Chapter 213
The next day, Ji Wanmei went to Shuxiutang and saw that there was a noblewoman with Grandma Song.
The lady looked to be in her forties, wearing a luxurious dark purple cheongsam. Although she was not tall, she had a very elegant demeanor.
As soon as Grandma Song saw Ji Wanmei, she waved to her with a smile and said, "Wanmei, you're here! Come here quickly, Grandma will introduce you to someone."
While Grandma Song was speaking, the elegant-looking woman next to her was smilingly sizing up Ji Wanmei.
"Madam, is this beautiful young girl your personally accepted last disciple?"
"Of course! Look at me, this old woman has pretty good taste, doesn't she?" Grandma Song said with a smile.
"Your taste is beyond question!" the other person replied with a smile.
Grandma Song took Ji Wanmei's hand and said to her, "Let me introduce you. This is Mrs. Luo, the wife of the president of East China Bank. She is also Zhuo Xuan's godmother."
After saying that, Grandma Song said to Mrs. Luo, "This is the one I mentioned to you last time, my last disciple, Ji Wanmei. She is studying at East China University, just like Zhuo Xuan. After graduation, she will be a valuable talent for the country."
Mrs. Luo took out a red envelope from her handbag and handed it to Ji Wanmei with a smile: "I've heard the old lady mention you many times before. Seeing you today, you are truly beautiful. Here, this is a small gift from me. Please accept it."
Ji Wanmei hurriedly declined, saying, "Mrs. Luo, how can you do this!"
"Oh, that's the idea. When elders meet, they usually give the younger generation a red envelope as a greeting. It's not much, so please accept it. Later, I also need you to design a cheongsam for me."
Ji Wanmei looked at Grandma Song with a puzzled expression.
Grandma Song explained, "I showed Xiao Luo the cheongsam design you drew last time, and she liked it very much. She wants you to design one for her too."
So that's how it is.
Mrs. Luo handed over a red envelope, saying, "Please accept it! I won't feel at ease if you don't."
Grandma Song said, "Wanmei, just accept it."
Ji Wanmei accepted the gift with both hands, smiled and nodded, saying, "Then thank you for your trust, Mrs. Luo. Tell me in detail what style you want and what occasion you want to wear it, and I will try my best to design one that suits your taste."
The group talked as they walked into the inner room of the Shu Embroidery Hall.
When it comes to serious matters like cheongsam design, Ji Wanmei takes her work very seriously.
Mrs. Luo watched from the side and felt that this young girl did not look like she was only eighteen or nineteen years old at all. She looked very mature and composed, and she couldn't help but show her appreciation.
A moment later, a smiling voice came from outside the lobby.
"Grandma, godmother, I bought you some of the best pastries from Wuguifang. Come and have a taste!"
That voice was unmistakably Lu Zhuoxuan's.
Mrs. Luo's mannerisms were somewhat like those of a lady from old Shanghai; when she wore a cheongsam, she liked to attach a silk handkerchief of the same color to the edge of the frog buttons.
She pulled out a silk handkerchief, covered her mouth, and laughed: "I knew you'd come to join the fun. Are you here to see me and your grandma, or to see Xiao Wanmei? Confess!"
Lu Zhuoxuan gave a helpless look of surrender: "Godmother, please don't joke around. Of course, I mainly came to see you. You and Godfather are usually so busy, and it's rare for me to see you. I bought some snacks to show my respect to you, and you laughed at me for it."
Mrs. Luo chuckled, her laughter ringing out: "Wanmei, look at this boy, he's so shy. I teased him a bit, and he's still too embarrassed to admit it."
Ji Wanmei stood to the side, only smiling and remaining silent, not responding to any questions.
Grandma Song said, "He's been coming to visit me a lot lately."
Lu Zhuoxuan glanced at Ji Wanmei, then sighed and said to his godmother and grandmother, "Alright, alright, I see now. Men aren't welcome here. I'll leave the snacks here and then I'll be going."
"Look at you, I was just joking with you, and you're already leaving." Mrs. Luo walked over and pulled Lu Zhuoxuan to the table. "You're already here, and you want to leave? No way."
"Come over here so your godmother can have a reference and see which style looks better."
Lu Zhuoxuan said, "You should tell people what kind of occasion you're wearing and who you're meeting."
Mrs. Luo teased again, "Tsk tsk tsk, you've already taken the lead so quickly!"
Then she turned to Ji Wanmei and said, "You have no idea, when I saw the design you drew, Zhuo Xuan praised you a lot, saying how amazing you were and how talented you were, and strongly recommended you to me! It really made me curious, what kind of girl could catch the eye of our young master Zhuo Xuan!"
"Seeing you today, I'm truly impressed," Mrs. Luo said with a smile.
Ji Wanmei gleaned some context from Mrs. Luo's words and felt a little embarrassed.
It turned out that Lu Zhuoxuan had recommended her to his godmother.
She didn't approach her because she admired her designs.
But Ji Wanmei had already accepted Mrs. Luo's deposit, so no matter what, she had to help her complete the cheongsam design first.
Ji Wanmei cleared her mind of other distractions and focused on drawing a rough concept diagram on a piece of white paper, following Mrs. Luo's requirements and ideas.
She said, "Mrs. Luo, if you think there's anything that needs to be modified based on this concept drawing, please let me know, and I'll refine the details when I get back."
Ji Wanmei's skill in meticulous brushwork is excellent; with just a few strokes, she captured the charm of the cheongsam-clad figure on the paper model.
Mrs. Luo said, "I like deep purple and deep red, which look dignified and elegant. The style shouldn't be too complicated, and the slit in the skirt shouldn't be too high. I'm wearing this cheongsam next month to accompany my husband to meet a foreign guest, and I hope to showcase the oriental beauty of Chinese women as much as possible."
Ji Wanmei understood immediately after hearing this, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, Mrs. Luo, I understand what you mean."
Mrs. Luo said, "Then I'll go back and wait."
After leaving Shuxiutang, Ji Wanmei took the design drafts back with her, intending to revise them at school.
Lu Zhuoxuan chased after her; "Junior Sister, let me take you home."
Ji Wanmei turned around and waited until Lu Zhuoxuan approached before saying, "Senior Brother Lu, thank you for recommending me to your godmother."
Lu Zhuoxuan chuckled: "Are you upset that I acted on my own?"
Ji Wanmei said frankly, "It's not that I'm blaming you. It's just that this order came because of your favor, which makes me feel a bit of a burden. I hope you won't do this again, Senior Brother Lu. I understand your good intentions."
Lu Zhuoxuan stared at her for a moment and said, "Junior Sister, I thought you were a very confident person. Did you think that just because I recommended you to my godmother, she would come to you because of my face? If you don't have the talent and ability yourself, no matter how much I recommend you, it won't make a difference."
“Junior sister, you don’t need to feel guilty about anything I do.” Lu Zhuoxuan said sincerely, “If I make you feel guilty, it’s because I did a bad job, not because you did a bad job.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
