Chapter 59
As the weather gradually cooled, the studio completed the first version of the series of garments.
It’s common for a piece of clothing to go through several versions from production to completion. The first version typically serves as a reference for fabric, design, and various details to ensure they are reasonable.
Subsequent revisions also take considerable time. During those days, Yu Le was almost always at the studio, going home only to head straight to his workspace.
After all, compared to the other staff at the studio, he was busier, needing to improve the entire batch of clothes while also completing the special set he had designed for Mr. Lu, our closing model.
Yes, the set specifically designed for Mr. Lu.
After expressing his desire to get Mr. Lu to model for him, Mr. Lu agreed but asked for quite a bit of compensation that left Yu Le with a sore back for several days.
He did feel a bit resentful, but all that vanished the moment he saw Mr. Lu in the outfit.
“How come I’m so obsessed with you!”
As Yu Le adjusted Mr. Lu’s collar, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth in frustration at his own lack of resolve.
The design combined traditional Chinese and Western styles, with a low-saturation blue-black color as the main tone. The cuffs were adorned with delicate locust flower embroidery, and the overall stitching was meticulous. The bespoke fit highlighted every aspect of Mr. Lu’s tall and graceful figure.
The white shirt inside was designed differently from ordinary shirts. The fabric was both soft and stiff. At the top where there would typically be three buttons, there were none, allowing the white to extend from the blue-black without fully covering the collarbone and honey-colored chest.
What was meant to be an elegant and refined design gained a touch of boldness due to this small alteration.
This clash of contradictions mirrored Mr. Lu himself—underneath his casual demeanor lay a wildness that was intrinsic, which would unconsciously emanate from his every gesture. He had an irresistible aura of authority and a deep sense of admiration and longing.
He was a natural model; the clothes didn’t adorn him, but rather, he complemented the clothes.
He would shine brightly on the runway!
Yu Le couldn’t help himself. After smoothing out the last wrinkle, he impatiently wrapped his arms around Mr. Lu’s neck and kissed him.
Mr. Lu’s laughter spilled from his lips, and he embraced Yu Le’s waist, letting him be playful. Once Yu Le grew tired and could no longer kiss, Mr. Lu took the lead, gripping Yu Le’s chin and sealing his disordered breathing.
Yu Le, still dazed and thinking about the clothes, murmured, “Be a bit gentler… I just ironed this…”
A few days later, they returned to the mountains.
The temperature on the mountain had dropped further. Many of the originally lush trees had started turning red and yellow. The green-covered slate mountain now donned a colorful robe, with flowers blooming everywhere.
After tidying up the things they left at the inn, they parked the car temporarily outside the inn and walked to find Wen Yuan.
Before they even reached the door, they heard Wen Yuan shouting loudly:
“You’re really stupid, rushing straight ahead without picking anything up. If you die, I won’t collect your body!”
“You’re going to make me mad. Stay behind me and don’t come out. Who killed you just now? I’ll go chop them up first.”
“What lunch? I’m full from being angry at your stupidity.”
“No, why should I come looking for you when it’s so comfortable on the mountain? It’s clearly you who paid for it, making it seem like I’m moving in with you.”
……
“Meow.”
Da Huang rolled onto its back at Wen Yuan’s feet. Wen Yuan sat up from the bamboo chair, bent down to pet it, and noticed two pairs of feet appearing at the door, then looked up—
“Brother Lu, Le Le!”
He was surprised, “Why are you suddenly back?”
Yu Le: “Came back to pick up our luggage. Did Da Huang have the kittens?”
He walked over to feel Da Huang’s belly and found no kittens.
“Yes, she had a little brother.”
Wen Yuan put down his phone and stood up with excitement: “Come, let me show you Xiao Huang.”
Xiao Huang was indeed a small version of Da Huang, with the same shiny yellow fur. It was small in size, with tiny ears and a little tail that wagged cutely.
Shui Cai was in the nest with Xiao Huang, curled up around the newborn kitten, who was still learning to crawl and not yet walking. Seeing Lu Yao and Yu Le, Shui Cai wagged its tail happily, but perhaps to avoid waking Xiao Huang, it controlled the wagging.
“So good.” Yu Le used a finger to pet Xiao Huang’s head, then patted Shui Cai, “You’re a good dad, especially great!”
Da Huang also came in, slowly walking around before lying down and starting to groom the kittens, exuding a warm, maternal glow.
“And you, thanks for your hard work.” Yu Le balanced a bowl of water, giving everyone some attention before looking up at Wen Yuan, “Is that the only one?”
