The sun peeked half its face from the edge of the clouds, and the sunlight slanted down, lengthening the silhouettes of the sewing machine and the girl sitting behind it, imprinting them on the street in the distance.
A young girl with a ponytail tied with a blue hairband walked to the stall, took a look, picked up two hairbands, walked to the sewing machine, picked up the picture album and looked through it.
After flipping through the pages with great interest, she looked at the girl behind the sewing machine and asked, "Did you draw all these?"
Ruan Xi was unzipping a piece of clothing. Hearing this, she raised her head and said, "Yes, I drew all of them."
The girl with the blue-haired flower smiled and said, "They all look pretty good. I wonder what they will look like when they are made. I see that you can use a sewing machine and you can fix zippers and alter clothes quite smoothly. Can you make clothes?"
Ruan Xi talked to her while removing the zipper: "Yes, I can make anything you draw."
The girl with the blue-haired flower flipped through the album again, "Why don't you make one and show me? If you can really make it and it looks good, I'll come to you to make clothes. Anyway, it looks really beautiful from the picture."
The clothes that Ruan Xi draws are all in line with the aesthetics of this era. They are not so avant-garde that people of this era cannot accept them, but they also contain her own ideas and designs. These are styles that you won’t see on the street.
Ruan Xi raised her head and said, "Pick one that you like and come back next week. How about that?"
The blue-headed girl was delighted to hear this and asked, "Really?"
Ruan Xi nodded, "I'll make it according to your size. If you like it, you can buy it. If you don't like it, that's fine. I'll keep it and hang it here as a sample."
The girl with the blue hair looked at her and asked, "Do you want me to buy some cloth first?"
Ruan Xi said, "No need for this one. I'll pick out the fabric myself and show you my craftsmanship first."
There is such a good thing. The girl with the blue-headed flower was of course happy to hear about it. Anyway, she didn't pay anything. If she liked it, she would buy it. If she didn't like it or felt it was not worth it, she would not buy it. So she nodded: "Okay, I'll come and see it next week."
After saying that, she pointed and said, "My family lives in the alley over there."
Ruan Xi looked in the direction she pointed, then looked away and said with a smile, "Take a look and pick one."
The girl with the blue-headed flower was very happy. She flipped through the album carefully again and finally picked a dress for Ruan Xi. She said to her, "I like so many of them. I think every one of them is beautiful. Let's make this one first."
Ruan Xi took the pencil and ticked the page, "Okay, let's do this one."
The girl with the blue-headed flower looked excited and expectant. She said to Ruan Xi, "I will definitely come to see it next Sunday."
Ruan Xi was also happy. She stood up and took a tape measure to measure her body size. She said to her, "I don't come here on weekdays. I only come here on Sundays, so you can just come to see me on Sundays."
The girl with the blue hair stretched out her arms and asked her, "Is it because of work? I work at the Children's Palace, how about you?"
Ruan Xi smiled and said, "I'm still in school."
The girl with the blue hair looked at her, "Are you in college?"
Ruan Xi measured her size and replied, "Yes, I'm a sophomore now."
The blue-haired girl envied, "I took the exam twice, and failed both times, so I gave up."
Ruan Xi measured her size, put away the tape measure and put it in the small drawer of the sewing machine.
The girl with the blue flower on her head paid for two hairbands and left without standing to chat with Ruan Xi any longer.
After she left, another group of people came to the stall to buy things, and Ruan Xi had to stand in front of the stall to greet them.
After selling the items and collecting the money, she sat back behind the sewing machine and continued to remove the zipper.
It was almost evening now, and there were fewer people walking on the street. Xie Dongyang sat in front of the stall to take a rest. He turned to look at Ruan Xi and said, "She didn't give you anything, so you just made clothes for her?"
Ruan Xi put the broken zipper aside and sewed a new zipper on the clothes with a sewing machine. While pedaling the sewing machine, she replied to Xie Dongyang: "Since you want to sell your craft, of course you have to find a way to let people see your craft first."
