Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 1

The scorching August heat in Chonghai City had pedestrians hurrying along the streets, seeking shade to escape the sweltering temperatures.

Inside the upscale CBD office building, the air conditioning was running at full blast, creating what should have been a comfortable and relaxed environment. Yet, the moment the woman pushed open the conference room door and stepped out, the atmosphere froze.

She held a rolled-up A4 document in her hand, tapping it lightly against her palm before raising her voice, “Everyone, follow me into the meeting.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and re-entered the conference room. The employees exchanged uneasy glances today was the monthly department review, and no one knew whether they were walking into praise or reprimands.

“Last month, most of you completed your assigned projects on time. Good job.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the team collectively exhaled in relief, hands lifting instinctively to applaud only to freeze mid-motion when they caught sight of their manager’s stern expression. The applause died before it began.

“Except for one colleague.” She paused, her gaze settling on a young woman in the crowd. “Jiao Qing? What happened?”

The girl flinched at the sound of her name. A fresh recruit with only a few months of experience, this was the first time she had been singled out in a meeting. Her face drained of color instantly, and the weight of her coworkers’ stares only deepened her embarrassment.

Qi Ning watched Jiao Qing, patiently waiting for her to explain the situation herself, making no move to intervene.

Among the new hires, the girl had decent skills just painfully shy. Even a simple request to speak up could leave her stammering and blushing. Qi Ning had intended this as a test.

But judging by the way Jiao Qing’s lips trembled, she was starting to worry the girl might burst into tears any second.

“Manager,  Waaah!”

Qi Ning pinched the bridge of her nose, her delicate brows knitting together in exasperation. Speak of the devil. Her expression softened into resignation.

“I’m just asking about the project, not criticizing you. If there’s an issue, now’s the time to bring it up. We’re here to help.” Her voice remained steady, calm and reassuring just like the composed, approachable presence she was known for.

“Manager, I…” Jiao Qing accepted a tissue from a colleague, sniffling pitifully before choking out, “That client,  I revised the drafts so many times, but he’s never satisfied! Now he wants a complete redesign. I just can’t…”

“Alright, I understand.” Qi Ning cut her off, already piecing together most of the story.

As a designer, a service provider drafting and revising were part of the job. Easy clients were a blessing, but the difficult ones? The kind who made endless demands, had terrible tempers, and couldn’t even articulate what they wanted? Those were nightmares.

For a newcomer, buckling under such pressure was understandable.

The conference room fell into an uneasy silence as Qi Ning considered the situation. Then, steeling herself, Jiao Qing spoke again this time through gritted teeth.

“Manager,  I don’t want this project anymore. I can’t design what he wants…”

Reassigning the task to another designer was an option, but “If you hand it off, you won’t get the commission. You’ve put in so much effort already, are you sure?” Qi Ning tried to reason with her.

“I don’t care!” Jiao Qing suddenly shouted, her voice cracking. “Someone else can take it! I can’t do this anymore!”

“Alright then.” Qi Ning opened her tablet, pulled up the client files, and after locating Jiao Qing’s project, addressed the others in the meeting room: “This is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom 100-square-meter apartment suite. Who wants to take it on?”

Silence filled the room.

Qi Ning instinctively glanced at her second-in-command, Ding Heguang, who immediately shook his head vigorously upon catching her look.

Why torture himself with a client notorious for reducing designers to tears?

Being a department head in this awkward middle-management position was tricky. While she could forcibly assign the project, doing so would undoubtedly create resentment. Too soft-hearted to resort to that, she sighed inwardly, she’d have to take it on herself.

Having just handed off her previous project to the engineering department, Qi Ning was currently free. A two-bedroom rough shell unit shouldn’t be too problematic, right?

The case ultimately fell to Qi Ning. After the meeting, she lingered to organize the presentation materials. Ding Heguang stayed behind last, leaning on the table with both hands and grinning. “Boss, we’re having dinner tonight. You coming?”

“Tonight, ” Qi Ning paused, frowning slightly. “You guys go ahead. I’ve got plans.”

“Ohhh~” Ding Heguang’s expression turned suggestive, his eyes brimming with curiosity. “Date with the boyfriend?”

The mention of her emotionally distant boyfriend stirred irritation. “Tch,” she shot him a cold glare. “Since when did you become such a gossip?”

“Heh.” Knowing better than to press further after years of working together, Ding Heguang wisely changed the subject as they finished tidying up.

