Honored Guest - Chapter 1

Bridal Suite

3 PM. Lan Yan received a frantic phone call. The voice on the other end said, “Oh no! I completely forgot my afternoon meeting with a client. She’s probably almost here. Could you possibly greet her for me?”

The speaker was Lan Qi, her partner in the design firm. They shared a surname. When they first met studying abroad, Lan Qi had joked, “We’re not only from the same place but also have the same last name. Five hundred years ago, we might have shared the same ancestors!”

Lan Yan hadn’t commented, but Lan Qi often offered help or sought her assistance. They’d become close, and after returning to China, they started an interior design company together.

“What time?” Lan Yan asked.

She put down her pen and tilted her head back slightly, intending to rub her neck. But she'd been hunched over so long she couldn't quite lift it, remaining in that bowed position.

The door opened, followed by the click-clack of high heels. A pair of bright red stilettos came into view, accentuating the long, slender calves of the wearer. The hem of her dress reached her thighs, revealing a great figure. Lan Yan, still rubbing her sore neck, looked up and heard the woman ask, “Is Lan Qi here?”

She put down her phone. “She’ll be here shortly. Please have a seat.”

The newcomer was a woman in her mid-twenties, with delicate makeup, a short slip dress, and sky-high heels. Her tall figure was accentuated by the black slip dress which cinched in her slim waist. She glanced around the small office where only three or four people were working.

Lan Yan offered her a glass of water. “Please, sit here.”

She gestured towards the lounge area.

The woman sat down on the sofa, twirling a strand of her long, curly hair. Her long earrings swung with the movement, their golden pendants catching the light. “Newly opened?” she asked, her tone skeptical.

Lan Yan smiled. “We’ve been open for half a month. Did Lan Qi discuss the specific design plan with you?”

“Not yet…” the woman replied hesitantly. She surveyed the office once more before settling her gaze on Lan Yan. She’d noticed Lan Yan even before entering. Lan Yan was sitting by the window, wearing a white silk batwing top with an off-the-shoulder neckline that highlighted her elegant neck. Her hair was pulled back, and the light from the window illuminated her profile, making her delicate features appear even more exquisite. She looked like a beautiful porcelain doll Lan Yan had received as a child, yet more vibrant and sophisticated. And there was a hint of familiarity about her.

She stared at Lan Yan for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Is your last name Lan?”

Lan Yan paused, realizing she hadn't given the woman her business card yet. She pulled one from her desk and handed it over. “I’m Lan Yan.”

“Jing Qu No.1 Middle School, right?” the woman said. “Hey, don't you recognize me? I also went to No.1 Middle School! We were in the same class! I knew you looked familiar.”

She’d met many beautiful people, but few as striking as Lan Yan. The impression had been memorable. However, Lan Yan looked quite different from her high school days. She remembered Lan Yan as being reserved, rarely speaking to anyone. Back then, before they knew her, classmates would whisper about her being aloof and pretentious.

Lan Yan looked at the woman, genuinely unable to recall a classmate matching her description. The woman introduced herself, “I’m Chen Lin. Remember?”

Lan Yan hesitated. “Chen Lin?”

“I remember,” she said, “it’s just that you…”

Chen Lin laughed. “I’ve changed a lot, haven’t I? I had my teeth straightened and got a little bit of epicanthoplasty.” She winked at Lan Yan, a cheerful smile on her face. Lan Yan really hadn't recognized her. The Chen Lin in her memory, who always covered her mouth when she smiled because of her braces, was a completely different person.

She remembered Chen Lin because she always hung around Jiang Jin Yue.

“When did you come back?” Chen Lin asked. “I heard you were always abroad. Why did you return?”

Lan Yan paused for two seconds. “I just got back.”

It hadn't even been a week. Lan Qi had returned first and started the design company. Lan Yan had barely unpacked her bags before being dragged here. They’d just opened, but surprisingly, they already had quite a few clients, mainly residents from the newly built apartment complex next door.

Chen Lin nodded. “You’ve changed a lot.”

Indeed, she had, but Chen Lin could still recognize her. But her personality… Chen Lin chuckled. “I never thought you’d become a designer.”

Back then, she would never have imagined Lan Yan working with clients, given her reserved nature.

“People change,” Lan Yan said.

Chen Lin nodded. “Yes, people change. Who would have thought we'd run into each other?”

Just then, hurried footsteps approached the door. “Sorry, sorry I’m late.”

Lan Qi, two years younger than Lan Yan, had dimples and a round, slightly chubby face. She had a girl-next-door charm that clients seemed to like. She looked at Chen Lin. “Miss Chen, is it?”

“Yes,” Chen Lin said. “I’d prefer to work with Lan Yan. We’re already acquainted.”

Lan Qi looked surprised. “Already acquainted?”

She’d only been ten minutes late. How had they become so familiar?

“Old classmates,” Chen Lin explained.

Lan Qi looked at Lan Yan. “Your classmate?”

Lan Yan nodded. “High school.”

Lan Qi beamed. “Wonderful! Don’t worry, since you’re old classmates, we’ll give you a 20% discount!”

Chen Lin’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “That’s so embarrassing.”

“Don’t be embarrassed.” Lan Qi was instantly friendly. “Old classmates are meant for getting discounts.”

