More than ten minutes later, the rain outside the window gradually eased. Jiang Xu brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to her face and felt the towel wrapped around her body loosen.
Lin Jianxi tightened the towel around herself, moved out of his embrace, and turned her back to him.
Jiang Xu narrowed his peach-blossom eyes slightly, gazing at her fair and beautiful nape. “Not scared anymore?”
Lin Jianxi was speechless, “…”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Xu pushed back the covers and got out of bed. He went into the walk-in closet and brought out a nightgown.
Lin Jianxi buried her face in the pillow. After Jiang Xu left, her nerves tensed up again.
Jiang Xu placed the nightgown beside her bed. “Put this on. Call me if you need anything. I’ll be right outside.”
Lin Jianxi’s thick, curled lashes trembled slightly as the sound of footsteps gradually faded away in her ears.
Lin Jianxi pushed back the covers. Beside the bed lay a lotus-pink cotton nightgown. She stared at it for several seconds—she had never worn this nightgown before. It was a gift from Qiao Shu.
The nightgown was just long enough to cover her hips, with a ruffled design at the neckline and shoulder straps, and it was low-cut.
Lin Jianxi suspected Jiang Xu had done it on purpose. Among all her nightgowns, why had he chosen this one?
She thought about going to the walk-in closet to change into another one, but she was afraid of thunder striking midway. With the storm raging outside, she gritted her teeth and put on the pure yet seductive lotus-pink nightgown.
After putting it on, Lin Jianxi lay in bed, covering herself tightly, leaving only her delicate and beautiful face exposed. She listened quietly to the pattering rain outside the window.
A few minutes passed, and Lin Jianxi kept her attention fixed on the door. After waiting several seconds without hearing it open, she propped herself up to look toward the entrance.
Suddenly, the door clicked open.
In her line of sight was Jiang Xu’s coolly handsome face. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Lin Jianxi forgot to react, staring blankly at the man standing in the doorway.
Jiang Xu hadn’t expected to walk into this scene. Lin Jianxi was propped up on her elbows, revealing her fair and beautiful shoulders and neck, her exquisitely beautiful face filled with astonishment.
Lin Jianxi snapped back to reality and quickly pulled the covers over herself, curling up on her side. She bit her lip, perhaps catching the wound on it, and let out a soft gasp of pain.
Suddenly, the bed beside her dipped. Lin Jianxi’s heart pounded wildly as a scorching hand appeared around her waist, making her tremble all over.
Jiang Xu pulled her into his embrace, lowering his gaze to look at the woman resting in the crook of his arm. Her eyes were closed, her lashes trembling violently, and her soft lips were chapped.
Jiang Xu gently untied her hair, and the woman in his arms suddenly opened her eyes.
“Let go of me,” Lin Jianxi said, pressing her hands against his chest as she moved out of his embrace and turned her back to him. “Jiang Xu, don’t forget we’re in the divorce cooling-off period.”
Jiang Xu paused for a moment, his slender fingers winding a strand of her hair around them. “Oh, so what?”
Lin Jianxi couldn’t hold back her anger. “Don’t just hug me without my permission.”
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Jiang Xu’s lips. His warm breath brushed slowly against her earlobe, his voice low and husky. “But we haven’t divorced yet, have we?”
Lin Jianxi fell into silence.
After a long while, she finally spoke slowly. “Don’t you know that the divorce cooling-off period is a government requirement for couples to separate temporarily and think things through before deciding whether to proceed with the divorce?”
Lin Jianxi turned to face him, her eyes glinting coldly. “Separate! Do you understand what ‘separate’ means?”
Jiang Xu paused for a moment, his eyes locking directly onto hers, his voice low and magnetic. “Lin Jianxi, let’s not get divorced, okay? I don’t want a divorce.”
Lin Jianxi felt her heartbeat quicken. She couldn’t tell if it was an illusion or reality, instinctively feeling that these words couldn’t have come from Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu called softly, “Lin Jianxi?”
