Chapter 10: Kissed Her Tear-Stained Cheek—
The design department’s fitting room was large, with about twenty cubicles. The cubicles themselves were not small, easily accommodating two people without any issue.
Amidst the scrutinizing gazes, Huai Xing obediently followed Chu Wantang into one of the cubicles.
The door closed and was then locked by the woman.
Hearing the “click,” Huai Xing pressed her lips together. Thinking about her colleagues in the adjacent cubicles, she looked at the person before her, the form of address rolling around in her mouth before she finally settled on, “Director Chu.”
The overhead light was bright, and the full-length mirror on the left reflected their figures.
Chu Wantang placed the form on the sofa, held the measuring tape, and unconsciously lowered her voice, though her tone remained business-like. “Turn around. I’ll measure your shoulder width first.”
The weather in Jingcheng had finally improved a bit these past two days, so Huai Xing didn’t feel cold in a relatively thin hoodie. She turned as instructed, arching her back slightly, but couldn’t help but nervously glance at their reflection in the mirror.
Even in profile, it was clear that Chu Wantang’s expression was serious.
Chu Wantang’s long, curly hair cascaded down due to gravity. She pulled out the measuring tape and measured Huai Xing’s shoulder width, neck circumference, and head circumference in succession, then recorded the data. When she put down the pen again, she saw that Huai Xing was pulling off her crewneck hoodie. She tilted her head slightly and saw the girl’s serious expression in the mirror.
Chu Wantang didn’t say anything, didn’t stop her, didn’t look away.
Time seemed to slow down. She watched Huai Xing’s movements as she took off her clothes, her fingertips hooking the measuring tape, slowly retracting it until the soft tape was wrapped tightly around her fingers, then releasing it.
After Huai Xing had hung the hoodie on a rack, wearing only a mint-green bra, Chu Wantang finally spoke softly, her voice rich with amusement. “You’re wearing thin clothes. You don’t have to take it off to measure your bust.”
“…”
Huai Xing reached out her hand. “Then I’ll put it back on.”
She had been agonizing over taking off her clothes from the moment she entered. She didn’t want to seem too coy, lest Chu Wantang see through her.
They were family, they were sisters. Chu Wantang didn’t even avoid her when she changed in the hotel room. Wouldn’t it be strange if she acted shy…?
“No need.” Chu Wantang had already positioned herself behind her, the woody scent of her perfume covering and invading the scent of the solid perfume on her. “Arms out, Xiao Xing.”
The space was somewhat enclosed, their distance neither near nor far.
Huai Xing retracted her hand and spread her arms. With a glance down, she could see Chu Wantang’s outstretched hands.
Chu Wantang’s hands were elegant and well-proportioned, her knuckles distinct. She held the blue soft tape, first placing it on Huai Xing’s chest, then adjusting the tightness.
Until the measuring tape encircled Huai Xing.
At this moment, Huai Xing once again regretted taking off her hoodie, because Chu Wantang’s hair would occasionally brush against her, making her feel an unbearable tickle. She didn’t even dare to turn her head to look at their reflection in the mirror. In the end, she could only manage a small swallow.
Chu Wantang’s hands never touched Huai Xing’s body. She lowered her lashes slightly, looking at the numbers on the measuring tape. But her gaze also fell upon the pink flush on the girl’s porcelain-white skin, and the hard-to-ignore, cute dimples on her lower back.
The corners of her lips curled up ever so slightly, her dimples flashing for half a second.
After recording the bust measurement, she began to measure her arm length. Huai Xing exercised occasionally, so the lines of her arms were graceful and natural, like weeping willows in spring.
At this moment, Chu Wantang maintained her original volume and called out softly, “Xiao Xing.”
The quiet atmosphere was broken. Huai Xing paused, then responded, “Present.”
This reply made the person behind her chuckle. “Are we at military training?” Chu Wantang then got to the point. “I have to go to the Xu family’s house tonight.”
After Xu Zhixun’s accident, the Xu family had brought his ashes back to Jingcheng and placed them in a cemetery here. For the past few years, Chu Wantang would visit the cemetery a few days after the anniversary, and then make a trip to the Xu family’s home.
