Chapter Fifty
After the rain, the sky cleared, and a gentle breeze blew by, carrying a hint of summer's heat.
After several days of torrential rain in Chanjing, Xing Bei used oil painting to recreate the painting she had done on Lu Runxu's body the night before last in her studio on the third floor. The painting was completed today.
Xing Bei's slender fingers casually held the paintbrush, and the shimmering peach blossoms stared at the perfect work before them, their eyes filled with amazement.
The painting depicts a half-naked upper body with snow-white muscle lines that exude sexual tension. However, there is a large bunch of camellias on the chest, mostly pink double-petaled and shy, with a few white double-petaled hexagonal white ones interspersed in the middle.
Xing Bei casually tossed her paintbrush into the paintbrush holder, her tone carrying a hint of regret: "It would be more lifelike to use a real person."
She took out her phone, took a picture of the painting, tapped a few times on her phone, and just as she sent it, she received a message from Chen Qingyan.
Chen Qingyan suddenly sent her an address, saying he had something important to discuss with her.
Xing Bei agreed since she had nothing else to do. After replying to the message, she picked up a black cloth and covered the oil painting with it.
Next time, I'll draw in a different place.
Upon arriving at her destination, Xing Bei stood there for a moment, stunned. In front of her was a wedding dress shop studio. She took out her phone and glanced at it.
This was indeed the address Chen Qingyan sent her.
Could it have been sent to the wrong person?
Hesitantly, she went in out of curiosity and pushed open the glass door. The first thing she noticed was Chen Qingyan talking to a foreign man.
Seeing that he was still busy, Xing Bei didn't go over to disturb him and instead wandered around the store.
Beloved is the most famous wedding dress studio under the coinisi brand. Each designer only takes on one order and will not take on the next order until the current order is perfectly completed. Every wedding dress here has its own story.
After Chen Qingyan finished handing over his work, he turned around and saw Xing Bei standing to his right rear, watching the staff tidy up the wedding dress.
"Do you really like it?" he asked.
Xing Bei turned around and looked behind her. Seeing Chen Qingyan walking slowly towards her, she smiled and said, "What girl wouldn't like a wedding dress?"
“That’s true.” Chen Qingyan took her wrist and led her upstairs: “I have a surprise for you, I’m sure you’ll like it.”
The second floor is Chen Qingyan's private studio, decorated in an Instagram-worthy style, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of the bridge across the street.
At this moment, a snow-white and gorgeous wedding dress was placed on the large floor in front of the workbench. It was already breathtakingly beautiful just by the plastic mannequin wearing it.
Xing Bei liked it at first sight. She walked over and looked at it carefully. This wedding dress really matched the image of a wedding dress she had imagined when she was a child. It was decorated with camellias, which she liked.
The V-neck strapless top and the curved lower body incorporating camellia flowers create a layered and textured effect. The long skirt at the back is adorned with many pearls and rhinestones, which shimmer like stars in the night sky under the lights.
Two weeks ago, Xing Bei had a sudden idea to design their wedding dress with Lu Runxu. Now that she saw Chen Qingyan's dress, she was surprised to find that it was just as good, and arguably even more gorgeous.
"Do you like it?" Chen Qingyan slowly walked to her side. "This is one of the wedding gifts for you, which can be considered as fulfilling a promise I made when I was a child."
When she was very young, she and Chen Qingyan were walking home from school when they happened to pass by a hotel where a wedding was being held. When she saw the bride's wedding dress, she couldn't help but exclaim how beautiful it was.
Chen Qingyan was also amazed by the bride's beauty. Suddenly, he said to her very seriously: Mingzhu, when you grow up, I want you to be the most beautiful bride in the world.
She did remember what they said when they were children, but after they parted ways and went on to lead different lives, Xing Bei had completely forgotten those childhood memories. She never expected that Chen Qingyan would still remember them.
“Give it a try,” he said.
Chen Qingyan asked a girl on the side to help him take off the wedding dress and took Xing Bei to the fitting room.
