David Fan and his friends were sitting in the corner, he was surprised to see two people walking into the restaurant, coincidentally he knew them both. The tall and calm man was Lu Fei, whom he had met at the airport half a month ago and saw again last week, while the girl beside him was Xin Chen, Xin Di's cousin. Xin Chen was a freelance computer graphic designer and image post-processing specialist with some local fame, she worked from home and occasionally collaborated with David Fan's advertising company.

  That day at the airport, someone came to pick up Lu Fei and also had to send him to a meeting. He apologetically said to Xin Di: "I won't be able to see you off today, Little Di, I'll go find you at your place tonight."

  Xin De smiled and nodded, "You go ahead with your work, let's get in touch tonight."

  Lu Fei nodded at David Fan and followed the person who came to pick him up out of the airport. David Fan asked casually, "It seems like you haven't seen each other in a long time?"

  "It's not too long ago, more than two years since we last met, didn't expect to run into you here, great!"

  "How long have you known each other?"

  "We've known each other since before kindergarten, how long has it been?"

  David Fan didn't expect that it was a childhood friendship, but Xin Di's mouth corner smiled, looking much better than before. He didn't want to let go of this opportunity, "Xin Di, I want to explain what happened that day."

  Xin De smiled and said, "No need, I think I can understand."

  David Fan knew that Xin Di had always been arrogant and proud of her talent, and this junior sister indeed had the capital to be proud. She was exceptionally talented in art, and from her student days on, she had won numerous awards in various design competitions, by the time she was 28 years old, she had already become the youngest design director of Su Mei, the largest garment enterprise in the inland city of Binjiang, her alma mater's clothing design major took pride in her, and for several years in a row, they invited her to return to give lectures to her junior brothers and sisters.

  That day, he fled in a daze after his sudden desertion. Afterwards, he couldn't help but feel regretful. Recalling the details, she had been clinging tightly to him, her lips sweet and soft during their passionate kiss, her petite body trembling slightly. The feeling was truly wonderful, and he even felt a kind of dizziness that he hadn't experienced in a long time.

  He thought that this girl, who had always been proud and aloof in front of him, was willing to put aside her pride, she must have had a good impression of him for some time. Her previous coldness was probably just a form of self-protection, his behavior was really hurtful to her self-esteem. He decided to make amends, and thinking about it again, having a romance with such a talented girl wouldn't be bad either. At this moment, Xin Di was surprisingly understanding, he couldn't believe his ears.

  "You can understand too well, we can try to take it slow..."

  Xin Di looked up at him with a playful glint in her eyes, not waiting for him to finish speaking. She solemnly interrupted him: "Although I don't have much experience, I've also heard that men sometimes can't perform. You're still young, don't be discouraged, face reality, and with the advancement of medical science, it should be treatable."

  David's handsome face showed a mix of shock, surprise, embarrassment, and annoyance, his expressions changing rapidly, truly vivid. Xindi tried hard to stifle her laughter, lowering her voice: "Don't worry, this is your secret, I won't tell anyone, goodbye."

  She slung her bag over her shoulder and pushed her suitcase as she walked away.

  David Fan watched her back, standing on the spot, crying and laughing, after a long time, he opened his mouth and laughed out loud.

  Xin De's expression changed, he admitted that his good self-feeling was indeed affected. Before, Xin De had never been hypocritical to him, and he didn't care about the many girls who surrounded him, his usual worry was how to decline them politely. He had long been used to being the center of attention, occasionally when a girl would act coquettishly in front of him, he would also generously think it wasn't a loss for her life.

  But now, Xīn Dí unexpectedly came up with an explanation for his shameful retreat. He realized that this girl's coolness was probably not just a facade, and he would probably never have the chance to prove his own prowess and masculine dignity to her again. In short, this time he had lost face completely.

  As soon as he returned to work, David received a call from Li, the manager of Somi's planning department: "Director Dai, please send over this season's promotional product samples. The boss has made a rule that after we approve them here, they still need to be reviewed by the design director before we can place an order for production and distribution to various markets."

  David was surprised to find that under the Somerset umbrella, apart from its main brand, there were several sub-brands. Currently, the design department was led by two design directors, one of whom was Xindi, who he was now a little afraid to meet. "Manager Li, isn't this a matter for the planning department? Why are you dragging the design department into it?"

