Extra 1

In September 1985, the capital city was still quite hot for the season, with the continuous sound of cicadas becoming quite bothersome.

A flurry of activity filled the air inside the Workers’ Stadium as countless workers busily set up the stage.

For most people, this was the first time they had constructed such a long runway, and they had heard that it was the debut of a European designer in China. Everyone felt the pressure and did not dare to be careless; they brought their best skills and the most serious attitudes to the task.

Zheng Xiaorou was backstage, directing everyone to place the models’ platforms, cutting tables, and ironing stations according to the designer’s requirements.

“Teacher Zheng, where should we put these fabrics?”

Zheng Xiaorou glanced over; they were the batch of fine wool that had just arrived from Hong Kong, the same fabric used for the show.

However, it was two days earlier than the scheduled time.

Seeing the chaotic backstage, she helplessly tapped her forehead. This batch of materials could not afford any mistakes, so she decided to put it away in the cabinet for now to avoid any dirt that might affect the finale of the grand show.

Thus, she pointed to a cabinet that had been delivered a day earlier in the corner. “Please help me put it in the cabinet; the fabrics are quite heavy. Thank you all for your hard work!”

She signaled to an assistant she had temporarily borrowed from the fashion school as she spoke. “It’s too hot; go buy some cold drinks and sodas for everyone to share.”

Although the voice was very low, the workers nearby still heard it and happily exclaimed, “We’ve never had a client treat us to soda before! Teacher Zheng is so generous!”

After the temporary assistant completed her errand, she gazed at Zheng Xiaorou’s elegant posture and neat hairstyle, completely undeterred by the messy floor, as she sat down with a thump, resting her chin on her palm. “Teacher Zheng, you’re really beautiful and capable! I heard you came from Hong Kong? But you don’t seem to have any accent from there. You sound more like one of us.”

“I’m from Haishi,” Zheng Xiaorou said as she locked the cabinet holding the fabric and paused momentarily while putting away the key. “But my husband is from Beijing. Perhaps after living with him for a long time, I’ve picked up the accent from here.”

To be precise, they spoke the same dialect.

After Zheng Xiaorou had fulfilled her dream from a previous life, she returned to using her original accent in her daily life.

The temporary assistant noticed a fleeting blush on her face and, starry-eyed, exclaimed, “What does your husband look like? I can’t even imagine what kind of man would be worthy of you. I have to wonder if the air and water in Hong Kong make people more attractive!”

She had just peeked into the adjacent practice room for models and found no one more beautiful than Zheng Xiaorou in the entire place.

Zheng Xiaorou remembered how someone had woken up unhappy from the alarm clock that morning and pulled her back into bed, which made her smile.

“It’s over, it’s over… The person who can make you show such an expression must really love you,” the temporary assistant murmured. “Is he very handsome? Oh, your kids would definitely be beautiful!”

When the topic of children came up, Zheng Xiaorou felt a stir in her heart. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t had any children in her previous life, and now that she was a bit older, she indeed felt a desire to become a mother.

That morning, she had casually mentioned to Lu Yongzhang, “How about we have a child next year?”

He kissed her and replied, “Having a child means we won’t have our hands free. Let’s finish what you want to do first, and we can wait a bit longer.”

When she was accepted into the fashion school, she cried tears of joy, vowing that one day she would make the clothes she designed into a brand.

Since she hadn’t lived with either set of grandparents, hardly anyone reminded Zheng Xiaorou that it was time to have children. Even Mother Zheng would only hint at it during festive occasions, but she didn’t dare to say much since her son-in-law was so doting.

Zheng Xiaorou thought that once this show was over, she could take a break and consider how to balance her career and motherhood.

Among the designs for this show, Vern had selected one of her creations, which was a significant acknowledgment for a fashion designer.

Vern had given her a lot of freedom. If she wanted to stay in Beijing to handle his domestic business, he would offer her the general manager position. If she wished to start her own brand, he would endorse her.

“Teacher Zheng, there’s a reporter outside who wants to interview you,” the assistant rushed over from backstage to the runway. “She says she’s an old classmate of yours. I didn’t let her in because you might not know, but there are a lot of con artists these days…”

Zheng Xiaorou’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s her name?”

“I didn’t ask her. She claimed her surname was Xiao and looked quite shrewd. She said I would definitely regret it if I didn’t let her in. What could I possibly regret?” The assistant huffed, her face clearly displaying disdain for the so-called scammer.

The “shrewd” reporter named Xiao made Zheng Xiaorou chuckle. “She might actually be my classmate. I’ll go take a look.”

