Ye Sisheng was still able to maintain his composure, though the smile at the corner of his mouth had faded.
Did Xie Yizhao intend to provoke him with these words? Of course. But he knew full well that it was because he was being impolite first, and as someone of Xie Yizhao’s status, Xie Yizhao didn’t need to endure his impoliteness.
Lu Xi bit her lip.
She felt a little speechless, yet there was something amusing about it.
She thought to herself, perhaps Xie Yizhao said it to save her face. After all, it was Second Young Master Ye who made the joke first, so Xie Yizhao’s response to it wasn’t a big deal.
However, now that they were in someone else’s territory, at a fashion show, with many executives and shareholders present, anyone who overheard might think the two of them were trying to challenge the event…
Lu Xi couldn’t help but cast a reproachful glance at the man beside her. She intertwined her arm with his and playfully pinched his arm with a little force.
Xie Yizhao didn’t say anything, but his gaze darkened slightly, and he secretly enjoyed it.
The silent yet tacit exchange of glances between Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao, along with her restrained yet intimate gesture, caught Ye Sisheng’s eye.
He slightly pressed his lips together.
The atmosphere became a little tense, but fortunately, at that moment, Master Louis arrived. Upon seeing Lu Xi, his eyes lit up, and he strode over, stroking his silver-white beard, greeting her with a smile and inviting her inside to take a look.
After the visit that day, she had contacted Louis and declined his offer, explaining her plans to open a studio.
Louis was quite regretful but didn’t say much. Instead, he encouraged her and told her that if she ever had any doubts, she could always ask him. Lu Xi was quite happy to hear that.
Although design is a very personal thing—one person, one style—if she could receive guidance from a master of his caliber, even two or three words might open her mind.
Louis’ arrival helped break the awkwardness.
Ye Sisheng didn’t say anything further.
Meanwhile, Xie Yizhao had already taken a step forward toward the venue. He pulled his hand away, and with a smooth and natural motion, he wrapped his arm around Lu Xi’s waist.
Lu Xi’s waist was gently encircled, and as she moved, she exuded countless charms. The man’s hand was wide and long, holding her waist in a way that wasn’t over the top, but still conveyed a subtle and alluring feeling.
Her gaze momentarily froze.
Xie Yizhao… rarely ever held her waist. Even in public, she usually linked her arm with his, their closeness still carrying a formal air. This gesture, holding her waist, seemed a little too intimate.
The temperature of his palm always seemed higher than hers, including his body heat. When they slept together in the summer, she would feel that he was hot, and in winter, she would unconsciously move closer to him.
Lu Xi said nothing.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Xie Yizhao felt off tonight.
She wanted to ask but hadn’t found the opportunity. Xie Yizhao had a vast network of connections, and wherever he went, there were always people who knew him. Before they even sat down, they encountered a shareholder from the group in the front-row VIP seats. Upon seeing Xie Yizhao, the man immediately stood up to greet him.
“Mr. Xie? I never expected to see you here! What brings you today…?” His gaze flitted over to Lu Xi, curiosity and intrigue in his eyes.
Xie Yizhao had remarried, and he had married a young girl. This had spread in social circles, and there were rumors that she had once fallen into the water…
Xie Yizhao had always been low-key, with a private life shrouded in mystery. Since his ex-wife left, there had been no scandals. Many people were curious about how a young girl with no family background had managed to win his heart.
When Zheng Wei saw Lu Xi in person today, all doubts vanished, replaced only by admiration.
He had heard that she looked like Lu Xi, but he hadn’t expected her to resemble her so much! Her facial features, her face shape—there wasn’t a single part that didn’t match. The only difference was her demeanor, which was softer, more transparent. She looked like a young woman in her twenties, yet her eyes seemed to have experienced much more.
Xie Yizhao said lightly, “My wife is interested, so I came with her.”
“Is that so?” The man smiled and looked at Lu Xi. “If Mrs. Xie wants to see any shows in the future, she can ask me to arrange it. I’ve known Mr. Xie for a long time.”
Lu Xi thought the man looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t place him.
As she was pondering, the man handed her a business card.
Lu Xi glanced at it. Zheng Wei… the name seemed vaguely familiar.