Lin Jianxi snapped back to reality, her lowered eyelashes trembling slightly. “Jiang Xu, let’s still go through with the divorce. Once the cooling-off period is over, we can meet at the civil affairs bureau to get the divorce certificate.”
Hearing this, Jiang Xu’s brows slowly furrowed, an inexplicable irritation rising in his heart. “As you wish.”
Lin Jianxi’s nose tingled with emotion as she turned over, facing away from him.
The bedroom was unusually quiet, the only sound being the steady patter of rain outside the window.
That night, the two in bed each harbored their own thoughts. Lin Jianxi didn’t even know when she fell asleep. When she woke the next morning, the space beside her was empty.
Jiang Xu’s flight was at three in the afternoon. In front of the servants, Lin Jianxi reluctantly hugged him, then took his hand to see him out, watching him leave.
Time passed unnoticed, and seven days went by.
On this day, Lin Jianxi arrived at the qipao shop more than ten minutes later than usual. As soon as she entered, she saw Ban Xia standing at the cash register, winking and gesturing at her.
Lin Jianxi frowned slightly, following Ban Xia’s gaze to the sofa in the rest area, where a man in a tailored suit was seated—the same extravagant man from before.
At that moment, the man suddenly turned around. Seeing Lin Jianxi’s exquisitely beautiful face, he was momentarily stunned.
Lin Jianxi was wearing a light green, thin silk qipao that day. The sunlight behind her illuminated her graceful figure, making her appear as if bathed in a soft, radiant glow.
Lin Jianxi walked toward the rest area in her slender high heels, the sound of her steps echoing softly. “Good morning, Mr. Zhu.”
Zhu Liao quickly snapped back to attention. “Good morning, Miss Lin. I came today to take a look at that qipao.”
Lin Jianxi’s gentle voice was tinged with distance. “The sample is only half embroidered. Are you sure you want to see it?”
Zhu Liao nodded. “I’m sure I want to see it.”
Lin Jianxi hadn’t expected this man to be so thick-skinned. She had only said it casually, but he actually wanted to see it?
In the end, Lin Jianxi led him to see the half-embroidered fabric. The qipao Zhu Liao had commissioned required pure hand embroidery, with the designated pattern being peonies.
Zhu Liao couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the half-embroidered peony, his eyes filled with admiration. “Miss Lin, your craftsmanship is remarkable. This flower is embroidered so vividly it seems alive!”
Lin Jianxi forced a polite smile. “You flatter me, Mr. Zhu. Now that you’ve seen the sample, if you have other matters to attend to, you may leave. I need to get back to work.”
“I have nothing else to do,” Zhu Liao said with a smile, waving his hand dismissively as he settled into a nearby rest chair. “I’ll just sit here. I won’t disturb you.”
Lin Jianxi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she tactfully replied, “Mr. Zhu, I prefer not to have others present while I work.”
Zhu Liao caught the impatience in Lin Jianxi’s eyes and realized he might be pushing too hard. If he pushed her to the brink, she might simply walk away. Lin Jianxi was that kind of person—he could tell she wasn’t short on money.
Zhu Liao stood up, now at eye level with Lin Jianxi in her high heels. “Miss Lin, I still think it’s necessary for us to exchange WeChat contacts. It would make communication more convenient.”
“Sorry, I don’t think it’s necessary,” Lin Jianxi replied, her gentle voice devoid of warmth.
Zhu Liao fell silent for a moment. The woman before him wore delicate, light makeup, her long hair simply tied up. The half-collar cheongsam revealed a small section of her fair and delicate neck.
Zhu Liao raised his wrist, pretending to check the time. “Miss Lin, I just remembered I have something…”
“Alright, if you have matters to attend to, please go ahead.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Jianxi interrupted him. She gestured politely. “Take care, Mr. Zhu. If you have any questions, please leave a message on the public account.”