The Bowl of Seven Emotions

A few minutes later, the wooden stairs creaked as a man in a suit descended. He appeared to be in his thirties, wearing glasses, and had a scholarly air.

With a somber expression, he walked straight towards the door, seemingly ignoring everyone on the first floor.

"Who is that?" Tang Susu whispered in Bai Mian's ear, noticing her slight change in expression.

"The designer's husband."

Not long after the man left, the star of the show descended the stairs.

She was a woman of gentle temperament, though not strikingly beautiful. At first glance, one would likely be captivated by her aura rather than her appearance.

The designer greeted each guest as she descended, her smile widening as she approached Bai Mian and Tang Susu. "Miss Bai, it's been a while. Thank you for coming."

"It's been a while, Aila. This is my good friend, Tang Susu. She really admires your designs."

Aila looked at Tang Susu with delight. "Really? That's an honor."

Tang Susu smiled. "They're truly beautiful. I was tempted to move them all into my own home, especially that phoenix coronet. It's a masterpiece."

Tang Susu's generous praise deepened Aila's smile, and she invited them upstairs to see her new work.

The two readily agreed and followed her up the stairs.

The furniture on the second floor hadn't been removed. Judging by the arrangement, it resembled a studio.

Noticing their curiosity, Aila explained, "This is my studio. Most of the jewelry downstairs was designed and crafted here."

She pulled a box from a pile in the corner and handed it to Tang Susu.

Tang Susu took the box and opened it. Inside lay a pair of earrings. They appeared simple, adorned with small rubies. Perhaps due to the lighting, the gems shimmered like flickering flames.

"This is…" Tang Susu picked up the earrings, examining them from different angles. The effect remained the same from every perspective.

Aila said, "These are the earrings from my new 'Eternal Life' collection."

"They're beautiful." Tang Susu's compliment was genuine.

Beyond their beauty, she was certain they would cause a sensation once released to the market.

"This set must have been designed a while ago. Why haven't you released it yet?" Bai Mian took the earrings, examined them, and looked up at Aila.

Aila's smile faltered. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "My husband doesn't want me to return to that world."

Tang Susu raised an eyebrow. The man from earlier?

"Why? You're wasting your talent," Bai Mian said bluntly.

Aila didn't take offense, only appearing resigned. "I was too busy back then. Too busy to take care of my family." She gently touched her abdomen. "We want a baby, so…I had to give this up."

Tang Susu could hear the lack of resentment in Aila's voice. While she might feel some sadness about abandoning her career, her husband and future child were clearly more important.

Neither Tang Susu nor Bai Mian knew what to say.

Everyone has different priorities. While they felt it was a pity, they couldn't make decisions for others.

Seeing their silence, Aila smiled again and said to Bai Mian, "Don't look so glum. I invited you here today to ask if you'd be interested in buying my designs."

"You mean the 'Eternal Life' collection?"

"Yes." Aila nodded, turned, and retrieved several similar boxes, placing them on the table and opening them one by one.

The red light danced within, like an eternal flame.

"It would be my privilege to acquire them," Bai Mian decided without hesitation.

Tang Susu didn't understand the business aspects, but she was glad the beautiful jewelry wouldn't be left to gather dust.

Bai Mian and Aila made a verbal agreement. She would send someone over later to discuss the details. Both parties were pleased with the outcome.

As Tang Susu and Bai Mian left, Aila gifted them small crystal lotus pouch pendants. Tang Susu immediately replaced the charm on her phone with the new one and continued fiddling with it even after they got into the car.

"What's so interesting about it? It's just a pendant."

"You don't understand. This is art!"

"…" Bai Mian's lips twitched, letting Tang Susu revel in her artistic appreciation.

Bai Mian had made a reservation in advance. After the exhibition, they drove straight to the restaurant. While at the exhibition, she hadn't felt particularly hungry, but the aroma of food in the restaurant made Tang Susu's stomach rumble.

As soon as the food arrived, she dug in without a care for her image. Bai Mian, however, maintained her elegant composure, eating slowly.

"Aren't you hungry?" Tang Susu asked, stuffing a piece of meat into her mouth, noticing that Bai Mian hadn't even finished half her bowl of rice.

"I am."

"Then why aren't you eating?"

"…I need to lose weight."

"What?"

"I think my waist is getting a little thick," Bai Mian said with a pained expression.

"…Did I hear you correctly?" Back in school, everyone talked about dieting, counting every grain of rice. Bai Mian had scoffed at them. Now, over a decade later, she was on the same path.

Was it true that time was a butcher's knife?

"You don't understand. Nie Ruo's waist is actually thinner than mine. Do you think that's scientifically possible? Is that even tolerable?"

Housekeeper Nie…

Tang Susu calmly picked up another chicken leg. Indeed, intolerable.

"You could compare…other measurements with him."

"Eww…Susu, you're so dirty."

Tang Susu looked innocent and bewildered. What had she said wrong?

"Let's change the subject," she said, deciding her best friend's train of thought was heading in a dangerous direction.

"Alright, how about we talk about why you've taken a vacation recently?" Bai Mian propped her chin on her hand, looking at her with a knowing smile.

Tang Susu's cheeks flushed as she recalled the incident at the coffee shop. "It's just a few days off. What's there to talk about?"

"Is that so? I heard CEO Shi has taken a liking to a junior employee at his company and even sent her black roses. Hmm?"

"Didn't you already know that?"

"So, what are you going to do? Accept or reject?"

This time was different from the last. Back then, when Shi Chengxuan sent flowers, no one else knew. Now, even she had heard the news, indicating the level of attention it was attracting.

While Bai Mian didn't think highly of Shi Chengxuan, she didn't want people gossiping about Tang Susu.

"I'm…not sure yet."

"Oh, it seems you don't want to reject him."

Bai Mian's calm analysis left Tang Susu speechless.

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