Yi Zhuo's workshop wasn't large, but it was far away.
The studio was built right next to it, making work convenient.
When the car reached the destination, Chang Xuyu was leaning against the passenger seat, breathing gently and rhythmically, still asleep.
Yi Zhuo popped a mint candy into his mouth and closed his eyes to rest for a while.
The car was silent, filled only with steady breathing and the occasional rustle of clothing.
After the mint candy, with its hint of bitterness, dissolved in his mouth, the man opened his eyes, feeling much more alert.
He carefully pushed open the car door, walked to the other side, opened it, and gently lifted Chang Xuyu out.
Chang Xuyu was a light sleeper. Although his movements were gentle, she still woke up.
Suddenly finding herself in an unfamiliar place, she rubbed her eyes and looked at the strange building before her, feeling a bit curious.
"We're here already!"
Yi Zhuo looked down at his watch. "You slept for an hour."
She was startled.
"That long..."
"Let's go."
The two walked over slowly. From a distance, the workshop didn't seem very large. As they got closer, they found it was small but complete.
There was a guard at the gate. Yi Zhuo nodded to the man through the window, and the red-painted iron gate opened.
Yi Zhuo suddenly took her hand, not tightly, wrapping her slightly cool hand completely, and she felt the warmth transfer from his fingertips to her body.
He rarely held her hand.
A worker happened to walk out of the workshop with a cigarette in his mouth. Through the smoke, he saw Yi Zhuo approaching with a long-haired woman, and his face lit up.
He ran over, looking at Chang Xuyu, and asked, "Yo, boss! Who's this..."
He had never seen their cold-faced boss with any female confidant before. What was going on today?
The man looked at Chang Xuyu. Black, long, straight hair, fair skin, a simple and comfortable outfit in muted colors. Although he couldn't see her full face, he could tell she was a beautiful woman with a graceful air.
She kept her head down. Hearing this, she slightly lifted it, revealing a pair of spirited almond eyes, her cherry lips gently pressed, her cheeks rosy and peach-like.
A real beauty!
Yi Zhuo hummed in acknowledgment, paused for a moment, then introduced, "This is my wife, surnamed Chang. She's off work today and came to have a look."
Chang Xuyu looked at him in slight astonishment.
He had actually openly admitted to their relationship.
Even if they eventually divorced and he lost face, he didn't deny her identity.
In contrast, she was very timid, unwilling to acknowledge their relationship in public, mainly because she felt she would lose face later.
Thinking of this, Chang Xuyu pursed her lips, a hint of bitterness welling up in her heart.
The gossip-hungry man widened his eyes, looking at Chang Xuyu, who was completely mismatched with his boss's tough-guy aura.
"Boss, when did you get married?"
He had kept it so well hidden; no one here knew.
Too sudden.
"Not long ago." Yi Zhuo answered flatly.
The man pushed up his glasses, which had dust on the bridge, and grinned. "Got it! We're almost done with this batch of work. It's the sister-in-law's first time here, so she can take a good look around!"
The employees here weren't many. Chang Xuyu had heard from Yi Zhuo that they were almost all young people with backgrounds in sculpture or design.
She gently curved her lips at him and nodded.
Yi Zhuo tightened his grip on her hand and continued walking.
A sudden warmth enveloped her.
Half of her face was buried in her thick scarf, a blush creeping up her cheeks that no one could see.
The man led her to the studio first.
The room had heating; as soon as she entered, it instantly became much warmer. Chang Xuyu sniffled, slowly withdrew her hand from his, pretended to adjust her scarf, and took the chance to catch her breath.
After a moment, she looked around. An artist's studio was larger than an ordinary office. In an inconspicuous corner, a few potted plants sat, their leaves yellowing, probably because Yi Zhuo didn't have time to care for them.
In the middle was a very long solid wood table, cluttered with sample models. Nearby, there were several drawing tables, with messy drafts scattered everywhere.
Chang Xuyu wasn't a design major and hadn't seen tables like this before. When she worked in the studio, she, like her students, usually used drawing benches for painting. She touched the table, then picked up a few drafts. They weren't just design drawings for models; there were also some interior floor plans.
She picked one up and looked at it. Although she didn't understand design well, she had colleagues and friends who graduated from design programs.
More skills never hurt, and besides, Yi Zhuo's sculpture business wasn't large. Given his income, it was unlikely he had no side hustle.
Yi Zhuo took off his jacket and set it aside. "Someone worked overtime here last night," he said flatly.
They were too tired to clean up.