Chapter 7 Dormitory Incident
These days in the dormitory, Su Nian's help to Zhang Qiuyan naturally caught the attention of her other two roommates, Liu Ying and Zhou Xiaomeng.
Liu Ying applied lipstick in front of the mirror, glanced at the notes spread out on Su Nian's desk, and said sarcastically, "Some people are just lucky. They don't have time to attend classes, but there are people who provide tutoring. I'm afraid they can pass the exam without any problems."
Zhou Xiaomeng echoed, "That's right. Last time I asked someone to explain the key points of draping, she said she didn't have time. Now she's free and helps others every day. It seems that people are so different. Some people use their time according to how close they are to someone."
Once before an exam, the two of them wanted Su Nian to help them draw up a design draft, but Su Nian refused. Since then, they have always felt a little jealous and dissatisfied.
Zhang Qiuyan blushed when she heard this and was about to defend Su Nian, but was stopped by Su Nian.
Su Nian raised her eyes calmly, her gaze like a pair of scissors, precisely cutting through the other person's insinuations. "I'm free to help or not help anyone. Just like some people have the freedom to spit out saliva or spit out dirty water! —— But, whether it's spitting saliva or spitting out dirty water, it won't drown others, it will only dirty your own mouth."
Liu Ying's lipstick almost went beyond her lip line. She pouted, turned the mirror around, and stopped talking.
In some contests, there is no need to shout at the top of your lungs; a single word can determine the winner.
On the day of the theory exam, Su Nian handed in her paper half an hour early. The multiple-choice questions were as easy as identifying the composition of fabric, and her writing flowed as smoothly as the stitches of a sewing machine.
The practical skills test was scheduled for the last day. Su Nian's topic was "Improving the Qipao," a test tailor-made for her.
Having helped her mother hem and button up her clothes since she was a child, she can tell the difference between silk and cotton and linen with her eyes closed. When she cuts cloth, the scissors seem to come alive in her hands, moving swiftly and steadily along the chalk lines. When she sews, the silver needle weaves through the fabric, the stitches as fine as sesame seeds sprinkled on it.
Zhang Qiuyan next to her was so nervous that her palms were sweating. When she was sewing the buttons, the thread suddenly got tangled and she was so anxious that she almost threw the fabric away.
While the invigilator turned around, Su Nian quietly handed over a new thread and mouthed, "Take your time, just like we practiced." Zhang Qiuyan took a deep breath, looked at Su Nian's focused profile, and suddenly calmed down.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, Su Nian had just finished sewing the last button. She had innovatively added asymmetrical pockets to her pale blue silk cheongsam, blending tradition and modernity like water and milk.
The invigilator came over, picked up the cheongsam and examined it carefully, then nodded and said, "Su Nian, there is a spirit in your craftsmanship, which is rare."
Su Nian smiled. Aura is actually something that comes from years of hard work. Just like her mother often said, good craftsmanship isn't innate; it's cultivated by the hum of a sewing machine, the grinding of needle and thread on your fingertips, and the realization you gain from watching fabric transform into clothing day after day.
On the way back to the dormitory, the setting sun made my shadows very long.
Zhang Qiuyan hugged Su Nian's arm and chattered about her summer vacation plans. "When I go to help Aunt Su's shop, I must learn how to make those buttons! It's amazing how a few threads can turn into flowers."
Just as Su Nian was about to respond, she saw a man standing under the sycamore tree in front of her - Li Yuan.
The July wind swept the heat waves across the sycamore leaves, and the light cast on the ground looked like broken gold.
Li Yuan stood in the shade of a tree. His white T-shirt was deliberately clean, the cuffs smooth and wrinkle-free, as if reflecting the perfect appearance he was trying to maintain. The edges of the folder in his hand shone with a cool white light, which was incompatible with the steaming summer air around him.
She subconsciously slowed down her pace, and the word "sanctimonious hypocrite" instantly popped into her mind, with such accuracy that even she was surprised.
The setting sun shone through the gaps between the leaves, casting flickering spots of light on Li Yuan's face, which really gave him a sense of being shattered as if his hypocrisy had been exposed.
