Chapter 35 Cheongsam

When Cheng Hexi left Xilin, it was still afternoon. It was not yet sunset, but the sun had already disappeared, and the sky was gray.

As mentioned on the car radio a few days ago, this summer has seen particularly heavy rainfall due to global warming and the influence of the subtropical high.

I wonder if it's going to rain later.

Last night I received a call from my grandmother, who said that a friend of hers has been making custom-made cheongsams in Beijing for many years and has an excellent reputation. The family went on a trip a while ago, and now that we're finally back in Beijing, she suggested taking Cheng Hexi to get a cheongsam made.

Grandma once praised Cheng Hexi for her elegant appearance and excellent figure, saying she would be perfect for wearing a cheongsam and asked her if she had ever worn one.

Cheng Hexi said no.

In her memory, Cheng Yuqing loved wearing cheongsams, and she still vividly remembers her mother's appearance; she was indeed extremely beautiful.

Cheng Yuqing had once said that she would accompany Cheng Hexi to have a cheongsam custom-made after she came of age, but she ultimately broke her promise.

Cheng Hexi thought the old lady was just saying it casually and would forget about it over time. She didn't expect that her grandmother was just waiting for this friend to return to Beijing.

At that moment, she was on her way to the store.

The shop was located in a courtyard house within the Second Ring Road, not far from Xilin. Shortly after getting into the car, she closed her eyes and pretended to doze off in the back seat when her phone vibrated.

I picked it up and saw it was a message from You Yue.

How are you today? Is your stomach hurting again?

Cheng Hexi chuckled softly and replied:

No, I feel great today, don't worry.

She was away on a business trip for four days and just got back yesterday.

Her stomach only hurt once, on the night of the funeral, and had been fine ever since, but last night she was woken up by stomach pain.

You Yue also woke up and immediately wanted to contact a private doctor, but Cheng Hexi stopped him.

She was already used to it. After drinking her medicine with hot water, she lay back down in bed. The blankets were warm, and the man's warm hand remained on her aching stomach. Soon after, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Cheng Hexi herself didn't take it seriously, but You Yue cared a lot. The next morning, she still contacted her grandmother's private doctor, and Aunt Yao cooked different kinds of porridge for several days.

However, stomach problems are the result of years of accumulated stress, and can only be cured gradually. There's no way to get rid of them overnight, and being impatient won't help.

Cheng Hexi was single before and didn't have many concerns. Now that she knows You Yue is really worried, she is no longer as careless as before, and she doesn't want to wake him up from his sleep anymore.

Another message came from over there:

[You replied so quickly, weren't you working?]

Cheng Hexi leaned back in her chair, intending to joke with him:

Is this a check-up, or is she trying to push me to improve?

You Yue sent a voice message directly, with a hint of a smile in his voice.

What do you think?

Cheng Hexi brought the receiver to her lips and pressed the voice button: "I just came from the company and I'm on my way. Grandma said she'd come with me to get a cheongsam."

Knowing that she was alright, You Yue immediately called: "When did this happen?"

"last night."

Cheng Hexi was in the study when he received the call from his grandmother, and she didn't talk to him about it afterwards.

The old lady was a beauty in her youth, and as she aged, her temperament became even more elegant and dignified. She would have a cheongsam custom-made every year.

You Yue has an impression of this.

"A cheongsam? I've never seen you wear one," he said.

“Hmm,” Cheng Hexi smiled slightly, “I haven’t seen it myself either.”

"Really?" The person on the other end seemed somewhat surprised.

You Yue had a good grasp of Cheng Hexi's figure from the first time he saw her wearing a spaghetti strap nightgown, and now it was even more so.

She has excellent body proportions, with a slim waist, long legs, and smooth lines.

He could imagine Cheng Hexi looking absolutely stunning in a cheongsam.

Just as he was about to say something more, there was a knock on the office door, and Qi Xuan's voice came from the other end: You Yue had a meeting to attend.

Unable to say anything more, the two ended the call.

As the car drove through the business district, Cheng Hexi looked out the window, her gaze sweeping over a cluster of luxury brand stores and tall green trees.

She drifted off into thought and inexplicably felt that they had just resembled those couples in high school who would pass notes during class while daydreaming.

-

The car was parked on the tree-lined side of the street.

Parking was inconvenient in the area, so Cheng Hexi didn't ask the driver to wait for her and found her way in by herself.

This is a private courtyard house, beautifully maintained by its owner. With red walls and gray tiles, a spacious courtyard, koi swimming in a fishpond, and a tall persimmon tree at the entrance.

In the height of summer, the persimmon tree is lush and leafy, with green persimmons hanging heavily from its branches.

It wasn't autumn, and it wasn't a sunny day, but the scenery before me was still extremely beautiful.

The old lady had arrived even earlier than her, which made Cheng Hexi feel a little embarrassed.

As soon as she entered the door, her maternal grandmother took her hand and told her to call her "auntie," and then introduced her to her friends.

The owner of the courtyard house opposite the old lady didn't look young at all; his hair was white, but he looked very young, had excellent complexion, and a kind face.

Cheng Hexi first served tea to the two elders.

As soon as I sat down, I heard this auntie start talking about Youyue.

“I watched A-Yue grow up, and before I met you, I was always curious about what kind of girl he would eventually marry.”

Cheng Hexi wasn't awkward in front of her elders. She smiled and asked curiously, "What kind of girl does A-Yue like?"

Auntie laughed loudly: "That's precisely why we're curious, since nothing seems to meet this young master's standards."

After laughing, she said, "Seeing you today, I feel like you're just like me."

Cheng Hexi had heard the word "well-matched" on many occasions before, but it was mostly just polite talk, and she hadn't paid much attention to it.

After all, it's just a marriage alliance; whether they're a good match or not doesn't really matter.