When the changing room door opened, Xing Bei slowly emerged from inside, lifting her skirt. A look of amazement flashed in Chen Qingyan's eyes, and his fingertips, hanging at his sides, curled slightly.
Xing Bei stood in front of the mirror, her peach blossom eyes suddenly brightening. Chen Qingyan walked over and straightened the back of her dress.
Chen Qingyan took the veil from the table and put it on her head, his eyes gradually welling up with tears: "So beautiful."
Looking at the person in the mirror, Chen Qingyan felt a surge of bitterness in his heart.
Xing Bei turned her head and saw that the person beside her had red eyes. She was stunned for a moment: "Brother Qingyan, you?"
The word "Brother Qingyan" brought him back to his senses. He rubbed his eyes and joked to himself, "Look, as you get older, you become more sentimental."
Xing Bei understood. After all, she was his younger sister whom he had watched grow up, and she was about to get married. How could he, as her brother, not be heartbroken?
Chen Qingyan looked in the mirror and said with a smile, "I designed this for my muse myself, so I have to take a picture to commemorate it."
Xing Bei hesitated for a moment but still agreed: "Okay."
After taking the photos, Xing Bei looked at herself in the mirror for a while before going to change her clothes.
As Chen Qingyan looked at the photos on his phone, a tear silently slid down his cheek and landed on the back of his hand. The hot tear seemed to burn his entire body.
The connections between people are always so mysterious; they are destined to meet, yet not so destined to be.
They met and accompanied each other in their youth, missed each other for twelve years, and when they met again, she was already someone else's wife.
If only...
Ultimately, I was too young back then and didn't realize that once fate is missed, it's gone forever. I always thought that if I waited, there would be a future.
She was a part of all her plans, but she forgot that others also had a ticket to enter her world.
Looking at the girl smiling so beautifully in the photo, Chen Qingyan smiled forlornly.
"The waistline of the wedding dress still needs a little alteration." Chen Qingyan took the wedding dress from her hands. "I'll have someone deliver it to you after it's been altered in a few days."
Xing Bei smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Brother Qingyan."
She wanted to say something more, but her phone rang at an inopportune moment. The contact name was her company editor, so it must be something urgent at work.
Chen Qingyan looked away and hung the clothes back on the mannequin.
"Qingyan, the editor needs to see me urgently, I have to go now." Xing Bei grabbed her bag and rushed downstairs.
"I'll take you..." Chen Qingyan hadn't finished speaking when he disappeared. He lowered his eyes and smiled helplessly.
He caught a glimpse of a furtive figure on the stairs out of the corner of his eye, and his smile faded. "Get up here."
Cheng Zong, who was standing at the top of the stairs, coughed awkwardly, straightened his clothes, and walked towards Chen Qingyan: "Don't be so short-tempered. How can you be so hypocritical?"
Chen Qingyan glanced at him indifferently, and Cheng Zong, shameless as ever, walked over and sat down at the table next to him: "Don't you regret doing this?"
Regret, how could I not feel regret?
But what could he do? He could see how much Xing Bei liked Lu Runxu, and how could he possibly compare or compete with her?
Chen Qingyan shook her head, picked up the pen on the table, and began to alter the wedding dress. Cheng Zong glanced at it indifferently.
"No wonder you were so busy before, even staying up all night revising the manuscript," Cheng Zong said with a smile. "So it was for Sister Beibei."
Cheng Zongye didn't really understand his actions. He could have given other more valuable jewelry as a wedding gift, so why go to such lengths to design a wedding dress?
He nudged Chen Qingyan's arm: "Qingyan, even if you give it away, Sister Beibei might not wear it when she gets married. It'll just gather dust in the closet. What's the point?"
Chen Qingyan looked up at him and smiled, "It's just to fulfill a promise I made as a child."
Cheng Zong also bluntly exposed him: "Is that really true?"
Chen Qingyan suddenly fell silent.
It seems that's not all; he also has his own ulterior motives.
