Chapter 383: Fateful Encounters

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Hey, Gu Yan, what’s up?”

“Boss, we’ve already finished the task you assigned earlier. Can you come over tomorrow to check it out?”

So fast!

After a moment of thought, Zhou Chao replied, “I’ll be at the studio early tomorrow. I hope you won’t disappoint me!”

“Don’t worry, boss. We promise to surprise you!”

“Haha, then I’ll look forward to it.” Zhou Chao had some doubts about Gu Yan’s confidence, but he would have to wait until tomorrow to see the results.

Guo Yan, with her hair tousled and wearing pajamas, opened the door and walked out.

“Time to wake up and freshen up a bit. Then come over for breakfast!” Zhou Chao told Guo Yan, who had just woken up.

Guo Yan glanced at the dining table, where several special breakfast dishes from Jinling were laid out. She sniffed the delicious aroma in the air, didn’t say a word, and rushed back to the bedroom.

“Why is Xiao in such a hurry?” Lin Wu asked curiously.

“Hehe, what else could it be? She’s afraid we’ll eat everything!”

Lin Wu chuckled and shook his head. Clearly, they were all food enthusiasts in the family.

As soon as he finished speaking, the bedroom door opened, and Guo Yan hurriedly arrived at the table.

With chopsticks in hand, she began to eat.

“Xiao Yan, you can stay at the hotel today. Lin Wu and I have something to take care of. Just stay put, and we’ll take you out for some delicious food in the evening.”

“Brother, can’t 1 come with you? 1 promise to just watch and not say a word. Please, Brother!” Guo Yan’s tone suddenly became coquettish, and Lin Wu, who was nearby, nearly choked on the baozi he was eating.

Zhou Chao, upon hearing this, felt his head buzzing. He reluctantly nodded and said, “Okay, you can come, but only to watch. Don’t ask too many questions, and don’t get too curious!”

“Got it!”

After finishing breakfast, the three of them left the hotel in a Kulei Nan and headed to the Hanfu wedding studio.

“Brother, where is this?” As soon as they entered the Gongjiao Village, Guo Yan turned into a curious baby, looking left and right.

“Who was it that said they’d only use their eyes and not their mouths before leaving? Why, have you forgotten so quickly?”

“Was it you, Lin Wu? Maybe I was too eager to have breakfast earlier, and 1 didn’t think it through!” Guo Yan pretended to act silly. After all, now that she was out, there was no way she was going back!

Zhou Chao shook his head in silence, then opened the car door and got out. Guo Yan followed suit.

“Hey, don’t interrupt me later!”

“I got it! I’ve heard it many times!” Guo Yan muttered under her breath.

“What did you say?”

“Oh, I didn’t say anything. 1 just mentioned that the weather is really nice today. Yeah, the weather is really nice!”

Lin Wu watched the playful banter between the two and couldn’t help but smile.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Chao headed towards the studio, with Guo Yan and Lin Wu following him.

As they reached the floor of the studio, they heard a commotion from inside.

“I don’t care, the house is mine, and I have the final say!”

“Landlady, we’ve been renting this place for many years, and every year you’ve increased the rent by the maximum allowed. We didn’t complain before, but this time, the increase is too much!” Guo Yan said softly.

“Hmph, I’m not sure if any of you attempted to attract my husband’s attention but take a look at your surroundings. Can you find a place nearby that’s cheaper than mine? The bottom line is, I have the ultimate say when it comes to this house. You can either rent it or pack your bags and go. Given this prime location, I won’t have any difficulty finding new tenants!”

“Landlady, how about giving us one more day to consider? Let us think it over,” Gu Yan thought of her boss coming today and wanted to quickly get the landlady out of there. If her boss bumped into her, it wouldn’t end well.

“I told you before, I don’t care. Today, you must give me an answer. I’ll sit here and wait. Once you’ve made up your minds and come to a decision, 1’11 leave!” The landlady found a chair and sat down.

“Landlady, aren’t you being a bit unreasonable?”

“How am I being unreasonable? Tell me, you little brat!”

“You…” Gu Yan took a deep breath.

“We haven’t signed the lease yet. Even if we decide not to rent, we still have to wait until our current lease expires!”

“I don’t care. If you don’t want to rent it from me, you’ll have to move out today, or else 1’11 shut off the water and electricity supply!”

Hearing this, the sincere expression on her face turned somewhat embarrassed. She hadn’t expected her good mood in the early morning to be completely ruined like this.

As Zhou Chao headed towards the studio, he noticed a woman with her back turned to them. Gu Yan also had a worried expression on her face.

As Gu Yan anxiously looked at the landlady in front of her, trying to figure out how to get her to leave, she suddenly saw Zhou Chao walking in from the entrance.

“Boss, why are you here so early!” Gu Yan was taken aback when she saw Zhou Chao, and her heart skipped a beat.

