Chapter 897: Wei Xian’s Worries

Half a month later, Huang Panpan reported back to the company and officially became a full-time employee of New Era, but for now the junior didn’t get any special treatment. After all, compared to Qin Shiqing, she really was a rookie with limited ability and still needed some polishing.

Of course, with Su Zelin around, Huang Panpan would definitely have opportunities, she just had to wait until her seniority was a bit deeper and she’d learned more.

The second day after she returned to Lin’an, Huang Panpan asked Su Zelin out after work, with the aim of checking out her apartment in Phoenix Square and getting some renovation advice.

Even though it was a place her parents had bought for her, Huang Panpan still hoped that the style of the renovation would be something her man liked. What’s more, Su Zelin was well-traveled and knowledgeable, he would definitely understand home decoration better than she did.

As she wandered around Phoenix Square, Huang Panpan even ran into a “familiar face” at the community entrance—Wei Xian.

Her high school classmate and best friend; after graduating from Zhejiang University, she had also stayed in Lin’an to work, landing an iron rice bowl at a state-owned enterprise.

Being a top student from Zhejiang University was already quite sought after even in the later years when college students were everywhere and PhDs were all over the place, let alone in this era.

This time the junior had rarely called Wei Xian over to be a third wheel, mainly because she wanted to consult her best friend’s ideas about the renovation.

Besides, Wei Xian was now her roommate as well.

Before the apartment was fully renovated, she had to temporarily rent a place outside, so Huang Panpan and her best friend were co-renting for the time being. Anyway, Wei Xian didn’t have a boyfriend yet, so there wasn’t any inconvenience.

And even after the apartment was done, she might often run over to her best friend’s place, since Su Zelin couldn’t be with her every day and could only sneak out to see her occasionally. Having a good sister as company meant life wouldn’t be so boring.

Originally, Huang Panpan had planned to pay the full rent herself. After all, as a little rich girl, she didn’t care about that bit of money.

“Hey, Wei Xian, long time no see!”

Strictly speaking, he wasn’t exactly close with Wei Xian; he’d just met her many times because of Huang Panpan. Even so, Su Zelin still took the initiative to greet her.

“Hello, Senior Su.”

Wei Xian gave a slight nod.

“I heard from Panpan that you got into Lin’an City Construction Investment Group. That’s one of the most powerful state-owned enterprises in the provincial capital. Your future looks promising!”

Su Zelin started talking about work.

“It’s okay, I’m just earning my keep.”

Though she said that, Wei Xian was a little proud.

Her company really was excellent; among the SOEs in Lin’an it was near the top. Lots of her classmates were envious, and after graduation her parents boasted to everyone that their daughter had entered Lin’an City Construction.

Su Zelin added, “Speaking of which, I’ve had dinner with your general manager twice.”

Wei Xian: “…”

Right, completely not the same level.

“Senior, really? Then next time if you have dinner with Xiaoxian’s general manager again, could you put in a few good words for her and help her get opportunities earlier?”

Even though Huang Panpan was “all about her man over her friends,” she still took her best friend’s matters very seriously.

Before Su Zelin could respond, Wei Xian said, embarrassed, “Panpan, what are you thinking? Our general manager probably doesn’t even know the name of a newbie like me!”

“Once Senior mentions you, he’ll know. Maybe he’ll even give you special care!”

Huang Panpan said with a laugh.

Talking as they walked into the complex, they took the elevator up to the apartment, which was on the 29th floor.

Right now the tallest building in Lin’an was the Long-Distance Telecom Hub, with a total height of 248 meters and 41 floors, completed in 2003. The residential tower of Phoenix Square had thirty-three floors, which already put it in the top tier in Lin’an.

The value of this development was appreciating quickly too. In the later years, among the most expensive second-hand apartments in Lin’an, it would have a seat at the table.

After going in, she led the two of them around the place once. Huang Panpan first turned to her best friend and asked, “Xiaoxian, how do you think I should decorate it to look nice?”

“Oh, please, I don’t know a thing about that.”

Wei Xian shrugged. “I’m just tagging along with you, little rich girl, to broaden my horizons. You’d better ask Senior.”

Wei Xian had a clear sense of her own limits. With her meager taste and experience, she’d probably only give her best friend terrible ideas.

So, Huang Panpan’s gaze shifted back to Su Zelin.

“This apartment is very big, so it suits a more grand style, but it also can’t look too cold and empty. I think a French style would be quite suitable.”

After thinking for a moment, Su Zelin spoke.

“What does French style look like?”

Huang Panpan was curious.

She knew a few of the more common ones, like the European style at Jianglan’s place, plus Chinese, modern, pastoral, and so on.

“This style’s core idea is to center on a natural design, creating a sense of experience that blends with nature, to bring out a raw, original texture and visual aesthetic.”

“For the main color scheme, French décor uses fresh, warm, and elegant hues—like beige and latte tones. Unlike the strong and rugged feel of American style, even though both are grand, French style shows more delicacy and romance, and compared to European or American it’s more suited to girls.”

Su Zelin gave a simple description.

Two living rooms and six bedrooms, a total of 187 square meters—living there alone on a daily basis would feel a bit too big. Modern or light-luxury styles would easily come across as too empty and cold.

Pastoral and Japanese styles also leaned warm and natural, but the former didn’t match the status of a pampered young lady like Huang Panpan, and as for the latter… given historical reasons, it was purely that Su Zelin didn’t like it, no other reason.

