Xin Di and A Ken hold hands and walk onto the T-stage, passing through the models standing on both sides, followed by Somi's design team. The spotlight shines on Xin Di, she and her colleagues applaud lightly, suddenly remembering the scene of standing on the national competition awards stage for the first time in her life.

  That year, Xindi was only 21 years old. She received a notice from the organizing committee and took the train to Nanjing. The whole journey was so exciting that she couldn't sit still. When she heard that one of her idols, a well-known domestic designer, would be the guest presenter for the awards ceremony, and read out her name, the applause thundered beneath the stage, and her blood boiled rapidly throughout her body.

  Looking back at the clothes hanging in her room, she admits that with today's eyes, the work has some immature places, and later she also had more impressive designs. But it was from then on that she gained a reputation, and also had the eternal theme of her future design: about the dreams of youth bursting forth.

  Xin Di's growth process was very standard. Her father, Xin Kai Ming, and mother, Li Xiang, graduated from university and became civil servants, working diligently, marrying late and having children late. They had prenatal check-ups, took folic acid supplements, and got vaccinated before having a baby. Following the parenting manual, they went through each stage of childcare, consulting expert opinions in the process of educating her, discovering her interests and potential, making strict demands, and not spoiling her just because of their affluent family background.

  She showed extremely high artistic talent since childhood, her parents noticed this and arranged for her to receive formal and professional training early on, hoping that she would grow up to attend an art academy and develop in the direction of a painter.

  However, she became fascinated with fashion design from junior high school and chose to study her favorite major in college despite her parents' opposition. After intense debate, her parents could only accept her choice with a mixture of confusion and helplessness.

  Only Xindi herself knows that the origin of her hobby and dream is actually from her cousin Xincheng. She turned her hobby into a career direction, and it can't be said that she wasn't influenced by Xincheng at all. As for her design thinking, Xincheng's imprint is even more obvious.

  Her cousin Xin Chen has been growing up without any plans since birth, which is completely different from her.

  Xin Chen is not a natal child, on her household registration booklet, the column for her mother is blank. At the time of her birth, her father Xin Kaiyu was 19 years old and her mother was 18 years old. The two young people who had just entered a key university fell in love at first sight, after secretly dating, the naive girl didn't realize she was pregnant until the fourth month, then spent more than two months in confusion, wearing loose clothes could no longer conceal her bulging belly.

  That was in the 1980s, when social atmosphere was conservative, they were both expelled from university and became a shame to their families. The girl's parents came from afar, and the parents of both sides sat together to discuss reconciliation, but the two families, who had hopes and plans for their children, could not reach an agreement.

  The dispute came and went, the fetus was no longer possible to induce labor, and they were not yet of marriageable age. Xincheng was born without anyone's expectation and was handed over to his grandparents. The young mother was sent away by her family to a third-rate school in a distant place thousands of miles away to continue her studies, and after graduation, she settled locally and never came back to see her daughter again. Xinkaiyu stayed in the local area and later entered a state-owned enterprise to work. In the Xin family, Xincheng's mother was a taboo topic, and no one would openly discuss it.

  Xin Grandpa and Grandma's eldest son, Xin Kai Ming, from studying, working, getting married to having children, never gave them any trouble. They always spoiled their intelligent second son who was born in middle age, but had to come at an old age to clean up the mess for him, helping to take care of this little baby.

  Xin Chen was a beautiful child from a young age. After the initial disappointment and anger, her grandparents took good care of her. Her father, except for being irresponsible and having too many romantic relationships, was actually a loving and open-minded dad who enjoyed spending time with his daughter when he wasn't busy with his numerous love affairs.

  Xin Chen was dressed up like a doll by her grandmother and father since she was young, with clothes that were often changed to new styles. White lace princess dresses, pink sweaters, embroidered flower cowboy pants, and pale pink patent leather shoes made her the center of attention as soon as she entered Xindu Primary School.

  Xin Di, 3 years old, had a round face that wasn't particularly eye-catching, and her small upturned nose always carried a bit of childishness. She didn't mind her appearance, but she hated the neat and conservative clothes her mother arranged for her to wear. Looking at her cousin, then looking at her own cotton sportswear, Xin Di couldn't help but feel resentful. She went back to complain to her mother, who raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You're already particular about your clothes when you're just in elementary school? Students should always dress according to their identity."

