Trying It On

Dead silence descended on the classroom.

None of the students near Fu Liangxia—Fu Liedong or Su Xingshu—were around, so no one dared step forward to explain and risk Bai Xin's wrath.

Finally, the class monitor spoke up: "Young Master Xin, this is a new transfer student. There's no other seat available, so..."

Bai Xin furrowed his brows slightly. He disliked having strangers sit beside him—they were always chattering, reeking of vulgarity.

Yet at the mention of "transfer student," a pair of bright, dark eyes flashed through his mind, and his frown paused. He asked slowly, "Transfer student?"

"...Yes."

The class monitor hadn't expected the rumored Bai Xin to be so reasonable, or to refrain from losing his temper. His gaze, however, seemed to look right through him—empty and detached, like an otherworldly deity.

He explained, "She transferred in this semester. Don't worry, she's not a special admit. She has good grades and is very quiet, so she won't disturb you, Young Master Xin."

Quiet?

Thinking of the girl he'd encountered that morning, who didn't quite fit that description, he assumed it must not be her.

Someone else, then.

But since she was already seated, he wouldn't ask her to move.

"Understood." Bai Xin gave a slight nod, rose from his seat, and left the classroom.

Not wanting to wake up to find an eyesore beside him, he went straight to the art studio the school had allotted him.

After all, he could sleep anywhere.

Before drifting off, however, he recalled his conversation with Cheng Xingzhou earlier, who had mentioned that this semester it would be best to sign up for two clubs to round out his credits.

Bai Yan had immediately caught Cheng Xingzhou's meaning and readily agreed to join the Student Council. As for Bai Xin, he casually flipped through the list of clubs provided.

They were all so boring, he thought.

...

Fu Liangxia ran into Bai Yan on her way to Classical Art Appreciation class. Upon seeing her, he flashed a charming smile and struck up a conversation: "What luck! I was just looking for someone to help. Could you carry these to A2 with me?"

This path, being a shortcut straight to Building A without passing the main teaching building, was rarely used. Bai Yan was holding a stack of fabric and several large boxes.

But Fu Liangxia didn't think he looked like he couldn't manage.

Still, since he was one of her targets, she reluctantly agreed: "Fine."

Bai Yan had sharp eyes; even though Fu Liangxia hid her feelings well, he caught the flicker of impatience that crossed her face.

His smile deepened, and he handed over two pieces of fabric.

A pair of slender, fair hands reached out. Even having sketched countless models and admired many hand models, he had to admit these hands were exquisitely proportioned.

Soft as white grass, skin smooth as congealed cream. A thin rose-gold chain encircled her wrist, making it look even more delicate—as if a single squeeze might break it.

A classic design.

Yet it made Bai Yan's brow furrow instantly. He remembered that T-family had released six versions of this style, each with slight modifications, but never one with a simple rose motif engraved on the side.

He'd never seen it in the market; it looked like a pattern accidentally stamped by a factory when producing replicas.

It wasn't unreasonable for Bai Yan to think so. T-family was a luxury brand. Even affluent families would only buy a couple of classic bags to flaunt status; they'd never touch such an ornate, expensive bracelet that did little to enhance their image.

Only the daughters of old money families—rich and foolish, spending money for happiness—would buy bracelets from a brand like T-family.

Did Fu Liangxia belong to that category?

From the information he'd gathered on her, clearly not.

So the bracelet's origin was rather intriguing.

Wearing a counterfeit wasn't a big deal—many wealthy wives mixed real and fake to keep up appearances—but it was simply something he personally disapproved of.

So, just considering that possibility, Bai Yan's initial excitement about whether Fu Liangxia could spark new inspiration faded considerably.

His and Bai Xin's trip to Europe had not gone well.

Bai Xin rarely used human models; his inspiration came primarily from emotional stimuli. The greater the upheaval, the stronger the inspiration, so the environment made little difference to him.

As for Bai Yan himself, he'd tried almost every model of some repute in the country, but for some reason, everything he produced was just mediocre—indistinguishable from what was already on the market.

Perhaps he needed to try different models, he'd thought, so he took Bai Xin to Europe.

Clearly, they had failed.

Discovering Fu Liangxia was purely a stroke of luck.

On the day he was about to return home, Bai Yan scrolled across Fu Liangxia's blog. The hand in the photo struck his aesthetic instantly.

After spending some time learning about the owner of the hand and her relationships with his friends, he immediately booked a flight back, eager to meet this forum celebrity with the beautiful hands.

To his surprise, her face was no less impressive than her hands, and she even possessed a temperament those models lacked.

He'd heard she had excellent grades, so Bai Yan guessed it might be a scholarly air?

But when she looked at him, there was something deeper in her eyes—something more enticing than intelligence, making one want to uncover its mystery.

This was the model he wanted.

