The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Gu Susu said, "Right, Mr. Qin, about the design drafts you showed me yesterday, I can give you some suggestions."
"Alright, tell me," Qin Tianyi collected himself and listened to her advice seriously.
When Gu Susu saw his design drafts last night, she already had a few ideas, and she voiced them all now.
Qin Tianyi found her suggestions completely acceptable. After noting them down on his phone, he directly sent them to Chang Qingchuan, asking him to adjust the design direction for the next season's menswear accordingly.
Sophie, unexpectedly, saw the casual, relaxed tavern transformed into a business dinner. She sighed inwardly, thinking, "What is this all about?"
To prevent Qin Tianyi from insisting on paying, Gu Susu quietly settled the bill at the counter, using the excuse of needing to use the restroom.
After the three of them finished dinner and had a bit to drink, Gu Susu noticed it was getting late and suggested they should head back.
However, Qin Tianyi insisted on paying her consultation fee, pulling out two thousand US dollars from his wallet and placing it in front of her.
This move stunned even Sophie, who wondered if they had really been employer and employee before.
Gu Susu wanted to refuse, wanting to tell him that some inspiration wasn't for profit.
But Qin Tianyi, adopting a business-like demeanor, said, "Take it. We agreed on this when you agreed to consult, didn't we?"
Gu Susu inexplicably felt uncomfortable, sensing a hint of mockery and disdain hidden beneath his humble exterior. The feeling was all too familiar.
She sulkily accepted the two thousand dollars in cash, saying, "Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Qin."
Qin Tianyi suddenly stared at her and said, "Miss Gu, are you interested in becoming the chief designer for our women's wear division? You wouldn't need to return to China to work in the office; you can send your completed designs to me online. The salary I offer would be several times higher than before."
Gu Susu smiled and asked, "How much was my salary at your company before? I'm sorry, I don't remember."
Qin Tianyi pretended to think for a moment and shook his head, saying, "I'll have to ask finance about that tomorrow. I can't possibly remember every employee's salary. But I do remember you were always very happy when you received your pay, as if you were desperately in need of money."
"Mr. Qin, can you tell me about my time at your company?" Gu Susu actually wanted to ask him this. "I had a minor accident after coming abroad, and I don't remember some things from the past."
"Let me think," Qin Tianyi pondered what to tell her, something that wouldn't cause her unbearable headaches but might trigger some memories.
Last night, she had been suffering from a terrible headache, and the look of pain was still vivid in his mind. Even though he deeply resented her betrayal back then, he couldn't bear to see her in such agony again.
Sophie was also curious and anxiously asked, "Mr. Qin, don't keep us in suspense. Did the former Susu have family and friends? Is her current boyfriend the same one?"
"She should have had friends; the design director at our company was quite close to her back then. As for boyfriends and family, I don't know much about that," Qin Tianyi said, leaving it at that.
Gu Susu quickly asked, "What's the name of your company's design director? Is he my good friend?"
"His name is Chang Qingchuan. You could consider yourselves friends," Qin Tianyi said, watching her reaction.
Gu Susu repeated the name thoughtfully, finding it somewhat familiar but unable to recall what Chang Qingchuan looked like or any specific events.
"Do you have a photo? Can you send it to me?"
Qin Tianyi replied, "I don't have it on my phone, but I can ask him to send it to me tomorrow. Or, we can exchange contact information. If you remember anything occasionally, you can ask me anytime."
"Okay," Gu Susu agreed immediately. Besides Yang Sijie, finding someone who knew a little about her past seemed like a good thing.
Qin Tianyi added her as a friend using his newly registered WeChat account. Then he stood up and said, "It's getting late. I'll drive you back. Please consider my offer carefully, Miss Gu. This job should be quite easy for you, and it comes with a good income."
Before Gu Susu could reply, Sophie interjected, "Mr. Qin, consider me too! If Susu doesn't agree, I can accept this job. I'll send you my design portfolio tomorrow; my level is similar to Susu's."
"Yes, Sophie is also very suitable for the job you mentioned. Please hire her," Gu Susu said, supporting Sophie, while she herself was still hesitant about accepting the offer. Her current goal was to establish her own brand studio; she didn't want to work for others.
"Alright, send me your design portfolio tomorrow, and I'll consider it." Qin Tianyi could see Gu Susu's reluctance and Sophie's eagerness, so he decided to stall for now and see how things developed.
He first dropped Sophie back at her dormitory, and then drove Gu Susu to her residence. He discovered that she lived in a high-end residential area, a hub for the wealthy. Such luxurious apartments in Paris were not affordable for everyone; those who lived there were either very rich or influential.
As Gu Susu saw him preparing to get out of the car, Qin Tianyi suddenly blurted out, "Your boyfriend is really wealthy, isn't he? Did he buy you this apartment?"
"It's rented. Actually, where I live doesn't matter much to me. It's mainly because he's accustomed to a high-quality lifestyle, and I go along with him," Gu Susu said with a smile, pushing the car door. She found the door was still locked and wouldn't open, so she reminded him, "Mr. Qin, the car door is locked."
Qin Tianyi turned and stared at her, his gaze seeming to carry mockery, or perhaps profound pain, his eyes dark and unsettling.
Gu Susu asked nervously, "Mr. Qin, what's wrong? I've arrived. Please unlock the car door."
Qin Tianyi felt a sharp pang in his heart. After much internal turmoil, he couldn't articulate his feelings. Her clear, untainted eyes, as if seeing everything for the first time, managed to suppress the overwhelming hatred that was about to spill out.
He gently unlocked the car door, no longer looking at her, and said, "It's nothing. You can get out now."
"Goodbye," Gu Susu said with a polite smile and got out of the car.
Qin Tianyi didn't drive away immediately. He waited until she had walked through the revolving door and completely disappeared. Then, as if speaking to himself, he uttered the words he had held back for so long: "Gu Susu, do you know how much I hate you?"
...
The appearance of Qin Tianyi these past two days seemed to stir something in Gu Susu's mind, which had been a blank slate regarding her past. The photo of the child, her friend's name, and her past as a designer… memories seemed to be on the verge of surfacing.
But what were those memories, exactly?
Lost in thought, she unlocked the apartment with her fingerprint and walked in. Suddenly, she noticed the living room lights were on. She had turned off all the lights when she left early the day before yesterday.
"You're back."
Yang Sijie walked out from the bathroom, startling her. "Didn't you say you were arriving tomorrow night?"