Chapter 562: Jiang Silu Becomes a Boss for the First Time, Makes Big Money, and Treats Lu Fan to a Meal

Chen Mo thought for a moment and answered, “It’s understanding.”

“Understanding what?”

“Understanding what the client truly wants, the unique characteristics of the site itself, and the needs of the end users,” Chen Mo replied earnestly. “Sometimes, clients can’t clearly articulate what they want, and you have to help them clarify it. Other times, the site has better possibilities, and you need to help them discover those.”

Jiang Silu nodded, jotting down a few notes on the paper in front of her.

Once all three candidates had been interviewed, Xiaoya closed the conference room door and turned to Jiang Silu.

“How do you feel about them?” Xiaoya asked.

Jiang Silu thought it over before answering. “Lin Yuan’s technical skills are good, but he isn’t meticulous enough. He created renderings based on unrealized plans, which shows he cares more about making the image look pretty than being realistic. Su Wan is very grounded. She can handle site visits, supervise the actual construction, and has a great grasp of details. Chen Mo is the most experienced. He has his own ideas and strong communication skills.”

Xiaoya paused in surprise, then smiled. “You have a good eye for people.”

Jiang Silu blushed. “I’m just tossing out my initial thoughts,” she said sheepishly.

“You’re not just tossing them out,” Xiaoya said seriously. “The questions you asked were highly constructive. Your question to Lin Yuan about materials hit the nail on the head. The question to Su Wan about on-site difficulties showcased her problem-solving abilities. And your question to Chen Mo about ‘what is the most important’ revealed the depth of his understanding of design.”

Jiang Silu lowered her head, tracing circles on the paper with her finger.

“You’re better than a lot of designers who have been in the industry for two or three years,” Xiaoya added with a warm smile. “Stop doubting yourself so much.”

Hearing this, Jiang Silu looked up at Xiaoya and smiled back.

“Sister Xiaoya, so which one should I pick?” she asked.

“You’re the boss. You have the final say,” Xiaoya teased.

After a moment’s consideration, Jiang Silu said, “I want all of them. Lin Yuan can handle the renderings, Su Wan can supervise the sites, and Chen Mo can draft the proposals. All three have their own strengths and will complement each other perfectly.”

Xiaoya nodded and ticked off the names on the list.

By the time the interviews wrapped up, it was already two in the afternoon.

Jiang Silu and Xiaoya grabbed a bite at the company cafeteria before heading back to the design department. Sitting at her workstation, Jiang Silu booted up her computer and noticed a new email in her inbox. She clicked it open to find a project payment settlement statement sent by Xiaoya.

The landscape design proposal she had worked on previously had passed the client’s final inspection. The project fee of ten thousand yuan had already been transferred to her bank account.

Jiang Silu stared at the number, her finger pausing on the mouse. Ten thousand yuan. It was her largest single income since starting her own business.

She picked up her phone and pulled up her chat with Lu Fan. She typed out a line, then deleted it. She typed another line and deleted that one, too. Finally, she sent a simple message: “Dad, are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner.”

A few seconds later, Lu Fan replied: “I’m free. You pick the place.”

Jiang Silu smiled. She opened her map app and began searching for a restaurant. She wanted somewhere with a nice ambiance but nothing too extravagant. After all, she had just started making money; she couldn’t afford to spend it recklessly. After comparing several options, she settled on a Cantonese restaurant. It boasted high ratings on Dianping, and the average cost per person was quite reasonable at just over a hundred yuan.

She forwarded the restaurant’s location to Lu Fan along with another text: “Is this place okay for seven tonight?”

Lu Fan’s reply was brief: “That works.”

Looking at those two words, Jiang Silu’s smile widened. She set her phone down on the desk, leaned back in her chair, and let out a long, slow breath. Sunlight spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, wrapping her in a cozy, lazy warmth.

At seven o’clock that evening, Jiang Silu arrived at the restaurant right on time.

She had changed into a pale yellow dress, leaving her hair down and wearing light makeup. After waiting by the restaurant entrance for a few minutes, a black executive van pulled over to the curb. Lu Fan stepped out. He wore a dark gray, lightweight jacket, his hair neatly combed.

“Dad, over here!” Jiang Silu waved at him.

Lu Fan walked over, glancing up at the restaurant’s sign with a smile. “This place looks nice.”

“It took me forever to choose,” Jiang Silu said cheerfully. “It has high ratings, and the prices are reasonable.”

The two headed inside and found a window seat. A waiter brought over the menu. Jiang Silu took it, flipped through the pages, and handed it to Lu Fan.

“You order,” she offered with a smile.

“You’re treating today, so you order,” Lu Fan chuckled.

“Well, what do you feel like eating?” Jiang Silu asked.

“I’ll eat whatever you pick,” he replied fondly.

Jiang Silu opened the menu again, studying it item by item. Once she finished ordering, she glanced at the total price and did a quick mental calculation. It came out to over four hundred yuan—perfectly acceptable.

“Where’s your brother? Why didn’t you invite him?” Lu Fan asked.

“My brother has been busy lately.” Jiang Silu handed the menu back to the waiter. “His studio just moved to a new location, and he’s rushing to finish several projects over there. I figured I wouldn’t bother him. I’ll treat him to a meal separately in a few days.”

Lu Fan nodded and didn’t press the matter.

When the dishes arrived, Jiang Silu picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of spare rib on Lu Fan’s plate.

“Try this. The reviews say their black bean spare ribs are amazing,” she said warmly.

Lu Fan took a bite and nodded in approval. “Not bad at all.”

Jiang Silu grabbed a piece for herself. Taking a bite, her eyes curved into happy crescents. “It’s delicious.”

They ate in companionable silence for a while before Lu Fan set down his chopsticks. Looking at her, he asked with a smile, “So, what made you suddenly decide to treat me to dinner today?”

“I made some money,” Jiang Silu replied, a bit shyly. “That project payment finally cleared. Ten thousand yuan. I thought… since it’s the first real chunk of money I’ve earned, I should take my dad out to dinner.”

Lu Fan paused, visibly moved, before breaking into a wide, genuinely joyous smile.

“Good. Then Dad will eat well.” He picked his chopsticks back up and reached for another spare rib.

Watching him eat, Jiang Silu felt a profound warmth swell in her chest. She picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and gently set it back down.