Jiang Xu leaned closer to Lin Jianxi. As he approached, a faint, elegant fragrance drifted into her senses. He held that position without moving, his gaze fixed on her.
Lin Jianxi held her breath, her eyelashes lowered. The intense masculine hormones enveloped her entire being, and her throat grew slightly dry. “What are you doing?”
“Fastening your seatbelt.” Jiang Xu pulled the seatbelt over and buckled it for her, then returned to the driver’s seat to fasten his own.
Lin Jianxi’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, and her face inexplicably felt warm. The man’s warm breath brushed against her cheek, and the cool, woody scent of his cologne lingered in the air.
Twenty-some minutes later, Liren Alley.
The car came to a stop in a parking space along the narrow lane. Jiang Xu turned to look at Lin Jianxi. “We’re here.”
Lin Jianxi unfastened her seatbelt and extended a slender, elegant hand toward Jiang Xu. “Give me the receipt.”
Jiang Xu paused for a moment before handing her the receipt. He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. “My flight is at eleven. I’ll be back Friday evening. Take care of yourself.”
The tips of Lin Jianxi’s fingers holding the paper turned slightly pale. Her bright, captivating eyes reflected the man’s handsome face as she stared at him without blinking.
Seeing her lack of response, Jiang Xu’s brow slowly furrowed. “Your period is coming soon. Don’t eat ice cream or drink milk tea lately. Keep yourself warm.”
Lin Jianxi’s beautiful face turned cold. Her period wasn’t due for another seven or eight days—how was that “soon”?
Jiang Xu’s jaw tightened, and he asked in a low voice, “Lin Jianxi, are you even listening to me?”
A faint curve lifted the corner of Lin Jianxi’s lips. “We’re about to get divorced. Why do you care so much?”
Jiang Xu paused for a moment, his brow furrowing even more deeply. “If I don’t, will you just let the pain kill you?”
Lin Jianxi: “…”
A moment later, Lin Jianxi folded the receipt in half, placed it in her bag, opened the car door, and stepped out. Before leaving, she tossed back a remark, “Even if it kills me, it’s none of your business.”
Jiang Xu: “…”
He frowned as he watched Lin Jianxi’s retreating figure. She wore a beige plum blossom cheongsam with a diagonal closure, its high collar partially concealing a small stretch of her snow-white neck.
Jiang Xu watched the graceful silhouette disappear into the cheongsam shop. Only after a long while did he finally drive away.
“Jiu Xi” Cheongsam Shop.
As soon as Lin Jianxi entered, she heard a customer’s voice. Following the sound, she saw a man in a suit standing at the front desk. While his upper half was dressed normally, his lower half was rather puzzling—leather shoes paired with white socks.
“Can you make this kind of pattern?”
The shop assistant wore an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, our shop has never made this style before. I’ll have to ask our owner.”
The man raised his voice. “You can’t make it? But your shop’s sign says you customize all kinds of cheongsams! Isn’t that misleading customers? If you can’t do it, don’t advertise it!”
The shop assistant was momentarily taken aback. “I’m sorry, it’s not that we can’t make it—it’s just that I need to ask our owner first.”
The man opened his mouth, about to speak, when a gentle voice interrupted him.
Lin Jianxi stood beside the man, her expression cool and composed. “Hello, I’m the owner of this shop.”
The man turned slightly, his eyes falling upon a face as fair and flawless as porcelain, strikingly beautiful. The woman wore a beige cheongsam with a diagonal closure, adorned with plum blossoms. The well-fitted cheongsam accentuated her graceful figure.
For a moment, the man forgot to react, a flicker of admiration flashing in his eyes as he stared intently at Lin Jianxi.
Ignoring his gaze, Lin Jianxi asked patiently, “What kind of cheongsam would you like to have made?”
The man snapped back to reality, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face as he handed the paper to Lin Jianxi. “Just like the pattern on here.”