Xie Dongyang now understood why Ruan Xi earned more than him, because she had a skill, which was equivalent to setting up two stalls, so she could sell things and earn money at the same time, so she could earn more than him in a day.
Of course, he was not competing with Ruan Xi, nor was he jealous that Ruan Xi earned more than him.
He thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense."
Ruan Xi had just finished sewing the zipper, and the man who had left his clothes there to be repaired just came back from shopping. She was very satisfied when she saw the repaired zipper. She paid the money, took the clothes and left.
Ruan Xi sat on the stool and stretched, looking at the sun in the west, "The day is almost over again."
In fact, it can be said that this week is almost over.
Xie Dongyang looked at her and smiled, then asked her, "Would you like to go to a restaurant for a meal after closing the stall?"
Ruan Xi relaxed her body and put her arm on the sewing machine. "I don't have time tonight. I have an appointment with someone else."
Xie Dongyang didn't care, and said with a smile: "Then we'll do it next time."
Ruan Xi sat down to rest for a while, then suddenly stood up, picked up her schoolbag and put it on her back, and said to Xie Dongyang, "Third Master, please help me watch the stall. I'm going to the street to buy some things and will be back soon."
Xie Dongyang stretched his neck and asked, "What are you going to buy?"
Ruan Xi said without even turning her head: "Buy some cloth! Go back and make some clothes!"
When Ruan Xi came back from buying cloth, the sun had dropped another level.
About half an hour later, the shops along the street began to close one after another. Ruan Xi and Xie Dongyang also started to pack up their stalls at the appointed time. They packed all the things into the car, rode it to the repair shop and locked it up.
After coming out of the repair shop, Ruan Xi said hello to Xie Dongyang and rode away on his bike. Before leaving, she and Xie Dongyang agreed to come here tomorrow night to get the sewing machine. She wanted to take the sewing machine to the dormitory to make clothes.
After leaving the repair shop, Ruan Xi rode his bike to the western restaurant.
This is the place Xu Zhuo had agreed to meet with her. Tonight, Xu Zhuo had made an appointment with Lu Yuanzheng to have dinner here.
In order to make it easier to talk, Xu Zhuo directly booked a small private room.
When Ruan Xi followed the waiter to the box, Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Zhuo were already sitting inside.
Just as she expected, Ye Qiuwen did not come out.
Seeing Ruan Xi coming in, Xu Zhuo and Lu Yuanzheng stood up together.
Lu Yuanzheng was very polite at this time, as if he was not the one who had given Ruan Xi a cold face on the street last week.
Ruan Xi naturally did not refuse his respect and greeted him politely.
After greeting each other, the three of them sat down. Regardless of the atmosphere, Ruan Xi looked at the menu and ordered from the waiter.
After the waiter left with the menu, she looked at Lu Yuanzheng and asked with a smile, "Why didn't Ye Qiuwen come?"
Lu Yuanzheng said: "She is not feeling well and cannot come out."
Ruan Xi asked as if she was chatting with an acquaintance, "She rents a house here?"
Lu Yuanzheng nodded, "Yes."
Ruan Xi and he didn't really know each other, and they had no past to talk about, so she said directly, "We actually want to meet Ye Qiuwen today. I mainly want to ask her in person how many of my letters she destroyed two years ago."
Lu Yuanzheng looked puzzled, "What letter?"
Ruan Xi looked at Xu Zhuo, and Xu Zhuo looked at Lu Yuanzheng and said, "Xixi didn't receive any of the letters I wrote to her in the army. Xixi called home and asked, and it was Ye Qiuwen who moved my letters."
Lu Yuanzheng was stunned for a moment, then said, "Impossible, you must be mistaken, Qiu Wen would not do such a thing."
Ruan Xi looked at him with a serious look in her eyes, "I don't want to quarrel with you, do you really understand Ye Qiuwen?"
