Tonight’s schedule was packed, and since Ning Shangyu didn’t want to take three suppressant injections in a single day to control his physiological weight-loss syndrome, he simply sat tight on the Gulfstream G650ER and flew straight back to Si City.
Compared to the slick Xi Yan, Li Jin—always known for his strict and meticulous work style—had been assigned to stay behind.
He treated the master bedroom as a forbidden zone, not daring to barge in to urge Lin Zhishui.
After placing the newly prepared dress on the sofa, he swapped out the elaborate dinner spread three times.
It wasn’t until Lin Zhishui finally appeared at the staircase that he heard her first words, “Where’s Ning Shangyu?”
She seemed groggy, unable to resist her sleepiness and had dozed off.
Upon waking, she couldn’t find Ning Shangyu.
After a bewildered search of the empty villa, her gaze finally landed on the only other breathing stranger—a secretary.
Li Jin replied, “Ning President had another engagement, so he left first. I’ve prepared dinner for you. Would you like to eat?”
Lin Zhishui shook her head, “Thank you, but I’m not hungry. Please help me get the car ready.”
Sheng Mingying had never set a curfew for her, but Lin Zhishui knew very well that going out for a date was one thing, but staying out overnight without permission was quite another.
***
As soon as she returned to the Lin Family Old Residence—
The quiet living room was filled with A Yang and the others, none of whom had gone to rest.
When they saw her return safely, they all seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief.
But as for Lin Zhishui’s change of clothes, they held back their questions.
Even Sheng Mingying didn’t come to ask.
No one asked, which saved Lin Zhishui the trouble of explaining her accidental allergic reaction.
For quite a while after, surrounded by an abundance of dazzling fabrics, Lin Zhishui didn’t feel the urge to go out again.
She transferred the money she owed to Wan Lu in full.
At the same time, she didn’t forget to use that piece of frosty-white fabric to make a thank-you gift for Ning Shangyu.
Everything she knew about handiwork had been selflessly taught to her by A Qin, whose skills could rival those of an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.
But Lin Zhishui had always used A Qin’s techniques to make sexy little nightgowns.
As for men’s shirts, she’d never tried her hand at them.
A Qin noticed her struggling and gestured, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Zhishui sat half-leaning at her desk, her fingertips gently gliding over the exquisite fabric, cherishing it too much to cut carelessly.
After hesitating for a while, she said to A Qin, “I’ve decided to tell you a little secret.”
A Qin smiled and gestured, “What is it?”
Lin Zhishui leaned in closer, deliberately lowering her voice, “I want to sew a shirt for Ning Shangyu with my own hands. A Qin, can you teach me?”
There was nothing A Qin wouldn’t agree to.
When Lin Zhishui was born, she was so frail that the slightest loud noise from her nannies would send her into a faint.
At the same time, Sheng Mingying was too busy fending off the Lin Clan’s squabbles over shares and inheritance to care for such a fragile, sensitive child.
In the end, she chose caretakers like A Qin, who only communicated with gestures.
Lin Zhishui had long regarded these fairy godmothers as family.
Seeing A Qin nod, she said, “You all have to live longer than me. Please, with great mercy, let me go first, then cremate me, and split half my ashes among you all, so my soul can always be with you… The rest can go to Mom and my sister.”
As for Ning Shangyu, he wouldn’t be getting any—he wasn’t close enough to qualify for a share of her ashes.
A Qin wasn’t pleased to hear that, “Zhuo Sa will bless you to live a long, good life.”
“Yes, yes,” Lin Zhishui replied.
Though still young, she never shied away from discussing her will, nor did she get hung up on it.
Only those she considered her dearest could inherit.
Seeing A Qin frown, Lin Zhishui softened her tone to comfort her, “Zhuo Sa likes strong children like me the best.”
The next moment, she changed the subject, “Alright, teach me how to make a shirt!”
A Qin, as always, taught patiently and meticulously.
At first, Lin Zhishui was focused and diligent.
But after half an hour, her gaze kept drifting to the frosty-white fabric, reaching out to touch it now and then.
The flame-like dark patterns on the fabric—she wondered what kind of nightgown they’d make.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
A Qin paused in her guidance, noticing Lin Zhishui was either absentmindedly stroking the fabric or rubbing her fair fingers.
Usually, whether it was dense, challenging marine science books or little nightgowns, she could learn them in a snap.
