Chapter 31 is just like the cinnabar mole on my chest, the one I yearn for day and night until my blood bleeds.
Nangang is one of the largest cities in the southeast, with complete supporting facilities. Xia Mian found a shopping mall with high-end luxury brands - it was definitely not feasible to do haute couture on the spot, but she could pick out two ready-made outfits to make do for now.
I wandered around the mall, but no matter how many clothes I tried on, I couldn't find anything I liked, perhaps because the ready-to-wear designs this season were so mediocre. However, I did find a nice pigeon-blood red necklace, which I picked up on a whim.
Summer Sleep, wearing a fisherman's hat that covered half her face, sat in the coffee shop, biting her straw and sighing in distress.
Just then, a man and a woman passed by outside the window. The man was wearing a hat, glasses, and a mask, completely concealing his identity. The woman was older, probably in her thirties or forties, and was chatting and laughing with the man as they strolled along the street.
Xia Mian's eyes widened in surprise.
It's Chang Yi!
It's not surprising to run into Chang Yi in Nangang, but daring to date in a crowded shopping mall is really something else.
Having finally found time to go on a date with his girlfriend, Xia Mian certainly didn't want to be disturbed by her colleagues. She planned to pretend she hadn't seen them, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of two suspicious-looking girls.
They trailed far behind Chang Yi, holding their phones to their chests, hiding behind pillars as they snapped photos of him.
Unlike the original owner, Chang Yi is an idol, not an actor. He needs to make a living from his fans, so dating is a big taboo and must never be exposed.
Xia Mian rushed out of the coffee shop and caught up with Chang Yi as fast as she could.
Chang Yi was startled when someone suddenly appeared beside him, standing very close. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that it was Xia Mian.
Then the other person said, "Don't speak, come with me."
Chang Yi's expression hardened; he knew he was being watched. He gave the woman beside him a wink and quickly followed Xia Mian.
Xia Mian had walked around the mall several times to buy clothes, so she was quite familiar with the layout. She led the "young couple" around and around. When she saw that the two girls hadn't caught up, she quickly took the elevator down to the second basement level parking lot.
His car was parked right next to the exit. Xia Mian opened the car door for the "young couple," and Chang Yi helped the woman inside. He stepped on the gas and sped straight out of the mall onto the main road.
After driving for nearly ten more minutes, seeing that no cars were following them, Xia Mian finally breathed a sigh of relief and parked the car on the side of the road: "It's safe now. There were two girls following you and taking pictures of you."
Chang Yi took off his sunglasses and mask: "Two girls... probably sasaeng fans, thankfully."
"Well, thankfully it wasn't paparazzi. But since you're an idol who relies on fans for a living, isn't it a bit inappropriate to do something like this?" Xia Mian paused. "I'll pretend I didn't see anything today. You'd better watch yourself."
Chang Yi didn't understand what he was saying. He looked up and found that the guy was looking at him and the woman next to him with a scrutinizing expression.
He instantly realized what she meant, and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Xia, this is my sister."
"Okay, okay, that's my older sister."
"...I'm not lying to you, she really is my sister, even our fans know that."
Xia Mian stared intently, observing carefully, and discovered that the two indeed shared many similarities in their eyebrows and eyes.
No wonder they can stroll around the mall so casually, they're siblings!
Then, the siblings, who had finally reunited, didn't even get to eat a meal before he dragged them away without saying a word.
Look at you, in your summer hibernation, what kind of brain-dead things are you doing!
"I'm so sorry," Xia Mian quickly apologized, "Did I disturb your shopping? I'll take you back."
“It’s alright,” Chang Yi said, not blaming him at all. “Since we’ve run into each other, let’s go out for a meal together.”
"I know a place that makes incredibly delicious fermented vinegar. I'll treat you, let's go!" Sister Changyi also extended a warm invitation.
Xia Mian quickly declined, "Thank you, sister... but I really can't today. There's a super important banquet tonight, and I haven't bought a suitable outfit yet."
"A banquet?" Chang Yi said generously, "You've already run into me, why are you still buying anything! No need to buy anything, my styling team happens to be in Nangang, come with me."
Xia Mian immediately followed Chang Yi with great interest.
As a top-tier celebrity poised to reach the pinnacle of popularity, Chang Yi's team has excellent fashion resources, though not as good as he used to be, but far better than those in shopping malls.
Xia Mian looked through them one by one and finally chose a black casual suit. It had no embellishments, but its advantage lay in its high-quality material and its crisp, well-fitting design.
He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath, but rather a simple wide-necked T-shirt. Then he rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out the choker necklace he had just bought.
Made of black silk fabric, only a finger's width wide, it features a rose pendant hanging in the center. The outer ring of the rose petals is strung with red diamonds, while the center of the flower is inlaid with a pure pigeon-blood red diamond.
Paired with her almost translucent, summer-dwelling skin, it resembled the cinnabar mole on her chest, a mark of longing that bled from her own blood.
The back of the choker is also uniquely designed; when fastened, several silver tassels hang down from the snap, reaching up to the waist.
Summer sleep has a slender waist and rounded hips, with a natural curve at the junction of the waist and hips, where the tassels sway.
It makes you really want to...grab it tightly and crush it.
Upon seeing his reflection in the mirror, the entire dressing room fell silent.
Finally, it was Sister Changyi who broke the silence: "With Xia Mian's conditions, it would be an injustice if she didn't become popular."
Chang Yi looked at Xia Mian's neck, then at his waist and hips, unsure where to look, and finally his gaze fell on the floor.
He felt his throat was a little dry, so he cleared his throat before replying, "Um... let's hurry up and do the hair and makeup, it's getting late."
The makeup artist rushed over and helped Xia Mian sit down in the makeup chair. Actually, the better the natural features, the harder it is for the makeup artist to work on them, for fear that adding even a little too much might obscure their original characteristics.
So, after fixing and tidying up his hair, there were only forty minutes left before the dinner party started.
It takes at least half an hour to get to the hotel from here. Charity dinners usually start with an auction, and all guests need to be seated before the auction begins. So... he doesn't have much time left.
"Bro, I'm off now. I'll thank you again next time we meet." Xia Mian said to Chang Yi, grabbed her car keys, and hurriedly left.
The roads are already congested during rush hour, and even though Xia Mian used her racing skills to speed along, she was still two minutes late.
He tossed the car to the valet and followed the guide quickly to the back door, where the introduction of the first item to be auctioned was underway.
To ensure guests could clearly see the auction items, all the main lights in the venue were turned off, leaving only the guide lights on both sides to illuminate the steps, and two corridor lights at the front and back doors.
Xia Mian took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
"Squeak—" The sound of the wooden door scraping against the ground rang out.
The guests all turned around to look.
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