Lu Yuanzheng said: "I have been with her for so many years, how could I not understand?"
Ruan Xi pinched the knife and fork beside her, "You have been together for many years, but how much time have you actually spent together? I have lived with her for nearly three years, so I know her better than you, right?"
Lu Yuanzheng looked at Ruan Xi and took a deep breath, holding back his emotions. After a moment, he stood up and said, "If you asked me out just to say bad things about Qiu Wen behind her back, then I'm sorry I won't accompany you. Eat by yourselves."
Ruan Xisong dropped the knife and fork in his hand, "I know you won't believe it, but don't you want to know why she destroyed the letter?"
Lu Yuanzheng paused at the dining table, looked at Ruan Xi, and waited for her to continue.
Ruan Xi raised her head to look at him and said slowly, "Because she likes Xu Zhuo. If Xu Zhuo hadn't ignored her, she wouldn't have been with you. You are Xu Zhuo's substitute."
Um? Xu Zhuo sat in the chair, stunned for a moment, then raised his hand and touched his chin.
Lu Yuanzheng's face instantly turned green. He turned to look at Xu Zhuo, then looked at Ruan Xi, frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't believe a word you say. Qiu Wen will not destroy your letter, and her feelings for me are definitely not fake."
Xu Zhuo spoke up at this time, "That's not certain."
“…”
Hearing Xu Zhuo's voice, Lu Yuanzheng's body suddenly stiffened, his brows furrowed, and his face became even uglier, dark green.
After a long moment, he turned back, looked at Xu Zhuo and asked, "Xu Zhuo, what do you mean?"
Xu Zhuo stared at him. "What do you think I meant? Why do you think she destroyed my letter?"
Lu Yuanzheng's voice became heavy and deep: "She can't possibly destroy your letter! She wouldn't do such a wicked thing!"
Ruan Xi looked at him and said, "Since you think she didn't do it, then bring her out for a confrontation. We just want to clarify this matter and get a result. Since she didn't do it, just come out and explain it clearly. There's no need to be afraid to come out because of guilt and pretend to be sick. If she really didn't do it, this matter has nothing to do with her, and I will definitely apologize to her in person. From now on, we will put aside the past grudges and never mention the past again. We will be good friends in the future. It's not a loss for you and Ye Qiuwen to have me, a top student from Peking University, as a friend, right?"
Lu Yuanzheng looked at Ruan Xi with a green face and gritting his teeth. He said nothing more and walked out.
Ruan Xi raised her voice and said, "We will wait for you here at the same time next week. If you don't come by then, it means that she took the letter. I don't care where she hides, I will find her sooner or later!"
Lu Yuanzheng didn't stop, he walked out of the box and slammed the door.
The box fell silent. Xu Zhuo and Ruan Xi looked at each other for a moment and said, "You want to piss Lu Yuanzheng off to death."
Ruan Xi looked at him and said, "Maybe Ye Qiuwen really had feelings for you, but you didn't care."
Xu Zhuo thought about it and said, "It does sound possible, so I think Lu Yuanzheng was stimulated."
Ruan Xi asked: "Do you think they will come out next week?"
Xu Zhuo was unsure, "We'll see when the time comes."
After leaving the western restaurant, Lu Yuanzheng rode his bike directly back to the small bungalow he rented for Ye Qiuwen.
After Ye Qiuwen came to Beijing at the beginning of the year, Lu Yuanzheng took care of all her food, clothing, housing and transportation. Because Ye Qiuwen was not registered here and could not find a job, and she was unfamiliar with the place, she could not do anything and could only rely on Lu Yuanzheng for support.
Lu Yuanzheng can be said to be her everything now.
Then, before Lu Yuanzheng returned to the small bungalow on his bike, he saw Ye Qiuwen who claimed to be sick and unable to get out of bed.