Broadly speaking, didn't they choose each other because they were a good match?

Now, she finds these words pleasing to the ear.

Grandma told her, "When A-Yue came to see me last time, he said you weren't in a good mood lately. I thought to myself, if you're not in a good mood, you shouldn't keep working. I'll find some time to bring you to have a cheongsam made."

Cheng Hexi smiled at her, and the old lady took her hand.

-

The store sells ready-made clothing, which is meticulously crafted and made of expensive silk and Xiangyun yarn, with excellent drape.

Looking at these cheongsams, Cheng Hexi felt that they didn't suit her.

When she goes out, she's either working or attending negotiations or meetings, and she often wears various haute couture suits or formal wear. For important occasions, she wears formal dresses and rarely wears other clothes.

Xu Zhumeng kept saying that she was wasting her face.

She was born with a beautiful bone structure, with almond-shaped eyes that turned up at the corners, a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, and a high nose bridge. Every feature of her face looked like a carefully considered stroke of Nuwa's pen.

During the measurement process, her aunt kept praising her, saying that she was a natural clothes hanger and would look beautiful in anything.

The fabrics here are all top-quality, so there's no need to pick and choose; she can try on the ready-made clothes first.

Grandma asked her to sit down in front of the mirror and first tied up her hair.

Before we knew it, it was already evening. The sky, which had been gloomy all day, suddenly cleared up, the sun gradually set, and the afterglow shone into the courtyard.

A gentle breeze stirred, rippling the surface of the fishpond. The persimmon tree shimmered with golden light in the afterglow, its leaves rustling softly.

After deciding on the size and fabric, Grandma mentioned that she would be staying here tonight and asked Cheng Hexi how she got here.

She said the driver brought her here, but it was inconvenient to park here for a long time, so she asked him to go back.

Grandma smiled and said, "Then let A-Yue come pick me up. It's very close to Hongsheng, and he should be off work by now."

Cheng Hexi smiled too, instinctively wanting to refuse.

"...I spoke with A-Yue on the phone before I arrived; he was busy in a meeting."

Grandma understood what she meant when she heard this.

The old lady knew Cheng Hexi's maternal grandmother and had also met her mother. She knew more about Cheng Hexi's family than You Yue did about her.

She is an independent and strong girl. After being alone for so many years, she finds it hard to rely on anyone and doesn't want to trouble anyone. He Chongguang's infidelity will also leave a mark on her heart.

Opening up takes time. In the old lady's eyes, the two children were not familiar with each other before marriage, and it was already very good that they got along like this after marriage.

"You can ask him. You're a couple, so don't be afraid to bother him. If he can't come because of a meeting, you can always call a driver later."

Afterwards, Grandma changed her gentle smile and said, "How can You Yue be so busy that he doesn't even have time to talk to his wife? If the company relies on him for everything, then Hong Sheng's years under his management are not as good as his father's back then!"

Cheng Hexi tilted her head and laughed.

Hearing the old lady's words, even Hong Sheng's quarterly financial report would cry foul.

She obediently took the phone and dialed a number.

After waiting for about ten seconds, the man's deep voice came.

"Hello? He Xi."

Grandma sat in the chair, smiling at her. Cheng Hexi smiled back and asked, "Are you busy?"

"I'm fine," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't I tell you I was coming to have a cheongsam custom-made? I'm still with my aunt. Do you have time to pick me up?"

"have."

You Yue paused before speaking. He hadn't expected Cheng Hexi to offer to pick him up.

He had more than a dozen meetings today, and only now, at lunchtime, has he finally been able to rest.

"I'll be right there."

Cheng Hexi told him to drive slowly and then hung up the phone.

-

The last rays of sunlight slanted into the room, casting a shadow on the floor.

Grandma and Auntie had just gone into the inner room to get the hairpins when Cheng Hexi stood in front of the mirror and fastened the buttons on her cheongsam one by one.

Familiar footsteps suddenly sounded behind me.

She didn't turn around; the first thing she smelled was the man's scent and aroma.

His slender fingers deftly fastened the last button on her waist.

Through the thin fabric, Cheng Hexi could feel the warmth of his palm.

As she turned her head, You Yue had already gentlemanly withdrawn his hand.

The man, dressed in a bespoke black suit, was handsome and exuded nobility, with the golden sunset shining behind him.

A thought struck her.

You Yue's gaze fell on the person in front of him, and he did not hide the admiration and amazement in his eyes.

Cheng Hexi's cheongsam was light blue with delicate gold bamboo patterns. The ready-made dress didn't fit perfectly, nor was it as form-fitting as a custom-made one, yet it still accentuated her perfect waist-to-hip ratio.

Between the high heels and the hem of her shoes were her slender ankles and beautifully shaped calves.

As she turned her head, the tassels of the hairpin holding her hair swayed.

You Yue always thought she looked very beautiful in high heels, and her ankles and calves were extremely sexy.

Previously, he did not think he had this preference.

You Yue smiled and complimented her on her beauty.

Her hair had been styled for a long time, and a stray strand fell out. The man raised his hand and tucked the strand behind her ear.

Then, looking at her face, I don't know why, I raised my hand and pulled out her hairpin.

Her long, silky hair cascaded down in an instant, the light scent of shampoo lingering around Youyue's nose.

Cheng Hexi saw this scene in the mirror and chuckled: "How childish of you..."

As she spoke, she turned her head and her eyes met the man's gaze, causing her to catch her breath.

My gaze lingered from his brow to the corner of his lips.

You Yue reached out and touched her cheek, then pressed his lips to hers.

The twilight is still, and the sound of my heartbeat lingers.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Pure Sweetness

Is this what a respectful and harmonious couple looks like?

Thanks for reading! [heart]