
"What!"
She sprung up from her slumber, "Don't worry, I'll be there right away!"
Shen Lan's studio is two hours away by car from her apartment. She sped all the way there, almost as if she was on fire.
Usually off work hours, the studio was now brightly lit.
Several cars were parked at the door, and a figure was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the studio. When they saw Shen Lan, they came rushing down.
It was Chen Yan, another partner of Shen Lan's studio.
"Lan, you're finally here... They... They... It's simply outrageous!"
They had originally taken a large number of orders and were very happy. But to their surprise, when they were halfway through the design drafts, the other side suddenly asked for a change.
"Why?"
Shen Lan couldn't understand, breaking the contract would lead to a penalty, which is detrimental to both parties.
"What else could it be? The man who ordered from us, he's from the studio across the street!"
Chen Yan's voice was filled with a sobbing tone: "I've been wondering, how could our small studio sudden have such a large order, it was all designed by them!"
They are a small studio working with just the two of them. They'd already worked hard to complete more than half the tasks. Now that they have been asked to make changes, they just don't have time.
The studio is their joint project, and almost all their assets have been poured into it. If they fail to deliver on time and word gets out, who would cooperate with them in the future?
This is clearly an attempt to drive them into a corner!
"Don't worry, I'm here."
Shen Lan patted Chen Yan's hand, raised her head to look at the studio. In the window glass, she saw her own blurry reflection.
Step by step, she climbed the stairs calmly, and walked into the studio.
"Slam——"
Shen Lan pulled out a chair, flung her bag onto the table and sat down, her spine straight, facing the impeccably dressed yet insincere man.
She knew this man, indeed he was the person in charge of the studio across the street, his name was He Songquan.
Regarding him, Shen Lan had never had a good impression, because every time they met, the way he looked at her made her uncomfortable.
"Is this your attitude towards cooperation?!"
The man looked at the thin woman in front of him in a lecherous manner.
However, she calmly crossed her long legs, exuding an elegant demeanor, staring back at him with a sharp gaze.
She could not be scared, and she could not show even a trace of timidity!
"Hahaha, President Shen, you're really something, managing to take a large part of our business with just your little studio. I like it!"
Shen Lan frowned slightly, "Let's talk about your conditions."
"Good, straightforward!"
He Songquan pulled back the chair next to her and sat down.
"President Shen, you should know that it's hard for small studios like ours to make money in such a business district with big companies all around. How about we combine our efforts, for mutual benefit?"
"Of course, as you've noticed, contracts can be quite misleading. Rather than trusting in words, I prefer to believe in a soul bond. You should know what I mean, President Shen…"