Chapter 31 A Quirk: "You're really beautiful"
31
Meng Yao was stunned, unable to believe what she had just heard. Silas, thinking she hadn't explained clearly, asked, "It's just... the hardware, is it okay?"
His every word was like a thunderclap, striking Meng Yao like a thunderbolt. How could someone be so open and straightforward?
Despite having seen her share of grand occasions, she felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her head, and her face was so flushed it was almost dripping with embarrassment: How was she supposed to answer this...?
But Silas seemed to understand her predicament and smiled knowingly: "I understand. Oh, it's okay. If the hardware isn't good, you can learn the software to make up for it later. As long as you don't mind it, it'll be alright. I'll mail him some 'study materials' when I get back."
"Wait! Wait..."
Meng Yao felt the pressure instantly and almost instinctively tried to salvage the situation.
She could roughly understand how much men valued that pitiful dignity. Although she didn't know Fang Huaixu's true "ability," she couldn't even imagine how embarrassing it would be if he knew that she was slandering his "ability" behind his back.
“He, he actually…” she mumbled, closing her eyes resignedly, “Actually, he’s… pretty good, no need to learn anymore, quite harmonious.”
She uttered each word slowly and deliberately, wishing she could bite her tongue. What kind of question is this?
"Not bad? How good is it?"
Upon hearing this, Silas's voice instantly rose an octave, and his eyes widened even further, sparkling with disbelief and excitement.
He jumped up from his chair and leaned over, quickly lowering his voice: "Does it take a long time? I know he works out, so his stamina must be great, right? I've heard that their experimental techniques are exceptionally good. Do they do repeated testing, record data analysis, and communicate very well? Really?"
Meng Yao screamed inwardly, quickly pushing him away, so embarrassed she wished she could disappear on the spot: "It's so embarrassing, please, Silas, don't ask anymore! If he finds out we're talking about this kind of thing, he'll be unhappy later."
Silas's expression showed disappointment for a moment, but seeing her innocent look that was almost evaporating, whether it was a sudden pang of conscience or she had enough gossip, she chuckled twice and then said, "Okay, okay, I just wanted to exchange experiences with you. Look how red you are... But sister, never be shy about expressing your feelings, or you'll suffer every time."
Meng Yao breathed a sigh of relief, her smile tinged with helplessness: "Okay, thank you."
Silas raised the corners of her lips smugly as she continued applying her makeup with practiced ease. Her tone became slightly more serious, carrying a hint of comfort: "But to be honest, despite how much I criticized him earlier, among that bunch of rotten bastards in the Fang family, Fang Huaixu is the only one who's somewhat clean. Although he is indeed dull and boring, when it comes to relationships, he is absolutely the most innocent."
Meng Yao chuckled at his rough language. Silas picked up a makeup brush and swept it across her face before continuing the conversation: "Back in school, lots of people would slip him love letters. This blockhead could correct all the grammatical errors and send them back. And after he started working, it was even more so. I suspect all the mosquitoes around him are male. He's completely focused on his research and work."
He paused mid-sentence, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and said seriously, "But speaking of the Fang family, you'd better stay away from them if you ever see anyone in their family. Fang Huaixu is one of the few normal people in their family. First, his father stole his brother's girlfriend. Like father, like son. His eldest and second eldest brothers are one openly brain-dead and the other secretly wicked. Six years ago, his sister tried to kill his eldest brother but failed and almost got herself sent to jail... But despite their squabbles, when I saw them at the last gathering, they were still putting on a show of family harmony in front of everyone. I don't know what they were thinking. They're all weirdos."
"So complicated?" Meng Yao frowned, feeling as if she had heard a lot in an instant. Her curiosity quickly overcame her shyness.
“If you want to hear it, I could talk to you all day,” Silas was about to speak when a staff member’s voice came from downstairs: “Mr. Meng, your dress has arrived. Is now a convenient time?”
Meng Yao paused for a moment, then paused the chat: "Okay, sure."
Silas didn't forget his serious work. He stopped what he was doing, took two steps back, and carefully examined her makeup. He nodded in satisfaction: "Absolutely perfect. After you change your clothes, I'll adjust your lip color and hairstyle. Just wait to amaze everyone!"
Meng Yao chuckled and was led by the staff to the fitting room next door. There she saw a champagne-colored strapless satin dress with extremely simple and smooth lines. There were no superfluous decorations, but it exuded a sense of haute couture luster and weight.