  "Never mind, Xindi went to the sales floor and saw that the posters from last season had a different color tone than what was previously agreed upon. Only she could notice it with her keen eyesight. She came back and blew up at the company meeting. Zeng always emphasized that the devil is in the details, I got scolded this time... anyway, from now on, our final drafts need to be reviewed and signed off by the design director before they count."

  Suomei's promotional materials were the mainstay of the company's clothing advertising business, and David Fan had a hard time getting them to come next. He complained to his partner and friend Zhang Xinfa, who was busy and didn't care about him. He didn't dare to slack off either, so he brought samples to Suomei at the appointed time. Another design director was from Hong Kong and did not live in this place for a long time. In fact, it was still Xindi alone who signed the contract, but she had been gone for a long time without seeing her come out.

  Manager Li helplessly said: "Wait then, General Dai, she is like this, we have to accommodate her schedule."

  David Fan secretly gritted his teeth and silently recited "it's hard to raise only women and children" many times, thinking that this time he fell into her hands, so he had to let her decide. As the end of work approached, Xin Di rushed in with a large handbag that was still disproportionate to her body, saw him and paused for a moment, "What are you doing here?"

  David Fan thought this was a deliberate question and it was good that he came. Manager Li hurriedly said, "Xin Di, General Manager Dai has brought some samples for you to review."

  Xin De hummed and sat down without any pleasantries, carefully examining each one. He pulled out a small POP sample, "This color is off, compare it with the painting manual and you'll see."

  David nodded and took note, preparing to accept her more stringent criticism. She pointed at the sample bag and frowned, "Whose idea was it to choose this material? It looks very cheap."

  Manager Li said with a hint of grievance: "The matte paper we chose last season, Ah Ken said it's too depressing and makes people feel down."

  Ah Ken is the Hong Kong design director of Somi, and he's also a picky man. Xindi has a good relationship with him, and he just raised an eyebrow and said: "I suggest changing to a material with lower brightness, other than that it's fine."

  She dragged over the file signed and approved, wrote this line of opinion alone, then nodded to Manager Li, "Get off work, I'll go first."

  David Fan didn't think it would be so easy to get away with it, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for his earlier petty behavior. It was raining heavily outside, so he thought he'd go send off Xin Di as an apology, quickly tidying up the samples on the table and saying goodbye to Manager Li before hurrying downstairs. As expected, Xin Di was standing with others under the awning of the office building, seemingly waiting for a taxi. Just as he was about to walk over, a black Audi Q7 with a Beijing license plate pulled up to the entrance, and a man got out, opening a black umbrella and striding towards him. He stepped onto the stairs, tilting the umbrella back, his tall figure standing upright, the rain pouring down behind him, making him look even more composed. It was none other than Lu Fei, whom he had met just a few days ago. "Xiao Di, get in the car," he called out to Xin Di.

  As Xīn Dí walked away, he used an umbrella to shelter her and then put the handbag that had slipped off her shoulder back in place. With one arm around her, he walked her to the car, opened the door for her, and waited until she got in before closing the door and getting into the driver's seat. The car started moving quickly. Nearby, female employees from other companies and Su Mei staff began gossiping: "Hey, isn't that your company's design director Xīn Dí?" "This man has a great temperament, is he Xīn Dí's boyfriend?" "Yes, yes, they look very intimate."

  David Fan thought, well, maybe his embarrassing experience in Hong Kong actually did a good deed, reuniting the childhood sweethearts. However, no matter how he tried to console himself, there was still an indescribable aftertaste.

  Next, their company also took on the task of setting up the stage for Tissot's autumn product launch, and it was inevitable that they would run into Xinde again. He pushed it off to his partner Zhang Xin, who found it strange, "You're actually more familiar with this kind of thing."

  He simply waved his hand, "Old Zhang, I'm giving you the opportunity to see the beautiful scenery backstage. Your girlfriend won't be jealous."

  At this moment in the restaurant, I saw Lu Fei unexpectedly with Xin Di's cousin together. Although there was no intimate movement, Xin Chen took the menu to look at it carefully, while Lu Fei leaned back on his chair and looked at Xin Chen. His eyes were clearly focused and gentle, carrying emotions that couldn't be expressed in words. Xin Chen turned around, seemingly seeking his opinion, he lowered his eyes, restored his calm demeanor, and nodded slightly.

