Chapter 10: Intimacy in the Bridal Shop

“How about this, I’ll take more photos of you, and you can pay me for them later,” the owner offered, making up her mind.

Xu Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up instantly. “Great!” She had been worrying about how to make some extra money. This opportunity came just in time.

The curtain was drawn back, and Xie Zhi remained in the same position as before. The moment he saw Jiaojiao, cracks appeared on his usually composed face. At that moment, she looked like a princess from a music box, dancing elegantly.

Xie Zhi’s gaze unintentionally fell on her chest, his eyes darkened, and his palms itched. “Jiaojiao, you look stunning.”

Xu Jiaojiao’s nervousness dissipated instantly, and she burst out laughing, throwing herself into Xie Zhi’s arms, saying, “I love this.”

Her soft body collided with Xie Zhi’s firm chest, and he felt the tender sensation of her body, causing his Adam’s apple to move with satisfaction.

“Let’s buy this and have it altered a bit at the tailor’s. I feel jealous, Jiaojiao. I don’t want anyone else to see even the tiniest bit of you,” Xie Zhi said, his voice low.

“Buying it? Wouldn’t that be expensive?” Xu Jiaojiao asked in surprise.

She had assumed that Xie Zhi was taking her to rent a wedding dress, since renting was common in the 21st century. A wedding dress wasn’t cheap, especially now, with material shortages making such things even more expensive.

Xie Zhi lowered his head and looked at Jiaojiao, feeling warmth spreading across his face. “I’ve saved a lot for our future, so don’t worry about the money.”

“The wedding dress costs eighty yuan,” the owner said, somewhat nervously.

“Eighty yuan? That’s so expensive!” Xu Jiaojiao was shocked.

She knew wedding dresses were costly but hadn’t expected them to be this pricey. She immediately wanted to take the dress off. Eighty yuan was equivalent to several months’ salary for an average worker. Her mother, who worked at the supply and marketing cooperative, only earned 15 yuan a month. Spending so much on a dress to wear just once felt like an extravagance.

“We should just rent it. This is too expensive,” Xu Jiaojiao decided.

Xie Zhi showed no change in his expression. He was someone who could recognize quality, and he could tell the fabric of the dress was of high quality, rare even in the provincial capital. It was the kind of wedding dress that women would love, even more so in a small town. He felt that fate had brought this dress to Jiaojiao and him.

“Jiaojiao, let’s buy it. You’ve already worn it. I don’t want anyone else wearing it after you,” Xie Zhi said as he pulled out his wallet, ready to pay.

Xu Jiaojiao was a bit stunned. Wasn’t the male lead supposed to be a poor underdog? How could he be so generous?

Then she remembered the gifts Xie Zhi had already given her, and it wasn’t so surprising anymore.

Xu Jiaojiao placed her hand on Xie Zhi’s, stopping him from paying immediately. She looked into his determined eyes. Even if they were buying it, she thought, they should at least try to bargain. Her small hand grabbed his larger one.

The moment their skin touched, Xie Zhi felt a spark ignite in his mind. Although this wasn’t the first time they had touched, every time it made his heart race.

She turned to the owner and gave her a sweet smile. “Can you lower the price a little, please?”

The owner, looking at this beautiful couple, couldn’t bear to refuse and said through gritted teeth, “Alright, seventy-five yuan for you.”

Xu Jiaojiao hesitated for a moment but still thought it was too expensive. She waved it off, saying, “No, no, we’ll just rent it.”

The owner quickly stopped her from leaving, blurting out her final offer, “Wait, seventy yuan, okay? You won’t find a better deal. I’ll throw in the gloves and veil for free, and I can help alter the dress for you too. Just let me take a few more pictures during your wedding.”

“Deal!” Xu Jiaojiao agreed instantly.

Xie Zhi smiled softly and pinched her cheek. “Jiaojiao, you’re amazing. You just knocked off a big chunk of the price.”

Then he pulled out the money from his wallet and handed it to the owner with a polite smile. “Thank you.”

The owner’s hands trembled as she took the money. It was rare to sell such an expensive wedding dress in those times. She still felt a bit dazed from the surprise.

“Owner, I’ll bring the dress in for alterations in a few days. Please help us with it then,” Xie Zhi said.

“Of course,” the owner replied happily before heading to the bank to deposit the money, worried something might happen if she didn’t.

With the owner gone, Xie Zhi helped Jiaojiao into the changing room.

The sound of a zipper being pulled down echoed, revealing Jiaojiao’s smooth, fair back.

He had seen it before, but the daylight made it feel more torturous. The bright lights illuminated every inch of her skin, burning the image into his mind.

As the wedding dress fell to her feet, Xu Jiaojiao turned to face him.

Xie Zhi felt a wave of heat rise inside him, as if he were being roasted alive.

With a beauty in his arms, who could resist? He buried his face into her, inhaling her scent deeply.

…

But this was still a shop, and Xie Zhi wasn’t the type to lose control. After some hugging and kissing, they helped Jiaojiao change back into her clothes.

Resting his head against her neck, he murmured, “Jiaojiao, you’re really here to torment me.”

Xu Jiaojiao, feeling a bit light-headed from the lack of oxygen, blushed deeply. It took her a moment to recover.

She burrowed into his chest, pouting, “You’re bullying me.”

Xie Zhi’s body stiffened again at her words, and a rare playful smile appeared on his otherwise serious face. “Jiaojiao, I think I’m going to die because of you.”

After some more affectionate moments, they walked back to the main hall just as the owner returned. Xu Jiaojiao kept her head down while Xie Zhi spoke with the owner, remaining quiet.

After finishing their conversation, they left. In this era, business owners were much more honest and trustworthy than in later times. There was no fear of people running off with your money and shutting down.

Xie Zhi lightly brushed her palm and suggested, “Shall we check out the department store? We still have plenty of time.”

She hadn’t been to a 1970s-era department store yet. Xu Jiaojiao glanced around and didn’t see any sign of Shen Yun. It seemed she had run off after failing to benefit from sticking around.

She affectionately clung to Xie Zhi’s arm as they headed toward the store. He had long since gotten used to her affectionate gestures, no longer stiff like the first time.

Though called a “department store,” it was a small town, so it only had two floors. The first sold daily necessities and food, while the second floor sold clothes and accessories.

Each counter had its own salesperson, but most of them treated customers with indifference, displaying a sense of disdain. Xu Jiaojiao noticed their attitude and pursed her lips. It was much better when people had to compete for jobs.

Xie Zhi led her to the second floor, where there were only about ten shops. But the clothes were much better than what you’d find at the village’s supply and marketing cooperative.

As they entered the first shop, they immediately spotted Shen Yun trying on clothes.

Shen Yun blushed, constantly adjusting her outfit in front of the mirror. The clothes were nice, but the colors were a bit too mature for her.

Shen Yun’s skin had a yellowish tint, and the bright pink she wore didn’t suit her at all.

Shen Yun, spotting Xu Jiaojiao, shyly turned and intentionally moved closer to Xie Zhi, asking coyly, “Jiaojiao, how do I look?”