Zhong Ziyan placed the large deposit certificate and keys together, staring at them solemnly for a long while before asking Wei Hanyun across from her, "Are you really sure you aren’t losing out in this agreement?"
"Not at all," Wei Hanyun replied with a light chuckle, his tone unwavering.
To Zhong Ziyan, that smile conveyed only two words:
—Is that all?
Since her boss had spoken so decisively, Zhong Ziyan calmly tucked away both generous gifts.
After the plane landed in City H, Wei Hanyun left for work, while Zhong Ziyan boarded another car. After a moment’s thought, she instructed the driver to take her to the property gifted by Wei Hanyun’s mother.
She hadn’t returned to her previous small apartment since moving out, having grown so accustomed to living in Tingshan that she’d nearly forgotten about the modest 130-square-meter space.
The surroundings and routes near Houtu were already familiar to Zhong Ziyan, and the luxury penthouse across the way—envied by countless white-collar and gold-collar professionals—was etched into her memory.
Li Ye was one of the rare few who had actually managed to buy a place there, while most could only sigh in longing.
Halfway through the drive, Zhong Ziyan received a call from an interior designer she hadn’t seen in a while, politely inquiring if she was available to meet that day.
Without hesitation, Zhong Ziyan gave the address of the penthouse.
By the time she leisurely made her way through the city center during rush hour, nearly an hour had passed, and the setting sun cast a radiant golden hue over the towering skyscrapers of the modern metropolis.
Standing before a floor-to-ceiling window stretching twenty meters long, Zhong Ziyan gazed at the horizon, a faint sense of awe stirring within her.
Is this the view the wealthy get to see?
When the design team was ushered into the high-end apartment by the driver, the first thing they saw was Zhong Ziyan’s solitary figure silhouetted against the window.
"She’s breathtaking—always reminds me of those legendary beauties from literature," the female designer couldn’t help murmuring to her assistant.
The driver, utterly unflappable, announced, "Madam, they’ve arrived."
Zhong Ziyan turned her head slightly. "Please, have a seat. I’ll find some water."
The driver immediately stepped in. "Madam, allow me."
"Do you always struggle to navigate your own homes?" the designer joked lightly. "In that case, I’ll have to put even more thought into the design."
Zhong Ziyan gestured toward the beige sectional sofa opposite. "This is my first time here. No one’s lived in it yet."
"Ah, a newly acquired property, then," the designer replied, momentarily taken aback before settling into her professional demeanor. "Regarding the revisions you requested last time, I’ve brought the second draft of the design. Would you like to review it now, or…?"
Having worked with affluent clients for years, the designer knew how to tailor her approach.
For someone like Zhong Ziyan—wealthy, succinct, and averse to unnecessary hassle—getting straight to the point was best.
This was Zhong Ziyan’s third meeting with the designer.
Truthfully, the initial proposal had already perfectly accommodated her preferences and habits. Yet after reviewing it, Zhong Ziyan had still suggested a few adjustments.
Suddenly, memories of her days in the Main God’s space resurfaced.
The "common area" there had been vast—the size of a plaza.
Divided into sections, it served different purposes: a VR gaming (training) zone, a dining area for shared meals, a workshop for the science-oriented teammates to craft tools… and an entire memorial wall, displaying photos of every comrade lost in the infinite trials.
For a long, long time, that plaza had replaced Zhong Ziyan’s concept of "home."
When she saw the design for the two-story island villa, the idea of recreating that plaza took root.
After sharing this with the designer, the blueprint underwent a fundamental change—expanding from two floors to three.
Fortunately, money was no obstacle. The design team cheerfully accepted the revisions and returned with an updated proposal.
Taking the tablet from the designer, Zhong Ziyan skimmed through the new draft swiftly.
Her reading speed was remarkable; within a minute, she exhaled softly. "Perfect. Proceed with this."
The designer beamed. "We’re delighted you’re satisfied! With your approval, we can begin construction on Cloud Island immediately."
"One more thing," Zhong Ziyan added, recalling a task Wei Hanyun had mentioned on the plane. "My wedding will be held on the island. Another team will handle the venue setup, so you’ll need to collaborate."
The designer’s smile faltered briefly at the start of that sentence but smoothed out by the end.
"Budget separately," Zhong Ziyan clarified.
The designer’s grin turned genuine. "No problem at all. Actually, if you have time, I’d recommend visiting the island to inspect the progress in person. Rendered simulations can’t fully capture the real-life effect. And of course, you’d want to oversee the wedding arrangements yourself, wouldn’t you?"
"I’ll consider it," Zhong Ziyan replied, though she wasn’t particularly invested in how the wedding venue looked.
If she’d hired professionals, she might as well trust them to handle it.
…Or so she thought, before learning just how extravagantly a wedding could burn through money.
The next day, another designer arrived at the Tingshan villa with their team in tow.
The sight of people lugging laptops, tablets, and notebooks made Zhong Ziyan’s head throb.
Heaven knew she’d always been the brawn, not the brains, even back in the infinite trials.