The moment he laid eyes on Fu Liangxia, a voice in Bai Yan's heart told him so.

However, even the most captivating model who chose to wear counterfeits would earn his polite decline.

"That's a beautiful bracelet. Is it T-family?" Bai Yan asked casually.

Fu Liangxia was no fool. The moment he spoke, she understood his unspoken implication—he suspected the bracelet was fake.

Quite the opposite, actually. This bracelet was one of her previous task rewards. Anything the System produced was of the finest quality; this piece was a designer-exclusive from T-family, never released to the public.

Unless one was a die-hard T-family fan, it would be hard to recognize.

And Fu Liangxia wanted him to misunderstand. Leaving only an impression of beauty would be dull; she aimed to make a lasting impression in the shortest time possible.

Artists rely on chemistry, their emotions swinging wide yet sensitive. Compared to a slow burn, impact would be a better strategy.

"It is. Pretty, right?" She cradled the fabric with one arm and waved the hand with the bracelet before him.

It was indeed beautiful, but the thought it might be fake made Bai Yan uncomfortable all over.

As an original designer, he could not tolerate such behavior.

"Beautiful, but with your cool-toned skin, silver or shell would suit you best," Bai Yan coaxed. "I happen to have a new idea for a bracelet. If you're not busy, would you help me try it?"

Say what you will about Bai Yan being a businessman—his disdain for the rose-gold bracelet on her wrist was almost tangible, yet he still found a tactful way to suggest she change her accessory.

She smiled. "Sure."

They had already reached the door of the A2 design studio. Bai Yan swiped his card to unlock it. With a beep, a modern, sleek workspace came into view.

Clean and white, with smooth decorative lines on the walls and transparent display shelves arranged at varying heights, the studio exuded a paradoxical blend of art and commerce—much like Bai Yan himself.

Fu Liangxia gave the place a quick once-over, then followed Bai Yan's gesture to sit at the meeting table. She completely missed how his gaze had gone cold the moment he turned his back.

He had decided to check whether T-family actually produced this bracelet when he had the chance.

Although the bracelet on Fu Liangxia's wrist was finely crafted and didn't look like a counterfeit, modern forging techniques were too advanced; he couldn't tell just by looking. He'd have to find a way to examine it closely.

Bai Yan had already made up his mind: if the bracelet was indeed fake, he would cancel the contract, no matter how suitable Fu Liangxia was as his model. As the party at fault for the unilateral cancellation, this silver bracelet would serve as compensation.

And what was Fu Liangxia thinking?

She was studying the layout of the studio, analyzing it.

She didn't like what she saw.

The arrangement was too haphazard. Though an artist's studio should suit their taste, given the placement of the meeting table and display stands, it was clear Bai Yan also used this space to sell designs.

If so, the arrangement was highly inefficient.

Having once juggled multiple jobs and deliberately studied product logistics, Fu Liangxia's professional habit kicked in.

She wanted to put everything in its optimal place, especially products.

Only in the right place could they catch the eye and yield maximum value.

So she stood up and, while Bai Yan rummaged through his earlier designs with a displeased expression, asked, "May I rearrange the designs on the shelf? I'll be very careful."

"Hm?" Bai Yan turned to see the girl gazing intently at the wall, her focused profile exuding a certain allure.

But Bai Yan wasn't unaccustomed to people gazing at his design display with such reverence; in fact, he'd seen far more exaggerated reactions.

Whenever that happened, he couldn't help but sneer internally, wanting to remind them that those pieces were merely failed designs, not art to be admired.

Pretending to understand what they didn't—it was truly laughable.

Yet Bai Yan faintly sensed that Fu Liangxia was somehow different. Rather than admiring, she seemed... critical?

Now that was interesting.

"Feel free," he said.

With permission granted, Fu Liangxia's face lit up with pleasure. She'd reviewed and created countless product displays in the past. It had been a while, and she found herself missing it.

Almost instinctively, she scanned the items once, then began to rearrange their positions and orientation.

Bai Yan had already found the silver bracelet. When he turned around, he saw the girl methodically moving the products.

Her hands were lovely, and beside any item, they possessed a beauty that was hard to look away from.

"Product placement relies on the eye-catch principle," Fu Liangxia said lightly, radiating confidence as she spoke on a subject she knew well. "If you want to be more than just an artist—if you want to be a 'best-selling' designer—you need a bit of marketing strategy."

Bai Yan's gaze involuntarily clung to her.

Something was taking root deep inside him.

Not any romantic notion, but a fierce desire to create.

It wasn't fully formed yet; he couldn't grasp it, so he could only watch silently as Fu Liangxia worked.

His rational mind told him he was going mad. Arrangement, marketing—all futile in the face of failed designs.

But his eyes didn't lie. He saw her fingers collide with those failed designs, saw them subtly transform under her touch.

Sparks flew.

Bai Yan's eyes gradually lit up.