  David Fan only felt a little fire rising in his heart, he didn't know if it was contempt for the man who was taking advantage of the two sisters or sympathy for the proud Xindi. As soon as this thought occurred to him, he was shocked.

  What's it to you? he said to himself.

  But after all, Xindi is still your junior sister, and it's not very decent to watch her being snatched away by someone else. He paused for a moment before saying this to himself.

  David Fan bid farewell to his friends and left the restaurant ahead of time, driving straight to a local five-star hotel where Somi's autumn fashion show was being held tomorrow. At this moment, it should be the last rehearsal for the models to walk on the T-stage. He went up to the second floor and entered the multi-functional hall, where the T-stage had been set up, with three large-scale spray-painted backdrop boards arranged in a staggered manner at the end, which was exactly what he had supervised to complete. One by one, the models walked out from there accompanied by the rhythm of the music.

  Xin Di stood under the stage with her arms around her, looking up at him. She was wearing a strange, off-white, asymmetrical long shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbows, pencil pants and a pair of fish-mouth shoes, making her look even more petite. Under the changing lights, she looked tired and a bit helpless, clearly not satisfied.

  The director of the modeling agency yelled loudly, "Stop, stop!" The music stopped, and he angrily shouted at a girl, "I'm talking to you, focus your eyes, don't flirt, tomorrow the people sitting in front are clients, they want to see the clothes, not you."

  That girl was surprisingly tall, despite wearing exaggerated heavy makeup, her face still looked tender and youthful, looking no more than 17 or 18 years old. She didn't seem to be afraid at all, standing there with an innocent expression, "I was focused just now, you said I'm too stiff, what do you want me to do, boss?"

  David Fan has been in this line for a long time and knows that the local area is not a fashion center, with few professional models. The usual car shows and press conferences feature the same faces, mostly students from art schools who work part-time as models. Those with slightly better conditions will choose to participate in competitions elsewhere to gain fame or go straight to Beijing, Shanghai and other places where modeling agencies are concentrated to try their luck. Every year, when clothing companies hold autumn fashion shows and ordering meetings, the previous batch of familiar graduates have just left, and modeling agencies will bring in some new students to walk the runway, with naturally unsatisfactory results.

  The director saw David Fan and smiled: "Old rules, Little Dai, go up and demonstrate it for her."

  David Fan used to be the top male model at Mei Yuan, not only with good physical conditions but also rich experience in walking on the runway. At that time, many people encouraged him to pursue a career as a professional model, but he had other aspirations and gradually quit after graduation. Whenever he participated in fashion shows as a guest walker, familiar directors would invite him to provide guidance. Today, he was really not in the mood, but seeing Xin Di, he still stepped onto the T-stage, walked back a few steps, and when the music started, he turned around, walked to the front of the stage with a relaxed gait, slowly turned his head, scanned the audience below, seeming to see everything yet nothing at all, exuding an aura that intimidated others with just one pose.

  The director shouted "good" and said, "See that, young lady." The girls on the stage looked at David Fan with admiration in their eyes.

  Xin De studied design, and clearly knew that models need to be trained in eye expression. It sounds mysterious, but actually follows a set pattern: on the T-stage, the line of sight is controlled within a certain range, when looking straight ahead, it does not exceed 15 meters; when turning the head, the movement cannot be abrupt, and the angle cannot be greater than 90 degrees; when slightly tilting the chin upwards, you can see about 20 meters below the stage, but you cannot focus your attention on one point, maintaining an empty gaze, using peripheral vision to glance at both sides; when fixing the line of sight, it is accompanied by subtle head movements, and the momentary change in eye direction during blinking.

  Of course, it's easy to say, but it's not easy to do. She knows that some children with good physical conditions can't control their eyes and lack the so-called aura.

  Her eyes had just met David's for a brief moment, and she felt a little embarrassed. She couldn't help but admit that this playboy always seemed to be carefree and playful, but he was probably born with the ability to electrify the atmosphere. Standing on stage, his gaze swept across the room, making him seem mysterious and subtle, like a completely different person from the one she had met before. At the same time, she couldn't help but think of that day in the Hong Kong hotel, and her face grew slightly hot.

