0007 007 Fairy in the Mirror
Every July is the hottest time in the Jingyang and Yangcheng area. The July of the year Qi Shuyao was born was particularly hot. Qi Yu still remembers the 11th of that year. He ran through a dark corridor that was as stuffy and hot as a steamer, without seeing a single ray of light.
As he stepped into the bedroom at the far end, a loud cry greeted him. The young new mother was already leaning against the mattress, cradling her tiny baby in her arms, mechanically patting the baby's back. Her eyes were lifeless, and she managed a bitter smile when she saw him enter.
"daughter."
Qi Yu took the little girl with slightly red skin from her hands. Her eyes were not yet open, and her eye sockets looked very swollen. She was also very thin and looked a little scary.
After about two or three days, the swelling in her eyelids finally subsided, and the little girl opened her eyes. Her bright, sparkling eyes met his gaze curiously, and the corners of her mouth, which had always been crying, turned into an upward curve. Her crying was replaced by a pleasant laugh.
He was the first person she saw when she opened her eyes, and from then on, no matter where he was, her eyes could spot him at a glance.
But now he can't even look into those eyes.
Tomorrow is Qi Shuyao's seventeenth birthday. She started preparing for the birthday party months in advance, but now she is hiding in her room and won't let anyone in. Several old housekeepers brought her the dress that had been retrieved and wanted her to try it on to see if it fit, but this little princess just didn't say a word.
Qi Yu has been extremely busy these past few days. The death of the Minister of Public Security has made everyone more anxious than the loss of the boss. There is also an important meeting scheduled for the middle of the month, and the Pei family has arranged the funeral for the day before the meeting. Everything has come at once, and he doesn't get home until the early hours of the morning every day.
With only half an hour left until the 11th, Han's mother was still holding the dress, looking completely lost. Qi Yu, who hadn't even changed out of his suit, took the gift box from her hand.
"Give it to me, you guys go back and rest first."
"Sir, let me go. If it's not suitable, it will need to be sent over for revisions overnight..."
"No need, I'll handle it."
He took the large gift box tied with a bow, but instead of knocking on the door, he walked to the other side. Han's mother stood at the door for a long time without making a sound, and had no choice but to turn around and leave.
Inside the room, Qi Shuyao was lying on the edge of the bed, with a drawing board on the floor. She hadn't painted for almost a week, but there was a portrait of Qi Yu on the top of the drawing board. She had drawn it when she first fell in love with him. Several years had passed, but the man didn't look old at all; he looked just like the man in the painting.
She propped her hands on her face, gazing at the person in the painting. After a while, the smile faded from her face, and she rolled around on the bed, violently rubbing her hair.
"Aaaaaaah, I'm going crazy, I'm going crazy!"
Her smooth hair was fluffed up, and she sat cross-legged to look at the portrait.
After being held by Qi Yu in the study all night, she not only did not feel relieved, but became even more certain of her unusual feelings. This time, she didn't even dare to look at him, nor did she want to see anyone. She locked herself in her room and refused to come out.
Her mind was stretched to its limit, but she calmed down. Looking at her lifelike painting, she tried to brainwash herself.
"This is my dad, my dad, my dad."
“I know I’m your dad. Who are you talking to here?”
Good heavens, the portrait actually opened its mouth and spoke... "Ah!—"
Qi Shuyao suddenly jumped up. She didn't know when Qi Yu was standing in front of her. He was wearing a light gray shirt that looked similar to the one in the painting, and he was standing by the bed.
So, after she got up, she was looking at the real person and talking to herself? Her eyes glanced to his side, where the easel stood next to him. Qi Shuyao suddenly rushed over and slammed down her painting.
"How did you get in! Who let you into my room!"
Her coquettish and temperamental demeanor was far more vivid and attractive than her quiet and smiling appearance, making her seem more lively. Qi Yu didn't mention her talking to herself at first, but handed her the gift box that was hidden behind her back.
"It's fine if you don't see me, but why won't you open the door when Han Ma brings you clothes, making the old lady unable to sleep so late?"
"Mother Han is only forty-five years old, she's not an old lady at all."
She avoided Qi Yu's gaze and reached out to take the huge gift box. The dress was light purple, and the gift box was made in the same color. However, when she opened the lid and revealed a corner, the small diamonds embedded in the skirt were so dazzling that it was hard to open one's eyes.
"Give it a try and see what doesn't suit you."
Qi Yu hadn't been to her room since moving here, but now he naturally sat down on the sofa. Qi Shuyao secretly glanced at her, got out of bed, and carried the large gift box toward the door connecting the bedroom and the walk-in closet. The small door, which was supposed to be closed, was now wide open.
She turned around angrily and met Qi Yu's gaze, while the man responded with a smile.
"I remember it was some lazy little girl who insisted on connecting the walk-in closet with her bedroom and opening up all four floors. It was a really good idea, very convenient."
"I'll block the door tomorrow!"
She threw the cushion next to her at Qi Yu, leaving behind an angry back view. Her long hair swung back and wrapped around her waist. She ran inside and slammed the box directly on the ground.
These days are pure torture.
The box fell to the ground, spilling out a dress—a very long dress. It was from the fall/winter collection of the brand she always wore. The show hadn't even started yet. She had seen a sample of this dress when she went to pick up last season's finished products and ordered it directly through her VIP client. It was an exceptionally beautiful haute couture gown; even celebrities might not be able to borrow one to wear on the red carpet. But once she wore it, she would definitely outshine everyone else.
