After My Death, I Became a Heartless Madman - Chapter 51.2

After parting with Bai Ruowei that day, she kept remembering her calm smile, thinking it resembled a cluster of plum blossoms on the verge of withering in spring sharp yet frenzied, carrying a beauty that felt almost apocalyptic.

Her elder sister was somewhat astonished.

“Such intricate patterns, how did you paint these? I’ve heard porcelain decoration is divided into overglaze and underglaze techniques. Is this…”

Song Shizhou smiled.

“Overglaze.”

She brought over two chairs and patiently explained it to her sister.

She realized she had a peculiar patience toward motherly figures. Whenever an older woman looked at her with curiosity or warmth, an inexplicable emotion surged uncontrollably in her heart.

She found it somewhat novel yet instinctively repulsive.

Song Shizhou couldn’t help but sigh.

Perhaps it was because Chen Ting had found her too late, and in Madam Song’s presence, she had never received even a shred of positive affirmation.

After her sister left, she tidied up the studio briefly and contacted a long-admired interior design company, planning to officially open in about half a month.

There was also the matter of hiring. She needed to recruit a customer service representative to handle clients, if she had to juggle both crafting and sales alone, even eight hands wouldn’t be enough.

Hiring wasn’t urgent yet, so Song Shizhou simply posted a job notice at the entrance with her phone number, prepared to wait for responses slowly.

……

The design company Song Shizhou found proved highly capable. The professional interior designer delivered a neo-Chinese-style layout based on her requirements. The 200-square-meter space was divided into display, lounge, and DIY workshop areas, each separated by custom-made screens with classical motifs. Paired with calligraphy-inspired lamps in the corners, the studio exuded an ethereal, transcendent ambiance.

The studio opened smoothly. Song Shizhou had pored over the calendar for an auspicious date, which Sun Mengchen teased her mercilessly for, joking about her superstitions at such a young age.

The signboard was a custom wooden plaque coated with glossy anti-termite varnish, its name Clay Soul emblazoned in gold foil. Song Shizhou felt that every pattern and ceramic piece born from her hands seemed to carry a life of its own.

She had told Madam Chen that she didn’t want too much interference in her private studio. The open-minded woman readily agreed.

“But you’ll at least let your mother visit on opening day, won’t you?”

Song Shizhou agreed.

The studio’s location was excellent, its gleaming glass facade visible just a hundred meters into Tangshui Alley. She texted Sun Mengchen: “How’s the spot? Worth all the trouble you went through, right?”

Sun Mengchen didn’t reply, but Madam Chen’s car arrived first. Though Chen Ting had promised to come, unforeseen circumstances delayed her, so she only called.

Her secretary drove over in a discreet black business vehicle. Though Chen Ting herself wasn’t present, she sent an overwhelming number of gifts. The moment Secretary Sun stepped out of the car, the haul nearly blocked the studio’s entrance.

Song Shizhou sighed helplessly into the phone, “Mom, you’ve brought way too much.”

Madam Chen laughed.

“You want to open a porcelain studio, and I don’t know much about this field, so I could only ask someone knowledgeable to send you some useful things.”

A complete set of porcelain painting tools Madam Chen must have done her homework. In addition, there was a precious piece from Master Zhao. Secretary Sun mentioned that Madam Chen and Master Zhao were good friends, and this porcelain was one of Master Zhao’s proudest works.

“Master Zhao is a solitary and proud man. In the entire Inner City, aside from Chairman Chen, no one else can get their hands on his works.”

The blue-and-white porcelain vase Miss Bai had sent half a month ago was displayed in the center of the showcase, bathed in soft, warm yellow light, radiating layers of breathtakingly beautiful and gentle hues.

Song Shizhou smiled but said nothing.

Secretary Sun had sharp eyes and immediately noticed that porcelain piece. He froze for a moment being caught boasting was probably one of the most awkward things in the world. But as a seasoned professional, he simply grinned as if nothing had happened.

