Chapter 22

Seeing how stunning Bo Ranying looked in the wedding gown, Xu Hui was thrilled. As the designer, she had always hoped for that perfect harmony between the wearer and the dress, one that created the most captivating visual effect.

She dutifully pulled out her phone and recorded a video of Bo Ranying, then snapped photos from every angle.

“Ranran?” Xu Hui showed her the pictures she’d taken.

It had to be said that Xu Hui had an innate mastery of beauty, not just in her designs but also in her command of lighting, shadows, and composition. Every casual shot captured Bo Ranying’s beauty perfectly, making each photo a delight to behold.

Bo Ranying was especially pleased.

She picked out a few she particularly liked and tapped into her WeChat chat with Nan Qi, ready to send them. But then she noticed their last exchange, which ended with Nan Qi’s curt, formulaic reply.

Was she really that busy? There still hadn’t been any response to Bo Ranying’s latest messages—

At first, Bo Ranying had been convinced that Nan Qi was just upset and throwing a tantrum on purpose. But as time dragged on, even the biggest sulk should have blown over by now. It had been half a day since morning, and Nan Qi hadn’t reached out once. Maybe she truly was swamped?

Whatever the reason, it didn’t change the fact that Nan Qi had cut off their daily chatter.

Staring at the empty chat window, Bo Ranying felt a chill settle in her heart. Her excitement to share suddenly evaporated. Her finger hovered over the selected photos before she canceled the selection and backed out of the chat.

She had already taken the initiative once with Little Qi. If Little Qi wouldn’t come to her, why should she chase after her a second time?

Bo Ranying puffed out her cheeks, resolving not to check her chat with Nan Qi again until she got home.

“You’re sending the video to Xiuyu, right?” Xu Hui gazed at Bo Ranying fondly and smiled. “He deserves to stare at his screen and regret missing this. Being away on business and not seeing how gorgeous Ranran looks in her wedding gown—let him stew in envy!”

Bo Ranying blinked in a daze.

Xu Hui’s offhand reminder finally jogged her memory.

Right—she had promised Qiao Xiuyu she’d send him a video of her trying on the wedding gown. They’d picked it out together, after all.

And yet, in just a few hours, she’d completely forgotten.

She murmured an “Mm” to Xu Hui and forwarded the video to Qiao Xiuyu.

There was no immediate reply, but Bo Ranying didn’t feel anxious about it. Qiao Xiuyu always responded the second he saw her messages, even from a meeting room. No quick reply just meant he was tied up and hadn’t checked yet.

She could tell from their phone calls too—the thick dark circles under his eyes suggested he’d pulled a few all-nighters.

She went on to try the other two equally beautiful gowns, asking Xu Hui to film those as well.

While waiting for Qiao Xiuyu’s input on all the wedding gown videos, Bo Ranying idly scrolled through her Moments feed.

She wasn’t the type to flaunt her relationship or broadcast her private life for attention.

Her personal public account, opened back in high school, mostly featured dance practice clips, performance highlights, daily musings, and outfit shares. Over the years, she’d built up a following, enough to qualify her as a minor internet celebrity or public figure.

Unfortunately, Qiao Xiuyu was the flashy sort, always eager to broadcast his love life, especially on social media.

The moment she’d agreed to be his girlfriend, he’d followed her Weibo account and posted: [@Bo Ranying sakura, mine.]

High-profile as could be.

With his verified status as the Qiao Family Second Young Master from Zhenyu Group, his follow alone drew crowds to her profile. Coupled with his bold declaration, soon every netizen tracking Zhenyu Group or Qiao Xiuyu knew the Second Young Master was dating—specifically, Linxi Dance Troupe’s principal dancer, Bo Ranying. It brought her a surge of attention, and their relationship had stayed in the public eye for the past two years.

After going official, Qiao Xiuyu frequently posted romantic snippets of their life together on Weibo, sparking squeals in the comments. Fans begged for updates, flocked to her page for proof, and tagged her relentlessly.

Bo Ranying’s comments section was always crawling with them. She found it annoying, like her quiet life was being invaded, but then she’d remind herself he was her boyfriend—the one she’d chosen—and he was always gentlemanly and proper in person. So she never said a word to stop him.

When he noticed she didn’t have his presence in her Moments—nothing to signal to others that she was taken—he’d asked her to post updates featuring him now and then. She’d agreed.

It wasn’t an unreasonable demand.

Flipping through now, she realized it had been over two months since her last Moments post about Qiao Xiuyu. He hadn’t even nudged her about it. Bo Ranying felt a twinge of surprise and belated guilt, like she’d slacked on homework.

The wedding photos from today made perfect material. Even without Qiao Xiuyu in them, they reflected his role in all this.

Bo Ranying selected a few shots, added a caption to her Moments post, and published it.

Half an hour later, Qiao Xiuyu’s suggestions finally trickled in.

【I think Little Ran looks gorgeous in any of them. Teacher Xu’s designs suit you perfectly too. Little Ran, just go with whichever one you like best—you have my full say-so.】

【I really wish tomorrow was already Wednesday. I can’t focus on work anymore.】

Bo Ranying stared at the long blocks of text scrolling across her screen, her heart oddly flat and unstirred.

Call it intuition, but even though Qiao Xiuyu was praising her as always and saying he liked them, she sensed he didn’t care quite as much anymore.

He said she looked good in any gown but didn’t single out the first one as the prettiest or pick the one that best matched her taste. His advice was so generic.

Maybe it was Nan Qi’s influence sharpening her emotional radar, making Qiao Xiuyu’s perfunctory tone stand out.