Lan Yan spoke up. “Let’s talk about your requirements first.”

“I don’t have any special requests,” Chen Lin said. “It’s for a bridal suite.”

“Getting married?” Lan Qi asked.

Chen Lin nodded shyly, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Congratulations!” Lan Qi exclaimed. “Another 10% off! 30% discount, a wedding gift from us.”

“Congratulations,” Lan Yan echoed.

Chen Lin beamed. “Thank you, thank you.”

Perhaps because of their connection as former classmates, the discussion went smoothly. Chen Lin didn't have many requests, her main one being that she wanted a dreamy, princess-like atmosphere. Though she called herself childish and a bit chuunibyou, Lan Qi was very understanding. “Princess it is! You’re a princess even after marriage! Leave it to our chief designer.”

Lan Yan glanced at her and nodded to Chen Lin. “I’ll visit your apartment this afternoon to check the layout. If there are no issues, I’ll have the design draft for you the day after tomorrow. Feel free to contact me if you have any ideas before then.”

“Is this the right WeChat contact?” Chen Lin asked, pointing at the business card.

Lan Yan took out her phone and scanned Chen Lin’s QR code. Chen Lin said cheerfully, “I’ll wait for the final design. If it looks good, I'll recommend you to more clients.”

Lan Qi chimed in, “Thanks in advance, Miss Chen.”

Chen Lin held her phone. “Do I need to pay a deposit now?”

“No rush,” Lan Yan said. “You can pay after you’ve confirmed the design.”

This was special treatment for Chen Lin. Usually, a deposit was required before any design drafts were made. However, Lan Qi didn’t object. “Alright.”

Chen Lin wasn't unreasonable. She had visited a few other firms and understood the process. This made her trust Lan Yan even more. In fact, she felt reassured the moment she realized Lan Yan would be handling her project.

After seeing Chen Lin out, Lan Qi walked over to Lan Yan’s desk and asked with a smile, “High school classmates?”

Lan Yan looked up. “Didn’t you see?”

“I can barely remember my own high school classmates,” Lan Qi said. “If they walked past me, I probably wouldn't recognize them.”

Lan Yan thought to herself that she hadn’t recognized Chen Lin either. Chen Lin had been the one to recognize her.

Even though Chen Lin had just been there, Lan Yan’s mind was filled with images of Chen Lin from high school: her slightly tanned skin after military training, her braces, the way she always covered her mouth when she smiled, whispering to the person beside her, “Yue Yue, do I look ugly when I smile?”

The person beside her would turn, her voice clear and cool, “No, you look very pretty.”

Like raindrops on a jade plate, crisp and cool, a mature tone that stood out among her peers. Despite her cool voice, Jiang Jin Yue was actually very kind. Lan Yan remembered her first time living in the dormitory, struggling to stuff her quilt into its cover. Jiang Jin Yue took the cover from her hands and said, “You have to hold this side first, then put it in.”

That mesmerizing voice… Lan Yan turned her head. Jiang Jin Yue was bending down, tucking in the quilt. Long eyelashes, big eyes, a smooth forehead with a light sheen of sweat, a delicate nose, and fair skin flushed with a faint pink from her exertions. A few seconds later, Jiang Jin Yue looked up. “All done. You’re the new student, right? Hi, I’m Jiang Jin Yue. I’m in the bunk above you.”

Lan Yan couldn't recall if she’d extended her hand. She just stared at Jiang Jin Yue's bright, smiling eyes, finally managing, “Hello, I’m Lan Yan.”

“Lan Yan?” Lan Qi waved a hand. “What are you so lost in thought about?”

Lan Yan snapped back. “Huh?”

“What time are you going to Chen Lin’s place?” Lan Qi asked.

“After lunch. Why?”

“Oh,” Lan Qi said, “I was wondering if I should go with you. I have a client in the same complex and was planning to check out the layout this afternoon.”

Lan Yan picked up her pen again. “Up to you.”

Lan Qi scratched her head and sat down at the desk opposite her. Lan Yan’s phone lit up. It was a message from Chen Lin, a location pin for her new apartment. The complex was right next to their newly opened development, just two streets away. Lan Yan knew the place, but she couldn’t just ignore Chen Lin’s message.

Lan Yan tapped the screen with her left hand, unlocking her phone and replying to Chen Lin with an “OK” emoji. Chen Lin quickly replied: [By the way, I recommended a client to you. You definitely know her.]

Lan Yan: [Who?]

Chen Lin: [Jiang Jin Yue. Do you remember her? I remember you two were pretty close back in school.]

Lan Yan’s hand, which was sketching, froze. She gripped her pen tightly, her gaze fixed on the three characters "Jiang Jin Yue." She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. The screen remained untouched for so long that it went black. Lan Yan's heart skipped a beat. She quickly unlocked it. The message was still there.

The more she tried to calm down, the less calm she became. Her fingertips trembled as she typed: [She… bought an apartment too?]

Chen Lin: [Yeah, just like me. A bridal suite.]

Bridal suite.

Lan Yan’s grip on her pen tightened. It dug into the white paper, unconsciously drawing a harsh line, the tip piercing through, leaving an irreparable mark.

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