Chapter 6: My Home, My Rules

Li Wanbai’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded repeatedly. Suddenly, her movements paused. She turned to Su Orange with a puzzled expression. “Duoduo, I’ve never had the chance to ask you—what do you do for a living?”

“Designer,” Su Orange replied succinctly. After a moment’s thought, she added, “Jewelry designer.”

Hearing this, a fleeting confusion flickered in Li Wanbai’s gaze, but it quickly dimmed as another, deeper question surfaced.

“Then how did you know what project our company was negotiating?”

Though she’d only just returned and was still unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the business, and though the unspoken rules of the entertainment and commercial circles were a mystery to her, that didn’t mean she was hopelessly naive.

She herself was a public target of online vitriol, her traffic and popularity sky-high. As for Yu Baichuan, he was even more remarkable—a movie emperor with a collection of major awards. The two of them together made an explosive combination. Any program lucky enough to have both of them would be extraordinary, at least an S+ project. Even if it wasn’t classified as top secret, it certainly wouldn’t be something just anyone could find out.

Su Orange looked at Li Wanbai calmly. Her clear, bright eyes held no trace of suspicion or mockery, only pure confusion—and a kind of transparent, unknowing innocence.

She was genuinely just puzzled.

“It’s precisely because you two have such massive fan bases and stir up so much discussion that these things can’t be kept under wraps. Even if your companies wanted to keep it quiet, the showrunners would never waste the opportunity to tease the audience. Before airing, they’ll drop hints here and there, stir up the fans a little. If I want to find out, it’s really not hard to get the facts,” Su Orange said with a light huff. “And as for why I wanted to know—well, that’s because…” She paused, then snapped impatiently, “What? Don’t you need to rest? Why so many questions? If you’re feeling better, just go home and don’t take up hospital resources.”

Li Wanbai pouted. Ten years had changed a lot, but Su Orange was still the same powder keg, quick to ignite, and she was still the one who suffered. Somehow, that was comforting.

Soon after, Li Wanbai checked herself out of the hospital. With Su Orange around, even if her allergies acted up, she could get treatment right away. A little rest and she’d be fine—no need to take up hospital resources. She could go wherever she wanted.

Su Orange drove over, intending to take Li Wanbai home, but an unexpected call summoned her away.

Li Wanbai took the company’s car back to her residence. When she opened the door, darkness surged in like a tide, swallowing the entire villa in shadow.

Fumbling along the wall, Li Wanbai found the switch. Instantly, cool white light spilled across the room.

She hadn’t had the chance to really take in her home of ten years. Now, standing in the entryway, she looked around, a wave of emotion rising in her chest. The villa’s decor was uniform—black and gray, oppressively somber, nothing like the style she’d ever choose.

If anything, it suited that rigid, cold Yu Baichuan Su Orange always talked about.

Li Wanbai wandered over to the sofa and collapsed onto it, suddenly laughing aloud.

Yu Baichuan—rigid and cold.

Ten years ago, she’d never have imagined those words could ever describe him. After all, anyone who could befriend Li Wanbai couldn’t possibly be all that proper.

She raised her hand, letting the electronic light slip through her fingers.

As she thought, she much preferred the warmth of yellow light.

The whole villa gave her a feeling of unfamiliarity and oppression. She didn’t like it here.

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, she immediately called the renovation team.

Early the next morning, staff from the renovation company arrived to discuss her preferences. In a high-end villa neighborhood like this, any renovation firm whose business cards were accepted had to be top-tier and well accustomed to grandeur.

The woman in professional attire greeted the currently infamous, headline-dominating Li Wanbai with perfect composure, maintaining a polite, well-trained smile. “Ms. Li, which part of the house would you like to renovate?”

“I want to turn that section—the rooftop—into a glass conservatory,” Li Wanbai said, pointing to the empty balcony not far away. It blended seamlessly into the villa’s bleak decor, silent and desolate, utterly lifeless.

Not a hint of vitality.

The representative’s face showed a brief confusion. “Pardon me, Ms. Li, but if you want the rooftop to be full of life, you could simply buy some flowers from a florist.”

There was no need for their company.

“No, I think you misunderstood. I want to transform the balcony into a semi-enclosed, independent space filled with all kinds of plants—and I’d like a fully automated irrigation system, too,” Li Wanbai replied, her expression earnest as she detailed all her requirements.

The room felt too oppressive; she was uncomfortable, especially with that balcony visible every time she opened the door.

It was so empty, as if its existence meant more than just being a balcony. She wanted to make that space into a glass house.

Unfortunately, she was allergic to flowers, so her requirements were even stricter.

If possible, she wanted to add automatic irrigation and air purification devices—an entirely automated artificial garden.

If she just wanted to decorate the balcony, there’d be no need for such fuss or professional help.

But with all these requirements, a florist simply wouldn’t suffice.

The company representative, ever the professional, took out her notebook and carefully wrote down each of Li Wanbai’s requests. Her expression grew stranger as she listened.

Li Wanbai, watching her closely, couldn’t help but ask, “Is it not possible?”

“Of course it is! At Tianyu Renovations, we guarantee that no matter how tricky the layout or how unusual the request, we can fulfill it. Fulfilling our clients’ wishes is the very reason Tianyu Renovations exists. It’s just that your request sounds very familiar…”

She glanced at the rooftop again, squinting slightly as she murmured, “It seems that a long time ago, a gentleman made a similar request. But in the end, he never followed up.”

She still remembered how the man’s eyes shone with hope for the future when he spoke of his plans. He was incredibly handsome, too, and barely a sentence passed without mention of his wife. She’d been envious for quite some time—no wonder the memory was so clear.

“Oh, really?” Li Wanbai was surprised, but said nothing more. She shook her head and smiled. “Looks like I’m not the only one like this in the world.”

What a coincidence to encounter such a thing.

That morning, after meeting with the renovation company’s representative and seeing her off, the company car had just left when a Maybach rolled to a stop in front of the villa.