Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Half an hour later, Miss Shen was almost half-dragged, half-pulled out of bed by Fu Jichen.

She pulled out a set of clothes from her suitcase to change into, sat gracefully in front of the vanity, and worriedly looked at herself in the mirror. The injury on her neck was not something she could show to others.

Seeing her concerns, Fu Jichen pulled a scarf out of her yet-to-be-organized suitcase: "If you don’t want others to see it, you can use a scarf to cover it up."

As he spoke, Fu Jichen came up behind her and loosely wrapped the scarf around her neck.

The soft white cashmere scarf accentuated Miss Shen’s snow-white skin, her long black hair draped down her back, and with just a hint of dried rose lipstick on her lips for color, she looked like a water lily, fresh and enchanting.

Fu Jichen held her hand as they walked out of the elevator to the living room on the first floor.

"It’s very cold at night, are you sure you don’t need to wear a down jacket?" he said.

"We’re just going to have a meal, indoors should be fine."

Miss Shen wore a camel coat, her other hand tucked into her pocket, the scarf covering half her face, leaving only her bright eyes visible.

In the living room, Cheng Jin saw this scene and greeted them with a slight smile: "Sir and... Miss Shen are going out?" She was still getting used to Miss Shen’s presence at home, pausing as she spoke.

Fu Jichen casually said, "No need to prepare dinner for us."

Cheng Jin walked them to the door.

Without calling the driver, Fu Jichen personally drove, sitting in the driver’s seat, he pulled out his phone to contact Fu Feibai, asking for the restaurant’s address.

While he was on the phone, Miss Shen fastened her seatbelt and turned to look outside the window.

The villa area was desolate and silent, the sound of the wind rustling the branches was particularly clear.

The car engine started and slowly moved out of the villa gates.

The destination was in a tangled maze of alleys, with the navigation indicating that there was no space to U-turn ahead, Fu Jichen slowed down and found a spot on the side road at the alley entrance to park.

Miss Shen opened the car door and got out first; as her feet touched the ground, the warmth from the air conditioner was gone, and she immediately felt the unforgiving temperature of Beicheng’s night.

The air she breathed in was icy cold, chilling her from her nasal cavity down to her lungs.

This feeling was indeed long-lost.

Miss Shen tightened her open coat and looked up to see a small shop open on the left side of the alley entrance.

A white wooden sign hung above the door, with words in red lacquer blurred by years of exposure to the elements. The display window facing the street was lit with a warm yellow light, through which various styles of ready-made qipaos could be seen hanging inside, along with rows of different colored fabrics for customers to choose from.

It was easy to tell that this was an old-fashioned handmade qipao shop.

"Interested?" Fu Jichen locked the car, walked around the front, and seeing her staring at the shop in a daze, suggested, "The shop looks open, let’s check it out."

Miss Shen was just looking around casually, withdrew her gaze, and shook her head, saying, "No, thanks," but Fu Jichen pulled her along, lifting the heavy curtain with one hand to enter.

Behind the counter, an elderly man with gray temples, wearing round glasses with thin black rims, somewhat resembling a teacher from the Republic of China era, was present. The old man raised a finger to his lips to moisten it, turned a page of the ledger, and bent his head over calculations, not noticing customers had come in.

"Dad, someone’s here."

On the carpet by the wooden tea table sat a girl, young, probably around seventeen or eighteen, eating a bowl of sesame sauce wontons she had brought back. In front of her was a tablet playing a talk show, occasionally emitting humorous sound effects.

The elderly man behind the counter didn’t respond.

The young girl double-tapped the screen to pause the program, shouting, "Old man, you’re not even fifty yet, why’s your hearing so bad! We have customers!"

The old master lifted his head from the ledger, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and stepped out from behind the counter: "May I ask if you two are looking to buy a qipao or pick up an order?"

Miss Shen’s gaze swept over the qipaos hanging on the wall one by one.

Fu Jichen asked her, "Is there any you like?"

Miss Shen hadn’t finished looking when she heard him ask the shop owner, "Do you have any nice fabrics? I’d like to order a custom one."

"Yes," the old master noticed their distinguished appearance and demeanor, leading them to a row of fine fabrics, "Are you looking to make a summer or winter qipao?"

"To wear in this season."