With the help of others, she carefully put it on, and the size fit perfectly, outlining her slender waist and beautiful body curves.
Silas meticulously adjusted her makeup and hairstyle, then proudly puffed out her chest: "Perfect."
When she stood in front of the huge floor-length mirror again, she almost didn't recognize herself in the mirror.
The dress was the perfect color, making her look as fair and radiant as a piece of jade. Silas's makeup was intricate yet understated, blending beautifully with her already delicate features. Her long hair was styled into an elegant yet slightly languid bun, with a few wisps of hair falling gracefully around her neck, adding a touch of softness and charm.
There is no comical attempt to be ugly, nor any forced simplicity or gloom, but rather a natural, cool refinement and gentle elegance.
Silas looked completely captivated and took out her phone to take pictures one after another: "You really suit this style so well. After I finish taking these pictures, I'll post them on Weibo and then go downstairs to see Fang Huaixu's dumbfounded expression!"
Even Meng Yao herself couldn't bear to look away from the mirror, and couldn't help but murmur, "My God, Silas, you're simply a makeup genius..."
"Of course!" He closed the album with satisfaction and pulled out his QR code: "Come on, add me as a friend, and I'll send you all the photos from earlier."
Meng Yao also seemed to wake up from a dream and scanned his contact information. He didn't forget to lower his voice and say, "Today was too rushed. If you want to hear the gossip about their family, I'll tell you later."
Meng Yao winked at him and looked back at the note he sent: Zhou Yi.
She paused for a moment, instinctively: "Is this...your real name? So resolute?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Zhou Yi, with his sharp ears, immediately struck a defiant pose with his hands on his hips. "Don't I have any manliness? Huh?"
Looking at his handsome face and slender body, Meng Yao smiled and tried to cover for him, saying, "Yes, yes, he's very handsome..."
"That's more like it."
Zhou Yi withdrew from his position with satisfaction, checked the time, and said, "Oh dear, it's been more than half an hour. That guy surnamed Fang is still waiting. You'd better get down quickly."
He winked at her, teasingly saying with a mischievous grin, "You believe it or not, when Fang Huaixu sees you later, he'll be so amazed he'll have a brain freeze. Forget the charity gala, I bet he'll just want to drag you straight back to his bedroom..."
"You're doing this again!" Meng Yao interrupted him, her face flushed.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore..." Zhou Yi raised his hands in surrender, his mockery undiminished. He quickly added, "If you don't believe me, I'll tell you another secret. Fang Huaixu has had this problem since he was a child: he's particularly bad at hiding his emotions. When he's feeling guilty or nervous, he makes a lot of little fidgety movements. He especially likes to touch his head or neck. If you don't believe me, you can try it when we go downstairs later."
Meng Yao was both amused and exasperated. She quickly understood Fang Huaixu's assessment of this friend; even she found it difficult to handle, let alone Fang Huaixu, whose personality he truly couldn't manage.
Silas began packing, said goodbye to him, and then lifted her skirt and walked downstairs.
Downstairs in the living room, Fang Huaixu was standing by the window with his back to her, talking on the phone. His posture was upright, and his back looked particularly tall and neat in his suit.
Seemingly hearing footsteps, he turned around, phone in hand, responding softly.
When his gaze fell on Meng Yao, who was slowly walking down the stairs, all his words and actions came to an abrupt halt.
Time seemed to stretch out indefinitely. His hand, which was holding the phone to his ear, paused. His deep eyes lit up instantly, as if drawn by some powerful attraction, and remained fixed on her for a moment.
His gaze was unfocused, as if he had forgotten he was on the phone, and he simply stared at her quietly, as if the whole world consisted only of that gentle figure on the stairs.
"Hello? Mr. Fang?"
He was jolted out of his reverie by a few urgent questions from the other end of the phone, and replied hastily with a hint of embarrassment, "Let's discuss it in a meeting later, I have other things to do right now."
After saying that, he hung up the phone without hesitation.
Meng Yao doesn't often wear high heels and didn't notice him. She slowly and laboriously walked down the stairs. His Adam's apple bobbed for a moment, and he quickly went to her to help her up.
"Thanks."
Meng Yao took his arm and thanked him as usual, but she noticed that his gaze was not as firm as before, and it drifted to a spot not far away: "Hmm, it's nothing."