He slammed the brakes to stop his bike and watched Ye Qiuwen walk out of the store, carrying a large bag in her hands. She didn't look sick at all when she walked. She even kicked the pebbles on the road every few steps, with a relaxed pace.
In that instant, it seemed as if something collapsed in my heart.
He stopped the car and looked at the spot for a while. After trying to adjust his breathing, he stepped on the pedal and followed Ye Qiuwen at a distance. When she was almost reaching the small bungalow, Ye Qiuwen realized something and suddenly turned around.
The two people met eyes from a distance, and Ye Qiuwen's face instantly became stiff and ugly.
But Lu Yuanzheng had no expression on his face, he just kept blinking as he looked at her.
Ye Qiuwen put the things she bought at the store on the table and said to Lu Yuanzheng with a smile: "Didn't you go to eat with Xu Zhuo and the others? Why are you back so soon?"
Lu Yuanzheng sat down at the table and just looked at her without saying anything.
Ye Qiuwen was frightened by his gaze, but she forced a smile and said, "My stomach hurt so badly this afternoon that I couldn't get out of bed, but after you left, I suddenly felt much better. I couldn't stay at home alone, so I went to the store to buy some things."
"Really?" Lu Yuanzheng still looked at her.
The smile on Ye Qiuwen's face became more and more stiff, but she still tried to smile and said, "Yeah, that's why I ran into you."
Lu Yuanzheng stared at her without responding. After a moment, he asked again, "Have you ever lied to me?"
Ye Qiuwen was stunned by his question, but immediately raised the corners of her mouth and looked at him and said, "Don't you know what kind of person I am? How could I lie to you?"
Lu Yuanzheng felt so choked up that he could hardly breathe.
He knew that he was in a very bad state. After a moment of silence, he suddenly stood up and prepared to go back to school to calm down.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Ye Qiuwen quickly grabbed his wrist and asked, "Where are you going?"
Lu Yuanzheng said as calmly as possible: "I'm going back to school tonight."
Ye Qiuwen didn't let go, "Didn't we always stay here on Sundays before?"
Lu Yuanzheng stood there and took a few deep breaths. Finally, he couldn't help but ask the question he could ask: "Did you touch the letter that Xu Zhuo wrote to Ruan Xi when he was in the army?"
If Ruan Xi hadn't said that Ye Qiuwen liked Xu Zhuo and only regarded him as a substitute for Xu Zhuo, he probably wouldn't have cared so much about this matter. Especially when he saw Ye Qiuwen looking healthy and relaxed just now, he became even more concerned.
Ye Qiuwen was mentally prepared for this matter and said hurriedly, "No, they said so?"
Lu Yuanzheng looked at her for a moment and said nothing more.
Seeing him like this, Ye Qiuwen's eyes instantly became wet, and the tears gathered in her eyes like crystal dewdrops. She asked with a trembling voice: "Yuanzheng, are you doubting me? Why would I touch their letters when I'm fine?"
Lu Yuanzheng's mind was wavering, and he suddenly felt that it was wrong for him to doubt her like this. They have been through so many ups and downs and have persisted for so many years until now, but now, is it all fake?
He calmed down a little, looked at Ye Qiuwen with bated breath, and said, "Qiuwen, I'm not doubting you, I just don't want you to be wronged. Since you didn't do this, come with me to find them and explain it clearly."
Make this matter clear, don't bear this stigma, and let him be sure - she has never liked Xu Zhuo, there is really only him in her heart, only him from the beginning to the end.
Ye Qiuwen pursed her lips, "But I don't want to see Ruan Xi again. You saw with your own eyes what kind of person she is last time. She made me fall to this point today. I can't afford to offend her. Can't I just hide from her?"
When talking about the last time, Lu Yuanzheng thought about it and then said, "But last time... you took the initiative to provoke her..."