  Xin Di never bothered herself with her own thoughts, and was so focused on designing that she didn't have time for anything else. These days, she hadn't thought about David Fan at all. Now, her mind was slightly disturbed, and she couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. She signaled to the director to hurry up, "It's getting late, let's speed things up, we still haven't gone through it once from start to finish."

  The music starts again, and the director stares at the stage while saying to David Fan: "Little David, you're really wasting your good conditions if you don't do this line of work. Next month there's a big brand suit doing a press conference, you must come and make a guest appearance."

  "Get out of here! I don't have that kind of free time, and besides, it's annoying to stand on stage being yelled at back and forth by you guys."

  This rehearsal went relatively smoothly, Xindi pointed out two places in the arrangement that she thought were not smooth enough, and the director did not dare to neglect her opinion, and revised it immediately.

  It seemed about right, Xindi thought she'd take a break and clear her head. She walked out to call the waiter over to bring a cup of coffee, sat down on the sofa by the window and slowly sipped it. After a while, David Fan also came out and, very uninvitedly, directly came over and sat down beside her on the sofa.

  "Don't worry, customers can't tell the professionalism of a model, they are serious about looking at clothes, not serious about seeing a bunch of beautiful women and having other thoughts."

  Xin Di shook her head absent-mindedly, "It's just a seasonal clothing release, I didn't expect supermodels to walk the show anyway."

  "To be honest, this season's clothing doesn't seem like your design style."

  Xin Di was surprised, and David Fan had just hit on part of her concerns. Although she had many reasons to dislike this guy, she knew that he also studied a major related to design, and had been working as a part-time model for a long time, and had been doing business in the clothing industry for a long time, attending various exhibitions and press conferences, so he still had some insight.

  Her troubles, of course, are not just about the model's lack of state. She wouldn't compare local models with big-name domestic agencies in a meaningless way, even if she wasn't satisfied, she could tolerate it. However, standing under the T-stage earlier and seeing the sample clothes on the model, she felt that this season's autumn and winter clothing had too many compromises, compromising with the market, compromising with the boss's overall development idea, compromising with another Hong Kong design director Ah KEN, the effect that came out was no longer in line with her original design intention.

  She has been working under the famous strong boss Zeng Cheng in the local industry for more than six years, clearly knowing that designers in the company are like dancing with handcuffs on, personal play space is always restricted. However, such a helpless and powerless feeling is unprecedentedly strong this time.

  She said with a bit of despair and disappointment: "Maybe I'll end up becoming someone without any style at all."

  David Fan didn't think his comment would actually hurt the usually confident Xin Di, "Hey, I'm not criticizing you, I just said your style has changed."

  Xin Di was lost in thought and didn't respond, so David Fan continued to chat casually: "Just now when I was eating outside, I ran into your childhood friend." Xin Di had to think for a moment before he knew who he was referring to, and only responded with an "oh", not continuing the conversation.

  "He and your cousin Xin Chen are together."

  Xin Di let out another "oh" and remained dazed.

  "Hey, don't mind too much, it's just a meal, and speaking of which, he and Xin Chen should also be childhood friends." In David Fan's eyes, Lu Fei and Xin Di seemed to have a much closer relationship, whether it was holding her hand at the airport or smiling warmly at her, or putting his arm around her to hold an umbrella for her. But with Xin Chen, they clearly kept their distance, without any physical contact. However, the look in Lu Fei's eyes when he looked at Xin Chen contained too much rich and subtle content, giving him an indescribable feeling.

  Xin Di suddenly understood what David Fan's nonsense meant, and she couldn't help but feel a little playful. She put down her coffee and said with a distant gaze: "That's different, I didn't meet Xin Chen until he was 14 years old."

  "There's no such thing as first come, first served in this matter."

  "When I was young, I thought for sure that I would marry him when I grew up."

  David Fan snorted, "When I was young, at least half of the girls in my class said they wanted to marry me when they grew up. If they all meant it, I'd be dead by now."

  This typical David-style boast annoyed Xindi, who glared at him angrily and didn't bother to play along anymore. She stood up, "Indeed, being young and ignorant is harmful."

  David awkwardly watched her walk into the multi-functional hall without looking back, he had never had experience comforting people before and didn't know what to do for a moment.

  Xin Di was about to take the elevator downstairs when David Fan caught up with him, "Is this yours?"