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t go alone! I’ll accompany you. If she’s a scammer, I’ll make her understand what regret means!” The assistant rolled up her sleeves, ready to confront the supposed fraud.

With the enthusiastic assistant following her, Zheng Xiaorou arrived at the security office in the Workers’ Stadium, where she encountered Xiao Rujuan, whom she hadn’t seen in five years.

As soon as they met, Xiao Rujuan let out a joyful exclamation and lunged at her, startling the assistant, who jumped in front with arms spread wide like a protective hawk. “Back up, back up! Our Teacher Zheng hasn’t said she knows you yet!”

However, before the “suspicious target” could defend herself, Zheng Xiaorou maneuvered around the assistant and rushed forward to embrace the incoming Xiao Rujuan.

“Rujuan!”

“Ah?” The assistant stood there dumbfounded, watching the two women hug each other tightly.

“You heartless person!” Xiao Rujuan exclaimed, her eyes reddening. “You come back without saying a word. If we hadn’t met to discuss the topic, we wouldn’t have even known you were in Beijing!”

Zheng Xiaorou found it both amusing and exasperating. “Alright! It wasn’t intentional; I just didn’t know how long I would be busy this time. If I had the chance, of course, I would have returned!”

Making the round trip was not easy; she could only manage to go back whenever Lu Yongzhang returned to handle business.

Xiao Rujuan huffed, “Let’s just say you wanted to surprise me… By the way, where’s your husband? Still busy?”

“He should be wrapping things up in the next couple of days; it all depends on when I can finish here.”

“He’d better come back first and leave you with me for a few days!” Xiao Rujuan hooked her arm around Zheng Xiaorou’s and embraced her. After a moment, she added, “Oh, I really do have a task for you this time. Can you give me a chance to interview you? The only female disciple of the master designer Vern?”

The assistant was already flushed with embarrassment, bending at the waist and retreating to the doorway.

It turned out that this person really was a reporter and a friend of Teacher Zheng; this situation was quite unexpected…

“Then let’s go inside. It’s a bit messy, though,” Zheng Xiaorou replied as she walked over to the assistant and patted her head. “It’s not your fault. The way she rushed in, and you stopped her shows how serious and responsible you are about your work! Well done.”

As Zheng Xiaorou spoke, a gentle smile graced her face, leaving the assistant momentarily stunned, her eyes sparkling with admiration. It took her a while to regain her composure. “Thank you, Teacher Zheng.”

After watching the two head backstage, the assistant turned to the security guard with seriousness. “Sir, please keep an eye out. If anyone tries to impersonate an acquaintance to get in, other than those wearing name badges, make sure to detain them!”

“Got it!”

Backstage, aside from some dust and clutter, everything was in place.

Zheng Xiaorou quickly patted everything and then pulled Xiao Rujuan to sit on a small stool. “Are you looking to interview the designer? But he’s busy finishing up the show pieces, so I think…” She glanced down at her watch. “It will be several more days before he comes to Beijing. Once he returns, I’ll arrange a time for you, but he has a rule: he doesn’t accept interviews before the big show.”

They had already invited some mainstream newspapers and television stations to the press conference, so inserting a small reporter like Xiao Rujuan wouldn’t be difficult for her.

“Alright then.” Xiao Rujuan spread open her interview notebook. “However, my article will have a unique perspective. I just want to interview you, with the title probably being ‘When You Have a Dream.’ It will focus on how an ordinary girl pursues her dreams, showing the big picture through small details.”

Zheng Xiaorou felt a stir in her heart.

Jules Verne offered her very generous conditions. If negotiations with the inland went smoothly and there were tax incentives, it was likely that a wholly-owned company would be established, allowing her to take charge.

However, her initial motivation for diligently studying fashion design was not to secure a stable job; she wanted to create her own designs.

Unlike other designers, she carried the memories of her previous life. She had truly lived in the past dynasty and aimed to blend the most beautiful garments of Huaguo with modern cuts, creating unique pieces that embodied Chinese aesthetics—this was her ideal.

So, she said, “Then I will shamelessly agree.”

Upon hearing this decisive answer, Xiao Rujuan couldn’t help but be astonished. She had prepared no fewer than ten reasons to persuade her low-key friend, but surprisingly, none were needed.

The door leading from the backstage to the front stage had not yet been replaced; it was merely a thin wooden board, allowing the sound of construction from the stadium to filter through. The two of them had sat there for a short while when someone knocked on the door to consult Zheng Xiaorou about an issue.

