"But the project was lost, and you don't blame her?" Ai Yifeng found it hard to believe.
An Jing said, "If I tell you the truth, don't be unhappy. Tianyi isn't pursuing it because he doesn't want to involve you. He believes you haven't betrayed Aoxiang and simply wanted to help Xi Xianya."
Ai Yifeng didn't know what to say for a moment, feeling grateful for Qin Tianyi's trust in him.
An Jing wasn't one for pleasantries. "If you want to return to Lancheng, you can. I know you must be worried about Xi Xianya after seeing the news. See if you can help her. The evidence is quite unfavorable to her now, and she..."
He hesitated, feeling it was best not to tell Ai Yifeng about Xi Xianya's pregnancy, in case it was Zhao Jianhua's child and Ai Yifeng would find it difficult to accept.
"Why aren't you continuing? How is she now?" Ai Yifeng was puzzled by his unfinished sentence.
An Jing said, "She's fine, nothing serious. We'll talk when you get back."
Ai Yifeng saw the display board showing that his ride had arrived. He said "okay" and hung up. It was only a few hours' drive back to Lancheng, so there was no rush.
...
In the evening, Susu returned home and told Tianyi that Kang Xi and his wife were willing to adopt Jie Jie, asking for the address and contact information of the orphanage where Jie Jie was.
Tianyi sent her the orphanage information and reminded her not to rush Kang Xi and his wife, suggesting they wait about six months before proceeding with the adoption procedures.
He would speak to the director and ensure no one else took Jie Jie away.
Susu sat with him on the garden swing, leaning against him. "Today, at the studio, I heard Shishi and the others gossiping online about a girl severely injuring her godfather. The man and girl they were talking about, weren't they Xi Xianya and Zhao Jianhua? It sounds a lot like their situation."
Tianyi knew she didn't pay much attention to such news, which was why she was only finding out now.
"Yes, it was Xi Xianya who severely injured Zhao Jianhua. According to the lawyer An Jing hired, Zhao Jianhua is still in the intensive care unit and in critical condition. If Zhao Jianhua doesn't die, it's assault. If he dies, Xi Xianya will be charged with murder."
"Heavens, I saw the videos online. Xi Xianya was attacking the defenseless Zhao Jianhua like a madwoman. What happened between them?" Susu asked.
"It's complicated. Zhao Jianhua thought Xi Xianya was easy to bully and pushed her too far."
"Sigh, I felt at the time she shouldn't have gotten so close to Zhao Jianhua." Susu then asked, "Why did An Jing hire a lawyer for her?"
Tianyi explained, "Her current situation is very pitiful, and she doesn't have many relatives or friends around. After being arrested, she主动 asked An Jing for help, which is why An Jing hired a lawyer to assist her."
"I hope she'll be alright. This Zhao Jianhua has always been excessive. He tried to bully Lan Yu before but failed. He must have bullied more than one or two girls. He deserves to be taught a lesson!" Susu didn't sympathize with Zhao Jianhua, only feeling injustice for Xi Xianya.
"This is more than just a lesson for him. It's uncertain if he'll even fully recover, even if he survives."
Susu lamented for Xi Xianya, "Miss Xi was indeed impulsive. She should have found other ways to punish Zhao Jianhua. Getting herself into trouble is not worth it."
"It's such a beautiful night, and those two little ones aren't bothering us. It's so nice to have some alone time in the garden like this. Let's not talk about unhappy things," Tianyi said, leaning towards her.
Susu gently swung the swing, looking up at the night sky. The sky was filled with stars tonight, and the night was indeed beautiful.
Summer was approaching again, and the evening temperature was neither too cold nor too hot, making it very comfortable.
"Then I'll tell you something happy. I landed a big client today, and the designers at the studio are swamped," Susu said happily. "I'm thinking of hiring more people and moving to a larger office space."
"I didn't expect your studio to grow to this scale in just a few years. Have you considered acquiring a garment factory and opening your own brand's chain stores?" Tianyi suggested. "Besides design, you could establish an integrated clothing group and mass-produce your own brand's ready-to-wear."
Susu looked at him and smiled, "I've thought about it, but turning it into a large-scale clothing group would mean losing some high-end niche clients. Popular styles are easily copied by others in the market and become cheap, mass-market items. Then my designs and those of other designers wouldn't be worth as much."
"While scaling up, don't abandon the strengths of your studio. Just release some mass-market styles each year for large-scale production. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Susu aspired for her fashion designs to be recognized by the public and for the brand "Biyi" to be known not just to the wealthy, but also to people of all classes.
However, this dream was too grand, and sometimes she only dared to dream it.
"You're absolutely right, but if I have both a studio and a clothing group, I'm afraid my capabilities are limited, and I won't have enough energy."
Tianyi tapped her forehead, smiling. "You're so silly. If you have your own large group, how can you possibly do everything yourself? Of course, you'll need to hire capable professionals for management. You only need to oversee the top few people."
"It's that simple?" Susu couldn't believe it. "But you seem very busy every day."
"I'm busy because the group is so large, and I always need to be aware of changes in all aspects. But for specific matters, I only deal with An Jing, and he delegates them," Tianyi said with a smile. "Otherwise, I wouldn't even have time to go home every day, let alone spend time with you all."
Susu asked, "Do you really want me to expand my career, or do you want me to stay home as a good wife and mother, dedicated to the children?"
"That's up to you. Whatever choice you make, I will respect it," Tianyi said. "You have your talent, and it would be too much of a waste to give it up for me and the children."
Susu had never considered giving up her career to become a good wife and mother; she had just said it casually.
If Tianyi had agreed with her and asked her to give up her career, she definitely wouldn't have been willing.
She wanted to be his equal, always independent and self-reliant.
As for accompanying the children, it wasn't about revolving around them every day, but about becoming their role model and pride.
"Then I will try my best to expand my career. Perhaps in the future, my fashion group will be as large as your Aoxiang."
"It's good that you have confidence," Tianyi said approvingly.
"Mhm." Susu smiled at him and playfully said, "Push me on the swing, I want to go really high, like I'm flying into the starry sky with the wind."
"Then I'll push you really high. Aren't you afraid?" Tianyi stood up, grabbed the swing ropes, and playfully teased her.
"I'm not afraid. If I fall, you'll catch me," Susu winked at him.
Tianyi pushed her high on the swing, and hearing her happy laughter, he felt it was the most beautiful sound in the world.