Song Shizhou smiled into the phone,

“Thank you, Mom.”

Just four simple words, yet Chen Ting detected a faint trace of melancholy in them.

“Shizhou,”

Chen Ting’s voice choked slightly,

“Having a daughter like you is my pride.”

Song Shizhou’s heart skipped a beat at her words.

Secretary Sun didn’t stay long, but more people came for the ribbon-cutting.

Little Sun, who had been busy with business negotiations, still made time to attend. Naturally, her grandfather, the esteemed Old Master Sun, a towering figure in the porcelain world also came. With such a heavyweight’s appearance, this previously unknown studio caused quite a stir in the industry. Speculations about the owner’s identity ran rampant, even making it onto that day’s Weibo hot searches.

Thankfully, the newly hired assistant Xiao Zhao helped shoulder the workload, or else she would have been overwhelmed.

The flowers Su Ziqing had sent last time were moved by Song Shizhou to the new shop. They had come with plenty of nutrients, so even after half a month, they still looked vibrant.

A faint herbal fragrance drifted over as Song Fengyu appeared before Shizhou without warning.

Holding a lush bouquet, she handed it over with a gentle smile,

“Shizhou, congratulations on the successful opening of your studio. These flowers are my gift to you.”

The cool petals brushed against her face, soft and velvety. Song Shizhou glanced at them, mostly orange-yellow cornflowers mixed with a few pink-white lilies, a bright and warm palette that clashed with Sister Yu’s usual preference for monochrome tones.

Song Shizhou hugged her,

“Thank you, Sister Yu.”

Song Fengyu smiled, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been a long time since they’d embraced like this.

Shizhou’s porcelain studio had finally opened. Though she hadn’t wanted this outcome, if Shizhou wished to pursue it, then so be it.

Her gaze lowered as she wandered around the shop.

A pot of white roses bloomed serenely. Song Fengyu instinctively thought of someone.

She leaned close to the flowers, bending down to inhale their scent,

“So fragrant.”

“Shizhou, who gave you these? They’re blooming so beautifully.”

Song Shizhou replied calmly,

“Su Ziqing sent them.”

Song Fengyu smiled at the unexpected answer.

As long as it wasn’t Bai Ruowei, anyone else was fine.

Her tone lightened,

“Why did Su Ziqing suddenly think of sending you roses? Did you make another bet and she lost?”

“No, Sister Yu.”

Song Shizhou replied with a smile,

“That day, Su Ziqing saw that my small studio had just been settled, so she said she wanted to send me flowers to celebrate. I told her not to, but she still sent over so many.”

Shizhou’s gaze fell on the windowsill,

“The ones on the windowsill and these two bouquets were all sent by her back then.”

“I see.”

“But you two are good friends. Isn’t it a bit odd to celebrate a friend’s new venture with roses?”

Song Shizhou answered,

“Maybe she just bought them randomly.”

Feng Yu nodded,

“I heard there have been many social dance parties in the Inner City these days, the kind with matchmaking undertones. Shizhou, didn’t you attend any?”

Song Shizhou shook her head,

“Lately, my heart has been entirely devoted to the studio. I haven’t paid attention to such things.”

“Honestly, it’s fine whoever you end up with whether it’s marriage or just being together. Just not that person…”

Song Fengyu’s eyes lowered slightly,

Just not Bai Ruowei.

Song Shizhou, who had been wiping a porcelain piece, paused at her words,

“Sister Yu, who I’m with is my private matter.”

Song Fengyu looked up, slowly meeting her gaze, “I don’t mean to interfere in your private affairs. It’s just…”

Little Zhao, who had been sweeping behind them, seemed to notice the odd tension and chimed in,

“Oh, come on, what era is this now? Marriage is free these days. As long as you’re not on the same household register, you can get a marriage certificate, right?”

Song Fengyu froze.

Indeed.

As long as they weren’t on the same household register, even friends who’d known each other for nearly twenty years could enter the bonds of matrimony.

But she and Shizhou, they alone could not.

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