Yao Ge had been utterly swamped lately, so much so that this morning, when his grandfather woke him up, he still felt completely dazed.
Who was he?
Where was he?
What was he supposed to do?
“Making a few outfits, and you look like a fox spirit drained your energy. Just a few pieces, and you’re this useless? If business gets bigger, can you even handle it?”
Grandpa Yao scolded while bringing breakfast from the kitchen.
“Eat quickly. After breakfast, go back and work.”
“Oh… oh.”
Yao Ge nodded blankly and mechanically started eating.
His grandfather glanced at him, frowning at the pitiful sight, then put on his coat to head to the shop.
Just as he was about to leave, he stepped back a few times.
“By the way, since you’ve got a job now, you should find a place and move out. At your age, still squatting at home isn’t right. And while you’re busy, if you meet someone suitable, start dating. Don’t follow others and end up single into your thirties or forties, understand?”
He didn’t wait for Yao Ge to respond before slamming the door.
Yao Ge froze mid-bite.
Move out?
Find a partner?
Marriage?
His grandfather’s plans felt… a bit too advanced!
Yao Ge had thought he’d have a few days to adjust.
He didn’t expect that the next day he’d be kicked out with his luggage, handed a set of keys, and a cheerful reminder that three thousand yuan had been deducted.
He was both frustrated and amused.
Grandpa had even rented him a place!
Did the old man really dislike him that much?
At the new place, Yao Ge barely settled in before Fan Qing’s team swept him up again, leaving him dizzy and overwhelmed.
“This is way too rushed!”
Yao Ge’s head was spinning.
And why the new designs so soon? Didn’t he just finish a batch with over a dozen pieces? Were they already all used up? Out of freshness already?
The thought alone made him nearly stab himself with a needle.
N-no way… right?
Manager Fan didn’t exactly seem like that kind of person…
Wait.
Yao Ge suddenly remembered another figure.
His mind flicked to Jin Si’s face—soft and elegant on the surface, yet radiating an oppressive, almost sinister aura—and his breath caught.
C-could it actually all be for that person?
He recalled how in many novels, people from the underworld seemed… quite indulgent.
S-so… it’s all being rushed for that person?
With that thought, Yao Ge buried his head in his work and focused.
Dreams didn’t matter, money didn’t matter—what mattered was keeping his little life intact!
Just as he was thinking this, his phone rang.
Yao Ge blinked, momentarily dazed.
His phone… ringing? Who could it be?
He hesitated, then answered.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Yao Ge? It’s you, right? I’m your class monitor from college… Zhang Fu. You remember me, don’t you?”
Huh?
His college class monitor? Who even was that?
He vaguely remembered but didn’t bother denying, giving only a few noncommittal replies.
Zhang Fu was slightly annoyed. Why was Yao Ge reacting this way?
Then he thought better of it, suppressing a chuckle.
Well, Yao Ge was just a clueless guy—he had only realized that today.
Zhang Fu hugged his wife closer, pride swelling.
If Yao Ge wasn’t such a doofus, how could he have successfully won over the class beauty?
Even better, he had checked first: Yao Ge was still jobless!
Laughable, really.
Books are nice, sure, but to succeed in life, you need to know how to navigate the world.
Feeling even more arrogant, Zhang Fu continued.
“I knew you’d remember me. Anyway, some classmates thought since it’s almost a year since graduation, we should gather to reconnect. The date’s set: the 18th of this month, at the Intercontinental Hotel near the school. Be on time, five PM sharp.”
He hung up without waiting for confirmation.
“You didn’t even wait for him to RSVP?”
The woman leaning against him pouted. “What if he doesn’t come? You’d be embarrassed.”
Zhang Fu shrugged. “Do you think he’d refuse? He’s that kind of timid nice guy.”
She thought for a moment, then nodded. “True. He just can’t say no to people.”
Zhang Fu smiled, but a glint of scheming crossed his eyes.
“All done. You call your dad. This reunion is my initiative—get a good discount. It’ll make us look good too.”
“Okay, I’ll tell my dad.”
Seeing her obediently make the call, Zhang Fu smirked at his phone. Good student, pretty face… but no brains. You get nothing.
Meanwhile, Yao Ge, still stunned, stared at his disconnected phone.
Wait… near the school? But he was already back in his hometown!
Before he could process, another call came in.
Fan Qing’s name flashed on the screen. Yao Ge’s heart skipped a beat.
T-this… another rush call?
Please, let the kid breathe!
He shivered as he answered.
