Extra One: The Studio

In the second year of their marriage, after her contract with Jingyan expired, Wen Jiu chose not to renew it. Instead, she opened her own evening gown design studio.

The preparation for the studio took over a year, and Wen Jiu poured her heart and soul into it. Before the grand opening, she pulled several consecutive all-nighters at her computer to ensure every detail was perfect.

Gu Zehuai naturally felt distressed watching her. For the first two days, he succumbed to Wen Jiu’s gentle persuasion and allowed her to work late, but by the third night, he could no longer stand by; he didn't believe in working that recklessly.

Walking into the study, Gu Zehuai saw Wen Jiu still focused intently on her computer screen, not sparing him a single glance. He sighed in helplessness. He walked over to the desk and tapped it, reminding her softly, "Jiujiu, stop working so late. Get some rest. You haven't slept well for several nights now."

Wen Jiu initially intended to brush him off as she had the previous nights, but when she saw Gu Zehuai looking at her with a smile that carried a hint of a warning, she closed her mouth before she could even begin to argue.

Forget it, she would listen to him.

Wen Jiu nodded obediently and reached out her arms to him, acting spoiled. "I'm so tired. Carry me back to sleep."

Gu Zehuai scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. Although Wen Jiu was exhausted, she felt wide awake once she hit the bed, pestering Gu Zehuai to talk.

"Jiujiu, if you don't go to sleep now, then don't sleep at all," Gu Zehuai said, his body heating up from her wandering hands.

Wen Jiu then said deliberately, "Oh, I'm so sleepy. Goodnight, husband, I'm going to sleep now." She punctuated her words with an exaggerated yawn.

Gu Zehuai knew perfectly well she was doing this on purpose, but considering how tired she had been lately, he didn't really intend to do anything.

***

When the studio opened, the designer who had mentored Wen Jiu returned to the country to show her support, offering predictions on the prospects and future direction of evening gown design. Wen Jiu held this teacher in high regard and adopted every piece of advice she found valuable.

On the opening day, Shen Mengxia brought Ye Chen to tour the studio and presented Wen Jiu with a small gift.

"Xiaxia, why don't you two look around for a bit? I need to go greet the customers."

Wen Jiu’s studio was quite large and featured a dedicated reception room and a lounge. Gu Zehuai and his mother were on-site to help, ensuring Wen Jiu wouldn't be overwhelmed. Both Gu’s mother and Wen’s mother had wide social circles, and after they promoted the studio among their friends, there was no shortage of wealthy socialites coming to patronize the business.

The market for evening gowns is niche; they are only needed for specific formal occasions. Therefore, Wen Jiu specifically introduced a section for both evening wear and ready-to-wear clothing to offer customers more variety. As the studio focused primarily on bespoke designs, the number of orders Wen Jiu received on the first day was overwhelming. To maintain the quality of her designs, she had to place a daily limit on the number of orders accepted.

Wen Jiu had also purchased the storefront next door, converting it into a production area where she hired professionals to handle the tailoring.

She realized that this made her studio a competitor to Jingyan. While healthy competition was possible, Wen Jiu knew from her two years at the company that Jingyan’s potential and prospects were not to be underestimated. Thus, she came up with a win-win solution.

Compared to other subsidiaries under the Gu Group, Jingyan Design Company was relatively small. If her studio collaborated with them to share orders, it would ensure the quality of the work while avoiding cutthroat competition—a mutually beneficial arrangement. Furthermore, Wen Jiu made it a point to explain this to her clients beforehand; if a client specifically requested a design by Wen Jiu herself, she would always honor their wishes.

Since Jingyan was already a subsidiary of the Gu Group, in the words of Gu’s father: "It’s our own company; no need to stand on ceremony."

Wen Jiu didn't hold back after hearing that. Her two years at Jingyan had taught her much and yielded many rewards. To this day, she still keeps in touch with her former colleagues and occasionally goes out for meals with them. They remain just as warm and kind as they ever were. More than once, Wen Jiu felt lucky to have met such wonderful colleagues in her first job—people who had even become her dear friends.