  Xin Di wore the clothes her mother had chosen for her, loose cotton pants, a floral skirt that was always below the knee, shirts made of all-cotton without waistlines, jackets that were gender-neutral, and shoes that were either sneakers, sandals or black leather lace-ups.

  She was happiest when her uncle took Xinchen to buy clothes and brought her along. She refused her uncle's suggestion that she pick out clothes she liked, knowing that even if she did, her mother wouldn't let her wear them. She watched with great interest as Xinchen tried on outfit after outfit, offering suggestions, and watching as Xinchen twirled in front of her wearing the skirt she had picked out, a process that seemed to bring her more joy than wearing new clothes herself.

  Unlike Xīn Dī who was strictly disciplined, Xīn Chén was spoiled by her grandparents and indulged by her father, growing up with almost no restraints. In the first few years of primary school, Xīn Kāi Yǔ had a relatively relaxed work schedule and would often pick up his daughter from school, taking Xīn Dī home as well. Xīn Dī wasn't the only one who envied seeing her uncle's hand on Xīn Chén's shoulder, walking and chatting with her, both of them beaming with joy.

  The content of their conversation was very broad, and the topics they discussed were also things that Sindae's parents would not discuss with him.

  Xin Chen complained that the little boy sitting next to her was pulling her braids, and her father smiled: "Don't mind him, he likes you but doesn't dare say it, so he uses this method to get your attention. Next time he pulls your hair, kick him in the foot, guaranteed he'll behave."

  This is certainly different from the standard answer Mom gave Xindi.

  Xin Chen doesn't care how many points she scores, Xin Kaiyu will always rub her hair and say "not bad". Xin Chen says that the teacher criticizes her for not being able to distinguish between "n" and "l" in pinyin, but he just shrugs his shoulders and says "most people around here can't tell them apart either, what's the big deal."

  This is certainly different from Dad and Mom's high expectations of Xindi.

  Xin Chen said the weather is really good, Xin Kaiyu will say: "Tomorrow I'm on duty, let's go out and play, I'll write a leave note for the teacher."

  Xin De never dared to think that he could use this reason to skip school.

  Xin Chen grew up like this, bright and cheerful, as if he had never been affected by the lack of his mother's important role in life.

  The boy chatted her up, and she was very calm; she was generous to anyone, without any discomfort; wearing clothes of any bright color would only make her more lovely; when she smiled, she was unrestrained, and the dimple on her left cheek overflowed with joy.

  Xin Di wasn't jealous of her at all, she liked the beautiful younger cousin's carefree appearance, in her opinion, if she had a choice, she would want to grow up like her younger cousin and enjoy her youth.

  After being admitted to the fashion design major at Meiyi, from the first design, Xindi imagined the model as Xincheng, accurately between 14 and 18 years old. Each of her designs carries the spirit of youthful vitality in her imagination.

  However, after six years in this profession and sitting in the position of design director, the main consumer group of her designed clothing is urban white-collar women. The popular style changes unpredictably, sometimes emphasizing elegance, sometimes highlighting cuteness, sometimes with a bit of femininity, and sometimes becoming neutral. Xindi's task is to lead the design team to grasp the trend, while personal preferences have to be compromised again and again, and the initial excitement and sense of achievement become distant.

  The clients and agents, as well as the mall managers, all stood up to applaud. Every time Somi's press conference is held, the atmosphere is created to be warm and enticing. The entire design team took the stage to take a bow, perfectly showcasing Somi's strong design power and style, further enhancing the client's sense of belonging and honor, achieving the effect that Boss Zeng Xian needed.

  Xin Di mechanically clapped along with everyone else.

  David couldn't help but stare at Xindi on the stage, who was wearing a short cheongsam that accentuated her doll-like face with a hint of elegance. She didn't seem to have the excitement of having a small designer behind her back, and the smile on her face was almost as arrogant as Ah Ken's from Hong Kong, carrying a hint of pride. He didn't like this expression.

  In his impression, Xindi had always been unrestrained in her emotions. When she laughed, her joy seemed to overflow and could infect everyone; when she was angry, her sharp words would come out of her mouth, but somehow no one could be really angry with her. But at this moment, the Xindi who slightly bowed on stage looked very unfamiliar.

