Chapter 30: Bai Jing, The White Lotus Flower

"So that's the case. I actually know someone who does great interior designs, but his temperament is a bit weird.

I can introduce you to him, but I can't guarantee he'll agree to help with your renovation."

Li Zhao thought of Xiao Qi's picky habits. After returning from studying abroad, it didn't take long for him to start his own company.

But he is very picky and not easy to please.

At first, he only had a small studio with few employees due to financial difficulties and didn't pick and choose projects. Later, as he grew bigger, he became more selective.

However, each project was done with great attention to detail. As a result, he gained a reputation for being sought after, and his business continued to grow.

He would hand the projects over to his employees and only take on challenging ones himself. Li Zhao thought of Qin Xue and figured maybe he could persuade Xiao Qi to take on the project.

"Is it difficult to invite him?"

"It's not that he's hard to invite, it's just that he has too many quirks. Let me take you to see him." Li Zhao didn't know how to explain Xiao Qi to Qin Xue, so he thought it would be better to take her directly to meet him.

"Li Zhao, can we go in a couple of days?

I want to draw blueprints for the renovation team myself, so I can't go today. Are you free in two days?" Qin Xue wanted the clothing store to be designed in a modern style, so she had to go back and draw the blueprint before finding someone to renovate it.

"Sure, let's do it in two days. You can come find me then, and I'll take you to him." Li Zhao thought it was fine to wait for two days.

"Alright, thank you, Li Zhao! We'll be going now," Qin Xue said her goodbyes to Li Zhao and headed back to the shop with Fang Hong to change their clothes.

Afterward, they went to the black market to buy a chicken and some meat before heading home.

Upon returning, Fang Hong took out the original contract in front of Qin Xue and destroyed it.

Qin Xue then destroyed her own copy in front of Fang Hong before making dinner.

Early the next morning, Xie Jun had someone load the sewing machines onto a truck and took Qin Xue and Fang Hong to Fang Xiu's shop.

It was only then that Fang Xiu learned about Qin Xue and her business.

When Xie Jun brought them over, Qin Xue gave them the clothing designs she had drawn and told them to make the clothes in small, medium, and large sizes without further involvement.

She then spent the day drawing her renovation designs at the table. Time flew by when one was busy, and a day passed without her noticing.

Qin Xue had only completed one-third of her design when she stretched and cleaned up her drawings before heading home with Fang Hong.

"Sister-in-law, starting tomorrow, you should come to the shop and make the clothes on your own. I need to finish the design plans for the clothing store at home and find someone to renovate it.

Make only three pieces of each size for each design, and don't make more than that." Qin Xue instructed Fang Hong on the quantity of clothes to make as they walked.

"Why not make more? Such beautiful clothes are sure to sell well." Fang Hong couldn't understand why they would only make so few beautiful clothes.

"Sister-in-law, we're aiming for a high-end brand, not quantity.

Isn't it true that scarcity adds desirability? Can you embroider?" Qin Xue was thinking about embroidering a logo onto their clothes in a couple of days before asking Li Zhao to help her register a brand trademark. Otherwise, their designs might be copied and their hard work would be wasted. It was important to protect their interests.

"I can do simple embroidery, but not complex ones." Fang Hong had learned basic embroidery from the elders, but she didn't know what kind of design Qin Xue wanted.

"Simple embroidery is enough. I'll let you know when I finalize the design. At first, you can embroider them by hand. Later, I'll find someone to make embroidered patches, and all you have to do is sew them onto the clothes."

"Alright, I understand." After returning home, Qin Xue stewed the chicken she bought yesterday, adding some red dates that Yu Xiu had given her.

She let the chicken stew slowly over the fire.

Qin Xue filled a bucket with Spirit Spring water to take a bath. She was annoyed that she hadn't had time to pick up pebbles to line the bath but settled for washing first.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Qin Xue's face had grown slightly plumper and much fairer.

She couldn't deny that she now had a beautiful face. She wondered what the biological parents of this body looked like.

However, Qin Xue thought that if their daughter turned out so beautiful, her parents must have been good-looking, as genetics are powerful.

