Qian Meng looked at Xiong Fen. "You'll need to get a list of questions. If they want an exclusive, they should get in line," Qian Meng commented.

  Xiong Fen nodded. "We'll collaborate on the answers and pass it by Mr. Li." She looked over at the lawyer. After the agreement, everything went according to plan.

  And then, there she was, sitting in front of the male reporter, dressed up for a small photo shoot for the two-page spread that had been promised to Venus.

  "Miss Yun, are you ready?" the journalist asked.

  Qian Meng nodded. "I am ready." She placed her hand on her knees and waited for the questions to come.

  The reporter cleared their throat for one last time before firing their question.

  The summary of the interview went like this:

  "Why did you pick such an odd name for the line? The Shift?" The question was one from the list given to her, so she didn't hesitate to answer it.

  "It was the word that defined the idea behind the collection the best. We wanted to create a line of accessories that could within its components transform into something else at any moment. As per the occasion, the aesthetic of the accessory changed. It was the best of both worlds in a way," she informed in a calm voice. The concept behind the line was integral to the design. "As for the name, it is inspired by the myths surrounding werewolves and how they can shift from a human form to a wolf form."

  The reporter gave her an understanding smile. "Oh, I see. That is actually a rather interesting concept." He nodded. "But I have never seen anyone come up with such an elaborate design concept for each piece in a collection. What inspired you to create it?"

  Another question from the list. Good for now.

  She pretended like she was remembering the time she had come up with the idea. Even though what she was about to say was the truth. "It's not common knowledge but I accept two custom orders every year. I personally design and hand it over to the client. It is only me working in that process. You can consider it a passion project of mine." She just had to slide in a little promotion for herself. She already made her wedding rings this year, so she wouldn't take on any more. But next year… she would love to work on something exciting.

  "Last year, a client of mine wanted to buy their partner an engagement ring. But their partner is a mathematician who loves hard-to-solve puzzles. With this idea in mind, I started to draft a design that the wearer would need to put thought into and solve before wearing it. As it turned out, the results were many. And therein came the idea of shifting jewelry. One accessory that can adapt to any occasion."

  She had listened to the love story of the said couple and felt that the puzzle would be the best way to make the engagement ring worth their story. But that story was for another time.

  The reporter looked stunned. He quickly shrugged off his train of thoughts and his speculation on who the couple was. "In the fashion industry, there is something called basic gear. Something that goes along with all kinds of clothes as you dress up or dress it down. Is that part of the function of this collection?"

  Qian Meng frowned. She hated this type of generalization, but to those who had not studied theory or trends, she could understand them not knowing the difference.

  "No," Qian Meng started. "Basic gear remains constant. You need to add other articles to it to make the whole look stand out. But this collection is meant to be glamorous and demure as and when required. It's not one accessory that works for all. It is multiple accessories embedded within one body."

  That got the reporter curious. He asked a question that was not in the list. "And how many forms can each separate item become?"

  A pertinent question, regardless.

  "Each design has a different number to it. Some have two. Others might be worn in twelve different ways." That number alone should be fascinating.

  The reporter even gave her the chance to brag more about the line. "And are those the only ways you can wear these articles?"

  Qian Meng shook her head. "The Shift is about adaptability and shedding your skin. Therefore, even though we give a booklet on the designs we could come up with. The consumer can always use their creativity to try out new ways to wear the products."

  The reporter jotted something down in their notebook. When he looked up, he had a gleam in his eyes. Qian Meng knew where the discussion was headed.

  "You've put a great deal of thought into this project. How long did this collection take from conception to it coming to the market?"

  She didn't have to think deeply about the answer. "We started working on this collection in January of last year, shortly after I delivered the engagement ring that inspired it. It has taken about a year for it to come to the market for customers to buy. But part of the collection was displayed in a private fashion show in New York with the head designer of the collection. That happened around November of last year."

  "Oh. Would you say that this collection took a lot more time than the other collections?" the reporter asked.

  "I wouldn't go as far as to say that. Every collection takes months to come to be. The Shift was slow to come to the masses because of some internal issues unrelated to the designing process." The Shift was a particularly difficult line to come up with. The fact that it was selling so well was a boon in itself. Her loss from China hadn't been negligible, but it wasn't hurting as bad any longer.

  The reporter straightened up at that response.