“Yes,” Wen Yuan squatted down with him, “An only child, no siblings to compete for milk. Very lucky. Hey, how long are you staying? Why not stay for lunch?”
Since Yu Le wasn’t in a hurry, he agreed.
Yu Le might not know much about the innkeeper’s cooking, but Lu Yao knew Wen Yuan’s culinary skills well. So, before they finished petting the cats, Lu Yao rolled up his sleeves and headed for the kitchen.
Yu Le: “By the way, who were you playing games with just now?”
Wen Yuan: “An idiot.”
Yu Le: “?”
Lu Yao called Wen Yuan from behind. The two turned to look, and Lu Yao gestured towards where Wen Yuan had been sitting. “Someone’s looking for you.”
From a distance, it was hard to hear, but as they got closer, a familiar voice was heard calling “wife” enthusiastically.
Yu Le recognized it as Yan Jia’s voice and was astonished.
Wen Yuan’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly ran over to stop him. “What the heck, who’s your wife? Stop calling randomly!”
Yan Jia: “Why are you suddenly shy? Is someone next to you?”
“Yes,” Yu Le walked over, teasing, “Impressive, keeping it so secret. If I hadn’t heard it today, would I only find out when receiving your wedding invitation?”
Yan Jia: “It’s not that I wanted to keep it a secret. Honestly, we’d rather announce it to the whole world, but Wen Yuan won’t let me, so I can’t help it.”
“You’re still on probation. Did you get approval for a permanent position before you started shouting?” Wen Yuan, blushing, scolded him, “Shut up, or I’ll mark you as unqualified for your probation.”
Yan Jia sighed, “Fine, I’ll be quiet. Are we still playing the game?”
“Not playing with you,” Wen Yuan quickly logged out, “Hmph, you play poorly and have a bad attitude…”
“Boss, Boss, Brother Wen Yuan, is my Boss here?” It was Zhao Xiaosong’s voice.
Wen Yuan hung up the voice call and responded loudly: “Here, come in quickly.”
Zhao Xiaosong dashed in and, seeing his good buddy Le Le there too, happily gave him a hug: “I saw Boss’s car, but the door was locked and no one was around. I knew you must be here.”
Yu Le patted his head, “School hasn’t started yet?”
Zhao Xiaosong: “It’s already started, but today is the weekend.”
Wen Yuan asked, “Have you eaten?”
Zhao Xiaosong: “Not yet. Is there food to share?”
Wen Yuan: “Of course there is.”
Seeing Lu Yao busy in the kitchen, Zhao Xiaosong knew there would be a good meal. He ran while shouting: “Boss, can I order dishes?”
Lu Yao, chopping vegetables with rhythmic and quick movements, “Sure, what do you want to eat?”
Zhao Xiaosong: “I want fish-flavored shredded pork.”
Lu Yao nodded: “Consider it done.”
Zhao Xiaosong: “???“
Before leaving, Zhao Xiaosong asked Yu Le to wait a moment, ran back home, and then came back with a small Rubik’s Cube.
Zhao Xiaosong said, “I’ve wanted to give this to you for a long time, but I didn’t know you were leaving. Luckily, you’re back now. This Rubik’s Cube is really fun, though a bit challenging. I think it could keep me entertained for a year!”
Yu Le: “Good buddy, are you underestimating my intelligence?”
“Not at all,” Zhao Xiaosong replied. “From now until next summer is just about a year. If you get bored without little Xiaosong to keep you company, you can play with the Rubik’s Cube. Once you solve it, we’ll meet again!”
Yu Le was deeply touched and crouched down to hug him again.
Back in the car, the Rubik’s Cube that could presumably last him a year was already being played with.
It was indeed a special Rubik’s Cube. The unique feature was that each face displayed not just colors but also patterns. Once solved, the six faces could form different designs.
The elementary school student wasn’t exaggerating; it seemed like he really could play with it for a year.
In the meantime, Assistant Song called, saying that the fashion show date was basically set. They could choose any day in the month when winter begins, and the decision was up to him.
Yu Le didn’t mind and asked Lu Yao for his opinion. Lu Yao casually suggested a date, “How about the 18th?”
Yu Le thought it was fine, passed the message to Assistant Song, and hung up. He then asked Lu Yao, “Mr. Lu, are you free on the 18th?”
Lu Yao: “Mr. Lu’s boyfriend’s birthday is on the 18th.”
