Chapter 41 My Beloved, Young Master, Don't Be Angry, Take Your Turn to Sit. ...
Su Jinxiu was not sad for long.
Since the night she left the Feng residence, she and Ying Bumei had been drinking heavily at Fanlou, crying and cursing Wen Shiqin all night long. The next day, Lan Shexiang came to visit, and she sobbed as she recounted the whole story. By the third day, she had already concealed her sorrow, thinking only that her love had been turbulent, that she had given her heart to the wrong person, and that she had been bitten by a vicious dog.
She then devoted herself wholeheartedly to the business of Huayun Pavilion, preparing to recruit embroidery apprentices.
Su Jinxiu's friends now despise Wen Shiqin, yet no one dares to utter a word about his name in front of her. Linlang knows that although she appears nonchalant, she may have laughed it off when the topic came up unintentionally last time, but secretly she was wiping away tears in front of her embroidery table.
The spring sun shines brightly, and the beauty of nature is boundless.
Fengchen accompanied Cen Wanying out to buy some new jewelry, and then they were going to Xiangguo Temple to pray for blessings.
Cen Wanying went into the inner chamber to select and try on jewelry. Feng Chen, unable to accompany her, could only look at the rows of ornaments from the outer room. The dazzling array of jewels and beads was overwhelming. He felt that although these items were luxurious, they were all missing something and were not particularly beautiful.
What should it be like? He thought, it should be a plain hairpin, simple yet exquisite, unpretentious yet elegant. Ideally, a pair of swallows would be entwined around the hairpin, carrying the colors of spring back home.
Just as she was lost in thought, the curtain of the inner chamber was gently lifted, and Cen Wanying walked out. She wore a set of pink jade and pearl-inlaid hair ornaments, which shimmered and made her even more charming.
"Brother Siyuan, do you think this outfit looks good?" She smiled and twirled around, the pearls and jade jingling softly.
Feng Chen looked at her, and that inexplicable feeling from before surged up again.
But he nodded: "It looks good."
Even so, he still felt something was amiss. The headdress was certainly luxurious, but like the dazzling array of jewelry outside, it lacked something. What unsettled him even more was that the bright, smiling face before him also stirred within him a sense that "this shouldn't be happening."
What would it be like? He couldn't help but wonder. Eyes didn't need to be so curved, yet they were clearer; lips didn't need to be so red, yet they were softer; a pair of distant mountain-like eyebrows, a slender neck, and whiter skin…
The thought had barely formed in his mind when Feng Chen was startled. He vividly pictured the woman who had stopped him that night.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the chaotic thoughts, but the image of the woman with tears streaming down her face seemed to have taken root, lingering in his mind.
Ever since that day they parted, he had been dreaming of her every night, and in his dreams, she was always crying in front of him. He couldn't understand what he had done to make her so heartbroken. He felt as if his heart was being torn apart every time she cried like that.
Isn't it strange that we've only met once?
It seems he really needs to go to the Daxiangguo Temple to pay his respects.
Once in the car, Cen Wanying suddenly pressed her lower abdomen, showing signs of discomfort.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Cen Wanying seemed to suddenly remember something, and frowned as she said, "Brother Siyuan, I'm afraid I can't go with you today, as I'm feeling a bit unwell."
Feng Chen breathed a sigh of relief and readily replied, "Okay, let's talk about it another day."
He then strolled through the streets and unknowingly came to a pavilion. Above the pavilion's door hung a plaque that read "Hua Yun Ge" (华韵阁), which seemed strangely familiar to him. He thought he might go inside and perhaps choose some brocade to make new clothes.
As he climbed the steps and reached out to touch the beaded curtain, the embroiderer sitting at her desk, checking accounts and greeting customers, caught sight of him. She paused, her smile vanished, and she said coldly, "Young master, you've come at an inopportune time. My shop is about to close."
"Oh?" Feng Chen's gaze swept over the still bustling customers in the shop. It was the height of business, and there was no sign of closing. He raised an eyebrow and said, "In that case, just call your manager out for a meeting."
Su Jinxiu was bent over her desk, meticulously calculating the expenses for taking on apprentices, including how much she would need each month if she wanted to provide food and lodging.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps were heard, and the new embroiderer rushed in, her face filled with fear, and she almost tripped. Su Jinxiu quickly got up to support her and said gently, "Be careful, don't fall."
The young embroiderer gasped, "Sister, there's... there's a villain causing trouble! He insists that the shopkeeper personally take his measurements and tailor clothes for him. I heard he's a young master from a prestigious family!"
Su Jinxiu frowned slightly, stood up and said, "Let's go take a look."
Upon entering the main hall, she discovered that the guests had all departed, and a group of guards stood watch outside the door. Inside, a young man in red sat with his back to her—it was none other than the troublemaker. Before him, the embroiderers stood with their heads bowed, silent as cicadas in winter.
Su Jinxiu was furious. How dare they act so wildly in her embroidery room!
She walked over, about to point at him and scold him, but when she saw his face clearly, she suddenly froze.
