Chapter 91 – Checking on the Wedding Dress Progress

Under the warm yellow light, Xu Jiao­jiao looked as delicate and beautiful as a porcelain doll.

Xie Zhi squatted on the ground, quietly washing the girl’s feet. He never missed a day, and even took great interest in giving her a little foot massage now and then.

The girl lay slumped on the bed, her voice soft and sweet:

“Husband, do you think I should design a few styles of autumn clothes? Maybe shoes too… but I don’t know how to make shoes.”

“Oh, and I could do some inner layers too. Actually, it’d be best to make them into sets. I feel like buying single pieces makes it hard to match them.”

“Mm… should I add some accessories?”

“Eh, forget it. Accessories are too troublesome to make.”

Xu Jiao­jiao kept chattering away nonstop, but every time she looked down and met Xie Zhi’s attentive gaze, she felt reassured enough to keep talking.

The man took a pale-yellow cloth to carefully dry her feet before finally speaking:

“Alright. Whatever Jiao­jiao says is fine. I can’t help much with the work itself, but when it comes to money, baby, you don’t need to worry.”

Once he finished, he carried her to the bed. After pouring himself some water, he lay down as well. Xu Jiao­jiao lay sprawled across his body, wriggling around restlessly.

A light smack landed on her bottom—not painful, but enough to make her flush with shame. She pouted, “What are you doing?”

Xie Zhi’s long black eyes darkened with an indescribable emotion. His voice grew husky:

“Nothing. Sleep. If you don’t sleep, I’ll have a lot of things I want to do.”

Sure enough, his hands began to wander. She slapped them away, eyes watery, pleading softly:

“Gege, I’ll be really tired tomorrow. I’ll make it up to you on the weekend, okay?”

Xie Zhi switched off the bedside lamp. In the darkness, the corners of his lips curved up as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply—his nightly ritual, a goodnight kiss he never skipped.

Half-dazed from his kisses, Xu Jiao­jiao suddenly remembered something. She pushed against him, muffled sounds escaping her lips.

The man held her firmly, impatient at her resistance, and continued kissing her while coaxing in a low voice:

“Be good, baby. Just let hubby kiss you a little longer. Haven’t seen you all day… I missed you. Just touching, nothing else, really quick…”

His words tumbled out in messy reassurance, but by the time he finally let go, she was already completely dazed, her whole body feeling as though it no longer belonged to her.

Flipping his hair back casually, his movements careless yet elegant, he looked at her and asked:

“What was it you wanted to say?”

Xu Jiao­jiao blinked, finally recalling:

“Xie Zhi, we don’t know what’s happening with our wedding dress yet. Let’s check tomorrow and bring it home early.”

“Alright. If it’s ready, we’ll pick it up this weekend. But for now, sleep—we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

Outside, cicadas sang and the fan creaked as it spun. The girl drifted into deep sleep, completely unaware of the man’s unblinking gaze fixed on her in the darkness.

In his eyes lurked a terrifying, possessive darkness. The oppressive atmosphere even made the sleeping girl uneasy—she tossed and turned until she finally rolled into his arms.

Surrounded by the safety of his embrace, she slept even more soundly.

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The next morning, Xu Jiao­jiao woke up early. Ever since she opened her shop, her life had become a simple routine: home and store, back and forth. Sometimes, Yan Fenglian returned home to find her daughter absent, her heart full of mixed emotions.

At noon, Xu Jiao­jiao was the only one not home for lunch. The house was unusually quiet, missing the usual laughter around the dining table.

She welcomed Linlin into her shop, then left for the bridal store. Linlin looked at the unattended shop door and felt a little startled. She trusts me that much?

But she didn’t dwell on it. She just sat down with her book, gently rocking on the swing. The window was open, though the curtain remained drawn. White and green fabric swayed in the breeze, looking very pretty.

Meanwhile, Xu Jiao­jiao arrived at the bridal shop, where Boss Hu was busy introducing dresses to a customer. The shop was crowded—the whole family had come along, as was common in those days when weddings were treated as life’s greatest affair.

Xu Jiao­jiao quietly sat on the side, watching Boss Hu talk until her mouth was dry, only for the customers to complain about the price and leave.

The woman sighed. Running a bridal shop really isn’t easy.

She came to sit beside Xu Jiao­jiao.

“How’s your shop going? Can I come take a look sometime?”

“It’s almost ready. I just wanted to ask—how’s the wedding dress coming along?”

“It’s being resized. I’ll take you to see it.”

Xu Jiao­jiao nodded. Boss Hu locked up the store and led her across the street. There were no traffic lights at the time; people crossed purely by eye, but there weren’t many cars anyway. Even owning a bicycle was considered wealthy.

“My aunt is the one making the adjustments. You’ll see—she’s an experienced craftswoman. But your requested style is complicated, so it has to be sewn by hand.”

Xu Jiao­jiao nodded again. That had been the plan. She never expected she’d get the chance to have something hand-stitched. After all, she knew very well—thanks to her knowledge of the future—how precious handcrafting would become. One day, such artisans might even be recognized as cultural heritage inheritors.

Boss Hu led her into a small courtyard bathed in sunlight. An elderly lady sat on a mat, surrounded by neatly laid out fabrics. The wedding dress was spread across them.

“Auntie.”

“Mm. And who’s this comrade?”

“Auntie, she’s the bride. The dress you’re working on is hers. She’s here to check the progress.”

The old lady adjusted her glasses, her face warm and kind. Smiling at Xu Jiao­jiao, she said:

“Come take a look. If anything doesn’t feel right, just say so.”

Xu Jiao­jiao didn’t hesitate. That was exactly why she came.

She squatted down and picked up the dress. Her warm fingertips brushed across the bodice—the stitches were tight and fine. The sleeves had been tailored just as requested, and the neckline had been carefully adjusted too.

The more she examined it, the more satisfied she became. Even modern-day artisans might not match this level of skill. A smile blossomed across her face.

Boss Hu and the old lady still looked a little nervous. After all, the customer had paid a significant amount. But when they saw Xu Jiao­jiao’s expression, their worries eased.

“It’s perfect,” she praised. “I couldn’t get this kind of finish even with a machine.”

“Of course,” Boss Hu said proudly. “My aunt’s craft is unmatched. To tell you the truth, she used to sew for the county magistrate’s family. Many landlord’s daughters sought her out.”

“Really? Then I’ve truly struck gold.”

Xu Jiao­jiao nodded eagerly, continuing to examine it. After a while, she excused herself to return to her shop—she couldn’t leave it unattended too long.

Before leaving, she insisted on giving the old lady five yuan.

“This is excellent work,” she said firmly, slipping the money into the woman’s hand. Her expression turned serious, but her beautiful face carried no real intimidation. “Please accept it. It’s my token of appreciation. And if you make it even better, I’ll pay you more.”