Back in her office, Qi Ning immediately called to reschedule with the client. The initial resistance to changing designers nearly escalated to accusations of corporate bullying, but her seasoned negotiation skills quickly soothed the client though they insisted on an urgent face-to-face meeting.

Choosing a café known for the client’s punctuality preferences, Qi Ning arrived ten minutes early. Moments after seating herself, a slender middle-aged man entered. Cross-referencing her tablet, she confirmed this was Mr. Zhou.

“Mr. Zhou, I’m Qi Ning from our phone call earlier.” She rose slightly to greet him, presenting her business card.

Still displeased about being reassigned, Mr. Zhou’s expression softened slightly upon reading the card, a deep blue design with gold foil accents that exuded sophistication. What truly eased his demeanor, however, was the title embossed beneath her name: Design Department Director and Chief Designer of Shengda Design & Engineering Co., Ltd.

Jiao Qing had relatively little work experience and was considered an average designer. The main difference between a regular designer and a chief designer, aside from professional skills, was the price chief designers charged at least three times more. Mr. Zhou, who had initially assumed he was being fobbed off with a worse designer, only softened his attitude slightly after seeing her title.

“Designer Qi is quite young,” Mr. Zhou remarked, subtly scrutinizing Qi Ning’s face before settling on that comment.

Qi Ning smiled faintly. She had joined Shengda right after graduation and climbed her way up from an unknown designer, so she could easily read between the lines. The client was clearly skeptical about whether she was truly capable of living up to the title of chief designer.

“Mr. Zhou, I’m confident I can design a home that meets your expectations. Please trust me with this project.”

Mr. Zhou gave a noncommittal hum. A waiter placed a cup of coffee in front of him, and he leaned back in his chair, lifting the cup by its handle to take a sip.

“You’re aware of my requirements, I assume?”

“Yes, my colleague has briefed me on them.” Qi Ning pulled up the design draft Jiao Qing had prepared and continued, “Regarding this layout, you felt the public area was too small.”

She had specifically marked the sections Jiao Qing’s design had been rejected on, intending to retain the parts Mr. Zhou liked while focusing on revising the unsatisfactory elements.

“Mr. Zhou, if I may ask is this home intended for your family?” During client meetings, Qi Ning made a habit of understanding their living situation to tailor the design accordingly.

“No,” Mr. Zhou replied quickly, taking another sip of coffee. Qi Ning noticed he had a habit of slightly raising his pinky, almost like a delicate flourish, before quickly tucking it back in.

It gave off a somewhat, flamboyant vibe.

“Understood. So, it’s for you and your wife?” She smiled, already preparing to note down the details on her tablet, but to her surprise, Mr. Zhou replied with another curt “No,” this time with a hint of irritation.

Puzzled, she recalled Jiao Qing mentioning this was a new home Mr. Zhou planned to share with his partner. Before she could probe further, he set his cup down. “I’ve already stated my requirements. When can I expect the draft?”

“The preliminary design will be ready within three days. Once you confirm it, we’ll proceed with refinements.”

Mr. Zhou said nothing further, appearing preoccupied. Qi Ning, adept at reading the room, didn’t press further.

After seeing him out, she returned to her seat with a long exhale, reviewing the discussion details and solidifying her revision plan.

The meeting had taken up a considerable amount of time, and by the time she wrapped up work, it was already 5:30 PM. She clocked out on the company app but lingered in the café a little longer.

She had plans to meet a friend for dinner at 6:30, followed by some shopping.

Like most women, Qi Ning loved shopping and dressing up, her wardrobe was so extensive she could wear a different dress every day for an entire season without repeating an outfit.

Just as she sent a message to her friend, another notification popped up this one from her closest confidante, Chu Yunjing.

The message contained an image. The brand logo in the upper left corner was instantly recognizable to Qi Ning, a famous lingerie brand where even a single nightgown cost four figures.

The model in the photo was wearing a light pink satin lace robe, the exact one Qi Ning had her eye on a few days ago, though it hadn’t arrived in the local boutique yet.

Before she could reply, another message quickly followed.

Chu Yunjing: [Found a WM store here. This nightgown looks nice. Want it?]

Chu Yunjing was on a business trip out of town. Every time she traveled, she would bring back gifts for Qi Ning sometimes local specialties, other times clothes or jewelry.

She never returned empty-handed.

At times, Qi Ning even felt like Chu Yunjing was spoiling her as if she were her girlfriend.

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