  The large storage box in his hand was her personal belongings. Xindi secretly called out that it was a narrow escape, she had always been careless and the box contained all kinds of spare accessories she had accumulated over the years, which were not necessarily valuable, but were hard to come by and often came in handy during press conferences, losing them would be a pity, so she hurriedly reached out to take it.

  "It's late, I'll see you home." David Fan said in a low voice, carrying the suitcase and walking alongside her, "Sorry about earlier, it was just a slip of the tongue."

  Xin Di was bewildered, she easily got angry but also easily forgot. After the rehearsal, the conductor's assistant carefully put away the clothes that the models had taken off, hung them up according to their numbers, and sent them to the reserved rooms. Exhausted to death, all he wanted was to go home and rest early, his mind still circling around his own fashion style issues, completely forgetting what he had said casually.

  After getting on the car, David said slowly and carefully: "Actually, no one can clearly say what emotions are, in short, we cannot force it."

  Xin Di suddenly realized that David Fan was trying to comfort her, and she immediately had a mischievous idea. "Have you ever had a secret crush on someone before?"

  David nodded, "Yes."

  Xin Di thought he would say something like "It's always others who have a crush on me" and was prepared to mock him, but didn't expect him to respond this way. He couldn't help but feel curious, "Has anyone confessed to you? Has anyone succeeded?"

  "She got married before I could confess, but it's said that even if I had confessed, it would have been futile and I wouldn't have succeeded anyway."

  He was so frank that Xin Di couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I've made peace with it," he said. "Life is full of times when your head gets stuck in the door, and that's just how it is."

  She was at ease, David let out a sigh of relief, feeling that girls who were indeed carefree were different.

  Xin Di's residence was located in a not-so-large courtyard within the old concession area, where two tall acacia trees grew. At this time, they had already passed their flowering period, and under the night sky, the umbrella-shaped tree crowns were spread out, with leaves closed like sensitive plants, looking very elegant.

  A row of three-story old houses with a Western-style building, the roof is high and low, with chimneys on top. The facade facing the street is all long and narrow arched windows, not the uniform plastic steel windows that are popular nowadays, but old-fashioned wooden window frames, red window sashes. Although the air conditioning outdoor units hanging everywhere seem to be out of harmony with the red brick exterior, it looks a bit shabby from the outside, but still has a strong exotic flavor.

  David Fang parked the car and opened the rear door to get the storage box. At this time, a man standing in the shade of the locust tree walked over. The streetlight shone on his face, it was Lu Fei. "Xiao Di, why are you back so late? I called your phone but you didn't answer?"

  "The music is too loud, I didn't hear." Xindi took over the box and said to David Fan: "Thank you, goodbye."

  David Fan only saw her very familiar and unceremoniously handed the box to Lu Fei, couldn't help but ignite a fire again, but knowing that their relationship was not deep, he didn't say anything more, just thinking, did Xin Di really get confused by so-called unrequited love and re-encounter, would rather default to this man's flirtation between her and her cousin? In this case, his brain was pinched a bit too hard.

  What's it to you? He told himself this once again that night.

  But ——

  He didn't say anything else, but somewhat roughly interrupted himself, muttered "goodbye", got in the car and quickly turned around, brushing past the two of them, and drove out of the yard.

  The usually calm Luofei also showed a hint of surprise at this sudden speed, shaking her head with a smile, "Is he your boyfriend? Xiao Di, let him not misunderstand."

  "What's good misunderstanding, ordinary friends." Xindi covered her mouth and yawned, "So late, what's the matter, Lu Fei?"

  "Xiao Chen asked me to give you the tapestry she brought back from Tibet." He opened the trunk of his car, took out the tapestry, "I'll send it up for you, it's a bit heavy."

  Xin Di didn't hesitate, leading the way up a few steps to a dimly lit entrance hall. Before them stood an old-fashioned wooden banister staircase, which was clearly showing signs of years of neglect. However, the stairs themselves were made of dark green marble, exuding a hint of old-time luxury.

  Xin De went upstairs to the second floor and unlocked the door with her key. This two-bedroom apartment was an old dormitory of her mother's work unit, where her family had lived for a long time. Later, her father was allocated a bright and reasonably structured house in a government compound, and her parents moved there, but Xin De insisted on staying here alone. Fortunately, the two places were not far apart, and there were many government agencies around, with good public security, so her parents agreed.