She didn’t think much of it, not very concerned. She had yet to print her own business cards, so she couldn’t exchange one. Instead, she simply said, “Hello, Mr. Zheng, I’m Lu Xi.”
Zheng Wei froze, visibly shocked. It seemed like he had heard something extraordinary. “Lu, Xi?”
Lu Xi furrowed her brows. “Lu, as in the character for ‘mainland’, and Xi, as in ‘stream’.”
Was there something strange about this name?
Zheng Wei snapped back to reality, forced a smile, and exchanged pleasantries with Xie Yizhao before sitting down.
Xie Yizhao’s expression remained calm, as if he didn’t care about the other person’s slightly embarrassed reaction. He and Lu Xi sat down on the other side of the VIP seating.
Lu Xi already sensed something. She held the business card, glanced at it again, and then put it in her bag, asking Xie Yizhao, “Do I know him?”
Xie Yizhao pondered for a moment before answering, “Zheng Wei, your university classmate. He came to our wedding.”
University classmate? Zheng Wei…
Lu Xi suddenly recalled something, and she froze, remembering.
Zheng Wei really was her university classmate. At that time, he wasn’t very attractive, his personality was quite ordinary, but he was a good guy, a rather simple and honest male classmate. His overall qualities were quite average, but his family background was excellent, a typical second-generation rich kid, ready to inherit the family business after graduation.
But she remembered he was very skinny back then, wearing glasses and looking quite scholarly.
Now, he seemed like a completely different person. His stomach had grown, his hairline had receded, and his whole body had expanded. If Xie Yizhao hadn’t mentioned it, she really wouldn’t have recognized him.
This was truly a case of not recognizing each other after meeting again…
Xie Yizhao noticed her strange expression and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Xi had a face full of disbelief. “Is that really Zheng Wei? My God, the last time I saw him, his legs were thinner than mine… Time is so terrifying.”
It wasn’t the first time she had met old acquaintances. At the Ye family banquet, she had met quite a few, but those people had all been well-made up, their faces and bodies enhanced by high-tech treatments. Even though their ages were evident, it wasn’t as shocking as today.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but wonder, if she hadn’t transmigrated and hadn’t died early like in that dream, but instead lived normally until now, would she also have changed beyond recognition?
“Don’t worry.” The man beside her suddenly said, “I won’t turn out like that.”
Lu Xi held her phone, the screen reflecting Xie Yizhao’s face.
No matter from which angle she looked, his face was undeniably handsome, with deep, narrow eyes, a high nose, and his facial features hardly changed. It seemed that heaven had favored him…
Wait, no.
Lu Xi furrowed her brows and thought for a moment.
It’s more likely that he was disciplined. Just the fact that he insists on jogging every morning is something most people couldn’t do.
Lu Xi suddenly got it.
To stay young, maintaining a fitness routine is key! Just like some stars in Hong Kong, who look the same now as they did ten years ago, when asked their secret, they all say it’s because they keep exercising.
From her observation, Xie Yizhao had at least one more secret : he didn’t smile often.
By keeping a neutral expression, rarely moving his face muscles, his skin didn’t get wrinkled as quickly…
Lu Xi, who cared about her appearance, couldn’t accept becoming ‘Lu Xi Plus’ in ten years.
“Xie Yizhao, I’ve made up my mind. Starting tomorrow, I’ll jog with you in the morning,” Lu Xi said with determination. “You supervise me.”
Xie Yizhao was slightly taken aback, clearly not understanding her thought process.
How did they go from watching a show to her suddenly wanting to jog with him?
After a moment, he said, “To be honest, I don’t think you’ll wake up in time.”
He didn’t add more to the sentence, that he had concerns because he had seen her when she was woken up early in the morning. She had a serious case of ‘morning temper.’
Xie Yizhao had lived a long life and was never afraid of anyone, but he had to admit that Lu Xi was not easy to deal with when she was angry.
Lu Xi insisted, “That’s why I need you to supervise me. If I don’t wake up, you can punish me!”
Luckily, the music in the show was loud enough that they could talk freely without worrying about being overheard.
Xie Yizhao gave her a sidelong glance.
His hand on his knee paused.
