20
He actually didn’t like candy.
When he was very young, like all children, he naturally craved it, longing for just one piece of candy. But that man never bought him any, spending every penny on drinking, gambling, and women. They often didn’t have enough to eat, let alone candy.
He would watch the colorful fruit candies in the hands of other children in town, secretly swallowing his saliva. After they unwrapped them and threw the wrappers on the ground, he would stealthily pick them up and lick them.
One winter, the town mayor gave their family a very expensive jar of coffee-flavored candies. That man placed it on the second shelf of the cabinet. As the New Year approached, he went out gambling again, forgetting he even had a three-year-old son at home. He didn’t return for two whole days.
Cen Feng lay in bed, hungry for two days.
There was nothing at home except that jar of coffee candies on the cabinet shelf. Still so little, so skinny his bones showed, he pushed a stool taller than him over to the cabinet, climbed up, and opened the candy jar.
Afraid of being beaten, he didn’t dare eat many. He took only two pieces, carefully screwed the lid back on, and put it away. He held the candies in his mouth, savoring the thread of sweetness. Reluctant to chew, he just let them dissolve until he fell asleep.
He was beaten awake.
That man had returned at some point. The opened jar of coffee candies sat on the table. Curses mixed with punches and kicks rained down on him like a storm. “Didn’t I tell you this jar of candy was for selling, not for eating?! Didn’t I tell you?! You starving ghost, you debtor, I’ll fucking beat you to death!”
After the beating, still not satisfied, he grabbed him from the bed and pinned him onto the table.
Then he opened the jar of coffee candies, grabbed a huge handful, forced his jaw open, and frantically stuffed nearly half the jar into his mouth.
The candies clogged his mouth, tore the corners of his lips, and choked him until he felt his life slipping away.
Ever since then, Cen Feng didn’t like candy.
For a long time, he couldn’t even eat anything sweet; the smell alone made him nauseous.
Later, he gradually recovered. He treated sweet foods as a respite from his bitter life, drinking milk tea with maximum sugar, eating cakes as sweet as they come, but he still never touched a single piece of hard candy.
The sound of hard candy grinding between teeth still made him gag.
Fans, seeing he liked sweet foods, assumed he also liked candy and would enthusiastically give him many candies. He would smile and accept them, then put them in a storage cabinet, never opening them again.
The colorful candy wrappers in the glass jar reflected the light, refracting rainbow hues.
The female shopkeeper watched him a bit apprehensively and pushed the jar forward again. “Take it.”
Cen Feng lowered his gaze, staring coldly at the candy jar for a moment. Suddenly, he looked up and said, “When she comes back again, tell her I haven’t been here. Give this back to her.”
The shopkeeper was surprised. “Huh? You don’t want it?”
He showed no emotion. “No. Don’t tell her I was here.”
With that, he turned and left with his guitar.
A string of purple wind chimes hung at the shop entrance, tinkling crisply and pleasantly as the door was pushed open. Halfway out, he paused, hesitated, then turned back.
The shopkeeper looked at him in surprise.
Cen Feng reached out, opened the lid of the candy jar, took out one red candy, closed the lid again, and pushed the jar back. His expression remained calm as water. “Sorry for the trouble.”
The shopkeeper quickly waved her hands. “No trouble at all, no trouble.”
He gave a slight nod, clenched the candy in his palm, pushed the door open, and left.
Outside, he encountered a man who always stopped to listen to him sing a few lines on his way home from work. The man greeted him warmly, “Hey, bro, haven’t seen you for a while. Singing today?”
Cen Feng glanced at the ground covered with fallen leaves and shook his head. “Not today.” He paused, then added, “I won’t be singing here anymore.”
The man looked disappointed. “You’re leaving? Well, I wish you become a big star soon.”
Cen Feng offered a faint smile, then walked away with his guitar down the winter street, his back melting into the night.
…
Xu Zhaixing returned to S City not long before the new school term started.
She had called Cheng You over a couple of days before school started to help her copy the unfinished winter break homework. While Cheng You copied, Xu Zhaixing worked with fabric measuring tapes, tailor’s scissors, sewing, taking apart, and cutting.
The basic form of the dress was already taking shape. Cheng You, half skeptical, half amazed, asked her, “Zhaixing, can you really make the dress from your drawings? I thought you only knew how to sew clothes for Barbie dolls at most.”
Xu Zhaixing: “Little friend, be quiet and do your homework. Don’t disturb the grown-up working.”
Cheng You: “Whose homework am I even doing?!!!”
Xu Zhaixing: “Be good, I’ll take you for fried chicken later. The big pieces.”
A piece of fried chicken was all it took to quiet the little friend.
After the school term started, Xu Zhaixing became even busier. This dress represented years of her dedication. Every stitch, every thread, even each tiny sequin on the hem was sewn by her own hands, with no one else’s help.
Sometimes, when her mother tried to assist, Xu Zhaixing would shoo her out. Standing at the door, Mrs. Xu sighed to her husband, “Who would have thought, when she used to bring home Barbie dolls like they were free, that she would have this kind of talent now?”
After spring arrived, the weather warmed, and new buds sprouted on the street trees. Xu Zhaixing finally completed the dress and shipped it to B City before the competition began.
She went to ask her homeroom teacher for leave. After explaining her reason, the teacher immediately agreed and wished her good luck.
This time, Xu Yan came to pick her up again.
He had switched to lighter spring wear, tall and lean, attracting covert glances from many girls along the way. Xu Zhaixing mused, “Brother, why don’t you package yourself and debut? You’re getting more handsome, even more than the male artists at our company!”
Xu Yan glanced at her. “I think your gift for glib talk is also improving.”
Xu Zhaixing: “…I was genuinely complimenting you. Why are you mocking me?”