Yu Le, surprised, checked his calendar and confirmed.
He had always celebrated his birthday according to the lunar calendar, so the Gregorian date changed every year. He usually only checked the calendar when it felt about time, not expecting someone to have kept track so early this year.
“How considerate, Mr. Lu,” Yu Le said earnestly. “To show my gratitude, let me treat you to dinner tonight?”
Lu Yao: “Sure, what should we eat?”
Yu Le: “You decide.”
So, when they returned to Xuan City and night fell, Lu Yao led Yu Le straight into the moat area.
“Why are there so many people by the river even though it’s autumn?” Yu Le remarked, seeing the crowd by the moat. “Are we eating here? There probably won’t be any seats left.”
“Don’t worry,” Lu Yao said, leading him to a high-end restaurant. The doorman opened the door for them. “I’ve reserved a spot.”
They walked in together, and the staff guided them to the elevator. Unexpectedly, a familiar face appeared in the elevator after a while.
“Sister Su Hui? What a coincidence!”
“Le Le?!”
Su Hui, who had seen the news online and knew about their relationship, was surprised to run into them here.
After her initial surprise, she introduced her boyfriend with a bright smile and asked, “Are you here to watch the fireworks too?”
Yu Le: “We’re here for dinner. What fireworks?”
Su Hui: “The autumn fireworks festival in Xuan City! It’s right along the moat. This restaurant has the best view. The reservations were all taken a week ago. Didn’t you know?”
“I didn’t know,” Yu Le said, confused, looking at Lu Yao. “Wasn’t the reservation made by you earlier today?”
Lu Yao admitted it wasn’t. “A week ago.”
Su Hui realized, covering her mouth and smiling lightly, “Ah, it seems like someone planned a surprise. Sorry, I accidentally spoiled it.”
Su Hui was on a different floor. Before parting, she quietly told Yu Le, “Here’s a tip: at five minutes and twenty seconds, there will be a surprise during the fireworks show.”
When the elevator doors closed, Yu Le looked at Lu Yao with suspicion. “Just a casual dinner?”
Lu Yao held his hand. “Then let’s make it a grand dinner.”
The doorman waited by the elevator, and when the doors opened, he greeted them and led them to their table.
The table Lu Yao had reserved was by the window, and as Su Hui said, the view was excellent, offering a perfect view of the performance areas on both sides of the moat.
The area outside the safety lines was crowded with people, many of whom had laid out picnic blankets and set up temporary tents.
He asked Lu Yao, “Does this fireworks show really happen every year? Why haven’t I heard about it before?”
Lu Yao: “It might not be well-promoted.”
Yu Le: “Do you come every year?”
“Almost,” Lu Yao replied. “It can also be seen from the company, but it’s not as spectacular as here.”
As they waited, Yu Le chatted casually with Lu Yao and continued playing with the Rubik’s Cube.
Soon, a murmur rose around them, mixed with phrases like “It’s almost nine” and “It’s about to start.” Yu Le looked up and saw a brilliant flash near the water’s surface, followed by fireworks lighting up both sides of the moat.
The fireworks show had begun.
Yu Le put down the Rubik’s Cube and focused on enjoying the fireworks.
The dazzling neon lights of daily life paled in comparison to the vibrant fireworks, which varied in shape and color, reflecting in the water and accompanied by the continuous sounds. It was grand, magnificent, delicate, and extremely romantic.
While it was fresh and new to Yu Le, it seemed rather ordinary to Lu Yao, who had seen it every year.
After watching for a while, Lu Yao reached over and took Yu Le’s Rubik’s Cube.
At five minutes and twenty seconds, a drone display joined in.
Yu Le was excitedly watching and, when he turned to look at Lu Yao, saw this scene:
His boyfriend leaning back in his chair, casually and熟练ly twisting the Rubik’s Cube. The colorful lights from outside reflected on his deep-set eyes, and it seemed even the thunderous sounds were slightly subdued.
Noticing Yu Le’s gaze, Lu Yao looked up and met his bright, happy eyes. “What’s wrong? Is it not impressive?”
“It’s beautiful, but you’re more captivating.”
Yu Le smiled, and while he saw the fireworks igniting in Lu Yao’s eyes, he didn’t realize his own eyes were similarly starry. “Brother, shall we do this again next year?”
As the drones outside arranged into a giant firework display, Lu Yao placed the solved Rubik’s Cube in front of him. Each side of the cube displayed a flower with a sun:
“Mm, let’s do it every year.”
