Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Ximing's bedroom.
He opened one eye.
Then the other.
He stared at the ceiling.
"Today," he announced to himself, "I am doing absolutely nothing."
He sat up.
Paused.
Then immediately got out of bed.
"Except work on LEVON"
He sighed.
"So much for retirement."
Downstairs, Kael was already preparing breakfast. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the house.
"You said you were doing nothing today," Kael said without looking up.
"I changed my mind."
Kael smiled. "Of course."
Ximing sat at the table and began eating.
After breakfast, he went to the room he had turned into his design studio.
Large sheets of paper covered the table.
There were sketches of jackets, long coats, elegant dresses, shirts, trousers, and formal outfits.
Ximing ran his fingers over one of the drawings.
"I want Yasmin to feel powerful."
Kael leaned against the doorway.
"Powerful?"
"Elegant. Confident. Something that makes people walk into a room and feel like they belong there."
Kael nodded thoughtfully.
"So... clothes for important people?"
"Exactly."
Ximing picked up another sketch.
"And ordinary people too. Not everyone wants to dress like royalty."
He separated the drawings into two piles.
LEVON — Royal Collection
LEVON— Everyday Collection
Kael looked impressed.
"You planned all of this already?"
"I had an office job for years," Ximing replied. "Planning things is practically part of my blood."
Kael laughed.
Ximing then remembered the enchanted sewing machine they had bought in the human territory.
He uncovered it.
The machine shimmered faintly with magic.
"This thing is incredible."
He placed a piece of fabric beneath the needle.
The machine began moving smoothly.
Ximing watched carefully.
His eyes widened.
"Oh."
Kael stepped closer.
"It worked?"
"It worked!"
Ximing immediately grabbed another piece of fabric.
"Kael, I think I have just discovered the greatest invention in my retirement."
"You've been here for months and only now discovered that?"
"This is different."
Ximing continued working.
By afternoon, several finished pieces were hanging around the studio.
A deep green jacket with gold details.
A dark blue formal coat.
A white shirt with elegant cuffs.
A wine-colored long coat.
And a black outfit with subtle gold embroidery.
Kael stared at them.
"They're beautiful."
Ximing smiled.
"Thank you."
Then he noticed something.
The gold thread on the green jacket had formed a tiny flower-shaped pattern.
Ximing touched it gently.
"Yasmin."
Kael looked at him.
"What?"
"The flower. That's what the brand needs."
He quickly drew a simple flower emblem.
Elegant.
Small.
Recognizable.
"This will be the symbol."
Kael nodded.
"Yasmin."
"Yasmin."
For a moment, they simply looked at the design.
Then Ximing leaned back in his chair.
"I think my retirement is becoming a business empire."
Kael laughed.
"You started a restaurant, a clothing company, farming, and you're planning a family."
Ximing counted on his fingers.
Kael shook his head, smiling.
"You really don't know how to rest."
"Oh, I rest."
"When?"
"Every night."
"That isn't retirement."
"It is when you spent years working for someone else."
That made Kael quiet.
Ximing looked around his studio.
There was no boss.
No office.
No deadlines forced upon him.
If he wanted to work, he worked.
If he wanted to farm, he farmed.
If he wanted to sleep until late morning, nobody could stop him.
He smiled.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I think I'm actually living the life I wanted."
Kael looked at him warmly.
"You are."
Outside, they could hear children laughing near the house.
The chickens were making their usual noise.
From the restaurant in the distance came the smell of freshly baked bread.
Ximing looked toward the window.
A peaceful home.
A growing business.
Good food.
Friends.
And someone beside him who had become very important to him.
Maybe retirement didn't mean doing nothing.
Maybe it meant finally having the freedom to choose what mattered.
Ximing smiled.
"Tomorrow, I'll make the first Yasmin collection."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"And today?"
Ximing stood up.
"Today?"
He stretched.
"I'm going to eat noodles at my own restaurant."
Kael laughed.
"Now that's retirement."
And together, they walked toward The Garden Table