The young master, who had been so arrogant, froze instantly upon seeing her.
Su Jinxiu then understood why Linlang had been standing there with such an indignant expression.
"Our Huayun Pavilion is fully booked and we do not accept custom orders."
Feng Chen was truly annoyed by her aloof demeanor. He clearly remembered that just a few days ago, she had asked him tearfully if he wanted to break up, suggesting that there must have been some connection between them, though he couldn't quite recall it. But now she was so cold and indifferent, an attitude that only fueled his anger.
He suddenly stood up and threw the chair and stool away violently.
"Not answering?"
Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand to signal, and the guards outside immediately rushed in, startling the embroiderers who cried out in alarm.
Su Jinxiu glared at him angrily, feeling that he had really grown bolder. They had clearly agreed to part amicably, but now he was still pestering her.
Feng Chen found her wide-open almond eyes quite amusing, and a playful smile appeared on his lips: "Will you accept or not? If you don't, I'll take all your embroiderers back to the manor and have them take my measurements and make clothes for me one by one."
Su Jinxiu took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said coldly, "Go to the inner room."
The guards quickly retreated, and the embroiderers scattered and went to another pavilion to work. No one dared to stay in the room where people usually stayed.
Su Jinxiu led him behind the screen and reached for the silk thread.
Feng Chen took the opportunity to look around, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, but he couldn't remember when he had been there before.
Su Jinxiu then picked up the measuring thread and walked over. Seeing that his hands were still hanging down properly, Su Jinxiu patted his waist and said, "Raise your hands."
As if by reflex, Feng Chen raised his hand immediately. After realizing what had happened, he wondered why he had been so obedient, felt embarrassed, and put his hand down in a huff.
He released his hand, blocking the silk thread in her hand. Su Jinxiu frowned, looked up, and said coldly, "If you're not going to measure, then get out."
Feng Chen frowned as well: "Are you always this harsh to your customers?"
Even so, he eventually raised his hand.
Su Jinxiu stepped forward to measure his waist, needing to wrap her arms around his waist. The moment her hand took the silk thread and encircled his waist, Feng Chen suddenly closed his eyes, feeling his heart pounding wildly. The feeling of being held like this made him flustered and confused. He clenched his raised hand into a fist, cursing himself for being so weak, then forcefully released it.
After measuring her waist, Su Jinxiu almost instinctively said, "You've lost an inch."
Because I had made clothes for him before, I knew his measurements by heart.
Feng Chen didn't hear clearly and looked down to ask, "What did you say?"
"nothing."
Then we measured shoulder width, hip circumference, and chest width. Except for waist circumference, the other dimensions didn't change much.
Su Jinxiu calmly went back to write down the data, leaving Feng Chen alone, dizzy and holding his forehead. He hadn't been drinking, so why was he feeling hot and restless?
Feng Chen wanted to strike up a conversation, but couldn't think of a common topic. The person in front of him clearly didn't like him. He hesitated and thought about inviting her to the Daxiangguo Temple, but a gentle scholar pushed open the door and entered.
"Qiao Niang, today is an auspicious day for praying for blessings!"
Su Jinxiu looked up and saw that it was Yi Ruxu.
Yi Ruxu was still smiling when he saw her, but when he turned his head and glanced at Feng Chen, his face instantly darkened. He knew that Qiao Niang had been crying for this person for many days, and even her good temper was gone.
But wanting to sound her out first, he lowered his head and asked, "Qiao Niang, have you two made up?"
"Impossible." Su Jinxiu was tidying up at her desk without looking up. "Brother Ruxu, can you do me another favor?"
Feng Chen was wondering what the two were whispering about when he saw them walking toward him, their fingers intertwined.
His brows furrowed, his face contorted in pain: "What do you mean?"
Su Jinxiu walked up to him and said calmly, "Young master, please go back. My sweetheart and I are going to the Daxiangguo Temple to pray for blessings."
Feng Chen's face was a jumble of colors, a truly fascinating sight. He wanted to curse, but he didn't know his place. He wanted to throw a tantrum, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. In the end, he could only stare intently at their clasped hands.
Yi Ruxu also spoke calmly: "Young master, please go back. Aren't you already engaged?"
Feng Chen was speechless for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and said urgently, "That's not right!"
"Is he the one you love? Didn't you hold hands with a Taoist priest and leave together that night at the Feng residence?"
Su Jinxiu's heart skipped a beat. That night, she and Ying Bumei had indeed held hands. But then she thought, if he could fall for someone else, why couldn't she?
So she frankly said, "They are all the men I've been looking for."
Feng Chen's eyes widened in surprise.
Just then, a loud voice came from behind. Su Jinxiu turned her head and saw Xie Hongying.
When Xie Hongying saw Feng Chen, her face turned pale in an instant. She ignored him completely and went straight to Su Jinxiu: "Qiao Niang, I brought you some delicious food."
Feng Chen was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode. He pointed at Xie Hongying, his voice trembling.
"This one too?!"
Su Jinxiu looked at the people who were appearing one after another and nodded calmly: "Yes."
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