She always went alone, and Huai Xing’s requests to accompany her were always rejected.
Now, she wouldn’t ask if she could go along again; the answer would surely be the same. She nodded and replied, “Okay, then I’ll just go to sleep on time by myself.”
“You have to work overtime tonight for the runway class. You might not be done earlier than me.”
“…” Huai Xing turned her head, her face falling. She had even forgotten that she was only wearing a bra on her upper body. She called out in a low voice, “Jiejie…”
Chu Wantang’s gaze fell on her face, and she couldn’t help but laugh at her pitiful expression.
With a slight movement of her arms, she pulled the girl into her embrace, holding her gently and patting her thin back. “You were laughing at me just a couple of days ago, and now you’re done for too?” The skin her palm touched was delicate and smooth. The woman encouraged her without a change in expression, “Relax. You’ve played the violin on stage before. The situation will be similar.”
Huai Zhao had made Huai Xing learn the violin. At first, she had been a little resistant, but she had grown to like it and had obtained most of the necessary certificates.
Because she had joined the university’s instrumental group, she had continued to perform on stage until graduation. Chu Wantang had come to the school to watch her perform several times, and would even bring afternoon tea and small gifts for her and her friends.
She wasn’t at all surprised that those friends of hers were so taken with Chu Wantang, calling her “Sister Wantang” every time they saw her.
But she was surprised that Chu Wantang would embrace her like this in such a relatively confined space.
For a moment, she was frozen.
In the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation to let her eyes act as a camera and capture the scene in her mind. She turned her head slightly, the corners of her eyes lifting—
In the full-length mirror, the two people, with little height difference, were pressed together.
The woman was fully dressed in a black suit jacket, a few strands of her long hair entangled with hers. She didn’t need to open all her senses to clearly feel the beautiful curves of Chu Wantang’s body.
Her breathing became lighter and lighter. Just three days ago, she had seen it in the hotel in Yuncheng. The image from that time came rushing back to her mind. Huai Xing raised her arms and hugged her back, trying her best to ignore the scorching heat of the palm on her back and the magma-like breath on her shoulder.
She lowered her voice. “I’ll work hard and not embarrass Director Chu.”
This encouraging hug didn’t last long, and the remaining measurements were gradually completed.
By the time the form was filled out, they came out at around the same time as the people in the other cubicles.
But the warmth of the embrace lingered, continuing to ferment.
…
It was nine o’clock at night when Huai Xing dragged her tired body out of the company’s practice room.
Being a model was not an easy task, especially for a group of inexperienced “recruits” like them who had been grabbed just before the show. Even though Chu Wantang had said the teacher would only teach the basics, the basics alone were challenging enough.
Today, they had learned basic posture training. Tomorrow, they would have to reinforce it.
“At least we’re not working for free,” said a girl named He He, who was around Huai Xing’s age, walking alongside her cheerfully. “Triple overtime pay. It adds up to quite a bit after a week, hehe.”
Huai Xing nodded, her gaze falling on the design department.
They had had their measurements taken today, and the design department was also working overtime, rushing to make clothes that fit them.
He He followed her gaze and sighed, “The design department has been working a lot of overtime lately…”
“Yeah.”
“But Huai Xing,” He He said with a mischievous wink, her curiosity piqued, “does Director Chu smell really good? She got to be really close to you when she was taking your measurements. She seems like the type of woman who would be fragrant all over.”
Huai Xing pretended to think for a moment before answering, “I didn’t notice.”
She just secretly twitched her lips.
After parting ways with her fellow model, He He, downstairs, Huai Xing got into a taxi and gave the address.
On the way, she scrolled through the messages in her group chat with Tu Zhaoyu and the others. Her friends were chatting about the upcoming wedding, once again lamenting how early Zhuo Xin was getting married.
Huai Xing could actually understand Zhuo Xin. She imagined that if she had been in a stable relationship with Chu Wantang for a few years during university, she might have also chosen to get married right after graduation.
It was just an imagination, after all.
With these thoughts in her mind, Huai Xing looked out at the night scenery through the car window. The corners of her lips, which usually curved up in a pleasant way, were now slightly downturned.
