Red Leaf Estate.

Back at the house, Jiang Meilin found herself asking about Yang Lin's plans.

Yang Lin was already a designer at the absolute ceiling of the industry, and paid accordingly. If she had chosen to resign, she plainly wasn't going back.

As her closest friend, Jiang Meilin naturally wanted to know what she meant to do next.

She asked outright, "Yang Lin, have you thought about the future at all?"

"I have."

Yang Lin answered honestly. "I want to have a child."

Jiang Meilin had just picked up her cup and taken a mouthful of water, and the words nearly sent it straight back out again. "A child? With who?"

"With nobody. I'll do it by insemination. I've already looked into the procedure — the doctor says my body is in reasonable shape at the moment and the success rate is fairly high."

"You— where did this come from all of a sudden?"

"Isn't it just the fear of being lonely when I'm old?" Yang Lin laughed at her own expense. "Women from ordinary backgrounds like us — when we're young, the moment we get so much as a chance we throw ourselves into a career and think about nothing else, and then by the time we're a little older we've got picky. So I've missed out on love. I may as well look forward to family instead."

Having lived through the same thing herself, Jiang Meilin understood the state Yang Lin was in perfectly well. She reached over and pulled her friend into her arms. There was nothing but sincerity in what she said. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you."

"After National Day I'm going to take two months to enjoy myself. Partly to get my body into good condition and get ready for the procedure, and partly because I want a rest."

Jiang Meilin asked, "Do you have any friends over in Shanghai?"

"No."

Yang Lin said softly, "Buying an apartment and settling in Shanghai — I was thinking of giving the child a better environment to grow up in. Everything there is far better than…