Lin Jianxi nodded, accepting the paper and lowering her gaze to examine the design. “It can be done, but it will take about a month. Sir, is that acceptable?”
“Of course,” the man replied, his eyes lingering on Lin Jianxi’s face. “What should I call you?”
“My surname is Lin,” Lin Jianxi said with a faint smile, her tone calm. “Sir, if you decide to proceed with the custom order, please go to the front desk to pay the deposit.”
The man chuckled. “Miss Lin, money isn’t an issue. As long as you can make it according to the requirements on the paper, I wouldn’t mind paying ten times the price.”
Lin Jianxi’s lips twitched slightly. The man before her was handsome and carried himself with poise, yet his words reeked of nouveau riche extravagance.
Before she could respond, the man pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her with both hands. “This is my personal card, Miss Lin. How about we exchange WeChat contacts?”
Lin Jianxi glanced down at the black, gold-embossed card: “Lianjia Coal Group, Zhu Liao.”
She looked away and politely declined, “I’m sorry, but you can follow our official account. Any questions you have will be answered by our customer service.”
Meanwhile, the two female shop assistants exchanged glances before huddling together and whispering.
“Ban Xia, that customer keeps staring at the boss’s face. Do you think he’s interested in her?”
The girl named Ban Xia paused for a moment. “Isn’t it obvious? Who wouldn’t be interested in the boss?”
“With that face, that stunning figure, and that gentle voice—who wouldn’t be captivated?”
Just then, the man walked over to them, his expression slightly displeased. “I’ll pay the deposit.”
“Of course,” Ban Xia replied, taking the bank card with both hands. He probably didn’t get the boss’s WeChat…
Lin Jianxi began working on the qipao, eating ice cream whenever she felt tired to stay alert. She had a fondness for cold foods and enjoyed anything icy and refreshing.
Over the next few days, Lin Jianxi immersed herself in her work. When Qiao Zhisheng and Xie Zhiyun invited her to go clubbing, she politely declined, citing her busy schedule.
Qiao Zhisheng was her sister-in-law, the twin sister of Jiang Xu. The two had grown up together and were inseparable best friends who shared everything.
Xie Zhiyun was her neighbor and closest friend. The Lin and Xie families had been close for generations, and twenty years ago, they had even considered arranging a marriage between the two.
But things didn’t go as planned. An unexpected incident occurred between her and Jiang Xu, and the matter with Xie Zhiyun was quietly dropped. Both families tacitly agreed to pretend it had never happened.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye. With no other excuses to give Qiao Zhisheng and Xie Zhiyun, Lin Jianxi put on a black, sexy slip dress and headed to “Mise.”
9 p.m., Mise Bar.
The lights were dim and seductive, the atmosphere dark and noisy. In the dance floor, men and women swayed their bodies freely, and even the DJ moved to the rhythm.
At the center of the dance floor was a captivating figure surrounded entirely by men. Qiao Zhisheng moved her body wildly to the deafening music.
She wore a black form-fitting dress with black stockings, her long, curly black hair cascading down her back. Under the lights, her fair and alluring figure stood out even more.
Lin Jianxi and Xie Zhiyun sat in the booth, their eyes fixed on Qiao Zhisheng the entire time.
Lin Jianxi’s face beneath her light makeup showed a faint blush, her originally clear and bright eyes now slightly hazy with intoxication. She picked up her glass and took a sip.
Before the wine could even settle, she saw a man with dyed yellow hair reaching for Qiao Zhisheng’s waist. She hurriedly swallowed the red wine and called out, “Xie Zhiyun, someone’s trying to take advantage of Sheng Sheng!”
Xie Zhiyun immediately stood up. Leaning close to Lin Jianxi’s ear, he said, “I’ll go over right away. Wait here for us, and don’t wander off, understand?”
Lin Jianxi nodded like a chick pecking at rice, only to be stunned by the scene before her the very next second.