But this men’s shirt had her completely stumped.
Her handiwork just wasn’t up to par this time.
A Qin sighed inwardly and gestured, “Zhishui, let me help you.”
“How can I let someone else do it?”
Lin Zhishui, though fumbling, was sincere in her gratitude for Ning Shangyu’s help in her time of need, so she firmly refused A Qin’s offer.
“It only counts if I do it myself.”
Yet, after another half hour of hard work, she hadn’t even managed to sew the hem of the shirt.
Lin Zhishui’s fingertips were so tired they felt limp, and she pressed them to her forehead, “I need a moment to calm down.”
“Making a shirt is too hard!”
It’s not that bad, is it?
Lin Zhishui’s gaze fell on the strips of fabric she’d cut, and suddenly, she had an idea.
Men’s shirts were hard, but robes weren’t!
She already knew how to make little nightgowns—for Ning Shangyu, she’d just make a super-sized version.
Hmm.
A super, super-sized version.
Lin Zhishui looked up at A Qin and announced, “I’m going to make matching couple pajamas.”
Yes—with this much fabric, she could use the scraps to make herself a little nightgown.
Worried that conservative A Qin might not approve, she declared righteously:
“Engaged couples have to wear them!”
“I saw it in a short video before.”
A Qin gestured, “Really? Zhishui, what kind of videos are you watching?”
Lin Zhishui nodded confidently, “It’s true.”
Without waiting for A Qin’s doubts, Lin Zhishui decisively changed her tailoring plan.
She fussed with the fabric over and over, and spent several days alone upstairs.
If not for her health, she’d have worked herself nearly to exhaustion.
Upon close inspection, her handiwork was still a bit flawed.
But Lin Zhishui had done her best.
On the final day, Ning Shangyu’s precious and expensive robe was spread out on her desk, dazzling and eye-catching.
She was about to finish it completely.
Unable to wait until tomorrow, she started putting the finishing touches on her beloved little nightgown, but accidentally pricked her finger on the flame-patterned fabric.
Lin Zhishui was quite tolerant of pain; she just pressed her lips together tightly.
By the time it was nearly dawn,
She finally placed the little nightgown atop Ning Shangyu’s robe like a treasure.
Then, she slowly stretched her joints, and as she massaged her reddened fingertips, she finally had time to examine the tiny spot where the needle had pricked her.
Lin Zhishui’s skin was so pale and thin it seemed almost translucent.
Luckily, she was fair-skinned—
Otherwise, she might not have found that tiny wound at all.
Normally, Lin Zhishui was polite and considerate, never disturbing others late at night.
But after so much effort, she had to let her fiancé, Ning Shangyu, know her heartfelt intentions, and then…
The corners of Lin Zhishui’s lips curled up.
The next moment, she put her thoughts into action, picking up her phone to start a video call with him.
She waited a long while before it connected, and Ning Shangyu’s face suddenly appeared up close on the screen.
Tonight, his jet-black hair was slicked back from his forehead, sharply revealing his breathtakingly handsome features.
As usual, his expression was cold and distant, making him seem even less approachable.
Lin Zhishui instinctively held her breath, and just then, Ning Shangyu looked her straight in the eyes.
“Lin Zhishui.”
The three syllables from Ning Shangyu’s thin lips hit Lin Zhishui’s heart like a sudden blow, making her chest tingle.
She was half a beat slow to react, then heard him ask, “What is it?”
Only then did Lin Zhishui remember her purpose.
She hesitated a little, “I wanted to show you something…”
This time, she didn’t wait for Ning Shangyu to ask.
Lin Zhishui revealed the mystery herself, unconsciously leaning closer to the camera.
Her eyes shone with a unique purity under the light.
The next moment, she curled her finger toward the lens, “See?”
In Ning Shangyu’s indifferent gaze, her fingertip appeared up close through the smooth glass screen.
His eyes followed the motion to her knuckle, up her wrist.
Lin Zhishui said, “See the wound? I got it from spending days and nights hand-sewing a secret gift for you, Ning Shangyu. When are you coming to see me again?”
Afraid he might not get her deeper meaning, Lin Zhishui let the word ‘date’ linger on her soft lips, hinting at her intent.
But before Ning Shangyu could respond, in the bright conference room where he sat, there was a sudden commotion as voices rose in heated argument—words like “huge investment” and “monopolizing the project” floated in the air.
