In the morning, Susu sat at her vanity, diligently using powder to cover the dark circles under her eyes.
She had arranged to meet a lawyer yesterday to review the contract and see if it could be deemed invalid.
Tianyi emerged from the walk-in closet after changing, spotted the contract on the vanity, and casually picked it up to flip through. He couldn't help but ask, "When did you sign this? Are you planning to sell the studio?"
Susu turned to him helplessly, her heart aching again when she saw he had chosen to wear that light blue shirt.
If she had known he lost that shirt in Sophie's room, she wouldn't have bought him an identical one. She wanted to slap herself.
"Susu, I'm talking to you. What are you thinking about?" Tianyi asked, noticing her distraction.
Susu snapped back to attention, shifting her gaze away, trying her best not to look at the shirt he was wearing. "I didn't sign this contract. Sophie signed it with the sponsor who funded her personal press conference. Now they've come to me, demanding I give them a share of the profits according to the contract, so I need a lawyer to fight this."
Tianyi flipped to the signature page and saw that the party of the first part was signed by Yu Wei, while the second party only bore Susu's seal, not her personal signature.
"That art dealer Yu Wei wants a share of your studio's profits too?"
Susu hummed in response, continuing to apply makeup in the mirror, trying to make herself look more presentable.
"That's outrageous," Tianyi said, placing the contract back. "You can consult Aoxiang's chief legal advisor. He's excellent at handling these kinds of cases."
"I've already made an appointment with a lawyer. I want to find loopholes in the contract first and don't want to go to court directly. Lawsuits are time-consuming and exhausting. It would be best if we could avoid one."
Tianyi pondered for a moment. "That's true. But even for a consultation, you could use Aoxiang's dedicated lawyer. Why did you find one externally?"
Susu noted that Tianyi only spoke about the lawyer and didn't blame Sophie at all, nor did he comment on her lack of caution with Sophie.
In the past, if something like this happened, Tianyi would have criticized Sophie. Seeing him like this, she knew he truly felt guilty.
For now, she wouldn't go to Paris to find Sophie. However, once she was done with her current tasks, she would still go to Paris. There were things she needed to ask Sophie face-to-face, to understand why she had done this to her!
Susu explained calmly, "This is something Sophie got herself into. I don't want to involve your group. Sophie was hired by me for the studio, and I should resolve this myself."
Tianyi looked at her with deep eyes. "Alright. If the external lawyer can't resolve it, you can still come to the group's legal counsel."
Susu sensed the depth in his gaze and nervously tightened her grip on the powder compact. "Okay."
"It's getting late. I'll go down for breakfast first. Don't take too long with your makeup," Tianyi said, turning to leave the bedroom.
He wanted to hug her and kiss her goodbye before leaving for the day, as he usually did. But thinking of Sophie's delusional state, her insistence that she was Susu, and the tragic death of Chen Ma, he couldn't help but blame Susu for not listening to him back then.
Susu acknowledged him and gazed at her fully made-up reflection in the mirror, acutely aware of Tianyi's distance.
After composing herself and getting ready, she went downstairs, had a quick breakfast, and headed to the cafe opposite the building where her studio was located.
In fact, the lawyer she had found today was introduced by an old client, a prominent figure in the legal field, so the lawyer wouldn't be unreliable.
As she entered the cafe, she saw a young man in a gray suit and a matching tie waving at her.
"Hello, are you Lawyer Gui?" Susu walked over and politely extended her hand.
Lawyer Gui shook her hand and replied, "Yes, and you must be Ms. Gu."
Susu smiled and sat down. She noticed he wore gold-rimmed glasses and was younger than she had imagined, no older than his early thirties.
She ordered two coffees, wondering if such a young lawyer could handle her contract issue, and regretted not going directly to Aoxiang's legal advisor.
Lawyer Gui, sensing Susu's concern, smiled and said, "Sometimes age isn't the deciding factor. Ms. An has already briefed me on your situation. I need to see the contract first."
Susu gave an awkward smile and quickly took out the contract from her bag.
After reviewing the contract, Lawyer Gui objectively discussed the legal issues with her from a professional standpoint and pointed out the key aspects that could invalidate the contract.
Susu's understanding of some of the contract's clauses became clearer. It seemed this lawyer, despite his youth, was very professional and experienced.
"I apologize for my earlier reservations. Can you handle the negotiation with their lawyer on this contract? We can offer them some compensation, but they absolutely cannot take a share of our studio's profits."
Lawyer Gui nodded with a smile. "Certainly, Ms. Gu. I understand your requirements and will do my best to fulfill them."
With his assurance, Susu no longer worried about Yu Wei causing trouble at the studio with this contract. Just as she was about to bid Lawyer Gui farewell, a waiter approached and stood beside her.
"Excuse me, are you Ms. Gu?"
Susu looked at the waitress. "Yes, I already paid when I ordered the coffee."
The waitress smiled. "No, while you were talking, a Mr. Qin asked me to inform you that he is waiting for you in the VIP lounge on the first floor of the hotel next door."
Susu looked surprised. "Mr. Qin? What does he look like? Did he give his full name?"
"Tall and handsome," the waitress replied, shaking her head. "He didn't give his full name, just asked me to relay this message, saying you would understand. He seemed to be in a hurry."
Susu hummed, thinking that Tianyi had left before her this morning. Why would he suddenly come here to find her, and with something urgent?
He had mentioned holding a press conference these past few days. Could there be a change in plans, and he needed to discuss it with her?
"Ms. Gu, if you have other urgent matters, please attend to them. I will handle the contract that your employee signed using your name. Don't worry." When Lawyer Gui first saw her, he hadn't expected the stylish studio owner described by senior Ms. An to be so young and beautiful. Regardless of the fee, he was quite willing to serve her.
"Thank you, I'll leave it to you." Susu stood up and left the cafe, heading to the nearby hotel to find Tianyi.
She was quite familiar with the area around her studio. As she reached the hotel entrance, she took out her phone and dialed Tianyi's number, wanting to ask him what the urgent matter was before meeting him, especially since he specifically asked her to come to the hotel's VIP lounge.
However, she called twice, and he didn't answer. Perhaps he was already inside and couldn't take the call.
She pushed open the door next to the hotel's revolving door. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw a male attendant standing at the entrance. "I'm looking for Mr. Qin in the VIP lounge."
"Ms. Gu, right? Please follow me."
Seeing the attendant's reaction, Susu knew Tianyi had already spoken to him.