He remembered very clearly that at that time Ruan Xi wanted to pretend that he didn't know Ye Qiuwen, and it was Ye Qiuwen who first provoked Ruan Xi. If Ye Qiuwen hadn't provoked her, she probably wouldn't have said a single word to Ye Qiuwen.
A trace of panic flashed across Ye Qiuwen's face, and she quickly said, "I saw her setting up a stall there and it was embarrassing, so I couldn't help but say a few words. But you also saw that she is not someone who can be criticized. I will never dare to provoke her again."
Lu Yuanzheng took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let her bully you."
Ye Qiuwen pursed her lips and looked at Lu Yuanzheng, and found that he really insisted on asking her to go to Xu Zhuo and Ruan Xi to explain things clearly. It was as if this matter had stung his heart, and he would feel uncomfortable if she didn't explain it clearly.
If she made more excuses to avoid going, he would definitely suspect that she was guilty.
Of course she could sense that he had doubted her just now.
If she didn't go, the relationship between her and Lu Yuanzheng would definitely be affected by this incident. Lu Yuanzheng is now her last straw, and she cannot let Lu Yuanzheng have any doubts or distrust about her.
In short, no one saw her burning the letter. As long as she didn't admit it, what could Xu Zhuo and Ruan Xi do?
By explaining things clearly in person and allaying Lu Yuanzheng's doubts, the matter was completely over.
If she didn't go, this matter would be like a thorn between her and Lu Yuanzheng, flaring up from time to time and hurting both of them, and sooner or later their relationship would be in trouble.
So she nodded to Lu Yuanzheng, "Okay."
The cooperation between Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo was very effective. Lu Yuanzheng seemed to be more anxious than Ruan Xi. He went to find Xu Zhuo before Sunday, and then Xu Zhuo came to find Ruan Xi. The four of them made an appointment to meet outside.
Before going out in the evening, Ruan Xi tidied up in the dormitory.
After packing up, I put on my bag, rode my bike out of the school, and went straight to the western restaurant.
The waiter of the western restaurant still took her to the private room where she stayed on Sunday. He reached out and grasped the door handle and turned it. The door of the box opened in front of her. Ruan Xi looked inside and saw Xu Zhuo, Lu Yuanzheng and Ye Qiuwen were already inside.
Lu Yuanzheng and Ye Qiuwen were polite. When they saw her coming, they stood up with Xu Zhuo.
But there was no polite expression on Ruan Xi's face, and she didn't even look at Xu Zhuo and Lu Yuanzheng for long.
Her eyes were filled with a strong chill, and she had been staring at Ye Qiuwen since she entered the door.
He stared at her and walked up to her. The next second after he stopped, Ruan Xi raised his hand with a dark face, and when everyone in the box was caught off guard, he slapped Ye Qiuwen's face accurately and fiercely.
Bang——! !
The hand slapped across the face with a crisp sound, and the waiter next to him was frightened and his eyes widened immediately -
Aren't you here for a party and dinner? What kind of meeting etiquette is this? !
Caught off guard, Ye Qiuwen was stunned for a moment after being beaten. Pain exploded on her face, fingerprints appeared on her skin, and she stood there in a daze.
Seeing Ye Qiuwen being beaten, Lu Yuanzheng instinctively wanted to rush over to protect Ye Qiuwen, but before he could get in front of Ye Qiuwen, Xu Zhuo pulled him over, locked his arms, and pressed him against the wall.
Xu Zhuo held him down and told the waiter, "Please leave first. We have something to deal with privately."
The waiter was so frightened that he dared not get involved and quickly closed the door and ran away.
Lu Yuanzheng was pinned down by Xu Zhuo and couldn’t move. He struggled for a few times and shouted angrily: “Xu Zhuo and Ruan Xi, what do you mean?! Is this what you said about talking it out in person?! Is that what you meant?! Let me go! Bastard!!!”
Ruan Xi ignored Lu Yuanzheng and stared at Ye Qiuwen with cold eyes. She asked her, "Ling Yao, do you know this name?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