In truth, Fan Qing just wanted to rationally discuss some design tweaks.
The zipper wasn’t very practical; it was hard to pull down, and in use, the pants had to be removed entirely. Yesterday, Nie Luo had yelped several times because the zipper caught… sensitive areas.
Recalling that, Fan Qing both laughed and sighed.
Several times he had been ready, only for Nie Luo to freeze mid-action. He even had to use his free hand to assist Nie Luo. Feeling his partner’s discomfort himself, he knew it was… rather intense.
Fan Qing lazily critiqued everything.
Yao Ge, on the other end, felt his brain about to explode!
He was just a theoretical-minded, pure-hearted boy! These… techniques, positions, caught areas… way over his head!
Even so, he diligently took notes.
He even asked Fan Qing humbly: Should the zipper be replaced with buttons, snaps, or something else?
Hmm…
Fan Qing thought seriously for a while, uncertain.
“Snaps could work, but might look less elegant. Or… try drawstrings. You could fix the top and bottom parts, and make the middle openable with a drawstring. It’d look better and be convenient.”
Middle part with a drawstring?
Yao Ge’s face flushed as he quietly scribbled notes.
Not impossible… and it actually sounded pretty good.
He had another idea.
“Then… what if we make the front part too… middle section with drawstrings? Couple version?”
He suggested it with complete seriousness.
Well, well.
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow slightly as he sipped his water.
Yao Ge’s ability to generalize from one idea to another was impressive—he even showed a hint of business sense.
This couple version? Definitely doable. Really doable.
Imagining Nie Luo and himself wearing matching designs, Fan Qing licked his thin lips unconsciously.
Interesting… this design, he quite liked it.
They went on to discuss the “real man doesn’t keep a mistress” design as well. Yao Ge diligently noted down all the flaws Fan Qing pointed out.
His notebook soon gained another entry: try leather straps.
Fan Qing talked at length for nearly half an hour, and Yao Ge scribbled feverishly, his whole body flushed yellow from concentration, until Fan Qing finally let him go.
“Of course,” Fan Qing added, “what I’ve just mentioned is only a slightly improved version of your previous designs. Don’t forget our contract—new designs are still required, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”
Fan Qing even felt a little regretful—he wondered what the pieces Jin Si had taken felt like. If Yao Ge wasn’t all handcrafted, he might have even asked him to remake those designs for himself…
Well, maybe it wasn’t impossible?
With that thought, Fan Qing simply placed the order.
Yao Ge, still buried in his notes, paled when he heard there was another order.
His face turned an ashen yellow.
“Manager Fan, I… I can’t finish it… really can’t finish it… wuwu…”
Even though these designs used less fabric than regular clothes, that didn’t mean the process was simpler! In fact, they were more complicated!
Poor kid, there’s no way he can keep up—if more orders come in, there’ll be no time left for actual design!
“…Alright then.”
Fan Qing was slightly disappointed.
But whatever—having discovered this kind of talent was already worth it.
Speaking of which, Fan Qing suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, give me your account info later. I’ll transfer the payment for the last batch of finished clothes and the deposit for this new order.”
“Ah? Oh, okay.”
Yao Ge paused for a moment, then instinctively sent it over.
Right after, he remembered something and quietly added:
“Actually, no need for a deposit. We can settle when the goods are delivered.”
Still a kid, after all.
Fan Qing chuckled kindly.
“That’s because you’re not short on money now. Later, when you are, you’ll see how important a deposit is.”
Plus, with a deposit paid, he could more confidently push for completion! But of course, he wouldn’t tell this naive kid that.
The remittance notification arrived quickly. Yao Ge’s eyes went wide.
T-ten… hundred… thousand… ten thousand?
Ten thousand?!
Manager Fan had just transferred a five-figure sum?
Yao Ge was stunned.
His grandfather’s finest suit only cost around a thousand, how could over a dozen of his designs fetch a five-figure amount?
Wasn’t that… too much?
He was still in shock when another message arrived.
It was from Zhang Fu.
Yao Ge glanced at it, frowning unconsciously.
“Ha ha ha, forgot to mention on the call: since the reunion is at the Intercontinental, a deposit is needed. I have connections to get a 30% discount, but it still comes to 1,200 per person. Yao Ge, you were the top student in our class—surely you can manage, right? Just transfer to this account; any difference will be adjusted later, don’t worry. —Zhang Fu”
1,200?!
Yao Ge’s pupils dilated.
He looked back at the previous transfer and suddenly felt the money wasn’t too much after all.
Small, weak, helpless…