Xiao Rujuan looked at her once-gentle and low-key friend, who now spoke with the same gentle tone but exuded a completely different demeanor. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotions, reflecting on the changes.

She lowered her head to hide her reddened eyes and said, “Then let’s get started. I see you’re quite busy.”

“Okay.”

Before coming, Xiao Rujuan had thought repeatedly that she knew Zheng Xiaorou too well and that this article would likely be easy to write. However, it wasn’t until the actual interview that she realized how wrong she had been—her deep understanding had led to preconceived notions that interfered with her judgment and feelings. Each interview question she asked did not match any of her past impressions.

“Why did you study fashion design?”

“Because it is something I enjoy and excel at. To be honest, it wasn’t until I went to school in Xiangjiang that I discovered my specialty. Before that, I only knew I was good at handicrafts and seemed to enjoy it. But when my Teacher saw my performance in practical skills, she immediately judged that I had a talent for it.”

The truth was that when Verne first saw the handmade embroidered leaf she created, he was astonished and asked her to come on board to oversee the creative decorations for last year’s autumn and winter collection, even offering her an exorbitant fee for her handiwork.

In her past life, she had worked for several intense years in the Fashion Bureau, so her craftsmanship was not something an ordinary person could compare to.

“Then, is your connection with Mr. Verne also rooted in your handicraft skills?” Xiao Rujuan couldn’t help but wonder. “But you haven’t done much handiwork growing up…”

Zheng Xiaorou smiled downwards. “When I was sent to Yunnan, there were many Yi compatriots at the rubber plantation, and their girls had to learn embroidery from a young age, so I learned alongside them.”

Now, she felt grateful for that experience, as it perfectly explained her suddenly acquired skills.

“…”

“Knock, knock, knock,” a timid voice from outside the door sounded. “Teacher Zheng, there’s someone outside claiming to be your partner… should I let him in?”

Xiao Rujuan said sourly, “Ha, it seems he couldn’t wait to interrupt us after just a few sentences.”

She was indeed someone who found it hard to resist the temptation of being fed. After expressing her jealousy, she turned her praise toward Lu Yongzhang. “He really is impressive; he raised my mother’s standards for potential suitors. Now, whenever someone tries to match me to someone, my mom always compares them to him. At this rate, I’ll be an old maid for the rest of my life…”

She wasn’t someone who didn’t know what was good for her.

After all these years, she was the only one among her peers who had gone to university and still held a stable job that allowed her to earn a salary every month. Upon reflection, she realized that it was all thanks to Zheng Xiaorou.

She later learned that the job she had was arranged by the director of the street office as a way to thank the Lu family for their support.

Even her ability to participate in the college entrance examination came from Lu Yongzhang, who casually brought her along when he arranged for a tutor to help her brother-in-law.

Zheng Xiaorou opened the door, and Lu Yongzhang was already standing there. He stepped forward to embrace her and whispered, “I finished my work and wanted to come pick you up.”

The little assistant stood behind, her eyes darting between the two, half curious and half excited.

After living in Xiangjiang for many years, she had long grown accustomed to this level of intimacy. However, thinking of Xiao Rujuan behind her, she still blushed and pushed him away, saying, “Juanjuan has come to Beijing, come in.”

Lu Yongzhang glanced at Xiao Rujuan, whose eyes seemed ready to pop out of her head, and nodded casually. “Comrade Xiao, I hope you’re doing well. How about we have a meal together tomorrow?”

“Can’t we do it today?” Zheng Xiaorou asked.

He looked down at her, smiling. “My parents said our courtyard has been tidied up, and your mom has come over. I just picked her up and took her there.”

Hearing that both sets of parents were present, Zheng Xiaorou had to concede and reluctantly reschedule with Xiao Rujuan.

The two of them sat in a car borrowed from a brother unit in Beijing, driving through the city’s most prosperous yet ancient streets before finally stopping in front of a courtyard.

Along the way, Zheng Xiaorou couldn’t shake the feeling that Lu Yongzhang seemed a bit nervous; she wondered if it was just her imagination.

This courtyard was in a prime location, just about three hundred meters from the Forbidden City, offering tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.

Lu Yongzhang looked up, staring for a long time at the freshly painted Ruyi door. Under her puzzled gaze, he lowered his head and said, “Do you remember I mentioned that while you were still at the Fashion Bureau, I was preparing a residence outside the palace?”

“Could it be…” Zheng Xiaorou slowly raised her hand to cover her mouth.