She lifted the entire dress, held it up against herself, and prepared to try it on. Formal gowns usually require an assistant, but she only had Qi Yu outside and couldn't ask for help.
The outer veil was intricate, and the inner lining was layered and indistinguishable. She didn't know where she had put it in the wrong position, and when she pulled hard, a tearing sound came from inside, the sound of fabric being ripped.
The sound was amplified in the quiet little space and carried directly to the bedroom outside. Qi Yu was taking a sip of water from Qi Shuyao's glass when he heard the sound, so he immediately put down the blanket and came in.
"Don't come in!" Then came a panicked attempt to cover his own voice.
The man leaned against the door frame of the small door. From this angle, only her right arm and shoulder were visible in the mirror. She was tightly gripping the unzipped dress, and the purple tulle of the dress wrapped around her shoulder, making her skin appear even whiter and more delicate.
Qi Shuyao couldn't see him and didn't dare to turn around. She frantically lifted her skirt, becoming increasingly disoriented as she rushed, and slipped, falling to the ground with her skirt twirling around.
Qi Yu could no longer pretend. He took only two steps to her side. The girl was curled up on the ground with her skirt, most of her back exposed. The skin on her back was red, and her two prominent shoulder blades were trembling violently. If you listened carefully, you could hear a slight sobbing sound.
"Yaoyao, be a good girl and let Daddy take a look."
The man's large hand slipped between the gaps in her curled-up body and lifted her up. The floor of the dressing room was covered with a soft, long-haired carpet. Her skin was not injured, but the veil over her dress was torn open, creating an even larger tear.
He easily freed the little girl from her skirt. She was wearing a close-fitting flesh-colored underskirt, which didn't reveal anything. He supported her pert little bottom with one arm, and used the other hand to adjust the skirt. After examining the position of the snaps, he put it back on for her.
Qi Yu's fingers did not avoid her skin, but the touch was extremely light. The complicated dress became pliable in his hands, obediently staying in its proper place.
She finally put on the whole dress. It turned out that the light gauze was not an overlay, but a panel that was pieced together with the silk on the side. She had put it in the wrong place, but now there was a big tear in the middle that could not be ignored.
She looked down at the dress, while Qi Yu looked at her as a whole. The girl's soft hair was long enough to reach her waist, smooth and shiny black, making her skin appear even whiter. The light purple of the dress also complemented her skin tone and temperament perfectly. No further adjectives were needed; this little girl standing here was simply perfect.
But the beauty's brows were furrowed, and she looked like she was about to cry.
"Oh no... my waist is fat too..."
Qi Yu looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that she had gained a lot of weight in such a short time, according to the measurements taken of her body. Just how much weight had she lost recently?
"It's okay, Dad will help you."
He took a step forward towards her, and Qi Shuyao looked up at him. The moment their eyes met, the clock outside struck heavily. Qi Yu suddenly smiled and stepped forward to hug her tightly.
Happy birthday, my darling.
She buried her head in his chest, smiling sweetly without any self-respect.
"Thank you, Dad..." she said quickly and quietly, "but how are you going to do it?"
Qi Yu reached out and rummaged through the cabinet behind him, finding a needle and thread that Qi Shuyao had put away somewhere. He then pulled out a matching little dress, picked her up, and sat down on the floor with her on the carpet. She sat on his lap.
"I bought this dress a long time ago but never wore it, so I took this apart and sewed it onto this."
The purple dress was sewn with a string of three-dimensional floral patterns. Although the type of flowers was not clear, it matched her dress perfectly. Qi Shuyao watched as his fingers deftly removed the gauze flowers and easily sewed them back onto the dress. Even though she had watched him mend her clothes since she was a child, she still opened her mouth slightly and let out a soft "wow".
"And the decorations here can be taken off and nailed directly to the side of the waist to make a pleated decoration."
He then removed the imitation cheongsam buttons from the collar of the little dress, pinched a pleat at the excess fabric around her waist, and sewed the buttons back on.
The sharp needle pierced her skin, but she didn't even instinctively gasp for breath. She watched him sew buttons with complete relaxation, his large hand, which could cover her waist, resting warmly on her lower abdomen.
Qi Shuyao's straight back gradually relaxed, and she leaned back. As her shoulder blades pressed against his pectoral muscles, Qi Yu was cutting off the excess thread with scissors and putting the needle and thread back, but his large hand was still on her waist. They leaned against each other, feeling each other's heartbeats getting faster and faster.
She turned her head to the side, her nose and half her face pressed against his neck, his large hand moving upwards along her skin, curving slightly as it touched the lower edge of her chest.
“Dad…” Her voice trembled.
“Dad’s here.” His voice became low and sticky.
"Daddy, hug me..."
She finally stretched out her arms to hug him, just like she did when she was a child, and turned her whole body around to press against him.
Qi Yu held her tightly in his arms. Although they saw each other every day, he felt a joy of reunion. His heart pounded loudly and intensely in the quiet night. As if afraid of frightening the girl in his arms, he gently patted her back to comfort her.
But the little girl couldn't stay still and twisted her body to squeeze out, her eyes sparkling, her expression very serious.
"Dad, do you like me?"
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