Chapter 18

“But, Mr. Lai, what exactly are your requirements for the house? There are many ways to make your parents comfortable. Is the best for you the best for your parents as well?”

Understanding the client’s true standards was crucial.

Lin Yilan, with many years of experience, deeply appreciated this point.

The party providing the funds has their own standards, the users have theirs, and sometimes if there’s even a third or fourth party involved, they will bring yet more criteria.

Seeing that Mr. Lai remained silent, Lin Yilan opened her notebook and picked up her pencil.

This notebook was hand-stitched by her; at that time, blank A6 notebooks were truly hard to come by.

“Mr. Lai, since you’re still considering, how about hearing my perspective as an observer?”

Mr. Lai Chengrong’s expression was calm, giving nothing away, but he gently nodded.

With permission granted, Lin Yilan breathed a sigh of relief, gaining confidence in securing the project.

“Mr. Lai, I may have to dampen your enthusiasm a little. I know you want to give your parents the very best, but I strongly advise against making too much fuss over the exterior walls of the house. It’s best to keep it on par with the village standards.

This is for the safety of your parents and your other brothers as well.”

“You do business in Harbor City, so I assume you have some understanding of the social dynamics there,” Lin Yilan said meaningfully.

Mr. Lai immediately became alert and fixed his gaze on her. “What do you mean?”

Lin Yilan explained patiently, “I’m not saying the public security in Capital City is poor. You’ve done so much business and have much more social experience than us younger people. You know that the mainland is going through a great transformation now, and at such times, society and people’s hearts are prone to drastic changes.”

“Being too conspicuous without the means to protect oneself is truly unwise.”

Her sincerity was evident.

Although she wasn’t fully aware of the specific chaos in the 1980s, she knew the coming years would bring harsh crackdowns.

Such crackdowns were largely a response to social unrest and instability.

If Mr. Lai’s good intentions to provide a fine home for his parents led to them being targeted or harmed by ill-intentioned people, it would be a heartbreaking tragedy.

Mr. Lai’s expression grew somewhat serious as he understood her meaning. “Tell me about your design ideas.”

“My parents live with my eldest brother now. Our house and yard probably don’t exceed a thousand square meters. We’re lucky to have this much land, thanks largely to my father,” Lai Chengrong said, his face reflecting fond memories.

After a moment, he sat upright and looked at Lin Yilan. “Miss Lin, you seem straightforward, so I’ll be direct. I don’t have many demands for this house. There’s only one: I want my parents to live out their later years comfortably.”

“For all these years... I’ve not been by their side and now I don’t even know what they truly need.”

Seeing the wistfulness on Lai’s face, Lin Yilan felt a pang of empathy.

Perhaps it was the shared feeling of being a child.

She was determined not to let her own family end up like a tragic story.

After a brief pause, she began sketching and jotting notes in her notebook.

As Lin Yilan worked, the roast duck was sliced and the waiter brought it to the table set for four.

“The roast duck is ready, please enjoy.”

Madam Zou looked at the duck but held back from starting, instead glancing at Lin Yilan, who was absorbed in her writing, then at Lai Chengrong beside her.

Lin Li wasn’t as eager to eat; he was curiously watching his youngest sister sketch the house.

Lai Chengrong raised his hand. “Madam Zou, this gentleman, please, you two go ahead.”

Madam Zou waved her hand awkwardly. “No, no, this nephew here, we’ll wait for Miss Lan to eat together.”

Lai Chengrong called out to the waiter walking away towards the kitchen, “Waiter! Oh, no, service!”

The young man quickly stepped over. “Sir, how may I assist you?”

“Prepare another serving of this roast duck here and pack it to go. Wait, can you do takeout here?” Lai Chengrong’s tone showed some impatience.

The young waiter was perceptive and immediately understood his client’s thoughts. “Don’t worry, sir, we do offer takeout. If you’d like, I can have the kitchen pack it later so it won’t get too cold. Would that be alright?”

Seeing the waiter’s quick wit, Lai Chengrong beckoned him over, handed him a big bill from his wallet, then waved him off.

Madam Zou’s eyes widened at the scene; she nudged Lin Li and exchanged a knowing look. Lin Li stroked his chin thoughtfully, clearly pondering something.

Ten quiet, slightly awkward minutes passed at the table before Lin Yilan lifted her notebook and placed it before Mr. Lai.

“Mr. Lai, please take a look. This is my preliminary design sketch. What I’ve drawn is just my stylistic inclination for your parents’ house. The final design will depend on my onsite assessment at your parents’ home.”