  After the press conference, as usual, there was a dinner party. David Fan noticed that Xinde was drinking red wine lazily at another table and didn't have an appetite to eat anything. Halfway through eating, she went out and hadn't come back for a long time.

  David Fan knew that on the opposite side of the banquet hall was a small restaurant with an outdoor coffee seat, he walked over and found Xindi sitting in a seat by the railing, under the soft light, she turned her head to see him and smiled, "David Fan, do you believe it? I was just thinking of you right now."

  David Fan's heart suddenly skipped a beat, but Xindi continued to say: "I suddenly found that you look like my little uncle."

  Xin Di didn't intentionally mean to hit David Fan this time, she really thought of her little uncle Xin Kaiyu, at a time when almost everyone's life had changed, it seemed that only this man was still being himself.

  Xin Kaiyu is 44 years old this year, still a handsome middle-aged man, with a 25-year-old daughter, seemingly just a small ripple in his life.

  Xin Di will always remember the sensation caused by her handsome young uncle's first parent-teacher conference at school.

  Xin Chen was arranged by his uncle to attend the same key primary school as many children of government officials, including Xin Di. All the parents and Xin Di's parents were in a similar mold: middle-aged, serious-looking, conservatively dressed.

  Xin Kaiyu appeared and stunned everyone, he was only 25 years old at the time, wearing a jacket and faded jeans, really young and handsome. He spiritedly held his daughter's small hand, looking every inch like a big boy rather than a father.

  Xin Kaiyu had never fully adapted to the role of father. For his daughter, he was almost always accommodating. At that time, he worked in a state-owned enterprise with an ordinary income, but when he had money and was in the mood, he would take Xin Chen to buy very expensive clothes and shoes, without considering the price at all. He kept making new girlfriends, never avoiding mentioning that he had a daughter, and sometimes even took his daughter out to dinner or movies with pretty aunties.

  Xin Kaiyu called his nephew's daughter Di Zi and his own daughter Chen Zi. Later, this title was passed down by the two sisters. He would go to a small shop on the side of the road to buy them stickers, trinkets, and other things that girls like, sometimes taking them to eat barbecue, all of which were strictly forbidden by Li Xiang: barbecue is not hygienic, those little things are boring and have no nutritional value.

  Little girls' joy is always simple and direct. These cheap and meaningless little things are enough to make two girls radiant.

  Xin Di's father was the local deputy mayor and Secretary of Lu Fei's father, Lu Jingzhong. He was introverted and strict by nature. Her mother, Li Xiang, worked at the Health Bureau. They both loved their only daughter, but couldn't give her such happy times.

  Pretty Xincheng started to develop, and soon grew taller than Xindi. She received a small note from a boy, showed it to her father, who burst out laughing, shook his head and said: "Really childish, but you're so cute, it's normal for boys to like you. If you don't want to pay attention, just throw it away, don't show it to the teacher, and don't make fun of him."

  Xin Chen said that a certain boy asked her to go to the zoo or watch a movie together. Xin Kaiyu hesitated for a moment, "Both are fine, but don't accept gifts from others, don't be too intimate with them, and don't satisfy his vanity by acknowledging you as his girlfriend."

  Xin Di could only sympathize with herself for her dull and uneventful life, having never received such hints or invitations. Even if she had, she wouldn't have dared to mention it to her parents. She could imagine how they would handle the situation: first, they would have a serious talk with her, from emphasizing the importance of focusing on her studies to discussing her life goals and choices, and then call her class teacher to communicate the situation.

  Xin Kai Ming looked at his younger brother, who had become an unmarried father so early on but still refused to get married and settle down properly, with a few hints of disappointment; Li Xiang looked at her little uncle, who was always causing trouble without showing any signs of apology, and naturally wouldn't be happy either.

  Only Xindi truly liked this happy uncle, she directly told Xincheng about her admiration, Xincheng mostly just smiled, but once he was silent for a moment, seriously asking her: "Dizi, are you willing to stay alone at home all night, hearing thunder can only use a quilt to block your ears? Are you willing to sign homework but can't find parents, and have to imitate his handwriting by yourself? Are you willing for dad to change girlfriends more often than changing clothes?"

