Chapter 377: line with translation of title

Xia Xi said, "What is this?" as she took the utility knife and cut the tape on the box.

Inside were album-like items, three or four of them.

Xia Xi took the top album, glanced sideways at Xu Yanfeng; his dark eyes held a faint smile as he watched her actions, seemingly eager for her reaction.

Xia Xi opened the heavy album; the photo showed a wedding dress.

It was the most splendid wedding dress she had ever seen, the bodice studded with brilliant diamonds; even without seeing the actual garment, she could imagine how dazzling it would be under lights.

Xia Xi's breath caught; she looked at Xu Yanfeng, his smile widening: "Do you like it? I picked it myself; if you don't, it's too late—it's already finished."

"You..." Xia Xi's language processing faltered, "When... did you prepare it?"

"Long ago."

"How long ago?"

Xia Xi recalled Xu Yanfeng's proposal; she had asked when he prepared the ring, and he said long ago. Later, she learned from Xu Junmo that he had bought the ring seven years earlier.

Xia Xi sucked in a breath: "Could it also have been many years ago?"

"Not really," Xu Yanfeng said, curling his lips, speaking frankly: "After we reconciled, I picked some renowned wedding dress designers and chose the design I liked most—this is the one you see."

Xia Xi flipped further, expecting other options, but all the following pictures showed details of this dress: the sleeves were a layer of sheer mesh, embroidered with diamonds and pearls into exquisite rose and vine patterns, while the cuffs formed a pair of swan wings.

Turning another page revealed the back detail: layers of sheer fabric tied into a bow, trailing a long train.

The last page showed a matching veil, uneven layers of white gauze embroidered with lace flowers.

Xia Xi set the first album on the table and went to look at the remaining ones.

The others were all evening gowns, various styles and colors—strapless, halter, one-shoulder… each looked beautiful.

Xia Xi grew tired standing, so she sat on the sofa holding the album. Xu Yanfeng kept her company, his arm around her shoulders; she leaned into his chest, turning page after page.

Xu Yanfeng twirled a strand of her hair falling onto her arm and whispered in her ear: "I've already decided on the main wedding dress; the gowns are yours to pick—tell me which you like, or buy them all."

Xia Xi's heart pounded; she whispered, "Why would I need so many gowns?"

Xu Yanfeng released his hand, letting the silky strands slip from his fingertips, and pinched her jade-like earlobe: "There will always be occasions to wear them."

Xia Xi's fingertip pressed against the hard edge of the album, refusing to waste money: "Just pick one or two for the wedding banquet; we don't need that many—I rarely have occasions to wear them."

She wasn't a celebrity, didn't walk red carpets, and didn't care about the rule that a gown worn once cannot be worn again.

Xu Yanfeng took her hand, turned it over, glanced at the ridges imprinted on her fingertip, and pinched it: "Do you agree to have a wedding?"

Xia Xi sat up straighter, looking at him, the tips of her ears beneath her hair faintly warm: "When did I ever disagree?"

She had said before that whether they had a wedding didn't matter, but he had objected then, insisting they must, wanting a ceremony to announce their marriage to all relatives and friends, and saying he wanted to see her walk toward him in a wedding dress.

How could she not satisfy him?

"Then it's settled," Xu Yanfeng said, lifting her hand and kissing the back of her finger: "I'll handle the wedding; you just need to show up."

"You make it sound like I'm just a guest at the wedding," Xia Xi muttered, glancing at the little friend assembling LEGO on the carpet, pulling her hand back—her fingers still warm from his lips—"If you need me, I'll cooperate."

Xu Yanfeng stared at her smiling eyes, couldn't resist, gripped the back of her head, lowered his head, and kissed her lips, lingering a few moments.

Xia Xi's heart already beat faster than normal; under the stimulation of nervous emotion, she could hear a thumping "thump-thump-thump" in her ears, like a drum.

She shoved his face away hard, her face flushed like a cooked shrimp, her moist eyes glaring at him, she pointed to Zi Heng behind them, reminding him to be careful—being seen by a child would be awful.

Xu Yanfeng leaned back against the pillow, tilted his head and smiled at her, a coward.

Reading his expression, Xia Xi kicked off her slippers and lifted her foot to kick him.

Xu Yanfeng, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed her slender ankle and pulled her toward him. Xia Xi, unprepared, fell backward, nearly lying flat on the sofa, the album slipping from her hands. But Xu Yanfeng had been ready, one hand bracing her back, steadying her as he pulled her back up.

The commotion was hard for even Zi Heng, focused on his LEGO, to ignore; he turned his head to look at his parents. Xia Xi, face flushed, met her son's gaze and coughed lightly: "I didn't sit steady—your dad pulled me up."

Zi Heng: "?"

"Can you even sit unstably on a sofa?"

Knowing her son wasn't easily fooled, Xia Xi quickly changed the subject: "Do you want ice cream? Go get it from the fridge, and grab one for me too." She felt her face burning, about to flare up.

Zi Heng sighed, saying thoughtlessly: "We're about to eat; isn't it a bit bad to have ice cream now?"

Xia Xi: "..."

Xu Yanfeng chuckled lightly, bent over, picked up the album that had fallen to the floor, flipped backward, and stopped at the page Xia Xi had been looking at—a burgundy gown with a silk ribbon around the neck and two fabric flowers placed side by side.

He brushed aside Xia Xi's hair, his fingertip grazing her slender, fair neck, and said it would look lovely there.

Xu Yanfeng tapped the album twice with his fingertip, making two crisp "pak-pak" sounds, and said, "We definitely need to buy this one."

Xia Xi glanced at it; the gown's splendor rivaled the wedding dress, its hem extremely elaborate. She covered her face and laughed, "So this is what you like."

"I like you wearing this," Xu Yanfeng said, moving his finger from the album to her leg, tapping twice, "The point is you, not the dress."

Chen Songbai sat idly in the coffee shop for a long time, until it grew dark. After leaving, he casually found a restaurant, ate a bowl of noodles, then drove to Miao Yijia's place.

The elevator reached the twelfth floor and stopped; Chen Songbai walked out.

On that floor there were four households; Miao Yijia's neighbor was a family of three, the anti-theft door's window open, wafting the scent of food.

Chen Songbai knocked; no one answered in Miao Yijia's home.

Perhaps she wasn't home; Chen Songbai didn't knock again, went into the adjacent safety passage, sat on the steps, and smoked one cigarette after another.

Xia Xuan couldn't stand the smell of smoke; he rarely smoked, but lately he's been smoking heavily, a pack gone in two days.

The sky turned completely dark; the elevator sounded, then footsteps—high heels clicking clack, growing clearer, stopping at the door.

Miao Yijia caught a whiff of smoke, her brows furrowed, she glanced toward the safety passage—someone seemed there. She had to heighten her vigilance, fished out her keys from her bag, inserted them into the lock, turned twice, and with two clicks the anti-theft door opened.

Just as her heart rose, the safety passage door was pulled open and a figure stepped out.

The motion-sensor light suddenly went out; Miao Yijia jumped, hastily stomped her foot, the light came back on, her vision cleared, and she finally recognized the face—an acquaintance.

Her tensed nerves relaxed.

Chen Songbai held a suit in his hand, wore a T-shirt, his eyes deep.

Miao Yijia looked at him, her heartbeat still a little irregular, from the fright she'd just experienced, not yet fully settled.

She seemed never to have seen Chen Songbai like this; his whole body exuded a gloomy, oppressive air. His throat felt blocked, and after a moment Miao Yijia called out, "... Brother."