Zhang Qiuyan glanced at Li Yuan, curled her lips, and patted Su Nian's shoulder gently: "I'll go up first, call me if you have anything." When she turned around, she deliberately increased her footsteps, and there was a thudding sound coming from the stairwell, as if expressing dissatisfaction on Su Nian's behalf.
"Niannian. Congratulations on finishing the exam." Li Yuan's voice was wrapped in a deliberately modulated gentleness, like a drink with excessive saccharin, making people feel sick.
Su Nian's stomach churned, remembering how he used to use this voice to coax her to stay up late to revise the design drawings. At that time, she thought it was the most beautiful tone in the world.
Su Nian took a half step back, as if to mark the boundary between the Milky Way and the Yellow River. The moss growing out of the cracks in the floor tiles, stained with dust, rubbed against her canvas shoes, making it seem more real than the smiling face before her.
"What's up?" Her voice was emotionless.
Li Yuan didn't seem to notice her distance, or rather, he chose to ignore it. "Nian Nian, our studio is finally open!"
There was a sense of ritual in his action of opening the folder. The edges of the brochure were embossed with delicate gold foil, which sparkled in the sunlight and hurt people's eyes.
"Stop!" Su Nian's voice suddenly rose, then quickly dropped, tinged with icy icicles. "Let me correct you. It's your studio. I can't afford it."
She thought of the designs they drew together late into the night, and how he always said "our ideas". She felt only happiness at that time.
"Niannian! How can you say that?" Li Yuan's brows furrowed, like a flawed stroke on a meticulously crafted painting. "The position of studio designer belongs to you!"
He pointed to the photo on the flyer. The sewing machine in the background gleamed like new, and fabric samples were arranged like a rainbow. "Look at this fabric imported from Italy, and the overlock machine from Germany. If we work together to create something original, we're sure to have a place at Fashion Week."
Su Nian's eyes swept across the promotional leaflet, and the gorgeous words floated on the paper like bubbles.
"Thank you, I won't participate in your studio."
The smile on Li Yuan's face froze, like a lake that suddenly froze.
"Why? Didn't we plan this? Have you forgotten all those nights spent researching in the library and the worn soles of our shoes at the fabric market?"
His voice was filled with grievance, like a child whose candy had been taken away. "For the 'Urban Nomad' series, when we won the award together, you said we were the best team."
"That was in the past." Su Nian's voice was soft, but as crisp and clear as a cloth-cutting knife cutting through thick canvas. "People always have to move forward. You can't spend this summer wearing last year's old clothes."
"Is it because of He Qian?" Li Yuan suddenly raised his voice, causing passing students to turn and look. "That day, I was just discussing investment with her! Without her, how could our studio have been established so quickly?"
He seemed to have grasped at a lifeline. "Do you know how hard it is to get start-up capital? I'm doing this for our dream!"
"Dream?" Su Nian smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes, "Do you really have me in your dream?
Some people’s dream is to watch the scenery side by side, while some people’s dream is to climb up by stepping on others’ shoulders.
Li Yuan's face turned red like dyed cloth.
"Su Nian, don't be so heartless. Your talent should not be trapped in the classroom, just like fine silk should not be made into rags." He tried to grab her hand, but Su Nian dodged him fiercely.
"My talent shines brightly, and it's not anyone else's place to tell me what to do." Su Nian looked at him, her eyes clear as a mirror. "Your biggest problem isn't betrayal, it's taking others' efforts for granted. It's like designing. You only see your own ideas, but not others' intentions."
She recalled the ideas he had "borrowed" and the details he had overlooked when they were designing together.
She turned to leave, and Li Yuan suddenly grabbed her wrist with surprising force.
"Give me another chance. The studio needs you, and I need you too." There was a pleading tone in his voice.
Su Nian gently pulled away, leaving a few red marks on her wrists, like wet cinnabar. "No need." She looked at him. "Some roads can only be walked alone. In life, we must learn to let go of inappropriate ties."
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