Chapter 22: The Studio

As the evening sun cast a golden hue over the shiny laboratory, the busy world outside seemed far away. Situated in a moderately populated city, the laboratory was one of the most advanced facilities in the country, with cutting-edge equipment, towering machines, and endless rows of carefully organized formulas and chemicals.

In the heart of the lab stood Feng Yuehua, a breathtaking woman with long, flowing black hair and piercing black eyes. With her gloved hands moving with remarkable precision, she stood in front of a long table in the center of the room, focused intently on a delicate experiment. As she worked, the air was thick with the powerful scent of chemicals, and the machines hummed softly in the background, creating an environment of deep concentration.

Despite the bustling activity of the outside world, inside the lab was a space of calm. Feng Yuehua had been working non-stop for hours, trying to develop a new medicine. Her piercing black eyes were focused intently on the task at hand as she deftly manipulated the delicate equipment before her. Her gloved hands moved with the fluidity of a master musician, each motion precise and deliberate.

The machines around her hummed with low vibration, almost like a purr, as they worked in tandem with Feng Yuehua. She was lost in concentration, unaware of anything else around her. But then, a sudden knock on the door interrupted her focus.

Feng Yuehua frowned, annoyed at the intrusion. She had specifically instructed everyone to leave her alone until she was finished with her experiment. She turned towards the door, her expression icy as she called out, "Who is it?"

The door creaked open, revealing a figure in the shadows. Feng Yuehua's eyes narrowed as she tried to make out the intruder's face. But as the figure stepped forward, she recognized her loyal assistant, Mei Xinyan.

"Second Madam Yun, I'm sorry to disturb you," Mei Xinyan said, bowing slightly. "But there's something you need to know."

Feng Yuehua's expression hardened. "I specifically told everyone not to interrupt me. What could be so important that it couldn't wait?"

Mei Xinyan hesitated for a moment before answering. "Madam Yun, something has happened at the Feng family. It's related to your son, Young Master Yun."

Feng Yuehua's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

She quickly removed her gloves and rushed out of the laboratory, making her way to her phone.

Feng Yuehua's heart was pounding in her chest as she waited for her brother to answer the phone. She could hear the sound of her own breath in her ears as she clutched the receiver tightly.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Feng Yuansheng's voice came through on the other end of the line.

"Yuan, what's happened? Mei Xinyan told me something happened to Xiao Cheng. Where is he? Is he all right?," Feng Yuehua said, her voice trembling slightly.

Feng Yuansheng sighed heavily before responding. "There was an incident. But it has been resolved. I can't say much more than that at this time."

Feng Yuehua's eyes widened in shock. "What kind of incident? Is Xiao Cheng, okay?"

Feng Yuansheng paused, his fingers pressed between his eyebrows as he considered his response. "He's fine. He's sleeping in front of me after playing all afternoon. Don't worry about him," he finally replied, his voice low and measured.

Feng Yuehua let out a small sigh of relief. "Thank goodness.", grateful that her son was safe.

But then her curiosity was piqued. "Wait, Xiao Cheng is with you right now? Where is Uncle Wang? He should be looking after him?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.

Feng Yuansheng fell silent, unsure of how to respond. He knew he couldn't reveal the full situation to her at the moment, not until they had more information. And he certainly couldn't tell her that he was babysitting her son because it wasn't safe for him to be alone. "Uncle Wang is taking care of things," he said vaguely.

Despite knowing that her younger brother was not one to openly express affection or concern, Feng Yuehua couldn't resist teasing him. "I didn't realize you cared so much about Cheng," she quipped, a playful tone in her voice.

Feng Yuansheng felt offended and his tone turned serious. "Brother-in-law and you are always busy with your own affairs. Yun Cheng has practically been raised by me in my residence."

Feng Yuehua felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She knew that her brother was right. She and her husband had been so focused on their work that they had let her brother take on much of the responsibility of raising their son, who practically lives with him.