  The layout of the house is not practical enough from a modern perspective, the living room is small, and the kitchen and bathroom are very dimly lit. However, the high interior space, with its patchy and worn wooden floorboards, paired with the old-fashioned wooden furniture carefully selected by Xin Di, including the nearly twenty-year-old deep crimson velvet sofa, exudes a sense of time everywhere, carrying a melancholic flavor.

  Xin De unfolded the tapestry, she was a connoisseur, and with just one touch of the fabric, she knew it was made of pure wool by hand. The color tone was complex yet exquisite, exactly the kind of abstract pattern she liked, not those specific palaces, figures, birds, beasts and whatnot. "Chen Zi's taste is still good, every time he brings back something that suits my taste. Last time he went to Xinjiang and brought back a scarf that was too beautiful, it even made me want to go there myself. By the way, how did your talk go today?"

  Lu Fei smiled wryly, "She didn't say anything at all, I don't know how she became so silent, did something happen after I left?"

  "What about after you left?" Xīn Dí furrowed her brow, recalling that she had little confidence in her memory for things outside of fashion design. But the year Rù Fēi left was a meaningful one for her. That spring, she was 21 years old and a junior, and received the most important award of her student days: first prize in the National New Fashion Design Competition, making a name for herself with this one victory, rushing to receive the award outside of her hometown for the first time, feeling that nothing was impossible, full of plans and confidence for the future; that summer, Rù Fēi was 22 years old and graduated from university to go study in America; that early autumn, Xīn Chén was almost 18 years old and entered university.

  "You had a lot of things to take care of before you left, but you knew that afterwards, everything would be peaceful and smooth, with good weather and prosperity...but..."

  Xin Di was hesitant, of course, something must have happened. It all started when she went to college, Xin Chen quietly changed from a somewhat problematic girl to a quiet and peaceful one. Her university life was much calmer than her high school days. After graduation, although she didn't follow her father's arrangement to become a stable office worker, but instead changed careers several times before becoming a thorough freelancer, her hard work ethic was undeniable, and her life was as calm as still water, no longer causing any trouble.

  Xin Chen had been pursued by many boys from junior high school to university, and had changed boyfriends several times. Auntie Li Xiang strongly disapproved of this, and her uncle often scolded her. She would always nod in agreement, but didn't show much sign of changing her ways.

  After graduating from college, she suddenly became more refined and rational in dealing with each suitor, rarely going out with anyone. What surprised Xīn Dí the most was that she agreed to a blind date arranged by her uncle, meeting Féng Yǐ'ān, the son of one of his old colleagues. Later on, they started dating, which really left Xīn Dí perplexed: "You're only just over 23 years old, Zhēnzi, and you're already willing to accept a blind date?"

  Xin Chen just shrugged her shoulders, "Anyway, I have to get a boyfriend, this guy was introduced by my uncle, and it can also save my uncle from worrying about me all the time."

  This reply left Xīn Dí speechless, she could only look her younger sister up and down, but the latter was clearly not being perfunctory.

  Later on the road, they met by chance and Xin Chen introduced them to each other. Feng Yi'an looked quite good, elegant and refined in appearance, with every move showing breeding and propriety, from a clean family background, co-founded a company with friends, always dressed in low-key elegant attire, loved photography, had no bad habits, and took extra care of Xin Chen.

  The two maintained a relationship of over a year, and when Xin Kai Ming met Feng Yi An's father, they even joked about the possibility of the two children getting married, but they suddenly broke up two months ago, although it was unexpected, but still calm and peaceful, and didn't make things unpleasant.

  She usually lives a regular and introverted life, the only thing that might be different from others is that she has a slightly unusual hobby, often participating in hiking and traveling to remote areas once a year.

  However, all the changes took place imperceptibly, and no one can tell when they started. Xindi sighed, "You know, I'm close to Xiao Chen, but we don't talk about everything, and we each have our own social circles. She's closer to my dad, but she wouldn't confide in him either."

  Lu Fei was silent, of course he knew that even in his girlhood days, Xin Chen had been lively and willful, but still couldn't be counted as a child who liked to speak freely. There was a part of her that remained deeply hidden.