  Xin Di was stunned, no, at that time she didn't think things had this side. She went to high school, and her mother still came into her room every night to tuck her in. Her father, apart from work, was always focused on the family.

  Xin Di grew up and knew a little about Xin Chen's life experience. She understood that her uncle might be a likable man, but probably not a good father. Even if he was always popular with women, he probably wasn't a good lover either.

  And he and this handsome man in front of him really had some similarities, thinking of this, Xin Di couldn't help but laugh.

  David Fan found that since that unlucky night in Hong Kong, he had been a bit possessed. The mischievous smile at the corner of Xin Di's mouth made him dizzy for a moment.

  But it was the first time in his life that he had been told by a woman of similar age that he looked like an elder, and no matter how he listened to it, it didn't sound like a compliment. He could only smile wryly, "Do I look like your uncle?"

  Xin Di carefully sized him up, using a comparative gaze, and David Fan felt a bit uncomfortable under her scrutiny, feeling like he was back on stage for the first time. After a long while, Xin Di came to a conclusion: "You're taller than him, and your looks aren't really similar either. My uncle is a seasoned handsome guy, you know? Just look at Xin Chen and you'll see, they have very similar facial features, the kind that are refined and elegant."

  It seems that his own appearance did not meet the other party's expectations, so David Fan smiled and said: "Then I'll ask around, what reason made me have this honor to make you think of your uncle?"

  "Your personalities and expressions look very similar, both are the kind that play with people's emotions everywhere. My uncle is 44 years old this year, and he doesn't have much money, but he still has many young girls chasing after him." Xīn dí chuckled and said, "I'm thinking of suggesting to him to write a 'Romantic Saint's Handbook', specifically teaching men how to pick up women or teaching women how to prevent being picked up."

  "Hey, you're not taking it out on me because of some grudge against my uncle, are you? You've been hating me for all these years?"

  Xin Di spread his hands, "I really like my uncle, I have no opinion on him, and I sincerely think that as long as he is willing, there's nothing wrong with living this way. He has always been straightforward and hasn't cheated anyone. Women who fall in love with him should be mentally prepared. They can't expect to enjoy the happiness of being with him while also wanting a lifelong commitment. If one day he wants to find a woman to marry and settle down, that's a different story."

  David Fan was speechless with laughter and tears, never expecting Xindi to have such a high opinion of men: "Maybe after playing around enough, men still want to settle down."

  "Many men without integrity use this trick to manipulate women's psychology of luck, the biggest misconception of women is that they think this man will change for themselves."

  "You speak as if you have a wealth of experience and have been through thick and thin."

  Xin Di naturally detected the sarcasm in David's tone, thinking of how she had confessed to him that she was a virgin, and she couldn't help but feel angry, but didn't lash out. Instead, she calmly said: "I may not have eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run around, especially sand pigs, there are just too many examples."

  Unexpectedly, David Fan smiled instead of getting angry, "It's rare that your opinion of me has remained the same for ten years." Seeing Xindi's surprise, he reminded her, "When we first met, you said the same thing about me, Sha Zhu. Poor me back then was too ignorant and even went to ask others what 'Sha Zhu' meant."

  Xin Di couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing loudly.

  At David Fan's reminder, Xin Di recalled his first encounter with him, and it had indeed been ten years ago.

  That year she was 18 years old, and with excellent professional results, she was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts. Although her parents insisted on letting her stay in the local school against her will, and she also chose the fashion design major against her parents' will, but in the end everyone decided to compromise with each other, and they were all very happy.

  She was away from her mother's meticulous care for the first time, boarding school and starting collective life. From the beginning of university, she dressed completely according to her own aesthetics. Her mother couldn't get used to it, but she couldn't do anything about it. She enjoyed the sudden freedom, almost a little dizzy with joy.

  And the university's arrangements, of course, are rich and dazzling to freshmen. Club recruitment, classmate gatherings, alumni associations, various art exhibitions and performances follow one after another, and it was also at the welcoming performance in the school auditorium that she saw David Fan, who was exceptionally eye-catching on campus, for the first time.

  As soon as she entered the school, Xindi showed a good color sense and was called by her senior to help with the costumes for the performance. Before that, she had only secretly painted design drafts at home based on her imagination, and it was her first time to see the designed clothes come true, which made her excited. Later, in the backstage, male and female models were mixed together, all wearing only their underwear waiting for makeup and costume changes, which was another strong impact on her.