Lin Zhishui paused, uncertain if she should have called at all.
After all, it was so late and he was still in a meeting.
It must be something urgent.
She hesitated, torn between pushing her luck or ending the call.
But Ning Shangyu had already silenced the room—every stray noise vanished.
He remained at the head of the long table, a commanding aura swirling around him, though his face stayed expressionless.
He said, “My eyes must be failing me, Lin Zhishui. Where exactly is your wound?”
Getting back on topic, Lin Zhishui widened her eyes, a little surprised, “Is it that hard to see?”
She pressed her finger right up to the camera, as if to prove it.
Her pale skin was indeed broken just a bit—if she’d waited any longer to show him, it might have already healed.
“You’re always so busy, your time is worth gold,” Lin Zhishui bit her lip, the color turning rosy and moist.
Not to be outdone, she decided to act reserved and give him some pressure, “I’m busy too. Not so easy to get a date with me.”
A silent smile flickered in Ning Shangyu’s eyes, then quickly faded.
“I didn’t expect that.”
Bathed in the glow of her phone screen, Lin Zhishui wiggled her finger again, “So, can you see it now?”
Ning Shangyu replied, “I know now.”
After ending the video call, Lin Zhishui got up and slowly replayed Ning Shangyu’s words in her mind.
When she lay in bed, reality finally set in.
Ning Shangyu’s “I know now” was so emotionless—he was just brushing her off.
Lin Zhishui squeezed her eyes shut, unmoving.
She didn’t know how much time passed.
The night outside was still thick when a sudden knock at the door startled her awake.
Outside stood A Qin in an overcoat.
When Lin Zhishui opened the door, her expression shifted from worry to exhaustion.
Lin Zhishui softly asked, “What is it?”
A Qin gestured, “A secretary from the Ning Family came by, following Ning President’s instructions, to deliver ointment for you. We’re supposed to make sure you apply it tonight.”
If she didn’t put it on immediately,
That tiny, shallow wound might heal before her fiancé had a chance to “show concern.”
Lin Zhishui watched A Qin’s gestures, but her mind was filled with a strange understanding of Ning Shangyu’s intentions.
A Qin asked, “Zhishui, where are you hurt?”
Zhishui wasn’t hurt anywhere.
Zhishui was just feeling a little mean tonight!
As the saying goes, even a clay doll has a temper.
Lin Zhishui wasn’t truly without any temper at all.
She gave up on sleep for the night.
After A Qin left, Lin Zhishui tiptoed back to the study.
She meant to grab a book from the shelf, but the more she read, the less she could calm down…
Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of the robe on the desk.
She changed her mind.
Then, picking up the exquisite, precious robe, she embroidered a fierce, baring-its-teeth lion right on the collar as an act of revenge!
***
The meeting didn’t end until nearly 4 a.m.
When Ning Shangyu returned to his residence, he barely lay down for two hours before getting up, expressionless, and walked into the bathroom.
After a cold shower, he came out with a towel draped loosely around his waist, his toned abs and chest exposed to the chill of the air-conditioning.
Just then—
His phone rang.
Ning Shangyu glanced at it—it was a call from Ning Shuyu.
He ranked last among the family.
The Ning Family’s sons had always been known for their arrogance and strict hierarchy.
Everyone had their own role, mostly appearing in “international politics and economics,” and all ultimately under Ning Shangyu’s authority.
Ning Shangyu casually answered on speaker.
Ning Shuyu’s first words were, “Bro, did you cheat on your physical exam?”
At that moment, far away in another villa, Ning Shuyu was flipping through a stack of the family’s male members’ physical exam reports, sprawled out on the sofa.
Ning Shangyu couldn’t be bothered to waste words.
“No.”
“What is it?”
Ning Shuyu was incredulous, “Impossible! I’m already 20cm, and you’re still ranked first?”
The reports had ranked them by size.
Ning Shangyu was first, Ning Shuyu second, and the rest of the brothers came after.
The reason Ning Shuyu called was that he just couldn’t accept that, even after his own “development,” he still lost to Ning Shangyu!
What’s more, the family’s private hospital had hidden Ning Shangyu’s exact measurements—obviously fishy!
He concluded, “You definitely cheated.”
Ning Shangyu’s voice was full of proud disdain, “Why would I need to cheat?”
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