Qin Xue touched her face with one hand and her belly with the other, wondering if the baby in her stomach would inherit such beauty in the future.

After taking a bath, Qin Xue went into space to pick tomatoes to eat. Seeing that Xue Ling was practicing, she didn't disturb it.

She came out and scooped some chicken soup before washing the rice and cooking the chicken porridge.

Adding a bit of green onion to the chicken porridge made it fragrant and delicious. Qin Xue loved it.

After eating the porridge, Qin Xue walked around the living room to help digest before taking out the drawings.

Qin Xue would drink Spirit Spring to refresh herself when she was tired in the space. When she was sleepy, she would sleep. It took her a day and night to finish the drawings.

She planned to go to the river next to the village to pick up goose-egg stones in the afternoon and meet Li Zhao in the county tomorrow morning.

Leaving the drawing behind, Qin Xue went straight to bed to sleep, exhausted.

Qin Xue fell asleep instantly, sleeping until two in the afternoon. After cooking and eating a bowl of dough drop soup, she changed clothes before heading downstairs with the carrying basket. There were several women gathered chatting down there.

As soon as Qin Xue went downstairs, someone called to her, "Qin Xue, where are you going? I haven't seen you in a while. No one's at your house. What have you been up to lately?" Bai Jing hadn't seen Qin Xue for many days.

Bai Jing finished her business today and came by to check if Qin Xue was around.

She had spent all the money and meal tickets Qin Xue had given her, and the allowance still hadn't been issued. Bai Jing could only come to Qin Xue's place to get more.

Unexpectedly, she really saw Qin Xue and couldn't help but call out to her.

Qin Xue still dressed the same, but she had grown fairer and had put on weight, making her look much prettier than before.

Bai Jing was even more envious, her face twisted in jealousy.

Qin Xue looked at the woman who had stopped her and was sure she had never seen her before. Was this an old friend of the original girl? Qin Xue didn't like the jealousy in her eyes.

Qin Xue raised her foot, planning to leave. She was not going to deal with her.

"Hey, Qin Xue, wait a minute." Bai Jing grabbed Qin Xue's arm. She couldn't believe this idiot was ignoring her.

Bai Jing was furious but realized it was not the time to make a scene. So, she had to control her temper.

Qin Xue freed her arm from Bai Jing's grasp and said, "Let go, please. What do you want? If there's nothing to say, I need to go out."

"Qin Xue, where are you going? I'll come with you. It's been so long since I've seen you." Bai Jing smiled on the surface but was actually disdainful. Who wants to see this stupid girl who stole the man she loved and looked more beautiful than her? She wanted to scratch her face.

Qin Xue found it amusing that the woman's words contradicted her heart. She said nice things, but the disdain and jealousy in her eyes were obvious. How blind the original host must have been to be friends with someone like this.

"No need, I'm just going to the village to buy some eggs. You just do your own things," Qin Xue said as she walked towards the door, not caring about Bai Jing's expression.

"Hey, Qin Xue, Qin Xue." Bai Jing called after her, stomping her foot in anger.

One of the other women asked, "Hey, Bai Jing, weren't you and Qin Xue the best of friends before? Did you have a quarrel? She's not even talking to you now."

"Sister-in-law, we didn't have a quarrel. I don't know what's up with Qin Xue. I haven't seen her since she got back from the hospital after her injury. She just ignored me when I saw her today.

I don't know if it's because I didn't go to the hospital to accompany her. I was busy at that time and didn't have time, you know.

I have to go to work now. I'll come see her again tonight. You all have fun." Bai Jing didn't want to stay here watching Qin Xue ignore her and walk away.

Qin Xue listened to the conversation behind her and realized that the name Bai Jing sounded familiar. She wondered where she had heard it before.

Qin Xue scratched her chin while walking and thinking. Ah, yes, this Bai Jing was the one Fang Hong warned her not to associate with, right?

At that time, Qin Xue had no idea why Fang Hong said that, but today, she understood why.

Bai Jing didn't seem like a good person. From the surface, she was nice to Qin Xue, but who knew how bad she was inside? In the future, Qin Xue would need to keep her distance from this woman.