After being kicked out of the wealthy family along with her yandere childhood friend

"There really isn't a single drop left—"

Bai Tao kicked her legs, but the bed was only so big, and Pei Jin gently pulled her back.

Tears streaming down her face, Pei Jin somewhat mischievously lifted her chin.

"Can't you still cry, baby?"

"Baby lied to me again."

Pei Jin's voice was filled with complaint and dissatisfaction, but Bai Tao, drenched in sweat, couldn't bother to refute him.

When Bai Tao woke up in the morning, she was still a little dazed.

She glanced down at her knees; there were two bruises on them.

One of the stains was a deep purple color; it was left from when Pei Jin accidentally bumped into the bedpost while pulling her leg last night.

She felt like crying but couldn't, and suddenly missed the Pei Jin who seemed to have no desires at the beginning.

She stood up; her legs were a little sore, but she could still bear it.

She went to the bathroom to wash her face, picked up a powder puff, applied it twice to the marks on her neck, and then touched them up with setting powder.

Fortunately, it's covered up; you can hardly see it unless you look closely.

She breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, she had stopped him in time last night, otherwise she really wouldn't have been able to go out today.

Etherea's studio is further out than the innovation park, but it's quite close to their new home.

Last month, Bai Tao was too busy, so she left the entire renovation of her new home to Pei Jin. Bai Tao only told him about the style she liked and a few essential items.

Pei Jin was in charge of overseeing the remaining water and electricity, construction, and decoration companies all by himself.

The studio is a self-built two-story building. The exterior walls and the first floor are covered with hand-painted items and toy ornaments. Bai Tao walked around but couldn't find the main entrance.

The sound of skateboard wheels came from behind, and a little boy dressed in a trendy style with headphones around his neck slid in through an oddly shaped door.

Bai Tao then noticed the inconspicuous door and followed it inside.

It's quite large inside, with a concrete floor. In the middle, there's even a tall locust tree, separated by a glass railing. The tree canopy peeks out from the top, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches, dappling the concrete floor.

Each person's workstation is large and has a different style.

Bai Tao walked and looked around, but no one came to lead her, so she wasn't sure which way to go.

She stopped in front of an empty worktable.

Next to it stood a whiteboard nearly two meters high, covered with plush toys and many design drafts.

Bai Tao stands in front, looking like a game character, with proportions that are different from ordinary people.

She remembered Shen Wanyin saying that Etherea is not only about clothing design, but also about collaborations with game companies and anime.

"Who are you?"

An impatient voice came from behind me.

She turned around and saw the skateboarder from before.

He looked her up and down, his tone impatient.

White Peach stepped to the side.

"Hello, my name is Bai Tao, I'm new here today, and I don't know where to go."

The skateboarder pointed to the hidden staircase next to him.

"Go up and turn right, keep going until you reach the end."

"Thanks."

Bai Tao followed the direction he pointed upstairs, walked around, and saw that it was still the same workstation.

She was a little tired from walking and leaned against a worktable to catch her breath.

"You're Bai Tao?"

She was startled when she heard a voice behind her.

Jessica straightened up from under the table, still holding a roll of fabric in her hand; she had been squatting on the floor tidying things up.

Bai Tao looked over.

She was a well-maintained woman who looked to be around forty years old, wearing a little black dress in the style of Audrey Hepburn, and exuding a sharp and assertive aura.

She nodded.

"Hello, I'm Bai Tao."

"I am Jessica."

She looked Bai Tao up and down.

"Come to me, I don't care what your name is."

Everyone has their own code name; think of one yourself.

There's an empty workbench in the northeast corner of the first floor. Enter your code there, and that will be your workstation.

My assistant's contact information is on my computer; she'll add you to the group.

She led Bai Tao to the locust tree in the middle, handed her a work badge, and pointed downwards.

"That's a warehouse with all kinds of fabrics. You can swipe your card to take them each time, so don't waste them."

Each workstation has a computer and a sewing machine, as well as tools such as rulers, measuring tapes, and books.

Your current task is to master the raw materials, weaving methods, characteristics, and applications of each type of fabric.

Every morning from 9:00 to 11:00, there are 3D modeling classes, as well as sewing and design classes in the conference room on the second floor. The class schedule can be seen on the table.

There are no fixed working hours; as long as you submit your assignments on time, you don't have to come in.

She paused, then glanced at Bai Tao.

"Let me make this clear from the start: I don't tolerate slackers or lazy bums here."

If you don't meet the performance standards, pack your things and leave.

Bai Tao nodded.

"OK."

Jessica had a very strong presence. Knowing that she had gotten in through connections, she didn't say anything.

Moreover, she had already heard that Jessica was known for her strictness in the design world.

But as long as you produce results, there's no problem in anyone surpassing her.

Jessica's attitude wasn't exactly enthusiastic, but seeing Bai Tao's composed demeanor, her tone softened slightly.

"Don't be too nervous."

I know you're new here; I never hire complete beginners.

Your first assignment is to choose one of the pieces you submitted to me and recreate it using suitable fabric.

"After a month, the finished product was ready and handed to me."

She put the roll of fabric back on the shelf behind her, dusted off her hands, and

"The empty workstation in the northeast corner of the first floor is yours. Go check it out yourself. Good luck."

Bai Tao stood under the locust tree and glanced down at the blank work badge in her hand.

She thought about the name of Pei Jin's new company, then raised her hand and wrote a few letters on it.

Pêche. (佩什)

The French word for peach.

She smiled, hung her work badge around her neck, and walked towards the northeast corner of the first floor.

Sure enough, there was a large worktable. She followed the example of others and placed her work card on the sensor area. She then lifted the tabletop, revealing various tools neatly arranged inside.

Needles and thread, measuring tape, chalk, iron, mannequin, and a sewing machine that looks very well maintained.

Bai Tao turned on her computer, logged in, and added Jessica's assistant.

A simple interface popped up on the desktop; it was a mini-program for the studio, pushed by Jessica's assistant. It clearly listed the heads of different areas and their contact information.

Even for some intangible cultural heritage crafts that are on the verge of being lost, contact information such as phone numbers and addresses has been provided.

However, she doesn't have enough access to see those things yet; to do so, she needs to submit an application and her own design proposal.

A month doesn't sound like a short time.

However, for someone who only knows the basics of drawing, cutting, and pattern making, turning a design into a physical object is very difficult.

She flipped through a few pages of the book, closed it, and took the card to the warehouse.

The warehouse is located on a downward-facing surface; the largest light automatically turns on the moment you swipe your card to enter.

The space was much larger than the previous one, with various fabrics arranged according to material and color, ranging from ordinary cotton and linen to silk, satin, lace...

She slowly looked around along the corridor, and when she reached the very end, a glass door blocked her way.

Behind the door was a separate display area, where the fabrics shone with a restrained luster under the soft light, making them look much more expensive than those outside.

She swiped her card in the sensor area, but there was no response.

Bai Tao withdrew her hand, stood outside the glass door for a while, then turned and walked back.

She probably doesn't have the authority.

She returned to the first row, opened the fabric book she had brought with her, and began comparing the different materials with the samples the warehouse manager had taken from the shelf next to her.

She tucked the small triangle into her notebook and wrote a line on the paper.

It has a slightly stiff feel and only moderate drape, making it suitable for silhouettes with a strong sense of structure.