Chapter 64 Displaying Design Talent

Huo Beihan never expected to encounter such a situation during their very first outing for a meal after reconciling with Su Mian. He hung up the phone with a helpless sigh.

With a hint of regret, he spoke up, "Mianmian, I am truly sorry."

Su Mian shook her head. "It is alright, Big Brother. Work matters come first."

Once she saw Huo Beihan off, she could finally head straight back for a good rest. She had been exceptionally exhausted these past few days.

Unwilling to part ways with Su Mian just yet, Huo Beihan suddenly grabbed her hand. "Right, I suddenly remembered there is a gift I want to give you. Would you like to come to the company with me?"

"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to go?"

"There is nothing inappropriate about it. It all depends on whether you want to." In truth, the gift had been prepared for a long time; he simply had never found the right opportunity, and Huo Beihan refused to let any chance slip away now.

Since things had reached this point, Su Mian's heart softened, and she ultimately agreed to accompany him to the company.

Upon arriving at the office, Jiang Haiyao was still throwing her weight around on the shooting set. "Why should I be wronged because of your mistakes? Either you let me go back and rest, or you have President Huo come over and negotiate with me in person."

Jiang Haiyao was far from being a nobody; she enjoyed a modest level of fame, a decent fan base, and coupled with the friendly ties between the Jiang and Huo families, she had been chosen as their spokesperson in the first place.

The assistant wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Miss Jiang, our President Huo is already on his way. If you could just bear with it and finish shooting this single frame, you will be free to leave. How does that sound?"

Everyone spoke in gentle, soothing tones, coaxing her as if she were a child, but Jiang Haiyao refused to budge an inch.

Huo Beihan stepped forward to inquire, "Why is the shooting set in such chaos? How have you people been working?"

Hearing Huo Beihan's voice, Jiang Haiyao stepped forward eagerly to lodge a complaint. "That is right! If the set hadn't been such a mess, my gown wouldn't have been torn. President Huo, you simply must give them a piece of your mind!"

The assistant had intended to speak up, but the main culprit behind the messy venue was simply too difficult to offend, leaving him no choice but to swallow his pride and plead for forgiveness.

"President Huo, Miss Jiang, we are terribly sorry. We will clean this up right away."

Jiang Haiyao let out a cold snort. "President Huo, your company's employees are truly boorish. They ruined my gown and then expected me to just make do with it. I have always been serious and responsible in my work, and I absolutely refuse to compromise. How do you plan to resolve this matter?"

Su Mian found Jiang Haiyao somewhat ridiculous. Claiming to be dedicated and responsible to her work was merely a mask for her vanity and penchant for acting like a diva.

The chaotic state of the set was likely something she had deliberately orchestrated while throwing a tantrum. Had it not been for her decent fan base, presumably no one would have pampered her to this extent.

With a headache coming on, Huo Beihan instructed, "Go and fetch that high-end couture gown the company kept from last month and show it to Miss Jiang!"

Before the assistant could even take a step, Jiang Haiyao rejected the offer outright. "No way! I never wear out-of-season clothes. You must have a new one custom-made for me. Surely the mighty Huo Group cannot be incapable of satisfying even this tiny demand of mine?"

Huo Beihan's expression darkened visibly. At that moment, he felt that the single most erroneous decision the Huo Group had ever made was inviting Jiang Haiyao to be their product spokesperson.

Had it not been for the sake of the relations between their two families, he would have long since thrown this woman out.

The product launch date could not be altered, otherwise he would have gladly had another gown tailored specifically for her.

The assistant stepped forward. "President Huo, shall we check with other companies to see if they have any high-end custom gowns?"

Frowning deeply, Huo Beihan looked extremely displeased.

Su Mian, however, felt that the assistant was merely making wedding clothes for others—helping outsiders steal the spotlight.

She quickly walked over to Huo Beihan and volunteered, "Big Brother, why don't you let me try?"

Looking at the exaggerated makeup on Su Mian's face, everyone present dared not hold any high expectations for her.

Jiang Haiyao looked at her with utter contempt. "Who on earth are you? What kind of girl dresses herself up like this?"

"Do you even know what art is, or what design means?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Huo Beihan opened his mouth to have Jiang Haiyao escorted out immediately.

Su Mian hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Miss Jiang, your gown is already ruined anyway. Why not just let me give it a try?"

She was, after all, a moderately accomplished genius in the design world; it was simply that none of the people present were aware of her true capabilities.

Had it not been for Huo Beihan's genuine predicament, she would never have exposed her talents so easily.

"Mianmian, do not push yourself," Huo Beihan said, intervening quickly out of fear that she would be subjected to further ridicule.

Jiang Haiyao possessed a notoriously eccentric temper. If Su Mian failed to satisfy her, it would likely invite her vicious retaliation.

With absolute confidence, Su Mian replied, "Big Brother, do not worry. I am certain I can make Miss Jiang satisfied."

"You ugly girl certainly have a lot of confidence. Go ahead and try then, but if you fail, you will have to compensate me for my losses!" Jiang Haiyao was currently looking for an outlet for her anger; if this person was rushing forward to court humiliation, she had only herself to blame for lacking situational awareness.

Huo Beihan felt a pang of regret, wishing he had not brought her along on an impulse.

With a confident smile, Su Mian asked, "Miss Jiang, where is your gown?"

She cast a glance at the trembling young assistant standing nearby.

The person hurriedly brought the dress over to Su Mian. After inspecting the damage, Su Mian began formulating a plan for alteration.

She gathered lace, sequins, scissors, and other tools and materials. First, she covered the damaged areas, and then she used the scissors to adjust the dress's silhouette so that it would hug Jiang Haiyao's figure even more closely.

Next, she boldly experimented with contrasting colors in her palette to enhance the garment's visual impact and sense of fashion.

In the span of a mere hour, the gown had completely transformed in Su Mian's hands, causing everyone's perception of her to undergo a drastic shift.

She handed the dress to Jiang Haiyao. "Miss Jiang, do you feel this gown is worthy of you now?"

Jiang Haiyao nodded. "It is passable, I suppose. I truly never expected that while your makeup looks worse than a ghost's, you actually possess some talent in design."

Su Mian was somewhat speechless. She had merely applied slightly exaggerated makeup; did the woman have to harp on it endlessly?

Fortunately, Jiang Haiyao was finally satisfied. She went to the dressing room to change and redo her styling. By the time she emerged for the shoot, the studio set had already been cleaned to a spotless perfection.

Huo Beihan asked with considerable astonishment, "Mianmian, you are truly talented! Would you be interested in opening your own studio and becoming your own boss?"

That way, he would no longer have to live in daily anxiety, worrying about her being hit on or taken advantage of by clueless clients.

Su Mian's display of skill in front of everyone had been purely accidental, and besides, her own studio was already in the planning stages.

She saw no need to put Huo Beihan to further expense, so she shook her head. "Big Brother, I think I will pass. For now, I just want to work diligently at Yintai to gain experience, and think about striking out on my own only after I have the capability to stand entirely on my own two feet."

Though he found it a pity, Huo Beihan did not press the matter further.

At that moment, Su Mian's phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she bade farewell to Huo Beihan, "Big Brother, a friend of mine needs me for something, so I will head back first."