Before she could respond, however, Feng Yuansheng spoke up again. "I'm busy. I have to go."

Feng Yuehua was taken aback by the suddenness of her brother's departure. "Wait, Yuan, I need to talk to you more about Xiao Cheng-"

But it was too late. Feng Yuansheng had already hung up the phone.

Feng Yuehua let out a frustrated groan and slammed the receiver back onto the cradle. Mei Xinyan, who had been standing nearby, looked at her with concern.

"Is everything all right, Madam Yun?" she asked.

Feng Yuehua sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. Xiao Cheng is safe and is currently sleeping, but Yuan wouldn't give me any details about the incident. And before I could even ask him anything, he hung up on me."

Mei Xinyan gave her a sympathetic smile. "Well, at least we know that Cheng is safe. That's the most important thing."

Feng Yuehua nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Yes, you're right. Under my brother's care, no one can ever harm Yun Cheng."

As she said the words, however, a small seed of doubt began to grow in her mind. Why had her brother been so secretive about the incident? What was he hiding from her?

Feng Yuehua knew that she would have to find out the truth, no matter what it took. For the sake of her son, and for the sake of her family, she would do whatever it took to protect them.

***

Elsewhere, Jiang Yan had been searching for the perfect location for her new jewellery design company. She had searched the city for an affordable yet prime location for her new jewellery design company. It was a daunting task, but she eventually got some assistance. Hua Mei had called her to inform her that she had received the fabric when Hua Mei learned that Jiang Yan was looking for a place, for her new company. Hua Mei quickly recommended a small studio that was available for rent. Hua Mei assured her that the location was ideal and that the rent was within her budget.

Jiang Yan wasted no time and went to check out the studio. As soon as she stepped inside, she knew that this was the place. The space was not big, but it was cosy and had a lot of character. The large windows let in plenty of natural light, and the hardwood floors were in excellent condition. She could already envision her jewellery designs being displayed on the walls.

Excited about her find, Jiang Yan quickly finalized the paperwork and made arrangements for the interior design to be done. She was lucky that Wu Changwei knew some people who could get the work done quickly and at a reasonable cost. The studio was almost ready, and Jiang Yan could hardly contain her excitement.

She had invested a significant portion of the money she had earned from the stock market into the business, but she was not worried. She knew that she had some investments that would soon yield the required amount to get through the next few months. Jiang Yan was confident that her business would be successful, and she was determined to put in the hard work required to make it happen.

Jiang Yan would come to the studio every day, overseeing the setup process with a sharp eye. She wanted everything to be perfect for the launch of her new jewellery design company. Wu Changwei joined her, and together they began planning out the designs and discussing how to make everything work seamlessly.

As they worked together, Wu Changwei was pleasantly surprised by Jiang Yan's ideas and creativity. He had always known her as a successful businesswoman, but he had never realized she had such a knack for design. Her input was invaluable and helped to make his designs even more alluring and attractive.

As the days passed, the studio started to take form. The walls were painted in a soft shade of white, and sleek display cases were being installed to showcase the jewellery designs. Jiang Yan and Wu Changwei went over every detail, from the lighting to the placement of each piece of jewellery.

As they worked, they discussed the launch party and planned out all the details. Wu Changwei couldn't believe how much Jiang Yan had already accomplished in such a short amount of time. Her attention to detail and dedication to making the studio perfect was impressive, and he felt proud to be a part of her team.

Jiang Yan was determined to make sure that everything was in order before the launch of her new jewellery design company. She had already supervised the setting up of the studio for the past few days, but she knew that she couldn't handle everything on her own. So, she quickly decided to hire a few more people to oversee other work.

She posted job vacancies online and received numerous applications. After careful consideration, she selected a few people who she believed would be a good fit for her team. One person was hired to take care of the finances, while another was hired to assist with the production process. Jiang Yan also hired a few interns to help with the day-to-day operations.

With her team in place, Jiang Yan felt relieved and excited about the future of her company. She was confident that this company will soon achieve great success.