Seeing her earnest expression, he couldn’t help but lean a little closer, silently closing the distance, and spoke in a low voice, “How should I punish you?”
Lu Xi didn’t notice, still deep in her anti-aging plan. “Whatever. You can decide. As long as I don’t listen, you can punish me however you want.”
“…”
Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together, suddenly feeling his throat tighten.
He was also a bit helpless.
Clearly, she didn’t realize what she had said, or rather… she hadn’t fully grasped it yet.
Lu Xi could sometimes be very sharp, but at other times, she was a bit oblivious and unaware of many things.
After a while, the male model wearing next season’s new menswear stepped onto the stage to the sound of music.
At that moment, Xie Yizhao exhaled deeply and said, “Alright, I’ll think about it.”
That evening, apart from the little shock at the beginning, Lu Xi felt fully engaged throughout the show.
After watching for nearly an hour and a half, Lu Xi gained a lot from the experience.
Like most artists, she needs constant input to produce quality output. Watching a fashion show featuring a master’s new collection is like a pianist attending a musical salon in the living room of a medieval classical musician.
Don’t ask, just know it’s a flood of inspiration.
The next day, Xie Yizhao went on a business trip, returning after a week. Meanwhile, Lu Xi’s private study was fully prepared.
Before Xie Yizhao returned, Lu Xi had finished four design drafts.
To be precise, three drafts, and for the fourth, she got lazy and reused a design from her past works—specifically a spring/summer version of a school uniform for girls.
Who didn’t hate school uniforms back in their student days? She did too, and would never wear them, so she designed her own version, creating her own style.
At that time, it was just to pass the time. Little did she know that an old draft would come in handy more than ten years later.
Next, the designs had to be sent to the garment factory for patterning, cutting, and turning them into ready-to-wear clothes, transforming the drafts into wearable pieces.
By then, it would be Xie Heng’s turn to step in.
Once paid, he would have to do the job obediently.
It was a Sunday, and the school was on break. In the afternoon, Lu Xi came out of her study and saw the blue-haired brat walking toward her, followed by Xu Jiaming and Song Siyang.
Recently, these three kids were always hanging out together.
They happened to spot her as well. Xu Jiaming, ever polite, smiled at Lu Xi with a soft demeanor, “Hello, Aunt.”
Song Siyang, equally polite, grinned widely and called out, “Hello, Aunt!”
It was only Xie Heng who, upon seeing Lu Xi, made a strange gesture, scratching his ear awkwardly, standing stiffly, and lifting his chin toward her with a cold expression, saying, “Hey.”
Lu Xi : “……”
Ugh, this kid really needs a good spanking—he’s got no manners.
If it weren’t for business, she would definitely mess up his hair.
Who’s he trying to act cool with, huh?
She ignored him and smiled as she walked toward Xu Jiaming, “Xiao Xu, could you do me a favor? On the day of the design competition, could you model for me?”
Xu Jiaming froze for a moment.
Modeling? That meant going up on stage to strut the runway, which seemed pretty embarrassing…
He hesitated, unsure how to refuse.
Lu Xi added, “By the way, there’s a reward. If I win, I’ll give you five thousand.”
Xu Jiaming immediately made up his mind : “Okay, no problem. I have time.”
Xie Heng furrowed his brow, looking slightly displeased.
What’s this about? Isn’t it enough that he’s the model? And she’s even offering Xu Jiaming money… Does she think Xu Jiaming is more valuable than him?
So annoying!
Someone else was even more annoyed and loudly spoke up: “Aunt, I want to do it! I have plenty of time, please let me be your model! I won’t charge you!”
Xie Heng : “……”
He glared at Song Siyang : “Does your Mom know you’re this cheap?!”
Damn it, there’s someone here who’s eager to steal his spot.
Lu Xi was a bit surprised. She hadn’t expected Song Siyang to want to participate.
Actually, his looks were decent, at least a seven out of ten. He was a clean, fresh-faced young man, but he was always so loud, joking around with a silly grin, making him seem a bit of a clown. And standing next to Xie Heng and Xu Jiaming, he seemed more like a background prop.
“Well, it’s not impossible, but…” Lu Xi stifled a laugh and asked, “We only have the women’s clothes left. Do you want the spring/summer version or the autumn/winter version?”