The next day, Pei Jiangmu indeed kept his promise and accompanied Meng Ruozhao into the vast fabric market.
The autumn sun was warm, but after wandering for a long time in the crowded market with less - than - ideal ventilation, it still got a bit stuffy.
Pei Jiangmu was carrying several rolls of fabric carefully selected by Meng Ruozhao in his hands and on his arms. Fine beads of sweat were oozing from his forehead.
Meng Ruozhao felt心疼 and reached out to take some off his hands.
"Give me some. I often move things, so I'm quite strong."
However, Pei Jiangmu sidestepped to avoid her and shook his head. His gaze was gentle yet firm.
"I know you're amazing. Our Ruozhao can do anything well."
He paused for a moment, and his voice got a bit lower.
"But I can't always be with you to help. There will surely be times when I'm not around."
"Since I'm here now, let me do more."
He looked at her, with an unwavering determination in his eyes.
And a barely perceptible longing to be needed and relied on by her.
Meng Ruozhao couldn't persuade him. Her heart was filled with sweetness and tenderness. So she had to stand on tiptoe from time to time, carefully wiping the sweat from his forehead with a wet tissue.
Or she would hold the iced Americano in her hand to his lips and feed him a sip.
Neither of them knew that in the bustling crowd not far away.
A man wearing a baseball cap was silently capturing these warm and ordinary moments with a telephoto lens.
Along with Pei Jiangmu's rare, down - to - earth tenderness.
After Meng Ruozhao and Pei Jiangmu finished their shopping and returned to "Fuyunxuan".
The private detective sent the sorted photos and a short video to Cui Ran's assistant.
Soon, these visual materials appeared on Cui Ran's phone screen.
In the luxuriously decorated office, Cui Ran looked at the Pei Jiangmu in the photos, who was completely different from the one she knew.
The man who was always noble and aloof in front of her, as if untouched by the mortal world.
Now he was like the most ordinary boyfriend, happily carrying bags and rolls of fabric. Slightly sweating, but smiling tenderly at the girl beside him.
And that Meng Ruozhao, holding a cup of coffee, looked leisurely and elegant. Even her hair exuded refinement.
Occasionally, she would offer the coffee to Pei Jiangmu, and Pei Jiangmu would drink from the same straw without any hesitation.
When he looked up at her, the light in his eyes almost burst out of the screen.
Cui Ran had never seen such a "submissive" Pei Jiangmu.
A complex and indescribable emotion welled up in her heart. It wasn't just simple jealousy, but more like a sense of conquest being challenged.
The high - and - mighty man who had repeatedly frustrated her was not born cold - hearted.
It was just that his tenderness and humility were never bestowed on her.
She suddenly wanted to see what it would be like if she could make Pei Jiangmu show such an attitude in front of her.
She zoomed in on a close - up of Pei Jiangmu smiling at Meng Ruozhao and stared at his peach - blossom eyes filled with laughter for a long time.
Then she coldly instructed her assistant.
"Make an arrangement. Find a time when Pei Jiangmu is definitely not in the store, and accompany me to 'Fuyunxuan' in person."
She always believed that in a relationship, trying hard to deal with the rival in love was the most ineffective and low - level way. The key was to capture the man's heart.
Just like in a big family like hers, infidelity was a common thing. Even if you dealt with one, there would always be another.
Her mother had taught her early on that instead of guarding against outsiders.
It was better to strive to occupy a place in Father Cui's heart.
After all, he was the one who controlled all the resources.
So before, she had never thought of going to find Meng Ruozhao.
But obviously, this matter had exceeded her expectations.
She wanted to spend more time on Pei Jiangmu, but she couldn't.
He was so loyal in his relationship with Meng Ruozhao that he was almost flawless.
So, she wanted to go and see for herself what magic that Meng Ruozhao had.
In "Fuyunxuan", Meng Ruozhao naturally didn't know about the secret surveillance.
After getting the fabrics she liked, she, Xu Lin, and Ai Gao worked overtime and finally finished making the dress for that important client.
The client was extremely surprised when she received the finished product. She praised Meng Ruozhao's design and craftsmanship and thanked her repeatedly, saying that Meng Ruozhao had really helped her a great deal.
Then she not only paid the remaining balance promptly but also sent an extra generous red envelope, saying it was for the whole studio to have afternoon tea.
When she got home at night, Meng Ruozhao happily shared this good news with Pei Jiangmu.
Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
"I was able to get this done so smoothly this time thanks to you accompanying me to choose the fabrics and helping us carry them back. Thank you, Jiangmu."
Pei Jiangmu took the opportunity to put his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms. He rubbed his chin against the top of her head. His tone carried a faint hint of试探 and a desire to claim credit.
"I'm glad I could help. You see, I'm still quite useful, right? So in the future... rely on me more."
His voice gradually lowered, with a trace of sensitivity. It was as if he was still worried that he hadn't done well enough to be fully needed by her.
Meng Ruozhao immediately detected the hidden uneasiness in his words. Her heart softened, and she hugged him tightly, her voice gentle and firm.
"Silly, even if you did nothing, as long as you're Pei Jiangmu, I'll like you and won't leave you."
She looked up at him, her eyes clear and sincere. "I like you as a person, not because of how 'useful' you are."
Pei Jiangmu was greatly shocked. A warm current mixed with a deeper sense of excitement swept through his body.
He tightened his arms and buried his face in her neck, giving a muffled "um".
After a while, he suddenly lifted his head. The vulnerability in his eyes was replaced by a burning, aggressive smile.
His thin lips moved to her ear. He lowered his voice, and his warm breath brushed against her sensitive earlobe.
"Then... on the day when Ruozhao has a rest, I'll let Ruozhao know just how 'useful' I am... I'm definitely not a 'useless' person."
The implication in his words was obvious. Meng Ruozhao's face instantly turned bright red, and even her neck was tinged with crimson.
She found that in some aspects, her ability to understand Pei Jiangmu's "hidden meanings" had improved by leaps and bounds.
This man was becoming more and more unrestrained. Some of his words just came out naturally, and he seemed to enjoy seeing her blush.
She couldn't help but give him a shy glare, but it only earned her a deeper, more joyful laugh from him.
Their days passed quickly in such sweet intimacy.
Soon, it was the recording day of the first episode of "National Elegance Collection · Colorful Clothes".
This time, the theme given by the program group was "Fleeting Shadows · Republic of China Style".
Designers were required to complete the design and production of a set of men's and women's clothing with the charm of the Republic of China within three days.
For Meng Ruozhao, who was good at integrating cheongsams with retro elements, this was a relatively familiar field.
So for her, the real challenge came from the omnipresent cameras.