He thought that since he could not marry the girl he loved in this life, he would at least see her wearing the wedding dress he designed.
At least for the moment she put on her wedding dress, Xing Bei belonged to him, which meant he had married her for life.
This was his own choice, and he has no regrets or remorse.
As night fell outside the window, streetlights lit up one by one, casting a dim glow. Chen Qingyan sat on a pear wood chair, continuing to revise his line drawing. In the quiet room, Chen Qingyan appeared calm and composed.
I always thought Chen Qingyan was a gentle and mild-mannered person. He worked tirelessly every day and I rarely saw him having gatherings with friends.
Since Cheng Zongye met him, he has been all alone.
In places unseen by ordinary people, beneath his gentle exterior, he is left only with loneliness.
It seems that Chen Qingyan has always been a lonely person, not close to anyone.
The only thing that made him seem somewhat real was that he and his sister constantly pestered him.
Cheng Zong also returned from outside with packed dinner. He noticed that Chen Qingyan's gaze was fixed on his phone, and the dim light made it impossible to discern Chen Qingyan's emotions.
At this moment, Cheng Zong also didn't know how to comfort him. He clearly cared deeply for him, but he insisted on suppressing his feelings.
He only hoped that Xing Bei could be happy. If his presence would disturb Xing Bei, he would decisively withdraw.
Chen Qingyan, you always sacrifice yourself for others.
*
Xing Bei leaned back lazily in her chair, a paintbrush between her fingers as she stared blankly at the canvas, unaware that Lu Runxu had even entered.
"Sister," Lu Runxu suddenly leaned close to her ear, "What are you thinking about?"
Xing Bei snapped out of her reverie, noticing that the canvas in front of her was still blank. She glanced at the man beside her and stared at him with interest.
"Of course I'm thinking of you."
Seeing her say flirtatious things without batting an eye, Lu Runxu pinched her chin and kissed her.
Xing Bei has never liked kissing with her eyes open, but at this moment she was staring intently at the person in front of her.
An idea suddenly popped into his head, and he said, "Mr. Lu, let me paint a picture for you."
Lu Runxu looked at her without saying anything. Just when Xing Bei thought there was no hope, Lu Runxu agreed again.
She looked at the man in front of her with surprise. Usually, she would beg him for a long time before he would paint on her, but she never expected him to agree so readily today.
This is abnormal, extremely abnormal.
Looking at the disbelieving expression on her face, Lu Runxu calmly reminded her, "Sister, this won't last long."
In the end, Xing Bei still pulled Lu Runxu to the other side of the chaise lounge, as such a good opportunity would not come twice.
Xing Bei put the paint she was mixing aside and prepared to take off Lu Runxu's bathrobe. As the clothes slipped down, his perfect muscle lines were revealed to her. Xing Bei coughed lightly, embarrassed.
As she went down, Xing Bei noticed a patch of skin that was slightly red, revealing a hint of maple red lines. Slowly, the entire painting was revealed before her eyes.
On her slender waist and abdomen, a delicate camellia flower entwined around the moon, standing out conspicuously against her snow-white skin, creating a striking contrast.
Xing Bei gently stroked the camellia with her fingertips: "Why did you suddenly go and do this?"
Lu Runxu stared at her and smiled, saying that he wanted to carry everything related to her with him.
This reminded her of Lu Runxu's previous official announcement; it turned out that in his heart, she had always been like the moon.
Xing Bei looked at him with heartache in her eyes, and in the end, all her unspoken words were condensed into a kiss on the moon.
Perhaps knowing her personality, Lu Runxu emphasized that she shouldn't get a tattoo, but how could she bear to let him pay so much for her alone?
On a sunny afternoon.
Xing Bei took her design to a professional tattoo shop and had items related to Lu Runxu tattooed on her left collarbone.
A delicate and lifelike fox stands on the collarbone, surrounded by scattered mint leaves.
Camellia Moon and Mint Fox are Xing Bei and Lu Runxu.
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