Another important point was that with home décor, you couldn’t just look at the layout and size; you also had to consider the owner’s personality.

Compared with the light-luxury style of Song Yuwei’s place at West Lake. Impression Wind and Moon, French style would have a more intense “homey” feel in terms of visual effect.

Considering that Huang Panpan had once shut herself off and become withdrawn and eccentric, a sign of inner lack of love, a warm home design would please her more.

In fact, in this lifetime, the junior was already much better than in the last.

In her previous life, because of her grandma’s death, she had never been willing to forgive Huang Hongbo and Li Juan, she was indifferent to her parents’ love, had almost no friends around her, only got along a bit better with Wei Xian, and practically made everyone circle around her as the center.

This was also why Huang Panpan would cling to Su Zelin till death—she had already turned her worship and pursuit of this slacker into a spiritual pillar, to the point of near pathology; once Su Zelin disappeared from her life, her whole world would collapse.

However, in this life she’d broken the ice with her parents, accepted their affection again, and she didn’t just have Wei Xian as a single friend; she also got along well with her former college roommates. Two of them had stayed in Lin’an to work, and when they were free, they’d occasionally meet up for a small gathering. During her internship at the company, she’d also gotten to know a few fellow interns as colleagues.

Overall, her circle and network of relationships already counted as that of an ordinary person, not as pitifully lonely as in her past life.

“This kind of decoration style sounds pretty nice!”

The junior sister liked it very much after listening.

Warm, romantic—that was exactly the kind of life she was pursuing.

“Xiaoxian, what do you think?”

“Su-senpai makes a good point. For girls, you’ve got to live a bit more refined.”

She herself was just an outsider; how would Wei Xian dare question Su Zelin’s taste?

Seeing her bestie also agree, Huang Panpan clapped her hands and said, “Then French style it is. I’ll go look for a renovation company tomorrow!”

Su Zelin quickly said, “Panpan, don’t rush to decide yet. I was just giving a personal suggestion. Renovation isn’t a small matter. Think it through first, talk it over with your parents—it won’t be too late then.”

“It’s fine, senpai. My parents said I can renovate however I like, as long as I’m happy. Besides, I trust your eye!”

“Since it’s like that, then all right.”

“…”

After the renovation style was decided, they left the development and had dinner together.

After the meal, Su Zelin walked Huang Panpan and Wei Xian back to the building they rented at, then left on his own—he still had other social engagements that night.

Watching that Audi drive off into the distance, Wei Xian couldn’t help speaking: “Panpan, are you really planning to keep going like this with senpai?”

She was the only one who knew about the relationship between the junior sister and Su Zelin.

“Of course. I chased senpai for so many years before he finally accepted me. How could I possibly give up? Besides, where on earth are you going to find another god like him?”

Huang Panpan answered without even thinking.

“I know senpai is great, but he’s just too outstanding. A man like that won’t belong only to you. Not to mention anything else, there’s also Qin Shiqing-senior.”

“Haven’t you ever thought about—if, I’m saying if—what if one day Shiqing-senior finds out about what’s going on between you two, then what?”

Wei Xian asked tentatively.

Su Zelin was Huang Panpan’s taboo, the dragon’s inverse scale; Wei Xian had always been afraid to touch on this relationship between the two of them, especially trying to persuade her to break up. But she also didn’t want her best friend to completely lose herself in love, so in the end she still reminded her again.

“It’s fine. You know what Shiqing-senior’s temper is like, don’t you?”

Huang Panpan didn’t take it to heart: “Besides, she’s been really looking out for me at the company. During my internship she even invited me over to her rental a few times for meals.”

Wei Xian: “…”

All right, to be fair, Shiqing-senior really did have a big heart.

Could she really not see what Panpan felt for Su-senpai, yet still be so generous? That was something.

Is she planning to accept Panpan?

An absurd thought popped into Wei Xian’s mind, but she immediately shook her head.

No way. It’s the twenty-first century, not a feudal society, and Shiqing-senior is someone with higher education.

Then again, speaking of it, many rich wives in Xiangjiang are also highly educated, and when it comes to their husbands keeping a mistress tucked away outside, they just turn a blind eye.

If Su-senpai can handle both Shiqing-senior and Panpan at the same time, then I really have to bow in capital letters.

Wei Xian was about to say something when she was cut off by Huang Panpan.

“Xiaoxian, have you ever imagined what I would be like today if I hadn’t met senpai?”

Wei Xian was taken aback. She really hadn’t considered that question.

But the answer was obvious.

Panpan would very likely still be that problem girl—doing whatever she wanted, rebellious and wilful, not putting her parents in her eyes, having no friends besides herself, and even if she got into college, she’d probably only manage some trashy vocational school.

In short, put in one sentence, her life would probably be a complete mess.

Su Zelin’s appearance did make her get stuck in a dead end when it came to feelings, but her life had returned to the right track.

“It was senpai who made me believe in family again, believe in this world, and find my long-lost smile and happiness. Senpai is already a kind of faith to me. You’ll never understand how important he is to me. I will never leave him, not even in death. This is the last time we’re talking about this topic. Don’t bring it up again in the future, or I’ll be upset!”

The junior sister’s face was serious.

“All right, I won’t say anything. Last time, I swear.”

Wei Xian was a bit helpless.

She had no doubt at all about her best friend’s seriousness.

If she kept trying to persuade her, they really would fall out as good sisters.

“That’s more like it!”