  "Is her change related to your departure? Or did you promise her something?" Xīn Dài had this idea for the first time, and couldn't help but feel surprised.

  Lu Fei felt a pang of pain again tonight, his long fingers grasping the corner of the hanging blanket on the tea table, his knuckles whitening with force. After a while, he said in a low voice: "I hope I can make promises to her, Xiao Di, but Xiao Chen is not willing to be a child who makes empty promises."

  "It's also, your usual problem is being too steady, probably won't say irresponsible words when leaving, and Xiao Chen's personality isn't that weak." Xindi tilted her head in thought, gave up, "I have no leads, maybe everyone will change, sooner or later."

  Lu Fei gazed at the tapestry, his expression focused, as if trying to find some pattern in the intricate design. After a long while, he shook his head, "But you haven't changed at all."

  "Don't blame me for this," Xinde laughed, "I've actually changed too. Just now during the rehearsal of the fashion show, I just discovered that I've learned to compromise. Life is really a good school."

  Of course, design used to be her hobby, but now it has become her job, with the title of Design Director, she can't help but compromise.

  That Xincheng who lived recklessly and that Xindai with an unbridled imagination only existed in the past. Although they had completely different youths, she also compromised in another way, Xindai thought dejectedly.

  At a gathering, Xinde had a little too much to drink and said with a drunken tone: "Xinchen is my muse, the source of my inspiration."

  Everyone present burst out laughing, including Xin Chen, who had always viewed her three-year-older cousin's innocent and artistic personality with tolerance.

  Everyone acknowledges that Xin Chen is indeed a beauty, tall and slender, with a delicate face, black hair, fair skin, bright eyes, and a small dimple on her left cheek when she smiles. However, such good looks are not uncommon in this coastal city, nor do they stand out particularly. Especially since she spends most of her time wearing jeans or outdoor sports attire, treating dressing carelessly, except for the clothes Xin Di gave her, she almost never buys fashion, looking nothing like someone who should be undertaking such an important mission.

  Only Xindi knew, she wasn't exaggerating at all.

  Xin Di always believed that before the age of 18, Xin Chen's beauty was irreplaceable and irretrievable.

  Still the same face, but at that age, with a bright and radiant complexion, semi-transparent skin, plus lively and dynamic facial expressions, flowing and charming eyes... Xindi not only used her younger sister as a model to practice portrait sketching, but also persuaded her to wear her own designs for photoshoots. She was very sure that her memory had not deviated, and she had always had an astonishing sensitivity and memory for beauty, more reliable than the frozen image of young Xinchen.

  "Do you still remember how Chenzi looked when she wore my design for the photo shoot? Xindi narrowed her eyes in recollection, "You seemed to have taken a look and then left."

  When she was a junior, Xindi designed a set of clothes called Lolita and asked her sister Xincheng to model for them. She also asked her classmate Yan Xuexi, who majored in photography, to help take some photos, which were then made into a simple album.

  Xin Di won the first prize in the National New Fashion Design Competition with this design, and the expert review was: "Rich and bold imagery, bold and unique shape, youthful and fashionable atmosphere is strong, fabric elements are used appropriately, both passionate and restrained, forming a contradictory and organic fusion of innocence and charm, reflecting a unique design concept."

  That was her first major award, and for a time she became famous in school.

  Lu Fei naturally remembered the scene of that day clearly.

  That year, Xin Chen was not yet 17 years old and usually only wore T-shirts and jeans. When she came out wearing the clothes designed by Xin Di, Lu Fei's heart felt like it had been pinched hard. Xin Di had given her a pale makeup look, with heavy eye shadow that made her big eyes shine even brighter, skin so white it was almost translucent, and light-colored lip gloss that shone with a pearl-like luster. Her hair was styled in loose waves using a curling iron and fell on her shoulders, paired with a black off-the-shoulder top and a layered tulle skirt, giving off an otherworldly feel that made people wonder if she came from another time and space.

  The most fatal thing is that her clothes and makeup greatly highlight her innocent yet reckless temperament. Xian Xu Hui, holding the camera, gazes at her with an unreservedly admiring look, but she remains completely unaware.

  Lu Fei stood there for a moment before hastily leaving, but that scene had already been deeply etched into his heart.

  However, after being apart for more than seven years, Xin Chen reappeared in front of him, calm and peaceful, no longer with that unruly spirit.