Chapter 137: Patent

Qian Fanxi lay on the bed, shaking his head slightly. "I have seen too much injustice in my life. In the world of adults, is there really such a thing as true fairness? I only feel sorry for you, but since you have made your decision, I am also gratified for you. If you encounter any difficulties later, even when I am gone, you can look for Qian Da; he has some connections."

Qian Da was Qian Fanxi’s eldest son.

Shen Qingyi did not understand. "Teacher, you..."

Qian Fanxi reached out to interrupt her and continued, "I said all that just now because I was afraid you hadn't considered things thoroughly. I wanted to lay out the pros and cons so you could weigh them yourself. If you choose to heed my advice, I can close my eyes in peace. If you choose otherwise, I am still gratified for you, because even I would find it difficult to make the choice you did. So, let me provide whatever help I can before I close my eyes for good."

Shen Qingyi could no longer hold back her tears. "Teacher, I know you have taken great care of me. Although I am not your most accomplished student, if there is still a chance in this life, I will certainly carry forward your design philosophy."

Qian Fanxi smiled. "Who said you aren't my most accomplished student? You are a natural talent. Of all the people I have mentored, you are the only one who has truly imbued your work with poetry. That 'Wind Whisper' piece you did for Xia Xiyue’s family was excellent."

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Qian Fanxi looked tired and shook his head. "Go back and take good care of An'an. Do not come again. Wait until the day I pass away to see me off."

"Teacher!"

"I am tired. Let Qian Da come in to keep watch, and tell the others to go home," Qian Fanxi said weakly.

This girl looked delicate and fragile, but her character was incredibly tough and stubborn. He truly feared that her uncompromising nature would lead to her breaking.

Shen Qingyi walked out of Qian Fanxi’s hospital room, called out to Qian Da, and instructed him to go in and look after the old man. She then said to the others, "Old Master Qian says you have worked hard. He is fine now, so he wants you all to go back and rest."

Fan Lei glanced at Shen Qingyi. "Why did Old Master Qian keep you behind alone?"

Shen Qingyi felt weary and had no patience to deal with him. She replied indifferently, "He just wanted to entrust me with carrying on his design philosophy."

Fan Lei was skeptical. "Senior Brother Gao and Senior Brother Chen are still here. Why you?"

"I don't know."

Fan Lei was about to press further when Xia Xiyue stepped forward and said, "Why so many questions? You aren't even Old Master Qian's apprentice; what are you fussing about here?"

Xia Xiyun walked up to Fan Lei with her arms crossed, her posture arrogant and her high heels clicking against the floor. "If there is nothing else, you should head back and rest."

Fan Lei noticed that these Xia siblings were becoming increasingly overbearing and immediately took issue with it. "Do you still want your products to enter the high-end venues in the capital?"

Xia Xiyue laughed. "And does our young Master Fan still want to use the Xia family's money to study abroad?"

Fan Lei fell silent instantly.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I just asked her a couple of questions. Is it really such a big deal for you two?"

Shen Qingyi glared at him and said curtly, "I am tired. If you have any sense, stop making a scene here."

Fan Lei went quiet. Back then, his family had begged Professor Shen for a recommendation letter, and she had refused; it was only out of respect for Old Master Qian that she finally relented. Thinking of this, he still harbored some resentment toward Shen Qingyi.

Xia Xiyun saw that Shen Qingyi’s complexion was indeed poor. "Let me take you home to rest. You’ve been running around all day; you should get some sleep."

"Then I’ll trouble you, Sister Xiyun."

Xia Xiyun tossed her wavy hair back and said breezily, "What trouble? How are the drafts coming along lately?"

"They are all caught up. I'll get them for you when we get there."

"Alright!" After saying this, Xia Xiyun pointed to a young woman standing nearby. "This is a friend of mine from Pengcheng. She's visiting the capital to see the world, and I couldn't leave her all alone here. Is it okay if she comes along?"

Shen Qingyi looked at the woman, who was also dressed exquisitely in a trendy Hong Kong style, and smiled. "Sure, let's go."

Xia Xiyun patted the woman on the shoulder. "Let's go, Yue. Our chief designer has agreed."

Shen Qingyi gave Yue a generous greeting, and the three of them walked away. Xia Xiyue, who had tried to interject several times without success, followed behind them slowly.

Xia Xiyun opened the car door. Shen Qingyi and Yue got in first. Just as the back door closed, the front passenger door was pulled open, and Xia Xiyue slid in and buckled his seatbelt.

Xia Xiyun glared at him. "Why are you still following us?"

"I'm going to see An'an!"

Xia Xiyun started the car, speechless. He was truly hopeless, sticking to them even for such a short trip. It made her feel like a thief.

When the car stopped at Shen Qingyi’s door, An'an had already bathed and fallen asleep in Lu Caiqing's room. Fortunately, they had left the door unlocked for Shen Qingyi, so there was no need to wake anyone.

At the entrance, Shen Qingyi asked, "Would you like to come in for a glass of water?"

Xia Xiyun smiled generously. "Sure!"

The three of them entered, and Shen Qingyi poured each of them a glass of water. It was Xia Xiyun's first time in Shen Qingyi’s new home. She looked around with curiosity. "You’ve made this place look quite cozy. As expected of a designer, your aesthetic sense is spot on. I’d love to see what your room looks like."

"Would you like to come in and take a look?" Shen Qingyi invited her.

Yue naturally followed along.

When the three arrived in Shen Qingyi’s room, Xia Xiyun continued to shower her with praise. As Shen Qingyi opened her trunk to retrieve her sketchbook, Xia Xiyun noticed a glass jar filled with wires and batteries inside. "What is this?"

Shen Qingyi looked in the direction of her finger and smiled. "Lu Yan gave it to me."

"How strange. Is it useful for anything?" To be honest, it was quite ugly, and yet Qingyi was keeping it like a treasure. Xia Xiyun mourned for her younger brother for a second.

Shen Qingyi handed the sketchbook to Xia Xiyun, picked up the glass jar, and turned off the room lights. When she flipped the switch on the glass lamp, Xia Xiyun and Yue were both stunned.

After a long while, Yue spoke up in pleasant surprise, "A few days ago, Uncle Hong brought over a clip from a foreign film showing lights in a dance hall. He said he wanted to buy the patent from abroad to produce them, but the colors weren't as vibrant, the light wasn't as fragmented, and the effect wasn't even one-fifth of this. When we asked, the copyright fee alone was fifty thousand dollars."

Converted at the exchange rate, that was four hundred thousand RMB. It was incredibly expensive.

Hearing the mention of such a profit, Xia Xiyun’s eyes lit up. She patted Shen Qingyi on the shoulder. "Call your Lu Yan quickly and ask him how much he wants for the patent license!"

Shen Qingyi was stunned when she heard the figure of four hundred thousand RMB, and it took her a long time to regain her composure.

"Is someone actually willing to buy this patent?"

Yue smiled. "If he can provide production technical guidance, of course they would buy it! This is much better than having to beg and plead abroad."

Forty thousand... Shen Qingyi remained dazed, unable to process the number.