  Her friend Lu Fei was known for her versatility, and her cousin Xin Chen had been a beauty since childhood. Originally, the model's appearance didn't have much of an impact on her, but she had always received very conservative education, and hadn't even been to a public bathhouse before. Suddenly seeing so many people of the same age casually exposing large parts of their bodies in front of her, her face instantly turned bright red, completely unsure of where to look.

  When the most handsome and tall boy stood in front of her, wearing a white tight-fitting vest that showed off his perfect inverted triangle physique, and asked her about the order of clothes, she was tongue-tied and couldn't say anything for a while.

  A tall girl next to her hurried over and started arguing with the boy in a low voice, then loudly, which finally saved her.

  The boy was naturally David Fan, and the girl was his girlfriend. His girlfriend said he didn't take her seriously enough, and he retorted that she had too much control over him. The girl gave some trivial examples, and at first, he was too lazy to respond. After a while, he said with a look of impatience: "Since you have so many opinions, let's just break up."

  Xin Di was delighted, previously she had only seen Lu Fei calmly and quietly reject the advances of female classmates, Xin Chen impatiently and ill-temperedly shooing away the young boys who pursued her, never expecting that these two university students would be so boring and childish as to perform a drama in public for her entertainment.

  The girl started sobbing, her makeup instantly ruined. Her classmates tried to comfort her, while the leader of the modeling team jumped up in anxiety, "Ancestors, you're causing a scene just before going on stage, this is going to ruin everything! The school and department leaders are all seated below, Dai Weifan, can't you calm her down?"

  David Fan had already changed into a white uniform with shoulder pads, which accentuated his athletic and upright physique. He was 20 years old at the time, and his personality was even more arrogant than it is now. He didn't buy what the leader was saying, "It's just that he's been spoiled by being flattered too much, whoever likes him."

  The classmates around were at a loss, holding clothes and waiting to help the girl change, Xindi had already looked impatient, stepped forward and said bluntly: "Hey, sister, you're also a beautiful woman, why bother making yourself uncomfortable for this sand pig? Breaking up is just breaking up, a man who will bring up the breakup all the time isn't worth your tears."

  Everyone did not expect that this new student, who was petite like a middle school student among the models, had such courage. They burst out laughing at the same time, and someone echoed: "Right, right, little sister is reasonable." "Hurry up and wash your face and reapply makeup, our show is about to start."

  David Fan was not angry, but his principle had always been that a good man does not fight with a woman, so he would not go and argue with a little girl. Moreover, at the time, he really did not understand what "sha zhu" meant. When he met his good friend Zhang Xin later, he asked seriously, Zhang Xin laughed and told him that the English translation of this word was "male chauvinist pig", which literally means a male chauvinistic pig, abbreviated as "sha zhu". It is usually used by women to scold men who have an inexplicable sense of superiority and are nauseatingly masculine.

  Afterwards, Xīn Dí saw him with a bad face, but he knew his place and didn't provoke this small yet sharp-tongued girl.

  Xin Di quickly made a name for herself at the art academy, with a solid foundation in fine arts and a remarkable talent for painting realistic flowers and birds. Even the professors from the Chinese Painting Department were impressed, wondering why such a talented student had chosen to major in Fashion Design, which they considered to be a field lacking in technical depth. Meanwhile, Xin Di's fashion design drafts were completed at an incredible pace, leaving her instructors in awe and confirming that she was one of the most gifted and promising freshmen they had ever taught.

  The design department and the model inevitably interact, David Fan can't help it, he can only let her coldly mock him, fortunately Xindi doesn't deliberately try to be sarcastic, most of the time she just says something casually and then directly ignores him.

  David Fan, who has always been used to being the center of attention, felt that this little temper was still within the tolerable range. Moreover, he had always been lenient towards intelligent girls. Since Xindi's talent had already been recognized, he was more willing to acknowledge that talented girls should have some quirks and privileges.

  Bringing up this past event, Xin Di laughed and said, "Just yesterday I was discussing with Lu Fei whether people would change over time, but now I've finally found someone who hasn't changed at all in ten years."