All three at the table turned their eyes to the notebook.

The sketch depicted a single-story bungalow with walls painted bright white. Climbing ivy left marks on the walls. Facing the windows were large, clear glass panes, and on the windowsill sat a flowerpot blooming with an unknown flower.

In front of the house, a riot of colorful flowers created a pastoral scene, evoking a fresh, countryside charm.

Though the image seemed ordinary, a closer look revealed many decorative and structural elements reminiscent of European rural homes.

Lin Yilan picked up a glass of water, and as she took a sip, she gauged Mr. Lai’s expression.

His eyes relaxed, wrinkles softened, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly—clear signs of approval.

Indeed, the subtle European pastoral style struck a chord with Mr. Lai, who had lived in Harbor City for over a decade.

The other two at the table showed more interesting reactions.

Madam Zou clearly didn’t understand Lin Yilan’s sketch; she saw no great difference between this and the typical rural mud-brick houses. In her heart, she even thought this sketch was less attractive than the landlord’s house she remembered from childhood.

To her, this nephew from the village was roughly equivalent to the landlords she had known in her youth.

Lin Li glanced at Lin Yilan and recognized the expression on his youngest sister’s face—it suggested the design was more than meets the eye.

After studying the sketch carefully, Lai Chengrong broke into a very satisfied smile. “Designer Lin, I really like your style. Are you free the day after tomorrow morning? I’ll drive over to pick you up and take you to my parents’ house.

Oh, and you can bring this gentleman with you.”

Madam Zou glanced at Lin Yilan in surprise but quickly masked her expression. It was best if Miss Lan got the job; she might receive some money. Not bad.

Seeing Mr. Lai take the initiative to set a time, Lin Yilan knew she was almost there. “That works. We have no classes on Sunday.

But Mr. Lai, if you find my design satisfactory the day after tomorrow and decide to hire me, I hope we can sign a contract.”

The word “contract” caused Mr. Lai to raise an eyebrow. He increasingly felt he had underestimated this young woman.

“Of course, that’s my intention as well.”

“I hope we can finalize the cooperation then. Miss Lin, please, let’s eat.”

He smiled gently and made a polite gesture.

Seeing this, Lin Yilan’s eyes flickered, and she nodded with a slight smile. “Please.”

After all the effort, finally being placed on a collaborative footing with Mr. Lai was no small feat.

During the meal, to keep the atmosphere from cooling, Lin Yilan racked her brains to keep the conversation flowing with Mr. Lai, adopting the approach she remembered from dining with clients in her previous life.

She couldn’t tell whether the roast duck was truly delicious.

After the meal, Lin Yilan saw Mr. Lai off to his car, then found a spot under an eave to squat down with her third brother.

Lin Li looked at her. “So, you’ve reached a deal with this Harbor City businessman?”

Lin Yilan sighed, resting her chin on her hand. “Halfway there. Not easy at all.”

They sat silently, gazing absentmindedly at the road.

After a moment, Lin Li nudged the youngest brother. “That design sketch you drew at the table—are you actually planning to build a house like that?”

Lin Yilan looked at her brother as if he were a fool. “Of course not!”

“We’ve always lived in the countryside, right? Have you ever seen a house like that there?”

Lin Li shook his head emphatically. “No way. Whose yard grows flowers instead of vegetables? And as for rural houses, being built of red bricks is already good. There’s no way they’d just paint bright white because the dust and dirt would stain the walls quickly.

Besides, such large clear glass panes are not easy to come by either.”

“So, what do you plan to do about Mr. Lai’s side then?”

Lin Yilan smiled warmly at her brother, who for once looked innocent and genuine. “Brother, you don’t really think Mr. Lai is clueless, do you?”

“What do you mean?” Lin Li’s round eyes shone with pure innocence.

Lin Yilan curled her lips slightly, stood, and stamped her foot. “Brother, guess.”

Lin Li immediately got up and followed her. “Guess what? Are you kidding me?”

“Oh, by the way, when you go the day after tomorrow, I’m coming with you. It’s not safe for you to go alone.”

Lin Yilan clasped her hands behind her back. “Even if you don’t want to come, I’ll drag you along.”

“What if our fourth brother finds out? Will he be mad?”

Lin Li waved his hand. “He’s busy. No time to get mad at us.”

Lin Yilan looked up, resting her chin on her hands as she gazed at the sky, recalling the conversation with Lai Chengrong.

The project should be hers the day after tomorrow... hopefully?