Sienna sat at her desk, twirling a strand of her curly hair as she scrolled through the proposal from Li Wei's partner company. She had seen thousands of these in her years as a designer, and at first glance, this one was no different—lavish requests, big budgets, and sky-high expectations; it was standard in her world.

But Sienna was selective. She didn't take on just any project, no matter how prestigious the client. Before even considering a job, she had a system in place: a checklist of preliminary tasks that weeded out clients who weren't serious about the process. At least a third never followed through. And if they couldn't meet her initial expectations, she knew they weren't the type of clients she wanted to work with.

She recalled a proposal from a high-profile athlete—recommended by one of his teammates—who assumed he could throw influence and money at her without following her process. She turned him down. Clients who were serious understood her passion, and those were the ones she cherished working with.

She tapped the intercom button on her sleek, modern phone system. "Liz?"

"Yes, Ms. Carter?" came her assistant's bright, efficient voice.

"Did you send over the checklist to Mr. Wang regarding Li Wei's proposal?"

"Yes, I sent it first thing this morning. That would have been around 9 PM their time," Liz replied.

"I did indicate the urgency of the response, but with the time difference, it may be tomorrow before we hear back."

"Perfect. Thanks, Liz." Sienna leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming lightly on the desk. She had no doubts about her system—it had never failed her before. If Li Wei's team was serious, they would follow through. If not, she had plenty of other projects to consider.

Across the world, in an upscale bar nestled in the heart of Shanghai, Li Wei swirled a glass of amber liquor in his hand, half-listening as his agent, Chen, rattled off updates.

"Li Wei, I've been in touch with several International networks. They're familiar with your work, and quite a few are interested in possibly casting you for new roles." Chen downed a quick shot, adjusting his tie as he spoke.

Li Wei exhaled slowly, setting his glass down. "Chen, you know how particular I am about my roles. But nonetheless, I'm taking a hiatus until my penthouse is finished. In the meantime, I'll be working with the agency—scouting new talent, participating in acting workshops, coaching younger actors. That's where my focus is right now."

Chen, barely glancing up from his phone, pushed his glasses onto his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Aiya..."

Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Chen let out a slow sigh. "The designer we sent the proposal to—she responded."

Li Wei leaned forward, intrigued. "Well, that's good news, isn't it?"

Chen adjusted his glasses and read through the message. "She didn't just respond—she sent a checklist. Before she even considers signing on, she wants a virtual tour of the space, a detailed explanation of the areas to be renovated, the emotions you want the design to invoke, and, of course, the budget. Oh, and she wants to expedite the entire project."

Li Wei's jaw tensed. "What kind of designer has a list of demands for their clients?"

Chen smirked, shaking his head. "Apparently, Sienna Carter does. I did mention she's highly sought after. She doesn't take just any job."

Li Wei ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. He had worked with elite stylists, set designers, and image consultants throughout his career, but this was new. Most people scrambled for the chance to work with him, not the other way around.

"Get Xiao-Ming to handle it," he finally said. "I don't have time to go through the process of finding another designer."

"Understood." Chen nodded, already typing out the necessary messages.

As they exited the bar, Li Wei slid into the backseat of his waiting rideshare. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows, but his mind was elsewhere.

Sienna Carter.

There was something about her already disrupting his world, and they hadn't even met yet.

The next morning, Sienna walked into her office to find Liz already waiting, a tablet in hand, alongside Wynter.

"Ms. Carter," Liz said, a little breathless. "You're not going to believe this. Li Wei's team sent everything back."

Sienna blinked rapidly in surprise. "Already?"

Liz and Wynter nodded enthusiastically.

"In record time, too," Wynter added.

"The virtual tour, the requested details, even a breakdown of the budget. They didn't push back on anything," Liz said with a smile.

Sienna leaned against her desk, arms crossed. She had expected a delay, maybe even some resistance. At this point, she even expected them to counter with more time. Instead, they had moved with precision and urgency. That told her two things: Li Wei was serious about this project, and he was willing to play by her rules.

"I've forwarded you and Mrs. Jamison the details," she murmured. Then she grabbed her laptop and pulled up the email. She briefly scanned the information they sent over.

"So, what do you think at first glance, Sienna?" Wynter asked.

"Impressive."

"Alright, Liz, let's set up a Teams meeting with him and his agent. I want to go over everything before I make my final decision. It should be about 7 PM their time," Sienna reiterated.

Within ten minutes, Liz returned to the office.

"Ms. Carter—Mr. Wei and his agent have responded. I've sent them an invite for a Teams meeting. It is scheduled in an hour," Liz said cheerfully.

"Wonderful—thank you, Liz."

Sienna gathered her notes, refreshed her makeup and hair. Wynter, who always joined her for major project calls, sat off to the side, ready to take notes.

Pressing the meeting link, she waited patiently for Li Wei and his team to join.

"Ni hao, hen gaoxing renshi ni (Hello, very happy to meet you)," Sienna said with a slight head bow on screen to Li Wei and his team.

Both shocked and impressed, Li Wei responded.

"Ni hao." Chen followed suit.

"Ms. Carter—I was unaware that you were well-versed in Mandarin. Would you prefer to conduct the meeting in English or Mandarin?" Li Wei asked.

"I am fluent enough to manage a conversation, but I would not consider myself well-versed in Mandarin, Mr. Wei," Sienna smiled.

"Ah, so English?"

"Yes, please," she responded, adjusting her screen for a better view.

As Li Wei formally introduced himself and his agent, Chen, she gazed intently at him. He was seated in a sleek, well-lit office, exuding the same effortless confidence she had seen in interviews.

Although it was late in Shanghai, he appeared refreshed. His hair was sleek and perfectly styled. His shirt, though casual, showcased his athletic build, and his subtle tattoos were evident in the frame.

"Due to time constraints, my assistant Xiao-Ming could not be here. But you will meet her when you arrive in China—if all goes well," he said, bringing Sienna out of her reverie.

"Ms. Carter," Chen greeted with a polite nod. "Thank you for meeting with us."

"Of course," she replied smoothly.

"Nice to meet you both. Off to my right and your left, you will see my COO, Wynter Jamison, who is also my sister" Sienna stated as Wynter waved casually.

"I reviewed your responses, and I must say that I am impressed—first, by the record timing with which you responded to my request, and second, by the emotion you're aiming to evoke in your penthouse design, Mr. Wei."

"Yes—truly, I want to embody a sense of solace and retreat in my penthouse. Out of all the purchases I've made, this would be my number one," Li Wei stated proudly.

"I can see that, and the budget you submitted accommodates such a vision. I can complete this within the quoted 90-day timeline. With that being said, everything appears to be in order."

Sienna let the moment stretch slightly before adding, "I'm accepting the proposal."

Li Wei's gaze met hers—a flicker of something unreadable in his dark eyes. "When can we expect you in China?"

Sienna's lips curved slightly. "I'll be there in a week."

And just like that, the deal was sealed.