Miss Xu Nanyin had never imagined something like this, so the moment she heard it, shock and confusion both appeared clearly on her face.
It was even more unexpected than when Zheng Yuze had blocked the door to apologize to her early that morning!
“Marry you?”
Xu Nanyin faced the mirror, first pointing at the man in the reflection, then at herself.
“Marry you?”
It had already been quite some time since then; the rosy flush on her cheeks hadn’t faded yet, and although she was dressed neatly, it couldn’t conceal the color in her face.
“Don’t you want to get married?” the man behind her asked.
“…No.”
Xu Nanyin shook her head, and her ear suddenly brushed against his cheek, making her realize just how close they were.
“A bit… it’s too sudden.”
She was used to taking things step by step, used to following rules, like when she was in school—if the teacher gave prior notice, she could get high scores.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door: “Zhuzhu, are you done yet?”
It was Liang Jiamin.
Xu Nanyin blinked.
Although Song Huaixu had said the door was locked earlier, she was still a bit nervous—what if the lock was broken?
What if he forgot?
So she answered, “Almost.”
Liang Jiamin didn’t ask again nor try to come in, and Xu Nanyin relaxed, slightly turning her chair to look at the man standing up behind her.
Just now, he had been blocked by the chair and her body, so she hadn’t seen clearly; now, she noticed a large bulge in his trousers.
Xu Nanyin asked, “Are you… going out now?”
Song Huaixu looked down, his expression indifferent.
“Not going out. Hiding in your room?”
This wasn’t her room, but the makeup room, which was indeed for her private use today.
Xu Nanyin hesitated, “Do you need help?”
If he left like this, someone might notice.
Just now he was willing to kneel on one knee, willing to do that kind of thing, so she was willing to help a little.
So she reached out and touched him.
Song Huaixu didn’t expect her sudden boldness.
She was sitting there, her face almost level with his waist, fair and delicate, with small hands.
The moment she touched him, a certain thought immediately arose.
Xu Nanyin gasped softly. Her palm felt that thing seemed to grow larger, even the trousers restricting it seemed on the verge of bursting.
Before she could react, her wrist was grabbed.
“No need.” The man’s voice carried a slight reproach.
Xu Nanyin made an “oh” sound, lowered her eyes, afraid to look around recklessly.
She stood up to turn around but didn’t expect she still hadn’t recovered her strength.
The next second, he picked her up and headed toward the door.
She panicked again, burying her cheek in his neck and muttering, “I can do it myself.”
The man holding her said nothing, nor did he let go.
Xu Nanyin was really afraid he’d carry her downstairs.
Not sure if he heard, she tilted her face closer to his ear and called softly, “Song Huaixu.”
He deliberately listened to her calling his name, then put her down behind the door.
Xu Nanyin unlocked it and gently opened the door a crack.
Before stepping out, she heard the man’s low voice near her ear.
“If you help, I might not be able to stop.”
After the door closed, those words still lingered near her ear.
Standing in the hallway leaning against the door, Xu Nanyin’s heart pounded fast.
From afar came wild laughter.
These ladies always felt most carefree when no one was watching, almost wishing to throw a party on the spot.
Xu Nanyin confirmed her attire was fine and slowly walked over.
Luckily, her dress was long and wide, so even if her posture wasn’t perfect, it was hard to tell.
“Xu Zhuzhu, what are you spacing out for?”
Liang Jiamin appeared out of nowhere and poked her cheek.
“What did Song Sheng say to you?”
“You know?” Xu Nanyin was shocked, her cheeks blushing.
Liang Jiamin rolled her eyes exaggeratedly with a playful charm.
“Xu Zhuzhu, I booked this store first. This is a matter of privacy and security. If someone else came in, you think I wouldn’t know?”
If another man wanted to enter, naturally, he had to get her consent today.
The previous evening was late, the sky was red with sunset.
After trying on the last dress, it was almost dark.
She didn’t want to do makeup, so she just played on her phone on the first floor.
Even Song Huaixu asked her whether Xu Nanyin was on guard or if she was the one who showed him the way.
Liang Jiamin: “I sent you a message. Didn’t you see it?”
Xu Nanyin unlocked her phone and found the message from several tens of minutes ago, indeed telling her Song Huaixu wanted to see her, and if she disagreed, she should refuse.
But she hadn’t checked the phone, so it turned into implicit consent.
“He’s very generous.”
Liang Jiamin suddenly pulled out a bill from somewhere, “All reimbursed.”
Xu Nanyin suddenly recalled that in the dressing room, Song Huaixu said he’d pay compensation—it turned out all the money had been paid long ago.
Curious, she asked, “Then why did you knock on the door just now…?”
“Don’t mistake a good person for a bad one.”
Liang Jiamin teased.
“I’m just afraid you’d get eaten alive. If my reputation in Port City were ruined because of that, it wouldn’t be good.”
She looked at the well-behaved girl in front of her.
“Judging by you, you’d be coaxed into giving away half, walking slowly and waiting for me to show up on time.”
“No way.”
Xu Nanyin couldn’t argue.
Liang Jiamin had boyfriends since school.
Once, when Xu Nanyin passed by, she saw Liang Jiamin kissing her new boyfriend, and Liang Jiamin deliberately made a noise to scare herself.
Xu Nanyin always thought that noise was obvious enough.
She never expected that when he was calling for her, the sound of swallowing saliva was even louder.
Perhaps the room was too quiet, and every swallow was especially clear.
Liang Jiamin clicked her tongue: “Let me touch up your lipstick.”
Xu Nanyin instinctively touched her lips.
“Need a touch-up?”
Liang Jiamin showed her the mirror: “If you don’t mind others noticing, I’ll just do it.”