Bickering all the way, they reached the parking lot. From afar, they saw a car window rolled down, someone inside happily waving at her.
As they approached, Zhao Jinjin quickly got out of the car, beaming. “Young Miss, long time no see!”
Xu Zhaixing also smiled. “What are you doing here?”
Once in the car, Zhao Jinjin explained, “Mr. Xu asked me to come try on the dress with you!”
Xu Zhaixing looked her over. “You’ve kept your figure well, even better curves than before. Your skin looks nicer too!”
Zhao Jinjin said proudly, “Of course!” She held up one finger, looking pitiful. “For the past few months, I haven’t had a single sip of Coke.”
Xu Zhaixing almost died laughing.
The dress was at Xu Yan’s place. Xu Zhaixing had shipped it along with the mannequin. Xu Yan had followed her instructions, preserving it perfectly—exactly as it was when shipped.
Zhao Jinjin had been chatting and laughing with her, but the moment she entered the room and saw the dress, she was speechless.
Her eyes widened in excitement and disbelief. “Young Miss, you made this?! Oh my god, this dress is too beautiful! It’s even prettier than the high-end custom gown I wore for my last red carpet! Ahhh, can I really wear this dress? Am I qualified? Really?!”
Xu Zhaixing closed the bedroom door. “Yes, you can! Take it off!”
Zhao Jinjin dramatically ripped off her coat.
The dress was tailored to her body proportions, every stitch conforming to her curves. Xu Zhaixing enjoyed a free view of the model’s stunning figure. After helping her into the dress, she simply styled her hair a bit.
Throughout the process, Zhao Jinjin could only repeat one thing: “How are you so amazing?”
Once dressed, Xu Zhaixing carefully checked if any adjustments were needed, only to find it was perfect as is.
She opened the door and called Xu Yan in to take a look.
Xu Yan looked over the trembling, excited Zhao Jinjin and nodded approvingly. “Not bad. Go win that award.”
Zhao Jinjin was on the verge of tears from excitement. “I’ve never worn such a beautiful dress. I feel so expensive, wuwuwu…”
Xu Zhaixing clapped. “Hey, look here. Walk a few steps! Take two steps! Stop shaking!”
Zhao Jinjin shakily walked a couple of circles, realizing walking in a dress and walking normally were completely different. She had trained hard for months! Why did she forget how to walk once in the dress?!
Tearfully, she said to Xu Zhaixing, “I’m so scared I’ll ruin it. If I move too much, will the diamonds fall off as I walk?”
Xu Zhaixing looked at her coolly. “Do you think you’re some tragic romance novel heroine whose tears turn into pearls when she cries?”
Zhao Jinjin: “Who?”
Over the next few days, Xu Zhaixing made Zhao Jinjin practice walking in the dress. Wu Zhiyun had previously hired a professional modeling coach for Zhao Jinjin. She was naturally talented and learned quickly. After a few days of practice, she adapted to the dress’s weight and intricate details, walking with poise and style.
Soon, the official competition day arrived.
The competition venue was set in B City’s famous fashion show arena, where the stage had been under construction for months. The competition had two rounds: the semi-finals and the finals, held consecutively without a break. The semi-finals mainly assessed how perfectly the designer translated their sketches into the actual garment, as well as the model’s presentation.
After the semi-final selection, the finals would begin immediately, focusing solely on the designer’s skill.
Xu Yan could only accompany them to the entrance for participating designers. Only the designers themselves and their models were allowed inside. He patted Xu Zhaixing’s head and simply said, “Good luck.”
Xu Zhaixing nodded with fierce determination.
Given the international scale of the competition, arrangements were well-organized. Eight contestants formed a group, sharing a large preparation room. Each had their own makeup station and changing area, avoiding any crowding or conflict.
Xu Zhaixing was contestant number twenty-seven. When she and Zhao Jinjin entered the room following the signs, the other busy designers already inside paused in surprise.
Xu Zhaixing wasn’t dressed up. She was even bare-faced, her hair pulled into a lively ponytail, wearing sweatpants and white sneakers, looking very much like a minor.
But she wore a participant’s badge on her chest and a number “27” tag on her waist.
Those who made it to the semi-finals were at least university graduates, no matter how young. An underage participant was unprecedented.
They all looked at her with a mix of awe and disbelief. If the competition participants weren’t still anonymous at this stage, they might have suspected she had connections.
A male designer with a beard, holding a makeup brush as he applied makeup to his model, couldn’t help but greet her. “Wow, little girl, how old are you?”
Xu Zhaixing replied politely, “I’m sixteen.”
The room echoed with a collective, shocked “Woah.”
The man exclaimed, “A prodigy!” He glanced at Zhao Jinjin, who was carrying the dress, and stammered, “Aren’t you that… that…” He couldn’t recall the name, slapping his forehead, then pointed towards the back rooms. “You should hurry and change. Changing room twenty-seven is over there.”
Thanking him, the two headed straight over.
Once inside their small space and closing the door, Zhao Jinjin finally relaxed with a sigh of relief. She whispered, “I thought someone might give us trouble. I was in combat mode the whole way here.”
She wasn’t well-known in the industry yet, and she often encountered unpleasant situations at events. She expected this time to be no different.
Xu Zhaixing helped her into the dress and said, “Most designers have a certain pride. We’re lucky not to have encountered any petty people this time.”
Zhao Jinjin couldn’t help adding, “Young Miss, it’s so good being with you. No one bullies me.”
A simple sentence that spoke volumes about the hardships in the entertainment industry.
Xu Zhaixing’s fingers paused for a moment. After a long silence, she said softly, “Star Era will become strong. Believe me. In just a few years, those who once looked down on you will be looking up at you. We will all become strong.”
We will all become strong, strong enough to protect those we want to protect.
**