The evening rush hour was long over. A little over ten minutes later, Huai Xing entered her residential complex. She had already sent a message to Chu Wantang, but Chu Wantang hadn’t replied, so she figured she wasn’t back yet.
But as soon as she entered the apartment, Huai Xing noticed a change in the shoe cabinet.
Chu Wantang was already back, but she happened to be in the bathroom and hadn’t seen her phone.
There were fresh flowers in the vase on the coffee table. Huai Xing went to her room to change into her loungewear first, then sat properly in the living room.
The sound of running water from the bathroom stopped a few minutes later.
Huai Xing didn’t turn her head. She kept her eyes fixed on the TV screen, looking extremely focused.
Chu Wantang came out of the bathroom, drying her hair, and asked calmly, “Why are you wearing my glasses?”
Both of them were slightly nearsighted, only a few dozen degrees, so they rarely wore glasses, only when watching TV.
Huai Xing watched her figure walk towards the floor-to-ceiling window and replied with a smile, “I couldn’t find my glasses.”
“They’re in the TV cabinet drawer.”
“Okay.”
Huai Xing replied, but she didn’t take off the glasses.
Chu Wantang still had a towel wrapped around her head. She sat down on the single sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, lowered her head, and replied to WeChat messages.
Huai Xing went to the bathroom to get the hairdryer and stood behind the woman. “Let me dry your hair for you, Jiejie.”
“Thanks.”
The soft strands of hair slipped through her fingers. Huai Xing dried it very carefully, occasionally glancing up at their reflection in the window—one standing, one sitting.
The window only reflected their silhouettes, so it wouldn’t expose the look in her eyes.
Chu Wantang’s hair was thick and long, so it took a while to dry. Huai Xing finally put away the hairdryer, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Chu Wantang was a bit quiet tonight.
“Jiejie.” Huai Xing smoothed Chu Wantang’s hair back, parted her lips, and finally asked, “Did something happen at the Xu family’s house?”
Chu Wantang’s voice was muffled. “No.”
Something was wrong.
Huai Xing frowned and knelt down in front of Chu Wantang.
Only now did she see Chu Wantang’s face clearly. She could immediately see several finger marks on her face, which were very obvious even in the soft indoor light.
Huai Xing’s hand slowly rested on Chu Wantang’s knee. The concern in her eyes was undisguised, but she couldn’t say a word.
This was the first time she had seen Chu Wantang like this.
“Go take a shower.” Chu Wantang’s lips moved. She turned her face away and said with some resistance, “Don’t look at me.”
Huai Xing’s eyes reddened, and her voice held a hint of a sob as she muttered indignantly, “What right do these people have…” She took off her glasses and buried her head in Chu Wantang’s lap, her heart aching so much that she couldn’t control her tears. “Does it hurt a lot, Chu Wantang?”
Chu Wantang placed a hand on the girl’s head, as if to comfort her. The tears soaked her pajama pants, and the damp, sticky feeling was still unpleasant, but the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve up.
How did she get these finger marks again? Oh, it was when she had said in front of the Xu family that Xu Zhixun’s death was not unjust. Grandma Xu, who had been fiddling with her prayer beads, had slapped her.
She could have dodged it, but she didn’t. The pain wasn’t intense. When she looked in the mirror after her shower, she even felt that the finger marks weren’t obvious enough and had added a little bit with lipstick.
She gently stroked Huai Xing’s head, not explaining the cause, but simply parting her lips in an incredibly somber tone. “Xiao Xing, you’re the only family I have.”
“And I’m the only family you have, okay?”
Huai Xing looked up, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t see the person before her clearly, but she nodded firmly. “Okay, only you, Jiejie.”
“Even if Wen Shiwei comes to work in Jingcheng later, it’s still only me, right?” She had gotten this information from Xia Yi a few days ago in Yuncheng.
“Yes…”
Chu Wantang looked at her long lashes, once again stuck together with tears, and tucked a strand of her own hair behind her ear.
After a moment’s hesitation, she leaned in and kissed her tear-stained cheek—
As a thank you for the tears.
So sweet.