His gaze drifted elsewhere, his voice seemingly unchanged as he continued to explain the banquet arrangements: "Chen Jie will be waiting at the entrance; we'll all go in the same car. The schedule is simple: opening remarks, charity auction, and the banquet itself. If you get bored, just sit in your assigned spot and relax for a while. Once the banquet starts, we can arrange transportation home. I won't make you feel awkward..."
He spoke of the arrangements in a seemingly calm manner, but Meng Yao keenly noticed his unease.
Thinking back to what Zhou Yi had just said, a bold idea arose in my mind.
No way... Fang Huaixu really likes this outfit?
This thought sparked her mischievous courage. Instead of acting rashly, she deliberately turned to the side while he was speaking, forcing his gaze to fall on her. She casually raised her arm and asked, "Let's just go straight over... Do you think this outfit is a bit inconvenient?"
Sure enough, Fang Huaixu's gaze seemed to be burned, and he quickly looked away from her, landing on the vase next to him. He continued to force himself to remain calm: "...It's okay, it's fine."
His feigned indifference was so amusing that Meng Yao, who loved teasing honest people, decided to take it a step further and asked bluntly, "Were you avoiding my gaze just now?"
Her voice came through clearly, forcing Fang Huaixu to freeze for a moment before he had no choice but to respond.
He tried to look into her eyes, but after less than two seconds of eye contact, those deep eyes seemed unable to withstand some kind of pressure and quickly looked away again.
"I……"
His voice lowered, and at the same time, just as Zhou Yi had said, his right hand subconsciously rose to touch his neck: "I think this dress is a bit... revealing. My gaze might seem impolite."
Exposure?
Meng Yao lowered her head. The strapless design revealed nothing except her collarbone and shoulders. Moreover, the neckline was well-designed, outlining her figure elegantly while also covering her completely.
Not to mention that she wore the same design at their wedding, Fang Huaixu's excuse was too clumsy.
She chuckled inwardly, but feigned regret, saying, "Really? That's a pity. I quite liked this outfit. If you don't think it suits you, I'll go and change it."
After she finished speaking, she made a gesture as if to turn around.
"It's alright, no need..."
Unexpectedly, Fang Huaixu spoke up to stop her almost immediately, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency, clearly not understanding why she was being so "obedient" today.
Seeing that she had actually stopped, he paused for a moment before remembering to find a compromise. When he saw the clothing section not far away, it was as if he had found a savior: "This dress still suits you quite well, I think it's alright too. As for the issue of it being too revealing... let's add a shawl."
As he spoke, he strode over, deftly took an embroidered shawl of the same color from the shelf, turned back, and handed it to her: "This one... I think it should be nice."
Meng Yao chuckled inwardly, but instead of reaching out to take it, she adjusted the necklace and said, "I can't see the whole thing right now, could you help me drape it?"
A perfectly natural and irresistible reason.
Fang Huaixu looked at her slightly turned figure, her smooth shoulder and neck lines gleaming like jade under the light, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
He silently stepped forward, unfolded the soft shawl, and carefully, almost gently, draped it over her shoulders.
The distance between them was shortened by his movements. His slender fingers patiently smoothed the wrinkles in the shawl, but his gaze inevitably met hers again.
She tilted her head slightly, her angelic face clear and bright, her eyes sparkling and lively as if fallen stars. He had always thought she was pretty and lovely, but he had never seen her so captivating before, and his breath caught in his throat almost imperceptibly.
Zhou Yi, that guy, finally... did something right.
However, the absent-mindedness and tenderness in his eyes could not escape Meng Yao's notice.
She finally couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile and let out a soft laugh, breaking the delicate barrier between them.
Fang Huaixu immediately withdrew his hand guiltily, took a half step back, and felt utterly ashamed.
Seeing his helpless look, Meng Yao's prank succeeded, and she took a half step forward, closing the distance that he had just created.
"Mr. Fang, let me teach you another line from a domineering CEO's script..."
Her gaze was direct, and she spoke softly and gently, "If you don't want me to change this dress, you don't need to make so many excuses. Just keep praising me."
The air seemed to be heated by the atmosphere between the two at this moment. Fang Huaixu's eyes showed clear surprise and realization. The embarrassment of being exposed was instantly melted away by the charming girl in front of him.
His heart was filled with something, swollen and tender, because of her beauty, because of the stunning moment, and because of her all-knowing wisdom and courage.
His heart was filled with a deeper, more focused emotion, and he finally spoke sincerely in an incredibly deep and clear voice: "You... are really beautiful."
Author's Note: I'm late [please]. If it were even later, I would have added more words.
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