It's just that they have money.

Xuwen is very efficient; before the agreed time, several designers had already sent over their contact information, main styles, and portfolios.

Fang Chen carefully selected a designer with a versatile style.

"Let's go with her. Contact her. There's no budget limit for now. We can discuss the specifics in person."

If you're the client, you have to act like one.

The contractor only needs to fulfill the client's requirements; it's the client who has to brainstorm and come up with their own requirements who has the real hard work.

Upon receiving the instructions, Xu Wen immediately began contacting Ai Wei, the designer chosen by Fang Chen.

Considering Ivy's reputation in the industry and his possible communication style, Xu Wen carefully considered his communication strategy before contacting him to ensure that Fang Chen's sincerity and attention as the client were reflected.

To Xu Wen's surprise, Ivy was very approachable, especially after hearing that Fang Chen had no budget limit, she offered to fulfill any request.

Xu Wen hung up the phone and immediately sent a message to Fang Chen: "I've made contact with the person. They said we can meet and talk anytime, and they're very nice."

Fang Chen was stretching at the gym at the time. He replied, "Then tomorrow afternoon. You choose the location, just make sure it's quiet."

"Okay."

Luo Shanshan noticed that the person Fang Chen was chatting with had a girl's profile picture, and a wave of jealousy suddenly washed over her.

However, nothing actually happened between her and Fang Chen; their relationship was limited to that of a fitness instructor and his student.

Thinking about this, she became a little angry again.

Why am I like this?

……

At 2 p.m. the next day, Fang Chen arrived at the coffee shop in Xuwen on time.

Just as Fang Chen sat down, a series of light footsteps came from the doorway.

"Sorry I'm late!"

A blonde woman wearing a loose linen shirt strode in, carrying a bulging backpack.

"Professor Ivy?" Fang Chen stood up.

"Don't call me teacher, just call me Ivy."

She casually placed the drawing tube on the table, pulled out a chair and sat down, then pulled a crumpled notebook and several colored markers out of her backpack.

After seeing Fang Chen's appearance clearly, Ivy exclaimed in surprise, "You're much younger than I imagined."

Fang Chen smiled and said, "You too."

Ivy wasn't wearing makeup; her skin was in excellent condition, her features were striking, and she had a touch of heroism in her eyes and brows. Her words and gestures exuded a strange blend of enthusiasm and nonchalance.

Xu Wen quietly stepped aside, sat down, and opened his notebook to take notes.

Ivy crossed her arms and rested her hands on the table, looking directly at Fang Chen. "Alright, enough with the formalities, let's get straight to the house. Assistant Xu gave me a rough idea: a detached house by the lake, 320 square meters, unfurnished, budget is not a constraint."

She paused, then asked hesitantly, "Even without a budget limit, there's a general upper limit. Could you tell me what that upper limit is...?"

Fang Chen interrupted her: "No limit means no limit, money is not a problem."

"Great!" Ivy slammed her hand on the table, her eyes shining. "I love clients like this!"

She quickly pulled out several architectural floor plans and laid them on the table.

Fang Chen recognized it as the original structural plan of his villa, which had been marked with many pencil marks.

"Your house has a great foundation; the orientation, ceiling height, and natural light are all excellent."

As Ivy spoke, she traced lines on the diagram with a pencil. "But I looked at the original structure, and there are a few places that can be moved. For example, here."

She pointed to the wall separating the living room from the adjacent room, "This wall isn't load-bearing, so it can be knocked down to expand the living room. Combined with your seven-meter high ceiling, the effect will definitely satisfy you."

Fang Chen looked at the lines she had drawn on the drawing and nodded: "Okay."

"And here," Ivy's pen moved to the kitchen area, "the original kitchen was closed; I suggest making it open-plan... Do you usually cook?"

"I will."

"Then we should definitely go for an open-plan kitchen," Ivy said, starting to introduce her past projects. "In one project I did last year, the client was adamant about not having an open-plan kitchen, fearing the fumes. Later, I designed a high-powered integrated stove with a hidden glass partition for him. Although the client was very satisfied, I personally didn't like it very much."

Fang Chen was somewhat surprised.

He knew that some designers with strong personalities were quite insistent on their own way, like a stubborn artist.

But I never expected Ivy to express herself so directly.

Ivy became more and more excited as she spoke, her marker flying across the drawings, almost unable to stop: "For the master bedroom on the second floor, I suggest opening up the adjacent small room to create a large suite that combines a bedroom, walk-in closet, and bathroom. The terrace will be kept, but I will redesign the railings and flooring to create a semi-outdoor space where you can drink tea and read."

She looked up at Fang Chen and asked, "Are you living alone now?"

"Yes." Fang Chen wanted to hear her design ideas first.

"That's even better. Without other people's opinions interfering, the design process will be purer." Ivy grinned. "What I fear most is a project where all five members of a family have their own ideas, and they end up arguing during a design meeting."

Fang Chen reminded him, "We need to keep the master bedroom, the second bedroom, and the guest room. I still need to bring my family to stay here."

"That's no problem, we can modify it like this..."

For more than half an hour, Fang Chen listened quietly as Ai Wei explained his design ideas.

After he finished speaking, Fang Chen could finally start being an annoying client.

"Your idea is bold and creative."

Fang Chen leaned back slightly and said with a smile, "But I have a few ideas that may be different from what you just said."

Ivy's smile faded slightly; she suddenly had a bad feeling.

"First, about that wall in the living room," Fang Chen's gaze fell on the blueprints, "I don't think we need to knock it all down. Keep part of it, or make a semi-transparent partition. I don't like spaces that are too big; they feel empty and insecure."

Ivy was stunned for a moment; she had just been gloating over her bold plan to demolish the wall.

"But Mr. Fang, opening up the entire space would achieve the best effect in terms of both view and lighting, the grandeur of it..."

"I don't need that," Fang Chen interrupted her. "What I need is a home, not a showroom for display."

Ivy picked up a marker and gestured on the drawing: "If we keep part of the wall or make a partition, we might sacrifice some of the natural light, and the overall flow of the space will also be compromised."

"Natural lighting can be compensated for in other ways, such as by adding indoor lighting design; that's your job."

Fang Chen's tone was calm, but his attitude was firm.

Ivy silently wrote it down in her notebook, her heart starting to pound.

This young client doesn't seem as easy to talk to as he appears.

Fortunately, at least so far Fang Chen's demands have been relatively clear and within her scope of ideas.

Then she heard something that made her vision go black.

"Since I'm designing a home for myself, it has to be cozy, not overly cluttered, nor too minimalist. It needs to retain the tranquility of being alone without making the space feel cold and distant. I want warm colors to create a relaxed atmosphere, but I'm worried that warm colors can be too oppressive visually. At the same time, I want to accommodate social needs, but I don't want to lose the privacy of my personal space."

All clients are the same; when they make demands, it's as if they didn't say anything at all.