At this moment, the woman who had been facing away from them upon hearing Gu Yan’s words quickly turned around to see who the boss was.

“It’s you!” Zhou Chao and the woman exclaimed in unison.

“What a small world, running into you again!” Zhou Chao smiled at the landlady.

“Meeting you is like a curse in my life!” The landlady said angrily.

Indeed, the landlady was the same woman Zhou Chao and Lin Wu encountered on the high-speed train when they came to Jinling. It was quite unexpected that she turned out to be the landlady of their studio. It seemed like fate had a strange way of bringing them together.

“Boss, do you know the landlady?” Gu Yan asked with curiosity.

“Haha, we had a brief encounter on the high-speed train to Jinling!” Zhou Chao knew that today wouldn’t go well.

“You, young man, the slap you gave me on the high-speed train hurt for two days. I didn’t expect this studio to be yours. Hahaha, what an interesting turn of events!” The landlady laughed triumphantly, as if she had seen a side of Zhou Chao that made her victorious.

Zhou Chao smiled faintly in response and then turned his gaze to Gu Yan. “How many days are left in our studio lease?”

“Boss, we have 3 days left!” Guo Yan whispered to Zhou Chao.

“Alright.”

Zhou Chao nodded and then turned to Lin Wu. “Lin Wu, escort her out of here. As soon as she leaves, report to the police that someone is suspected of theft. Gu Yan, check if there’s anything valuable missing, like the handmade Hanfu worth 200,000.”

Gu Yan paused for a moment, then quickly regained her composure and exclaimed, “Yes, boss, we have a handmade Hanfu worth 200,000 yuan in the studio. Let me check if it’s missing!”

“1’11 immediately inform my lawyer to come and ask how long it will take for such a case!”

The landlady’s smile vanished upon hearing the coordinated response from the group. Her face turned a dark shade, and she glanced at Zhou Chao with displeasure.

Then, she walked away, leaving behind a threatening remark.

“Three days left. If I see you here again, you’ll have a taste of your own medicine!”

Zhou Chao had expected a heated argument, but the landlady surprisingly fled without much resistance. Perhaps the resounding slap he gave her on the high-speed train had made an impression.

“Take care as you go, landlady. Mind your step, it can get slippery out there!” Surprisingly, mischievous Gu Yan added this parting remark.

Zhou Chao and the others burst into laughter.

“Boss, please come inside!” Gu Yan realized that her boss and the others were still standing at the entrance, so she quickly ushered them into the lounge area.

“What’s the situation with this place?”

“Boss, here’s the deal. This house was rented by the previous owner for five years, and the lease just expired this year. A few days ago, the landlady called and said she wanted to raise the rent by a significant amount. We don’t know what got into her, but she showed up early this morning, and we’re all puzzled!”

Zhou Chao pondered for a moment. He decided to assess their skills first and said, “Alright, let’s put that matter aside for now. Show me what you’ve designed in the past two days.”

Gu Yan hesitated for a moment, as she didn’t expect her boss to skip the topic entirely.

“Boss, please wait a moment. I’ll show you right away!”

“Sure.” Zhou Chao nodded, and Guo Yan quickly turned and left.

Zhou Chao then looked at the others, all of whom appeared exhausted. It seemed like they had been working late nights these past two days.

“Lin Wu, take Xiao Yan to buy some drinks and snacks back. Judging by their looks, they probably haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“Alright, Boss!”

Guo Yan also nodded, and the two of them headed outside.

At this moment, Gu Yan emerged from the room, holding the Hanfu in her arms. She curiously asked, “Boss, why did they leave?”

“Oh, 1 sent them to handle something. Is what you’re holding the finished design?”

“Yes, Boss, please take a look.” Gu Yan extended the items towards Zhou Chao.

Zhou Chao unfolded them and found a short top and a skirt. After examining them for a while, he couldn’t discern their significance, but it didn’t affect his overall impression of the garments.

It’s indeed well-made. What’s the significance of these garments?”

“Boss, this is a Ruqun, a type of Hanfu. It consists of a short top and a skirt, a typical ‘upper garment and lower skirt’ style. I’ve also incorporated some modern elements, giving it the characteristics of a Ruqun while maintaining a contemporary style. Both pieces can also be worn separately.”

Zhou Chao carefully examined the designs and found them impressive. The craftsmanship seemed superior to the high-end brands he had bought before.

Gu Yan proceeded to explain the origin and historical significance of the Ruqun, giving Zhou Chao a profound understanding.

“Do you think these Huaxia-style designs can find a place internationally?”

Guo Yan remained silent for a while before responding, “Boss, the international market is currently dominated by luxury brands. Unless 1 can collaborate with them, it’s quite challenging to make a breakthrough.”

“I see.” Zhou Chao nodded in understanding.

“Bro, we’re back!”