“Madam Chen, I’m afraid that won’t work. I’m just a designer. I don’t handle fabrics, and the factory has strict controls. If I take things randomly, that would be stealing…”
Before Cheng Zi could finish, Madam Chen’s smile had already vanished.
“You can’t put it like that,” she said sharply. “It sounds like I’m asking you to commit a crime. I just wanted to buy a bit from you, I’m not asking for free. Why are you pinning such a big accusation on me?”
Cheng Zi: ?
Madam Chen withdrew her hands and even wiped them on her clothes, clearly disgusted. “My daughter even said you were nice, said you’d definitely help if I asked.”
Her daughter?
A vague figure flashed through Cheng Zi’s mind.
Tang Jing?
A classmate from high school—hers and Gu Yechén’s.
“Forget it.”
Madam Chen said “forget it,” but she didn’t leave. Instead, she looked at Cheng Zi with a fake smile. “My daughter said she’ll be attending the city mayor’s daughter’s wedding in half a month. I wonder if you’ve received an invitation, Xiao Cheng? After all, the groom is your classmate~”
She deliberately stretched the words “classmate.”
The plump woman beside her chuckled and cut in, “Some people really have no shame. Even if they go, they’ll just become a joke.”
The old doorman slowly stood up from his chair, fan still moving, inching closer—clearly trying to eavesdrop.
Cheng Zi rubbed her temples, finding it all somewhat amusing. In her life, all scheming had been limited to the workplace. This was her first time dealing with this 90s-style auntie gossip circle…
Then an idea formed.
“Thank you for your concern, Auntie. Of course I’m going. Even the city mayor’s daughter’s wedding ring was bought with my money. How could I not attend?”
“What did you say?” Madam Chen’s eyes flickered with surprise.
Cheng Zi nodded. “Ah Chen said you don’t catch a tiger without entering its lair. First give her some sweetness. Her father-in-law is even going to buy him a house at Hualian Building and fund his startup. After that, he’ll give all the money to me…”
The two women’s mouths slightly opened in shock.
They didn’t doubt her at all—after all, she spoke so convincingly, even giving exact details.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cheng Zi noticed Xie Ci approaching from a distance. Only then did she act as if she had just realized something and quickly covered her mouth.
“Oh dear, look at me talking too much. You two are known for keeping secrets, right? Don’t spread this around. Tang Jing is our classmate after all…”
The pleading look in her eyes was perfectly caught by the two women.
“Xie Ci is here. He can’t know about this. I’ll go first. About the fabric, I’ll see if there are leftover scraps at the factory and bring some for you.”
Before the two women could process the explosive gossip, Xie Ci had already arrived.
He glanced at them with a measuring look.
“Let’s go, husband.”
“Mm.”
Xie Ci nodded slightly at them as greeting.
The two women forced stiff smiles, secretly thinking Xie Ci was pitiful for being deceived by this woman.
After they left, Madam Chen immediately shared the story at home during dinner.
Cheng Zi and Gu Yechén were having an affair, neither of them were good people—one fooling Xie Ci, the other climbing the social ladder…
Tang Jing was also a gossip-mouthed person, and within two days, the rumor spread through their entire class circle.
…
Cheng Zi folded her parasol, sat on the back seat of the bicycle, and naturally wrapped her arms around his waist.
Smiling brightly, she felt quite amused. The courtyard life was unexpectedly lively. That small move against Gu Yechén—she wondered what kind of butterfly effect it would create.
Xie Ci only felt a small hand wandering around his stomach.
Xie Ci: “……”
Cheng Zi, deep in thought, didn’t stop moving her hands. She was seriously counting.
So this is abs? Six-pack? Or eight-pack?
“Slap.”
Her hand was gently tapped.
Warning received.
She immediately rewrapped her arms properly.
“Where are we going now?”
“To Hualian Department Store.”
“Is there kitchenware there?”
“Buying you a refrigerator.”
Cheng Zi’s eyes lit up. How could this man be so considerate?
But… did he even have the money?
“Husband, a refrigerator costs one to two thousand yuan.”
“Mm.”
“Can we afford that?”
Xie Ci didn’t respond.
The wind brushed past their ears as Cheng Zi leaned against his back, watching the scenery along the way.
It felt like a countryside person entering the city for the first time—everything was new.
Hualian Department Store was located in the city center of Tongcheng, surrounded by bustling commercial streets.
There was a designated bicycle parking area at the entrance—five mao per parking.
After parking, Xie Ci turned around and saw Cheng Zi standing blankly by the roadside, staring straight at the department store under the blazing sun without blinking.
Suddenly, her view darkened. A large hand blocked the sunlight above her head.
“Let’s go in.”
“Okay~”
Xie Ci was slightly suspicious. Given how much she loved beauty, this place should’ve been her favorite—yet she looked like she had never been here before.
His expression darkened.
He thought of that unknown man again.
Cheng Zi gently hooked his arm. “Let’s take a look first.”
“Mm.”
The first floor of Hualian Department Store sold clothes and shoes—brand stores everywhere. In the early 90s, fashion was just emerging, and even foreign brands had begun entering the Chinese market.
Together, the handsome man and beautiful woman drew frequent attention from passersby.
Cheng Zi had strong design talent, and fashion was practically engraved in her instincts.
As a top sales performer in her previous life, she was naturally sensitive to business opportunities, and she quickly became interested in the stores.
“Let’s take a look.”
Seeing her constantly glancing around but only passing by the entrance, Xie Ci assumed she was worried about money.
“Alright~”
Cheng Zi pulled Xie Ci into a men’s clothing store.
Xie Ci’s expression darkened further. While she was browsing clothes, he quietly withdrew his hand.
The patience he had left also disappeared.
Disappointment filled him.
She really doesn’t change!
Even now, she’s still thinking about buying clothes for that man?
He didn’t even consider that she might be choosing something for him.
Cheng Zi carefully examined the items and asked the shop assistant several questions, completely unaware of his thoughts.
The store was locally owned and somewhat awkward in positioning.
Domestic men’s fashion at the time was split into extremes: either cheap mass-produced goods or fully tailored clothing.
This shop mixed both—some ready-made pieces and some fabric selections for customization.
A hybrid model like this was hard to standardize or brand.
Trying to go high-end without innovative designs… it was bound to fail.
Styles were ordinary, fabrics were ordinary, yet prices were ridiculously high just because of branding.
Terrible.
“Let’s go, husband.”
This time, Xie Ci avoided her hand and silently followed behind.
Cheng Zi then visited a women’s clothing store and already had her own plans forming in her mind.