"These are all options." The master tailor pointed to a row of fabrics in front, "See if there’s a color you like and decide on a style."

Fu Jichen picked through them and pulled out a piece of white brocade fabric, holding it up against Miss Shen.

Miss Shen watched him seriously comparing the fabrics, feeling a bit uneasy, she said, "Forget it, I’ve never worn a cheongsam."

"It’s a good time to try one." Fu Jichen looked her up and down, his gaze finally settling in her captivating eyes, "How about this fabric?"

The color, pristine like jade and snow, suited her perfectly.

A young girl who’d just finished her takeout wiped her mouth and came over to help her father greet the customers, "This white brocade fabric suits you incredibly well, big sister. You might not see it now, but in bright light, the embossed floral patterns look absolutely exquisite, like a shining moonlight on you! Let my dad add a ring of white fur to the cuffs and hem, and pair it with a short vest. I can’t even imagine how stunning it will look."

After her vivid description, the girl pointed to a finished cheongsam on display to show Miss Shen, "Something , they look great together!"

On the mannequin was a light purple cheongsam paired with a white vest, both with edges sewn with short fur, exuding an elegant and lively charm.

Miss Shen didn’t have a strong desire to purchase initially, but the girl’s words moved her a bit.

"Could you please take off your coat, let me take your measurements." The girl was eager and friendly, running to the counter, pulling a measuring tape from the drawer, "You’re in luck, all the orders before you are almost done. It won’t take long, if my dad rushes, it’ll be ready in about two weeks."

Miss Shen took off her coat, about to find a place to put it when Fu Jichen casually took it and draped it over his forearm.

Underneath, Miss Shen wore a fitted wool undershirt. The girl unraveled the tape measure and began measuring her shoulder width, arm length, bust, and waist, one by one.

The soft tape wrapped around Miss Shen’s slender waist, and the girl’s round almond eyes widened in surprise, "57, oh my god, smaller than my head circumference."

Miss Shen chuckled at her reaction.

Fu Jichen leaned casually against the counter, his elbow on the surface, eyes fixed on her small waist, it was indeed very tiny, making him fear it might break with a little force.

Miss Shen lifted her eyes, unexpectedly meeting Fu Jichen’s gaze. He raised an eyebrow, the look in his eyes filled with a hint of mischief, clearly entertaining thoughts that weren’t entirely proper.

Miss Shen shifted her gaze, looking elsewhere.

"All done." The girl recorded the measurements and handed them to her father to write up the order.

The master tailor wrote a receipt and handed it to Fu Jichen, "Pick it up in two weeks. If that’s inconvenient, leave an address, I can send it to your home once it’s done."

Fu Jichen took out his wallet from his pocket, paid, and said, "I’ll have someone come to pick it up then."

The master tailor cheerfully escorted them to the door, extending the usual welcome for their next visit.

The young girl peeked out from behind the curtain as they walked away, constantly exclaiming, "That sister is really beautiful, her figure is amazing too. I don’t think any celebrities can compare to her, and importantly, her husband is handsome and considerate! Heavenly Lord, when will you look down upon me and gift me a handsome guy."

The girl clasped her hands in prayer against the dark night sky, the next second, her father picked up a wooden ruler from the sewing table and knocked her on the head, "You’re still young, thinking about these things, focus on studying! Is your homework finished? You’re taking the entrance exams at the end of the year..."

"Enough with the nagging, she knows she was wrong."

The girl clasped her head in surrender and sat on the sofa, picking up a book to pretend to read.

In the alley, a few street lamps hung above the courtyard walls, the light resembling duck egg yolk, dim and faint.

"Watch your step." Fu Jichen reminded as he led Miss Shen further down the alley.

Near the end, they finally found the hidden private restaurant Fu Feibai had mentioned.

Fu Jichen pushed open the wooden door with a creak, revealing a long courtyard paved with square blue bricks.

A figure dressed in black approached, wearing large sunglasses late at night.

"Jing Hui said this place was too hidden, insisted you wouldn’t find it, and made me come out to fetch you. But here you are! And he’s sitting comfortably, like a big shot, ordering me around, not worried about the tabloids photographing me..."

Fu Feibai’s chatter abruptly stopped when he realized his aloof brother was holding hands with a young, beautiful woman.

What a stunning and unexpected sight.