Xu Nanyin looked and wasn’t sure if it was her preconceived notion, but she felt the color had lightened a bit.
After the lipstick touch-up, the others were just coming downstairs.
The girls chirped happily on the big sofa downstairs, piling into a group, taking photos, posting on IG, debating who would stand in the center, what poses looked good—it took over an hour just discussing that.
In the circular lobby’s second floor, Song Huaixu stopped.
“Everyone posts something different.”
“That’s too obvious.”
“Let Zhuzhu take the center; I don’t mind!”
When asked, Xu Nanyin had no preference about positions: “Anything is fine; you decide.”
The well-dressed girls gathered, sometimes noisy, sometimes screaming.
Xu Nanyin laughed along with them.
Just now in the dressing room, even when she was overwhelmed by waves of pleasure, she bit her lip to stay silent.
Leaning against the mirror, he asked if she was comfortable—it was a knowingly rhetorical question, and she didn’t reply.
By the time the photoshoot ended, it was very late.
Xu Nanyin hadn’t seen Song Huaixu come downstairs; she didn’t know when he would come out, but her mind kept recalling what he said before leaving.
If she helped him longer, how long would he be alone?
“The original photos have been sent, no photoshopping except yourself.”
Lin Zhijun reminded her.
“They send the originals directly. They’re already so beautiful.”
“Why photoshop at all?”
Xu Nanyin unlocked her phone; the group chat was lively, so she left. On WeChat, only one person had messaged her.
Ten minutes ago, Song Huaixu had already left.
He also sent his license plate number.
Xu Nanyin thought it wouldn’t be good if everyone saw it, but since he was waiting for her, she didn’t refuse.
Everyone left together; the cars they were picked up in waited outside.
Across the street, reporters’ flashes were still going off.
Xu Nanyin saw that license plate and said, “I’m leaving first.”
After she got in, Chen Shi He looked at her for a few seconds and suddenly remembered: “I told you I’d pick up Zhuzhu, but you didn’t believe me this afternoon.”
Zhuo Yi’er: “It was the noon Pullman bus.”
“You said it was Zheng Yuze’s. Definitely not. Zhuzhu wouldn’t get into Zheng Yuze’s car now. This car…”
Lin Zhijun stopped mid-sentence, recalling that car had been to her house before, the owner had been seen; she quickly stopped talking to avoid leaking anything.
Liang Jiamin was shocked—so that car belonged to him?
Last week she was coaxing Xu Zhuzhu that no man was willing to wait an entire afternoon for a woman; this week, she was proven wrong.
But compared to that, she still found the idea of those two having some private relationship even more unbelievable.
“Are you not afraid reporters will catch you here?”
Xu Nanyin checked the window was closed as soon as she got in the car.
The man looked at her calmly.
“Only thieves feel guilty.”
Xu Nanyin thought that made sense.
She hadn’t done anything, and even that little matter was private; no one knew.
The car drove away; the flashing lights gradually disappeared.
“Why did you come here today?”
Xu Nanyin was curious.
“Is your company here? Are you that busy?”
“What do you think?”
Song Huaixu teased her.
“It’s your business; how would I know?”
Xu Nanyin barely paid attention to her family’s business, much less his.
This girl was extremely smart in her studies, but naive and clueless in matters of affection—completely different feelings.
She was so shy she wouldn’t speak, only letting out a little sigh, which also teased him.
Once it was exposed, the feeling wouldn’t be the same.
“But I did come to Port City so I could hear news about Miss Xu.”
It must be the news about Zheng Yuze joining the fees, Xu Nanyin guessed, and said, “Don’t mention him. I’d be unhappy.”
The man smiled lightly.
“Okay.”
Then he lowered his voice and asked, “So what makes you happy?”
Xu Nanyin originally wanted to talk about something fun, but her gaze landed on his face and she suddenly thought of what happened in the dressing room.
He was definitely asking on purpose.
The tone was exactly the same as when he asked her if she was comfortable.
Xu Nanyin didn’t understand why he kept asking about these things—it was like if she said yes, he would be very pleased.
If Song Huaixu knew, he would definitely tell her.
In the end, Xu Nanyin didn’t say anything, her voice hiding a hint of shyness: “Anyway, since you said so, you wouldn’t let me be sad.”
Song Huaixu smiled lightly, “There are four more words ahead.”
Marry me.
How to respond to that, she didn’t say; he didn’t press.
Only when the car stopped outside the Xu Family’s house did Xu Nanyin softly say, “I need time to think.”
Song Huaixu pursed his lips.
“How many days?”
“Several days?”
Xu Nanyin was stunned, her misty eyes fixed on him.
“My thesis deadline isn’t even this short.”
“I’ll give you as long as you need.”
She sang softly, muttering, unintentionally carrying the pampered attitude she grew up with.
The man in front of her chuckled.
“Fine.”
Xu Nanyin hadn’t even responded to Song Huaixu’s dinner invitation.
Once home, she asked Azhou, “Why did you tell Song Huaixu I felt unwell yesterday?”
Azhou was stunned hearing the full name “Song Huaixu” come from her.
“No! How would I tell anyone?”
After they both reviewed the situation, they concluded:
Azhou was too focused on sun-drying the herbal medicine in the morning, not even aware people entered the yard.
The words she muttered were overheard.
A Li pointed at her mouth, “I clearly spoke very quietly!”
Xu Nanyin said, “His hearing must be perfect.”
A Li anxiously asked, “Does Song Huaixu know something’s wrong? I didn’t mention your skin condition, only that you felt unwell. I even scolded Zheng Yuze’s skirt-wearing self. Will Song Huaixu tell the Zheng Family?”
Xu Nanyin smiled.
“No way.”
Azhou relaxed.