  "It was fun for you, but no one can stay the same for ten years, especially after that time, I never casually said break up with anyone again."

  David Fan's face was rarely serious, but Xindi just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have that much confidence, a casual remark would have such a big impact on a playboy."

  "It's not all because of what you said, no one can stay young and reckless forever, even your uncle is the same."

  Xin Di could only admit that his words made sense. Even Xin Kaiyu, who had always been a happy and carefree younger uncle, was indeed different from before. "That's right," said Xin Chen to her father, "men either need to work hard to earn some money for themselves, like Xu Jinheng, who is still called 'Young Master Xu' even after 50 and can still date Li Jiacheng; or they need to cultivate their character, restrain their desires, and pretend to be deep and mature in order to follow the right path."

  David shook his head and smiled, "Not every man wants to chase after Lee Ka Xin. Also, please don't call me a playboy anymore, if I really was one, I wouldn't have been so embarrassed that night in Hong Kong."

  At this time, he mentioned that unlucky night again. The two of them met each other's gaze and didn't move away uncomfortably. Xīn dí (辛笛) didn't have the heart to be angry anymore. After all, the person in front of her was tolerant and easy-going, could joke around, and still had some redeeming qualities. As for that night, she shrugged again and decided not to think about it. "Forget it, let's just forget about that matter. I'll go in first, or else they'll come looking for me. When can designers like us be favored by the emperor and be exempt from participating in this kind of social gathering?"

  She covered her mouth and yawned, then got up and left. It wasn't until then that David Fan noticed that the short cheongsam she was wearing seemed simple, but on the back, there was a bold lace cut-out design that reached down to her waist, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white skin. He couldn't help but think of the feeling of his hand touching it that night, and began to wonder if he had any chance of winning her over if he seriously pursued Xin Di.

  David Fan found himself completely at a loss for the first time.

  After a few days, David Fan returned to the company and ran into Xin Chen who came to hand in his design draft.

  Xin Chen often comes over and is familiar with the employees of the company, she is talking to several copywriters and planners about a joke that happened when she went to a wedding photography studio earlier, "The kid completed that photo perfectly, but somehow it looked a bit awkward, we asked a group of people to gather around to see what was wrong, but no one could figure out what was wrong, until the cleaning aunt of our company took a glance and said: 'This girl looks like an angel, but why doesn't she have a navel?' It turned out that he had processed it smoothly and used PS to remove the belly button as a scar."

  Several people burst out laughing, and David Fan laughed and said: "Xin Chen, are you still processing those wedding photography portraits?"

  "Forced by life, anyway doing that doesn't require brainwork, just consider it a pastime." Xincheng smiled and handed the design draft to him, "Director Dai, please review and instruct."

  David Fan and Zhang Xin Kai's advertising company is not large in scale, after receiving the business, sometimes according to the client's requirements, they will outsource a part of the work with higher professionalization or difficulty. Xincheng has long-term cooperation with them. This time it was for a newly opened company to do LOGO, Xincheng submitted two plans, her design is always neat and concise, never dragging on, and received good reviews.

  David nodded in agreement, "Xin Chen, there's also a picture from the album that needs to be fixed urgently. Are you available to take it?"

  He pulled out the original picture for her to see, and Xin Chen frowned. "It's this model again, I really can't stand her. She looks okay, but she's so picky that it's over the top. Every time, she has to be Photoshopped into a Barbie doll, completely distorting the proportions, before she's happy."

  "This time she didn't have the right to speak, and the album was directly finalized by the manufacturer. Their aesthetics are still normal."

  Xin Chen nodded, "Alright."

  David Fan handed over the detailed requirements, she took note of them one by one, copied the original pictures with a mobile hard drive, packed up her backpack and said "If there's anything that needs to be modified in this LOGO, let me know, I'll leave first."

  "Wait, Xin Chen."

  He looked at her inquiringly, but she seemed a bit hard to speak. He and Xincheng had known each other for some time, but it was always just work-related. This girl looked easy-going, laughing as if she didn't care about anything, but she was actually cold inside, with only a superficial smile on her face, always keeping people at arm's length. Unlike her cousin Xindi, who was cold outside and warm inside, their personalities were completely different. He could only put down his hand, "Forget it, never mind, you just focus on this painting."