Luckily! Wei Hanyun had also stayed home at Tingshan that day.
Though the estate was sprawling with multiple living rooms, he happened to be seated on the same sofa as Zhong Ziyan.
Even though he spent most of his time reviewing documents or speaking with Fang Nan, his presence was reassuring: her intellectual safety net.
The lead designer was a baby-faced man radiating sunshine as if it were seeping from his pores. "Greetings, Mrs. Wei! First, congratulations on finding the love of your life!"
Zhong Ziyan nodded without batting an eye, while Wei Hanyun glanced up from his paperwork with a mild "Thank you."
"Now, leave all wedding matters to my team!" the designer declared cheerfully, whipping out his tablet. "The wedding of the century? Every event we design is the wedding of the century!"
Zhong Ziyan: "…Mhm." She eyed the tablet warily, praying it didn’t contain an exhaustive questionnaire.
"Actually, I’ve already heard about you from my friend García," the designer added with a playful wink. "So instead of dull rating scales, I’ve prepared a special image-based selection system just for you!"
Zhong Ziyan: "…" Fancy packaging doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a survey.
While typing away at her keyboard, homeroom teacher Fang Nan stole a glance at Zhong Ziyan’s expression and found it amusing—she looked like a struggling student about to face a surprise exam.
"The questions are very simple, I’m sure you won’t find them boring!" The baby-faced designer was full of confidence in his questionnaire. His team quickly set up a projector in the living room and synced the tablet’s display to it.
While adjusting the equipment, the designer kept chattering away, lavishing praise on Wei Hanyun and Zhong Ziyan’s fairytale romance and godlike good looks.
By the time Zhong Ziyan began wondering just how much flattery his brain could store, the projector screen flickered to life.
With a serious expression, the designer began, "When it comes to weddings, flowers are absolutely essential! A wedding without flowers can hardly be called a wedding at all! Among these four options, which would you prefer as the main theme for your bridal bouquet?"
Zhong Ziyan glanced at the screen.
To her eyes: white, beige, orange, white.
To a professional’s eyes: "Bulgarian roses, rainbow roses, champagne roses, or Bethlehem stars."
Zhong Ziyan: "..." Weddings were hard. Ziyan sighed.
In the brief silence that followed, both the boss and Fang Nan turned their attention to Zhong Ziyan, like anxious relatives gathered around a computer waiting for college entrance exam results.
Not wanting to fail at the first question, Zhong Ziyan cleverly sidestepped it. "Which one’s the most expensive?"
"That would definitely be the white Bulgarian roses—they’d have to be airlifted in fresh on the day itself!"
"Then that one," Zhong Ziyan decided without hesitation.
Fang Nan twitched her lips and looked away.
Wei Hanyun lowered his head and went back to reviewing documents.
"See? Isn’t this much simpler than a boring written questionnaire?" the designer asked, beaming.
Zhong Ziyan gave him a deadpan look. "Next question."
Unfazed, the designer cheerfully continued, "Alright, second question! Among these four venue themes, which do you prefer? Starry sky, forest, modern, or vintage?"
This one, Zhong Ziyan—with her enhanced elven bloodline—could answer: "Forest. Birch trees."
A nearby assistant immediately jotted it down.
"Excellent! Now, for the third question!" The designer flipped to the next slide. "A live band is an indispensable highlight of any wedding. What kind of music do you prefer? Pop, classical, rock, or a top-charting idol group? Whatever your wish, we’ll do our absolute best to make it happen."
Zhong Ziyan thought having Li Ye perform live would be nice—easier to boss around a familiar face.
But in the spirit of spending her boss’s money extravagantly, she lowered her head and seriously considered it, dredging up a fragment of memory from something Li Ye had once mentioned. "The Danish Royal Symphony Orchestra."
Fang Nan: "Pfft." The "Royal" in the name meant this wasn’t a group you could just hire with money alone.
The baby-faced designer: "...Of course! We’ll do everything in our power to negotiate for you!"
After completing the entire questionnaire—a novel format covering every imaginable detail from food to logistics, many of which Zhong Ziyan had never even thought about—the designer finally put away his tablet.
Zhong Ziyan sighed inwardly, thinking it was finally over.
But as the designer stood to leave, he added with a smile, "As for the food, next time I’ll bring the head chef and freshly prepared samples for you to taste and evaluate."
Zhong Ziyan: "...?" You mean I have to try every single dish served at the wedding before choosing?
...Wait, that actually sounded kind of great.
"Oh, and one more thing—the wedding favors for the guests are a crucial part of modern weddings, symbolizing status and leaving a lasting impression," the designer added, his innocent baby face unwavering. "The more luxurious the contents, the more the guests will remember the occasion. Please give it careful thought."
Zhong Ziyan pondered for a moment before offering a straightforward solution: "Then just put gold in them."
Fang Nan: "Would you really be willing to give away gold like that?"
Zhong Ziyan: "..." After a pause, she amended, "Fine. Diamonds. Put diamonds in them."
